"NFL of a controversy: Pressure mounts on Washington Redskins to change ‘racist’ name"

From Metro

Analysis by Kevin Barr in SRM 334 (section 1)

The article I read was released by Metro which is an online publication. The article discusses the recent surge for the Redskins to change their name due to the fact that the team’s mascot is actually an offensive slur towards Native Americans. The article shared opinions and quotes of multiple notable news sources such as ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and the Washington Post. The entire article had varying opinions about why they think the Redskins should change their names, but all had come to the same conclusion that a name change should be imminent. It also described a poll of Native Americans trying to seek out how they felt about the name and the results varied from year to year making the evidence inconclusive.

The media is whole heartedly attacking the Redskins organization. I believe it has a lot to do with the big media outlets attempting to be politically correct. The major news outlets know the difference between getting the best ratings and coming off as respectful and politically correct. I am sure producers and editors are forcing their particular media journalists and analysts to give off the most nationally accepted opinion when it comes to serious topics such as offensive slurs. We have learned in class how the media has evolved over the past century. The media no longer controls everything that is put out, but when they do publicize something, they must be wary of the consequences of that particular action. This directly relates to the Redskins name change conversation because it doesn’t seem possible for a news source to vocalize their opinion on this topic unless it would please the masses overall.

Based on research and statistics I found while doing this current event project, I learned that the average fan and the media had completely opposite opinions of the name change decision. I realized that because fans now have the majority of the power in the media due to their seemingly limitless access to social media and blog spots. Everyone is able to put out their opinions without being put under the microscope unlike major news outlets that have consistent pressure to say the “right” thing.

The media is constantly becoming more wide open in today’s world and it gives the outside public an opportunity to be involved. Social Media and debate TV shows are leading the way in this opinionated society and I see no sign of this new era media stride slowing down.

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Analysis by Will Pompa in SRM 334 (section 1)

The Washington Redskins name was established in 1933 starting what is said to be one of the most recognizable and followed franchises in professional sports. According to the Metro sports section article “NFL of a Controversy” the Redskins name is a racial slur towards Native Americans. Many Native Americans have protested for a name change since the Redskins name is derogatory towards their culture. Starting in 1993 when the Redskins were in the Super Bowl, Native American tribes expressed their discontent with the name and it has spread like a wild fire by means of the media ever since.

“NFL of a Controversy” article has shown that the Native Americans would like the Redskins to change their name but the Redskins are opposed to doing so. Daniel Snyder stated “We’ll never change the name. NEVER—you can use caps.” The article showed that the Redskins organization and those who are tied to the organization in some way are against changing the name. Those that are not tied to the organization emotionally or financially such as the media have a different view. For the most part the media wants the Redskins to change their name. Ever since the Native Americans brought the idea of a name change to the media in 1993 the media has coincided with the Native Americans to bring about a name change. This controversy creates great story material for the media which in turn shows why the media would be pushing for something to change in the NFL.

The media has to be politically correct. They are presenting their material to all types of audiences and being politically correct will please the majority of readers. The media views the Redskins name as a racial slur because they have to be politically correct and professional with their views on not only sports news but political news as well. This story is no longer just a local sports story. This is a story that local media outlets have brought from a small controversy to a national political debate with even President Obama weighing in with his opinion. With the help of the media the Native Americans have been able to voice their opinions and have very powerful people in the United States take their side on the name change controversy. After reading this article I was able to connect what I have learned from class to this ongoing controversy. The media is a powerful tool today (the new model of media) as it connects to many different audiences. All types of people with many different views are able to use social media, blogs and other media forms to voice their opinions. The Redskins are feeling extra pressure to change the name because of the ability of the public to interact and voice their opinions. The power of the media is driving this story. It developed from a local controversy to a national debate by means of the media developing the story, asking the Redskins organization questions, informing the general public about the meaning of the Redskins name and persuading them to join the side of the media and Native Americans to cause a change in sports. As long as there is change there will be a subject for the media to report and write about for the public’s interest.

Internship Opportunity: Fantasy Sports Marketing and Social Media Intern at Draft Gods

Job Opening | Fantasy Sports Marketing and Social Media Intern

About Draft Gods

Draft Gods is a start up company based in the world of Daily Fantasy Sports. It's a membership based website where members can create fantasy teams on a daily and/or weekly basis. Draft Gods recently secured it's first investment and it's membership base is growing rapidly. To learn more see www.DraftGods.com.

Responsibilities
1) Creating and maintaining client contact lists
2) Development and execution of marketing and social media strategy
3) Marketing efforts to attract new customers and clients
4) Fantasy sports social media marketing via Facebook, Twitter and other social media tools
5) Development of press releases, fantasy sports site pages, newsletters, fantasy games blogs, and sports articles
6) SEO Optimization and Guerrilla marketing efforts

Skills
1) Excellent people skills prior marketing experience a plus
2) Must have excellent oral and written communication skills
3) Excellent computer skills including Word, Excel and Google Docs
4) Very reliable and can work independently in a remote location
5) Highly motivated and energetic
6) Must be able to multi-task and learn quickly
7) Knowledge of social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter
8) Knowledge of sports and fantasy sports a must

Notes
The Fantasy Sports Marketing and Social Media position is an unpaid position, although there is absolutely the possibility of coming on full-time when the internship is over. All jobs at Draft Gods have the benefits of being able to work remotely from your home and the hours are very flexible. Please send a cover letter and resume to jon@draftgods.com.

"Manziel Gets Own Camera"

From Sports Illustrated

Analysis by Patrick Gotimer in SRM 435 (section 1)

Johnny Manziel has been, is, and will continue to be the star of NCAA Football (at least until the NFL Draft).

Texas A&M is taking full advantage of the Heisman Trophy winner by using his face and name to increase the university’s visibility. In December 2012, the university already had a billboard in the infamous Times Square with a picture of Johnny along with the phrase “They call him Johnny Heisman.” (Rovell, 2012).

According to an August 22nd tweet by Reporter Darren Rovell, the fundraising department of Texas A&M Athletics raised $20,000 by auctioning off the right to sit with Manziel at dinner (Rovell, 2013).

The latest episode of “Johnny Mania” took place September 14th against the top-ranked Crimson Tide. The game that took place at Texas A&M’s home facility, Kyle Field, was a rematch of the 2012 game in which the Aggies upset Nick Saban’s powerhouse program.

While the game received and deserved national attention, it did not appear to be a rematch of Alabama and Texas A&M, rather the Crimson Tide versus Johnny Manziel and CBS is probably to blame for that.

CBS set aside a camera that would be strictly focused on Johnny Manziel. The goal of having Manziel always front and center was to catch any and everything Manziel did. Manziel has become so popular that CBS was obligated to set aside a camera for Manziel specifically. Mr. Football is not helping the situation either (Deitsch, 2013).

But all of the marketing attention of Johnny for Texas A&M and the NCAA is not positive. This is because the marketing attention he receives shows a good, well-behaved Manziel and the media attention shows anything but a well-behaved Manziel.

It may not seem fair but Manziel is under the microscope. Media is constantly following him so everything Manziel does is scrutinized.

In June of 2012, Johnny was arrested for disorderly conduct and possession of a fake ID. While this was pre-Heisman Trophy, it never would have surfaced had Manziel not become so popular.

A year later, Manziel made headlines for his off-field antics again after he used Twitter to post “Shit like tonight is a reason why I can’t wait to leave college station…whenever it may be.” He was responding to a parking ticket he received at Texas A&M but understandably, A&M doesn’t want their famous quarterback to be talking about leaving A&M as soon as possible (Newsday, 2013).

In January, Manziel was photographed with a bottle of alcohol. Under-age drinking happens consistently across the country and this actually was not the case; under-age persons can drink with consent of their parents if their parents are present and Mr. and Mrs. Manziel were at the club. Regardless, Johnny received a considerable amount of criticism for the photo.

Manziel was even ignorant enough to attend a University of Texas fraternity party. The University of Texas happens to be one of Texas A&M’s rivals and Manziel was easily recognized and escorted from the fraternity house while students threw beer at him (Newsday, 2013).

Lastly, and probably most notable was Manziel’s antics that showed during the Texas A&M opener. Manziel was suspended for the first half of the game versus Rice University for allegedly selling memorabilia he signed for a profit of $10,000 (Rovell, 2013). Once Manziel entered the game in the second half, he was quickly side lined for taunting a Rice defenseman after having already signaled at another Rice athlete that he would not sign an autograph for him.

Because of Manziel’s behavior, Peter King from Sports Illustrated issued this comment:

But Manziel, to many teams right now, would be undraftable because they’re scared of his mood swings and off-field questions. But it only takes one team out of 32 to fall for him. And some team will, unless he self-destructs between today and draft day (Daniels, 2013).While Johnny has the right to do what he wants, his actions will continue to be scrutinized if he is not careful which will hurt the reputation of Texas A&M, the NCAA, and himself.

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Analysis by Jacob Harris in SRM 435 (section 1)

The game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Texas A&M Aggies will be one of the most watched college football events of the year. CBS, who has ties with the SEC will be making its first television appearance of the 2013 football season with this huge game. CBS will be adding an extra camera to solely focus on Johnny Manziel, which they will call the Johnny Cam. No matter what is going in this game, whether Johnny is playing or is drinking Gatorade on the bench, this camera will solely focus on him, and him only. Craig Silver, coordinating producer of college football for CBS Sports, said that this camera will not be a distraction to the purpose of the game. Silver claims that this camera has nothing to do with any of the off the field media attention that Johnny received over the past offseason. He promised that it wouldn’t turn into the Manziel show, but viewers will get their fair share of the former Heisman Trophy winner (Deitsch, 2013).

From a sports marketing view, I think that CBS has gone overboard and ruined the integrity of this game just to gain more hype and attract more viewers. CBS turned the Alabama vs. Texas A&M game into the Alabama vs. Johnny Manziel game. That’s not only disrespectful to the rest of Johnny’s teammates, but it’s disrespectful to the rest of the college football world. CBS wants to promote Johnny Manziel and have a camera follow him for all the wrong reasons. He has been the most talked about college football player this offseason not because he was the former Heisman Trophy winner, but because of all the trouble he was getting into and the suspected “illegal” activity he was caught doing. Instead of focusing on what is important about college football such as the environment, the passion and loyalty of the fans, and the drive of the players to represent their school, CBS has decided to turn this in to the E channel and have their main focus on a drama filled Johnny Manziel. Not to mention that previously in the season Johnny received a lot of criticism for his unsportsmanlike gestures he made to the other team.

I believe that Sports networks are trying to turn these Educational Institutions into business organizations just to make an extra dollar. Their success rate in turning their marketing and promotions attempts into added viewers and popularity is quite impressive, but it’s gone about the wrong way. If this was the NFL, I would have no problem with it because all of the players are paid to receive this attention. College players are not allowed to receive a dime. Nothing can be sold by any university or business that has a college players name on it, so companies like CBS should not be allowed to market a single player just for the benefit of themselves. Not only did CBS market an unpaid athlete to gain attention, but they promoted the athlete who accumulated more criticism for his behavior this past offseason than any other athlete in sports beside Aaron Hernandez. 

To sum up this article and how it applies to our class, I think this is a good example of what’s wrong with college sports these days. The extremes that Networks and Universities go to so that they can make an extra dollar is ridiculous. It has been completely forgotten that these people are student-athletes, not professionals, and that how they need to be marketed. We have learned that integrity is one of the most important qualities is this business and as a consumer myself, I’ve lost a great deal of respect for CBS and Texas A&M. I already didn’t have any for Johnny Manziel.

"YouTube, Fox Sports Team Up for Online Video Ad Sales"

From Ad Age

Click here to see FOX Sports on YouTube

Analysis by Melissa Kniceley in SRM 435 (section 2)

The prevalence of social media and ease of information searching has made the internet more relevant than ever before. Each year, advertising tactics and ways to reach the consumer are becoming more and more creative. Marketers are constantly looking for new ways to make their company stand out from the overflow of advertisements individuals are presented on every site. 

Burger King has found a unique way to target their customers that could pave the way for future companies. Burger King has teamed up with Fox Sports to be the sole sponsor of their “Inside Fantasy” section on their YouTube channel. The branding opportunities for Burger King are virtually limitless- they are featured on the channel’s banners, advertisement videos that pop-up before the videos, and finally within the video itself. This channel of advertising has not been utilized before and will likely become more popular in the coming year because of the immense traffic YouTube’s site gets each day. 

Many of the exact details of the deal between Burger King, Fox Sports, and YouTube are not disclosed. What is public knowledge is that Burger King “made an upfront spending commitment in exchange for a guaranteed number of video views and ad impressions.” The number of video views and ad impressions Burger King is guaranteed from the deal is unclear. The ad revenue split between YouTube and Fox Sports was also never disclosed. Typically, YouTube takes 45% of the ad revenue but they have been known to work out smaller percentages with some companies.

From a marketing standpoint, utilizing YouTube as a promotional tool to increase brand awareness is very smart. The number of site visits and video views YouTube gets each day are exponentially increasing so it is beneficial for any company to piggyback on their traffic. Being able to partner with specific channels makes marketing on YouTube ideal because companies can more efficiently reach their target market. The guaranteed number of video views and ad impressions is also a plus that other forms of advertising cannot offer. For example, a company may choose to send out an email to their database but the majority of bulk emails sent out are never opened because they are not sought after; in comparison, placing a video advertisement before a video that the individual clearly wants to view requires them to spend time acknowledging the brand whether they want to or not.

In conclusion, internet marketing as a whole is on the rise so it was smart for Burger King to utilize a new channel to reach their target market. The amount of branding they are getting out of their deal with Fox Sports is enormous and has the potential to increase their sales drastically. Because the campaign just recently launched there has not been any concrete results as to whether they will see a return on their investment or not, but I personally can envision a great return for the company.

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Analysis by Matt Dumblauskas in SRM 435 (section 2)

The focus of the article concentrates on Fox Sports and YouTube partnering to sell advertisements on Fox Sports’ YouTube channel in which Burger King has been chosen to be the initial sponsor. This campaign is being used throughout Fox Sports’ “Inside Fantasy” segment on their YouTube channel. A Burger King advertisement can be found throughout the channel and the logo is even found during in the actual videos. Although the Fox Sports YouTube channel does not have nearly as many subscribers as the sport media industry giants, it still receives a good amount of internet traffic and is continuing to grow. The specific amount of money that Burger King is spending is undisclosed. 

Fox Sports is one of the first sport media channels to jointly sell ads with YouTube. This theory of sponsoring YouTube channels is fairly new and I believe it is a trend that will continue to grow. From a promotional standpoint, it is smart to pair this advertising with the “Inside Fantasy” segment because the show will bring repeat viewers to the channel. It is also a good idea for them to use Burger King as their preroll advertisements on the actual videos because I am unsure how many people watch videos by going to the actual channel rather than searching for the single video they want to see. Having a different look and feel than other YouTube channels is a good way for the Fox Sports channel to attract extra attention. Aesthetics are an important factor in gaining and retaining the consumer’s attention. In the future, I can see companies related to sports take a similar approach and advertise on different YouTube channels that coincide with their mission and have the same idea as them.

This is relevant to this course because the sports industry is always looking for new ways to market and advertise to their customers. This is a great example of how marketing strategies change and adapt to the consumer. With the increase of social media, more and more companies are finding different ways to tap into the market. This also shows how a brand that has nothing to do with sports uses sports as a platform to advertise because of the sheer numbers that it appeals to.

"Flying Squirrels to host scandal night"

From ESPN.com  

Analysis by Forrest Lodge in SRM 435 (section 1)

Chris and I found an article that talked about a certain promotion that our former employer, the Richmond Flying Squirrels, put on during the 2013 season. The article talked about how the promotion was centered on certain celebrity/politician scandals that had occurred over the past few years and they were meant to poke fun at the people who were involved. First was Anthony Weiner, a New York City mayoral candidate who has acknowledged that he had sent lewd photos and messages to women online. The Flying Squirrels decided to have one-dollar hotdogs (Weiners) for the whole night! Another promotion that was going on that night during the game was a Brett Favre Football Toss that involved chosen fans attempting to throw footballs through a circular target. Favre has also had his own lewd photo scandal with a woman who was the Jets’ Gameday Host while Favre was playing for them. Finally, there was a Tiger Woods Closest To The Pin Challenge that also involved the fans as contestants, need I say more. Although involving scandals into the promotional approach as a professional organization can be risky, I believe that the Flying Squirrels chose their activities wisely and didn’t go too far with them whatsoever. Through my work experience with them I was able to see many different types of promotions come through the ballpark and was even able to be a part of a few myself, and there are always guidelines as to what can and cannot happen. I think this is very relevant to this course because we discussed the different types of giveaways and promotions that were most effective at Major League ballparks, as well as the different days of the week that promotions can affect the attendance of a game.

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Analysis by Chris Moffett in SRM 435 (section 1)

On August 1st 2013, the AA affiliate of the San Francisco Giant made ESPN news. The Richmond Flying Squirrels of the Eastern League held a promotion during a Thursday night game to poke fun at former mayoral candidate and controversial politician Anthony Weiner. The promotion included $1 hotdogs all night, and there was also a Twitter contest where fans could win a prize for tweeting a picture of themselves enjoying their hotdogs “in the most creative way”. Along with the Weiner promotion, there were also on the field contests such as the “Brett Favre football throw” and the “Tiger Woods closest to the pin challenge”. Each of those two men was involved with similar cases to which landed Weiner in hot water.

In the ever-changing world of sports, it’s very important to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to reaching fans. Minor League baseball teams are well known for their wacky promotions, premium giveaways, and celebrity appearance nights. This past season, Flying Squirrels had appearances by Redskins linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, VCU head coach Shaka Smart, Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer, WWE wrestling legend Kevin Nash and David “The Bullet” Smith, the Human Cannonball. Promotions also included fireworks nights every Thursday, Princess and Knight Night, and 80s movie night. This season also saw the Squirrels hit new record in attendance, averaging just under 6,500 fans per game.

One may wonder whether the benefits of these promotions exceed the work it takes to put them into place and make sure they run smoothly. The average baseball fan should not be counted on to come to the game for just baseball alone. It’s important to have promotions and nights that will entice fans to come, and remember the entire experience of the game, and not just what the final score was. Flying Squirrels COO Todd “Parney” Parnell says it best – “We’re not in the baseball business, we’re in the memory making business”.

"FOX Sports Girls heading out on FOX Sports 1 road trip"

From FOX Sports West

Analysis by Chris Lee in SRM 435 (section 2)

The article, “FOX Sports Girls Heading Out on Fox Sports 1 Road Trip,” basically summarizes the many marketing and promotional efforts that FOX Sports employed to raise awareness for the launch of their new sports network. FOX Sports 1 is a 24-hours sports network that features various sporting events such as NASCAR, college football, college basketball, UFC, and soccer. It has over 5,000 hours of live events, news, and original programming offered annually and its launch was the largest in sports cable network history.

As a way of gaining exposure about the launch of their new network, FOX Sports 1 had Cleatus, the FOX Sports robot, as well as the FOX Sports girls travel on a cross country bus tour to raise awareness and create hype for the launch which occurred on August 17. The 45-foot FOX Sports 1 bus journeyed throughout the United States, starting in San Diego and eventually ending up at Boston for the Shogun v. Sonnen light heavyweight bout and the long awaited unveiling of their network. Throughout the tour Cleatus and the FOX Sports 1 girls attended several Major and Minor League Baseball games, NFL training camps, the Fort Campbell Army Base, viewing parties, and finally the UFC fight in Boston. Basically, what they did was take pictures with fans, talk about the release of the new network, and hand out FOX Sports 1 gear.

Overall, I thought that FOX Sports 1 was very effective in their marketing strategy. By traveling to different locations throughout the country, they were able to gain a lot exposure and create good brand impressions for potential customers. They also did a good job utilizing social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter (#RoadtoLaunch) to raise awareness about their new programming. Furthermore, they had commercials air during the MLB All-Star game which approximately 11 million viewers were watching at the time.

In my opinion, the one thing that I would have done differently is increase the variety of sporting events that Cleatus and the FOX Sports 1 girls visited. I found the vast majority of stops during the cross country bus tour were at baseball games. I think by doing this, FOX Sports 1 narrowed their target audience to mainly baseball fans, especially considering the airing of the commercials during the MLB All-Star game. I believe that a stronger approach would be to diversify the types of sporting events they attended, thus broadening their target market and hopefully gaining more viewership.

The article is relevant to this class because it is directly related to sport marketing and sales, the very title of the course. The Road to Launch marketing campaign reminded me of the Allstate Ultimate Road Trip Sweepstakes, which similarly had to do with driving cross country and spreading the word about their brand. Overall, the article dealt with the promotional side of sports marketing, making it relevant to the course, and the historical launch of a new sports network that should greatly impact the industry.

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Analysis by Josh Revitch in SRM 435 (section 2)

The article we are discussing in today’s class, “FOX Sports Girls Heading Out on FOX Sports 1 Road Trip”, is about the cross-country promotional tour for the launch of FOX Sports 1. Fox has recently launched a new, 24-hour sports network, which aired on August 17th showing the Red Sox-Yankees game and UFC Fight Night. 

On August 4th, FOX Sports 1 and the FOX Sports Girls, along with the FOX NFL Sunday robot, Cleatus, went on a cross-country trip, Road to Launch. This trip was created to raise awareness for the launch of the new network. The tour started in San Diego for the Padres game against the New York Yankees. Each day, FOX Sports went to baseball games in different cities to promote the new network. The FOX Sports girls talked about the new network, took pictures with fans, and distributed FOX Sports 1 gear to sports fans across the country. Fans were able to follow the tour bus and the FOX Sports Girls through Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter by implementing the hashtag, #Roadtolaunch. Also, FOX Sports 1 aired its major promotional video during the MLB All-Star game.

I believe that FOX Sports did a great job promoting the launch of the new network. The target market of this network are sports fans and FOX promoted the network directly to fans by going to different baseball games. By promoting a new sports network at a sporting event, this will most likely increase the number of viewers by spreading awareness. Fans at the different baseball games gained more knowledge of the new sports network and will most likely share that information to friends and family, thus increasing the number of viewers. Also, FOX Sports will probably gain brand loyalty from the fans at the baseball games due to the free FOX Sports 1 items that were distributed. Those who received the free gear might be more willing to tune into FOX Sports 1 because they feel affiliated with the network.

Also, FOX Sports 1 utilized social media to promote and spread the awareness of the new network. By using social media and employing the hashtag, #Roadtolaunch, fans feel like they are a part of the process. Sports fans can learn more about the network and the cross-country tour and join in on the action easier now through the use of social media. By implementing social media, people and sports fans become more involved and will most likely increase the number of viewers because they feel like they have a connection to the network. This article is relevant to this class as it is about the use of promotions to spread awareness of a sports network. FOX Sports implemented many aspects that we discuss in class such as promotions and social media. Using promotions such as free giveaway items can increase the number of fans and viewers of the network. By promoting to sports fans directly, FOX successfully marketed its new sports network.

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NFL Player Safety and the Media Effect

From ESPN.com

Analysis by Anthony Brown in SRM 334 (section 2)

A recent ESPN, Outside the Lines story, focused on a $765 million proposed concussion settlement between the NFL and its former players. The settlement concludes the NFL will pay $765 million plus legal costs, but will admit no wrongdoing. The lawsuit included over 4,500 former players, however, the settlement went beyond just those who filed suits to cover all of the league’s retired players, making the number able to receive compensation total over 18,000. The money from the settlement would go toward medical exams and concussion-related compensation for retired players and their families. In addition, $10 million will go towards medical research (Steve F. & Mark F., 2013). 

This settlement is of an incredible importance to the media. Over the course of the last decade, there has been an increased emphasis on the injuries sustained within a player’s career and how that affects their life post NFL. In the past two and a half years alone, there have been three suicides committed by former NFL players with ties to brain damage. In one instance, former Chicago Bear Dave Duerson, committed suicide with a gunshot wound to the chest so that his brain could be researched for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The university of Boston researchers found CTE in the brain, which is the same disease found in other deceased NFL players. This is important because it has been known over the past few years that these injuries are being caused during player’s careers but the extent has been unknown (Josh, L., Steve, A., & Joe, S., 2013). These extreme cases resulting in death have forced the media, as well as the NFL, to take a closer look. The available research has led to this settlement, which now will provide former players with funding to better assist their condition, support their families, and provide medical research not only for themselves, but for future players as well.

The NFL has not solved their player safety issues entirely. While the proper steps seem to be taking place off the field, on the field is another issue. New rules have been implemented to insure player safety, including leading with the crown of the helmet, launching into a player, and/or targeting defenseless players. Breaking these rules can result in fines and possible suspensions. However, there are many questions now as to what is legal, and what is not. Bernard Pollard, safety for the Tennessee Titans, was recently fined $42,000 for a play that was not flagged and deemed legal.

"The bad part of it is, for us as players, for the fans, for the coaches, for the refs, there's a lot of gray area. So they don't know what to call and what not to call. There's no call and now you come back and fine me $42,000 for ... a play that was legal… But like I said, if you don't want us to play defense, don't call us defense. Take us off the field. Just let them go against air. Let's see what that does to the ratings,” Pollard said.

Situations such as these are the NFL’s biggest media issue surrounding player safety. Players such as Pollard who are repeat offenders of the conduct policy continue to speak out against the policy, its effect on the game, and television ratings. The media coverage continues to focus on these player’s comments because it is a noteworthy story. There are not any players making statements about the positive aspects of the policies, just those who are negatively affected. The issue with this is that it takes away from the true meaning of the rules. The rules are being incorporated solely to focus on player safety. The media spins this into being more focused on the player, the hit, the fine, and/or the suspension. Using this instance for example, the story has no focus on the concussion the player hit received. The entire story is based on dollar amounts, ripping the NFL, and television ratings. This completely misses the point the NFL is trying to establish. Until the NFL, its players, and the media can get on the same page, all publicity surrounding these policies will continue to focus on all the penalties players receive, not the injuries the NFL is trying to prevent. This is a shame because the since the NFL has introduced these rules, the percentages of concussions have dropped tremendously. CNN reports that in 2010, there were .679 concussions per game (218 in 321 combined preseason & regular season games). In 2011, there were only .594 concussions per game (190 in 320 combined preseason & regular season games) (Library, C. 2013).

The last issue the NFL faces within the media is its own hypocrisy. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell once wrote in a letter to personnel and fans, "There is no higher priority for the National Football League than the health and wellness of our players." However, the NFL continues to insist on an 18 game schedule being implemented, more games in London being played, and Thursday night games every week. All of the desired changes are completely revenue oriented and not a bit focused on player safety. Adding more games to the schedule, shortening player preparation during the week, and adding more travel is only going to make players more susceptible to injury. The NFL is trying to have the best of both worlds. Implement safety policies to cover the league, while increase marketability to put more dollars in their pockets. It’s a very thin line that they are toying with and the media continues to cover all angles in this billion dollar industry. The NFL must be careful with their choice of words and the decisions they make going forward. Everyone is watching, not just the media, and the most prominent sports league in America has some decisions to make regarding the future of their sport. The before mentioned player suit was considered by many to be a potential demise of the league, they were able to escape that, going forward they must not be greedy and look out for the best interest of the players, not their wallets in they want to maintain credibility.

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Analysis by Trevor Nichols in SRM 334 (section 2)

In the Outside the Lines report, written by Steve Fainaru and Mark Fainaru-Wada, details in the $765 million settlement between the NFL and former players are discussed. They highlight key parts of the settlement, including individual caps based on what type of injury a player sustained while playing football. They also discuss some players that will be left out of the settlement because the injuries occurred before 2006. The authors go on to discuss the number of brain injuries that are occurring in the NFL and the impact this has on players for the rest of their life. They close the article by describing how some lawyers may get paid multiple times.

The authors do a great job of presenting the details of the settlement and offering opinions of former players involved with the settlement. They present different quotes and thoughts from players that are both happy and unhappy with the settlement. They also dig deeper into the story when they talk about the increase in concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). 52 out of 54 players who signed agreements to have their brain studied after death had CTE. Currently, it can only be tested postmortem but some doctors believe there could be a way to test and treat the disease for living athletes in the next few years. The authors also incorporate how much players will get paid based on the settlement regarding different diseases. They write that relatives of deceased players would be eligible to collect nearly 1 billion dollars, which is almost 33% more than what the settlement was agreed upon. The last part talks about how the NFL agreed to pay a “common benefit” fund for lawyers so all the settlement money could go to the players; however, within individual contracts between players and lawyers many of them already agreed upon a number at the beginning of the process. Potentially lawyers may be getting paid out multiple times by the NFL and then individual players as well. The article closes with a quote from Boyd when he talks about his frustration and how the settlement seems to not have accomplished anything and that players are back to where they started.

This is relevant to the course because it is a high profile case in the sports world. The media covering the story need to be able to present the facts to the public so the public can make their own opinion on the NFL and their take on player safety. The media always highlights big hits because that’s what makes them the most money. They also seem to only interview athletes that do not like the rule changes which may distort the opinions of the public. The media should make bigger stories out of some of these players that commit suicide and suffer from CTE. In an industry that makes 10 billion a year, they only agree on 765 million to cover players that have made them all the money. The media has the power to influence the public and they seem to only cover one side of the story.

"NFL Strikes Large-Scale Deal With Twitter To Share Highlights, Other Material"

From SportsBusiness Journal

Analysis by Brad Taake in SRM 334 (section 2)

The article we chose for our current event was about the National Football League and the well known social media site Twitter striking a deal to share highlights and other game material and statistics. The new found deal was helped to be put in place by a company that specializes in digital technology and learning technology, Amplify. Some advantages that the Twitter-verse will see is video clips from the game on Thursday nights, and as far as the Sunday and Monday games go you will still get the same amount of coverage but it will not be “live” tweeting, the highlights will be shown after the telecast is finished. Information will be concentrated primarily to Sundays, looking at fantasy football tips and other up to kickoff statistics and information.

I think what the NFL is trying to do to get media to everyone is a great idea, especially for those that cannot either go to or watch the games; however, other than the Thursday game I am not sure that fans are going to want to wait until after the telecast is over to consume all the game information. Other websites, such as ESPN or NFL, and social media might be quicker providing scores and statistics that we as the consumers are looking for right away, not until after the game is already over. Having said that, being provided with in game video clips to see the play to go along with the text in a tweet is going to be a great new way to begin staying connected to your team wherever you are. Sponsorship and ad revenues will surely see a spike within the NFL seeing as how the NFL’s twitter handle already has over 5 million followers so now companies and business will be able to reach out to these fans in a variety of ways. The NFL stated that this extra revenue was not the main factor in getting this deal done, but more so for the fans to view NFL content on their mobile phones in a completely new way.

Since social media is one of the main focus points of class it was obvious to me how this topic fits hand in hand with class. So far this article would tie in with multiple days of the lecture topics such as, Introduction to media and sport, Broadcast media, and other class discussions. Sharing the subject of Twitter and the NFL made this article fun and easy to read while also providing and innovative and potentially completely new way we consume football on the weekends.

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Analysis by Ryan Watson in SRM 334 (section 2)

The article that we are using for our class discussion is about Twitter striking a deal with the National Football League. The main details of this deal are: Twitter has gained rights to “tweet” clips from games. They are not allowed to tweet these videos until after the games have aired on Sunday, but on Thursdays they can post the videos while the game is being played. Other than highlights, there will also be videos with fantasy tips to help fellow fantasy footballers manage their teams. Monday night football is still off limits because this is a big viewing night for the NFL. This deal is significant because the National Football League is known to be very strict about who they let have rights to their content. Twitter will most likely be putting up highlights and big plays of games so fans can easily view them at their convenience without having to deal with commercials on TV. The only thing you need to have access to these videos is a twitter account.

This deal is mutually beneficial because Twitter now gets to put videos up and the NFL can reach a bigger audience of fans with mobile phones. Twitter can also use these videos to put ads on them to generate ad revenue. Verizon is sponsoring these videos in hopes of getting more customers. At the beginning of the videos there will be a quick commercial from Verizon that is probably around eight-seconds. These quick commercials are very common on websites like YouTube and any other video sharing websites. The ad revenue will be split between Twitter and the NFL (does not give a percentage of how the revenues will be split precisely). The big benefit to the NFL is the amount of fans this is enabling to watch the videos mobile. In our world of quickly growing technology people are starting to have access to videos anywhere and everywhere. This new deal gives fans the chance to watch football highlights and fantasy tip videos on current games/players that have happened/are happening that day without having to be at home on the television. From a media/communications standpoint this is huge. In class we have constantly talked about social media and how it has helped open a new world to collaborating and giving people immediate information on breaking news. Twitter in particular gives people the chance to follow sport celebrities and famous organizations that allow them to be up to date on information. I think that we are heading towards a direction where people are going to be able to watch TV shows and other events from Twitter. We probably won’t get to watch a lot of stuff live to start out with, but if Twitter keeps heading down the path of buying rights to content, then who knows what will happen. I personally think this is really smart for Twitter because you can basically watch Football plays in real time without dealing with long commercial breaks on TV. This is also smart for Twitter because companies are having harder times reaching consumers on TV because a lot of people are using DVR to record shows, games etc. and fast forward through any commercial ads, or just going online to stream videos. With this video streaming on Twitter, people are forced to watch a short commercial before they can watch the highlight, which creates a market that companies like Verizon are jumping on. Over a four-year period Verizon is paying one billion dollars to be the exclusive “Twitter super bowl advertiser” so obviously the market for Twitter ad revenue is remarkable.

"The Los Angeles Lakers apologize for the misguided tweet sent out to commemorate the 9-11 anniversary"

From Yahoo! Sports

Analysis by Maura Gunning in SRM 334 (section 1)

On the 12th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, twitter accounts all over the country were sending out “Never Forget” and “United We Stand” tweets to show patriotism and support to those who were affected by the tragedy. The professional basketball organizations, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns also sent out controversially commemorative tweets. The Lakers posted a large photo of Kobe Bryant with the words “#NEVERFORGET”, until you looked very closely there was no indication of the true meaning behind the tweet other than gaining publicity for one of the most famous players. The Phoenix Suns posted a picture of a man dressed in a gorilla suit, on a stage, waving an American flag with fireworks exploding around him in celebration. Ultimately, is it appropriate or necessary for professional sports organizations to make comments on subjects outside of sports? Social media has created the mindset that anyone is allowed to say anything they want about any subject they like. No matter how unknowledgeable, twitter, Facebook, blogs, and Instagram have made it possible for users to be the new reporters in their communities. The Lakers explained their actions by saying that the tweet was so remember the way that they commemorated the attacks during the 2001-02 season. It is more understandable that the organizations would comment on the events for any employees, family, or friends affected directly after the event but I argue that it is unnecessary for them to make a statement each year. The news sources should make statements about the anniversary of the attacks to tell us what is happening now to heighten security, about the status of the world currently, about the victim’s family and friends who are still grieving and still in recovery. There was a great story about a husband and wife who 12 years after their son’s death in the towers discovered that his last moments were spent selflessly helping others out of the building – that is a news story. Furthermore for the Suns to choose the image they did was not commemorate in the least. Their twitter image reflects the mood of a wild Fourth of July barbeque party before the firework show, not the somber, grieving day of remembrance following an American tragedy.

This article is relative to the course because of its unique nature in explaining why social media can harm an organization. Most of what we hear about social media, explains it as the next greatest thing when in reality not many people stop to think about the publicity as a danger. I think that this generation especially need to remind themselves of the phrase, “Some things are better left unsaid.” It is not necessary or credible for a basketball organization to be commenting on current world events, just as a college student like myself should not be making statements about the latest rocket science formulas used by NASA. I think that professional sports organizations would be better off to remember that they are experts in their industry, therefore if anything on another subject could be taken the wrong way in the slightest it would be best not to publically post it on any media source. The fans have so much power to interact with feedback and criticism now that professional organizations of any kind cannot risk the danger in unnecessary tweets and Facebook messages.

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Analysis by Kara Camuso in SRM 334 (section 1)

Different teams were showing their support for the 12-year anniversary for September 11th, but some of the teams did not show it in a respectful way. The article that we chose for the current event is depicting Lakers as using the special day just to promote their team. The Lakers Twitter account tweeted a picture of Kobe Bryant with “#NeverForget”. It was supposed to show the memorial ribbon on the jersey, but when followers opened the picture Kobe was the center of the picture with a little ribbon on the side. Seeing that people were offended, they took the tweet down and wrote an apology. The Phoenix Suns also tried to show respect that day, but they failed miserably by tweeting a guy in a gorilla suit waving a flag. This showed poor judgment on their part as it seemed that they were taking the day as a publicity stunt. 

From a media standpoint, athletes/teams need to think about what they are posting on social media. As these examples show, things can be misinterpreted, and their organization can be seen as disrespectful. They think they can put anything on the Internet, but there are repercussions to offensive tweets. Also with media, things are never deleted so even though the Lakers and Suns took the tweets down people can still have access to them. Although teams and athletes are posting how they feel, the fans will give them their feedback. For example in our presentation, we show how the Broncos head coach is wearing a hat and a fan responded that the Broncos are trying to get publicity rather than remembering the day. Since these are big organizations, people look more closely at what they are posting to represent themselves. If they communicate in a poor manner, it will say a lot about their organization.

This article is relevant to the course because twitter is a big source of media that people will communicate through. If we want to go into a job with media, this article shows we have to be careful what we put on the Internet. We have to make sure it has a positive look on our organization or it could create a bad reputation. Sports Information Specialists have to choose what goes on their sites and what does not using their best judgment. This also relates back to our class because we talked about how people use technology to establish relationships. The Lakers were trying to establish a relationship with their followers but failed to do so within the way they presented the memorial tweet. Last but not least, in class we learned that organizations should know how and when to communicate, and this is a good example of why this concept is so important. The Lakers and Suns needed to know how to effectively communicate “#NeverForget”. 

Twitter is being looked over by people more and more every day. The Lakers and the Suns did not post an appropriate tweet to remember September 11th, and they more promoted themselves on the solemn day. Athletes and teams need to be careful how they post things on the Internet because their audience will react, especially by tweeting back at the organization. As students going into this profession, it is important that we know how to communicate appropriately for our organizations in the future.

"Pros will soon swing data-collecting racket"

From SportsBusiness Daily

Analysis by Annie Comber in SRM 435 (section 1)

After years of research and planning the historic racket company Babolat, has created the first “plug-in” racket of its kind. This new racket is called the Babolat Play, which allows players to collect data of their performance after playing. The high-tech racket enables players to connect through Bluetooth connection with a Smartphone or from a USB in the handle of the racket and connect to a computer or tablet. Sensors in the handle of the Babolat Play are responsible for collecting information about the player’s game. This racket can measure various performance data such as shot power, ball impact location, number of strokes, spin level, total and effective play time, endurance, techniques, consistency, energy, and rallies. Players can then compare and share either information online through Babolatplay.com and on a Babolat Play app. The racquet has been approved for play by the International Tennis Federation but not until January of 2014. 

From a marketing prospective, the Babolat Play has been slow to launch in the United States however with the use of social media, a famous spokes person and onsite activation, Babolat hopes the top players will be using the racket in the near future. Babolat is a French company that has always launched their rackets in Europe but they have decided to take a new approach and introduce it in the Unites States first because of the strong presence of social media and other wired sports equipment products. Babolat is planning to promote the racquet by traditional advertising in tennis outlets as well as some social media outlets and events. In addition, Rafael Nadal arguably one of the greatest tennis players in the world and is the official spokes person for the Babolat Play racket. Nadal has practiced with this racket and has created a few promotional videos while giving Babolat key feedback. As part of a promotion Nadal used his Facebook page to engage with fans and get them excited for the Babolat Play racket and then chose three fans to speak with him on the phone. Currently ranked number two in the world with over five million twitter followers, Babolat could not have picked a better spokes person for the new racket. In addition, American Express has a two-story, fan suite at the US Open that is the most trafficked on-site activation area at the open. The large space has 6-by-30 foot digital board that lets fans create Art by swinging a racket. There are also full tennis courts for clinics for kids and adults to improve their tennis skills. The Babolat Play racket is not yet incorporated into the American Express Fan Experience but this may be the next step to market the racket. This article relates to our class because it explains how new technologies in sports equipment will be marketed in the future. Babolat show us the effectiveness of marketing in the media via Facebook, Twitter, and videos, while having a famous spokes person promoting the racket as well. Technology in tennis equipment is a new concept for many athletes and fans but with the proper marketing and promotion techniques gathering data about ones’ tennis game will soon become the norm.

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Analysis by Stephanie Nielsen in SRM 435 (section 1)

The world of sports is constantly changing and improving as the years go by. New additions to technology keep appearing and adding more to the athletes and games that we love to watch. The newest phenomenon that is offered for individual athletes is the ability to have devices that can record and track their play during competitions. The Babolat Play Racket is a new addition to the world of tennis and is scheduled to hit the market in January of 2014.

Babolat is a French tennis, badminton and squash equipment company that is best known for its strings and tennis rackets that are used by several top players, such as Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, Kim Clijsters and many others. The Play Racket offers many interesting features that will greatly benefit the development of professional and amateur tennis players. The product has sensors integrated into the handle allowing players to have access of information about their game. Shot power and ball impact location along with number of strokes (forehand, backhand, serve, smash), spin level, total and effective play time, endurance, technique, consistency, energy and rallies are all the types of data that are collected through the racket. After the player is finished the information is transmitted through a Bluetooth connection with a smart phone or a USB form. Through a marketing standpoint this individual racket is very pricey for the amateur tennis player. However, knowing the prices of private tennis pro lessons and clinics for this sport, this racket will be able to keep up and have the potential to become a driving force in the development of tennis players. Rafael Nadal is currently the company’s most prominent spokesperson. He is an extremely beneficial aspect to this campaign and product. The Babolat company will need to actively promote this product with social media campaigns to encourage fans to learn about the product. One campaign that Babolat has already done is a Facebook competition where three random fans were selected to have a conversation with Nadal. Another marketing opportunity for this product is for fans that are attending the U.S. Open to be able to test out this product. This will encourage fan involvement while the product is being implemented. The Babolat Play Racket may take a little more time to get off the ground and going but this is an innovative technology product that will open doorways for other individual and team sports to have products developed for their particular sports in the future.

"USOC expands 100-day countdown for Sochi"

From SportsBusiness Journal

Analysis by Michael Herndon in SRM 435 (section 2)

Starting from one hundred, the United States will be counting down the days until the start of the Sochi Olympics. This will be the third Olympics the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) has hosted this event held in Times Square. The purpose of the event is to celebrate an official countdown to the start of the Olympics, as well as celebrate and showcase the Olympians themselves. Year-by-year the event has started to gain more publicity, creating a higher demand for sponsors. 

This article explains what goes on at this event, the differences in the sponsors marketing over the years, and what it means to be a sponsor. The article starts out stating that the USOC expects more than 170,000 people to stop by at the event this year. This number would more than double the amount of people from the inaugural year for the Vancouver Games. The Event in Times Square marks the first event on their Road to Sochi Tour around the United States. Liberty Mutual will be the main sponsor out of twelve, where each sponsor will get their own activation area in Times Square. They will market their product while having activities to engage fans and anyone who walks by. Over the years this event has gone from hoping sponsors will want to market at the event, to sponsors seeing more value and looking to get a return on investment.

I believe marketing at this event is a great way to promote your brand because it contains almost all of the aspects of the sport promotional mix. Being in Times Square, there is tons of publicity. This publicity is free to the people walking through and visiting time square, and the event definitely stimulates demand for multiple products. They do this by having multiple incentives while using the technique of personal contact. In Times Square, there will be multiple Olympians/professional athletes along with engaging activities and performances from the Olympians. As for personal contact, they incorporate all three components: selling, monitoring, and servicing. They may not be charging any person to buy their product but the sponsors are trying to sell to customers that they have the best products. The organizations are monitoring how people act when they come into their activation area, as well as evaluating and re-evaluating their service to make sure it is a success, and will be in the future. When it comes to atmospherics, what more can you ask for. You are in the middle of Times Square with numerous Olympians, professional athletes, and other citizens who are all supporting the country they love, the United States.

Sponsorships are a big part of this article and I believe the sponsors did it right at this event. What I mean by this is that each sponsor had their own area to advertise their products. They were also able to bring a team out to the event to work with Olympians to get the right publicity. The hospitality of the event was great because they were using personal contact and helped create an atmosphere where fans are engaging in activities while enjoying their time in Times Square. As I’ve already talked about the incentives the event has, I think just being able to be in Times Square is enough of an incentive alone; same goes with atmospherics. Finally the community relations aspect of the event; clearly the event is being held in a great community, but this is only the opening stage for their four month tour. The USOC will be visiting twelve different cities around the United States to interact and connect with local communities all over the nation. There will be chances for donations and multiple giveaways, the Olympians/professional athletes will be performing and making appearances at activation areas, and there will be multiple on-site activities to get fans engaged, as I’ve stated before.

Overall, I believe this article connects to our class in multiple ways. I’ve already explained how this event pretty much incorporates all of the sports promotional mix that we have talked about in class. We have also talked about all the factors that have influenced growth in the sports industry. From the first year this event was held to now, there has been an increase in over 100,000 participants. I believe this is from the constant human interest in sports, along with sport business increasing in new diverse market segments. There has also been in increase in growth due to the new promotion and marketing techniques that they use to get people to come out to the event each year. As we’ve talked about in class, incentives are a great way to do this. Continuing forward, I believe this event will continue to grow and have an increase in the population of people that get involved. They incorporate sponsors who are using the sport promotional mix effectively, which creates an environment that people want to come back to. Not only has the event been run well, but this event is for a bigger event; the Olympics. I believe we take a lot of pride in our country when it comes to sports and this is another reason why the event in Times Square is a big success. Everyone is now waiting until the clock hits 100 days, for the countdown, to the Sochi Olympics.

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Analysis by Michael Civiello in SRM 435 (section 2)

In this article the main focus was the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and its expansion of its sponsors for the upcoming pre-Olympic celebration held in Times Square. It is the third time this event has been held and the celebration itself is the start of the the “Road to Sochi Tour.” This tour is going across the country between November 2013 and February 2014. The event in Times Square is set to have 12 sponsors, all of which have their own “activation space.” Each sponsor is also assigned one of 12 sports interactive elements that fans can engage in. The sponsors include: Coca-Cola, AT&T, Budweiser, Chobani, Folgers, The Hartford, Hilton, Jif, Kellogg’s, United, and Smucker’s jams.

The event itself has grown not only in sponsors, but in attendance as well. The first year before the Vancouver games, 75,000 people came out to the inaugural event. Prior to the London games, 175,000 people showed up. This year’s event is expected to have 170,000 people. There has been more incentive to sign up for this event according to USOC’s chief marketer Lisa Baird. She thinks the incentive is the exposure for the different companies. That is a main reason Liberty Mutual signed up to be a lead sponsor. Their senior vice president of communications is quoted as saying: “…our presenting sponsorship of the Road to Sochi Tour provides Liberty Mutual Insurance the opportunity to expose the brand to millions of Olympic fans across the country…” The USOC itself has secured 12 billboards for branding its own logos and Pilobolus performance company who is doing a show as part of the event.

From marketing standpoint this event is a great way to promote a brand. Over 150,000 people are expected to be walking through Times Square, and will be able to have access to a company’s brand in some sort of way. Its up the company though, how they go about their “activation.” Lisa Baird, the USOC chief marketer, had a good point about the exposure, and each company will have a plan on how they want to engage each consumer. The USOC is helping with giving each brand an assigned event that fans can engage in. Its again up the sponsor on how effective they can sell it. A lot of activation could be giveaways, contests, enter to wins, etc.

The exposure a brand could get is unquestioned with how many people are expected to see it, but what could be questioned is why not more sports related companies and organizations trying to sponsor this event. It was shocking to see that not one was a known sport organization or company. The Olympics is the biggest sporting event in the world and it was very odd to see no related sponsors. The event is definitely growing, as attendance and sponsors have doubled since the last event before the London games in 2012. It was also mentioned that there were over 150 million media impressions. That is a whole lot of ways of getting a brand out. That statistic is a very high number and could definitely be an eye catcher for potential sponsors. With increasing attendance, it is not a stretch to say that there definitely will be an increase in sponsors to sign up. This article is relatable to the Sports Marketing course mainly for the fact that the focus of all this is geared toward the Olympics, aforementioned as the biggest sporting event in the world. It is something that potential sponsors would love to get a piece of, any type of way. One of those ways could be this 100 day-out celebration. It is definitely growing and could potentially expand even more. Any exposure for a brand is good and this is definitely a way to get a brand out to the public, and to a bigger audience not just in Times Square, but also across the country.

"Filling the Seats"

From Athletic Management

Analysis by Matt Nasca in SRM 435 (section 1)

This article focuses on the head baseball coach at Mississippi State University, Coach John Cohen. Coach Cohen has coached five seasons at Mississippi State, leading his team to the 2012 Southeastern Conference Tournament Championship and appeared in the NCAA tournament in both the 2012 and 2013 seasons and finished second place last year in the College World Series. So this coach is known for leading a successful Mississippi State baseball team, but he is also very well known for getting large attendance turnouts at the games. Coach Cohen has already set four of the program’s top six all time season ticket sales in just five seasons of coaching at Mississippi. In a game this past April against Auburn University more than 14,500 fans showed up, which was the second largest on campus crowd in NCAA history.

The coach said he gets successful turnouts like that by having his players go out into the community and interact and hand out tickets, instead of having a sales person going door-to-door trying to sell season tickets. He says his players receive life lessons while doing this, so it works to their advantage. He also has his players go around campus and hand out tickets to students or tell students to show up to the games, which greatly helps the high attendance numbers.

In my opinion I think this is a great way to market and get your team’s name out there. I personally would be way more inclined as a student to go to a game if an actual player came up to me, had a conversation and told me to come to a game. If I lived in a community and I saw the players going around talking to people, helping out and giving out tickets, than I would 100% go to the game to show my support since they are taking the time to come out and interact with other people. I would say that this is a risky way for a coach to market because if I were a college level coach, I would have my team practicing all the time to get better and to be able to win. But since this team is showing that it can play successfully, I think the way Coach Cohen is getting people to show up is a very good idea. 

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Analysis by Charles Higby in SRM 435 (section 1)

The Athletic Management Magazine website recently published an article about head coach John Cohen’s Mississippi State baseball success on the field, but focused on his role in maintaining the teams reputation as a leader in college attendance. There was also a mini-interview with the Mississippi State University baseball coach talking about his role in the attendance rates and the successful promotional tools he has instilled to do so. In five seasons Cohen has led the team to the 2012 Southeastern Conference Tournament championship, appearances in the 2012 and 2013 NCAA tournaments, including a second place finish in the 2013 College World Series. Attendance wise, in an April game against Auburn over 14,500 fans packed into Polk-Dement Stadium at Dudy Noble Playing Field, marking the second largest on campus crowd in NCAA history. Also four of the teams top six all time season ticket sales occurred during Cohen’s time as coach. This in part is due to his hand with promoting the team and the promotional strategies he has created. One of these techniques was having season tickets hand delivered by his players that used the team’s recognition factor as a thrilling way for the community to interact with the team. Another technique was a free program called “the dudes” where MSU students are rewarded with incentives for attending home games. These have allowed Coach Cohen to keep the Mississippi State reputation as a leader in attendance. 

From a sport marketing and promotion standpoint, I believe these techniques are a great idea to implement. The coach’s tactics are tools that can build the Mississippi State baseball brand reputation and effectively get fans into the stadium. Having the players deliver tickets builds a lot more support in the community and gives the players experience interacting with their fans. The “dudes” club at MSU is similar to student clubs I have seen before, but the rewards they offer are personal and worthwhile drawing a huge student following to games. Coach Cohen has found a way to promote his team boosting attendance and season ticket sales through promotional strategies that at the same time builds community support, teaches players important lessons about interacting with fans, and turns students into lifetime fans.This article is very relevant to our sport marketing and sales course. To be a successful organization teams need to find innovative ways to attract fans that will buy tickets and fill up the stadium. This was an interesting story about how a coach used his knowledge and experience to create effective marketing/promotional programs that boosted attendance and built upon the team’s reputation. He already had a great marketing staff, but he found ways to use the player’s recognition to make more thrilling ways to attract fans. This is a great example of marketing your brand in the sports industry to improve the organization.

SRM Alumni Updates - September 24, 2013

Bryce Cocke ('13) recently accepted a position with the Orlando Magic as a Ticket Sales Representative. He most recently completed an internship with the Washington Redskins.

Jess Jarrett ('10) accepted the position of Athletic Facilities Coordinator of Bridgeforth Stadium at James Madison University.

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Please send any alumni life/career updates to SRM@jmu.edu.

"South Carolina's Star Player Jadeveon Clowney Hasn't 'Lost His Swagger'"

From Bleacher Report

Analysis by Alex Mosley in SRM 334 (section 1)

Jadeveon Clowney is one of the most gifted, explosive and most talked about players in college football history. He makes freakishly great plays that seem impossible for a person of his stature, seem like routine plays. Not in recent years has a player, that plays the same position, created such a huge star power about themselves. The article talks about the media frenzy about the player known as the freak, Jadeveon Clowney. Clowney has unique abilities and skillset that separates him from other defensive lineman. His size, strength, quickness and agility are all qualities that give him an advantage and gave him the identity of being known as the “freak”. A major quality that he has is being able to use both his left and right hands when getting into a stance. Coaches truly admire this as I allows him to play on both sides of the line which does not allow offenses to key on where he is going to be. That is a quality most guys in college do not have, as they are only comfortable with using their right hand. Wrapping all of these qualities into one and combining that with great technique has allowed him to be recognize as one of the best football players in the country. Coming into the year he was seen as a Heisman Trophy candidate and potential number one overall draft pick. The hype that surrounds him was accelerated throughout the summer in anticipation for another breakout yea. After a win against rival North Carolina, he faced major criticism. Clowney had only three tackles and was condemned to being “out of shape” as he seemed to have taken plays off. It was later discover he had a stomach virus the day before, but the criticism still followed. The media still ran with it as it seemed now that he was more human as he did not make the plays fans and reporters were accustomed to. What the article focuses on is that he is human and that though he has yet made any highlight plays, he still is “the freak” for a reason because of his major impact on the field.

It is ironic as to how media can create such hysteria on one person, build them up give them insane hero like abilities then break them down and overanalyze that same person. Jadeveon Clowney has been viewed as a freak of nature in the media, the hype surrounding him is unreal as it is said that he could play in the NFL right now. For a college football player, that is one major statement . Though is a great player, the media depiction of him makes one believe that he is somewhat of a superman and will make every single play. That is not the case as it was evident in his first couple of games this year. He has made plays but offenses realize his dominance and scout around him. If you listen to media reports though, you would think that he has made no plays and that he was over hyped. In my opinion, the media overanalyzes him, on one hand when he makes plays he’s the most dominant player in college football and on the other hand when he doesn’t make the highlight play, he is seen as being no as dominant.

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Analysis by Dana Allaband in SRM 334 (section 1)

Jadeveon Clowney, a defensive end for the University of South Carolina, was recognized for his sack against Michigan’s player Vincent Smith. This was Clowney’s rise to fame, just one hit and he immediately spread throughout social media. Since then Clowney has been scrutinized for his performance in his games thus far for the 2013 season.

In the article “South Carolina’s Star Player Jadeveon Clowney Hasn’t Lot His Swagger,” Brian Leigh explains how much the media has been extremely critical over Clowney’s performance on the field. Leigh states that the public has created the image that Clowney is a “God.” That due to one impressive highlight play, he will now be expected to perform at that level every game and if he does not the world will hear about it. For instance in the article, it states that Clowney was ranked first in a poll for the Heisman award after his highlight play. Now after only three games into this season he is left off the list completely. Also Leigh states that, “there was a time when Clowney was the bar-none favorite to go No. 1 in next April's NFL draft,” and this now has become questionable. The medias’ involvement in Clowney’s life has essentially altered it. In this instance Leigh is explaining how the media has become overly involved in Clowney’s life and he is defending him to a degree. Leigh states that the this issue with “impossibly high standards; they’re impossible.” Meaning that the media should not portray him as this unbelievable player. They should just state facts and statistics and let the public form an opinion about Clowney’s ability to play instead of being influenced by the media. For instance after South Carolina’s game against UNC the media stated that he was tired throughout the game, that he had to be pulled off, and that he will not win a Heisman with that performance. When in reality, if the public watched the game they would see that he performed extremely well against UNC. For most of the game he was double teamed, UNC placed two players to block him. Even with this in front of him Jadeveon managed to force UNC to rush their plays for a majority of the game. This exemplifies how the media can tweak a story so that the public will become interested and want to talk about it. Overall Jadeveon Clowney, an exceptional player, has become a name in the media and his performance this year will be scrutinized by the media because of this. The question left to ask is how will he react?

"Army Sponsors Tough Mudder Obstacles in an Attempt to Recruit 'Army Strong' Soldiers"

From Athletic Business

Analysis by Jordan Underwood in SRM 435 (section 2)

You often hear of people competing in 5K’s and the recently popular Color Run, but how many people do you know that have participated in a Tough Mudder. Another recently popular fad, the Tough Mudder is designed for the true athlete to test their mental, physical and emotional strength. These courses take place around the world and are 10-12 miles of pure strength and endurance. Participants register in teams, because the course is seemingly impossible to complete alone. Through out the course, teammates must assist each other throughout various obstacles such as a 12 foot wall, swimming in freezing cold water, and crawling through tight pipes into freezing mud; simply to name a few. 

The Army has recently decided to sponsor eight Tough Mudders in support of the organizations meaning and goals. Tough Mudder raises money for the Wounded Warrier Project and has raised over $6.5 million to date. During the races sponsored by the Army, soldiers will be present to help assist competitors at the various obstacle stations.

By sponsoring Tough Mudder events, the Army is not only getting positive publicity through working with the community, but it is giving the community a chance to work hand in hand with the Army soldiers. Knowing that Army soldiers are going to be at a specific Tough Mudder event might further inspire someone to sign up. Tough Mudder and the Army together create a great partnership. The Tough Mudder truly can be viewed as your normal, everyday person, without any military training, seeing if they can mentally and physically endure what the soldiers can. It is a great success to finish the course, but having an Army Soldier by your side cheering you on and helping you when you may not believe in yourself anymore is truly an accomplishment.

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Analysis by Lindsay Brauch in SRM 435 (section 2)

Have you ever loved a good challenge? Well, the Tough Mudder is designed for people like you. It’s a 5K-race set up with obstacles that could kill you. People are actually willing to run through fire, swim through ice water, climb through mud pits, crawl under barbed wire, and participate in other military like obstacles. They have created a test that allows people to assess if they are “Army Strong.”

Recently, the Army started a new campaign where they sponsor eight of the obstacles courses in the Tough Mudder. The Army hopes to show participants what it takes to be in the Army. As quoted in the article, “the sponsorships are targeted at Tough Mudder participants seeking to test their mental, emotional, and physical strength.”

One of the most prevalent things the Tough Mudder is known for is their support of the Wounded Warrior Project. It’s a program to help veterans with employment, counseling for posttraumatic stress disorders, and other things associated with their health and wellness. So far, the Tough Mudder's have raised $5 million dollars in about two years for this program. Every race, Tough Mudder sponsors a team of wounded warriors to participate in their obstacle course.

In order to promote the obstacles sponsored by the Army, soldiers were at every one of their eight obstacles to encourage and engage the participants. They were even there to assist them, as they wanted to encourage teamwork. The thought behind the Army’s sponsorship is to appeal to and reach more military members and families to enter the Tough Mudder events.

Tough Mudder has done a great job promoting itself. To start, they have the Wounded Warrior project, and if you look on their website they have a running donations section where you can see just how much money they raised. When this article came out on the 13th of September they said they had raised $5 million, and if you look on the site now it’s already at $6 million. They have done a nice job promoting their cause by informing their participants at the race and on their site. They also offer volunteering opportunities at every race. The promotion behind this is that if you volunteer you then get to run for only $20. If you run alone, it is roughly $115.It even cost money just to be a spectator.

The Tough Mudder has done such a good job with sales that you must register months in advance to even get the opportunity to race. It has quickly become a global company. They offer races all over the world. It is so intense that they offer a Tough Mudder boot camp course because it really is that intense. You have to be in fantastic shape, or “Army Strong.” The new sponsorship has opened the race to a whole new target market, helping to promote the success and sales of the company. It’s also hard to forget a race that offers you a cold beer once you complete it. Also the fact that you need to sign a death waiver before you can race gives it a challenging edge. Its something I even want on my bucket list. There really isn’t any other competition in its market, it’s that unique. This relates to what we are learning about in class based on the fact that it’s a success is solely based on its ticket sales and how it’s promoted. They also have several sponsorships and promotional deals to draw in consumers. In class, we are learning how important these promotions are and how to keep consumers coming back. The Tough Mudder has developed their own market with virtually no competition and has found a way to keep loyal customers by changing up their obstacles and having sponsorships like the one they have with the Army. They also offer many incentives when you register, including free gear and bragging rights. Their marketing team has done an excellent job so far. Tough Mudder has promoted themselves in a positive light towards the community through their charities. I am excited to see what types of obstacles they come up with next.