Once Upon A Time I loved a show

I must admit I am a fan of ABC’s new show Once Upon A Time. The show is about many fairy tale characters we know and love and how the evil which has trapped them in an alternate realm (today’s society) where they have forgotten who they were and from which they came; All because Snow White stole the witches happiness. How and why has yet to be determined, however, the show is developing the premise and the characters of the show on a consistent basis. I must say my favorite thing about the show is the acting. I am always surprised at how deep into the character many of the actors go. For instance, the wicked witch has the most believable negative attitude I have seen in a TV sitcom or series in quite some time. She makes me hate her with passion on some episodes and on others I fall in love with her dark sadistic tactics and tone.

Most of my guy friends ragged on me and made fun until they saw the show for themselves. After that they were hooked just as I was. In fact, my friends and me found out about the show through watching Monday Night Football. I guess since Disney owns ESPN and it is also an ABC affiliate, the station was running recurring 30 second commercials during the football games to generate a buzz and recruit the adult male demographic. In this case the marketing through sports was successful. The show comes on Sundays at 8pm Eastern Time and for some reason I’m always too busy. To be honest, I DVR the show and when a game is on that I do not want to watch because one team is overmatched or just getting blown out, I flip to the show and catch up on what I missed from the previous week. However, if they were looking to appeal to the average sports fan that watches Football, then they were successful in recruiting me.

Madden NFL 2012 Review

In the event you are looking for an alternative to first person shooter, or adventure games, Madden NFL 2012 would prove to be a wise choice. For starters, as far as the experience you get from viewing the standard gameplay is concerned, the graphics and color detail are nearly next to real life. Not too much has changed as far as game controls. However, kicking the ball for field goals and extra points may be an initial challenge for beginners. For the most part, to maximize the games full capability it requires awareness, timing and overall, patience. You’re not just going to play this game once and call yourself a master at it. In fact, the computer IQ is another thing this game has going for it. I’ve played the game since I was 12 and long gone are the days where you could do a HB Draw up the middle for twenty yards every down. I mainly play it on the Playstation3 Console but the XBOX360 version is mainly the same.

Overall I give the game a 9 out of 10 rating. There’s not too much more they could have done with it. Much of the games foundation is nearly set in stone each year. The game is one of the most consistent marketing and sponsorship tools for the NFL. It generates interests and informs fans on every facet of the teams and players associated. The endorsement of John Madden by Electronic Arts, helps gamers and fans of the NFL continue to identify with the Hall of Fame coach and long-time NFL analyst, years after he retired.
         The main updates and changes usually consist of roster shifts like trades and free agency. I like to update and save the rosters according to the changes that have taken place in real like. So if a player is cut from a team, I remove them from the team’s roster and save it before playing. This is a major factor for experienced gamers who want to level the playing field in an exhibition or season mode. In fact, there are various modes where you can create players, playbooks, and teams, for the sake of developing a dynasty in the games dynasty mode, which stretches over the course of 20 years.

In the end if you are looking for something to jolt the old competitive spirit then this games for you.

The Media: Is it Truly Objective and Legitimate in its Coverage of Sports?

In light of recent technological advancements in mass communications, media rights and credentials have undergone a facelift in the sports industry. What I mean is the image, integrity and objectivity of the press is long gone. Although there are traditional journalists and media professionals out there, they are no longer the rule but perhaps the exception. In an era where sports bloggers are allowed clearance into locker rooms, and team meetings, it is not uncommon for integrity and the facts to be dismissed on behalf of more hits on a web page or more twitter followers. Today, many reporters and journalists do not perform the task of confirming the accuracy of their sources. In fact, many of them even make up false rumors about a team or player just to get attention from fans, and colleagues. For example, the Mike Wise twitter rumor that took place in 2010. Ken Fang writes, “

[Mike Wise of the Washington Post thought it would be a good idea to put some fake news on Twitter just to see the reaction. The idea according to Wise would be that other reporters would fail to vet his Tweet and he would be able to say, “I told you so.” The only problem that while other reporters did quote his Tweet, Wise eventually revealed on Twitter and his DC radio show that he made the whole thing up] (2010).

Although, Wise winded up with egg on his face in the end, this speaks volumes as to how easy it is to manipulate the press and discredit its integrity. With the use of twitter, facebook and other social media outlets the media has ran into a situation where teams are beginning to question how viable of a commodity they are to them. Dallas Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban, illustrates this view of the press in a recent blog post,

[I’m going to make this short and sweet. In the year 2011, I’m not sure I have a need for beat writers from ESPN.com, Yahoo, or any website for that matter to ever be in our locker room before or after a game.  I think we have finally reached a point where not only can we communicate any and all factual information from our players and team directly to our fans and customers as effectively as any big sports website, but I think we have also reached a point where our interests are no longer aligned. I think those websites have become the equivalent of paparazzi rather than reporters] (2011).

With many new stadiums and arenas built with luxury press boxes, teams are always interested in justifying their expense by allowing more credentials for the media. In my opinion if teams have a negative outlook on bloggers and reporters than they should not go out of their way to legitimize them. Many credentials are given to reporters and bloggers alike without any distinction or separation of the two professions.

[Credentialed bloggers usually enjoy the same access as a newspaper or radio reporter on a game night: a seat in the press box, fresh popcorn and access to the teams' dressing rooms for postgame interviews. They cover the game, pass information to their audience, and have done so for the last several years without many incidents of unprofessional behavior, despite approaching the coverage from a fan's perspective] (Wyshynski, 2011).

In the end credentials in the media are not what they used to be. My opinion is that teams and organizations should thoroughly choose and legitimize which reporters and journalists give them the most objective analysis. Regardless, whether they write for a blog, TV network, radio station or newspaper. 

It's Bigger Than Football...It's Bigger than Legacy.

Recently, Penn State University found itself on the other side of "honor with success". It has been reported that over 12 years ago sexual acts with a minor by former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, were conducted and witnessed.  Which resulted in the abuse of eight boys over a 15-year period starting in 1994.

This is a major issue in sports and by far one of the biggest tort violations in history. Formally, torts are civil wrongs other than breaches of contracts for which the remedies are typically, but not always, monetary compensation. When someone commits a "tort," they have violated a non-negotiated, societal rule (http://www.lawpreview.com/index.php/Torts/). It is perceived that the humane thing for anyone to do in a situation of sexual abuse or misconduct is to call the police and relieve the employee of their duties.

Under the Clery Act, colleges and universities must disclose criminal offenses on campus each year. Instead Penn State went up the chain of command in which coach Joe Paterno was notified and then he told his Athletic Director and the School President. As a result, instead of notifying the authorities, the school remained tight-lipped about the incident and years later Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, the school’s vice president for business and finance, were charged with perjury and failure to report the allegations. Curley and Schultz each face up to seven years in prison if convicted.

I remember when I was growing up my mother would always say “what happens in the dark will eventually come towards the light.” Meaning you can’t rely on keeping something a secret or hidden for too long without it exposing itself as the cause or definitive action which defines your moral character. After over 50 years of coaching at Penn State, it is sad that Joe Paterno’s legacy will potentially be defined by his unwillingness to protect the victims in this case. Parents around the world put their trust in that man and that institution and Instead he protected what he thought was the best interest in the university. Look what happened as a result of that. Players are already de-committing to the school and many parents are in a collective uproar. I am sure civil liabilities cases may soon follow this disappointing and shameful event. As far as Paterno, he has acquired legal defense, but the shame of his reputation may prove far more damning in the end. In my opinion, this is the biggest legal issue in sports to date. Along with the loss of scholarships and revenue a reputation of honor with success has been stripped from the university. This story is bigger than football and it should touch the souls of each human being. We have a responsibility to ourselves to not condone these acts and to prevent them from presenting themselves again in the future.

C'Mon NCAA, Pay to Play

I will admit I love playing video games as much as any other gamer. In fact my favorite genre is sports gaming, particularly games created by EA Sports. My all time favorite is John Madden Football. The game that is runner-up to that one is NCAA Football. Though both games deal with the same sport, it’s not surprising that many of them do not pay the players for the right to use their name and likeness.

This creates a major problem for many current and former players of college sports who feel that they should be compensated fairly for the use of their image and legacy.  Ed O’Bannon former UCLA forward who helped lead the school to a national championship in 1995, is one player who’s currently involved in a suit with the NCAA about this very thing. In 2009, O’Bannon filed a class action lawsuit seeking to stop the NCAA from licensing the images and likenesses of former college athletes in DVDs, photographs and other products.

According to the lawsuit, the NCAA has improperly benefited from using former Division I football and basketball players’ images even after they stopped playing and seeks an injunction to stop the practice.

It also seeks damages and an accounting of the money made by the NCAA from past licensing. In addition, the lawsuit says the NCAA has violated antitrust laws by not allowing athletes to negotiate their own licensing deals.

In my opinion, this is an unfair move by the NCAA to make even more money off the backs of student athletes. To be honest, many players are not even graduating from many of these sports programs. Instead they are usually on the team for one or two years then it’s off to the pros. Considering that trend, one has to ask how much is the education they are getting actually worth, if they can easily choose getting paid over sticking college out for two or three more years.

If the players for top-notch NCAA teams are not going to get paid per game, I believe they should at least be able to market their image and likeness to the public. It’s as if the NCAA is trying to own these guys completely. I’m talking mind body and soul. These players’ pictures, and legacies are being sold over and over and they cannot make a profit off of it. No wonder you have situations like you had at North Carolina, where players received benefits and most recently the Terrell Pryor tattoo and memorabilia debacle at Ohio State. My heart goes out to these guys and I’m in full support of their right to fight the NCAA on this particular issue. Some players can’t even pay their phone bills or car insurance on their own. It’s a violation if they receive money or favors to help finance such things.That is a crime if you ask me, to bind a person to one entity with the sole promise of a free education makes me shake my head in frustration as to how many can think players are getting a fair deal by the NCAA. 

A Chit Chat Interview with James McQuage

I recently interviewed James McQuage for about 45 minutes in an effort to gain further insight into the sports and media production industry. I chose Mcquage for this interview due to his background in sports broadcasting. He is an experienced professional with expertise in video editing. In fact, he was once the lead editor for the WHIO-TV news in Dayton, Ohio. Currently, he is in his second year with ESPNU working as a production log editor or logger for many of their collegiate sports events.

A graduate from UNC-Pembroke, James and I attended the same university and both received bachelor’s degree’s under the same major department, Mass Communications. He is an active freelance videographer and editor.  McQuage also completes projects for colleagues, friends, and family who all seek his highly recommended editing skills. Before I started asking questions, we took a moment to reminisce about our history together. I told him that it was great to see him doing what he loves to do. When we were in our senior year, James was excited to get into the professional broadcasting industry. In fact, he was interviewed by ESPN that year for a similar position to one that he currently holds; we both found it to be a bit ironic. Now that time has passed and my own interest in working in sports has increased dramatically. If possible I would also like to join him someday at ESPN. It is this reason for which I told him I wanted to ask him questions that specifically pertained to his experience in the industry so far. The topics I wanted to include revolved around his passion for his job, his interests in sports, as well as his day-to-day operations and professional outlook.

         The first thing that I wanted to know in the interview was, “What personal qualities are important to being successful at your profession?” Mcquage answered, “Time awareness is vital to logging a live game. Being punctual, I guess, is a better way to say it. The atmosphere is very social so blending in is also important quality a candidate should have. ” I asked him “On a typical what do you do at your profession that enables you to meet your company’s expectations of your position?” To which he answered, “Its great because on a regular day, all I have to do is watch ESPN and keep an eye on college sports. Know how to say someone’s name is important.”

At this point I was excited to learn more about his profession and what part of his job did he find most satisfying and what parts were most challenging? James mentioned, “With sports entertainment I think the most satisfying is the most challenging. I mean there is nothing like logging the big game, being in charge of keeping ESPNU updated, so they can have the fastest turnover of highlights and replays as any other station. It is stressful but its great.”

Although the economy is in a downward spiral, I wanted to know how his company and his position were affected by it and what was his outlook for the future? James replied, “The current economics is great for sports. More folks are at home watching sports and our rating have never been higher. We are the fasting growing branch of ESPN. We will be adding more logging station, which consist of 3 monitors, 2 computers, high definition recording station, also including the software. We have recently updated to a new Avid Assist, which gives us a quicker turnover time from live game time to Avid live recording feed. The turnover is quicker by 5 seconds. I can only suspect our turnover time will get better which will make us ever faster with the replays, and live cut ins.” 

At this point the interview was coming to a close and it was time for him to return back to his job. Before letting him go I proceeded to ask him one last question, which was, what special advice would you give a person entering this field? With a short sigh and chuckle he answered, “To be a logger you have to practice. I would say start off by writing the main players of each play over 10 yards in a football game. The main things are Who, What, and how long. Also, note the time of the game in which it happened the better you get, note the time of day it happened. Our recordings are live so we record on the time of day.”

Ultimately, I felt like the interview was a success one. It left me with more of a respect for his position and others that are behind the scenes at ESPN. 

Social Media Analysis: Stephen A. Smith

Stephen A. Smith is a sports journalists for ESPN whom I have had an interest in working with for over 5 years. I find his analysis of the NBA and NFL entertaining and informative. Through the use of social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter, it is easier to stay on top of what's next from him professionally. He has a twitter account which he updates daily with at least a tweet or two to fans, players and colleagues. In this video I analyze his social media presence over the internet and offer a few opinions on how I could be of use to his career.  

How's Sports Holding Up Despite A Down Economy

It is not uncommon these days for sports teams to struggle making money. As a country, we are in a recession, some might call it a depression but nevertheless many people are still supporting their favorite teams. In a recent article by Charles Davidson, Atlanta Federal Reserve Staff Writer, he mentions many ways how the sports industry still accumulates a heavy fan following, despite the down economy. However though loyalty still remains for some pro teams and major universities, teams and schools in smaller markets are hit harder by the economic downturn. This paper will shed light on Davidson’s information as well as offer some creative ways teams can attract fans.

According to Davidson (2009), “Sports as an industry, especially the most high-profile leagues and franchises, is weathering the downturn comparatively well. Even as unemployment has risen dramatically—more than tripling in Florida, for instance, from July 2006 to July 2009—many people are still spending at least some money on sports”. In the south football is a passionate and emotional release for many fans. In 2008 five Southeastern Conference schools brought in a collective $303 million dollars. Which resulted in ESPN and CBS paying the conference a 3 billion dollar deal to broadcast their games on their networks over the next 15 years (Davidson, 2009). Concluding that despite a crippling economy, people still want to see and support their favorite teams.

Although success still looms for some minor league and pro teams, many others have not been so lucky. The Jacksonville Jaguars experienced blackouts for some of their home games due to them not selling out prior to kickoff (Forbes, 2009). After 22 years of existence the Arena Football League folded altogether in 2009 (Davidson, 2009). Even Nascar and stock car racing have experienced the effects of the economy. According to Davidson, high fuel prices and rising unemployment have caused racing fans and automotive industry sponsors to cut spending (2009). 

However, despite the rough situation many teams find themselves in financially, some have weathered the storm by implementing new and creative ways to generate income and sustain their fan loyalty. Even during a lockout scenario like the NBA is currently facing, teams find it important to continue to market their team brand in an effort to combat the apathy a typical fan may experience during tough business negotiations. For example, this year the LA Lakers ran a campaign on their website in which all their team jerseys were on sale for 50% off the regular price. This was a marketing idea sure to attract the eyes of die-hard fans but also a mechanism to accumulate merchandise dollars despite games not being played. In some cases joint ventures in which the state allocates funds through sports teams in an effort to stimulate the industry as well as the local economy are established. In Davidsons article he writes that,

Meanwhile, Miami-Dade County and the city of Miami this summer agreed to use hotel room taxes to finance the majority of a stadium for baseball's Marlins that will cost—after paying off bonds over 40 years—about $2.4 billion. Officials broke ground on the new ballpark in July.

That same month, Louisiana's state government finalized a deal to help keep the Saints in New Orleans through 2025. That arrangement includes spending $85 million in state funds to renovate the team's stadium, the Louisiana Superdome, and leasing space for state agencies in a New Orleans office building owned by Saints owner Tom Benson (2009).

Despite state efforts to assist in drawing fans to sports teams, the franchises themselves should offer more affordable ticket options for their fan-base. Teams having economic troubles should not continue to offer high-priced game tickets and food prices that further hurt the customer. Instead they should implement more options for fans that are affordable. A layaway plan for tickets prior to the season is a good idea for those who are interested in holding season passes (Lefton, 2008). Another way to boost fan attendance could be re-arranging the food menu into meal options instead of itemized or a la carte items. For example, one hotdog may cost $5 and a soda may cost the same at some sporting events. Instead of individual food purchases, it may make sense for some teams to throw in fries or some other item to complete a possible $10 meal deal.

  In the end the teams should continue to find new and creative ways to market to their fan-base in an effort to sustain their loyalty. Although many people are passionate about their teams, it should not be ruled out that as a country we are all facing tough economic situations. Without teams sharing an initial empathy towards the fan on an economic level many of them may find themselves cutting back or folding altogether.

Sources

Davidson, C. (2009). Sports Still Draws Fans Despite Recession. Retrieved from

http://www.frbatlanta.org/pubs/econsouth/econsouth_vol_11_no_3_sports_draw_fans.cfm

Lefton, T. 2008, December 3. Saints Offering Season Tickets with Six Month Layaway   Plans. Layaway Sports. Retrtieved from

http://www.elayawaysports.com/news/saints-offering-season-tickets-with-six-month-layaway-plans/

NFL Team Valuations. 2009, September 9. Forbes Online. Retrieved from

            http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/30/football-values-09_Jacksonville-

Jaguars_306892.html

Posner, R. 2011, August 23. Let’s be Honest: We’re in a Depression, Not a Recession,

And There’s No End in Sight. The New Republic. Retrieved from

http://www.tnr.com/article/economy/94055/posner-recession-

depressions-entitlements

The Bargainist. 2011. Lakers Store coupon-50% off jerseys. Retrieved from

http://www.bargainist.com/deals/2011/10/lakers-store-coupon-50-off-jerseys/#b