Brazil will host the World Cup of Soccer in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016. The fact that two of the most important sports events will be taking place in a developing Latin American country that loves sports is exciting. In the last few years, Brazil has grown a lot, and is now the sixth-largest economy in the world, with a GDP of over $2 trillion. It is doing so well that it is even offering to lend money to the European Union. The world will be watching Brazil for the next four years, and there will be plenty to …

Legendary comedian W.C. Fields used to say, "Anyone who hates children and animals can't be all bad." He said this long before the Super Bowl became a destination for commercials that, much to Fields' chagrin, include kids and animals as two of the top five selling points for many big game spots.

I heard a great story over the holiday break from a colleague about his 12-year-old son's consumption of digital media. The short version of the story is that my friend's son spends most of his time on sports and entertainment content sites that aren't made up of the usual suspect of sites delivered by familiar media companies. He is drawn to web properties that emphasize the fun, entertaining and visually intensive (particularly video) experiences to which a pre-teen is most drawn.

Having lived for extended periods in both the South and the Northeast, I always marveled at the dichotomous priority each region placed on college football. The game seems an afterthought in the Northeast. Aside from a few loyal Michigan, BC and Penn State alums, Saturday's heroes are persona non grata in New York and deities in the South.

It's hard to believe we're at the beginning of another year. Wow, what a ride! 2011 was quite a year in the world of sports and the sports business. Clearly, our industry impacts the health of our economy and the front pages of our society.