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Following NBA Free Agency

Written by Sam Taggart in Social Media in Sports

Over the past year, Twitter has shown us its incredible power when it comes to talking about and sharing “breaking news” and current events (not just in sports). For example, last year’s Iranian presidential elections completely dominated Twitter for a number of weeks, and became the medium for finding out what was happening in the Middle East. Other major news events, like the Hudson River plane crash and Michael Jackson’s death, have proven the same.

July 1 marked the start of one of the biggest summers in the history of the National Basketball Association. A number of the league’s premier players, including LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwayne Wade, became free agents. 2010 NBA free agency has been quite an experience, and Twitter has truly given fans an insight into free agency unlike we’ve ever had before. Like the events mentioned previously, Twitter has completely altered who controls the messaging and the way we gather information.

We’re Hiring a Community Manager!

Written by Lewis Howes in Sports Jobs

UPDATE: We are no longer accepting new applications for this position. Sports Networker and the Sports Executives Association (SEA) are seeking a dedicated community manager to start immediately for this part time position. You should definitely be active online, passionate about people and willing to learn quickly in this challenging role. Job Responsibilities Include (but are…

Hockey Nets Food Across Canada

Written by Sam Chan in Uncategorized

Communication student Richard Loat has decided to embark on a journey across Canada to play ball hockey while raising money for local food banks along the way. The event, dubbed Five Hole for Food in honor of the most glorious way to score a goal in hockey, is fueled by sponsors Molson Canadian, Boston Pizza, and Marketwire, along with support from teams in the National Hockey League, American Hockey League, Canadian Hockey League and the East Coast Hockey League, and has relied solely on social media networks such as Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube to promote the event.

The Nets’ Blueprint Wall: Extending the Story

Written by Sam Taggart in Sports Marketing

Just before July 1, the Nets began to unveil a 225 foot x 95 foot painted sign on the side of a building at 34th Street & 8th Avenue in midtown Manhattan. The wall features prominent images of the Nets’ new owner, 6’8″ Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, and part owner & hip-hop legend, Jay-Z. Above their faces is the phrase, “The Blueprint for Greatness.” The Nets feel strongly about the direction their team is heading, and the wall is a tribute to the positive growth this organization continues to make.

The wall is part of an aggressive marketing campaign (along with several major digital and print advertisements), placed within walking distance of New York Penn Station, a major hub for the Nets moving forward. They will move to Newark for the next two seasons, at least, and then permanently to Brooklyn. Many, many Nets fans will pass through Penn Station in the years to come.

Myths and Realities of Celebrity Golf Tournaments

Written by Lewis Howes in Sports Sponsorship

Celebrities are excellent to have at your golf tournament. They bring not only media attention, but also more money, players, sponsor, fans and sometimes even paying spectators. Because of their WOW factor there are many myths that have sprung up concerning celebrity appearances at golf tournaments and what it takes to get them to come.Actually it is much simpler than you realize. This article debunks some of the more popular myths about getting celebrity players for your charity golf event.

Make the New Geek on the Web for You

Written by Tyler Johnson in Sports Business

SeatGeek.com launched in September of 2009 and functions a bit like some of the websites developed for the travel industry, but for your favorite sports teams. Out of the frustration of being a Red Sox fan and always having to pay a premium for tickets, Russ & Jack Groetzinger came up with SeatGeek.com to rid them and other fans of that “I’ve been ripped off feeling.”

Referrals and the Power of Structured Networking Groups

Written by Frank Agin in Sports Networking

Ask any entrepreneur, sales representative or professional and they will tell you that the best source of business is referrals. These little nuggets of business gold are far more reliable and far less expensive than any other source of business. Ask these same business people and they will also tell you that finding a reliable source of referrals, however, can be one of the biggest obstacles to growing a successful enterprise – probably second only to finding good help. This is not to say that referrals never occur. They do. But they do not always occur with the consistency upon which one can rely. The initial problem for today’s businessperson is that our society tends to be more transient. Our grandparents lived in a world where everyone was intimately tied to the same few city blocks for literally generations. People watched the young child grow, marry, become a parent, and then a grandparent all in the same neighborhood. Today, we can live in a house for years and have neighbors we will never meet.

Resources for Athletes

Written by Michelle Hill in Sports Business

Pro athletes always seem to have an abundance of resources at their disposal; whether they need to make a cross country move, assess their personality and skill level, get their financial picture in order, or simply find a post-sports career job or business. A multitude of businesses clamor for the athletes’ attention but which ones can they trust? I found two businesses that really put their heart and soul into helping pro athletes manage their career and life.

Tennis, Soccer take Different Paths to Positive Press

Written by Gail Sideman in Sports Marketing

Last week former tennis star and current broadcast analyst, John McEnroe, was right when he said that the three-day, 11-hour record-blasting Wimbledon match between John Isner of the United States and Nicolas Mahut of France was “the greatest advertisement for our sport.”

Change channels to World Cup soccer where referees became the story. Players, coaches and analysts seemed to question calls at every turn. Fans, particularly in the United States where soccer popularity remains infantile, have been outraged.

British Basketball Uses Power of Social Media

Written by Ash Read in Social Media in Sports

Social media has opened up the doors for fans to have a voice like never before, this is something which in my experience scares some teams but also offers great opportunity. The upcoming free agency, or Decision 2010 as the NBA have branded it, has lead to many fan led campaigns telling stars like LeBron…

How Technology is Changing Athletic Scouting

Written by Lewis Howes in Sports Technology

Technology helps us do a lot of things; it saves time, saves lives and is now beginning to save the careers of sports executives. With sports being a multi-billion dollar industry, professional teams, and more specifically scouts are looking for anything that can give them the edge over their opponents.

Deceptions about Working in the Sports Industry

Written by Matt Clark in Sports Jobs

The sports industry is not nearly as glamorous as many outsiders may perceive. Some of the things that you should really expect as an employee in this industry.

Nine that Shine: World Cup Headlines

Written by Michael Fitzsimmons in Sports Marketing

There is a lot of drama on and off the pitch at this year’s World Cup, and the following nine stories are some that have managed to make the headlines so far. France’s Saga How do you go from last World Cup’s runner-up to failing to win a game in this one? Ask France, who…

Interview with Robert Wuhl

Written by Gregg Miller in Sports Business

Here is an interview with Robert Wuhl, writer, comedian, and actor who starred as a sports agent in the HBO show Arliss. Wuhl shares with us his thoughts with the current state of sports and how media has changed the presentation of players. Wuhl is an Emmy Award winner and also starred in Cobb, a story based on the life of baseball’s great Ty Cobb. See who he think is huge in sports.

How to Land a Sports Internship

Written by Matt Clark in Sports Networking

With the unemployment rate in the United States currently at staggering heights, whether a college student or a college student’s parents, everyone is looking for a way to get his or her foot in the door.

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