Sports Building Momentum for Turin (Vol 8 issue 19) by Brooke VanBuskirk

This article is about gaining sponsorship and fans for the sports that participate in the winter olympics. Before the winter olympics there will be a show called ICE 2005 which will showcase the bobsled, curling, and luge. They have had this show two other years and last years ratings were better than that of a colege basketball game. Winter sports do not have the fans and sposorship as do other sports.

I think that these would be interesting sports to watch. If I were a marketer I would want to sponsor them and then advertise these sports. I think if bobsled could make it on tv it would be a huge hit, because it brings something new to the table instead of the same old sports people are watching on tv. What would also help is if you tried to do a realiy series on one of the sports and follow one teams around for its training and games. I think it would be a good investment to help support these teams and sponsor them.

"Michelle Mattis, Is the Superdome done? Damage being assessed, volume 8, issue 19"

SMG vice president Doug Thorton, manager of the Louisiana superdome, is homeless along with the rest of the victims from the hurricane. Twenty four thousand people fled to the superdome to take cover from the hurricane. When Thorton arrived at the superdome, there had been four deaths or maybe more, rapes and thefts. One guy stole a gun from the National gaurd and shot him in the leg. Thorton had to leave the Superdome because it was not safe for him. Thorton and otbers were there to see if the Superdome can be rebuilt. Engineers and Architects are being brought in, but before anyone starts to rebuild, the water has to be drained because of toxics and the dome has to be decontaminted. The roof itself will cost 6 to 7 million to repair. Thorton believes that the dome can be repaired and fixed and done by early year 2006.
I believe that the superdome can be rebuilt, it is going to take a lot of time and I dont think that it is going to be done by early months of 2006, but it can be done. Thorton needs to be concentrating on getting the water drained and everything cleand up inside. It's terrible that the superdome is destroyed but everything will work out in the end and it will be rebuilt.

Comcast’s national ad debut is HD sponsorship on “MNF” (vol 8, issue 19, page 13) by Justin Myers

Volume 8, issue 19, page 13
In this article Comcast is getting a contract to televise the NFL’s Monday night football in HD. Also this company will spend more than $6 million with ABC on this game night. During this game Comcast gets a 10 second tag to show that the sponsor is of the game, and a 30 second ad during the first half of all the games. Comcast also stated that they have the better option between them and DirecTV. The article stated that they have a better deal during the football season with the HD package.
In my opinion I think that it may be a good idea for Comcast to sponsor this game because it will increase their reputation for good programming and very good customer service. I think also that they will acquire more customers in the fact that they are sponsoring Monday night football with ABC. Also in this article it gave some information about Sportsvision. I think Sportvision is good idea because it gives people that don’t know much about first downs, an idea where it is. And the different camera angles are good because the consumers are getting more for less.

"In Katrina's wake, sports must rise to challange." (Vol 8, issue 19, p.28) by Jason Langham

Sep 12-18 issue page 28. This article talks bout the tragedy of hurricane katrina's and it's lasting affects on pro sports teams in the nfl and nba. Although the overall contributions to this tragedy have been good, nothing specific has been done by the nfl and nba to help the cause. A question is posed saying where is our live aid? I think that the leagues do need to set up some kind of program like live aid where the contribitions go to the victams. Although to their credit the nfl recently this past monday had a similar concept. However, more needs to be done by commisioners and others to help. Athletes involved most are millionaires. The leaders of the industry should require more contributions from the athletes and themselves.

‘Nike Golf ready to spend on driver’[vol8, issue 19,p10], by David Shemilt

This article illustrates and identifies Nike’s new
‘technological breakthrough’ in the world of golf…..the SasQuatch 460 driver, [the brand new golf club that Nike are about to launch to replace its predecessor, the also once technological advanced breakthrough club, the ‘Ignite’ driver].
In truth, the reality of the article really explains Nike’s dominance and power in the branding and marketing world. With direct and precise planning and marketing strategies, Nike aim to saturate the golfing world and the golfers minds with commercials on the golf channel, advertisements in golfing magazines such as Golf-week and Golf-world, downloadable advertisements on the Internet, a five city promotional tour to New York, LA, Orlando, Dallas and Chicago and a TV campaign starting in January on NBC and CBS which, as if by coincidence, just happens to collide with the start of the PGA tour season, all promoting the new SasQuatch 460 driver. Although the SasQuatch will hit the shelves in November nationwide, before and after this date, Nike will pour its unlimited, ‘multiple millions’ of dollars into the products launch. With the array of stars, obviously including ‘Tiger’, who will surely turn out to endorse this product there is a sense of inevitability that due to Nike’s dominance of the marketing world people will buy it whatever the cost. Why? Well, because it’s Nike. Enough said. A simple promotional, well planned marketing crusade that explains some scientific golfing reason why this club is better than the others, alongside a few superstars shouting from the rooftops that it is a technological breakthrough and there you have it, one marketable and profitable product, whether it is revolutionary or not. Even if I turned up on a Nike commercial swinging this new supposedly innovative golf club and endorsed this product, people would still probably buy it because of its name. On the other end of the scale, even if Tiger Woods appeared on a Nike commercial holding a wooden plank and hit a golf ball 50 yards, people would still probably buy that wooden plank because of the name and whom it is associated with. Even though these are extreme exaggerations, they highlight the hold and control that certain brand names have in the world of marketing. Nike especially, has a supremacy that will continue to withhold any meaningful competition. Since Nike was incorporated in 1968, the Nike brand name has grown and is known throughout the world. People can identify the name and logo even if they have never bought any of their products! However, not only is the company name a brand, but the logo (the ‘tick’ symbol) is also a strong piece of branding in its own right. The majority of people that are aware of the company can also identify it (or its products) from this symbol alone. Hence roll on the ‘SasQuatch 460 driver’, a certain success even before it has been released? What do you think?

“Octagon’s Carlisle sees a lot of Phelps in swimmer Hoff” by Heather Hileman

Peter Carlisle an Octagon agent has just signed Katie Hoff, who is already being compared to Carlisle’s most famous client, Michael Phelps. At the age of sixteen, Hoff won three gold medals at swimming World Championships this year. She has many other wins as well. She will be nineteen when she has her next opportunity in the Olympics in 2008.
Carlisle wants to start a swimwear deal with Hoff this fall. He says that other marketing deals will come much later. Companies are excited that she has turned pro, basically so they can make money off of her talent. Carlisle states, “It could be interesting to see what she and Phelps will be able to do in changing the sport or the way the sport is perceived by the general public.”
It is great that a young athlete has done so well with her talent. It shows that she has worked hard to achieve those goals by being awarded many gold metals. I don’t feel though that her performance should alter whether she should get a marketing deal. However, business marketers are going to pick those athletes who are doing well. They wouldn’t want to market someone who hasn’t won. They want to market the winners.

("Goobye, bowling balls,heloo,running, shoes as PBA excutive Changes jobs." Volume8 Issue19 pg.7) by Thomas Jones

I believe that Steve Miller is a marketing genius with a every successful track record. Steve is the person who restore the Professional Bowling Association. Before Steve become the CEO of the PBA, the league was an utter disgrace. Within five years he completely turned around the league. Now the PBA tournament is nationally televised on ESPN. Also, Steve has almost doubled the PBA's annual revenue.
Now as Steve leaves the PBA for Devine Racing I don't know how well the PBA will thrive in his absence. I also know that Devine Racing will flourish with Steve at the helm. I think that he will restore the luster that marathon have been missing. According to this article Steve will focus on the young consumers. I think that the young consumers have such a larger stake of the overall power buying power. Which is probably why he is marketing that particular group. Truly Steve Miller is one of a kind.

"Octagon's Carlisle sees a lot of Phelps in swimmer Hoff" (vol 8, issue 19, p 14) by Katie Bell

Peter Carlisle an Octagon agent has just signed Katie Hoff, who is already being compared to Carlisle’s most famous client, Michael Phelps. At the age of sixteen, Hoff won three gold medals at swimming World Championships this year. She has many other wins as well. She will be nineteen when she has her next opportunity in the Olympics in 2008.
Carlisle wants to start a swimwear deal with Hoff this fall. He says that other marketing deals will come much later. Companies are excited that she has turned pro, basically so they can make money off of her talent. Carlisle states, “It could be interesting to see what she and Phelps will be able to do in changing the sport or the way the sport is perceived by the general public.”
It is great that a young athlete has done so well with her talent. It shows that she has worked hard to achieve those goals by being awarded many gold metals. I don’t feel though that her performance should alter whether she should get a marketing deal. However, business marketers are going to pick those athletes who are doing well. They wouldn’t want to market someone who hasn’t won. They want to market the winners.

"NCAA drops the ball in the nickname game" by Khalif Woodard

In this article they talk about how the NCAA has put down new guidelines that says that colleges are not aloud to use Native American tribes as nicknames. I think that this a very interesting idea because it gives some good view points from both sides of the situation. First off the nickname of a university should not be "hostile or abusive". The article states one of its main points on how the NCAA included The FSU Seminole nickname in that category and then dropped it because of the local Seminole tribe supporting it. In my opinion the NCAA should just leave this situation alone simply because it is a harmless issue that should be taken more lightlu. The names of the team have no negative aspects, thaey are just intemidating names used as a tactic to scare the other team.