Headlines of 2012

By Ismail Uddin

2012 was a rather eventful year for the sports industry. This is what happened, as reported by iSportconnect’s diligent news team.

January

Shahid Khan Officially Takes Ownership of Jacksonville Jaguars

Shahid Khan officially took over Jacksonville Jaguars yesterday after Wayne and Delores Weaver and their partners transferred ownership to the Pakistani-born American business tycoon.

The Weavers had owned the franchise since its inception in 1993. Wayne Weaver and Khan signed an agreement on Nov. 29 to sell the team.

William Hill Become Official Supporter of England & the FA Cup

The Football Association (FA) has gained a new sponsor to add to its growing portfolio with William Hill, Europe’s leading gaming and sports betting business becoming an Official Supporter to both England and The FA Cup. A two-and-a-half year deal has been agreed, running through to the end of The FA Cup and FIFA World Cup in 2014.

Warrior Sports Becomes Official Kit Supplier of Liverpool

Warrior Sports Inc. and Liverpool Football Club have officially announced a six-year agreement which sees Warrior become the Club’s Official Kit Supplier in a deal considered to be the biggest in Premier League history.

The £25 million ($41m) a year deal, which will come into play from June 1 2012, will see Warrior create the Liverpool FC home, away and third kits, as well as their training wear for the next six years

 

February

Derrick Rose Signs Biggest Sports Sponsorship Deal in History

Derrick Rose, point guard of the Chicago Bulls has inked one of the richest athletic endorsement deals in sports history, signing a contract extension with Adidas that could pay him almost $250 million though 14 years, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Egyptian Football Association Dissolved after Deadly Soccer Riot

Football′s ruling body FIFA said on Thursday it was too early to talk about possible sanctions after the dissolving of the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) in the wake of deadly riots at a game in Port Said.

74 people were crushed, suffocated or stabbed to death after a game between local team al-Masri and Cairo’s al-Ahli in the worst soccer violence the world has seen in 15 years.

Rangers Set to Enter Administration

Historic Scottish club Glasgow Rangers, champions of Scotland on 54 occasions, have lodged a notice to go into administration according to reports.

STV and BBC Scotland both report that the Court of Session in Edinburgh has confirmed the club’s solicitors have given notice of Rangers’ intention to appoint administrators.

Championship Strugglers Portsmouth Officially Enter Administration

It has been officially confirmed that Portsmouth F.C have gone into administration for the second time in as many years.

A High Court hearing today decided the fate of the south-coast club after HM Revenue and Customs issued them with a winding-up petition on 3 January.

Qatar to Allow Women to Compete for First Time at London 2012

The Qatar Olympic Committee have said they will send women athletes to the Olympics for the first time at the London Games.

Sheik Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the general secretary of the Qatar Olympic Committee, says the IOC has offered Qatar wild card invitations for two female athletes to compete in London—swimmer Nada Arkaji and sprinter Noor al-Malki.

 

March

L.A Dodgers Secure Record Breaking Ownership Deal

MLB’s The Los Angeles Dodgers and owner Frank McCourt have announced a deal to sell the team for a record $2 billion to Earvin “Magic” Johnson’s sports group Guggenheim Baseball Management LLC.

As part of the deal, which could help the club emerge from bankruptcy, McCourt and certain affiliates of the buyers also plan to form a joint venture to acquire Dodger Stadium and the surrounding Chavez Ravine property for $150 million, the team and Guggenheim Baseball said in a statement

Minnesota Vikings Secure New Stadium Agreement

The NFL’s Minnesota Vikings have secured an agreement to build a new stadium near the site of the Metrodome, pending approval from the Minneapolis City Council and the state Legislature.

Governor Mark Dayton was joined by State Legislators, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, Mark and Zygi Wilf of the Minnesota Vikings, and business and labor leaders to announce the agreement to build a new “People’s Stadium.”

NBC to Broadcast America’s Cup

The NBC will air the first two races of the America’s Cup, sailing’s marquee regatta which will be staged in San Francisco Bay on September 2013.

According to the Associated Press the deal with the NBC Sports Group also includes three broadcasts on NBC this year from the America’s Cup World Series. The remaining races in the America’s Cup match will be on cable on NBC Sports Network.

Ecclestone’s Potential Successor Resigns as Chief Executive of F1

The potential successor to 81 year-old Bernie Ecclestone, David Campbell has stepped down from his role as chief executive of Formula One.

Former O2 Arena boss David Campbell had taken up the role of managing director of Allsport Management – the Geneva based company that handles trackside advertising and sponsorship, merchandising and corporate hospitality through F1’s Paddock Club – when founder Patrick McNally announced he was to stand down from his role.

RFU Appoint Andrew Coslett as England Rugby 2015 Chairman

The Rugby Football Union has appointed Andrew Coslett as Chairman of England Rugby 2015 (ER 2015), the tournament organising company that will deliver Rugby World Cup 2015 in England.

Cosslett, the former Chief Executive Officer of InterContinental Hotels Group plc, who has held the post of Interim Chairman, takes up the role in April 2012.

F1 Williams Chairman In Shock Resignation

Williams have confirmed that Chariman Adam Parr has resigned, and will leave his post at the end of the week. Team principal Sir Frank Williams said Parr was “seeking a better balance in his life”.

Parr joined the team as chief executive officer in 2006 and was promoted to his current role four years later.

 

April

Wimbledon Confirm New Chief Executive

Rugby League chairman Richard Lewis has been announced as the new chief executive of Wimbledon, when he is due to start his new role at the start of next month.

The former tennis pro will replace Ian Ritchie, who left Wimbledon this year to run the English rugby union’s governing body.

Sony & UEFA Renew Sponsorship Deal

UEFA has extended its sponsorship agreement with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) and its PlayStation brand for the UEFA Champions League, seasons 2012 to 2015, and for the UEFA Super Cup in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

PlayStation joins Heineken, UniCredit, Ford and MasterCard as the fifth official partner for the 2012-2015 seasons, alongside adidas, the official supplier.

Melbourne To Host 2013-2016 ISAF Sailing World Cup

Melbourne has been selected as the third of six venues that will host the ISAF Sailing World Cup Regattas from 2013 onwards.

The regatta will kick start the 2013-2014 Sailing World Cup at Sandringham, Yacht Club from 2-8 December 2012 with the agreement running until 2015.

 

May

Nike Becomes Manchester City’s New Kit Supplier

Sportswear brand  Nike has replaced Umbro as Manchester City’s official kit supplier from the start of the 2013/14 season.

The Umbro deal, which has been in place since June 2009, will continue to the end of the 2012/13 season, after which all kit, training wear and related products will be designed, manufactured and distributed by Nike. The contract will run until 2019.

Serie A Clubs Under Investigation for Match-Fixing

Serie A clubs Atalanta, Siena and Novara have been accused of match-fixing pertaining to manipulation of games and bet frauds, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) confirmed.

In a comprehensive 48-page list released by the FIGC, 22 clubs were named along with 61 individuals that have been reported to the football authorities in connection with a match-fixing and betting investigation.

Tokyo, Madrid & Istanbul Make Final Cut to Host 2020 Olympics

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced their shortlist for the bidding cities to host the 2020 Olympics with Baku and Doha missing out.

Tokyo, Madrid and Istanbul make up the final three as the IOC executive board settled on a shortlist of finalists.

BNP Paribas Agrees French Open Renewal

BNP Paribas and the French Tennis Federation (FFT) announced a five-year extension of BNP Paribas’ role as “Major sponsor” of Roland-Garros.

Premier League Wage-Bill Reaches Record High

The latest annual review of football finance by analyst Deloitte has revealed that Premier League clubs are spending an enormous amount on player wages with the statistic reaching an all-time high.

 

June

Floyd Mayweather Becomes Highest Paid Athlete in the World

Floyd Mayweather has replaced Tiger Woods as the highest paid athlete in the world, according to Forbes new shortlist.

Forbes.com named Mayweather its highest-paid athlete over the last year. Mayweather earned $85 million, knocking golfer Tiger Woods out of the top spot that he has held since 2001. Woods fell to third behind another boxer, Manny Pacquiao, who earned $62 million. Woods took home $59.4 million.

Bill Maher Becomes Part-Owner of New York Mets

Comedian and talk show host Bill Maher has purchased a minority ownership stake in the New York Mets Major League Baseball team.
Maher revealed that he bought a minority share of the team months ago, but gave no details of the deal, the reports said.

SKY & BT Get UK Premier League Rights Worth Billions

The English Premier League announced today that Sky and BT has gained the rights to English top flight matches in the UK between the 2013/14 to 2015/16 seasons.

Sky secured five packages allowing them to receive 116 matches, while BT got two packages worth 38 matches.

USTA to Renovate US Open’s Flushing Meadows

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) is undertaking a massive renovation of the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center, one that will rebuild two aging show courts, open up the practice courts for viewing, add parking and work to create a better “flow throughout the complex.”