“But what, exactly, is the assertion behind “overpaid?” Most who say it simply mean that “athletes make too much money,” an understandable opinion. Eight-and-nine-figure paydays for top athletes may be too much for some of our comfort, but as far as being paid more than they’re due … most aren’t.”
“With Emmert’s backing, the N.C.A.A.’s board of directors, composed of college and university presidents agreed to make it permissible for Division I schools to pay their athletes a $2,000 stipend. When I saw Emmert in November, shortly after the new rule went into effect, I told him that the stipend struck me as a form of payment to the players. He visibly stiffened. “If we move toward a pay-for-play model — if we were to convert our student athletes to employees of the university — that would be the death of college athletics,” Emmert retorted. “Then they are subcontractors. Why would you even want them to be students? Why would you care about their graduation rates? Why would you care about their behavior?” No, he insisted, the extra $2,000 was an effort to increase the value of the scholarships, which some studies estimate falls on average about $3,500 short of the full cost of attending college annually.”
“2011 was an intense year for women in sports. While we’re looking forward to more excitement in 2012 (including the Olympics!), let’s also take a look back on this year’s top five most memorable moments in women’s athletics, good and bad.”
“The NBA season tipped off on Christmas day, which meant a return to the spotlight for LeBron James and the Miami Heat. As you probably know, LeBron James generated controversy–not to mention numerous headlines–last season with his decision to publicly jilt the Cleveland Cavaliers in favor of the Miami Heat. In the process, LeBron’s personal brand evolved substantially from a fan favorite, to a villain, to a gradually “rehabbed” image this off-season. There are a number of lessons that are relevant to business owners seeking to build a strong personal brand in 2012. Below are three of the most important.”
“After all the talk of a broken system and badly needed overhauls in the league, Saturday’s resolution produced one odd result: Fans won’t notice much of a difference.”
“You have to love Mark Cuban, even if you can’t stand the Dallas Mavericks. The man is all about the future, and his instincts are spot on. Okay, so maybe NBA commissioner David Stern isn’t so fond of the oft-fined Mavs’ owner, but if you appreciate business creativity, you must value Cuban.” - A second week in a row with an article about Cuban, but that just speaks to his business genius.
“The night has three honorees: Karen Brodkin, Senior Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs for Fox Sports Media Group; Susan Rosenbluth, Senior Vice President of AEG Live/Goldenvoice; and Amy Stanton, Founder of Stanton and Company, LLC.”
“Mark Cuban may have purchased the Dallas Mavericks as a frustrated fan. And, considering his passion for the game, he may have a “basketball heart.” But it’s his business acumen—with its emphasis on the steadfastness of his front-office team—that many CEOs can relate to.”
“WE ARE! Losing Money. As the Jerry Sandusky scandal continues to unfold at Penn State University, many people assumed that the Penn State brand — known nationally as pristine and rule abiding — would take a hit. Although probably few guessed that the hit would be this big, this fast.”
“‘Title IX is useful in a lot of ways, but it’s not fully responsible for the revolution in sports. It can’t be the only tool we use to address gender and equality in society,’ says Michael Messner, who teaches at the University of Southern California.”
“The site encompasses the most popular sports in the world, which include soccer, cricket, football, baseball, basketball, tennis, lacrosse, golf, hockey, rugby, field hockey, and others. The site is configured for top level domains, and language translation in the largest global markets from China and Russia to Canada and Brazil.”
When Mark Cuban bought the Dallas Mavericks, they went from NBA laughing stock to perennial winners literally overnight. (Check the win-loss record for the year Cuban bought the team. It will blow your mind.)
One of the many things Cuban brought to the organization that helped turn it around was a “No Excuses” policy. What made this powerfully effective is that he applied this policy to himself as the owner. [click to continue…]
Chris McKinney is the president of SPORTS LAUNCH™, a career services firm dedicated to helping college students and career-changers launch sports careers. Chris' new book, How to Land Your First Job in Sports: 7 Simple Steps can be found on www.SportsLaunch.net.
Earlier this week, we had a vote for the top sports social media professional of 2010, and it garnered over 2000 votes. As voting wraps up today, we’ve decided to another one for the top sports business online resources of 2010. We’ve narrowed it down to these links, but if there’s one we’ve missed, let us know in the comments below, and if it attracts enough traction, we’ll gladly add it to the list. Read more about each nominee below the fold.
The Twitter infatuation has quickly spread to the world of professional sports, and the number of athletes using the service is growing daily. Through tweeting, athletes can connect and engage fans, build up their personal brand, grow and nurture their fan base, and even ask for help! Fans who grew up idolizing their favorite stars now have a chance to interact with them, and offer them advice and support. I complied a list of the top 10 NBA ballers (in no particular order) you should all be following on Twitter, because they are what makes the NBA “Where Twitter Happens.”
Shaq (A.K.A Shaqtus, The Diesel, The Big Aristotle…) is one of the NBA’s most popular all time players. Following 585 accounts, his 2,911,684 followers make him the most popular baller on Twitter. Though he doesn’t tweet every day, he is known to interact with his followers, and even uses the live broadcasting service Ustream. After all, how can you not follow someone with a bio that reads “Very quotatious. I perform random acts of Shaqness“. [click to continue…]
Reuven is a fourth year student at Marquette University, earning degrees in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. He hopes to create sports marketing initiatives that drive value while focusing on charitable causes. Reuven lived in three countries and visited 13 total. He prides himself on being fluent in Hebrew, Russian, and English. People and idea lover. Connect with Reuven on Twitter @ReuvenFridmar
If you are a basketball lover then you have to know the name Mark Cuban. It is a name that resonates with the NBA as he is one of the most recognized franchise owners, someone who cares about the well being of his players and organization, an extremely dynamic individual, and all around great business man.
Although he has led the Dallas Mavericks to become a dominating team from one that was lacking before he was the owner, the deal almost did not come to fruition. He almost bought another professional sports team in a completely different sport. Watch this brief video from good friend Brian Cuban (brother of Mark) below to learn the behind the scenes scoop on what really went down.
What are your thoughts about this deal? Do you think Mark should have bought the other franchise, or do you think Dallas is lucky to have such a great owner? Be sure to follw both Mark and Brian on Twitter as they always have interesting things to say.
There is no better way to learn how to excel in business than to learn from those that have been there and done that. Here's what you get inside the FREE Sports Job Guide:
** Get Access To The Top Sports Job Boards **
** Advice From Successful Sports Business Pros **
** Learn How To Land Your Dream Job In Sports! **
BONUS - Download The Sports Job Guide To Get An Exclusive Offer To Join Sports Executives Association For Only $4.95 For The First 30 Days (Save 80%)
FOLLOW US