NFL Combine

     The NFL Scouting Combine started in 1982. The purpose was to learn more about the health and fitness of the top draft picks. This four-day event allows the nations top college prospects to show off their skills in front of all 32 teams. The NFL Combine is invite only and can accommodate up to 335 players. This means not everyone that is drafted is invited to the NFL Combine.  Those individuals that are invited get the chance to not only show off their skills, but in addition they gain a lot of media exposure. The NFL Combine has got to the point where it is too big in my opinion. This post is going to show you just how big the NFL Combine has become.

Former NFL Players Sue the NFL and Riddell

          More than 125 former NFL players are suing the league and Riddell. Riddell has been the official helmet brand of the NFL since 1989. The players are suing because they feel that the league and Riddell concealed the dangerous effects of concussions from them. The players claim that the NFL knew about these harmful risks since the 1920s. This case is important because many former players are suffering from the effects of the concussions. The former players don’t want the current players to end up in the same situation. This blog post is going to tell you the facts behind this case between the NFL, Riddell and the former NFL players.

"Who Dat!"

           This week I had the chance to learn about intellectual property. Intellectual property has four major areas including copyrights, trademarks, patents and trade secrets. Trademark infringement is an issue in the sports industry. One incident that occurred last year involved the New Orleans Saints. The NFL sent out cease and desist orders to tee shirt shops in New Orleans for printing “Who Dat” on tee shirts. This is all because the NFL felt that these local tee shirt companies had taken the New Orleans Saints phrase “Who Dat” without permission.

Operations Manager

          

          I had the opportunity to interview Robert (Marshall) Palmer. Robert started his career at the Amway Arena and was promoted twice which led him to his current position as Operations Manager. He is responsible for the new Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. The venue is home to Orlando Magic, the Orlando Predators and next year there will be a hockey team added to the venue. The Amway Center also holds concerts and ice shows. The venue was opened in 2010 to replace the old Amway Arena. The new Amway Center is 875,000 feet and features one of the largest high definition scoreboards in a NBA facility.

Cam Newton's Social Media Presence

Cam Newton as most of you know is one of the most successful rookie quarterbacks. He steps up every week and works hard. This week I had the chance to look at Cam Newton’s social media presence. The video below will give you some more insight into Cam Newton’s career and it will also show you my analysis on his social media presence. 

Creative Techniques to Attract Fans

           The current economy in the United States is affecting all Americans. The most recent recession according to the National Bureau of Economic Research started on December 1, 2007 and ended in June 2009. The recession is said to have ended because economic activity increased for two quarters. Even though this is true Americans are still suffering and are unable to spend money like before. This is affecting the sports industry. Some teams have had to shut down while others have to get creative to make sales. I am going to first discuss the current situation for many sports teams, then I will discuss some methods used by teams to increase sales, and finally I will give you my thoughts on what I would do to increase productivity during these tough times.

Fantasy Football

Over the last decade fantasy football has become a growing source of entertainment. Fantasy football allows users to become general managers of their own team. Each owner is able to manage and coach games based around NFL players. Fantasy football started in 1962 and since then has grown to 32 million people in the United States and Canada. Fantasy football has evolved to become one of the most well known fantasy sports over the last decade. In this post I will discuss when and how fantasy football started, current fantasy football information and why this is important.

Bill Winkenbach started a fantasy golf league in the 1950s. Golf was the first sport to have a fantasy league. Owners in this league would draft a team of professional golfers. At the end of the week the owner with the lowest score would win. This was before computers so all fantasy owners would sit down with paper and a pen and keep track of the league. You may be asking what does this have to do with football well it was the golf fantasy league that led Bill Winkenbach, Scott Stirling and Bill Tunnell to create the first fantasy football league in 1962. Bill Winkenbach was the part owner of the Oakland Raiders. He saw the potential for a league that involved football. He teamed up with Scott Stirling the Oakland Tribune columnist and Bill Tunnell public relations for the Oakland Raiders. The first fantasy team they created was called the GOPPL. This was an acronym for the Greater Oakland Professional Pigskin Prognostics League. They were able to get others involved. Drafts were held throughout the Oakland area as people continued to keep track of leagues independently.

Mike Oldakowski

This blog so far has been focused on sharing sports news from around the NFL. This post is different in that I am going to talk about an individual that works in the sports industry. I have been exploring various careers within the sports industry. One position that I took an interest in was Athletic Director. I like that the position allows you to be involved with multiple sports for one school. To find out more about the career I was able to shadow and interview Mike Oldakowski. Mike Oldakowski is the Athletic Director for University High School. As the Athletic Director he is responsible for all sports functions that involve University High School. In this post I will first discuss the responsibilities of the job and then I will discuss the benefits and challenges that come with this career.

NFL Week One

The NFL football season began this week. With less time to prepare many anticipated what the first game of the season would bring. There were both highs and lows for teams across the league. There were three players that stuck out due to their performance in week one. The first was Cam Newton and his first game with the Carolina Panthers. Second, Sebastian Janikowski kicked a field goal that would ultimately be the three points that gives the Oakland Raiders a win. Lastly Tom Brady came into week one ready for the fast pace offense that would lead his team to a victory over the Miami Dolphins.

Cam Newton played his first game for Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Many critics were unsure of what Cam Newton could produce. He came out Sunday ready to preform and made an impressive debut. Cam Newton broke Peyton Manning’s record for the most yards in the first game. Peyton had 300 yards his first game and Cam Newton threw an impressive 422 yards. Cam Newton completed 24 of 37 passes for two touchdowns and one interception. He helped his team score on the ground and showed he is a dual threat. Cam Newton certainly remains a work in progress as a passer, but he gave the NFL an indication of what he is capable of. The Carolina Panthers have to be excited that their number one draft pick may give the team the advantage they need to become a winning team.

Michael Vick's New Contract

September 12 marks the start of a new NFL football season. The NFL is starting to cut their rosters to 80 players in preparation for the start of the season. Michael Vick has recently signed a six-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. The contract allocates 100 million dollars over the six year time period. This contract however is set up so that Vick may actually receive the 100 million, but the chances are limited. If you have never taken a look at NFL contracts they are complex. Michael Vicks contract is no different. I will break down this contract by year to explain exactly what Michael Vick must do to make this contract the most valuable.

John Wooden

            Who has been an inspiration to you? This week I took a look at TED.com. TED is a website that allows viewers to see performances and talks for free. The objective is to spread ideas. John Wooden is one of the many speakers that have multiple talks on TED. One speech that really hit home was John Wooden's speech on success. John Wooden is an important part of what sports is today. ESPN has named John Wooden the best coach among all sports.  He has been praised as a player, coach and a speaker.

John Wooden attended Perdue University in Pennsylvania. He played basketball and was known for being fearless and having astounding speed. After graduation Wooden was offered a spot on the Boston Celtics. He declined this offer to become a teacher. After becoming a teacher he began to coach sports.  John Wooden went on to become to the UCLA Bruins coach in 1948. When he started they were considered the weakest team in the division. John Wooden led the team to an undefeated perfect season in 1964. It was the same year that the Bruins were successful is winning the NCAA championship. John Wooden went on to win many championships. He was the first person to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach.

Florida Citrus Sports

        Can you think of an organization near you that benefits your community? I am currently getting my Masters degree here in Central Florida. I have been researching organizations that benefit the community through sports. Florida Citrus Sports is an organization that gives back to the community and benefits the economy.

        Florida Citrus Sports is a nonprofit organization located in Orlando Florida. This organization is continually giving back to the community. They give numerous charitable contributions to improve the lives, health and education of children through athletics. Their primary fundraiser is the Florida Citrus Sports Mini Open. This event allows participants to play mini gold, enjoy great food and beverages, and also participate in the silent auction. The September 2010 event took place at Hawaiian Rumble Adventure Golf on International Drive. There were 288 members that participated in the event. This event generated 48,965 dollars to the Florida Citrus MVPS Foundation. This foundation focuses on youth athletics and academics in the community. This is just one event that they put on. Florida Citrus Sports also sponsors other events and organizations throughout the year in order to benefit the Central Florida community.

Day 119 of the NFL Lockout

It is crucial that the lockout ends this week in order to have a full preseason. The players need to go to training camp in order to ensure a full NFL season. Rookies could lose a year of playing time if they don’t get enough practice time in with the team.  So how do players help prepare during a lockout? Well they work on individual skill and meet with fellow teammates. If players can do their job then when the lockout ends the focus can be on the team.

There are many players right now that are taking this time to make themselves better. I want to first bring up Cam Newton. He was the number one draft pick for the Carolina Panthers. Cam Newton is currently in Bradenton Florida working on his game. He knows that the NFL is a major step and he wants to be prepared. Cam Newton is showing his fans the dedication and heart that it takes to become a great quarterback in the NFL.

NFL Lockout

What happens if there is no 2011 NFL season? Depending on whether you’re an owner, player, or fan this will affect everyone different. I know that I am ready to get the season underway. Many of you are aware of the lockout, but some of you may not know all the factors that are being discussed. I went through numerous sites and have put together the timeline and purpose of the 2011 lockout.

It all started on March 8, 2006. The National Football League Players Association also known as the NFLPA proposed an extension to the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA). This extension was granted for six years. A collective bargaining agreement is a contract between owners and players that covers working conditions. When this contract expires if a new agreement cannot be negotiated then everything stops. If the owners initiate the work stoppage than a lockout is enforced. There was a stipulation added to the 2006 CBA that allowed owners to get out of the contract early. Making the agreement effective until 2010. In May of 2008 the owners exercised their right and opted out of the agreement. They said that revenue was changing and that players were getting the largest portion of the leagues revenue. 2010 marked the start of the final season under the CBA. The NFL began the season without a salary cap and with restrictions on player movement within the league.

Pat Tillman's Leadership On and Off the Field

What makes a leader? Is it accomplishments, influence, attitude or even more? I believe it is all this and more. Pat Tillman rearranged his priorities. He based his decisions on passion. He is a leader on and off the field.

Pat Tillman’s football career…

Pat Tillman has been an inspiration. He was known for his academic accomplishments while attending Arizona State University. He was a leader on the field. He led Arizona State in an undefeated season in 1997. This led to the team to the Rose Bowl. He won the Pac-10 defensive player of the year. He was well known for his hard hits. He was able to knock people right off their feet.