No matter how much you plan, calculate, speculate and research sometimes you just cannot avoid turmoil and it is going to affect your business. It does not matter what kind of business you're in, you are going to have surprises.
This week when I read Miami Heat forward Shawn Marion out for season with foot injury, I could not help but think how ironic. When the Phoenix Suns NBA basketball franchise traded all-star forward Shawn Marion (and guard Marcus Banks) to the Heat for Shaquille O'Neal I am quite certain that there was unanimity of thought that it was Shaq that would be more prone to injury. He had already missed many games this season and was just coming off an injury right before the trade.
After a very slow (losing) start with the Suns Shaq has done well (ignoring his pitiful free-throw shooting) and they have reversed course over the last ten games. The Suns are still in the same hunt for a Championship they were before, but now with a monster in the middle perhaps giving them greater hope for a storybook ending.
Sheldon Liber is the CEO of a small private investment company and the principal for design and research at an architecture & planning firm. He writes the columns Chasing Value and Serious Money. Disclosure: I do not own shares of the Phoenix Suns or Miami Heat , but I am saving up to buy the Los Angeles Lakers.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-06-2008 @ 6:21PM
thebigkill said...
GO SUNS! I live in Phoenix, and I can't wait for the playoffs. I feel like I want the Suns to get a ring more than Jerry Colangelo, and I don't even have a financial stake! I grew up watching Kevin Johnson, Charles Barkley, Tom Chambers, Jason Kidd... geez, Tom Chambers?
Anyhow, one of the coolest things I've seen is FirstDIBZ. It's like stock options for sports tickets.
You buy an option at some premium to buy certain tickets at face value. Say, if the Suns get to round 2, and you paid $30 to buy the ticket at face value. Then the ticket is like $60+$30 premium is $90, which is way better than the $120 typically paid for playoffs tickets from scalpers.
Here are the options if the Suns go to the NBA Finals. Before the Shaq/Shawn trade, the option was $40, now it's $71: http://www.firstdibz.com/sportsMyTeam.html?eventId=700008164&teamId=700011401&leafId=T700011401E700008164&ugid=696398012
Pretty neat.
4-06-2008 @ 7:03PM
Belge said...
Not to mention after Shaq left many people accused him of tanking it last year at the end of the season when he had an "injury". Maybe its the HEAT or maybe its Riley but they need change.
4-06-2008 @ 9:56PM
jerry solomon said...
phoenix will tank in the playoff.
4-06-2008 @ 10:01PM
jerry solomon said...
suns will tank in playoff.
4-06-2008 @ 10:47PM
Sheldon L said...
Jerry,
Sports predictions, like stock predictions, like Marion going down instead of Shaq are fun but unreliable for sure...just ask UCLA and North Carolina (the favorites) that will be watching the NCAA Finals tomorrow night!