The long rumored US Olympic TV channel has been given the green light. The USOC announced earlier today that the new channel, officially called, the U.S. Olympic Network (USON) will launch shortly after the 2010 Winter Olympic Games ins Vancouver. The USOC’s intent is to provide exposure to the Olympic movement outside of the actual games and give air time to lesser publicized sports like Team Handball. (Yes, Team Handball along with Judo were singled out as examples). The network will be a partnership with Comcast cable and will include video on demand and online programming. Much of the programming will be archival footage, but the network will also include original programming.

Beyond the USOC family, though, not everyone was pleased with the launch of the network. Richard Carrión, an IOC executive board member criticized the deal indicating that it hadn’t been fully coordinated with the IOC and that there were concerns as to how it would affect future TV rights. Additionally the new channel will eventually become a direct competitor of NBC’s Universal Sports channel http://www.universalsports.com/, which is already operating in some markets and online. While USOC representatives indicated that the two channels would compliment each other, they did concede that there would be some level of competition when NBC’s rights to Olympic Trials will expire after the 2012 Olympics.

Commentary: On the surface this looks like great news for Team Handball in the U.S. It’s 8 months, though, until the Vancouver Olympics are over on February 28, 2010 and a lot of things can happen in the interim. We’ve been waiting for years for a broadcast outlet for the sport in the U.S., so I guess we can wait a little while longer. Additionally, it remains to be see whether other cable networks and satellite channels will pick up the Comcast network channel. Sometimes the negotiations between these outlets can take forever.

USOC: USOC and Comcast partner to launch the U.S. Olympic Network: http://teamusa.org/news/article/14101 (Former USA National Team Goalie Matt Van Houten is quoted)
USOC: Olympic Family Reacts To USOC Network: http://teamusa.org/news/article/14134 (Steve Pastorino and former Olympians, Kathy Rex, Yaro Dachniwsky and Darrick Heath are quoted)
Seattle Times: Fulltime U.S. Olympic Network coming to TVs, computers in 2010: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/ronjuddsolympicsinsider/2009433094_fulltime_us_olympic_network_co.html
Washington Times: Olympic Sports 24/7, 365: http://www.washingtontimes.com/weblogs/sportsbiz/2009/jul/08/olympic-sports-247-365/
USA Team Handball: Steve Pastorino Blog Post: http://www.usateamhandball.org/blog/post/968
New York Times: Olympics Channel Draws A Rebuke From the I.O.C.: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/09/sports/09olympics.html?ref=sports

[html] Philip Hersh of the Chicago Tribune, who writes frequently on Olympic matters, had a recent blog post that speculates on when, if ever, the proposed USOC Olympic channel will get off the ground. Chicago Tribune: Is USOC really close to channeling its TV ambitions?: http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/sports_globetrotting/2009/05/is-usoc-really-close-to-channeling-its-tv-ambitions.html The Team Handball implications are significant as Handball matches readily could fill the programming void described in this article as the channel stands up. In particular, EHF Champions League matches with English commentary could immediately be made available for broadcast on a tape delayed basis. A USOC Olympic TV channel could also have carried the recent U.S. National Championships to a broader audience. One issue mentioned in the article, which is probably less of a concern to Team Handball is the impact that the Olympic TV channel would have on USOC funding to sports Federations. The concern is that the USOC will further cut sports federation funding to pay for the channel’s startup. With USOC funding already at only around $250,000 (according to Steve Pastorino in the Town Hall podcast) it’s unlikely that Handball would garner a significant hit. Plus costs like the $1,500 uplinks for the World Championships broadcasts on ESPN 360 perhaps would become an Olympic Channel cost, vice a USA Team Handball cost. [/html]

This past Thursday, Jim Scherr, CEO of the U.S. Olympic Committee abruptly resigned from his post. Scherr had been the CEO for the past 6 years and had led the fight to reform the management and operations of U.S. sport federations. As CEO, his no nonsense tone and strong arm tactics led to the eventual decertification of USA Team Handball in 2006. Scherr will be replaced on an interim basis, by a member of the Board of Director’s, Stephanie Streeter.

It is not clear as to why he resigned, but several news articles speculate that it was related to the Board of Director’s desire for a CEO that can better address the financial downturn and the loss of sponsors. The USOC has lost 3 main sponsors (Kellogg, GM and Home Depot) and will be trimming it’s budget by $7 Million. Streeter is a former CEO of Banta Corporation and there are veiled references and speculation in several articles that she is better suited to coax back old sponsors and secure new ones.

Several sports federations have openly questioned whether this was actually a dismissal and have requested that the USOC Board explain what happened on a conference call next week. In particular, they would like to know how a volunteer Board Member who has hasn’t been employed full-time for two years is now moving to the paid CEO position with an annual compensation package of $560,000/year. As Scherr was a former Olympic athlete and well liked by most of the sports federations, they are also concerned as to whether this change will mean a new direction for the USOC. And by new direction this could mean more reductions in funding for minor sports like Team Handball.

Associated Press: Leaders ask USOC chairman to explain ouster: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h2bsGhk10UqqCa_cLSbzOud3U1wgD96OT4D81
Sports Illustrated: Scherr's abrupt resignation leaves questions throughout USOC: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/brian_cazeneuve/03/06/brian.cazenue/
Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph: National governing bodies' leaders skeptical Scherr left of own accord: http://www.gazette.com/articles/gilbert_49538___article.html/board_olympic.html
Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph: USOC to slash workforce, programs:
http://www.gazette.com/articles/olympic_49246___article.html/million_usoc.html
USOC: Jim Scherr Resigns as U.S. Olympic Committee Chief Executive Officer: http://teamusa.org/news/article/10290

[size=12][color=#ff0000][b]Exhale folks… This time it's official.

Dieter Esch, UTHF President, was notified a short time ago (Friday afternoon) that the Team Handball NGB has been officially awarded to the Utah Team Handball Federation.

A USOC press release will be issued within the next 10 days.

For additional information, please [link=mailto:bogdan@pasat.net]email me[/link] or call me at 832.493.4715.[/b][/color][/size]

From the desk for Eric Parthen:

"For those of you who have called, thank you. I apologize for not getting back to you but up until now, I’ve had no new information to report. In addition, my phone is ringing off the hook with inquiries and to speak to each of you individually would not be productive use of time because a final decision has not yet been made and each individual may hear the message differently and that could lead to confusion in the team handball community (i.e., articles in the Desert News, etc.)

So, with that said, here is what I’m willing to release at this time…..

· The USOC Board of Directors met this past weekend and discussed the staff recommendation for recognizing a new NGB for the sport of team handball.

· The USOC Board had a productive discussion however; they have not finalized a decision. Their decision is contingent upon receiving some additional information.

· USOC staff is working to gather the additional information per the Board’s request and will have that information to the Board later this week.

· Upon receiving the information, we anticipate the Board will finalize its decision quickly.

· Once the USOC Board decision is final, I will communicate directly with Dieter and Mariusz first before talking to anyone else. They have led the respective applications and deserve to be the first to be notified.

I hope this information is helpful and I appreciate your patience.

Best regards,

EJP"

The USOC has announced that they are starting a Men’s National Team resident program in Atlanta, Georgia. Players in the Atlanta area have already started practice 3 times a week at Morris Brown College under the direction of interim coach Chris Cappelmann. The goal is to ultimately establish the program so that athletes will be able to train full time with support from the Dekalb International Training Center, the USOC and ultimately a new Handball Federation.

In terms of certifying a new federation, I spoke recently with Eric Parthen, USOG National Governing Body (NGB) Development, and he indicated that the USOC is still evaluating both proposals and performing due diligence background checks. He anticipates that they will provide a recommendation to the USOC BoD in late 2007 or early 2008.

The full text of the USOC letter concerning the National Team is available at Matt Van Houten, the USOC Athlete Advisor Council member for Team Handball, Myspace Blog: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=73440975&blogID=324342930

Cristian Zaharia and Bogdan Pasat, two key Board Members of the American Team Handball Association (ATHA), have resigned from their ATHA Board positions. The move was made shortly after the 2nd USOC open hearing to discuss the ATHA’s and Utah Team Handball Foundation (UTHF) proposals to become the National Governing Body (NGB) for Team Handball in the United States.

According to Bogdan Pasat, the move was made as a result of ATHA Board Chairman,Mariusz Wartalowicz’s failure to properly emphasize ATHA’s willingness to work openly with all elements of the American Handball community. This directly conflicted with an earlier ATHA Board decision that was essentially deigned to give notice to the USOC and the UTHF, that the ATHA would not only work with the UTHF but it would also consider absorbing it for the sake of team handball development.

Bogdan Pasat Note on Houston Website: http://houstonhandball.org/comment.php?comment.news.613

Analysis: With two of the three board members who were physically present at the USOC open hearings resigning the ATHA bid is in an untenable position. The USOC can only conclude that the ATHA is not ready to manage the sport effectively if it can be openly split by internal politics in the middle of a competitive bidding process. The USOC’s decision is now to simply determine whether the UTHF bid is acceptable or not.

The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) conducted their 2nd Open Hearing to discuss the two applications to become the new National Governing Body (NGB) for Team Handball in the United States. The meeting followed the same format as the first meeting. The American Team Handball Association (ATHA) and the Utah Team Handball Foundation (UTHF) first gave presentations (roughly 20 minutes each) and then the remainder of the time was devoted to questions. The quality of this audio appears to better than last time. The length of the podcast is 1 hour and 58 minutes and the file is 40 MB.

http://teamhandballnews.com/request39.html

Left click to play; right click to download.

The USOC will be conducting a second open hearing to discuss the two competing bids to become the new National Governing Body (NGB) for the United States. The hearing is scheduled for Thursday, September 13, 2007 and will commence at 3:00pm, MDT at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center. Individuals who would like to participate via conference call can do so by dialing toll free (866) 205-3978, access code 9969956.

Team Handball News recorded the USOC’s Open Hearing that was conducted on 30 August to review proposals to become the National Governing Body (NGB) for Team Handball in the United States. A copy of that recording is available below. Be advised that the recording is 1 hour and 28 minutes long and the file size is 41 MB. Additionally, the quality of the audio is not the best as some individuals are hard to hear and there is background noise.

http://teamhandballnews.com/request38.html
Right click to download; Left click to play

Here is a rough timeline of the hearing’s content with the key points made (as I saw it):

0:00 – 5:25 Introductory remarks from the USOC’s Eric Parthen
– The USOC made a point that while they decided to do a search for an NGB, they were not obligated to have done so.
5:25 – 19:10 UTHF Presentation
– Dennis Berkholtz indicated that he is participating in an advisory function and does not intend to be either an employee or board member
– Brad Krassner discussed how he and his business partner Dieter Esch would utilize their business experience and marketing connections to benefit USA Handball
– They would like to support the development of a professional league in 7-10 cities and increase the television exposure of the sport
– They have had positive discussion with 10-12 potential board members
– Amir Haskic would be the interim management staff for their organization
16:40 – 17:35 Inaudible
17:35 – 19:10 Amir Haskic discusses his involvement in the effort
19:10 -37:00 ATHA Presentation
– Christian Zaharia discussed the grassroots nature of the ATHA effort and how they had already strated programs in several cities
– Emphasized that it will take more than 4 years for the US to be competitive in international competitions
32:10 – 37:00 Bogdan Pasat spoke during this segment, but the audio quality is limited
37:00 – 38:45 Segway to Q&A
38:45 – 41:00 Matt Van Houten asked how the athlete board members were selected for the ATHA proposal. The answer, as I understood it, was that attempts were made to contact as many athletes as possible and that the athletes currently on the board are serving in interim capacity
41:00 – 43:15 Matt Van Houten asked the ATHA if they intended to involve the USOC Athlete’s Advisory Council (AAC) Representative (the position he currently has) in their organization. The answer is that they were open to AAC representative participation.
43:15 – 45:00 Bruce Mossberg asked both organizations if current USOC certified Referees would also be certified by the new NGBs. The answer from both organizations was yes.
45:00 – 47:40 Matt Van Houten asked the UTHF the rationale behind their proposal’s use of the name “USA Team Handball.” The answer, was that they want to keep the historical reference, but intend to formally change the name at a later date.
47:40 – 51:30 Matt Van Houten asked both organization what they anticipated in regards to their working relationship with the USOC. The UTHF responded that they were totally open and that involvement with the USOC was a blessing. Additionally, they emphasized that their organization had “no past baggage.” The ATHA responded by saying that the only way to make it work was to work together. But, they also stressed that they fully intend to stand on their own.
51:30 -54:50 The audio is not clear in this segment and I think that a USOC representative asked about each sides 501(c) filing status. The UTHF responded that they had filed as a Salt Lake incorporation, but that they would be doing a name change. The ATHA indicated that an application had been prepared and will be expedited so that it will be in place this Fall.
54:50 – 56:15 (Audio quality is poor)
0:56:15 – 1:08:00 Jay Warwick from the USOC pointed out that the projected revenues for both bids were ambitious and not in line with the USOC’s experience with other minor sports. Specifically he asked each organization what their confidence level was to meet their revenue projections. Brad Krasner from the UTHF responded by indicating that he and Dieter Esch would personally guarantee the $350,000 expected from the 7 board members and that attracting sponsor revenue is a major part of the current jobs. In terms of the regional board member funding he indicated they were less confident, but that they were fairly confident in terms of membership revenue projections.
1:00:00 – 1:02:00 The funding related to the Dekalb International Training Center (DITC) was discussed, but the audio is not very clear.
1:02:00 – 1:08:00 The ATHA indicated that their numbers were on the high end, but that they wanted to see what could be achieved. Additionally, it was noted that they had positive discussion concerning a National Team apparel deal and seemed to hint that the Polish National Team might be enticed to play a match in Chicago.
1:08:00 – 1:12:00 Matt Van Houten asked each organization how they will work the with the DITC. The ATHA very pointedly expressed their displeasure with the surprise and hush-hush nature of the USOC – DITC deal. Both organizations expressed their desire to work with the DITC, and Dennis Berkholtz indicated that it was understanding that the DITC would work with either NGB that was selected.
1:12:00 – 1:12:00 Matt Van Houten asked both organizations if either Mike Hurdle or Peter Siskind were associated with their effort. Both organizations indicated that the answer was no.
1:12:00 – 1:19:00 Eric Parthen from the USOC indicated that previous USOC decisions to grant NGB status were based on an organization’s proven track record. However, this situation was breaking new ground as neither organization had a track record and that they would have to have a lot of faith in the chosen organization’s plan. He also indicated that the USOC could also decide to not grant NGB status to either organization. He then asked each organization what would happen to their organization if they were not selected.
UTHF Response (Fred Krassner) “We would probably fold up our tent and not go any further. I mean (the members) involved on our side from a business standpoint have gotten revved up and are interested in this project right now, but they are all business people and they are all busy and they all do a lot of different things and if this come to fruition for us we would all probably just go on to another project.”

ATHA Response (Christian Zaharia): “We already have a grassroots program in place even though we are not (an) NGB and its our full intention to continue independent(ly) if we get NGB status or not. We already work with the communities, the Boards of Educations and we start already to enlarge this corporation in different states, different cities. So we know.. I dare to say.. In a little part of a year we already have a track (record), so I think we are still going to be here. That’s our passion and that’s what will be doing.” Mariusz Wartalowicz further stated that if the USOC decided that the ATHA was not ready, they would want to continue the conversation so that they could become ready in the future.

1:19:00 – 1:23:00 Jay Warwick asked each organization what they could bring to the other organization. The ATHA emphasized their grassroots strength and the UTHF emphasized their business experience and their ability to tap into sponsorship

1:24:00 -1:28:00 Closing comments from the USOC. The USOC indicated that they saw a lot of similarity in the two proposals in terms of mission and bylaws, but that there were also significant differences. They indicated that the UTHF proposals strengths in funding and business prospects were good. They complimented the ATHA on their strategic plan to develop a grassroots program, but expressed concern with the lack of an existing ATHA staff function to handle all of the day to day issues involved with running a national program. They then encouraged the two organizations to discuss their strengths and weaknesses and to consider the possibility of working together

The US Olympic Committee will hold an open public hearing to review the two applications that were submitted to become the new National Governing Body for Team Handball in the United States. The hearing is scheduled for Thursday, 30 August at 10:00 AM Mountain time. (This is 2 hours behind Eastern Time and 8 hours behind Central European Time) Individuals that would like to participate can dial 1-866-205-3978 (enter Access Code 9969956 when prompted).

USOC Notice: http://www.usolympicteam.com/Public_Notice0001.pdf

The US Olympic Committee has formally announced that it is now seeking applications for organizations desiring to become the US National Governing Body (NGB) for Team Handball. Since the decertification of USA Team Handball last year, the USOC has internally managed Team Handball operations in the US with a focus on supporting the USA National Teams. The USOC is now seeking a new independent organization to take over the management of Team Handball operations and the development of the sport in the US. The timetable calls for public hearings this summer, USOC approval this fall and approval by the IHF this November. More details are available at this link:
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=73440975&blogID=267744040&MyToken=a59632bd-a00c-4756-aea7-5844fca67a09

Army’s Black team beat Carolina 20-15 to bounce back from a 19-18 loss to Carolina earlier in pool play. More details to be added soon.

Huntsville Times Article on Title Game: http://www.al.com/sports/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/sports/117852931923230.xml&coll=1

Huntsville Times Columnist Mark McCarter’s Take on Team Handball:
http://www.al.com/sports/huntsvilletimes/mmccarter.ssf?/base/sports/1178356600152090.xml&coll=1