NBA officials now checking ID’s at the draft

The NBA is probably the league most prone to having age problems for it seems to have the easiest jump from the senior prom to having 2 a day practices with world renowned athletes.  Players like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and King James are all 3 examples of this quantum leap into the pros.  There are a few speculations to this rule, should it be changed to the way it used to be, should there be more superstars let in early or should you have to leave your teenage years behind you and then be able to strap on the pro shoes and play ball.

            The age limit has been in affect for the past two years now and it has seemed to be working at a decent pace.  Greg Oden is not a good example as to why this limit was put into affect.  Greg played one year at Ohio State and was a monster.  He had incredible stats and seemed ready to play with the big boys.  The rule was put in to see if these kids are truly ready.  Greg seemed ready but it didn’t show this past year.  Being hurt and missing the year may have proved something to David Stern and the NBA, maybe one year just isn’t enough.  Even though players like Curry from Davidson, who had a phenomenal year in the tournament, seem ready in my opinion atleast one more year is necessary, and the rumor is David Stern feels the same way.

   

             The rumor going around in the NBA world has people thinking that the 1 year rule will now be a 2 year rule as players must be 20 years of age to enter the draft, which essentially means two years at the colligete level.

            Personally I am in favor of this new ademdum, which would force players to stick around and play atleast two years in college.  I feel bad for the people who work with the Portland TrailBlazers and the mishap that happened with Greg Oden.  This also helps the NBA with knowing who to pay, how much to pay them and who truly to draft.  It also makes college basketball way more fun.

New Stadium……..…Same Hole………New Name???

Over 30 years of history has been created at Texas Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL, but its time for a change says owner Jerry Jones.  As the Cowboys of Dallas end their 2008 football season the franchise will pack up their belongings and head to a new venue, something that can be considered a true sight.  Many feel it’s a shame to move to a new venue and leave behind such a legacy but many are excited because this new stadium seems ready to accommodate just about anything.

            HKS Architects, Inc., the proud owners of the rights to build this new structure have a few things in mind that many new stadiums do not.  First off the stadium will feature two unmistakable arches that cover the length of the field, two state of the art endzone plazas and that same retractable roof that creates that strange hole in the ceiling.  2.3 million square feet give this new stadium the rights to one of the biggest venues the United States has even built.  With seating for 100,000 people this structure has the biggest capacity for a football team in the entire NFL.  The 180 long video screens will give all 100,000 people in the venue the ability to watch the replay on that tip-toe catch.  The glass side panels will give the stadium a transparent look, something more recent and uncharacteristic of other stadiums across the country.  “The stadium says technology”

 

says Jerry Jones, the Cowboys onwer.

           

                    

Blueprints are finished, the ground has been broken but one essential element to every new stadium, arena, venue is that it needs a name, something that it can be recognized by.  This stadium costs 1 billion dollars to erect and the local taxes of the people from Arlington, the city of the new stadium, are increasing.  Jerry Jones I am sure will find a new name for this building that will bring in some revenue for the team. The current top spots go to the Barclays Center, future home to the NBA’s New Jersey Nets, and Citi Field, where Major League Baseball’s New York Mets will play in 2009, each pulling in 20-year, $400 million contracts.

            In my opinion the creation of this new stadium is a fantastic idea.  Jerry Jones is a very bright business man and knows what he is doing when it comes to making money for his franchise.  This move will certainly cost a large sum of money but the dividends will definitely pay off.  Everyone from around the country is going to want to see this new venue and its almost like the venue can hold everyone with a capacity of 100,000.  I wish they would take the old name of the stadium and transpose it to the new one in Arlington but I am sure that wont happen.  I would even like to see Jones Stadium, in respect to the league renowned owner.  I know for certain though that this stadium will have a corporate name somewhere located on the front and sides of the stadium as well as next to every major television spot.

 

Marlins Fin Right In

     Our beloved Orange Bowl is in the process of being demolished. The Hurricanes have moved to Dolphin Stadium and the Marlins are coming back down to the site of  the OB.

 

     The new stadium, which is located in Little Havana, will rejuvenate the area. “Supporters of the baseball stadium deal cited the project’s potential to provide the community with an economic engine for urban redevelopment.” The surrounding neighborhoods are filled with baseball fans. Now that the game will be held in their own backyard, Miami-Dade fans have no reason not to go. The stadium, which is set to open in 2011, will seat 37,000, features a retractable roof, and includes 6,000-space parking garage. The stadium is part of the $2.9 billion so-called Global Agreement plan, recently approved by the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County.

 

     It will be a win-win situation. Such a convenient location would benefit the Marlins as well of course. Even with a pretty good start this season, they can hardly manage to get decent attendance. The Miami Herald’s Greg Cote chastises Marlins “fans” for not supporting their baseball club when it is giving them all they’ve got. Only 10,462 fans went to Dolphin Stadium to watch a 4-0 victory against the Atlanta Braves that kept the Marlins atop the NL East. Did I mention they would no longer be playing on a football field?

     The agreement also requires the team change its name to the Miami Marlins, and guarantees the team will stay in Miami for 35 years.

11 to 1

     There are talks of shopping 11-year veteran Jason Taylor for another first round draft pick. The defensive end has played all of his of his 172 career games for the Dolphins and has become a household name with DolFans.

 

     In an interview with ESPN’s Kenny Mayne, Taylor stated, “The thing is, I haven’t talked to anybody. Everyone is talking to everybody else about me but no one is talking to me.” This could be attributed to the fact that instead of being at the Dolphins offseason training camp Taylor is starring on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars.”

 

     It also does not help that Parcells and Taylor keep contradicting themselves.  In every ESPN article, Taylor has made it clear that Miami is “home.”

Yet in the South Florida Sun Sentinel, columnist Dave Hyde says “Taylor wants to go.” Parcells told ESPN, “The only way Jason Taylor doesn’t play for the Dolphins in 2008 is if he retires,” Parcells said March 3. “The team is not going to trade him.” Hyde says that a source tells him “one team was feeling the Dolphins out with a trade offer.”

 

     So what should the Dolphins and Taylor do? In my opinion, I think that the Dolphins should keep Taylor. As great as Jason Taylor has proved to be for the Miami defense, I do not think that he would be traded for a first round pick when he is about to enter his 12^th season in the NFL. Although Hyde says that Taylor should not be burdened with another rebuilding year, it’s what Taylor knows. He would be an example to the rookies, although he is not right now in the offseason. Everyone knows he’ll produce once the season starts. If he were traded he would have to become familiar with the new team and since he is busy in the offseason, it might prove to be quite difficult.

Gatorade uses NFL Champions to market 2,520 bottles!

Gatorade created a limited-edition designed bottle for the victory of the NY Giants over the New England Patriots. The bottle has a silver label with the words “NY Super Bowl XLII champs” written on it. Each bottle is worth $2.25. A case, containing 24 bottles is sold at $24.99. A certain amount was also produced in case the Patriots won, for their perfect season. Those bottles were all thrown out.

5 of those bottles were signed by MVP Eli Manning and auctioned on e-bay. “For almost 40 years Gatorade has played an important part in fueling some of the world’s toughest athletes on sports’ most high-pressure stage — the Super Bowl. We’re proud to offer this first-ever celebratory bottle to the New York Giants, a team that defied the odds and claimed their place in NFL history,” said Matt Knott, vice president of Gatorade marketing.

Using this marketing strategy is very smart and definitely got Gatorade a lot of money. Those bottles were sold instantly especially since they were “first come, first serve.” Their price was higher than the average Gatorade bottle. People who bought them probably didn’t even drink them. They just placed them somewhere in their homes. The word “limited-edition” is very important in sports marketing. When you know that this product is limited and won’t come out again, you will run and buy it and view it as commemorative.

When did the dancers or the DJ become the Sport?

With a shameful 15-67 season, the Miami Heat were faced with a horrible year. From low attendance, to lack of renewing season tickets, the fans did not show any encouragement to the team. Why would they? This is Miami! People here don’t come to watch the Heat for the love of basketball, they come to watch the team winning. And since the Heat were on a loosing streak, attendance was very poor. But, there were always those few people who never missed a game. Why? I got to ask them that question and those are some of their answers. “Well, we do have the #1 dance team in the NBA”, “The Xtreme team, that’s why I come here, they’re so cool, they do the craziest things”, “DJ Irie is a nationally known DJ and is the #1 in the NBA, why wouldn’t I come watch him live, spinning right next to me?”, “The dance team with the old people in it, they’re so cute! I love watching them, but they did not perform during this game!”. Only one person responded “I just love basketball, and we have a professional NBA team here in our city, I think we’re lucky enough to have that! Why wouldn’t I want to watch Dwyane Wade play? Even if the team sucks!”. The Miami Heat are marketing their games without even knowing. The dance team, DJ Irie, and the Xtreme team, are the reasons people still attend games even when the team is loosing bad. Now, since most season ticket holders are not renewing their tickets, the Heat came up with the “Ten gets you in!” marketing strategy. The “Ten gets you in!” season ticket package basically consists of $10 tickets for every game in the uptown level (400 level). Will that get the attention of season ticket holders, or will the dancers? I think the Miami Heat should focus their marketing strategies on the dancers, the DJ and Dwyane Wade. After all, that is why people are attending the games!

Marketing Miami Basketball

Coming off a stunning 23-11 season and trip to the Round of 32, the Hurricanes basketball program has much to look forward to: the signing of one of the country’s top swingmen, DeQuan Jones, the building of the new practice facility, and most importantly, the recent announcement that the McDonald’s All-American High School  will be hosted at the University of Miami’s BankUnited Center on April 1, 2009.

 

A game that will be televised nationally by ESPN will draw much attention to the often overlooked basketball program, which has been showing signs of growth and great future potential. The UM basketball squad has already been ranked in the top 25 in many preseason polls. 

 

Manny Navarro, the Miami Herald  beat writer for the ‘Canes reminds us, “ Let’s not forget where this program was when Perry Clark left it. Basically, the bandwagon emptied and the team was back in obscurity. Haith picked it up, put it back into the NCAA Tournament and now has a vision to not only take Miami where it once was — the Sweet 16, but a long-term vision of turning Miami’s men’s basketball program into a national title contender. He’s the type of guy who doesn’t just dream of the Final Four — but has a plan to get there.”

 

This game is vital in helping out the recruiting process for Haith and his program. When asked by Manny about his feelings on the McDonald’s game, he said, “It is a huge deal. It is the premier basketball event in the country. It’s only been on campus one other time I think and that was at Duke. It is a huge, huge, huge deal. Hopefully, we’ll have a player in it. It is a tremendous deal for the University of Miami to have here. This has been worked on for a couple years. They get these things and start to work on it years prior. I was involved in some things early on. Katie [Meier] and Paul Dee. We’re very fortunate to have it here. The President was very supportive of it. So, it’s a huge deal for us. Obviously, the practice facility having that too and practice time. It’s going to be an unbelievable deal to have it on your campus because its the premier event. And what Ronald McDonald stands for. The Ronald McDonald event is huge for charity, so its a big event especially here in South Florida when were trying to improve awareness of college basketball.”

 

I agree completely with his statement. As successful as the Canes were this season, basketball still does not receive the same attention as the football and baseball programs (granted they have a rich tradition of national championships). Holding this All-American High School game should help draw in more attention to college basketball in South Florida, and more importantly, may even entice future recruits to come play basketball for the “U”. 

 

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/colleges/um/story/506281.html

 

http://www.mcdonaldsallamerican.com/

                                                        

http://www6.miami.edu/UMH/CDA/UMH_Main/1,1770,2593-1;61363-3,00.html

 

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/umiami/

 

Falcons Get Their Fix

What a year it has been for the Atlanta Falcons- and obviously not a good one.  First they lost their star quarterback to twenty three months in federal prison for illegal dog fighting.  With that their organization experienced a major downfall to their reputation and PR that is still in the desperate need of repair.  Next their coach hopped on a train to Arkansas as he waved goodbye to his players.  Then to top it all off, they finished their season less than .500 with a disappointing record of 4-12.  It would be an understatement to claim that the Falcons are in a serious need of a turnaround this upcoming season.  So now with the third overall pick of the good-looking Matt Ryan, are their problems solved? 

Matt Ryan, the star quarterback from Boston College was chosen Saturday afternoon to be the Atlanta Falcons new quarterback.  Possibly even their new poster boy if you look at it from a marketing point of view.  Ryan was the ACC Player of the Year last season and an early Heisman Trophy favorite. He left BC with a 25-7 record as a starter and was widely regarded as the best quarterback available in this year’s draft.  To add to his stats, Ryan was also a two-time team captain at BC, showing his potential as a great leader.  He carried the nickname “Matty Ice” during his college career because of the smooth, calm way he approached the game and led numerous comebacks.

So is Matt Ryan exactly what the Falcons need at this point in their franchise?  He comes from a respected school, he’s handsome, he has good leadership qualities, he has a good arm, and he seems like a nice guy who has stayed away from trouble up to this point.  ESPN says, “For the moment, Ryan brings hope to what was a hopeless situation. No other player in this draft could create as much optimism as Ryan. He is, after all, a quarterback, and quarterbacks are the first players people think of when they think of a football team.”  Within minutes of Roger Goodell’s announcing the Falcon’s first selection, Matt Ryan’s #8 jersey was selling online like hotcakes.  So I think this is a brilliant move for the Falcons.  Instead of automatically associating the word “Falcon” with Michael Vick’s criminal charges, soon it might be associated with the poster boy name Matt Ryan.  Now all he has to worry about is if he can prove the all the cynicals wrong and show that he has exactly what it takes to make it in the NFL.  September awaits us.    

 

http://www.atlantafalcons.com/News/Articles/2008/04/NFL_Draft/Falcons_select_quarterback_Matt_Ryan.aspx

http://www.nationalpost.com/sports/story.html?id=472506

http://www.atlantafalcons.com/News/Articles/2008/04/NFL_Draft/Falcons_select_quarterback_Matt_Ryan.aspx

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft08/columns/story?columnist=yasinskas_pat&id=3369310

 

Everybody loves … celebrity sports gossip

Celebrity gossip. Definitely a topic we hate to love. It’s true. Our society loves to gossip. Be it a rumor about a celebrity or a scandal in sports, we love to bandy about the embarrassments of others. From Tom Brady’s baby mama drama, to the Beckhams moving to the U.S., to Michael Vick beating and killing dogs for his own personal pleasure to Jessica Simpson dating Tony Romo. It’s pretty pathetic how people who don’t follow sports will start to pay attention to athletes when they are involved in celebrity gossip. Who cares about how many home runs, tackles or points scored in a game? Nowadays, what’s more interesting is who was seen with who, who’s violating what law, and most importantly, who is sleeping with who. I

t’s funny how when athletes are linked with a celebrity they automatically become more popular. Even more funny is when they obtain a criminal record their popularity also goes up. Perfect example of this one is Jose Canseco. When he was accused of using steroids and was later casted on the reality hit show on VH1’s Surreal Life. Is this a joke? Seriously, this is getting more and more pathetic. Of course, you’re going to have your loyal sports fans who put the b-s aside and watch sports for the love of sports and not TMZ or The Soup on E! just so see the most up-to-date celebrity sports gossip.

For the past couple of years the gossip has been pretty ridiculous. We’ve basically heard it all from Kobe Bryant’s rape accusation charges to the most recent Alex Rodriguez being seen with a lovely lady whose name is not Cynthia Rodriguez (his wife) and just so happens to be a stripper.

Classy, Rodriguez, real classy. The media loves to put a damper on these athletes’ lives and as the viewing public, we love to watch their misery and mistakes. Why is that? Who knows. 

This is definitely a topic that is most likely never going to get dull. Unfortunately for both parties, there is always going to be drama in the lives of celebrity athletes and we are always going to be the ones wasting our time watching, when there are bigger issues in the world like the problem we have in Darfur and how there are still homeless people feeling the consequences of Hurricane Katrina. Yet, we’re over here being interested in A-Rod having dinner with a stripper friend from Iowa. C’mon, seriously, where is the world coming to?

 

Recruit Shatters Florida National Championship trophy

There was a sense of shock in the room….no one spoke for about 30 seconds. Tampa Plant High School Tight End prospect Orson Charles had just accidentally knocked the University of Florida national championship trophy onto the ground during an unofficial visit. The trophy shattered and time stood still.

Nobody talked for a while. And when Charles returned home and told his personal advisor he assumed it was a joke. Charles took a picture of a crystal fragments as proof. Just as any Cane fan would, Charles’ advisor called his Gator-rooting friends and family to make sure they knew all about it. I guess Charles is somewhat obligated to sign with Florida now. For his part, Charles says the accident will have no bearing on his future school.

“I wish it never happened,” Charles said.” Many national TV shows requested an interview with Charles about the incident, however he declined. Charles mentioned that he would partake in interviews only if they were football related.

Charles said he got an email from UF coaches recently stating that the trophy has been replaced. No harm done. The Miami Hurricanes are number one on his long list of scholarship offers with Florida close behind. How fitting it would be if Charles, “the recruit who shattered the Gators national championship trophy”, eventually were to sign with the ‘Canes.

 

http://miami.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=800103

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080415/SPORTS/804150340/1002/SPORTS

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/apr/16/sp-bull-china-shop-broken-trophy/?sports-colleges-gators