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The Marketability of Stephen Curry
If you haven’t watched Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors play, you’re missing out on one of the purest shooters the game has seen. For those avid college basketball fans, we knew him best playing in the 2008 NCAA Division-I Men’s Basketball Tournament.With mixed reviews, the negatives coming from teams they beat, Curry made an impact on our lives long before stepping foot onto an NCAA branded court. Wardell Stephen Curry II received all-state rankings as a senior at Charlotte Christian School, in North Carolina, but received zero offers from any major Division-I college. ZERO. Hard to imagine. He did receive offers from smaller schools including VCU, Winthrop, Davidson, and Virginia Tech. Tech, his father’s alma mater expressed interest, but only as a walk-on. In retrospect, it’s unthinkable. Despite his small frame, despite the fact that his jersey often looked three sizes too big, despite being the “runt” of the group, he chose to stick around his hometown and felt becoming a Wildcat was the best fit. Representing Davidson College (@DavidsonWildcat), a small, private liberal arts college located in Davidson, N.C., was once known as a university that had graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars. It has now been put on the map as a pioneer in mid-major universities, leaving an imprint in the future of Division-I college basketball and athletics.
Will Bryan (@wbryan08), a Davidson graduate, is currently the Associate Director of Athletics Communications at the College of Charleston. He and I had a chance to talk about Stephen Curry’s journey and offers some great insight into his career and where it’s headed. Attending Davidson from 2004-2008, and staying in the Charlotte area through 2009 (Curry’s last year), Bryan still remembers the buzz Curry received when he first arrived on campus.
“He was like our hidden gem up until the 2008 NCAA tournament,” Bryan said . “He did things in non-televised games that we went nuts about. Moves and shots that we knew [even then] was beyond ‘Davidson’ ability. Our success up until then had been team defense, outside shooting, and no mistakes. Curry penetrated. Could shoot off the dribble (even though he did less, then), and he had the Duke ‘nail in the coffin’ sense about him. Until that NCAA tournament, we felt like he was our secret. Only losing to Duke by four, UNC by two, UCLA by four and NC State by only one that year. There was this fear that we not only had something special, but it wouldn’t be special enough to have a lasting impact. At least that’s what I thought. ”
Bryan continued, “Whenever the team was on a run and (the) crowd started working into a frenzy, he would blow the roof off (of the 5, 223 seat John M. Belk Arena), with a three. We used to call them ‘Curry timeouts’ When teams spent timeouts on account of him.”
Via DavidsonWildcats.com
Prior to Curry, Head Coach Bob McKillop had won two Southern Conference tournaments in 2002 and 2006, and zero NCAA wins. Starting in 2007, Curry’s freshman year, Four NCAA tournaments (2007, 2008, 2012, 2013), one NIT (2009), and three tournament wins. Mind you, Davidson College had not won an NCAA Tournament game since 1969.
The X-Factor
“I always thought of Curry’s play in a wider context. He made games fun…an experience. Before him, there were science labs of picking apart an opponent. Curry turned them into rock shows,” Bryan said. “There were people in my graduating class that got jobs because of that run. Because the résumé was attractive. Because employers distinguished Davidson. Hundreds of us owed a lot to him, including myself. Now, we gather at night together. It’s pretty incredible to watch my Twitter feed during Warriors games.”
Bryan also shared that his college friends still get together online to watch and talk about Curry.
“We love getting the chance to experience what we did in 2008 and still be in awe of him,” Bryan said. “Even now, there are still chills and tingles when national writers and celebrities are just now catching on.”
Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson made the statement, “Those guys are just coming to the hospital, the baby has been born already. We’ve been watching it all year long.” referring to newcomers to the Curry bandwagon. Bryan adds, “We feel like we were there at conception. I can’t tell you how many times I jump up when he shoots in the third quarter. Like how many times do you jump when a guy shoots in an NBA third quarter? But it’s Curry and it’s going in. ”
Why wasn’t there more buzz about him prior to this season, though? Sports fans in general, as many can be, are skeptical and consistently questioned his defense, his durability, his passing. You cannot deny, though, that his story is intriguing with many stereotyping him as an underdog. Too small in high school, too small of a college to be recognized, too small in the NBA, too fragile because of previous injuries.
Why is it that we set expectations of players extremely low? Do we do so on purpose just enough for him to exceed it or should it be higher? Makes you think. Stephen had the shooter gene early on in his life thanks to his father. (The son of NBA three-point specialist Dell Curry who is currently 13th all-time in NBA for three-pointers made. His all time stats and awards list. “Stephen SHOULD be one of the best point guards of our generation … a 10-time all star. Elite talent and can win a championship with a more veteran team around him that accepts his leadership role.” Bryan says.
His Journey
His Impact
Davidson set the precedent for other mid-major schools (a term used to distinguish between athletic conferences that are not among the major six conferences including the ACC, SEC, Big East, Big 10, XII, and Pac 12); paving the way for others to follow suit. Schools like Butler, BYU, St. Louis, VCU and George Mason all took their turns in the spotlight. This year was no different with schools like Florida Gulf Coast, Wichita State, and Colorado State.
In his final year at Davidson, Curry led the nation in scoring with 28.6 ppg and received first team All-America honors while setting a notable list of scoring records. Even despite the ‘Patsos game‘ and being a target on scouting reports. The Golden State Warriors have to be thrilled about their gamble they made almost four years ago, picking Curry seventh overall in the 2009 NBA Draft. His prospect profile back in ’09.
Aside from his unique story, and the fact that his potential Achilles heel is literally…his ankles, he is an incredibly marketable athlete, even more so now, than ever before. He has become a breakout star in this years NBA Playoffs, and leading the Warriors to reach the second round over the Denver Nuggets, (check out Zach Buckley’s breakdown of his superstar season here. (Update, his NBA regular season record for the most three-point shots made, is now at 272. Penciling him in first place over Ray Allen who has 269 via Basketball-reference.com.
Early on in his career, Curry partnered with Spiracle Media (@spiraclemedia) – Located in Charlotte, Spiracle Media specializing in new media marketing through the use of social media, video production, and website development, promote his image in a positive way. As an early adopter to social media and frequent user, notable campaigns have been his #SC30 Twitter promotions both using Twitter and Facebook and visiting fans, even hosting a Fan Appreciation week. Check out the Storify recap here. (http://storify.com/SpiracleMedia/stephen-curry-fan-appreciation-week).
Spiracle Media co-founder Bill Voth (@billvoth) has proven to be a great advisor and social media coach to Curry guiding him in the right direction towards future marketability. I had a chance to connect with Voth, who shares his thoughts:
Pam: As an athlete, and aside from his raw talent, what makes him marketable?
Voth: Think of any negative athlete stereotypes. Steph’s the opposite in pretty much every way. I’m not being cheesy, and I’m not just partial to a client, but I’ve worked around and with athletes for 15 years, and Steph is the most down-to-earth star I’ve been around. From when I started covering him as a TV reporter when he was a freshman at Davidson, to his current playoff run with the Warriors, he honestly hasn’t changed. I think that’s the base of his marketability off the court.
People see him as approachable, friendly and humble, which he truly is. That’s sellable. Then add in his extremely close relationship with his family – his dad and mom – who plenty of people have seen cheering for him over the years, his brother – who’s a great player in his own right, and his gorgeous wife and adorable nearly 1-year-old daughter. And of course, he’s pretty decent at his job, too, and he’s only getting better. What brand wouldn’t want someone like that representing them? In my obviously subjective opinion, now that he’s been able to prove to a worldwide audience just how good of a player he is, Steph’s complete package makes him one of the most marketable athletes to come around in a long time.
Pam: Regarding sponsorship, is it important to strike while the iron is hot now?
Voth: For “traditional” sponsorship, his agency, Octagon, handles all that, and I don’t want to speak for them. As far as what we’re doing with him online, we can’t do much activation right now, as tempting as that is. Before the playoffs started, Steph made it clear he wanted to be low key during this time, especially because it’s his first postseason experience. He’s still tweeting and doing a couple other things, but we’re not running any chats, contests, etc. For example, we’ve done his #SC30 contests every month since fall of ’11, until a couple weeks ago. He wanted to postpone April’s, and he told fans he’ll make up for it by doing two #SC30 contests in a future month.
While striking while the iron is hot is tempting and seemingly a no-brainer, I totally get why Steph wants to dial it back a bit. What he does on the court is his most important job, and he’s doing it pretty darn well these days. And we’re certainly working on things for when the Warriors season does end. The current run he’s on has obviously opened some doors that weren’t as open before, and we’re planning for the future, not just for the time immediately after the playoffs, but in the long run as well.
Pam: What are your thoughts on best practices with endorsement deals?
Voth: Again, there’s a bit of a split on what kind of endorsement deals he gets/can get. Octagon handles the “traditional” ones, while we work with him on online opportunities, and of course, those intermingle sometimes. When a player’s star rises like it has with Steph over the past few weeks, it’s obviously exciting for everyone on his team, both on the court and off. But I think the best way to handle it is let him do his thing on the court, take the extra calls and emails coming in, listen, and then gather everything and everyone together to hash it out immediately after the season. Then it becomes a matter of choosing the right opportunities for Steph.
Learn more about Stephen Curry’s social media efforts via ESPN and Mashable. He was also the first pro-athlete to embrace the Vine app…link here.
Voth has several videos of Curry’s other community efforts on his personal blog and here’s a link to other articles Voth has been mentioned in, regarding the latest trends in social media innovation…definitely worth taking a look.
Also check out Octagon Sports to learn more about them and their athletes: http://www.octagonbasketball.com or Octagon.com.
Other NBA athletes who also share a strong social media presence…Tony Allen (@aa000G9), Kevin Love (@kevinlove), Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) Amar’e Stoudemire (@Amareisreal) and now, even the injured, Kobe Bryant (@KobeBryant).
Curry’s efforts on and off the court over the past several years, despite injury, have filtered down back to his old stomping grounds. Davidson announced today that they will be joining the Atlantic-10 (@atlantic10) conference in 2014. There was an opportunity to join the CAA previously, but the Wildcats had decided to stay in the Southern Conference instead. Davidson athletic director Jim Murphy is thrilled about this opportunity for more exposure.
A-10 commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade said during the official press conference,
“It is my pleasure to welcome Davidson’s administration, their student-athletes, staff, alumni and fans to the Atlantic-10 Conference. They will maintain our presence in the Charlotte market, one of the top 25 media markets in the country, and reinforce our commitment to national prominence in men’s basketball.”
Think Curry had something to do with that exposure in some way? Absolutely.
Stephen Curry’s efforts are starting to get recognized more an more, landing his first SI regional cover, with a feature by Chris Ballard (@SI_ChrisBallard) announced this week.
Cover image Via InsideSportsIllustrated.com
Players are starting to take notice, too, Marcus Thompson (@gswscribe) from Mercury News writes.
It was also announced this week in a Forbes article by Alex Konrad (@alexkonrad), that because of the buzz that Stephen Curry has received lately, his social media partner, SportsStream, released a new platform this week called SportsBase, an updated scores, information and reactions, a fully loaded sports content filter. More about the platform here. I could definitely see a product like this take off, especially for athletes looking for self-branding opportunities.
Where will we see this 25-year-old in the next few years? Hopefully continuing to break league records, inspiring more social media innovation and, as someone who doesn’t seem to be afraid of getting physical … the sky is the limit.
Notable Links of Interest:
Official website: http://stephencurry30.com/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/StephenCurryOfficial
Official Twitter: @StephenCurry30
His history and full statistical background: http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/curryst01.html
Thank you again to Bill Voth, Will Bryan, Jeff Wolfson for your contributions!
The Relevance of Midnight Madness
“Happy New Year” sentiments were shared, as the start of basketball season officially began Friday evening. I always know it is the start of another sport season as I never get adequate sleep. None the less, being right in the heart of events like these, definitely add to the perks of the job.
Check out my photo gallery from the event featured on ESPN Front Row: http://frontrow.espn.go.com/2012/10/tweetback-jeter-reaction-gameday-heading-to-the-swamp-irish-rising/!
In the spirit of old-fashioned school pep rallies before the big game, Midnight Madness offers the students a chance to get to know their team, their coaches, and to build momentum going into the beginning of the college basketball season. It’s a chance to show off, to have a little fun, and to encourage students to pack the house come game day. Leading up to a promotional event like this, there is a lot of work to be done in preparation. Photo shoots and green screen video of players are taken and edited for the upcoming season’s press guides and television displays. The sports information department plans for months to make sure Midnight Madness successfully kicks off the 2012-2013 season without a hitch. These events are one live continuous show for which there is usually no dress rehearsal or precedent, which means little room for error, especially for those in the production truck.
Despite the recent rule changes on coaching and practices that allow teams to meet mid-September for two hours a week, Midnight Madness at schools with historic basketball programs like Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. can still make a huge impact on ticket sales, team unity, and community exposure. The excitement and anticipation of the team making their public debut is a feeling that fans can experience whether in person or on television.
Midnight Madness is still very relevant, regardless of the latest changes, especially for those potential underclassmen recruits looking to be a part of history. McDonough Arena, which holds around 2,500 people, was packed with students who had lined up hours before, feasting on burgers and listening to DJ’s hyping the crowd. As we were set to do record an interview with former coach and ESPN men’s college basketball analyst Tim Welsh in front of McDonough Arena, he mentions how exciting this time of year can be, both as fans and coaches/teams. Rowdy fans swarmed around Georgetown star Otto Porter and chants like, “Otto-matic” began. The ballet of coordination between capturing video for later usage along with the live production as the events unfold requires a multitude of factors to be in sync in order to see the seamless presentation viewers enjoy at home.
The on-site Producers have scouted the optimal angles, set up the lighting effects, and arranged interviews well in advance. Satellite relays are established, hundreds of feet of cable are run, cameramen, stage crew, and technicians perform their integral duties to make sure all of the live action gets properly fed to the television production trucks. Once there, the producers conduct the symphony, graphics packages are added to garnish the video footage, and the end result is beamed to millions of viewers. The “Kickin’ it Ol’ Skool” theme featured a special performance by hip-hop legend Doug E. Fresh, who was thefeatured performer of the night, playing close to a half-hour set. Team introductions, several dance ensembles and student group performances continued throughout the night as the cameramen were up close and personal during each of these moments, capping off the night with a dunk contest.
Students chanted, “J-T-III “as Head Coach John Thompson III was spotlighted showed off his dancing talents amongst a sea of lighted thundersticks. Thompson talked about feeding off of the energy of the fans, and even for those working the game, the excitement makes for a far better atmosphere for all involved.
In a sense, he is helping to cultivate a home-court advantage for the season, allowing us to come in and capture those moments for the fans across the country ready to root for their team.
Here’s a little Doug E. Fresh interlude to set the mood:
Entertainment and Sports Equals Art
I will start today’s thoughts off with a line from one of my all-time favorite television shows from the 90s, NBC’s hit, Saved By The Bell… What is art? Are we art? Is art, art? Lisa Turtle does raise an excellent point, despite not being herself, trying to impress the over-pompous and very studious Brian to make sure he takes her to the school dance. [Sidebar: I’m a big fan of the series and enjoy watching them. You can, too – they are available to watch on Netflix]. She does raise a good point, and interestingly enough, each industry we happen to be a part of is a form of expression and art, in a way. The sports and entertainment industry, to me, is just that…art. An unique form of expression that you can share with the world. It is one of the few industries that allows you the ability to create different types of art, even if you are not an artist yourself.
The collaboration between a production staff to create entertainment products stimulates the mind and body. This is what also makes it extremely competitive. Some people call it “High risk, low reward.” I call it “high risk, high value”. Yes, the theories are true, starting out in either sports or entertainment, you will find it is a lot more challenging than you think. The grunt work becomes tireless, you often hit walls you cannot break through, and even if you aren’t looking to be the next Meryl Streep, you are still hoping the next big break will happen when you least expect it.
Success in this industry, like any other industry, is dependent on the quality you bring to the table. I am not talking about tweeting your favorite celebrity, hoping you will hear a response. It is possible to earn your way up the ladder to reach your ultimate goals.
via NBC’s Smash
Who doesn’t want to find something they love to do and be able to share that with others? For some, it’s electrical engineering, orthopedic surgery, or pastry chefs who makes exquisite desserts. Each job involves some sort of art feature, so what sets apart sports and entertainment from the rest of the industries?
The ability of trial and error. It is a unique brand all of its own, very distinct in a category that targets peoples emotions. The quote “Nice work if you can get it, and you can get it if you try” comes to mind…Thanks, George & Ira Gershwin.
Lets go back for a moment. Despite the fact that 90% of what you see on the surface of any production is created and nurtured by hundreds or thousands of people you never and probably won’t hear of, it is critical that you learn to appreciate them.
ESPN production truck
Growing up and performing in musical theater, the “techies” were the most integral part of the show. They gave us a sound, a voice, costumes, lighting, make up, and thanks to the directors, producers, and stage managers, a script and blocking to follow.
2012 NBA Finals
This isn’t an industry of necessity where people NEED to watch Adam Sandler’s latest movie, or watch Emily from The Bachelorette take 43 minutes to give four different guys boutonniere roses, or the NEED to watch LeBron and Durant battle it out for World NBA Domination. But, how do sports and entertainment often cross over you ask? Think about it. What is CBS Sports? What is ESPN? Who is NBC? Who is Warner Brothers? Film, media, broadcasting, fashion, music, radio, television, and theater. It also includes levels of marketing, research, writing, editing, public relations, advertising, photography, promotions and monitoring levels of success (lawyers, financial analysts, agents, even social media strategists). Maybe you’re in the entertainment business and don’t even realize it! The list doesn’t stop there, though, it just keeps evolving and changing.
For me, I cannot really imagine myself in any other industry. Growing up around sports my entire life and having a strong appreciation for theater and film made me who I am today.
Regardless of what is happening in the economy these days, from a macro-economic stand point, people are more likely to spend money on things that make them happy, despite its higher cost levels. What is important is why we love what we do.
serious NCAA domination
My friend Jenna says it best, “it’s the human element of sports and entertainment that is the reason why we love it so much. It is the connection with other fans, players and people who enjoy the same things we do that connect us as human beings.”
How, during a season, whether its 10 episodes or a 31-game regular season,
(Note – College basketball: 27 regular season games and up to 4 games if in an in-season tournament – Source: NCAA 2010-2011 Division I Manual, Section 17.3.5 Number of Contests) you can experience the full range of human emotions.It is the drive that makes us get up every day and do whatever it is that we do and sometimes, prove others completely wrong.
Don Draper had a pretty great speech during one of the last episodes of Mad Men this past season. Dramatic and insightful, he mentions there is always a need for change, business is business, but ultimately, you will need to accept the fact that satisfaction is temporary, and you need those in the industry to bring you to that optimum level of achievement:
Don: “I want to talk about your business. Looking at what you’re doing you’re in desperate need of change. This is about your business. I’m sure they [current agency] are very happy with you, but you don’t owe them anything. All they have to do is keep running the same work. You’re on the back burner over there; subsidizing all the creative work they’ve been doing..paying for new business lunches, and as soon as you walk away from that place, it will fold up like a tent.
Company A: We’re at 50% market share in almost everything we make.
Don: Because you have a big line of diverse, and charismatic products and you keep make more. Zip tape, styrofoam, Rovana… and why do you keep doing that? Because even though success is a reality, its effects are temporary. You get hungry even though you’ve just eaten… (I blame the Food Network and Pinterest)
They reply: “We’re happy with our agency..”
Don: “Are you…You’re happy with 50%? You’re on top and you don’t have enough. You’re happy because you’re successful, for now. But what is happiness? Its a moment before you need more happiness. I won’t settle for 50% of anything I want 100%. You’re happy with your agency? You’re not happy with anything. You don’t want most of it, you want all of it, and I won’t stop until I get all of it. Thank you for your time.
This floored me, talk about a good pitch. He couldn’t be more right. Yes, we do what we love to do, but it also means sacrifice…Long hours, often little reward (at first). But it will happen and sometimes you need to just roll with the punches to get what you want. You can either embrace it, not settle for the bare minimum, or, using the tools that are often right in front of you, get yourself to that 100%. Surround yourself with others that share the same mindset as you do, appreciate your hard work, and understand and accept the sacrifices you have made to get to your 100%. I had to go back and listen to it several times to let it sink in.
There is a reason people are hired and challenged daily to accomplish tasks and goals. People are hired in this industry because our emotions change so often that those in our craft try hard everyday to satisfy those changes. Whether it is in journalism, social media, marketing, promotions or public relations or another field, always be asking questions. Find your niche. Find your 100%.
Sports Biz Reading List
So after tonight’s Sports Business Chat (Twitter, #sbchat hashtag, Sunday nights at 9:30pm ET), It gave me a great idea. Even with our busy schedules with school and work, we choose to read what we are interested in. We read topics about different topics we enjoy to expand our minds and continue learning new things. I decided to start compiling a list of great books worth reading starting with aforementioned books already discussed as must-reads this coming year. This list is comprised of mostly sports business books and similarly related texts. It can include anything from business-directed focuses, strictly sports, social media content, etc. Feel free to send me a message of your favorites, if they aren’t on the list and if they are on Twitter, please include their handle for a follow! I’ll make sure to update it as often as I can! Enjoy!
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Winning the Customer by: Lou Imbriano (@LouImbriano)
Scorecasting by: Tobias Moskowitz/Jon Wetheim
The Power of Who by: Bob Beaudine (@YouGotWho)
Beyond the Scoreboard: An Insider’s Guide to Business of Sport by: Rick Horrow/Karla Swatek
License to Deal by: Jerry Crasnick
Never Eat Alone by: Keith Ferrazzi
Take Time for Paradise: Americans and Their Games by: A. Bartlett Giamatti
The Tipping Point by: Malcolm Gladwell
Veeck as in Wreck: The Autobiography of Bill Veeck by: Bill Veeck
A Career in Sports: Advice from Sports Business Leaders by Michelle Wells
Poke the Box by: Seth Godin
Purple Cow & Linchpin by: Seth Godin
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by: Steven R. Covey
Planet of the Umps: A Baseball Life from Behind the Plate by: Ken Kaiser/David Fisher
The Thank You Economy by: Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee)
Brandwashed by: Martin Lindstrom
Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney by: Lee Cockerell
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by: Dan Ariely
Marketing Outrageously by: Jon Spoelstra
The Extra 2%: How Wall Street Strategies Took a Major League Baseball Team from Worst to First by: Jonah Keri
Green to Gold: How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive Advantage by: Daniel C. Esty/Andrew S. Winston
Intercollegiate Athletics and the American University by: James J. Duderstat
The Business of Happiness by: Ted Leonsis (@TedLeonsis)
How to Win at the Sport of Business by: Mark Cuban (@mcuban)
Cinemagraphs
Happy August! In between work and taking time writing papers for my group projects, I am looking through friends’ photo albums. I have often taken pleasure in the simplicity and complexity of photographs. I have dabbled a little in front of and behind the lens and really do enjoy the understanding of both sides. Photographs are beautiful and often tell amazing stories from a single frame. More importantly, they are extremely effective when it is associated with marketing, advertising, or public relations. I, myself, am a visual learner and respond better to colors, designs and pictures or video rather than words. Now, that’s not to say that words are not expressive on their own! If we remember (long ago) probably around the time AOL Instant Messenger first came out as a free program, we were first introduced to the animated gif or emoticon. Smileys on Yahoo! Messenger were probably my favorite. I remember playing around with Graphic Converter to make my own simple gifs. Remember the glitter gifs people used to post all over MySpace? Or what about the Peanut Butter Jelly Time dancing banana? I could stare at it for an hour!
Same thing applies here. Broken down, it is more or less a video of frames of images, almost like a flipbook. The animated gif is widely used in media today, even in sports; whether it is showing a great double play from a great baseball game or Glenn “Big Baby” Davis making a goofy face after he hit a floater to bring the Celtics within one during Game 3 of the NBA Finals. (don’t ask me why or how I even remember that!)
I have recently stumbled upon this new version of an animated gif, using the same process (perhaps just a tad more complicated …) called the cinemagraph. It is exactly what you think, not quite a video, not quite a photograph. It is completely unique to what type gif I was used to seeing though the same idea.
Created by Jamie Beck and Kevin Burg, they have taken the animated gif to a new level. I would love to have something like this on the blog. It is almost creepy how realistic it is. Literally making the photograph capture an exact moment in time. A simple “Wow” factor like this can boost any Website or page. Even though this idea was formally developed within the last year or so, I’m looking forward to the future of cinemagraphs, specifically with sports, athletes and big businesses. It is also a much smaller file and loads quicker outside of having Flash or HTML5 loading on a Website. Definitely something to think about with graphic design!
You can find tutorials online if you search for them, and it is only a matter of time until an actual app or simple generated website is created specifically for cinemagraphs, much like gifsoup. I always enjoy little DIY ideas and doing it yourself or with a good friend.
Simple and elegant
Not to mention the satisfaction of a finished product you’ve worked hard on is always a good feeling! I’m definitely going to attempt to make one of these at some point. Here’s a few of my favorites from Jamie (http://fromme-toyou.tumblr.com) & Kevin’s (http://kevin.tumblr.com/) collaborative gifs where subtle motion images like wind are used:
A nice summer breeze
She's looking right at you
Overlooking the city
You can almost smell them. Delicious!
Caught up in the moment
A new type of visual is always exciting to learn about. Being fresh and creative in any industry is what sells any particular product or service. Be unique and inspire others! Have an idea for my next blog post? Shoot me an email!
Language Connects Us
I have finally recovered! Good news, though, I got an A in my Marketing Management and Innovations class and summer is here! What an experience the 111th U.S. Open was. Strip away the greatness of Rory McIlroy and the U.S. Open overall, you have: long hours, random storms and driving more rental cars in one week than I ever have in my life. Being in the company of the ESPN Elite, the USGA, NBC and the greats of professional golf all around the world was pretty incredible. I was lucky enough, as a member of the media, to be able to have both my phone and my camera and got to take several pictures with the few minutes of downtime I had. Just a couple:
inside the press conference room
SportsCenter set
Andy being...Andy
me behind the desk
Building relationships during a tournament like that are so important. First of all, you need to make them fairly quickly … and by quickly I mean within the first half hour of the meet, especially if you’re going to be with working with someone closely on a project for the next several days. Expanding your networking foundation further helps you along within the sports industry (or any industry, really). It was great to find out that some of the people I met had mutual friends that I knew well. Sometimes I feel like the world is too small, then again, as much as I feel like I network, and talk to, it is not all that surprising.
People constantly ask, “Why do you talk to random people or say hello to random strangers while walking down the street?” Same answer I always give: Why not? I often find a cheery disposition is always pleasant to be around, regardless of how you actually feel. It is too often that I interact with those who are standoffish or come off as depressed and cynical and not optimistic about walking one foot in front of the other. I like to surround myself around good, hard working, strong people who are similar to my personality. When I would be working at the Verizon Center during basketball season, I would always see the staff and ushers on a regular basis and ALWAYS say hello and cordial. Think of the fans and people THEY have to deal with. I have been this way ever since I can remember and with the advances of social media I can talk to people all over the world on just about any topic I want. Pretty cool, huh? The advancement in networking through social media and learning through technology has been mind-blowing. “Socialenomics” as the term is coined, (founded by Eric Qualman: @equalman) was founded “with the intent of providing short social stories, statistics, studies and surprises” (Check out the book, a pretty good read: http://amzn.to/kaObSW ).
Today’s standard vocabulary jargon over the past few years as been changed significantly. Phrases and words like: Tweet Me, Follow Me, StumbleUpon Me, Digg Me, Like Me, Text Me, Poke, Unlike, Tag Me and Don’t Defriend Me, have become common terms within the social media language and expected to understand universally throughout the world. It started to show an increase when instant messaging and texting became more popular. Practicing to speak in 140 characters or less has become common. I have gone so far as to leave to go grab a drink from my friend’s kitchen and said, (face to face in person, by the way) I’ll “brb.” I had to stop myself and let it all soak in. It’s taken over the world, a true pandemic. It is hard to explain how much in just a few short words or statistics, but this video I found (via Qualman is absolutely fantastic and some of it may surprise you)
Bottom line is: Social Media is here and has its hand in everything; specifically in my industry of Sports and Entertainment. Learn the language and become a part of the conversation!
I leave you with a pretty cool idea that I hope will catch on in the near future. Recently done at a Manchester City game, (The Pittsburgh Steelers have also done this) was a new fan experience using Google Streetview and social media outlets that I hope catches on. The 360 degree camera followed the stadium during the pitch pre-game. This not only gets fans to drive traffic to a website but encourages fun “finding yourself”.
For those that don’t want to be found… to each their own, but for those like myself that do, don’t be afraid to say, “hello” in any language.
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US Open Week is here!!
Well, it happened, The Dallas Mavericks are the new World Champions of the National Basketball Association. Who knew Mark Cuban could pull it off. This series of the NBA Finals has been one of the most exciting one’s to watch. MVP of the series Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd (finally!), DeShawn Stevenson, JJ Barea, Brian Cardinal, Jason Terry, Shawn Marion, Rodrigue Beaubois, Peja Stojakovic, Corey Brewer, Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, Tyson Chandler, Ian Mahinmi, Dominique Jones, and head coach Rick Carlisle all got rings… I will be curious, however, to see what this will mean for the future of the Miami Heat franchise and any (if any) scrutiny will come their way – especially from/towards the big three.
Another unprecedented event last night was the 65th Annual Tony Awards. What an amazing season, as an avid theater go-er/performer/lover, it was one of the better productions of the broadcast I’ve seen. Having moved to a different spot this year, the Beacon Theater in the Upper West Side area of New York, the feeling was incredible. Stunning performances and some amazing shows. I even got to see a friend I performed with in high school perform (and watch his show win) on the Tony’s for the first time. So cool. Neil Patrick Harris was a phenomenal host. The cross over between theater and sports have always been parallel, never one higher than the other. Perhaps having the blessing of two televisions last night really helped in the matter! But getting back to work..
Credentials – check! TV parking pass for shuttle lots – check! Beautiful weather in Bethesda, Md., – check!
The US Open is finally here and I cannot be more excited. It has been a busy few weeks, job applications, finishing up the end of my marketing class for the semester, and coming to a close as of last night.
Here are some quick links to get you everything there is to know: I started to compile a list of all the players who are on twitter…but there are just far too many to count. i think I got through the entire first round before I looked at the second and pushed back from the keyboard. Congressional Country Club is ready to go for what will be quite the tournament this year.
Here are your 2011 U.S. Open pairings: http://www.usopen.com/en_US/index.html#!/scoring/groupings/round1
Golf Digest’s U.S. Open viewer’s guide:
http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/2011-06/usopen-viewers-guide
U.S. Open Spectator Guide (via @WashingtonPost) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/2011-us-open/transportation/index.html
ESPN’s Golf page: http://espn.go.com/golf/ – and follow ESPN Senior Golf Writer Bob Harig for the latest updates: @BobHarig
Fun history and background of 111 years of the U.S. Open: http://www.direct-golf.co.uk/golf_news/News/111-years-of-the-US-Open./n2393
iPhone’s official U.S. Open app: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/u-s-open-golf-championship/id319204550?mt=8
and for your main source of coverage, follow @usopengolf on twitter.
Even if you aren’t the biggest golf fan, the buzz surrounding an event like this is pretty incredible. The NHL Playoffs will be decided tonight which puts summer into “full swing” after today. Will you be watching?
Style Meets Substance
“Let us be grateful to the mirror for revealing to us our appearance only.” – Samuel Butler
What a hectic couple of weeks!! After finishing a 20-page paper, getting a little local exposure from WeLoveDC.com (check it out, if you haven’t read it, here) and enjoying my birthday last week, (hooray birthdays!) I decided with some of the downtime I had I wanted to do some spring-cleaning. I went through my entire closet, and as I was getting rid of the things that I didn’t want anymore and it got me thinking of a new blog post. What do my clothes say about me? I have a little bit of everything, from dresses to college t-shirts to dress slacks to jerseys, (around 65 now, and still growing!) and I take pride in the fact that I think I dress well and have a good sense of style. Clothes are also a way to express oneself through colors, fabrics, and creativity. I often get asked my favorite labels or designers I prefer. To be honest, I don’t stick to one particular brand.
Sure, dressing a certain way definitely impacts how others can view you. But it also speaks volumes of how you feel about yourself. Don’t think it matters? Wrong, it does, even in the smallest way. You know how it goes, the water cooler talk about what someone was wearing the night before. Often some conversation beginning with, “What were they wearing and what were they thinking??” comes to mind. Particularly with work, and having a career, fashion is important more than you think.
Lets take a look at the movie, ‘Devil Wears Prada.’ For those of you who haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. The witty humor and business operations of a successful company, even if it seems like some girly fashion magazine. The premise: A young writer new to NYC lands a job with a fashion magazine. Knowing little to nothing about labels or style at all, she gets criticized for it and her work suffers. She starts to learn that dressing well for the job and learning to be professional in other ways really made the difference.
Today, fashion and sports often coincide; check out my friend Heather’s (@HeatherZeller) blog, Glam Slam: Where Fashion Meets Sports.
In sports, the uniform is heavily influenced, too. Recently, there has been a lot of talk of properly representing an organization that you work for or with. There has been discussion about whether Chicago Bulls Joakim Noah’s slur to a fan is worthy of being fined $50,000. Same thing with Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant’s slur only a few short weeks ago, fined $100,000. One side of the debate says that its freedom of speech, another side says it’s the cameraman’s fault for catching the slip up, others say it is their fault. Regardless of what was said, both athletes are representing the respective NBA franchise teams while being in uniform. It ultimately negatively reflects on the organization.
The bottom line is this: If you’re comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt going to the grocery store, or working out at the gym in sweats, that’s fine. But in a place of legitimate business, or attending an event representing a company, think twice before dressing inappropriately. You never know who you’ll meet or run into. Yes those heels hurt, but I always feel more confident in them than in flats.
The saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” means nothing if someone sees you from across the room. It can also translate the same way if you’re trying to meet someone at a bar – regardless of how nice or cordial they are and despite their actual talent or work efforts, people always hold someone to a higher regard if they look the part, too. Everyone wants to be a part of some organization that has employees who embody the job as a whole and that includes how one dresses. Just put yourself in a CEO’s position during the interview process. Would you hire yourself? These days, image is everything, but sometimes can be difficult to maintain, especially in front of others. Self-image is even more important, however, and that comes from within.
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Maybe that relates to a buying a new shirt or a new pair of shoes, or maybe even a new wardrobe, but whatever the case, it is just human nature to judge that book by its cover. We all do it – but we all want to make a good impression, too. Personal appearance can affect your credibility and in my opinion, it’s well worth the effort.
It’s Showtime for Mayhem
Its Showtime folks, literally!
Undefeated heavyweight boxer, Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell, will return to the ring at Buffalo Bill’s Star of the Desert Arena, located within Terrible’s Primm Valley Casino Resorts, in Primm, Nevada. Mitchell will fight May 13th on the televised portion of Showtime’s boxing series, “ShoBox: The New Generation.” The Star of the Desert Arena holds 6,500 seats and is approximately forty miles from downtown Las Vegas. The fight card is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona and DeWalt Tools.
Mitchell
Seth Mitchell (Brandywine, Maryland, 21-0-1, 15 KOs) is scheduled to fight against the Nicaraguan boxer, Evans “The Sandman” Quinn (Miami, Florida, 20-5-1, 18 KOs), in a 10-round bout.
Mitchell, a former Maryland high school football All-American and Michigan State University football standout, has knocked out eight of his last nine opponents. On March 5, 2011, he defeated Charles Davis by TKO in 1:02 of Round 2. Mitchell dominated Davis in the scheduled 10-round bout, sending his opponent to the canvas four times, before referee Wayne Hedgepeth stopped the fight.
Quinn
Mitchell said, “I feel I am well-prepared for this fight. I am in great shape and can box ten rounds if I need to. My opponent’s record shows he has good punching power, so I know I will need to have good defense and be ready for anything. This is my first time fighting on Showtime, so I am ready to put on a good show for the fans.”
Mitchell’s boxing trainer, Andre Hunter said, “For this fight, we worked on being prepared for any style that his opponent may bring. This fight is like every other fight, because you have to put the work in for any opponent they put in front of you. I’m excited that a large television audience will tune in for the fight.”
Mitchell’s boxing manager, Sharif Salim, said, “Evans Quinn is a very credible and formidable opponent. He has 20 wins, with 18 of them coming by knockout. After viewing him, I was impressed with his athleticism, movement and hand speed. The styles of both fighters will create an exciting fight on Showtime. If styles make fights, then this is one fight you will want to see.”
If you’re out and about, set your DVR’s tonight…coverage starts around 10:45-11:00pm.
UPDATE: Seth Mitchell wins by KO in the 1st round.
The DMV Coaching Carousel
The past few weeks have certainly altered the way the people in Washington, D.C., think about adjusting to change. In terms of what is sticking around – the weather is starting to be consistently pleasant, the allergies are consistently aggravating, Metro is still jam packed during rush hour, and the foreign drivers still have no idea where they are going in the downtown area. What have changed, however, are the sports organizations in and around the Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. areas. Fans and media alike are unsure what is to come over the next several years. “We’re rebuilding” has become a common statement in daily conversations. Lets take a look at the changes:
— High School —
Head Football Coach Change
Dematha High School – Bill McGregor (retiring, 39 years)
— College/University –
4 College Head Basketball Coaches Changes
George Mason – Paul Hewitt (Ga. Tech) for Jim Larranaga (took job with Miami, 14 years)
George Washington – Mike Lonergan (Vermont) for Karl Hobbs (released, 10 years)
Maryland – Mark Turgeon (from Texas A&M) for Gary Williams (retiring, 22 years)
Navy — Billy Lange (took job with Villanova as an Associate HC, 7 years)
Losing a head coach, especially in basketball, is difficult in the future of recruiting and properly representing the university. Each has ties to the local area and what are my thoughts on these hires? I’m satisfied with all of them. They each bring something new and useful to the future of the program and ready to move forward in its own stages of rebuilding a name in their own respective conference.
2 Head Lacrosse Coaches
Towson –Tony Seaman (retiring, 13 years)
Navy – Richie Meade (resigned, 17 years)
Any coach that is in a position longer than 10 years, whether it is basketball, football, baseball, or even lacrosse, is a milestone in high school and college athletics.
— NHL —
Capitals: After a 4-0 sweep loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, Bruce Boudreau’s job is in jeopardy. Once pegged as the savior of the NHL in DC, the Caps are facing a major rebuild with possible player and structure changes. The future of what happens with BB will lie in the hands of Capitals general manager George McPhee. Should they fire him? Is it solely his fault? It definitely is an interesting debate, and for now, it looks like Boudreau is sticking around.
Think about it, if we fired every coach out there for not exceeding high caliber expectations, there would be far more than just a couple of coaching changes every year. On the other hand, the Caps have lost to a lower-seeded team in four (shrug, yes, four) consecutive playoffs under Boudreau, despite winning four consecutive titles in the Eastern division, the President’s Trophy and the conference title the past two seasons under his tenure as head coach.
— NBA –
Wizards: A major marketing overhaul with the unveiling of a new red, white and blue color scheme, new logos, fonts, and designs, the Wizards hope to score big in the upcoming draft lottery. With the previous mindset of having to rebuild from last year, it hasn’t been easy. Even with the lucky number one lottery pick spot; the Wizards have had a conflicting couple of seasons with trades, injuries, lack of leadership, and losses including that of “Mr. Rebuilder” himself, Abe Pollin. Hopeful that after a makeover and some fresh talent will result in leading the Wizards back to a playoff spot like they did back in 2008, owner Ted Leonsis and his team with Monumental Sports can look to more success in the future.
The new Washington Wizards jerseys and team logos
We as fans, media, ticket holders, both seasoned and random, alumni and friends of these programs, must embrace it. Much like a carousel at an amusement park, it’s the one ride everyone seems to flock to. With its pretty colors, and siren song, it would be boring if the elegant horses didn’t go up and down every few seconds. With all of these new revisions to the DMV area, it helps to breed motivation for new leadership to embrace an open-door policy for a paradigm shift. By revamping our own expectations, we can harbor new ones. John C. Maxwell said it best: “Change is inevitable, growth is optional.”
Break In The Action 