BizBallz

Yale Atheltics

2010-07-23T01:07:00.000-04:00

Yale University – Department of Intercollegiate Athletics
Position Title: Ticket Office Assistant
Reports to: Director of Ticket Operations
Openings: 1
Description:
This is a part-time position that will expose the individual to all aspects of a Division I collegiate ticket office. The individual will be expected to work approximately 10-15 hours per week (nights & evening hours possible – exact hours may vary) from late-August 2010 through February 2011.
Responsibilities:
The individual will be expected to assist in all aspects of ticket office operations. On a day-to-day basis, the Ticket Office Assistant will be expected to:
• Implement 2010-11 Ticket Office marketing and operations plan
• Operate and maintain ticket system
• Create, design, and implement 1-2 game-day ticket promotions for Yale men’s basketball or men’s hockey programs
• Assist all customers with ticket orders/questions by phone or in-person
• Take/fulfill ticket orders
• Use social networking to connect with fans
• Manage weekly marketing emails to Yale community
• Print end-of-day reports, reconcile receipts and orders
• Supervise ticket office in absence of Director of Ticket Operations
• Assist with supervision of student workers and other ticket office employees
• Assist marketing/promotions office as needed
Additional duties may be assigned by Director of Ticket Operations
Compensation: $12.00/hr
Education and Skills:
This position is open to current undergraduate or graduate students and recent graduates. All college majors will be considered. Outstanding communication and customer service skills required. Must be organized and highly motivated. Prior experience in sports/marketing industry is a plus. Passion for sports is a must.
Contact:
Please send letter of interest and resume (by email or mail) to:
Jeremy Makins, Director of Ticket Operations, Yale Athletics Ticket Office,
P.O. Box 208216, New Haven, CT 06520-8216
E-mail: jeremy.makins@yale.edu
Yale University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate against any individual on account of that individual’s sex, race, color, religion, age, disability, status as a special disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam era or other covered veteran, or national or ethnic origin; nor does Yale discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.

TCF Bank Stadium Job

2010-07-23T01:06:00.000-04:00

I hope this e-mail finds you well and enjoying the summer. We have survived our inaugural season here at TCF Bank Stadium and are once again hiring! My Operations Manager that was hired 10 months ago was promoted to the Williams Arena Manager position, thus the vacancy. We are looking for a start date of September 1 for this position. If you know of anyone that might be interested in this opportunity, please pass along the link below to view the job description. Salary is low $30’s.

https://employment.umn.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/frameset/Frameset.jsp?time=1279150691995

Requisition Number = 167159

Kraft Food Internship

2010-02-20T22:25:00.000-05:00

Not really sports, but it is paid work....
Kraft Foods ~ Retail Sales Division
2010 Summer Internship
Opportunities throughout New England – RI, MA, CT, NH, ME, VT & Upstate NY

Kraft Foods (NYSE: KFT) is the world’s second-largest food and beverage company with 2008 net revenues of more than $34 billion. For more than 100 years, we’ve been dedicated to helping people around the world eat and live better. Hundreds of millions of times a day, in more than 150 countries, consumers reach for their favorite Kraft brands.

Kraft Foods will be recognized as the leading company in the United States in its ability to attract, develop and retain the highest caliber talent and to fully leverage that talent to achieve consistently superior business results.

The Sales Internship is an entry-level sales position, which can lead to a promising career with Kraft Foods upon graduation. This position is designed to properly fulfill merchandising needs of the customer. Areas of focus will include full shelf conditions, neatly merchandised displays and shelves, properly rotated stock, and accurate price tags/point of sale in place for all departments. This position will be responsible for maintaining a timely and accurate call schedule.

Primary Responsibilities
• Keep retailer's shelves and displays fully stocked and rotated.
• Build and service existing displays.
• Provide support and service to meet customer needs.
Requirements
• You must be at least 18 years of age, have a valid driver’s license, reliable transportation and proof of auto insurance.
• A flexible work schedule is required - ability to work weekends.
• Previous Retail / Grocery experience a plus.
Additional General/Technical Skills Required
• Ability to perform hard work in a fast-paced work environment and meet defined physical activities (lifting, bending, carrying, pushing, pulling, etc.).
• Strong interpersonal and effective communication skills.
• Ability to work independently.
• Problem solving skills.
• Strong planning and organization skills.
• Successful completion of drug test, MVR check, and general background check.
Hiring Profile:
• In process of receiving undergraduate Business Degree
• Record of strong academic performance
• Rising Junior or Rising Senior
• Demonstrated work experience (i.e., internships, previous jobs)
• Demonstrated leadership abilities (i.e., led an academic or extracurricular program, community involvement)

Kraft is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer m/f/d/v, and will only contact the most qualified candidates.

Apply Today!
www.kraft.com/careers follow the directions to “Search For Job” and apply online using the following Job Number 0902975

Job Posting- Motorsports

2010-02-20T22:01:00.000-05:00

Project Manager
Newly proposed motorsports park needs project manager. Must be well versed with all trackside operations and what a new park will need. Will be working with renown architects, engineers and contractors. Candidate must have experience in gaining support of investors and raising money for future of project. Contact Ben Jones at 423-297-7210 or send resume to: bjones@greenfuelsolutions.net.

CT Sun sales position

2009-12-21T19:04:00.001-05:00

Are you a recent graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Sports Management looking for an exciting career? If so, the WNBA Connecticut Sun may have a position for you as a Connecticut Sun Sales Representative.
Candidates should be outgoing and energetic professionals that are self-motivated, organized and detail oriented.
Must have strong verbal and written communication skills, the ability to meet deadlines and balance multiple tasks as well as work effectively in a team environment.
Responsibilities will include selling of season, group, flex and individual tickets via partnerships with sponsors, outside vendors and local and regional corporations within assigned territory. Following -up on all leads, however, primarily making cold calls and developing relationships/partnerships with regional civic and corporate clients to generate leads, formulize proposals and interact with diverse levels of individuals. Meet individually established sales objectives. The Connecticut Sun is the only professional sports team in Connecticut and that sometimes requires working long and unusual hours including: late nights, weekends, and holidays…and of course all home game days!
A successful candidate will meet or exceed the following criteria:
Bachelor’s degree and/or at least 2 years of previous professional sales experience. Must have one-year experience formalizing sales proposals. Must possess excellent customer service skills, intermediate experience with Microsoft office products and preferably experience with ARCHTICS ticketing systems
For consideration, please submit an on-line application at http://mohegansun.com/sitelet/spirit-aquai

Internship- University Illinois

2009-12-18T11:40:00.000-05:00

FALL 2010 GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS – UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
The Department of Recreation, Sports and Tourism in partnership with Campus Recreation and the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announce the newly founded Illini Scholars Program. As Illini Scholars, students will be chosen for various assistantships within Athletic Administration or Campus Recreation. Current positions exist in Sports Information, Ticketing, Development and Recreation.
For academic criteria and more information about our program please visit our Graduate Admissions web-site: http://www.rst.uiuc.edu/grad/admission.htm
Applicants are encouraged to apply for our graduate admissions by January 15, 2010 in order to receive full consideration. Applicants should specify interest for consideration as an Illini Scholar. Early admission will be contingent upon hiring with one of our partners.
Assistantships include full-tuition waiver and stipend.
The Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism is very proud of its commitment to diversity and encourages all minorities to apply.
For detailed information and detailed job descriptions, please contact:
Don Hardin
Illini Scholars Coordinator
Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism University of Illinois
104 Huff Hall
1206 South Fourth Street
Champaign, Illinois 61820
Office: 217 244-3708 (Room 307 Armory)
Mobile: 217 649-4810

Position in RI

2009-10-12T17:32:00.001-04:00

The Licensing Resource Group is a leading, full-service trademark licensing and brand management company with over 150 partners across the country. Our entrepreneurial spirit and desire to find new and better methods of protecting and promoting our client’s brands has helped hundreds of colleges, universities, athletic conferences and special properties nationwide achieve greater brand awareness and royalty revenues. From customer service and full account management to creative marketing and merchandising, we infuse spirit, pride and dedication into everything we do.
General Position Description:
Seeking a goal-oriented and motivated University Brand Representative for our Bristol, Rhode Island office.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Develop and maintain relationships with partner institutions, licensees, and retailers in local markets - Perform marketplace surveys to maximize opportunities and minimize problems - Research and analyze partners’ licensee base to determine trends and opportunities for growth - Develop and pursue business plans with partners to increase revenue opportunities - Execute local market retail and promotional programs - Work to develop, maintain, and accomplish partner-specific goals/objectives - Develop and maintain relationships with key on-and-off-campus decision makers - Prepare and assist in giving presentations on various licensing topics to partners and prospects - Other duties as assigned by manager
Ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s Degree (Master’s preferred), 3-5 years of hands-on experience, a working knowledge of college athletics, a strong desire to work in the collegiate sports industry, and impeccable organizational, interpersonal, creative, computer, client service and communications skills.
High-energy, detail-oriented and team-playing candidates should submit their resume, cover letter, salary requirements and three (3) letters of reference to:
Rick Merriam
Licensing Resource Group
495 Hope Street, Suite 5
Bristol, RI 02809 E-mail to rickm@lrgusa.com
No phone calls please. LRG offers a competitive compensation and benefits package. Evening and weekend hours are necessary. Frequent travel is required (expenses paid). Visit www.lrgusa.com to learn more about our company and industry.

Facility Management Position in China

2009-10-12T17:31:00.000-04:00

General Manager
Major Arena/Stadium – China
Excellent negotiable salary and benefits package
A unique opportunity to join one of the world’s leading sports and entertainment
companies who own and run stadia, arenas and franchises across the globe. China
is vital to their growth strategy and this arena forms the platform for developing
a network of similar venues throughout the country.
This particular arena will provide the centrepiece for international live
performances, sporting events, family shows, commercial and retail activities,
together with a potential base for further franchise development.
The General Manager will be responsible for the overall management and
day-to-day operation of the arena and its future development in line with
the global business plan and strategy.
The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate:
• Experience of managing a large/international venue with full P&L responsibility
• Management of licensing, health & safety and operating procedures.
• Relevant experience of managing contractors and outside agents
• Commercial acumen as evidenced by a track record of negotiating sponsorship
and other methods of revenue generation.
Personal attributes required:
• Pro-active leadership and excellent people management skills
• Strong PR presence and highly developed communications skills
• A commitment to delivering the highest standards of service
• Drive and ambition.
If you see this as a significant career opportunity where personal
advancement will accompany the successful development of the business,
then please contact:
Stuart Cullum – Senior Practice Manager on +44 203 056 4013,
mobile +44 7966 827 413 or email: stuart.cullum@mrgpeople.co.uk

White House Sport Office

2009-07-05T00:19:00.002-04:00

June 16th, 2009
WASHINGTON - Today, President Barack Obama announced the formation of the White House Office of Olympic, Paralympic and Youth Sport.
This permanent White House office will promote the values of the Olympic Movement and encourage increased youth participation in athletics. The primary function of the Office will be to enhance awareness of the Olympic Movement through promotion of its fundamental principles at the federal level.
President Obama said, "It is an important goal of my administration to give our nation's children every possible tool they need to grow, learn and succeed in life. A key part of this is increasing access to healthy, constructive activities like sports for our nation's children. Too many American kids - particularly those in urban areas - have no access to organized sporting activities. Sports are an important way to instill values, judgment and teamwork in our nation's kids, and this new office reflects our commitment to giving all our children a chance to thrive. As the International Olympic Committee moves forward with their selection process we hope that this new office can serve as a model for youth involvement worldwide."
The White House Office of Olympic, Paralympic and Youth Sport will:
* Recommend federal policies and programs to the President to enhance opportunities and access for youth participation in sport, with particular focus on youth in urban areas* Foster and encourage youth sporting, educational and cultural events involving Olympic values-based programs and the participation of U.S. Olympians and Paralympians
The Office will also work in coordination with appropriate executive departments and agencies, including the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, to:
* Engage in outreach to state and local government officials, nonprofit organizations and the private sector* Coordinate federal resources, and act as liaison to, any organizing committee for an Olympic and Paralympic Games hosted in the United States* And work closely with the United States Olympic Committee and national sport governing bodies to increase access and opportunities for youth to participate in sports.

This office could help increase the number of potential jobs and opportunities in youth sports.
Gil-

Your involvement is needed-PHIT Act of 2009

2009-06-16T23:12:00.000-04:00

For your convenience, a sample action letter and links to your U.S. Representatives and Senators is below.

“The Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act of 2009”
(H.R. 2105)
A bill to promote increased physical activity to improve health in America.

What is PHIT?
PHIT is legislation pending in Congress to allow for reimbursement of physical activity expenses using pre-tax dollars. PHIT would reduce the costs of physical activity to encourage healthier lifestyles.

How does PHIT work?
PHIT would allow taxpayers to place up to $1,000 for individuals and $2,000 for families a year in existing pre-tax medical accounts for reimbursement of physical activity expenses; lower costs will promote active lifestyles and improve the health of Americans.

Covered expenses include:
· Youth camp & physical activity fees
· Membership and dues in a health club
· Exercise/fitness classes or instruction (personal trainer)
· Sports league fees (adult and youth)
· Marathon/Triathlon registration fees
· Equipment used exclusively for participation in physical exercise/activities

HERE IS HOW YOU CAN HELP…Please forward this email to your affiliates—leagues, coaches, families for action. Contact Congress now and let them know you want PHIT included in healthcare reform as a form of prevention. A sample action letter along with links to U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators is provided below.

HERE IS THE LINK TO FIND YOUR U.S. SENATORS…For a complete list of United States Senators including their name, address, phone numbers, and email addresses and home pages. http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

HERE IS THE LINK TO FIND YOUR U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES…For a complete list of United States Congressmen including their name, address, phone numbers, and email addresses and home pages. http://www.house.gov/writerep/

PHIT's goal to encourage active, healthy lifestyles and prevent illness make it an attractive option as Congress considers ways to reform health care and reduce medical expenditures. Let's blast the U.S. Congress with emails, faxes, and phone calls to support PHIT.

For additional information on PHIT please go to www.ncys.org/govrelations.html or go to www.getphit.sgma.com for details.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HERE IS THE SAMPLE ACTION LETTER FOR YOU TO SEND TO YOUR U.S. REPRESENTATIVES AND U.S. SENATORS.

Date ________________

Dear Representative or Senator ______________________:

I want to commend you and your colleagues for making Health Care Reform a priority and ask for your support of initiatives to promote physical activity to improve health and reduce health care costs in America. Legislation introduced in the House, H.R. 2105 “The Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act of 2009” will prevent illness and improve health in America by encouraging more active lifestyles. It is well known that increased physical activity and a better diet are the keys to avoid sickness and a more healthy life. I hope you will support the PHIT legislation as it works through committees to Congressional floor votes.

Changes to our health care model are long overdue. Our current system focuses almost exclusively on treating illness once you become sick which has led to significantly higher medical costs. As Congress works to reform our health care system, it is critical to include initiatives that will lead to more active, healthy lifestyles in order to reduce future spending. PHIT will increase physical activity in America by making it more affordable. Much like our health care system as a whole, pre-tax medical accounts are primarily limited to reimbursements of expenses once you become sick. PHIT changes this outdated approach by making prevention of illness through physical activity a reimbursable expense. If we continue down the current path, the CDC projects that by 2015 $1 of $5 generated in the U.S. will be spent on health care. Our economy simply cannot afford this expense; we need to do more to promote better health in America. A 2003 report by the World Health Organization reinforced the economic benefits of physical activity in the U.S.: “Investing in physical activity programs will lead to economic savings…in the U.S. an investment of $1 in physical activity leads to $3.20 in medical cost savings.” It’s no coincidence that the dramatic growth in health care spending has paralleled the rise in obesity and sedentary lifestyles in America. Currently 2 out of 3 people in the U.S. are overweight or obese. With the incidence of expensive chronic illnesses significantly higher among the obese, we must encourage physical activity to reverse the trend toward sedentary lifestyles and obesity in order to reduce health care expenditures. America needs to get PHIT! Support prevention through increased physical activity. Thank you for your time and consideration of this proposal to help address America’s health care problem.

Sincerely,
Name
Title
Organization

Rooney Rule

2009-06-16T17:28:00.002-04:00

The NFL has adopted the Rooney Rule for front office personnel. Currently five minorities occupy top executive positions in the league. While I support hiring the best person for the job, just having playing experience does not mean someone can be the CEO of a billion dollar company. The athlete landscape is replete with former players who are broke becuase they were unable to run their own financial affairs, let alone be responsible to numerous stakeholders such as employees, sponsors, etc... Through training an executive can be born. Thus, any athlete who has played, taken courses, worked at the lowest level up to the top gets my nod and support. In contrast, I remeber a former player indicating that when he retired he wanted to be a General Manager of an NFL team. The athlete had not graduated from college, but felt that he should be given the shot at a GM position. My feeling is that anyone, regardless of their background, who has paid their dues should be given a chance. If you have a degree in sport management, have taken a large number of business classes, worked all the grunt jobs (i.e. pulling the tarp if you know what I mean), and paid your dues, you should be given preference over anyone else who is given the interview just becuase they fit a certain statistical category.

What are your thoughts?
Gil-

Account Executive Position

2009-06-16T17:26:00.000-04:00

The Gazelle Group, a leading sports marketing and event production firm located in Princeton, NJ is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Account Executive, available immediately. Currently, we are looking for highly-motivated and organized applicants to handle sponsorship sales for several high-profile, college basketball tournaments (Performance-based commissions will be available). In addition to these responsibilities, applicants will also be expected to assume a crucial role in event planning and implementation.
Additional job requirements are listed below:
- Strong communication skills (both written and verbal)- Exceptional organizational skills- Outstanding interpersonal skills- Willingness to take on a visible role while working in a small team environment- The ability to work under pressure- Proficiency with MS Office applications- Travel is required (10-25%) - 2-3 years of sponsorship or related sales experience- Prior experience in event planning or coordination is helpful

If you are aware of any interested candidates, please have them forward a cover letter and resume to employment@gazellegroup.com.
More information about our company and our events can be found at www.GazelleGroup.com.
Thank you,

Chelsea Molyneaux
The Gazelle Group, Inc.475 Wall StreetPrinceton, NJ 08540Ph: (609) 921-1300Fx: (609) 921-2332

Good site

2009-06-14T17:22:00.001-04:00

The Sport Business Education Network is a good start for those looking for some basic information. The blog contains a lot of self promotion, but also lists some jobs/internships and can be a great start.

Gil-

http://www.sben.org/

New Direction

2009-06-14T17:08:00.003-04:00

I initially changed my blog to reflect international sport related issues. I had talked with a number of people who were going to help contribute stories to try and develop a truly international flavor. that has not really worked.

Thus, I am relaunching the blog to focus on one of my key areas of responsibilities- finding jobs and internships for those currently in or wishing to go into the sport industry.

Here is a sample and I will try to regularly post various links to web sites or post tips/hints about getting a job in the sport industry.
Gil-

Utah Flash Director of Sales
(If you are interested in this position please send Scott Mayo a LinkedIn message) Responsibilities: • Marketing corporate packages comprised of in-arena signage, promotions, community-based initiatives and/or corporate hospitality elements. • Selling and marketing of all related season, mini-plan, group, premium ticket packages as assigned. • Sell through outbound sales calls, via phone and face-to-face sales presentations. • Develop and constantly grow a database comprised of major corporations, medium and smaller-sized businesses, and individual prospects through various professional prospecting and networking efforts throughout the community. • Maintaining accurate daily call reports. • Attend weekly staff sales meetings and regular coaching/training sessions. • Monitor, manage, train and motivate an account executive team of 4 sales reps. • Develop working knowledge of franchise’s ticketing software. • Communicate and share pertinent sales information with AE team • Entertain clients and prospects at all home games and road games as needed. • Develop and enhance annual renewal/up-sell campaigns for season, group and mini-plan customers. • Maintain weekly sales report updates for Senior Management and central accounting office. • Participate in other related franchise marketing, sales and event projects as assigned. • Assist CR and/or game operations staff on game nights and at in-market appearances/promotions/community events. Ideal Candidate will be: • Professional, aggressive individual willing to lead by example. • Comfortable and confident on the phone or in individual/group presentation settings. • Strong communication and computer skills (Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint preferred). • Detail-oriented and organized; ability to handle several projects at once. • Documented sports sales experience (minimum of 2-3 years) with a collegiate, minor league and/or professional sports team is preferred. • Passionate about basketball and willing to promote the product consistently throughout the marketplace. • Has excellent listening and relationship selling skills. • Earned a four-year undergraduate degree in business, marketing or a related field.

The sport industry is losing participants.

2009-03-24T19:40:00.002-04:00

The following numbers from the Sportsplex Operators and Developers Association (SODA) highlight that people are not registering for leagues/events as they have in the past.

So far we have southern facilities reporting declines as high as 35% in league enrollments in baseball/softball.

The Northeast is getting clobbered as well with an average decline of about 24% in baseball/softball, 17% in youth soccer and 20% in Adult Flag Football.

Canada is down about 17-20% in baseball/softball thus far, according to Steve Russell, and it is early yet for signups.

UCONN's Loss?

2009-03-21T22:39:00.003-04:00

I am not talking about March Madness, I am talking about bowling and UConn's trip to the 2009 International Bowl. While UConn received $1.1 million from the Big East for participating in the game, almost the entire amount was spent including losing $258,000 on unused tickets. When all was said and done the school netted only $18,484. The question is whether that is enough of a return to spend so much money? The school could easily have lost that much and more. Almost $140,000 was spent just on travel costs associated with the band and cheerleaders.

At some point a business case needs to be made for such expenditures. Besides a small return, did the school gain enough value from the expense. many businesses can make a small profit, but if the investment does not help the company reach its goals then most companies would forgo the potential risk. The question I have is whether or not a college attending a minor bowl game is really pursuing its goals, or taking a huge risk for very little gain.
Gil-

What will falter next

2009-01-14T10:11:00.000-05:00

First the AFL, then the Houston Comets, what will happen next during these tough financial times. The ski industry has great weather, but what will happen at the end of the season when the numbers are crunched? What will happen with golf courses when rounds are very expensive and disposable income has decreased? Sport is a release for many, but the price to participate has increased beyond the purse strings of many. I remember when bowling games were around $1.00 and you could take several warm-up bowls and rent shoes for less than a $1.00. Now shoes rent for over $4.00 and games are around the same price. How will a new generation of kids grow up on bowling when they infrequently participate because of the cost. This phenomena will impact many sport (not just spectator sports) and might encourage greater participation in sports that require less cost, less equipment, and less travel time. Maybe it is time to develop some new games and/or sports.

AFL in '09

2008-12-17T19:22:00.003-05:00

The Arena Football league founded in 1987 has suspended the 2009 season to retool for the following year. This will probably not be the last league to go through some major reorganization during these hard economic times. However, what are owners and players doing? The Mets and Yankees have asked New York for an additional $450 million in assistance. free agents are asking for even more money. The greed out there in the industry can quickly turn people away from sports. Yes, sport is a release and there will be fans. But with more companies slashing spending and their payrolls, sport better take a critical look at itself or it will make itself economically obsolete and alienate even more fans. Once burned or annoyed, will these fans ever come back?
Gil-

Bad Economy

2008-11-20T14:54:00.001-05:00

The New Jersey Nets have announced a promotion to help those affected by the downturn in the economy. The team is offering up to four free tickets for select games to unemployed fans who submit their resume to the Nets Job Bank. Plus, these fans are invited to a career fair this Saturday at the Nets arena, and the team will distribute the submitted resumes to its various corporate sponsors. (Newark Star Ledger) Source from Veritix Sports Marketing Newsletter.

Interesting promotion

2008-11-20T14:52:00.000-05:00

Red Sox Fan Sues Over Playoff Promotion
Tom Rotunno of CNBC Sports has reported that Boston Red Sox fan Gisela Levin has filed a class action law suit against Taunton, MA based furniture company Jordan's Furniture. She claims their promotion, which offers free furniture to anyone who purchased furniture during a promotional period if the Red Sox sweep the World Series, is an illegal lottery and therefore against the law in Massachusetts. Jordan's Furniture ran a similar promotion in 2007 when the Red Sox swept the Colorado Rockies, resulting in them issuing between $20-$30 million worth of furniture to 24,000 Red Sox fans for free. Jordan's has announced that they do not expect the judge to rule against them as precedents have already been established in their favor.

From:
http://ventaboutsports.blogspot.com/2008/11/red-sox-fan-sues-over-playoff-promotion.html

Olympics 2012

2008-11-14T14:31:00.000-05:00

Should England pull out of hosting the 2012 Olympics? Cost have tripled to date and one of the leading advocates and Olympic executives in England recently indicated that if they would have seen the economic collapse coming, they would not have bid to host the Olympics. Maybe we should put some limits on how much countries can spend on the Olympics. It is really nice to have a great and expensive party. However, if people are not receiving the health care and food they need, maybe we should spend less on the Olympics and more on ordinary people.Gil-

Jets ticket sale

2008-10-31T14:27:00.002-04:00

The New Jersey Jets generated over $16 million in bids during an inaugural online auction of personal seat licenses. The sale was conducted through stubhub.com (owned by ebay) and allowed individuals to bid on specific seats. the winning bid allowed the bidder to have the PSL and pay $750 per game for the tickets. The highest bids were received at the auction kick-off dinner on October 16th at the Four Seasons in New York. The winning bid for a pair of 50-yard line tickets was $200,000. During the nine-day auction the average winning bid was $26,000. The highest bid was $82,000 followed by several other bids in the $60,000 range. the lowest bid was $10,500. The team initially was interested in selling 2,000 PSLs through the auction, but was only able to sell 620 of the seats.

This could create a new environment in the future where the choicest seats are put up for auction by teams/facilities and let the free market determine the true value.

NFL Europe

2008-10-26T21:12:00.004-04:00

With a major game to be played in England, the NFL is interested in expanding throughout Europe. In an effort to help grow interest before the game the NFL has developed an educational web page, has stalked the stores with more NFL licensed, increased the seating capacity, and will air the game over additional broadcasting options such as BBC. The NFL hopes to play more games in Britain through 2010.

New Concession Company

2008-10-26T20:39:00.004-04:00

If there were not enough sport concession companies out there (Levi's Aramark, DNC, Global-Spectrum, Centerplate, AEG, etc...) the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Yankees have entered into a partnership (with Goldman Sachs) called Legends Hospitality Management. The first clients will be the Yankees and the Cowboys with their new stadium. However, due to significant branding opportunities there could be a slew of additional new sites (such as minor league stadiums hosting Yankee affiliated teams) that could sign-up with the company. Legends has hired the former President of Pizza Hut and several other top industry officials to help run the company.

Death Sentence

2008-10-26T20:30:00.003-04:00

A Beijing Olympic official was found guilty of corruption and paid the ultimate price. Beijing's Vice Mayor Liu Zhihua was fired from his job overseeing Olympic construction projects for allegedly accepting bribes. Liu was originally sentenced to death, but if he has good behaviour in prison over the next two years his sentence can be commuted to life in prison. This story was published in last week's Sports Illustrated.

Turmoil in sports

2008-10-16T14:49:00.003-04:00

There is significant turmoil in the sports world right now, and the economy is the center hub of the turmoil. Businesses are being hit left and right and there will be more blood shed to come. One of the more visible signs of trouble was the recently announced layoff with the NBA front offices. Roughly 80 jobs (nine percent of the national staff) were cut, but those cuts would not affect international expansion efforts. Other teams also were starting to cut costs as they head into the new season. the Charlotte Bobcats recently layed off around 35 staff members who were not working on the basketball operations side. I think this is the beginning of the slashing, but the real trick will be with the players and if they will be willing to cut their salaries so owners can reduce costs and lower ticket prices. If players balk at lowering their contracts then the sport world can be in for a long and rough several years.
Gil-

Problems in China

2008-10-05T23:24:00.002-04:00

With the recent uproar over tainted milk in China, there are still other products that are bringing down China's manufacturing reputation. Over the years products with lead paint, tainted dog food, and now the tainted milk have tarnished the proud image of China's manufacturing industry. Recently another product was recalled and it is 103,000 Chinese-made Razor PowerWing scooters. the scooters can cause cuts by a rider's heel and several riders have had stitches due to the sharp metal. While any product can possibly have a defect, China cannot afford too many "black eyes" in the mind of the consumers or they will have a hard time winning the confidence of global industries and consumers.
Gil-

Spending wild

2008-09-17T15:10:00.002-04:00

While the economy is sputtering in the US, it seems from the outside that the economy is going strong in China, even if their stock market is in a nose dive. In China they are building the world's fastest train (236 miles per hour), they will spend $62 billion on 97 new airports to be completed by 2020, and building at least 3,107 miles of expressway this year which would make China second only to the US in terms of total highway miles. One of the unique new buildings is a 682 foot tall Ferris wheel that will open in 2010. The attraction in Beijing will cost $290 million and and dwarf the London eye which is only 443 feet. The devise will have 48 air conditioned capsules and on a good weather day (if that is possible in Beijing) there should be a nice view of the Great Wall.
Gil-

Post Olympics Glow

2008-09-10T17:09:00.002-04:00

Have the Olympics hurt or helped China? My feeling after seeing all the changes and developments in China is that they have taken several steps forward. They are still developing and implementing new ideas so the end benefit might be several years away. However, the process is starting and I look forward to significant growth in the China sport market.

Chinese Clean-up

2008-08-01T14:00:00.002-04:00

The efforts to make Beijing cleaner are underway and they seem to be making only a minimal impact on the "fog" that hangs over the city and the games. The Minister of Environmental Protection announced yesterday new regulations to close down additional factories, steel plants, and coal-fired power plants if the air quality does not improve. Further measures include taking more cars off the road and possibly stopping additional construction. While these efforts are needed, long-term solutions are the more important goal and as someone who has witnessed first hand the conditions in Beijing, I applaud any long-term strategies that can make the air and living conditions better for all the city residents.
Gil-

Beijing to allow protests

2008-07-24T12:21:00.002-04:00

The director of security for the Beijing Olympic organizing committee has confirmed that demonstrations will be allowed at three parks around Beijing. Even though the protest areas will be several miles from most Olympic venues, this is nothing new. I am not talking about China, I am talking about pushing protests away from sport venues in the United States. Several years ago a women's group wanted to protest a major golf tournament and the city and police pushed them away to an area a mile from the club and in an area where no one could see them. A court later held that the rules adopted by the city purportedly to insure safety, were designed to limit free speech.
Gil-

Olympic Security

2008-07-18T19:05:00.005-04:00

In order to help provide a safe Olympic games, the Chinese government has mobilized an anti-terrorism force of 100,000 to protect the games. This is in addition to 500,000 citizen volunteers who will be street corners monitoring activity and suspicious activity. The Chinese government has also offered a significant cash reward to anyone who tips the police about potential terrorist threats. Lets hope it will be a safe games.
Gil-

Freedom of Press?

2008-07-16T00:09:00.006-04:00

While NBC was hoping for greater access, only time will tell how much freedom the press will have. With the Olympic just around the corner, we should get ready for significant changes to how the American viewing population has become accustomed to watching the games. In a recent article the Wall Street Journal highlighted that satellite application for western broadcasters have been denied for those wishing to broadcast live from non-Olympic venues. This move can minimize the potential for political opposition being broadcast, but could also lead to fewer feel good stories that the American viewing audience has grown to love. Such vignettes have been a great source of information for Americans to learn about other cultures/people.
Gil-
p.s. with Miller and Coors joining forces and having one shared office in Chicago they will spend less on sponsorship and GM just announced significant cuts in sponsorship spending, including Cutting spending on NASCAR. On July 17, AB executives told the Associated Press that sport spending will stay the same...and maybe even increase under the new ownership group.

AB-Bust

2008-07-15T23:48:00.003-04:00

While Anheuser-Busch is considered an American company, it is now being acquired by inBev and will be part of a strong global conglomerate. Is this good or bad news for sports? My take is that it is bad news. The more competition the better for sports since companies will compete against each other for the best properties and to buy the best opportunities. While the beverage competition will decrease, the word on the street is that InBev will try to make its money through reducing costs and watching every penny. That can signal a major disaster for sports in the US. According to a USA Today article A-B spent $218 million on sport advertising in 2007 and an additional $300 million on sport sponsorship. When you add the total impact of A-B it is more than 1/2 a billion dollars. If that budget is cut in half over the next couple years (combined with a down economy), the entire sport industry could be left searching for another sugar daddy.
Gil-

NBA and CBA?

2008-07-11T00:19:00.003-04:00

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has 100 employees in China and currently generates $150 million (25-30% of the league's international revenue) to the NBA coffers. NBA China was formed in January with five partners investing a total of $253 million. Long-term goals include developing an NBA branded, China-based league and such a league could be in conjunction with the Chinese Basketball Association. The NBA also inked a partnership with Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG built the Staples Center and numerous other sport facilities around the world) in May to build 12 stadiums throughout China. The NBA and AEG already collaborated to operate the 18,000 seat Beijing Olympic Basketball Arena.

Limited Naming Rights- is it a new trend?

2008-07-03T13:27:00.002-04:00

The following was a recent article from Veritix Sport Marketing Newsletter (www.veritix.com) and it might be a new trend. If internationally companies do not know the value of naming rights, this could be a way to test drive the concept at a minimal cost.

Stadium naming rights in condensed form: The St. Paul Saints professional baseball team have announced that their ballpark, Midway Stadium, will be renamed Skinny Water Stadium for one week in August as part of a unique one-week stadium rights deal struck between Skinny Nutritional Corp. and the owners of the St. Paul Saints, The Goldklang Group. Skinny Water Stadium is set to be unveiled for the week of August 3-9. All facets of a typical stadium rights deal will be condensed into one week, with the addition of “multiple new and creative twists on the concept,” according to the team. The team will sport Skinny uniforms for their new stadium sponsor and the Skinny logo will be branded directly on the outfield, and around the pitcher’s mound and home plate. “Our group set out to create a truly unique opportunity for one of our corporate partners. Skinny Water asked us to develop a way to increase awareness of their product while simultaneously allowing them to promote their brand with a major splash,” says Tyler Tumminia, vice president of integrated marketing for The Goldklang Group. “Spawned from the recent and extremely fluid craze of naming rights within the industry, we developed a plan to condense such a deal into one homestand. Skinny will enjoy a ‘full throttle’ promotional and branding platform at their own stadium for the week, and shall have the ability to educate thousands of fans about their water.”

Urban planning for the Olympics

2008-07-02T00:02:00.001-04:00

Sasaki Associates is a larger urban-design firms recently completed a student recreation center on our campus. That was not as great news as their efforts to revitalize and change the campus flow and look. What does this have to do with international sport management? Sasaki won an international competition (from among 90 firms) to create the master plan for Forest Park and the Olympic district in Beijing. The project was not just a project to build stadiums. In fact, the emphasis was on designing a sustainable community hub to last for years after the games. Sasaki designers created such an environment linking stadiums, housing, museums, hotels, conference center, retail stores, and Forest park-the largest park in Beijing. The designers have been able to create an open and welcoming environment and the citizen’s of Beijing will be able to enjoy the foresight for years to come.

Water Woes

2008-06-27T11:19:00.002-04:00

While China is attempting to beautify Beijing to show its best face to the world. One potential problem has been identified by Probe International which highlighted that the games are adding about a five percent increase (200 million cubic meters) to normal water use as a result of the Olympics. This water usage covers everything from giant fountains to water used in sport facilities. Beijing is suffering from significant water problems, such as tapping underground water reserves, and needs to implement new and innovative water conservation strategies not just for the Olympics, but for the benefit of all its citizens.
Gil-

Ambush Marketing in Chian

2008-06-26T12:06:00.002-04:00

In anticipation of potential ambush marketing during the Olympics, The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) and the China Advertising Association jointly issued an anti ambush marketing proposals including:

Giving priority to all prominent advertising sites between July 11th-Sept. 17th to official Olympic sponsors,
Companies will be monitored for illegal advertising or unauthorized use of Olympic symbols and all violators will be harshly punished,
Individual spectators will be barred from engaging in ambush marketing and tickets have a warning indicating that patrons can be removed if, for example, a group is seen wearing the same unofficial logos and sitting all together,
Patrons will also not be able to bring in any drinks into Olympic venues and once inside the venues they only will be able to purchase Coke products, and
From Aug 1-27 there can be no advertisements featuring participants in the Olympics and television stations are barred from showing advertisements from unofficial sponsors during any of the Olympic related programs they broadcast.

These are the first significant anti-ambush marketing laws/regulations I have seen that can be enforced. It will be interested to see if there are any attempts at ambush marketing, or if companies might shy away from the practice to avoid angering the Chinese government and possibly hurting their potential to tap the Chinese market in the future.
Gil-

New Chinese Sport Association formed

2008-06-22T14:03:00.003-04:00

The World Eminence China Business Sports Industry Association was formed in Beijing in May. The association aims to upgrade the competitiveness of China's sport industry to be on par with the rest of the world. The group will be led by Zhang Faqiang, Vice-Chair of the Chinese Olympic Committee and former deputy sports minister. The organization will try to work with local and national organizations to increase their knowledge and competitiveness.

Change to Blog

2008-06-22T01:51:00.002-04:00

After a recent trip to China I have modified the blog to have a greater focus on sports in China. The blog will try to help international companies understand what is going on in China and help communicate some of the strategies applied elsewhere in the world to sport executives working in China.

Some stories will be coming from Professor Houbin of Huazhong Normal University (a well regarded expert in Chinese sport business) and his students. Professor Houbin translated my Managing Sport Facilities text into Chinese and will be my partner in Ho-Fried Consulting serving various Chinese sport entities.

Gil-

Harvard's bad choice

2008-03-10T09:13:00.002-04:00

Harvard University caved in to the demands of several Muslim women who wanted gym time just for women. The gym, one of the lessor used gyms on campus, will be closed several times a week so that women can exercise without their traditional religious outfits without feeling uncomfortable that men might watch them. While I am all for religious practices, there is a key issue when the religious rights of a few are used to diminish the rights of others. What would happen if these students then complained that they did not want to workout with Jewish women or African American women because they make them feel uncomfortable. Harvard has opened the door to significant criticism, and a large majority of the criticism is from women who feel the rule against men is sexist.
Gil-

Illegal contact for kids

2008-03-10T09:09:00.003-04:00

A recent study published in the February issue of Injury Prevention highlighted that 98,000 injuries to high school athletes from 2005-2007 were directly related to actions that can be considered illegal or against the rules of the game. This represents 6.4% of all high school sport injuries and means that officials need to clamp down on such inappropriate conduct. The highest rate of these injuries occurred in girl's basketball, girl's soccer, and then boy's soccer. The largest percentage of these injuries occurred to the head/face.
Gil-

Golf Gone Wrong

2008-02-24T23:01:00.003-05:00

When is a tradition something that needs to be changed? A Mass woman is suing the Town of Denni and two PUBLIC golf courses after she was denied the option to play with her father in a men's golf tournament. She had registered to play in a tournament with her father and she was a member of both the clubs participating in the tournament. She was not assigned a tee time and her father was told to find a male partner. The town administrator claimed that the rules were part of the clubs' "historic policy." The question is when should a historic policy be trumped by common sense and decency?
Gil-

Tennis match fixing?

2008-02-24T22:55:00.002-05:00

Italian tennis player Giorgio Galimberti was found guilty of betting on tennis matched and was suspended for 100 days and fined $35,000. While there was no mention of whether he bet on his own matches. However, with all the scandals in the sport world, why would we think the positive? An NBA referee was busted for betting on games and then there is always Pete Rose. What area of sport is not tainted these days?
Gil-

How many will Die?

2008-01-31T12:33:00.000-05:00

Chinese officials have for the first time indicated that several workers (six) have died in the consturction process of Olympic venues. This contrasts with a recent report in London that over 10 people have died just in building the "Bird's Nest" where the openning and closing ceremonies will be held. No matter what the number, building large facilities can be hazardous as seen by the at least 13 workers who died building facilities for the Athens Olympic Games. With the strong OHSA laws in the US deaths in large construction projects are significantly reduced. Other countries should adopt similar laws, but the tight time table for Olympic construction projects often requires government officials to look the other way so the buildings can be completed.
Gil-

Richest Contract in the NHL Still not Enough

2008-01-14T12:31:00.000-05:00

One of the biggest sport contracts of all time was signed last week

when the Washington Capitals signed Alexander Ovechkin to a 13- year extension

worth $124 million. He is a playmaker like

Sidney Crosby; however the Capitals need a core of players that fans are

interested in seeing. Some players like Pavel Datsyuk, Ryan Smyth, Chris

Osgood, Brad Richards, Chris Pronger, Marty Turco, Ryan Miller would make the

team a stronger draw. I think this is too much money for one player to earn for a

team that doesn't have a fan base. The only way such an investment will pay off at

the turnstiles is if the team invests in other stars as well so that the Capitals have a

strong team rather than just a star. This same situation arose in the mid 1990s with

the Houston Rockets. They won the NBA title with Akeem Olajuwon, but they still

were not drawing enough fans. The owner went out and brought in Clyde Drexler

and with two star players the team was able to draw more fans and won it second

NBA title.

by Thomas Chieppo

Marion Jones

2008-01-13T02:00:00.000-05:00

Is six months too little? That should be the question when you look at the sentencing of Marion Jones. While that is what the prosecutors suggested, the judge, Kenneth Karas, was thinking that more time would have sent a better message to other potential cheaters. Marion cheated more than just herself. She cheated fans and teammates. The judge felt that even after admitting to cheating and returning her Olympic medals, Jones was still not being truthful. Once someone cheats, they can make a thousand excuses or additional lies to make themselves believe that they did not do anything wrong. Here she did something wrong and the punishment still does not fit the crime.
Gil-

Vans/Buses deadly for sport participants

2008-01-13T00:03:00.000-05:00

As you can tell from the story below, buses and vans carrying kids to/from games/events are very dangerous. I think professional transportation companies should always be used rather than parents or coaches. They are not professional drivers and no one should entrust their kids to such a transportation method.
Gil-

Seven HS basketball players killed in crash
Associated Press
Updated: January 12, 2008, 8:17 PM EST
A van carrying a Canadian high school boys' basketball team collided with a truck Saturday, killing seven students and the coach's wife on their way home from a game.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Derek Strong said the seven players - between the ages of 15 and 18 - were pronounced dead at the crash site after their van crossed the center line and hit the tractor-trailer shortly after midnight.
"The sudden loss of eight people in this unthinkable accident shocked the nation and all Canadians join you in mourning their passing," Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a letter of condolence sent to the school's principal.
The accident occurred on Highway 11 as the team was making a three-hour return trip from Moncton in Canada's far eastern New Brunswick province after a storm dumped snow, sleet and freezing rain on much of the province.
The nine senior varsity players - accompanied by their coach, his wife and their daughter - were minutes from reuniting with their families when the team's coach lost control of the van.
Emily Cleland, whose brother Nathan Cleland was killed in the accident, said parents were waiting at a fast food restaurant to pick up their children when they got a call to go to the hospital.
"He was my best friend, my whole life," Cleland said of her brother. "He was always so protective of me."
Strong said most of the victims were ejected from the vehicle. The van was equipped with seat belts but investigators didn't know if they were used.
Lydia Dupere, a spokeswoman for the Acadie-Bathurst Health Authority, said three people were still in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. A fourth person had been treated for injuries and released. The truck driver was not hurt.
"This is a whole community in mourning," Bathurst High School superintendent John McLaughlin said. "It's unthinkable what happened and everyone's trying to make some sense of it."

Security???

2008-01-09T00:33:00.000-05:00

Major League Baseball (MLB) has instituted new rules to "prevent" drug issues such as not announcing in advance when testers are coming and logging in packages received by the club house. While this is well and good, does it go to the root of the problem? People want to cheat and they will cheat if they can get away from it.

If they were serious, they should have penalties built into the collective bargaining agreement that players have to repay their salaries (this will never happen since the union is too strong). Or we could have an honor system similar that I had in law school. If there was a disincentive to cheat it would be that others would be harmed. Players would turn in cheats if there would be a penalty for others. Thus, a system could be established where a percentage of team salaries are put into an escrow account. If someone cheats and the others do not turn them in, then the money is forfeited. However, if others turn in a colleague then their salary is safe. This works well with grades (i.e. if someone cheats you are motivated to turn them in since if they do well that means based on a strict grading curve that your grade decreases). Maybe it could work in sports?

What do you think?
Gil-

What were they thinking again

2008-01-08T22:57:00.000-05:00

How could people say such stupid things?????

Golf Channel anchor says young golfers should 'lynch Tiger Woods'
By Roy S. Johnson
Tuesday, Jan 8, 2008 4:38 pm EST

What is it about Duke? Okay, maybe that's not fair. But it did make me scratch my head and wonder when I read what Kelly Tilghman, a former Blue Devil golfer, said on the Golf Channel last Friday during her gig as co-lead announcer for the network's telecast of the Mercedes-Benz Championship, the PGA Tour's inaugural event of the season.

I have not seen the clip, nor do I know the context of the remarks. This is what I know -- that Tilghman, who never played on the LPGA Tour, said golf's young players should "lynch Tiger Woods in a back alley."

Had Woods been white, to use the most heinous crime committed in this nation to illustrate God-knows-what point would have been egregious. But that he's not makes the remark unconscionable. And punishable.

It would be a travesty if Tilghman is allowed to broadcast the next event for the Golf Channel. (It speaks volumes already that she was allowed to sit on the air all day Saturday, as if nothing happened. She then offered an on-air apology on Sunday but still did the entire telecast.)
At minimum, a suspension is in order. Some will surely call for a firing. If the network does nothing -- just months after the Jena Six dominated the nation's airwaves -- it would make a significant statement about the network's tolerance of such actions. A statement that would hurt the sport of golf and rekindle memories of a racist history that Woods' success has helped it begin to move past.
Doing nothing would remind us of Fuzzy Zoeller
Doing nothing would remind us of Shoal Creek.
Doing nothing would not be smart.

Stadium Safety Issues Abound

2007-12-31T21:20:00.000-05:00

It is not enough that we have to be careful concerning foul ball, hockey pucks, drunk fans, etc.... This is the second major escalator incident in baseball in the past couple years. An escalator incident in Colorado injured around 15 fans several years ago. Accident will happen and the same accident could have happened at a hotel, airport, or mall. However, those incidents rarely make it onto the front pages of the paper. see the story below...

Gil-

Saturday, December 29, 2007
Updated: December 30, 5:17 PM ET
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3173382
Seven injured in escalator malfunction at Giants Stadium
Associated Press EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Three people remained hospitalized Sunday after being injured when an escalator malfunctioned Saturday night at Giants Stadium after the Patriots' 38-35 victory over the Giants gave New England a 16-0 regular season.
The escalator at Gate A apparently failed at the bottom steps, state police Lt. Jim Crann said. The escalator runs from the stadium's upper tier to the ground level, and Crann said it appeared that some bottom steps became bent, causing some fans to sustain foot and leg injuries.
Seven people were injured, according to James Minish, executive vice president of facilities for the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority, which operates the stadium. Two of the seven were treated at the stadium, he said.
Five people were taken to Hackensack University Medical Center after the game, according to hospital spokeswoman Nancy Radwin.
Two of the five were treated and released and the other three were still hospitalized Sunday afternoon. Radwin declined to give specific details on their conditions, citing hospital policy.
One of the injured fans appeared to have a fractured leg, Minish said, while others had scrapes and bruises.
"The elevator apparently started running fast" Minish said, adding that all of the stadium's escalators were turned off after the incident.
The accident was similar to one that occurred in July 2003 at Denver's Coors Field. A descending escalator suddenly sped up after a Colorado Rockies game, throwing fans into a pile. Dozens of people were injured, and some needed surgery.
At Giants Stadium on Sunday, the escalator to the upper tier was blocked off, forcing fans going to the New York Jets-Kansas City Chiefs game to take an escalator from ground level to the mezzanine and then walk to the upper tier.
Minish said the escalators were scheduled to be checked Monday by state inspectors under the auspices of the Department of Community Affairs.

College Stadium Safety

2007-12-25T23:29:00.000-05:00

I have stated on numerous occasions that there will probably be a terrorist attack at a sporting event sometime in the near future. The following article highlights this concern as well.

Security experts worry about safety at college stadiums
By CHRIS TALBOTT, Associated Press Writer December 25, 2007
HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) -- After more than a decade in counterterrorism, Jim McGee can no longer relax and enjoy watching a sports event.
The fans look like potential victims of terrorism to the former FBI agent turned college instructor. The players are possible targets and the security gaps are easy to detect.

"It's always in the back of my mind, even when I'm watching them on TV," McGee said. "You're kind of looking at things. The thing is if I can sit there or any spectator can sit there, and think, 'Hmmm, that doesn't look right,' that's probably a little bit of a risk there."

It was long McGee's job to worry about security at stadiums and arenas. Now, as part of the University of Southern Mississippi's Center for Spectator Sports Security Management, it's his job to teach others the concerns that face event managers in the post-9/11 era.

While professional leagues and NASCAR appear to be taking security seriously, officials worry enough isn't being done at college sports events.

Those contacted about the issue believe it's only a matter of time before another domestic or international terrorist attack targets a sports event. This time of year is especially worrisome because of all the high-profile games during bowl season.

Bill Flynn, head of Homeland Security's protective security coordination division, said stadiums and arenas are "a concern, something that we want to pay attention to. Why? Because we've seen attacks overseas in resorts, hotels and arenas, so obviously while al-Qaida and the terrorists have attempted to hit hard targets like refineries, soft targets and commercial facilities become more of a target of opportunity."

U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said basic procedures followed by professional sports security managers aren't followed by all colleges, leaving vulnerable those who cut corners because of cost or other reasons.

"What we found is that there's a need for athletic administrators, campus police, emergency medical service, for all those people to have training," Thompson said.

The Southern Miss program is beginning to fill that need. The security management program, created in October 2005, is believed to be the only program of its kind in the nation and is offered as part of the sports management master's degree program. The school recently won a $3.5 million grant from the Department of Homeland Security to conduct 95 training seminars around the nation to train and certify security professionals.

The program's director, Lou Marciani, said there are significant research opportunities for students in the program, and qualified security professionals are in demand across the country. The school also can help certify retiring federal agents and military personnel for second-career security jobs in the private sector.

Marciani said the center's research quickly showed that college sports events were among the most vulnerable, with hundreds of venues, varying security emphasis and a high emotional impact. More than 48 million people attend at least one NCAA football game a season, offering an easy target.

Researchers discovered most schools had never conducted an emergency evacuation drill or a threat assessment.

By far the largest variable, however, was training. Law enforcement and private security guards aren't the only employees in need of training for a venue to be safe. Everyone from ticket takers and ushers to the people approving credentials must be vigilant.

"In our lifetime you saw Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts being ushers," Marciani said. "The new usher is the first responder. Big difference, huh? Sixty-two percent of NCAA schools use an outsource company to manage their security. So the question is, 'Who are these people coming in to manage their security?"'

NCAA officials turned down repeated requests to discuss the issue, even in the broadest terms.
Marciani said certification of credentialing processes, stadiums and risk management plans will quickly harden so-called "soft targets." But one factor that will continue to limit security is money for operations, physical protection equipment and vulnerability assessments.

The best security plans include a buffer zone around the stadium or arena, a hard shell at the fence and enough personnel inside the facility to divide the crowd into small groups for easier monitoring.

As fans filtered into M.M. Roberts Stadium for a Southern Miss game this season, Marciani gestured toward the stands and talked about some of the security features. He said each section has its own observer, and security supervisors oversee three sections each.

An emergency operations center is run by the school police and everyone is patched into the communications network for quick response.

The precautions seem standard, but surprisingly are not universal.

"Some stadiums aren't fortunate enough to attract 30,000," Marciani said. "Some only attract 17,000. So where are you going to get the money to offset the black hole called security? People don't see security, so they don't want to spend money on security."

There have been very few terrorist attacks on sports or entertainment events on U.S. soil. The most prominent was Eric Rudolph's attack at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta to protest abortion.
Several security professionals said the Virginia Tech killings and the murders of Mississippi and Memphis athletes this year helped push security into a new light.

Marciani said security leaders understand it takes only one person not checking bags or one credential handed out to someone posing as a media member to create a hole in the net. Or worse, they worry about someone with security clearance working in tandem on a major attack.
"You have to be a hell of a lot more careful about who's delivering the truckload of Coke in the afternoon," said Mike Cleary, executive director of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics.
Updated on Tuesday, Dec 25, 2007 4:02 pm, EST

What were they thinking

2007-12-16T13:51:00.000-05:00

Steiner Sports ran the following ad through their email marketing effort. The next day they apologized for the ads. Al Carbone submitted the ad to me so thank you for letting me know about it.

Special Value on item(s) featured above expires at 11:59pm ET on Wednesday December 12, 2007 or while supplies last.If you purchase an autographed baseball tonight and that player's name shows up on the Mitchell Report tomorrow, you will be contacted by a Steiner Sports representative informing you that you have won a FREE $50 online gift certificate. Please allow up to 2 weeks for your gift certificate to be e-mailed.
Gil-

Baseball Scandal

2007-12-13T19:35:00.000-05:00

The news could not be good for MLB. Real names, real stories, real heroes, and now real villains. Will baseball or any other sport gain the full faith and trust of the American viewing public? Should that make all sports suspect? Can fans sue claiming that they bought tickets for a fraud? A recent case involving an auto race showed that this type of claim would be hard to win. A fan bought a ticket for a race, but many of the top name drivers did not attend, even though tickets were purchased under the assumption that the drivers will be there. The fan sued and the court threw it out saying that they bought a ticket for an entertainment event, regardless of who was driving, it was still a race. Similarly, regardless of who was playing, or how drugged up they were, fans still saw a baseball game.
Gil-

MSG troubles

2007-12-11T17:04:00.000-05:00

Madison Square Gardens, the Knicks, and Isiah Thomas settled the sexual harassment case against them for $11.5 million. This amount is $100,000 less than the punitive damage claim awarded against the defendants. The defendants are claiming that they wanted to get the incident behind them so they could focus on basketball operations, but they probably realized that they would not be successful in overturning the award and that a court would probably not reduce the award for being excessive. While I am glad that the victim will be compensated, I am also concerned about the future of women in the sport industry. The good old boys network has not changed for years. Yes, more women are getting into sports and are advancing into the management realm. However, the industry suffers from many stereotypes about women in sports and when women fight back, as in this case, it sometimes retrenches some of the same discriminatory habits in the industry. I hope the fear of facing similar claims will not deter other sport organizations from hiring and promoting qualified candidates.
Gil-

Foul Ball

2007-12-04T23:24:00.001-05:00

A recent CT court decision has limited the application of the limited duty rule. The limited duty rule means that a baseball club/stadium should not be liable for a fan injured by a foul ball landing in the stands if the facility screened the most dangerous part of the park (behind home plate is what the courts; claim is the most dangerous area), and provide enough screened seats for those who would reasonable want to use such seats. I feel that such a rule is good, if the teams/facilities complied with the letter and spirit of the rule. The spirit of the law is that screens are there to protect fans and that there are some very dangerous areas in a ball park that are often outside the reach of most safety nets. The first and third base lines are often the most dangerous areas, and they are rarely adequately protected. Even less protection is given to picnic areas. When a facility has fixed benches that face away from the action, it is hard to see how they can pay attention to the game when they are forced by the bench's position to be facing away from the field. This is even more dramatic when they have a table with their food on it so they have a reason not to watch the game. This is the factual issue in the CT case. The spectator was sitting in the picnic area when they were hit by a foul ball. They sued and the appellate court overturned the lower court's dismissal Isummary judgement) indicating that it should go to a jury whether the facility provided appropriate protection.

What do you think?
Gil-

NCAA busted again

2007-12-04T23:14:00.000-05:00

While the NCAA tries to do its best...it cannot seem to win...in court. While the NCAA has tried going after out of control boosters, that strategy seems to have backfired for a booster from Alabama. The NCAA penalized Alabama in 2002 and attacked boosters from the school. One of the primary boosters alleged to have given players money was a local business person. Even though he was not specifically named, it was implied and he was mentioned in subsequent news stories. This led to Alabama sending him a letter barring him from the athletic program. The businessman's business went south and he sued for millions of dollars claiming mental anguish, damage to his name, loss of some business deals, and punitive damages to punish the NCAA. An Alabama Jury agreed with him, but instead of awarding him the $33.5 million he sought, he was only awarded $5 million. The NCAA is trying to set the decision aside or will appeal the decision.
Gil-

Brazilian Tragedy

2007-11-29T12:34:00.000-05:00

Seven fans died at the FonteNova Stadium in Brazil on Sunday when a section of the stand collapsed. The victims fell 49 feet through a 10 foot hole in an upper deck section. The stadium was built in 1951 and was recently voted as the worst stadium in the country by a group of architects and engineers. The next day the Brazilian government announced it would tear down the stadium in anticipation of the 2014 World Cup that will be held there.
Gil-

Quick Exit

2007-11-29T12:32:00.000-05:00

Tom Chieppo

Ricky Williams made his latest comeback in nearly two years

against the Pittsburgh Steelers; After serving his 1/2 year suspension for

violating the NFL drug policy. Williams gained 15 yards on six carries;

However, Williams suffered a torn chest muscle injury that will impact

the rest of the 2007 season for Miami. The Dolphins running back

will have his arm in a sling for four to six weeks, and the rehab will

take five to six months. When rehab is over, Ricky Williams will

begin preparing for the 2008 season.

I'm stunned that Roger Goodell let Ricky Williams back in

the National Football League. I understand that everyone in life deserves

a second chance, and Williams received that opportunity from Mr. Goodell.

Cam Cameron, the head coach of the Miami Dolphins needed a

miracle, and he thought that letting Ricky Williams come back

would help this team win a football game. Cameron should not have rushed Ricky

Williams unless he was healthy enough to play. Williams also probably was not in

strong enough shape to play on such a poor field.

The Dolphins are desperate to win a game, but Ricky

Williams isn't the answer. I believe that Miami will be picking first next

year in the NFL draft, and Miami will

need to pick an outstanding number one quarterback to help this team

win. I would fire coach Cam Cameron and get someone else in

there to make Miami a serious contender next year.

Aramark Case

2007-11-27T19:22:00.000-05:00

Alcohol Management Post Verni
(Author's note...This article comes from a different perspective as I was the expert witness for Aramark in this case.)

The stunning verdict in the Verni case against Aramark and other defendants has shook the entire concession and facility management industry. The case involved a drunk driver (with three prior drunk driving convictions) who caused a serious injury to a passenger in another car in an accident almost three hours after leaving the Meadowlands. Before the accident, the driver stopped by a liquor store, a fast food restaurant, and two bars. During the trial, the Plaintiffs’ lawyer painted the Meadowland’s and it concessionaire as a proverbial “den of inequity” full of drunks and fostering a “drunken environment.” This portrayal helped convince a jury to award the largest Dram Shop verdict in United States history, $109 million verdict against Aramark.

Aramark appealed the decision and an appellate court overturned the lower courts’ decision in 2006. The appellate court concluded that the Plaintiffs produced no evidence that the driver purchased beer or that he was served when he was visibly intoxicated. The court stated, “[E]vidence of drunken attendees is inadmissible. It does not account for the possibility that patrons may have consumed the alcohol off premises, before the game at a tailgate event, or that the alcohol was purchased by a sober patron who supplied it to an intoxicated patron.” The parties settled the case in 2007, and the final amount was not disclosed. The fact that the case was successfully appealed limits how useful the case can serve as a precedent because neither side can claim that the court has clearly indicated the “industry standard” that should be applied when examining dram shop cases involving sport facilities.

The plaintiffs’ lawyer skillfully isolated Aramark as the “big bad guys” to increase jury sympathy and paint the case as a large greedy corporation against a poor, disabled child. However, his arguments also attacked the entire industry and painted the concession industry as a group of greedy businesses interested in maximizing profits while showing absolutely no regard for patrons. Some of his claims could be interpreted by the jury to mean:
Not every server was recertified by TIPS and some servers had served beers prior to receiving TIPS training (but servers could have had other training or prior beer service experience without formal training).
Every server should have been TIPS certified even those who only accepted cash in a food service line where beer was also sold.
TIPS maintained lists of employees needing recertification rather than Aramark.
Any difference from strategy encouraged by TIPS was an alleged violation of industry standards.
Every stand that served alcohol should have had more supervision.
Every time someone was denied service, the denial should have been documented.
There should have been more alcohol compliance inspectors (possibly one supervisor for every two or three stands).
Aramark should be liable for anyone intoxicated in the facility even if the patron did not purchase a single beverage from Aramark.
Aramark alcohol compliance personnel should have documented every instance where they observed a beer server selling more than two beers, selling to someone who might have appeared intoxicated, or who might have been underage.
Compliance personnel should have been TIPS trained and he eluded that police alcohol training was not equivalent to TIPS training.
Aramark and/or its beer servers could have taken patron keys if they appeared intoxicated.
Stand supervisors and/or alcohol compliance personnel should have followed patrons who might appear intoxicated to make sure they do not purchase any alcohol at another stand or obtain alcohol from other sources-such as someone giving a friend a beer.
Beer servers did not spend enough time with purchasers to adequately evaluate if they showed signs of intoxication.
Designated driver programs should have been available not just at the start of the game, but also when the game ended.
A stadium was not really any different than a bar and that even though a stadium might serve 60,000 beers in a game, they should be held to the same standard as a bar that sold only 40 beers during the same time period.

Some problems with the claims raised by Plaintiffs’ counsel include:
It would almost be impossible to both sell beer and process all the paperwork that might be required to monitor thousands of transactions and customers.
The extra personnel required to implement some of the suggested tactics would probably drive the cost of beer to $15.00 or more a cup and could lead to increased violence and people sneaking alcohol into the facility (even with searches).
There is no mention of the other parties to the game/event experience which includes the facility owners/management, police, facility tenants, and security companies.
He painted the beer servers as heartless people interested in maximizing their revenue versus the testimony which showed the servers were dedicated employees who were not interested in taking any bribes or violating any policies for fear of losing their jobs.
The beer servers who testified indicated what were some signs of intoxication they looked for and that such knowledge can exist regardless of whether or not someone is TIPS (or TEAM) trained (this does not mean that training is not important, but training should not be the only criteria for establishing a concessionaires guilt or innocence).
It is not illegal for someone to be intoxicated in the facility, it is only illegal when they operate a vehicle or engage in other illegal activity.
Patrons might act intoxicated through engaging in activities such as yelling, but they might not have had anything to drink and are just excited.

Thus, plaintiffs’ attorney painted a wholly unrealistic image of the concession industry, but one that a jury could buy and conclude that Aramark was evil and needs to be punished.

Based on the arguments or lack-thereof, several potential strategies could be developed that could help prevent similar claims. It should be noted that these are not industry standards and are only risk management strategies suggested by one individual.
Have digital cameras monitor the exit ways when people are leaving the facility. The driver in the Verni case supposedly left the facility before the game ended and there were only two exits open before the game ends. If these areas were monitored (they were manned) it could have been beneficial to have video showing if someone was leaving and could barely stand as plaintiffs’ attorney claimed.
Have cameras as well as police monitor those leaving the parking lot to spot erratic behavior from poor driving to people yelling incoherently (which might be hard to distinguish from people yelling in delight or grief). A drunk driving check point could also be placed outside the facility and shift some of the responsibility to the police.
Have all alcohol compliance inspectors or supervisors document where they have visited so they can have a running log (i.e. 10 minutes at stand A, watched 40 transaction, everyone appearing under 30 carded and two patrons denied) to demonstrate that they were actively monitoring what was occurring.
Utilize a hand stamp on a patron’s hand indicating that they are showing signs of intoxication and a subsequent server can ask to see the person’s hand for a stamp before serving them.
Petition state representatives to change the dram shop laws so that stadiums, arenas, and other large public assembly facilities are treated differently compared with a bar.
Have the teams/events, facility management, security, concessionaires, and others meet to create a seamless division of responsibility and overlapping safeguards in place so that if any patron can fool one group there is a backup group that can serve as a second line of defense.

Beer is an integral component of sporting/concert events and helps countless fans enjoy the game/event. Will patrons get drunk at events/facilities? The answer is of course yes! Everyday people get drunk all over the world, since it is not illegal to drink in most countries. One study indicated that 5-7 percent of fans at one stadium in Canada were intoxicated enough to demonstrate signs of intoxication. However, patrons can be intoxicated without ever purchasing alcohol from a concession stand or vendor. Under the potential Verni precedent (if the case had not been overturned on appeal) everyone affiliated with the event would be liable for any unlawful act undertaken by a patron (whether inside or outside the facility) even if the patron never purchased a drink and snuck their drinks in or were intoxicated before arriving at the facility. This would force facilities to check patrons before entering the facility and not allow fans with erratic behavior into the facility (as well as expel and take the keys from anyone who acts overly exuberant during and after the event). This could raise countless legal issues such as discrimination, violation of the American’s with Disability Act, and liability for excluding someone from the facility if that person then gets into an accident upon leaving the facility. This is not what the law is designed to accomplish and will lead to countless frivolous claims that would destroy the industry.

MRSA concerns

2007-11-27T19:18:00.000-05:00

MRSA around the facility and locker room

Gil Fried, Professor, University of New Haven
Special Consultant, Widerman Insurance

It is all over the media. Schools, hospitals, government agencies, and other entities are now scrambling to deal with an issue that for years was a concern, but was on the back burners. Staph infections have been around for years and were looked at primarily as a concern around hospitals. A specific type of Staph infection has generated significant media coverage and it is called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. MRSA infections are usually manifested as skin infections, such as pimples and/or boils, and can occur in otherwise health individuals.

A government report last month found that more than 94,000 Americans get potentially deadly Staph infections each year. Of these victims, nearly 19,000 died as MRSA is resistant to many antibiotics. It should be noted that 85% of these cases are connected to health care related facilities. The virus is so dangerous because it can live on all types of environments from towels to lockers and everything in between.

Having an MRSA outbreak does not mean you have a poor facility. Over the past ten years there have been outbreaks in elementary school gyms to NFL locker rooms. In 2003 a Lycoming College football player died from a bloodstream infection linked to MRSA bacteria. In 2004 newspapers reported that some members of the Denver Broncos came down with the virus and future hall-of-fame player Junior Seau allegedly caught it while playing for the Miami Dolphins.

In 2007, a former college football player sued Iona College over an antibiotic-resistant staph infection that nearly cost him his leg. The player, Nick Zaffarese, accused team trainers of initially brushing off his burgeoning MRSA, infection in September 2005. He claims that the team's locker room was an unsanitary environment in which players shared towels and equipment. While the College disputes the allegations, it recently disinfected a weight room and went over hygiene advice after 10 members of an athletic team (including a coach) were diagnosed with MRSA in September. The lawsuit seeks more than $250,000 in damages.

Other cases have sprung up around the country including:
Three students in Detroit were diagnosed with MRSA,
School officials disinfected a locker room in Indiana after a student was diagnosed,
At least six football players at a North Carolina high school were diagnosed and the school sanitized the locker room and equipment,
Five fencers at a club in Denver were infected,
Two football players diagnosed with the disease at a college in Los Angeles,
Two wrestlers at a high school in Indiana came down with MRSA, and
Numerous outbreaks all across the country affecting from 1-40 students have been reported.

MRSA is not something that can be caught only from close physical contact. In fact, three of the biggest concerns have involved minimal human-to-human contact. Shaving is one of the big concerns. Many swimmers and cyclists shave their bodies and each time someone shaves they are creating micro-abrasions that can quickly become infected. Body shaving according to one study increases the chance of MRSA infection by 43%. A similar concern exists with body piercing. With the growth of body piercing, more and more athletes have open wounds that can easily become infected. Lastly, surfaces from diving boards to fake grass (whether on a playing field or on walking areas) can help spread the disease. One study highlighted that those who suffered from turf burns from products such as AstroTurf are seven times more likely to catch the disease. In early 2006, GeneralSports Venue (GSV), the exclusive U.S. licensee of the AstroTurf brand, offered TurfAide™ from SportCoatings (a state-of-the-art antimicrobial protection), as an optional component for AstroTurf fields. As of October 2007, it became standard on all new AstroTurf systems.
How can you minimize the chance of having MRSA spread or develop in your facility? The answers are common sense cleanliness, but it should be pointed out that viruses live on all surfaces and we are exposed to them on a regular basis.

Potential solutions for combating MRSA include:
Rubberized flooring that is specifically treated to deal with infectious diseases,
Sanitizing/disinfecting surfaces on a regular basis to kill various viruses from MRSA to Hepatitis strains,
Encouraging facility users to wash their hands frequently with soap or hand sanitizers,
Use air blowers rather than paper towels for drying hands,
Discourage facility users from sharing personal items such as shavers, soap, combs, clippers, etc…, and
Thoroughly wash towels at a hot enough temperature (over 160 degrees) to make sure they are clean.

Another major solution is properly training the staff. If staff members understand why they are cleaning surfaces, they might be more inclined to give their best effort. In 2005 staff members at the Dollan Aqua Centre (Scotland) were faced with a crisis. Traces of MRSA were found on a cafeteria table, a toilet handle, and a female locker after a secret investigation by a Sunday newspaper. Unacceptable high risk levels of MRSA are deemed to be anything above 0.5 colonies per square centimeter - the amount found in the female locker at the Dollan was 2.2. Management’s challenge was to get the staff to make sure strict cleaning procedures were adhered to on a regular basis.

Improper Conduct

2007-11-27T19:12:00.000-05:00

The NonProfit Tomes highlighted today another embarrassing episode of executive misconduct. This time it was the President/CEO of the American Red Cross. While no one is immune from such conduct, the higher someone is located on the organizational chart the bigger their fall. Sport is not immune from such conduct and such cases have appeared every year.

The president and CEO of The American Red Cross (ARC) is out after less than a year --involved in an inappropriate relationship with a female subordinate. The ARC Board of Governors has appointed Mary S. Elcano, general counsel, as interim president and CEO.
The board of governors, convened in an emergency conference call, asked for and today received the resignation of Mark W. Everson.
"Although this is difficult and disappointing news for the Red Cross community, the organization remains strong and the life-saving mission and work of the American Red Cross will go forward," said Chairman Bonnie McElveen-Hunter,, in a statement.
Everson, the former commissioner of the IRS, had been in the position for less than six months. He is the ARC's eighth CEO or interim CEO in 12 years.
"I am resigning my position for personal and family reasons, and deeply regret it is impossible for me to continue in a job so recently undertaken," said Everson, in a statement. "I leave with extraordinary admiration for the Red Cross." He could not immediately be reached for additional comment
"Everyone here is shocked," said one ARC official who declined to be identified. "Everyone had so much invested in this guy and he does this," the official said.
The ARC board met via conference call today during which Everson immediately resigned, according to another insider.
The resignation comes just as the ARC's image was being restored with legislators in Washington, D.C. "He was the IRS commissioner and we wasted a lot of time and political on him," said another insider.

NPT Publishing Group 201 Littleton Road 2nd Floor Morris Plains, NJ 07950

How Good/Bad are the New York Giants

2007-11-20T14:52:00.000-05:00

Too Cocky by Tom Chieppo (Graduate Student at UNH)

When I look at The New York Giants, I see a team that needs to be

disciplined. Why? Well, because they talk more instead of accomplishing more.

I don't like when a team talks a lot and can't back up what they're saying,

and I find it disgraceful. Stop trying to break the opposing teams by trash talking

because its not working. When trash talking happens, the Giants commit too

many stupid penalties such as penalties and the Giants lead the league in penalties.

I understand that getting inside your opponents head can become

motivation for your team; however, they give up against winning football teams

like The Dallas Cowboys and The Green Bay Packers because they get bullied by

them. The Giants feel that they're the kings of the playground, but they're not

proving it on the field.

Tom Coughlin, the coach of The N.Y. Giants needs to be the angry

coach that he was before. Coughlin has to shake up this team and tell them to

stop being big shots and start focusing on the game of football. If I were the

head coach of the Giants, I would tell my team that their attitudes

are unacceptable. I would also tell them, "when we play hard as a team, we don't win football

games, but playing smart football will win more games." This organization needs to get on

a role because New England will be here before the Giants know it and the

Pats will tear the heads off the Giants. The player's need to get serious if they

want to keep Tom Coughlin's job past this season.

Good Sports?

2007-11-12T22:10:00.000-05:00

In Tampa, Florida the Florida High School Athletic Association fined Jefferson and Alonso High Schools for a fight that broke out after a junior varsity football game on October 4, 2007.

The FHSAA sent letters to the schools last week.
Jefferson was fined $1,500:
• 4 counts of gross unsporting conduct ($250 each)
• failure to comply with FHSAA sportsmanship policies ($500)

Alonso was fined $1,100:
• 2 counts of gross unsporting conduct ($250 each)
• 1 count of regular unsporting conduct ($100)
• failure to comply with FHSAA sportsmanship policies ($500)

The fight started when both teams lined up for their post game handshakes. The item that I like about this decision is that the students have to pay. According to Jefferson athletic director Bob Morgan, Hillsborough County School District policy dictates:
“If a student athlete is fined from FHSAA for general or gross unsportsmanlike conduct, then the student is responsible for the fines.” Lets make it hurt. You throw a punch, it is $500 per punch and it goes to a designated charity. The athletic director should be forced to sign an affidavit that the money came from the student and not their parents or others. This way, if you throw a punch and do not have the money to pay the fine, then you have to leave the team, bet a job, and work it off. Such a system would punish the offenders where it hurts and discourage others from doing the same in the future.
Gil-

Boys playing with Girls

2007-11-12T22:00:00.000-05:00

The following story highlights one of the tricky issues associated with gender equity and the problems that can arise when someone tries to rock the boat--the others in the boat fight back.

Times Herald-Record November 07, 2007

Pine Bush — Before the first serve sails over the net today at SUNY New Paltz, before the first spike hits the floor, controversy will overshadow the start of Pine Bush's quest for a state volleyball title. The six-time Section 9 champs will file a protest with the match officials before taking the court against Section 4 (Binghamton area) champ Horseheads in a Class AA opening-round match at 5:45 p.m.
The reason?
His name is Kyle Ray.
He's a 5-foot-8, 140 pound junior, and the starting setter for Horseheads' volleyball team.
And even though state regulations allow him to take the court, Pine Bush is crying foul.
"It's just not fair," said senior setter Kourtney Clark.
"I don't think that boys should be playing girls' volleyball," said coach Lori Kachelmeyer. "They're stronger, they're faster, they can jump higher and they're just physically more advanced than women are. That's just the way it is, and I'm a woman."
Horseheads insists it is merely abiding by state rules, as well as the precedent set by Title IX, which requires equal athletic opportunities for both genders.
"We followed every step that the state required," said athletic director Mike Johnston. "We hid nothing. I don't know what else we're supposed to do."
Horseheads coach Patti Perone said it's a no-win situation.
"If you don't (let a boy play), you're going to get sued. If you do, you're going to be ridiculed," Perone said.
Since Horseheads doesn't have a boys' volleyball team, Ray has the right to play on the girls' team, according to the rules on mixed competition set by the state Education Department.
The regulations also mandate that Ray had to take a fitness test before trying out to prove that he wouldn't have an unfair physical advantage. The test was administered by a panel that included Horseheads High principal Jim Abrams, Johnston, a school physician and a physical education teacher. They cleared him to play.

The story went on from there. I am of the opinion that if we let women play in men's sports then we should allow men to play in women's sport as long as we cap the number for both gender. That means that we can have two or three women on men's team and the same number of men on women's teams. If you do not put a limit, what is there to prevent the women's volleyball team from being an all male team?
Gil-

Get out Safely

2007-11-07T23:07:00.000-05:00

A fans’ guide to safety in public assembly facilities

We all want to be safe and there are many safe places to go in life. However, we all know that many injuries occur in our own home, even though we know or think we know it is safe. The safety factor is magnified when we are in an unfamiliar environment and might get disoriented based on light (or lack thereof), noise, people, smoke, and/or drugs/alcohol. The tragic fire at The Station night club highlights this fact.

The following quick guide is designed to highlight some safety strategies that can make going to your next event safer for you and those around you. These strategies are based on actual cases or incidents that have been handled by the author or uncovered while doing research on several books.

Go in groups and try to wear distinctive clothing that help everyone stand out. Group members should identify where they should meet if they have to leave the facility in a rush.

Before arriving at the facility remember where you parked and if there are multiple vehicle exit ways in case there is a traffic related concern. Parking close to an exit might make your walk longer to the facility, but your exiting will take less time.

Check facility before hand to examine where it is located, physical shape, sloped floors, mushy environment (grass or mud) due to rain, etc.. All such conditions can cause harm. Never undertake any activity without knowing the risks. One case I handled involved a kid who was mud sliding at a concert and he did not know that at the bottom of the hill there was a drainage pipe he did not see. He was seriously injured when he slid head first into the pipe.

When you enter a facility locate all the nearby exits as the place where you entered might not be the closest or easiest exit.

If you are in a ball park examine where you are seated to determine if you are at risk of being hit by a foul ball. While the area behind home plate is usually screened, the most dangerous area is down the first and third base line. If you are seating in those areas pay close attention to the game to avoid serious injury from flying bats and balls.

If you are at a rock concert that has general admission (festival) seating, make sure you are not standing by the railing in front of the stage. A patron can be trapped with little room to move by the barriers and can likely face other patrons bumping into them when they are dancing. If you feel unsafe tell the security person at the railing that you want to be lifted out. Make sure you have plenty of fluids to drink or ask security for water as people are often dehydrated in the pit area. If you want to be near “the action” try staying by the sides rather than the middle (in front of the stage) to avoid being hit when mosh pits form or people start pushing forward to the stage area.

Consider special issues such as children or those with disabilities since it might take longer to get them out of a facility. Some facilities have special alcoves for disabled patrons to wait for evacuation. When you enter a facility make sure you ask an employee what strategies or issues you should know if there is an emergency.

Consider the time of the year as in winter we usually wear coats which gives us more weight and increases our size-which impacts our movement. It should be noted that an average stairway used to be 44 inches wide so that two people can walk up together. However, when we walk down we take more that 22 inches of space with our hip movement. This phenomenon was seen during 9/11 when it was hard for people to go down the stairs and people had to move to the side to allow firefighters to go up the stairs.

Know the facility’s rules such as any code of conduct so you know all the rules you need to follow to have a good time and to avoid being expelled from the facility. Also remember that the security personnel and ushers are trying to do a job and protect people. Thus, treat them with respect and listen to their instructions.

Always watch for crowded aisleways and report such conditions to an usher or security personnel. Similarly you should report any suspicious behavior, drunken fans that are bothering others, those using excessive vulgarity/swearing, and criminal activity. People go to public assembly facilities to have fun and you are one of the key links that can help make sure everyone is having fun.

Since your goal is fun, remember to keep your cool. Do not get stressed out by lines or delays. Do not push others or try to wiggle your way in. Just remember, is it worth the possible loss of life (yours or someone else’s) just so you get to your seat one minute earlier?

We cannot make a facility 100% safe. However, we can take steps to understand and appreciate our environment which will help us maintain our own sense of safety and allow us to quickly respond to hazards.

The Problem with Sport Industry Standards

2007-11-07T23:01:00.000-05:00

This article will be published shortly in a defense attorney publication, but I felt it was important to convey the concern associated with sport industry standards.

One of the most annoying issues faced by many defense attorneys are expert witnesses who highlight an alleged industry standard-that does not exist. This article will focus on some key steps to verify if alleged standards exists in the sport, recreational, and athletic fields. The article is based on serving as an expert in numerous cases and listening to or reading testimony from alleged experts who claim that a standard exists and are proud to highlight which organization produced the alleged standard. They possibly thought that if it is published, it is a standard. The problem with such an approach is that numerous alleged standards in the industry are inaccurate or not followed.

One of the problems is that there are not a significant number of government regulations in the sport industry. Some government standards exists for certain industries such as boxing commission rules or licensing requirements for a given industry. Pools are one of the most regulated facilities and states/municipalities typically have significant rules relating to everything from the number of lifeguards needed to water chemical and clarity requirements. Furthermore, some physical education regulations require testing or even indicate how student testing should be conducted. Outside of these easier to find and prove standards, the industry is like the Wild West. For example, there are numerous testing organizations offering licensure or certification for personal trainers. Without critically reviewing the actual education and certification validity, an expert could claim that a personal trainer could meet the industry standard of being certified. However, under scrutiny it could be proven that the trainer should not have been working with any clients since they did not have the fundamental skills that a majority of personal trainers possess. That has been the hallmark of an industry standard-what do a majority of similar facilities, entities, or individuals follow?

A majority of cases I handle deal with facility related concerns. This is an area fraught with inappropriate standards. I am on record at numerous trials and depositions that something is not a standard unless around seven out of ten facilities in a give area engage in that conduct. This “standard” would invalidate many published standards. The following represent just a sample of alleged standards that are not really standards.

Gym air quality
In one case in the south, a basketball player dove for a basketball and hit his head against another player’s knee. The injury spawned a significant paraplegia claim. The opposing expert claimed the gym violated the standards set fourth by the American College of Sport Medicine (ACSM). The ACSM has published a standards/guideline book since the mid 1990s and it is in its third edition. The standards are not developed through testing or comprehensive industry surveys, but by what some people working on the publication think is appropriate. Of course this is not a legal defensible manner of developing anything that can be claimed as a standard. The alleged standard that was violated was the facility’s humidity level and temperature were too high. Since I have written a textbook on sport facility management I knew that I had never seen any studies on this topic. I asked the book’s editor where the numbers came from and it turns out they were from a book on office buildings, which have a completely different engineering, ventilation system, heat load, and other significant differences. Upon examination, the opposing expert was not able to prove that there was a specific industry standard for gymnasiums that was violated.

Crowd Management
In several defense cases I have handled involving crowd misbehavior at stadiums and concert venues, opposing experts have claimed that the facilities had violate the standards of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The NFPA does significant good for the facility industry and some of their standards for fire suppression systems are widely adopted by various public agencies/officials. However, not all their standards are universally accepted. The NFPA requires large facilities to undergo a Life Safety Audit if they utilize general admission seating. I thoroughly support having a detailed safety audit conducted for every facility. However, the requirements of the Life Safety Audit, if mandated by a local government official, is a daunting and comprehensive document that could take weeks to prepare. Through all my research into these audits, many facility managers have never heard of them, but also I have not been able to find a completed example-even after asking for one from the NFPA. Thus, can it be an industry standard when there are few if any practioners in the industry who even know how to comply with the alleged standard?

The NFPA standards, in my perspective, lost a significant amount of their perceived teeth when they were significantly changed after The Station fire in Rhode Island back in 2003. Prior to the fire some of the key safety standards applied to public assembly facilities with an occupancy load of over 1,000 people. However, after the fire the same standards were changed to apply to facilities with occupancy loads of 250. Does that mean that the initial “standards” were wrong and needed to be downgraded? If the “standard” was reduced 75 percent after one incident, does that cast doubt on all the associated standards?

Stadium Screening/Fencing

In my earlier years I had believed in some of the industry standards that were out there. One such standard was that there should be an eight foot high fence surrounding a baseball field. That standard was developed by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).
6.5.1 [T]he top of the fence shall be a minimum of 8 ft, 0 in. (2.44m) above grade or a greater dimension that ensures protection of spectators from a fouled line drive or related trajectory.
6.7.4 [T]he backstop height and width may vary depending on the type of ball being played, the size and height of the spectator area around it….The minimum width of the panels is dependent upon the structural design supporting the chain-link or net fabric.
7.3 [T]he spectator fence shall be located where spectators will congregate to
watch the game or in front of bleachers of an 8 ft height or of a sufficient height to
protect spectators at the highest point of the bleachers. Standard Guide for Fences
for Ballfields and Other Sports Facilities, AMERCIAN SOCIETY FOR
TESTING AND MATERIALS. F-2000-00a (2000).

My faith in the standard was significantly diminished when I discovered that the standard was not developed by experts in the baseball security area-such as facility managers, but rather by individuals in the manufacturing industry. Thus, people who have a potential bias to sell more fencing would be trying to require others to buy additional fencing to meet the standard. That is not why standards are developed. Standards are developed to protect an industry by showing what is done in an industry not what an external entity or group (except government entities) would like them to do. Needless to say, in all my years in the sport facility industry I have not seen a single field that has met this standard.

These are just a sampling of some standards that do not really exist. When exploring retaining an expert or challenging an opposing expert, focus on what proof they have that there actually is a standard. Can they prove that seven out of ten facilities, coaches, programs, etc… act in a given manner? If they cannot prove with tangible evidence that an industry acts in a given manner, then that standard is probably worthless. Similarly, when noticing an expert’s deposition it is beneficial to ask for production of any research that supports their opinions. If the expert is from an academic institution and they have conducted any research, you should also ask for any approval they might have received from their institutional review board. Many universities have such boards to approve research instruments/procedures to make sure they do not harm people/animals and that all questions/procedures are appropriate.

As highlighted in this brief article, there are a number of problems with some alleged industry standards. The problem also extends to uninformed or unscrupulous expert witnesses who will prey on attorney and jury ignorance to promote a “non-standard.” However, through aggressive discovery procedures and retaining an honest expert you can rebuff some of these “non-standards.”

Gil Fried is a Professor at the University of New Haven focused on sport and entertainment risk management. His consulting company, Gil Fried & Associates, LLC has been involved in some of the biggest sport cases over the past twenty years. He can be reached through his web page www.gilfried.com.

Michigan High Rises

2007-11-05T19:31:00.000-05:00

A few years ago Michigan’s athletic director, proposed renovating the Big House, where Michigan plays, for $226 million. The facility is 80 years old and has witnessed The Ohio State University coming in on numerous occasions to beat the lowly team that calls it their home (Yes I am a Buckeye). Included in the renovation plans approved by the university’s trustees earlier this year are new features for the largest stadium in the US: skyboxes and expensive “premium seats."

This proposal has set off a fire storm of people opposed to the plan for several reasons:
The boxes would cost a lot and will not be paid off for more than a generation;
By capping future expansion, through adding the boxes, the "Big House" may eventually lose its status as the country’s biggest stadium-possibly to Ohio State; and/or
U of M should not be the kind of school that sells skyboxes to the rich and should keep its focus on its true fans versus high corporate execs and rich alumni.

I have no problem either way, but this debate will come up again and again as schools fight for revenue and try to extract as much as possible from the money machine that is NCAA athletics at some (very few) schools.
Gil-

Garcia- Div. I's First Hispanic Female AD

2007-11-02T09:25:00.000-04:00

On July 1st, Irma Garcia was promoted from "acting" AD to full-time Athletic Director at St. Francis College. While I applaud her advancement and hope that many can follow in her footsteps, I want to point out a different side of the story. her success was not based on what she did on the field, but hard work and determination. I hear time and time again former athletes saying they want to be sport business executives when they retire. However, have they put in the hard work of getting the right degrees, working the menial jobs (how many would want to pull the tarp to cover the infield during a rain storm?), or working concession stand clean-up. Learning these tasks and doing the work can make you a great leader. Avoiding these tasks because they are beneath you shows that you will never gain the trust of others, which means you will have a hard time leading others.

Garcia put in her dues as a player, then worked elsewhere before returning as a coach in 1988. She retired from coaching in 1999 and has undertaken various administrative positions to work her way to the top. She was promoted after a national search to fill the position. Thus, she did not get the job because she was a great athlete at the college, but through hard work and paying her dues.

I encourage everyone interested in a sport management career to follow her lead. If you really want to be a true leader, pay your dues.
Gil-

Mark Cuban

2007-10-29T18:27:00.000-04:00

Mark Cuban must have been looking at more than his love of Dallas when he purchased the Mavericks. The stats from a 2006 survey by Scarborough Research (224,583 residents in the US) highlight that Dallas is the wealthiest NBA fan market. Approximately 10.4% of Dallas residents are loyal NBA fans who earn over $100,000 a year. The next closest cities are Detroit and Washington,DC with 9.1% of NBA fans earning over $100k. Dallas also leads the league with 16.4% of their residents being loyal NBA fans earning over $75,000 a year. The city did not do as well with loyal NBA fans who are female as the city only posted 15% response for that question (3rd highest) while its cross-state rival the Spurs led the league in this category with 25.1% of the market's adults being female NBA fans.
Gil-

World Series

2007-10-29T18:23:00.000-04:00

With Boston destroying Colorado, the real loser were not the Rockies or their fans, but the broadcast network. After Colorado's easy victories and Boston's close series with Cleveland, networks were hoping for some large numbers. However, the relative ease with which Boston won would spur only Red Sox nation followers to closely follow the series and the long, late night, games. I would not be surprised if rating for the series declined over 15% from last year.
Gil-

Postscript- I was wrong. The numbers just came out (a day after I posted this blog) and the rating were up 5% over the 2006 Series. But with a 10.6% average rating the games represented the second-lowest rated Series since they have been tracking the ratings. The last three years represent the lowest rated three world series ever.

Yankees Payroll?

2007-10-28T21:22:00.000-04:00

Is the giant payroll for the Yankees worth it? With the prospect of renegotiating A-Rod's contract to an even higher level, is there BizBall sense in what management is doing? My answer is no.

I am not a Yankee lover or hater. I am just looking at it from a business perspective. The Yankees have a solid season ticket base, they are moving into a new stadium with numerous luxury suites that will go for hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, and the team has significant concession revenue streams, along with various naming right options that can raise even more money. Lets not forget the broadcast revenue numbers which are the best in all of baseball. So why invest more money into the team?

The statistics are clear that investing in players can increase revenue. However, that is normally true for smaller market teams or teams that have been in the dumps. Teams with a rich history and solid revenue streams do not need to invest as much (i.e. Boston or Chicago teams). If the Yankees play well and make it to the playoffs on a regular basis the fans will stay. It is only ego that drives up the salaries in a push to win it all one more time. George can learn a good lesson from the former owners of the Dodgers. They used to have a very simple strategy. That strategy was .500 ball. Team management aimed to have solid seasons where the team would win 50% of their games in any given season. Some years the team would lose more and other years the team could even go to the World Series (as they did). However, management's goal was to try to provide a winning team as often as possible. The Yankees want to spend like they need to have a winning team all the time. While wins help, as long as they are competitive they will still make tons of money.

Thus, the BizBallz strategy would be to drop some of the high payroll players to add some new fresh talent who can develop new fans and rely on some veterans to help keep the team competitive.
Gil-

Welcome

2007-10-28T20:03:00.000-04:00

BizBallz is a blog dedicated to analyzing the business side of sport with a focus on issues such as sport law, sport finance, and sport marketing. The focus is not just on whether it was a good investment to sign a given player, but if the sport industry is healthy, why are TV numbers declining for certain sports, what innovative marketing techniques are being used, and why are some sport related stocks stuck in the mud.

I welcome you to the exciting world of sport business.

As the umpires say...play ballz (corny I know)

Gil-