Author: Brian Lee

If the NFL were more like other industries

Posted on by Brian Lee

The NFL is really an oddity in a business sense. The primary example of this is that it’s exempt from antitrust laws, otherwise it couldn’t control the amateur draft, salary cap, free agency restrictions and TV rights the way it currently does (by colluding).

After the Green Bay Packers signed QB Scott Tolzien, who was cut by the San Francisco 49ers–the Packers’ first opponent of the season–it got me thinking: what if the NFL were more like other industries?

The Packers signed Tolzien for one reason: to pick his brain about the 49ers’ offense (and defense, to some extent). In the real (business) world, the 49ers would have made Tolzien sign a non-compete and non-disclosure document.

If you think about that, having non-competes in the NFL, or any other sport, would be really weird. There wouldn’t be any more trades, and free agents would be on the market for minimum one year as they wait for their non-competes to expire.

And regarding the non-disclosure, Tolzien is in a tough spot. If he rats out his old team, he extends his career by at least another week (he’s currently still on the practice squad). If he doesn’t talk about the 49ers, he’s out of a job.

That’s why the NFL is an oddity in business.

A customer’s first impression

Posted on by Brian Lee

I shopped at the Home Depot on Sunday. As I grab my cart, the greeter told me that I could use a cart that she had already pulled out. From my vantage point, I could only see one cart, and a couple ahead of me was taking it. I responded to the greeter that that cart was already being taken.

She in turn said that there was another cart up ahead. I said, “Oh I didn’t see it” and walk toward it, and as I did, she exclaimed, “Oh. My. God!”  in a way that meant, “How could you not see the other cart?!”

I was annoyed, but I took the high road and walked away. In any type of business, customer service is paramount, perhaps more so than your marketing and PR efforts. This was the first person from Home Depot that customers encounter, and she was quite rude. This anecdote is not meant to pick on Home Depot; rather, it’s to remind businesses to always make your customers feel welcomed, not stupid.

Analyzing Ryan Braun’s apology

Posted on by Brian Lee

I never believed Ryan Braun was telling the truth last year, and I certainly didn’t believe anything in his apology. I’ll admit, he did a few things that you’re supposed to do, which is say you’re sorry and take complete blame (e.g. “I have no one to blame but myself”). But from there,  you could tell he’s still lying. Here’s one example:

In paragraph four, he makes up an excuse, saying “I was dealing with a nagging injury and I turned to products for a short period of time that I shouldn’t have used.” However, his ex-friend Ralph Sasson alleges in a lawsuit that Braun has been doping since his college days.

At this point, I’m inclined to believe Sasson. Braun is trying to portray a “woe is me” reason for doping, as if there’s an acceptable reason for cheating, especially if it was just one time. No one dopes just one time. I’m sure Braun has been cheating for most, if not all, of his career.

I also was disappointed with Braun’s half-assed apology toward the sample collector Dino Laurenzi Jr., whom Braun threw under the bus. Braun says, “I sincerely apologize to everybody involved in the arbitration process, including the collector, Dino Laurenzi, Jr.” but then moves off the subject. Laurenzi should be allowed to punch Braun in the face.

Actually, everyone should.