Things just got interesting for a boring part of the sports year.
Has the NBA offseason become as interesting as some months in the regular season? Yes, as the saga of LeBron going home proves. I enjoy the NBA more than any other spectator sport and don’t like the Heat so this is all good for me. But the point isn’t who plays for what team.
In Terms of Business Lessons, the Takeaway is Two-Fold:
1) Make things interesting! The NBA is set to make these first ten days of July (traditionally an uneventful period for the sport) fun by making them a dead zone for signing free agents. That means all anyone can do is gossip and speculate, which makes for great drama and lots of attention .Any business can do that.
2) Take a down time. Contrive something to make it interesting. Watch the fun roll.
If there is something mass numbers of people care less about than NBA free agency it is the Tour de France. What does it say about me that I love both? But, that isn’t why I mention the Tour. In the Post-Lance era, it is a different event. Some say less popular (and they could be right) but I say different in terms of the product. Sure, there are still 198 riders trying to do the impossible over 21 stages, but it is a completely different sport today. And it has nothing to do with doping controls.
The Tour de France Recognized it Had to Change to Survive
In the EPO era, the Tour itself demanded use of dope to compete. The course was just too hard. It was — year in and year out — a first week of flat, fast routes where the favorites just tried to stay upright. The second week was a brutal week in either the Alps or Pyrenees. The third week was even more brutal in the other mountain range. I have done two hard amateur cycling tours and it is the fourth day that makes me scream. I can’t imagine the third week. They had to dope.
But the Tour has changed its business model to make it less necessary to dope. I am not saying it doesn’t occur. I am saying the business has changed to make it less necessary. Now, you still have weeks building upon each other with the mountain routes back-loaded — but the first week is no longer a gimmee if you stay upright.
Now, the first week of the Tour is set up to where the contenders have to really be strategic. I like the change. The challenge is still hard but not as hard. There are fewer brutal mountain top finishes, but many more days where you have to be smart and good. I like smart and good as winner qualities more than I do doped and lucky. Good for them and any business that recognizes a need to change and does so boldly.
LeBron? Welcome home.
You may also enjoy other posts by this author on the Bread Business Blog. Find them here.
Other posts featuring business tips:
- 3 Critical Tips for Today's Successful Local Retail Business Owner
- Small Business Retail Marketing Tips for the Holidays
- Small Business Lessons from Colin Cowherd and Trading Places
If you like people, business, and bread (or two out of three), you should consider subscribing to our blog:
Photo credits:
"LeBron James 1" by Keith Allison from Kinston, USA - LeBron James. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
"Bradley Wiggins Mark Cavendish - 2012 Tour de France" by Josh Hallett from Winter Haven, FL, USA - Bradley Wiggins - 2012 Tour de France. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
