Internet

[Rohan Coventry Tateson]

I was just wondering about our arrangement with Sports view. Do both parties profit from the Collingwood site? Is there a contractual agreement in the future?

The reason I brought it up is because of the AFL’s Internet rights.

From what I know the Internet will be a major revenue earner for the AFL and it’s clubs in the future. What is unclear is how much revenue it can earn; it could even possibly outstrip the revenue derived from television in the future through the upgrading of the Internet (they say that today’s internet is like a back road, tomorrows is a multi lane super highway).

With the rise of the Internet, is Collingwood (McGuire) cutting it’s own lunch in regards to its relationship with Sports view. Is McGuire’s involvement with Sports view putting our club in a precarious position?

I don’t know the facts that much. I am just worried that Sports view could stifle our revenue earned in the future from the Internet. I say this because from what I have seen of Sports view sites, I am not very impressed.

It’s not a personal issue against McGuire. Quite simply I am posing the question is Sports view the best option for us?

If he follows his creed of "only the best for Collingwood", do you think Sports view is the best option for the club?
http://www.afl.com.au/news/story_241843.htm

May the St Kevin's Old Boys Prevail.

[Broadie]

Gee, how unlike you, RCT: raising a topic that implicitly criticises both McGuire and the current Collingwood administratoin while not actually bringing any real substance to your argument.

Are you related to Mike Sheehan?

I'm stunned that you're unimpressed by the Sportsview sites, as in comparison to the AFL non-Sportsview sites they are leaps and bounds ahead. By what measure are you using (if any at all)?

Broadie

[Lockyer24]

I agree Rohan. I dont like Sportsview.

[Dantheman]

Yeah, I agree. Sportsview is crap.

And I really don't think the internet will ever be as big an earner as some people claim.
The dot com market is based on so much hot air that it can't be taken seriously.

As a consumer I am looking forward to digital T.V and pay-per-view a lot more. I use the internet for news/information. Very little else.

It'll be fantastic to watch a replay on HDTV and choose camera angles and instant stats and replays! (When it's affordable...)

[Joel]

I agree. The design of the Sportsview sites is becoming old and staid. It needs a new design. I like the Richmond one, also the Saints one ain't too bad...also the Port Power one.
There are others but I can't be bothered going through the list. www.fromtheouter.com had a review on all the sites not long ago though.

JDF

[Rohan Coventry Tateson]

Broadie,

The Sportsview sites are pretty average.

The Collingwood, Carlton, Hawthorn, Bulldogs and Melbourne websites all are practically the same. The only difference is the colors.

It’s only a personal preference, but compared to other sites (St Kilda, Geelong, Power, and Essendon) the Collingwood site is pretty poor. Judging by the responses, other people think this too.

That’s part of my issue.

What I am trying to bring up is that Collingwood's relationship with Sportsview might hinder the clubs ability to fully exploit the Internet or its rights in the future.

I am just concerned that through McGuires involvement with Sportsview, the club is limiting their options in regards to the Internet.

The Internet is only going to grow in importance for AFL clubs in the future. Most Premier League clubs are setting up sites that have the ability to televise games in the future.

This will be the future of the AFL. Sure it is never going to compete with televised games in Australia. But there is great opportunity for telecasting games over the Internet to the numerous amounts of people who can’t access televised games.


May the St Kevin's Old Boys Prevail.

[Rinnovator]

Rohan,
This has nothing to do with the topic, but i was just wondering why you were a member of the Perth Demons football club website? What's your interest there?

[Rohan Coventry Tateson]

Rinnovator,

Know a couple of blokes at Perth. Chris Bossong is a close mate and was just wondering how he going over there. Do you follow them?

May the St Kevin's Old Boys Prevail.

[Broadie]

Hmmm. Seems I'm in the minority here.

I actually like the Sportsview design as I find it easy to navigate - much like some of the newspaper sites - and it's certainly updated FAR more frequently than the old site was. I guess the "generic" nature of the sites run by Sportvsiew would irk some people, but like any successful franchise,if they have a good design they tend to stick to it (e.g. any fast food chain, K-Mart, Bunnings, Myer, etc).

Just had a look at Tigers site. While it does seem to offer quite a lot, I still prefer the Sportsview design where I can see more at once, then more easily work out where I need to go (and it's faster loading on my system). ALso seems to be more available in terms of results on our site (can find a few articles and phtots for every game this year, whereas Tiger site only has goalkickers and Best lists).

Each to their own preference.

Broadie

[the prez]

I think we're only locked into the Sportsview contract for another 3-4 years anyway and it'll be at least another 2 years b4 any serious development is made with the internet rights and what is available on the sites re televising games etc.Once the contract with Sportsview expires,the club would ba free to choose another internet company if it so desired or stay with Sportsview.Whether Eddie is involved with Sportsview I don't think will be an issue and nor should it be.The best option for Collingwood will be chosen.At the time we joined Sportsview,it was the best option.As the internet evolves quickly,the bar will be constantly raised so whats better now will be superceded in 2 years and so on.

GO WOODS

[Mike]

I'm feeling cynical again Rohan, strange how your posts have that effect on me.

I have a sneaking suspicion that this is another opportunity for a dig at Eddie and that you wouldn't have an opinion on either Sportsview or the Telstra offer if it wasn't for Eddie's interest in Sportsview.

Our arrangement with Sportsview is two years old. Would it have been preferable for Collingwood to put up with the sub-standard web presence it had two years ago and wait, just in case somebody came up with a better offer? That's a ridiculous notion, contracts would never be signed for any purpose if that degree of caution was warranted.

Collingwood were the first Club to develop an internet presence (1995), but over the following 4 or 5 seasons failed to take advantage of that lead and allowed the web site to become a useless and embarrassing waste of resources - real and potential. The web site we had at the time of the Board reshuffle was static, never up to date, full of pages promising features that were 'COMING SOON'- and never did, contained strange and sometimes unintelligible English and completely failed to take into account the immediacy of the internet. Something was done about that by the new board and it was done at no cost to the Club, which was then the equivalent of Telstra's offer today. The fact that Sportsview has managed to sign five clubs is a true indication of the value placed on the Sportsview approach and makes a mockery of your insinuation of Presidential influence.

To say that the Club's arrangement with Sportsview is limiting its future options is stating the obvious. Any contract limits options, that's the whole purpose of a contract, but options are only limited for the life of the contract. The Club had to make an urgent decision about its future internet management and decided to hand the responsibility of that to a specialist company. The Sportsview site is so superior to the site it replaced that comparisons are meaningless and if we had to sign Sportsview to achieve that then the right decision was made.

As a web designer I know only too well that no matter what you do there is going to be a percentage of people who think that your work sucks - there's no avoiding that. If you think the Sportsview sites are below standard, then that's your subjective opinion and nothing more, but to back that up by saying that "other people think this too" is, once again, stating the obvious - there will always be people to support your views regardless of what they are. I don't like the template model either, there is something in me that wants the Pies to retain the individuality that has always been our trademark, but that is my opinion, and it's a subjective one like yours.

I don't see Telstra as a charitable organisation. They are not benevolently handing out money for the good of Australian Rules Football - they expect to reap more than they have to sow, so I wouldn't be too quick to see this as one of those too good to miss opportunities that will be lost if we can't grab it.

Collingwood will be free to make new decisions about its internet direction once its current commitments are fulfilled and once again they will make that decision based on conditions and opportunities prevailing at that time.

[Kristin5]

I don't think the Collingwood Sportsview site is poor, only the forum (appallingly slow - due to bad/lazy moderators, I think).

The actual site is ok - quick to download, easy to navigate, and the information is updated fairly regularly.

And why do you always bring Eddie into everything, Rohan? You seem to have a real beef with him! Obviously if other clubs use Sportsview also, it's not due to Eddie's influence (and I don't even know what connection Eddie has with Sportsview, if any?!!!) - you can't blame him for everything!

Collingwood, like the other teams such as Hawthorn, have obviously opted to go with Sportsview at this time, but I'm sure that they will continue to review this situation periodically.

[ytry4]

The only problem I have with Sportsview is that they have the same design, except the colours, for 4 or 5 different clubs. The website is good, but the fact that it is similar to other club sites isn't good enough. Our great club COLLINGWOOD should have a site that is completely unique. Eddie should approach them to re-design the site for next year!

'The heart of a club lies not in its location but in each and every one of its fans'
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BLACK & WHITE - For those who bleed Black & White

[cobood]

Hear hear Mike......well said!!!


BE LOUD.......BE PROUD