(Bits&Pieces.us)
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
We Finally Got It & Now We're Bored With It
6 Reasons Why the NFL in L.A. Is Already a Big Fail
1. There's too much else to do here.
To say L.A. has a wealth of entertainment options is an understatement. The Dodgers are doing well and heading toward the playoffs, despite their bizarre late-season crappiness. Basketball starts in a little more than a week. Hockey just started. We've got soccer, too. This is basically the busiest sports season of the year.
Then there's everything else: movies, music, Hamilton and restaurants, which Tyler Cowen argues have become the center of American culture, at least among a certain class of Americans. Between Netflix and the beach, there's no shortage of weekend activities vying for Angelenos' time.
It is, perhaps, too early to write off the NFL's second tenure in Los Angeles as a complete failure. As NFL spokesman Joe Lockhart told reporters during a conference call this week, "To a person, both at the club level and here at the league office, we remain confident that the city of Los Angeles can support in a very strong way two franchises, and we’re committed to making that happen as we work toward the opening of the new stadium."
Maybe the new stadium will change everything. Maybe the Rams are actually good and in a few weeks everyone will notice. Maybe we'll get a Super Bowl. Or maybe we just don't give a shit about football.
3. Football games are too populist and too expensive.
Basketball arenas are small, intimate, like theaters or nightclubs. People crane their necks around to see who else is there. They're scenes, perfect for L.A. Football stadiums will never have that kind of vibe.
Which is not to say that Angelenos don't like cheap thrills. Plenty of people go to baseball games and soccer games. But tickets to those games won't set you back $100. And parking, just as important, won't set you back $100 — as it did at the Chargers home opener.
The NFL, at least in Los Angeles, is neither luxury product nor popular entertainment. It's in that awkward middle space.
Complete list (LAWeekly.com)
1. There's too much else to do here.
To say L.A. has a wealth of entertainment options is an understatement. The Dodgers are doing well and heading toward the playoffs, despite their bizarre late-season crappiness. Basketball starts in a little more than a week. Hockey just started. We've got soccer, too. This is basically the busiest sports season of the year.
Then there's everything else: movies, music, Hamilton and restaurants, which Tyler Cowen argues have become the center of American culture, at least among a certain class of Americans. Between Netflix and the beach, there's no shortage of weekend activities vying for Angelenos' time.
It is, perhaps, too early to write off the NFL's second tenure in Los Angeles as a complete failure. As NFL spokesman Joe Lockhart told reporters during a conference call this week, "To a person, both at the club level and here at the league office, we remain confident that the city of Los Angeles can support in a very strong way two franchises, and we’re committed to making that happen as we work toward the opening of the new stadium."
Maybe the new stadium will change everything. Maybe the Rams are actually good and in a few weeks everyone will notice. Maybe we'll get a Super Bowl. Or maybe we just don't give a shit about football.
3. Football games are too populist and too expensive.
Basketball arenas are small, intimate, like theaters or nightclubs. People crane their necks around to see who else is there. They're scenes, perfect for L.A. Football stadiums will never have that kind of vibe.
Which is not to say that Angelenos don't like cheap thrills. Plenty of people go to baseball games and soccer games. But tickets to those games won't set you back $100. And parking, just as important, won't set you back $100 — as it did at the Chargers home opener.
The NFL, at least in Los Angeles, is neither luxury product nor popular entertainment. It's in that awkward middle space.
Complete list (LAWeekly.com)
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Becareful Not To Zig & Zag Too Much
How to Become the Best in the World at What You Do
3. Stop Living The Broken Rules Everyone Else Is Living
If it’s popular it’s wrong. Most people are mediocre at what they do for a reason. They’re playing by rules that halt optimal performance. They are climbing traditional ladders intended to slow them down and keep them average.
When everyone else is zigging, that’s when you zag. Darren Hardy says you should run “toward the thing everyone else is running from” in order to stand out from the crowd.
As Peter Diamandis says, “The day before something is a breakthrough, it’s a crazy idea.” If what you’re doing doesn’t seem slightly crazy to you, and very crazy to other people, you’re probably following the safe path.
Instead of following the rules set by society, create your own rules. Restructure the game to automate your success. Dismiss the haters, convention, and conformity. Follow your heart and the voice inside you encouraging faith and forward movement. In order to be happy, you must build a lifestyle around being true to yourself. If you’re true to yourself, good things will follow.
(ThriveGlobal.com)
3. Stop Living The Broken Rules Everyone Else Is Living
If it’s popular it’s wrong. Most people are mediocre at what they do for a reason. They’re playing by rules that halt optimal performance. They are climbing traditional ladders intended to slow them down and keep them average.
When everyone else is zigging, that’s when you zag. Darren Hardy says you should run “toward the thing everyone else is running from” in order to stand out from the crowd.
As Peter Diamandis says, “The day before something is a breakthrough, it’s a crazy idea.” If what you’re doing doesn’t seem slightly crazy to you, and very crazy to other people, you’re probably following the safe path.
Instead of following the rules set by society, create your own rules. Restructure the game to automate your success. Dismiss the haters, convention, and conformity. Follow your heart and the voice inside you encouraging faith and forward movement. In order to be happy, you must build a lifestyle around being true to yourself. If you’re true to yourself, good things will follow.
(ThriveGlobal.com)
I Believe This Rumor Will Come True
Jaguar Land Rover might buy another luxury brand that it doesn't need
What it needs is a mainstream or ultra-luxury brand
What path would be ideal? Probably going even farther upmarket. Supercar makers and ultra-luxury brands continue to sell well, and there's the potential for significant profit by layering on features and content to existing platforms. Perhaps the best possibility for a high-end complement to Jaguar Land Rover would be Aston Martin. Not only does it have a strong reputation and line-up, it also could handle both supercars and luxury sedans, thanks to its Lagonda sub brand. Of course it would require Aston Martin to be receptive to a purchase.
Going to a mainstream brand would be riskier, since the profit margins are slimmer, and the buyers are often less tolerant of reliability issues. But if the company were to move downmarket, Mazda could be a potentially strong brand, and one that would fit in with Jaguar Land Rover. The cars are stylish, sporty, and generally more upmarket than competitors, and the vehicles are reliable. Mazda would also offer some unique technology that could be distributed among the JLR line.
Regardless, adding more of the same to Jaguar Land Rover won't do much for the company. If it wants to expand, it needs to look at other markets, rather than locking itself up in the mainstream luxury world.
(AutoBlog.com)
What it needs is a mainstream or ultra-luxury brand
What path would be ideal? Probably going even farther upmarket. Supercar makers and ultra-luxury brands continue to sell well, and there's the potential for significant profit by layering on features and content to existing platforms. Perhaps the best possibility for a high-end complement to Jaguar Land Rover would be Aston Martin. Not only does it have a strong reputation and line-up, it also could handle both supercars and luxury sedans, thanks to its Lagonda sub brand. Of course it would require Aston Martin to be receptive to a purchase.
Going to a mainstream brand would be riskier, since the profit margins are slimmer, and the buyers are often less tolerant of reliability issues. But if the company were to move downmarket, Mazda could be a potentially strong brand, and one that would fit in with Jaguar Land Rover. The cars are stylish, sporty, and generally more upmarket than competitors, and the vehicles are reliable. Mazda would also offer some unique technology that could be distributed among the JLR line.
Regardless, adding more of the same to Jaguar Land Rover won't do much for the company. If it wants to expand, it needs to look at other markets, rather than locking itself up in the mainstream luxury world.
(AutoBlog.com)
The Story Isn't All That Suprising
The Story Behind Audi's Four-Ring Logo
It's all about the Auto Union.
The four rings represent four different automakers that merged in 1932 to create what was then called the Auto Union. The oldest of these automakers, Horch, was founded in 1899 by German engineer August Horch. Soon after, Mr. Horch left his namesake company to form a new automaker, Audi, which also got a ring in the logo. Side note: "Horch" is very close to the German word for "listen;" "Audi" is the Latin translation of the verb.
(Road&Track.com)
It's all about the Auto Union.
The four rings represent four different automakers that merged in 1932 to create what was then called the Auto Union. The oldest of these automakers, Horch, was founded in 1899 by German engineer August Horch. Soon after, Mr. Horch left his namesake company to form a new automaker, Audi, which also got a ring in the logo. Side note: "Horch" is very close to the German word for "listen;" "Audi" is the Latin translation of the verb.
(Road&Track.com)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)