Ah, Thanksgiving… Family. Turkey. Beer. Pumpkin pie. And football. For me, Thanksgiving is a day to spend with people I love, and to take a step back to think about all the things I have to be thankful for. What are you thankful for? At the top of my list are good health, happiness, family,…
Tag Archives | ESPN
Taking Control of Your Content
It all started on October 29th during a game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Milwaukee Bucks. Minnesota Center Kosta Koufos missed an open jumper. Several players, including the Wolves’ Kevin Love and Wes Johnson, went for the rebound. Love was hacked, sending him to the free throw line. As Love prepared to take his…
LeBron James Shares New Image Through Nike Ad
Before you read further, watch Nike’s latest commercial, “Rise,” featuring LeBron James.
The Background
Since most of you already know the story, I’ll make this as quick as I can. Feel free to skip through if you know the background. The last four or five months have been interesting for the King. After seven years in Cleveland and no championship rings, LeBron James decided it was time to leave.
In a prime time ESPN event called The Decision, LeBron announced to the world that he would be “taking [his] talents to South Beach” to play for the Miami Heat. Cavs fans were furious, their hometown hero (LBJ is from Akron, Ohio) was leaving them, having never delivered the championship he promised.
Basketball fans from all over were upset as well, mainly with how LeBron decided to handle the announcement. Even though the money raised during the show was then donated to the Boys & Girls Club of America, most thought it was a pretentious and selfish way to announce his decision.
Throughout the offseason, LeBron has come under a lot of fire. He’s been called out for quitting on his team in the playoffs, for leaving Cleveland, for The Decision. Dan Gilbert, the Cavs’ owner, publicized a nasty letter about LeBron.
Recently, LBJ came out and said he thought that all of the backlash from The Decision was partially a race issue, and that if he were of a different skin color, none of this would have been a big deal. Also, in the past few weeks, LeBron has retweeted several hateful and derogatory tweets, examples of messages he says he receives every day.
In the end, LeBron’s image has changed from a beloved NBA superstar, a hometown hero, and possibly the one-day greatest basketball player of all time to the biggest villain in the league (yes, above Kobe, he’s going to get booed everywhere he goes), a selfish superstar who betrayed his city for more money (smaller contract, bigger endorsements), more fame, and an easier championship ring.
ESPYs Allow Fan Voters to Draw Emotional Appeal
The ESPYS were a night that highlighted the perseverance of individuals, the resurrection of towns, and the voice of the people in a collective environment.
LeBron’s Exulted Brand Takes Detour
I swore to myself before the start of the NBA free-agency period that I wouldn’t write about LeBron James. Sports media are putting in enough hours of coverage about his team status, for all of us.
I realized, however, that I work in and write about sports publicity and PR, and since James announced he would share his intentions of what team he’ll join for the next few years in an hour-long broadcast on ESPN, his story became a good PR/bad PR story.
Interview with Coach Steve Lavin
My exclusive interview with Steve Lavin, former UCLA Men’s head basketball coach and ESPN college basketball analyst. He is now the new head coach at St John’s University in NYC. Steve and I have known each other for 14 years. I sat down with Steve at his home in Marina del Ray, California to discuss…
Does the future of sports media belong to ESPN?
For the last few decades, ESPN has been the unquestioned “Worldwide Leader in Sports.” What started as a Connecticut based, Connecticut focused, 24-hour sports network has now become more than ten popular channels across the world (including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN News, ESPN Classic, and ESPN Deportes) and a highly-trafficked website (ESPN.com) devoted to delivering the…
Sports Business Weekly Buzz
Time buy would move AVP to ESPN and ABC By Terry Lefton & John Ourand The AVP is close to finalizing a deal with ESPN, ending an association with NBC that dates to 1990. As part of the time-buy agreement, ABC would carry four events, while ESPN2 will carry the rest of the AVP’s schedule,…
Sports Business Weekly Buzz
Jobs Unveils ‘iPad,’ Fate of Universe Still In Doubt By Gavin O’Malley As scheduled, Apple debuted its highly anticipated tablet device on Wednesday — for many, representing the dawn of a new age in media consumption. Christened the “iPad,” the device is expected to be available in March for a (surprisingly low) minimum price of…
Sports Business Weekly Buzz
Leverage, Top Rank partner for boxing upfront presentation By Jon Show The Leverage Agency and Top Rank will partner this Saturday on what they are calling the first advertising and sponsorship upfront in the history of boxing. Other boxing promoters and networks like ESPN aggregate the rights to multiple fights as part of advertising and…
Sports Business Weekly Buzz
ESPN 3D to show soccer, football, more Sports broadcasting will enter a new dimension in 2010…the third dimension, as ESPN will unveil the industry’s first 3-D network. ESPN 3D will showcase a minimum of 85 live sporting events during its first year beginning June 11 with the first 2010 FIFA World Cup match, featuring South…
Sports Images Take a Beating, Making Effective PR All the More Important
The sports industry has been fraught with public relations challenges the past 10 days. When I began to form this post in my head, the “only” examples were Michael Vick, Brett Favre, Plaxico Burress and Major League Baseball. Today I add to that the National Football League and ESPN. What could be more appropriate for…