FIFA World Cup 2014: Pokemon Stadium

 

The teams have been selected and the World Cup is just around the corner. There has been a last minute team added to the cup this year, and it happens the be comprised of Pikachu and friends. Yes, there will be Pokémon in the stadium this year! If you don’t get that joke it probably just means you didn’t grow up glued to a Nintendo 64 like I did. It’s ok though, all you need to know is that Adidas, The Pokémon Company, and Japan’s National Team will be teaming up in a new exciting marketing plan. 

Miami Dolphins: Wells’ Report Fallout

After months of interviews and waiting the NFL’s independent investigation by Ted Wells was delivered last week. The 144 page report, in short, explains everything that most already put together themselves. There were enough details in the report for the axe to begin dropping. The first two casualties of the report were offensive line coach Jim Turner and long time athletic trainer Kevin O’Neill.

Under Armour: Making Big Moves

Under Armour has been clawing its way into the sporting goods industry for almost two decades now. They may finally be making moves that will solidify their well built brand. The big news of late was the historic signing of Notre Dame within the past week. Signing Notre Dame is the equivalent of getting to check mate in chess. Notre Dame football is big business. They are the second most valuable college football team in the country behind the University of Texas. In a Forbes article written by Monte Burke, University Vice President and Director of Athletics Jack Swarbrick said that “the largest financial commitment ever made by a brand to a university.”. In 2008 the University of Michigan signed an $8.2 million annual cash and equipment deal which was the largest ever. This deal could very well be upwards of $100 million total. You can read more about this major deal in Alexa Fontanella’s article for The Sports Complex.

Playoff Potential: The End of the BCS era, and the Potential of an Extended NFL Playoff.

The BCS’s Last Hurrah.

With a sad salute farewell we say goodbye to the Bowl Championship Series (BCS). R.I.P. BCS, 1998-2014. You and your shenanigans will be missed. The death of the BCS is paving the way for something, that if you know how television contracts work, that will glue more eyeballs to more television screens across the country. More viewers mean more money for all parties involved with the newly named College Football Playoffs (the NCAA is very creative). 

The NFL’s First Female General Manager?

With the Miami Dolphins loss against the once winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers this week on Monday Night Football may lead to an internal collapse, but with that a historical event for the NFL could unfold. A good amount of this article will be based off of speculation. It will be speculation,  but it will be based off of logic events that have taken place so far. So lets start at the beginning of the 2013 regular season for Miami.

Pro Bowl Gets Facelift

The big news from the NFL on Tuesday is the Pro Bowl teams will be wearing newly designed uniforms this year. Earlier in the summer the new rule changes were laid down by commissioner Roger Goodell. Here is the list of rule changes incase you missed it.

Federal Judge Rules In Favor of NFL Players Concussion Case

What is big, ugly, and gives Roger Goodell nightmares? The United States Justice System. Last Thursday a federal judge approved a settlement between the NFL and those who have played in the league for funds to screen for concussions that those players may have endured over the course of their careers. The final settlement number was $765 million in favor of the players. 

Back to Football!

Summer is coming to its end so the vacations are ending, the days are getting shorter, the kids will be going back to school and football is back. It’s been a long offseason with its fair share of headlines, but the players are strapping on the helmets and heading back to the field. This has a few meanings for football fans.

Racist Remark Sparks NFL Race Arguments

Recently, the biggest news out of the Philadelphia Eagles camp isn’t a story about Chip Kelly or the quarterback competition to see who will take the reigns on opening day. It’s about a leaked video of receiver Riley Cooper at a Kenny Chesney concert in early June dropping a derogatory term referring to the African American community. The NFL is made up of a mix of races including those of African decent. You can see how this would cause problems in the Eagles locker room and across the league. 

Game On! Sports Video Games Making Big Bucks

As this article is being written I am sitting at my desk at work doing work and school related tasks. What would I like like to be doing instead? I would love to be in gym shorts playing the newly released EA Sports NCAA Football 14 in the comfort of my apartment, but that will have to wait until later. There are those dedicated fans around the country that would rather use their sick days to go to their local gaming shop, getting in line, and purchasing their copy of the newest sports video game. Will some people think that there is something wrong with that? Of course. You know who doesn’t mind thousands of grown men taking off work to buy their products? EA Sports, gaming stores, the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, and so on. For most sports these games are digital jackpots.

Roc Nation Sports, the New Kid on the Block

Who will be next to jump ship for rap mogul Jay-Z’s new sports management department? Who knows, but the real question is, why are athletes making this move? Is it because a specific rap icon is the founder of the company, because they are superior in their management abilities, or is it a company that athletes believe will become the next big thing? Whatever the case is other sports agencies are feeling the heat and are trying to keep their clients in their pockets. 

Money, the Catalyst of Trouble?

There is a Billboard Top 100 song from 1997 that sums up the title of this article. “Mo Money Mo Problems” preformed by The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Puff Daddy/Puffy/Puff/P. Diddy/Diddy/Sean Combs and Mase is a delightful Hip Hop song that stresses a problem that is a reoccurring theme in major league sports today. The more money these players receive, the more likely they will get into some sort of trouble. By no means am I saying that the money itself is the problem. There are plenty of factors that contribute to these problems, but having what would seem to the average American as an unlimited supply of cash some athletes lose their heads.

Meet Roger Goodell's Good Friend, The Easter Bunny

Is the Easter Bunny ruining the NFL offseason for NFL executives, rookies, and fans? No, it’s just Rodger Goodell and the financial wizards that run the NFL. Financially is moving the Draft back two weeks into May is a great idea, but as of now it’s only financially a logical move. Multiple members from front offices across the NFL have come out saying the idea hurts the flow of the offseason and the players effected by the offseason. 

Co-op Confidential: Zachary Cintron

Name: Zachary Cintron

Year: Sophomore

Company: Philadelphia Soul 

Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA

Position: Game Operations Intern

Who are the Philadelphia Soul? 

The Soul are the official Philadelphia Arena Football (AFL) team. The Soul were founded in 2004 by Craig A. Spencer and famous New Jersey rock star Bon Jovi. Bon Jovi gave up his share of the team and the owners are now Spencer and Ron Jaworski. In 2008 the Soul were Arena Bowl Champions, and are currently chasing the title again.

Athletes and Twitter: What Can I Say?

We currently live in a very social media driven world and an even more social media driven sports entertainment industry. Twitter is the quickest and most effective way to receive the up to the second updates on your favorite leagues, teams, and players. Remember the days of turning on SportsCenter every morning and night to get that day's news on all your favorite sports? Not anymore. As long as you have a twitter account you can now receive updates by the seconds on the leagues, teams, players, and so much more that you choose to follow. Not only to you get the updates faster, but you also now can choose to only get the news you want to read. Waiting through a whole hour long episode of SportsCenter for the report you want to hear is a thing of the past. A wise, fictional, character once said something that correlates to the social media world perfectly. "With great power, comes great responsibility."

The Sports Biz Report Podcast - Episode Two

The Sports Biz Report Preview: NFL Draft 2013

This week the Drexel SMTSU’s podcast The Sports Biz Report will spotlight news on the upcoming NFL Draft. With the NFL Draft only a week away collective members of the Drexel SMTSU will share their thoughts on different aspects about the Draft. This weeks podcast will feature Kevin Rossi on Sports Media, Kevin Murray on Sports Law, Mike Proska on Sports Marketing/Business, and Kevin Rossi and myself on the NFL Draft and all that goes into it. 

MLB Opening Day: Philadelphia Counting on Phillies

It’s finally April, and April doesn’t only bring showers. It beings the beginning of Major League Baseball. It’s been a rough year for Philadelphia sports teams in the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013, but the Phillies could be the glimmer of hope for Philadelphia sports fans and the city itself. The Eagles have cleaned house and are picking top five in this years draft, the 76ers are a measly 30-43 right now, and the Flyers are sitting at the bottom of the Atlantic Division. Philadelphia Sports fans have had a rough 2012 and 2013 so far. 

NFL Free Agency: It's Not Personal, It's Business

It's almost time for NFL Free Agency to begin and to most fans that means the excitement of their favorite team getting a shot at some of the top talent in the NFL, but for the business side of the NFL it means millions of dollars will be tossed around in an auction like fashion. Coveted players such as the Pittsburgh Steeler's Mike Wallace could see contracts with numbers like 5 years with $60 million and $30 million guaranteed. That is a lot of money, and if you are the general manager that is going to pay him that kind of money you better be sure he is worth it.

NFL Considers Offseason Overhaul

The NFL Scouting Combine is the mark for most NFL fans that the offseason has begun. Once the Scouting Combine is underway that also signifies draft season. Some fans love the offseason, but others can’t wait until training camp opens in July. Overall the NFL offseason is a long spread out process that loses steam as it progresses. Due to this loss of fan viewership, Roger Goodell is attempting to come up with new was of revenue stream leading to the idea of overhauling the NFL offseason.