Entries Tagged '#SportsPRChat' ↓

One of the NFL’s great stars of the 1990s is gone.

Junior Seau, the punishing linebacker that was the face of the San Diego Chargers for so many years was found dead Wednesday in his home of a self-inflicted gunshot to the chest.

Anytime a 43 year old dies, “tragedy” doesn’t seem like a good enough word.

One word that comes to mind is “unnecessary.”

Over the coming days and weeks, we will learn more about what led to this dark day.

But it will certainly be linked to concussions and the violence of football.

Some people have already compared this to the suicide of former NFL player Dave Duerson, who shot himself in the chest so his brain could be studied.

In a sport focused on inflicting physical pain (Bounty-Gate notwithstanding), the trauma of concussions is frightening.

Need we even discuss how the very real concussions of professional wrestler Chris Benoit demented his brain to the point of killing his entire family, and then himself?

Will we be able to go two weeks without a former athlete committing suicide? Retired football player Ray Easterling killed himself in late April.

Can we, as sports fans, deal with suicide as the byproduct of an NFL Sunday?

The NFL is already considering banning players who have sustained concussions.

But will you be able to separate your enjoyment of the game from the harsh reality that those playing it are not just risking their lives – they are shortening it?

There has been no bigger sports story over the past few weeks than the meteoric rise of New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin.

He’s taken over the sports media world over the past few weeks, capturing the minds of fans in a nearly Tebow-esque manner.

Let’s examine the 7 Elements of…LINSANITY…and why he may not be just a flash in the pan.

1) Ethnicity.

Let’s get this one over with first. He’s the first Asian-American player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent. Being the FIRST to do something is newsworthy, no matter what Floyd Mayweather, Jr., thinks. Also of note, Asian Americans make up roughly 5% of the US population.

2) Education.

Lin played at Harvard. Anytime an Ivy Leaguer finds success in a major professional sports organization, it will be newsworthy. Book smarts + athletic ability = huge upside. In an industry where most players enter the league with barely a year of college under their belt, the educated Harvard man stands tall.

3) Market.

He’s in New York. The Knicks have been starving for relevancy for years now. So there is a fan base and media corps ready to jump on something hot and ride the wave. You can also say that being close to ESPN’s home base of Bristol, CT, plays a role, too. Trust me, Linsanity wouldn’t be so Linsane if he played in Milwaukee (no disrespect meant to the fine city, but it’s the truth).

4) Timing.

The Super Bowl is over. Spring Training doesn’t fully kick-in for another few weeks. The Peyton Manning story is dragging. Basically, if there was ever a moment for a basketball star to emerge, this is it.

5) Excellence.

The #1 component is his out-of-this-world play. He has scored more points in his first five starts than any other player in NBA history. Think about that. He is off to the best start ever, topping Michael Jordan, Shaq, Bill Russell and others. Hitting the game-winning 3-pointer on the road against Toronto on Tuesday will only increase the hype. But the fact of the matter is, he’s bringing the steak and the sizzle.

6) Connection.

Watch a Knicks game and you’ll see shirts, signs, posters, jerseys (which are selling quite nicely – by some accounts, the most NBA jerseys sold since Feb. 4), face paint and more. People want to see this guy succeed.

7) Instant Value.

On Monday, Forbes claimed his “brand” was worth $14 million. Three weeks ago, nobody knew who he was. And that claim was made BEFORE Tuesday’s game-winning shot. I’m certain brands are trying to strike while the iron is hot and maximize his promotional value – or get in on “the cheap.”

This was illustrated/mocked by Stephen Colbert Monday night on Comedy Central. The man is a cross-over star now.

Will the Legend of Lin continue to grow?

Or will he fizzle and disappear the the back of the bench in a few weeks?

At this point, does it matter?

His one-of-a-kind background and record-settling plat has made him a phenomenon. He’s a made man and a marketing machine in waiting.

You remember Kegasus, right?

Kegasus, unveiled last year as the Tweeting mascot/leader of the InfieldFest at the Preakness Stakes, appeared to be the Maryland Jockey Club’s answer to how to join horse racing and social media to attract younger audiences to the annual race.

Well, according to a news release this morning, he’s gone missing!

This has The International Brotherhood of Mythical Creatures quite concerned.

See, Kegasus hasn’t Tweeted (@allhailkegasus) since last May. Here is the text from this morning’s release:

Kegasus is Missing: International Brotherhood of Mythical

Creatures Announces Alternative Options

THE NORTH POLE – (February 13^th, 2012) Today, the International Brotherhood of Mythical Creatures (IBOMC) announced that Kegasus, the Lord of the InfieldFest at the Preakness, is officially missing. The last time he was seen was in Shackleford’s stall for the Preakness after-party on May 21^st, 2011. Two days later, he tweeted (@AllHailKegasus) his plans to travel to the British West Indies with an “unnamed supermodel.

The news of Kegasus’ disappearance has been devastating for the Brotherhood, as he sat on the Executive Board as the social chair. The IBOMC understands the great honor of having a member play the important role of Lord of the InfieldFest at the Preakness, the biggest party in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The IBOMC was established to protect the interests of mythical creatures everywhere and to clearly define each member’s role. At the very core of its by-laws, members are forbidden from performing the duties of another member. However, in light of Kegasus’ absence, the union has been placed in a precarious position as two of its members have stepped forward in an attempt to assume the title of Lord of the InfieldFest.

The Leprechaun and the Easter Bunny are each using personal assets to launch PR campaigns to make the public aware of their respective platforms. The IBOMC plans to convene an emergency board meeting to review its bylaws concerning the matter.

These two mythological creatures have launched their independent campaigns today, and can be followed by fans on their Facebook pages:

www.facebook.com/BunnyMakinMoney & www.facebook.com/TallWhereItCounts

For questions please contact the IBOMC directly at www.facebook.com/TheIBOMC or by phone at 202-714-0886.

About

The International Brotherhood of Mythical Creatures, or IBOMC, is a union governing all mythical creatures who must shelter the light of Awesomeness from within while guarding against the darkness of Lameitude. Its origin dates back to 93,145,109 B.C.  The 13^th day of the month of Octobius at 9:17pm, a Tuesday, is oft quoted as the day the union movement was first conceived. According to ancient scribes, the union was formed at the behest of the most beloved mythical creature of all, Santaclawzius, when ions ago, he began to face stiff competition from the most unlikely of places.

As a marketing campaign, I’m VERY curious to see where this goes.

Will the absence of the controversial Kegasus capture the imagination of people as much as his emergence did?

You can say that as a half-man, half-horse, Kegasus had a halfway decent tie-in to horse racing, whereas the Easter Bunny and a Leprechaun are a bit of a reach.

But I really like the PR/social tie-in here. The only thing missing here is a hashtag!

Nice work – and let’s see where it goes.  Oh – and I hope Kegasus is OK!

The fantastic Social TV site Trendrr announced nearly 17.5 MILLION social media mentions around Super Bowl XLVI.

While I trust their methodology, I’m certain that is definitely on the low-end, considering how many posts on Facebook and Twitter were ABOUT the event, without mentioning it.

Needless to say, it was record-setting – almost 600% more posts than the previous Super Bowl.

So what causes the Super Bowl to be so dang engaging online?

There are, obviously, two main components of the event:

1) The Game: Football lends itself to an action-lag time-action model. With 30 seconds or so in between plays, it’s more than enough time to react via microblog.  And with well over 100 plays per game, that’s a lot of time for analysis.

2) The Ads: Companies try to bring their A-game on Super Sunday. It is the biggest TV audience of the year, so any product is worth promoting, be it a movie or a car or a website. The ads have taken on a life of their own, attracting an audience in a crazy self-fulfilling prophecy of good commercials drawing people and with more people, there is greater incentive to produce good spots.

But the reaction is instant and visceral. It’s perhaps the only TV day on the calendar where people actually pay attention to every advertisement.

There is one key conclusion to be made here:

People have an innate need to connect.

Social media allows us to make connections at the speed of information in a way we never could do before.

We watch the game together. We analyze the game together. We absorb branded content together.

Several months ago, I wrote about the role the DVR plays in social TV.

But the Super Bowl transcends such technology.

The Super Bowl is appointment/event TV unlike any other. It’s the communal fireplace we gather around once a year.

It’s about connection and shared experience.

For 364 days a year, we push off such things. We time-shift, we delay, we watch on-demand.

But the Super Bowl is about connections. People connecting with people and people connecting with brands.

It may only happen once a year, but what it reminds us of is a timeless human value.

Several years ago, I created #SportsPRChat, the first-ever Twitter chat dedicated to the business and marketing of sports. Nearly a year ago, I retired from running the weekly chat.

Angie Taylor has taken the group to insane new heights over the past 10 months or so, while I’ve been busy being a new dad, preparing to teach a graduate-level college course and what have you.

I tell her often, but not often enough, how proud I am of the incredible, creative, community-building work she’s done.

And now Angie is looking for a co-pilot to help run what she has turned into one of the biggest chats on all of Twitter!

See the details below – and if you think you’ve got what it takes, apply! Even if you think you MAY have what it takes, apply.

Whoever gets this gig will be lucky to learn from the best!

SEARCH FOR A NEW #SPORTSPRCHAT CO-HOST

Deadline: MONDAY, Jan. 30 @ 12noon ET

Thanks for your interest!

#SportsPRchat is a Twitter-hosted chat that occurs every Tuesday night at 9pm ET. The chat features questions based on current sports issues and communications trends affecting the industry. We post questions that will encourage conversation and discussion, and sometimes, even invite industry professionals to be special guest participants.

That said, I’d love to bring in a fresh face to help develop the chat and continue the work that #SportsPRchat founder, Mike Schaffer (@mikeschaffer), began.

So, are you the new player* in the #SportsPRchat game? I’m hosting try outs.* Batter up!*

If you’re interested, please send an email to adtaylor08@gmail.com with the following information:

1. Name, Twitter Handle
2. Contact Information
3. What is your current place of employment? or, What are you currently studying?
4. Y/N- Are you available to host #SportsPRchat Tuesday nights at 9pm ET? (weekly duties are split between co-hosts, each runs chat every other Tuesday)
5. Favorite sports teams and/or athletes?
6. Where do you get your sports news?
7. What would make you a good #SportsPRchat co-host?

No need to write an essay, but I want to hear from you!

Thanks again for checking this out. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.

-Angie

@angietaylorstl

adtaylor08@gmail.com

Not going to lie, I’ve got Tebowmania.

I’ll be rooting for the Broncos when they play the Patriots in the NFL playoffs this weekend. Naturally, I’ll root against them if they should play my Ravens in the AFC Championship Game, but that’s a post for another time.

But, yes, I’ve got a case of Tebowmania.

Why, you ask?

Well, I’ve rooted for Tim Tebow ever since I had dinner with him and his mom while he was still in high school (photo below). I was doing PR for an organization that was awarding Tim for his accomplishments as a high school quarterback. While my religious beliefs don’t match up to those of the Tebow family, I respected their conviction, apparent honesty and determination to do the right thing. (We can debate what the “right thing” is, but if you sit down with him for any length of time, you can see that he feels what is right for him and will do it. I can respect that.)

So, he’s a good kid from a nice family.

But there’s so much more to it.

I have Tebowmania because he has blown-up the notion of how an NFL team can win.

The Denver Broncos have just won. Their offensive stats aren’t great. Tebow is NOT a prototypical NFL passer. But the Broncos have found ways to win. And the NFL is about wins and losses.

General Managers can fret over Tebow’s passing yards, completion percentage, points scored – but the ONLY stat that truly matters in this league is wins. If you win more than you lose, you’re a success.

The Broncos – and Tebow – have taken advantage of situations to make sure that at the end of the game, they have more points than the other team.

The notion of “god” wanting Tebow and the Broncos to win is just laughable, but I do really like the idea of a team winning in an unorthodox manner (see what I did there?).

Tebow has captured the imagination of people – I read recently that he is currently the most popular athlete in America.

If he guides the Broncos to victory this weekend over the Patriots, Tebowmania will continue to explode.