NFL hopefuls try to gain attention of league via YouTube

From Yahoo! Sports and Fox Sports

Analysis by Cory McCagh in SRM 334 (section 2)

Last year there were 254 collegiate athletes selected in the 2013 NFL Draft. After their college season ends, some players are invited to participate in front of NFL scouts at combines and camp workouts. For under the radar players trying to make their way into the NFL, players have started using social media sources such as Youtube to gain the attention of scouts. Rather than work out for scouts in person, displaying their overall skills, players have started using Youtube to market a particular skill. Youtube has developed a way for players to go from being completely unknown to Youtube celebrities in a span of a few weeks. Youtube is one of the most popular websites on the Internet, reaching over one billion users a month and it is a great spotlight for unknown players to get their name out to NFL scouts.

Essentially these players are relying on Youtube users to view their video until it becomes popular enough to be seen by NFL teams. Alex Tanney had just finished his senior season at Monmouth, a Division III school, and was not invited to the NFL combine or expected to be drafted by any teams. Tanney, along with a few friends, made a five minute video composed of the D-III quarterback making spectacular trick shots. After quickly becoming Youtube famous with now over 3 million views, the video made it around the league and Tanney was invited to attend the rookie minicamps of multiple teams. Norwegian player, Harvard Rugland, put together an impressive enough kicking video to convince NFL scouts to invite someone for a tryout who had never even played a real football game in their life. Youtube has presented low profile players with a way to make NFL teams more interested in them in a matter of a few minutes than they were throughout their entire season.

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Analysis by Cody Fazenbaker in SRM 334 (section 2)

Havard Rugland, a 28-year old from Norway, has recently become an internet sensation with a video he posted on YouTube. Having never played a game of football before, he was able to catch the attention of NFL scouts and coaches in a video displaying a wide variety of kicking skills that Rugland possesses. After seeing the video, the Detroit Lions contacted Rugland and offered him a try-out.

From a media and communications standpoint, this was a very smart and successful move from Rugland. He had never played football before and knows nearly nothing about the rules and yet was contacted by multiple NFL teams. Without using social media like YouTube, his skills and ability would have gone unnoticed. By placing the video online, it was able to spread quickly to millions of people. As the 4-minute video gained popularity, it started to reach members of different NFL teams who immediately took an interest in Rugland. The media also became aware of the video, and Rugland earned himself an interview on Good Morning America and a long article in the New York Times.Without the use of YouTube and other social media sites, Havard Rugland would not be who he is today. He would not have had these opportunities presented to him. This article is relevant to this Sports Media course because Havard used the media to get exposure and become recognized globally. In this digital era, he was able to use technology to his advantage and become successful. If he wasn’t able to put this video online, it’s safe to say that not nearly this many people would recognize his name.

"Special Report on Oklahoma State Football: The Overview"

From Sports Illustrated

Analysis by Graham Sharples in SRM 334 (section 1)

On Tuesday, September 10 2013, Sports Illustrated began the release of a five part series of their findings after a 10-month investigation on the Oklahoma State football program. Their special report examined violations that occurred within the OSU football program from 2000-2011. After receipt of information of possible corruption at the university, SI senior writers George Dohrmann and Thayer Evans sought to speak with more than a hundred individuals, which included 64 former Cowboys. All of these players spoke on the record and shed light on the extreme measures OSU took to build a winning program. The 5 part series that SI released detailed individually all the accounts of corruption through money, academics, drugs, and even sex.

Though the investigation covered a decade of NCAA violations committed by OSU, only recently were these transgressions revealed. The media, Sports Illustrated being the main source, played a huge role in highlighting the extreme measures taken by the program and also the damages that resulted from them. It all began from a leak of information given to these two reporters and consequently an investigation began in attempts to obtain more information. They used available resources by techniques of communication through interviews to individuals with ties to the university in order to gain insight about the corruption within the program. From that Sports Illustrated created a five series special report that detailed their findings and started their release on September 10 and titled the whole series “The Dirty Game.” The five parts were named: the Money, The Academics, The Drugs, The Sex and The Fallout. The violations that OSU committed aren’t uncommon in regards to big-time college sports programs especially in specifics to the acceptance of money or academic dishonesty, but one of the most troubling aspects of this case that the media wanted to emphasize was the collateral damages to humans that were also exploited by the university. Sports Illustrated looked to not only investigate these allegations against OSU but also the impact that it had on the players. They exposed how many of these players that were involved in this scandal were basically “cast aside.” Consistently from the interviews, the players exposed how their experience in university didn’t build them up for the future but their involvement with the corrupt football program left them with next to nothing. Some players were even kicked out, stripped away of their scholarships and returning to environments they believed to be done with.

Sports Illustrated took a very strategic approach to this case by releasing their results in an investigative series on all SI platforms. The fact that they decided to release it in individual parts makes the story much more appealing and intriguing. The main reason why this story is now such a big issue is due to the investigation that Sports Illustrated conducted. Since the release of the story there have been multiple press releases, news conferences and interviews investigating in depth of the allegations uncovered by SI.
The relevancy to this course rests in the techniques that Sports Illustrated used in order to present their story. Specifically, the amounts of time spent in creating this story as well as the amount of promotional work used to market the OSU scandal as well, not to mention the press release prior to the five segments were set to release. The story itself was set to release on multiple platforms, first on their website and then all together in a published magazine to increase their coverage. Sports Illustrated through the release of this story has profoundly affected both the university’s reputation as a football program as well as the players involved. They looked to not only exploit the deceit and disingenuousness of the school but also invited the audience and SI readers to feel empathy with the players who were deemed no longer useful to the program.

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Analysis by Austin Hersh in SRM 334 (section 1)

In this article Sports Illustrated investigators bring to light the foul play that occurred during Les Miles and Mike Gundy’s tenders as head coach of Oklahoma State University football. In the article you will find that there was everything from failed drug tests, sex provided to recruits, and money payments for good play.

The investigators found it odd for OSU to go from a, “big school stepping stone” to a major contender for a national championship in such a short period of time. Sports Illustrated interviewed 64 former Cowboys and received stories of players failing multiple drug tests with no repercussions. Many players would receive drugs for free and some on the team were dealing drugs as well. This lack of authority in these young men’s lives led many to drug abuse and some to end up in prison after leaving Clear Water. Payments for good play and sex provided to big name recruits seemed to be something of the norm in the OSU football community and as long as wins were rolling in, figures of authority seemed to turn a blind eye.

After life as head coach for OSU, Les Miles went on to create a powerhouse in Baton Rouge for LSU. With no consequences for his actions and how he ran his programs he now has more power and more tools at his fingertips to create champions on the field and rake in the cash for the university. What was interesting is that while all of this did occur, that SI decided to investigate years later. The investigation will do nothing but tarnish a once proud school and once proud program. Players with no association to the regime that caused so much pain now have to represent a legacy they did not sign up for.. Being a former college athlete and in speaking with former and current athletes at universities all around the country I still find it amusing to hear stories such as this one. Foul play occurs at programs all around the nation and it seems to be accepted that in order to succeed, “if you aren’t cheating, you aren’t trying.” While I understand it is the nature of the media beast to find dirt any way possible, I feel that the majority of fans do not realize that this sort of thing has been happening for decades and will never go away. Coaches will always give players/ recruits whatever it takes to keep food on their tables. OSU might be the latest on the long list of scandal ridden programs but the surface has only just been scratched.

"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.

"Media Reaction to Johnny Manziel's Antics Atrociously Unfair"

From Fox Sports and Bleacher Report

Review Kyle Clarke in SRM 334 (section 2)

The buzz around Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel has reached a high to the point where anything he says or does gets reported and from there, his remarks or actions are critiqued to the max. In these articles, Clay Travis and James Sullivan try to dive inside the minds of audience opinions on Johnny Manziel and point out unfair critiques of Johnny Manziel.

Since beating Alabama in Tuscaloosa last year and winning the Heisman trophy award, Johnny Manziel has been under the microscope of the media across the nation. Every thing he says or does, someone has an opinion on it. Most recently Johnny Manziel played in his first game of his redshirt sophomore season against Rice University. During the game Johnny Manziel did a lot of taunting, “money” gestures after scoring touchdowns, and drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, which caused his coach to pull him from the game. Clay Travis wrote on the reactions from the media. “ESPN reacted like Manziel was the Unabomber” (Travis, 2013). He also wrote how Tim Tebow received a taunting penalty however no one really reacted in a way they did towards Johnny Manziel. Clay Travis believed that how someone felt about Johnny Manziel could tell a lot about how that person. For an example, if someone were not in favor of the way Johnny Manziel played the position of quarterback, that person is most likely someone who is a rules follower. “You believe Johnny’s a showboat, and you are rooting for Nick Saban and Alabama, the ultimate rule-following-team, to teach Johnny a lesson” (Travis, 2013).

James Sullivan took the same position as Clay Travis but went into a little different direction. Presented a timeline of what transpired throughout the game. He displayed “The National Response” which was the opinions and thoughts of the media who reacted negatively towards the antics of Johnny Manziel. For the most part, James Sullivan thought Manziel is being crucified for acting like a confident 20-year-old who happens to be the reigning Heisman award winner. Everyone is going to have an opinion on Johnny Manziel. Some feel that he is very immature and that he does not handle his high status among college football well at all. Others feel that he is just your average college student athlete he just happens to receive more attention then others. Because of his success on the football field last season combined with his personality, everything Manziel says or does will draw millions of opinions and analysis. One has to wonder where did this spotlight come from. Was it his performance against Alabama last season that led to an upset of the number one team in the nation, was it being awarded the Heisman trophy season for dominating the opposition last year, or is it a combination of both. His status has elevated beyond Texas A&M and possibly college football in general. No matter how people may feel about him, Johnny Football is the face of college football. Whether he likes it or not, everyone will be watching his every move and it will draw headlines, even if it is him attending a party.

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Review by Patrick Boling in SRM 334 (section 2)

The article “Manziel opinions say a lot about us” (Travis, 2013) is an insightful analysis regarding the recent controversies surrounding 2012 Heisman Trophy winner, Johnny Manziel. Manziel has recently been involved in a number of incidents that have circulating the national media. These incidents include: Manziel partying with Drake, getting into a bar fight, unexpectedly leaving the Manning Passing Academy allegedly due to heavy drinking, partying at a rival school at Texas University, and then was accused of accepting $7,500 in exchange for signing autographs. Clay Travis quickly comes to the defense of Johnny Manziel with respect to the national exposure and criticism, particularly by ESPN. Yet, Travis does not directly address the controversial behavior by Manziel. Travis goes as far as saying Manziel is, “the most scrutinized athlete in college sports history.” It is my opinion that Clay Travis is correct in saying that, whether Manziel is deserving of the scrutiny or not. Travis was surprised that ESPN made such a big deal out of Manziel taunting the opposition Rice and celebrating by pretending to rub money in his hand after scoring a touchdown. But to me, the thorough coverage of Manziel is not surprising given the advanced evolution of social media and technology. In fact, Manziel was video recorded with someone’s personal cell phone signing dozens of autographs in a hotel, but there was no evidence of Manziel receiving payments for them and thus breaking NCAA rules. ESPN and the most of sports media rely on advertisements for revenue and it is athletes like “Johnny Football” that will make people tune into ESPN for constant coverage of Manziel’s every move on and off the field. Another polarizing attribute about Manziel is he is either loved or hated, but even those who dislike him will still watch Sportscenter story on him or read articles about him online.
The article then goes into depth about how one feels about Johnny Manziel can be a reflection of your personality and values. Travis uses examples of this both on and off the field. For example, if you do not like Johnny’s unorthodox style as a quarterback then you are probably someone that is traditional and a rules follower, but if you embrace Johnny Football’s unorthodox style then you are more likely to be a free spirit and, “prefer heroes to be rebels.” Another point Travis makes is that he sparked a social and cultural debate regarding his party lifestyle off the field. For example, is it wrong for him to be out partying and drinking even though he is underage? If not, what about the fact that every other college student drinks while they are underage and is it fair to hold him to a higher or different standard? No matter how you feel about Johnny Football, odds are you are at least intrigued by him and intrigued enough to keep using sports media to see what Johnny Football will do next.

"ESPN.com Expands NFL Nation Network with Sites for All 32 NFL Teams"

From ESPN.com

Analysis by Chris Vittorio in SRM 334 (section 2)

In late August, ESPN announced that they were expanding their NFL Nation Network by hiring 21 new writers in order to cover every NFL team. A press release on ESPN’s Media Zone announced that each team would have its own website staffed by experienced reporters. Many of the new writers have been pulled from local newspapers and sports blogs who have been writing about their respective teams for years. The past five seasons, ESPN has used only eight writers to cover eight divisional blogs. ESPN’s NFL Nation is aiming to be the prime location for all football fans with the expansion. Each reporter is responsible for providing relevant info about their team several times a day through various forms of media. ESPN.com Editor-in-Chief Patrick Stiegman stated in the press release, “The expansion of NFL Nation represents one of ESPN Digital’s most ambitious projects in our continuing effort to provide the ultimate personalized experience for fans.” The press release article ends by explaining where the information will be hosted along with the names and previous affiliations of the new reporters. 

This new move by ESPN is aiming to dominate coverage on the NFL and has many implications for our class. Now that there is a designated reporter for each team, coverage will be expanded for niche audiences and across all forms of media. Because ESPN is such a sports powerhouse, it was able to easily pull beat writers from many local newspapers and blogs. I think because of this, print media will take another hit. I am from the Philadelphia area and ESPN managed to take one of our well known sports writers, Phil Sheridan from my local newspaper; the Philadelphia Inquirer. I really enjoy Phil’s take on my team, so now I may find myself following him through ESPN. My interest in my local newspaper, especially in the sports section has greatly decreased now that he is no longer reporting. As well as stealing local writers, while I was researching I found that many reporters are very biased towards their own teams. Every reporter predicted their team’s record and the combined total was 283-229. This means that by their predictions, only eight teams will have a losing record. Team bias is okay for the niche audiences but when they expect to share coverage on national TV broadcasts, the bias may provide bad coverage. This topic is relevant to our class because it affects almost every area of media. We will find this new coverage on ESPN.com, SportsCenter, Twitter, Vine, Facebook, Instagram, ESPN Magazine and many others. We are only two weeks into our class and we have already debated about print media and whether or not it can last in our technological age. It looks like ESPN’s move is contributing to the extinction of print media. Hiring 21 new writers to cover all 32 NFL teams is a bold move by ESPN and throughout the 2013-2014 season we will see what implications it has for NFL media coverage, bias and print media.

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Analysis by Casey Hart in SRM 334 (section 2)

ESPN recently published a press release detailing a massive expansion of their NFL coverage called NFL Nation. Up until a few weeks ago, ESPN had a writer for each division, and only the largest markets had team specific writers. This new expanded NFL coverage provides the largest such network of its kind, and provides local coverage for each individual team. Each team now has a beat writer that communicates with fans across multiple different platforms, including, among others, social media, ESPN.com (written stories and video blogs), and ESPN’s televised programming.

This new step for ESPN carries several very important implications. On the surface, it’s a fantastic new way for ESPN to capture the attention of niche audiences, or fans that are more interested in their own teams than the national stories, and provide them with team specific coverage. However, the amount of coverage, in some instances, doesn’t always directly relate to the quality of the coverage. For example, Eric Edholm of Y! Sports recently noted that these beat writers, each guessing only the record of the team they cover, predicted that all teams would combine for a record of 54 games over .500, which is obviously impossible. This is important to note because when ESPN had only one writer per division, it forced the writers to take a less biased look at a wider range of teams, causing predictions to be a little more realistic. So while the coverage has expanded, fans may no longer be getting the unbiased viewpoints that were previously demonstrated.

It also carries several important implications for local newspaper media, at least in terms of their NFL coverage. First of all, many of the beat writers that ESPN hired worked for these newspapers, and were some of the best at their profession. Second, and perhaps more importantly (and relating more to what we have discussed in class), ESPN now offers the same service that these newspapers provide (in terms of NFL coverage), but with a more trusted name -- and for free. Most newspapers, online or print, cost money to access. So why would I, as a fan, pay money for local NFL coverage when ESPN is providing all of the same local scoops for free? NFL Nation poses a huge threat for local newspapers, and they will likely have to change their business model, at least in terms of NFL coverage, in order to compete.

It’s clear that NFL nation provides huge implications for the nature and quality of NFL coverage provided to fans, both in terms of what ESPN actually provides, and its effect on other local forms of NFL coverage. Whether it is overall a positive or negative remains to be seen.

"Johnny Manziel needs to mature"

From ESPN.com

Review by Tim Young in SRM 334 (section 1)

The main article I used for this project was “The Trouble with Johnny,” written by Wright Thompson for ESPN The Magazine. This article is an in-depth account of 12 hours in the life of Johnny Manziel. There is commentary from Johnny as well his family members. The thoughts and feelings of his father, Paul Manziel, are highlighted throughout the piece. The time Thompson spent with the Manziel family came four days after Johnny tweeted about how he can’t wait to leave college station. This tweet came out because Johnny had parked his car in the wrong direction outside the house and instead of the police just leaving a ticket they knocked on the door asking who was the owner the car. Something that is seen as borderline harassment by the Manziel family, especially since as Paul mentioned in the article, the police know where Johnny lives because they drop him off after every game. “The Trouble with Johnny” goes a long way to paint a picture of Johnny that the media hasn’t been portraying. Thompson shows Manziel as the average kid that he is, and shows how much his new found fame and success has changed things for everyone in his family. Family is a main theme of this article; it is very obvious that Johnny’s success has had a huge influence on his family. This article really adds a dimension to Johnny Manziel as a person; he doesn’t seem like the arrogant and rebellious wild child that most media outlets display him as. He seems more like a regular person who has just been in the wrong place at the wrong time in a couple of instances and is now trying to deal with a level of fame that most 20 year olds can’t fathom. This article is relevant to this class because it shows that there are always two sides to every story. Many of the major events that happened in Johnny Manziel’s summer are addressed in this article, and many of them are told differently coming from Manziel then other media outlets. It seems that sport media created a hero in Johnny Football and then after the Heisman Trophy was awarded they tried to turn that hero into a villain. Most news about Manziel these days is negative, showing him as someone who doesn’t respect authority. This article however shows a different, more relatable Manziel; one that is a normal person that rose to fame and now needs to deal with new pressures, especially that his mistakes and flaws will be broadcasted on national television if he slips-up.

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Review by Kevin Hoagland in SRM 334 (section 1)

Going back to August of 2012 Johnny Manziel was just a normal nineteen year old college kid trying to win the starting quarterback job for Texas A&M. In just over a year he has gone from a nobody to the Heisman Trophy winner, and is also one of the most criticized athletes in all sports. One of the main reasons he is so criticized is because of the growth of social media in the recent years. Whether it’s Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram athletes have to watch what they say or do because fans have so much more access to content in todays world. For example, just two weekends ago during the opening game of the season after Manziel scored a touchdown he started trash talking to a player and was seen pretending to give the player autograph. When the media got a hold of the incident everyone was saying how cocky Manziel was, and how he needs to start showing more respect on the field. Immediately after the game the first headline on ESPN was “Manziel Taunting.” As a society we shouldn’t jump to conclusions so quickly because after the game the player that Manziel taunted at went on Twitter and said the only thing Manziel said was “Nice hit nick.” So even though the goal of the media is getting the content out the public as soon as possible they aren’t always right. I believe what we see happening with Johnny Manziel is relevant to this course in many ways. In class we have been learning how media has grown over the years, and you can see it when it comes to Johnny Manziel. Back in day the media wasn’t out to scorn or attack athletes, the example was used when two news reporters saw Babe Ruth running through a train car naked. They didn’t report it because they it had nothing to do with Ruth’s performance on the field, and they weren’t out to ruin his reputation. Today's sports media is completely different because all media outlets are so concerned about getting the most viewers possible that they will report anything they can. In today's world Johnny Manziel just happens to be the scape goat of the media. He is only a twenty year old college kid making mistakes just like a lot of people did when they were that age. Even though a lot of people say he’s bringing it on himself I believe if the media didn’t blow up everything he does the criticism on Manziel would go down a lot. Plus, when it comes to a news story as a society we are more likely to tune in if the media is portraying an athlete as a villain rather than a hero. The more “juicy” the content is the more we are going to want to know about it.

"Lance Armstrong must give answers"

From ESPN.com

Review by Zachary Graham in SRM 334 (section 1)

Lance Armstrong is one of the most prolific athletes of our generation. Lance Armstrong was known for dominating his competition over the course of a decade. He was then known for his epic battle with testicular cancer and his overcoming of it. Finally he was well recognized for his marketing ability with many companies, but specifically his Livestrong bracelets, for cancer research. Recently Lance has been in the news for his famous doping scandal. On January 17th 2013, he publicly decided to admit to his PED usage, blood doping, on the Oprah Winfrey show. All of his Tour De France medals were stripped, and was sanctioned a lifetime ban from the sport of cycling. 

Even more recently Lance is back in the news as he is being sued from multiple people and organizations. Acceptance Insurance Company is asking Lance to commit to his first sworn testimony. Acceptance believes Lance Armstrong is guilty of committing fraud of to earn $3 million in victory bonuses. They would like Lance to testify about all the people involved who knew of his doping scandal. The judge has ruled in Acceptance favor, and he will talk in 2014 at his trial. Acceptance is not the only organization-suing Lance, he is currently being sued by the Postal service for $30 million in endorsements, along with 100 people suing to be reimbursed for purchase of his book.

This is a public relations nightmare for Lance and his staff. Lance was a national hero, role model, cancer survivor, and just a very polarizing figure. Lance is now in a position he has never been before he is now the villain, the scapegoat, and the same polarizing figure for PED’s throughout sports. Lance was a media star with his own brand of Livestrong, his own book, and with constant commercials Lance was everywhere. With cycling being such an international sport, he was the main figure of the sport internationally as well. Lance Armstrong was the equivalent of the cycling version of Michael Jordan, and it would similar to hearing that Michael was a cheater as well. Lance will have the most media impact of any professional cyclist for a very long time.This article is relevant to this class because this is a sports marketing class. Lance Armstrong was one of the highest sponsored athletes in our country. The article is relevant because he is now being sued by those same sponsors; and they are asking for their money back. This article is relevant to this class because as future professionals when dealing with marketing disasters such as this, it may be helpful to look back and see how his PR team handled this situation.

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Review by Chris Walker in SRM 33 4 (section 1)

Lance Armstrong is in the news once again, and back in court. Earlier this week, Armstrong was ordered by a judge to provide documents and written answers to questions posed by Acceptance Insurance Holdings, an insurance company that provided Armstrong with millions of dollars in victory bonuses. Now, Acceptance is trying to prove that Armstrong was committing fraud against them during those years, and is seeking damages against the disgraced cyclist. The questions focus primary on Armstrong providing the names of people who knew about his doping, when they knew, and in what capacity they helped to cover up Armstrong’s years of doping. The article mentions this is just one of several lawsuits Armstrong is currently fighting. 

Lance Armstrong is one of the most recognizable athletes in the world. Not only was he an American athletic hero, he won races on almost every continent in the world, making him a familiar name among sports fans internationally. This fact alone means that anything that happens to Armstrong has the potential to be worldwide news. Add the fact that this story is the direct fallout of one of the biggest falls from grace any athlete has ever taken in the history of sport media coverage and it is obvious why Lance’s court case is a front-page headline on the largest sport news outlet in the world. Lance’s story will always garner coverage. I think that people will always tune in to follow the trajectory of Armstrong’s giant fall. With years of lawsuits to come, and so many unanswered questions about Lance’s secret operation, the media will have no difficulty finding fresh angles to report to the world. Lance’s story has all the makings of a media reporter’s dreams: a sports hero, drugs, courtroom drama, corruption scandals, and Oprah Winfrey. It will be a while before Lance Armstrong and the stories surrounding him disappear from the headlines.

"With Deals Done, Fox Sports 1 and Advertisers to Hit 90 Million Homes Saturday"

From Ad Age

Review by Ryan Oliphant in SRM 435 (section 1)

On August 17, fox introduced its new national television network; Fox sports One (FS1) to audiences across the nation. The 24/7 sports network reached 90 million homes that Saturday. Reaching 90 million homes pleased many of the advertisers signing ad deals with the network. FS1 will carry advertising from blue-chip marketers in the auto, electronics, food & beverage and insurance categories. General Motors, Chrysler, Ford, Toyota, Microsoft, Samsung, Pepsi, State Farm, Geico, AT&T, Verizon, and Taco Bell are among the companies that will run advertisements on the sports network. Automotive companies so far are spending the most for advertising on the new station. Such companies include Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai, Kia and the Big-Three Detroit auto-makers, GM, Chrysler and Ford. Ford has long supported Fox’s broadcast network and will big a big partner once again with Fox’s new channel. The automotive company has agreed to sponsor the pregame show for FS1’s new Big East College Basketball coverage coming in the fall and they will run advertisements throughout the networks regular programing and broadcast schedule. FS1 will lack NFL games but Fox is strongly suggesting companies who purchase times for the NFL regular season as well as time in the Super Bowl too buy time on FS1 too.

What Fox is essentially trying to do is market their new Fox sports 1 channel to companies for ad space. To effectively market FS1 to companies for ad space they have to attract enough viewers and be on enough cable providers. The network must not only compete with the “World Wide Leader of Sports”, ESPN, for business but also NBC Sports, CBS Sports and other sporting networks. To compete with these other networks Fox has to really sell and promote their new channel not only to audiences across the nation but also to advertisers. The television network did a lot to promote the new FS1 by running commercials, internet ads, utilizing social media and sending emails to customers before the big launch on August 17. Besides the different PR initiatives, what will also make audiences aware of the new channel is the instantly recognizable on-air talent including Regis Philbin, former NFL quarterback Donavon McNabb, NBA great Gary Payton, and former tennis star Andy Roddick. With this array of on air talent and personalities, a massive PR campaign, and the rights to broadcast big time sporting events such as U.S. Open golf, World Cup soccer, UFC, and Major League Baseball Fox is very much on their way to attracting consumers to the new FS1. This will also help Fox Sports 1 become a more recognizable sports channel. All these factors appeal to advertisers. Fox recognized this and booked hundreds of millions of dollars in ad sales.

The cable company then had to find interested advertisers to be on board and help support the startup channel. They looked to marketers who had long supported Fox’s broadcast networks, such as Ford. Companies such as Microsoft and Samsung use sports to reach consumers so they as well purchased ad space on FS1. With the cable company reaching millions of homes, more blue-chip marketers than decided to market their brand on the channel. It was important that Fox Sports 1 reached 90 million viewers its opening weekend to convince companies that they made a wise advertising investment.

We had learned about promotion in class and more specifically the sport promotional mix. Fox with their new channel, Fox sports 1, used several promotional tools commonly used in sport to promote the 24/7 sports station. The company used infomercials throughout the summer to get consumers and marketers attention about the release of the new channel. They had several sales presentations, most recently Cynopsis Media’s Second Annual Sports Business Summit. The cable network then created a website to explain about the upcoming programing, introduce the new on air personalities, and inform the public and marketers about what to expect from the new channel. Fox then created a Facebook page and a Twitter account to promote the new channel and get attention.

Another significant concept from our class that we touched on is sales. Fox is trying to “sell” this channel to consumers, to have them buy into their programing and sporting events. They are then trying to sell this new channel to advertisers so they can buy ad space. One initiative that Fox is trying to do is sell Fox Sports 1 ad space with Fox’s ad space during the Super Bowl. The company is really trying to encompass more of an all-buy across the media group instead of having everything be separate. Fox’s new channel Fox Sports 1 is still fairly new, being aired about three weeks ago on August 17. The cable network will have to do a lot in regards to marketing, sales and promotion if they are to compete with the other sporting networks, including the giant, ESPN. By continuing to use promotional tools, selling ad space, and covering big time sporting events Fox could very well grow in popularity. They even one day could surpass the monopolistic ESPN.

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Review by Henry Bronez in SRM 435 (section 1)

Fox Sports Media Group unveiled a new channel, Fox Sports 1 (FS1) as a key competitor to ESPN and other network leaders in the sports broadcasting industry. FS1 was broadcasted in 90 million homes when it premiered in August, which is only slightly lower than the 100 million homes, that ESPN and its networks reach. Major enabling factors for Fox being able to introduce this channel are contracts Fox were able to sign with most major broadcast distributors and monetary support from marketing firms on Madison Avenue that were dependant on said contracts.

Fox Sports Media went down to the wire getting the distribution packages secured but in the end the network was able to obtain distribution deals with all major providers including Time Warner Cable, DirectTV, Dish, and others. These last minute deals are what enabled the new channel to air in those 90 million homes and is the key to being able to effectively compete with industry leading channels such as ESPN and ESPN2. Without these deals coming to fruition FS1 would only have been available in about half of the90 million households that were predicted to marketing firms when obtaining marketing deals and selling advertising prior to the initial broadcast.

The Fox Media Group wasted no time in selling advertising on the new channel. Somewhere in the “hundreds of millions” worth of advertising time was sold prior to FS1’s initial broadcast. The main purchaser of early advertising has been from the auto industry with both domestic and overseas auto-manufacturers purchasing significant advertising time. This is not unexpected, as Fox Media has maintained a strong working relationship with the auto industry in the past, particularly Ford Motors. Insurance companies as well as the food and beverage industry have also purchased advertising time on the channel, which bodes well for early success. Fox Media carries strong brand recognition as a network and without the support from previous advertising clients the success of FS1 during its first few weeks of broadcast would have been suspect.

One key shortfall of FS1 is the lack of its ability to broadcast games from the National Football League (NFL). However, Fox holds the broadcasting rights to this season’s Super Bowl XLVIII and has strongly encouraged those who have purchased Super Bowl advertising time to also invest in FS1. Although FS1 will not carry NFL games Fox Sports Media is using the new channel and promoting advertising as a complete package across several different mediums. Including but not limited to both broadcast and cable broadcasting and digital services in order to offer a more complete advertising portfolio. The media group is promoting Super Bowl advertising as a total buy-in of advertisement rather than simply buying advertising space between linked channels. This new approach may put off some companies who would rather buy time on specific channels to target particular audiences, although if the price of time does not increase dramatically the new strategy of a total marketing package may also gain appeal because it will enable companies to reach an audience across several different channels and mediums for an only marginally higher price.

This approach has the potential to send ripples through the sports and broadcast industries when it comes to buying and selling advertising. If the Fox Sports Media Group is successful with selling advertising as a complete package across an entire network rather than specific channels it may further increase the price of advertising time but also may pique the interest of the companies, teams and organizations wealthy enough to afford expensive air time. A complete network package of adverting is much more marketable as an effective use of company dollars than investing in a single specific channel. The possibilities of Fox’s attempt to create a complete marketing package as a single network is interesting and quite broad in how it may play out, but if successful it very well may be a game changer in how media advertising is bought and sold.

"Listen up: NFL moving to mike players"

From SportsBusiness Journal

Review by Jacob Nicely in SRM 334 (section 2)

The National Football League, commonly referred to as the NFL, is one of the most watched and largest revenue generating sports leagues in North America as well as the world. Every Sunday afternoon and Monday night during the fall you can cut on your television and catch an NFL game being broadcasted live with extensive in-game analysis, statistics, fantasy football analysis, and almost every fact you could ever want to know about the players and the teams that are involved in the game. Professional football is one of America’s past-times and it still draws massive amounts of attention but, just like any other business, the NFL is always looking to improve and make the experience better for the fans. One of the newest ideas that owners and the league are pushing for is the idea of placing microphones on players and making the content available for fans live during the game instead of having to wait until afterwards to hear what their favorite players and coaches are saying. This could be a potential smash hit and the next big thing for the NFL but not before it is looked at more in-depth.

Placing a microphone on players and making the content available as a live feature during games is a great attention getter for the NFL and has sparked quite the buzz in the sports world. Even though the talks are just in the beginning stages, the sheer idea of the concept has drawn plenty of attention. With already having such a great product, the NFL needed to come up with more ways to get fans involved in the experience thus generating more money as well as an increased fan experience. This could be a complete game changer for the media world and possibly not in a good way for the NFL or the players. In today’s world everyone already has so much access to the players and coaches through social media and in-depth coverage by the media. Nowadays, players do not have to be interviewed by a reporter or have a press conference to release information when they can just simply send out a 140 character tweet or post a Facebook status and instantly have the world see it and have people directly communicate with them. This has already caused some problems with players not appropriately tweeting or interacting with fans on twitter as well as players tweeting live during the games. Once players are mic’d up, fans will be able to hear everything that they say, and most of it will not be tasteful or be appropriate for a younger audience. This could be a big issue with Commissioner Roger Goodell’s already disciplined player conduct policies and low tolerance for misbehavior. However, per usual, this move is more about generating revenue and media attention for the league than the concern for player’s reputations.

We hear all the time in today’s world about all the negative things that athletes do in their daily lives. As we have discussed in class, negativity sells and if that is what sells then that is what the media is going to cover. You can turn on ESPN and see what Chad Johnson tweeted that was inappropriate or what offensive comment Kevin Garnett made during the basketball game that night or see what just about any athlete did wrong. In athletic competition, athletes are in the heat of the moment and trying to get in their opponent’s heads the entire game. What comes out of athlete’s mouths during games is more than likely fine worthy and will cause fans to look at their favorite athletes differently. Also, with all this unedited, instant access to players and coaches the media will be able to report and comment on it before the game is over and before the team or player can begin damage control. With all the ways we have discussed that sports news can be released, from professional writers to fan’s blogs and anyone being able to discuss in-game conversations that wants to, this could potentially result in being a huge nightmare for the NFL, the owners, the coaches, and the players. On the other hand though, the potential revenue stream could blind owners from seeing the possible negative outcomes.

With a few small-market NFL teams struggling to sell tickets in conjunction with an unfriendly economy, the NFL is looking to increase fans desire to attend games and purchase tickets as opposed to watching their favorite teams from home. This is more so a move on the owner’s part to have it as only an in-game option but nevertheless it is aimed at generating untapped revenue. An increased involvement in the in-game experience would allow fans to get into the game without physically being on the field. This is a brilliant idea from the viewpoint of an NFL fan and probably a dream come true for many fans being able to listen in on their favorite teams and coaches. With the NFL already having “Red-Zone Coverage” of all NFL games, numerous apps, instant score updates, fantasy football, and countless other technological advances it only makes sense to let fans get even more involved in the game experience. Fans of NASCAR can go to a race and listen in on their favorite driver communicating with their spotter and crew chief so it only makes sense for the same option for NFL fans. The revenue from this potential option would more than likely be greater as an in-home option on television due to the increased ad-revenue, subscription fees for the service, and just simply a much larger audience than the number fans at the game. If implemented as an in-game only service, it will only increase ticket sales to games that would not already be sold out, increasing revenue by a much smaller number. Also, if implemented as an in-game option it will eventually be phased out to include an at-home feature in due time because the NFL will not miss out on that large of a potential money making opportunity.

All in all, the plan to mike up players is still in its early stages and probably will not be an available option for a couple more years. With this news release, it garners the media and fans attention and gets them stirred up and discussing this option before it is ever put into effect. Placing microphones on players could very well be the next big money maker that the NFL is looking for but it may come with the cost of NFL player’s unhappiness and their reputations on the line due to the nature of in-game conversations. This new idea would also give the media, as well as fans, instant access to report on players behaviors and actions as well as fans being able to live tweet, blog, or use other outlets to also release news and discuss events before the players and teams ever have a chance to explain or begin damage control. Whether this idea will be good for the league and it’s players has yet to be seen but one thing that is for certain is that this will generate more money for the NFL and as a business they are always looking for new ways to do so.
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Review by Marshall Cohen in SRM 334 (section 2)

The National Football League is always looking to bolster attendance and improve the fans’ in-stadium experience, and miking up players during games appears to be their next move. There is no timetable for beginning this process, but it is apparently becoming a matter of when they adopt the new feature as opposed to if they will adopt it. Stephen Jones, the Dallas Cowboys Chief Operating Officer, has emphasized that there is a level of urgency on all projects designed to increase fan attendance. After player health and safety, ensuring that stadiums are full is the league’s top priority.

There seems to be little controversy on the subject, as NASCAR has shown how easy it is to broadcast interactions between spotters and drivers during their races. However, some competitive issues were raised by players and coaches when talks of miking up players began back in 2011. Audio from players and coaches during games is currently used by NFL Films, but is not available to anyone during the games. There are talks of using the player audio exclusively in-stadium, as an added benefit for fans to attend the game. Making the audio available to broadcasters is another option, which would only increase the experience of watching a game from your couch.

It seems like the most likely path for the NFL to take is to make the player audio available to broadcasters and to find some way to incorporate it into each game on television. Their goal might be to make the in-stadium experience better, yet with better technology the only thing really happening is the improvement of the home broadcast experience. Despite being a cool feature and an interesting concept to improve fan attendance, having the player audio exclusively available in the stadium just does not seem like a huge draw. The more likely outcome would be a slight increase in television ratings, which could possibly lead to an increase in rights deals that companies sign with the league.

There are still a few questions that remain concerning the logistics of having the players miked up at all times. Having the audio available in the stadium might not be the best idea; there is an extreme amount of cursing and trash talking that goes on during NFL games (and almost all other sports for that matter). Another question that comes up is whether or not players would be suspended or fined for cursing or excessive trash talking. The NFL has pretty strict conduct policies, and having the players miked up all the time creates a difficult scenario for the league, forcing them to monitor and deal with players talking during the games. Making the audio available to broadcasters would be much simpler since they would be able to edit and/or bleep out anything that would not be fit for a national audience. However, if it was available during the game in the stadium, it seems as if there would be no way to filter the audio.
From a fan and media point of view, miking up the players and having the audio available somewhere seems like a great idea. It would benefit in getting to know the players and their personalities, which is sometimes difficult during the games as they seen more with their helmets on than off. If the league can work out some logistical issues with having the audio available in the stadium or on television, miking players might just be the next big thing in the NFL.

Robert Grififn III keep delivering headline-driving news

From Redskins.com

Review by John Sullivan in SRM 334 (section 1)

The article I chose to write on for my current event paper was Griffin III: ‘My Eyes Are Set On Philly’’ from Redskins.com. This article was written on August 22, 2013 by lead writer and editor Brain Tinsman. The article is about the Redskins 2nd year quarterback RGIII (more formally know as Robert Griffin the 3rd. ) It talks about RGIII’s healing process and how the media has used it to write stories for the past couple of months. The article also talks about RGIII’s feelings behind the matter of multimedia twisting his words.

From a media standpoint the purpose for writing this article is to give team fans and newsreaders something to read about the Redskins before their season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday, September 9th . The article essentially encapsulates RGIII’s responses to his own healing progress throughout his rehabilitation process. Brian Tinsman is trying to show in this article that RGIII always tells the media ‘how it is’. He tries to tell the readers that the media has been taking RGIII’s words and twist them against him since the beginning of his rehabilitation. RGIII goes on to say in the article “Do I stop being who I am, stop being honest with you guys and giving you guys ammunition to turn against this team? Or do I just go into a shell and ‘Bill Belichick it’ all week?” – Griffin III Everything he says gets turned and used against the Redskins as if they would not survive without him on the team.This article is a perfect example of the communication model. It can be more closely related to the modern model of sports media than that of the historic model. This article can easily be seen and reached by the masses but it is targeted at a niche group of people. The article itself is directly from the official site of the Washington Redskins. It is a perfect example of how mass media can target a niche audience. The article contains video and other multi-medias making it easily available through many social medias. The page has built in Twitter and Facebook links so the article can be easily shared with friends and other people. Because this article is so easily accessible by all, it makes the spreading of this twisted information that much more believable by the un-informed reader. This article follows the modern model of sports media because it can literally be sent, read, liked, shared by anyone to anyone.

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Reivew by Tori Lugar in SRM 334 (section 1)

The article we chose talks about the injury that Robert Griffin III suffered last season. It describes the past four months of the off season and each press conference within those months. Each month was a different update: in May, he could run, June he could sprint, July RGIII could practice a little bit, and then finally in August he was cleared to do full practice with the team. With an update every month, all eyes have been on RGIII and his recovery and fans are expecting a lot.

The media has played a huge role in the whole recovery and comeback of RGIII. From documentaries of his rehabilitation of his ACL, to constant coverage on SportsCenter on ESPN, the RGIII story has been the subject of many conversations, not only within the DC area, but nationwide. Besides Gatorade’s documentary, Adidas has also created the “All in for Week 1” campaign that focuses on RGIII’s preparation for week 1 of the regular season. Although RGIII is now cleared to play, when this campaign began, there was no guarantee the Redskins quarterback would be back and ready to go for the first game. The media took a story of his recovery and made it seem like he would for sure be 100% ready for the season opener. After this was created, RGIII tweeted that it was not a given that he would be back, but he would work hard to try and accomplish the goal. The media took this opportunity and stretched it to try and make a story of it. The media has analyzed the road to recovery of Robert Griffin III in every way possible and has blown up a situation that is so common in the NFL. This is relevant to this course because it shows how social media such as Twitter and various TV commercials have blown up such a common situation. Many players have torn ACLs or have experienced many other injuries, and yet the public does not hear about half of them. The media has taken every little detail of RGIII’s recovery in the off-season and made a big deal about it, often twisting the truth and scrutinizing the young quarterback. This situation can also show how the new communication model works, with mass media and the publicity that the Redskins quarterback is getting, because of a torn ACL. From numerous press conferences, to documentaries, to ad campaigns, RGIII’s injury is well known across America.

"Takeaways from how the media covered and reacted to Aaron Hernandez's arrest"

From Awful Announcing and Rolling Stone

Review by Zach Lantz in SRM 334 (section 1)

Today, the public has the ability to know about everything going on in a professional or college athlete’s life. This is because the media has access to everything surrounding the athlete’s life. A good example of this is the Rolling Stone’s article about the murder of Odin Lloyd, Aaron Hernandez has been charged for a few months ago. The article describes every little detail of Aaron, including how Aaron and Lloyd “kicked it” at a club called Rumor and “smoked that super-duper and Aaron dropped 10 G’s like it was nothing.” Rolling Stone went personal with Aaron Hernandez by having exclusive interviews with family friends. Friends revealed that Aaron was not only smoking marijuana, but he was also using the drug “angel dust’, typically known as PCP. The article explains how Hernandez and Lloyd were in the club when Odin talked to people that Hernandez was not fond of. All of this leading to the murder. 

In my opinion, the media does a great job at covering events like these days. Is it right, that the media has so much access to the lives of celebrities and athletes? One could feel as though it is not morally right, even in situations like these. News is broadcasted faster than it ever has been before and social media websites such as Twitter makes that possible. People can now get texts to their phone with breaking news or with just a quick Google search they can find thousands of articles with news on what they’re looking for. Today, the media is much more close and personal with athletes and it is making their home life much more public.

This article is related to this class because it is a current event and gives a perfect example on how sporting news can be communicated to people. The Aaron Hernandez story was wrote about on a Rolling Stones website where sports are not usually talked about. It also shows a perfect example on how the New England Patriots dealt with a crisis. As soon as Hernandez was arrested for the murder on Odin Lloyd, the Patriots released him and also allowed their fans to exchange their Hernandez jersey for another Patriots player. This article has related to many aspects of this class and made it very easy for me to relate to things that I will learn about.

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Review by Dustin Taylor in SRM 334 (section 1)

Most people who love sports know just about everything that’s going on in the sports world if they choose to do so. The reason is that content providers in sports media are always working, 24/7, to uncover the next big story. They may even be continuing to cover an ongoing story. This summer, Patriots Tight End, Aaron Hernandez was arrested on murder charges. Many media content providers jumped at the chance to cover this story including rolling stones, ESPN, and NFL Network.

Rolling stones just recently released an article detailing a lot about this whole situation. They gave information on Hernandez’s parents, siblings, uncles, friends, coaches, and anyone else that had an effect on his life. Hernandez was bred to be great. His father put a gym with successful quotes on the walls in their family’s home, and drove his two sons (Aaron and his older brother DJ) to greatness. Aaron, however, far exceeded his father and brother in terms of success. He was the greatest athlete his town had ever produced. He went on to college at Florida University, where it is believe Urban Meyer covered for Hernandez on multiple drug test. Following his father’s death Aaron continued to fall out of control. He threated Patriots Wide Receiver Wes Welker soon after being drafted into the NFL. Then this offseason he became addicted to angel dust, started skipping workouts, and was on screw up away from being cut from the team. Bigger things then skipping practice would come before his departure from the team. Hernandez would be indicted on murder charges of his good friend Odin Lloyd. The sports media world would have plenty of coverage to go along with this story as it progressed.

ESPN had live footage of Hernandez getting arrested, and they covered this story pretty constant as Adam Schefter and other sports writers constantly took to Twitter to give sports gurus the news they were after. This is a huge example of how times have changed. Just 13 years ago Ravens Linebacker Ray Lewis was also indicted on charges of murder. While it gained some attention, the coverage was nothing like the Aaron Hernandez case. Twitter, and Facebook were not around. If you go back just a little further in NFL history to the O.J. Simpson case there was an even bigger drop off in regards to media coverage. Newspapers printed the story, and news channels covered it, but no one was there to give real time updates. Hernandez’s case has up to the minute updates as someone in the courtroom with him tweets during his hearing to keep everyone up to speed. In awfulannouncing.com’s article written by Brad Gagnon he criticizes how ESPN left the live coverage of Hernandez’s hearing to speak to their own “experts”. With a story as big as this one there was plenty of time to bring them in once the hearing was done.

NFL Network had a rough job. They had to cover the story since that’s what this day and age calls for. At the same time this story was bad Public Relations for the NFL. They had to walk a fine line, and continue to update the people on what actions the Patriots and NFL would take toward Hernandez to try to help their perception as a league. The NFL, and the Patriots would’ve had plenty of time to come up with a response about 15-20 years ago. Now they have to be on their toes, and immediately taking action to keep the positive model of the league in tack.

This story has many relevant issues that go along with our class. With similar cases in the past this story can show how much times, and technology has changed in regards to sports media. People expect updates, and stories the minute they happen. The next morning paper is out of date. It also displays the pressure put on organizations to have someone good with the media always ready to speak on their behalf.

"How Jason Sudeikis Learned to Love the Other Football for NBC Sports"

From Adweek

Review by Kara Beckley in SRM 435 (section 1)

NBC sports took a new approach to attracting audiences to a not-so popular sport. The English Premier League has given rights to NBC for three years to broadcast and promote Fútbol. NBC is mainly watched by United States citizens, in which do not have soccer as a high sport on their list of passions. The Television Company teamed up with an ad agency out of New York, The Brooklyn Brothers. Guy Barnett is the creative director for the agency and is given much of the credit for the five minute YouTube Web film staring Jason Sudeikis.

They use Sudeikis as a newly transferred coach of English Fútbol from American Football. He is seen coaching the Tottenham Hotspur team, in an amusing and inexperienced light. The film was segmented around a sit down interview with the Coach and how he is doing with the new transition and also includes what are clips from a press conference. The goal of the film was written out by the agency but ended up becoming a improvised act by Sudeikis. The Hotspur team was able to actually be in the film while they recorded for 10 hours on two days.

The use of something extremely amusing to the audience you are trying to capture is a huge a critical piece of gold. The more serious an ad gets, the less interesting it is with the generations today, causing a lack of attention. By having humor in the mix with promotion, makes so many different audiences want to understand what is going on. It’s brilliant, and in the case of the Brooklyn Brothers and NBC Sports, it worked tremendously well. Not only did the video have seen it, also. It was shown through short clips on NBC stating “It’s Football, Just not as we know it.” Adding the humor makes the viewer intrigued to find the film on YouTube and take in the entire picture. By doing this, it adds a spark to target audiences to watch the English Premier Leagues or even just give them a slight knowledge that a largely known company such as NBC is covering it. For marketers to have the chance to show viewers of NBC shorts of the Web Film is highly successful for the reason of each viewer gaining interest and wanting to find out more about the soccer league and simple watch the amusement itself. The media aspect was very well considered with this approach. The technology era is huge and incorporating YouTube, along with a Facebook app to help understand Fútbol increases convenience for newly gained audiences. 

This article is relevant to the class because it markets a new product to a new audience in an almost effortless way. Sport marketing can be done through all various types of sports. Many ways are effective and some are not. This relates to the class in a way that shows a good marketing strategy to the technological era and gives the class a good idea of success through promotion. It is a little bit different than the typical advertisements on billboards or in magazines, and makes it unique and very practical for the future in the industry.

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Review by Brett Ireland in SRM 435 (section 1)

NBC Sports has come up with a new way to promote professional football (Fútbol) to Americans. They have taken a new approach involving comedy that they hope will draw more American fans to the game of soccer. The created a five minute video starring Jason Sudeikis as the new Head coach of the Tottenham Fútbol team, having have had no experience in the “other football.” Through mostly improvisation, Ted Lasso (Sudeikis) faces challenges of the differences between football and fútbol. In a comedic manner, Lasso learns how there is only slide tackling as opposes to tackling in football, hands are only to be used by the goalie in the goalie box, and the rule of off-sides is very challenging to comprehend. T 

The video is only five minutes in length and was originally released in short segments on television. The campaign includes a Facebook application and the video has also received millions of views on Youtube. NBC created their own audience by creating a comedic video that could appeal to wider margin of people other than current fans of Fútbol. They were not only reaching out to American soccer fans, but sports fans in general and trying to promote that while it is a different sport, it is still very entertaining. It also attracted anyone who is a fan of Saturday Night Live (SNL) and of the actor Jason Sudeikis. This campaign has showed great success because it has had so many people watch it. The main purpose of this was to make Americans more aware of and interested in professional Fútbol, and it did just that.This article is relevant to Sport Marketing and Sales because it shows an example of a successful campaign in promoting professional Fútbol. I feel this article does a great job of introducing an innovative way to promote to different demographics. In order to run a successful sport marketing campaign, it is important to know your audience as well as what interests them. This promotion shows several things that we will learn throughout the semester including marketing plans for generating revenue and consumer behavior (the state of professional Fútbol in the United States).

"Final Four set as Louisville overcomes Ware injury to beat Duke 85-63"

From FoxNew.com

Review by Jordan Underwood in SRM 334 (section 2)

Six and a half minutes before half time, of one of the biggest games left in March Madness, the game took a break, literally. Louisville’s sophomore guard, Kevin Ware, jumped up to defend a 3-point-shot and snapped his leg clean in 2 places, it was unlike any injury I have ever seen. The reactions of the other players on the field, on the bench, and all the fans were the same, shocked and worried. Within minutes, the video image of the injury from the game was on youtube, twitter, and other social medias across the web. 

Why was this such big news so fast? Understood, that an injury like this is unlike most we see, but why was this worthy of being instant headlines? In the end, Louisville won the game, and in post game interviews, Louisville head coach, Rick Pitino said, “We won this for him.” If Louisville had lost though, would the loss have been blamed on the injury? Chances are that media would have made that assumption and chances are that over the next few days media will say that the injury was the reason Louisville won. “The Cardinals simply refused to lose, breaking open a game that was tied at 42. They dove on the floor for loose balls. They pounded the boards ferociously. They contested every shot and swarmed around the Blue Devils like they had an extra player on the court. In a sense, they did. During every timeout, Pitino reminded the players of their hospitalized teammate” (Fox Sports).

Injuries like this are also huge, motivational stories because they always demonstrate team support. If an athlete gets hurt, you always hear about their teammates supporting their recovery and playing in honor of them, and readers and sports followers love up lifting, feel good stories. “Russ Smith collapsed onto the floor, along with several players, and was crying as doctors attended to Ware. While Ware was loaded onto a stretcher, the Cardinals gathered at midcourt until Pitino called them over, saying the injured player wanted to talk to them before he left. The sophomore, who played his high school ball in suburban Atlanta, urged his teammates to complete the trip to the Georgia Dome. Pitino wiped his eyes as Ware was wheeled out, as did several Louisville players.” (Fox Sports). Though injuries are tragedies for athletes, teams, and fans, they also bring out amazing teamwork and perseverance which makes for great uplifting stories.

"Can Heat set record for NBA’s longest winning streak?"

From SI.com and Hoops Habit

Review by Matt Flint in SRM 334 (section 2)

Chris and I decided for our current event to be the Miami Heat winning streak creeping up on the previous Lakers winning streak. We decided to focus mainly on how the coverage of the streak is slightly taking away from other presenting topics that are relevant right now like the NCAA tournament and March Madness. We decided to outline both the statistics of the 71’-72’ Lakers and the 12’-13’ Heat to show what kind of skill both teams had and now possess to have a streak like the record is. We also decided to show a critique video of the Heat’s streak and which teams they are going to have to face to continue the streak, I strongly believe they will beat the Laker’s previous record. For the slideshow I wanted to make sure we weren’t just reading off a slide but just have bullets and elaborate on the point we are trying to make. I believe the topic we chose correlates to the class because we are so focused on good media, can too much media be bad? We introduced a few discussion questions that the class can answer with their opinions. Obviously the attention the Heat is getting has increased their fan base greatly and will continue to as the streak continues. What we are trying to achieve by presenting this topic is for the class to understand that when one topic achieves a great amount of hype it leaves the other topics out to dry in a sense that something that could have been a great headliner is now just a sub-topic. 

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Review by Chris Moffett in SRM 334 (section 2)
The Miami Heat are currently sitting on a 26 game winning streak, the 2nd highest in NBA history and just 8 games shy of breaking the record of 33 straight wins set by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers. Miami, already one of the most popular team in the league is generating even more press by the day due to their streak. Because of this, one may wonder whether the streak is good or bad for the NBA. 

In an article by Frankie Hobbs of HoopsHabit.com, he describes that the streak is good for the NBA because March is typically a down month in the popularity of the league. One reason for this is because of March Madness, and the average basketball fan is more likely to watch the NCAA Tournament than the NBA regular season. Miami’s streak has given fans something to watch for in the NBA. Hobbs also says that the fact that at this point in the season many teams are already out of playoff contention and are now just “going through the motions”, making watching their games rather boring.

In some aspects, I agree with Hobbs that the streak is good for the League. The problem I have with the win streak is the incredible amount of media coverage the Heat get, on top of already being one of the most talked about teams in the NBA. I think that sports media has a habit of taking a story and completely running it into the ground, such as Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, and the struggles of the LA Lakers earlier this season. I think that the Heat getting this much coverage is resulting in a lack of coverage for other teams, specifically the Denver Nuggets, who are on a win streak of their own of 15 games, a franchise record. The media needs to better diversify the material they cover.

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.