The future of sports communication is through social media. Many platforms such as Twitter allow fans to directly communicate with their favorite athletes and sports teams. A new platform named SPOR is looking to the take the intimacy of twitter and put it in a niche of a sports only social media site. SPOR is looking to create a direct platform for athletes to communicate with fans, and also fans connecting with other fans. SPOR has reached out and recruited All-star athletes from many different sports. SPOR athletes come from NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MMA, WNBA, and many other sports including tennis and Olympic sports. SPOR is currently in a developmental stage but users still have full access to the site. SPOR predicts it will be competing for the leading sports based social media platform by 2018.
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The role of fundraising in NCAA athletics is vital to a university in keeping star athletes and upgrading facilities to compete. Media rights, fees and television contracts contribute the majority of revenue for the NCAA. "Television revenue represents the most significant source of fundraising for intercollegiate sports. Big-time college sports clearly are in the entertainment business" (King, Sexton, & Rhatigan, 2010). The second leading contributing factor of funding in athletics are bowl games and profit sharing from conferences. To put it on paper, the five power conferences (ACC, Big 12, Pac-12, Big Ten and SEC) each brought in over $250 million in total revenue in 2016. According to CheatSheet.com, the ACC received $212 million in television deals and another $98 million from appearing and winning bowl games. The ACC received over $300+ million, it can distribute their money between the fifteen universities in this conferences. If each university were to receive a share of the revenue evenly, each university would pull in north of $20 million. Next, the Big 12 which brought in the lowest revenue of the five major conferences but each university received a bigger share (only ten teams in the Pac "12"). The Pac-12 received $162 million in television revenue and brought in another $72 million in bowl game appearances. Out of these five major conferences, the SEC dominated in terms on revenue and fundraising. The SEC brought in about $350 million through television deals only. The SEC like the Big 10, has its own network, "SEC Network." The SEC also dominated post regular season play, tallying $112 million in bowl game revenue and another $17 million for appearing in the NCAA tournament, totaling $476 million for the conference. The SEC is the NCAA's mot valuable conference, the SEC annually has multiple teams ranked in the top 25 in both football, basketball and baseball. SEC coaches tend to have more power when it comes to decisions made. Les Miles, Nick Saban, and previously Uban Meyer (Florida Gators) ruled the SEC and are "gods" of the coaching world. Nick Saban's job is as secured as any job can get. Saban has brought a plethora amount of money and success to the University of Alabama. His job as a coach has transformed him into one of the best "fundraisers", anyone has ever seen. Fundraising and success come hand in hand for athletics in college. Universities that are able to bring in more revenue than their competition are teams that tend to have better coaching, athletes and facilities. References: Alsher, J. (2016, July 8). 5 College Conferences That Bring in Over $250 Million. Retrieved from http://www.cheatsheet.com/sports/the-5-most-valuable-conferences-in-college-sports.html/?a=viewall King, E., Sexton, E., & Rhatigan, J. (2010). Perspectives on Fund Raising: New Directions for Higher Education, Number 149 - J. Bradford Hodson, Bruce W.Speck-GoogleBooks.Retrievedfromhttps://books.google.com/books?id=Qu8EaW9m9fIC&pg=PA65&lpg=PA65&dq=7+Fundraising+for+both+academic+purposes+and+ intercollegiate+athletics+presents+challenges+ that+must+be+recognized.&source=bl&ots=BVHGAGrXNw&sig=fg53cmvJyZ96ahlsRGCQijnF5ik&hl= en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwie5-7qsMzPAhWJ6x4KHWuxAZMQ6AEIHjAA#v=onepage&q&f=false Wendell Phillips Academy, a Chicago Public School has recently made history by becoming the first public school to win a state championship. However funding for the program was minimum after such an accomplishment for the team. Troy McAllister, head coach of Wendell Phillips has asked the public for help in raising money for its needs such as pre-game meals. "Due to the lack of funds our school and our boys have, their pre-games diets are either non-existent or devoid of nutrition," the fundraising page reads. " ... It seems obvious, but having enough energy to play 4 quarters of football could mean the difference between making history or not", says McAllister "CPS Sports Teams Forced To Use GoFundMe To Pay Basic Costs | HBCU Sports Forums," n.d.). A new and popular tool that has been used to help receive public funding is GoFundMe. Coach McAllister mentions that "Being a football program at a Chicago public school... you are under-resourced, you are underfunded," he said "CPS Sports Teams Forced To Use GoFundMe To Pay Basic Costs | HBCU Sports Forums," n.d.). "GoFundMe has been great because it can get the word out to so many people. Due to the lack of coaching stipends, you're at a competitive disadvantage. But we make no excuses here""CPS Sports Teams Forced To Use GoFundMe To Pay Basic Costs | HBCU Sports Forums," n.d.). He went on to say; "All these Catholic League and private schools have their own stadiums, and that's not the case with a lot of Public League teams. It's not an excuse — you have to overcome it — but it is a big disadvantage," he said (Breen, 2014). In the past year, McAllister has raised over $5,000 using GoFundMe and has contributed to the team's new needs. References: Breen, J. (2014, November 6). Wendell Phillips Academy Football Coach on State Finals: 'Truly a Blessing' - Bronzeville - DNAinfo Chicago. Retrieved from https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20141126/bronzeville/wendell-phillips-academy-football-coach-on-state-finals-truly-blessing CPS Sports Teams Forced To Use GoFundMe To Pay Basic Costs | HBCU Sports Forums. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.hbcusports.com/forums/threads/cps-sports-teams-forced-to-use-gofundme-to-pay-basic-costs.127611/ Since 2007, the NFL has hosted at least one game per in London in order to reach out to a wider audience much like the NBA has done, globally. L.A Rams and Arsenal Owner Stan Kroenke stated, “Over the next three years while we’re building the stadium, we will be in London or we will be in one of those international games,” he said. “It’s good for us because we’re in the Coliseum."(Klein,2016). Until the stadium in Inglewood is built in 2019 the Los Angeles Rams will host 7 homes games at the "Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum" (home of the USC Trojans) and either one "home" game in London or another location as a part of the NFL International Series. As mentioned earlier it is good for the NFL to expand its target audience as it has with London and Mexico City, which will host its first game this year. This brings in more revenues for the NFL and connects people worldwide. The NFL is trying to rebrand its image much like the NBA has done with the Euro League and Chinese League being highly competitive and popular overseas. However, in 2016 the NFL has opted AGAINST live streaming its London games and instead they will focus on live streaming every Thursday Night Football game. Not live streaming the International Series will be a test for the NFL this year. According to Reuters, "The league has been experimenting with live streaming games as more consumers are watching shows online and canceling their cable subscriptions. Last year, the NFL partnered with Yahoo to live stream a London game as part of an effort to gain more international viewers" (Reuters, 2016). With 800 million+ worldwide registered and non-registered Twitter Users, the NFL suffered a popularity hit by not providing free publicity of American Football to its growing international fan base. The NFL has not ruled out, live streaming its International Games in the future. The NFL has much interest in expanding its reach to the International Market fan base. As stated by Reuters, “The NFL was happy with the game on Yahoo last year and about one-third of that audience was international,” Ganis said. “There is an international market for these games” (Reuters, 2016). There is an established market waiting for the NFL to take advantage of the potential fan base and profitability. References: Klein, G. (2016, March 11). Rams to play international games the next three seasons - LA Times. Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-los-angeles-rams-international-games-20160311-story.html Reuters. (2016, April 11). NFL Opts Against Live Stream of London Games Next Season. Retrieved from http://fortune.com/2016/04/11/nfl-london-games-stream/ STAY TRENDY!...That is the motto for those who use social media to keep up with the standards of society. Social media in sports has been completely revolutionized over the past years on all levels. From fans to players, coaches and executives social media sites such as; Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram are the most popular ways to stay connected. World class athletes are highly encouraged to use social media wisely to broaden their image. Believe it or not, social media is a tool for players to promote an athletes fan appeal contrary to the negative connotation media receives.
We all know LeBron James, world class athlete, 3x NBA Champion and how active he is on social media, whether it's Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram or now the popular, Periscope, a live streaming video chat app. LeBron has managed to incorporate social media into his daily and professional life allowing for Nike to take notice and invest huge amounts of money into LBJ, including a first ever lifetime contract that is set to be worth more than half a BILLION dollars. "James remains the biggest endorsement star in the sport with estimated earnings of $44 million this year off the court and he is still the king when it comes to moving product. Nike sold $340 million worth of James’ signature shoes in the last 12-months through January, up 13% from the prior year, according to SportScanInfo. It is nearly double the amount of the NBA’s second best seller, Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors" (BadenHausen, 2015). LeBron has worked hard to rebuild his image after "The Decision" he made on national television in 2010 which caused an uproar across the country, specifically Cleveland. Star athletes are subjected to more media exposure than teammates who do not have as much clout. Kevin Durant and Marshawn Lynch are two players who come to mind when it comes about notoriously avoiding press conferences with the media. We all remember the comical interview post-Super Bowl with "Beast Mode" when he mockingly made fun of the NFL fining him for avoiding talking to the media. ( Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmABbHSOTqQ ) Social Media is made for the players to broaden their image but who can blame them for not wanting to speak to the media after a big win or a crucial lost. MLB players get the benefit of the doubt of being able to opt out of an interview, whereas NFL and NBA players are required to speak to the media. "In the first five decades of the 20th century, when baseball reigned supreme, writers watched the game, wrote their stories, and went home, or to the bar. It wasn’t until the 1940s that a New York Daily News writer named Dick Young began to invade clubhouses in order to extract some postgame thoughts that the practice became common" (Ryan, 2015). Imagine if Hall of Fame caliber players such as Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Larry Bird or Dr. J were able to tweet their thoughts and were able to connect with their fans in their day as athletes do today. What would they say? Would they be as anti-media as Marshawn Lynch or as media friendly as LeBron James. I use Larry Bird as an example because he once was very optimistic of the media. However, he soon realized it was part of the game, something he could not avoid. “Once I got into the pros, I felt it was part of the deal,” he explained. “You have to do your share. But it works both ways. You have to set your parameters" (Ryan, 2015). References: BadenHausen, K. (2015, March 18). Forbes Welcome. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2015/03/18/lebron-james-is-nbas-top-shoe-salesman-with-340-million-for-nike-in-2014/#2326e1c92859 Ryan, B. (2015, March 1). Why do media need to talk to athletes? - The Boston Globe. Retrieved from https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/03/01/why-media-need-talk-athletes/gBpkicUJOc2UC17vmgr9PN/story.html After years of denying concussions were causing CTE is players brains, resulting in numerous deaths of former players, the heart breaking death of Junior Seau puts a twist to the story. The NFL has done a poor job of handling CTE related death of former players. "Whether a sudden crisis occurs or an ongoing issue continues for months despite the best efforts of management, the organization must address the situation; it cannot be ignored" (Newman, 2013, p. 28). Proper handling of crisis management, allows for both parties to avoid lawsuits and confrontations, and should be handled in a quick and professional manner. In the case of Junior Seau and his death at 43, was the tipping point for the NFL to wake up about the dangers of concussion. Junior Seau has a very long and decorated career for the Chargers, Dolphins and the Patriots making a name for himself as one of the leagues best linebackers. However, after his football career Junior struggled with many challenges because of the damage he took to this brain. In may of 2012, Seau took his own life and left many great things behind, including the support of his family, friends, and fans. His family has since, filed a lawsuit against the NFL. "Plaintiffs are listed as Gina Seau, Junior's ex-wife; Junior's children Tyler, Sydney, Jake and Hunter, and Bette Hoffman, trustee of Seau's estate. The lawsuit accuses the league of glorifying the violence in pro football, and creating the impression that delivering big hits "is a badge of courage which does not seriously threaten one's health." It singles out NFL Films and some of its videos for promoting the brutality of the game"(ESPN/Associated Press, 2013). The NFL began doing more research and taking responsibility in cases involving CTE and concussions following this lawsuit, despite denying any wrong doing at first. References: Newman, T. (2013). Social media in sport marketing. Scottsdale, Arizona: Holcomb Hathaway, Publishers. Associated Press. (2013, January 24). Junior Seau's family files wrongful death suit vs. NFL. Retrieved from http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/8872778/junior-seau-family-files-wrongful-death-suit-vs-nfl The purpose of a crisis communication plan is to minimize and eliminate all potential risk and threats that will affect those in attendance. The purpose of this plan is to assess a situation and quickly and efficiently dissect the situation while promptly responding in a timely fashion. Duke University has a crisis communication plan, which outlines a set of objectives to be executed for the organization in case of a crisis. They include: “Our guiding principle will be to communicate facts as quickly as possible, updating information regularly as circumstances change, to ensure the safety of the Duke community and the continued operation of essential services. Our efforts to be simultaneously accurate and quick may mean that some communications are incomplete. We accept this, knowing that how we communicate in an emergency or a crisis will affect public perceptions of the university. Honesty and speed are the most effective means to avoid lasting damage to the institution and widespread second-guessing by the public, which expects immediate access to accurate information. A good offense is the best defense. At the same time, we realize that in a crisis, people will likely expect us to have more information than we may actually have. That makes it imperative to speak with accuracy about what we know and not to speculate about details we do not know. We will use multiple mediums to reach as many people as possible with accurate, timely information. This is especially important in the first hours and days of an emergency or a crisis. Our goal is to be open, accountable and accessible to all audiences, while also being mindful of legal and privacy concerns” (Duke University, Crisis Plan). The New England Patriots are a good example of a team that has experienced a few issues that led to a crisis. The New England Patriots have been involved in the infamous spy-gate and deflate gate. In terms of Spy-gate, the NFL, and the Patriots had to address the issue quickly and come to a solution. Every team in the league was furious with the Patriots for spy-gate. Deflate-gate, on the other hand, is when that Patriots were caught using balls that were under the league regulation in terms of air pressure. The Patriots were fined $250,000 and Belichick was fined $500,000 also losing their first round draft pick for the role in spy-gate. Brady was sentenced to serve a four-game suspension for his role in the deflate-gate and the Patriots lost their first and fourth rounds draft picks along with a team fine of $1 million. If this situation were to happen again, a crisis plan will effectively manage the situation. 1. Address the team/coach/owners involved as well as the other 31 teams in the NFL immediately and address the issue that occurred. The goal is to not let the media get ahold of the story because it can ruin the league. 2. The party involved must address the issue to the other teams and potentially the media after all details are discovered. 3. The League needs to address the issue with the media, stating the facts received and the course of action to be taken. 4. A secondary response needs to be issued by the team involved and the league itself 5. This punishment needs to be set and each party should serve the punishment issued by the league. Reference: http://emergency.duke.edu/plan/ |
AuthorMyles Jackson is from Cincinnati, OH. Where he grew up playing Baseball, Basketball and Football. Myles attended Tiffin University and played for the Tiffin Dragons as a middle infielder. Myles graduated from Tiffin in 2016 with a Bachelors in Sports Administration and is currently completing his Masters. Archives
June 2017
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