A Legend Retires and Is his Former Team Really Tanking??

There were rumors prior to the NBA season started that an anonymous coach had admitted that they were planning to tank this year with the hopes of a high draft pick. Everyone immediately pointed to the Philadelphia 76ers. This was due to the Philadelphia 76ers trading away Jrue Holliday for Nerlens Noel and then reporting that Nerlens Noel would sit out the whole year. Not to mention that it is clear that the 76ers are in rebuild mode.

Beckham Decides on Miami for MLS Team

Last December David Beckham left the Los Angeles Galaxy. He felt that at that point of his career it was time to retire and move on to new ventures. That new venture will be his own MLS team. Beckham has been considering a location for a few months now, and he has finally settled. The start up fee for Beckham was a discounted $25 million. That is quite the fair price for the ex-MLS star considering BPL team Manchester City and the New York Yankees payed a whopping $100 million to launch their team the New York City FC. The MLS still has to give Beckham the go-ahead to choose Miami as the location for his team. 

State of the Student Union: October 2013

Wow, what a day it was for the Drexel Sport Management Student Union last Friday at the first annual Sport For Social Change Conference. Five different presentations and five different new ways to look at the sports that we already know and love. With these new viewpoints on sports from the professional levels to the youth levels, everybody’s horizons were certainly broadened and futures brightened. We all have the power to change the world in we live in through sports.

A Classic In The Making

Coming In

     
      This year's Fall Classic between the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals has fueled high hopes for an enticing series since being determined. 

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of Week 8

The Good:

London, once again. The National Football League (NFL) is now considering having an 8 game package in London next year. It is clearly no secret that Roger Goodell has a huge interest and desire of expanding over seas. Peter King, of SI, announced a couple of days ago that the NFL was considering this package. This week the San Francisco 49ers and Jacksonville Jaguars played in London and it was interesting to see how much these fans loved the Jacksonville Jaguars arguably more than the fans in Jacksonville. Next year, three games will be played in London. An eight game package will be another step in getting a team in London, which Goodell has made it obvious that he wants.

#S4SC in Review: Dr. Eric Zillmer and Bruiser Flint

The Sport for Social Change Conference started out on a surprising note, as Drexel’s Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Bruiser Flint joined Director of Athletics Dr. Eric Zillmer for the first presentation of the day. Tackling the issue of athletes giving back, Dr. Zillmer and Coach Flint both expressed the wonderful opportunities working in athletics presents for each of them. 

#S4SC in Review: Patrick Hruby

ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS. Patrick Hruby stressed this quote. “In order to get the right answers, we would need to ask the right questions,” he mentioned. However, what exactly are the right questions.

#S4SC in Review: Eli Wolff

Eli Wolff, Program Director of the Sport and Development Project at Brown University, spoke at the Sport for Social Change about the topic of access and inclusion for all athletes but specifically athletes with disabilities.  His presentation had three major parts. The first part that he spoke about was how he had his earliest advocacy movement.  When Eli Wolff was in elementary school he had a Physical Education teacher that would not let him do pull ups on the bar like the rest of the class.  He keep asking to do it until one day he had enough and in the cleaner version said “Screw you I can do this.” 

#S4SC Preview: Eli Wolff and Patrick Hruby

There are two questions that all sports need to consider. How can we make sports accessible to more people and how can we make the sports that we play safer for those that participate? Sometimes we can be blinded by the inevitable scandals or fantasy sports points. At the basis of sports, though, is the need to get people involved not to make money but to simply play. An accessible and safe sport is a great start.

On Friday at the first annual Sport For Social Change Conference, Eli Wolff and Patrick Hruby will share their insights on into how these questions can be answered.

Wolff is the program director for the Sport and Development Project at Brown University. His work and research revolves around the first question of making sports more accessible to all people. He has been in leader in this area working for greater inclusion in sports and education into sports for athletes with disabilities. Wolff is currently a philosophy PhD candidate with a focus on Olympic studies at German Sport University Cologne.

Hruby is a journalist for Sports on Earth, the joint venture USA Today and MLB Advanced Media sports website. Hruby's work focuses on the politics and social issues of sport, writing extensively about amateurism issues in the NCAA, the use of Native American imagery in sport, and safety issues in sports. His presentation at the Sport For Social Change Conference will focus on how we can make sports safer for the participants. Hruby has a mater's degree in journalism from Northwestern University and is also a contributor for Washingtonian Magazine and The Atlantic online.

Wolff will present from 3:00 to 3:50 p.m. and Hruby will immediately follow Wolff presenting from 4:00 to 4:50 p.m. to close out the conference. For further questions and inquiries, email the Drexel SMTSU at drexelsmtsu@gmail.com.

#S4SC Preview: Eric Zillmer and Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation

Following yesterday's preview of the LGBT Issues in Sport section by Kevin Giordano, today I will be previewing two other sections: Athletes Giving Back and Youth Development in Sport.

Dr. Eric Zillmer, the Director of Athletics and Carl R. Pacifico Professor of Neuropsychology at Drexel University in Philadelphia, will be presenting on the topic of Athletes Giving Back. A major part of the Master Plan of Drexel University is to become the most Socially Responsible and Civically Engaged institution in the United States; the Athletic department already does it's part to contribute to this goal. The Drexel Dragons give hours a year to the West Philadelphia community and surrounding neighborhoods and towns. The goal of this section of the conference is to portray how athletes and athletic entities can utilize their standing in society to give back.

The Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation will be presenting on the topic of youth development in sport. With a mission of teaching our country's youth the value of academics, hard work, and teamwork through hockey, the ESYHF serves over 3,000 children in the Philadelphia area. Sport is a microcosm of society; in turn, a lot of what you learn playing sports can be utilized outside the sport realm. Teaching out nation's youth about these core values at a young age is a responsibility for all sport organizations and there is no better example of this in the Philadelphia region than ESYHF.

Attendees of these sessions will learn how they can use their power as a sport organization to not only give back to society, but also help develop the youth of our country, all via sport. For questions or inquiries please email DrexelSMTSU@gmail.com.

Becoming a Professional MVP: The Bootleg Run

By: Patrick Gallagher

 

Shhhhh! Don’t you dare say a word about it – just keep your head up, your mind sharp and your mouth shut if you want to achieve it.

As you may or may not have noticed by now, the bi-weekly posts included in our “Becoming a Professional MVP” column highlights professional development advice using sports moments as the parallel. For me personally, I can remember my father using sports as a crutch to teach me life lessons so that I could more easily relate to the message he was trying to have me understand. And so now, as a way for me to pay it forward, I’m excited to continually share with you various tips (via sports) that aim to help you launch a successful career. This week however, we will actually shift just a bit from professional development to personal development and learn how ‘the bootleg run’ is analogous to keeping your mouth shut when it comes to your meeting your personal goals and objectives.

#S4SC Preview: GO! Athletes w/ Craig Cassey Jr.

As lead-up to the Sport for Social Change Conference on Friday, October 25 at Drexel University in Philadelphia, we will be previewing several of the major presentations during the week. The first up for sampling is the presentation on LGBT Issues in Sport from GO! Athletes and Craig Cassey Jr.

We're excited to have GO! Athletes Executive Director Anna Aagenes discuss issues surrounding college athletes who identify as members of the LGBT community. The organization is at the forefront on this issue and has gained significant credibility for its voice on key issues faced by out athletes. Anna will discuss how the LGBT community and society as a whole can benefit by using sport as a catalyst.

Anna from GO! Athletes will be joined in their presentation by Craig Cassey Jr. Craig is a student at Georgetown University and was an out track & field athlete at the high school and collegiate levels. He has gained attention for his blog, where he discussed issues relating to LGBT issues and experiences in sports. Furthermore, he also serves as one of the nation's youngest LGBT elected officials.

Attendees of this session will gain insight into what it's like being an LGBT athlete at each level of competition and how sport can be leveraged to improve the LGBT community. For questions or inquiries, please email drexelSMTSU@gmail.com.

Sport For Social Change Conference Schedule

10:00 to 10:45 - Sign In and Light Breakfast

10:45 to 11:00 - Introduction

11:00 to 11:50 - Dr. Eric Zillmer 

Topic: Athletes Giving Back and Being Role Models

Position: Director of Athletics

Employer: Drexel University Athletics

Additional Information

11:50 to 12:00 - Break

12:00 to 12:50 - Jim Britt

Topic: Youth Development via Sport

Position: VP and COO

Employer: Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation

Additional Information

*Panel Discussion

12:50 to 2:00 - Lunch

Buffet Style

Chestnut Street Caterers

2:00 to 2:50 - Eli Wolff

Topic: Access and Inclusion to Sport

Position: Program Director of the Sport and Development Project

Employer: Brown University

Additional Information

2:50 to 3:00 - Break

3:00 to 3:50 - Go! Athletes and Craig Cassey Jr.

Topic: LGBT Issues in Sport

Additional Information: Go! Athletes
Additional Information: Craig Cassey Jr.

3:50 to 4:00 - Break

4:00 to 4:50 - Patrick Hruby

Topic: Safety Issues and Remedies

Position: Journalist/Writer

Employer: Sports on Earth

Additional Information

4:50 to 5:00 - Conclusion

Global Scope: Farewell to the Heineken Cup

The Heineken Cup, also known as the H Cup in France (because of alcohol sponsorship restrictions), is considered the most prestigious European club rugby tournament. The Cup’s inaugural season was in 1995 involving 5 countries (France, Ireland, Wales, Romania, Italy) with a total of 12 clubs competing. The Heineken Cup has seen many changes in format throughout its 18 years of existence, leading up to the “present day” version with 24 teams from England, France, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Italy. The competition is held from October to May, overlapping domestic club competitions. Also, The Heineken Cup’s major winners are Stade Toulousain (France) and Leinster (Ireland) with four and three championships respectively.

Double Feature: SEC’s Dominance and Passing of Adrian Peterson’s Son

SEC Makes History With Eight Top 25 Teams

The Southeastern Conference set a record when the AP poll was released for week eight of the college football season. For the first time in history one conference has eight teams in the Top 25. The SEC is known to be a powerhouse conference, but never before has one conference had this many teams included.

MLB Playoffs, Where they Stand, Who is standing Out

Still Standing



 Dustin Pedroia, Prince Fielder, Yasiel Puig, Yadier Molina(Top Left to Bottom Left)

Left in action for the 2013 MLB play-offs are four medium to large market teams.  The Boston Red Sox, the Detroit Tigers make up the ALCS, and the LA Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals face off in the NLCS.  Ideally for baseball, a LA, Boston match up in the World Series would be the best out come.  These two teams boast huge markets, and are iconic franchises on their respective coasts.  However, this match up becomes quite interesting if we think back to a little over a year ago. 

Week 4 General Body Meeting on Thursday

Leaving your Mark: Work with others to achieve your goals

By: Mark Gress

As part of the Sport Management 601 graduate class that I teach at Drexel, I recently invited a guest speaker named Matt Crevin to “visit” class via Skype. Matt has spent the last 20+ years working in the Public Relations Department for the San Francisco 49ers. For most of that time, he has served as the Public Address Announcer. In addition, he has also held positions at FedEx and Microsoft. His most recent ventures include authoring a book titled, “Get in the Game”, as well as running a sports consulting company called Voice of the Box.

The Sports Biz Report - Episode 2.3 - Schooled Film Premiere

Is Change Looming for the NFL?

By: Aaron Coleman

With the NFL’s annual Fall Owners Meeting taking place this week, change may very well be on the horizon for America’s new national pastime.

The Closer: Recap of "Schooled: The Price of College Sports"

As a Drexel student, it is hard to imagine Beaver Stadium on a Saturday, or the Carrier Dome when Notre Dame comes to play Syacuse. Yesterday, myself, along with anyone else that attends or works at a modest university with moderate athletic facilities, were reminded how "the other half" lives; boy were our eyes opened.

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.

Under Further Review: A World Away In A Desert

"FIFA cannot sit by and see greed rule the football world. Nor shall we." - Sepp Blatter, FIFA President.

A world away somewhere in a desert in the Middle East in the oil-rich country of Qatar people are dying. That's the reality of it, no matter how sad or bleak it may sound. Qatar is making the riots across Brazil look humane and controlled. And to think we are still nine years away from the 2022 World Cup.

The Closer: Preview of Schooled: The Price of College Sports

 

Tonight, Tuesday, October 8th, 2013, a specialty, one-of-a-kind documentary is premiering in New York City. Schooled: The Price of College Sports, an EPIX Original Documentary, is a "comprehensive look at the business, history and culture of big-time college football and basketball in America."

Becoming a Professional MVP: No-Huddle Offense

Are you ready for some football? In the late 1980’s, it was believed by some football historians that the 1988 Cincinnati Bengals football team was the first to revolutionize the offensive philosophy of the game. That year, Boomer Esiason and his team based their game plan on having an attack or ‘no-huddle’ offensive style and remained fervent on changing how they attached their opponent throughout the entire season. Their hope was that they could implement a hurry-up, no-huddle offensive system that would speed up the game while mentally and physically wearing down their opponents. Simply put, they wanted to achieve better results when dealing with the crucial moments leading to a win or a loss. Their no-huddle offense proved to be successful and is now a fundamental staple to every NFL franchises’ game plan in order to stay competitive. So how does this relate to us and our professional development in becoming the MVP within our organization?

Take a Step Back and Say Thanks

Sport is such an interesting concept in our society. There are aspects of sport which are spectacular to witness, such as your favorite team winning the championship, experiencing a Cinderella team make a run in March Madness, or achieving a personal goal. Sport can teach us leadership, teamwork, strength, and the ability to overcome adversity. Along with all these benefits of sport, there are the areas of improvement. Governance structures in the NCAA and other leagues are questionable. Safety issues for players are becoming more relevant in the modern era of technology. Finally, the competitive drive in sport can be taken too far causing cheating, lying, and breaking the law. Despite all these pros and cons that are always at the heart of discussions about sport, there is one aspect that is way overlooked – professional athletes giving back to the sick and disabled.

Full Court Press: Announcing the Center for Hospitality and Sport Management

An email announcing the creation of “The Center for Hospitality and Sport Management” last week may have come as a surprise and left some of us scratching our heads in confusion. After hearing from the new Center’s Program Director Jonathan Deutsch and Senior Vice Provost John DiNardo, many of those concerns can be put to rest.

Beckham group is in final stages of Miami expansion bid

David Beckham is in the midst of another shopping spree; his most expensive purchase to date. Beckham is in the final stages of becoming the owner of a new Major League Soccer franchise. The team will most likely be located in Miami, Florida.

The Sports Biz Report - Episode 2.2 - Sports Media Industry with Hayley Zedeck

First General Body Meeting Thursday Night

Special Feature: "League of Denial: The NFL Concussion Crisis"

This Podcast was aired yesterday on ESPN Outside the Lines, and it includes the co-authors of the book and upcoming PBS Documentary entitled "League of Denial: The NFL Concussion Crisis", Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru.

With the upcoming "Sport For Social Change" Conference (http://s4scconference.blogspot.com/), and concussion issues being one of our sections, please take a listen to this podcast!

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=9760613

 

 

For the Second Straight Year: Phillies fans having bad deja vu

For The Second Straight Year...

Closer for the Phillies, Johnathan Papelbon.

 ...the Philadelphia Phillies phailed to make the Playoffs or play well enough to post a record above .500.  In 2012, they finished right at the mark going 81-81. This year they finished with a 73-89 record, good for 7th worst in the majors.   Sunday September 29th, marked the last game for the Phillies, which they lost... sort of.  On the field they did lose the game, off the field the organization got a small victory that day for the team's poor play over the last week over the season.  That victory: drafting 7th overall in next year's draft.  That player will not be playing in the MLB next year, and maybe not even the year after that, but the future will improve.

Above the Rim: For the Love of Football: Tinkering with the NFL schedule

If there’s one thing America loves more than anything, it’s football. But is more football good for the sport? Over the past couple of years, Roger Goodell and the NFL has considered expanding their schedule to include 18 weeks and expanded playoffs. The longer regular season talk has died down a bit with player safety becoming more and more of a concern. However, multiple media outlets have reported that the league has seriously considered adding two more playoff teams annually. To offset the added playoff games, the NFL would also eliminate one preseason game per team.