Sports and Intellectual Property

Currently working on my new class, Legal Issues in Sports. There are many issues related to intellectual property and the names people relate to specific products and services. Recently, there have been some issues with many athletes and their actions, contributing to whether or not different companies continue to keep them associated with their products.

Some names that come to mind are Tiger Woods and Michael Phelps. Both athletes did things that made the companies that sponsored them drop them from their advertisements. One recent name that provided controversy for Wrangler is Brett Favre. There were some allegations that Favre was "sexting" another employee of the Jets. Because of this, there have been many questions come up as to whether or not Wrangler should drop Brett Favre as a sponsor.

I personally believe if a company does not want to create a bad name for themselves, the company should think very hard as to why they should keep someone like this associated with their name. There have been many videos and ridicule associated with this controversy. Wrangler is a strong name, but how did this hurt the name of the company? I do not think the company should have continued to link themselves to Brett Favre. I believe people should have consequences for doing something that should not be done. If that is a consequence that Brett Favre needs to face, then so be it. I know it must deal with the company and whether or not the person is charged and whether or not it really happened, but I believe a company needs to hold a good name for themselves. It makes a good name for the company and will pay off in the long run.

NFL did create a sort of punishment when they did not allow Wrangler/Favre commercials to be aired during games. Wrangler placed an ad Dale Earnhardt, Jr. starred in to replace Favre commercials. However, Favre commercials were still aired on other networks.

Here is a link to an article related to the information above. Do you think this will effect the Wrangler name?
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2010/10/25/2010-10-25_brett_favre_skewered_by_saturday_night_live_in_skit_that_alludes_to_jenn_sterger.html

The Biggest Plays in Sports Business

Check out this video about the Biggest Plays in the last Decade of Sports.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1368367744
(here is the link because the embed code was not working for some reason.)

There are many things that happened in the last 10 years of sports. From Tiger Woods generating lots of funds for PGA to Under Armour creating loads of revenue from the explosion of their products. Some companies did not do so well, such as Adidas and Reebok. They combined and sales decreased. I thought this was interesting because I learned that combining companies was not necessarily a good idea because sales would go down. My thinking was that it was not true, but here is a good example of that. Then there was the Spalding basketball that was detrimental to players.

Another company that was discussed is the Fantasy Football League. Who knew that the world of Fantasy Football was so big. It is a business in itself. Men and women alike are ready each August to get the ball rollin’…so to speak. Statistics are tallied, injuries are reported, rookies are studied. What makes the sport so big?

I work with some coaches who play the “game”. I think maybe they do it to educate themselves so that they can get the best out of the athletes. They could also do it to get away from the high school realm of the game. Get a chance to feel like they are apart of the big time. Then, of course, there is the money thing. If I worked that hard to create a good team, I would make sure I was winning the cash as well. As one of the articles below states, the Fantasy Sports Industry brings in approximately $800 million dollars annually. WOW!!

Fantasy Football is not an easy feet though. GMs (General Managers) have to make sure their teams are set. They have to make sure the studying gets done so the team can perform at its best. If you don’t play your numbers right, you would not be successful.

Fantasy Football has also increased the numbers of sales for other venues. This includes mainly the TV attraction. Many stations have created TV shows specifically for the Fantasy Football League. One specifically would be ESPN’s Sports center Fantasy Draft Special held annually. Households and viewers numbers increased in the high teens this year compared to 2008 numbers.

Here are two articles that I gathered information from and that include more information about the Fantasy Football growth. Check them out.

http://lax-magazine.com/2010/01/30/fantasy-football/

http://blackathlete.net/artman2/publish/Football_7/BASN_s_2009_Fantasy_Football_Guide.shtml

Helpful Business Tips in a down economy.

**There is a change in the information below.**

Here is a link to an article about facilities and getting customers to make it to the facilities to bring in revenue. In other words, keep them coming.

https://www.iaam.org/Facility_manager/Pages/2009_Jun_July/Feature_3.htm

This link provides information on how facilities are providing opportunities for customers to take advantage of discounts and offers, as well as events and happenings, to help keep the stadiums full or the facilities used.

Some things the article discusses is using social media to announce discounts for customers as well as announce events that are coming up. There are also websites created to advertise certain events and provide games or quick, fun activities to promote the event. Some venues are not discounting prices, they are discounting extras at events. Concessions can be sold as deals or discounted to allow more customers to purchase them. Some are even combining events and selling tickets at a discounted price if tickets are bought for multiple events. Entertainment is also being used during events to bring in a wider range of customers as well as bring in more numbers of customers.

Below you will find an article representing my ideas of what a company might incorporate to keep the revenue up in a down economy. I thought it was a great article and it gave me many ideas as to what I might do if I were running a business.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/trends/index.html

I searched for information and tips for running a business and keeping clientele during the recession. There was some valuable information that I thought would be beneficial for my business. I thought of ways that I could change it and incorporate it into a business such as a recreational facility.

There were some thoughts that came through my head that I thought were beneficial. I thought of a "Senior Citizen Day" and a "Pet Day". Many people in the area enjoy pets and there is a demand for making facilities dog friendly. I enjoy pets as well. Senior citizens spending has not decreased because of the recession. Much of the market is now finding ways to aim for the retired communities. If I could get them involved in my business as well, that would be great.

There was also information out there that indicated that consumers enjoy discounts. More and more discount stores sales are increasing. People are more interested in making a bargain that getting the best product available.

Some examples of things I might do would be to host a "Senior Citizen Day". A day of the week specifically targeted for senior citizens. There could be sporting activities created specifically for them. Staff could also put together entertainment for the senior citizens. Have music, skits, etc. targeted for the audience that run throughout the day.

People are very close to their pets near the Austin area as well. My company could plan outdoor activities to do that allow pets to get involved as well. Outdoor group walking activities, outdoor entertainment available while they are enjoying other animals, other different activities available for pets which could also include training activities.

Then there is the more obvious. Creating discounts. Many use social media to promote their business. Displaying discount options on Facebook or Twitter to get more people to look into the business. This also opens the opportunity for others to see what their friends and a strong number of the population are looking into so they can do the popular thing or be involved in something that a lot of other people are involved in.

Social Media Presence

I am getting my Masters because I want to be more involved in sports and I want to create the opportunity for me to establish a recreation center. I need to establish a Social Media presence to branch out. Getting my name out there and creating connections with other sports people and areas is a great way to get information that is beneficial to my business and getting my business started. I am excited about getting this started and any connection I can create will be greatly beneficial to me.

I am interested in the areas of sports management. I would like to understand more about how the "behind the scenes" aspect of sports is run. Can I work in the Dallas Cowboys stadium? Ha ha. Something like this could help me with a business because I will then know how things would be set up and what would be involved in that. I could also understand more of what people would like see and do and incorporate that in my business as well.