Freshman Files: Dan Mullin

Name: Dan Mullin

Current Year: Senior

Freshman Dorm: Race

Co-ops: Philadelphia Freedoms - Corporate Sponsorships and Operations
Turnkey Sports and Entertainment – Sport Market Research
Holman Automotive - Marketing and Sales

Area of interest: Sports Marketing, Sponsorships and Law

What is your favorite memory from freshman year?

One of the most fun things I did freshman year was take part in a regional dodgeball tournament. It was a great way for me to get involved and let to a job with Drexel Recreation down the line. 

What is the most important thing that you learned about sport management and the sports industry?

I've learned more than I could have imagined, and how to network is one of those things. I'd also say I learned how much dedication goes into working in sports. My first co-op showed me that there can be a lot of VERY late nights.

What advice would you give to the freshman based on your experience?

My advice would be never to hesitate to introduce yourself to anyone. Start networking early. You'll be surprised what people will do to help you along, even if you've just met.

If you could do it all over again, what would you do different?

I would have maintained relationships with some of my professors. Staying in touch with them can be very important when you're looking for jobs or recommendations. They have more connections than you realize. 

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A Different Kind of Gripe on the Replacement Refs

image via Big League Sports

Before yesterday's round of NFL games, the NFLPA Executive Committee sent a letter to the NFL owners regarding the need for the league to come to an agreement with the officials. The performance of the replacement officials has been very well publicized, and any fan who has watched an NFL game this season has witnessed a noticeable decline in the quality of officiating. You can read the NFLPA's letter over at Deadspin. While I agree with many of the points therein, there is one topic of conversation  on which I'd like to voice my dissent. 

One of the recurring themes brought up as a result of the officials' lockout is the need for the replacements to "take control of the game". The NFLPA's letter states: "Coaches and players have complained of numerous errors and failures including: erratic and missed calls on egregious holds and hits, increased skirmishes between players and confusion about game rules. Many replacements have lost control of games due to inexperience and unfamiliarity with players and rules." Of course, penalizing players for such skirmishes will reduce the frequency of their occurrence, but shouldn't it be the on the players and coaches to stop the skirmishes first and foremost? Why is there a need to push and shove between plays? What's so rewarding about it that players will take advantage of every chance to get away with it? And why is maintaining order in this manner something a coach can complain about when he is supposed to be controlling his own players? I struggle to see how this responsibility falls squarely on the refs' shoulders.

This is obviously just one point brought up about the replacement refs, and I think we can all agree that while they are no gold standard themselves, bringing the real refs back as soon as possible will do wonders for returning the quality of NFL games to a level we are all used to. Here's hoping. 

-Dan Mullin

Is There a Connection Between Sports and the Illuminati?

Before reading, please note: much of this article is pure speculation. Please take it for what it is and make your own judgments.


Many conspiracy theorists allege that a group our society's most powerful and influential individuals have and continue to conspire to control global affairs. They call this group of people the Illuminati. However, due to their secrecy, very little is known about this organization. Whether or not it still exists could even be debated.


Many of the world's elite have been connected to the Illuminati in one conspiracy or another- Presidents, CEOs, bankers, scientists, artists, musicians...the list goes on. As such, is it so farfetched to presume that Illuminati connections could also be influencing the world of sport as we know it?


Let's look at a couple of organizations for examples. We'll start with the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell.


Goodell is the son of the late U.S. Senator Charles E. Goodell. Charles Goodell was appointed to Congress to fill a vacancy caused by the death of Daniel Reed. He was then specially appointed by Nelson Rockefeller, whose family has been linked with the Illuminati on numerous occasions, to fill a vacancy after the assassination of Robert Kennedy.


All of this proves exactly nothing. But please bear with me.


Roger Goodell is married to former Fox News anchor Jane Skinner. Of course, as a major media outlet, Fox News has been linked to the Illuminati on numerous occasions, each of which has been purely speculatory.


Now, for the kicker. The outcome of the last Redskins home game before the Presidential election has predicted 18 of the last 19 elections. If the Redskins won the game, the incumbent party won the election, and vice versa. This trend held true for the first 17 election years of the existence of the Redskins franchise until it was broken in 2004. It got back on track in 2008. The Redskins play the Green Bay Packers at home on October 31, 2012.


Are 17 straight election years a coincidence? That, of course, is for you to decide.

Now let's move on to our second case study: the Olympics. Again, purely circumstantial evidence here so make of it what you will. 

Here we have the light fixtures that surround Wembley stadium in London, the home of the 2012 Olympics. Look familiar? They are eerily similar to perhaps the most famous Illuminati symbol of all: "the all-seeing eye", as seen on the United States dollar bill. 

Of course, there is much further speculation surrounding the Olympics, the 2012 Olympic logo (thought to spell out the word "Zion"), and the connections between the Illuminati and the founders of the modern Olympics. The deeper you look, the more connections there are. 

What do you think? Are the Illuminati using sports to control our minds and actions? Is it a bunch of baloney made up by Dan Brown to sell books?