The Flying Perfect Tomato

Not many athletes have established themselves as brands as recognizable as this dude. Of course, it's not too hard when you're scoring PERFECT 100'S!!!!!

Schiano Takes Backdoor Exit for NFL

Just one week before National Signing Day, Greg Schiano has left the program that he himself had built to take a deal with the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now Rutgers are left scratching their heads. On the other hand, Rutgers has to have seen a move coming, with the man who led them to their most successful stretch in history garnering national recognition for his accomplishments. It does seem odd, the way it seems he has left the program, especially considering the emotional relationship he had with his team and, more specifically, Eric LeGrand.


Meanwhile, the Star-Ledger has some interesting stats regarding the direction of Rutgers football and the school as a whole. Here's an excerpt via Deadspin.com:

"The Ledger analysis shows that Rutgers spent more on sports last year than most of the 120 college programs in the Football Bowl Subdivision, but the school could not keep pace when it came to generating revenue. As a result, 42 cents of every dollar Rutgers spent on athletics last year came from student fees, tuition dollars and other nonathletic revenue, among the highest ratios in the nation, the analysis reveals.

The athletic department spent $26.8 million more than it generated in revenue last year, a figure that ranks it among the 10 highest operating losses in major programs in the country, the analysis reveals. The loss was covered by $8.44 million in student fees and $18.4 million from the school's general fund.

[...]

The annual losses, however, have not deterred spending, which has almost doubled since 2005. The increase comes as overall state funding to the university has dropped by $29 million, or 10 percent, over the past three years, forcing officials to freeze salaries, rely more on part-time teachers and even yank faculty office phones. "

Feel free to share your thoughts on Schiano's departure in the replies.

MLB Network Debuts "Baseball IQ" Game Show

The MLB Network is debuting a game show tonight at 9pm. The show challenges the baseball knowledge of representatives from each MLB organization, a member from MLB.com, and an employee at the Baseball Hall of Fame. Each round will consist of two contestants facing off, going back-and-forth to answer questions about trivia spanning many generations. It tests the “baseball IQ” of Major League Baseball’s executives. Matt Vasgersian, a sportscaster for the MLB Network, who has had experience participating in different game shows in the past, hosts the show. He hosted the Fox Sports Net show known as “Sports Geniuses”, and also competed on the “Dating Game” when he was a student at USC. Many contestants said that they researched using baseball-reference.com, mlb.com, Baseball Almanac, Ken Burns’ documentaries, Sporcle.com, and their own prior knowledge to prepare themselves for the competition. 

Tim Thomas Blows Off White House Visit

On Monday January 23, Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas elected not to attend the White House when the Bruins were honored by President Obama for winning the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals. The reasons of Thomas' decision were unknown by many until he decided to post a public comment on his Facebook page. Thomas noted how he was frustrated and disappointed with the government at all levels and with all political parties in the US. Thomas' decision was frowned upon by many while others simply had no opinion on the matter. For more information on the story, follow this link to the CBS story. What is your take on this situation?

-Written by Michael Scott

JoePa Pregame Montage

Just days following his death, JoePa is certainly still a controversial topic in the world of sports. He certainly had an incredible impact on a community and a nation of supporters, but his legacy will surely be marred by the controversy that ultimately led to his firing. Feel free to share your thoughts on Paterno with us, and please keep his family in your thoughts.

YouTube Goes Extreme

via Mashable:


"YouTube just got more gnarly, bro.

Fans of skateboarding, surfing and BMX biking have a variety of new ways to feed their addictions to the extreme after the video sharing site introduced a set of action sports channels on Wednesday.

According to the official YouTube Blog, the added channels won’t just show the coolest kick-flips, grinds and ollies, though. Many will take viewers behind the scenes with some of the genre’s biggest stars, offering how-to demonstrations, special glimpses of the professional competition circuit and other lifestyle features.

One channel sponsored by action sports icon Tony Hawk even turns the spotlight back on fans with a series called “One in a Million,” in which amateur skateboarders will compete with one another for sponsorships from major brands. Hawk’s RIDE channel will also feature daily tips on pulling off successful tricks, as well as tutorials on photography and videography techniques. In another series, called “Dissent,” Hawk will leverage his celebrity for interviews with a variety of musicians, artists and actors.

Meanwhile, Red Bull: The Red Bull Channel will add more than a dozen shows looking at the the day-to-day lives and competitions of some of the world’s most popular athletes from a variety of sports. Motocross legend Travis Pastrana, skateboarder Ryan Sheckler and trial bike star Danny MacAskill will be among those followed.

Alli Sports and Network A round out YouTube’s group of new channels that focus on the extreme. Alli Sports will bring a variety of tips, profiles and analysis. Network A plans to focus on the personalities behind the tricks.

Sports videos — from highlights of world-class pros to grainy shots of future phenoms — have long been among YouTube’s most popular content. Now action sports will add to the fun.

Which new channels are you excited about? What are your favorite sports-centered YouTube channels already? Let us know in the comments."

A Guide to Twitter Chats for the Sports Career-Minded

via SportsBizMiss, here's a creative look at how sports businesspeople can use Twitter to leverage themselves and gain some useful insight as well.

At the end of the article, the author lists several chats that are definitely worth checking out:

#sbchat – Sundays, 9:30pm ET (sports business focus)

#social4tixsales, Tuesdays, 8:00pm ET (best practices in ticket sales)

#sportsPRchat – Tuesdays, 9:00pm ET (sports PR focus)

#smsportschat – Thursdays, 9:00pm ET (intersection of sports and social media)

Think anyone would be interested if we set up a Drexel Sport Management Twitter chat? #DUSMT4LYFE

Ray Lewis and Arian Foster Exchange Jerseys

The exchanging of jerseys is a tradition in soccer that shows true respect for one's opponent. After today's Ravens-Texans playoff game, Ray Lewis and Arian Foster decided to bring a little of that tradition over to their sport. Check the video above.

Are You On The #KOBESystem?

Love this new Kobe System campaign from Nike. Here's a question for all of our readers to ponder: do you still see Kobe as a controversial athlete?

Dutch Cup Replay To Be Played In Front Of Kids

You might remember our post on the AZ Alkmaar-Ajax Dutch Cup in which AZ Alkmaar's keeper was sent off for defending himself against a pitch invader. Well, because the match ended in a draw it is being replayed, with one significant and rather peculiar difference- it will be played in front of only children. That's right. To avoid any sort of hooliganism, only children under the age of 13 will be allowed in, with one adult allowed to supervise every six of them. This is a relatively unheard of concept, at least to me, and it could work or it could fail miserably. There will definitely be less violence at the match, but I don't know if there's any evidence to say there will be less madness. I'm picturing 10 and 12-year-olds running wild with very little supervision, getting lost and wreaking havoc. The stadium could burn. Also, what's to say these kids aren't just little hooligans themselves? Time will tell how well this tactic works, but from an event management perspective, it's certainly innovative. How do you feel about it?

Back to the Future

It seemed impossible to add to the legend of Thierry Henry in an Arsenal uniform. Prior to his introduction to the FA Cup match versus Leeds on Monday Henry had scored 226 goals for the Gunners. 1,769 days past since he had played his last game for the Gunners. Over 12 years since Arsenal bought a tall skinny left winger from Juventus. In between, he had established himself as the greatest player in Arsenal history and one of the best the Premier League has ever seen. He led the Premier League scoring charts four times. Henry is the only man to win the European Golden Shoe twice in a row. The list of his accomplishments at Arsenal goes on. Along with the goals were the countless memories of the Frenchman running up and down the pitch creating magical moments for Arsenal fans. His legend and presence at Arsenal can be felt and seen; there is a bronze statue outside the Emirates in his image. It was the sense of drama and the ability to rise to the occasion that made him so special. With all that he had accomplished the fear was that his return to Arsenal his legend might be diminished however, the reality is that after Monday night it was enhanced.


At age 34 he clearly is not as fit as he was during his Arsenal glory years. Nonetheless, his skill and finisher's instinct have not gone away. After waiting 68 minutes to come on, Henry was so eager to get involved in the game that he was immediately caught offside. However, when Alex Song’s throughball found him and the opportunity presented itself, Thierry Henry was the coolest man in North London as he threaded the ball into the bottom right corner. The Emirates went into euphoria in the 78^th minute. The crowd was on its feet as its hero ran down the sidelines to hug his fellow Frenchman, his mentor, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. Thierry Henry was back.

Since his departure, Robin van Persie has been doing an admirable job in filling his shoes. Apart from van Persie, however, Arsenal has almost no other options at striker. Arsenal knows that Thierry Henry is not going to help them break into the top 4 and win the Premier League. However, it was a trademark, drop-the-shoulder finish that reeked of the Arsenal glory years and Henry in his pomp. Henry did the impossible and added another chapter to his legend at Arsenal. 


-Written by Brian Palmer

Andrew Brandt Interview

With the past year in sports marred by negotiations over collective bargaining agreements and the threat of lockouts, the man deciphering the confusing minute legal details was Andrew Brandt.  Andrew Brandt is currently ESPN’s NFL Business Analyst, the President of the National Football Post, and a full time sports business and sports law lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania’s prestigious Wharton School of Business.  If that isn’t enough, Andrew Brandt is also a husband and father of two.  Whether he is receiving payment for his services or offering them gratuitously through the internet, one thing is definite when it comes to Andrew Brandt; he loves to give back.


Andrew Brandt has put together a remarkable career in the sports industry.  Andrew was always a die-hard sports fan while growing up.  Upon graduating high school, Andrew went on to study at Stanford University.  During his time there, Andrew experienced first-hand the John Elway glory days.  Andrew’s personal affinity for the game of football made the excitement surrounding the Cardinals’ football team and John Elway even more special. Experiencing the frenzy of Elway’s college years as an avid and die-hard sports fan affirmed that the sports industry was where he wanted and needed to be. 


After graduating from Stanford University and then law school at Georgetown University, Andrew went on to work with ProServ, a sports agency in Washington DC.  While at ProServ, Andrew quickly established himself in the sports industry where he became the agent of NBA super star Michael Jordan and NFL star quarterback Boomer Esiason. 

In 1990, Andrew left his position at ProServ to pursue the General Manager position for the Barcelona Dragons of the NFL World League where he became the youngest general manager in professional sports.  Additionally, Andrew led the Dragons to the inaugural World Bowl held in 1991.  About his time as the GM of the Barcelona Dragons, he said, “It was funny because the fans were silent for touchdowns and cheered for extra points and field goals.” After his brief stint in Europe, Andrew made his way back to the States and began representing players again as part of Woolf Associates in Boston, Massachusetts. 


At Woolf Associates, he represented NFL players like Matt Hasselbeck and Adam Vinatieri.  Perhaps his biggest accomplishment while at Woolf Associates was landing the highly talented and highly coveted running back prospect Ricky Williams out of the University of Texas.  Ricky Williams posed a major recruiting challenge for Andrew; “I had to chase him halfway around the country.”  The chase paid off and Andrew again established himself as a top agent upon landing arguably one of the most talented and interesting prospects in the 1999 NFL Draft.  During his time as an agent, Andrew said his biggest challenge was trying to get players to listen to him especially about financial issues such as saving and spending money. 

Before the 1999 NFL season, Andrew made the jump from the agent side to the team executive side of contract negotiations when he became a vice president with the Green Bay Packers.  Working with the Packers from 1999-2008, Andrew negotiated all player contracts and managed the team’s salary cap.  When asked what differences he saw between being an agent and being a front office executive he said, “It is really the same thing but for the other side except you don’t have to worry about recruiting clients on the team side.”  The biggest challenge that Andrew faced while working on the team side was ensuring that the team stayed competitive year in and year out.  Andrew also served as a consultant for the Philadelphia Eagles for one season in 2009. 


Andrew has recently settled into his three current positions in the sports industry; ESPN’s NFL Business Analyst, President of the National Football Post, and lecturer of sports law and sports business at the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania.  Andrew feels that this point of his career has been the most rewarding because he gets to give back through his television, radio, writing, and teaching work.  As ESPN’s NFL Business Analyst, Andrew is constantly making the rounds on various ESPN radio stations and ESPN network television programs such as Outside the Lines, NFL Live, and SportsCenter.  As an expert in labor negotiations, Andrew has been frequently called upon to discuss the recent labor unrest in both the NFL and the NBA clarifying the confusing legal language and putting everything into terms that the average sports fan can understand. 


As the President of the National Football Post, Andrew informs through his writing.  With an established staff of writers, the National Football Post offers a unique mix of analysis, news, statistics, and business.  A memorable Andrew Brandt article in my mind is “Fitz’s Fortune” where he broke down the legal nuances of the three contracts that Arizona Cardinals star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has signed through his career into easy to understand parts. 
When people think about giving back, they typically think of teachers and teaching is yet another way that Andrew connects with people interested in the sports industry.  As a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, Andrew teaches sport topics such as law, contract negotiation, business, and marketing.  After mastering the tricks of the trade during his time as an agent and front office executive, there is no better way to give back to the industry than teaching the topics he mastered.  One of the biggest reasons that Andrew is able to give back is due to the way the sports business industry has changed since he entered the field out of law school.  “There’s a lot more interest in sports business now,” he said.  He added that there is a lot more focus now on how teams generate revenue and then how they spend their money than ever before. 


For a man whose goal is to inform, Andrew Brandt has been extremely successful in doing so through social media, most notably through Twitter.  With the Twitter handle @adbrandt, Andrew is constantly keeping the public informed.  In regards to the negotiations surrounding the collective bargaining agreements of the NFL and the NBA, Andrew has been successful in utilizing Twitter to summarize legal concepts in 140 characters or less.  “Twitter is a godsend,” he said. 


Andrew Brandt has accomplished more in the early stages of his career than many accomplish in a lifetime.  When asked what the key to his success was, Andrew said “reinventing himself” and always adapting to what comes next.  After becoming a primary voice in sports business, even Andrew himself does not know what the future holds for his career adding, “You just never know.”  One thing is certain.  Everybody in the sports industry can learn a lot from Andrew Brandt, and as long as he is still working in sports, he will always give us all a lot to learn from.


--Written by Kevin Rossi
Drexel SMTSU Treasurer
@kevin_rossi

Chevrolet Route 66

We all know how expensive a Super Bowl commercial time slot can be. New mind-boggling numbers are published every year than make us all scratch our heads and wonder how it could possibly be worth it. The funny thing is, we're not even considering how much it costs to actually make a commercial. Well, for this year's Super Bowl ad, Chevy picked a nice round number to spend on the production of their commercial. $10K, a hefty sum for just about any aspiring artist or filmmaker, will be awarded to the winner of this year's Chevy Share to Win contest and, of course, their ad will be featured during this year's Super Bowl.

It's not a new concept, allowing anyone to submit their own homemade commercials and then picking the one you like best, but it's creative and can benefit both parties greatly. We'd like to know what you think of the idea, and don't forget to vote for my friend Cal, who has a video in the running, here.