Sports Bus

Under Armour Signs Multi-Year Deal with NBA

noreply@blogger.com (Will Green) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:05:00 +0000

Under Armour, the ever-growing sports apparel provider, has now partnered with the National Basketball Association (NBA) to use officially licensed NBA apparel in the company’s various ad and promo campaigns. Prior to the new multi-year deal, Under Armour endorsers did have the right to wear UA shoes during basketball games as long as it didn’t have NBA trademarks and copyrights, such as team uniforms.

In a statement during an interview with Matt Mirchin, senior vice president of global sports marketing for UA, he says, “Partnering with the NBA allows us to showcase our innovative basketball footwear and roster of young, talented players through a platform that represents the pinnacle of the sport… We share a passion with the NBA to help young basketball players get better, and our joint court refurbishment program will create more access to functional basketball courts where the next generation can hone their skills.”

Two of the endorsers, Derrick Williams of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Kemba Walker of the Charlotte Bobcats, will be used to promote UA’s basketball footwear in promotional campaigns, brand advertising, and at retail. Additionally, Under Armour and the NBA will team up to refurbish community basketball courts throughout the US. The additional aspect of the new partnership is Under Armour’s commitment to refurbish five basketball courts in local communities will reach out to the loyal fan base of the NBA and support at a grass root level.

The deal with the NBA enters Under Armour into an already crowded basketball market with Nike and the NBA’s official apparel provider, Adidas. What once started out as a small sports apparel company, has the looks to be a giant in the near future for a company that has hit milestones each quarter.

Sources:

http://www.sportbusiness.com

http://sportsonesource.com/news/article_home.asp?Prod=1&section=8&id=40957

NBA Lockout Over?

noreply@blogger.com (Will Green) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:07:00 +0000

With the owners and players coming to a tentative agreement over the weekend that allows for a shortened season, are the worries for cancelled season completely gone?

After the meeting over this past weekend, the players still need to reconstitute their union, throw out their anti-trust lawsuit against the NBA, and finalize the details of the new collective bargaining agreement with the majority of the players and the franchise owners accepting the terms of the deal. Training camps and free agent signings were scheduled to begin on December 9^th, but until all of the above items are met the lockout remains in place.

According to an article by Michael Lee of the WashingtonPost, “A person with knowledge of the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the litigation said Monday that the lawsuit and settlement and union re-formation likely wouldn’t occur until the middle of this week or later.” Basically, there’s a lot of work to be done on multiple fronts before everyone can rejoice that a NBA season is here.

In spite of the uphill climb, David Stern remains optimistic that the shortened season will happen. Which is great news for players, team owners, and especially, the fans. Sports apparel companies will rejoice as well. According to Emmitt Jones who writes for Sports Business Digest, “Adidas, the official apparel provider of the NBA, was expecting to lose nearly $300 million if the NBA season would have been completely cancelled according to some analyst. Granted, the company did bring in over $18 billion dollars in revenue in 2010, but Adidas is not in the business of taking losses, regardless of the size.” Even though a company the size of Adidas is able to weather the storm of a lockout, many small businesses, that relied on revenue that NBA games brought in, will feel a much stronger impact from the lockout…. If it were to remain in place.

Resources:

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/7300541/nba-teams-agents-begin-talks-lockout-nears-end

http://sportsbusinessdigest.com/with-lockout-continuing-adidas-stands-to-lose-300-million-on-nba/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nba-lockout-confusion-surrounds-supposed-comfort-of-66-game-season/2011/11/28/gIQAMRfL6N_story.html?tid=pm_sports_pop

Mark Cuban: Business Plan Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Will Green) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:40:00 +0000

In my last post, I talked about Mark Cuban and his stimulus plan. In his latest update, he spoke of the overwhelming response, more than 1,400, to his stimulus plan idea. Of the 1,400 that responded, Cuban had disqualified the majority of them for not following the terms set in his 12 rules to follow. Out of the ones that did follow the rules, Cuban narrowed down the list further by choosing to give those with businesses established preference over start-ups. The reasoning for this was because established businesses have a better idea of where to spend the stimulus opposed to those just starting out

To this date, Cuban has only invested in three companies- Wickler, a program that tracks occupancy for entertainment sites; Naked Pizza, a pizza company with a natural, lower calorie product; and superfeedr.com, a company that specializes in real-time deliver of messages to mobile and desktop software. All three of these companies had a business plan that had three vital components to their business plan: a mission statement, industry analysis, and financials sections.

For those writing business plans, a good mission statement defines your business at the most basic level, tells your company’s ideals and background- in a short amount of time. The background should include: who your company is, what they stand for, and why they do it. The industry analysis is another important factor in a business plan. Identifying your main competitors and defining your target market are crucial to the success of your company. Once you’ve identified your target market finding ways to reach out to them becomes an easier task.

Lastly, the financials section of your business plan is crucial when it comes to selling investors on the profitability of your company. It is vital that one is able to show that their company is worth investing in.

Mark Cuban: Business Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Will Green) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 21:01:00 +0000

Mark Cuban, best known for being the passionate owner of the Dallas Mavericks, has been involved in a variety of different businesses, from theater chains to Internet startups. Before he decided to purchase the Mavericks, Cuban had started MicroSolutions, a computer consulting company, and had turned it into a profitable company before selling to CompuServe. Later on he and an ole college buddy founded Broadcast.com, which became a leader in streaming video and multimedia on the Internet. In July of 1999, Broadcast.com was sold to Yahoo for nearly six billion dollars. Today, along with owning the Dallas Mavericks, Cuban is the owner of HDNet, co-owns the Landmark Theater Chain, and is also an investor into start-up businesses.

In 2009, Cuban came up with his own solution to help fix the hurting economy. His plan: “an open source funding environment.” Cuban has asked entrepreneurs to comment on his blog with fully developed business plans. If he likes the idea, then he will send the commenter an email to propose a deal. Cuban has taken up this mission because he wants to “come up with a course of action that he can undertake own his own and possibly make a difference. The reason for the open sourcing is that even if the business plans are “stolen” and used by someone else, the idea is still helping to stimulate the economy.

Cuban has 12 rules that entrepreneurs must follow if they want funding. They are:

1. It can be an existing business or a start up.

It cannot be a business that generates any revenue from advertising. Why? Because I want this to be a business where you sell something and get paid for it. That's the only way to get and stay profitable in such a short period of time.
It MUST BE CASH FLOW BREAK EVEN within 60 days
It must be profitable within 90 days.
Funding will be on a monthly basis. If you dont make your numbers, the funding stops
You must demonstrate as part of your plan that you sell your product or service for more than what it costs you to produce, fully encumbered
Everyone must work. The organization is completely flat. There are no employees reporting to managers. There is the founder/owners and everyone else
You must post your business plan here, or you can post it on slideshare.com , scribd.com or google docs, all completely public for anyone to see and/or download
I make no promises that if your business is profitable, that I will invest more money. Once you get the initial funding you are on your own
I will make no promises that I will be available to offer help. If I want to , I will. If not, I wont.
If you do get money, it goes into a bank that I specify, and I have the ability to watch the funds flow and the opportunity to require that I cosign any outflows.

12. In your business plan , make sure to specify how much equity I will receive or how I will get a return on my money.

Resources:

http://www.biography.com/people/mark-cuban-562656

http://www.businessinsider.com/2009/2/mark-cubans-plan-to-fix-the-economy-with-his-money

NBA Lockout Cancels First Two Weeks of Season, Players Tweet

noreply@blogger.com (Will Green) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:18:00 +0000

On Monday October 10^th, the NBA announced that it would be cancelling the first two weeks of the 2011-2012 season, due to the lockout. In more than a decade it will be the first time that regular season games will be cancelled. For NBA players, team owners, and fans as the NBA lockout remains, the outlook for the rest of the season is bleak. In a report by the Detroit Free Press, Detroit Pistons guard Ben Gordon says, “the two weeks is just the tip of the iceberg” and that the lockout could last a “year or two.”

After meeting for five-and-a-half hours on Sunday night, Commissioner David Stern had set the Monday deadline for a new labor agreement to be reached to save the first two weeks of the season, which is exactly 100 games. Stern was cited as saying that the deadline needed to be reached by Monday for logistical purposes. After the meetings that took place on Monday, Stern said that the two sides were “very, very far apart” on a new CBA and that the longer the lockout lasts, the more team owners will try to recoup monetary losses from cancelled games.

Since the cancellation was announced, NBA players have been reaching out to fans via Twitter regarding the negotiations and lockout. After the announcement, Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns went on a tweeting rampage with, “Why are the owners unwilling to negotiate in good faith? As a player I apologize to the fans that we’re in this position… The players are negotiating to take less money & let’s be clear that’s not going to lower ticket prices, it just lines the owners pockets.” From Lebron to Carmello to Marcus Thornton Sacramento Kings, NBA players are letting their voices be heard.

Another superstar who has emerged as a leading voice for the players’ cause is Miami Heat superstar Dwyane Wade. In his tweet to fans, he stated that the real people hurting from the lockout are the fans, workers of the NBA arenas, and local businesses.

There may not be an end to the lockout in sight, but as fans all we can do is voice our opinion and urge the team owners and players to settle their dispute quickly; and just sit and wait in the meantime.

References:

http://www.nba.com/2011/news/10/10/labor-monday.ap/index.html##?ls=iref:nbahpt1

http://www.freep.com/article/20111012/SPORTS03/110120436/1051/sports03

http://aol.sportingnews.com/nba/feed/2010-10/nba-labor/story/players-tweet-in-reaction-to-cancellation-of-nba-games

NHL "black-outs" Player's Use of Social Media Game days

noreply@blogger.com (Will Green) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:14:00 +0000

Going back to my first post on this blog, I talked about athletes need for training on the use of social media for professional and amateur athletes. The NHL has become the first professional league or organization that will "black-out" the use of social media by players on game day. While the engagement between professional athletes and fans using social media can be a great way to connect, it has become commonplace on news outlets such as ESPN that you here about the controversies that are cause by player posts and tweets.

The NHL has taken their “big-brother” role in a direction that you could see more leagues go in the future. A new NHL has instituted a social media policy that doesn’t completely muffle players, but does have a “total blackout on social media on game days.” The blackout begins at 11 a.m. before the first drop of the puck on game days. Also, the new policy outlines suggestions for “proper use” for players and team personnel.

I feel more leagues will follow suit with this policy as they look to cut back on bad publicity that’s been created by these controversial tweets and posts. When you look at it, do you think is more cost-effective to the teams and the league- to either provide PR training to player’s on the use of social media or to write a policy that guidelines ensures proper use and fine those that don’t fall in line?

To be honest, the constitution gives us freedom of speech and the players shouldn’t be muzzled because their adults, but some of these tweets can “cross the line.” Every player has a voice and an opinion that should be heard, but a lot of times don’t think about the consequences when they hit the send button. Most players are responsible with their use of social media, but what grabs headlines are the ones that don’t. Above I provided a good debate on the subject of players and social media. The program was aired on ESPN’s program “Outside the Lines.”

References:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Inside-the-NHL-8217-s-new-social-media-policy-f?urn=nhl-wp12624&active_dimension=carousel_ept_sports_blog&ysp_frm_woah=1

http://www.sportbusiness.com/news/184331/nhl-introduces-game-day-social-media-blackouts?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sportbusiness+%28Sportbusiness+Newsfeed%29

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaW8RSLa1Cw

MLS Teams Form Alliance to Bring in More Concerts

noreply@blogger.com (Will Green) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 17:03:00 +0000

When it comes to professional sports in America, NFL, NBA, and MLB typically have no problem putting bodies in the seats of the stadium. For Major League Soccer, the popularity of the sport hasn’t reached the point where sell-out crowds are the norm, so some stadiums are looking to pack the seats from other attractions. The Columbus Crew Stadium, along with 6 other MLS stadiums has formed a group called the Soccer Stadium Alliance. The Alliance comprised of venues such as Pizza Hut Park near Dallas, Livestrong Sporting Park in Kansas City, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park outside of Denver, PPL Park on the outskirts of Philadelphia, Jeld-Wen Field in Portland, BC Place in Vancouver and the Columbus Crew Stadium. The purpose of this alliance is to bring more attractions from the music industry to their respective venues.

The Soccer Stadium Alliance has partnered with the music production and marketing firm Modern Music Services, lead by Don Frizzell who has nearly three decades of experience in the concert industry. Although the venues will submit a joint offer for each artist, each venue separately will carry all risk and reward for their particular show. According to an interview with Frizzell, “Artists who may be on an Arena Tour are less likely to reconfigure their production set to play outdoor if one or two venues approached them. But when an Alliance of seven to 10 buildings reaches out with an interest, that is a different story. We already have agents reaching out to us to route their artists through our buildings.” The pick-up in attractions bodes well for the success of the Soccer Stadium Alliance, as they look to bring in top talent from the music industry. According to an article in the Sports Business Journal a similar alliance was formed among NFL stadiums, known as the Gridiron Stadium Network, which was formed in 2005.

References:

http://www.thecrew.com/news/2011/08/crew-stadium-forms-soccer-stadium-alliance

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2011/08/29/Facilities/Soccer-Alliance.aspx

NFL Major Sponsorship Deals

noreply@blogger.com (Will Green) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 03:21:00 +0000

With the NFL lockout ending earlier this year, the announcements of two sponsors for the NFL came soon after. In September, the NFL renewed its sponsorship deal with PepsiCo Inc. The deal between the two super-power brands will begin its ten-year duration starting in 2012. According to an un-named source would have PepsiCo paying around $90 million in rights fees and roughly $1 billion over the length of the contract. PepsiCo also owns such brands as Gatorade, Frito-Lay, Tropicana, and Quaker Oats, which will continue as the official marketing partners of the NFL. This deal also ensures that when fans tune into the game that they will see Gatorade as the feature drink on the sidelines. The relationship between the NFL and PepsiCo has lasted for twenty-eight years and this contract extension will carry them into 2022.

The NFL had its second major sponsorship of the year when it agreed to a deal with Marriott International, also announced in September. The league signed a multi-year deal with Marriott that will make it official hotel sponsor of the NFL. This deal makes perfect sense given the four-year relationship between the NFL and Marriott International. In 2008, Courtyard, a Marriott chain of hotels, signed a three-year deal making the hotel the first non-official sponsor to sign a multi-year deal with the NFL. Courtyard will take center stage with the NFL as it looks to give its patrons an experience that will separate them from their competitors. Although the financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, the football fans that are guests of Courtyard and Marriott International can expect to have guest offerings that will enhance their experience. Marriott Rewards members can also rejoice because included in the agreement, the rewards could tie into special NFL events like the Super Bowl and points could apply to the NFL activation opportunities.

References:

http://news.marriott.com/2011/09/courtyard-by-marriott-takes-a-seat-at-the-50-yard-line-becomes-official-hotel-sponsor-of-the-nfl-.html

http://news.yahoo.com/pepsico-nfl-renew-sponsorship-deal-130749417.html

The Longhorn Network Prohibited From Broadcasting High School games

noreply@blogger.com (Will Green) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 00:34:00 +0000

The University of Texas and ESPN has come together to form the Longhorn Network. This network has already caused quite a controversy for members of the Big Twelve Conference. Not only will the network be an additional source of revenue for the university, the deal with ESPN worth $300 million over the span of twenty years, but also the network will try to push the broadcasting of high school football games. The other members of the conference feel that this will give the University of Texas an unfair recruiting advantage. While this may not be a big deal to some, the nine other members of the conference will beg to disagree. In a statement released by the Big Twelve it says, “The ADs recognize that this issue is complex, and involves a detailed analysis of the recruiting model in many areas, including existing NCAA legislation related to the publicity of prospective student-athletes and the rapidly evolving world of technology. This process will take an extended period of analysis.” At the beginning of August, the Big Twelve Athletic directors met and voted to prohibit the broadcast of high school sporting events.

With a one-year moratorium instituted unanimously by the athletic directors, the Big Twelve will continue to forbid the content to be broadcast until the NCAA rules that it to be permissible. The athletic directors from each member of the conference also suggested that the board of directors of each university should encourage the NCAA to do the same nationwide. Oklahoma State University President Burns Hargis had this to say, "I think that all the NCAA recruiting rules are really directed toward unfair advantage, and I think being able to broadcast high school games on my branded network probably creates an advantage for me over others." To go along with the controversy that the network has created, Texas A&M University and the University of Oklahoma have been rumored to be looking to move to the Southeastern Conference. While the Oklahoma rumor has yet to be confirmed by a legitimate source, Texas A&M has already requested information from the conference on how to proceed forward in the event that they were to change conferences.

References:

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/08/02/business-broadcasting-amp-entertainment-fbc-big-12-longhorn-network_8596608.html

http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/aug/02/controversy-tabled/

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/26/sports/ncaafootball/texas-am-begins-process-moving-to-sec.html

Decertification of Players' Associations

noreply@blogger.com (Will Green) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 01:50:00 +0000

With the success of the NFLPA decertification, will the NBAPA do the same? On March 11, 2011, the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) existence came to a halt. In a move that hasn’t been seen since 1989, in which the NFLPA dissolved to file individual antitrust suits against the NFL, the decertification of the NFLPA sent a message to team owners saying, “We mean business.” The decertification allowed individual players to take their chances in Federal court in antitrust lawsuits. Ten players, with such big names to include Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees, sued NFL team owners in a class-action claim and sought to block a lockout even before a one had occurred. One of the reasons for decertification was to have each individual team release it’s financial records. In an article written by Sam Farmer, ofthe Los Angles Times, he says, “The players argue that if they’re being asked to give more money back to the owners, they should be privy to the books.” Although ultimately the decertification ended up working in the players’ favor, the National Basketball Association is looking to take away decertification as a tool to be used by the NBAPA.

On August 2, 2011, Commissioner David Stern filed a lawsuit against the NBAPA in attempt to take away decertification as an option. With this move, David Stern is seeking the high ground in advance of the NBAPA threat to decertify. In an article written by Skip Oliva he states, “In virtually every collective bargaining negotiation since 1970, the players have commenced or have threatened to commence antitrust litigation as a tactic to pressure the NBA to accede to the Union’s bargaining demands.” The reason for this move is to keep the players obligated to collectively bargain with the league, instead of on an individual basis. The difference between the NFL and NBA CBA disputes is that the NFL players knew before certifying that the team owners were not irrational enough to forgo a season, with the NBA, team owners are willing to stop burning cash on their losing investment.

Who Dat? Trademark Controversy

noreply@blogger.com (Will Green) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 00:04:00 +0000

In sports, finding the origins of traditions can be nearly impossible. In regards to a certain tradition there may be numerous different stories about how it got started. With the New Orleans Saint s the origin and ownership of the phrase, "Who Dat", created a whirlwind of controversy. In January 2010, the NFL sent cease and desist orders to stores selling the merchandise claiming they owned the rights to the phrase. The NFL wanted to avoid any confusion between their officially licensed merchandise and products or "knock-offs" the stores where selling in Louisiana. A knock-off is clear-cut counterfeiting and is a basis of trademark infringement. In the same month two brothers, Steve and Sal Monistere, had claimed that they owned the rights to "Who Dat” The two brothers wrote and produced their version of "When the Saints Come Marching In" in 1983 that used the phrase "Who Dat" and claimed to have it trademarked under their company, Who Dat Incorporated.

The problem lies with who can really take ownership of the phrase? The phrase itself has been said to have been around for over 100 years, having first known appearance in 1898 from a minstrel song called “Who Dat Say Chicken In Dis Crowd?” So the stance of the people of Louisiana has taken has been that of “how can someone copyright a phrase that’s been around for that long?” In 1937 the Marx brothers performed with painted black faces know as “the Who Dat Man.”

When you think of "Who Dat?" do you really think of the NFL or do you think of fans rallying around their team. The NFL has backed down from their stance in the controversy, but the case continues between the Monistere’s and storeowners in Louisiana. While the Monistere’s legally hold the trademark to the phrase, the people of Louisiana still believe it belongs to everyone.

References:

http://www.fox8live.com/news/local/story/Who-Dat-ownership-controversy-rears-its-head/DhSSvYVllUK2dKQ2qk4o7w.cspx

http://www.khou.com/sports/Saints-Who-Dat-chant-stirs-up-controversy-83068482.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XADsT3adsgM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENaTx8_9hPI

noreply@blogger.com (Will Green) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 02:13:00 +0000

Cameron Newton took the college football world by storm as he lead the Auburn Tigers to the 2010 BCS National Championship. In April he was taken as the first pick in this year's NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. The above video is my analysis of Cameron Newton's social media presence. The topics of discussion are those of Cam's current social media use, recommendations for improvement, integration with traditional media and examples of good social media presence.

Attracting Fans to Sports Venues

noreply@blogger.com (Will Green) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 01:22:00 +0000

Even during tough economic times, Americans seem to find their comfort in sports. Leagues such as the NFL, MLB, and even big-time college football have seemed to come out relatively unscathed by economic turmoil compared to the less popular sports, such as professional soccer, and minor league organizations. In the article “Sports Still Draw Fans Despite Recession” by Charles Davidson, he writes on professional sports organizations that have found ways to weather the economic storm. NFL teams have found ways to accommodate their customers by offering various season ticket packages and multiple payment options, while other teams have resorted to black out days for home games. Some MLB teams in the Southeast have relied on public funding during these times. Regardless of the sport, organizations are looking for creative new ways to fill seats in the stadium.

One thing is definitely certain these days, regardless of the state of the economy, fans seek solace in sports. Although fans that attend sporting events may not be able to afford the high dollar seats, they will still purchase the lesser quality seats. One option sports organizations have is to package their season tickets into financially manageable bundles. Sports organizations can do this buy splitting up the home games into halves or thirds, depending on the number of home games. Another option to ease the financial burden from customers is to offer multiple payment options for tickets. According to Davidson,

“Even some clubs doing brisk business have, like the Buccaneers, created flexible payment plans and instituted other measures to accommodate customers. The Falcons, for example, introduced a six-month payment plan, and the Saints for the first time offered season ticket holders a layaway option.”

This variety of options for fans can be applied to all sports across the board, not just football.

While organizations search for ways to fill seats in the stands, one way to ensure the seats are filled is to create a strong, loyal fan base. Organization’s that win don’t have a problem filling the stands, but teams that don’t win so often have to resort to other measures. FSOblog@fsoblogspot.com writes, “Developing new incentives and marketing strategies in order to reach their existing fan base while also building new ones is the key to keeping fans loyal while also attracting new ones is being able to offer added value and additional content to users.” General managers and team executives show fan appreciation by discount prices, prizes, and through other means will almost always have no problem selling out. Baseball teams often incorporate fan appreciation days by giving away prizes at the gates. Anything from souvenir bats to free t-shirts, teams are coming up with new ways to help fill the seats.

Whether organizations resort to a variety of season ticket packages, multiple payment options, or fan appreciation days, team executives are always trying to find a way to sell out home games. While these options work for some sports organizations, there is only one true way to ensure the stadium is packed, winning is the only definite solution to the attendance problem. In the words of Al Davis, owner of the Oakland Raiders, “just win, baby.”

References

Sports Still Draw Fans Despite Recession. http://www.frbatlanta.org/pubs/econsouth/econsouth_vol_11_no_3_sports_draw_fans.cfm

Maintaining Sports in Tough Economic Times. http://66.40.5.5/Content/Articles/Issues/Equity-Issues/M/Maintaining-Sports-in-Tough-Economic-Times.aspx

How to Generate Revenue During Slow Times in Spo. How to Generate Revenue During Slow Times in Sport. http://higherrevenuesinsports.blogspot.com/

Fantasy Football Explosion

noreply@blogger.com (Will Green) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:01:00 +0000

Fantasy football is a game that allows its players to score points off of a football player’s statistics. The game allows you to assemble players from any team in the NFL thru a draft and pits you against others in your league during the regular season. Over the past decade Fantasy Football has boomed as an industry from a simple game among friends to an 800 million dollar industry. No longer is the game just for “stat geeks”, it’s become a phenomena that has increased so rapidly in popularity that it has spread through all sports. And the fans of these sports are absolutely eating it up. Today fantasy leagues are not just for professional football, but also college football, baseball, basketball, soccer, golf, NASCAR and essentially any sport that has stats.

With the increased popularity of Fantasy Football, NFL team owners and execs have seen their bank accounts grow. The increase in popularity has set record numbers for TV ratings as league members are glued to the tube watching their players rack up the points. It has created a world where every game in the regular season means something to every fan. The fantasy leagues have even gotten to the point that you can take out insurance on your star player in case they suffer a season-ending injury. With the insurance you would be reimbursed for any fees that you would incur from joining a league. But it doesn’t stop there, there’s also a company that offers to settle legal disputes, with help from a team of lawyers, which may arise for a nominal fee of $15. To me, that’s pretty crazy considering the game started with just a few people playing a game and manifested into almost a billion dollar industry and millions of players across the nation.

Sources:

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/19/entertainment/la-et-1219-nfl-fantasy-20101219

http://www.businessinsider.com/fantasy-football-is-an-800-million-industry-but-whos-profiting-2010-9

Negotiations in Athlete Management

noreply@blogger.com (Will Green) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:13:00 +0000

It seems like everyday when you turn on the TV and watch ESPN, you see some sort of contract dispute or negotiation taking place. Normally, the contract negotiations take place between athlete and athletic organization. In contract negotiations, a manager or management team with an attorney on staff will negotiate on behalf of the athlete. Recently, I interviewed Evan Hurst, a sports attorney from Elevan, LLC, who specializes in making sure his athletes receive a gain from negotiations.

Mr. Hurst currently is in contact with all of the professional and amateur leagues, as he has clients with every major American sport. He specializes in contract negotiations, more specifically athlete contracts. In contract negotiations, each party can always end up being worse off than they were when negotiations started. Each side searches for any leverage that they can find in order to gain the most that they can out of the negotiation. Typically, one assumes that one side must win and in-turn the other side loses, but that is not always the case. Each side can come out of a negotiation a winner, if both parties take certain steps to ensure a mutual gain. In negotiations, looking for mutual gain is a key element of creative problem solving.

When asked how he approaches athlete contract negotiations, Mr. Hurst replied, “In my field, how I approach and prepare for the negotiation can be the difference between a good contract for my client or a bad one. I make sure that I read everything at least 3 times to make sure my client is getting the best end of the deal. In order for a negotiation to be a good one, there has to be some type of mutual benefit.”Some may think that there has to be a winner and loser in contract negotiations, but in my eyes, a successful negotiation comes from both sides experiencing a mutual gain.

Two BCS Conferences Reel in Huge, New TV Deals

noreply@blogger.com (Will Green) — Thu, 19 May 2011 02:41:00 +0000

In the world of college football, it seems like this offseason has brought in huge tv contracts for two of the conferences in the BCS. The Big 12 conference and the PAC 10 have signed huge, new TV. In April, the Big 12 conference signed a new deal with Fox Network to the tune of $90 million annually over 13 years. The deal is more than four times more than the 20 million annually that the Big 12 brings in now. A minimum of forty games, including all Big 12 home games will now be televised according to commissioner Dan Beebe. The conference’s 13-year deal, which is worth $1.17 billion, will take effect at the start of the 2012-2013 school year. This TV contract ensures that the conference will have enough money to go around and will help to stabilize it for the long-term and that is crucial with the idea of having four super conference tossed about. With the landscape of college football conferences shifting, the Big 12 has already taken a hit with two defections. Long time members Nebraska, which joined the Big Ten Conference, and Colorado, which joined the PAC 10, have reduced the Big 12 down to ten. Also, rumors of Texas A&M and Missouri leaving the conference had the Big 12 questioning it’s future, until the new TV deal came to the rescue.

The PAC 10 announced this month a “landmark deal” with new and existing partnerships in a TV contract that will expand their relationships with ESPN and FOX Sports Network, along with the creation of a new media company the PAC-12 Network. The PAC 10 recently grew to twelve with the additions of the University of Colorado, from the Big 12 conference, and the Utah Utes, from the Western Athletic Conference. The terms of the ESPN and FOX Sports Network were not disclosed, but PAC-12 commissioner Larry Scott called it, “a landmark deal”. This new deal has been reported by the Associated Press to be worth about $250 million dollars.

http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/post/_/id/27679/what-the-big-12s-new-tv-deal-means

http://www.pac-10.org/News/tabid/863/Article/225167/pac-12-announces-landmark-media-rights-deal-with-espn-fox-sports-media-group.aspx

Under Armour: Improving upon First Year Billion Dollar Revenue from 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Will Green) — Thu, 05 May 2011 02:22:00 +0000

Under Armour, the cutting-edge sports apparel and accessories company, posted their first billion-dollar revenue year in 2010 and look to improve even further in 2011. The company reported results from the first quarter of 2011 a net revenue increase of 36% from the same quarter in 2010. The net revenues were $312.7 million in 2011 compared to $229.4 million in 2010. Net income increased from $7.2 million in the first quarter of 2010 to $12.1 million for the first quarter of 2011. Under Armour had forecasted 2011 net revenues in the area of $1.33 billion to $1.35 billion, which represented a growth of 25 to 27% from 2010. Based on the results from the first quarter of 2011, Under Armour now anticipates 2011 net revenues somewhere around the $1.37 billion to $1.39 billion ranges, which would be a 29 to 31% growth over 2010.

These increases can be attributed to Under Armour activity in the last few months. Under Armour was represented both on and off the field at the NCAA Football National Championship game. Auburn University donned jerseys and apparel by Under Armour, as well as commercial spots seen on TV throughout the game. Also, the company signed Tom Brady, NFL Superstar quarterback for the New England Patriots, to an endorsement deal and secured $325 million for expansion. The company is also dipping into the Barclays Premier League by announcing a partnership with the Tottenham Hotspur, an English football club. Kevin Plank, Under Armour CEO and Founder had this to say about the partnership, “This is a highly significant and exciting partnership for Under Armour. Aligning with an elite organization like Tottenham Hotspur demonstrates our deep commitment to growing the Under Armour brand in the UK and showcasing our apparel and footwear on the world’s most prestigious athletic stages.” With their rise, sports apparel mainstays such as Nike and Addidas can hear Under Armour coming.

Sources:

http://investor.underarmour.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=571658

http://www.sportbusiness.com/news/183218/under-armour-makes-uk-move-with-tottenham-partnership?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sportbusiness+%28Sportbusiness+Newsfeed%29

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

noreply@blogger.com (Will Green) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:17:00 +0000

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is a non-profit organization. They focus on being a positive influence in the lives of children by establishing one-on-one relationships between a child and caring, responsible adult. The impact Big Brothers Big Sisters has been detrimental in the success of these children. Compared to children not in the BBBS program, little brothers and little sisters are (BBBS, 6):

46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs
27% less likely to begin using alcohol
52% less likely to skip school
37% less likely to skip a class
33% less likely to hit someone

BBBS uses community-based and school-based programs to reach out to their children. For their community-based programs, BBBS emphasizes activities between Bigs and Littles, such as playing in the park, going to public attractions and festivals, and just spending quality one-on-one time with each other. BBBS has a staff that pairs Littles with Bigs, finding just the right fit and they meet on a schedule that works for both.

As for the school-based programs, Bigs meet with Littles at their school. Their activities can range from study sessions, playing basketball at the gym, or just hanging out on the playground. These relationships are vital to the growth of the littles and also end up costing the government less with these programs in place. If a little were to not have these relationships they may be more likely to stray down the wrong path.

Kids without a strong, caring, responsible adult in their lives may turn to a life a crime. This costs the government more in costs for incarceration, educational rehabilitation, and other associated fees. Big Brothers Big Sisters of America are essential for the success of today’s youth and help to make our communities stronger in the long run.

Kids Sports Network

noreply@blogger.com (Will Green) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 19:34:00 +0000

Growing up from a broken home I know that it’s very hard as a kid looking for direction to take in life. Most think that kids don’t have any worries because all they’re concerned with is playing video games or playing with their friends. My parents went through a rocky divorce around the time I was five years old and if I didn’t have sports to help me vent my frustration and provide a sort of mentorship for me, I may have had a different path in life. I’m looking at starting a non-profit organization for kids from broken homes that utilizes sports to help them cope with the stress that they’re under and other problems in life. The premise of the organization is to not only use sports as an outlet for pent up emotions, but to provide mentorship and direction for those children that may have none. I would like to help kids from the ages of 4-13 because these are great years to build this foundation for children to handle the problems they will face going through adolescence. I will go on to talk about an organization that works along the same lines to improve the quality of sports not associated with schools for children.

Kids Sports Network is a non-profit organization to raise the quality of sports and safety for children. Their mission statement is to promote the quality of non-school sports for kids and young adults from the ages of three to nineteen years old through the education of coaches, parents, and administrators. They also educate through special events and activities, raise public awareness, and provide an opportunity for networking between youth sports organizations and agencies. The reason why this is important is because these coaches play a huge role in the children’s lives, not just teaching them how to play a game and concentrating on the physical aspect. They also need to be aware on how to provide consultation on emotional and psychological aspect, as well. This education for volunteer coaches will ensure a better experience for your kids and help them build a solid foundation for the future.

Social Media Impact

noreply@blogger.com (Will Green) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 12:09:00 +0000

Last week during the Q and A portion after the documentary one of the interviewers had asked Tim Tebow, What impacts do you believe social media has had on brand marketing for athletes and what have you done to take advantage of this? Tebow responded by telling the story of Jay Cutler during this year’s NFC Championship Game between the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers. In the game, Chicago’s offense had played an abysmal first half that would leave them trailing by 14 points. With 30 seconds before halftime, Jay Cutler had left the game to go to the locker room. When Chicago had returned to the field for the second half, their starting quarterback was seen riding a stationery bike, which gave some indication that he had a problem with his knee from the first half. Cutler played in the first offensive series of the second half, only to come out of the game and never return. This would cause an uproar among current and former players. They began to question Cutler’s dedication to the team and his intestinal fortitude. So Tebow’s story was on the negative impact social media can have, but he also believes that it has a positive impact.

Being a devout Christian, Tebow believes that social media is a great platform from which to reach out and influence fans. It gives him the opportunity to interact with his fanbase and be a positive role model for others. Tebow said that he started to take full advantage of social media last August and that he plans to use it to its fullest extent in the future. For athletes and celebrities alike, using social media can have its pros and cons, but whoever uses it needs to be aware of the consequences of using it.

Tim Tebow - Everything in Between

noreply@blogger.com (Will Green) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 01:37:00 +0000

Today I had the pleasure of viewing a wonderful documentary on Tim Tebow and the days leading up to the 2010 NFL Draft. The film was directed by Chase Heavener, a Full Sail University grad, and he did an excellent job of telling Tebow’s story. During the hour-long viewing, the documentary covered major in events in Tebow’s life such as the 2010 Under Armour Senior bowl, finding an agent, the controversial Super Bowl Ad, the NFL combine, and the NFL Draft. Heavener did a great job of keeping the audience “glued” to the screen as he presented a comprehensive and behind-the-scenes look of what Tebow experienced. .

The film starts after the conclusion of the 2010 Sugar Bowl, which saw Tebow’s Florida Gators dismantle the over-matched Cincinnati Bearcats, and then transition into finding an agent. This gave the audience a great feel of what goes into finding and interviewing a sports agent. Afterwards preparations for the Senior bowl began. It was here that critics would really begin to discredit Tebow as a quarterback due to his poor throwing motion and the lack of snaps taken in a pro-style offense. Heavener gave the audience vivid insight into the constant criticism that Tebow faced. After the audience views his struggles from the Senior Bowl, Tebow goes to Nashville, TN where he starts to work on his deficiencies with D1 Sports Training.

The viewer watches as Tim goes through grueling days of training working to get stronger, faster, and correct his throwing motion. While watching this portion, I felt exhausted after thinking about all the hard work and physical exertion that Tebow goes through in his training regiment. During training, Tebow showed his resiliency as he blocked out the criticism that said he would not be able to perform as a quarterback in the NFL. Tebow also experienced backlash from an anti-abortion ad that aired during the Super Bowl. A person has to respect the fact that Tebow has a opinion and that he will “stand-up” for what he believes in. Next stop was the NFL combine, where players are weighed, measured, and put through a gauntlet of drills and events to test their physical attributes. This is one of the last steps in preparations for the NFL Draft.

With Tebow’s hard work in preparing for the Draft complete, instead of going to New York to watch the draft, Tebow watched the draft from his home in Jacksonville, FL. Deciding to watch from home meant that he would not be stuck in New York if he wasn’t drafted in the first round. The viewers watched as Jimmy Sexton’s prediction on Tebow’s draft status – “My bet is Denver from 22 to 20”-came to fruition as he was selected by the Broncos as the 25^th pick in the draft. Heavener’s documentary of Timmy Tebow is one that I would recommend to all.

Media Training for Athletes

noreply@blogger.com (Will Green) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 16:29:00 +0000

With social media firmly entrenched in today's society, athletes need to be aware of what they post on Facebook, tweet on twitter, or post on any other social media forum can get them into trouble. When we sit down and watch Sportscenter on ESPN, we see athletes getting in trouble for making controversial statements or being involved in a situation, that shines a negative light, on some form of social media. This type of exposure tarnishes the athlete’s brand and can cost him in the future. But social media can impact athletes in a positive light. It helps them connect to fans, organizations, and owners by forming a bond instantly. If there is a controversial situation that gets out in the media, the athlete can “set the record straight” by immediately and confronting the issue. Social media training is a valuable asset for today’s athlete.

So how can today’s athletes stay out of the negative spotlight in the media? There are many individuals in public relations or PR companies that offer training services to athletes for social media. Their mission is to educate and help athletes interact with media, athletic organizations, or with fans to project the desired image. Along with educating in regards to social media, these companies also offer such services as: media training, preparation for interviews or press conferences, or helping to focus efforts in a crisis situation. While using these services to project a positive image the best way to keep out of the news in a negative light is simply leading a life of honesty and integrity. Although no one is immune from a crisis, athletes must be sure to keep their PR consultants informed on all matters. This way nobody is caught off guard and the PR team can be better prepared to navigate through any crisis.