The Future of Sports Media

Technology, cable television, and the Internet have forever changed the future of sports media. Television, social media, the Internet, and blogs, have made sports journalism more competitive. There now seems to be a readjustment in the relationship between the sports leagues and teams and the media. In this transformation media giants will be pressed to perform to the needs and wants of the viewers, and fans will have unprecedented access to information on numerous and yet-to-be-determined distribution channels. This can already be seen with networks such as ESPN and the MLB Network, which cater to the needs of consumers. ESPN has multiple networks that allow the fans to focus on just the news (ESPN News), college sports (ESPNU) or other obscure/extreme sports (ESPN2). The MLB Network has also followed suit with livestream broadcasts and television networks that allow the consumer to watch football at the same time. Even college conferences have taken advantage of TV networks such as the Big East, Big Ten, and Big 12, who allows fans of their respective conferences to have programming catered to the universities and colleges. All of these also add significant amounts of value and additional revenue for the organizations. Social Media Web sites, such as Twitter and Facebook also allow athletes to communicate with their fans, which has allowed viewers to feel more connected to their favorite athlete or team than ever before. Lastly, the Internet has overstepped the traditional boundaries of magazines, newspapers, and traditional local news to allow fans to access information about their favorite organization or player with the click of a button.

With all of the technology, however, many worry about what negatives this new form of sports journalism and media will do due to the credibility of reporting. Some argue that sports journalists are now looking to social media Web sites and blogs for leads on stories and information since the fans, through technology, have the opportunity to become apart of the sports writing community. For these reasons, many believe that writers and bloggers could report information that is falsified. Also, a recent surge in technology means that organizations and their players are now scrutinized in the public eye even more.

The changes in technology while to date have been very positive, may lead to some type of rules and regulations to protect these sports organizations. Until then, organizations will have to work harder than ever before to protect the integrity of the organization and those that are members. Also, sports journalists will also have to do more due diligence in regards to the credibility of their sources. The most important thing to realize regarding technology however, is making sure that technology is used to positivelyaffect the future of sports media, which has far the most part done so.

What Hinders a Reporter to Reach a Deadline

Okay. Report on a live sporting event. Simple.

Well I wish it was just that. As I drove up from Cincinnati to attend a minor league Dayton Dragons Game, it was far from simple. Firstly, it was a very hot day and the crowd was packed, and I also am not very fond of baseball or understand much about the tactics of the game. Being as it is the summer, there were very few sporting events to report on. As I thought about how I was going to report on the event, it dawned on me that a general knowledge of the sport would have benefitted my reporting skills. I also lacked some of the tools I felt that might benefit me such as live and updated box scores and a media kit that would have made it easier to accurately report the event. The game began at 7pm to a sold out crowd and I used my head radio to try and get a better synposis of important things to include in my article. However, there was little to report on. The game remained scorless for several innings and hits were far and few in between. That is until the eighth inning, when a homer gave the Dragons a 2-0 lead. As we approached the ninth inning, I was for sure that the Dragons would bring home a much needed victory, especially since the deadline for the article was fast approaching. However, the game suddenly was tied and they went into extra innings. Therefore, I was not able to finish my report until well after eleven, after typing it up and submitting it via a wireless connection I picked up on the way back home to Cincinnati.

I believe that as a writer, it is very important to have the media kit, with names, statistics and important information about the team. It would have also been beneficial to have a box summary of the game or up to date statistics to make the report as accurate as possible. As far as deadlines are concerned, depending on the deadline you have and the way the game is progressing, you many not be able to reach the deadline. This also means that depending on the circumstance, a writer may have to stay up late or well past the end of the event to make sure that the event is posted in a timely fashion. I know that I did, especially since I had to search for a wireless connection to post my blog.

I have a new found respect for all SID and editors, which report the info I impatiently wait on via the internet. Hats off to you.

June 19, 2010

PRESS RELEASE - For Immediate release

Dragons Pull Ahead to Clinch Win Over Loons

DAYTON, OH. — The Dayton Dragons won 4-3 to the Great Lake Loons on Saturday, June 19 to a sellout crowd on a hot and humid day.

The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning when, with bases loaded Fleury hit a base hit to bring Dayton’s Rodriguez home.

Dayton’s Lamar hit a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth to give the Dragons a 2-0 lead going into the ninth. With a 3-2 count on the Loons Ruggiano, Ruggiano hit a second homer to time the game at 2-2 in the top of the ninth. The Loons pulled ahead in the 13th inning after a score from first baseman Sands. Then, 3rd baseman Pfister scored to tie the game after a bobble in the right field. Gregorious then hit a single base hit in the right field corner to bring the runner home for the scoring win. After 13 innings of play, Dayton had just 11 hits after 13 innings while Great Lakes was held to 10.

Umpire Goodman was hit with a ground ball in the seventh inning and took a few moments to regroup before continuing officiating the game.

The Loons will now fall out of first place in their division. Dayton (30-38) wraps up the Great Lake Loon (42-26) series in Dayton tomorrow afternoon at 2pm at Fifth Third Field.

MEDIA RELEASE

June 12, 2010

PRESS RELEASE - For Immediate release

University of Cincinnati to Hold Annual Wine Dinner

UCATS will be holding its annual wine dinner on July 23 at the Cincinnati Netherlands Hotel to help fund its student-athlete scholarships.

The event will be catered by the Orchids at Palm Court Hotel and will mark the third time the UCATS development team have held the event.

The event will feature both a live and silent auction of both a wine wall and other sports/entertainment packages. Guests will be able to enjoy some of Cincinnati’s best of wine and food while providing support to Bearcat Student-Athletes. Guest will pay $300 per person to attend the event and proceeds will go to the general scholarship fund. Last year, the event raised over $100,000 dollars for the general scholarship fund.

Keiana Mitchell, event coordinator for the wine dinner stated –

“We are delighted to be hosting the event for the third year. Donors of our student-athletes have always been really supportive of the event. The event is a great way to celebrate the success of Bearcat athletics and how we can continue to support our athletes both as students and athletes.”

Further Details / Contact

Keiana Mitchell - UCATS email - kmitchell@uc.edu


MEDIA KIT:

-names of student athletes who receive scholarships
-story of student-athlete who benefits from scholarship
-photos from previous wine dinners
-FAQ page for event
-fact sheet about the UCAT organization and what their mission is
-auction items to be sold

Fundraising and Recruiting: University Tandem

Who ever would have imagined the similarities in recruiting for coaches and those of the development office. I certainly have been on both sides, both as the recruit and the recruiter. In recruiting anyone there is always cultivation, solicitation, and the ask. The article poses the question: Can an effective fund-raiser become an effective recruiter? I believe that in order to work in college athletics you must be able to do both. As a coach, at times you may be playing both roles of recruiting a donor to campaign for a capital project such as a new facility and also at the same time recruiting an athlete. You also are recruiting an athlete based on the tangibles that your university has to offer: uniforms, facilities, support-staff and notoriety. As a major gift officer or AD, you will work with the coach to get all of things accomplished. Lastly, all of these things can be measured by the success of your sports teams as the window to the university or college.

The article mentions 11 criterions in the recruiting process:

1. Pool of Prospects: As a coach you may start with a wide pool of athletes that have both recruited you and that you have seen at tournaments, seen video of etc. Working in development, you could potentially have a database of past alumni, student-athletes, and those that have given to the university on your own. You may also be soliciting fortune 500/1000 companies in your area.
2. Qualifying the pool of prospects: As a coach you could create a pool of your top 100 players based on both your needs and theirs. As a DII or DIII school even though you may want a High School All-American, is recruiting them worth your time and resources knowing they will probably go to a top ten program? The same can be said in the prospecting phase of campaigning for a capital project? You may create a list of prospects for your project but would do best to eliminate those that only have interest in what you are funding for.
3. Ability and Fit: As a coach you may have certain standards or playing style, will this player fit? The same applies in the fundraising process; you will not want to add someone to a list for a $1 million dollar ask when their capacity is only $100 dollars.
4. Contact the prospect: I know that coaches send hundreds of pieces of mail to potential recruits so that they can gage what players to actually go for. In development, you may invite a prospect to a game, special event, or even go to lunch with them depending on what your budget and needs are.
5. Research the prospect: As a coach, you can go to a player’s game, watch video and contact their coach to find out information about a player. In development, you can get in touch with your respective foundation to do a report about a potential donor. They have the capacity to find out about their giving capacity, what they do for a living, any affiliations they have with the university, past giving history etc. I know this has been a great tool used in the development office I currently work in.
6. Personal Contact: For a coach, this can be done through an official/unofficial visit. These visits can determine how potential players fit with the teams values and mission. In development, this is known as a contact visit and can take place during a lunch, visit to the home, dinner or special event and is known as the solicitation stage.
7. Personal Connections: Recruiting is always about personal connections. As a coach a player may want to come to the school because of its success, a parent may be an alumni or previous student-athlete. There are often many reasons. In development there are also the same kind of personal connections. Maybe you were an alumnus (as is the most case) and you want to give back to your university or you are a company who wants to get involved in your local community. If you can make the personal connection between the potential prospects you have a good chance in getting them to contribute to your needs.
8. Personal Visit/Ask: When you feel that you have built on a connection with the potential prospect, it is time for the ask. Maybe you have lunch with the player and then ask them if they would like to be a part of your program. The same will go for a major gifts officer, where you may ask them to give a lead gift of $2+ million dollars for a capital campaign.
9. Stewardship: After a player commits to your program you may will want them to follow up with them. A players often wants to know that the coach is excited for them to be a member of the program. In development, if you give a lead gift, you could send them a personalized thank you card from a coach or a gift package as a thank you.
10. The continuous process: As the article states, a coach’s job is never done. I remember my coach always stating that the four years always go by so fast and soon she would be building relationships with other players. The same is true in development; you will be working on one capital project to begin another. At the University of Minnesota, they just finished a campaign for a new football stadium and are now working on baseball stadium and basketball practice facility.


After doing this due diligence analysis project fundraising and recruiting are very similar. To get back to he question, there is a symbiotic relationship between fundraising and recruiting and working together to get things accomplished. I believe that is why coaches especially in football, go towards athletic administration when they would like to have a career change.

Lebron James: King James Empire

Image Courtesy of Slam

When The Buffalo Examiner spoke of Lebron James, they fittingly announced him as King James, The chosen one. Lebron James has successfully turned an organization around where so many gave them little attention; simply put, James IS the Cleveland Cavalier franchise. With endorsement deals from Nike, Sprite, Bubblicious, Upper Deck, McDonald’s and State Farm and his own management company, his potential as a mogul and empire seem limitless. His 90 million dollar Nike Deal is probably his most important. Signing on with the company straight out high school, Nike has aimed to have him be the next Michael Jordan of the Company. However, his appeal has not been as popular in comparison to the legend. It has taken nearly six years for Nike to produce merchandise that compares to Jordan. Many argue that no one may ever reach the goal of signing a $10 million dollar shoe deal. It seems that the only way that James will be able to increase his popularity and his profitability is by the thing that has eluded him the past couple of years: a championship ring. To his credit however, he has been able to dodge the somewhat negative press of his league counterparts and stay grounded.

Last year, Forbes Magazine estimated the 25-year-old made more than $40 million in salary and endorsements. He is currently ranked behind only Tiger Woods on the Bloomberg BusinessWeek list of America's most powerful athletes. Together with Maverick Carter, a childhood friend and business partner in Lebron Inc., James is trying to create a new financial model for the 21st-century athlete. Instead of just lining up endorsements, James is seeking equity in the companies he works with. James then, is thinking about his legacy, the image the brand that he will have long after he is finished with basketball. His goal: get to $1 billion dollars.

James founded LRMR Marketing in 2006, name for the initials of his four childhood friends and business partners, Lebron, Randy Mims, Maverick Carter, and Richard Paul. He also formed King James Inc., a holding company, to contract with endorsement partners, to lower his tax liability. Lebron Inc. also works with Allen & Co., the New York investment bank known for its advice to top media and entertainment moguls. Off the court, James plans on expanding his empire through movie and book deals, summer basketball camps, and charities. His movie/documentary, More than a Game, focuses on his high school career in Akron and his basketball camp, based in San Diego, aims to reach out to his youth audience. The Lebron James Family Foundation (LJFF), founded in 2004, empowers children and single-parent households through innovative programming and initiatives, strengthening the ties between family members and building hope through education, physical fitness and better. The foundation’s most important national program is the Playground Build Initiative, which focuses on developing family-centered safe play spaces. The LJFF has also partnered with Nickelodeon to encourage kids to be physically fit and environmentally aware. He also volunteers his time with the Ronald McDonald House as a deal with his McDonald’s endorsement deal.

So, how far has James come? As second on the list in earning potential behind a floundering Woods image, it seems that James has the potential to make ground. As he approaches free agency on July 1, all eyes are on the 6’8’’ forward. Will he be in Chicago? Cleveland? New York? Miami? It seems to me that based on his prior career involvement, James will make the decision that best benefits him career wise. He still has a very long way to go before he reaches the likes of Michael Jordan, who still capitalizes on his likeness through his Nike brand. He also has suffered recent attacks on his image, like his refusal to talk to media after tough losses and dunk made on him during a summer camp by Xavier University star Jordan Crawford. Even so, I believe that James is doing what so many young athletes fail to do, take control of their name as a business.

University of Minnesota: New Donor Management Software

Introduction and Audiences:

The University of Minnesota has increased its donors from 500 to almost 4,000, all of which are considered members of the Golden Gopher Fund. The university currently uses the donor database to track gift history, but data also lives elsewhere in other departments because teams maintain their contact data independently. Our donation management system will allow our organization the opportunity to combat a lack of communication, data silos, and the lack of a central archive. Valuable time and energy is wasted chasing information and merging lists, rather than performing work that furthers our mission. By adopting a donor based management system linked with our ticket office software (Audienceview), we will be able to provide a system that serves the entire organization — not just one department. No longer will we not be able to check on the donor’s ticket account status or their donations to other colleges of the university. Another key factor of the system will be that all information will be played in real time so that when a donation is made, it will not take two or three weeks time to retrieve information. Lastly, this system will be able to be used by everyone in the university who has permission and access to the current software system.

Purpose and Goals for the System:

The University has the following goals for our system:

1. Organized data maintenance: All information about a donor (name, address, phone, etc.) and pertinent donation history are easy to access. In addition, you can keep track of the information mailed to the donor, events the donor has attended, the reasons why donations were made to your organization, and other details of the donor’s profile.

2. Improve fundraising efforts with less time and aggravation. Acknowledgements will be organized via the improved system and can be delivered via e-mail with the click of a button. This information will also can be easily tracked. The system can also track the effectiveness of different variations of a mailing, or implementing a new funding program. You will also be able to analyze all of the aforementioned changes.

3. Increase your productivity by tracking fundraising activity in reports (queries, acknowledgement reports etc.). You can also increase your productivity by optimizing the methods of tracking volunteer efforts and major gift officers visits to major donors.

4. Integration of DMS and Audienceview. This will allow users of the DMS software to view ticket information without having to use two different computer towers and two different screens. One will also be able to see if ticket history/information has been updated.

Our system will further strengthen our cultivate donor relationships and achieve better fundraising results and efficiency. The system will be internet based, as it will allow for the real time feature to be implemented. The ticket information will be carried over from the Audienceview system.

Features:

-Contact management

-Donation management

-Pledge management

-Activities (notes, email, phone calls, meetings etc...)

-Campaign management

-Event management

-Opportunity management

-Invoices

-gift transmittals

-Email correspondence (custom email templates and email tracking)

-Letter correspondence (integrates with Microsoft word for easy mail merge letters)

-Reporting and Analysis

-Advanced Quering and Filtering

-Customizations available throughout the software

-Ability to hide functionality you don't use

Benefits Claimed:

Donor Management Software is the solution to balancing the work of accurate record keeping. Fundraising software is an essential tool for the success and growth of any size nonprofit organization. Fundraising software allows users to keep essential administrative records in one central database and eliminates the inefficiency of dealing with multiple spreadsheets and documents on individual computers.

Analysis of Performance:

Building a database often forces departments to work together and see each other in a new light. Building a customized solution requires IT competency, even if an outside consultant does the actual programming. It also requires looking at the larger population that interacts with the organization -- vendors, board members, clients, volunteers, donors, staff members -- and discovering the relationships between them. Lastly, the process of building a solution unearths practices that, left alone, are actually destructive to an organization -- mailing list hoarding, double data entry, and a less-than-optimal level of IT knowledge among staff. It is for these reasons that it is important to carry on with implementing a new and improved system for the university.

Recommendation:

After reviewing the product, we recommend that the University of Minnesota updates its DMS system so that it can take advantage of new improvements that will make its system more efficient. Greater accuracy with its system as well as the opportunity to customize the system to fit each department makes it quite beneficial. Finally, the opportunity to see things in real time will also benefit the organization as a whole.