From Yahoo! Sports and NBC Sports
Analysis by Ryan Watson in SRM 435 (section 2)
This article is about the NFL moving the extra point (after a touchdown is scored) to the 20-25 yard line. Recently owners voted down the rule of moving the ball to the 25-yard line, but this year during the first two weeks of pre-season they will place the ball on the 20-yard line for PAT's. The reasoning behind this is to make the point attempt more difficult to increase competition. If you look at the field goal attempts in recent years the defense barely take two steps because the point is "guaranteed". An NFL writer said it well when he wrote, "the extra point serves as a bathroom break for fans at games". Another statistic is that around 99.6% of extra points were made last football season.
From a marketing, promotion, and sales perspective there are a lot of different variables. The increased competition could increase interest in the extra point, which in turn can increase fan viewership. I do not necessarily think this will be a deciding factor when purchasing a football ticket, but when watching a game, people would likely pay more attention to an extra point. I personally usually flip the channel on the TV when this play is going on, but this rule would prevent me from doing that. I think a lot of the increased viewership would come into play when people are watching on their tablet, computer, smart phone, or TV. Another thing that I thought about is the marketability of kickers. NFL kickers are not very marketable for products or sponsorships, but I think this rule would help some kickers stand out. For example if a kicker went 100% on his extra points during a season this would be notable. Companies and organizations might try to use the increased awareness in kickers to use them to endorse products. Since kickers are not really known to have these deals, that would mean an opening to a whole new market. One other sales aspect that could come from this is a substantial increase in "kicker" merchandise like jerseys.
With these marketing benefits I think that this rule will eventually get installed in the NFL. There are other negative affects though to think about. This could drastically change outcomes to close games, which might not be favorable to fans. A lot of people would be very mad if their team lost to a missed extra point. A major negative affect would also be the increase of player injuries since both the offense and defense would be trying a lot harder (since there is an actual chance of blocking the kick).
---
Analysis by John Sullivan in SRM 435 (section 2)
The article Ryan and I chose for our class discussion topic is ‘NFL will test longer extra points for two weeks in the preseason. On March 26th, Michael David Smith posted the article on NBC Sports. The article title is a dead give away for what it is about. For the first two weeks of the 2014 preseason the spot where the football is placed for the extra point will be moved back to the 20-yard line. This turns the normal 20-yard distance into a distance of 38 yards. The article suggests that making the kick harder will make the games more interesting to the fans.
How this relates to marketing, promotion, and sales. By moving the extra point back, it will make the kick more difficult to make. By increasing the difficulty of the kick, the margin of error also increases. By increasing the margin of error, the fans will be more willing to pay attention to see the outcome of the kick. Moving the kick back will increase viewership at both the stadium and at home on the couch. It could potentially keep fans better engaged in the game. It could make them stay in their seats at games and maybe even stay tuned it at home through the commercial breaks.
If this rule becomes concrete it could very well lead to increasing popularity in kickers. People may actually start buying jerseys with the kickers name on the back rather than the quarterback or running back. Kids who like football might aspire to become a kicker instead of a quarterback. Moving the kick back will bring the kickers that do not miss the extra point the respect that they deserve.
This rule change can only bring good to the already great game of football. People are going to watch and go to the game no matter what, but it is the excitement of the unforeseeable events that keeps them coming back for more. People want to see kicks get blocked, or missed. It adds excitement to the game. It makes the game more interesting (if it is a close game), and that is what gets people to watch. This rule change will help promote games because it should make the games more competitive.
It is not for certain that this rule will be established in the official rules of the NFL. But for the first two weeks of the preseason the NFL will experiment with the rule in play. It will be interesting to see how the rule affects the game and the fans.
Monday, March 31, 2014
"Manziel puts on pro day show, then Nike capitalizes on Manziel Pro Day Collection"
From NBC Sports
Analysis by Josh Wells in SRM 435 (section 1)
On March 27th college football may have been changed forever with a revolutionary pro day put on in College station by the one and only Johnny Manziel. Pro day gives athletes with a dream to play in the NFL a chance to show their talents to scouts and coaches. In Manziel’s case he had seven head coaches, George H Bush and Barbara Bush, and many scouts. Many first came from this proday such as; Johnny addressed scouts prior to workout, mixtapes playing throughout, and most of all wore shoulder pads and helmet. Manziel put on a show completing 61 passes out of 65 with 2 drops, leaving scouts with their mouths wide open at the end of the day. As soon as Manziel was done working out, Nike was sure to use this as an opportunity to tell everyone they also had the chance to dress and compete in the same gear as Manziel. Johnny football being endorsed by Nike gives them the chance to use him as much as possible and in my opinion is what his pro day was all about. Being criticized is something that Johnny Manziel is used to and learns to embraced, but I feel he is being push into a certain direction by Nike while he should be focused on his career. When asked about his decision on wear shoulder pads and a helmet, he replied “the game isn’t played in shorts and a tshirt.” Perhaps now we have a real answer to the question; because Nike had a helmet to market. While all the endorsement hype surrounds Manziel, his future employers and coaches have been quoted by saying his performance was a “sideshow and “Circus.” Money is important and I will be the first to say this, but being so young and growing up with one dream to play in the NFL, I feel he has been sidetracked by companies who want to use him. From here on out I believe he needs to focus on himself and try to fly under the radar. While also showing teams he can control and maintain focus with many distractions.
---
Analysis by A.J. Scott in SRM 435 (section 1)
They don’t call Johnny Manziel “Johnny Football” for no reason at all. During this past 2013 season, Johnny Manziel was one of the most known, if not the number one, name in college football. Only a 21 year old starting quarterback for Texas A&M, Manziel didn’t waste time showing his talent through his schools football team, completing over 60 passes last season and receiving the Heisman Trophy award.
With all of this recognition, it is no surprise that a high profile athletic brand would want someone like Manziel promoting them. Of course, Nike was the lucky winner. Not only does Manziel wear their brand from head to toe, Nike also took it upon themselves to dedicate a whole ‘Manziel Pro Day Collection’ to him. This collection included all the works you could imagine from the shirt all the way down to the shoes and socks.
Why would Nike want to invest all this money into Johnny Manziel? Well, not only will Manziel more than likely be one of the first 10 that are picked in the NFL draft this year, he will also get a lot of attention once he does get drafted to a team. Manziel left observers speechless at his pro day on March 27th and will only continue to impress America with his talent.
On March 27th college football may have been changed forever with a revolutionary pro day put on in College station by the one and only Johnny Manziel. Pro day gives athletes with a dream to play in the NFL a chance to show their talents to scouts and coaches. In Manziel’s case he had seven head coaches, George H Bush and Barbara Bush, and many scouts. Many first came from this proday such as; Johnny addressed scouts prior to workout, mixtapes playing throughout, and most of all wore shoulder pads and helmet. Manziel put on a show completing 61 passes out of 65 with 2 drops, leaving scouts with their mouths wide open at the end of the day. As soon as Manziel was done working out, Nike was sure to use this as an opportunity to tell everyone they also had the chance to dress and compete in the same gear as Manziel. Johnny football being endorsed by Nike gives them the chance to use him as much as possible and in my opinion is what his pro day was all about. Being criticized is something that Johnny Manziel is used to and learns to embraced, but I feel he is being push into a certain direction by Nike while he should be focused on his career. When asked about his decision on wear shoulder pads and a helmet, he replied “the game isn’t played in shorts and a tshirt.” Perhaps now we have a real answer to the question; because Nike had a helmet to market. While all the endorsement hype surrounds Manziel, his future employers and coaches have been quoted by saying his performance was a “sideshow and “Circus.” Money is important and I will be the first to say this, but being so young and growing up with one dream to play in the NFL, I feel he has been sidetracked by companies who want to use him. From here on out I believe he needs to focus on himself and try to fly under the radar. While also showing teams he can control and maintain focus with many distractions.
---
Analysis by A.J. Scott in SRM 435 (section 1)
They don’t call Johnny Manziel “Johnny Football” for no reason at all. During this past 2013 season, Johnny Manziel was one of the most known, if not the number one, name in college football. Only a 21 year old starting quarterback for Texas A&M, Manziel didn’t waste time showing his talent through his schools football team, completing over 60 passes last season and receiving the Heisman Trophy award.
With all of this recognition, it is no surprise that a high profile athletic brand would want someone like Manziel promoting them. Of course, Nike was the lucky winner. Not only does Manziel wear their brand from head to toe, Nike also took it upon themselves to dedicate a whole ‘Manziel Pro Day Collection’ to him. This collection included all the works you could imagine from the shirt all the way down to the shoes and socks.
Why would Nike want to invest all this money into Johnny Manziel? Well, not only will Manziel more than likely be one of the first 10 that are picked in the NFL draft this year, he will also get a lot of attention once he does get drafted to a team. Manziel left observers speechless at his pro day on March 27th and will only continue to impress America with his talent.
Monday, March 24, 2014
"Dick's Taps Amateurs to Make Case That 'Sports Matter'"
From Advertising Age
Analysis by Kristina Mohler in KIN 501
This article talks about how sporting goods retailer Dick’s Sporting Goods is launching a new brand campaign that focuses on amateur/youth sports, as opposed to professional. Additionally, Dick’s is supporting youth sports with a “Sports Matter” program where they plan to award up to $2 million in grants to disbanded or financially challenged youth sports teams. The article states that “an estimated $3.5 billion was cut from school sports budgets between 2009 and 2011… and one study predicts that by 2020, 27% of U.S. public schools will not offer sports programs”. Dick’s plan is to help fund between 75 and 100 teams, but the teams must help pull their own weight as well. The teams must raise half the money they need themselves utilizing marketing, public relations, and counseling support from Dick’s. Dick’s will then match the other half of their funding needed.
Lauren Hobart, Chief Marketing Officer at Dick’s, says that is very important that the teams also learn to fundraise, so they can continue funding their team in the future. I completely agree with this. I did some fundraising in high school, and I definitely did some with recreational teams. We were pretty well off in high school with our sports programs, so I could see how kids could be comfortable and expect to just have things handed to you. Fundraising is a more practical approach with great lessons on kids having to learn how to support themselves. Lauren Hobart also stated that she did not know if Dick’s would continue this as a reoccurring program or if it will just last for this campaign. If it is successful, I think Dick’s should look into continuing the program. It gets their name out there and is also a positive promotion with funding youth sports and getting them involved in the community.
This article really opened my eyes to the struggling budgets for youth sports, especially in public school systems. I feel very fortunate to have been able to participate in sports throughout my childhood and collegiate years. From my perspective I felt we had enough money to cover anything we needed. I do know we did a few fundraising events though, including car washes and candle sales. Only items we got to keep, like our megaphone, we had to pay for ourselves. Uniforms and equipment were supplied for us. I could not imagine attending a public school and not having a sports program to participate in.
If public schools have to start eliminating sports programs, this would have many negative impacts. Most importantly, our country has an overweight problem. Not being able to promote active, healthy activities will certainly contribute to childhood obesity. Also, this could affect the likelihood of some student-athletes receiving scholarship offers, unless they can afford travel and all-area teams. Overall, kids will be missing out on developmental growth such as teamwork, competition, and overcoming adversity. I also think the school boards and athletic associations need to look at other ways to generate revenue as well.
This article talks about how sporting goods retailer Dick’s Sporting Goods is launching a new brand campaign that focuses on amateur/youth sports, as opposed to professional. Additionally, Dick’s is supporting youth sports with a “Sports Matter” program where they plan to award up to $2 million in grants to disbanded or financially challenged youth sports teams. The article states that “an estimated $3.5 billion was cut from school sports budgets between 2009 and 2011… and one study predicts that by 2020, 27% of U.S. public schools will not offer sports programs”. Dick’s plan is to help fund between 75 and 100 teams, but the teams must help pull their own weight as well. The teams must raise half the money they need themselves utilizing marketing, public relations, and counseling support from Dick’s. Dick’s will then match the other half of their funding needed.
Lauren Hobart, Chief Marketing Officer at Dick’s, says that is very important that the teams also learn to fundraise, so they can continue funding their team in the future. I completely agree with this. I did some fundraising in high school, and I definitely did some with recreational teams. We were pretty well off in high school with our sports programs, so I could see how kids could be comfortable and expect to just have things handed to you. Fundraising is a more practical approach with great lessons on kids having to learn how to support themselves. Lauren Hobart also stated that she did not know if Dick’s would continue this as a reoccurring program or if it will just last for this campaign. If it is successful, I think Dick’s should look into continuing the program. It gets their name out there and is also a positive promotion with funding youth sports and getting them involved in the community.
This article really opened my eyes to the struggling budgets for youth sports, especially in public school systems. I feel very fortunate to have been able to participate in sports throughout my childhood and collegiate years. From my perspective I felt we had enough money to cover anything we needed. I do know we did a few fundraising events though, including car washes and candle sales. Only items we got to keep, like our megaphone, we had to pay for ourselves. Uniforms and equipment were supplied for us. I could not imagine attending a public school and not having a sports program to participate in.
If public schools have to start eliminating sports programs, this would have many negative impacts. Most importantly, our country has an overweight problem. Not being able to promote active, healthy activities will certainly contribute to childhood obesity. Also, this could affect the likelihood of some student-athletes receiving scholarship offers, unless they can afford travel and all-area teams. Overall, kids will be missing out on developmental growth such as teamwork, competition, and overcoming adversity. I also think the school boards and athletic associations need to look at other ways to generate revenue as well.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)