NFL Fan Experience: Back to Football Photo Day

Guest Post by Chris Stathos

Connect with Chris on Twitter as well as Linkedin. 

Today is not my scheduled day to write for the MSBA blog, but I’m calling an audible and sharing an awesome experience that I had the privilege to be apart of last week.

The NFL, in addition to our official cap partners at New Era, held a Back To Football Photo Day featuring fans from all over the country. Literally, 32 fans modeled their favorite team’s gear for photos and video interviews which will be featured in future NFL and New Era ad campaigns in the teams’ respective markets.

After a long day of shooting, we gathered the fans for a group picture. What they did not know, however, was that the Commissioner of the National Football League, Roger Goodell, would be joining them for the shot.

As an executive from the NFL was announcing our special guest, one or two fans caught a glimpse of the “Commish” and screamed like pre-teens at a Justin Bieber concert. I mean, you would have thought there was a Hollywood celebrity in the room the way the fans and their guests swarmed the Commissioner like TMZ paparazzi.

Once everything calmed down and the group picture was finally taken, the Commissioner took questions from the fans, two of which I’ll share with you. The very first question? “Can you announce me like a player at the NFL Draft?” asked the Tennessee Titans winner. Commissioner Goodell gladly obliged. “With the first pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans select…” The fans roared as if we were right there in Radio City Music Hall, and the newly drafted fan gave the Commissioner the traditional “bro hug.”

The last question came from the Carolina Panthers winner, a huge Tim Tebow fan. “Can you make a team sign him?” she begged. I think we found out the answer, as less than an hour later, SportsCenter first began reporting that Tebow would be signed by the New England Patriots. There’s a reason Roger Goodell is the most powerful man in sports.

Day 12 of MSBA 2013: NBC Sports with Rob Simmelkjaer

Post by Isaac Rosner for June 13, 2013

Connect with Isaac on Twitter as well as Linkedin.

On yet another rainy day in New York City, we were blessed with the wonderful opportunity to head over to the offices of NBC Sports. This was their last day at the famous, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, as they are moving to a new address in Stamford, Connecticut.

Upon walking into the crowded building, with the hustle and bustle of tourists and businessmen, we walked up to security and presented our ID in order to receive our visitor’s pass.

After we all received our passes, our wonderful speaker, Rob Simmelkjaer, came down and greeted us. We walked to the elevators and headed for the 15th floor into a conference room, where our speaker series would commence. Prior to Rob speaking, we went around the room in what has become an MSBA tradition and each told Rob a little about ourselves. The one part of our introduction that made this opportunity special was we each had the chance to share our favorite NBC Sports moment.

Whether it was Michael Phelps claiming his eighth gold medal or Sarah Hughes winning figure skating gold at the Salt Lake City games or even, my personal favorite, the NBA on NBC with the famous theme song “Roundball Rock”, this provided a great opportunity to remember all that NBC Sports stands for. Just sitting there and listening to each of my fellow aspiring sports professionals discuss their famous NBC Sports moment really brought to light how meaningful this speaker series with Rob was going to be.

For those who do not know, Rob Simmelkjaer is the Senior Vice President of NBC Sports Ventures. While this is his official title, he also finds time to talk on NBC Sports Radio every Sunday morning. Rob discussed his background, illustrating the unique path he took to get to the point he is today, from radio host, to lawyer, to assistant to George Bodenheimer, to news anchor and finally to his current position at NBC Sports.

After Rob discussed his history, he opened the floor to questions from MSBA participants. This is the best time of the speaker series as it allows for all of us to really get a better feeling for what it is truly like behind the scenes of the sporting world. Questions for Rob ranged from soccer to world fighting to the Olympics and even touched on Fox Sports One and its possible effect on NBC Sports. Rob gave great insight into the network and some of the inner workings that go into deciding what events to bid on and sponsors to pick up.

Following our discussion, Rob took the time to take some pictures with all of us in front of the NBC and NBC Sports logo. This was probably the last photo that will be taken of NBC Sports on the 15th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. It was an honor to be there, and it is an experience that I will never forget.

Day 11 of MSBA 2013: Sports Business Lessons from Carlos Fleming, Richard Weiss

Post by Ethan Shibutani for June 12, 2013

Connect with Ethan on Twitter as well as Linkedin.

After a long day of work at Foot Locker allocating the upcoming Jordan Retro 8s to stores along the East Coast, I returned to the dorms excited to hear from two great speakers: Carlos Fleming and Richard Weiss.

But before we could hear their stories, we had an exciting surprise: free stuff. Many thanks go out to Spira for the shoes and Deuce brand for the watches!

Our first speaker of the night was Carlos Fleming. Carlos is the VP of Talent Management at IMG and represents clients such as Cam Newton, Venus Williams, and James Blake.

Carlos’ story is interesting because he started as an intern at IMG and rose through the ranks to where he is today. Carlos’ story was extremely relatable, as he talked about compiling a legal pad of 500 jobs that he would be interested in and feeling fairly confident about landing one of them. One of the most valuable takeaways from Carlos’ talk was the value of trust, reputation, and loyalty. The theme of mentorship has been one of the most prominent themes through the first week and a half here at MSBA. Speaking to that theme, Carlos echoed that as he said, "All it takes is one person to believe in you". From there anything is possible.

Our second speaker of the night was Richard Weiss, the Publisher of Sports Business Journal. Richard was instrumental in the creation and growth of SBJ, and drew from his past experience at the Wall Street Journal to help grow Sports Business Journal into the leading sports business publication on the market.

In a way, SBJ has helped grow the sports management major, as the publication is currently used as the “textbook” in hundreds of classes across the country. SBJ is interesting because they are a media company that has created a community of people who have varying interests in the sports business field and have allowed all of those people to stay current with the latest topics and trends of the industry. Richard’s ascension in the industry through media companies was non-traditional, but it just goes to show that there are many different tracks of breaking into the sports business world.

Just a week and a half into MSBA, we have already had some amazing speakers with tons of great stories and lessons; I can’t wait to see what the rest of these 8 weeks will hold!

#MSBA13 class with our amazing speakers tonight: @IMG_Worldwide's Carlos Fleming & @SBJSBD's Richard Weiss. @goMSBA pic.twitter.com/bvpd9R5oVx
— Myles J. Robinson (@mylesjrobinson) June 13, 2013

Day 10 of MSBA 2013: The Future is Yours to Create

Post by Kris Haynes for June 11, 2013

Connect with Kris on Twitter as well as Linkedin.

As the MSBA class of 2013 enters our second week, I can’t help but feel as though we’ve already had an entire summer’s worth of memorable experiences.

The array of talented people we’ve been fortunate enough to meet in this first week has been both enlightening and inspiring.

It’s hard to believe that this is only the beginning of our adventure, and I’m excited to say the least about what lies ahead. Ben Sturner, David Oestreicher and the entire MSBA staff have done an incredible job in their preparation to make this a summer of a lifetime and I’m incredibly thankful to have the opportunity in front of me.

Now it’s about making the most of each and every experience, and I know that we are all well of our way. In listening to the various guest speakers we’ve had, I’ve found all of their stories to be fascinating. Whether it was Mark Holtzman describing the risk he took by joining an obscure company called Reebok or Bill Smith revealing that his first big break came through a chance encounter in a Men’s room at Giants Stadium, they all had amazing stories! On one hand their stories came as a relief, as I’ve realized that although the paths to success can be winding and often times unpredictable, they can come from many directions.

 On the other it got me thinking — how will my story unfold? Part of the challenge of life is that one can never know how things will turn out. However, when you look at what every speaker shares in common — the characteristics of passion and perseverance — you can see that these qualities are essential in each success story and hopefully will contribute to mine as well. My favorite MSBA experience thus far had to be the event “Brooklyn Changes the World” at MCU Park. It was incredible to be a part of the collaboration between MSBA and the High School of Sports Management, along with award-winning author Gina Otto and sport’s analyst Adam Shefter, each motivating all of us to make a difference in the world.

This event was also the first time I was able to meet my mentor, Jose Duverge, and he has inspired me with his words, “the future is yours to create”. To say that my first trip to Coney Island was a memorable one would be an understatement, as I look forward to the many meaningful experiences that are to come.

I’ve spoken about stories and experiences, but equally as important are the relationships we make. It’s been a privilege to meet so many people that I admire and respect. Already in such a short period of time, I know that I’m forging long-lasting relationships. This is only week two in NYC, but I can feel something special developing here and I’m eager to improve myself personally and professionally with the rest of my MSBA team.

Day 9 of MSBA 2013: Recap of Tour of Madison Square Garden

Post by David Page for June 10, 2013

Connect with David on Twitter as well as Linkedin.

Out of all of the great activities we have had thus far, I have to say the one that was especially memorable was a tour and panel that took place at Madison Square Garden. As a native New Yorker, there is not a single arena that is more iconic than MSG.

To say this arena has a special place in my heart is an understatement. This is where many of my first sports memories occurred and where my passion for this business began.

Arriving at the arena on last Friday very surreal for me.

Since I attend college at the University of Michigan, I have not been able to go to The Garden in two years. Walking into this building, I could only smile knowing that I had come back home. Upon our arrival we were greeted by the Director of Corporate Hospitality Sales and MSBA mentor, Jared Schoenfeld.

He explained to us that since MSG was going through its final phase of its renovation, we were not allowed in main part of the arena. However, in order to give us a feel what the new Madison Square Garden was going to look like, we were going to get a tour of the MSG Transformation Center. This multi-million dollar complex was built in order to highlight many of the new features that MSG would have upon its completion.

Congratulations to the @goMSBA Class of 2013 on making it through their first week! #hardworkpaysoff #wishicouldbethere
— Jennifer Chang (@jnchang) June 10, 2013

After the wonderful panel, Jared took us on a tour of the Transformation Center. To see the improvements of Madison Square Garden come to life was very cool. In addition to seeing the improvements to the actual arena itself we also got to see lifelike models of the newly built suites

Towards the end of our day, I experienced a really cool moment. As we were about to leave, I asked Jared how I should attempt to maximize my time throughout this program. He told me simply that the most important thing is to build relationships. This program is a special opportunity where I have a great chance to make some connections that could really last a lifetime; I believe that when this program is set and done, my career and my life will never be the same. 

Day 8 of MSBA 2013: Highlights from Week 1, A Chat with Reddit General Manager, Erik Martin

Post by Aaron Malave for June 9, 2013

Connect with Aaron on  Twitter as well as Linkedin.

Sunday marks a week since we all traveled to New York, moved into the EHS dorms, and began this eight week long journey that is the Manhattan Sports Business Academy. This week we had the opportunity to hear from speakers such as Darren Rovell, Jonathan Blue, Mark Holtzman, and Jared Schoenfeld as well as take our first Friday Field Trip to the iconic Madison Square Garden.

We’ve met our individual mentors, started our internships, and introduced ourselves to our High School of Sports Management mentees at the Brooklyn Changes the World event. If this week is any indication of what the rest of the summer is going to look like, then we are in for the ride of our lives.

Easily the most refreshing part of Sunday is that it was a chance for us to relax and catch our breath from a busy first week in the Big Apple. It marks the first time since the program began that we didn’t have any obligations until 7 pm, which admittedly it felt kind of odd. This gave me time to reflect on what I already feel to be one of the best decisions of my life, attending MSBA as a Class of 2013 student.

I used this free afternoon to explore the city and ended up at the 56^th annual Puerto Rican Day Parade. It was exciting to see people fill the streets to celebrate their culture. There was music, dancing, food, and mostly noticeably, lots of Puerto Rican flags. The parade was definitely something that I’m glad I got to experience.

This Sunday was special for two reasons: we had bonus guest speakers and the Heat beat the Spurs to tie up the NBA Finals at one game apiece. Joshua Lagan, a member of last year’s inaugural MSBA class, was one of the two people that came to speak with us tonight. He shared great insight into his experiences last year with MSBA and even gave us some tips for making this summer successful. He urged us to “Figure out what we’re here for, to work or to play?”
That resonated with me and definitely gave me motivation to meet and network with as many people as possible during this eight-week period. We also had the pleasure to speak with one of Time Magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential People of the World and General Manager of Reddit, Erik Martin. Erik’s story was unique in that all of his experiences came in positions that he felt he was unqualified for.

Although he had no formal education in any of the jobs he took, he was able to make a name for himself through hard work and a willingness to learn. Erik also said something that is seemingly a trend in all of our speakers: “Don’t be afraid to take risks.” Obviously, there was extreme value in hearing from Erik despite the fact that he doesn’t have a typical sports business career. After hearing from the speakers we hung out, ate pizza, and watched game two of the NBA Finals. As an avid Heat fan, I was more than pleased with the end result (Miami winning by 19). It was nice just to kick back and watch the game with the other MSBAers before we prepared for week two of the program.

All in all, this week was a great start to the summer. It is apparent that the MSBA staff has truly made a conscious effort to invest in the future of sports business professionals; I am more than excited to see what else they have in store for us. 

Such an awesome day with @goMSBA finally met my friends @markjburns88 @mylesjrobinson @TheRealStathos and got to share about last year!
— Joshua Lagan (@joshualagan) June 10, 2013

Day 7 of MSBA 2013: Brooklyn the Beautiful — Eyes on the Global Prize

Post by Myles Robinson for June 8, 2013

Connect with Myles on Linkedin.

What started out as a long, hour and a half subway ride out of Manhattan and into your soulful city ended up being my favorite day of the summer thus far.

As an MSBA class we were all paired with a mentee from the High School of Sports Management (HSSM), a unique school providing its students with a dynamic environment and experiential learning opportunities in the areas of sports marketing, management, law, medicine, journalism and broadcasting.

My mentee, Donovan, shared with me his experiences at HSSM and his expectation to take the SAT test in the fall and apply to numerous colleges. Walking through the stands at the Brooklyn Cyclones’ MCU Park, I joked with Donovan that he had not felt “real heat” until he came to my hometown of Birmingham, AL.

Following our morning spent with our mentees, many of us joined HSSM’s Saturday brunch which honored industry leaders, community activists and politicians. Many notable names were called, including our very own Ben Sturner (Best in Sports Marketing and Management Award), ESPN insider Adam Schefter (Sport Industry Service Award), New York Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson (Best in Community Service Award) and social entrepreneur Gina Otto (Children’s Advocate of the Year Award).

Met @adamschefter today. Another perk of being a part of @gomsba #MSBA13 twitter.com/lornesegall/st…
— Lorne Segall (@lornesegall) June 8, 2013

During the course of the morning, it was announced that Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz delcared June 8 “Brooklyn Changes the World” Day, with 2013 as its inaugural year. The event, spearheaded by HSSM’s senior class students, was very professionally done with excellent food.

After all the notable awards were handed out, the brunch was capped by the riviting words of Civil Rights Attorney Richard Bertstein: “The greatest gift we have in life is how we choose to react to those things that have been chosen for us.”

All this was a great segway to the afternoon’s main event: the celebrity softball game, which featured a host of NFL players: Andre Brown (NY Giants running back), Keith Rivers (NY Giants linebacker), Stevie Brown (NY Giants defensive back) and Chris Canty (Baltimore Ravens defensive end).

  

The softball game was a great chance for everyone to relax, have some fun and really take in the new social changes that were occurring in Brooklyn. I sat right above the dugout, and I couldn’t help but marvel at the day. The weather, as you can see below, was beautiful. But the confidence in the eyes of the kids was quite inspiring. As we’ll continue to learn throughout the summer, there are many facets to the sports industry. Studying public relations and social entrepreneurship at UNC Chapel Hill, I’m happy we were able to experience the educational non-profit, social sector of the business first-hand today.

As a joking side note, Ben was selected to throw out the first pitch of the softball game. Would you believe it didn’t make it to home plate? I think he was a little too excited! :)

Keep up the great work, Brooklyn. The whole world is watching now.

@hs_sportsmgmt The @gomsba class is here! #MSBA13 twitter.com/mylesjrobinson…
— Myles J. Robinson (@mylesjrobinson) June 8, 2013