Thats a wrap

Hey guys just here to thank you all for taking the time to read and share my blogs for this class. Hopefully it didn't bog down your timeline to much. If you commented or shared or liked the blog it will all go into my review of the final project.

This project was apart of my Digital Advertising class at UNI and I was given 12 weeks to create a blog post every week, tweet 2 times a day on @iSportsBizi, and connect with as many people, and professional groups, as possible on Linkedin. The entire time tracking my "ability to connect" within my "Personal Brand" (persona I took on) within the time period given. BTW connect with me if you haven't already! I also learned how to, and attempted to, run a Google Ad Words campaign for a short period of time in order to earn more connections.

In the beginning we were challenged to realize our personal characteristics, interests, and what we wanted to be in the future to make our Personal Brand Statement. Mine is : "I am a dreaming retired athlete still dedicated to the passion of sports that helped construct who I am today, because even if I might not be participation in competition, getting involved and learning more about the business portion of sports teams still provides me with excitement and drive that I look forward to using."

From there I took it upon myself to research about the "behind the scenes" business aspects of sports themselves, the ones that are not always at the forefront of ESPN every day. Personally I enjoy all of the back stories, and things you haven't heard about in sports that ESPN does present, more than the every day talk about scores, and highlights. Taking the "30 for 30" kind of approach was my plan from the start and hopefully you learned a thing or two about sports that you didn't know yesterday.

Sometimes I found it difficult to write some of the blogs because I had yet to gain the professional insight or be in the position of having first hand knowledge of sports business. Eventually I found myself just regurgitating facts and figures that were already known and reported by others. I challenged myself to put myself into my readers position and attempted to relate to them as much as possible. I also discovered from watching others in class that it is much easier to write about topics you already know a lot about. I already knew a lot about sports being a former athlete, as well as being a current fan I knew most of the current events that were going on so I decided to redirect my angle and what kind of content I was rolling out.

Seeing as though I made a new twitter to retweet and connect with people within my personal brand, not alot of traffic came from that account, most of my audience were college aged people because I was able to tweet and post blogs the from my other personal accounts compiled with friends and family that I have connected with throughout my Twitter and Facebook existence. So relating to them "my real audience" contributed to more interaction, interest, and views of the blog on certain posts like "Last Few Moments" and "Cheering for Change" . 

Attempting to relate to my Business of Sports fans, and my personal fans at the same time became the real challenge. Finding something both subjects would be interested in and intertwining them was the most rewarding part when done correctly.

All in all this project was a fun yet challenging experience and I believe that I would get better at it each and every time if I were to do it over and over again. I now have experience in how to advertise a business, product, or person digitally, and that is something that I will be able to do in each and every job that I have in the future. I already have plans of helping family and friends advertise their professional persona's through the techniques I have learned in this class.

If you, the reader, have made it this far I applaud you and thank you for sticking with my while I learn and perfect this craft. If you have any advice for me, or comments about the project you would like to make be sure to leave a comment here or tweet me at @iSportsBizi of what you think. Most likely your feedback will be included in my summary due tomorrow night.

Thank you again for all who participated and don't forget to... 


KEEP MOVING FORWARD!

Blow to the Head

In contact sports such as football, injuries are inevitable. Every single play involves full force impact from both teams and the play usually ends in taking the opponent down. Sprains, pulled muscles, and even broken bones can be easily identified, but when the injury is on the brain it is often passed over and forgotten about. Blows to the head resulting in concussions are happening more and more but are not always taken seriously. The brain is a vital organ allowing you to live and function controlling everything you do. So why are injuries to it taken so lightly? With lawsuits and rule changes, the NFL is stepping up and doing something to make a change.

A concussion occurs when the head takes a blow that makes it move rapidly, so rapidly that the brain actually rattles or twists in the skull. It is commonly thought to be a “bruise on the brain”, but that is not true. There is no bruising, but there is damage done to the cells in the brain. Not every hit in the head is concussion, and that is where the problem comes in. A concussion cannot be identified by seeing it or feeling it, not even an x-ray can show it. Common warning signs include dizziness, not being able to recall a play or the score of the game, and loss of balance. In the midst of a game a player that gets hit or injures his head just shakes it off , often wanting to get back in to the action. However if a concussion was the case, the brain is highly vulnerable to more damage, and needs the proper time to heal. Therefore, continuing to play and create stress for the brain is a very bad idea.

http://blog.fora.tv/2013/08/with-nfl-persuasion-espn-pulls-out-of-pbs-concussion-documentary/

The NFL has been making some changes to their protocol to help prevent athletes with concussions being hurried back in to the game. Last year they started providing teams with better care by having a neuro-trauma expert physician on the field to help assess injured players. If the head physician or team physician checks a player for concussion, that physician is the one who has final say on whether the athlete can go back in to the game. This means trainers or coaches cant make that decision. If a concussion is diagnosed, the athlete must pass through a 5-step process, put in place just this year, before being released to play again. 

The steps go as follows:

1. Rest and recovery
2. Light aerobic exercise
3. Continued aerobic exercise & strength training
4. Football specific activities
5. Full football activities/clearance

Players must be able to pass through all of these steps without the initial symptoms returning.

http://www.recorder.com/home/9635572-95/a-look-at-head-injuries-in-area-sports

With the new changes, and while everyone is still adjusting to the protocol, the 5 step process isn’t perfectly followed quite yet. Just a few weeks ago Jamaal Charles of the Kansas City Chiefs took a hit the head and was assessed by a trainer. After passing the test he was allowed to keep playing, even though some of his symptoms were signs of a concussion. He was quoted in an interview (via ESPN.com) saying “A couple plays later, I just [saw] this light buzz around my eyes and I was trying to catch ‘em. But I was like, ‘let’s get the ball and run again.” This is a great example of how short term thinking, players just want to get back in the game and do their part. Fans also want to see the players in the game bouncing back from getting knocked down. The question becomes is a few more plays, or another quarter in one game worth the risk of the lasting effects a concussion can have? As an athlete, at the time of injury and in the moment it feels like you should do everything you can to get back out there because you want to do the best for the team, but in the long run it most certainly is not whats in your best interest.

Past players are now coming forward about the repercussions of their injuries. Perhaps if they had known about the reality and seriousness of concussion they would have treated their injuries differently. This past July 5 former NFL players filed a lawsuit suing the union for “for not providing accurate information about the risk of head injuries”. Lawsuits are happening at the college level as well. The NCAA has just settled a suit for $70 million to pay for current & former athletes to have testing done to determine brain trauma from injury during football or other contact sports. According to an article in TheHuffingtonPost.com NCAA figures that from 2004 to 2009 alone, 29,225 athletes suffered concussions. Basically this lawsuit makes it so that players can do the tests, and if they find damage done, they have a basis for suing.

To make a real change, NFL is turning to focus on players just starting the game, implementing a new program to help awareness about injuries to the head. The program is called “Heads Up” Football. It helps coaches and players to take safety precautions by using proper equipment, learning the right techniques for tackling, and being able to identify warning signs of a concussion. To see more about the program you can visit Heads up Football

http://www.ihigh.com/mfca/article_47736.html

They say knowledge is power. So starting by provide players with knowledge from the very start can hopefully influence how injuries to the head are viewed and taken care of in the future. Putting an end to the idea that mild concussion doesn’t need to take the same treatment steps as a serious concussion. A concussion is a concussion and should all be treated the same and be given the proper amount of time it needs to fully heal before getting back in the action.

Untill next time...

Keep moving forward!

Follow me on twitter: @iSportsBizi

Draft Day

And with the first pick of the draft the (your favorite team here) selects…

Draft day, a dream come true for most, and a nightmare for others. Excitement, hope, worry, confusion and disappointment all rolled into one event. The inductees of new talent presented to the league looking to prove themselves worthy of playing alongside legends and future hall of famers.

Acquiring a new player through the draft is different in every league. Whether it be the NFL, MLB, NBA, or even NHL, each draft has a specific set of rules and guidelines that teams must adhere too.

In the NFL the team’s draft in reverse order of how they finished the previous season while adhering to previous years trades and other acquisitions. In similar fashion the MLB picks “worst to best” as well as being awarded “compensatory” picks for free agents lost in the off season.

The NBA and the NHL are very similar in the way the draft order is picked, but is still a little different from both the NFL and MLB in where teams who missed the playoffs in the previous season, or teams who hold the draft rights of another team that missed the playoffs in the previous season, participate in a lottery process to determine the draft order. Teams in the NBA obtain the rights to amateur U.S. college, and other eligible basketball players, including international players during the draft. Where in the NHL any hockey player under the age of 20 is eligible to be drafted by a team. The term “Lottery pick” denotes a draft pick whose position is determined through the lottery, while the non-playoff teams involved in the process are often called “lottery teams”. The lottery is weighted so that the team with the worst record, or the team that holds the draft rights of the team with the worst record, has the best chance to obtain a higher draft pick.

Having the choice of picking a new player for your team comes with a lot of pressure that is put on your draft selection committee. The decision you make can either put your team in the best position to succeed, or leave your team with needs that long to be fulfilled.

The selection committee is usually made up of a group of team scouts and coaches along with the General Manager and Team Owner. These minds meet, and plan for draft day all year long watching the players in college and or minor leagues, seeing who can best fit into their system in order to find a winning formula.

Picking the correct player for your team is based off of needs of the current team as well as value of the players that are available, along with a multitude of other factors that one cannot even begin to account for. Whether its and obvious decision like filling a retiring players position, or a complicated one like picking someone with a high value in hopes of trading them to a team who needs them more in order to get someone from their team that you would like to have on yours. These and similar scenarios only scratch the surface when contemplating who or how to draft.

All drafts have their winners and losers that are evaluated and re-evaluated over time for what seems like forever. Some may write off a great player right away because they didn’t perform to the level they were expected to out of the gates, and some come as a surprise because of their ability to perform at a more rapid pace than anyone was able to foresee.

Sleepers and busts are all apart of the pressure of draft day, and are usually known as such for the rest of their days whether they go on to the hall of fame or quit the sport a year later.

Plenty of confident draft committees have ended up empty handed after what they assumed was a bright future star in the making. There has also been the 6^th rounder Division 3 standout hall of famer who just needed one shot to prove they were the best / better than everyone else picked before them.

Names like Tom Brady, James Harrison, and Terrell Davis all recognizable today, were all picked in later rounds of their respective drafts the NFL. Where names like Ryan Leaf, Greg Oden, and Greg Raynolds all not as familiar of names because they are known more for how big of a bust they were rather than how well the performed compared to what players their teams could have selected instead of them.

All in all draft day is a great time for teams to improve their working machine while making dreams come true in the process. Only time will tell if draft day is a success or a big old bust.

Until next time…

Keep moving forward!

Follow me on twitter:  @iSportsBizi

Traditions Standing Tall

Like countries or families, sports are filled with traditions unique to their history that define what it means to be a part of a team's legacy. Whether your team is pee wee league, high school, college or pro, you probably have participated in one tradition or another.

Pee wee and little leagues bring memories of different colored socks, rally hats and favorite tee shirts worn under your jersey.  High school traditions include wearing your jersey to school before the big game, pep rallies and chants done in locker rooms across the nation.

People love sports traditions because they unite an entire fan base.  Traditions transcend individuals and connect the coaches to their players to the fans to the security guards.  Traditions are each special in their own way.  Whether they started a long time ago or came about by chance, each tradition keeps a special place in sports fans’ hearts and remains an expression of loyalty to their team, or to athletics in general.

College sports’ traditions are a very important part of the sports themselves.  However, many sports fans might only be aware of their alma mater’s.  But across America there are traditions at schools large and small that many people have never seen, or even heard of.

Florida State University: Sod Cemetery

Playing football at FSU, the Seminoles have made a tradition of taking some sod from home teams' fields after big away victories, then placing it in a cemetery in tallahassee so fans can visit. In 1962, as the Seminoles completed their Thursday practice in preparation to face Georgia at Sanford Stadium, Dean Coyle Moore - a long-time professor and member of FSU's athletic board issued a challenge: "Bring back some sod from between the hedges at Georgia." on Saturday, October 20th, the Seminoles socred an 18-0 victory over the favored Bulldogs.

Team captain Gene Mcdowell pulled a small piece of grass from the field, which was presented to Moore at the next football practice. Moore and FSU coach BIll Peterson had the sod buried on the practice field as a symbol of victory. A monument was placed to commemoreate the triumph, and the tradition of the sod game was born. Since then, before leaving for all road games in which Florida State is the underdog, all road games at the University of Florida, and all ACC Championship and bowl games, Seminole captains gather their teammates to explain the significance of the tradition. Victorious captains return with a piece of the opponents turf to be buried in the sod cemetery outside of the gates of the practice field.

https://floridastate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=99984

University of Florida: Gator Chomp

Gator fans world-wide will extend their arms and clap them together like a gator’s mouth at sporting events, but also upon meeting other fans in airports, in business meetings, pretty much anywhere they see a fellow fan... or enemy.

University of Alabama: Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer Chant

At the beginning and end of their football games, the Crimson Tide faithful yell “ Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer, Give ‘em Hell Alabama!”

And in the south that rhymes enough for them!

There are even traditions that regardless of where it began are picked up and become tradition across the country.  The slogan “Play Like a Champion Today” has been linked with the University of Notre Dame since 1800’s but you might see the sign in many locker rooms at many levels.  Most often it is a sign that is touched on the way out to battle.  

http://www.realclearsports.com/lists/college_football_entrances/notre_dame_play_like_a_champion_today.html?state=stop

The Gatorade bath:

This sports tradition started in the mid-80’s by NFL players. While the tradition may not seem that appealing to the coaches the image of someone tipping the bucket on their coaches’ head can only conjure up memories of euphoria and victory.

And finally, rushing the field, or court.  Rushing the field or court is great because it transcends ages and nations.  A little league big win, high school conference game or the national championship, rushing the field is just exciting.

So if your tradition is something simple, or something that the entire country knows about.  Embrace being a player or a fan and join in.  Being part of the team is what sports are all about.  If you are in the stands, on the bench or sidelines or in the game, join in the tradition.  After all, is all part of the game.


Until next time...

Keep moving forward!

If you enjoy this article and those similar feel free to share them on Twitter and Facebook, or wherever you seem fit, and don't forget to follow me on twitter as well!

Follow me at: @isportsbizi

Cheering for Change

Most people think of NFL as money hungry and rich, but in fact there's one key player that this doesn't hold true for. If you frequent the games enough either at home or live, you may not recognize their faces, but still everyone knows who they are. They are front and center right near the action, but eyes aren't always on them. If you haven't guessed it let me help you out. NFL cheerleaders. They put in hard work and dedication similar to the players they cheer for, and commit to as many hours of practice as football team will for the game each week. Often cheerleaders are attending a university and continuing on to other careers after cheering for around 3 to 4 seasons. The members of a cheer / dance squad participate in training camps, games, special event appearances, photo shoots, as well as charity events. Yet the paycheck is much, much lower than you would think, considering they are professionals.

Let's cut to the chase. Cheerleaders in the NFL are payed around $100 per game. The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders are on the higher end of the payroll receiving $150 per game, where the San Diego Chargers (The Charger Girls), are on the lower end, only getting $75 a game. It all comes down to around $1,250 per person per season, give or take a few hundred depending on who you are cheering for.

Even though most cheerleaders use the NFL season as a part time job they most certainly are not paid enough for the hours that are put in, and it is not sitting to well as of recent with some of the NFL Cheerleading organization members.

In January, the Raiderettes (Raiders Cheerleaders) finally had had enough. A law suit was filed by two of the members, claiming the team allegedly "withheld all pay from the Raiderettes until after the season was completed, and did not pay for all hours that were worked by the cheerleaders as well as forced the cheerleaders to pay many of their own expenses as well as fines", according to CBS Sports and the San Jose Mercury news. The lawsuit ended up being a victory for the cheerleaders. The women now receive the minimum wage set for workers in California including overtime. This is only the beginning of change for the women working with the NFL. Cheerleaders from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills, and the Cincinnati Bengals have all filed similar suits that are still pending.

Something I found interesting during my research of this topic was that both mascots and concession stand workers make a substantial amount of compensation especially compared to cheerleaders. For a season of work an NFL mascots make around $65,000, and $12 - $18 an hour is made by concession stand workers. Both much more than the $9 an hour (minimum wage) that cheerleaders are struggling to gain today.

In fact if you feel compelled to, Change.org has a petition addressing this situation that you can sign today. Its looking to increase the wage of all NFL cheerleaders and is addressed to Commissioner Roger Goodell as well as every NFL team owner. Feel free to click here to get involved. Cheerleader Wage Petition

Like all of life's passions, if cheerleading is what you love, the pay shouldn't matter all that much anyway. You should be there for the pure fun and love of cheering. The lengthy try out process helps weed out any girls not truly passionate about the team and only interested in making a pay check. If its something you are interestedi in I would persure it to the fullest of your abilities.

Like aways

Until next time...

Keep moving Forward!

Food For Thought

Imagine the day... it’s the first Friday in April, the temperature outside is 70 degrees, the sun is shinning, you are wrapping up some last minutes details at work and all you can think about is that in a few hours you will be sitting in Section C, five rows up just behind the third base dugout. That's right…it is the season opener. You have waited 6 months for this day and you can hardly wait for the umpire to yell "Play Ball!". Could it get any better? Yes it can, and the only way it is possible is with your favorite cold refreshing beverage and a snack to stop the grumbling in your gut. The only thing left is to decide what that snack will be…

Have you ever thought about how the food guys decide what will be on the menu? Is it all the same or does it differ from one ballpark to another. It seems no matter where you go you can always find the old favorites…hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, sodas and beer. The interesting thing is that if you are a connoisseur of MLB ballparks you also have the opportunity to sample the local fare. For example, if you find yourself at PNC Park in Pittsburg, you can experience a world famous Primanti Bros. Capicola and Cheese sandwich, or at Fenway in Boston you can order the lobster roll made from the knuckles of fresh Maine lobster and at Coors Field, you can load up on Rocky Mountain Oysters.

There are many more examples of the local food culture making it to the ballpark. Offering the fans a popular local food choice or two brings back the regular fan and gives them bragging rights to out of townees, but perhaps also goes along way to attracting new fans. Sometimes the most memorable thing about visiting a new place is what you ate, especially when you are on sensory overload enjoying your favorite sport. Adding to the experience is what brings people back.