Main agent(s): Tom Condon, Ben Dogra, Jimmy Sexton

Many consider CAA to not only be the best NFL sports agency, but the best agency regardless of sport. Similar to how many NCAA conferences are joining together to form super-conferences, CAA is essentially a “super-agency.” Tom Condon may in fact be considered the uncontested favorite for top NFL Agent in the business. Condon is best known for his representation of the Manning Brothers, Drew Brees, and Matthew Stafford just to name a few. His contract agreements for Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Tony Romo in the last two years alone combined to produce an astonishing, guaranteed $173.5 million. Ben Dogra is no slouch either representing 49 first-round draft picks, more than any other agent (courtesy of the Sports Business Journal). To add on to the agency accolades, CAA was responsible for 8 of the last 11 NFL MVP awards and 6 of the last 9 overall # 1 draft picks. This agency is certainly a force to be reckoned with now, and in the future in the world of NFL agencies.

Notable current/past clients:

• Peyton Manning
• Eli Manning
• Drew Brees
• Tony Romo
• Matthew Stafford
• Matt Ryan
• Robert Griffin III
• Adrian Peterson
• Tony Gonzlez
• Nnamdi Asomugha
• Luke Joeckel (#2 overall pick in 2013 draft)

Rosenhaus Sports Representation

Main agent(s): Drew Rosenhaus, Jason Rosenhaus

Drew Rosenhaus established his agency at the mere age of 22 years old while still attending Duke Law School. He is arguably one of the most recognizable agents in the business, and surely does not shy away from the public eye. Author of two books, Drew is also the only sports agent to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. His recent deal for Patriots Tight End Rob Gronkowski was the largest extension (in terms of total value) ever given to a TE at $54 million. The Rosenhaus brothers have not represented a first round pick since the 2011 NFL draft (CB Jimmy Smith), but many still consider this agency a perennial powerhouse. Drew Rosenhaus’s tenacity and negotiation skills have been compared by many to the great Marvin Demoff.

Notable current/past clients:

• LeSean McCoy
• DeSean Jackson
• Dez Bryant
• Plaxico Burress
• Rob Gronkowski
• Chad Johnson (“Ochocinco”)
• Terrell Owens
• Frank Gore
• Santana Moss
• Edgerrin James

Relativity Sports

Main agent(s): Happy Walters (CEO), Eugene Parker, Roosevelt Barnes

Relativity Sports was created from the combination of different entities, and most notably, Eugene Parker’s Maximum Sports Management. Parker’s client list is fairly impressive representing some of the top receivers in the game. Parker’s deal for client, Larry Fitzgerald, gave Fitzgerald the second highest contract for a wide receive in terms of Total Value ($113 million), average per year ($16,142,857), and guaranteed money ($27 million). Furthermore, it was Parker who negotiated Ndamukong Suh’s $40 million in guarantees just a few years ago. Parker is also one of only four sports agents to ever introduce a player into the National Football Hall of Fame when he introduced client Deion Sanders. Relativity Sports also represents Chance Warmack, the #10 overall pick from the 2013 draft. Jason Fitzgerald, founder of overthecap.com, estimates that Warmack will receive a total contract value just north of $12 million with a signing bonus of $7.23 million.

Notable current/past clients:

• Larry Fitzgerald
• Greg Jennings
• Michael Crabtree
• Devin Hester
• Steven Jackson
• Ndamukong Suh
• Chance Warmack (#10 overall pick in 2013 draft)
• Curtis Martin
• Emmit Smith
• Deion Sanders

Lagardère Unlimited

Main agent(s): Joel Segal

Many people think “Michael Vick” when Segal’s name is mentioned as he was Vick’s agent of record during his dogfighting scandal a few years back. Vick has certainly put those days behind him, and Segal has guided him every step of the way. Segal negotiated both of Michael Vick’s mega-contracts making him the first NFL player with two contracts potentially surpassing the $100 million accolade. Business Insider did a fantastic piece on Joel Segal and Lagardère Unlimited two years ago after the new CBA was passed and free agency was in a frenzy. According to the piece, Segal was able to complete contracts for 20 clients in a total of eight days with a total compensation of $150 million. That is simply an amazing feat. Segal also negotiated running back Chris Johnson’s extension back in 2011 containing $30 million in guaranteed money (second only to Adrian Peterson for RBs). This year’s NFL draft was quite a successful one for Segal and his enterprise as they represented 2 of the top-10 overall picks in Eric Fisher (#1 overall) and Tavon Austin (#8 overall). The two contracts combined are expected to produce roughly $35 million in total value according to Over The Cap.

Notable current/past clients:

• Michael Vick
• Reggie Bush
• Chris Johnson
• Percy Harvin
• Santonio Holmes
• Marques Colston
• DeAngelo Hall
• Randy Moss
• Eric Fisher (#1 overall pick in 2013 draft)
• Tavon Austin (#8 overall pick in 2013 draft)

Athletes First

Main agent(s): David Dunn

David Dunn is no stranger to the business, and has asserted his dominance in the industry for the past three decades. Some may remember Dunn for being the former partner of long-time agent Leigh Steinberg. After their separation, and eventual lawsuit (in which Dunn was mandated to pay a hefty sum of money), many forecasted that Dunn would slowly depart from the business. This couldn’t be further from the truth, and Dunn continues to prove he is still one of the best out there. He recently inked his top-QB client, Aaron Rodgers, to the largest contract for a quarterback in terms of average salary ($22 million per year) and three-year compensation ($62.5 million). Furthermore, Dunn secured Rodgers a whopping $54 million in guaranteed money. In the 2013 draft, Athletes First had a total of 18 players taken with 3 of them going in the first round. Their client, Kenny Vaccaro, was the first player to sign his contract of all the first round draft selections.

Notable current/past clients:

• Aaron Rodgers
• Reggie Wayne
• Wes Welker
• Von Miller
• Clay Matthews
• Ed Reed
• Ray Lewis
• Drew Bledsoe

Bus Cook Sports

Main agent(s): James “Bus” Cook

James “Bus” Cook has been in the agency business for the past two decades, and his list of clients never seems to disappoint. He was Brett Favre’s long-time agent and friend and negotiated the first ever $1 million deal in NFL history for him. Furthermore, Favre earned nearly $100 million in total compensation from Green Bay alone. In 2001, Cook negotiated the largest contract for a non-QB when Randy Moss was signed for 8 years/$75 million. Sticking with the wide receiver theme, Cook is the agent of record for Calvin Johnson who just last year broke numerous milestones with his new contract. Cook secured “Megatron” $53.25 million in fully guaranteed money while the overall extension averaged over $16.2 million according to Joel Corry.

Notable current/past clients:

• Calvin Johnson
• Cam Newton
• Russell Wilson
• Mike Wallace
• Jay Cutler
• Morris Clairborne
• Randy Moss (switched to Joel Segal)
• Brett Favre

References: 

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The company would not say how many jobs are being eliminated. ESPN has about 7,000 employees worldwide. They are expected to layoff several hundred employees, somewhere between the 300-400 mark (including unfilled positions) according to a tweet from James Andrew Miller.

This doesn’t mean that your dreams of working for a mega-sports giant like ESPN are suddenly doomed.

While announcing cuts today, ESPN still plans to expand in other areas. Earlier this month, it revealed that it was forming a network with the Southeastern Conference. The new network will launch in August 2014 under a 20-year agreement.

“We are implementing changes across the company to enhance our continued growth while smartly managing costs. While difficult, we are confident that it will make us more competitive, innovative and productive,” said ESPN.

This layoff process seems more like an out with the old, in with the new approach, which could be due to ESPN’s rising costs for the broadcasting rights to live sports.

This isn’t a new process for companies owned by Disney. In April, they laid off about 150 people at LucasArts, the video-game making division of Lucasfilm, four months after acquiring the company for $4.06 billion.

Disney also laid off about the same number at the movie studio in April.

Photo courtesy of: Media Bistro

The post ESPN Makes Harsh Sports Business Layoffs appeared first on Sports Networker.

If you’re looking to get involved or meeting business professionals who can help you land your next SPORTS JOB, you need to start paying attention and following along.

Every first and third Mondays of the month, they hold theses chats with the hasthtag #SportJC from 8-9 EST. You can get involved by tweeting with #SportJC and answering questions posted by @SportJobChat

Here are some tweets from last night:

Seeing so many industry pros join in on #sportjc tonight was so incredible. The sky is the limit for @sportjobchat. Excited for the future.

— Jonathan Levitt (@JWLevitt) May 21, 2013

It really is crazy how internships can set you up for the next step in your career. Never underestimate the power of one. #sportjc

— Danielle Mayeaux (@DMayeaux18) May 21, 2013

@sportjobchat A4: Go the extra mile during the internship to earn respect & strong letters of recommendation that lead to FT job #SportJC

— Mike Chapman (@Chap91) May 21, 2013

@sportjobchat making sure you stand out from other interns for all the good reasons! Come in early. Leave late. Make an impact!!!

— Hillary Anderson (@topofthe_HILL) May 21, 2013

@sportjobchat don’t put your foot in the door. Blow it open. Professional persistence pays off. #sportjc

— M. Ross (@rosswsusmgt) May 21, 2013

Comment below if you attended or plan on attending another Twitter chat. You can follow us @SportsNetworker

The post #SportJC Hosts Sports Job Twitter Chat appeared first on Sports Networker.

Just like on the field, small market teams need to work hard and be strategic to engage and grow their fan base.

Empires are built on brand loyalty, specifically the loyalty of a franchise’s fan base. With more access to fans and larger markets executing integrated programs, it’s becoming even more difficult for small market teams to do something unique and increase the loyalty of their fan base.

3 Small-Market Teams Developing Great Marketing Activations:

Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City Royals are the quintessential small-market team that hasn’t enjoyed much recent on-field success. However, the Royals have been gaining attention with their social media marketing strategies.

Recently they executed what was a one of a kind experience for the sports industry and could be the blueprint for other organizations to follow.

The #SocialRoyaltyKC campaign idea was that when they reached 100,000 Twitter followers, the Royals would lock their account and launch a special trivia contest in which only their first 100,000 followers could participate.

It’s an interesting strategy. How do you cut through the clutter and best reward your followers with social media marketing? The Royals looked to drive loyalty through a balance of number and special engagement.

Today social loyalty can switch on a dime; it is nice to see that a team is taking time to treat their followers like more than just a number.

Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers have been very busy this year with their activations. At the beginning of the season they launched a program called Design-a-YOUniform, a contest in which fans could design a uniform that was worn during a spring training game.

The crowd sourced program garnered nearly 700 entries and turned the winning entry into an additional revenue stream.

Currently, the Brewers have teamed up with Leinenkugel’s Brewing Company to create a new beer that will be served exclusively at Miller Park. Much like the YOUniform contest they are letting their fans decide the beer’s name through a public vote.

The Brewers have done a great job looking for opportunities to create unique offerings to enhance the fan interaction and experience through their unique activations.

Cleveland Indians

While the Indians are not currently executing any ground breaking promotions, they have taken a unique approach to their marketing strategy. The club began working with the marketing firm, ThinkVine, to build a marketing-mix-modeling system that mimics a market rather than employing actual consumer data.

The Indians built a marketplace of 5,000 simulated consumers living in the greater Cleveland area, factoring in die-hards and others infrequent visitors to Progressive Field. This virtual marketplace has several built in variables that could affect attendance and how much fans are willing to pay for tickets, including weather-forecast data; win/loss record; star players from opposing teams; player injuries; and whether other entertainment options.

These scenarios can help the club determine the best days of the week for particular giveaways and how to be more efficient with media dollars.

It’s not impossible for small market teams to compete with “The Big Boys” but just like on the field it takes some creativity, innovation and great execution.

What small market teams activations do you like? Comment below with your thoughts, then like us on Facebook and follow on us Twitter @SportsNetworker for more Sports Business news and analysis

The post Major League Baseball: Small Markets, Big Activations appeared first on Sports Networker.

NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver said that the time frame for the name change would take about 18 months for the Bobcats to change their name, which means the change would take place in time for the 2014-15 season. From 1988-2002, the Hornets played in Charlotte before being moved to New Orleans.

The name change comes on the heels of the New Orleans Hornets changing their team name to the Pelicans, starting in the 2013-14 season. A reason for Charlotte’s name change could be due to the lack of success that the franchise has experienced as the Bobcats. During the team’s 9-year history, Charlotte has only qualified for the playoffs once. During the 2011-12 season, the Bobcats set the record for the lowest winning percentage in NBA history at .106 during a lockout-shortened season. This past season, the Bobcats continued to struggle, posting a 21-61 record.

Last month, Silver said the process of changing the team’s name would be lengthy and expensive as everything about the franchise would need to be changed, including uniforms, the arena, even the letterhead to the signs on the offices. However, Silver also said that the fact that the league owns the rights to the name Hornets could help speed up the transition process.

In February, Jordan commented on the possible name change in his monthly column on the team’s website

“Judging from the emails you’ve sent me, the opinion seems to be very mixed,” Jordan said. “Some of you have said we should change the name and some of you have said we should not. In fact, a few of you even suggested that we should change the name to something new altogether, and not use Bobcats or Hornets.”

The NBA could possibly vote on the name change when the league’s board of governors meet in July.

The post Charlotte Bobcats Could Revert to Familiar Team Name appeared first on Sports Networker.

Sports Business

Mayweather Tops Sports Illustrated’s List of 50 Richest Athletes in 2013

For the second consecutive year, welterweight boxer Floyd Mayweather topped Sports Illustrated’s annual list of the 50 richest athletes in professional sports. Last year, Mayweather took over the top spot from Tiger Woods, who had held the spot every year since Sports Illustrated began compiling the list in 2004. From just two fights this year and one upcoming fight in September, Mayweather will make at least $90 million in 2013 alone, with the potential to earn up to $128 million.

Rounding out the top five spots respectively is LeBron James ($56.5 million), Drew Brees ($47.8 million), Kobe Bryant ($46.9 million) and Tiger Woods ($40.8 million). Last year, Brees wasn’t even on the list. However, a $37 million signing bonus from his new contract propelled him to the No. 3 spot on the list this year.

Read more here: http://bit.ly/160sgrY

Sports Media

ESPN and Twitter to Join Sports Media Forces

ESPN and Twitter have announced a major deal, in which the social media giant will post sports-related highlight videos on their site, moments after the live action unfolds. The deal should generate advertising revenue for both parties.

Highlights will range from NCAA football to qualifying matches for soccer’s World Cup 2014 to the X Games. Users can view highlights via Twitter’s mobile applications and website, and ESPN will sell ads running inside the video clips, sharing all revenue with Twitter.

ESPN and Twitter first teamed on video highlight trials late last year, recruiting Ford Motor Company to sponsor game-changing moments from the network’s college football broadcasts. ESPN said the highlights were viewed more than 7 million times.

Read more here: http://on.wsj.com/YTOBlz

Sports Marketing

Rookies Learning to Market Themselves in NFL

For NFL rookies, the transition from college to the pros can be a difficult one. At the NFL Players Association Rookie Premiere, Philadelphia Eagles’ rookies Matt Barkley and Zach Ertz are learning how to market themselves to potential sponsors. During the 4-day event, rookies will interact with NFL sponsors such as Topps, Panini, Pepsi NEXT, Nike, EA Sports, Fandeavor, FedEx,

The NFL Players Association was formed in 1994 to help players with potential business opportunities. The average career in the NFL lasts just three years, so it is vital for rookies to understand how they can make themselves more marketable to sponsors in order to earn some extra money outside of their salary.

“This is a great opportunity to extend your networking in a sense and maximize your brand,” said Barkley, who spoke will doing a card-signing event for Google+ Hangout. “As much as the NFL is a $10 billion-a-year franchise, as an individual, you’re in your own business as well.

Read more here: http://bit.ly/10HbYeP

Sports Sponsorship

CSF Gathers the Sponsorship Community in Saskatoon

On May 24–26, the sponsorship and marketing community will gather in Saskatoon for the ninth annual Canadian Sponsorship Forum.

Each year, CSF travels to a new location and partners with one of Canada’s premier sponsorable properties. This year it’s being held in conjunction with the MasterCard Memorial Cup and delegates will get to take in the action for the semi-final and championship games of the tournament. But watching the MasterCard Memorial Cup will be only part of the hockey fun as delegates will also take over the streets of downtown Saskatoon Saturday afternoon May 25th for the inaugural CSF ball hockey tournament!

The closing keynote address will feature Peter Montopoli, General Secretary of the Canadian Soccer Association, retracing the amazing 10-year journey of the Canadian Women’s National Soccer Team program, an “overnight sensation” that was actually 10 years in the making.

Read more here: http://bit.ly/16IWn6U

Sports Jobs

Atlanta Hawks Could Make History

After being ousted by the Indiana Pacers in round one of the NBA playoffs earlier this month, the Atlanta Hawks decided they needed an upgrade over coach Larry Drew. GM Danny Ferry and the Hawks are targeting coaches with NBA experience such as Stan Van Gundy and Nate McMillan, but they may go outside of the box and make NBA history in doing so.

Rumours are speculating in the basketball world that the Hawks are interested in Ettore Messina, the Italian-born coach of CSKA Moscow. If the Hawks were to ink Messina to a deal, he would become the first European-born head coach in NBA history.

Even though Messina is a longshot, the Hawks are still serious in considering him for the position. Ferry recently scouted CSKA Moscow in London at the Euroleague Final Four and Messina isn’t exactly green to how the NBA operates. He spent the 2011-12 season as a part of Mike Brown’s coaching staff with the Los Angeles Lakers. Messina left the NBA to take a $1 million-plus a year job with CSKA Moscow after Brown’s job was in jeopardy.

Read more here: http://yhoo.it/19T57Em

Sports Sales

Nebraska Basketball Tickets Already Sold Out for 2013-14

This fall, the Nebraska Cornhuskers will be moving into a new basketball arena, and fans are excited. So excited in fact, that the athletic department announced on Friday that the public’s allotment for tickets is already sold out for the 2013-14 season. Pinnacle Bank Arena, which will be located in downtown Lincoln, will hold 15,147 for basketball games, and every seat will be full all season long next year.

Public ticket sales rose from 6,917 to 13,500, a 95-percent increase over the course of one season. This marks the first time in school history that Nebraska will enter a season sold out. During last year’s 15-18 season, Nebraska drew an average crowd of 10,352 at the Devaney Sports Center. The new arena has a price tag of $179 million, and is the centerpiece of the West Haymarket Development project, which will include hotels, restaurants, parking and shopping located just a few blocks from the university campus.

Read more here: http://bit.ly/19T6vXp

Sports Technology

NFL Sunday Ticket Included in New ‘Madden’

EA Sports announced a special offer with “Madden NFL 25: Anniversary Edition,” that for $99.99, fans will be able to purchase the game and receive a full season subscription of NFL Sunday Ticket, allowing them to watch every game, every week, no matter where they are in the country. Fans who purchase the game and subscription will be able to watch games on their tablet or mobile device thanks to DirecTV.

EA Sports expects this year’s game to sell out quickly, with only 50,000 copies of the anniversary edition per console (XBOX 360, Playstation 3) available for purchase. In addition, the special edition game will include a 17-week subscription of rare cards for those who play Madden Ultimate Team. Between the game, the cards and the NFL Sunday Ticket subscription, fans will be receiving about $400 worth of content for $99.99.

“We wanted to thank our fans by giving them a way to celebrate all season long,” says Anthony Stevenson, the senior director of marketing for EA Sports. “When you think about the value, this is a no brainer.”

Read more here: http://es.pn/YTRXVZ

The post The Top News In #Sportsbiz – 05.13.13 – 05.20.13 appeared first on Sports Networker.

GM Danny Ferry and the Hawks are targeting coaches with NBA experience such as Stan Van Gundy and Nate McMillan, but they may go outside of the box and make NBA history in doing so.

Rumours are speculating in the basketball world that the Hawks are interested in Ettore Messina, the Italian-born coach of CSKA Moscow.

If the Hawks were to ink Messina to a deal, he would become the first European-born head coach in NBA history.

The ultimate sports job for any basketball coach is to work for an NBA franchise and Messina is no different. He could be defined in the record books as a trail blazer for international coaching and leave his stamp on the game of basketball if the decision is made.

Messina may be a bit of a longshot – with Van Gundy being the Hawks top choice to take the position – but the idea along really brings some excitement into a coaching decision that might be considered rather dull if Messina’s name wasn’t included.

Even though Messina is a longshot, the Hawks are still serious in considering him for the position. Ferry recently scouted CSKA Moscow in London at the Euroleague Final Four and Messina isn’t exactly green to how the NBA operates. He spent the 2011-12 season as a part of Mike Brown’s coaching staff with the Los Angeles Lakers. Messina left the NBA to take a $1 million-plus a year job with CSKA Moscow after Brown’s job was in jeopardy.

It could be an exciting move for basketball if Messina is hired, but it could be a risky one for Atlanta. Let’see what the Hawks decide. Will they go with an NBA coaching vet such as Van Gundy? Or will they ink themselves into the history books and hire Messina?

Photo courtesy of: Ticket2Final

The post Atlanta Hawks Could Make Sports History appeared first on Sports Networker.

The union’s Opening Day average first reached $3 million in 2007, but the average drops during the season as veterans are released and replaced by younger players earning far less. The union’s average at the start of this season was $3,340,133.

The New York Yankees had the highest final average at $7,604,937, down slightly from $7,663,351 when they won the World Series in 2009. Philadelphia rose from eighth to second at $5,662,551. Boston ($4,821,016) remained third, and the Chicago White Sox ($4,580,868) climbed from 12th to fourth followed by the Chicago Cubs ($4,107,304), who dropped from second. Houston ($1,931,793) slid from 11th to 22nd. Pittsburgh was last for the second straight season at $1,140,598. Cleveland ($1,205,210) dropped from 23rd to 29th.

So why is this increase in pay for MLB players dominating sports salaries?

The bottom line is that there is no salary cap in baseball and teams spend like crazy for less than productive players. NFL and NBA have fewer games, and a salary cap so they spend a lot on fewer key players and then try to build “value” players around them, who make as close to league minimum as possible. They sell some of these players on the idea that if they win a championship with them they can hit the free agent market at a higher value and make up the difference.

Free agency did not exist in MLB prior to the end of the reserve clause in the 1970s, allowing owners before that time to wholly dictate the terms of player negotiations and resulting in significantly lower salaries. Babe Ruth, widely regarded as one of the greatest baseball players ever, earned an estimated $910,696 ($13,748,122 inflation-adjusted from 1931 dollars) over his entire playing career.

The average salary for MLB players is $2,866,544 and for NFL players is $1,250,000. But NFL and NBA players usually have shorter careers because of the abuse on their bodies.

So here is something interesting.

An NFL running back’s career is about 8 years and is usually one of the most valued players. An MLB pitcher can last 20 years if they are good. I am a proponent for a salary cap in baseball – I think we would see more people like Longoria earlier and I guess on the downside we would see people like Jamie Moyer retire.

The highest paid player in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the 2012 season is New York Yankees‘ third baseman Alex Rodriguez with an annual salary of $30,000,000, nearly $6 million higher than the second-highest paid player, Vernon Wells. MLB does not have a hard salary cap, instead employing a luxury tax which applies to teams whose total payroll exceeds certain set thresholds for a given season.

Let’s not forget that MLB players receive extra compensation if their teams make it to the playoffs. As baseball fans, we’d like to think that our favorite players are desperate to make the playoffs out of an undying competitive spirit that they’ve had since they were toddlers. But of course, that is not the case.

Fans sometimes forget that all players receive a playoff bonus, with the amount of the bonus determined by how far their team travels in the postseason. All the gate receipts from “required” playoff games (those that must be played even if one team sweeps)  are combined into one giant pot and divided proportionately among all playoff teams once the season is over. (Forbes.com provides a breakdown of the percentages.)

The farther a team makes it in the playoffs, the bigger their split of the money. (Even second-place clubs that didn’t make the playoffs get a cut.) Players then vote amongst themselves to decide who gets a share of their team’s winnings. For superstars with bigger contracts, the purse from the playoffs amounts to chump change. But for many baseball players, an extra $50,000 or so can be an awfully nice perk. An argument could be made that MLB players don’t really do that much on the field. For the most part if they’re not hitting, their just standing around in the infield and outfield right? Wrong!

If you only watch baseball on TV they don’t show you that every player on defense is required to move to a position on every play even if they are not in the play.

• A center fielder  actually starts into a sprint or break on every pitch and there are about 150 of those a game.
• A catcher runs out every ground ball with the runner (if no one is on base), the right fielder does the same, unless the ball is hit to the right side then he backs up the infielder – everyone goes to a position or backs up a position on every ball.

Also try running to center field and back to the dugout 18 times a game… They do work hard, and don’t forget the hardest thing to do in all sports is hit a 96 mph fastball. Is this worth the pay? I think it comes down to winning.

• Does the player give your team a better chance to win?
• How much is winning a Major League Baseball game worth?

Well to some teams it is worth a lot more than to others.  We find the average cost per win by dividing the total payroll of a team by the number of wins that team acquired over the season.

The Yankees spent the most money per win at $2.08 Million while the Oakland Athletics got their wins for dirt cheap at about $590,000 per win. The average MLB team spent about $1.22 Million per win in 2012.  So what do all of these figures tell us? Well, besides looking pretty, they don’t tell us a whole lot just yet. Because the scale is vastly different (a max of $198 Million dollars compared to a max of 162 wins just doesn’t give us two very comparable figures),   we must look instead to how well each team did compared to the league average.

The average number of wins in Major League Baseball for 2012 was 81.  Some teams obviously did better and some did worse.  The Nationals had the best record in the Majors which put their win total at 21% above the league average – pretty impressive.  The Astros had the league’s worst record at a paltry 32% below the league average.

Lastly we want to look at the amount of salary paid out above or below the league average. The Yankees spent an astonishing 102% more than the league average on salary which netted them 17% more wins than average.  Not exactly a 1-1 ratio but they play in a competitive division. The Padres spent 44% less money on salary in 2012 but only saw a difference of -6% wins off league average.  Hey, they aren’t spending money, but they aren’t losing as much as we’d expect either.

Ok, so its clear that spending a lot of money will get you wins, but not all the time. Generally, going cheap on payroll will mean a losing season but not every time either. More important than salary or superstars is a team’s ability to draft well, groom young players in the minors, and understand which players are worth the money and which aren’t.

That is easier said than done.

Comment below, like Sports Networker on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @SportsNetworker

The post Should Major League Baseball Players Get Paid This Much Money? appeared first on Sports Networker.

Sports is no different. The second a big highlight play happens or an athlete is involved in some kind of ordeal or scandal, we’re immediately in the know as fans.

Sports franchises and athletes now use the power or the web – more specifically in the form of social media – to enhance their brands, names and popularity.

Prime time athletes such as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Cristiano Ronaldo, Tim Tebow and Nick Swisher use social media such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to give their followers an up to the minute look into their lives.

Tweets, posts or photos may contain personal information such as a player’s favourite song or “the tune they be feelin’” to photos of women they find attractive to jokes or their personal opinions on how their team is doing.

Sometimes the power of social media can be a good thing. Athletes can immediately let their fans know about charitable foundations they may be involved with and get important information out to millions in a matter of seconds.

However, the reverse is possible. An athlete may rant on their account about a situation that may have best been saved for closed doors and receive a hefty fine for doing so.

Kobe Bryant frequently tweeted about what he thought his team should be doing during their first round playoff match-up against the San Antonio Spurs and received more attention then the series itself (becoming a distraction to your team isn’t a good move by a team’s leader) – which he also turned into a tweet:

“I see my tweeting during the game is being talked about as much as the game itself. Not my intention , just bored as I guess #notagain”

Ronaldo – who has more followers on Twitter then any other athlete – is an avid poster of photos to his fans prior to and after his matches. The photos help build his network of followers which in turn helps his brand grow and it really gives his followers a behind the scenes look into his celebrity life style, which is pretty cool.

None of this would have been possible before the web and social media. You used to have to wait a month before colour photo spreads would be published in magazines or if you were lucky you’d get to see one great shot in a newspaper the day after a big game occurred.

Now, up to the second footage, photos, highlights and more springboard their way onto our computer screens seconds after they occur and make us feel like we’re part of the event.

The power of social media is an amazing thing and it continues to grow. As new, more innovative sites are developed, athletes continue to jump on-board and give the world a look into their lives, which is fine by me, because sometime they really do have something interesting to say, which is probably a better read then your pal @joeschmo who tweets about his new favourite coffee flavour or how much he hates his neighbour’s dog.

You can follow me on Twitter @BryanMcwilliam or find me on Facebook. LinkedIn is also a big favourite of mine, so hit me up on there to talk sports, sports business or just to chat about writing.

Comment below, like Sports Networker on Facebook and make sure to follow us @SportsNetworker

The post The Power of Social Media in Sports appeared first on Sports Networker.

Sucking up isn’t the only way

Contrary to popular demand there are many alternatives to sucking up that will put you ahead of the game and help you gain traction within your company and with your managers.

In fact with the way people see through each other more and more nowadays unless your boss is one who eats that type of behavior up I would say it’s altogether a terrible strategy for “climbing the ladder.”

Today I offer you tips of the trade that have helped me rise in my career and what I have seen from others in related industries.  These tricks of the trade can carry over from a small business of three to a Fortune 500 company.  It also doesn’t matter if you are in accounting, video production, sales, or broadcasting… there is a certain way you can go about your trade regardless of your department that will help you become a more and more valuable employee every single day!

1. Yes, it is your job

Don’t ever utter the words “That’s not my job” ever again.  If you are working for a company and they ask you about something it is your job.  Those that believe that’s not my job are essentially telling their management that they are fine to work 9 to 5, punching the clock, getting a 1% raise every two to three years, and working until the day they have to move into a retirement home.

It is your job to help find a solution if you want to prove yourself worthy.  You may not have a clue about the question or it may not be your department but you don’t answer with “not my problem.”  If it is a simple task that you know you can accomplish correctly then just take care of it and do it.  If it’s a more complicated quest then you have a few options: you can politely let them know your area of expertise and how you could certainly work on it but may need some guidance, or you can find someone who will handle that request for you, or you can find a partial solution.

There’s no one way to handle it other than not saying “That’s not my job.”

2. It’s a race to the top not to the bottom: Prove your value

Seth Godin, aka the smartest marketer alive, has often said that if you want to race to the bottom then try to compete and sell on lowest price but if you want to race to the top then compete on value.

Just the same with your upper management…prove your value each and every day.  There are certain tasks that a blind cat could do for your company.  Don’t get yourself lumped in as someone who can only accomplish those tasks.  Make it a goal every single day to do some incredibly tough and thought provoking work for your company.  Show that you are there to go to the top and not get dragged down to the bottom.

Examples of this may include:

1. Innovative solutions to current problems
2. More efficient ways to get difficult tasks accomplished
3. New programs that will create employee excitement
4. Out of office ideas to built team rapport and loyalty, etc.

The more value you create the further you will go in life.  If you continue to create value and it’s not appreciated don’t get frustrated.  You are gaining plenty of experience for when you decide to fire the company you work for and go to one that will truly acknowledge and recognize the valuable work you are putting forth each and every day.

3. Stand Out

Hot Dog Stand Marketing is my creation of how I believe we need to treat customers, clients, and people in the coming decades.  One thing we need to do is stand out completely from all competition if we want to succeed.

What are you doing to stand out??

Have you offered to lead a meeting?  Are you writing a weekly newsletter or blog with industry related ideas?  Have you brought a new way of thinking to attract more business or new customers? Brought the negativity and gossip to a head and turned it into positive engaging conversation?  Refused to engage in inner office gossip?  Joined a club to help you get better out of your own time?

Think about your current situation and what you are doing.  If nothing comes to mind it’s time to think about some of the above ideas and what you can do.

And you are right.  These are hard and time consuming projects.  But if we want to stay ahead of the game, gain traction, and be valuable then that is what you need to do.  The days of getting ahead just by showing up to work on time are long gone!

4. Volunteer

Volunteer your time, your thoughts, your ideas, and yourself as much as possible.  When something needs help…you are the one to help it.  It will set you leaps and bounds apart from those that cower their heads in their desk every time something that needs doing gets asked to be done.

5. Be Yourself

People recognize fake and lack of authenticity.  The most important thing you can do every day is simply be yourself.  Don’t fall for the anecdote that “this is who they want me to be so I’ll do it.”

You are special, you are excellent at what you do, and you should be confident in that.  You are bringing a different perspective to the table every single day you set foot in that office.  Just because you don’t like the same music, spend your evenings differently, or don’t care to engage in the same activities as your upper management doesn’t mean you should conform.  They’ll respect your value that you bring to the gig, and if they don’t as I said before, you’ll be able to gain lots of experience before letting them know they’ve been released of their duties as being your employer.

The #1 most important action that I have taken every day that has me ready to enter my 12th year of 100% commission sales this June is to be myself.  If I am anything else I am doing myself and all those around me a disservice and my work won’t be as great as it could be.

The employee of the year award is nice, but it’s not necessary.  Your goal is to get ahead of the game and stay ahead of the game.  To gain traction by doing difficult and valuable work that no one else in your company does and that your upper management can’t do without.

You want to be known as being trusted, dedicated, innovative, intelligent, positive, and a true go getter.

You can do the difficult work and climb to the top or you can do the easy work that makes an employee easily replaceable and go for a race to the bottom.

The answer to me is easy.  I’m sure you agree with me, but know that it won’t be the most popular or easy way.

But in the end you, whatever you represent, and the world at large will be the winner because of what you accomplished.  And that should make any person sleep good at night!

Thanks for reading everyone!  Want more tips in putting action steps to these or have any to add?? Hit me up on my facebook page HERE or tweet us at SportsNetworker or leave your comments below.

Have a great day all, Carpe Diem!

The post How to Stay Ahead of the Game and Gain Traction With Your Company appeared first on Sports Networker.