You Sleep When You Die

I always admired Al Davis a great deal, and saw him as a special kind of role model. He embraced the “maverick” label, and he successfully walked the thin line between being feared and being loved. Perhaps most importantly, he had a long-term commitment to excellence in the art of branding. The iconic silver-and-black Raiders logo is one of the most enduring brands in all of sports.

His fifteen-second clip set O’Neal apart from the pack yet again. With that fifteen-second announcement, O’Neal proved that he has a much better sense of the dynamics of social media than many marketing executives.

Kim Kardashian. The Situation. Paris Hilton. We’ve all heard of them. The question is, why have we heard of them? What have they done to become household names across the country, across the world even?

Since I am a sports fan in South Florida, I am happy to see LeBron join the Miami Heat. But as much as I would love to see Lebron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh bring a NBA championship back to Miami, I have other reasons for supporting LeBron and his decision to leave Cleveland. Why? Because it was a carefully calculated business decision. Nothing more. Nothing less. According to LeBron, the Heat made him an offer he couldn’t refuse, saying he believed leaving the Cavs was the only way he could fulfill his dream of winning a championship. He actually walked away from $30 million by NOT signing with the Cavs. How can you fault him for that?!

What comes to your mind when you hear the name Kirstie Alley? If you’re like most of America, it probably has something to do with her weight. Alley’s new show, Kirstie Alley’s Big Life, is débuting on A&E this Sunday. While the show is billed as a “docu-series…which chronicles the many aspects of her extraordinary film life,” the only thing the previews talk about is her weight!