Monday, February 27, 2012

Richmond Flying Squirrels Game Day Internship




This position is open to students looking for credit or experience in minor league baseball.  Throughout this internship students will experience all facets of Minor League Baseball including ticketing, promotions, game day activation and so much more.  Quality candidates must be creative minded, possess solid communications skills and be able to work on multiple projects simultaneously. Individual must work successfully in a team environment and most of all be able to have FUNN!   

Click here for more details.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

"Under Armour Signs Groundbreaking Deal With Tough Mudder"


From Forbes

Review by Joe Gochenour in KIN 435 (section 1)

In this article, Under Armour signed a two-year deal worth 2-3 million dollars with Tough Mudder to be the official clothing company as well as advertising throughout their events. This sponsorship gives Under Armour exclusive rights to all apparel and footwear for this hot company that is on the rise.

Tough Mudder was created in 2010 by Harvard graduate Will Dean, and has grown consistently into 2011 and is expected to have continued growth into the future. In 2010, they started the event with 3 races total and brought in a total of 3 million dollars. Following up 2010, in 2010 they brought in 16 million dollars and are expecting to continue by adding new markets into 2012 and expanding.

One of the biggest drawing points for Tough Mudder is there contribution to the Wounded Warrior Project. In 2010, they raised 482 thousand dollars towards this charity. Many people associate this event with the WWP that draws many new competitors as well as veterans who see their entry fee going to a good cause. Forbes has Tough Mudder as one of the top upcoming businesses to watch for.

This new partnership that was created is certainly a win-win situation for both companies. The Tough Mudder is an intense event that takes training and dedication to do. Under Armour saw this opportunity to expand and reach a market in training gear for those looking to rise to this challenge. If you look at Under Armour’s website, they have multiple specialized pages dedicated to Tough Mudder. They offer all types of apparel and footwear for those training, competing, as well as spectators and on-lookers.

Under Armour has created a unique marketing advantage by joining with Tough Mudder being the exclusive provider for this event. Tough Mudder has grown from three races, fifteen races and is planning on thirty-two events in 2012. As this event continues with growth, more Tough Mudder and workout enthusiasts will be looking to Under Armour as their go-to for their fitness needs.


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Review by Katie Minter in KIN 435 (section 1)

Tough Mudder is one of the hottest growing companies in the world that holds endurance races over obstacle courses. Forbes magazine has names Tough Mudder one of the top “Names you need to know” for up and coming businesses. Tough Mudder started out in 2010 with only three events, and in 2011 grew to 15 events. In 2012, Tough Mudder expects to hold 32 endurance events, mostly in the United States. Event participation may reach close to 500,000 and Tough Mudder’s revenue is expected to be around 25 million dollars in 2012. With the tremendous success of Tough Mudder, they signed a two to three million dollar agreement with Under Armour, to represent the first endurance event sponsorships. This deal gives Under Armour the exclusive rights to be the only apparel and footwear provider for the Tough Mudder events.

Under Armour and Tough Mudder have agreed to do a promotion for the endurance events, in which Under Armour will provide a variety of different gear for participants, spectators, and those training for Tough Mudder events. This promotion will provide many opportunities for both companies. Under Armour will benefit from this deal because these events will create new areas for Under Armour to sell their product, they will have an opportunity for those around the endurances events to become familiar with their product, and they will have a chance to gain new customers. Tough Mudder will benefit from this deal because they will now be sponsored by a well-established company that will nicely compliment Tough Mudder and help expand interest in the endurance events.

I think that Tough Mudder made an excellent marketing decision to sign a deal with Under Armour. This deal is a win-win situation for both companies because they complement each other well and will help define what image a customer considers when they see or hear Under Armour and Tough Mudder. This deal will help increase interest and participation with endurance events, and also help Under Armour gain a higher market share in sporting apparel and footwear. I think in the future when a customer considers Under Armour, they will think about extreme endurance and team work and Under Armour will be proud of that image.


"Bobsled and skeleton team hope success attracts new sponsors to fill the void"

From The Canadian Press


Review by James Hemphill in KIN 435 (section 2)

The Canadian bobsled and skeleton teams are going to lose their main corporate sponsor after this season. VISA, which has been their sponsor for twenty years, is looking for other opportunities and will not continue their partnership with the Canadian national team. It is a significant loss to the team because VISA generated roughly $350,000 annually to the team. That is around twenty percent of the program’s annual budget of between $3 million and $4 million. The national organization is also preparing for a budget reduction for the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.

In order to combat these financial difficulties, two of the top athletes, Melissa Hollingsworth and Jon Montgomery, are considering placing their faces on billboards in order to attempt to sway new sponsors. Hollingsworth is even open to putting a “For Sale” sign on any part of her uniform or her sled. The two athletes have a billboard campaign with the slogan “Give us a push. Gravity will do the rest”. However, this campaign has not been very successful because Olympic marketing is tied into the London Games later this year.

Own the Podium has helped the top athletes in bobsled and skeleton receive $2.3 million, but this does not benefit the younger athletes develop the program through innovation and equipment experimentation. With the lack of sponsorship, developmental programs might be cut and there may be increases in individual fees for athletes. Olympic athletes have to pay both a $336 national team membership fee and a $4,600 fee for bobsled or $3,600 fee for skeleton. The main technique to help keep the program running, membership costs stable, and the acquirement of sponsors is by continuing to win this winter and in the future.

Sponsorships are important in any sport, but especially in Olympic sports such as bobsled and skeleton. Without their VISA sponsorship, the Canadian bobsled and skeleton team simply does not have the funding to continue to finance their international program. Hopefully, once the 2012 Summer Games in London are completed, the team will have the opportunity to gain a major sponsor for the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi. The key for the Canadian national team is continuing to triumph as they did in the 2010 Winter Games. In Vancouver, they won four Olympic medals including two gold medals. Sponsors want to align themselves with winners because more people tune in to watch the gold medal contending programs and those programs usually sell more merchandise. It is likely that the Canadian team will partner themselves with a sponsor before the 2014 Olympic Games, but that is still to be determined.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

"Nationals Fight Invasion of Phillies Fans with Ticket-Sale Restrictions"


From Athletic Business


Review by Tarik Hislop in KIN 435 (section 1)

In the article, “Nationals Fight Invasion of Phillies Fans with Ticket-Sales Restrictions,” National’s Chief Operating Officer Andy Feffer told the Post, "Forget you, Philly. This is our park, this is our town, these are our fans, and it's our time right now." His goal is to prevent the Philly Fans from taking over their ballpark. In doing so, Feffer and the Nationals Organization are selling single-game tickets only to people who live in the DMV area. This is one way of controlling the type of fans that attend the baseball game.

Feffer is really annoyed by Phillies fans, which he expresses in this quote. "We've heard it enough, we've seen it enough, and I don't like it any more than anyone else," he said. "We're trying to build a team here, and nothing irks me personally or the people here more than to see another team's fans - particularly Philly fans - in our ballpark, holding up signs. That's not the way it should be. And I think we've got an opportunity here to do something different." Andy Feffer wants to change the culture of the organization, and turn the Nationals Baseball Team into a winning program, which is very evident in his efforts to attract more of “their” fans.

I believe this strategy will work IF they actually convince fans to come out and support. Hopefully, an increase of fan support will give the Nationals something to play for and improve their record so their fan base can continue to increase. These are all things Andy Feffer and The National’s Organization are working towards.


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Review by Ryan Smith in KIN 435 (section 1)

I chose to read the article “Nationals Fight Invasion of Phillies Fans with Ticket Sales Restrictions." This article discusses how the Washington Nationals are fed up with the Phillies fans taking over their ballpark. The Nationals Chief Operating Officer is even quoted saying “forget you Philly. This is our ballpark, this is our town, these are our fans, and it’s our time right now.” It is easy to see how this problem arises because with the Phillies winning success and their devoted fan base, they don’t have a problem with traveling to see their baseball team play. Not to mention that driving from Philly to Washington isn’t all that bad of a drive.

So in a plan to “Take Back to Park” as the Nationals call it, they have strategized for the first series with the Phillies by only selling single-game tickets to Maryland, Washington, and Virginia residents. This ticket restriction will go on for the next month before opening ticketing sales up for everyone else to purchase. The Phillies organization basically laughed at this plan implemented by the Washington Nationals. They go on to mention that they (Phillies) have never experienced their park being taken over by another ball team because as long as you are winning games, you don’t have to worry about such a problem.

In conclusion, I believe that this plan that the Nationals has come up with is terrible. I think that it’s just a lousy excuse as for why they can’t get fans to come out to the games. Looking at the bigger picture this might be a good idea for the Washington Nationals but the real solution for this problem is simple, just win games and your fan base will naturally increase.

"FILA taps tennis star Jelena Jankovic for endorsement deal"



From Sports Business Digest

Review by Jessica Staten in KIN 435 (section 2)

This article is about FILA’s decision to make an endorsement deal with Jelena Jankovic. She was born and raised inBelgrade, Serbia. Jankovic was the first Serbian player to win a Grand Slam title when she won the Wimbledon mixed doubles. She was ranked Number 1 until 2009 when she was defeated by Serena Williams. Also in 2009, she wasn’t re-signed by Reebok and had a previous contract with ANTA a Chinese-based sportswear company. Her playing style is mostly known for consistency and being able to effectively slide on any surface she plays on.

FILA is a brand that is internationally successful except in the US. Some of their sponsorships include players like Grant Hill, Jerry Stackhouse, and Barry Bonds. These players aren’t as popular as they were in the 80s and 90s, which probably had a huge effect on FILA’s marketing in the United States. All together FILA had, or has 23 tennis athletes as endorsements, but only two are American. This article begs the question that though Jankovic is a good player, what makes her so special that she could influence a lot of people to think about FILA or their products. I haven’t heard about FILA since I was a child, so I had no clue that it still existed. If my favorite player started wearing FILA apparel tomorrow, I can’t honestly say that I would start wearing it, but it would make me think twice before I just put the brand down as a whole.

FILA has reached out to Jankovic because she is a great player with a great attitude about her profession and her life. Currently she is out with an injury, so I wonder how that would damper their plans to market in commercials and during different tournaments. Nevertheless, FILA is continuing its trend of reaching out to athletes of different ethnicities to strengthen its brand as a whole.

"Cycling Sponsor Gets Warm and Fuzzy"


From Roadcycling.com


Review by Justin Thorpe in KIN 435 (section 2)

We all know that doping, which is known as the administration of drugs to enhance or inhibit sporting performances, is frowned upon in almost every sport. Cycling is one of the many sports in which doping is considered illegal for individuals to do. In the article, “Cycling Sponsor gets Warm and Fuzzy”, it talks about a cyclist named Contador who has been involved in doping scandals and has failed drug tests relating to using performance enhancing drugs. Although, Contador has been found guilty for using performance enhancing drugs his sponsors, Saxo Bank, has remained loyal to him and continue to sponsor him during his difficulties. Most sponsors are known to revoke their sponsorships from individuals who are involved in doping scandals or have failed drug tests relating to the issue, such as T-Mobile and Milram. T-Mobile and Milram pulled their sponsorship away from Floyd Landis Phonak immediately after he was involved in a doping scandal. Saxo Bank continued to sponsor Contador because they state that they “support their clients in their moments of success and also of difficulty, and this is equally valid for our riders”. Although Saxo Bank stated that they basically stay with their clients through the good and bad of their sport careers, it is believed that Saxo Bank continued to stay with Contador because of the money that he has and can bring to them. Everyone knows that the economy right now is not at its best and therefore I understand why Saxo Bank would continue to stay with Contador. He is a great cyclist who has won many cycling tours, such as recently having two stage wins in the Tour of San Luis in Argentina. Although the punishment of being involved in a doping scandal, in Germany, is a two year ban, I feel that Saxo Bank is smart by staying with Contador because they know that once Contador ban is completed he will be back cycling in full force and would be capable of winning tours and money to give to his sponsorship.

Friday, February 10, 2012

8th Annual Charlotte Bobcats Career Fair


The Charlotte Bobcats career fair will be held on Friday, March 30 from 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm at Time Warner Cable Arena. There is a $23 registration fee that accompanies this event as they work to bring some of the best companies in the region to their career fair. This event is beneficial for employers, potential employees, or internship seekers. The registration fee helps us ensure a high quality event for everyone and gives an opportunity for everyone to see firsthand the inner workings of the sports and entertainment industry. 

Not only does the registration grant access to the career fair, but it includes a ticket to that evening’s game against the Denver Nuggets at 7:00 pm. This will give the participants interested in the sports industry an opportunity to see how an arena is transformed and how many different avenues there are to work in our industry.

There are three ways to register;

· Fill out the flyer in its entirety out and then email, fax, or mail in to Time Warner Cable Arena
· Call and register over the phone directly with a Bobcats Account Executive
· Register online and enter the Special Offer Code: CAREER

The Bobcats will also be updating www.bobcats.com/careerfair, with the latest vendors that will be present and current information on the career fair itself.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

"More Fans Can Look Forward to Affordability in 2012"

Article from Athletic Business

Review by Michael Prince in KIN 435 (section 2)

The article talked about how teams have been struggling to fill their stadiums. With the economy not being the best, teams have to find new ways to put people in the seats. The Cincinnati Bengals are coming off playoff appearances in two out of three years and still are having problems with attendance. Cincinnati will reduce prices for more than 14,500 seats in this upcoming 2012 season. They are pushing their youth movement to the fans telling them that they have a lot of talent and are looking to have a big turn out this season.

Not only are teams in the NFL having problems filling their seats but leagues such as the MLB, NBA and college level are rethinking their marketing strategies. Teams are beginning to reduce prices on certain seating to bring in more fans and money. I think this could work out well for the teams that do this. It only seems that the big name teams such as the Yankees, Red Sox, and the Patriots are consistently selling out each game. So the teams with the smaller market or the team is just not as good have to find something that can help bring in revenue. Normally you don’t see teams lowering ticket prices, but instead increasing them. In this case, teams are doing the opposite which goes against any basic marketing principle.

Time will only tell if this new marketing style will pay off. Marketers will have to do a good job of letting the public know of the price reductions through social media, television, flyers, etc. I think if the public knows that this is the new trend in sports they will be more prone to going to games. I know personally I will be going to more Orioles/Nationals games if they do some sort of price reduction on their seats. This article is just the start of more to come for other teams. I think as teams see how well reducing prices does for teams, you will start to see more and more teams begin to reduce prices. Overall, I believe that this will be beneficial for both the organizations and fans.

"For Blake Griffin, Lockout -- and Short-Lived Ping-Pong Career -- Ends Just in Time"



From Marketwire


Review by Kristen Rauch in KIN 435 (section 3)

The NBA lockout was obviously a hot topic in the sports world this season. With no games being played, rookie and veteran players alike had a lot more time on their hands to spend as they pleased. For rookie Blake Griffin, he chose to sign an endorsement deal with Red Bull Energy Drink—and have fun while doing it. The article I reviewed, titled “For Blake Griffin, Lockout -- and Short-Lived Ping-Pong Career -- Ends Just in Time,” discusses Griffin’s recent signing with Red Bull and provides a link to the promotional video of the product. The video, running just under three minutes in length, shows Griffin (sporting Clippers colors and a Red Bull sweatband) playing a ping-pong match against professional player Soo Yeon Lee. Although the whole idea of the basketball superstar ‘aspiring’ to become a professional ping-pong player has a sarcastic undertone, the benefits of this creative and humorous ad are far-reaching. Some may think it is risky to endorse an athlete in a sport that is currently undergoing lockout, but I believe in this case it was a smart move on Red Bull’s part. Who better to pick than a fan-favorite, Slam Dunk champion, and they successfully use Griffin’s popularity and charismatic personality to their advantage to promote the brand. This is also a smart business move on Griffin’s part. Not only is he making money for himself—and being likened to other great athletes who have been sponsored by Red Bull, including Reggie Bush and Rajon Rondo—but he is also helping his team, the Los Angeles Clippers, make money. Fans will be attracted by this humorous marketing video and be more enticed to watch Griffin play, increasing ticket sales for the Clippers. Anytime people see a Red Bull logo they will be reminded of the ad and will think to purchase tickets to Clippers games. The article also states that Red Bull “is now the official energy product of the Los Angeles Clippers,” so it is clear that this NBA franchise will see many sales benefits from selling Red Bull products at the arena. Although Griffin’s ping-pong career was short-lived, his signing with Red Bull will continue to bring in revenue for all that took part in the deal far into the future.

"Virginia and Virginia Tech football struggle to sell tickets to their bowl games"


From The Washington Post


Review by Julie Fox in KIN 435 (section 1)


Many college football teams are finding themselves in difficult positions now that it is bowl season again. Virginia and Virginia Tech are two of the many ACC schools struggling to sell all of their allotted tickets. According to this article, Tech had only sold about 53% of their ticket allotment to the 2012 Sugar Bowl game and Virginia was expected to fall at least 4,000 tickets short of their allotment to the 2012 Chik-fil-A bowl. The problem with the decline in ticket sales is that the school and the ACC Conference are responsible for the unsold tickets. Tech was expected to receive its largest-ever bowl payout as a result from being in the bowl game. Due to the unsold tickets, Tech will not receive nearly as large payout as expected.

Virginia Tech’s reputation was on the line for this bowl game. Tech was selected to play in the game because of their reputation as having a large fan base that travels well. The school was expected to fill a lot of seats and a lot of hotel rooms, but found themselves failing. Head Coach Frank Beamer transformed himself into a salesman, pleading with students at halftime of a men’s basketball game to buy their bowl game tickets through the school.

The problem lies within the secondary ticket market. The secondary ticket market used to consist of people selling tickets on corners outside of stadiums. Now people can go online and buy better, cheaper tickets. StubHub listed more than 7,000 available tickets for the Sugar Bowl and 4,000 for the Chik-fil-A bowl. To fix this problem, Tech needed to implement some sort of incentive for students and fans to buy their tickets through the school. Why should students buy a random ticket in the nose-bleed section through Tech, when they could buy their ticket on Stubhub and pick their own seat? They needed some sort of program where if fans bought their ticket through the school, they got a discounted price on transportation to the game. While it is understandable that the ACC has rules about ticket allotments, it might be time for them to realize that secondary ticket markets are becoming the primary source of ticket sales. It is unfair to put so much financial burden on the schools when it is constantly getting harder for them to sell tickets. I feel a good solution would be to lower the ticket allotment to each school and put more tickets for sale on websites such as StubHub where they ultimately would make more of a profit.

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Review by Bekah Jarzombek in KIN 435 (section 1)

For the 2012 Bowl Championship Series, ACC schools were feeling the pressure to meet ticket sales numbers. The secondary ticket market was stealing fan’s business by providing lower ticket prices and convenience. Specifically, as of December 12, 2011, Virginia Tech had only sold 53% of the 17,500-ticket allotment for the Allstate Sugar Bowl on January 3, 2012. There was strong concern considering the game was less than a month away. Failure to sell tickets meant Virginia Tech and the ACC must pay for the unsold tickets. Less profit would be made off of the game. In desperation, Coach Beamer of Virginia Tech spoke at a men’s basketball game. He attempted to persuade students to buy their Sugar Bowl tickets from Virginia Tech. In addition, football players threw Mardi Gras beads into the crowd for extra motivation.

Other than the men’s’ basketball event, the article did not expand on ways Virginia Tech was attempting to fix the ticket problem. It seems the school and ACC should have recognized the problem earlier. With that said, resorting to Beamer’s begging session, three weeks before the game, was not an effective way to persuade students’ ticket decisions. The root of the problem is the Virginia Tech ticket prices are more expensive than companies such at StubHub. They can beg all they want, but a student is not going to buy a more expensive ticket if they know they can get it for a cheaper price. That doesn’t mean the fans lack passion for Virginia Tech. Their job is to go the game, and that is what they are doing…at a cheaper price.




Wednesday, February 1, 2012

"The Effects of Promotion on Attendance in Professional Baseball"




Review by Rick Reardon in KIN 435 (section 2)

The article that I read was a study on the relationship between promotion at baseball games and the attendance at those games. The article was submitted by Robert Aaron Browning. This article took four Ohio River Area baseball teams and study the effects of promotion as it related to attendance for these baseball teams.

Before the author conducted his own research with these teams he presents some research that helps to form a hypothesis for his research later. Early baseball research said that attendance to baseball games could be placed in four categories economics, demographics, game attractiveness, and other factors. However, later there were changes added to it such as, economics, average income and population. Not until recently did people realize that they could control one of the factors which was promotion, or pre-event marketing. The author noted that there had been a positive increase of 14% at games that offered such promotions at games. However, the biggest increase in attendance happened when teams offered bobble-heads, over “Baseball for a Buck” night by the New York Mets, or opening weekend giveaways by the L.A. Dodgers. Many baseball teams can be victim to “water down” promotions by offering too much price promotions (giving discounts on tickets, food, etc). The results concluded that every team had an increase in attendance whenever there was some sort of promotion. Non price promotion was the most successful because this category showed the most increase in attendance in all three organizations.

I was surprised when I read the results. I would have thought that since we are in such a bad economy people would have wanted discounted tickets, or food instead of entertainment promotions. Promotion is a crucial part of the sports industry right now because that is really what gets people to the game. On the whole people aren't really going to games as sport enthusiasts but more of an entertainment for the day. It is important for organizations to look at this data and try to use it to their advantage for attracting fans to the ball park. Honestly as a fan, I get really tired of seeing all the different promotions that just drag the game on. When I go to a game, I go to watch the sport and not to see all the ads, and other different promotions. However, I can see how many people like the promotions, especially if they have kids. If you take a kid to a baseball game it is going to be hard for them to just sit there and watch a game for two to three hours, so promotions kind of give them a change of something to do. I think it is important to use promotions to draw people to the game because thats obviously something thats getting them there, and they have to compete with people sitting at home and watching the game on their TVs.

"Snowboarder Shaun White a marketing bonanza"


From the BostonHerald.com

Review by Adam Carranza in KIN 435 (section 1)

In the growing world of action sports, there seems to be only one superstar as their icon, Shaun White. He is the poster boy for not only snowboarding and skateboarding, but for the whole action sports industry. No doubt, his amazing success helps him accomplish this, being a two-time Olympic half pipe and 11-time Winter X games winner. But what also attracts him to so many marketers is his laid back style, easy-going fun personality and his humbleness for all of his success. He signed his first sponsorship deal at the age of seven and hasn’t showed any signs of slowing down since then. White is currently signed with big companies such as BFGoodwich, Burton, Hewlett-Packard, Oakley, Target, Ubisoft and a recent million dollar endorsement with Stride gum which includes his very own flavor. There wasn’t any worry when he couldn’t renew his sponsorship with Red Bull, because he’ll probably sign a deal three times as big with either Coca-Cola or Pepsi.

The marketing implications he has are huge and it’s not just within the action sports world. He is considered one of the most polarizing male athlete figures across all professional sports. He has amazing power as a source with his continued victories on the slope and in the skate park, and also has great attractiveness to him with his long red hair look a.k.a The Flying Tomato. But it’s not just his hair that gets marketers salivating over the chance for him to be there sponsor, it’s his attitude toward his accolades and how he seems like a genuine real person accomplishing these great feats, not some stuck up superstar who couldn’t care less. He has the ability to reach so many different markets and is some one young people across the world recognize and are compelled toward whether they participate in these action sports or not.

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Review by Kelly Fraser in KIN 435 (section 1)

According to Boston Herald Sports, professional skateboarder and snowboarder Shaun White is a quite marketable athlete. He’s won numerous X Games Gold Medals and has won a gold medal at the Olympics. Additionally, he continues to push the limits in his extreme sport and raises the bar during every competition he enters. What more can a company looking for a spokesperson or an endorser look? We can understand why White is a “marketing bonanza” by reading Brian Gomez’s article in The Colorado Gazette.


The article is a straightforward read detailing and explaining White’s current sponsorships and how he has continued to use his snowboard to promote himself and other companies at the same time. The article states that White “has 1.8 million fans on Facebook and 756,900 followers on Twitter, and almost any video of him on YouTube is an instant hit - a 2-minute clip of the private halfpipe that Red Bull built for him to use for Olympic training in Silverton has been viewed 3.1 million times”. Quiet frankly, I’m not sure why Shaun doesn’t have more than 5 million fans on Facebook. Seeing as though Facebook now has reached over 500 million fans and the fact that White has become an international extreme athlete sensation over the past five years would make one think that White might increase his followers and fans by now; but, he is only 25 years of age, so he still has many years ahead of him to increase his rock star level status in the U.S. and overseas.

Furthermore, the article correctly explains why Shaun White has become so marketable for top organizations. The author included many necessary facts about his accomplishments in sports and as a spokesman for many firms. It’s easy to understand why Shaun White could potentially be the as big in extreme sports as Michael Jordan or Lance Armstrong were in their sports, respectively. He’s always natural in front of the camera, goes with the flow, and continues to be himself. Companies enjoy athletes that are easily marketable, outgoing, and approachable. “The Flying Tomato” has and will become an instant hit wherever you see him.