The Sports Info Business

What would you be willing to do to get a job these days?  Last week, I heard one of the best stories about what someone would do to get their first job in the sports field.  It could have been a scene right out of a Hollywood movie.  This was not one of those blog posts on the Internet that may or may not have been true.  The student told me this story while attending the Long Beach State Sports management roundtable.  If you do not know, I lead this event as the internship coordinator for the Long Beach State Sports Management program.

Quick background:  The roundtable is an effort offered to new students.  They are welcomed one evening very early in the 18-month program and introduced to 10 sports related companies.  Last week, we welcomed organizations like The X Games, The Rose Bowl Stadium, the LA Galaxy, USA Volleyball, Special Olympics of Southern California and on and on.  Each student is required to gain work experience via an internship.  This requirement includes 100 hours minimum during the first semester and two hundred hours each of the other two semesters.

Well, I was floored when this new student told me what she did to gain an internship.  If I remember the story correctly, she was standing in the hallway and heard that there was an opportunity with an organization, but was not dressed appropriately to speak with this hiring manager about working there.  Now, she did something that I would never have thought nor ever could have pulled off.  This woman, found someone who was about the same size, asked her to switch clothes for an impromptu interview and the stranger agreed to do it.

It was only an hour she told her.  Well, long story short, the creative woman got the offer and is currently working there.

Once in a while, she told me, she sees this woman around.  They smile, but it is an awkward smile, and then each moved on without really saying a word.

Amazing.

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Yesterday morning, I was playing catch up with several of my email  in boxes when I came across an interesting social media info graphic, compliments of fellow sports marketer Joe Favorito.
Joe sends out an interesting Sunday newsletter and yesterday’s version contained a link to this Infographic who’s sub header read: How Social are the World’s Most valuable brands.
Now, Google, followed by Disney were listed at the top of the chart, followed by Apple, Starbucks, Blackberry and Coke (Google has nearly five million people that like their facebook page while Starbucks has more than 26 million folks).
Once again, I immediately looked, NOT at the individual companies at first, but at the categories represented in the graph. Some of the expected listings included technology, media, restaurants and beverages.  The graph stated that this company looked at the value of 50 of the world’s leading brands.
Now, I think anyone that reads this blog regularly knows and believes like I do that some sports organizations are some of the most valuable brand names, at the very least in the United States. However, there was not one sports team included in this chart. Was the sports category overlooked by the good folks at Socialgility or did they feel that sports organizations simply did not qualify to be included in this chart?
To defend the chart, it said World’s brands not just the United States, but there probably not many places you can go in the world and not hear about the New York Yankees, as just one example to think about for now.

The scores are based on five categories, including popularity, receptiveness, interaction, network reach and trust.

Nonetheless, there are important lessons to be learned in what others are producing in this space, one being that there is a high correlation between social media performance and brand value.

Today, I’d like to address a bit of college football that went on yesterday.  It would be too easy to speak about the UCLA vs USC game last night, a 50-0 debacle that was solopsided, I was glad I taped it on the DVR instead of watching it live.  I normally watch sporting events live but gave into the post thanksgiving/ get out of the house for a few hourstheory on a Saturday night.  I knew something was amiss when a friend of mine, who was at the game, texted me early on and said “Are you watching this?”

Most of the other news sites, sports blogs and USC fans have already pointed out the the obvious.

** The Trojans beat the Bruins for the 12th time in the last 13 meetings.

** UCLA head coach, specifically Rick Neuheisel’s head, appears to be on the chopping block after going 0-4 to USC since taking over the program.

** Will Matt Barkeley, the USC quarterback who tossed six, yes six touchdowns and threw for 423 yards last night go pro?

What I’d rather talk about is football on television.  With the remote in hand, and well before the Trojans slaughtered the Bruins, I was looking for a game to watch around noon, west coast time.

Here is what was on TV, at the same time.

Preview of the #2 Alabama vs #24 Auburn, Iron Bowl game (KCBS, Channel 2)

Grambling State vs Southern (KNBC, Channel 4)

#15 Michigan vs Ohio State (KABC, Channel 7)

Tennessee vs Kentucky (KDOC, Channel 12)

Maryland vs North Carolina State (Channel 13)

#23 Georgia Tech vs Georgia (ESPN, Channel 15)

UConn vs Rutgers (ESPN 2, (Channel 16)

Iowa State vs, #9 Oklahoma (FX, Channel 17)

and I did manage to bump into the Rice vs SMU contest on Fox Sports West, which was not even close to the other stations on the dial.

Nine, count ‘em nine different football games at the same time.  ….And that is just what I found on the dial.

The question is, at what point is so much too much?  I am not one to curtail football games on television.  I am a sport guy and love the options.

That said, can the industry survive this level of saturation?  Deals are done for exposure and the markets are so fragmented that at some point, there will have to be some sort of fall out.  Until then, get ready for the 2011 college football Bowl Season.

If you live in the United States, chances are your knowledge of Rugby is minimal and you probably have no idea the 2011 Rugby World Cup will begin this weekend.

When will the Rugby World Cup take place you ask?  It begins on September 9 and will continue until October 23.

Give yourself an extra credit point if you can tell me where the event is being played.

I didn’t know either.

Answer — New Zealand.

Much like has been the case with soccer on the world stage, Americans do not know the sport of Rugby.

Its not televised.

We have not grown up playing the sport.

However, after quickly checking of my sports reference calendar,  I quickly learned a few things about Rugby.

For this year’s tournament, here are the listings of the four pools:

Pool A

Canada

France

Japan

New Zealand

Pool B

Argentina

England

Georgia

Romania

Scotland

Pool C

United States

Australia

Ireland

Italy

Russia

Pool D

Fiji

Nambia

Samoa

South Africa

Wales

Here is the American’s tournament schedule for Pool C

USA

September 9, vs. Ireland  7:30 p.m. local time  (New Plymouth)

September 15 vs. Russia, 7:30 p.m. local time (New Plymouth)

September 23 vs Australia, 8:30 p.m. local time (Wellington)

September 27 vs Italy, 7:30 p.m. local time (Nelson)

Now, if you regularly read this blog, Rugby is not a topic I often write about in this space.  I wanted to measure the popularity of the sport in a popular place — Facebook.  The Rugby’s World Cup Facebook page has 1.2 million fans.

How does this compare?

Well, the Milwaukee Brewers, with the best record in the national League, have less than 500,000 fans.

They have more Facebook fans than the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Page and certainly squash’s the U.S. Open Tennis effort on Facebook.

Last Weekend, while researching future Question and answer candidate profiles for this blog, I learned that you can now add a Twitter Button on your LinkedIn profile.  I had not seen it before but I quickly learned how you can easily add this link to your profile to possibly connect with new folks as well as push current contacts to this Twitter stream.  I took a picture of my LinkedIn profile so you can see where it appears today.  If you can scan below, I have highlighted this in red.

So the question is how do you do add this?

I am here to show you that now.

** First log into your LinkedIn page.

** Once logged in, click on the blue “Home” button to return to the main page.

** Now click on the “More” tab

** Once there, I clicked on the “More applications” tab

** Now I clicked on the Twitter option after I scrolled down a bit and installed it wit the setting that I wanted to show.  I have more than one Twitter account but chose my main personal feed, @sportsinfo101

Hope this helps you better market yourself.

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Football season is just about here.  Fans have waited throughout the lockout and now the pre-season.  For those that want to work in the industry, this is your last chance for open positions if you want to work in sports.  Below, there are job listings from the Eagles, Cowboys, Lions and a hockey job, from the Los Angeles Kings added for good measure.

If you want to work in sports, this will help get you started in your search.  Remember to check the blog roll for other sports related business resources within this website.

Communications: Media/Public Relations Servicing

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW
The Philadelphia Eagles are known as one of the more progressive organizations in professional sports and have come to be considered one of the most storied sports franchises in history. As an organization the Philadelphia Eagles is both an exciting and demanding place to work fueled by passion, dedication, and a commitment to the community and the Eagles Youth Partnership.

Lincoln Financial Field is one of the premier sports and entertainment facilities in the United States. In addition to being the home of the Philadelphia Eagles, the stadium plays host to numerous other events, providing an unmatched spectator experience for over 65,000 fans. Lincoln Financial Field is maintained and managed by over 50 professionals working together to provide the highest quality sports and entertainment experience in a safe, clean, and friendly environment.

POSITION SUMMARY
The successful candidate will have a solid understanding of how to drive consumer engagement within social, mobile and technical platforms. Also must have experience actually managing and executing social media campaigns.
Click here to apply:

Sales & Marketing: Client Relations/Customer Service

The Customer Service Representative – Retail is responsible for providing superior customer service in our fast-paced, call center environment with the ability to keep information and tasks organized while multi-tasking. This position is an outstanding opportunity for a detail-oriented team player with a positive, enthusiastic, and customer-focused attitude. The Customer Service Representative – Retail reports to the Retail Customer Service Manager and will be part of an overall Call Center team.

Job Duties:

- Assist internet/catalog customers with questions via e-mail, telephone, system “Live Chat” and mail
- Provide sales support through cross-selling and up-selling products
- Follow-through with customer inquiries and requests/ document and record efforts in the process
- Ensure that our customer receives superior service
- Provide resolution to customers through communication and problem-solving skills
- Work effectively within a team-oriented environment
- Answering phones, functioning on the computer and providing customer assistance
- Order processing, issue resolution, selling ability, return processing
- Perform other functions and activities as directed by the Retail Customer Service Manager
Click Here to Apply:

Internships: Communications/Community Relations

AEG, Anschutz Entertainment Group, is one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world. AEG owns and operates a host of world-class entertainment venues and professional sports franchises around the globe including the L.A. Kings (NHL), L.A. Galaxy (MLS), STAPLES Center, the Home Depot Center, the L.A. Live Entertainment district in downtown Los Angeles, and more.

Fan Development Intern

Essential Job Functions: The individual must possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities and be able to explain and demonstrate that he or she can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation.

• Assist Fan Development Department with grassroots sales initiatives and hockey growth programs
• Run Fan Development Game Day Program Sales Fundraising Program
• Assist with Game Day Fan Development hockey programs at STAPLES Center
• Coordinate Program Sales Fundraiser
• Assist with grassroots marketing of hockey programs and sales initiatives
• Track sales numbers and hockey program participation
• Assist with client customer service
• Candidates must possess excellent oral and written communication skills
• Ability to work 20 hours a week, including some evenings and weekends

Click here to Apply:

Sales & Marketing: Marketing

Description:

The Marketing Department at Ford Field is accepting applications for a Marketing Manager. The Manager will be responsible for providing marketing strategies that will assist the Business Operations Department and Events Department with increasing revenue. The manager will be responsible for all marketing efforts for the Detroit Lions and Ford Field events, both internally and externally. This includes the areas of advertising, brand management, web, social media, and research.  This position reports to the Director of Marketing. 

Hours/Duration of Position:

This is a full-time position working 40+ hours per week. A full benefits package is available. This position is based in Detroit, MI.

The Marketing Manager must have the ability to work with a flexible schedule, including being available for major scheduled events on nights, weekends, and holidays.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assist Director of Marketing with development and implementation of marketing plan
• Manage and market all Detroit Lions business to increase revenue
• Work with clienst on promoting events at Ford Field
• Develop and oversee all advertising campaigns; work with third party advertising companies
• Manage all media buys with key media vendors
• Develop and enhance all branding approaches for the Detroit Lions, both internally and externally
• Assist with website development and help expand functions of www.detroitlions.com
• Coordinate with the graphics department on the visual content for the Detroit Lions website
• Act as a liaison with Ticketmaster for all marketing efforts
• Oversee all marketing publications, graphics, and special projects
• Foster and maintain effective working relationships with vendors, community, corporate and media partners
• Oversee departmental budget
• Work all Detroit Lions home games and Ford Field major events

Apply here (remember to scroll to the middle of the landing page)

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Quick, when you think of aspirin, what comes to mind?

Is it baseball?

The folks at Bayer HealthCare sure hope so.  Communications folks from The New Jersey based company recently out and brought my attention to a new campaign it recently launched, called  Speed Up Your Relief.  This campaign is an attempt by Bayer Advanced Aspirin to leverage its new role as the “Official Pain Reliever of Major League Baseball.”

How The Sponsorship Works

Through the Speed Up Your Relief campaign, the company has pledged to donate $10 to the Red Cross for every strike 95 mph and over thrown during the remainder of the 2011 Major League Baseball regular and post season. The company stated i a press release that last year, an average of more than 3,000 strikes 95 mph and over were thrown each month. MLB fans and Red Cross supporters can track fast strikes resulting in relief effort donations on the website, SpeedUpYourRelief.com.  The donations will be made, up to a total of up to a total of $150,000, that support Red Cross relief efforts.

Activation Component

In addition to Bayer’s donation, fans can get involved in the Speed Up Your Relief campaign by making personal donations to the Red Cross on the website. They also can play an online fantasy baseball game developed by MLB.com for a chance to win $10,000 or an all-inclusive dream baseball vacation, courtesy of Bayer.

“Speed is essential in pain relief, baseball and relief operations. That’s why Bayer has stepped up to the plate to expand our relief efforts to help Americans in need,” said Barton Warner, VP, Marketing and New Business, Bayer HealthCare. “Through combined efforts with the Red Cross and Major League Baseball, we are confident that the Speed Up Your Relief campaign will help provide fast relief to those who need it most.”

Sponsorship Package Details

Here is additional background of what Bayer is receiving as part of their sponsorship commitment.

Media

* The company is being featured in advertising across ESPN/ESPN2, FOX, TBS and MLB Networks

* The media buy includes approximately 350 Bayer Advanced Asprin on-air, digital and in-game advertisements throughout the 2011 Major League Baseball season including

** 35 electronic video inserts, one game a week across the networks (ESPN, FOX, TBS and MLB Network)

** 209 :30 second TV spots in games across the networks

** 40 billboard sponsorships across the networks

** Approximately 65 features across the networks

A few days ago, I posted a blog offering graduate students the opportunity to be heard.  Since then, one student, who is about to graduate has taken me up on the offer and submitted this guest blog post.  However since this person is still job hunting, they prefer that their name not be used.  That said, please enjoy this different perspective, from someone about to enter the job market.

In this market, you best be persistent

Graduated from college, CHECK. Graduated from graduate school, CHECK. Job offers lining up, INCOMPLETE.

Welcome to the world of unemployment. As our economy creeps towards a double dip recession, college graduates and even graduate school graduates find the job market bleak, at best.

I so often see the frustration and anger permeate from the pool of talented graduates fighting for jobs all over the sports industry. Sales, marketing, community relations, public relations, social media and operations, seems like jobs should be coming after you, not the other way around, right? WRONG! In this market, you better be actively scouring jobs in any area within the sports industry if you plan on having a job upon completing your degree.

The question becomes, how can I differentiate myself and stand out during this unruly economic downturn? The answer, PERSISTENCE! The days of submitting a resume and expecting a job offer to follow are long gone. Graduates must realize the importance of being persistent and even borderline annoying in regards to prospecting jobs.

The art of networking has become a hot topic in today’s job market. Making contacts, building those relationships and hoping they pass along your name when a job opens seems like a pretty easy process. Wrong again. Very few people are looking to help you during this job crisis. Your only TRUE ally is yourself. This is why gathering letters of recommendation immediately following your internship or job is mandatory. But what happens when a former employer or professor refuses to write you a letter, move on and assume they are no longer your ally.

I am currently in the long and stressful interview process for a job in sports. Let me remind you, this is an entry level position that has already included interviews with HR, a group of employees and lastly one with upper management. I have yet to hear a decision and we are pushing two weeks since my last interview.

Frustrated, you better believe it. I approached these interviews as if I were applying for a position in upper management. I put together professional portfolios, gathered past work samples and letters of recommendation, wrote personalized introduction letters, hand wrote thank you notes and much more. I want to again remind you that this position is ENTRY LEVEL.

Welcome to the new world of employment in sports. Organizations no longer give prospective graduates “trial by fire” jobs. In this economy, organizations want to see ROI from entry level jobs all the way up to the President. There is no room for error these days and organizations are making this point clear through the rigorous interview process for a mere 30K entry level job.

The best words of advice I can give you, from one unemployed student to another, don’t be afraid to annoy someone with an email or a phone call. It’s much easier to sleep at night knowing you pushed too hard as opposed to not pushing hard enough. Welcome to unemployment, summer 2011.

Written by a member of Learning Team 18

Wednesday night, I attended a sports benefit dinner like no other I have attended in the past.

You’ll understand why in a second, but please just bear with me.

First, I must explain how most non-profit sports dinners events have been produced in the past.

Once you have parked your car, you arrive to pick up your tickets.  There is often a silent auction, cocktail reception and dinner.  With the meal a live auction is held with key items.  Speeches are made and then everyone goes home.

Its nice, you make a few bucks for a worthy cause, listen to a few celebrated athletes tell stories, hopefully laugh a bit and then call it a day.

I’ve been on both sides of these events.  Planning and executing them as well as sitting in the crowd and enjoying the experience.

However, two days ago, at the Harold Pump Foundation Dinner, Dana and David Pump took the experience to an entirely different level.

Why, is that?

Let’s start with the list of guests.  Here is a list, its not complete, but a list of folks who attended the event.  Most of these folks were not honored, they just attended it.

Mike Tyson

Magic Johnson

Anthony Munoz

Vicente Fox (former President of Mexico)

Josh Smith

Jerry Tarkanian

Ralph Sampson

Jamaal Wilkes

Penny Marshall

Jerry West

Mike Dunleavy

Tom Lasorda

Gayle Sayers

Warren Moon

Jeremy Piven

Kenny Lofton

Mo cheeks

Pete Rose

Jerry Rice

Mike Tyson

Artis Gilmore

John Wall

Sugar Ray Leonard

Marshall Faulk

Chris Mullins

James Worthy

Oscar Robertson

Candice Parker

Ronnie Lott

Michael Irvin

Holly Robinson Peete

My Favorite Moment of the Night:  Prior to the event, I was standing around speaking with friends when one of them quietly said, “Isn’t that Penny Marshall right there?”

So twirl around and there she is, signature glasses and all standing by herself, waiting to enter the ballroom for the event.

I stretched out my right hand to shake hers.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I said.  ”I enjoy your work, I am not here to bother you and hope you have a wonderful time.”

She laughed, thanked me and then disappeared into a room that would hold between 900 and 1,000 people for the night.

I wasn’t there to take pictures of the famous, to get their autographs or follow folks around.

I was there, like many others to support Dana and David Pump’s work to raise money for cancer research.  Like them, I lost a parent to cancer and it touches you in a way like no other.  You can never understand losing a parent until it happens to you.  You just cannot explain it or feel it until it impacts your world.

That said, there were lots of people that were there to take photos, get autographs and be seen with the famous.  I saw kids lined up with their parents to grab an autograph or three.  I particularly loved watching two little boys who were maybe six or seven, dressed in suits and holding notebooks.  They fidgeted with their ties while waiting for the next star to walk off the red carpet and to ask them to sign their book before the VIP’s headed into a private reception. 

Reunion:  Dana Pump, of the twin brothers who organized the event, was kind enough to seat me at his table in the middle of the room.  Who was sitting at the table next to me?  My old skipper Tommy Lasorda.  I first saw him come off the red carpet and when he was finishing signing an autograph looked up, saw me and recognized me and then gave me a nice hug.

“Where you YOU been?” he said, in that voice that is distincly Lasorda.

I have always been amazed at Tommy’s memory.  I have so many Tommy memories from my tie at the Dodgers and a few of those I’ve shared here.  We spoke for a few moments and then he was off to the VIP room.  I also received a nice hug from Hall of Famer Eddie Murray.  He only played with the Dodgers a short time but when he saw me, I also received a hug and a kind greeting from the former Baltimore Oriole.

Disappointment of the Night:  There were so many sports people that a few seemed to get lost during the night, including my old college buddy and current Oklahoma City Coach Scott Brooks.  I didn’t even find out here was in attendance until late int he evening program and without knowing where the former Anteater star and my college classmate was sitting, there was no way to say hello.

Raising Money:  Between the VIP golf tournament, pre-event dinner and the gala, I would take a stab and guess the Foundation grossed more than a million dollars for a the couple of days, maybe netting $500 or $600,000 dollars.  If that is true, it would add to the coffers of the Pump Foundation to give back.  The group has stated that it has already doled out more than $4.6 million dollars to fight cancer.