Leaving Your Mark: NFL Roster Cuts and Your Sports Career

The final NFL roster cuts are right around the corner as teams must get down to their 53 man rosters by Saturday, August 31 at 9pm EST.  Players learn of their fate throughout the day today and tomorrow after all of the off-season work that they put into it including OTAs, camps, and pre-season games.  Some will get the axe (pun intended) and continue to pursue their dream while others will give up and move on with their lives.  As it pertains to you, the reader, and your career in the sports industry, let’s look at this from the perspective of those players who want to keep the dream alive.

Growing Pains For Fox Sports 1

After an impressive debut two Saturdays ago, FOX Sports 1 is learning quickly that competing with the established juggernaut that is ESPN is not going to be an easy task at all. FOX Sports 1’s debut success stemmed largely from the live UFC Fight Night card that pulled an impressive 1.38 rating, grabbing 1.78 million viewers according to Nielsen. The network’s version of SportsCenter, called FOX Sports Live, also had an impressive debut number with a 0.2 rating.

State of the Student Union: August 2013

The last three years have seen the Drexel Sport Management Student Union grow from merely an idea in the imagination of one ambitious sport management student to a burgeoning student organization on the ever-improving Drexel University campus.  As it goes, the SMTSU grows as the Drexel sport management program grows as the University as a whole grows.  With growth comes change, and as you read last week, there are changes coming to the SMTSU.

U.S. Open Notebook: Winner's, Sleeper's, and Toughest Road

The 2013 US Open officially kicks off today in Flushing Meadows, New York. At the Billie Jean King Tennis Center over the next two weeks, the best tennis players in the world will compete for the final grand slam championship. On the women’s side, Serena Williams looks to defend her 2012 US Open Championship as Andy Murray will be looking to do the same on the men’s side. This will be the first time Murray will ever have the role of defending his crown. With all the top seeds healthy on the men’s side, and the fierce new rivalry between Serena and Victoria Azarenka, the next two weeks should be full of surprises and wonderful play.

The Sports Biz Report - Episode 15 - Fox Sports 1 vs. ESPN

SMTSU Announces Leadership Changes

PHILADELPHIA, PA- For the first time since its inception in late 2010, the Sport Management Student Union (SMTSU) at Drexel University will be under new leadership. Kevin Giordano has decided to step down from his position as president, with Kevin Rossi assuming the top position. SMTSU has also announced the creation of an Advisory Board to guide its strategic operations.

As a co-founder of the organization in his final term at Drexel University, Giordano noted nearing graduation as the primary reason for stepping down as president.

"This fall term is my last and it's time to pass the baton. Kevin Rossi is more than ready to assume the position. His determination and entrepreneurial mindset, coupled with a keen understanding of organizational operations, makes him the perfect fit to lead the organization moving forward."

Kevin Rossi brings both SMTSU and industry experience to the top position. He is well-versed in social media, athletic communications and leadership. Rossi pointed to his excitement about the opportunity when asked for thoughts on the change.

"Kevin (Giordano) has been a great mentor to me throughout my time at Drexel.  He has taught me how to become a true leader, and I look forward to taking those lessons to bring the SMTSU to knew heights.  Kevin started and developed an influential organization on Drexel's campus, and I can't wait to begin the challenge of continuing on with his vision and continuing to move the SMTSU forward."

SMTSU has also unveiled an Advisory Board to provide additional organizational oversight and direction. The board consists of current Faculty Advisory Dr. Ellen Staurowsky, sports journalist at ESPN Mike Mazzeo, graduate sport management student Patrick Gallagher, and outgoing president Kevin Giordano.

The organization is currently finalizing functional planning for the 2013-2014 annual year. The previous school year saw more member participation, record blog viewership, and increased clout in speakers brought to campus. SMTSU has plans in place to build upon and exceed quality of the previous year.

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.

U.S. Open Notebook: Plans to Renovate Flushing Meadows

For five consecutive years, the final grand slam of the tennis season, the US Open, has terminated on the non-traditional Monday due to rain delays. These delays, along with safety issues facing the players if the courts are still wet, has called uproar amongst the players over the past couple years. The USTA has fallen behind the other major grand slam events in terms of updating their facilities. (Australian Open and Wimbledon both have roofs on their main courts.) This past week, the USTA announced their plan for renovating their facilities.

Leaving Your Mark: Drexel Sport Management Residency Week

Earlier this week, I was asked to speak at Drexel’s Sport Management Residency Week and provide advice and guidance to graduate students.  While this impressive group of students did not need much from me in terms of tips and pointers, my hope is that there was at least one takeaway from the presentation.

U.S. Open Notebook: A New Queen on The Rise?

In my last post, I discussed the state of male tennis in the United States, focusing on the lack of prospects and national coverage. Now in general, male sports are more famous and receive more coverage than female sports, however, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has made multiple strides in gaining popularity not only in the U.S. but throughout the whole world. Tennis is really the only sport where male and female competitions are televised together, receive equal prize money, and analyzed with equitable media coverage. A great deal of this is due to big names like Serena Williams (She also has a clothing line.) and Maria Sharapova (She also models). Needless to say, the WTA has found a way to gain more media attention, and it is through using individual players for not only their skills on the court, but their appearance as well.

A Word Of Advice To Robert Griffin III

It’s not a stretch to say the Washington Redskins’ quarterback Robert Griffin III may be the most visible player in the National Football League. Whether it’s commercials, magazine covers, or the lead headline on ESPN, “RGIII” is basically everywhere thanks to his prowess on and off the field.

Under Further Review: Fox Sports 1 Ready For Launch

Fox Sports 1 launches on Saturday and you're probably waiting on the edge of your seat to see what the next 24/7 sports network has to offer, especially with the Evil Empire slipping further from the minds of avid sports fans. Nobody knows exactly what to expect from Fox Sports 1, but there's one thing we know for sure:

Fox Sports 1 will be FUN.

The Closer: What is the NCAA Thinking? Chapter 45

Last week, ESPN's Jay Bilas unearthed a pixelated NCAA gold mine. Better yet, he revealed this finding on his Twitter. You would think that four years after Ed O'Bannon first filed a lawsuit against the NCAA about player-likeness being used for monetary profit, the college sport governing body would have cut all ties with anything having to do with college athletes and making money. Apparently, that wasn't the case.

U.S. Open Notebook: Is There a Male U.S. Tennis Star in the Making?

If you were to stop someone on the street and ask the question, ”Who is the best American tennis player?” what would be the most common response? Many people would say Andy Roddick (He retired last year). Others would say Andre Agassi (Has been retired for over 5 years). And even others would say that Roger Federer guy (He is from Switzerland). The point is, with start of the decline of the Williams sisters (Venus and Serena) and last year’s surprise retirement from Roddick, the US does not have a face of tennis and the U.S. Open is right around the corner.

HIO: NBC Ready for English Premier League

On Saturday, the English Premier League kicks off a new season. Aside from the usual managerial changes and player moves in the offseason, soccer fans in the U.S. should be excited for another reason. NBC will be broadcasting every match of the season, either on air or online.

The Sports Biz Report - Episode 14 - SABR Convention with Mike Proska

Full Court Press: The Eagles Conundrum

Throughout my internship at Comcast SportsNet, I’ve had opportunities to see more of the behind-the-scenes fireworks in the sports industry than I ever imagined. From prepping for the pre-game show to the post-game press conferences and interviews, it has been a rewarding and exciting internship thus far. However, nothing quite compares to the view on the sidelines of the Philadelphia Eagles training camp as they prepare for a media-frenzy and the new Chip Kelly era of football to officially begin in just a few weeks against the Redskins.

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. 

Leaving Your Mark: Search Firms Filling Head Coaching Vacancies

In a few different posts on this blog over the years, I have referenced recruiters and search firms in the sports and entertainment industry.  As some of you know, I worked at Turnkey Sports and Entertainment as a Senior Execuitive Recruiter for three years.  I completed searches from the Director-level up to C-level in the four major sports, MLS, motorsports, and collegiate marketing properties.  All of these positions were on the "business" side with no direct tie-in to the field or court.  

 

MLS Announces Plans for Expansion

Perhaps the biggest storyline from Wednesday’s Major League Soccer All-Star Game came at halftime when MLS Commissioner Don Garber revealed the league’s plan to expand to 24 teams by 2020. This news comes as a clear sign of Garber’s commitment to developing the MLS brand and the continuing identification of new markets within North America.

What Happened to the MLB Trade Deadline?

In years past, nothing got baseball fans more excited during the long summer months than the drama of the trade deadline. Fans would watch ESPN anxiously for hours to see which desperate teams would trade their no longer affordable stars to teams looking for that extra boost come October.

Why Staying Informed is Important

As an aspiring sports business professional, I have heard multiple tips in order to find success. We all hear them all the time. Take the initiative. Make sure to network. Study hard and get good grades. Make a good first impression. All of these tips are important, however, one that often does not get said a lot is to be knowledgeable. It is highly important to read up on the current issues facing the sports business world and to be able to talk about them.