The Day After Triple 12

I can't believe it's over...

12/12/12 was the other day zomg. What even happened? It was a Wednesday. I went to breakfast with my grandma at Eat n' Park. Then I came home and my mom made me read a book. This tweet by awesome dude @neiltyson made me feel a little more meh about the 12/12/12 and a bit more positive about the following day, the following hour, minute, etc. I'm deep?

That's why I woke up on 12/13/12 to take an online exam at 8 AM and vegged on the worn leather chair in my living room all day watching Forrest Gump, 30 Rock reruns and ugly Eagles football.

The Eagles fumbled in public for a few hours and I set up an Ikea TV stand for my mom. Unlike the Eagles, Ikea products are usually pretty reliable once you figure out how to construct the damn thing.

My dad watched Sopranos reruns because why the hell not, he's a straight thug. A man of 60 years and a Catholic school graduate. He's been a Big East basketball fan since he went to Pitt law school in the 70's and even he's dismissed the conference at this point.

Georgetown, St. John's, Seton Hall, Villanova, Providence, DePaul and Marquette were sick of being basketball only schools pushed around by a wannabe football conference. I feel like I should have realized Georgetown, Seton Hall and Marquette were Catholic schools before today. But I didn't, and I don't feel bad about it.

Now that Josh Hamilton is off the table, the Big East defectors might be the top free agents in the country. Hell, with $125 million in his pocket, Hamilton might start his own conference and morph it into a baseball/basketball hybrid sport. That's not a thing, that won't happen.

Los Angeles teams have unlimited money and resources, apparently. And by "Los Angeles teams" I mean the Dodgers. Maybe the Lakers. Can't be talking about the Angels because they are in Anaheim. 30 miles southeast of a city doesn't mean you're all about that city. Tell that to people in the 724 who think they're from the 412.

Good for the Angels though, the top of their lineup shouldn't be allowed to be legal. And by "the top of their lineup" I mean Mike Trout. He's a freak. Not quite Bo Jackson, but don't put it past Trout to pick up football as a "hobby" in the coming years if he wants to.

Rob Parker might need a new "hobby" after he gets fired from ESPN. Maybe he could be a consultant on Maury to judge the overall blackness of the guests. Are they a "cornball brother?" Are they married to a white girl? Are they... A REPUBLICAN?! God forbid a person has a strong sense of self and is comfortable with their own qualities. Life is life, people do things and they are who they are. Deal with it, idiot.

You know something else? The Boston Beaneaters were the original team in the current Atlanta Braves franchise. Look it up, I read it in a book with limited pictures.

What a day.

GUEST POST: Reaction to The NCAA Sanctions on Penn State

This piece was written by Dan Ryan. Dan is a graduate of Quinnipiac University, where he majored in marketing and minored in public relations. Currently, Dan is a sport industry professional and is earning his Masters in Sport Management from Drexel University. From the I-95 crew, thanks for writing Dan!

into storage it goes...

The Penn State scandal has taken a mind of its own. As many sports related scandals go, similar to shark infested waters, once there is one drop of blood the feeding frenzy begins. Cue the media, the public, all lining up to take their own personal shot at the crucified remains of the Penn State Football program. At what point is enough enough When does the persecution stop and the healing begin?

Without doubt, some of the penalties handed down to Penn State make sense in my opinion. The $60 million fine going to programs designed to deal with victims of child sexual abuse (and the same with the Big Ten's decision to deny Penn State its share). The five year probationary period. All are just in my eyes.

However, the remaining sanctions seem to be as accurate as buck shot. Why penalize people who are guilty of nothing, the coaches attempting to rebuild today and most of all the student-athletes, who are supposed to come first in all NCAA-related deliberations? Reducing the scholarships to a near crippling point, removing all postseason play, all actions directly penalizing the people in place today that will be responsible for picking up the carnage left by one individual's actions and several others poor judgement.

As for erasing 111 of Joe Paterno's wins from the Penn State and NCAA record books, in what way does that bring justice to the young men whose lives will never be the same because of the horrible acts committed by Sandusky? What competitive advantage did Penn State gain from failing to act on an assistant coach who was suspected of child

abuse? The NCAA has decided not only to join the witch hunt, but lead it by tearing down the legacy of a now defenseless man who single handedly made Happy Valley what it is today.

Penn State's decision to tear down the Paterno statue is just another example of "a panicked response to the public's understandable revulsion." I understand and believe what Joe did and what he failed to do is unforgivable, but he also did so much good for the university as a whole, not just their athletics. No matter how deep the new, frightened leaders of PSU try to bury Joe Pa's legacy, the good and the bad, he will always be first in everyone's mind when you step foot in Happy Valley. Why not embrace that and let the statue serve as a reminder. By tearing it down it makes everyone forget the past. What we need to do is remember the past, no matter how painful the memory is.

As for the current and future players, the question is asked, Would you stay? The way I see it is this entire scandal, all the public opinion placed on this school, comes down to the question "if it was me, what would I do?" Well the public came out in crowds proclaiming had it been them they would have stepped forward immediately, they would've stopped Sandusky if they were Mike Mcquery, if they were Joe Paterno, they would've always made the right decision and never made a mistake. The only problem is we are all human, and none of us are perfect. Many of these same people are now saying leave PSU and try to avoid the darkest period in college football history, you shouldn't suffer because of the actions committed by someone else.

If we have learned anything from this tragedy it should be not to run from the problems that stand in our path, but confront them and move past them right now. To the players who have a decision to make, I hope they see the mistake Joe made in attempting to tip toe around the allegations rather than face them head on. PSU Football was built on pride. The players who take the field at Beaver Stadium over the next four years are not playing for bowls or championships, nor are they playing for themselves. They are playing to restore a legacy that took 54 years to build and just 9 months reduce to rubble. These men are playing for the healing and forgiveness of others.

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Jeremy Lin and the Rest of NBA Free Agency

The Sixers signed Kwame Brown....

For a while ESPN was constantly talking about where Dwight Howard would go this offseason after once again demanding a trade. Nothing has happened with Dwight, but plenty of other transactions have occurred early on in NBA free agency. The Lakers went out and signed Steve Nash. Although Nash is 38 years old and obviously not in the prime of his career, he has shown that he still has game left. The newly name Brooklyn Nets after landing Joe Johnson via trade were able to sign two of their own. Deron Williams and Gerald Wallace both could have left, but the Nets were able to work out deals with both players. As if the Miami Heat were not good enough..... they snatched Ray Allen away from Boston. Allen turned down a bigger contract with the Celtics to go play with the "Big Three." Other moves included the Knicks bringing in Raymond Felton and Jason Kidd. Kidd celebrated by getting a DWI in the Hamptons. Although the offseason has been busy thus far in the NBA, the biggest free agent story may be someone who is yet to sign anywhere, Jeremy Lin.

Everyone knows the impact of Jeremy Lin on the Knicks last season. Although Lin only truly impacted the team for 26 games, he put up statistics that no one could imagine. The result of Jeremy Lin's good play was the start of "Linsanity." Linsanity took over New York City and the rest of the NBA world. Everyone knew that Lin was due for a contract when the season was up, and most assumed it would be significantly more than the $762,195 he made last season. When the Knicks and other teams are considering signing Jeremy Lin, one factor that could be overlooked is his race. Jeremy Lin brings an Asian audience that may present without Lin's presence. The Rockets got a taste of the benefits of having an Asian player with Yao Ming. While Yao was playing for the Houston, the Rockets' value increased by about 100% while the NBA average during this time was 63%. After Yao's retirement, the Rockets' value increased about proportionally to the NBA average. The general manager of the Rockets, Daryl Morey, is known to love statistics so it is not surprising to me that the Rockets' have offered Jeremy Lin a three year contract reportedly worth $25 million. Morey most likely sees the Rockets' having another "Yao effect" if they are able to sign Lin. The Knicks have until midnight tonight to match the offer.


Final Thought


Carmelo Anthony recently said, “It's up to the organization to say they want to match that ridiculous contract that's out there." I do not see the Knicks matching the offer for two reasons. The first reason is that they now have plenty of depth at the guard position so it is not a current need. The other reason is that the Knicks would have too much money tied up in contracts for future years, which could eliminate them from signing big free agents in future years. I think this is a rare move in which two teams are making good decisions. The Knicks are smart not to throw that money at Jeremy Lin, and the Rockets' are smart for trying to signing him. Also not to mention.... Jeremy Lin is a pretty smart guy.




 @dmrosen7




Sources: NBA.com, ESPN.com, USAtoday.com, LAtimes.com

Ok... Leave Stern Alone

Last night when I turned on the NBA draft, I heard the fans in attendance 'boo' commissioner David Stern every time he came on stage. To be honest, I do not understand it. The only reasonable assumption I have for the fans displeasure with Stern are the conspiracy theories of a 'rigged' draft order and playoff officiating. To clarify, there are no conspiracies in the NBA that have any truth (please feel free to argue). In fact, Stern has done a good job since taking over the NBA in 1984.

Creation of the WNBA

In April 1996 David Stern oversaw the creation of the WNBA to start play in June of 1997. Although many complain about the WNBA today, this was a great move to help promote the NBA and reach out to a larger target market. In the first season of the WNBA they obtained broadcast partnerships with NBC, ESPN and Lifetime. In that initial season over the three networks the WNBA saw over 50 million viewers turn on the games. 2001 was a big year for the WNBA, they saw ESPN2 jump on board to televise games and for the first time ESPN televised the draft. The games in 2001 were televised to 60 million people in 167 countries in 23 different languages. The WNBA has seen a drastic rise in viewership since they first played a game. Helping to form the WNBA was a gr




Globalization

When Stern's run as commissioner of the NBA is ended he should be most remembered for his desire and success in expanding the NBA through America and globally. In America, it is key to reach into younger markets, this is exactly what Stern has done. In 2012, TNT saw its highest rated regular season in its 28 year relationship with the NBA. The audience of young adults between 18-34 increased 13 percent on TNT this year. The increase in young fans may be from successful social media campaigns. The NBA expansion throughout the globe is exemplified by the 2012 NBA finals. The NBA finals were viewed from 215 countries in 47 different languages. Of the 90 international outlets that air the NBA finals, 14 of them did it this year for the first time. The large scale globalization will continue next season. Stern has planned for the Mavericks and Celtics to play preseason games in early October throughout Europe. Some of the cities include Milan, Istanbul, and Berlin. 




Also notable was Stern's impact in helping to create the salary cap. This helped smaller market teams compete for championships. 


Final Thought


The way David Stern laughed off the criticism he received last night was fitting. I can only hope that once Stern leaves the NBA that fans will realize all that he has done for the league, I have. 






@dmrosen7




Statistics from WNBA.com, ESPN.com, Forbes.com

@DarrenRovell Moves To ESPN

Sweet derby hat, bro.

After six years with CNBC, sports business reporter and twitter extraordinaire Darren Rovell is heading back to Bristol (after originally making this switch in reverse in 2006).

Last week, news that Rovell was going back to ESPN emerged unexpectedly. It seemed to be mostly rumors, until Rovell later confirmed via his twitter account that he indeed signed a contract to join the Worldwide Leader In Sports. His contract is reported to guarantee him appearances on several ESPN shows, including SportsCenter, but it is unknown whether he will be hosting his own show (like he did at CNBC). Rovell will also be writing for ESPN.com and continuing his omnipresent tweeting (why does his twitter seem to work even when twitter is down!?…meanwhile I can’t sign on and get damn close to suffering a mental breakdown). 

In what was one of, if not the most, impressive “free agent” transactions among sports media (sorry Michelle Beadle, you'll be great on NBC though!), it’s odd that such a high-profile move was kept so secret. Then again, maybe it isn’t so surprising…because the best sports business reporter wasn’t reporting on the matter. To Rovell’s credit, he’s been among the top sports business reporters for several years. Not only via Sports Biz on CNBC, but via his infamous twitter account as well. Rovell has built an empire of followers, and seems to never miss a single bit of sports news (frankly, I don’t think the guy ever sleeps…seriously).

For ESPN and Darren Rovell, this is a great move. ESPN brings on one of the best in the business, and Darren Rovell gets to report on a variety of the most-viewed sports-news platforms. There is seemingly no match for Rovell’s innate ability to report on sports business, and there is no bigger sports platform that he could have joined. The move is simply a no-brainer. Well Done ESPN. Congratulations Darren.

Furthermore, Rovell and ABC News also struck up a new deal last week (I told you this guy never sleeps…I think he just plugs in at the same time he charges his phone). This contract is reported to include appearances on Nightline and Good Morning America...giving Rovell even more primetime slots to talk sports (and even more reasons to stay awake…dude has to have a V.I.P. Starbucks card).


For ABC News this deal makes a lot of sense. Like ESPN, ABC will get input from one of the best in the business and attract the correlating followers. For Rovell, it’s just another piece of his ever growing empire…a very lucrative empire.

So, I hope you love Darren Rovell! Because like him or not, you’re going to be seeing him an awful lot. 

Tweet Follow @sethbreeden

2012 NBA Champions- The Heat

On June 21st the Miami Heat won the 2012 NBA Championship, just in case you haven't tuned into ESPN in the last few days...

What Did It Cost Them?

It is no secret that the Miami Heat won the championship thanks to premier talent. Miami's "big three" got paid for it too. Chris Bosh and LeBron James made $16,022,500 in salary for the year and Dwyane Wade made $15,691,000. Although these salaries will not make anyone feel compelled to start a charity for the big three, they did give up significant money to make this team happen. Had LeBron James signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers or any other team without an established superstar two years ago, he would have set himself up to be the highest paid player in the league. James potentially could have made up to $10 million more this past season had he chose to. LeBron realized that his chances of winning an NBA championship would drastically increase by joining the Heat. No one can argue that giving up millions of dollars for an NBA championship proves that LeBron truly cares about winning. The source of LeBron's desire for winning is up for debate, it could come from competitive spirit, his lasting legacy, or the need to "shut the haters up." Although we may never find out where the desire comes from, we do know now that LeBron has the monkey off his back, yet he still has a lot to live up to thanks to the big three's coming out party. 

Bright Future?

Now that the big three have won a championship, many will question what the potential for this team is in future years. The big three are still rather youthful with a 28 year old Chris Bosh, a 27 year old LeBron James and a 30 year old Dwyane Wade. There are no signs of the big three breaking up anytime soon. Another contributing factors to the championship this year was the role players stepping up. In game four of the NBA finals, Mario Chalmers stepped up with a big 25 point performance. In the closing game five, Mike Miller scored 23 points that helped the Heat win their first championship in the "big three era." With rumors of the Heat looking to acquire a veteran point guard and Miller's injuries making his playing future uncertain, the team could have a different look when it comes to role players. Even with a few potential changes, the big three will keep the Heat in prime position to win it all again next year. Early odds for the 2013 NBA championship puts the Miami Heat as favorites at 11/4 odds. 

Final Thought

When LeBron James made his decision to "take his talents to South Beach" he was ridiculed greatly. He did not help his image when he failed to step up in the 2011 NBA Finals. After a dominating performance in the 2012 NBA Finals, James may have helped to better his image among fans league-wide. At the end of the day though, it really does not matter what anyone thinks about LeBron James or the Miami Heat. The Heat are 2012 NBA Champions, and fans all around the NBA can only hope for their team to have a parade. (Check out the right hand side of the video at the 18 second mark)

 @dmrosen7

Statistics from espn.com, cbssports.com

Sport Management Internships

On I-95 SportsBiz we focus on sports business topics, naturally. On this post I am going to take a little different twist. I am going to write from my own experiences and my opinion of sport management internships. To get a 'foot in the door' internships are necessary in the sport management field. There is one issue I have with the almost mandatory internships, they are NOT paid. So here is my argument....

This summer I am interning with the Philadelphia 76ers. I have just completed my first month and the experience is valuable as well as the networking I have been able to do. My internship is monday through friday from 10 am to 4 pm. Needless to say this takes up most of my time every week. The work I do with the Sixers requires some physical work but mostly computer work. It takes me between 1.5 and 2 hours round trip to go back and forth from the internship. The gas it cost me is quite significant, in fact I calculated the cost and it is about $20 every day. $20 a day times 5 days a week is $100 a week.... in gas. Again to repeat my income is $0. I am receiving 3 credits for school from the internship, but for those credits... I have to pay. This internship is costing me a lot of money. I am very fortunate to have parents that help me out financially, otherwise I would not be able to afford to intern with my favorite basketball team.

The problem that I have with sport management internships is the fact that it is not an equal opportunity for all students.

I wonder the same thing....

I am very fortunate to be able to have an internship because of the financial help of my parents. Student's opportunity to make money for the year comes in the summer. Students who do not have the financial support or need to generate income for the school year, CAN'T do internships for free. As I said earlier, internships are necessary for success in the industry. The students who can't afford to do an internship will not get the necessary experience to break into the industry. How is this fair? ..... ITS NOT.



I look around me and I have a lot of friends who have paid internships in their field of study. They make $15 to $20 an hour and are enjoying life while gaining valuable experience. I am not asking for that much money... I am simply saying that internships need to provide minimum wage like all other jobs in this country. I could write for days about my disappointment in the sport industry and how they take advantage of the supply of potential interns, but I will hold back.

Final Thought


The sport industry is VERY competitive. Teams and organizations can get their employees to work for close to nothing (or nothing at all). In the laws of economics the sport industry is doing the right thing. They have a large demand for their jobs and they have an almost unlimited supply of employees to choose from. Although the sport industry follows the laws of economics, they do not follow any code of morality. Morality may not be important to the sport organizations, but it should be. Then again.... the Philadelphia 76ers do not care what Drew Rosen thinks, but I hope you do.



 @dmrosen7

NBA vs NHL Playoff TV Ratings

A few weeks ago I wrote an article on the regular season fan attendance for the NBA and the NHL. With the conclusion of the NHL season and the NBA finals two games deep, I wanted to take a look at the viewership for the playoffs for each sport, specifically the championship series.

The Numbers

The National Hockey League saw very promising signs of good viewership in the playoffs.... until the final series. The first round averaged 936,000 viewers, this amount of viewers is the most the NHL has seen in the first round since 1994. The semifinals saw similar success. The average views increased to 1.32 million, the most on record since 1994. Overall in the first three rounds of the NHL playoffs there was an averaged of 1.09 million viewers which was the most in 15 years. Then came the Stanley Cup Final..... The Stanley Cup Final averaged 3.01 million viewers in 2012. Last year the Stanley Cup Final averaged 4.57 million viewers, a shocking 34% decrease.

The National Basketball Association has yet to see the full results of their playoffs, but so far they have been excellent. The Eastern Conference Finals set records for the most watched series in the history of the NBA. The series averaged over 10,000,000 viewers. Game one of the NBA Finals saw similar success with about 11,000,000 viewers. The NBA's success was helped by the variety of digital platforms from ESPN. Some of the platforms include ESPN.com and ESPN Mobile.

Reasoning

The only explanation for the NHL lack luster performance in viewers for the Stanley Cup Finals is the teams playing. Last year the Boston Bruins played the Vancouver Canucks in the finals. Fan support and passion for hockey must be high in Boston and Vancouver as opposed to this years New Jersey and Los Angeles. Although the Stanley Cup Finals did not turn out as the NHL may have wanted, they do have to be excited about the success they saw with the rest of the playoffs.





The NBA has seen success based on great teams, players, and series. The Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat featured superstars like Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh (when healthy), Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo. Players in the Finals will be just as good with James, Wade, Bosh, Durant, Harden and Westbrook. If the players were not reason enough to watch this years playoffs, the series (specifically the Eastern Conference Finals) was spectacular. The seven game series in the Eastern Conference Finals saw everything a basketball fan could want in a series... including a little controversy.

Final Thought

I am not going to pretend to be a NHL fan.... at all, but the lack of attention for their championship amazes me. Not only was viewership down, but the 'Worldwide Leader in Sports' seemed to care very little about the Stanley Cup as well. I understand ESPN's reason for talking up the NBA Finals (televised on ABC) more than the Stanley Cup Finals (televised on NBC), but we are talking about the STANLEY CUP, a major championship for one of the four major sport leagues in the United States. At the conclusion of an NBA Finals game, ESPN can talk all night about the game. Every aspect of the game being analyzed for hours. At the conclusion of a Stanley Cup Finals game, they will talk about the game..... briefly.

 @dmrosen7


Statistics from: tvbythenumbers.com, espn.com

R.I.P. Boxing

On Saturday, June 9^th, 2012, the sport of professional boxing lost every pulse of momentum and integrity it had. 

Timothy Bradley Jr. lost that fight. Bradley knows it, his managers know it, the World Boxing Organization knows it, the fans know it…apparently everyone except C.J Ross and Duane Ford know it (of the three official judges, Jerry Roth was the only one to score in favor of Manny Pacquiao, 115-113). 

Excuse me but, YEAH RIGHT! There’s not a snowball’s chance in hell that Pacquiao lost that fight. And, why was there a pre-determined rematch date? And, why was there already a mock poster designed and printed to promote the rematch? Seems like the rematch fight was destined to take place no matter what happend this weekend...

The decision from the judges Saturday night was repulsive. Granted, I’m not an avid boxing fan by any stretch of imagination, but I’m not blind either. Anyone who watched that fight knows that Manny Pacquiao was robbed, blatantly.

Since the fight, I haven’t been able to stop reading the millions of comments and opinions from boxing writers and fans (my twitter feed literally exploded, nothing else mattered. If you didn’t know any better, you wouldn’t have even know that Lebron got the Heat into the NBA Finals that same night). One comment in particular grabbed my attention, a tweet from boxing-great Lennox Lewis.

Taken directly from Lewis’ verified twitter account, “Pac won the fight. Bradley won the decision…Boxing lost its integrity and the fans lost confidence.”…I could not have said it better if I tried (actually, I can't say it better, I did try).

Lewis summed it up perfectly for all of us. Bradley won the decision, and that’s all he won. Pacquiao was absolutely dominant in the fight; landing more punches in 10 of the 12 rounds as the aggressor. In total, he outlanded Bradley 253 punches (34%) to 159 (%19) (check out the CompuBox Stats). In the sixth round Pacquiao even trapped Bradley in the corner and unloaded. Bradley was defeated, tired, looked baffled at times...as pop culture goes, he got "rocked." There was no question as to who won the fight...until the judges decision was announced.

Controversial decision? Not even close. Try a flat-out lie (I mean, come on, Bradley attended the post-fight press conference in a wheel chair). For those of you who say the fix was on, I can't provide any incriminating findings, but I’m not going to disagree with you.

Here’s a quote from Dan Rafael’s ESPN Boxing article on the fight, “Even Bradley's manager, Cameron Dunkin, had it 8-4 for Pacquiao.”

Here’s a quote from Bob Arum of Top Rank, taken from the same article…upon telling Bradley that he did very well, Arum said he got the following response, “I tried hard and I couldn’t beat the guy.”

And another quote from Bob Arum, who promotes both Pacquiao and Bradley, “Something like this is so outlandish, it's a death knell for the sport.”

And another, “You have these old f---- who don't know what the hell they're looking at. It's incompetence. Nobody who knows anything about boxing could have Bradley ahead in the fight."

Right, so, you know how I feel about it and it isn't good. Whoever believes that fight was on the up-and-up is objectively insane. Drop a line in the comments.

Tweet Follow @sethbreeden

NASCAR.... On the Rise?

NASCAR.... On the Rise?

He looks ready for the challenge...

In recent news, NASCAR plans to overhaul their media operations. This move is being made to strengthen their leadership structure and to refocus business strategies. The man in charge of the overhaul is Steve Herbst, the current overseer of NASCAR's broadcasting and global media rights.

What is Being Done?

NASCAR is disbanding the NASCAR Media Group and they are reshaping it into a compact NASCAR productions. The NASCAR Media Group was only around the sport for four years. The NASCAR Media Group strives on innovation. In fact one of the principals that the NASCAR Media Group relied on was "Innovation at every turn." The innovation that NASCAR Media Group had previously yearned for will now be directed through the sanctioning body. The sanctioning body has decided to have a more involved role in what is produced and where it will be shown. The major example of the sanctioning body getting more involved will be seen at the beginning of 2013 when the sanctioning body will take operating control of the official Internet site. Under NASCAR's new look, NASCAR productions will give up the outside programming that they previously had. Previously, NASCAR productions produced programming with college sports. On the restructuring of NASCAR, NASCAR's CEO, Brian France, said, “Over the last two years, NASCAR has taken a number of steps and made significant investments to drive long-term growth and build value for industry stakeholders.” 

The Good.... And the Bad

NASCAR has involved itself in some initiatives that have and will promote their sport and acquire more fans. One initiative that will kick off this weekend at the Pocono 400 is the new relationship between NASCAR and Twitter. The relationship was built to enhance the fan experience. This new product that will be used is the first in any sport. 'Twitter.com/#NASCAR' will provide fans with tweets and pictures from insiders of NASCAR including drivers, pit crew members, families, media, NASCAR representatives, and fans themselves. The goal is to bring what goes on behind-the-scenes to life for the fans.

Now time for some bad....

At the conclusion of the FedEx 400 race in Dover, Delaware, Fox ended its NASCAR Sprint Cup racing coverage. All of the races on Fox averaged a 4.8 network rating and averaged 7.9 million viewers. These numbers were down from last year. Last year the networking rating was 4% higher at a 5.0 and they had 8.6 million viewers. Although the numbers were down this year they are still great in comparison to other sports. For example the NBA playoffs on ABC only average 5.6 million viewers per telecast.

Final Thought

NASCAR may be climbing in the sports world, that you have to respect. The ability of NASCAR to eliminate outside productions and to better streamline their sport will make reaching out to new markets more accessible. Although NASCAR witnessed a menial dip in viewership, all the positives outweigh the negatives. The best thing for NASCAR to do was forming a relationship with Twitter. Social media is new and it is great for attracting a younger audience. Speaking of Twitter......

@dmrosen7

Drew Rosen

Information from nascarmediagroup.com, motorsport.com, cbssports.com, jsonline.com

Higher Marketability: Bryce Harper or Mike Trout

Who is the more marketable player in Major League Baseball?

We all know that Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper and Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout are two of the brightest young talents to ever come up through Major League Baseball’s minor league system.  Coming in at a combined age of 39, they both clearly have long playing careers ahead of them.  It is close to inevitable that either Harper or Trout will make the playoffs at some point in their career.  One may even win a World Series at some point.  With so much promise and so much upside between the two, which one will drive more endorsement dollars during their career?  That is the question of the day today, if you are looking to sign a Major League Baseball player to an endorsement deal, do you take Bryce Harper or Mike Trout?

Tale of the Tape

I want everyone to channel their inner Mike Goldberg here and cue up the gladiator music for our tale of the tape!

 Name: Bryce Harper                                                                                             Name: Mike Trout

Birthday: 10/16/1992 (age 19)                                                                 Birthday: 8/7/1991 (age 20)

Team: Washington Nationals                                                  Team: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Height: 6’3”   Weight: 215 lbs.                                                                  Height: 6'1"   Weight: 210

Bats: Left   Throws: Right                                                                        Bats: Right   Throws: Right

MLB Debut: April 28, 2012                                                                       MLB Debut: July 8, 2011

                                                                         

Where they are now

We all know where both Bryce Harper and Mike Trout stand at the moment as Major League Baseball players, but where do they currently stand as marketing assets.  Harper, the Washington Nationals’ prospect-of-the-century, has been closing his fair share of endorsement deals off of the field.  Bryce Harper currently has endorsement deals with Akadema (baseball gloves), MusclePharm, Swing Away training equipment, Topps baseball cards, and Under Armour.  His current endorsement status is driven by hype that the sports world has never seen before.  Here is a guy (I say guy as if he’s older than me…) that graced the cover of Sports Illustrated as a teenager in high school, hit the longest home run in Tropicana Field history, and have stories that make him out to be more like Paul Bunyan than a baseball player. 

Mike Trout, the Los Angeles Angels bright young outfielder, has gone relatively unknown to the masses in the beginning parts of his young career.  He seems to be that guy that was ahead of Bryce Harper on Keith Law’s list of top prospects, but nobody really knew too much about him.  In doing my research for this piece I could not find any endorsement deals that Trout has right now.  I’m sure he has to have one or two, but the point is that he’s a notch below Bryce Harper in the endorsement category right now. 

What makes a player “marketable?”

An athlete’s marketability comes down to a few essentials: talent, looks, charisma, handling of the media, media market, and clutch (handling of the big moments).  Those would also be elements that an athlete could use to build a brand.  Some are able to build the brand into a marketing asset, some are not.  Of course you can have a marketable athlete that is missing one of these attributes, but I would venture to guess that he/she has built their brand on not having that certain quality.  Think about it for a second.  Anna Kournikova, no talent.  Nyjer Morgan, mainly charisma.  LeBron James, nothing in the clutch… just kidding you are all way too hard on him, he’s a marketers dream.  Other perfect marketing examples would be Derek Jeter, Tiger Woods, David Beckham, Michael Jordan, Tim Tebow, and Lance Armstrong.  Those guys are endorsement powerhouses and that is the kind of potential we have between Bryce Harper and Mike Trout. 

Media market and clutch are two that can be made up for in different ways, and the biggest way that I can think of is by a high level performance in the playoffs.  The playoffs are broadcasted on national networks and garner big media attention usually regardless of city.  That’s where a guy like Tim Tebow made up for not being in a big media market (obviously prior to his trade to New York, so shaddup).  To be a “marketer’s dream,” you MUST be a winner. 

The Fight

Talent

Edge: Too Close To Call

Looks

Edge: Bryce Harper - He has sweet hair? Girls like scruff?  I'll go with him by default.

Charisma/Handling the Media

Edge: Bryce Harper – That could be from experience, so Trout has room to make up ground.

Media Market

Edge: Mike Trout – It’s hard to argue with the second biggest media market in the United States.

Clutch

Edge: Neither – Neither one has played on the national stage quite yet.

Help From Team

Edge: Mike Trout – Trout has Albert Pujols.  Harper has unproven promise.  For now, I’ll take the Angels.

Marketability Now

Edge: Bryce Harper – I laid it out for you earlier.  It’s pretty obvious. 

Marketability Future

Edge: Bryce Harper is off to a fast start but only time will tell!

Final Score

Harper – 4 (3 decisive, 1 you can decide) vs. Mike Trout – 2

As of right now, Bryce Harper has the early lead on Mike Trout; however, given the fact that they are both the age of a college sophomore, I think it’s safe to assume that they have some time.  Under my model of marketability, it was still too early to tell on three different categories and one was more or less up for grabs.  Both have the potential to be marketing and endorsement giants.  Although Bryce Harper is more marketable than Mike Trout right now, the future is wide open and I can’t wait to watch the battle.

Endorsement information on Bryce Harper from bizjournals.com/washington and ESPN.com.

Pick Up the Pace!

Alright…

OK…

Wait, no…

Ahh…

OK…here we…

Ugh…

GO!

Kevin Na at The Players Championship

Sorry about that, took a minute, but I’m ready to go now! I just had to go through my pre-writing routine quick.  It’s kind of annoying, I know, I get the same feeling whenever I watch professional golf (or at least attempt to watch).

If you’ve ever watched a golfer just before he (or she) takes a swing, you’ve probably noticed the obsessive compulsive-esque pre-shot routines they each respectively go through. As if the pace of golf wasn’t slow enough, pre-shot routines are dragging out play even more. In a sport that is already calm-mannered, and tedious, further slowing the pace in any way risks dulling the entertainment that golf provides viewers. Bottom line, it hurts the sport.

Pre-shot routines typically go something like this…waggle, waggle, step up, half-swing, step back, re-grip, waggle, practice swing, step up, waggle, half-swing…If you’re anything like me, you find yourself sitting there saying, “Come on already, just hit it!”

Throughout the existence of the PGA and LPGA, slow play and pre-shot routines have been perpetual issues. Earlier this month, the age-old discussion was ignited once again, when PGA golfer Kevin Na and LPGA golfer Morgan Pressel caused a stir on mainstages of their respective associations.

At The Players Championship, PGA golfer Kevin Na was scrutinized for his painfully slow play, which included a lengthy pre-shot routine and intentionally whiffing shots just to re-set (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, just watch this video). Fortunately for Na, he wasn’t penalized, but the criticism poured in from the likes of fans, media, and fellow golfers. Na later recognized his struggles saying, per USA Today, “There’s no point in trying to cover anything up. You could see I was having problems.” He also explained that following his sluggish performance at The Players, he has taken time to adjust his routine. By his own count, he has cut the routine down to only 15 seconds (uhm, yay?).

As for LPGA golfer Morgan Pressel, her slow play at the Sybase Match Play Championship resulted in a far worse outcome. Pressel was cited for slow play by rules officials, which caused her to lose a hole that she thought she had won. The penalty ultimately cost her a first place finish as well. It was a tough loss and Pressel made it pretty clear that she disagreed. Referencing Azahara Munoz’s first place finish, “…she was definitely slower than I was,” declared Pressel. (side note: the last slow play penalty assessed in the PGA was about two decades ago)

Let’s admit it, Pressel has a good point. The vast majority of golfers play slow and almost no one is cited or penalized for slow play. While there are rules in place, the application of such rules seems to be fairly arbitrary. Professional golf has a very obvious problem that has persisted for far too long. Something has to be done before the sport suffers even more than it has already. If the fact that Na, a golfer who was not penalized, felt enough of a problem to make an adjustment to quicken his play on his own, and the fact that Pressel was penalized when plenty of others played as slow as, or slower, than herself isn’t enough to make you think the sport has a problem…how about these remarks from the most prolific golfer the sport has ever seen…

“I certainly think we need to speed up play…I certainly can see there being some type of adaption somewhere. There’s got to be some kind of change.” –Tiger Woods

@sethbreeden