Flaxseed Oil: The Movie

Word that HBO will do a movie based on the book, "Game of Shadows," is timely. With Barry Bonds under federal indictment, a new final chapter must be written into the best-seller by San Francisco Chronicle staffers Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada (now of ESPN). The legal twist gives instant life to a move script (more salacious details!) even though we know the main allegations and saw Bonds eclipse Henry Aaron's home run record this summer. Reports indicate the script co-writers selected for the project also did "Tin Cup." One line from that romantic comedy has potential for the newest effort. But a really important question: Who will be cast as Victor Conte?

Dick Pound and WADA

Dick Pound draws blood, ripping professional baseball on its drug testing program. Top section from tomorrow's NYT from a story out of Madrid, where doping experts are meeting: After years of criticizing Major League Baseball for what he called useless, toothless drug-testing policies, Dick Pound, chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency, chastised the sport again Friday, saying that Barry Bonds’s indictment on perjury charges confirmed that the league’s doping problems were “out of control. The professional leagues have consistently denied they are cheating their public and putting their athletes at risk by saying there is no problem, there is no drug use,” Pound said. “When forced to acknowledge that there is, and these investigations are starting to show that it is really widespread, they are turning the other way. We’ve seen this before, in cycling, and we all know what happened to that sport — it nearly destroyed itself.” Here is story in L.A. Times on Pound's comments

MLB : Messy Little Business

Bud Selig must want to spit. Once he opens his eyes, that is. After beaming at the World Series about how Major League Baseball had its best year at the gate, he now must go silent on the Barry Bonds matter. Asterisks, denials, hypocrisy. Professional baseball knows it needs steroids to go away, with Barry as the black hat. Professional cycling is years ahead of American sports in its fight against doping and its reconciliation with fans and sponsors. An ugly chapter, but the right thing to do. MLB needs to adopt a real doping / testing program so real athletic talent is rewarded.

Aspirational Marketing

The Open Championship at Carnoustie in Scotland looks nothing like the 1953 black-and-white version won by Ben Hogan. One of golf's four majors, the tournament is a world-class exercise in product placement. And golfers love it. Golf is an aspirational sport, game, pastime. Weekend choppers and hackers who carry a 20 index believe that the equipment they see on TV will help them score. And if it doesn't? At least an aspirational golfer can look cool at their local club. Sergio Garcia, the Open Championship leader on Saturday, is resplendent in "Clementine" (read orange) togs. Last year, Garcia wore "banana" colors on one of the tournament's four days, an ABC/ESPN commentator commentated. Logos for all sponsor brands are visible on player hats, sleeves, back yokes, shoes, bags, head covers, balls, and even the shins of their rain pants. Garcia has six logos of the adidas brand affixed to him. Imagine how many more golf clubs and accessories could have been sold in 1953 if Ben Hogan wore just one brand on his body.