While Gaining One, We Lost Another...

With the NFL lockout over and the games back in action, you would assume that America's sports world is on the up and up. But, the NBA lockout has cast its shadow on the sports industry and it appears to have a bigger hill to climb. The NFL lockout was for the most part geared on how the league should split the big money pie  of roughly $9million dollars in revenue. Whereas the NBA lockout is catered to figure out how to help generate revenue for nearly half of the leagues teams who suffer from financial loss. For example, take the Cavaliers who as recently as two years ago were generating high profit within a small market, of course with the help of LeBron James. But with the small market comes small interest for free agents, ie King James's departure to the sunny side of South Beach Florida, and other free agents who do not see any potential to better their chances to win a championship or market themselves effectively. There are other key differences that will affect the NBA lockout differently both financially and socially.

The biggest difference problem that can slow down the NBA lockout progression that the NFL did not have to worry about is the competition and opportunity the players have from other leagues such as overseas. Playing over seas has become one of the biggest targets for most players in the NBA. The best thing about playing overseas is the foreign owners and managements understanding of the NBA lockout and their cooperation with its progression. This gives players more options and the ability to leave their commitment from the teams overseas if and when the lockout ends. This can just be a band aid for players in order to stay in shape and relevant, but for the league, this can pose many problems. Injuries, contract leverage, and the foreign competition to keep the players overseas by paying more are all key factors that the NBA will have to deal with once the lockout ends. These factors will have many financial implications that are going to give players a bigger sense of entitlement if their demands within the lockout are not met.

Socially, the NBA has never really had a positive reputation from the players or the fans so with the lockout in full affect, this will only cast a darker shadow on their image. Commissioner David Stern has taken heat from players, fans, and even coaches for his dictatorship decisions and punishments. Today, while only a few weeks removed from the NFL lockout, the NFL has put up big bucks in marketing and fan appreciation campaigns in order to gain back the love and respect of its fans. There will be a similar course of action for the NBA once, or if, their lockout ends. And with a slogan like "The NBA Cares", there will be a whole lot of making up to do in order to prove how much.

To Be...Or Not to Be Over...

With the National Football League's recent end to a long 112 day lockout, comes more questions and concerns from fans, players, and the media. Is it really over? What was it all about? Who won? And will anything change? All these questions are legitimate questions that honestly may take a few months to get answered. Lets look at things from the fans side first. After months of big word reports and no signs of progress, can they really feel like they've accomplished anything? Their salaries don't change, their workloads stay the same, and the biggest change this may have on their financial lives are ticket prices possibly going up or down just to help compensate for the loss of ticket sales throughout the lockout. Many would agree that the NFL fan are losers in this whole ordeal and have gained nothing from the lockout. Gregg Rosenthal of NBC Sports Talk said it best in regards to the idea of the fans losing in this process, "The more you love the game, the more these last five months have been difficult to swallow." So for fans, the only thing that won't change is the promise that for the next ten years, a collective bargaining agreement will be in place to keep football out of a courtroom, but rather in between the white lines.
The players on the other hand have a different perspective. There has been many different views to the new collective bargaining agreement to which some em brass it, while others see no big changes. For example, a few rule changes have been implemented to help protect players from devastating injuries, but many players feel its also interfering with the nature of the game. Another big concern from many players is the power that the Commissioner Roger Goodell holds over disciplining the players. This was one issue that most players wanted to see changed within the new agreement but they're going to have to chalk this problem up as a loss and deal with Commissioner Goodell as the sole decision maker in player disciplinary sentencing. All of these concerns and ideas are legitimate and to some players, the new agreement can look half done.
As for the media, well lets just say they may have had the best time during the lockout. With social media's role in sports, it was like taking candy from a baby with all the great story leads from the lockout. Players, owners, and representatives from both sides fueled much of the lockout controversy by giving the media much to work with, both good and bad. There were more legal incidents, trash talking, and even whining. It is safe to say that the media came out as a definite winner because of all the material generated from the lockout, but it seems to only be the beginning of the other issues surrounding the aftermath of the new collective bargaining agreement. 


Rosenthal, G. (2011, July 25). Winners, losers from the nfl lockout. Retrieved from http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/07/25/winners-losers-from-the-nfl-lockout/

John Wooden: On True Success | on TED.com

My choice for an inspirational speaker was a no-brainer. Coach John Wooden, who is arguably the most iconic and respected coaches of all time within any sport. Coach John Wooden passed away on June 4, 2010 but his reputation as a powerful speaker, coach, and human being will forever be remembered. His speech on success has touched me in more than on way. His passion for his craft, both as a coach and as a mentor to the people he worked with and for was and will, in my opinion, be unmatched. Coach Wooden is able to inspire his audiences by using true-life events along with poetry to touch the hearts of those listening. It is nearly impossible to ignore what Coach Wooden is saying because his passion speaks through his very words and knowledge. 

Being that I am in the sports industry, this speech resonated on four levels; self-development, people development, success vs. balance, and lastly capitalizing on my passion for the betterment of others. Coach Wooden talks a lot about self-development and how if developed correctly, it will lead to the development of those around you. This is true, not only from his word, but also from the prior literature I have read while at Full Sail University. This specifically inspired me to watch how I carry my actions so that others can learn and grow from the things I do and not do for the overall purpose of developing as individuals and as a team. Coach Wooden uses a comparison, "reputation versus character" to illustrate the difference of how we are perceived and how we are inside. This was extremely beneficial because Coach Wooden expresses the importance that the two shouldn't be too far apart when comparing.

The other two key levels that I found insightful were success vs. balance, and capitalizing on my passion for the betterment of others. Coach Wooden spoke on the importance of balancing our lives in order to keep a clear picture of what success really is. He also emphasizes on how our passions, if used correctly, can and should in some way shape or form lead to an overall betterment of a team, family, and/or business. This entire speech was simply amazing! And although I have never met Coach Wooden, his words, passion, and humility brings everyone in as a life long friend and loved one. He was a great speaker, person, and coach, not just for basketball players, but also for people who may have forgotten about the things that really matter in this life. Thanks Coach! 

TED, (2009). John Wooden on True Success [Theater]. Available from http://www.ted.com/talks/john_wooden_on_the_difference_between_winning_and_success.html 

Lockout, or no lockout...that is the real question

So with every fan awaiting the next work in regards to the National Football Leagues (NFL) lockout, there are more questions than answers. Is it really lasting this long? What is it really about? Should I not order NFL Sunday ticket then? All of which are great and very valid questions that can not be answered because the information seems to be at a standstill. Fans everywhere are feeling less and less important to the overall picture of America's favorite sport. Collectively spending millions each year to support the teams that bring them happiness, disgust, or even tears, only to have them shunned out on the decisions being made that will have an effect on every fans life.

After this week, the NFL owners came to a vote to the new collective bargaining which would reinstate football once the players agree to it as well. Sounds like a simple formula for finally bring back the game we have all been waiting for but think again. Now that one side is good to go, that brings for the next question, what is going to happen with the players and why haven't they voted yet? Is the lockout over? Is it almost over? Do you even care about the opinions and questions of the fans? The simple fact that the only information given is useless information due to the missing information...confusing huh? But that is how it has been and will continue to be. But like American's, we will forgive once the whistles are blown again and the games are played. 

It appears that the big picture was never about the fans. And with all the marketing and advertising the NFL spends each year to try and emphasis the importance of the fan, it now seems like wasted money and a pool full of lies. It will be interesting to see how much they plan to spend in the next few years to bring back that trust and if they were smart, they would of allocated a few millions in the new agreement to help rebuild the image they so thoroughly destroyed. Love and money never mixed before, so there is no surprises here. And since they are ultimately fighting over money that isn't made or earned yet, the fans should have more information, especially since its our money. I mean, we can't expect them to let us come to games for free or give free beer every 2nd quarter to make up for this rude awakening, but a little trust and a few signs of gratitude would be a great start.

Sport Lockouts and their Social Effects

Today’s sporting industry has changed exponentially in comparison to the industry of years past. Social and media responsibilities have altered the way the sports industry handles its businesses both internally and externally. With technology and social media, it is nearly impossible to complete a business deal or merger without the world knowing within the next twenty minutes. For example, an athlete signing a new contract, a team considering relocating to another state, or more importantly, a lockout of the league, is no longer an “in house” conversation. A lockout can be contributed by many sources. The usual driving force of a lockout is money and how it should be divided up amongst players, owners, and sponsors, which is called collective bargaining. There are four key sides that are most affected by lockouts and its social media outlets; Owners, players, economy, and fans. All four sides are vital to the sports industry. Without any piece, the industry can falter to nothing more than an overrated recess. And in the case of a lockout, all it takes is one of the four pieces not seeing eye to eye and it causes financial and social problems.
  Social media has given the fans and the media the view that was never available before. Although a lockout is a nightmare to all parties involved, it is also a key contributor to the financial breakdown of the sports industry. So when accompanied by social media, it gives a better playing field for everyone to share their side of the matter and to save face. All four pieces to this puzzle need to be in sync and appreciated equally to avoid a lockout. Every major sport in the United States has had or is in a lockout. And with the industry’s continual growth financially and with the help of social media, you can almost bet that there will be plenty more lockouts as the money pie continues to bake.  For the latest information about the NFL lockout, Click here