Sports & Cookies Recap

Thank you to all that came out for a lively discussion on some of the hot topics in sports.  Greg Monforte led a lively discussion on how to curb the trend of CTE and Concussions in the National Football League.  Should the NFL change the rules around, strengthen the drug testing policy, or a combination of multiple areas?

Major Blow for NCAA in O'Bannon Case

Brian Palmer is junior in the Drexel Sport Management program and he previously attended the University of Pittsburgh before transferring to Drexel.

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Only die hard basketball fans remember former star UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon as a former NCAA All-American. However, currently O’Bannon is currently at the center of a lawsuit that could forever change the landscape of the NCAA. In 2009 O’Bannon sued the NCAA disputing the NCAA’s stance on not paying NCAA for using their likeness in video games. 

SMTSU Member Spotlight: Matt Louis

Matt Louis is an up and coming sports business professional majoring in Sport Management here at Drexel University.  Hailing from Hillsdale, NJ (about 40 minutes outside of New York City), Louis is a die-hard New York Mets fan.  Naturally, his favorite player is Mets’ third baseman (and only decent player) David Wright.

The Man Advantage... College Hockey on the Rise

When discussing revenue sports in the NCAA, the conversation has begun and ended with football and men’s basketball, largely. The day may be close where another sport joins the discussion with more regularity: men’s hockey.

The Closer: What is happening to the NCAA?!?

"The news presented by NCAA president Mark Emmert sounded like parody. The people charged with investigating a recruiting scandal at the University of Miami were themselves being investigated for allegedly paying an attorney representing the suspected Ponzi schemer accused of paying Miami players. The investigators are suspected of paying the lawyer to ask questions during a deposition that they wanted answered."

Sports & Cookies Event

Possibly No U.S. Open Tennis This Year?

The Australian Open final took place yesterday morning and it saw number 1 seed Novak Djokovic defeat number 3 seed Andy Murray to win his third Australian Open Final.  Murray had just come off an impressive five-set win against Roger Federer. It was simply an amazing match played by two of the top players in the world today. It is amazing that the level of tennis is so high and tennis still ranks low on the totem pole of sports. Especially when it comes to the Australian Open, because of the time zone differences. However, considering this is arguably the best era of tennis ever on the Men’s side, you would think more people would be interested.

SBJ Review: The NHL Is Back

Matt Puzio is a sophomore Drexel Sport Management student. 

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University Administrators: Athletics or Academics?

It is no secret that college sports is a billion dollar industry. Also, there is no question that many, if not most, colleges revolve and rely on their athletics more than they should. A recent study by the Delta Cost Project (Delta) shows that this reliance may be stronger and more relevant then previously thought.

Water Cooler Talk: Interviewing Tips

B round for Coop opened this week and I know this makes a lot of people nervous.  You now have to go through the whole process of interviewing with different companies again.  Interviewing can be the most nerve racking part of Coop.  I have asked some of your fellow students, Hayley Zedeck, Kevin Rossi, and Brian Palmer, what their best advice would be when going to an interview.

Global Scope: RBS 6 Nations Preview

The RBS Six Nations Championship is an annual rugby union tournament that is played internationally between England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, France, and Italy. When the match between Wales and Ireland begin on February 2nd, it will be the start of the tournament's 14th edition under its current format and name. However, the Six Nations is the successor to the Five Nations Championship and the Home Nations Championship. The Home Nations, played between England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales was the first ever international rugby union tournament. The tournament's format and name switched around from Home Nations Championship (1883 - 1909 and 1932 - 1939) to Five Nations Championship (1910 - 1931 and 1947 - 1999) until it reached its current format and name as The Six Nations Championship. Naturally, since the tournament is played by the top 6 European rugby powers, the winner is referred to as the European Champions.

Above the Rim: Outrage and Ecstasy

Over the past few weeks, there have been stories that Maloof family are going to sell the Sacramento Kings franchise to a Seattle-based ownership group. This group would then relocate the Kings to Seattle and the team could conceivably play next season in the Sonic’s former home, Key Arena. A new arena would subsequently go under construction with the goal of being completed in time for the 2015-16 NBA season. It appears that the framework of the deal that was reported a week or two ago as “close to complete” has now become official . Basketball fans in the Seattle area are rejoicing, while Kings fans in Northern California still hold out a small sliver of hope.   

The Closer: My 3 days at the NCAA Convention

 

I spent this past summer doing scholarly research and writing under the supervision and in coordination with Dr. Ellen Staurowsky. Through that research and writing, I was able to help Dr. S compose two separate scholarly journal articles as a co-author and research assistant. Our first composition, titled "Exploring Multiple Inequalities in College Sport: Revisiting So-Called Title IX Program Cuts at James Madison University Five Years After", was accepted for publication by the Journal of Intercollegiate Sport. This same paper was accepted for presentation at the NCAA Scholarly Colloquium, held at the NCAA Convention in Grapevine, Texas; so off I was.

Super Bowl Preview: Harbaugh Bowl

The NFC and AFC Championship games are over. This Super Bowl has a lot of story lines going in to it that we are sure to hear of over and over again for the next two weeks. Jim and John Harbaugh facing each other for the Lombardi trophy. Will Ray Lewis retire with a Super Bowl trophy? Is Joe Flacco considered an elite quarterback with a win and will it bring in a huge pay day. My thoughts.

fox5sandiego.com

                            

From College to Elite: Good or Bad Move?

Chip Kelly is the New Philadelphia Eagles head coach. Philadelphia fans always expect the most out of every season and they desperately want a Super Bowl run. If that wasn’t enough pressure for Chip Kelly, he just received a lot more.

NBCPhiladelphia.com

Leaving Your Mark: Current Events and the Job Market

In an effort to keep up with current events and in an attempt to tie them into the theme of my column (careers, jobs, resumes, etc.), let’s look at the Lance Armstrong saga and the numerous Major League Baseball players who were denied entry into the Hall of Fame.  This won’t be a stretch and frankly can be used in an “apples to apples” comparison.

Team Ellen Wins!

In the first ever edition of SMTSU Catchphrase, Team Ellen took home a decisive victory tonight over Team Brett. Congratulations to Team Ellen members: Lindrit, Kevis, Paul, Matt, and Mike!  

We also went over writing for "The Sports Complex." If you are interested, please contact Kevin Rossi at ktr36@drexel.edu.

Thank you to all in attendance. Stay tuned for email and blog updates on our next meeting on Thursday of Week 4. 

Under Further Review: Don't Forget About Yourself

As winter term 2013 rolls on and into – gulp – week three already, you may be feeling the stress.  Homework piling up.  The seemingly never-ending co-op search.  Trying to figure out which extra-curricular activities will best fit your jam-packed schedule.  It all seems so daunting which is why I challenge you to not forget about yourself during winter term.

Global Scope: Competitive Balance

There has been many complaints coming from owners of small market teams here in the United States who are not pleased with the level of competitiveness in leagues such as the NBA. The league's bottom feeders have a much bigger challenge to build a competitive team with television deals that are nowhere near as lucrative as those of the franchises in the larger markets, like New York and Chicago. This isn't an issue that is specific only to the NBA and North American sports leagues. Competitive balance is a growing topic in the world of soccer. Prompting professor Cristiano Machado Costa, from the FUCAPE Business School, to lead a study based off of the Herfindahl-Hirschman index (HHI). Basically the lower the HHI, the more competitive a market is.

Cooperstown Class of 2013: What does it all mean?

 

For only the second time in over 40 years, no player received at least 75% of the vote for Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame. This star-studded class was filled with those whose stats are more than "Hall-worthy". Barry Bonds (14-time all-star, seven-time National League MVP, eight-time Gold Glove winner, 762 home runs (1st all-time)) and Roger Clemens (11-time all-star, seven-time Cy Young Award winner, 4,672 Strikeouts (3rd all-time)) were the biggest and most notorious names in this year's class.

SMTSU Catchphrase Thursday Night

Developing the NBA's Developmental League

Growing up as a fanatic sports fan in the suburbs of Philadelphia, I had been to a Reading Phillies game and a Philadelphia Phantoms game. I always had a blast at these games with family and friends even though they did not feature the best talent their respective sports had to offer. Major League Baseball has always been famous for its farm system and the way teams develop their prospects through these minor leagues. The NHL has also always had the AHL for teams to develop younger talents. The NFL, while not having a farm system has always had rival leagues such as the XFL, CFL, and AFL. So what about the National Basketball Association?

Full Court Press: NFL Concussions

Concussions have become a hot topic of conversation in the NFL throughout the season. It is an inevitable consequence for such a violent sport, but it has become apparent that the NFL is doing its part to reduce the risk. Roger Goodell has worked diligently to manage the influx of concussions, and the likelihood of future brain trauma. New rules were developed before the season began such as protecting hits on “defenseless players”. Referees are now urged to be stricter on hits to a receiver’s head even when both feet are on the ground. The NFL will continue to improve the rulebook in an effort to keep its players safe and on the field.

BCS Championship Game: Did People Really Watch It?

The BCS National Championship game had been hyped up for over a month.  People were excited to see a great game and to finally see Notre Dame return to glory.  Two of the best defenses in the league were going up against each other in what everyone thought would be a low scoring hard fought game.  Instead we saw a complete domination by Alabama who made the Notre Dame’s defense look like a Pop Warner team.  Even though this was a complete blowout ESPN still won when it came to viewership.

TMA: The SEC: Financial and Football Dominance

Monday night, Notre Dame and Alabama faced off for the 2012 BCS National Championship. While the game was a clear rout from the start between the #1 and #2 ranked teams in the nation, it was also a matchup between the top two programs in terms of merchandise sales this season.

Black Monday and the Hope of a Better Tomorrow

One of the less than uplifting days of the year falls on the Monday following the end of the NFL regular season. Dubbed “Black Monday,” this is the day every year when many struggling head coaches are sent packing. This year, seven head coaches and several general managers were fired, leaving the door wide open for new guys to be hired across the league. Andy Reid, now former coach of the Eagles, acted extremely quickly and got the job with the Kansas City Chiefs, the team he felt gave him the most control over personnel.

Black Monday can also give college coaches or lesser known coordinators the opportunity to make the big bucks as an NFL head coach. Soon after Reid was hired, Syracuse coach Doug Marrone bolted for the Buffalo Bills after they offered him the position. For college coaches like Marrone, NFL jobs not only offer more prestige and responsibility, but a much bigger paycheck as well. Marrone, who earned around $1 million salary at Syracuse, is sure to see a significant pay increase in Buffalo. This is no small factor in the decision making process for college coaches getting offers at the NFL level. No matter how much loyalty/importance a coach has to a program (Bill O’Brien, Chip Kelly, countless others in recent years), the allure and financial rewards of NFL jobs may be too much to pass up.

Even after Reid and Marrone were hired, there are still five head coaching jobs open in the NFL: Philadelphia, Chicago, San Diego, Arizona, and Cleveland. Chicago seems to be the most sought after position, considering they already have a stable quarterback and a good defense. The other teams don’t have those same luxuries, with all four having quarterback situations that are relatively up in the air. Philadelphia is expected to let Michael Vick go, San Diego’s Phillip Rivers has had a miserable last two seasons, and Arizona and Cleveland have to decide whether their current QB’s can really get the job done in the long term. Any coach who takes those jobs needs to be prepared to make tough decisions right off the bat. Luckily all of those teams have the opportunity to build from the draft and their high first round picks. Recent history shows that immediate success in the NFL can be accomplished. Just this season, both the Indianapolis Colts and Minnesota Vikings rebounded from 2 and 3 win seasons to make the playoffs. However, those teams both had the return/emergence of franchise players Adrian Peterson and Andrew Luck. Any head coach who gets the job in Philadelphia, San Diego, Arizona, or Cleveland needs to be ready for struggles early on in the season, but if he’s smart and has enough control to implement his system, these teams could rebound sooner rather than later. 

Advice From A Freshman: Network!

Lindrit Shkodra is a freshman in Drexel Sport Management student. You can learn more about Lindrit his SMTSU Member Spotlight from November.

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I did not know what to expect out of Drexel going in as a Sports Management Student. I knew it was going to be nothing like high school but it was even further than I had expected. In college, there is no one telling you what choices to make anymore, other than your college advisor. There was one word that everyone kept repeating, NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK. What does this word actually mean?

At first I just thought it meant just meeting a lot of people. However, when one tends to think this way, he or she spends too much time on quantity and not quality. One good relationship with one person is better than 20 relationships where all you know about the other guy is his name. TIP: Get to know the person. Find out where he has worked in the past and even if you don’t think it’s that interesting, toot their horn because they will remember you.

Take time and set up meetings with the teachers in your Major. Write down the things they tell you. Not only your teachers but make sure you become friends with each and every person in your major, especially our major. Who knows down the line when their employer might ask them if they know of a person who can fulfill the position they just opened up. It never hurts to make another connection. Joining the Sports Management Student Union doesn’t hurt either because, once again, it’s another opportunity to make more connections with people, which could benefit your future.

The business we are in is a tough one. Why? Because I’m sure you have heard it before and I know it’s really cliché but it’s not what you know it’s whom you know. People everywhere get jobs where they might not seem perfectly fit and you wonder how they got the job until you find out that they are somehow related to that person. Well in our case, we want to make connections with as many people as we can because even if we aren’t fully qualified for that particular job, just because we know a good friend of theirs, they might give us a chance and teach us how to do that particular job.

So I took this advice and became very good friends with both Mark Gress and Brett Burchette. Mark actually helped me get an internship only a couple weeks after he and I sat down and talked together. This internship is with Ron Jaworski’s Celebrity Golf Challenge where I make tons of other connections daily. What Mark did for me was not only let me know of the internship but he also sent in my resume and cover letter which to employers is always an extra plus.

Brett is also going to be introducing me to a friend of his who works in the sport’s agent business. I want to be a sport’s agent so you can imagine my excitement. Now this friend is not just a nobody in the business, he is the sports agent for both Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans as well as Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Remember, NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK. I know now why people would stress it so much.

Sportsbiz Networking Night at Xfinity Live!

The Business of Sports has announced that their networking night in Philadelphia will be held January 23 at Xfinity Live! from 6-9 p.m.  Attendance is free of charge! All you have to do is RSVP online.  The Philadelphia networking night was put together by Russell Scibetti and The Business of Sports along with Philadelphia sportsbiz professionals Rob Johnson, Caleb Mezzy, and Haynes Hendrickson.

The Business of Sports networking nights have one rule: no resumes.  Attendees are encouraged to bring along business cards if they have them.

(Kevin Rossi’s tips on navigating a networking event.)

I attended the last networking night at Xfinity Live! back in September.  It was my first one and I was a bit skeptical of how it would go.  I had just finished my co-op at Comcast-Spectacor and knew that a bunch of former coworkers would be there which made me a bit more comfortable.  I also went with former Drexel SMTSU Director of Market, Hayley Zedeck, who co-oped at Turnkey Sports. 

Ultimately we introduced each other to our old coworkers and it worked pretty well.  I got to meet a bunch of people from Turnkey Sports which may have helped me land an interview with the company during A-round of this year’s co-op search. 

Events like these are extremely beneficial.  The importance of getting to know the up-and-coming sportsbiz professionals in your city cannot be stressed enough.  Especially in finding a full-time job after graduation, you will be competing against much more than just your graduating class at your school.  Branch out, meet new people, and talk about the industry you love!

RSVP and more details: http://www.thebusinessofsports.com/events/the-business-of-sports-networking-night-in-philadelphia/

If you are interested in going as a group with other students, contact Kevin Rossi (ktr36@drexel.edu).