Thursday 2 June 2005

49ers Next Plan Ghetto and Street Fighting Videos

Despite the controversy that has erupted over their last diversity training film, which featured lesbian pornography and racist humor, the San Francisco 49ers said last night that they continue to move forward with their program of educating their players on the situations they may face in the National Football League.

A series of Ghetto and Street Fighting videos are next in training and team officials stress that they have been purchased from a league-authorized vendor, and not, as with the diversity video, self-produced.

The controversial video, produced by former Public Relations Director, Kevin Reynolds, was a follow-up to a 2 1/2-hour diversity workshop — an event that Reynolds organized in the wake of an anti-gay comment by running back Garrison Hearst. It was meant to be shown to the players only, and the content was to demonstrate to the players on how to deal with the media.

A copy of the video, which Reynolds himself appeared in, conducting a gay wedding ceremony between two, busty woman, and encouraging them to "show me" how they will love each other, was sent to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Along with the pornography, the invective-laced speech and the racist humor, portions of the video were shot in San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's office. Press Secretary Peter Ragone indicated that permission was given, however, the understanding was that it was for a diversity training film.

"They didn't tell us anything about its content,'' Ragone said.

Greg Aiello, spokesman for the National Football League, said he was not aware of any other team-produced videos on media relations.

"The standard approach is to use our video and supplement it with comments by the PR directors, head coach, etc.," he said.

The Ghetto and Street Fighting video training is designed to show the players the type of situations they may get into away from the football field and instructors will offer the players options on how to avoid such situations.

"As best as we know" indicate a team spokesperson, "it is a set of professionally-produced videos. We didn't send any 49er's out into the streets to get into fights".


eBay Moves To Corner Web Spending

Shopping.Com Bought For Cash; SEC Looking Into Move As Global Domination May Be Goal

"Why are you doing it? How much better can you eat? What can you buy that you can't already afford?"

"The future, Mr. Gitts, the future."

While the above reference comes from Robert Towne's riveting 'Chinatown', it seems that eBay is intent on following its' directive.

Yesterday, the on-line auction giant plunked down $620-Million, in cash, to purchase the comparison shopping and consumer review site Shopping.com Inc.

The S.E.C and other government agencies are looking into the move, as it was unclear if it was a standard purchase-and-sale, or if Shopping.Com listed itself on the eBay auction website and company executives violated any laws in holding it out for their own personal gain.

Marketers have other worries, as it appears eBay is on-course to dominate spending on the word wide web.

Last year, eBay purchases included Rent.com ($415 million in stock and cash), Baazee.com, India's popular online shopping site, ($50 million), and the Dutch classified site, Marktplaats.nl ($290 million). They also increased their investment in Internet Auction Co., South Korea's largest online auction company and, in 2003, eBay purchased China's largest e-commerce site, EachNet, after an earlier, small investment.

"At the rate it is going", offered on beleaguered marketing executive, "there'll only be three places you can spend money on the web - Google, Apple and eBay"

eBay declined comment on the new purchase, or, if they have any plans to acquire Google and Apple.