Business of Sports October 1, 2009, 12:26PM EST

The NHL's Icy Start

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Industry analysts also point out that much of Jack Daniels' recent growth has been overseas, in Australia, South Africa, and China—not exactly hotbeds of NASCAR fans.

Richard Childress Racing execs have stated that the organization's "goal is to have four cars in 2010, but that is all dependent on sponsorship." Likewise, Gordon has "several sponsors that should help" his team fill the gap, including Monster (MWW), Polaris, and Camping World.

And liquor is certainly not leaving NASCAR forever. Earlier this year, Crown Royal extended its deal with Roush Fenway Racing's No. 18 Sprint Cup car. What's Prohibition for some is a splashy opportunity for others.

4. As Miami Resurfaces, ACC-TV Deal Nears Expiration Despite the University of Miami's crushing 31-7 loss on Sept. 26 to conference rival Virginia Tech, the program is once again garnering the attention it did from 1982 to 2001, when it won five national championships. Miami bested in-state rival Florida State in a thrilling Labor Day match up that drew 8.4 million viewers to ESPN, the second-most viewed regular-season college football game in the network's history. This weekend, the 'Canes face powerhouse Oklahoma in yet another nationally televised game.

This is all terrific news for the Atlantic Coast Conference as it prepares for its next round of television rights negotiations, over a bar raised by the Southeastern Conference's 15-year, $2.25 billion deal with ESPN, currently in its first year.

The ACC generated $162.8 million in revenue in the fiscal year ended June 30. The conference's current TV rights deals comprise a seven-year, $258 million deal for football with ABC/ESPN, and a 10-year, $300 million men's basketball deal with Raycom Sports, both of which run through the 2010-2011 season and give the ACC the opportunity to bundle new deals. Conferences typically look for a 50% to 60% revenue bounce when they ink new TV deals, though the economy will likely play a factor in keeping that figure down.

Overall conference performance is also a factor—a key reason why ACC officials are no doubt secretly rooting for Miami. While the conference has done well in basketball, with the University of North Carolina winning it all last spring as well as in 2005, only Virginia Tech has made it to a BCS bowl in recent years (winning the Orange Bowl last season).

Both Raycom and ESPN are reportedly interested in striking new deals with the conference or looking at forming its own network (as the Big Ten has done). UNC's hoops dominance could provide some needed leverage—as could University of Miami victories throughout the rest of the football season.

5. Last Oligarch to BrooklynDon't know about you, but we figured that the first Russian to invest in an American sports franchise would purchase a hockey team. Just think of it as fiscal revenge for the Miracle on Ice.

However, it is the NBA, not the NHL, that scored big in the oligarch ownership derby, as Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov announced his intent late last week to buy the New Jersey Nets and the proposed Barclays Center from Forest City Enterprises' Bruce Ratner. Terms of the deal, according to a letter of intent signed by both sides, call for Prokhorov's company to invest $200 million and other considerations for 80% of the Nets, along with a 45% stake in the Barclays Center (Ratner will retain control of the arena and keep 20% of the team). The deal must be approved by the NBA's board of governors.

Prokhorov, called the richest man in Russia, has an estimated fortune of $9.5 billion. He also has a reputation as a party guy and was arrested in France in 2007 "on suspicion he was supplying prostitutes to wealthy friends." However, a hard-living reputation shouldn't be much of a barrier to ownership in the NBA, where Jerry Buss has held court for years and players are constantly linked to celebrities. And Prokhorov is likely to be embraced with nary a "nyet" in Brooklyn, which has more than 150,000 documented immigrants from the former Soviet Union. The new relationship also furthers NBA Commissioner David Stern's broad vision of globalization.

And forget Jim Beam and Jack Daniels. Stoli, Smirnoff, Belvedere, Chopin, Grey Goose, and Absolut—we're waiting for you.

Rick Horrow is a leading expert in the business of sports. As CEO of Horrow Sports Ventures, he has been the architect of 103 deals worth more than $13 billion in sports and other urban infrastructure projects. He is also the sports business analyst for CNN, Fox Sports, and the Fox Business Channel.