My friend Paul Schaut told me about this interesting Microsoft spinout, based in Canada. They're doing some slick things with Widgets to customize the UI experience on mobile devices. Users go online to organize the information they're looking for, then the information is automatically cached on the cell phone. ZenZui is an ad supported business model.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
The Harding House -- Cambridge, MA
What's wrong with the NBA
I am a huge sports fan: I love hockey, baseball, almost any sport. But I just can't bring myself to follow NBA basketball.
The Problem: Most teams have no chance
There's no parity in this league. If you're not Phoenix, San Antonio, Dallas, etc. you have almost no chance of seeing your team ever win a championship. Having lived in Boston for 3 years and the rest of the time in the bay area, I don't understand why anyone would want to watch the futility of the Celtics or Warriors (I say this, despite the Warriors wickedly-good run against Dallas.) In this league, a few elite players control the fortunes of their franchises. There are the have's and the have-nots. If your team is a have-not, there is almost no hope. The only chance of getting a super-elite, franchise-changing player is through the draft, where I just watched the two worst franchises (Memphis and Boston), get locked out of the first two picks,... in a year when there happen to be two franchise-altering players available. So, you not only happen to have a horrible regular season record, you also have to have it in a year when a franchise-caliber player is in the draft, and then you have to be lucky enough to win the lottery?... You're kidding me, right? I'd have a better chance of winning Lotto. It is difficult to maintain a loyal fan base under these circumstances: the hard core few, yes. The broader fan market. Just impossible.
It's time for the NBA to rethink the balance/competitiveness issue in the league. Open things up. Work with the players to rework the business/revenue models so it's easier for good teams to rise from the ashes, and harder for the elite to maintain their status. Look at the NFL and the NHL. All leagues have their own set of issues, but the greater player movement generates the most important thing of all for the common fan in most of those communities.... HOPE!
The Problem: Most teams have no chance
There's no parity in this league. If you're not Phoenix, San Antonio, Dallas, etc. you have almost no chance of seeing your team ever win a championship. Having lived in Boston for 3 years and the rest of the time in the bay area, I don't understand why anyone would want to watch the futility of the Celtics or Warriors (I say this, despite the Warriors wickedly-good run against Dallas.) In this league, a few elite players control the fortunes of their franchises. There are the have's and the have-nots. If your team is a have-not, there is almost no hope. The only chance of getting a super-elite, franchise-changing player is through the draft, where I just watched the two worst franchises (Memphis and Boston), get locked out of the first two picks,... in a year when there happen to be two franchise-altering players available. So, you not only happen to have a horrible regular season record, you also have to have it in a year when a franchise-caliber player is in the draft, and then you have to be lucky enough to win the lottery?... You're kidding me, right? I'd have a better chance of winning Lotto. It is difficult to maintain a loyal fan base under these circumstances: the hard core few, yes. The broader fan market. Just impossible.
It's time for the NBA to rethink the balance/competitiveness issue in the league. Open things up. Work with the players to rework the business/revenue models so it's easier for good teams to rise from the ashes, and harder for the elite to maintain their status. Look at the NFL and the NHL. All leagues have their own set of issues, but the greater player movement generates the most important thing of all for the common fan in most of those communities.... HOPE!
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