My interview for my Week 3 Intro to Video class. Also a project i've been wanting to do for a while with Rich Patishnock. Luckily everything came into place and I was able to get this interview done before he left for his try outs for The Ultimate Fighter in Las Vegas.

The story of my GOAL with the New York Redbull

The shot I took with the New York RedBulls wasn't on the pitch. The shot I took with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms didn't happen on the ice. My swings with the Reading Fightin Phils and Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs weren't misses either. Also, there was a brief scoring opportunity that successfully landed with the Lehigh Valley Steel Hawks. No, I am not talking literal, or am I meaning metaphorically landing a new job.

Today, the new PPL Center in Allentown held their first annual career fair. Since I am a year through school, which I am loving, I know I was going to approach this in the manner as everyone else who had attended, which I'll get to how some of them acted a paragraph or so down. MY goal, which is immensely different, was to network. I will graduate in October of 2016. I have time left to really start to inquire about positions. But the most important area of my studies, besides maintaining my 3.75 GPA, is networking. I need to build relationships with the business professionals in order to allow the industry to work for me. I don't want to be one of the ones (like many I saw today) that graduate and are lost in an ocean of “What do I do now?”.

Now, nothing against anyone else education. Kudos and congrats for pursuing your dream. Now with that formality out of the way, my real thoughts- Full Sail University is preparing me better than anyone I happened to meet today at this career fair. Naturally I had to jump right into some conversations that I could not take listening to anymore, and again, that starts below. It did start off on the wrong foot though. I, being there for networking purposes, did not bring resumes, but business cards. Cards with a QR code to my about.me profile and a link to my LinkedIn profile- my digitally formatted resumes if you will. So it wasn't like I wasn't giving the team representatives my resume, it was just better than letting my resume fall into the pile that will order into a filing cabinet. Instead, my card will end up in pocket, or a wallet and be seen again surely. So all it takes, is two clicks of a smart phone to access my resume, and not sorting through thousands. Everything is digital now anyway right?

So my first interaction was with the New York Redbull and Joe. He, immediately stated upon the conclusion of our conversation, and with some force, that his advise was to bring resumes to a career fair. Maybe some of that was my fault because I really didn't properly make my intentions clear. After that, I figured out my pitch, and everyone I had interacted with at the booths went amazing. I was able to convey my intentions and land myself contacts that I will surely take advantage of during my time left at school. The message that seemed to be lost amongst the other students, that is emphasized day one at Full Sail, is the need for networking. It's largely about who you know. And that was my sole purpose.

Also, there had to have been a limit to how many times they all could of heard “I took sports management, here's my resume, I need a job.”. There was a genuine look of relief from most people when I had told them I was in school for Sports Marketing and Media and my intentions were for networking, they all seemed beyond willing to help me in anything I would need throughout my education. In one line in particular, there was perhaps, thee most negative person i'd ever experienced. WOW. He must have been too many years removed from school or just high cynical of all things that didn't go his way. For sake of the article, i'll refer to him as J since I didn't catch his entire name. J was complaing every time I had stepped near him about the lack of positions actually available, how it was a waste of time. “I gambled and obviously lost.... that's 17 dollars I won't ever get anything from..”

Well then he should of left. And when J started to bad mouth the 76ers, whom weren't even in attendance, I had to jump on the conversation. He, through whatever local school and single track major, was so narrow minded in his grasp of the sports as an industry. It's simple to understand sports. It's simple to understand business. But he seriously seemed to lack the understanding of what it sports is as a business. I really should of asked J where he went to school. But instead I decided to just shut him up with my words and knowledge of sports.

So here's what went down: the 76ers aren't good by their record. But they are rebuilding and using the up coming NBA draft to do so. So J slammed them, “They suck, I don't understand how they sell tickets, they aren't good. But somehow they are selling out near tops in the league and I heard that teams actually ask them how they do it... But I don't know, they suck though....” SOO this is where I stepped in.. because if you know me.. I won't back down in a sports conversation...

So I chimed in with my expertise... The 76ers just ran a crowd sourcing campaign in which the younger fans of the 76ers were able to virtually create a brand new mascot for the team. Their fan outreach in this sense was sensational putting an actual figure of the franchise into the fans hands. So, with children being so in tune with the team and feeling like they had power in making a difference, and maybe not utterly aware of how bad the team on the court might be, they probably ask their parents to go to games. The team, through its crowdsourcing, gives off that they solemnly care about what the fans want. So in turn the fans are wanting them. So while the children felt empowered and responsible for the creating a mascot, get their parents and friends to go to the game and it's probably a bargaining chip for good grades and for getting homework done. It doesn't have to be about the product on the court, fans are loyal and in Philly, their the most passionate fans there are.

So then, J... kind of just.. I thought he wet himself to be honest. He didn't know what to say and muttered, oh well, yeah, wow, I guess you're right, I didn't even know. Yeah I see that. His buddies, sort of snickered and then we had a hearty conversation of Philadelphia sports while J stood in quiet for the first time that I saw.

But it made me thankful. Thankful for my love of sports and my education from Full Sail. It separated me today. In my eyes, and I hope in the eyes of some of the people I spoke with. Before I closed out my day, I returned to the Red Bull stand and talked with Devin this time and threw him the same pitch I had everyone else all day. And he loved it. He even told me that he “genuinely enjoyed this (our conversation and my pitch)”. So I then cleared up the air with Joe because I didn't want him to think I was ill prepared from out initial discussion and he definitely saw where my intentions were.

I would like to thank all those I was able to connect with today:

Devin and Joe from the Red Bulls

Chad with the Phantoms

Brad with the Iron Pigs

Mike with the River Sharks

Stephen with the Fightin Phils

Lauren with the Steel Hawks

Ricky with CSN Philadelphia

And also, thank you Full Sail for preparing me the right way for what I have ahead of me. I especially took notice today how lucky I am to have chosen Full Sail and how much more motivated I am. Next step is a networking event in Philadelphia in two weeks with the 76ers. I cannot wait.

Jets, Eagles, Washington fans...

The Eagles will want Marcus Mariota... It's expected the Bucs select Winston. Why not draft the Super talented kid from your own state. It'll sell more tickets. But Philly... They're going to need to make moves. You have the ammo and a starting quarterback to trade for either the Jets or Washington to rebuild with. Trade this year and next year's numner 1 pick and trade Foles. You're drafting a new QB and you can have any other serviceable back up.

 So the Jets start over with Foles and Branson Marshall and will need a running back. 

Washington spent a surplus of picks for RG3, BUT they'll get picks back now with this deal... And let RG3 RESSURECT his career elsewhere. Maybe in St. Louis. 

The only real hurdle is if a team wants to go through resigning Foles in two years if he stays on a level similar to two years ago. 

So what say you? Either team move around for Picks and a new QB? DO the Titans join the mix to have a veteran presence help Mettenberger? 

Harvey's back!

My quick and maybe over reaction to Matt Harvey being back on the mound for the first time in about 19 months is largely optimistic. It's two meaningless innings that mean everything for Mets fans. Seeing the ace of the franchise back on the mound doing things reminiscent of 2013 is a sight for weary eyes. 98 MPH to strike out his first batter. Two broken bat outs and hitting 99 MPH in the second... It's all the reason to smile today as a Mets fan. Now here's to hope he feels to I'll effects tomorrow. That is the main telling of where Harvey stands on his recovery from Tommy John surgery.  It has been a long road, but with a healthy Matt Harvey, the Mets can start to clamor as a potential all contender in 2015. 

Photoblog-Week 4

This would be for my main page image. Besides your preferred team losing, watching your teams game alone or surrounded by rival fans is the worst thing about being a fan. Desktop Tailgate is for displaced fans seeking to enjoy games with local like minded fans. Being on my computer on a tailgate is the literal interpretation of Desktop Tailgate.

Twitter is for fast hitting information. This image pairs alcohol, a typical pregame beverage, with mobile devices. Mobile applications are as important to a businesses success as anything. The quickest form of information retrieval, mobile devices, would be posted to the quickest way to receive information, twitter.  

 Facebook is largely visual. A key essential to tailgating is a grill. Until now, when your laptop is the one component for digital tailgating you cannot do without. Your new source for finding like minded fans begin now at your finger tips and not at a parking lot.

Week 3 Photo Blog Assignment: Traditional Media

I have chosen to include three photos of ESPN media for this assignment.

This photo is of intellectual property of ESPN. There is a pair of ESPN sleep wear in the foreground of the ESPN Fan Shop website via Dicks Sporting Goods.

 My second photo is of my radio console showing ESPN Radio on SiriusXM radio. ESPN has a contract with SiriusXM for broadcasting rights. With this capability, ESPN has deals with major sports leagues to air radio content of live events on their channels.

 My third is of ESPN's SportsCenter broadcast. This is one of ESPN's many cable television channels. They cover 24/7 sports news and coverages.

Media properties and revenue generation

My assignment for week one of my Sports Media class.

I chose intellectual property of the WWE. This specific photo is a Wrestlemania 30 VIP chair. World Wrestling Entertainment is the leader in sports entertainment running two shows weekly on Monday and Thursday night. The WWE holds a pay-per-view event each month with Wrestlemania being their Super Bowl event. The newest edition to WWE has been their start of the WWE Network which is a digital on demand service offering a broad library of recent, past, and original programs.

This chair is part of a VIP ticket package that includes premium seating, meet and greet with superstars, private merchandise store and the chair as a keepsake. The ticketing packages for WWE events are a prime source of revenue for the company. Their programs Raw and Smackdown are ran every week, as well as house shows during smaller, non-televised events. Standard tickets fluctuate in price if the event is televised, a house show (non-televised) or a pay-per-view event.
The chair is also a property that can be bought on the WWE Auction site as a memorabilia item. This keeps the item at a novelty and not an item that can be purchased along with regular merchandise. This will keep the pricing at a higher premium. Along with the WWE Auction is the WWE Store which provides the option of buying merchandise. Apparel, toys, replica championship belts and signed memorabilia are generating revenue for the WWE via their online market place.

The properties of the WWE which generate revenue has a direct impact on the WWE stock. The company had gone public before it had released the debut of its new WWE Network. The WWE Networks success, the sales of merchandise and television ratings have an effect on stocks. The stocks could dictate money the company gains or loses. Upon launch of the WWE Network, the stock was high in anticipation but soon dropped costing the WWE millions in money due to the service not meeting the expectations as quickly as what was anticipated.

The WWE has all the means of generating revenue aside from a regular radio program. I feel they could utilize a satellite radio channel to earn a revenue aside from their many existing ways. Ticket sales for events are their main stay in generating revenue. Merchandise brings online traffic as well as generating money through their online store and auction. The website holds advertisements and sponsorships as does any website you'd likely find. Across all media platforms for the WWE, they promote themselves, almost too insistently. But the fact remains that they can remain a positive generation of revenue by promoting within their own applications and making their audience aware of all upcoming events, whether its live events or new content on their WWE Network.