"WKU Athletic Department Says Beer is a 'Positive' at Football Games"

From WBKO.com

Review by Derek Orndorff in KIN 332 (section 1)

It seems as if Western Kentucky University has successfully found a new way to generate money and happiness at their home football games. Beer. At the start of the current football season, WKU switched up their scheme. By allowing alcohol sales at football games, the fans are showing up in larger numbers. Could it be that beer is what caused the spike in attendance, or is it all because the team is playing solid?

The 3-1 Hilltoppers claim that the idea stemmed from the athletic department and gradually grew stronger as others endorsed it. The fans seem to love the new option of buying five-dollar beers, but then again who wouldn’t? Western Kentucky is trying to regulate the sale of it by only allowing a person to purchase two beers at a time and they must be wearing a non-removable I.D. bracelet. In addition, beer sales end at the conclusion of the third quarter.

Now, with fans drinking heavily before the game and during the game, WKU must pay closer attention to fans and be ready to spring into action whenever conflict occurs. A drunken conflict is a worse conflict than just a simple sober confrontation. Security will continue to be increased with the increases in attendance and Western Kentucky will have to complete a much more extensive clean-up process with the new beers sales. However, Western Kentucky is among several other universities who have adopted alcohol sales at sporting events; Louisville, Louisiana-Lafayette, and South Alabama all sell alcohol.

I believe that Western Kentucky has made the correct decision in selling alcohol and I think there will continue to be positive effects on the football games. In the spring, I expect a rise in attendance at baseball games too, due to the sales that will be allowed there.

"X Games expands globally"

From ESPN.com

Review by Brandon Jones in KIN 332 (section 2)

The X Games have decided to expand to an international market in the upcoming 2013 through 2015 Summer and Winter games by adding destinations in Barcelona, Spain; Munich, Germany; and Foz do Iguacu, Brazil. ESPN and the X-Games wanted to stimulate their target youth market in these culture hotbeds in order to mainstream action sports across the globe. X Game leaders want to infuse a lifestyle with their brand in order to make their fans feel like a community. The style of sports in these action games also goes against traditional sport boundaries because these athletes are usually competing against the environment, obstacles, and challenges. This change in the “norm” of sports gives action sports an image of rebellion against societal norms.

Action Sports are becoming more marketable with the constant inventions of new thrilling activities. These activities usually push the boundaries of safety and sanity, and can result in the death of the athletes and others. However, this risk has just increased the fan-base of highly skilled athletes like Travis Pastrana, Shaun White, and Tony Hawk. This article discusses the importance of infusing these action sports within the cultures of other countries around the world.

I believe that the X-Games has a distinct advantage over traditional sports because they are limitless in creativity, which means it can evolve with the ever-changing youth of the next generation. If ESPN continues to push these sports into countries these action activities may become the new era of mainstream sports.

"How are Harry Potter’s talking newspaper, Eagles tickets alike?"

From SportsBusiness Journal

Review by Emily Goodin in KIN 332 (section 1)

Tim McDermott, chief marketing officers of the NFL Philadelphia Eagles made the decision in late July that for 2012 football season the Eagles would be using the world’s first visual browser mobile app known as Aurasma to incentivize season ticket holders.

Seeing that the age of the Smart Phone has caught up to speed and is commonly found in the pocket of the average everyday American, the Eagles has chosen the “quasi Harry Potter-ish” talking newspapers Smartphone app known as Aurasma to relay addition information including a combination of highlights, previews, messages from players and analysis to season ticket holders. The Aurasma app has a very simple concept that brings simple print material to life by providing a video image to the consumer.

Once season ticket holders has downloaded the Aurasma app and Eagles Official Smartphone App all they have to do is merely point their phones at the season ticket and with a snap of their phones a detailed video will be displayed on their iPhone or Android. The mobile application has brought static images to life just like the enchanted newspapers found in the Daily Prophet found in the world of Harry Potter.

The technology Aurasma was created by Cambridge based software campus Autonomy in late 2010. It wasn't until May 5, 2011, the application Aurasma Lite was launch and was originally designed for the iPhone 3GS phone; a month later a version for the Android was released on June 10, 2011. Aurasma is the worlds first visual browser, and allows Smartphone picture to recognize images and objects. These images and objects may be taken from any angle, and will be recognized as “trigger images” and will be identified by the Aurasma app. The app will then relay a brief video providing the season ticket holder with additional information about the upcoming game. This year there will be 10 games played at Lincoln Field, and this gives the Eagles 10 more opportunities to provide their fans with details of upcoming events, special promotions, opinions or interviews from team players, or update fans with new statics and highlights as the season moves on.

A mass email will be sent out to Philadelphia Eagle ticket holders explaining to fans that each season ticket issue, total of 10 tickets, holds the key to addition information about each game day event. Hopefully for the Eagles it will create an incentive for season ticket holders.