Sport For Thought: Wimbledon, The World's Most Recognizable Brand

With all of the sporting events that occur throughout the world, is any brand more recognizable than Wimbledon? When flipping through the channels, you may see football, baseball, basketball, soccer, golf or any other sport being played. But can a viewer know exactly what the event is just from watching what is being televised? How is a World Series or Super Bowl game more recognizable to the television viewer then just any regular season game? The answer is, their is no difference! But when one turns on the television to view a tennis match, what is more recognizable then the perfectly landscaped grass courts, all white, and the properness that is Wimbledon?

Full 90: Another one BITES the... dust?

He’s done it again. FIFA has handed Luis Suarez, the Uruguayan striker and member of Liverpool F.C., a four-month ban for biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini during their match Tuesday. This is Suarez’s third time committing such an act. 

Outside the Octagon: The Future of the UFC in 2014

The UFC in 2014 has had some troubles.  The PPV numbers are on pace to be one of the lowest in years.  The drug testing system is still riddled with flaws to the point where fighters are retiring because of it.  Finally, the loss of stars Anderson Silva and George St. Pierre has hurt the UFC more than they could have imagined.  I have come up with a few ideas to help the UFC have a better second half of 2014.

NBA Draft Preview: The Future is Within Sight

Alright ladies and gents, the 2014 NBA Draft is now just a couple of days away.  Many basketball fans have been waiting, waiting, then the All-Star break happened, and then there was more waiting, the trade dead line, waiting and...well you get the picture.  For several team's fans, the only result that mattered was the number in the loss column.  As you know, this was the case for most if not all 76er fans in the 2013-2014 season.  And because of that, we have a Sixers' fan (me!) preview before the actual preview.  You may recognize this one: 

The Culture Change in Baseball is Happening

Baseball is America's pastime, and will be for the rest of its existence. And every so often, certain circumstances and events arise that cause a culture shift in the baseball community. Many more of these have happened recently, partially due to medical advances, and practices that are becoming more commonly accepted. As society progresses, all the cultures will follow suit, and baseball will not be left behind.

The Future of the Miami Big 3

Now that the NBA Playoffs have ended and the ageless Spurs have taken the throne from King James and co., we can all relax and await the futures of the "Big 3":  LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.  Each of the three have a player option available to take (one more year with Miami) or they can decline and become an unrestricted free agent.  We all remember what happened the last time James hit the free agent market.  However, are we going to see more decisions to be made?  Is this the end of an era for the Miami Heat?

Guard the Post: No longer protected, whats next?

 

It has been quite a few months since I've written about the issue surrounding the name of the Washington professional football team, but after the news of yesterday, it is time to get back in the game. The U.S. Patent and Trademark office removed the trademark from the Washington Redskins name yesterday in a 2-1 decision.

Under Further Review: A look back at 1-10

It has been quite a ride through the first 10 editions of Under Further Review. We've talked with people whose coverage is a product of Drexel University and whose coverage is one for national consumption. Some of them freelance, some are full-time writers, some are editors. 10 different perspectives on the sports journalism sphere. But what did we learn?

John Oliver Going All-In on Sports

Not too long ago, John Oliver was filling in for Jon Stewart on Comedy Central's The Daily Show. The 37-year-old Englishman was met with critical acclaim for his relief duty and promptly used the momentum to begin his own gig. Less than two months into his own show on HBO, Last Week Tonight, Oliver has again been met with critical acclaim. And some of his now legendary rants have focused on a topic near and dear to us: the sports world.

Dr. Staurowsky's O'Bannon vs. NCAA Testimony

Dr. Staurowsky testified at the O'Bannon vs. NCAA hearings on June 16 and 17 in Oakland, Calif. Below is a summary of what she said and the lines of questioning she faced over the two days from the plaintiffs and the defendants.

Sports Illustrated writer Andy Staples, who is in Oakland covering the case, wrote this in summary of her first day on the stand.

UPDATE: Here is a good story from Mike Jensen of the Philadelphia Inquirer on Dr. Staurowsky's time on the stand.

Post NBA Final Takeaways

The NBA season is over. Talk about a spanking. The San Antonio Spurs defeated the two time defending champions, the Miami Heat, four games to one and it wasn't even close. In the Spurs four wins, they won by 15 or more points each game. The question now is, what will LeBron James do? Will he opt out and leave Miami or will he stay in Miami? Of course this is the first question that people think of. But lets just talk about how good the San Antonio Spurs are. The word dynasty doesn't get tossed around too much, but it's safe to say the Spurs are a dynasty and as long as Coach Popovich is coaching, the Spurs will continue to be competitive. Five championships in 15 years is remarkable but we are too busy trying to keep up with the "superstars". The Spurs are not flashy and they wear boring colors and that is a reason why not many people talk about them. Tim Duncan is a legend, but we rarely hear about him. Had it not been for Ray Allen last season, we're looking at six championships in 15 years. Here are some things to takeaway from these NBA Finals.

The Perfect Swing

This feature story was written as part of the requirements for Dr. Staurowsky's SMT 608 Sports Information and Public Relations graduate class by Kim Chiarelli

---

Patrick Molloy is standing 325 yards away from the first hole at a Pennsylvania golf course. He stands patient and eager at his tee, ball in place. He feels the warm sun on his back and smells the faintest scent of cut grass, a smell that would go unnoticed to the untrained nose. He takes a step that reveals soft earth beneath his feet, it rained here yesterday he says to himself. All he is waiting for is a description, a spoken description that he relies on in order to perform. Patrick Molloy is blind.

Full 90: Countdown to Kickoff

Today is the day: kickoff to the 2014 World Cup in Rio de Janiero. After years of planning, construction, numerous protests, and unfortunately, lives taken, everything is in place for a seamless World Cup hosted inside the mecca of soccer. Not quite.

Outside the Octagon: UFC's Growing Drug Problem

Earlier this week, Chael Sonnen failed a random drug test and has been pulled from his fight against Vitor Belfort.  His test came up positive for two banned substances, Anastrozole and Clomiphene.  This is the second time that Sonnen had an issue with drug testing.  In 2010, after his fight with Anderson Silva his urine sample came back with having 17 times the amount of testosterone for a normal person.  Sonnen is just another example of UFC’s ongoing problem with drugs.  

Under Further Review No. 10 - Max Blau

This week's Under Further Review is adapted from an informational interview that I did with Max Blau for Dr. Giddings' Professional Portfolio class back in February, so note the different format. For anybody who has an interest in ever writing a freelance article, Blau's insight is extremely valuable. Enjoy!

It was a dream, but no one knew how to accomplish it

This human interest feature article was written as part of the requirements for Dr. Staurowsky’s SMT 608 Sports Information and Public Relations class by Simone Suetsugu.  

---

She is known as “Gordinha, Vi, Vivi, Vivian Saca Moco, honey, and Bi," – nicknames that family members, teammates, and friends call her as signs of friendship, trust and intimacy. These nicknames may sound bizarre to outsiders, but Vivian knows that these  are gifts given by her loved ones showing affection.

What the Phillies? The Scoop on this Year's Draft

7th overall pick of the Philadelphia Phillies, Aaron Nola

Last Thursday the 2014 First-Year Player Draft started with two rounds that night followed by 3-10 on Friday, concluding with rounds 11-40 on Saturday. The MLB draft differs from the NFL and NBA and to an extent the NHL in the sense that the majority of first round picks don't stroll on to the stage for everyone watching to see their excitement filled faces. For most, not seeing the face of the draft pick that their team is getting puts a damper on the casual fan's desire to view the draft.  On top of that is the fact in most cases baseball players aren't bursting on to the scene immediately after they are drafted like in the NFL and NBA.  NHL prospects sometimes take longer to reach the big club too, but not as long as most MLB prospects. 

Why the MLB Draft Is Just Not Exciting

Every year around the first week of June, Major League Baseball hosts its annual First Year Player Draft. Now to many fans of sports in general, when you hear the word draft, you automatically jump to thoughts of Radio City Music Hall for the NFL Draft, or watching the ping pong balls fly during the NBA Draft Lottery. However, there is nothing the common fan can match up the MLB Draft with, and that along with many reasons, is contributing to the baseball draft becoming one of the least watched sports-related events out of all American sports.

Bradman’s Legacy Continues To Live On

This historical feature was written for Dr. Ellen Staurowsky's SMT 608 Sports Information & Media Relations class by Maty Brennan.

---

I never had the honor and privilege of watching the greatest athlete the world has ever seen play the beautiful game of cricket live in person. When growing up all I heard was tales of this man, his legacy and legend was something untold, myth almost. I was fortunate enough to see photos and videos of his childhood and playing days. The man who has inspired generations, and many more generations to come with batting skills is Sir Donald George Bradman. He set many batting records, some of which still in the process became Australia’s sporting idol.

Guard the Post: Super Bowl L errr 50

Yesterday, a historic announcement was made. The National Football League will, for the first time since 1971, not have a roman numeral in the title of it's biggest game. The 50th Super Bowl will not be titled "Super Bowl L", as it should have been if they followed the same trend that they have for the last 44 games. The name of the game, which will be hosted at the brand new Levi's Stadium in San Francisco, CA in 2016, will be Super Bowl 50.

Under Further Review No. 9: Dave Zeitlin

In most cases, the fans are the ones consuming the stories about a particular player or team, not having stories written about them. The story of Philadelphia Union fans Eric and Gabe Shertz is not most cases. Dave Zeitlin's story about the two and the impact the family had on the Union, the Sons of Ben and soccer in the are is time well-spent.

Zeitlin covers the MLS and the Union for MLSsoccer.com as well as CSNPhilly.com. He took a moment to speak with the SMTSU about what it's like writing a story about fans instead of players, MLS media coverage and how the World Cup could influence the MLS.

Market Power: NBA Rookie Edition

The NBA postseason is coming to an end with the finals beginning this week. It is a rematch of last year’s thrilling finals between the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. It’s going to be a dogfight. Even though the finals will be going on, June 26th is what many of the bottom dweller teams are looking forward to being the NBA draft. This year’s draft has a ton of talent, but does talent translate into marketability? Earlier I discussed the three players left in the playoffs I would target for marketing. Now I will take a look at three NBA soon to be rookies and why I would choose them to market my company.

Sport For Thought: Heat vs. Spurs Rematch

New year. Same teams.  Same goal. But will their be a different outcome?