"Qatar open to winter World Cup in 2022"

From Yahoo! Sports

Review by Timothy Allen in SRM 334 (section 3)

Hayden Dyer and I selected the Qatar bid for the 2022 world cup as our current event presentation for many reasons. Both of us are interested in the sport, and we found it unique that a country such as Qatar would be able to host one of the biggest events in the world of sport.

Qatar is a small country in the Middle East, bordered only by Saudi Arabia (although in close proximity of Bahrain and United Arab Emirates). The economy of Qatar is essentially run by oil, and many surrounding countries have had much prosperity because of this product. The city of Dubai in UAE has expanded to one of the largest cities in the world, and is growing exponentially. Some of the projects that are happening there are remarkable and they have high hopes that they will be one of the most visited cities in the world in the next few years.

Qatar itself has made a lot of promises up to this point. They have planned on building 8 (almost brand new) stadiums to attract attention and a World Cup bid. These stadiums offer built in air conditioning to keep players and fans cool in the 100+ degree conditions during the summer. This will be the most expensive World Cup in history by a long shot. The selection process for Qatar to get this world cup was a long and arduous one; they had to produce a bid evaluation report which covers hotel accommodations to transportation for players and fans. The struggle to get this attention was hard as well, 2002 was the first time a world cup wasn’t held in the Americas or Europe, and 2010 was the first time the world cup was held in Africa. FIFA President Sepp Blatter said it was his goal to bring the World Cup to countries that would never have a chance to see it years ago, but that leaves a lot of pressure for these countries to prepare for it.

Although Qatar is a safe country itself, it’s hard to ignore the safety concerns in hosting such a large event in the Middle East, and being a Muslim country there is still much hostility towards other nationalities and religions. For example, Qatar is a dry country, meaning alcohol is forbidden and against the law to possess, but for the World Cup, alcohol will be permitted and there will be designated alcohol zones where it can be purchased and consumed. Another difficulty in Qatar’s bid was Israel, although they aren’t a powerhouse in the sport, there is a strong possibility they will be included in the tournament, and although Qatar doesn’t recognize Israel as a country, they will still be able to compete.

Overall, Qatar is drawn out to be a success on paper. They have a lot of time to prepare for the tournament and unlike South Africa they plan on being done with stadium renovations years before the tournament will take place. There is a lot that can go wrong in the next 10 years, but with careful preparation I can see this World Cup being a success for the Middle East’s exposure and for other hopeful countries to come.

---

Review by Hayden Dyer in SRM 334 (section 3)

For our current event presentation, we decided on the topic of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and the controversies, bid campaign, and media involvement that come along with it. Qatar was selected to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, in a bid campaign that also included countries such as, USA, Japan, and Australian, to name a few. One of the major controversies surrounding FIFA’s choice to pick Qatar was how hot it gets during the summers. Temperatures can reach up to 122 degrees Fahrenheit, making medical personnel worried about the player’s safety of playing in these temperatures. One suggestion was to schedule the event during Qatar’s winter months, where the temperature would be much lower. Many people wondered knowing that it would be so hot why would FIFA choose Qatar to host such a big event. It all starts with the bid campaign where the country proposes to FIFA on why they should host the World Cup. Using media such as websites and videos, Qatar began to spread the word to gain supporters for their proposal. They aired videos showing how not only their country, but also the world would come together and enjoy such an event. They also put out videos of architectural designs of what the stadiums would look like, if they were chosen, and to silence critics about it being too hot, they said that each stadium would have an air conditioning unit that would make the stadium about 30 degrees cooler than it was outside. Seeing these proposals FIFA chose Qatar to be in the final voting with USA, who Qatar beat to host this event. Using media such as websites, and airing commercials to get their name out there Qatar grabbed the attention of many people, and impressed the FIFA committee with their state of the art facility plans, enough so to host an event as big as the FIFA World Cup.

"CDW Renews with PGA TOUR as '"Official Technology Partner'"

From CDW

Review by Kevin McGough in KIN 332

Since 2008 the CDW and PGA have been partners and the CDW has been one of the largest PGA sponsors. Recently, the two agreed on an extension for four years lasting until 2016. I believe this is a great sponsorship and they compliment each other extremely well. The CDW makes sure the Professional Golf Tour has great media, on-site fan experiences and the new ShotLink. ShotLink provides a virtual experience for staff, players, and fans to look at all the detail and virtual shots of each players swing throughout the TOUR. 

In turn, the PGA provides a great atmosphere and cliental for the CDW to promote their technology. The CDW gives away technology IT products and services to staff and players. They also get to brand their name on the virtual score boards. This is great advertising for the CDW and the two companies can work together to better one another in business.

“Since the outset of our marketing relationship with CDW in 2008, the TOUR has taken full advantage of CDW’s expertise to improve and enhance our technological capabilities to the benefit of our staff, players and fans,” said Tom Wade, global commercial officer of the PGA TOUR. This is a great chance for the CDW to provide customer service to future cliental as well. The PGA attracts higher cliental and even business owners so it is smart to provide the best hospitality to the PGA through the CDW so it compliments them both as one.

"JMU star quotes LeBron James: ‘It’s about damn time’"

From the Washington Post

Review by Ryan Kilmon in SRM 334 (section 1)

This is a short article written by the Washington Post’s Ed Miller. After he covered the CAA championship game that the dukes won he received a lot of appreciation from readers. In his article he expresses his surprise at this reaction because he has never specifically been asked for more coverage of JMU. To please his readers again he wrote this article focusing on senior forward Rayshawn Goins and his interview after the dukes won the championship game. 

I really thought this article was interesting because it showed the reaction of the author which articles don’t often do. I was a little surprised that so many people appreciated the expanded coverage of the JMU men’s basketball team. JMU is not really considered a big name school and hasn’t been to the NCAA tournament since 1994. I guess a lot of people were as excited for JMU success as I was. No one who has gone to JMU in nearly the past two decades has been a part of this or seen this unfold. The success has garnered a lot of attention in the media even making it onto SportsCenters top plays.

The course relates to this topic and article in quite a few ways. Not only was the article related to our University and the success and happiness we were experiencing at the time, but it was a first-hand reaction from a very well respected writer of the Washington Post. It relates directly to media and media coverage that has been generated over the past week. Social media has also been blowing up with comments about JMU making it to the “Big Dance.” I have seen countless tweets and Facebook posts in the last week about this experience and it has made me consider how the situation must have been different 19 years ago. I am very proud that I will be able to look back years down the road as being a part of it and the JMU nation.

---

Review by Joey Townsend in SRM 334 (section 1)

We decided to do our current event project on the NCAA men’s basketball tournament focusing our attention on JMU making the tournament. This is the first time since the 1994 season that the team has made it back to the tournament. James Madison last won a NCAA tournament game back in the 1983 season. Hopefully that drought will end Wednesday when they play LIU Brooklyn at the University of Dayton. Both teams are coming into the tournament as co-No. 16 seeds. The winner of the James Madison-LIU Brooklyn contest will face one of the college game’s most aristocratic programs, top-seeded Indiana, on Friday in Dayton. JMU was given little respect on Sunday when they were selected as a co-No. 16 seed. Some of the JMU players will be playing with a chip on their shoulder which could help them advance to the next round. However, many of the players are just happy to be recognized at such a competitive event. JMU has received tons of attention for making the NCAA tournament this year. If the dukes can win on Wednesday, the media coverage for the team and school will only keep going up. For the people who may be watching the tournament and don’t know about James Madison University, this could really be a chance to put JMU in consideration for many people who are choosing colleges to attend too. Also, many future college student athletes who are watching the tournament may consider attending and playing at James Madison after seeing their success this season and being able to make it to the tournament. This is not only a huge win for a men’s basketball team, but also a huge win for the University.

"James Madison wins CAA crown, ends NCAA tourney drought"

From FoxNews.com

Review by Shane McMahan in SRM 334 (section 2)

Last Monday, the James Madison Men’s Basketball team won the school’s first CAA Basketball championship since 1994. JMU beat their third team in as many days, jumping out to an impressive start, and coasting to a 70-57 win in front of a dominant JMU crowd at the Richmond Coliseum. Being a faithful supporter since I can remember, I believe that this historic event will help take not only our basketball team to another level, but take our school to another level. 

Obviously, winning a championship will get you tons of media support and coverage. One thing that I have learned to be more aware of because of this class is how powerful Twitter really is. I don’t think that anybody really saw this much coverage for JMU coming. Nike Basketball tweeted about Harrisonburg being “now being on the map,” ESPN tweeted about it being our first time dancing since 1994, and Matt Brady took part in several interviews, including one by the well-known ESPN host, Jim Rome. Being that twitter is such a big part of today’s society, anything posted by a well-followed Nike or ESPN is huge for many reasons. One, it is just good publicity for the school and helps give JMU some coverage worldwide. Basketball related, this is huge for prospective recruits that are considering JMU. Like the quote, “If you build it, they will come,” it is not much different in basketball. If you win games, like VCU has recently shown, you will start getting high-level recruits. Just a few years ago we had two guys take official visits to JMU. One was Victor Oladipo, another was named Josh Selby. Oladipo now plays for Indiana and is a favorite for National Player of the Year, and Selby is a member of the Memphis Grizzlies. We were able to get these guys on campus for a visit. If we continue to win, it’s only a matter of time before we start getting some of these recruits to come to JMU. Overall, this is a huge step forward for James Madison University. 

---

Review by Tory Key in SRM 334 (section 2)

Our group did our presentation on the media’s impact on JMU basketball due to its recent success. The team did not start off the season as if they were going to win the CAA championship. The buzz about the team was not as high then as it is now. The media jumped on JMU when they won the CAA championship. It was the team’s first championship since 1994, so that became a headline right away. The championship was covered by NBC Sports, which is becoming a competitor with ESPN as far as sports coverage. NBC Sports usually covers teams from the CAA and others. Not only did NBC Sports give JMU basketball some exposure by putting the championship on national television, but media sources such as ESPN and NIKE talked about the team. Both tweeted about the team’s success and ESPN showed highlights of the game and the crowd storming the court after the victory. Having both of those situations happen are huge deals for the program. A lot of people follow NIKE on twitter and watch ESPN. Many people on the west coast who never knew James Madison existed probably do now. Also, Coach Matt Brady had significant interviews on the Jim Rome show and Tim Brando show. Once again many Americans listen and watch to these shows, JMU’s name reaches across the country. Most importantly, students have been showing their support for the team more now due to recent success. After all, the fan base starts with the students. JMU’s recent basketball success has gotten them a lot of exposure and it looks like the program has potential for more media attention in the future.
---

Review by Donshae Joyce in SRM 334 (section 2)

After defeating Northeastern to capture the CAA Tournament crown, the JMU Men’s basketball team has brought about usual national exposure and an unfamiliar buzz amongst JMU Nation. The team’s recent success has been uncharted territory for all invested parties considering the program has not qualified for the NCAA Tournament since 1994. Since that time, JMU basketball has experienced minimal success that has resulted in low media attention and student support throughout the campus. Combined with the fact that other JMU athletic teams have experienced their fair share of success of the years, this run made by the men’s team has been long overdue.

After earning their place in the championship game, the excitement on campus from our students was blindsiding. Typically, the care for our men’s team is absent and the team is an afterthought. However, the amount of students that traveled to Richmond was shocking compared to the amount of that make the short trip to Convo every home game. Immediately after winning the CAA and clinching their spot in this year’s NCAA Tournament, there were highlights and analysis on ESPN that instantly put JMU on the national map. This is relevant to this course since the power of media outlets, such as ESPN and Twitter, has the basketball team, and the university as a whole, being discussed on a world-wide platform.

The opportunity the men’s team has playing in the NCAA Tournament has elevated the brand of JMU to levels previously not reached. The attention through the media and overall support for the team, the benefits has been and will be priceless. 

"EA and ESPN Kick Off Madden NFL 25 Cover Vote"

From ESPN

Review by Austin Davidson in SRM 334 (section 3)
On August 27, 2013, EA Sports’ Madden video game franchise will release its 25th anniversary edition installment. Since 2011, EA Sports has tried to find ways to get the fans more involved in the process of how each player deemed worthy to grace the cover, every year, is selected. Befitting such a monumental anniversary, this year has taken it above and beyond any previous year’s aspirations. The usage of ESPN television shows, social media (esp. Twitter), and many internet web destinations, has created an unprecedented buzz around the game, almost six months before its release. 

The way the voting for the cover player is a familiar concept to many sports fans. One word; brackets! It has been narrowed down to 64 players, half of which are NFL legends, and the other half are up-and-coming stars in the National Football League. The fans can vote by going to the ESPN website, and some live-tweet voting on Twitter is carried out during ESPN’s SportsNation television show. After each round of voting, the results are revealed on the show, with the overall winner being revealed on April 24, 2013.

I find this to be tremendous marketing strategy for everyone involved in the process. This idea has brought the internet and social media, and television into an incredibly effective and interactive relationship. The companies have found more ways to connect with their demographics and even got the rising hip hop star, Kendrick Lamar, to perform on the SportsNation Madden Cover Vote kickoff show. It has created a buzz most video game companies would die for, this early before release. I am fairly certain we’ll be seeing more of this type of collaborative efforts between EA Sports, and ESPN to milk this newly found cash-cow as much as possible.
---

Review by Allison Straley in SRM 334 (section 3)
The Madden NFL Cover Vote is in the middle of their second time having fans vote what player should appear on the cover of the popular EA Sports game, Madden NFL. 

Each week fans have the opportunity to vote in two brackets, old-school, which consists of former players, and new-school, which consists of current players. They players “face off” each week in hopes of advancing and gaining that spot on the cover of the game. Fans are able to vote through the ESPN website as well as Twitter.

The program SportsNation, which airs on ESPN2, has weekly updates for fans on which former and current players have advanced. They also bring some of the players on the show where they can plead their case on why they should receive votes. The winner will be announced April 24th, and the game will be released August 27th. 

Having fans vote on who should be the cover player is a great way for everyone across the nation to get involved in something that is extremely popular. ESPN and EA Sports are using media outlets that have a lot of viewers/usage, such as SportsNation and Twitter. This topic is relevant to the course because media is being used in multiple aspects to get an event known to the public. The different aspects of media, such as advertising, public relations and strategy are presented in this topic. The advertising is through the ESPN website and on the show and Twitter. Public relations was big at the launch party for the competition for the cover. Finally, the strategy is to get as many people to vote and that is occurring by using popular media outlets. The game is very popular and giving the consumers a say in what the game with look like, gives it the potential for even more success.

"Richard Sherman To Skip Bayless: 'I'm Better At Life Than You'"

From the Huffington Post

Review by Schuyler LaClair in SRM 334 (section 2)

Professional athletes have many different ways and strategies to get their name known through out the sports world, which also grabs the attention of the media. Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman has done just that in a matter of months starting from controversies in just a couple games during the 2012 season. Not only did the spot light shine on Sherman during the season but also after the season was over he has multiple occasions of venting through social media and expressing how he felt in open interviews on television.

During the 2012 season Richard Sherman talked trash before and during games. One game that stood out was when the Seahawks upset the Patriots 24 – 23. After the game Sherman went up to New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady screaming “You mad bro?” Two weeks later Sherman predicted that he would shut down Detroit Lions all pro wide receiver Calvin “Megatron” Johnson and gave himself the nickname of “Optimus Prime.”

When the 2012 offseason started, Sherman got into a heated twitter battle with New York Jets cornerback Derrelle Revis about who was the best cornerback in the National Football League. Then Richard Sherman was a guest on ESPN’s “First Take.” While interviewed by Skip Bayless, Sherman blew up on Skip and just expressed how he felt towards him. While on national television, Sherman showed no respect to the show’s host.

Richard Sherman and the events he’s been involved in recently is related to sports media by how athletes decide to act off the field. When an athlete goes on a rant over social media or television, the media loves giving the athlete the attention they basically asked for. Anytime an athlete goes outside the boundary lines of generalized answers during an interview, it gains the attention of every media outlet in the sports industry. Richard Sherman knows what he has done and hasn’t slowed down since then. His name will known in every household if he keeps going on this path.
---

Review by Cameron McKinley in SRM 334 (section 2)

In today sports world, athletes have been known to use various media outlets as a way to vent frustrations or to promote their own brand, whether through traditional media sources, such as television or print media, or newer forms of media, i.e. social media. Richard Sherman has not been on the scene for very long, but he has certainly made use of these forms of media for both purposes. Following his Twitter feud with fellow cornerback Darelle Revis, Sherman took to TV and radio to try to promote his off-season charitable cause, Students with a Goal. While making the rounds for this, he came on to ESPN’s “First Take” and immediately began personally attacking co-host Skip Bayless.

With athletes continually being brought on media programs, whether TV or radio or social media, they are now subjecting themselves to more scrutiny than ever before. They way an athlete handles himself or herself in the media can greatly affect how they are seen as a player. Take Derek Jeter for example. He has always handled himself very well when dealing with aspects of the media, and his on the field accomplishments are magnified and are able to speak for themselves. But with a young, relatively unknown player such as Sherman, such a portrayal in the media can be detrimental to his image and can make people look past his on the field statistics or success when all they know about him is how he handles himself in the media.

Being that this is a class based upon sports media, in the past we have focused on such media outlets and the evolution of the Sports Communication Model. In the past, it would not have been possible for a player such as Sherman to take to all the media outlets to promote himself and his causes, nor to have his feud with Revis and Bayless. He was able to reach the wider sports audiences through his TV rounds, as well as to reach more niche, local markets through radio and Twitter. This is also a two-way street with fans being able to show their reaction directly to him by being able to call in to radio shows he was on or to tweet at him following everything that has happened in the off-season.