The Last word on Sports

Different Standards

noreply@blogger.com (Collins Sports) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 01:46:00 +0000

I find it very interesting how we as consumers of major sporting events have different standards for each sport. What constitutes being a great player in one sport could be something totally different in another? Take the shooting guards of basketball and the wide receivers of football for example. It is ok for a shooting guard to lead his team in touches, points, free throws and stats like that. Overall it is the shooting guards job to make shots. So us as consumers find it ok to have one person score fifty points in one game even in a loss. Then on the flip side you have the wide receivers in football that are some of the best athletes on the field and also some of the more demanding players. Yet we look at them as less of a team player if they want to lead there team in any of the major statistical categories that impact the game. Players like T.O. and Randy Moss get criticized for wanting the ball and not being a team player, when in basketball its ok for Kobe Bryant to take 85% of his teams shots while on his way to scoring 82 points.

This thought process has brought me to another interesting contradiction in the world or sports. Due to golf being such a technical sports it is treated differently from other sports. For the most part I agree, but when a player chokes as they say it doesn’t matter what sport or tournament, the player choked. This brings me to a recent event where the great Tiger Woods had a chance to be great again. Instead he lost to a lower seeded opponent, even though he had a chance on the last three holes to win his round. In most sports we would dog out the player or coach for giving up a lead or not being able to close the deal and win the game. Well the same should go for golfers also. It is becoming very acceptable for golfers to give us excuses on why they lost; yet at the end of the day a loss is a loss. I found it to be quite interesting how we gave Tiger a pass because he had so many good reasons on why he lost. For me he should have manned up and just say that he blew it and he lost. Instead we get a ten-minute speech on how his putter failed him. To me he should just have owned up to his mental toughness and be honest with everyone that he choked. The key to this is that Tiger is suppose to be the greatest so I guess it is ok to make excuses.

Super Finish leads to a Super Victory

noreply@blogger.com (Collins Sports) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:41:00 +0000

It is easy to see how the Giants won the super bowl considering millions tuned in to watch the game, but what may go unseen is how they finished their year off. This time it didn’t take a miracle throw from Eli to some unknown wide receiver. This time it took a precise pass from Eli to a known wide receiver. Other than that this super bowl run and the one they made in 07-08 are identical. Both started with a few games left in the regular season, when the team decided to bond together and become one. Justin Tuck, the teams all pro defensive end said it best when he said that the team tossed all their egos out the window. It is almost like this team has a switch that they can turn on, but if that were the case then they would have won the last three after the first one. Unfortunately for them things is not that easy. In the NFL it takes a little luck to get where you want to go. For instance this year the Giants where two lucky plays away from being eliminated from playoff contention, when they faced the Dallas Cowboys for the first time last season. If the Giants lost than they would be eliminated considering there were only four games left in the season. On one play the Dallas cowboy’s quarter back misses a wide-open wide receiver who was so open that he would have scored. Then at the end of the game the Giants get lucky and block the game winning field goal as time expired. If these two plays happen any other way then the Giants would have been watching the last Super bowl instead of playing in it. Still the team understood how close they came to not being in the playoffs and started to make a run that stands out as one of the best end of seasons finishes of all time.

Do or Die

noreply@blogger.com (Collins Sports) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:58:00 +0000

Here we go again with the Dallas Cowboys.
It was just three or four years ago when they had T.O.
and they went to philly to play to go to the playoffs. At that time it was Wade "Bum" Phillips who was the coach and Tony "don't be a" Romo as the quarterback. Unfortunately Tony was very suspect back then.

We things have change in those specific ways in that our new coach is Jason "the joker" Garrett and we have seen some decent improvement from Romo. Lets give him a little credit he has at least won one playoff game.

Still we find ourself in the same position, playing a Sunday night game on NBC, which we have never won on; playing another division opponent for the division title and a chance to go to the playoff.

Our defense is suspect and there is still the cloud that Jerry Jones creates hanging over the franchise. All I can say his here we go again and lets see if this time their luck can change.

Business Men who See the Whole Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Collins Sports) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 11:11:00 +0000

Mark Cuban

Mark Cuban is a well-known self made billionaire, who has made a name for himself by being different from others. Mark was born in Pittsburg Pennsylvania on July 31, 1958. He grew up in a Jewish neighborhood name Mt. Lebanon. Mr. Cuban would go on to graduate from the University of Indiana in 1981 with a degree in business administration. Mark Cuban level of success is one, which can and most certainly deservers to be admired. As of the year 2011 Mark Cuban is No.459 on Forbes’ World’s Richest People” list, with a net worth of $2.5 billion. ( Wikipedia)

It is clear to see that he has done a great job in the world of business, which means that a person such as him could qualify as an expert in world of business plans and ideas. The question then shifts to what type of business plan is a good one and what are some of the key features from Cubans viewpoint. With this thought in mind I found a quote that may summarize what Cuban feels is the key to any plan. “Wherever I see people doing something the way it’s always been done, the way it’s “supposed” to be done, following the same old trends, well, that’s just a big red flag to me to go look somewhere else.” (Inspring) To me this does a great job of summarizing what is the key to building a good plan and that is to think outside of the box. The results for this way of thinking for Cuban has shown inspiring entrepreneurs that it is important to look for this types of opportunities in any business situation.

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan is an iconic basketball player who has captivated the world of sports entertainment. Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1963, Jordan has work his way to the top of his business endeavors. Now the majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, one could say that Jordan is an expert on recognizing a good business plan. Jordan’s presence and play in the game of basketball lead him to some great business opportunities. Jordan help the NBA reach some of its highest revenue marks, while helping the well-known company Nike make millions through apparel sales. Jordan would then branch off and form his own company while buying ownership of a NBA team.

One thing for me that comes to mind when I look at Jordan’s business sense and success is the passion that he exhibits for whatever it is that he is doing. This helps lend a key to what it takes to make a successful business plan. You have to have the want, the drive and some understanding for things to eventually go your way. In Michael Jordan’s book Driven from Within, he clearly sheds some light into his thought process to working and making a good business idea. “In its highest form, business is a team game. The teams that can accept that philosophy are the teams that have the best chance.” (202) Another quote that helps put his philosophy towards business into light is “ The Products, companies and people who stay true to who they are usually end up being around for a long time.” (194) This seems to whole true considering the fact that Jordan hasn’t played in almost ten years but his company and brand still has a strong foundation. Overall you can see what it takes for people to be successful. Part comes from the substance of the plan and the other part comes from the want to succeed. I think that most successful business mind put both these things together to make a good business plan.

NFL Labor Crisis Finally Over

noreply@blogger.com (Collins Sports) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 17:19:00 +0000

The end is finally near for the NFL and its 2011 labor issues. The NFL has been in lockout mode for about 131 days now and it is finally time to play some football.
The key issues for most labor agreements is money and control and this particular one didn’t deviate from the norm. The power struggle between the NFL’s owners and the NFL’s Player Association was all brought about due to money and politics.

The owners wanted to broaden the percentage of money that they would receive from the leagues total revenue pool. The players wanted better benefits when it came to health for current and retired players. The owners wanted a rookie wage scale, while the players wanted to be compensated for bad business practices due to the deals that the NFL made with its television companies.

All in all there were a lot of issues that needed to be taken care of for the NFL and the player to agree to terms. The players and league now find themselves agreeing to a new 10-year deal that will give the NFL a decade of labor piece.

From the fans perspective, we all understand that business is business, but it does shed some light on how the league feels about its fans. The player and owners could have dragged this thing out another 131 days to the point that there wasn’t going to be a 2011 season. In other sports labor agreements have gone so far that the seasons are cancelled and the fan base is put in outrage. I think the player and owners of this league clearly understood that this wasn’t an option.

To me this situation turned out as good as it possibly could with millionaires fighting billionaires over money that ultimately belongs to the fans.

The Trouble Overseas

noreply@blogger.com (Collins Sports) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:19:00 +0000

From the outside looking in on all of these sports labor negotiations, I feel that when it is all said and done the owners, who represent the billionaires could and will out last and out spend the players, who represent the millionaires.

Well it seems that the players of the NBA may have something that no other players union has had in times of labor lockout and uncertainty. The players of the NBA have a similar trump card that the owners of the NFL had in 1987 when they went to replacement players. At that time the NFL had a players strike on their hand and went to replacement players and a means to collecting revenue while negotiations took place.

Well it seems that times have definitely changed. Currently the NFL is going through tough labor negotiations which are jeopardizing the league and its revenue, but replacement players aren’t an option for the owners and the players have no where else to play so in the end they will have to work something out for their to be a positive resolution for both parties.

With all of this said most would think that the NBA players are in the same position as their counterparts. Well that perception changed when superstar Deron Williams announced that he has a deal in place to play for a team in Turkey if the NBA lockout isn’t resolved in time.

Yet there may also be another problem bubbling up for the owners if things go the way Deron thinks they will. In an article by Chris Broussard from ESPN.com he goes on to interview Deron about the decision to play overseas and his thoughts on the landscape of the game.

" If the proposal (the owners) have, if that's what they're sticking with and that's what they want, then I think it would be hard for a lot of guys to come back to the NBA," Williams said Friday in an interview at a private golf resort in San Diego.

"(Kobe) could go make more money overseas, I guarantee you." said Williams, who has a one-year, $5 million deal with Besiktas. "If (European teams) knew he could be there for a full season, or they knew I could be there for a full season, or they knew LeBron James could be there for a full season, they'll pay more money, of course."

These were thoughts by Deron Williams but eventually they will become the greatest bargaining tool for the players as this lock moves forward. Deron believes that there may be an exodus by the players if the owners get their way and lower player salary. It would be pretty easy to see how the option to play in Europe becomes the thing to do. European teams have contacted other players such as Rudy Fernandez, and Carmelo Anthony, in attempt to sign them away from the NBA. Other players have even gone so far as to inquire about contracts and insurance if they were to decide to play overseas.

It is clear that there are some serious issues that will come into play when it comes to the labor negotiations in the NBA. The players have options but the owners don’t so I see a different turnout when it comes to the final outcome of this situation.

Reference:

1) http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nba/news/story?id=6753259

NBA in Trouble ?

noreply@blogger.com (Collins Sports) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 01:34:00 +0000

Being a diehard fan of basketball and specifically the NBA is becoming a hard thing in the last few years. For me it is not the tattoos and personalities that liter the court. For me it is not the off the court image, because the NBA does a good job of marketing that they care. For me it is not the politics of the league, whit teams changing cities and marketing promotions that advertise the idea that one person makes the game. For me it is the way that the game is being officiated. There have always been whispers that the NBA is fixed and the referees have a hidden agenda. This all came to a loud crash when the Tim Donaghy story broke in 2007. Being that I grew up a fan of Michael Jordan and I am realist, I understand that he got every call and that was probably not because he was the greatest basketball player I have every seen. So, for me I understand that the referees may hold some calls and blow some calls because of things that have nothing to do with the game. My major issue is with the referee’s inability to either see or make the call for traveling when it occurs in a game. I have seen Dwayne Wade, a prominent NBA figure take the ball and take three steps before dribbling. Traveling is defined as a player moving his pivot foot or taking too many steps before dribbling according to Wikipedia. Now it seems that all of the major stars are getting away with traveling and to me it affects the younger group who are aspiring to become a great player. They are being taught that the game is supposed to be played this way. Most aren’t old enough to understand why things like this occur so for them it must be ok because Lebron James did it. I was playing my son in a good one- on one game when he takes two steps and a crab step before he dribbled the ball. After I called the play he turns around and ask why did I call traveling? He was shock to learn that what he did was traveling due to what is considered ok in NBA standards. I think it is time for the people who run the NBA to understand that their efforts to gain finically now will affect their product in the long run. Unfortunately their long run is now, and to me the current prospects from the NCAA shows the decline in fundamentals and ultimately the decline of great players. It is hard to say who will be the next Kobe, Lebron, or Iverson, when the next generation of players all have no role model for how the game is truly suppose to be played.

Reference:

1.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traveling_(basketball)

Industry Trends

noreply@blogger.com (Collins Sports) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 01:31:00 +0000

In today’s world of sports there are many talk radio shows and sports debate shows. One thing that they all have in common is the transition to the new podcast media format. Podcast are series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication, according to Wikipedia .com This new term basically replaces the term webcast, which have been around for awhile. The new trend is to podcast any and everything to allow people the easy access to listen to it. This makes shows such as 1st and 10, and Mike and Mike available at the tip of consumers’ finger. Both shows appear regular on ESPN network and ESPN Radio, and are very popular amongst sports syndicated talk shows.

With the idea of starting and staring in a sports talk show, I found that the key to a good distribution plan is to make shows where the formats are adaptable to TV and radio. The third phase is then creating and marketing a podcast version for on demand customers. With this three phase media platform it is easy to see how different shows get to where they are in terms of market share. It see this as the easiest and best way to develop a format that can succeed in today’s sports climate.

Other forms of media formats such as video cast are increasingly becoming popular for on the go consumers. They are more people who watch TV through their computer than ever and this format allows for fewer hurdles when it comes to major network syndication. I think that a video cast/podcast format would be the best way for an indy organization to start a sports talk show. This allows for the show to pick up a following without major cost when it comes to distribution. To me this doesn’t change the marketing format because it is still essential for you to spend to get your brand name out there. This allows you to build you following and it also helps when it is time to recruit guest and sponsors for the show.

Reference:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast

Entertainment Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Collins Sports) — Mon, 23 May 2011 00:40:00 +0000

In most everyday business situations there is some sort of negotiating that goes on. If it is the music industry it may be negotiating a contract for a new artist with a record label. In the media industry it may be working out a contracts to determine how long networks will show certain shows. In the sports industry it can be a agent trying to negotiate a contract for his football player. As we speak there is a very important negotiation that is transpiring in the National football league, with the players union and the owners. When it is all said and done business must go on and someone has to make concessions.

I recently went out to find someone who is actively working in one of these industries to ask him or her what is the most important part for their day-to-day negotiations. I luckily ran across a friend of a friend who works as an owner of a sports memorabilia and sports activist company. His primary company is Elite Sports Inc. This company’s main service is to provide parents in the Dacula area a place to practice and purchase sports gear for the four major sports in the area. Mr. John Stewart was kind of enough to give me his opinion about negotiating deals for new memorabilia and how leverage and power plays a huge role. According to Mr. Stewart, leverage for him is having something someone else wants. This allows him to negotiate on a even planning field if he is working to acquire some piece that he deems to be valuable. He thinks that leverage is “essential to any negotiation and power is something that comes with years in the business.

After our brief interview, I started to think about how I could get into a similar business were my talents of working with people and sports come together. I also realized how important it is to understand the business that you want to be in and work to master the trade.

IP Blog Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Collins Sports) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 01:28:00 +0000

In the first article by Union-Tribune, we find a break down of some of the key issues that exist in the NFL labor dispute. This is probably the most important legal issue that the sport has dealt with in quite some time. It is easy to see that there will be lost of legal ramifications that will come out of the union of the national football league decertifying and the owners locking them out. With jurisdiction falling into the hands of the U.S. District Court and Judge David Doty in Minneapolis. This is key due to the way that he has ruled in the past. Some would say that he has favored the players in the past and will do so again. This adds to controversy considering that part of the problem is the fact that this court is still the one who holds jurisdiction. Jurisdiction is always something that can make or break an issue but in this dispute it seems to be the game changer.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/mar/11/what-are-issues-nfl-labor-dispute/

In the second article by Duk from Yahoo Sports, we find another case of how copyrighted material was used in a bad light. In the article they talk about a cartoon skit from the Fox hit series called the Family Guy. In the episode the shows’ main character makes fun of the Mets, who are a professional baseball organization. In this case there isn’t an issue over the use of the copyright or IP. The issue is the use of the clip in the professional organization stadium during a recent game. This situation is interesting considering all the legal issues were not the problem. Obliviously they cartoon show had ask for permission to use the name Mets in the cartoon skit so that isn’t the problem. You would think that most marketing teams should understand how and when to use other copyrighted material for the use of positive publicity but clearly some don’t.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Mocking-8216-Family-Guy-8217-bit-works-way-i?urn=mlb-wp2295

In the third article, which appears in an online article from The Inquisitr, talks about the agreement that the Baidu search engine website has made with the music industry. There was ongoing controversy with this website and the music industry due to the illegally downloaded songs and streaming music. The company agreed to pay royalties for this problem and it will also work with the Music Copyright Society of China to commit to paying for future infringement. Overall this is a win for the music industry considering it has went through serious legal issues when it comes to downloading music. I am glad to see that this issue is slowly but surely getting fix. Every artist should become able to properly receive compensation for his or her work and this is a great start.

http://www.inquisitr.com/102463/music-industry-baidu-search-engine/

The New Issue

noreply@blogger.com (Collins Sports) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 02:52:00 +0000

In today’s age of mega superstars and million dollar movies rolls we sometimes lose sight of the people who really make the business go. In the movie and TV industries it seemed that this type of problem would cause drastic issues. It was only about two years ago when the actors and writers of Hollywood decided to go on strike. It was in that same strike where the average consumer learned what really happens to the dollars and cents when it came to the royalty payments and things like that. We were able to understand why having a good manager who could protect his or her artists in times like those were key. The basis of the problem was that the average actor or writers were getting the short end of the stick when it came to the business side of things. Overall, the public was able to see what truly went on behind the scene and ultimately we understood the reason for the work stoppage.

Which brings me to another major work stoppage currently affecting the entertainment industry. Currently there is a owner instituted lock out taking place in the NFL, which hasn’t had a major work stoppage since the year of 1982. This work stoppage was brought about due to financial disagreements that have taken place between the players union and the owners. The owners want more of the pie and the players want more of the pie, but what is different about this situation from the one I mentioned earlier is the idea of paying attention to the people who make the business go. In the actors strike we had highly paid actors making financial scarifies to help the cause. The people who really made the business run were being miss-treated and that was the basis of their cause. Another difference was that television for the most part was still on track due to pre-tapping and things of that such. So the consumer who ultimately pays all entertainers salaries was not drastically affected. The problem I have with the NFL is they are playing with fire, because the games will be affected by this and when you burn the people who really make your business run, who else is left?

All Yellow Super Bowl

noreply@blogger.com (Collins Sports) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 04:53:00 +0000

To the fans of the NFL, we have been all treated to a great couple of weekends in football. We have seen guts and glory followed by destiny and perseverance. Still with all of that we are left with two teams that are still alive in hopes of winning the Lombardi trophy. We have the Steelers going against the Packers two weeks from now for the championship. The Packers are a team of destiny, a team with an axe to grind and also a team with another great American city behind them. The Steelers on the other hand have their own great city behind them and a young head football coach. They also have someone who just six months ago was the center of attention for all the wrong reasons. Slimburger as some would call him is the starting quarterback for the Steelers and someone who not to long ago was accused of raping a girl in a small town in southern, Georgia. It is clear that most have forgotten about the incident due to the beautiful media coverage that he has gotten throughout the whole ordeal. It is something to be said for a person to go through such a low and now have the chance for such a high. Still Super bowl 45 will not be about his past problems but about the chance for the Steelers to win their seventh super bowl in NFL history. This would put them two up on the Cowboys and 49ers., who both haven’t been back since its dynasty hay days. The Packers are not new to Super bowls but are a fresh new face to the party considering they haven’t been since the late 90’s. Their starting quarterback has been through media disasters with the team due to the awkward release of their hall of fame quarterback Brett Farve. This team has been ready for the last few years but it took the maturation of Aaron Rogers to get them their. All in all both teams have yellow in there team colors so it is safe to say that yellow will be the color of the winner.

Who Dat did Dat

noreply@blogger.com (Collins Sports) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:21:00 +0000

After Sunday’s shocking loss to the worst win-loss record team in NFL playoff history, the New Orleans Saints must regroup. It is only fitting that they would terrorize their fans with there play on Sunday. Overall the offense showed up but what really happen to the defense. Was it age that reared its ugly head or was up scheme. Whatever it was it was something that made the defense of the Saints seem like a high school football team. The Saints defense hadn’t given up more than 12 passing touchdowns in sixteen games. Well in one playoff game they decide to give up four passing touchdowns, while losing 41 to 36. For Saints fans this loss was horrible considering the success that we had last season, but that is why they play the game. Looking back at the season and the one-playoff game, we can generally say that this season was a success. It definitely was a success, but only because they played really well for the most part of the season, which helped show that last season’s success was not just lighting in a bottle. It is very hard to repeat as Superbowl champions. This is a fact and not an opinion considering there are only six teams that have done it. With that being said the only thing that would truly make us Saints fans happy would be wining it all again. Well if they want to do it again it will take some serious work on the defensive secondary. What we saw in that game was an old and out of shape secondary. They all deserve some type of grief for playing that bad. On one critical play in the fourth quarter a running back for the other team breaks eight tackles to score the wining touchdowns. This to me showed the glaring weakness of this team, which is the defense. With that being said I think Sean Payton is the right man for the job and he will fix our problems.

The Safety Project

noreply@blogger.com (Collins Sports) — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 03:06:00 +0000

As I reflect on the current events in the National Football League one thing clearly stands out. The National Football League is at a crossroads on player safety and in some ways the overall perception of the sport. For most fans of football it is understood that this sport is a violent sport in nature. It is an accepted fact that people will get hurt in this sport because of how the game is played. The sport has been played for over 75 years, but not until now do many of the average fans understand what the sport can do to a person. To me what comes to mind is customer satisfaction because we the fans want a product that is exciting to watch but something that speaks to all fans. If players are getting hurt on and off the field from hits that they suffer on the field it is clear that sooner or later it will affect the people around them and ultimately the community. This will in turn affect the supporters of the sport. With all of these things in mind the National Football League has started to take a proactive stance to player safety. The key to all of this is how this relates to customer satisfaction and the state of the game, which ultimately benefits the true stakeholders of this game, the owners. As I read articles such as the one by the associated press on ESPN’s web site named “No helmet can elimainate concussions” it is clear that this current and important project for the league. In this article it is clear to me that the NFL is looking for answers to the problem that today’s players must face. They want to show that they are working to protect the players. Take this statement made by executive vice president of football operations Ray Anderson: “It's very clear that wearing a helmet, in and of itself, is not protecting our guys from concussions and other trauma, so to the extent that we can do more by aggressively enforcing our rules and getting illegal techniques and hits to the head out of the game, we have an obligation to do that.” (Nov. 12) This subject is important to me for personal reasons, due to me having a son who has played this sport and suffered a concussion while playing. We have to protect our personal investment while continuing to enjoy this game we love. I wanted to create some awareness of how the NFL feels about this and how important it is for us as fans to pay attention to the reality of the sport.

Reference:

Nov 12, 2010 “No helmet can eliminate concussions” by; Associated Press /Espn.Com

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5797046&campaign=rss&source=NF

Teams

noreply@blogger.com (Collins Sports) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 00:39:00 +0000

In the industry of sports entertainment the most important concept is being accurate and reliable. There are many companies and individuals that report on today’s sporting events. The one thing that is clear is their recognition of what makes the world of sports so compelling. There is one thing that is true for all sports. Everyone wants to win or they at least acknowledged that winning is the ultimate accomplishment for their sport. Inside of that dynamic lies another more complex one, which is true and not true for certain sports. "A team is a group of people working together towards a common goal."(Team Technology) Well this term is the most complex dynamic in team sports. For sports were it is one on one it is non-existent. This dynamic or concept of teams as it relates to sports and sports entertainment creates for great theater. Currently in the industry the most important team or the most talk about team is the Miami Heat. This team was put together in the 2010 NBA off-season. All-star forwards Lebron James and Chris Bosh joined forces with all-star guard Dwayne Wade and others on this new look team. Together they have brought a great deal of attention to the NBA, which in the end is good for the sport. I brought up this particular team because it is a great example of the type of team that I want to create in my business venture of sports entertainment. With the creation of the Collins-n-Sports blog, Collins Inc. and my passion for sports, I find it to be very important for me to create a all-star team like the Miami Heat. All I want to do is win and so does Lebron and D-Wade, but it is also important to understand what it takes to become a successful team. People can come together for many reasons but until it is for one common cause, they are not a team. Same goes for the 2010 Heat team, which must understand that defense and unity is the only thing that will allow them to reach their team goals. Same goes for me and my future team. We must allow or egos to mesh while producing great thoughts that allow our followers to known that our common cause is to entertain you with wild and wacky coverage of today’s sporting events.

References

Team Technologhy(1995-2006) "The Basics of Team Building"
http://web.mit.edu/is/competency/guide/definitions.html
Accessed Nov. 7, 2010

To Pay or Not to Pay?

noreply@blogger.com (Collins Sports) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 03:57:00 +0000

The question continues to be should college football schools pay college football player or should they be just like any other student athlete at college. This question is always being ask, especially when there are stories of agents paying player illegally and schools getting into trouble for having those things take place on there campus. The question is a legitimate one with the NCAA making millions and millions of dollars off of these kids hard work. Some say that they are being paid because they get to go to school for free. Others say that a free education is useless for these types of athletes due to the time that they spend playing the sport. I feel that we as a society need to examine this problem sooner than later. I think that it is going to take some very terrible to happen for most to realize how bad this problem has become. This is a problem that will continue to get worse. It will eventually become college footballs version of the steroid problem that MLB went through. Some may say that it won’t because this is something that has been going on for decades now. I would say that the main difference in those decades and the one we are living in is simply put the media. To me media attention on sports has hit an all time high. Stories of personal involvements and political positions have become major stories. I think that this mixture of elements combines to create a perfect storm. Enhanced scrutiny along with a struggling economy equals some very bad people taking advantage of some very good people. I feel that soon we will see this problem turn into either something that ends in a violent tragedy or someone committing suicide from the new found pressure. Some agent or buster will either put a kid in a bad position and the kid acts in violence to either protect himself or his family, or some newspaper or reporter will peruse a story about a player and the wrong actions till the point where the kid cant handle it anymore. Before I read a story like that I would like for the NCAA to start paying the kids or fixing the system that allow agents to be pimps and make illegal money from the young athletes in the game of football

Dallas Needs A Change

noreply@blogger.com (Collins Sports) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 03:32:00 +0000

With me being an observer of sports and someone who would like to talk about it. It is only fair that I also talk about teams other than the ones that play in the state of Louisiana. So I feel that it is my duty to discuss things that go terribly wrong the today’s sports. One topic of interest to me is the Dallas Cowboys. I have been a cowboy fan for quiet some time now, but today was the day that I might have to change my stance on this organization. It has become clear to me that this organization needs some serious maintenance. Now I known most would say I am crazy considering the fact that the Dallas Cowboys continue to be one of the most popular teams in all of sports. So it is for that reason that I say that we have hit rock bottom as a Dallas fan. It is ok to lose when you aren’t very good but to lose when you are as talented as they are is a disgrace. Many experts on TV channel such as ESPN and the NFL network picked the Cowboys to win the super bowl this year. This team is filled with players that could start on almost every team in the NFL. So why on earth are they the most under achieving team in the last twenty year. It all balls down to coaching, and the type of leadership that you have. It is clear to me that the Cowboys lack real leadership from an organizational perspective. Most know that Jerry Jones owns and operates the team in a way that if far different from other teams in the NFL, but it also seems that he may be the problem. If Jerry can’t get out of his own way and make the changes that need to be made this team will never regain its glory. The head coach should be someone who can have a vision and make those things show up on the field. It is clear that Wade Phillips isn’t the guy for the job, but since he is Jerry’s guy, we as cowboy fans have to live with us throwing trick plays on the last play of the game to win a game that couldn’t be won.

Lofty Expectations

noreply@blogger.com (Collins Sports) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 23:18:00 +0000

A topic of interest that comes to mind after this past weekend is past super bowl champions and their season after. With the New Orleans Saints struggling to get back on track with a loss the Arizona Cardinals, it looks as if the Saints are following the path of other previous champions. Since 1990 there has only been five teams to go back to the super after wining or losing. What is even more interesting is the fact that most champions don’t make it back. The Cowboys and Bills of the early 90’s along with the Broncos and the Packers from the late 90’s all went to consecutive super bowls. Then there was the New England who went to two consecutive super bowls in 2004 and 2005. If you count all the other teams there was thirty teams that didn’t make it back to the super after a year where they either won it all or lost it all. This brings me to our beloved New Orleans Saints, which hadn’t been to the playoff more than five times before last season. Last season was also the first time that they won back-to-back playoff games, which in itself was an accomplishment for the Saints. Five out of thirty five teams were able to go back-to-back super bowl appearance, which means the Saints really only have a 14% chance of making it back. So with this all said there must be a reason for such a disparity in what is actually possible for most NFL teams. This leads me to rethink how I feel and maybe how others should feel about this year’s team. Other teams with better defenses and better players weren’t able to do it. So why, oh why should the Saints be any different from the other 86%. In all fairness the New Orleans Saints have overachieved by wining the super bowl let alone playing in two back to back. So it is for that reason that I declare this season a super success no matter what the outcome is. If they can make it back then they become an all time great team and if they don’t they are still the only team to bring a super bowl to Mardi Gras Louisiana.

The MAD HATTER

noreply@blogger.com (Collins Sports) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 22:47:00 +0000

The LSU Tigers head football coach is named Les Miles, but his new name is the Mad Hater. On Saturday October 9, 2010 the tigers took on the University of Florida in Florida. This game would go down as one of the most memorable games played by a Les Miles coached team. The tigers entered in to this game as an overrated undefeated team in college football. The reason for the overrated perception is the difficulties that they have experienced while wining their first five games. First there was the bad play calling in the Vanderbilt game and then there was the horrible quarterback play by Jared Jefferson. This all lead up to last weeks meeting which was at home against the Tennessee Volunteers. This was a game that LSU was expected to win big. Sadly LSU’s weaknesses were exposed in this game like an x-ray and bones. This combination of terrible quarterback play and bad play calling made LSU play to the end to win the game. On the last play of the game LSU tries to switch quarterbacks with no time on the clock. The last play of the game has LSU trying to run the ball in for a touchdown but they were stop. Everyone at that time thought the game was over but Tennessee was called for having 14 men on the field, which gave LSU another chance. So with no time left LSU calls a gusty running play to win the game. If you follow football like most of us do you can come to understand that in no way shape or form should LSU been in that type of situation with the talent that they have on the football field. Miles would take a lot of heat and criticism for allowing the team to be the confused on the last few plays of the game. Unfortunately this wasn’t Miles’s first time with terrible late game play calling, which as you can understand made things a lot worse. So fast forward to Saturdays game and you would expect for Les to call the game cautiously due to all the talk from the week before. Well the Mad Hater decides to play it risky again. It is fourth and five yards to go and LSU is losing by three. We have the option to try a 54-yard field goal or go for it. What does Les Miles do, he does them both. We lined up for the field goal then out of nowhere we fake it. This isn’t the first time a Les Miles team has faked a field goal but it was the first one with the game truly on the lines. The fake works but barely and LSU goes on to win the game with two seconds left on the play clock. The gust and nerve that it took to make the calls he has made in the last few years and especially on Saturday helps to crown LES Miles as college footballs Mad Hater.

Chicago Times 2

noreply@blogger.com (Collins Sports) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 03:42:00 +0000

The class of the NFC looks cooked like KFC chicken. It is a shame that one offensive line couldn't protect the most important thing, the quaterback. The Bears need some serious help on the offensive line and they could also use a number one widereciver.

Chicago Times

noreply@blogger.com (Collins Sports) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 02:39:00 +0000

Well it seems that the undefeated Chicago Bears will have a very rough night. Jay Cutler is out with a concussion. Sorry but they seem to be headed to a 3-1 record.

New Orleans Saints

noreply@blogger.com (Collins Sports) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 01:48:00 +0000

It is very apparent that the New Orleans Saints have a super bowl hangover. The offense looks like it can't create the magic of last year. We all known that the NFL is a copycat league and every team has studied what the Saints offense was last year. With that said I would still bet that they will when their respective division. 2Dat Who Dat.