"Brewers selling awesome 'Timeless Ticket' for $1,000"

From USA Today

Analysis by Margo Savage in KIN 501

Tickets that never expire? Sounds like something that only Disney could pull off, but now the Milwaukee Brewers have joined the ranks of other everlasting tickets. According to an article published by the USA Today, the Milwaukee Brewers Organization had released a “Timeless Ticket” that has no expiration date attached to it. The article explains that the ticket costs $1,000 and is only available to the first 1,000 purchasers. The ticket was, originally, released in October, but it was not until January that the organization publically marketed the ticket. The tickets are good for any 10 future games, including one opening day or World Series game. Additionally, these Timeless Ticket Holders are able to purchase three additional tickets for the same game, if they are available.

As someone who works in marketing, I think that this is an innovative idea, and something that can bring added value to an organization. The concept of a timeless ticket has tangible financial value that fans will be able to see over the years. For the Brewer’s marketing team, just the fact that people are talking about them is positive for everyone involved. The more than people in the sports world are talking about a specific team or promotion, the more publicity it is bringing to the organization. I think that this promotion was targeted at life-long “die hard” fans, but I think that the buzz it is creating will bring other people to look at Brewer’s tickets. With this promotion, it is evident that the company wants in invest in the future of the team and help show the success that the team is striving for.

Additionally, with the purchase of the Timeless Ticket, fans receive a brass ticket that is engraved with their name and exclusive ticket number. This will sit on their desk, or somewhere in their house, and be a constant reminder of the investment they have taken part in. I think that it will also spawn questions from other people, and that will, in turn, bring more publicity to the Brewers. As this promotion continues, it will bring more lifelong fans and help people to invest in the Brewer’s organization as a whole. I think that the ticket will help the “most enthusiastic” Brewers fans share their love for the game with others, and aid in the building of the fan base in Milwaukee. Finally, I think that fans will see the value in this promotion because of the exclusivity associated with the tickets. There will only be 1,000 ticket sold which, in the grand scheme of the 41.900 seat stadium, is not that many. This ticket can also prove its worth simply if the Brewers make the World Series and host Game 7.

Brewer’s fans now have an opportunity to invest in their hometown baseball team and be a part of history if they ever go back to the World Series. By having a Timeless Ticket, they are able to attend any 10 games that they want during their lifetime, including a World Series game and a home opener. It provides an opportunity for people to talk about the Milwaukee organization and to bring publicity to their tickets. It also gives the organization an opportunity to break into the field with a promotion that hasn’t been seen before in the baseball world. I think that this promotion will definitely be one that other teams will take on in the future and it will bring a new and exciting element to the game for baseball fans across the country.

"Rays Tout New 'Flex Packs' Ticketing as Unique to MLB"

From Athletic Business

Video link

Analysis by Rick Reardon in KIN 501

The Tampa Bay Rays are unveiling a new marketing campaign that also couples with their new idea of how to sell single game tickets to fans. Their new campaign centers on the phrase “Rays Up”. This phrase is supposed to link the team with the fans by making it a joint effort to turn the season around. Mark Fernandez, senior vice president, said when referring to the new slogan, “Let’s do this thing together.” After finishing last in the MLB in attendance last year, the Rays are using a new ticket plan, called Flex Packs to improve home field attendance. Flex Packs are targeted at single game ticket buyers who usually just buy the one game. With Flex Packs, a fan can buy a three, six, or nine game pack. The fan can then use these Flex Packs to go to any game as long as it is not sold out. This includes marquee games such as the Yankees, Red Socks, or even the season opener with no up-charge on those certain games. The only catch is that they cannot redeem the Flex Pack for sold out games, which makes sense. Tampa Bay has already started their marketing campaign focused around these Flex Packs by displaying billboards all around the city featuring star players and manager Joe Madden that displays their slogan Rays Up. The three game Flex Packs start at $49 and they have already sold 10,000 Flex Packs (of all varieties).

From a marketing stand point I think this is a genius idea. A lot of the problem, I believe, with increasing attendance to home games especially in baseball is getting people to attend multiple games in a season. With the Flex Packs, it could save family money that is just coming in for the weekend and wants to go watch a weekend series or for a fan that lives in the city but is not sure which games they can attend. The only down side I could see with this would be that fans might start buying Flex Packs instead of season tickets. This way the fan could choose which games they want to go to without having to buy all the tickets to the home games. With that being said, I believe a team will still have their regular die-hard fans that will continuously buy season tickets. However for the fans on the fence deciding whether they want season tickets or not, I think this would be a good way to get their foot in the door and hopefully convert them to season ticket holders. If a fan buys the nine game Flex Pack and continually enjoys going to the game then eventually they might think it would save them some money just buying season tickets. Selling tickets is just one part of the equation though. If fans do not enjoy being at the game and are not leaving with a memorable experience then they will not be willing to come back or buy tickets later. So I do not know if the reason Tampa Bay was last in attendance last year was because of ticket prices or plans, or for the game day atmosphere. But both sides of the equation need to be looked at. I still believe that this is a great way to get new fans in the seats and it’s always good to try something fresh and new.

This relates to our course of when we talked about fans and creating fan loyalty. The best way to get a new fan is getting them out the games to watch and creating an identity with the team. With these Flex Packs, the team is getting more on the fence fans that cannot afford season tickets or that only usually come to one game. If you have a fan that usually only comes to one game you can try to push this ticket package on them by saying they can come to three more of their choice without any commitment up front. I think that this is a great way to establish new fans and also expand the loyalty of certain fans.

"MLB Opening Series In 2014 Will Be Major Boon For Australia"

From MLBSydney2014.com and International Business Times

Analysis by Stephen Dombrowski in SRM 435 (section 2)

Major League Baseball has done a great job reaching out to the global market, but this year their target is a new country: Australia. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the exhibition game between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Giants. This year’s game will feature the globally prominent Los Angeles Dodgers and a young team that is on the rise, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Sydney officials are turning the Sydney Cricket Grounds into a Major League field for March 22 and 23.

From a marketing standpoint of the MLB, this is pure genius. Baseball is on the rise in Australia. There are numerous Australians now in the game including the Rays’ Grant Balfour. After going to Japan for the last several years, they have finally picked a country where there is more potential for growth. The Australian Baseball League was started back up in 2010 and is overlooked by MLB officials. The league’s purpose is to bridge the gap between generations and create a buzz about baseball to the youth to inspire young Australians to play the game. This year was perfect using the 100 year anniversary to bring the game back and to advertise the century mark. However, there are some downfalls to having the game here. Most Australians are more interested in cricket than they are baseball. To some, this game is completely foreign to them and might now understand some of the rules. Lastly, the playing conditions and stadiums in Australia are not adequate to field a Major League ball game.

From the Australian’s standpoint, their advertising of the game in local papers has been fantastic. By having a Major League baseball game here in Australia it shows that the country is serious about getting competitive in baseball. It has been called Aussies Chasing the Dream. The way it is being promoted is to show it is similar to cricket but it being shorter and a lot more convenient to play or watch if you have other things going on in your life. The downfall again for the growth from the Australian standpoint is the lack of adequate and convenient stadiums to play the games at. It is hard to get fans excited about going to a game that does not give the fans a great experience. Cricket again is the challenge facing the growth. David Smith says, “There simply isn’t enough room in people’s minds and lives for new sports.” However, by having this game Down Under, Major League Baseball and Australia are working hard together to overcome these obstacles.

Every professional sports league is trying to branch out and gain global popularity. The NFL in London, the NBA going overseas and in China, the NHL’s large amount of foreign players, and now the MLB playing the first games of the season in other countries. This article is relevant to the course because of the constant change that is occurring throughout sports and how each league is constantly trying to gain a larger audience. It is important for any of us going into the marketing profession to know that there is more to just marketing to your local fans. There is a bigger picture and the world of baseball is becoming a smaller and smaller place.

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Analysis by Griffin Waugh in SRM 435 (section 2)

This year opening day will come with a small twist. Most people can't wait to take the train into the Bronx and smell the fresh cut grass on April 1 of every year; that may just be me. This year the Opening Series of the 2014 MLB season will take place in Sydney, Australia on the 22nd-23rd of March. The Opening Series will feature a National League West match-up between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The game will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The last time a MLB game was played here was an exhibition game in 1914 featuring the Chicago White Sox and the New York Giants. Major League Baseball signed a $13 million deal to have the first season opener in Australia. By doing so they are passing up more money and a larger baseball market in Japan, a location that has frequently been used for the Opening Series.

This is all a part of MLB's initiative to push for more local enthusiasm for baseball in Australia. Four years ago, Major League Baseball bought a 75 percent stake in the Australian Baseball League (ABL). With Australia hosting the Opening Series, this is the first step in the process of marketing and promoting baseball in Australia. Major League Baseball Commissioner, Bud Selig recently was quoted as saying "the globalization of our game continues to be paramount to Major League Baseball, and Australia is an essential part our long-term efforts to grow the sport." (The Australian) Just by looking at MLB.com and the amount of jobs it offers with the ABL, it becomes evident that they are pushing for baseball in Australia. This untapped market offers a lot to the MLB in return as they provide a new area to grow the sport of baseball. Unlike other baseball dominant areas like Asia and the Caribbean, they lack established baseball academies. The ABL also provides minor league baseball players a chance to continue their craft as the season occurs from November to January. Many minor league players will go overseas and continue to get better during the winter months by playing in the ABL. Over the years, over 30 Major League players have come from Australia; most famously, Grant Balfour, the new closer for the Tampa Bay Rays. Major League Baseball will look to explore this new territory and market baseball in Australia in order to develop new talent in the hopes of players from Australia coming to play baseball professionally in the MLB.

This growth in baseball in Australia will create globalization for the game. Providing the MLB with new talent, fans, jobs, and revenue. The MLB is already a trillion dollar industry that could now help benefit the economy and the sport of baseball in Australia as well. New South Wales Premier Barry O'Farrell believes that their marketing and promotional efforts will pay off as "it is estimated that the matches will deliver a direct visitor impact of more than $13 million for the local economy." (International Business Times) The games will also be broadcast live in the US on ESPN. This will serve as a national stage promotion of what Australia has to offer and should increase tourism. It also will put a major sport on display for locals, which should in turn increase local enthusiasm for the game of baseball. The main reason the MLB choose Australia to host the Opening Series was to reestablish the sport of baseball in Australia. They will try to gain new fans and talent after their efforts to resurrect the ABL in 2010 were successful. The impact from the Opening Series along with the revenue generated from ticket sales and TV revenues will help provide the league with new facilities and the chance for continued expansion.

This pertains to this course because it shows what the end result of marketing and promotional efforts can be. It also sheds light on how smaller leagues and corporations grow to establish themselves as entities. I believe thanks to Major League Baseball’s dedication to this effort that baseball in Australia can be sustainable. I would even go as far as saying that it could rival Triple-A baseball, and the Caribbean Series for number of fans and TV revenues.

"Cubs introduce new mascot"

From ESPN.com

Video from Cubs.com

Analysis by Renee Layne in SRM 334

On January 14, 2014 the Chicago Cubs announced their first mascot as Clark the bear cub. Clark is named after the intersection of Clark Avenue where Wrigley Field is located. The Chicago Cubs took a survey that revealed fans’ desire for a more “family friendly” atmosphere. Clark the mascot will hopefully bring a family friendly feel as he is intended to hand out T-shirts and welcome guests into the stadium before each game. Clark will also be seen waving goodbye to fans after the games. Unfortunately for the Chicago Franchise their new mascot was met with wide spread disapproval from the public on social media sites such as twitter and facebook. The reason this story is pertinent to our Sports Media class is because of how the media has helped project Clark as a laughable disgrace. Several ESPN clips can be viewed comparing the previous unpaid mascot John Paul Weier to the new mascot. John Weier has been dressing up in a bear costume with a cooler collecting donations from fans. The Chicago cubs have asked Weier to stop numerous times and even offered him $15,000 if he would agree to stop the charades. Unfortunately Weier has refused all such offers.

The tirade of outraged Chicago fans continue with such quotes as , “No pants. Yep Clark is definitely a cub.” And “he looks sad.” Several Clark photos have been photo-shopped to expose a reproductive organ on the cub. Clark made his first public debut at a children’s hospital in the hopes of building a family friendly reputation in the eyes of the public. Although the Chicago Cubs try to assuage their fans the negative media attention surrounding Clark continues.

"Phillies get $2.5 billion, equity stake in Comcast SportsNet"

From Philly.com

Review by Taylor Longacre in SRM 334

In today’s fast pace society sports dominate our conversations, our living rooms, and our restaurants, just to name a few. Our worlds revolve around the sport industry and we are significantly impacted everyday whether we know it or not. Recently the Philadelphia Phillies, a major league baseball team, signed a lucrative television deal. In the article Phillies get $2.5 billion, equity stake in Comcast SportsNet written by Matt Gelb and Bob Fernandez, many intriguing points are conveyed. According to Gelb and Fernandez from the Inquirer, the Phillies will have twenty-five percent ownership of the network, it is a twenty-five year contract, and advertising from broadcasts will be split in some manner. (Philly.Com) Also the Comcast Network will not be limited on how many Phillies games they will be allowed to televise; which is what makes this deal so interesting to me. Being from Philadelphia I grew up watching the Philadelphia Flyers and Sixers play on Comcast but not as much of the Phillies; Comcast is now televising three out of four sports teams in the area.

This article relates to media and communication because as stated by Gelb and Fernandez, “Media companies are furiously locking up the rights to live sporting events because the future of TV is unclear. There is still a premium for advertisers to target live televised sports, and the value is manifesting in these contracts.” (Philly.com) Comcast is one of the main media outlets for the sports in the area which gives them tremendous power over their competition. If Dish Network and DirecTV want to compete with Comcast they have to start carrying the Comcast Network for their customers to be able to view their favorite sports teams. This decision impacts rival media outlets on so many levels. Now if a Phillies fan wants to watch their team and they do not have Comcast it will be harder for them and cost more money. Fortunately in this mass media world we live in games can be streamed online but as a viewer you are losing clarity and convenience.

The Phillies television deal with Comcast emphasizes a couple points that were made in class. Hyper Localism in particular is critical in looking at this deal. Comcast airs all sports in the Philadelphia area and is really putting pressure on other media sources. Also after this deal went through, Comcast fired the two broadcasters for the team and are on the verge of replacing them. In conclusion, Sports + Media = Money. In this case the Phillies and Comcast are working together to better serve each sides interests.

The media's role in Alex Rodriguez's suspension

From X1.com and Biography.com

Review by Renee Layne in SRM 334

Alex Rodriguez’s negative reputation in the media started in 2001 when he signed a ten year, $252 million contract with the Texas Rangers causing his previously loyal Mariners fans to become outraged. Many of which vented their rage at Rodriguez on twitter. In 2007 he signed a ten year, $275 million contract with the Yankees. Negative media attention continued for Rodriguez through the tabloids printing his infidelity, failed marriage, slew of unprofessional tweets and his drug use. Since then Alex Rodriguez’s marketability as an athlete is in ruins and his public image is in tatters.

In early January 2014 Major League Baseball made the decision to suspend Alex Rodriguez, more commonly referred to as A-Rod, for two years based on his alleged drug use designed to further enhance his performance. Rodriguez’s attorney released a statement saying that Rodriguez planned on repealing any discipline given to him.

The reason this story is pertinent to our class is because of the role that social media coverage played in turning A-Rod’s public image from baseball’s super hero to Baseball’s poster boy for steroid use. Some reports even go so far as to say that Rodriguez’s suspension was granted based on the evidence found on facebook and twitter feeds. Such evidence points to A-Rod not only using performance enhancing drugs but also deliberately trying to hide such evidence from authorities in the investigation. According to blogger John Patzakis, investigators such as union general counsel David Prouty noted that social media evidence added a layer of proof that certainly would not have been available many years ago. (Patzakis) Users of networking and other media sites can learn a grave lesson from Rodriguez’s downturn. Users of social media site should be weary of statements they choose to release because those statements have a way of coming back to haunting a person later. Alex Rodriguez’s story shows us that not all media attention is good media attention especially if it costs you millions of dollars in contract deals. Only time will tell if Rodriguez will be remembered for his amazing baseball records or for his unfortunate image in the media.

"'Boston Strong' emerges as rallying cry, from stadiums to tweets"

From MLB.com, ESPN.com and NBC News

Warning: the following video is not edited and contains inappropriate language

Analysis by Kelly Johanson in SRM 334 (section 1)

After the horrific bombings at the Boston Marathon in April, it’s like a fairy tale ending that the Red Sox won the World Series. Just like New York in 2001, sports in Boston have provided an escape and a safe haven for the fans. People in Boston have been waiting for something to cheer them up and they finally got it. In one of the articles we read it talked about the victory parade and how the duck boats stopped at the marathon finish line. Jonny Gomes got off his boat and put the trophy on the finish line and it was closure to something that had been devastating for that city. Every article we read revolved around the phrase “Boston Strong”. These two words drove the city to recover and gave them something to rally behind. Victims of the bombings were welcomed to games and many of them threw out the first pitch at different games. The Red Sox players showed their support off the field as well. They went to visit five different hospitals and didn’t want anyone to plan it for them; they wanted to go in small groups.

The phrase and hash tag ‘BostonStrong’ has gained much more popularity than people thought it ever would. It first gained popularity on twitter, especially when 3rd baseman Will Middlebrooks shared it on twitter. It was trending on twitter almost every time the Red Sox played. Now the phrase is on clothing, it’s used during news reports, on the radio and is recognizable around the world. What makes this phrase so popular is that it is short, you can say it pretty much along any lines and it will fit in any situation that surrounds Boston. It clearly describes Boston as being a resilient city that can make it through anything and that has been transferred to all of Boston’s sports. At the very end of the Bruins season they said it for them but it really has been the Red Sox’ mantra for the last 7 months. The marathon bombings and all the people injured have really given the Red Sox a chance to get major media attention. Whether the players wanted the attention for visiting victims in the hospitals or not, they got it. Everything that this team has done has been under the microscope and the people of Boston are looking at them for what they should do. People use sports to rally and that’s definitely what happened in Boston. The media made the Red Sox into the heroes of Boston. I think that the media created so much sympathy for the team that even people who would never root for the Red Sox began to cheer for them. As a Yankee fan I’ve always been against the Red Sox but when the World Series started I found myself hoping that the Red Sox to win. People wanted them to win because of everything they’ve dealt with over the last several months and so that this story had a happy ending. The media definitely portrayed all of this and it has made an incredible story for them to write about.

This all relates to our class because one of the biggest themes we’ve talked about on our class is social media and the popularity of twitter. The use of twitter during the marathon bombings and ever since has been getting bigger and bigger. Twitter breaks so many stories and is the first place most people learn about the news. We’ve also talked about the influence that the media can have on our perceptions. Everyone feels sympathy for Boston and everything that happened to them but the media has definitely built a huge story about overcoming hardships. These elaborate stories and seeing the victims has made non-Red Sox fans want to cheer for this team.

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Analysis by Megan Verpent in SRM 334 (section 1)

The Boston Red Sox are not typically referred to as “America’s team” in fact, many still reference them as the most racist team in Major League Baseball; not only were the last team to break the race barrier and sign an African American player, but “the image of black athletes experiencing racism, especially on the Red Sox, lingers.”(Montville, 1991). Despite the external critiques and the looming curses Boston had previously faced, this year the Red Sox became America’s team. This is in large part due the media’s portrayal of the organization and its players as not only as baseball players, but hometown heroes based on the way they responded to the Boston Marathon bombings which occurred at the beginning out the 2013 season in April.

Though our presentation focused on the post-World-Series champion Red Sox, we examined an article which was published by ESPN prior to the conclusion of the World-Series. It already depicted Boston as America’s baseball team. This article about the events of marathon bombings as well as the Red Sox regular season. However, the article did not just include the recorded wins and losses by the Red Sox, it also included personal stories of people who survived the bombing. The article featured Heather Abbott’s backstory. She survived the bombing, but lost a portion of her leg and was forced to relearn hot to walk. She threw out the first pitch of one of Boston’s home games at Fenway Park. The article concludes with how the Red Sox organization has helped in the recovery of the individuals affected by the marathon bombings as well as Boston as a community.

Most articles which are featured on ESPN.com and in ESPN the Magazine focus on sport. However, this article, “'Boston Strong' ... Sox have lived it” the game of baseball is a backstory. The victims of the Boston Marathon bombing and the way the Red Sox organization responded was the focal point. David Ortiz was no longer a designated hitter, the media solidified him as a symbol of the reuniting of Boston. The timing of this article’s publication, pre-championship, conveys the message that the media wanted America to understand which was, root for the Red Sox because a World-Series win would be bigger than baseball. There was no mention of the St. Louis Cardinals or the playoffs during this article which explains once again that the 2013 World-Series was not about baseball. ESPN, as well as other media outlets, focused on the victims recovering from injuries suffered in the attacks and the players of the Red Sox visiting or helping them. This was a way to garner non-baseball fans and engage them in the baseball season. Essentially, they used this angle to sympathize with the city of Boston and the victims to gain more viewers and fans.

Sport is directly linked to our everyday lives. Often when there is a tragedy, such as September 11, 2001, or the Boston Marathon bombing, people use sports as a way to escape. This is an example of how sport media outlets, including this article by ESPN reached beyond the average fan. Sport media does not only affect the way in which we watch sports, but also in the way which we relate to events in everyday life.

MLB post-season coverage on TBS

From MLB.com and AwfulAnnouncing.com

Analysis by Steve Dombrowski in SRM 334 (section 1)

America is always intrigued by an underdog story. This year that story is the rise and sudden success of the Pittsburgh Pirates, a team who has not made the playoffs in 21 years. Every year for the past seven, TBS has had the rights to broadcast all of Major League Baseball’s Divisional Series along with one of the Championship Series. This year, while watching the Pirates take on the Reds at PNC Park along the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh I was absolutely shocked by the lack of coverage of the pregame ceremony. The Buccos have been waiting over two decades for this and the emotions were extremely high. As a baseball fan, I was extremely intrigued by what they would do to celebrate and all TBS did was talk in the studio about how emotional it actually was. So we did a little research on the subject and we discovered that I was not the only one let down by TBS’s coverage as a whole.

With the popular demand in our society for coverage of sporting events, it is now essential to have top of the line analysis of the game. Especially now that it is playoff time, every pitch is critical. During October, baseball is competing with the NFL, college football, NHL, and the NBA preseason. All four major sports are playing at some part of their season so it is crucial that TBS gets the game perfectly. However, they have not. Fans and other analysts within the profession have been complaining about the ridiculous camera shots and at times lack to a quality audio. Another issue TBS is having is lack of experience in the booth. Cal Ripken, former Orioles great, was taken out of the studio and put in the booth for the first time in these playoffs. He replaced former Braves pitcher John Smoltz, who was demoted to the “B game” announcer. Smoltz had a generally good reputation for his commentary and it was a bit curious why he was replaced. Luckily Ripken has not been doing anything too bad to get noticed. However, when an announcer is poor or biased to a part in the game, many fans will change to some other game or at best mute their television. This is not what you want if you are paying millions, possibly billions of dollars for the rights to air the game.

This topic is relevant from a media standpoint because these issues are all about the production and success and blunders that go in to trying to make a game as pleasurable as possible. For example, the Truss Cam that was implemented at a couple of stadiums for these games is a cool new way to see different angles and get you up close and personal from a outfielders perspective. An example was Carl Crawford falling in to the stands to make a catch. The Truss Cam followed his whole route to the ball and showed us what it took to make such a spectacular play. However, an important lesson I have learned from our class is that you need to listen to your audience. Learn what they want to see from a game and give it to them. Announcers and analysts are trying to steal the spotlight and it takes away from the pleasure of simply viewing the game. Personally, with all of the technology, there is sometimes nothing better than curling up to watch a great game in the comforts of your home. However, if TBS wants to compete on Sundays with the NFL and get majority ratings, they need to adjust to the wants of their audience. There is nothing better than October baseball. From the first pitch to the last, there is constant focus and intensity from every single player on that field. The game itself is great. That alone can draw viewers in to see what is going in a game out in Los Angeles, or Boston, or even Pittsburgh. However, the analysis makes or breaks the ratings and unfortunately TBS just cannot catch up.

David Price realized Twitter rant was a mistake

From USA Today

Analysis by Courtney Wright in SRM 334 (section 1)

After the frustrating game 2 of the ALDS, David Price took to twitter to let his followers be aware of how he felt. His frustrations stemmed from the TBS commentator’s comments on air and David Ortiz’s reaction to his two homeruns. On national television, TBS commentators Dirk Hayhurst and Tom Verducci said, “This is the playoffs, you can’t take any chances. He was out there past his prime. He should have come out sooner”. Price reacted to the commentators by insulting them and calling them nerds while implying they had never played sports at a higher level. 

After the media took such notice to Price’s rant, he decided to send out an apology to all those who were offended by his words and disappointed with what he said. Along with tweeting an apology, Price reached out in person to the media and to David Ortiz. Ortiz replied with saying how they respect one another as players and that is was “no big deal”. The media made it seem like Price had it out for Ortiz and vice versa, when in reality it was just post-season competition, there were no personal vendettas against each other. 

In light of the media coverage of Price’s twitter rampage, Rays’ GM, Joe Maddon, chimed in with his opinion of setting social media restrictions by stating, “I really hate to try to legislate behavior when it comes to these kinds of moments…David did the right thing after he did the wrong thing”. He does not think it is his place to make such decisions for his athletes and that they must learn from their mistakes and to respect the media. As we have discussed in class, respecting the media is important behavior by professional athletes in our modern day society. Price made it known how sorry he was for his actions and has learned a lesson he will most likely not make again any time soon.

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Analysis by Monica Paolicelli in SRM 334 (section 1)

After David Ortiz, of the Boston Red Sox, hit a homerun and watched it intently from home plate, David Price was furious with his performance throughout the night with a 7-4 loss. He called it a “dark spot in his career” and the TBS commentators could not agree more. Dirk Hayhurst and Tom Verducci commentated this ALDS game 2 and Hayhurst said “Price should have been pulled from the game earlier, you can’t take any chances. He was out there past his prime. He should’ve come out sooner.” Price was extremely embarrassed by this and criticized the TBS broadcast crew as being nerds and water boys during their sports careers. He took to Twitter with this tweet after the game, “Dirk Hayhurst … COULDN'T hack it … Tom Verducci wasn't even a water boy in high school … but they can still bash a player … SAVE IT NERDS” -@DAVIDprice14. Price’s criticisms proved nonsense as Verducci has covered the sport of baseball for decades and Hayhurst made the majors. David Price is saying that only those at or above his talent and accomplishment level have the right to criticize his performance. Do commentators, for any sport, have the right to criticize performance when a professional player is playing badly? I believe that they do have this right to inform the public audience with who is having a record-breaking game and who is having a bad performance that night. Athletes like David Price need to be aware that they are on television with a wide audience and will likely be criticized for performance. The media has the right to produce stories based on performances, even though they have never played professional baseball. This current event is all about respecting social media as well as professional commentators. David Price was angry, took to Twitter, and he definitely learned his lesson. He sent out an apology tweet shortly after explaining how he embarrassed himself, his family, and his organization. General Manager, Joe Maddon commented about installing social media policies throughout the organization with, “I really hate to try to legislate behavior when it comes to these kinds of moments … David did the right thing after he did the wrong thing.” Respecting all the constituents involved in sports media as well as coaches and other players takes a lot of self-control and humbleness. This is rare to find in professional sports where all athletes have stellar backgrounds and multiple honors.

"Ryan Braun's Dirty Deed"

From Slate

Analysis by Patrick Arnold in SRM 334 (section 1)

The topic we chose for our current event covers the use of performance enhancing drugs in the MLB, with our presentation mainly focusing on Ryan Braun. We will take an in depth look at each event that happened and its outcome during a long and grueling process. The use of PEDs in baseball seems to be a common trend in today’s game, resulting in continuous speculation of cheating from the game’s biggest stars.

Evolution is happening everywhere around us. Should we accept the fact that new supplements are allowing us, as fans of the game, witness exciting feats that we have never seen before? Back in the early 2000s, many of the game’s sluggers were taking banned substances. Ratings at that time were at an all time high, with balls being hit over 500 feet and numerous 50+ homerun seasons. . Some of those substances weren’t banned from the league’s drug policy at the time, so was it wrong or unethical? At that time we did not know any better, speculation isn’t what it is like now. Sadly, our society views most accomplishments within the game as something that was unjust because of previous incidents. We’ve seen great efforts from Major League Baseball to try and clean up the game in the past five to six years. Braun’s actions have even more exemplified why professional baseball is in such a dark hole right now.

On August 22nd Braun finally issued a statement admitting his guilt. Was this 944 word statement enough? This was nearly a month after MLB suspended him for 65 games - the remainder of the 2013 season. The way he attacked innocent people, along with the overdose of denial to media and fans makes it hard for the average Brewers fan to oversee the past. Especially for someone who enjoyed watching his 2011 MVP campaign, which led to a contract extension with an annual salary of $10 million through 2020. The organization is in trying times right now being 21 games back in their division with the face of their franchise looking to regain the trust of everyone around him.
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Analysis by Jeremy Cappert in SRM 334 (section 1)

No matter your level of involvement, sports play a major role in many people’s lives on a daily basis. Catching the latest news and highlights via ESPN, reading blips with the recent advent of sports apps, or public opinion on Twitter, we are fortunate enough to have more information at our hands than ever before. As we see in developing cases such as with Ryan Braun, the reliance on media sources at all levels for timely news is beyond measure, but can we always trust what we hear and whom we hear it from?

The chronicle of Ryan Braun first began in early October of 2011 when he was selected for a random drug test. As a result of this test, Braun tested positive for the use of Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) and with it began the two-year long stint of questioning and validation of media, fan, and athlete controversy. In December of 2011, ESPN and Yahoo released news of Braun testing positive which led to his appeal of a 50 game suspension in January of 2012. As of February 23rd, 2012, Braun won his appeal with a 2/3rds majority vote, the first ever in MLB history. Backed by thousands of loyal fans that proudly wore the number 8 in Miller Park and most notably, close friend and QB of the Green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers, it seemed as though justice had finally been reached. However, much to their dismay, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

In February of 2013, an article from Yahoo Sports linked Biogenesis, the same company who assisted Rodriguez and various MLB players to Ryan Braun. Finally, on July 22nd, 2013, Braun’s appeal was overturned and he was ultimately suspended for the remainder of the season (65 games). Consequently, the feeling of betrayal towards the many that backed him over the ordeal was astounding, most notably leading to jersey alterations changing Braun’s name to “Fraud.”

What can we learn from the controversy following the Milwaukee Brewer’s Ryan Braun? First and foremost is the importance of media to present proper facts. We see in this case especially, no matter the likeability of a person, their actions speak louder than any public statement they can make. The once MVP will most likely forever be tainted for the remainder of his career because of his own choices. As a result of his perpetual lying, Braun was made an example of. His fixation on being innocent lead to further investigation and report by the MLB and media in order to reveal the truth. The fact that he brought so many into a personal ordeal and negatively affected them is absolutely astounding. A Brewer’s teammate, Zack Greinke stated,

"Just the fact that he was willing to use anyone that got in his path. The closer you were to him, the more he would use you. It's just disappointing that a human being could be like that" (Mark Townsend).

Now faced with distrust from the Brewer’s organization, the MLB as whole, and countless fans, he is tasked with an uphill battle to restore any character and credibility that may be salvageable. Going forward, we as students in SRM 334 should take away the fact that deal media will either make or break you. Societies’ tenacity for reliable information will forever be the motivation behind media to provide up-to-date coverage of the latest stories and it is our responsibility as students in this field to provide it.

"Social media communication has changed baseball -- but not for better"

From the San Jose Mercury News

Review by Justin Graves in SRM 334 (section 2)

After the Oakland Athletics beat the Texas Rangers in a game of small ball, Rangers starting pitcher Matt Garza went on a Twitter tirade, even calling out the wife of one of Oakland’s players. Throughout the game, A’s infielder Eric Sogard and others laid down bunts that Garza is known having trouble fielding. Apparently at some point, Sogard’s wife said something to get under Garza’s skin, and he lashed out on Twitter, using severely sexist and even misogynistic terminology. Garza has since made his Twitter account private and “apologized” for his inappropriate actions. 

The article goes on to talk about how social media is changing the way players communicate in baseball, but not for the better; at least in this case. Before the game (ironically), Rangers manager Ron Washington was interviewed about the whole concept of Twitter. Washington admitted to not even knowing what Twitter was, which can potentially be a major problem for his players’ sake.

Looking at this issue, it could not apply more directly to this class and what we are learning about. Matt Garza provided a prime example of exactly what not to do with social media. By now, we are all following our favorite athletes on Twitter, Vine, Instagram, and every other possible social media platform. We use these platforms to feel a part of these athletes’ lives, and they use it to interact with their fans and each other. This can be a risky platform because, as Garza so wonderfully demonstrated, athletes can get caught up in the moment and say things they don’t mean. Or maybe they mean exactly what they mean, but it isn’t meant for the public to hear or see.

A’s manager Bob Melvin was also interviewed before the game about Twitter, and he unintentionally pointed out the pivotal downfall in players using Twitter so avidly; once you write a post, there is no going back. Sure, you can delete it later, but you’ve already sent that tweet out for thousands of fans to read, and take screen shots of. You can make your account private, but people have already seen, and taken screen shots of those tweets you sent. Matt Garza both deleted the tweets and made his account private, which really didn’t change anything. I was able to search Google Images and within seconds I had thousands of pictures of the tweets that Garza sent out. Other than the fact that the tweets were mildly disturbing, they were immature, inappropriate, and childish.

The problem with athletes using social media, specifically Twitter, is that they get frustrated, grab their phone, send an angry tweet and five minutes later they immediately regret what they just did. However, as was just mentioned, there is no turning back from what is now available for the entire Twitter universe to see. The other problem is that baseball managers have no way of controlling their players from doing so; they are too old to even understand what Twitter is or how to use it. Baseball is one of many sports that is adjusting to the online world, but they have yet to figure out a way to lay down a sort of “code” on the etiquette players should take on to the social media world. In fact, this isn’t the first time that Garza has gotten “in trouble” for his tweets. Earlier this year Garza went to Twitter calling out Cubs (who he was playing for at the time) fans being “fake” and being excessively negative. While Matt Garza may be somewhat of an extreme case, it seems as though the MLB needs to try to pull in the reigns a little on their players and what they post on their social media accounts. However on the other hand, they are simply humans that have strong emotions as the rest of us, but they have much more of a spotlight on them. Maybe Matt Garza just needs some anger management courses.

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Review by Kenta Kuroki in SRM 334 (section 2)

As we talked about the class for the print media, we have been seeing tremendous changes in providing contents from a paper to a screen in the web. Because of the progress of technology, everybody could be a part of media, which is good. Of course, players could say everything if they want to do. But, at the same time, it becomes more difficult to keep their privacy. Here is an example of bad case for using social media as celebrities. 

Texas starter Matt Garza insulted A’s infielder Eric Sogard and his wife by using the Twitter on the weekend after the game. He tweeted badly because Sogard did a bunt to score knowing that Garza has a trouble with his fielding. Garza said that “It’s a man’s game so keep you trap shut!” apparently to Sogard’s wife. After a while, he seemed that he deleted his tweets, but that was too late. Followers, reporters, and fans knew what he did it.

The article also talks about some problems related to sports communication in baseball by using the current technology. The manager Ron Washington in Texas Rangers did not what the Twitter was before the scandal happened. I think this could be really problematic because the boss should know what is happening in this world as a responsibility of their work. Moreover, the article says the bosses in the sport team might have lack of knowledge how to treat with the Internet things for players, which they should fix that as soon as possible. As another problem with the social communication including the Twitter, the article says “Once you write or say something and post it, there’s not going back.” As I mentioned about the Garza’s case, it is really right. As I found his tweets on the Google images, possibly every baseball fan might know what he has done even if he deleted his stuffs. As a last problem, baseball has many games and more games than other sports have, and that makes baseball get troubles to talk about a lot of things related to games according to the article.

Before going to the conclusion of this paper, I need to mention that other sports players besides baseball do the same thing like the Garza’s case, and actually put the video into our Powerpoint. I found interesting because athletes says something which is not appropriate to speak up as their life standpoint. I mean that celebrities have less privacy and more limitation, so they should be careful on the statement.

This article is relevant to our course because we should know what is happening around us, even if it is a basic level just saying that be careful to use social media as athletes. Lastly, to avoid the Graza’s case, we need to educate players as well as possibly coaches, managers, and maybe everybody related to sports industry. For Garza’s case, he should not use social media as my opinion because he cannot draw the line whether it is ok or not.

"Teams match fists; no suspensions"

From ESPN

Review by Dre Coble in SRM 334 (section 2)

Our current event presentation will be on the 2013 World Baseball Classic and one major event that happen during the tournament that sent the media into frenzy. If you extreme baseball fan you know what this event is all about. The world baseball classic is something similar to the world cup but baseball style. It’s a baseball tournament with 16 different countries trying to win a championship. The teams are made up of individuals who are either living in that country now or from that country. In America we have the MLB (Major League Baseball) which is our own professional league. A lot of our professionals in the MLB are from different countries such as Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, China etc. With that being said players that play in America play for their native country in this tournament. The tournament is also similar to the Olympics when it comes to that aspect. The games are hosted in different locations around the world.

The world baseball is meant to bring together all these different countries in friendly competition to see who is considered the best in the world. Players take these games seriously because they aren’t only representing themselves they are representing their country. The world baseball classic is broadcasted on national TV in America but doesn’t receive a lot of media attention. This is a question that needs to be asked and answered. It seems like the tournament isn’t a big thing to America and a lot of Americans who aren’t baseball fanatics don’t even bother to watch it. This is where the tournament isn’t like the world cup or like the Olympics. Both of those events are highly talked about in media either on TV or social networks, constant stories are being released about them. The tournament wasn’t receiving barley any attention until the countries of Canada and Mexico played each other. In the ninth inning Mexico pitcher hit a Canadian batter and all hell broke loose as the batter charged the mound and the benches cleared starting an all-out brawl between the two teams. After the teams were separated no one was suspended for the fight but the media went crazy. The video of the fight was all over the news, ESPN, and internet. It took a fight to bring some attention to the tournament and the question is why did it take all that just for the tournament to receive all this coverage? In America do we love seeing violence especially when it comes to sports? 

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Review by Reuben Alarico in SRM 334 (section 2)

Andre and I decided to do our current events presentation on the recent fight between Team Canada and Team Mexico during the opening rounds of the World Baseball Classic. The fight was caused because Canada decided to bunt in the top of the 9th inning while leading 9-3. This sparked Mexican 3rd baseman Luis Cruz to tell his pitcher, Arnold Leon, to hit the next batter. The first pitch was very inside but nothing was said of it. The next pitch would have hit the batter’s thigh had he not moved. This led to both teams getting warned by the umpire. The next and last pitch was the “finishing blow”. A fastball clocked at 93 mph hit Canadian Rene Tosoni in the back. After being hit, he started walking towards the mound which led to benches being cleared and a couple of fights breaking out. After everything settled, no one ended up getting suspended.

Viewing the fight from an analytical standpoint, I believe Luis Cruz felt like Canada should not have been bunting due to the run differential and also because of an “unwritten” which considers that to be disrespectful. But at the same time, what does hitting a batter prove to anyone? I think they should have stayed professional and tried to have been the “bigger men”. I’m sure sports bloggers and sports analysts would have talked about the lack of sportsmanship displayed by Team Canada had Mexico kept their composure. Lastly I wanted to include how this event is relevant to our class. It relates to our class because it involves sports media because this fight was a trending topic on twitter and it also involves event management because the World Baseball Classic is a tournament that takes place on an international stage and occurs only every four years.

How to Fix the World Baseball Classic

From SI.com, The New Yorker, Bustasports, Nats101.com, and The Washington Times

Review by Sean Sullivan in SRM 334 (section 1)

The topic we selected was the World Baseball Classic (WBC). The reason we selected this topic was because of the lack of media coverage, the incorrect way the media perceives, and the flaws of the WBC. We used numerous sources to cover our topic from all different angles. However, one of the main sources we utilized was the ESPN clip of the Canada versus Mexico brawl. This video offered great insight and inspiration for us to understand the issues amongst the media and the WBC.

There are numerous issues with the WBC and media. When it comes to the WBC itself we can begin with the scheduling. The WBC poorly decided to start the tournament during the NFL Free Agency frenzy and the hype of NCAA Basketball. With the WBC scheduling during the spectacle of NFL Free Agency this makes it extremely difficult for the WBC to gain any media coverage in the U.S. When football is the considered by many as the number one sport in the U.S. baseball must realize that the bulk of media coverage will be geared towards the NFL. To also schedule the WBC tournament around the same time that NCAA Basketball is at its height of popularity is also foolish. During that particular time frame with college basketball conference tournaments going on as well as March Madness it is pure stupidity to assume that the WBC will dominate in terms of media coverage over college basketball. Both events overshadow the WBC with ease. Other issues with the WBC are lack of U.S. baseball stars participating and that games are not televised on cable and only available if fans have the MLB Network channel. If the WBC wanted to improve its chances of receiving heightened media coverage they would have to develop some type of incentive or invoke desire for the top players to play. Many of the players on team USA are minor league prospects or lesser known major league players. If the WBC can make it attractive enough to appeal to the big name players that would drastically enhance the media coverage; because stars attract the eyes. The other issues, as mentioned before, are the games not being televised on cable. The true fans of baseball who would like to watch cannot watch the games unless they have the MLB Network. The WBC has to consider resolving that dilemma by allowing its “blue collar” fans the opportunity to watch the games. Treating the sports fans that way only damages its media coverage.

Now as far as the media and its coverage of the WBC the one flaw they have is summed up perfectly by Sports Illustrated writer Tom Verducci, “the media covers the WBC for what it is not, rather than for what it is.” This quote exemplifies exactly what is wrong with the media when it comes to covering the WBC. Many of the times the media only shows a brief two-minute highlight clip of a game or sometimes a ten second update of the scores. What also occurs quite frequently is the only time the media gives the WBC extended coverage is when something like the Canada and Mexico bawl takes place. So in order for the WBC to receive any in-depth coverage something rather than the game of baseball itself must occur, aka a brawl. Many were unaware that the WBC was taking place until sports media started discussing the WBC brawl. To relate it to Verducci’s point, WBC only gets mentioned for what it is not (fighting and brawl) rather than what it is, which is the game of baseball. There would not have been an issue with the media coverage of the bawl had the media been offering more in-depth analysis and coverage concerning the games itself. Other issue is whenever media covers the WBC with extended analysis they discuss all the flaws of the WBC, such as scheduling, MLB player participation, etc. The media hardly ever focuses on just the games and the players performances. It always seems to be negative coverage towards the WBC.

All the issues with both the WBC and the media the blame should be mostly blamed on the WBC. The poor decisions thus far have led to many of the WBC lack of media coverage. Why should the media want to cover a sport that does not even appear on television? On top of that why would the media prefer to cover an event that is not on television and is during two of the more popular events (Free Agency and College Basketball) during the same time frame? It does not make any sense for the media to invest their time and money for the WBC, when in reality the WBC can solve these issues by simply swallowing their pride. Baseball is a very prideful sport, it prides itself in its rich history and tradition; it is also handcuffed to it as well. You see the struggle with the MLB today in regards to instant replay. It has taking the MLB years to reach the point it has now with instant replay and yet the MLB still refuses to allow technological advancements to help solve human error which can cost a team a win or a loss. Baseball is so prideful and stubborn that it in the end it hurts the game more than it helps it; this is the same for the WBC. The WBC needs to look at itself and accept its flaws in order to safe itself. Stop blaming the media on this one because it is the WBC’s fault for its lack of media coverage.

This topic is relevant to the course because it shows the flaws on both ends of the spectrum. Yes, the media could do a better job at covering the WBC, but the WBC could do a hell of a lot more to make the media want to cover the WBC. This offers great insight for our course to see how sometimes the media is not the one to blame. Usually people blame the media and sometimes rightfully so, but there are times when it is not the media but the event/sport that is the main issue. This also shows our course what not to do when trying to have a sports tournament. It helps people realizes how important timing and scheduling can be in order to maximizes the tournaments media coverage. Sometimes it is about configuring to the media, because the majority of the time the media does not configure to you.
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Review by Brett Ireland in SRM 334 (section 1)

March 19, 2013 marked the completion of the third World Baseball Classic, crowning the Dominican Republic as world champions. This “tournament” involves 16 teams that represent their country where players may play for the team of the country they were born in, or are a citizen of, regardless of what professional league they play for. Japan has been crowned champions twice while the Dominicans recently became the new champions. Major League Baseball is considered the best and highest level of professional baseball in the world, yet the United States team has yet to place. This tournament happens every four years and has become “Baseball’s Olympics” and the Unites States has not been treating it as such or giving it the recognition in the media that it deserves.

Competing in the Olympics amongst the world’s best is considered a great honor for any individual. This tournament is considered the baseball segment of the Olympics and has showed great success worldwide including high popularity on Japan. The Unites States is not fielding a team that has the best players available. MVPs of recent years were left off the roster and fans and other players of and for the United States team don’t take pride in the team. This is a contributing factor to the lack of media support and coverage of the United States team. Solutions that will allow for better media coverage of the team include, forcing players to participate and changing the time of year the tournament is played. Fielding the best possible team will make the team more competitive and thus more enjoyable to watch. Also, the event takes place at a time when teams are putting together rosters and don’t want to risk their players health ultimately leading to teams prohibiting their players from participating. Changing the time this tournament takes place may allow for more players to join the team.

This is relevant to Sport Media because this presents an important sporting event not getting media coverage. Regular season baseball games are televised on a daily basis as are the Olympics. This is a world stage event that includes high profile players from many different teams and countries. It is considered an honor for some to represent their country and more important than regular season baseball. For the United States, however, many of the best players, including MVPs, elect not to participate and the tournament is not seen as a big deal to American citizens because the games are often not made available for the public to view or listen to.

"Biggio tops vote but no one elected to Hall"

From MLB.com

Review by A.J. Scott in SRM 334 (section 1)
My current event is discussing the reason why none of the Major League Baseball players were voted in the Hall of Fame this year. Some of these players who we discussed have been on steroids and have cheated the system for the majority of their careers. One of the most highly debated elections for the Baseball hall of fame ended in January without a single player being inducted. Barry Bonds, Rodger Clemens, and Sammy Sosa are players that are guilty of these actions. 

I personally think it was wrong for them to have used illegal drugs for so long. All these players are icons in baseball, for older fans and the younger ones whom may look up to these players. It looks bad on their part because it seems like their whole career, they have just been cheaters and have been lying to their fan base and to their teammates. Do I think it’s fair that not even a single one of these great players got voted in? No I do not; regardless of them using steroids this so call performance enhancer, I look at the big picture. These players have changed baseball in a tremendous way. Personally, I am not a baseball fan in no way shape or form, but when I do hear about the major leagues, the names that I am familiar with are the players that were supposed to but didn’t get voted in the Hall of Fame. Sammy Sosa is a great baseball player with or without the drug enhancer. Even if he was to not have taken them I still think he would’ve became all the above.

This was an interesting topic for me to talk about because Baseball is not really something I follow but it is always good to learn about different sports and the problems that all athletes face which is the use of steroids. This event affected not only the Hall of Fame, but also marketing, fans, and the entire sport. It shows the impact that one event can have on everything. Athletes need to stop lying about taking drug enhancers; this has become a major issue in society today and has had a major impact on the world of sports.
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Review by Anthony Rose in SRM 334 (section 1)

My current event is discussing the problem with the MLB Hall of Fame ballot. The problem is the fact that no one was voted into the hall of fame this year, and one of the main reasons is because of performance enhancing drugs. A lot of the candidates were accused of using performance enhancing drugs such as Barry Bonds who is the all time leader in home runs, Roger Clemens a pitcher who has 354 wins, Sammy Sosa who is the only baseball player to hit over 60 homers with three different teams. I think that the voters are trying to make a statement for the future saying basically if you are going to cheat your way into the record books then you are going to have to wait longer to get inducted into the hall of fame. Which in them doing that is fair but what isn’t fair is the fact that there are some other great players that didn’t get in this year that played the game the right way and are very deserving of the Hall of Fame. Me personally I have to agree with the steps that they are taking to put a stop to performing enhancing drugs because its just destroying the game of baseball. The fact that there will be no National Baseball hall of fame there will not be the same attendance for the Cooperstown season because that the biggest event during that weekend. In that case there will not be the same amount of funding that they are usually seeing because the big time baseball fans will not be attending.

"Does Money Buy Championships?"

From Concordia University St. Paul - Online

Review by Jenny Hansberry in KIN 332 (section 2)

I came across this article and found it to be an interesting topic to bring up in class. Growing up an avid Philadelphia Phillies fan, I certainly had my opinion about the New York Yankees and how they spend their organization’s money. I have always thought that the Yankees “buy their championships”, and it would be ridiculous if they did not win the World Series every year since they buy the top players. However, after this article, I realize that money does not always guarantee a ring at the end of the season. 

One of the most interesting statistics I found from this article was that the MLB has more of a diverse result in championships than any other professional sport. I was surprised because I would think that since there is no salary cap in the MLB and wealthy organizations can get whichever players they want that they would have the same teams winning over and over again. Since this is not the case, it is hard to understand exactly why some teams spend such an immense amount of money every year. From a marketing standpoint, the teams who have more money within the organization for players, coaches, staff, the stadium, fans, etc. are also bringing in more money on a game to game basis. Tradition and history ensure teams such as the Yankees or Phillies to never have to worry about not having the fans behind them to make a profit every season.

Another reason why I thought this article was interesting is because the teams, especially in baseball, that are being focused on as the teams that spend the most are not currently playing anymore. This World Series is the Tigers and Giants, neither are which spoken about in this article. Therefore, it brings up tremendous marketing opportunities to help build up their teams to maybe one day become as historic as some other teams in the league.

"TBS' MLB Overnight Playoff Average Remains Up 4%; MLB Net Sees Record Audience"

From SportsBusiness Journal

Review by Beau Banglesdorf in KIN 332 (section 2)
TBS is averaging four percent higher overnight Nielsen ratings through its first eight playoff games compared to last year and has seen an increase in 25-54 year old male viewers by fifteen percent. Certain games are even obtaining higher ratings than usual even though NFL games are on television at the same time. Through the first three days, TBS is averaging a 2.3 US rating and 3.6 million viewers which are up fifteen percent and fourteen percent respectively. In terms of viewers and US rating from last year on the third day of playoff coverage, both are up eleven percent. D.C. has had its best rating since the Nationals came to town in 2005 and the Orioles have had their highest rating since the were last in the playoffs in 1997. The Major League Baseball Network (MLBN) averaged 1.3 million viewers for the Athletics vs. Tigers game, which was the networks highest ever. Some fans and writers feeling like the MLBN’s handling of its coverage is greedy however. The MLBN is not allowing local markets to air the games it airs. 

I believe baseball is doing a great job making a comeback and becoming relevant to television ratings and audiences once again. Football and basketball had taken over for a while and I feel like it is nice to see baseball making marketing changes to bring audiences back in. The MLB has seen how effective the NFL and NBA have been with commercials geared towards their fans and now the MLB is airing similar commercials and the effectiveness of such commercials is being seen with the increased ratings. It does not hurt however, that some new teams have made the playoffs and it is not just the same teams this year that it usually is.

"Is Dynamic Ticket Pricing Hurting MLB Attendance?"

From Forbes.com

Review by Courtney Hamner in KIN 501

The article “Is Dynamic Ticket Pricing Hurting MLB Attendance?” starts out by discussing the Yankee’s decrease in attendance. Their attendance is down 3.5 percent year-over-year. The Yankee’s are traditionally a standard bearer for sports franchises. This leads other MLB team managers to worry if the same is going to happen to them. The article discusses the possible reasons behind the decreased attendance of the economy, and bad on-field performance. The writer points out that these are just convenient excuses. 

One of the main reasons the article points out is the use of Stub Hub. This is a secondary market for ticket sales. Stub Hub is dramatically undercutting the face value of tickets available on the official Yankee website or physical box office. According to Dead Spin, the more expensive the face value, the more likely it is going to be sold under face value. This causes the Yankees to underestimate the market. Another reason could be that the Yankee’s don’t use dynamic ticket sales. But as the article goes on it discusses how all MLB teams are struggling with attendance.

The writer says a number of things can be causing decreased ticket sales. But if we try and say the Yankees ticket sales and attendance numbers are caused by misreading the market or not using dynamic ticket sales, than what explains the other team’s decreases? The main focus is based around ticket sales being too confusing.

Dynamic ticket sales are full of flaws. The first flaw is that it offers too many choices. Yes, human beings love to have many options but when given too many options we are faced with not being able to make a choice. This leaves us feeling dissatisfied. Dynamic ticket pricing often includes a daily (sometimes hourly) fluctuation in price. The second flaw is pricing schemes often shift the burden of pricing decision and activity from the franchise to the fan. Fans are tasked with trying to determine what the right price for a ticket is. The last flaw the article discusses is that dynamic ticket pricing may tax franchise personnel more than establishing ticket prices in the off-season and sticking with them for the 162-game slate.

I feel that these factors can be attributed to decreased attendance. I think that dynamic ticket sales can change the pricing of tickets so much that fans wonder if they really are getting a good deal. But at the same time I think that dynamic ticket sales have a lot of positive attributes as well. Dynamic ticket sales help in a bad economy by offering prices that fans can afford. Yes, ticket prices may change frequently, but they change within the level of demand, type of customer, and weather. Therefore, the customer is being put first. Although ticket sales are getting very confusing, I think that it is not the main culprit for decreased attendance. I think that the economy and a bad on-field performance are convenient but very true excuses for poor attendance. Not just one factor can be given for the decreased attendance this year.

The hype about Bryce Harper

From Bleacher Report and ESPN.com

Review by Ryan Gerrity in SRM 334

The article and group discussion that we decided to bring to class was about Bryce Harper, and his early introduction into the sports media world. The article that we chose was about both Mike Trout and Bryce Harper, and how they are taking the MLB by storm at such a young age.

The article talks about how that at age 16 Bryce Harper was put on the cover of Sports Illustrated. They compare him to LeBron James because he was the first high school player to ever be on the cover of that magazine. The article than goes on to describe how the hype is surrounding them both. Trout even though, he is having a better year than Harper, is not receiving the same attention from the media.

The way that Harper approaches the media is also another part of the article. He does not handle the media well at all. It seems like he gets frustrated very easily with the media and will have outbursts and sometimes even attack the reporters verbally. It is unnecessary and very immature. At a very young age he was put into the spotlight of the media, and this made him grow up very quickly. Even though he is in the media spotlight, he is still a young man, and may not be prepared and may still be very immature. Personally, I believe that he was put on a pedestal at such a young age by his parents, and by the media that surrounded him. This caused him to become a little over confident in himself and his ability to play baseball. He was a spotlight in a feature called E:60 by ESPN when he was 16 years old and that was when he was in high school. He then took that and believed that he wanted to leave high school early, and go to a community college so that he could go to the MLB draft when he was 19. He was drafted first overall, and the spotlight was on him since that day.

This subject has to do with our class because it is based on the media and the effect that it had on him at such a young age. The way the media portrays him and how it effects him is very noticeable. The media shows him as a young immature player and person, and he follows through with that stereotype by the way he handles himself with the media. I do not think that he is doing a good job when he is handling the media. I believe that his teammates and his fans are annoyed by the way he handles himself.
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Review by Steve Robertson in SRM 334

When I think of the media today I think of a monster. It can essentially make you or break you. I find it extremely interesting how influential the media can be for the fans, and how it keeps them coming back for more. I did my article on the MLB Rookie, Bryce Harper, and his popularity between the league and media.

This article begins with comparing him to NBA Champion LeBron James as a rookie coming out of high school and his fan base in the MLB, compared to Tim Tebow’s popularity within the NFL. The major similarity which was highlighted was similar to LeBron, Harper found himself on the cover of Sport Illustrated as a teenager in high school. Furthermore, Bryce was also drafted number 1 overall in his draft class, similar to LeBron.

As the article continued, it began to compare Bryce Harper to the other new MLB rookie Mike Trout. Mike Trout has actually been out performing Harper throughout the entire season. However it said due to his struggles before he was called up, was when Bryce Harper “went-off.” As the article began to wind up the author mentioned that, “Hype has its place and serves a purpose in the sports-entertainment world. It cultivates interest—both positive and negative—which generates publicity, which increases newspaper circulation and page views, which facilitates the pursuit and attainment of the almighty dollar. “

Honestly anything that has some sort of drama/hot topic can sell, in the media sense. A big reason that Bryce has become so popular throughout the league has been because was talked about a teenager and the media fell in love with not only his athleticism, but his character as well. I feel the Bryce Harper needed to learn how to mature quickly when coming into the MLB. A major reason, I feel why the fans and media love him is because he can be quite unpredictable and has had a history of immature outbursts during interviews and has already had multiple ejections throughout his baseball career.

I think Bryce Harper along with Mike Trout have very promising careers ahead of them. I feel in order for Bryce to thrive in the MLB however, I strongly believe that he needs to grow up quicker in the league- he will not be a teenager forever.

"Nationals limiting group sales to boost Take Back the Park campaign"

From the Washington Post


Review by Kristen Rauch in KIN 435 (section 2)

Looking at the crowd in Nationals Stadium on Opening Day two years ago, one would have thought they were at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Phillies fans flooded the capital in 2010, which is why the Washington Nationals have launched a promotion campaign called “Take Back the Park” for this season’s series against the Phillies in May. Andrew Feffer, the Nationals’ COO, claims that this year is “a different day,” as the campaign aims to get the majority of seats filled with Washington fans.

The Take Back the Park promotion offers a special presale of single-game tickets available only to those who live in DC, Maryland, or Virginia. The presale opened at 7:00 am on Friday, February 3rd, and will continue until a yet-to-be-specified date. During this time, Nationals season-ticket holders and residents of the DMV area are encouraged to register for the offer, although eligibility for presale does not guarantee availability of those tickets; tickets are subject to a first-come, first-served basis. Along with this promotion, Feffer has made an appeal to local fans that “filling the park is not only about the Nationals and Phillies, but rather a civic issue.” He hopes the community will band together and take advantage of this opportunity to reclaim what is theirs: Nationals Park.

What does Take Back the Park mean for Phillies fans? They will not be able to purchase tickets to the series until the conclusion of the promotion, and even then, the group tickets they do buy will be at a non-discount rate. This has upset many of the Philadelphia tour operators who generate their income by grouping bus tickets to Nationals Park with tickets to the games. Feffer wants to make sure that Nationals fans get the opportunity to get a ticket to the game before Phillies fans, but once the promotion is over the remaining single-game tickets will go on sale to anyone.

In my opinion, this promotion plan has potential for short-term success. I think that Take Back the Park will get local Nats fans to become more aware of the rivalry with the Phillies, and realizing that this opponent has really “taken away” their stadium, competitiveness will set in and Washington fans will want to reclaim what is theirs. In the long-run, however, attendance ratios at Nationals-Phillies games will really depend on whether or not the Nats win. The new promotion idea will excite the people of Washington for the first series, but if the Nationals are not winning it will have a negative effect on the number of DMV residents who take advantage of the presale and attend future games. Furthermore, limiting group ticket sales may anger Phillies fans, potentially resulting in poorer sportsmanship from those that do end up getting seats in the stadium.

"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.