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.

The Impulses of Philly Sports Fans

Philadelphia fans are showing their impulsive nature again.  This time it is all centered on Eagles quarterback Mike Vick.  Well, some things just never change, I suppose.

For those that aren’t Philadelphia sports fans, here’s how it all went down.  The Eagles drafted Kevin Kolb in the second round in 2007.  He backed up Donovan McNabb and was named the “Quarterback of the Future”.  Upon his release from prison, the Eagles signed Michael Vick in 2009.  Vick was a back-up to McNabb as well, but got to play a little bit due to his speed and athleticism. 

In 2010 everything changed.  McNabb was traded to the Redskins and Kolb was named the starter.  Kolb suffered a concussion in week one against the Green Bay Packers, which paved the way for Vick to become the full-time starter (with all of Philadelphia wanted Vick over Kolb except myself and a select other few).  Vick’s play was strong the rest of the way, and he earned himself the right to start going into 2011.  The strong finish in 2010 earned Vick a 6 year $100 million contract with Philly.  For whatever reasons, the talented Eagles went 8-8 and fans began to get a glimpse at a glaring turnover epidemic in Philadelphia.  This season, the turnover issue has plagued the team and there’s no end in sight.  After three games the Eagles find themselves sitting at 2-1, though the two wins were 1-point victories with week one against the Browns coming in unconvincing style.

With the turnover problem having no end in sight, many Eagles fans are calling for rookie Nick Foles to take over the starting quarterback reigns and bench Mike Vick.  Foles had an effective preseason playing mostly with the second and third teams. 

Here is where I kindly ask Eagles fans to stop.  Please.  I am begging all of you. I know that you all know everything about the Eagles, but clearly you don’t know much about money.  Vick is in the midst of a $100 MILLION contract.  That’s $100,000,000.  Teams don’t make that kind of financial commitment to a player and then bench him.  In the business world, that doesn’t fly. There is an option at the end of the season where the Eagles can get out of Vick’s contract, and if his play continues down the path it’s on, then the team could very well use it.  Even then, $40 million of Vick’s contract is guaranteed which leaves the Eagles with a hefty price to pay to not have Vick on the team next season.

Also, you all want to bench Vick for a rookie in Foles.  A rookie that does not have one regular season snap under his belt.  I don’t want to hear about his preseason.  He played a majority of the preseason up against second and third string defenses.  Teams weren’t game-planning specifically to stop him.  It’s a lot different when the defensive plan is to get after the rookie quarterback. 

Which all brings me to the next point… have you seen all of the injuries to the Eagles’ offensive line!? Demetress Bell is starting.  Bell is worse than King Dunlap which says a lot.  Jason Kelce is out for a while.  Dallas Reynolds is starting in Kelce’s place.  I feel bad for the mobile Vick sitting back there let alone a rookie in Foles. 

Take this as my plea.  I beg you all to think for about 30 seconds.  It’s amazing the damage you can do.  When you finally put that old rusty dusty thinking cap on I’m positive that you’ll realize the nonsense you’ve been thinking.  The team is 2-1.  With the season not even at the one quarter point, it’s too soon to make a change.

Eagles fans, please think.

Dollars & Sense - Situational Ads

Yesterday I was in the car listening to the Eagles game on WIP when one of those situational advertisements came on.  To be completely honest I forget what the situation was (it may have just been a first down), but it was long and not very memorable.  After the play Merrill Reese went on for a good 30-40 seconds about “your local area Honda dealer” blah blah blah. 

The reason it was bad in my mind wasn’t that it was long, although I didn’t think it helped.  I thought it was bad because there was nothing catchy.  There was nothing to make me remember this Honda dealership.  There was nothing to make it all stick.

This all got me to wondering, what is a good example of a well-placed situational advertisement.  One that sticks out in my mind (sorry for all the Philadelphia examples) is the Phillies and New York Life.  Every time a Phillies player hits a double, Tom McCarthy says, “Safe and secure with New York Life.”  I know it’s nothing exciting, but it works. 

It works because of a few reasons.  First, it sticks.  It’s short enough to remember.  It’s kind of catchy.  Also something that I think is important is, well, it makes sense.  Even though the advertisement is short, it tells you what New York Life does or at least gives a general idea.  Finally, it fits the situation.  The Honda deal with WIP simply states a bunch of random facts that don’t seem to have much rhyme or reason other than being a cut and dry advertisement.  The New York Life advertisement fits the situation well.  The player slides in safe with a double and he’s safe and secure.  It flows and it makes sense.

In a time when we may be beginning to become immune to advertising, it is increasingly important to put something out there that people will remember.  Stickiness factor is obviously a huge part because you need something that sticks in the minds of the consumer.  New York Life kept it simple and came up with something borderline catchy and situational.  Honda either grossly under-thought their advertisement or grossly over-thought it.  Either way there was no creativity and it was very dry.  If a company’s advertisements are a reflection of their overall brand, lack of creativity and dry are two elements that should stay out of their advertisements.  Bad advertisements lead to bad brands.

Follow Kevin Rossi on Twitter @kevin_rossi.

Teams Getting Innovative

Previously I wrote an article on the Minnesota Timberwolves and their new social media website. After writing that piece, I was thinking about how important it is for professional franchises to be innovative. Franchises that are innovative set the standard for their leagues and provide a path for others to follow. I found some teams utilizing interesting ideas to help excite the fan base.

Detroit Pistons

It is no secret that the Pistons have struggled in recent years on the court. For the 2012-2013 the Pistons have found a way to make current fans happy and potentially attract new fans to come to games. The Pistons have decided to give season ticket holders a jacket with a radio frequency chip embedded in the jacket. The embedded chip can be used for discounts that include 20% off food and 30% off merchandise. The Pistons may not be considered true innovators of the idea, but they are trying to mimic success. The first teams to use the RFID (radio frequency identification) technology come from the Tampa Bay area. The Rays and the Lightning use similar technology. The purpose of this technology can be overlooked. Not only does the technology provide fans with a unique experience that can get fans of all ages excited to go to games, the technology can help teams learn about their fans. The technology can track what food and merchandise certain fans like to purchase. This information can help teams when it comes to providing items that they believe fans will purchase.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles have partnered with Aurasma to enhance the ticket experience for fans. For the upcoming season the Eagles will be the first NFL team to have the new technology on the front of their tickets. Fans will be able to use the official Eagles Mobile App to get highlights, game previews, and messages to fans from Eagles players. Fans will use the camera like technology to scan the ticket which will trigger all the available content. Each game will have a different player printed on the tickets, and each game will offer different content. The Eagles are not in a position where they need to sell tickets, but staying ahead in technology will benefit the Eagles.

Final Thought
Innovation is imperative in all industries, sport included. There are always new ideas that teams and leagues are creating to make games more interactive and fun. As technologies get more advanced, the comfort of watching a game in HD or even 3D from a family room is enticing. Fans do not need to worry about traffic, high parking cost, weather, and high food cost. Teams and leagues need to feel the constant pressure to improve or risk losing fans to technology. I would like to see and expect further innovations in the future. For the NFL, a major problem for fans is fantasy football. Fantasy football has become widely played and fans are constantly needing to see statistics on games. On an application like the Eagles Mobile App, I fully expect a place where you can list your fantasy players and statistics will be given throughout the game. For Major League Baseball, they face a different challange. The game is often considered too slow for the average fan. I think applications that allow fans to stay involved in the game are necessary for success. When it comes to technology... the options are endless. I look forward to see what future innovations teams and leagues have in store.


 @dmrosen7

Quick Hits

You all know that the I-95 SportsBiz staff is always looking to give the people what they want. As requested, here are your Quick Hits for the week.


The New Yorker’s sports section The Sporting Scene featured a Gladwell-esque piece looking at whether birthplace effects chances of going professional.

Dan Wetzel continues his hold on the Penn State situation, this time coming for former PSU President Graham Spanier.

Tiger Woods criticizes course conditions early in the week going into The Open Championship at Royal Lytham.

Reds prospect Billy Hamilton is really really fast.

A survey conducted by Quinnipiac University favors the renaming of Beaver Stadium in honor of Joe Paterno.

Eagles quarterback Mike Vick says he was “better at reading dogs than defenses” in an interview with USA Today.

A menacing fan (or a menacing individual who is NOT a fan) throws tacks on a road used for the Tour de France route.

A note of caution to all our readers who train for various sporting events outdoors: Look out for angry otters!

If you love basketball and you love analytics, then you have to check this out!

The Poynter Review takes a look at ESPN’s coverage of the Freeh Report.

Deadspin breaks down how the Flyers’ offer sheet to Shea Weber gives a big middle finger to the NHL CBA.

Was letting Jeremy Lin walk to Houston a good idea by the Knickerbockers?  Grantland weighs in.

Troy Polamalu admits to hiding injuries to get back into games.

After some command issues, the Diamondbacks are sending their star prospect, Trevor Bauer, back to Triple A.

Jeff Caple writes a piece about The Incline at the London 2012 Olympics.

Bud Selig says that Major League Baseball is in no rush to put ads on jerseys.


How MLB teams are beginning to find diamonds in the rough as late-inning flamethrowers.

Not necessarily the caliber of a Jeff Passan piece, but this ESPN.com feature on Pittsburgh Pirates hometown hero Neil Walker does the trick.