Earlier this year, it took an inept game-ending call by replacement referees during a nationally televised "Monday Night Football" broadcast to fast-track negotiations between the NFL and the NFL Referees Association and to get the real refs back on the field later that week.

Nary a day goes by that the marketing trade press doesn't include further doom-and-gloom evidence of how today and tomorrow's consumer is increasingly tuning out the proliferation of brand messages that inundate us every day in traditional media. DVR skipping of TV advertising is on the rise, print media for the most part is criticized for lacking the immediacy, instant access and breadth of online media. Even the more established online channels draw skeptical cries for being commercially over-run and infiltrated by the bias of "plants" and "shills."

As some of us are still trying to work off the Thanksgiving turkey, a very real thought has now crossed all of our minds: the holiday season is officially upon us. While this thought can strike fear and stress in many parents across the nation, for college football fans, it means that we are officially in "bowl season." This bowl season feels particularly different from past years, one with more optimism than ever before. When talking about college football, the BCS usually goes from a three-letter word to a four-letter word. However, this year everyone around college football is excited …

From a marketing point of view, that's a rhetorical question.

When it comes to creating the optimal Web experience, nowhere are standards higher and the audience tougher than in the world of digital sports. In the same way that sports fans demand 92-inch screens, theater-quality audio and even 3D, the digital experience needs to be state-of-the-art as well. If you don't offer the best, don't get in the game. Only winning counts.

I've used this space in the past to speak to the complex subject of selecting appropriate athletes as endorsers. My main messages have included a warning against hitching your fortunes too closely to singular stars as well as an appeal to utilize marketing research to assure that those athletes that a property is considering aligning with are an appropriate fit with how your brand wishes to position itself. Certainly we are all too familiar with the risks inherent in subjugating a brand to the often erratic behaviors of professional athletes. And with all the negativity and muckraking that seems to …

Maintenance and monitoring are two things that we all need in our lives. Sure, your car might be able to run a few more "hundred or so" miles over the oil change, but what does that do to your engine for the long term? Overlooking something seemingly insignificant might mean the difference between a smooth-running classic versus a rusted-out beater. Sports marketing sponsorship portfolios work the same way.

Michael Phelps was all dry and smiling through a full beard when he met the media for a pre-ING New York Marathon event last week. Phelps, who is entered to run a 5K race prior to the 26.2-mile NYC Marathon, was there as a representative of Subway sandwiches, which is in its third year as an official NYC Marathon sponsor, and also as a supporter for his sister, Whitney, who will be running the event on Nov. 4.

Racers in giant, state-of-the-art sailboats use the power of the water and wind to skim across the glittering waters of San Francisco Bay, and around iconic bridges, green islands and headlands. Fans cheer and listen to the onboard conversations and strategies of their favorite teams. It is the 34th America's Cup -- on mobile.

Last month, I raised a yellow flag for those properties and sports marketers who looked to be over-reliant on the utilization of a single superstar to drive fan engagement and affinity. I closed my post with a subtle reference to how football effectively navigates around that issue. This month, I want to expand upon my perspective regarding how, in this era of increased leisure choices and a scarcity of time, football has found a magic formula that has helped elevate it to the preeminent position in sports. As research-driven marketing strategists, our work is often built around the identification and …