LeBron in a movie?

I came across this article talking about a movie trailer with LeBron James. Apparently the super star basketball player is trying out his acting game is a movie called "More than a Game". The official theatrical trailer for "More Than a Game" premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last September, and is a documentary that looks at how LeBron took his St. Vincent-St. Mary high school team to the national championship and his subsequent rise to NBA stardom. This should be an interesting movie to see for all basketball fans.

The plot: "Five talented young basketball players from Akron, Ohio star in this remarkable true-life coming of age story about friendship and loyalty in the face of great adversity. Coached by a charismatic but inexperienced player's father, and led by James, the "Fab Five's" improbable seven-year journey leads them from a decrepit inner-city gym to the doorstep of a national high school championship. Along the way, the close-knit team is repeatedly tested — both on and off the court — as James' exploding worldwide celebrity threatens to destroy everything they've set out to achieve together."

Personally, I think it would be a fun and interesting movie to go see.. basketball, a movie, popcorn.. Check out the trailer and see for yourself if it looks interesting to you!

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Sneak-peek-LeBron-James-More-Than-A-Game-the?urn=nba,157485

Let's Go Lions!

Ok, I'm from Michigan and am not a big follower of football, but the Lions are from Detroit so I feel as if there is some loyalty that I must have for a team within my state. I found an article about them talking about the coming NFL draft, for which they have the No. 1 pick. The new president, Martin Meyhew says that the way the team will get out of last year's slump is buy getting more talent for the team. All I heard about them last year was how terrible they did, and hopefully this year could be a turn around point for them with a new coach and the No. 1 pick. “If you have the opportunity to get [the pick signed], then you know you have that player throughout the entire offseason,” Mayhew said. “You don’t have a contentious situation with the player. You don’t have a hold-out." Meyhew also said that he thinks the director of college scouting, Scott McEwen, is doing a great job as far as setting the board this year, as he has done in the past. But if this is true, then why did they lose all their games last year? Hopefully with the No. 1 pick, the Lions can gain back some winning spirit and get their game back. However, as with any of those No. 1 pick players, some could be stars but just as well busts. The lions are going to play this pick smart if they have any chance to get back to the big time. So let's go Lions! Please make Detroit, as well as Michigan, proud again!

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AjG5BLf8S6GY24Z31uqESDo5nYcB?slug=dw-lionssign042109&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

The New Yankee Stadium

Get ready to have a heart attack! The new yankee stadium the biggest, newest, and most expensive stadium on the market... and gets away with it for good reason. The $1.5 billion stadium is like a mall with a baseball field in the middle. The great thing about it is the food... they have a 'canyon' of popcorn, nachoes that have 1,410 calories (!!!!), a 'bag' peanuts with 1,360 (must be a realllly big bag), and their 'cup' of cheese fries has only a mere 1,341 calories. Sheesh.. it's no wonder fans want to come to this stadium.. the food must be wonderful because calories=mouth-watering goodness. And the Yankees aren't even apologetic about it; the fans are craving the crazy amenities. Even as the Cleveland Indians busted out a huge win of 10-2 against the Yankees, more than 48,271 fans can attest to the excitement and prestige of the new stadium.

I think that to have a stadium with more amenities for fans is a great idea to bring in new and existing fans. This new stadium will create a lot of hype and promote coming attractions for the Yankee fan and the curious bystander of the sport. Hopefully the money was well spent as the price tag is quite large for a new stadium, but with all the extras incorporated into the surrounding field, I think it will pay off as a great new attraction for the Yankees. People who arn't even baseball fans will be attracted to the staduim just to experience the new feel of it. It will be interesting to see how the stadium will be marketed to consumers for all the new amenities.

Ok... I know it's not good to be late for your own baseball game... but being fined $500 for reporting to the game 5 minutes later than usual is somewhat ridiculous... especially when the player was doing charity work.  Yes, let me repeat that: charity work.  Washington Nationals outfielder Elijah Dukes was fined $500 dollars for being 5 minutes late of the report time, was benched, and was threatened to be demoted to the minor leagues-- all because he was late from volunteering his time at a nearby little league team.  Here you have a guy who is trying to get his life back together after making some poor decisions in the past, and had been one of the only Washington players to get off to a good start this season with a batting average of .323 with 2 home run hits and six RBI in nine games.  

This to me is ridiculous.  It's not like he was doing anything bad or being lazy: he was doing charity and volunteer work! For his own teams' little league!   Manny Acta's response for the punishment was, 

"He was late for work, he broke a team rule, and we are going to change the culture here — regardless of how well a guy is playing," Acta said. "And it was a bizarre situation, because he was doing something that we encourage our players to do: He was out in the community doing something for some Little League program and just showed up late to work. He was very remorseful about it. He felt bad, but we have to lay the law on whoever."

I understand that rules are rules, but come on.  I think this guy needs a break.  Pick on someone breaking rules that actually matter instead of someone making an effort for the community.  

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Nationals-bench-Dukes-after-Little-League-relate;_ylt=AkA._D9Ffww3JkDZ8HeYdKsSzJV4?urn=mlb,157410

The NBA & Cartoon Network!

I came across this article that talks about a partnership between the NBA and cartoon network, which was interesting to me because they are completely different markets.  Cartoon network is developing a short-term series to coincide with the fall-2009 season of the NBA.  The show is called "My Dad's a Pro" and will follow the lives of the exciting lives of NBA stars' kids.  It will be the first of several programming initiatives to come out of the cartoon network/nba partnership to promote a customized branded environment for sports fans. It will allow fans to share their passion for the game with a quirky basketball-themed mutimedia show.  The show will premiere this fall along with a basketball section on CartoonNetwork.com.  

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. is a media and broadcast partner with the NBA, and Cartoon Network is TBS's ad-supported cable service.  Turner also manages the NBA Digital portfolio.  I think it is interesting how these two forms of media are related and it makes sense to have them work together to make something new and creative.  I think this is a good decision by Cartoon Network to create this show.  It will draw a new fan base to the NBA and to cartoon network because you have fans of both intrigued to watch this new show.  I also think it is a good way to get more children involved in the NBA by having the show about NBA stars' kids. It will be interesting to see how the show does!

http://myfunbox.wordpress.com/2009/03/24/cartoon-network-nba-plan-basketball-themed-content/

On No! Budget Cuts!

From Division 3 up to Division 1, college athletics across the nation are feeling the weight of the economy bearing down on their budgets.  What else can they do but cut costs- everywhere they can.  Division 1 powerhouse N.C. State's men's basketball team had to bus instead of fly to their game at VIrginia Tech, saving the $25,000 in the process.  Hundreds of colleges and universities are following suit by cutting costs of travel, along with per diem and scholarships.  Cutting costs is not the only threat on the horizon for college athletic teams, but also of how people are willing to spend their money for entertainment purposes.  With this economic downturn, athletic departments are nervous of the amount of revenue they will make in ticket sales, which is a main source of funds.  Other sources such as concessions, television contracts, and advertising, bring in revenue for the department, but are feeling the pain of the economy.  The UNC athletic department has issued a hiring freeze and is rethinking over time pay to save on costs.  Many departments creating next years schedule are choosing games closer to home to save on transportation costs.  Hopefully fans are still able and willing to spend their money to see their favorite team play and keep the much needed revenue coming in to teams in need. 

http://www.newsobserver.com/734/story/1421142.html

SuperBowl fines Holmes for LeBron Impersonation

The final touchdown that sealed the deal for the win for Pittsburg Steelers during the superbowl is getting a fine.. because the catch made by Holmes impersonated LeBron James pregame ritual.  The $10,000 fine would make sense if LeBron were offended or upset that someone took his signature move, but the thing is: he doesn't care and is 'disgusted' with the fine. I think this is just a way for the Superbowl to make more money than they already have.. I mean why else would they fine him?  Holmes is a fellow Ohio State goer with LeBron and his touchdown ritual was clearly a homage to another Ohio State super star, and it was a pretty cool touchdown celebration.  So should paying homage to one of the biggest stars in all of sports on the biggest stage in all of sports be seen as fine-worthy? The answer is no; it should be fun for fans and fun for the people involved.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/6273669.html

Are You Smarter Than a NFL Prospect?

This may be old news, but I came across this the other day and thought it was pretty interesting.  If you've ever wondered what a NFL player goes through to become a pro ball player, then heres your chance.. for the mental test anyway.  Now here's something I didn't know: NFL-draft quality players take a MENTAL test and must do well on it to be considered for the draft.  NFL prospects are put through physical and mental drills, interviews, and tests that all factor into where the player falls on the draft list.  The 40 yard dash is an obvious test assessment, but no one really understands what's on the mental aspect of the testing, called the Wonderlic test.  It is a 50 question test and players are given 12 minutes to complete the test.  On this website, you too can find out if you have what it takes to be a NFL player on the mental side of things.  The test given to the public is only 15 questions, and has to be completed in 4 min.  The test is tricky and makes you think fast on your feet for quick decisions.  I never knew potential NFL players had to go through this kind of test to be put on the draft and I think it's a pretty cool idea.  It's kind of interesting to me that the NFL uses this test on their potential players when I thought all they cared about was winning.  Good job NFL! I wonder if maybe colleges should also use some form of this on their athletes and make sure they're all keeping up on their school work instead of just playing their sport.  Anyways....the link for the test is at the bottom...Try it out!

http://www.realclearsports.com/blog/2009/02/wonderlic-test-combine.html

Phelps Caught doing drugs

Ok let's get one thing straight... Phelps is the man no matter what he does.  This guy has won more gold metals than any one olympic athlete in HISTORY.  No one else can say that.  The issue with him right now is that he got caught in a photo doing some drugs and may get charged with possession of narcotics.  He is a public figure, athlete, and role model, and has a responsibility to make himself presentable because of that.   But I don't think Phelps should be punished for this; everyone makes mistakes.  By punished, I mean that his sponsors shouldn't be taken away from one mistake.  Of all people, I think Phelps has earned a little freedom and fun.  I'm not saying that it was a good idea on his part; in fact I am completely against doing drugs or having anything to do with them, but Phelps' name shouldn't be broken because of this.  Give the guy a break!!! 

http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news;_ylt=ArWY05rQYuIscca0MASjICw5nYcB?slug=ap-phelps-marijuana&prov=ap&type=lgns

Hard Liquor + Basketball = Revenue

Apparently the NBA has recently lifted an 18 year long ban on advertising hard alcohol during the games in an effort to raise revenues during this economic downturn.  It is following the lead of MLB, NHL, and NASCAR and  20 of the 30 teams have already signed with hard liquor sponsors. Since beer is already in use for advertising at the games, what's the difference of having hard liquor joining the campaign?   I think this could be positive for the NBA in attracting more sponsors for their games.  Let's face it, alcohol is everywhere now, and why not use it to your advantage? It's just advertisements.  But does that make it ok? Is it the right look for the NBA? Or for any sports teams for that matter.  Personally, I do not think it is a good idea to have sports teams promoting alcohol.  Many young kids watch these games and will see that the NBA supports this and will think its ok. If this happened 20 years ago, fans would be in an outrage against the any sports team for even thinking about advertising alcohol.  But i think that in today's day and age, these kinds of advertisements are inevitable and will ultimately be a positive campaign for the NBA in producing much needed revenue.

http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/61168

White Sox and Obama Unite!

I thought this was really cool: the White Sox has designed a new hat in suppot for Barack Obama's inaguration called the 'First Fan'. They have also put a huge sign on the front of their stadium stating "Congratulations President Barack Obama!". I think this is a wonderful marketing idea. Obviously there millions of Obama supporters out there, and by having this baseball team actively support our new president, people will automatically gain support for the White Sox (unless they don't like Obama, which is ridiculous because he's awesome!) It's like marketing by association; Obama is is the brand name and is being associated with the White Sox, which will bring more interest and support from people who were never before interested in baseball. If nothing else, Obama fans will be paying closer attention to the White Sox because of this whole marketing scheme. The hat actually looks pretty cool and stylish too. I mean, I don't really pay attention to baseball at all but I am fan of Obama, so when i saw this hat and what the White Sox have done to show their support for Obama, I immediatly became interested and read more about it. See? The White Sox marketing strategy has already worked on me.

take a look for yourself! click belowwww
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Celebrating-Barack-Obama-s-Inauguration-basebal;_ylt=AlFHx1hnaCiLbBQmGfg3Jqs5nYcB?urn=mlb,135561

Sports Marketing in a Weakened Economy

I found an article about how marketers are trying to re-vamp the falling fan attendance for many major sporting events.  The lower number of attendees to these events have fallen as a result of the worsening economy, mounting job loses, and uncertainty in world markets.  Many people simply cannot afford to spend the money as they have in the past on recreation and entertainment.  Marketers have implemented a number of strategies to reel the consumer back into the stadium seats.  Some teams have introduced the buy-now-pay-later offer that lures ticket-holders to go to games without paying until a later date.  Others have tried the buy-one-get-one-free season ticket offer, or giving back 10% of a season ticket purchase in the form of a gas card, or simply slashing the season ticket prices.  On top of the lowering amounts of ticket purchases is the fact that many teams are in the process of building brand new stadiums to house their home teams that cost in the millions of dollars.  Teams are finding it difficult to sell their most exclusive sponsorships: naming rights to the stadiums, which would bring in a lot of needed money.  It's sad to see teams and fans alike going through such rough times, but with the lower ticket prices, some fans will still be able to enjoy a night out with their favorite teams.