The Sports Info Business

People often ask me what are the most memorable sports stories of 2009.  While most have taken the obvious road with the enthusiasm of a Tiger, I have chosen a different path with two moviing stories you probably do not know about.  Let’s see.

Enough of words today, here are a couple of inspirational videos we all need to see.

The second, titled The amazing story of Mark Herzlich is also a keeper for 2009.

Sports can certainly serve as an inspiration.  Pass these the link from today’s videos on to people that need a bit of hope.

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.

I desperately needed a new cell phone.  The old Verizon phone worked okay but had been abused by years of bad hands and visiting the asphalt up close and personal.  While I was happy with the reception I got from Verizon, it was tough to respond to text messages.  I think each short message I responded to took about five minutes to complete.

My wife once again took matters into her own hands and surprised me with an Apple iPhone.  Like everything else I have come to expect from Apple, I was surprised by its functionality, light weight and plethora of gadgets.

Ah, yes, the gadgets.

It did not take long to get hooked on all of the gadgets that have been created for this mobile device.  Here I will review some of the free and paid sports applications.

Top 10 Paid Sports Apps according to Apple

According to statistics on the iPhone, Madden NFL 2010 is the top grossing app currently listed.  It costs $9.99 but fans rated it 4/5 stars out of five so they must know what they are talking about.  If you click on the photo to the left, iPhone provides the top 10 paid sports apps.  It is not a surprise that the leader in this category is Fantasy Football 2009.  A related app, ESPN Fantasy Football, at $4.99, is rated fourth on the list of top 25 top grossing apps (there is a difference in categories) and Golf shot GPS, with a $29.99 price tag is listed in the number nine slot.

I have not tried any of these applications nor been invited to test or write about them so I cannot tell you how good they are.  If you look down to the right, I have also provided a picture of the top 10 free apps which again is a Fantasy Football app from Yahoo!

I have started to download a few items, both sports and non sports related, so I can review and speak to these a bit.  The ESPN app is a cool and allows you to find the scores of major sports very fast.  The value of apps is that information is pushed directly to you, extremely fast.  The need for visiting a web site to receive specific information like sports scores is over.  I have loaded the ESPN app MLB scores, NFL scores, NBA scores, men’s and women’s tesnnis singles scores and NHL scores as well as PGA tour updates.

Top 10 Free Sports Apps according to Apple

MLB.com has a free app called At Bat Lite. It willl give you the line score of the games and you can easily move to the standings and the latest baseball video.

Nike teamed with iPod to offer a great application for anyone that likes to work out.  The app will sync with selected music you have and play the exact song you need when the time is right.  The program offers categoeis which include a basic mode (open ended workout), timed, distance and a calorie counter.  I am ashamed to say I have not tried it out yet.

This review is just trying to give you a taste of what is out there.  When I went to iTunes and then to the sports section of the apps available, there more 109 pages of apps.  Each NFL team for example, has a free app which lists the 2009-10 regular season football schedule.  The apps are endless and I must say a bit mind boggling.

While these apps are sports related, I have also reviewed other non sports related applications on my business blog.  It includes things you would expect like facebook, LinkedIn and Skpye but also some that you may or may not know about like Bump and Shazam.

You can see this review by going to www.coast2coastexperts.com and clicking on the link to the blog section, which is located at the top of the page.  These apps are more practical for every day life.  If you don’t have an Apple iPhone, some of this might seem a bit foreign to you.  Just to give you a taste, here is a link to a video on one of the Bump app.  Enjoy.

Yesterday, Washington Post invesitagive reporter James Grimoldi filed a newspaper story uncovering a ticket scandal with the Washington Redskins.  The National Football League Team was violating their own ticket policy and selling seats to ticket brokers.  Recently named the second most valuable NFL football franchise by Forbes Magaine, this black eye on the Redskins and the NFL comes as all 32 teams are preparing for the 2009 NFL football season next week.

The article titled “Redskins Fans Waited While Brokers Got Tickets” details how the team opted to sell scalpers lower bowl seats in exchange for buying the harder to sell club tickets.

The Washington Post was able to document the sales ASC Ticket a ticket broker which purchased more than 5,000 tickets for about $600,000 during the 2007 and 2008 seasons.  The tickets included nearly 1,700 GA admission seats in FedEx Field’s lower bowl.

All of this was going on while 160,000 fans had their names on a wait-list held by the organization.

Whether it was rogue ticket sales account executives or administrators turing a blind eye, the actions have damaged the perception and goodwill of the team.  While the story mentions that Redskins owner Daniel Snyder was “livid” when he found out, the team needs to turn to crisis communication experts and a truck-load of goodwill to repair the damage.  The bottom line is this story hurts the reputation of the team with the fans it works so hard to attract and retain as customers.

If you are looking for a quick link to the story, I tried to provide one but the Washington Post requires you to register as a free subscriber first.

I did find a link for an interview with the Washington Post investigative Reporter James Grimoldi.  It is not yet on You Tube, you can link to it here.

This weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the opening day of the San Francisco 49ers training camp.  Football is here folks and pre-season games are less than two weeks away.  Hard to believe we are in August.  This is a preview of the 2009 49ers football season, from a business perspective.

The 49ers are holding practices at their Santa Clara facility.  Season ticket holders were invited to attend as well as fans in general.  Due to construction at the corporate site, this year’s activities limited the number of fans who could attend each day.  Saturday’s training session had a morning and evening workout while Sunday had only an afternoon workout.

While Saturday’s first practice did not begin until 8:30 a.m., the fans were already lining up by 6:45 a.m., dressed with all of their logo’s gear and items they hoped would be autographed by the end of the day.  Fans were also greeted by 49er employees, already on site, setting up the grounds and making sure everything was in place for the day.  If you think football is a great sport to work in because of the limited number of games must also reflect on mornings like these when you are at the corporate headquarters as the sun is rising, preparing for a fan experience.  It is small details like this that really helps breed fan loyalty.  Winning certainly helps create it but when you can attend a free event and watch football practice from a relatively close distance, it is an opportunity for an organization to “touch” the fan.

Once allowed to enter, the fans were greeted with strategically placed interactive activities like a football toss and a running drill to see how close they could get to a first down.

Entrance to 49ers training camp practice

Once by the field, the 600-800 fans allowed in each session had a great view from the bleachers to watch first year head coach Mike Singletary run drills with his coaches throughout the morning.  The new coach seemed to keep his trademark focused approach to the game.

The fans applauded efforts made by the players and the only booing heard on the campus was made towards a fan who dared show up in a Cowboys jersey.  Sourdough mockingly escorted him away from the bleachers towards the exit which received an ovation from the seated fans.  He returned to his seat a few minutes later and was booed yet again.

The team also had a reserved section with a covered tent for family members to watch practice as well as a corporate tent for sponsors and special guests.  An executive addressed the VIP’s as the offense and defense began stretching and explained what would be happening.  The team’s defensive coordinator also addressed the 75 or so folks in the tent during a traditional breakfast that provided the guests with scrambled eggs, potatoes, bacon and sausage.

Overall, the 49ers provided a great experience for the fans that registered on the team’s website and received passes.  It was the attention to detail that helped make the experience enjoyable.  For example, as each fan entered the facility, they were presented with a roster sheet on one side and an autograph page on the other.

One couple boasted that they were visiting on their anniversary.  Others brought out their kids to see the practice and there were enough babies on site to fill up a couple of day care centers.

After practice, players came to the fans lined up after practice and patiently singed autographs.  I also saw on several occasions employees picking up trash left on the ground, trying to keep the area spotless.  They not only wanted to leave a good impression on their guests but also ready for the evening practice.

By 11:00 a.m. the fans were headed for their cars and eventually homes, talking to friends and family I am sure about their day.  The 2009 NFL football season is just right around the corner.

Assistant Editor — Ultimate Fighting

The Assistant Editor is responsible for supporting the Zuffa edit staff in their daily needs, facilitating the duplication of the Zuffa tape library and supporting the needs of outside production vendors in their needs for content. This position is also responsible for trafficking promos and creating event PR reels along with convention DVD content loops. This position does not travel and remains at Zuffa headquarters. Due to space and the availability of equipment, this position generally works the swing shift.

• Digitizes content for use by editors

Arena Event Manager — AEG China

The Event Manager will develop, instruct, maintain, implement and manage all events at specific AEG venues in China. The Event Manager will act as direct liaison between the building and outside promoters hosting events at AEG’s China facilities.

Fan Development Executive — LA Kings

Los Angeles Kings is seeking an energetic individual who would like to gain experience in a fast-paced production environment. We are currently in need of an intern to assist in production and post-production at our offices in El Segundo. Candidates should be interested in the creative process behind Internet development. Interns will have the opportunity to experience all facets of development and production and work closely with the current team in place. This is a great opportunity to get into the industry with a great organization while enhancing your production skills!

Director – International Marketing Solutions ESPN

Scope of Responsibility:
Manage the development and execution of custom multimedia advertising and marketing solutions (TV, Digital, Audio, Mobile, Print, Events) for ESPN International’s advertising customers throughout the US, Latin America, EMEA and Asia Pacific. Act as lead partner with the International advertising sales team and regional marketing directors to drive revenue and off-channel support for ESPN properties. Interact directly with influencers and decision makers at the agency and client level. Collaborate with other ESPN divisions including programming, production, events, wireless, hospitality, consumer products and legal. Create fans of ESPN International Marketing Solutions among the international client base.

National Accounts Marketing Coordinator — Callaway Golf

This position is responsible for coordinating and execution of various marketing support activities for National Accounts.  This includes, but is not limited to, coordination and communication with account contacts to maintain current, consistent and accurate Callaway Golf brand information in all communications, supervision of production and implementation of custom fixtures (club and printed material holders) and printed point of sale (POS) (slip sheets, posters, banners…) materials, ongoing oversight of customer web sites, and coordination of materials needed for sales contests, brand promotions and other special events.   Responsible for working with, and fulfilling the marketing needs of the National Account Managers and assisting in preparation and delivery of presentations for various account meetings. Maintains marketing calendars for National Accounts.

Internship Opportunites – Seattle Seahawks (Seattle, WA)

We have a current internship opening in our Digital Media department. Specific and detailed job descriptions for each position will be provided to the selected intern once the final candidates have been determined.

Orlando Magic — Administration/General Management:

The Corporate Office Administrator will manage the day-to-day office administration for the Office of the President/CEO, Chief Operating Officer, and the DeVos Families.

JOB RELATIONSHIPS
• Reports To: Chief Operating Officer
• Indirectly Reports To: President/CEO (based in Grand Rapids, Michigan)
• Supervises: Event Planner

Many sports teams are committed to actively participating in their communities.  I remember growing up when Major League Baseball teams rewarded students in junior high with tickets to a baseball game, based on getting good grades.  I also remember taking advantage of the free ticket while living in the Bay Area.  it was a great way to fill seats in the summer and of course kids usually brought their parents so there was at last one paid ticket in the park.  It was a soft sell of buy one and get one free.  Plus, it made the teams look good.

So it was no surprise when I recently came across one community program the Los Angeles Angels were leading in conjunction with local Orange County libraries.

This program, called “Home Run Readers” is a summer reading program geared to teenagers between the ages of 13-18.  It requires three simple items as a participant.  1) Sign up at a participating library 2) Keep track of your reading time and 3) Receive rewards and a chance to win prizes.

While most of these community programs are backed by corporate sponsors, everyone wins.  In this case, kids hopefully are reading more books, the Angels have improved their image in the community and hopefully getting more people into the park and corporate sponsors are affiliating with a positive experience.

Here are just a few listings of some of the program’s corporate partners:  Cold Stone Creamery, The Festival of Arts, In-N-Out Burger, Del Taco, Stone Fire Grill and Dave and Buster’s.  The surprise corporate partner in this was another Sports Team in the Community:  The Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Angels have 32 different cities participating in Home Run Readers program.  The funny thing is, if you are going to brand the team the Los Angeles Angels, shouldn’t there by a few schools in the Los Angeles county to help make the overall brand consistent.  All of the schools I saw on the Major League Baseball site appeared to be in Orange County.

If you would like to see additional details about this program, you can click on the rally monkey for a live link.

No question about it.  The Angels hit a home run with books and children this summer.

Over the weekend, I spent time working the kinks out of making an audio and video podcast.  While visiting my new YouTube channel I noticed a small note on the left hand side of the landing page that New Channels were coming soon.  The new channels take effect for all new You Tube channel accounts and will be rolled out to the masses as of July 15th.  I was able to change over my YouTube page to the new version.

If you click on the red link above, it will take you to the new YouTube channel.  I tested out the features and was able to change the GUI (look and feel including colors) very easily.  I was also able to choose which video I wanted to feature on the front of my channel.

From now on, anytime I mention a video on Youtube, I will log it into my channel here and then it will stay there forever.  This tutorial by the YouTube team has also been posted to help guide you through the steps of either transferring your old channel or how to customize a new channel once you open an account.

If you’d like to stay on top of all of the YouTube news, you can go to their blog at www.youtube.com/blog or just click HERE

Here are two examples of other sites, including the White House that has already made the transformation.

The first is the White House Youtube Channel

The second, as shown in the video, is the VlogBrothers