Chris Albrecht, the one-time head of HBO who was fired after being arrested for hitting his girlfriend, has done something which I can only describe as a sort of corporate midlife crisis.
According to WSJ:
“Now, Mr. Albrecht is trying for a comeback. And he’s staking much of it on a bizarre, futuristic sport called SlamBall, which failed to break out in an earlier debut. With the feel of a live-action videogame, SlamBall is essentially basketball combined with rugby and trampoline gymnastics, and if Mr. Albrecht is right, it will become a phenomenon as successful and profitable as the latest sports craze, ultimate fighting.”
I actually remember watching (or trying to watch) SlamBall during its brief and poorly-viewed run on Spike TV – it reminded me of the kind of sports that are created for futuristic sci-fi movies set after some kind of apocalypse.
Now, aside from all the obvious reasons why one might not want to try to launch an entirely new sport on the world, one has to wonder why a guy with Albrecht’s experience in the business would invest in such a patently absurd and juvenile sport like SlamBall?
I can only imagine he thinks it makes him look hip or cool. See, he’s with it! He loves SlamBall!
Oh, dear lord, it’s actually sadder than wearing a toupee…
MyMediaMusings 
Give me a break! A 5 million dollar investment is clearly not a mid-life crisis!!! It’s not his own money, dumbass!
Sam, are you the one fan of SlamBall out there? Why are you so passionately defending Chris Albrecht?
The thing is, he’s a guy who is viewed as past his prime and possibly washed up. Then he goes and “buys” into SlamBall? That’s a cry for attention. That’s an old man in a sports car.
mymediamusings,
Obviously, you don’t know what the hell you are talking about! IMG is a multi-billion dollar company, investing a measly 5 million is NOTHING to them!!! Albrecht is not washed up, I can name several entertainment executives who would work with him, including myself. He is a genius, unlike you, who waste their time comparing men to buying sports cars when we all know you would buy yours due to your lack of manhood.
Wow, Sam, there is really no need to get so personal on me. Unless maybe you are Chris? Or his son? Or wish you were one of those things?
Where are you an “entertainment executive”?
Would you have spent $5M on SlamBall?
If you read the NYT article Chris sounds like a cheerleader to me. And I think the thing he is cheering about is dumb. And it makes him look dumb. Like a grownup wearing clothes from Forever21.
Oh David, there you go again. I’m not Chris, and if you knew anything about him you would know he doesn’t have a son. I read the NYT, and the WSJ report was something that should have been in the National Enquirer. Why would you take so personally that there ARE people who support Chris Albrecht?
Um, you’re the one who ended your very first comment with a shot at the size of my penis – not sure why that interested you in particular but it was your comment not mine that lowered the bar.
I have nothing against people supporting Chris – even if he did allegedly hit a woman after consuming more alcohol than he should have.
I do have a problem with his choice to put money into a completely stupid and impractical “sport” and think that it reflects poorly on both him and IMG.