RISK MANAGEMENT & LIABILITY IN THE SPORTS BUSINESS INDUSTRY

WEEK 4 – SPORTS LAW & CONTRACTS ASSIGNMENT 

kthompson2k11's Super Bowl Championship Picks

Picks for who I believe will make up the NFL's 2013 playoff roster. I have two surprises in there in the Dolphins (7-9 2012 record) and Chiefs (2-14 record) reaching the playoffs as they were not good last year. Overall I predict an excellent season with Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch and that furious D of Seattle to take the Super Bowl home.

Business Analysis and ROI

      When developing a marketing strategy for a client there are several things to keep in mind that the client will want to see. The main thing for businesses is what the Return on Investment (ROI) for the actual marketing campaign is. Business owners need to know what to expect out of the campaign and see if it is a positive generator for the company and turns a profit. The marketing company has to be sure to include all of the potential costs associated with a marketing campaign, which will include fixed costs such as salaries, technology, advertising, marketing, communication channels, legal, insurance and licensing fees. The client must know about the variable costs associated with the campaign as well, which includes costs of materials and supplies, customer service and direct labor costs. Overall the client would look at the marketing report to show what the marketing campaigns performance will be, potential savings and estimated costs before making a decision.

     When capturing the client’s attention, I can show how effective the marketing campaign is going to be five years out from the initial launch. The ROI summary for the five years can show how the gross revenue from the marketing campaign will increase over the years and what to expect out of the entire campaign from a money standpoint. Using analytics can help measure the ROI from the marketing campaign. I can leverage technology to the marketing teams advantage by combining quantitative and qualitative measurements that can capture the potential metrics of the marketing campaign once the campaign has started. These measurement tools will give the client what the website visitors, click-through numbers, customer complaints, comments and interactions between all of the digital media platforms the campaign is running on. The numbers from these analytic tools give a great understanding of who the campaign’s audience is and how can the marketing team segment them and reach new markets at the same time.

     The overall point to the marketing strategy is to make money but beyond that the marketing team wants to enhance and promote the businesses image and Intellectual Property. It is important for the client to know where the spending will occur for the marketing campaign and this is justified by showing the value of the campaign with the ROI information. As a marketing expert, it is important to use the marketing team to showcase the marketing campaign and show why the client’s decision to use this plan is maximized from a sales prospective with its high ROI. It is essential to clearly lay out how the marketing team plans on measuring the marketing campaign and what success will look like. Technology has allowed us to measure any data on a mobile level and 24/7 giving faster time to alter, change and reflect upon the campaign.

  

Sources:

Answers Research (2011). Quantitative VS. Qualitative. Retrieved August 28, 2013, from http://www.answersresearch.com/article9.php

Experience the Most High-Tech Hockey Arena in all of Sports

Statement From the Team’s Marketing Group Leader – Kyle Thompson

     This statement and outline shows how wireless technology has improved the hockey experience at your local NHL hockey arena. The goal for this NHL team is to give something back to the loyal fans that have supported the team with all of their dedication over the years even through the losing and disappointing moments. As a way for this sports entity to give back to the loyal season ticket holders I have met with the team president, team owner and stakeholders to develop an enhanced Wi-Fi network using WiMAX. This network has special perks and advantages for the season ticket holder beyond staying connected with the outside world. Utilizing an enhanced Wi-Fi presence with the addition of more antennae’s and access points gives this arena that ultimate fan experience that keeps the season ticket holders engaged and coming back for more. This will also help in bringing in new fans to the games as the home field advantage can be strengthened with more fans causing increased noise and support.

     While this is a business, this hockey team considers the season ticket holders to be family. While nurturing that family relationship we are paying attention to what the fans want and need. After reviewing the completed surveys the season ticket holders turned in at the end of the last season, we have listened to your concerns. We feel connectivity was the top concern and definitely something that needed to be fixed. When we upgraded our arena during the off-season we felt this was the perfect opportunity to increase the digital presence while at the game. As season ticket holders come to the games next season, we all look forward to what the season ticket holder is experiencing and enjoying while at the newly connected arena. With the new and improved Wi-Fi in place, the season ticket holder can renew their childhood memories and passion for the games with everything at their fingertips with the new wireless network. 

     Below is a brief outline on what to expect with the purchase of your season tickets. As you read what has been added to the game experience through the Wi-Fi network we personally want to thank you for your continued support and look forward to you gaining new memories and friends while at the games.

1. Complete network coverage throughout the arena. Regardless of where you are in the arena or even outside the arena for that matter, season ticket holders can experience complete connectivity to the outside world of sports with integrated Wi-Fi throughout the arena. This is enhanced with content that is available during the game that is exclusive to season ticket holders attending that game with alternative viewing angles and camera options.

2. As a season ticket holder, the new season ticket passes distributed will include a RF chip embedded in the pass. This pass will allow for quicker entry/exit at the arena and allows the season ticket holder to get additional perks and coupons when the season tickets are being scanned.

3. The new wireless technology will allow the entire arena to track and know your whereabouts. This will allow the arena to present special advertisements, discounts and rewards instantly as the season ticket holder goes around the arena. This will be utilized as a downloadable application on cell phones, smart-phones and tablets that is available only for season ticket holders. As the season ticket holder transverses around the arena, this app will immediately know where you are and what deals to present you with.

4. Virtual reality rooms within the arena that utilizes the latest 3-D technology. Season ticket holders can use these virtual reality rooms as a way of showing off their hockey skills as they play against hockey legends in a holographic 3-D imagery room. Using this technology is something the fan just can’t get at home and is developed especially for the season ticket holder in mind as presenting their special season ticket pass will allow immediate access to the room regardless of the wait time or line in place.  

*Fictional NHL arena and story. For class assignment only*

Winners of 2012-2013 B.A.S.K.E.T.B.A.L.L. Awards

Besty Award - (Best Performance By An Individual Athlete) Stephen Curry Scoring 54 Pts.
All-Star Event Award - (Best Event During All-Star Weekend) Sprite Slam Dunk Contest
Say What? Award - (Didn’t See That Coming) San Antonio Spurs getting fined $250K
King Award – (Player of The Year) LeBron James – Miami Heat
Enliven Award – (Best Fan Group) Phoenix Suns – Club Orange
Tandem Award – (Best 1-2 Punch) LeBron James & Dwyane Wade – Miami Heat
Best Division Award – (Best Division in The League) Southwest Division
Amateur Award – (Rookie of The Year) Damian Lillard – Portland Trailblazers
Line-Up Award – (Team of The Year) Miami Heat 66 Wins
Landmark Award – (Milestone Event) Gregg Popovich San Antonio Spurs Head Coach

Winner of 2012/2013 B.A.S.K.E.T.B.A.L.L. Awards

Besty Award - (Best Performance By An Individual Athlete) Stephen Curry Scoring 54 Pts. @ the Knicks 2/27/13 All-Star Event Award - (Best Event During All-Star Weekend) Sprite Slam Dunk Contest Say What? Award - (Didn’t See That Coming) San Antonio Spurs getting fined $250K for sitting top four players 11/30/12 King Award – (Player of The Year) LeBron James – Miami Heat Enliven Award – (Best Fan Group) Phoenix Suns – Club Orange Tandem Award – (Best 1-2 Punch) LeBron James & Dwyane Wade – Miami Heat Best Division Award – (Best Division in The League) Southwest (San Antonio, Memphis, Houston, Dallas & New Orleans) Amateur Award – (Rookie of The Year) Damian Lillard – Portland Trailblazers Line-Up Award – (Team of The Year) Miami Heat 66 Wins Landmark Award – (Milestone Event) Gregg Popovich - 2nd head coach to win 900 games with a single team

B.A.S.K.E.T.B.A.L.L. NBA Awards

Reflections

On March 19, 1966, Texas Western Miner’s defeated the University of Kentucky Wildcats in the NCAA men’s college basketball final in College Park, Maryland. The top-ranked University of Kentucky men’s basketball team was favored in the final over the third-ranked Miners. Kentucky’s coach and like many other coaches of the time, neither recruited nor played African-American players, using exclusively a white player line-up. Coach Don Haskins, which led the Texas Western team, on the other hand had inherited an integrated team and regularly played African-American blacks.

Until that moment, at the height of the civil-rights era, no major-college team had ever started five blacks in an NCAA championship game. In fact, until Texas Western coach Don Haskins did it earlier that season, no major-college team had ever started five blacks in ANY game. For the first time that night, on the edge of the Mason-Dixon Line, a major American sports championship would be contested by one team that was all white and another whose starters were entirely black.

In 1966, American cultural and sports mythology insisted at least one white starter was necessary for success. Black athletes, prevailing wisdom implied, needed the steadying hand of a white teammate. Otherwise, games would go into complete chaos. John W. Stewart wrote in the Baltimore Sun the weekend before the title game  ”`They can do everything with the basketball, but sign it.’” Referring to the myth of the undereducated black society.

Of Texas Western’s seven black players — the Miners also had four whites and a Hispanic, none of whom played that night – all total of the group – four graduated. The other three came within a semester of their degrees. Meanwhile, only four of Kentucky’s five starters, including star players Dampier and Riley, had not earned degrees. This was huge in proving that blacks and whites if given the chance can learn and do at the same levels.

Adolph Rupp and his all-white Kentucky program were not only the epitome of college basketball at the time, but were the ideal contradiction in the form of Haskins and Texas Western. It was as if history demanded that for change finally to occur, a great hero and a great villain must meet. Rupp and Haskins fit those roles perfectly. In the years immediately after Texas Western’s title, the integration of college sports took a great leap forward. Between 1966 and 1985, the average number of blacks on college teams jumped from 2.9 to 5.7. Showing that the times were finally changing.

Overpaid or Underappreicated?

Hello folks. As the NBA playoff season is about to kick off in the next few weeks and the teams that missed the playoffs go home to reflect on what could of been, I feel like I have some reflection of my own. I want to look back on a sporting moment of my own. In March of 2011 I attended a Portland TrailBlazer’s basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks and after the game I was blessed with the opportunity to go down to the court and do a little meet and greet with a former player and take a free throw shot. As I calmly sank a nothing but net shot, I thought about the ramifications of the shot and everything that goes with it. Players nowadays are getting huge contracts and endorsement deals all before they even set foot on a basketball court. Even if the player turns out to be either a bust or an injury-riddled player, the team invests tons of money into him. Does 15,000+ loud fans cheering or booing at you and your season on the line truly change the outcome of the shot. I do not think so. Either it goes in or it does not go in, simple as that. It is amazing to me the amount of money some players demand and actually receive. Too many years of inflated contracts led to 2011-2012 NBA lockout, and did it really fix the broken model of overpay, overpay, & overpay. I think not. The fans should be partially blamed for the problem as we keep putting money into our favorite teams and athletes who help out the owners bottom dollar in what can be paid out to the players. It is like a catch 22 scenario, as we love to watch and support our teams but with the economy still in the pits and just about every person hurting for money it hard to justify the money the athletes receive. I made that free throw shot just like the "superstars" do but my modest income will not be affected by it. Someday professionals that are actually underappreicated in the healthcare, law enforcement, government, and just about any other job will hopefully get the respect and income to match their hard work and dedication. In conclusion it is a simple Yes to professional athletes being overpaid. 

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