"Jay Z to advise Ndamukong Suh"

From ESPN.com

Analysis by Jordan Callis in SRM 435 (section 2)

In “Ndamukong Suh Joins Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Agency,” author Will Brinson discusses the recent move that Detroit Lions’ defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has made regarding his representation. Suh recently left his former representative agency, Relativity Sports, to join forces with Roc Nation, who has recently made a splash by signing the likes of Victor Cruz and Robinson Cano. Brinson suggests that Roc Nation could help Suh mend a reputation that is in need of repairing after multiple incidents where Suh has kicked, stomped, and roughed other players and received multiple thousand-dollar fines. Brinson adds that while Suh has had his problems, he is still a very good player and seems to have a huge upside; and with his current contract soon to expire, a long term deal would make sense for both the Lions and Suh because his salary cap number for 2014 is $22.4 million, which is definitely on the high side.

While Brinson notes that it is unsure whether Roc Nation will be handling the contract negotiations for Suh, it seems that allowing this could serve Suh well, as Roc Nation is fresh off landing Robinson Cano a record deal with the Seattle Mariners. Regardless, Roc Nation will be able to market Suh in ways that other agencies simply cannot due to Jay-Z’s popularity and connections. Brinson is surely correct in noting Suh’s damaged reputation will be a difficult one to restore, but if anyone can do it, Roc Nation seems to be the go-to. The one thing that Suh has to his advantage is his play on the field. Players’ marketability increases when their play on the field is high-caliber. When it comes to players getting promotional deals, positive play on the field seems only second to an outstanding reputation off the field. Suh will not the Peyton Manning’s of the industry in terms of source power or attractiveness, but a potential deal for Suh to represent a company that manufactures and/or distributes football equipment would make sense in terms of source credibility, as Suh is one of the top defensive tackles in the game and has made a name for himself on the field. However, in order for endorsement deals to be a reality for Suh, a community service project with his name on it might be a more important angle to sell to the public at this point.

This article relates to our class because it concerns organizations and how they market their products. Organizations need promotions that can accurately and effectively communicate information about their products, and if organizations choose an athlete to represent their products/services (which many in the sport industry do), they want to be sure that they pick one who will leave their brand in better shape than before. In this case, Ndamukong Suh will be using Roc Nation to convince organizations that he is the best choice to represent their brand. It is up to Suh to avoid any behavior or situations that will negatively impact Roc Nation’s ability to sell him to companies. Additionally, Roc Nation must seek out the most fitting endorsement deals for Suh.

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Analysis by James Naylor in SRM 435 (section 2)

Lion’s defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh recently signed with Roc Nation sports agency according to ESPN analyst Adam Shefter. He recently left his former agency, Relativity Sports and according to analysts, it may be time for Suh to change his image. Jay Z may be the one who gives him that opportunity. Jay Z is the agent of a few NFL athletes, but Suh will be his most recognized yet. Suh is infamously known for his excessive intensity during the game. He is a very powerful pass rusher who is most recognized for stomping on a player and kicking another, not to mention all the penalties he’s accumulated for roughing-the-passer. Suh may be potentially trying to get on the good side of the news by switching agencies. Suh is in the last year of his contract and Jay Z may try to negotiate a new deal or just focus on Suh’s marketability.

With regards to marketing and promotions, there seems to be potential opportunity by signing endorsement deals with Suh who has already made deals with Nike, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Subway and Chrysler. With an agent like Jay Z who has experienced tremendous short-term success by signing big names, other major companies may want to look into making deals with Suh. Jay Z has helped other clients such as Robinson Cano, arguably the MLB’s best second baseman, who signed his first endorsement deal with Pepsi last summer. The other aspect of this is there may be too much of a risk to deal with Suh. There is cause for concern since Suh was rated the NFL’s dirtiest player as well as the league’s least liked player. However, with a new agent, Suh may be able to change his image, sign major endorsements and gain a better reputation.

This is relevant to our class because the marketability of professional athletes plays a major role in advertising and promotion. Suh may be on the verge of making serious money sponsoring various goods. By marketing Suh positively, Roc Nation may be able to increase Suh’s source attractiveness and credibility. With the multiple connections Roc Nation has, Suh can gain more exposure and help tap into new markets helping not only companies he signs endorsements with, but the NFL as well.

"Reseating Plan Blamed for Low WVU Hoops Attendance"

From Athletic Business

Analysis by Kevin Albright in KIN 501

The article that I came across was in the Athletic Business Journal and it deals with a reseating plan at West Virginia University basketball games. More specifically sources think that this reseating plan has lead to lower attendances for this season’s games. Season ticket holders seats were taken from them and the new reseating plan gave the better seats to those who were larger donors to the program. The first game of the season there was a good attendance but since then the average is nearly half of that first game. The author then goes on to examine if this reseating plan truly is harming the attendance. Although the number of season ticket renewals went down they do not think it is a result of the reseating plan because their donations increased and more money was raised from season ticket holders this year compared to last. He explains that last year the Mountaineers didn’t perform that well and this year is a rebuild year which is why attendance may be lacking. The author feels that the attendance numbers are down because the students are not coming out to support their team and he feels this is an area of concern across the country.

Attendance to sporting events is a huge focus of sport marketing and I think it is often tough to tell why or why not fans may be attending games. There are a lot of different factors that may affect attendance as you can see with this article. The issue that I would like to focus on is the lack of student support. I agree with the author that a lot of schools are suffering from minimal student support and it takes away from the college basketball atmosphere. Based on my experiences the students tend to be the most boisterous fans and they can have an impact on the game and create that home court advantage. Being at JMU I have seen great crowds for a college game and I have also seen poor crowds for a college game and in my opinion a lot of it has to do with the students. I understand that season ticket holders bring in the money which is a primary focus, I feel that to create that ideal atmosphere you need a good group of student fans. For example, Duke has the Cameron Crazies which is the name they give their student fans who show up regularly and camp out for tickets, stand the whole game, paint their faces, and are extremely loud. Duke is a program with a rich basketball history and has a habit of being very competitive so that may make it easier for student fans to rally behind the team.

I found this article interesting because like the author said, every school seems to be losing student fans and the sports marketing departments can help to recruit those fans back to games. I believe that seating does have an impact on the amount of fans that come weather they are season ticket holders or students. The better your seat is or the closer you are to the court the more you feel involved in the game which is the experience fans want to have. Obviously not everyone can have the best seats but I would be interested to see in venues around the country what seems to be the most beneficial seating arrangement for fans to maximize attendance.

"Empty seats, lack of buzz fill Sochi Olympics"

From The Kansas City Star

Analysis by Nick Kusko in KIN 501

The article from the Kansas City Star addressed the lack of attendance throughout the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. The article explained that there has traditionally been an increase in the turnout of events as the Olympics go on, but at Sochi, this rise has not occurred. The issue was so concerning that it reached the highest levels of the International Olympic Committee. As an example, the men’s downhill, which was considered to be the main event of the Alpine ski schedule, failed to reach a capacity crowd.

Tickets to the various events were sold beforehand, but the turnout has not been there. The Sochi Olympic Committee has resorted to using volunteers to get people in the stands. The Russian crowds that have made it to the events have not been especially enthusiastic, and the competition environment has been somewhat dull.

The Sochi Olympic venues have been the most expensive to construct in history. Unfortunately, people around the world just do not seem as interested in these games despite it showcasing the best athletes of the world. A large reason for the negative buzz around Sochi are the security worries and poor living conditions for the athletes. There have been threats of terror that have intimidated people away from the games, even including some families of the competing athletes. Airfare and hotel costs have also been recorded as being unreasonably high.

There has recently been a surge of pictures to hit the web entitled “Sochi Fails,” which include a lack of privacy in bathrooms, dangerous living conditions, and an overwhelming presence of stray dogs. This type of publicity was not the attention the Olympic Committee was hoping to receive.

The Olympics will always be under scrutiny due to its spectacular nature. Any Olympic Committee will expect to deliver excellence, and Sochi has arguably failed in this aspect thus far. One thing is for sure, Sochi will not be hosting any Olympic events anytime in the near or distant future.