 
|
  |  
Recently, Adelson dropped by the ESPN chat room to talk about the changing face of sports, and different ways athletes use the Internet. In case you missed Eric's visit, read an edited transcript of the chat: Eric Adelson: Hey Folks! Thanks so much for stopping by. I see a lot of great questions already, so let's light this candle... Slappy722: The internet has grown beyond the wildest dreams of many who witnessed its birth. How much bigger can it possibly get and how will this affect the world of sports? Eric Adelson: Well, Slappy, I doubt Al Gore ever imagined this! Actually, when Clinton was elected prez, there were only five World Wide Web pages out there. FIVE! So this is just baby steps for the sports world. I think by 2005 there will be no sports experience for fans or athletes that doesn't involve the 'Net. You will plug in your PDA at the game and pick your replays and order your popcorn online. Athletes will practice virtually and watch game film online. And your access to athletes will be unbelievable, but not as cheap as it is now. TractorTraylor54: With all the unofficial web sites out there, how much of a threat is misinformation or unsubstantiated rumors posted on the site that could be taken as fact by unsuspecting users? Eric Adelson: Great question from a fan of my Michigan man, Robert Traylor. The false stuff is everywhere. I got two calls within an hour a few weeks back about Bob Davie being fired at Notre Dame. Someone just heard something and posted it without any information, and smart people believed it. And it can be hurtful too. Players themselves read about the rumors and then go to coaches upset. One MLB pitcher I spoke to said he found out he was traded on the Internet. John: Do you think that the Internet is making sports more popular? Eric Adelson: Absolutely. Look at the WNBA. Do you think there's any possible way it would survive without cable? So imagine what will happen when smaller sports like volleyball get their own "channel" on the 'Net. There are popular sports with big audiences out there, like rodeo, that just don't get any coverage. The 'Net will change that. And the bigger sports will become ubiquitous, so those will become more popular as well. MarkG from Brooklyn: What's the computer of choice in the jockworld: Mac or PC? Is it just a toy for these guys or are there some serious gearheads out there? What are there machines loaded with? Eric Adelson: I did not see an I-Book in any locker rooms, sorry to say. But that may change. Athletes like Steve Shields of the Sharks are getting into graphics, which is Mac's specialty. The other thing I see more of is Webcams. And DVDs are huge. Some athletes don't even bring CD players on planes anymore. I'm surprised how heavy some jocks are into the nuts and bolts of the Web. Shields is building his own computer from scratch, and Carolina Panther Jim Turner taught himself HTML coding! MasterandMargarita: What sport do you think will be most revolutionized in terms of performance by the increasing technology you wrote about in this week's mag like v-mail, etc? Eric Adelson: The individual sports, especially golf. Fans will be able to play against Tiger at Pebble, virtually. And duffers can get personalized lessons from tour pros online with v-mail. Tennis will be the same -- anything where technique is important. SeminoleKev: There are many times that when I am work or school, there is a game being played that I want to see. In this situation, I usually watch the play by play with the flash animation on one of the websites. How long do you think it will be until we can actually watch any game that is currently being played live over the internet, just like it was TV? Eric Adelson: This is a huge topic. Great question. First, we've been waiting for the last mile to clean up for years now, and still DSL is rare in homes. But this is also political. The Internet is a HUGE threat to TV contracts that are the networks' bread and butter. And Internet contracts will be so much more lucrative. TV will drag its feet on live Internet coverage as long as it can because once ad execs and team owners see the money from 'Net contracts, why go back to TV? MarkFydirchHOF: Do you know of any athletes who like to hit fan sites anonymously to get the pulse of the fan? And is that something that influences an athlete when they're deciding to play in a particular city? Eric Adelson: The Bird should totally be in the Hall! To answer your question, look at Cal Cheaney. His wife used Mapquest and switchboard to acclimate to Boston when Cal was traded. And Cal goes into chat rooms to talk tennis. He loves watching Sampras and Agassi, but imagine him walking into the Cask & Flagon wanting to talk tennis! No way. And I got a feeling Grant Hill and Tim Duncan looked on the Orlando Sentinel site to see how the "Imagine" campaign was taking. Moluvin: How has the internet revolutionized college recruiting and how big do you think it'll get? Eric Adelson: In the words of Alabama recruiting coordinator Ronnie Cottrell, "it's the biggest change in recruiting I've ever seen." Coaches can't lie anymore. They can't say "We're only recruiting you at DB" because the prep has already gone to Rivals.com and seen four other DBs being recruited at that school. Coaches are now e-mailing preps to get around the one phone call rule (e-mail counts as written correspondence!). And if an RB runs a 4.3, he'll post it right away. I know a high school kid who did this and got a scholarship offer three days later! Redzone07: What are some of the best websites you've seen for athletes? Eric Adelson: Hi there...John Amaechi's is my favorite (meech.org) because he does it himself. And he talks about stuff besides sports, like living in England (where he was born). Amaechi's site is enjoyable just to read because he takes time with his answers. You really get to know him. fishur_2002: Do you think sports stars are worried that something might come up on the internet about their private life that might affect them personally? Eric Adelson: Yes. One L.A. Dodger and one Anaheim Mighty Duck have each had episodes with Internet stalkers. These are rabid fans who track down the athletes in different cities at hotels and such. I think this is the Internet athlete's biggest fear. Jon: Where do you think the internet will be in 10 years when college recruiters don't have to go to games to find out what players are like? Eric Adelson: People will disagree with me on this, but hoops coaches have told me that the 'Net is making AAU less important. Now a coach in Cali can get to know a student in Jersey before seeing them play. But the home visit will never diminish in importance. AshleyB: Hi. Just wanted to let you know your seat has been moved in the office - I've taken over where you used to be!! Eric Adelson: Well, I guess this means it's time for me to go! Thanks for some great questions, and don't forget about Mark Cuban tomorrow. Take care. |
 |
| ||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||
