The Sports Biz Report - Episode 8 - Rutgers University

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. 

The Closer: Rutgers: Head Coach and AD hires gone wrong

The past week, sorry, the past 3 months have been a whirlwind at Rutgers University. Everyone swore that with the removal of Mike Rice as head men's basketball coach and Tim Pernetti as Athletics Director, Rutgers was finally back on the right track. Sadly, though, that has not been the case.

Water Cooler Talk: Adding Value to Your Season Ticket

After a decline in attendance numbers the past couple years, the NFL is trying to boost sales by giving away NFL Red Zone for free to all the season ticket holders.  There are about one million season ticket holders and they all will receive the free mobile version of Red Zone.  There are many benefits that adding this feature will bring to season ticket holders.

Storify: An Evening with Ethan Zohn

On Tuesday, May 28th, Ethan Zohn spoke with students from Drexel University in a joint event between The Good Idea Fund and the Drexel SMTSU. Ethan Zohn is the winner of Survivor: Africa, founder of Grassroot Soccer, former professional soccer player, and two-time cancer survivor.

Ethan's story is one of survival but also bettering yourself as a human being. His presentation was an emotional rollercoaster through his life experiences and an intrinsic look at ourselves at the same time.  Ethan's words were for much more than just Sport Management students as they ring true in any position of leadership across the board.

Thank you Ethan Zohn for touching the Drexel community.

An Evening with Ethan Zohn

Remember to join us and The Good Idea Fund tonight for Ethan Zohn! The food will be served at 7:00 p.m. and his presentation will behind at 7:30 p.m. It will be held in PISB 120.

If you will not be able attend in person tonight, then please visit the streaming link below:
http://goodwincollege.adobeconnect.com/sportsmt/

Ethan Zohn is the winner of Survivor: Africa and former professional soccer player in Africa. With his winnings from Survivor, Ethan started the nonprofit group called Grassroot Soccer, which benefits children with AIDS in Africa using soccer as a tool. Ethan is also a two-time cancer survivor, and brings valuable life experiences for students of all professions to key on.

We hope to see you there!

HIO: Twitter & Athletes - Tips for Athlete Marketers/Agents to Manage the Risks

Professional athletes, and celebrities in general, understand the power of Twitter: it is a revolutionary way of connecting with an interested audience, allows marketers to quantify the fan base, and it gives a complete view into the athlete's life. While these are fantastic, there are countless examples of athletes using the micro blogging platform recklessly. 

What's My Name Again?

Steve Curry? A couple weeks ago Metta World Peace of the Los Angeles Lakers sent out a tweet of how he thought "Steve Curry" is a top ten talent in the NBA. Steph Curry played along and followed up with a tweet in which he ended with "Steve Curry... out!"If that wasn't bad enough STEPH was recently called STEVE by the mayor of San Francisco. Come on the MAYOR called him Steve! If you are going to give the key to the city of someone at least know his name. I found this very hilarious and pathetic.

The Sports Biz Report - Episode 7 - Ethan Zohn

Leaving Your Mark: Finding a Mentor in the Sports Industry

Over the years, I have periodically suggested that college students should seek out mentors or industry professionals for advice, guidance, and more or less an objective point of view from a third party (read: not your mom, dad, brother, sister, etc.).  This can be done in the form of informational interviews or simply developing a relationship through meetings, emails, phone calls and the like.  While I hope that I have been able to do this for some students and alumni of Drexel’s Sport Management program over the years, I am modest enough to know my limitations and when to bring in other “experts” to provide support.

How To Lose $16 Million With One Racist Phrase: The Sergio Garcia Edition

Athletes and endorsements go hand and hand. I mean, we have: LeBron James and Nike, RGIII and Adidas, and even Jimmy Johnson and Extenze (yes, that was an attempt at humor). These companies want to market their products by using the best of the best in various fields to make average Joes want to go out and buy their ridiculous overpriced products. However, the athletes also have an obligation to represent the company properly at all times by not acting like an uneducated imbecile. This is where PGA golfer Sergio Garcia screwed up…big time Tuesday night.

Under Further Review: NHL Playoffs versus NBA Playoffs

Comparing the NBA and the NHL is like comparing apples and oranges.  You can try, but you just cannot do it.  However, when they are both battling for the eyes of sports fans everywhere in primetime, it is difficult to not compare.  The differences in the viewing demographics of the NBA and NHL are wide, but they are competing for the same general sports fans just looking for a good game to watch.

The Closer: Rutgers Makes Questionable Hire in Replacing Rice

In last week's "Sports Biz Report" (found here), I mentioned why Rutgers found itself in the news yet again. Eddie Jordan, the new head basketball coach for the Big 10 bound Scarlett Knights, does not have a college degree. Yes, it is not unprecedented for a D-I coach to not have a college degree, but why shouldn't he?

Sports Industry Ambassadors Program: Pennsbury High School

Usually Fridays are my day from off work with my internship at Temple University running only Monday through Thursday and my hours at Double Eagle Golf falling on Saturdays and Sundays.  Last Friday though, May 17th, I had the unique opportunity to give back to students that were sitting in the same place where I was sitting not too long ago.  And there was no place better to do it than back at my old high school, Pennsbury High School in Fairless Hills, Penn.

Scouting Reports Help Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown

We live in a world full of social media, technology, and never-ending innovations. Being in the business of sports, it is important to keep up to date with the modern technology and social media. As we all know, athletes, teams, and leagues use social media sites such as Twitter not only to voice their opinions but as a part of endorsement deals and sponsorship promotions. Websites have been revamped over the past decade to enhance the fan experience. It is about time that the Baseball Hall of Fame joins the show.

An Evening with Ethan Zohn

Interested in hearing Ethan Zohn speak?  RSVP for the event on Facebook!

Co-Op Confidential: Rene Coleman

Name: Rene Coleman

Year: Junior

Company: Parma Panthers

Location: Parma, Italy

Position: Marketing, Communications, Events

What are your job responsibilities?

Currently I have a few different responsibilities with the team. Daily tasks include checking Facebook for messages and updating both the teams Twitter and Facebook pages.  I also help make sure that all press releases are translated properly in English for our American fans. Besides the social media side of things, we have also just released the first episode of our web series, that we will be doing throughout the remainder of the season. In it we will have interviews with current players, as well as follow both the Italian and American players in their daily lives. The web series can be found on the Parma Panthers YouTube page, and a link can be found on the Panthers Facebook page. Another one of my jobs that is done on a more weekly basis is helping run the teams TD Club (the Panthers booster club). 

Co-op Confidential: Matt Puzio

Name: Matt Puzio

Year: Sophomore

Company: Trenton Thunder

Location: Trenton, NJ

Position: Front Office Intern

Who is Trenton Thunder?

Trenton Thunder is the Double A Affiliate of the New York Yankees. The team plays in the Eastern Division of the Easter League. They are two-time league champions. This is the team’s inaugural season playing at Arm & Hammer Park as it was formerly called Waterfront Park.

The Sports Biz Report - Episode 6 - MLB Attendance and Ticket Sales

Co-op Confidential: Gregory Monforte

Name: Greg Monforte

Year: Pre-Junior

Company: Turnkey Sports & Entertainment

Location: Haddonfield, NJ

Position: Market Intelligence Intern

Who is Turnkey Sports & Entertainment?

Turnkey Sports & Entertainment is broken into two main areas of focus.  The first is Market Intelligence.  Market Intelligence has two parts, surveyor which works with teams and leagues to custom market research and prospector which automatically finds, appends, and scores sales leads.  The second area of focus is Executive Recruiting that helps teams and leagues fill different positions in the organization. 

HerCampus Drexel Features SMTSU Member Hayley Zedeck

Drexel University has recently gained their own HerCampus website, and they were quick to notice talent found within Drexel's sport management program.  Featuring a weekly "campus celebrity" on their website, they chose Drexel sport management student and Drexel SMTSU member Hayley Zedeck last week.

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.

Co-op Confidential: Josh Brackett

Name: Josh Brackett

Year: Pre-Junior

Company: Philadelphia Eagles

Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA

Position: Ticket Operations Intern

Who are the Philadelphia Eagles?

The Philadelphia Eagles are a historic football team in the National Football League. Since the team’s inception in 1933, the Eagles have won 3 NFL Championships and have been to 2 Super Bowls. The team is currently owned by businessman Jeffery Lurie.

Co-Op Confidential: Lindrit Shkodra

Name: Lindrit Shkodra

Year: Freshman
Company: Jaws Youth Playbook/Ron Jaworski's Celebrity Golf Challenge
Location: West Deptford, New Jersey

What is Ron Jaworski's Celebrity Golf Challenge?

The mission of the Jaws Youth Playbook is to improve the overall health and wellness of at-risk youth in the Greater Philadelphia Region. We will do this by raising awareness and advocating for the access to safe play and healthy choices, and supporting programs providing positive youth health and wellness platforms. 

Editors Note: Thank You To Writers And Readers

When The Sports Complex first grew its wings and got off the ground in the early portion of the 2010-2011 academic year, there was one question in mind: how can the Drexel SMTSU contribute to the omnipresent industry-wide sports business conversation while building a solid rapport among professionals and students alike?  As we sit here almost three years later, while we are certainly closer to the answer for such a complex question, we are still figuring things out.

The Sports Biz Report - Biz of the NBA Playoffs

Co-Op Confidential: Tips As You Near The Halfway Point

Congratulations!  You have landed a Co-op.  All of the hard work of writing your resume, searching job boards, sending in applications, and going through the interview process has paid off and you have at least landed a job in your field if not a dream position for your favorite team or sport.  Done and done…right?  As Lee Corso would say, “Not so fast, my friend!”

Co-Op Confidential: Aaron Coleman

Name: Aaron Coleman

Year: Sophomore

Company: Philadelphia Soul

Location: Philadelphia, PA

Who are the Philadelphia Soul?

The Philadelphia Soul are an Arena Football League team that play at the Wells Fargo Center. Established in 2003 by a group of investors led by rock & roll legend Jon Bon Jovi, the team has won one AFL title in 2008 and are currently the defending American Conference Champions. They are currently owned in part by NFL QB legend Ron Jaworski.

Co-Op Confidential: Kevin Rossi

Name: Kevin Rossi
Year: Pre-Junior
Company: Temple University, Athletic Communications
Location: Temple University

Who are the Temple Owls?

The Temple Owls are Temple University athletic department in Philadelphia, PA.  Bill Bradshaw currently serves as the Director of Athletics for the program that is home to 22 varsity sports.  Caught in the conference realignment shuffle, Temple spent one year in the Big East and will be playing in the American Athletic Conference beginning July 1, 2013.  Temple University has an undergraduate enrollment of just under 28,000.  Their president is Neil Theobald.

Co-Op Confidential: Kevin Murray

Name: Kevin Murray

Year: Sophomore

Company: Drexel Athletic Department

Location: Daskalaskis Athletic Center

What is the Drexel Athletic Department?

The Drexel Athletic Department is the section of Drexel University that manages the schools 18 Division-I athletic teams, club sports, and campus recreation. The department is managed by Director of Athletics Dr. Eric Zillmer. Now in his 15th year as Director of Athletics, Dr. Zillmer oversees all components of the Athletics Department.

Co-op Confidential: Ryan Pratt

Name: Ryan Pratt

Year: Junior
Company: Drexel University, Office of New Student & Family Programs
Location: Philadelphia, PA

What is the Office of New Student & Family Programs?

NSFP is an office under the larger umbrella of Student Affairs (Campus Activities, Commuter/Transfer Engagement, Campus Engagement, Fraternity & Sorority Life, Residential Living, Student Conduct & Community Standards, Counseling & Health, International Student Scholar Services, etc.). NSFP oversees all New Student Orientation sessions during the summer, as well as works closely with the Drexel Family Association. Through this, NSFP works to transition new students and their families into Drexel life and culture.

Co-Op Confidential: Michael Proska

Name: Michael Proska

Year: Freshman

Company: Philadelphia 76ers

Location: Wells Fargo Center,  Philadelphia, PA

Who are the Philadelphia 76ers?

The Philadelphia 76ers are the professional basketball team from Philadelphia who plays in the NBA. They play in the Eastern Conference and were formerly owned by Comcast Spectacor. They sold the team to an investment group led by Josh Harris in 2011.

The Sports Biz Report: Episode 4 - Jason Collins

John, Damian, and that boy Jrue

Last week Adidas released an advertisement spot for its newest basketball endeavor, the CrazyQuick shoe. The shoe which was released on May 1^st is being promoted by three of the NBA’s brightest, John Wall (Wizards), Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers), and Jrue Holiday (Sixers) with some assistance from hip-hop sensation, A$AP Rocky. 

Water Cooler Talk: Setting Goals and Achieving Them

Everything during your college life can be super stressful.  Between coop, class work, extra-curricular activities, and anything else that you may do it feels like there are not enough hours in the day to do everything.  I believe a good way to cut down on the stress is to try to do something that you never have done before.  Make it a goal of yours to accomplish this and after you succeed you will feel great.  It will also make everything in your life seem easy compared to your accomplishment.  This may seem like an added stress but like I just said the feeling of completing the task will make it better.

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."