TMA: The SEC: Financial and Football Dominance

Monday night, Notre Dame and Alabama faced off for the 2012 BCS National Championship. While the game was a clear rout from the start between the #1 and #2 ranked teams in the nation, it was also a matchup between the top two programs in terms of merchandise sales this season.

Black Monday and the Hope of a Better Tomorrow

One of the less than uplifting days of the year falls on the Monday following the end of the NFL regular season. Dubbed “Black Monday,” this is the day every year when many struggling head coaches are sent packing. This year, seven head coaches and several general managers were fired, leaving the door wide open for new guys to be hired across the league. Andy Reid, now former coach of the Eagles, acted extremely quickly and got the job with the Kansas City Chiefs, the team he felt gave him the most control over personnel.

Black Monday can also give college coaches or lesser known coordinators the opportunity to make the big bucks as an NFL head coach. Soon after Reid was hired, Syracuse coach Doug Marrone bolted for the Buffalo Bills after they offered him the position. For college coaches like Marrone, NFL jobs not only offer more prestige and responsibility, but a much bigger paycheck as well. Marrone, who earned around $1 million salary at Syracuse, is sure to see a significant pay increase in Buffalo. This is no small factor in the decision making process for college coaches getting offers at the NFL level. No matter how much loyalty/importance a coach has to a program (Bill O’Brien, Chip Kelly, countless others in recent years), the allure and financial rewards of NFL jobs may be too much to pass up.

Even after Reid and Marrone were hired, there are still five head coaching jobs open in the NFL: Philadelphia, Chicago, San Diego, Arizona, and Cleveland. Chicago seems to be the most sought after position, considering they already have a stable quarterback and a good defense. The other teams don’t have those same luxuries, with all four having quarterback situations that are relatively up in the air. Philadelphia is expected to let Michael Vick go, San Diego’s Phillip Rivers has had a miserable last two seasons, and Arizona and Cleveland have to decide whether their current QB’s can really get the job done in the long term. Any coach who takes those jobs needs to be prepared to make tough decisions right off the bat. Luckily all of those teams have the opportunity to build from the draft and their high first round picks. Recent history shows that immediate success in the NFL can be accomplished. Just this season, both the Indianapolis Colts and Minnesota Vikings rebounded from 2 and 3 win seasons to make the playoffs. However, those teams both had the return/emergence of franchise players Adrian Peterson and Andrew Luck. Any head coach who gets the job in Philadelphia, San Diego, Arizona, or Cleveland needs to be ready for struggles early on in the season, but if he’s smart and has enough control to implement his system, these teams could rebound sooner rather than later. 

Advice From A Freshman: Network!

Lindrit Shkodra is a freshman in Drexel Sport Management student. You can learn more about Lindrit his SMTSU Member Spotlight from November.

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I did not know what to expect out of Drexel going in as a Sports Management Student. I knew it was going to be nothing like high school but it was even further than I had expected. In college, there is no one telling you what choices to make anymore, other than your college advisor. There was one word that everyone kept repeating, NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK. What does this word actually mean?

At first I just thought it meant just meeting a lot of people. However, when one tends to think this way, he or she spends too much time on quantity and not quality. One good relationship with one person is better than 20 relationships where all you know about the other guy is his name. TIP: Get to know the person. Find out where he has worked in the past and even if you don’t think it’s that interesting, toot their horn because they will remember you.

Take time and set up meetings with the teachers in your Major. Write down the things they tell you. Not only your teachers but make sure you become friends with each and every person in your major, especially our major. Who knows down the line when their employer might ask them if they know of a person who can fulfill the position they just opened up. It never hurts to make another connection. Joining the Sports Management Student Union doesn’t hurt either because, once again, it’s another opportunity to make more connections with people, which could benefit your future.

The business we are in is a tough one. Why? Because I’m sure you have heard it before and I know it’s really cliché but it’s not what you know it’s whom you know. People everywhere get jobs where they might not seem perfectly fit and you wonder how they got the job until you find out that they are somehow related to that person. Well in our case, we want to make connections with as many people as we can because even if we aren’t fully qualified for that particular job, just because we know a good friend of theirs, they might give us a chance and teach us how to do that particular job.

So I took this advice and became very good friends with both Mark Gress and Brett Burchette. Mark actually helped me get an internship only a couple weeks after he and I sat down and talked together. This internship is with Ron Jaworski’s Celebrity Golf Challenge where I make tons of other connections daily. What Mark did for me was not only let me know of the internship but he also sent in my resume and cover letter which to employers is always an extra plus.

Brett is also going to be introducing me to a friend of his who works in the sport’s agent business. I want to be a sport’s agent so you can imagine my excitement. Now this friend is not just a nobody in the business, he is the sports agent for both Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans as well as Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Remember, NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK. I know now why people would stress it so much.

Sportsbiz Networking Night at Xfinity Live!

The Business of Sports has announced that their networking night in Philadelphia will be held January 23 at Xfinity Live! from 6-9 p.m.  Attendance is free of charge! All you have to do is RSVP online.  The Philadelphia networking night was put together by Russell Scibetti and The Business of Sports along with Philadelphia sportsbiz professionals Rob Johnson, Caleb Mezzy, and Haynes Hendrickson.

The Business of Sports networking nights have one rule: no resumes.  Attendees are encouraged to bring along business cards if they have them.

(Kevin Rossi’s tips on navigating a networking event.)

I attended the last networking night at Xfinity Live! back in September.  It was my first one and I was a bit skeptical of how it would go.  I had just finished my co-op at Comcast-Spectacor and knew that a bunch of former coworkers would be there which made me a bit more comfortable.  I also went with former Drexel SMTSU Director of Market, Hayley Zedeck, who co-oped at Turnkey Sports. 

Ultimately we introduced each other to our old coworkers and it worked pretty well.  I got to meet a bunch of people from Turnkey Sports which may have helped me land an interview with the company during A-round of this year’s co-op search. 

Events like these are extremely beneficial.  The importance of getting to know the up-and-coming sportsbiz professionals in your city cannot be stressed enough.  Especially in finding a full-time job after graduation, you will be competing against much more than just your graduating class at your school.  Branch out, meet new people, and talk about the industry you love!

RSVP and more details: http://www.thebusinessofsports.com/events/the-business-of-sports-networking-night-in-philadelphia/

If you are interested in going as a group with other students, contact Kevin Rossi (ktr36@drexel.edu). 

Water Cooler Talk: Sports Resolutions 2013

I hope that all of our readers had a great Christmas and got to spend plenty of time with family and good friends.  Now that Christmas is over I look forward to starting 2013.  I know after all that I ate over the past couple days one of my New Year’s resolutions is going to be get back in shape.  Every year I make this my resolution and I never start until around April but I hope this year will be different.  This year I want to make some sports related resolutions that can benefit me but can also help anyone looking to get into sports as a profession.  

My first two resolutions both involve reading.  First I want to try to read at least one sports related book a month.  This is a good goal while I am in class and I will try to read 2 or 3 a month once coop starts.  The knowledge you gain from these books can benefit you greatly in so many ways.  You can see how professionals have broken into the sports world in the past; learn how some of the greatest sports marketers got their ideas, and much more.  I know my roommate and fellow Sports Complex writer Kevin Rossi has many of the books that I want to read sitting on his desk and I will be taking some of them over the next couple months to read.

My second reading resolution will be to read Sports Business Journal more often.  For sport management majors at Drexel we are required to buy a subscription and I definitely do not take advantage of owning it.  In 2013 I will try to read at least a couple articles from here every week if not all of them.  If you know what is going on in the sports world currently this can give you an advantage when at an interview or at your job.

My final resolution is to get more involved at Drexel.  I already am an officer for SMTSU but I would love to work on a research project with a professor.  This is something that I would try to do during coop since I will have a lot more time and no school work to worry about.  This is a good way to meet people in the industry and looks great on your resume.  

These are my sport related resolutions for 2013 and I hope to stick to all of them.  I encourage everyone to make at least one resolution for this upcoming year and stick to it.  Try to better yourself in 2013 and make it an even better year than 2012.   

TMA: A “BIG Color” Menagerie: Sponsorships on Parade

If you’re a sports fan who hasn’t been living under a rock, you most likely saw one of the five NBA games during the 12-hour Christmas marathon on ABC and ESPN yesterday. Even if you missed the games, you’ve likely seen this commercial for Adidas’ BIG Color jerseys worn by the ten teams playing on Christmas. The commercial has been viewed over 7.6 million times on the league’s YouTube page, and features Dwight Howard, Russell Westbrook, Dwayne Wade, Joe Johnson and Carmelo Anthony bouncing basketballs to the tune of “Carol of the Bells.” As Tim Nudd reported last month, the NBA doesn’t have the only commercial featuring the popular holiday song, however. Many of the views of the NBA spot featured a pre-roll Craftsman commercial with the same premise, causing some unrest.

In any case, the NBA had a massive showing; outside the Playoffs and All-Star Game, this might be the NBA’s biggest day of the season. The NBA wasted no time, displaying matchups between historic powerhouses (like Boston, New York Knicks, Chicago, and Lakers), top dogs (Miami, Clippers, and Oklahoma City), and newcomers (like Brooklyn and the Beardsanity-lead Houston Rockets). With the stars on display, the league sponsors also went all out: Sprint, Nike, BBVA, Kia, State Farm, and 20^th Century Fox all have NBA-related commercials that were showcased during the basketball marathon. If this wasn’t enough, league stars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Kobe “insert negative epithet” Bryant unveiled bright (gaudy) new shoes to go along with the one color jerseys for fans to purchase by the truck full.

My two cents: I don’t like the look of most of the jerseys (the Lakers-Knicks game was impossible to watch, but not entirely for that reason). Nevertheless, I love the commercial and generally love Christmas basketball, so it’s overall a win. I certainly spent most of my holiday sitting on my couch watching the games (if only we could get some college basketball on Christmas…)

Under Further Review: Now What To Do?

Now that you’re finally done fall term 2012, what are you going to do next!?  If you can muster anything more than a blank-faced stare only caused by your brain turning to mush after a week of final exams, group projects, final papers, and presentations, then I would honestly be impressed. 

In reality you probably gave an answer that included sleeping, eating, doing nothing, and sleeping.  I’m not here to tell you that you’re wrong.  I’m just here to tell you that you’re not exactly right.  Many times we are judged more by what we do with our free time than by what we do in class.  This is conceivably the most free time some of you will have until the summer, so use it wisely. 

I know that this is going to sound crazy, but a great way to spend your break being constructive without sacrificing relaxation is to… read!  Admittedly, I’m a nerd.  You all know that by now.  I read anything and everything I can get my hands on.  I read partly because I appreciate how some of the best writers can craft their words, partly because it helps me become a better writer, and partly because I just love to know what’s going on in the crazy world around me.

The beauty about reading, and especially reading in your free time, is that it can be on anything you want.  Personally I like to read a little bit in sports business, but mostly I like to read about how sports connect to the rest of the world. 

Currently I am reading Bad Sports by Dave Zirin and I plan to read Toxic Sludge is Good for You by John Stauber and Sheldon Rampton.  Bad Sports  is about sports welfare and possible solutions (if you enjoy learning about the topic of sports welfare, then this piece from Patrick Hruby at Sports on Earth is a must read).  Toxic Sludge is Good for You is about public relations and how PR people can turn anything in their favor.  Also on my reading list but a bit too ambitious for just a three week break is Idiot America by Charles Pierce, What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell, and Over Time by Frank Deford.  If you need reading suggestions, then let me know and I’ll be happy to help.  There’s nothing I like more than sharing books and articles that I’ve read (besides maybe finding new ones myself).

Reading over break will help you get ahead of your competition, and in the competitive sports industry, every little bit counts.  Knowing what’s going on in the world of sports as well as being able to share good reads with people can only help you in the short term and the long term.  Don’t miss out on this opportunity.  Now that you’ve been through at least one term at Drexel, you know that time is of the essence.