NBA Lockout effect on the globalization of Basketball

Until recently, the idea of an NBA season this year was very unpromising.  Just a few days ago, a proposed deal was reported that the players union and the administration agreed on the season starting christmas day.  Although this is not a definite deal (to my knowledge), it has sparked hype about the season and gave NBA enthusiasts something to look forward to.  Prior to this promising deal, I started to think about the future of the NBA players if they did not have a season here in the United States.  If big name players such as Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, and LeBron James were to "take their talents" to other parts of the world, would this globalize the sport of basketball at an exponential rate?  I believe if big marketed players were to play on teams oversees, there would be no doubt about the increase in population of the sport in other countries.  This would give Europeans/Asians the opportunity to see elite talent in person in their own backyard for a fraction of the price that is charged in the NBA.  Not to mention, many players would have no choice but to reside in the country in which they are playing, which would increase tabloid coverage, which in return would increase popularity.  Although NBA players would have not been forced to play somewhere during the lockout, I believe many of them would choose to do so in order to stay in shape and play the game they love in order to prepare for upcoming seasons.  However, now as it looks as if the lockout will finally come to a close, the opportunity of globalizing the sport exponentially is looking as it is slipping away for now.

Disembarkment of Icons- Gretzky and Beckham

The last two classes were held online via blackboard, with the topics of discussion including Wayne Gretzky and David Beckham leaving their home countries to play sports in the United States.  I found it very interesting to learn how much of a gut-wrenching and heart-breaking event the Gretzky trade was in 1988.  As one of the few canadian teams in the NHL, Edmonton had become head over heals for Canada Native and superstar Wayne Gretzky.  In fact, the whole country flourished with his success on the ice and felt a sense of pride that "one of their own" played at such an exponential level from his competitors.  After breaking numerous NHL Records and winning 4 Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers, Canadians were heart broken to learn that Gretzky was to be traded to an American NHL team, the Los Angeles Kings.  This trade could be in comparison with the more current Lebron James migration to Miami, however, Gretzky was seen as more of a victim and praised for his accomplishments.

At the time of the trade, David Beckham was one of the most household soccer names in the world.  He was a very good looking and physically appealing male athlete with a celebrity spouse (former spice girl {popular American vocal group in 90's}).  These attributes made him a very popular star to recognize by name and face, even in the United States where soccer was not flourishing.  Therefore, I believe the MLS picked up David Beckham in order to try and increase interest in the sport.  At first, there was a lot of media hype and brief coverage of LA Galaxy news.  However, the hype wore off quickly, due to Beckham being injured and not able to play when he came to LA.  In my opinion, this put a huge damper on what could have been a deciding factor in the MLS success.  If more companies would have endorsed Beckham in advertisements, maybe interest would have sparked more even when he was not playing.  However, I don't remember Beckham being in many big name commercials for a long period of time.  I think the idea was great, however, it did not play out due to the lack of interest and bad timing of injury.  Beckham was past his peak in his soccer achievements.  It would have been better for him to just finish his career over in Europe where he was a cultural icon and beloved by many.

Cricket Discussion and Latino Baseball Players

This entry will briefly address issues talked about in the previous 2 classes: history and game play of Cricket, as well as Baseball's exploitation of Latino players.
Cricket is one of the sports that I know very little about, therefore, it was a bit overwhelming when Dr. Spencer was explaining the game play in class.  It makes me realize how hard it probably is for Wiebe (or any international visitor) to understand the game of football, with which we may think is pretty simplistic.  I thought it was very shocking to hear the Cooperstown-Doubleday Myth, which says that in the 1800's a man named Abner Doubleday created the game of baseball in Cooperstown, New York.  However, like cricket, baseball was created in England and brought over to the states.  Albert Spalding created this myth so that the U.S. could take credit for creating a major unique sport, since they had yet to do so.  Therefore, baseball became so popular because it gave Americans a sense of nationalism and pride, thinking that it was an original American sport.  I found it quite interesting that an individual would make up such a myth to that extent, and have it be believed for such a long time before historians proved it wrong!

Although, I did not attend last class, I addressed the powerpoints and had no idea that so many Latino players were given a chance at baseball in America.  My stance on this issue is both ways.  Although Latino players are given exponentially less money than American players at the time of signing, Latino's are benefitting in other ways.  They are given a slightly higher quality of living in the U.S. and are taken out of the poverty that they dealt with in Latin American countries.  However, on the flip side, I don't think it is fair that an amateur Latino baseball player with just as much skill as an American born player and puts in as much initial hard work gets paid significantly less just because of where/how they grew up.  Overall, the article/discussion opened up my eyes to an issue that I didn't know existed.  I am surprised at the amount of players that the MLB takes risks on, even though it is not a substantial amount of money (it all adds up quickly).  However, the MLB makes up for the losses by the financial success of superstars, such as Miguel Tejada who was initially acquired for a mere $2,000.

Homecoming Symposium

Last Friday, I attended the Annual Homecoming Symposium Event held by the College of Human Movement and Leisure Studies, which included numerous BGSU Sport Management Alumni Speakers.  Although I am a Junior, this was the first year that I attended the Homecoming Symposium, which made me realize exactly what I had missed the previous two years.  It is a great way to connect with former alumni because they can explain how they found the path to success in their present careers.  It feels great to know that former BGSU Sport Management Students can obtain a successful job in the industry.  The four speakers that I listened to were Matt Wilson, Sarah Clapper/Brittany M.?, Nate Janoso, and Brian Freeswick.  I will briefly explain what information I thought was helpful and that I took out of each presentation.  

Matt Wilson (Manager of Corporate Sales for the Cleveland Browns)- He talked about the process that he had to go through in order to get his dream job.  He started volunteering for the Cleveland Browns at age 20 as a Junior and did numerous duties for the organization, however, he did not initially make the cut for his dream job after graduation.  Therefore, he had to go out on a limb and leave the organization to get experience with radio sales first.  After getting the required experience, he finally obtained his dream job at age 30 (10 years after starting with the organization)!  Some takeaways that I obtained from him are always challenge yourself and set new goals in order to move higher up the ranks.  Also, its "who you know" that gets you in the door, however its "what you know" that gets you to stay.  He also advised to not squander and waste the internship opportunity as an undergrad because it gives you face time with your ideal organization.  His story proves that you may believe that you have the qualifications to get a certain job, however, you may have to go out on a limb and take chances in order to get your dream job in the long run.  He made me realize that I you can never have enough experience because it seemed like he had tons of networks and connections with the Cleveland Browns, yet still didnt initially get his ideal job.

Sarah Clapper (Current BGSU Grad Student)- She gave insight as to her current experience as a grad student at BGSU.  She feels that grad school is a good way to make more connections with people, and that you get to know your faculty/advisors on a colleague to colleague basis.  It is a way to buy time and network more if you are not prepared for a job of your interest right out of your undergrad.

Nate Janoso (Charities Director at Cleveland Indians)- He talked about how you can "Capitalize on Opportunities in Sport."  He used an acronym for S.P.O.R.T.S. that I thought was very helpful that made me realize what to focus on when trying to move up the ranks in the highly competitive sporting industry.

Skills- Communication, Customer Service, Teamwork

Preparation-Volunteer, Network, Internship

Opportunities- Take initiative to find opportunities, expose yourself, get in "many doors"

Relentlessness-Separate from competitors, exceed expectations, make yourself known, continue to learn

Traits- Passion, Hard Work, Commitment

I also talked to him after the presentation regarding his internship as an undergrad with Baseball Information/Media Relations at the Cleveland Indians.  I am interested in this area and learned about some of his job duties.  He ended with a quote that I thought summed up his presentation well, "Advancement and opportunities are not going to knock on your door, you must knock the door down."

Brian Freeswick (Works directly with Mr. Trump at NY Golf Course)- I just thought it was cool to know that a BGSU SM grad works with someone as prestigious/successful as Mr. Trump.  Some tips that I took away were: Go through every interview with conviction and confidence (look interviewee in the eye), when you give your opinion be ready to back it up, and always be yourself at work because it is difficult to act like someone else every day.

Overall, if you have not attended a Homecoming Symposium, I would REALLY encourage you to do so because it was very assuring to hear all the success stories that came out of BGSU, as well as eye opening/stressful to hear how much hard work it takes to get to their position! 

Dr. Meeks Talk about Hooliganism in European Soccer

Before Dr. Meeks came in to talk about Hooliganism, I was under the impression that it was misbehavior by fans when an outcome of a game didnt go as they had hoped.  However, I was completely wrong.  I was totally shocked to see that racism to such an evil extent occured in the 21st century.  I thought acts of racism were not present in today's society, however, as seen in the news clip, it seemed as if a major soccer event did not take place without slurs, chants, signage, and objects being thrown.  What surprised me the most is the organization and planning that occurs before events between hooligans.  I was not aware that such organizations exists in order to promote racism.  Even more surprising is that these organizations plot to just destroy cities and towns for the heck of it.  I just do not understand the point of doing such senseless and vicious acts, however, as Dr. Meeks told me, its a "way of culture" over there that is almost seen as normal in those kind of people's eyes.  Just to sum up my thoughts, I was completely unaware that these "organizations" exist and had the total wrong conception of hooliganism.  I was picturing hooliganism as mischieve in the streets after a team wins/loses a significant event.  However, it is a much more plotted out/complex and serious social issue that has hopefully been made more aware of globally in order to cease the actions.  Here is a link to show the extent of mayhem to which hooligans can create.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtOXiQToz64

U.S. Womens soccer in the 1999 World Cup (with a side of baseball)

WOW! I know this has nothing to do with this weeks class, but for all of you that just witnessed the last hour of the 2011 regular baseball season, it was EPIC!  It was awesome to see the determination of one team (the Rays)...and for that matter the hard work ethic of the Orioles, who werent playing for a darn thing!  I did not grow up as a fan of the Rays or a hater of the Red Sox (diehard Tiger), I just enjoyed watching how crazy the end of the season played out! I will definitely remember tonight for a long time, because events like these dont play out like this often!  If you are totally clueless as to what Im referring to, Im sorry that you missed such a crazy time of events (watch sportscenter tomorrow)!  Tonight showed that without sports, life would be boring!

And now for the real blog topic (Sorry Dr. Spencer!).  This week we talked about many topics regarding soccer, specifically the 1999 Women's world cup.  Since I was only 7 years old at the time of the event, I didnt remember anything too significant besides the famous Brandi Chastain's shirtless photo.  However, after watching the video with (former) Sportscaster Robin Roberts, I was shocked to see such an energetic atmosphere leading up to the final game of the World Cup against China.  Yeah, of course you would expect a larger crowd than normal for a home team, but I didnt realize so many people supported the U.S. Women's team at that time.  After the epic win, youth (girls) particpation in soccer took off exponentially.  I believe this occured because, as Americans, we want to participate in activities that we have success in.  Since the U.S. Women's team has not won the title in the last 12 years, I believe the support and notoriety of the sport has decreased greatly.  Then, this summer, there was a lot of talk about the Women's National Team after the memorable goal in the Brazil game.  However, this was short lived due to the failure to win the world cup.  I think that soccer has not taken off in this country because it is in our culture to be fans of teams/sports that dominate from year to year.  Therefore, the fan base of soccer will continue to be on the down low until the U.S. Men and Women teams can show world domination.

I will talk briefly about the controversial issue that many women sport teams use sex to promote the sport.  As is true in many professional female athletics, the success in terms of public interest is very minimal.  Although I dont think that a nude photo of a soccer player will generate more LONG TERM fans, marketers will try different tactics to gain public interest even if it is short-lived.  I would never let a child see pictures like that of Brandi's in the magazine, as it could send the wrong message about the role model.  However, I believe the American view on this subject is behind the times, as many European countries would consider these type of photos as socially acceptable.  Until next time...Go Tigers (and all BG Athletics :)

Dr. Cho presentation and Stereotyping

Last Thursday, Dr. Cho came to class and told his story about growing up in South Korea and the impact sports had on his life.  His presentation really opened my eyes about how I (and Americans) view other cultures and often stereotype people from different nations without even thinking about it.  I thought it was very interesting how Dr. Cho started by differentiating Koreans with other nationalities from Asia.  As Americans, we often combine Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, etc. into one culture and way of life.  However, he made me realize that they are all infact distinct cultures and dont have as much in common as we thought.  In addition, he talked about the night/social life of Koreans and it made me realize that they are human and just as fun as Americans.

Also, Dr. Cho talked about his interest in watching and playing American football as a kid growing up in South Korea.  This interest was developed due to an American Forces Network, which was shown on TV in Soul because of the U.S. Military stationed there during that time.  I was totally unaware that the public was able to get American Military Base TV stations showing the NFL, and even more unaware that football leagues/games were even played in the Asian areas.  I believe my "un-awareness" is due to the typical stereotype that American Football is only enjoyed here in the states, and especially not in Asia. 

The third thing I want to point out from Dr. Cho's presentation is the video he showed from the World Cup that was held in South Korea.  I thought it was amazing to see that many people lined up in the streets so passionate about 1 event/sport/game.  Many Americans may believe that we are the most sports oriented country, however, this video shows us that sport fans can come together in any country and be just as passionate.  In fact, I believe Dr. Cho said that there was an estimated 3 million fans that lined the streets for the watch party during that specific world cup game.  I dont think  I have ever heard of such an event in the United States.  Bottom line that I took away from Dr. Cho's presentation is that it opened my eyes and made me realize that passionate sport fans exist around the world.