In the world of sports labor, the battle has always been painted as being management against union. But, the cold hard truth is, the internal battles are the ones that weaken one side or the other and give rise to advantage.

So, I’m not so sure Gary Bettman is smiling today, but I’m certain the NHL’s players are a fragmented lot.

The recent story that is the NHL Players’ Association may be the most convoluted case of implosion U.S. professional sports has witnessed in over 30 years. The last time there was such internal turmoil, MLB ownership ranks were squabbling after the ascension of Marvin Miller and the MLBPA.

Now, it’s hockey’s turn, only this time, it’s the players union, not management.

If you haven’t followed this sad tale, here’s the timeline:

July 28, 2005 – Bob Goodenow who had been the Executive Director of the NHLPA through the 103-day lockout in ‘94-’95 and the 2004-2005 labor stoppage that canceled the entire ‘04-’05 NHL season, was asked to resign, and did so less that two weeks after the NHL and the NHLPA came to reach the current Collective Bargaining Agreement.

July 28, 2005 – Ted Saskin, the former Senior Director of Business Affairs and Licensing since 1992, replaces Goodenow. Saskin immediately comes under fire by some players for the manner in which he is elected as well as well as his salary. Some players claimed at the time that Saskin was improperly hired to a five-term contract worth $2.13 million a year. As we’ll see, this behavior by the NHLPA is playing itself out now. In an odd twist that is playing out now, Chris Chelios, who at the time was with the Detroit Red Wings said that Trevor Linden, the union president who played for Vancouver, improperly negotiated a severance package with Goodenow and the new contract with Saskin. Goodenow received a severance package of more than $8 million, according to e-mail correspondence sent to The Toronto Star, which first reported the controversy at the time. In October of 2006, a group of player, led by Chelios, file a lawsuit in US Federal Court to remove Saskin and seek damages. In ‘07, Saskin, and other union officials come under fire for accessing private email accounts of players and agents who have challenged his hiring. This activity will also come into play in the present.

March 11, 2007 – Saskin is placed on paid leave. The union’s executive board, after a vote made up of 30 player representatives and the six-member interim executive committee, voted to fire Saskin on a conference call. Saskin does not leave office until May 7,2007.  Saskin reportedly received nearly $750,000 US in accrued vacation pay and union shares. “I remain proud of all the work I did for NHL players over the last 16 years,” Saskin told the Canadian Press in an e-mail at the time.

June 28, 2007 – The union’s Executive Board selects Michael Cammalleri (Montreal Canadiens), Chelios (Detroit Red Wings), Shawn Horcoff (Edmonton Oilers), Eric Lindros (retired) and Robyn Regehr (Calgary Flames) to form a search committee for a new Executive Director in the wake of Saskin’s forced resigning. The effort is done with assistance of Reilly Partners, an executive search firm from Chicago. The committee recommends Paul Kelly, a founding partner of Kelly, Libby and Hoopes, and after a vote from the players, is announced as the new Executive Director of the NHLPA on October 24, 2007.

August 31, 2009 - Kelly is fired after several hours of meetings late into the night in Chicago. The decision was made by a vote from the NHLPA’s 30 player reps that comprise its Executive Board. The NHLPA released a statement  the following day saying, “Following the Executive Board’s review of the overall operation of the NHLPA, it was decided that Paul Kelly should no longer continue to serve as Executive Director.  We appreciate Mr. Kelly’s service to our Association.” Kelly was informed of the firing with NHLPA General Counsel Ian Penny. There have been rumblings that Kelly might be getting too close to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly. Kelly was also reportedly at odds with NHLPA Interim Ombudsman Buzz Hargrove, and according to Liz Mullen of the SportsBusiness Journal, “at least one member of the union’s outside advisory committee”, as well as Penny.

August 31, 2009 – On the same day as Kelly’s firing, Ian Penny, the longtime NHLPA General Counsel, is voted unanimously by the union’s executive committee members interim executive director

October 22, 2009 – Less than two months after Kelly’s firing, the PA calls for an investigation into Kelly’s firing.  After Kelly’s firing, there was a lack of clear explanation for why Kelly was removed. according to some players. Edmonton Oilers forward Shawn Horcoff, one of the 30 on the executive board said, “Until we’re able to inform all the players on exactly what happened, we’re really not going to be too specific.” More vague talk came from  Buzz Hargrove. “Given the findings that were presented to them, given the debate, they took a decision. It’s a decision they will feel very comfortable justifying with their fellow players once they see them in training camp.”

October 30, 2009 – Eight days after the investigation into Kelly’s firing is launched, Ian Penny resigns saying he had been constructively dismissed and “can no longer work under the present circumstances.” Along with Penny, multiple members of the NHLPA’s advisory board including former NHL player Steve Larmer, and Ken Baumgartner, as well as Dan O’Neill and Ron Lloyd, both connected to the NHLPA on the business side. Baumgartner writes an email to the PA’s members saying:

“Get involved and ask questions,” Baumgartner wrote in his resignation email. “Not just now but in the future. Care about the business side of the sport and players’ rights. The strength of the union lies in your locker rooms.  Ask whether the players and their advisers taking you down this dangerous path have ulterior motives. Revenge? Personal ambitions? Attempts to save face?

“I have grave concerns around the direction that the review committee is taking you. Those who loudly proclaim to protect the constitution appear to have ignored it. The role that I accepted no longer exists, and I can be of no use to you in the current structure.”

On top of these members, the NHLPA’s longtime outside counsel, leading Canadian labor attorney Paul Cavalluzzo, also resign. Cavalluzzo is important as he had been part of labor negotiations with the NHL. At the time, some in the Canadian press report that the NHLPA has ostensibly collapsed and in not functioning. The NHLPA in a statement makes a point of addressing the matter saying, “The NHLPA staff continues to work very hard on behalf of the players in all areas of the Association’s business and will continue to do so going forward.” An October 23rd letter from Penny to the NHLPA paints a picture as to why he resigned. Within it, Penny claims that, among other things, spying was being conducted by four veteran NHLPA members, and led by Chris Chelios:

In recent weeks, there have been a series of hostile and intimidating acts taken against members of the NHLPA staff. These acts are contrary to the legal obligation of the NHLPA to create a safe work environment that is free of harassment. Unfortunately, this obligation is not being fulfilled because of these acts, which include the following:

• Chris Chelios is using staff members inside the office to monitor the meetings and discussions of their fellow employees and report back to him on their activities
• Chelios has confronted multiple employees and interrogated them about why they were meeting with other staffers and what was said in their discussions
• The most recent example of this surveillance campaign occurred on Tuesday, when Chelios sent me the following text message while I was meeting with four other managers in a board room:

“Ian when you r done can you please call me and let me know what you 5 staff members are discussing with each other i would like to know being your guys Emplyer.”

It is obvious based on this text message and other recent incidents that Chelios has staff members spying on their colleagues so that he can intimidate and harass the targeted staffers. This completely inappropriate conduct has created a hostile, fractured and distrustful work environment. It is the type of environment that exists in repressive, totalitarian regimes – not work places. It must stop immediately.

Chelios’ suggestion that he is the employer and that he is entitled to engage in this form of harassment is simply wrong. No employer is entitled to intimidate employees in this manner. In addition, this view reflects a misunderstanding of the relationship between the Executive Board and the staff. There are over 700 NHLPA members who dictate the union’s course through 30 Player Reps acting as a group. No single Player and no single Player Rep directs the day to day management of the NHLPA or its staff. Not only would that be a recipe for chaos, it would allow a single Player to engage in activities that may create legal liability for the entire membership.

Because I am a target of Chelios’ surveillance activities, I strongly recommend that the Board seek guidance from other counsel regarding the legal exposure that these activities may have created for the NHLPA.

October 31, 2009 – With Penny, and others resigning from the NHLPA, the four-man review committee installs General Counsel Mike Ouellet as acting Executive Director, and that Roland Lee has been named General Counsel to replace Ouellet until the executive board  made up of the 30 player reps can reconvene and name an interim executive director and interim general counsel. Almost immediately, there are questions as to whether the review committee has the rights within the NHLPA constitution to conduct such an action.

November 8, 2009 – NHLPA Interim Ombudsman “Buzz” Hargrove resigns, saying, “Under current circumstances, I can not perform duties of ombudsman.” There had been reports that Hargrove was going to be ousted, although Hargrove said, “I had no worry of being forced out.”  Still, Hargrove’s announcement might well be viewed as a preemptive strike. Hargrove said surveillance by the NHLPA’s review committee made it impossible to carry out duties outlined in NHLPA constitution.

That brings you up to date on the soap opera that is the NHLPA. If your head is swimming, imagine how the rank and file players feel. If there is a single name that runs through this saga, it is Chris Chelios. Whether the players find that he is the source of the problems, or simply a man attempting to get the ship righted, is the question.

One thing of importance… While 2011 seems far away, it isn’t when it comes to labor negotiations. With the NHLPA a rudderless, revolving door of a house that seems to be forever on fire, getting the NHLPA sorted out could have implications on the next CBA. What seems to be a near given is that this timeline of a chaotic nature seems far from over. After all, Hargrove will need replacing, and eventually, Ouellet will either be approved, or not, by the executive board. For those keeping track, there have been three executive directors of the NHLPA in four years. That does include interim executive directors in Penny, and Ouellet.

Stability? Think again.

Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is available for hire or freelance. Brown’s full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.

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The NHL may be making a come back compared to the work stoppage year(s), but there are some markets that are getting hammered due to the economy and other factors, namely, attendance woes due to lackluster performance in the standings.

No club in the NHL exemplifies this at this stage better than the Phoenix Coyotes. I’ve written ad nauseum about the love (or lack thereof) between the NHL, owner Jerry Moyes, and RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie over at The Biz of Hockey (here’s but one example) as it pertains to the bankruptcy filing by Moyes, his attempts to sell the team to Balsillie (who was going to hijack the team and relocate them to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, against the NHL’s will), and the general bleeding of red ink that can be viewed in just some of the many documents filed in court, here.

How has all this impacted the gate (and we didn’t even bring up Wayne Gretzky)? Attendance has been colder than the ice the Coyotes play on.

Case in point, Monday’s game against the Kings which drew a paid attendance of 5,855. Remember, paid attendance is the number of tickets sold, not rears in the seats, so the abysmal figure listed was certainly worse.

What’s worse? Try Saturday’s game against the Ducks, which drew 6,495 in paid attendance. Remember, that’s a Saturday night. Average for the two games: 6,175

The bankruptcy judge overseeing the sale of the Coyotes recently approved a deal for the NHL to purchase the club for $140 million. No word on whether they place the beleaguered club on eBay anytime soon.

I’ve been doing interviews with those in sports business for a while now… Fay Vincent… Bob Costas… Marvin Miller… Kevin Pritchard… Each one has been fascinating in one way or another. But recently, I’ve bumped into the chance to interview a couple of individuals of celebrity status, and it’s been, well… fun.

A couple of weeks ago I interviewed chef, restaurateur, and TV personality Emeril Lagasse in Las Vegas for the opening of his “Lagasse Stadium” space at The Palazzo, and today it’s actress, sports fan, and fashionista, Alyssa Milano.

Three years ago, Milano approached MLB Properties about marketing a clothing line that would look as good in a boutique as it would at the merchandise stand at the ballpark. The results has spawned not only a revolution in clothing for women to wear to the ballpark, but the business model has been so successful that it is now available for the NFL, NBA, NHL, and NCAA. As Greg Sim, MLB Properties’ director of licensing, apparel and headwear said at the time Touch by Alyssa Milano was launched, it taps “a part of the market we haven’t touched yet, putting a high-end product on the casual and younger fans who are more fashion conscious.”

One of the most notable comments… When I asked if she might wish to own a sports franchise, she answered, “I would love to buy into a Triple-A baseball team.”

Some key quotes:

• On how the idea for Touch came about – “I figured if just 30% of these women were insulted by the pink gear (like I was) but wore it anyway because it was the only way MLB was addressing female fans, the market was there for a well made, fashionable, flattering, fan apparel line.”
• On reaching a deal with MLB Properties – “Ultimately, I don’t think they gave me the licensing because of the concept of the clothing line. I think they gave me the licensing because they could tell I was a real fan and that I could represent female fans in a passionate, intelligent way.”
• On her attention to detail – I’m involved with every aspect of the line for the simple reason that I’m the one sitting in the stands, spanning all leagues, for over 80 games a year. I don’t think a designer sitting in an office can adequately design for a sports fan if they aren’t actually attending sporting events.
• On being a female presence in the predominantly male world of sports – “I don’t even think about it that way. My intention is simply to give women a voice in sports. And I try to use whatever opportunity I’m given.”

On interviews…

The interview with Milano isn’t the only one in the hopper. We’re in the midst of transcribing an interview with MLB Network’s Victor Rojas. And, not content with that, look for an exhaustive interview with former BALCO head, Victor Conte.

Other The Biz of Baseball content includes:

• MLB ANALYST STEVE PHILLIPS FIRED BY ESPN
• THE POLITICS OF SPRING TRAINING: A GOOD INVESTMENT?
• “Experienced” Umpires for World Series Simply Window Dressing
• Welcome Bacta: Indians Name Manny Acta New Manager
• Report: Mark McGwire the New Hitting Coach for the Cardinals

But, it’s not just baseball we’re covering.

Today sees a fantastic article/interview on The Biz of Basketball by Business of Sports Network staffer Matthew Coller with Brian Byrnes on the building of the Oklahoma City Thunder brand.

Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is available for hire or freelance. Brown’s full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.

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“BIZ” SITES GO SOCIAL NETWORKING WITH TWITTER

SITES ADD ABILITY TO POST TO TWITTER DIRECTLY, EACH SITE NOW HAS TWITTER ACCOUNT

The Business of Sports Network announced today that has made “going social” part of each of their award winning sites in two dynamic ways that will get you more info, more often by adding Twitter to all of the sites within the Network’s family, including The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Basketball, The Biz of Football, and The Biz of Hockey. The additions mean breaking news and information will be available to those using the popular social networking location.

“Social networking is not just a fad, it has become a powerful tool for sports information as leagues, those that report on sports in the media, and professional athletes continue to break news via Twitter, “said Maury Brown, founder and president of the Business of Sports Network. “The addition of Twitter to the Business of Sports Network family of sites is something we are excited about as we look to continue to offer new ways of giving our readers the best information on the business of sports.”

Each Biz Site Now on Twitter
Getting even more great content from the Business of Sports Network now comes through individual accounts for each site on the popular social networking application, Twitter. Get breaking news, information from those that we follow. Follow the Business of Sports Network sites through the following locations:

The Biz of Baseball on Twitter

The Biz of Basketball on Twitter

The Biz of Football on Twitter

The Biz of Hockey on Twitter

Post to Twitter Directly from the Biz Sites
Looking to make each of the Business of Sports Network sites even more interactive, you can now post directly to Twitter from each of the “Biz” sites on any page, anytime. Each of the sites now comes with Tweetboard functionality that allows you to login to your account, and post by clicking on a tab provided across each page of the sites, expanding the Twitter interface.

Look for updates 24/7/365 from the staff at the Business of Sports Network to the Twitter accounts, as well as updates from Maury Brown, founder and president of the Business of Sports Network.

ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK:
The Business of Sports Network is a series of resources dedicated to sports news outside the lines. The network includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball, The Biz of Hockey, and our portal, the Business of Sports Network. The focus of BSN is on providing coverage of breaking news events in sports as it happens, provide expert analysis, provide interviews with those that work in sports business, and provide data and documents to allow readers to see deep into the issues and news confronting sports today.

All the sites across the Business of Sports Network provide the following:

• Reporting on news, as it happens, at the major, minor, and collegiate levels.
• Provide interviews with sports executives, or those in the media that cover sports.
• Data and documents
• Thought provoking original articles and commentary from the staff at the Business of Sports Network

–30–

(THE BIZ OF BASEBALL)

• Press Release: The Biz of Baseball, Other Business of Sports Network Sites, Upgrades with Twitter Access
• Rockford RiverHawks To Join The Northern League in 2010
• David Ortiz Addresses Media, Red Sox Issues Statement in Support
• MLB Releases Statement Regarding 2003 Drug Test
• Prior to Ortiz Press Conference, MLBPA Releases Statement Regarding 2003 Drug Test
• Astros Minor Leaguer Einertson Suspended 50 Games for “Drug of Abuse”
• The Significance of Michael Weiner at the Ortiz Press Conference
• With 10 Days to Go, “Signing Strasburg” Watching Kicks Into High Gear

(THE BIZ OF BASKETBALL)

• Press Release: The Biz of Basketball Upgrades with Twitter Access
• Nike Introduces Nike Air Max LeBron VII
• Magic’s Rashard Lewis Suspended 10 Games For PEDs
• Complete 2009-10 NBA Broadcast Schedule for ABC and ESPN Released

(THE BIZ OF FOOTBALL)

• Press Release: The Biz of Football Upgrades with Twitter Access
• Roddy White Ends Holdout
• UFL Releases “Premiere” Season Schedule
• Eli Manning’s Extension with Giants Makes Him One of NFL’s Highest Paid Players Annually
• United Football League Signs 19 Players to New York Roster

(THE BIZ OF HOCKEY)

• Press Release: The Biz of Hockey Upgrades with Twitter Access
• Coyotes Update: NHL Board of Governors Approve Reinsdorf Bid, Deny Balsillie
• Sergei Fedorov Files $60 Million lawsuit Against Wealth Manager
• The NHL and NBC Extend Revenue-Sharing Partnership Through 2010-11 Season
• Hudler Update: NHL Deputy Commissioner Argues that Hudler is Still Red Wing Property

When it comes to running content day in and day out on sports, the biggest challenge is finding information, doing your analysis, and getting the piece(s) published in a timely manner.

As most anyone will tell you, information is power, and in authoring content across the Business of Sports Network of sites, as well as freelancing, the biggest challenge is that first part: finding solid information.

That used to be done in one exersise each and every day — the trudging through approx. 100 bookmarks, and doing a hefty bit of search engine work.

But, recently, I have added the social networking tool Twitter to the arsenal, and have found it an invaluable tool.

The thing is, I got more than that.

I’m a social creature in an often times, non-social world. Having your eyes and hands strapped to a laptop for long periods can wear one out. Twitter allows one to get info, and do a bit of social dabbling. For me, that involves my interests in music (been playing guitar for what seems like forever now), and autism awareness due to my son Travis. Twitter bridges that gap.

If you are interested in what’s happening with me on Twitter, take a peak at the widget below as it updates in realtime.

OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK

• MLB.com Taps Twitter for Tuesday’s MLB Draft – The Biz of Baseball
• Rangers Exercise Contract Option to Retain Manager Ron Washington for ‘10 Season – The Biz of Baseball
• Naming Rights for New College World Series Stadium Sold to TD Ameritrade – The Biz of Baseball
• LWIB: Gearing-Up for the Rule 4 Draft, Brodsky vs. Yankees, Latin Player Market – The Biz of Baseball
• Free Parking at Dodger Stadium for June 16-18 Series with Athletics – The Biz of Baseball
• Yankees to Become First Club to Stream Games Online in Home Market – The Biz of Baseball
• CanAm League’s U.S. Military All-Stars To Be Run By Dan Duquette – The Biz of Baseball
• Uniform Advertisement Just Around the Corner for Baseball – The Biz of Baseball
• Former Cleveland Indians Owner Dick Jacobs Passes Away at the Age of 84 – The Biz of Baseball
• Rain + Losing = Poor Attendance for Johnson’s 300th Win – The Biz of Baseball
• PeTA Announces Top 10 Vegetarian-Friendly Ballparks – The Biz of Baseball
• Los Angeles, Staples Center Awarded 2011 NBA All-Star Game – The Biz of Basketball
• 2009 NBA Playoffs Are Highest Rated, Most Watched Ever for ESPN – The Biz of Basketball
• TNT Sees Most Watched NBA Playoffs in Turner’s 25-Year History of Televising the NBA – The Biz of Basketball
• An Interview with David Kahn, President of Basketball Operations, Minnesota Timberwolves – The Biz of Basketball
• With Portion of Cavs Being Sold to Chinese Investors. LeBron Should Remain in Cleveland – The Biz of Basketball
• NHL, NBC On Verge of 2-Year Broadcast Extension – The Biz of Hockey
• NHL Network, Comcast Reach Long-Term Agreement for Carriage – The Biz of Hockey
• Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals Averages 5.33 million Viewers – The Biz of Hockey
• Jim Balsillie Unveils Plans to Renovate Copps Coliseum – The Biz of Hockey
• Relocation Hearing for Phoenix Coyotes Moved Up to June 9 – The Biz of Hockey
• U.S. Senators Send Letter to Bettman in Opposition to Coyotes Relocation to Hamilton – The Biz of Hockey
• NHL, Coyotes Told to Head to Mediation by Judge. Ruling on Relocation Not Made – The Biz of Hockey
• Coyotes Documents Update: MLB, NBA, NFL Support NHL – The Biz of Hockey
• Bill Mayer Announced as Newest Investor in UFL’s New York Franchise – The Biz of Football
• Safety Adrian Wilson and Tackle Joe Staley Land Extensions – The Biz of Football
• Bills Execs Deny Interest In New Stadium to Replace Ralph Wilson Stadium – The Biz of Football
• Agreement Reached on Stadium Terms for 49ers in Santa Clara – The Biz of Football
• United Football League Announces Coaching Assignments – The Biz of Football

Major League Soccer must feel that there’s something in the water in the Pacific Northwest. Today will see Sounders FC make their debut in Seattle as they host the Red Bulls at Qwest Field with more than 32,000 fans expected. The game will come on the heels of Vancouver, BC being awarded one of two expansion franchises for the 2011 season, and Portland being awarded the second and final expansion club tomorrow at a 10a.m. PT press conference in what is lovingly referred to as Soccer City, USA (credit Timber fans at SoccerCityUSA.com for breaking the story). Heck, the Timbers already have MLS ticket sale info online for 2011. (NOTE: The Timbers have since pulled the info, SoccerCityUSA.com posted the details here before being yanked)

With the Sounders, and eventually Vancouver (Whitecaps), and Portland (Timbers) coming into the league, it sets up a perfect “I-5 rivalry”, and certainly taps into the grassroots fan base that has been building in the region for years for soccer. There are funding issues to deal with on Portland’s end, but if they pull it off (which they should given the award tomorrow), Commissioner Garber should be given a thumbs-up for tapping into the region.

The question now is, where will teams 19 and 20 play? Garber made mention at yesterday’s press conference that the league will (once again) be expanding by two clubs. Too fast? Maybe. Maybe, not. The one certain factor is that with all the expansion fees rolling into the league, MLS will have some extra green to offset the impacts of the recession.

In other sports business news…

The Miami City Commission voted 3-2 today in favor of a $639 million package to fund a new ballpark for the team that would be named the Miami Marlins after the Marlins made several concessions in an effort to get the funding passed. If Miami-Dade County Commissioners vote in favor of the funding package, the Marlins will have finally landed the long sought after baseball-only stadium that three separate Marlins ownership groups have been pining for for more than a decade..

Seems the completed sale of the Cubs won’t be occurring by the beginning of the 2009 MLB season. “I think it will be a challenge to make opening day. If I were to tell you we were going to make opening day, everything would have to fall into place just perfectly, and the world’s an imperfect place, so I would say that’s probably unlikely,” said Cubs chairman Crane Kenney from Mesa yesterday.

And there was much dancing in the streets… Gameday Audio is coming to MLB.com’s At Bat application for iPhone.

The NFL player reps are smart to have gone with an outsider to replace Gene Upshaw.

President Obama gets ready for March Madness by filling out a bracket for ESPN.

This just in, working for Lenny Dyskstra is the new Hell’s Kitchen.

This just in, A-Rod needs to work on his image.

In the cha-ching department, I’ve come up with a new metric designed to calculate the average amount a club that hosts a postseason game in MLB pulls in.

While US fans snore through the event, for the most part, the rest of the world is making the World Baseball Classic an attendance and ratings hit.

It is about the money, stupid, has an excellent interview with Jeff Pearlman, author of The Rocket Who Fell to Earth.

Here’s what 10 years worth of end of year payroll looks like for Major League Baseball. Surprise, the Yankees outspent all comers.

The NHL really has its act together when it comes to digital media as witnessed by this.

In other NHL news, the players could ostensibly be working the last 12-13 games of the season unpaid.

And finally, “That was a wicked googlie!” Manny Ramirez tries Cricket as part of a promo for DirecTV.

Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer. Brown’s full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.

Today turns into tonight before I can get to the personal blog. Hey, you have to have some time to research articles, right?

The focus early on Thursday centered around how sports marketing it taking a licking due to the economy, especially those banking giants that are set to receive TARP money from the federal government to bail them out.

Business of Sports Network staff writer Pete Toms does an extensive (and I mean extensive) article entitled Sports Marketing is the Recession’s New Whipping Boy, while over at the Business of Sports Network, I add some Nielsen Media Research data on how banks are spending TV ad budgets on sports. Found that to be really surprising, so take a peak at the link.

The other thing that I hit on today was the Manny Ramirez contract. Maybe it was the constant onslaught of coverage, but when the whole deal started to hinge on the amount of money being deferred, a couple of teeth got knocked off my sprocket. I go into why there’s some level of insanity in the Dodgers of all teams deferring salary and placing Manny’s salary on the books well after he’ll be out of Dodger Blue. I provide a table from Forbes showing the revenues the Dodgers have pulled in and their overall valuation ranking over the last five years. Let’s just say the number “4″ is popular. Here’s a whole bunch of stats on Man-Ram.

In other news…

Will Manny get his asking price for his condo?

The New York Jets are asking some employees to take two-weeks of unpaid leave in lieu of job cuts.

Liberty Sports Group today announced that the company has transitioned its three regional sports networks to broadcast full-time in high definition. That includes FSN Northwest, FSN Pittsburgh, FSN Rocky Mountain (and sub-region FSN Utah).

The Nationals are offering up more tickets to the Elton John, Billy Joel concert at Nationals Park due to a computer glitch when tickets initially went on sale.

The NHL really had the trade deadline covered from all angles.

Some guy named A-Rod had puss drained today.

T.O. is now officially unemployed.

Sad news for baseball fans as Jon Weisman reports that Diamond Leung has been laid-off by the Press-Enterprise.

Getting a home for the Masters Tournament has gotten cheaper due to the economy.

And finally, former New York Times baseball reporting icon Murray Chass appears to have gone complete off the deep end regarding Mike Piazza and his (wretch) back acne.

Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer. Brown’s full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.

This morning, we’re reporting on the Business of Sports Network about MLS expansion as part of our continued “Focus On” series. But after publication, word arrived late last night through someone connected to MLS that with Miami dropping out of the running for one of the two expansion franchises, Portland and Vancouver, B.C. would be given conditional award for the next two expansion franchises in MLS.

What does that mean?

As someone that lives in Portland, and worked directly within the MLB to Portland effort, it can mean much. It can also place the actual award just out of fingers reach.

The term “conditional award” came into vogue during the early 2000s when MLB was looking to relocate the Montreal Expos. The phrase is fairly straight forward. A franchise is awarded a city, based on the condition that a stadium meeting league parameters is provided.

As I mentioned, this can give a considerable amount of leverage to sports boosters and the city advocates looking to land a team. It allows the targeted city the ability to more easily pass funding measures needed to build from scratch, or renovate facilities to meet league conditions.

I also mentioned that it can place a franchise just within reach. In this economy, focusing on public funding of stadia development is exceptionally difficult. Even with a conditional award, the political capital needed to pass funding can be daunting, even if there are clear attempts to safeguard the host municipality from picking up the tab, should something go badly (league folding, targeted revenue streams to pay back bonds below threshold, etc).

Stay tuned to see what happens over the next two weeks as MLS gets closer to announcing the winning cities.

In other news…

Thank goodness, it’s nearly over. Manny Ramirez and Dodgers have agreed on parameters for a two-year, $45 million contract.

It seemed somewhat humorous at the time, but now ends tragically. A minor league player traded for bats has tragically died of a drug overdose.

In more tragic news, the Coast Guard has suspended the search for Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper, free agent Corey Smith, whose boat capsized off the coast of Florida.

Business of Sports Network staffer Devon Deeple files this organizational report on “The Evil Empire”.

The NHL trade deadline is at 3:00pm ET today, and when all is said and done, should have the fingerprints of the recession all over it.

Tune in today to MLB Network at 5pm ET and witness Ken Griffey, Jr.’s return to the Seattle Mariners.

The Detroit Tigers have extended their working agreement with the Triple-A Toledo Mudhens.

Helio Castroneves tax-evasion trial enters Day Two.

Chris Paul is unveiling a new Jordan Brand shoe for Nike in New Orleans.

Curt Warner is asking the Cardinals for a two-year, $23 million deal.

Matt Vasgersian of MLB Network lets the F-Bomb fly during rehearsal.

This isn’t good. Radium has been found in some ballfields at Great Kills Park on Staten Island.

Mark Cuban is laying down the law with the Mavericks.

‘Duk at Big League Stew reminds us just how over-inflated tickets to New Yankee Stadium will be.

And finally, John Rowady, the president of rEvolution files this guest article on The Biz of Baseball in which he makes the case that companies that have lucrative sponsorship deals with sports franchises, and are receiving federal TARP monies can make the case that it is still a good investment, even in the recession.

Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer. Brown’s full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.

When I created BizofBaseball.com a few years back, the idea was simply to take off in as many directions I could see fit after doing BusinessofBaseball.com, the Business of Baseball committee website for SABR. Now, what was a small move has turned into what I call the Winchester Mystery House of sports business websites: BizofBasketball.com, BizofFootball.com, and BizofHockey.com.

Oh, and BusinessofSportsNetwork.com, the portal for all four online resources. Today marks the beginning of the next phase for the Business of Sports Network, as the portal  has now become the catch-all for sports outside the lines that doesn’t fall under baseball, basketball, football, and hockey. We hope you’ll visit.

Enough of that, here’s what Saturday offers:

Tiger Woods came back to the PGA Tour this week, which must have breathed a sigh of relief for the PGA, but mostly NBC and the Golf Channel. Don’t believe me? See the ratings while Tiger was away injured.

Rich Lederer of the excellent The Baseball Analysts asked if I had end of year salary information for the past few years. That got me to publishing 2002-2008’s final salary figures… well, sort of. I’m missing 2004. Just waiting for a fantastic national baseball reporter to get back from vacation to see if I can fill in the gap.

Business of Sports Network staffer Jordan Kobritz says the case against Barry Bonds long ago passed the demarcation line between  prosecution and persecution.

The World Baseball Classic is seeing players drop like flies due to injury. The latest sees Grady Sizemore having groin problems, which opens the door for Shane Victorino.

Following the news earlier this week that the White Sox will be streaming Spring Training games for free, the Los Angeles Dodgers announced Friday that the club will provide live video streams of 11 Spring Training games exclusively on dodgers.com.

Bill Gilbert, who has worked on the preparation of arbitration cases for 17 years, files this wrap-up of this year’s salary arbitration class.

It’s another day of Spring Training, which means just one more day of the saga between Manny Ramirez and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Johan Santana is injured, and it appears, it may be more serious than had been initially reported.

The guy goes under the moniker Joliet Jake, and has been known to be a bit paranoid from time to time over at the Bucco Blog, but the notion of micro-payments for sports content may not be as “Oliver Stone” as one thinks.

Peter O’Malley thinks that MLB can’t ignore the steroid issue, but the money quote has more to deal with Scott Boras. “I remember when we had to sign Fernando [Valenzuela],” O’Malley says. “You think Scott Boras is tough. You should have dealt with Dick Moss. I remember our approach: firm, but fair. And it worked.” For anyone that has had the pleasure of talking with Dick Moss, it’s an unbelievable ride into the history of the MLBPA and one of the first “super agents.”

Forget about the International Softball Federation buddying up with International Baseball Federation in an effort to bring baseball back for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Bay Bridge Baseball goes after Fangraph’s Dave Cameron, and in the process, seems to have not read what Cameron had to say (or for that matter, what Rob Neyer said) about the Rocky Mountain News folding.

NFL free agency is in high gear. Ask Haynesworth, Winslow. Also, Matt Cassel is involved in a trade-and-sign.

Baseball Prospectus has updated PECOTA

Will Carroll asks, “On the Mend?”

Finally, who is this guy at the Wizards game last night?

Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer. Brown’s full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.

First off, before I get started, this post marks a bit of a change in how I’ve been reporting in the past. As most know, I run the Business of Sports Network, and with that, the vast majority of articles we run are of the analysis or column variety. To that end, traditional blogging has never been part of the dynamic — the aggregating of story links across the web to a particular topic. Today, I figure I’d join in the fun and shift my personal blog over to this format. Hey, if Rob Neyer can do it (hey, Rob, nice new mugshot), so can I! So, without further ado…

To start with, the Dodgers, ergo owner Frank McCourt, seems to be a bit agitated with Scott Boras. My suggestion: decaf.

Over at The Biz of Baseball, I interview Tracy Ringolsby about the fall of the Rocky Mountain News. With today being the newspaper’s final publication after 150-years, it’s another startling bit of news regarding the print industry struggling in the recession.

Cablevision, through Newsday has decided to see if they can turn back the clock and try to get folks to pay for news that is mostly readily available for free on the web.

Here’s what happens when I get obsessed with MLB salary arbitration: a 25-page report breaking down each club and a bunch of other ways of slicing and dicing the data.

The Japanese “straps” craze could replace the bobblehead as the next big promo item for major and minor league baseball.

Pitching freak of nature Tim Lincecum will grace the cover of ESPN the Magazine’s “MLB Fantasy” issue.

MLB has ceased printing the Red and Green Books, and now will only offer them online. Here’s a small peak inside the 2009 editions.

After purchasing Wachovia in the midst of financial crisis, banking giant Wells Fargo, who is receiving federal TARP money,  is removing Wachovia’s name from the PGA’s golf tournement in Charlotte, NC citing “mixed signals about our priorities.”

Shawn Hoffman of Squawking Baseball offers up solutions for the digital blackout blues for MLB on Baseball Prospectus.

Washington Times sports business reporter Tim Lemke held a chat today and answered a laundry list of great questions.

Bloomberg News reports that the US Anti-Doping Agency is funding efforts for the first urine test to detect hGH.

Neil Best of Newsday reports that the Yankees will be lowering the price of obstructed view bleacher seats at the new Yankee Stadium from $12 to $5 for the upcoming season. This after fans got worked up over limited season-ticket plans for the Yankees.

Here’s what happens when you debate whether page hits are more important than your integrity in the sports blogsphere.

The NFL salary cap is about to increase to $127 million.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is taking a 20 percent paycut in the midst of layoffs within the league.

The Long Island Business News wants to know what I think about the NHL Islanders possibly moving to Kansas City. “Saturated market” and “ironclad lease for the Nassau Coliseum” are the crib notes.

Greg Anderson (still) refuses to talk about Barry Bonds.

Craig “Shysterball” Calcaterra takes on “The Incredible Shrinking Ballplayer”

Finally, Maury Brown will be reporting on sports outside the lines when it doesn’t pertain to baseball, basketball, football, and hockey, starting shortly on the portal, Business of Sports Network. Hey, auto racing, MLS, golf, and other sports can fill the other 4-5 hours I normally try to sleep in.