The Sports Info Business

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.

It’s getting extremely busy in the sports world and for fans, there are so many events to choose from either on TV or attending a game.  The National Hockey League and National Basketball League are in full swing, yesterday was another big day in college football and today and of course you have Week 10 in the National Football League.

For those of you that are already having baseball withdrawals, you’ll be pleased to know that MLB has a week full of awards/meetings starting tomorrow.  Here is how it shapes up:

Monday, November 15 – The National League and American League Rookie of the Year Awards are announced.

Tuesday, November 16: – National League Cy Young Award, the American and National League Manager of the Year Awards as well as the start of General managers meetings scheduled to take place in Orlando, Florida

Wednesday, November 17 – The Owners meetings begin, also in Orlando

Thursday, November 18 – The American League Cy Young Award Winner is announced.

The best way I  keep track of major U.S. sporting events is by a product I invented called Sports Calendar Pro.

I developed this product a year ago and the feedback I have received so far has been tremendous.  Currently, I am finishing off the 2011 complete sports Calendar and will have a post about it here shortly.  Needless to say it will have all Major U.S. Sporting Events in one place.  The calendar certainly helps me when I am writing blogs like this and also helps me to know when major U.S. sporting events are taking place.

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Update:  The San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers stayed on top of the news when it came to Rookies of the Year.  Giants  catcher Buster Posey and Rangers closer Neftali Feliz were voted the Rookies of the Year.

Sixteen members of a special committee will decide the fate of 12 names on a special ballot from Major League Baseball and the results will be announced on Monday, December 6.

The list, which is comprised of eight former major league players, three executives and one former manager which is being reviewed and voted on at the 2010 Baseball Winter Meetings in Orlando, Florida.

The rules state that every candidate receiving votes on 75 percent of the 16 ballots cast will earn election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and will be honored during Hall of Fame Weekend 2011, July 22-25 in Cooperstown, New York.

Who are the 12 that are being considered?  Former major league players Vida Blue, Dave Concepcion, Steve Garvey, Ron Guidry,Tommy John, Al Oliver, Ted Simmons and Rusty Staub; former manager Billy Martin; and executivesPat Gillick, Marvin Miller and George Steinbrenner. Martin and Steinbrenner are deceased.  All of the other candidates are living.

Here are the folks that make up the committee charged with the review of the Expansion Era ballot features: Hall of Fame members Johnny Bench, Whitey Herzog, Eddie Murray, Jim Palmer, Tony Perez, Frank Robinson,Ryne Sandberg and Ozzie Smith; major league executives Bill Giles (Phillies), David Glass (Royals),Andy MacPhail (Orioles) and Jerry Reinsdorf (White Sox); and veteran media members Bob Elliott(Toronto Sun), Tim Kurkjian (ESPN), Ross Newhan (retired, Los Angeles Times) and Tom Verducci(Sports Illustrated).

The Expansion Era ballot was devised by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) appointed Historical Overview Committee, comprised of 11 veteran members: Dave Van Dyck(Chicago Tribune); Bob Elliott (Toronto Sun); Rick Hummel (St. Louis Post-Dispatch); Steve Hirdt(Elias Sports Bureau); Moss Klein (formerly Newark Star-Ledger); Bill Madden (New York Daily News);Ken Nigro, (formerly Baltimore Sun); Jack O’Connell (BBWAA secretary/treasurer); Nick Peters(formerly Sacramento Bee); Tracy Ringolsby (FSN Rocky Mountain); and Mark Whicker (Orange County Register).

The Expansion Era covers candidates among managers, umpires, executives and long-retired players whose most significant career impact was realized during the 1973-present time frame. Eligible candidates include: Players who played in at least 10 major league seasons, who are not on Major League Baseball’s ineligible list, and have been retired for 21 or more seasons (those whose last major league season was no later than 1989); Managers and Umpires with 10 or more years in baseball and retired for at least five years, with any candidates who are 65 years or older first-eligible six months from the date of the election following retirement; and Executives who have been retired for at least five years, with any active executives 65 or older eligible for consideration.

The Expansion Era Committee is the first of a three-year cycle of consideration for Managers, Umpires, Executives and Long-Retired Players by Era, as opposed to the previous consideration by classification, with changes approved and announced by the Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors at the conclusion of Hall of Fame Weekend 2010.

The changes maintain the high standards for earning election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, with focus on three eras: Expansion (1973-present); Golden (1947-1972) and Pre-Integration (1871-1946), as opposed to the previous four Committees on Baseball Veterans, which considered the four categories of candidates. Three separate electorates will now consider by era a single composite ballot of managers, umpires, executives and long-retired players on an annual basis, with Golden Era Committee candidates to be considered at the 2011 Winter Meetings for Induction in 2012 and the Pre-Integration Era Committee candidates to be considered at the 2012 Winter Meetings for Induction in 2013. The Expansion Era Committee will next meet at the 2013 Winter Meetings for Induction in 2014.

Here is a closer look at each of the 12 candidates for Expansion Era consideration:

Vida Blue spent 17 seasons pitching in the majors with the Oakland A’s, Kansas City Royals and San Francisco Giants, compiling a 209-161 record, with a 3.27 ERA in 502 major league games/473 starts. Blue, the 1971 AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner, was named to six All-Star teams, and won at least 18 games five times in his career.

Dave Concepcion spent 19 seasons as the Cincinnati Reds shortstop, compiling a .267 average with 2,326 hits, 321 stolen bases and two Silver Slugger Awards, along five Gold Glove Awards and nine All-Star Game selections.

Steve Garvey compiled a .294 career average over 19 major league seasons with the Dodgers and Padres, amassing 2,599 hits, 272 home runs, 1,308 RBI and 10 All-Star Game selections. He hit .338 with 11 home runs and 31 RBI in 11 postseason series, was named the 1978 and 1984 NLCS MVP and won the 1981 Roberto Clemente Award. Garvey won four Gold Glove Awards, was named the 1974 National League Most Valuable Player and played in an N.L. record 1,207 straight games.

Pat Gillick spent 27 years as the general manager for the Blue Jays, Orioles, Mariners and Phillies, winning at every stop along the way, with his teams earning 11 post-season berths and three World Series championships. In his 27 years as GM, his teams finished with a winning record 20 times.

Ron Guidry pitched 14 seasons for the New York Yankees, compiling a 170-91 record, a 3.29 ERA and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 2.81-to-1. In 10 postseason starts, Guidry was 5-2 with a 3.02 ERA. Four times he won 18 games or more in a season, including a Cy Young Award winning 1978 season with a 25-3, 1.74 era record.

Tommy John pitched 26 seasons for the Indians, Dodgers, Yankees, Angels and A’s, finishing his career after the 1989 season with a record of 288-231 and 3.34 ERA. His 700 career starts rank eighth on the all-time list and his 4,710.1 innings rank 20th all-time.

Billy Martin spent 16 seasons 1969, 1971-83, 1985, 1988) managing the Twins, Tigers, Rangers, Yankees (five different stints) and A’s, compiling a 1,253-1015 record (.552). Martin’s teams finished in first place five times, winning two American League pennants and one World Series with 1977 Yankees.

Marvin Miller was elected as the head of the Major League Baseball Players Association in 1966 and quickly turned the union into a powerhouse. Within a decade, Miller had secured free agency for the players. By the time he retired in 1982, the average player salary was approximately 10 times what it was when he took over.

Al Oliver compiled 2,743 hits in 18 seasons with the Pirates, Rangers, Expos, Giants, Phillies, Dodgers and Blue Jays. He finished with a .303 career average, 529 doubles and 1,326 RBI, recording 10 seasons with a .300 or higher average, including nine straight from 1976-1984.

Ted Simmons played for 21 seasons, totaling a .285 batting average, 2,472 hits, 483 doubles, 248 home runs and 1,389 RBI for the Cardinals, Brewers and Braves. An 8-time All-Star, he garnered MVP votes six times in his career.

Rusty Staub totaled 2,716 hits in a 23-year major league career, with a .279 average, 292 home runs, 1,466 RBI and six All-Star Game selections. He appeared in at least 150 games in 12 seasons, and his 2,951 big league games rank No. 12 on the all-time list.

George Steinbrenner guided the New York Yankees franchise as principal owner from purchasing the team in 1973 to his death in 2010, with his teams winning 11 American League pennants and seven World Series titles.

Who do you think belongs in the Hall?

Conferences are a great way to learn new skills, brush up on old ones and of course, network.  It has been a while since I researched and published a list of upcoming events so I thought I’d take this Monday to see what is coming up on different topics.  The order if each event is based on a calendar listing.

8th Annual IMG Sports Marketing Symposium

September 21-22, 2010
Marriott Marquis, New York City
Since its debut in 2003, the Sports Marketing Symposium has become the “must-attend” event for executives at every level of sports sponsorship. With an unrivaled speaker faculty of top corporate sponsors and advertisers, the Sports Marketing Symposium delivers the latest sports marketing trends from the perspective of brand-side marketers.

30th Anniversary Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association Conference

The 30th Anniversary Conference will be held October 20 -24, 2010 in St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles/West Indies. Anticipated attendance – up to 400 professionals representing the legal, entertainment, sport and other related industries. Networking, continuing legal education (CLE) credits and a host of other activities will be offered to celebrate the founding of the organization.

12th Annual FSA Sports Media & Technology

November 16-17
Marriott Marquis, New York City
This conference gathers the executives who are shaping the future of sports media and distribution. Issues discussed include new technology, revenue models, audience measurement, behaviors and preferences of fans and the integration of media into the fan base. Featured speakers come from every area of this industry including properties, sponsors, media, agencies, technology providers and marketing.

11th Annual Motorsports Marketing Forum

November 30-December 1
The Venetian, Las Vegas, Nevada
The prime gathering of the sponsorship and advertising community in motorsports, this forum is the platform for sponsors, league officials, teams, track owners and ad agencies to present their ideas on sponsorship, the future of racing and the driver-fan relationship. With featured speakers from sanctioning bodies, media, team management and sponsors, this forum has become an indispensable stop on the motorsports circuit for more than a decade.

9th Annual IMG Intercollegiate Athletics Forum

December 8-9
The W Hotel, Lexington Avenue, New York City
This program brings together athletic directors, university presidents, media and sponsors to examine the issues surrounding present-day college sports. With speakers from the ranks of academia, marketing firms, media and corporate sponsors, this event is the one time of the year when these constituencies meet to discuss their mutual issues and opportunities.

Annual COSIDA Conference

Scheduled for June 27-30, 2011 in Marco Island, Fla.

If you work in sports, then chances are pretty good you have attended a fundraising event.  Teams have community relations departments that direct these these functions.

These events are not restricted only to teams…..  Here is my Wednesday shameless promotion for one group I am involved with, the Orange County Youth Sports Foundation.  I also have added background information.  I have sat on this non-profit board for several years and next month, we will be honoring Jets QB Mark Sanchez as the OCYSF 2010 Sportsman of the Year.  If you have an interest in attending the event you can click here to print out a reservation form or pay online directly via Paypal. If you would like to become a sponsor, you can also email me and we can speak further.

Event Background

New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez will be honored as the 2010 Sportsman of the Year when the Orange County Youth Sports Foundation (OCYSF) roasts him at a special banquet on Thursday, July 22, 2010 at the Newport Beach Marriott hotel starting at 7:00 pm.

Sanchez, a product of USC and Mission Viejo High School, led the Jets to the AFC Conference Championship game vs. Indianapolis last year.  As a rookie quarterback in 2009, Sanchez started 15 games for New York and threw for 2,444 yards and 12 touchdowns.

“Mark is certainly a deserving honoree,” said Tom Johnson, President of the Orange County Youth Sports Foundation (OCYSF).  “He had an amazing rookie year with the Jets in 2009.  Mark joins a long list of prestigious athletes we have honored in the past and we are grateful for his participation.”

Since 1971, the Orange County Youth Sports Foundation has enjoyed a proud tradition of celebrating the accomplishments of sports figures as a means of raising funds for boys and girls in the Orange County, CA community.  Since its inception, the Foundation has donated well over a $1 million dollars to youth sports in the county.  This includes scholarships to college bound scholar-athletes, field trips and improvements to local sports facilities.

At the last OCYSF banquet, the group honored sports broadcaster Jim Nantz and 600 sports fans packed the ball room to share laughs and memories with the CBS-TV personality.  OCYSF past honorees include local and national sports greats like Tom Lasorda, Jerry West, Pete Carroll, Bill Walsh and Peter Ueberroth.

Sanchez becomes the first pro football player honored by OCYSF since Los Angeles and St. Louis Rams great and Hall-of-Famer Jackie Slater was honored in 1997.

Tickets for this year’s banquet are now available.  The cost for a table of 10 is $1,500, corporate tables of 10 are $2,500 and include a seat at a private lunch with Sanchez while individual tickets are $150 each.  For more information about this year’s banquet or to purchase tickets, please go to www.ocysf.org or call 714-815-3885.

About the Orange County Youth Sports Foundation

Originally named the “Sports Celebrities,” a group of local Orange County residents held a banquet held each year at the Saddleback Inn in Santa Ana to have fun and raise money for young people. The founders include Paul Clearly, Bruce Gelker, Bob Hoyt, Chuck Potter and Paul Salata and their first honoree was race car driver Dan Gurney.  Later the group changed its name to the current moniker The Orange County Youth Sports Foundation.  Today, more than 45 volunteers sit on the OCYSF board and help make an impact in the lives of young people in the community.

Presented every year since 1971, the Orange County Sportsman of the Year Award was established by the Foundation to honor individuals who serve as an inspiration to youth and who are leaders in both their sport and their community.   The Orange County Youth Sports Foundation would also like to recognize The First American Corporation and Westar Associates for their longtime support.

PAST SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD RECIPIENTS

2007     Jim Nantz — Broadcaster

2006    Tim Salmon — Baseball

2005    Matt Leinart — Football

2004    Pete Carroll — Football

2003    Carson Palmer — Football

2002    Bob Baffert – Horse Racing

2001    Mike Scioscia — Baseball

2000    Bill Walsh — Football

1999    Dick Enberg — Sportscaster

1998    Jerry West — Basketball

1997    Jackie Slater — Football

1996    Terry Donahue — Football

1995    25^th Year Anniversary

1994    Bert Blyleven — Baseball

1993    Jim Abbott — Baseball

1992    John McKay — Football

1991    Nolan Cromwell — Football

1990    Augie Garrido — Baseball

1989    Tom Lasorda — Baseball

1988    John Hall — Sportswriting

1987    John Robinson — Football

1986    Tommy John — Baseball

1985    Greg Louganis – Diving & Edwin Moses — Track

1984    Peter Ueberroth — Olympics

1983    Jack Youngblood — Football

1982    Bill Mulligan — Basketball

1981    Hal Sherbeck — Football

1980    Gene Autry — Baseball

1979    George Yardley — Basketball

1978    Paul Salata – Bon Vivant, Football

1977    Donn Moomaw — Football

1976    Sammy Lee – Olympic Diving

1975    Del Crandall — Baseball

1974    Eddie West — Sportswriting

1973    Clare Van Hoorbeke — Football

1972    Rod Laver — Tennis

1971    Dan Gurney – Auto Racing

Cindy Jarvis, Steve Buchan, Roy Englebrecht and Bill Shumard pose for a photo during the event.

Last night I wrapped up another Roundtable for the Long Beach State Sports Management program.  This program is certainly unique in that it brings 10 sports related-businesses from Southern California into one venue to meet, greet and interview with the newsest learning team of graduate students.  Each master’s candidate is required to work in an sports management internship in addition to traditional classes.  New students have a minimum of 100 hours per semester and more advanced students work 200 hours or more per semester.

Here is a list of the companies that participated last night.

1. AEG

2. Disneyland Report

3. ESPN/ X Games

4. Krav Maga

5. LA Galaxy

6. Long Beach State Athletics

7. Newport Sports Museum

8. Roy Englebrecht Promotions

9. Special Olympics of Southern California

10. USA Volleyball

We generally try and rotate the businesses that attend and provide new opportunities each semester.  Some of the other business that have joined in the roundtable include the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the Los Angeles Clippers, UC Irvine, Fox Sports, the Big West Conference, The Rose Bowl and many other groups.

I thought it would be good to see as much as read.  Here is a brief video I put together with a few additional photos from the event for you to see.

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The folks at ESPN also have these two sites to visit

www.espncareers.com –

www.workxevents.com -

2. The Best and Worst Super Bowl Commercials

This is certainly a game day topic and water cooler fodder for all Monday morning fans.  Which was the best, worst, and/or funniest commercials seen during the Super Bowl.  There have been some classics over time including this one I really liked when Michael Jordan and Larry Bird played an outrageous game of h-o-r-s-e in a McDonald’s commercials from a past Super Bowl

3. First For New Orleans or Peyton’s Legacy?

Sentimental favorite is on the Saints side for obvious reasons.  As for Manning, the guy who could not win the big one might own two championship rings within the next five days.  Let the debate begin.

4. The score by quarters

This week, bosses may or may not know that productivity is going down, or, maybe they are part of it.  Fans across the nation and around the world are filling in blank squares as Super Bowl football pools his their stride.  True confessions.  I have never won a dime in a Super Bowl pool, but usually play them every year.  Why?  We all want to have a vested interest in rooting for SOMETHING even if our favorite childhood team is not playing in the big game.  What numbers do you own and how many squares did you initial?

5. Who is Playing at Halftime?!

The legendary rock and roll band, The Who, is scheduled to perform during halftime of Super Bowl XLIV.  The talk is starting this week, will pick up into game time and be reviewed by anyone who saw the performance starting on Monday/

6. Classic Super Bowl Foods

I was visiting the farmer’s market in my neighborhood over the weekend and stopped at a particular farmer who sells avocados (que Pavlov’s dog cause my mouth is watering).  I asked him how business would be this week, leading up to the Super Bowl  His eyes got wide and said this is his biggest week of the year.  No surprise.  Need some off the wall Super Bowl trivia to throw at friends. try these food based facts I wrote about last year at this time.

7. Living Up to Expectations

Reggie Bush has proven, at times to be a dynamic, all-star caliber NFL player.  Bush, the number two pick in the 2006 National Football League Draft, though has also vanished from other football games and has been called Mr. Kardashian by skeptics.  It is certainly a below the belt shot and reference to girlfriend Kim Kardashian.  Bush has three touchdowns during the playoffs  and has the greatest chance to quiet the critics, once and for all with a big game.

8. Media Day

It has been called a circus-like atmosphere, which is disguised as Super Bowl Media Day.  Hundreds of media descend on players, coaches, trainers and even fans looking for a unique angle or story to tell as reporters look to fill time on TV, radio, print and blogs until Sunday.  I always enjoy the story about the idiot questions a few knucklehead reporters wind up asking.  That said, there is no shortage of topics or story lines this week.  The Colts are return to Miami where they defeated the Chicago Bears three years ago during a rain soaked Super Bowl.  You have a few stories lines about Peyton Manning, the son of legendary Saints QB Archie who grew up in New Orleans.  You have the city’s recovery from the Hurricane, the Saints First Ever Super Bowl appearance and on and on it will go…..

9. The Sentimental Favorites

The average fan is going to want the Saints to win.  As mentioned above, having never won the big prize, plus the post-Hurricane impact favors the Saints.  However, the Las Vegas odds-makers for the Super Bowl Think Otherwise.  I heard on the radio, Los Angeles DJ’s mentioning the odds had started at 5 points in favor of the Colts and since have moved to six points.  Are they right?  We will have to see….

10. Oh Yeah, the Game

After all is said and done, it is about 60 minutes in the biggest game, on the largest stage for people in the United States and around the world to watch.  Four hours of an actual game-day football presentation and even more hours of analyzing the pre- and post game make it a day that keeps millions of Americans glued to the TV. (Hint) If you enjoy shopping with no traffic, today is your day.

When I worked for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, now known as the Anaheim Ducks, part of my responsibilities included overseeing the community relations team for the hockey club.

The CR department had several goals but part of the responsibilities was overseeing special events and raising money for the foundation.

Recently, I spoke with a friend of mine who was planning a special event for her non profit group (non sports related) — you can see the background story at thesportscalendar blog . It made me think, how are these events valued, internally by a team and what can be done to help improve the results.

Here are a few brief thoughts that crossed my mind.

* Don’t just measure how much money was made.  Also figure out if you are generating more interest in terms of attendance, exposure from media an other variables

* Are you meeting your overall business goals?

* Are you following up with participants post-event — this is easily done via a survey to find out what was good and what can be improved.

* Test new components or twists when doing the same event year over year

* Certainly check for conflicts with other events and which days of the week have events performed the best.

* Don’t settle that you must continue to do things the same way as they have been done in the past

December is here and the holiday rush to buy presents is on.  In a related move, I recently posted a one question poll and asked, would you consider purchasing a comprehensive 2010 event schedule with a focus on sports?  The overwhelming majority, 66% said, yes, there is an interest in this solution.

Since then, I have been hard at work creating something that would fit everyone’s need.  You can visit it here at SportsCalendarPro.com

First, I created a master sports calendar.  It has every major sports event in the United States.  What did I include?  In no particular order, here is a listing of just SOME of the events.  The Super Bowl, The 2010 Winter Olympics, the 2010 World Cup, College Bowl Games, The Kentucky Derby, the Indy 500, the men’s and women’s college basketball NCAA tournament and Final Four, sports conferences for sports related events like the IEG Sponsorship Summit and the 2010 World Sports Congress.  There are about 100 sports events in all.

As a sports executive and dedicated sports fan, I want and need to know what is happening and when it is happening.  It would be nice to find everything in one place for the enter year.  I am tired of searching for the Next event.  It is also great for planning events.  Not a sports fan, but you may be involved in major life events like getting married or you are just planning major events like fundraising dinners?  Then this is ideal for you as well.  I cannot remember how many times a major golf event or fundraising dinner collided with a major sports event and either a TV was wheeled in an event or continuous updates were given to keep people informed.

Belowis a snap shot of the calendar for two weeks in April.  If you click on the image you can see it in a full screen view.

If you want additional details of the event itself, you can click on say The NCAA Frozen Four dates and you will see this

At SportsCalendarPro.com, I created the site where you can view it online via a gmail account and from there, you can easily download this or sync it with Outlook and iphone.  I did it and it now runs as event dates on my master calendar.

The second option is to purchase the 2010 Master Calendar.  This includes not only al of the sporting events, but also includes the 2010 Entertainment Calendar, the 2010 Technology Calendar and major U.S. holidays.  For example, want to know when the 2010 Academy Awards take place or the ESPYs?  Maybe you want to visit the Sundance Film Festival, CES in Las Vegas or Macworld?  Then, this option is for you.

Last, which you won’t find on the home page but you will find on the ordering page, is the 2010 Custom Calendar.  It includes all of the above and allows you to add four (total) sports team schedules to the mix. For example, say you live in New York or the Boston area.  You can add the 2010 schedule for the Yankees, Mets, Nicks and Islanders in one place.  Hate NY teams but love Boston sports?  Then you can choose the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics schedules.

You write a sports related blog?  This allows you to preview the event since you know what is coming up.

Okay, it is the first time I have blatently plugged a product in the year I have been writing this sports business blog, but it is my product and I really believe in it.

Please, visit the site, Re-Tweet and Post this onto facebook or Digg for others to see.

Consider purchasing this unique holiday gift for the sports fan or event planner in your life.

It may be November, but 2010 is just around the corner.  Where does the time go this year?

My guess is, part of your energy has gone into finalizing schedules, planning budgets, checking on event availability and things like this.  Even if you do not work in the sports industry and are planning an event for next year, you need to know what may conflict with your own agenda.  Ever plan a fundraiser and it lands on….. a March Madness game? the World Series?  Your home team’s biggest event of the year?

For that reason, I have developed a 2010 master calendar.  The main focus is on sporting events things like College football bowl games, the Super Bowl, Wimbledon but also includes events like published sports conferences from a variety of groups.  Additionally, there are a handful of non-sports events like  The Sundance Festival, CES (technology trade show) the Academy Awards as well as general U.S. holidays.  In all, there are more than 50 events so far and I am adding more as they are listed.

Here is the question of the day.  It is simple and is one question only.  I would sincerely welcome your feedback.  Please take a moment to participate!