Body of ESPN

ESPN is the biggest sports network in the World. They have various programs that fans can watch 24/7.  ESPN then created a magazine that seems to fly off the shelves. They then created a series of issues of magazines that they coined as " The body" issue. The magazine features fans favorite athletes imitating some of their signature moves but... only in nude.  Im sure fans as well as myslef noticed that the sales for the magazine has increased since women first saw Colin Kaepernick laying on top of what looked like a electric tattoo chair. Then now there is the body issue with a fresh new face whose one handed catch landed him on the cover of Madden 16. I honestly think that along with the Colin Kaepernick issue this is going to go flying off of the shelves and now the magazine can be purchased on iphone. I could only imagine how many lock screens and home screens these images are on.  I think that this is also one of the best selling magazines I honestly think that sports fan prefer the ESPN magazine over Sports illustrated considering more women have gotten into sport. 

Legal Issues In sports

The  sports industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. It is the industry that has produced some of the most successful athletes and roles models in the world. Tom Brady and the Patriots are the team that won the Super Bowl this year defeating the Seahawks. But there is one issue did the Patriots and Tom Brady cheat? Were the balls deflated? Should they bey disqualify and should the Seahawks get the trophy by default? Did Tom Brady know the balls were deflated? There are hundreds of questions that the world can ask. The NFL has decided to suspend Tom Brady for four games, the team forfeited the number 1 draft pick in the 2016 NFL draft and the team was fined $1million dollars. An appeal was filed on behalf of Tom Brady and his four game suspension. The NFL does not want to honor this appeal they wish to punish this team.  I honestly think that the whole deflate gate controversy is just not a good thing.  I honestly think that if the patriots and Tom Brady were found guilty that they should be stripped of the title and the title should be given to the Seahawks who was their opponent for the Superbowl. I think that that is how they were able to get the Super Bowl trophy due to the deflate gate scandal. I think that if the game was fair and square the Seattle Seahawks would have been 2 times champions.

The Washington Redskins have had some issues as well. The issues that they had are with their trademark. The trademark case involved the teams name to defend the constitutionality of the Lanham Act, which bars disparaging trademarks. An appeal board of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office canceled six of the team's trademark registrations last year, ruling that the term "Redskins" was disparaging to a substantial composite of Native Americans at the time the registrations were granted from 1967 to 1990.

The NFL are also dealing with the settlement between players. The concussion case was very important there were players saying they have suffered concussions and they brought up a claim saying that they wanted to be compensated for the concussions that they suffered throguhout their careers. 

There are many claims and cases that have been arising in the industry of sports. The NFL seems to be having the most issues when it comes to their players and either their, contracts, the teams or their personal lives. I think that the league needs to take advantage, I feel that the league should find a better way to protect their names, logos, teams and players. I feel like the league should be represented better. I feel like if the league protected their players personal lives a little bit better everything will be better for not only the players but also the league.

Loyalty

Fan loyalty is the loyalty expressed by a fan towards the object of a fans fanaticism.  Fan loyalty particularly with respect to team sports is different from brand loyalty. Fan loyalties continues even if the team that the fan supports continues to perform poorly year after. Fan loyalty and engagement is so important to sports organizations because fans want to be involved throughout the year. Fans will purchase merchandise, season tickets and attend events hosted by their favorite teams. For example the Chicago Bears were not so great last season but fans still attended events such as football 101 ladies night , the Chicago Bears bowling charity event. I think it is the fans engagement that helps increase the revenue for the team as well as the leagues. In this case the revenue can increase by fans being involved and attending games and events. The revenue can decrease by fans not being active and attending games and events. The organization and teams are currently using social media sites to increase fan loyalty. The teams and organizations have trivia questions they post on sites such as twitter which leads to fans responding in order to win a pair of tickets or autographed items. Using the team social media site helps draw a lot of attention with capturing pictures of the experiences. Freebies are another way, free raffles that allows fans a chance to win tickets and meet and greets.


http://opendorse.com/blog/how-stadiums-are-changing-the-fan-experience/

http://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-fan-loyalty-2/

Podcast blog

During my Negotiating and deal making course. I learned so many techniques that are required when negotiating and making deals in the entertainment, sports and just an industry period. I watched 3 podcasts that deals with 3 different industries. The first podcasts that I watched was a podcasts that Stan Christensen who is a partner at Arbor Advisors a banking firm where he negotiates on behalf of mid market technology companies.  In the video he uses some of the students as an example of keeping the people from the problem. Although his lecture was based on the art of negotiation and how to negotiate when it comes to management and problem solving, he included two students who were present at the time in the lecture. The second video that I watched was negotiations on and off the field featuring former NFL quarter fro the 49ers Steve Young. In the video he discusses the negotiation process when you are an athlete. Young spoke about how there are all types of elements, agents, management and the contract. He spoke about negotiating with his agent who really didn't seem to want the money but more so wanted the attention and fame and then he speaks about how he wanted to his team to help him get to the goal line and he wanted to do the same for them. He talked about his agent wanting to be in the mix and how he had to get the team going. From watching the video I concluded that there was a sort of mutual benefit between the quarterback, his agent and the team. The third video that I watched was a podcast that Cynthia Conley who is a social worker did. In this interview she talks about negotiation and how you can start negotiating when  you are first offered the job. She also speaks about how you should do your research, research the company and the agency when offered the job then you began to negotiate. She mentioned that is best that you know what skills the employer requires, what are the mutual needs and desires on both sides which is you and your potential employers, she said its best to know so it can be a win win situation the notion of objective criteria applies to this video. When watching all three of these videos I could immediately see how each related to the three concepts from my textbook for this course.

Im just here

The Seahawks are one of the best teams in the NFL. They have both an amazing offense and defense. They even nicknamed their defense line The Legion Of Boom(L.O.B). There is one player on the offense that is strong enough to run through the opposing teams defense. That player is Marshawn Lynch or Beast mode.There is one question that remains on everyone's mind why doesnt he like to talk to the media?

Marshawn was born and raised in a Oakland California, in an area known for crime and illegal activities. Growing up he loved to play football and knew that it was something he wanted to do the rest of his life. He did eventually get a scholarship to go play at the University of California Berkeley. His style of play eventually lead him to play with the Buffalo Bills for 3 seasons before he landed in Seattle.

Life has not always been a fairytale for Lynch his father stayed in and out of prison he hardly ever got the opportunity to spend time with his father, he comes from a rough neighborhood and he also experienced poverty growing up. Lynch makes it his effort to make sure that children will not have to ever experience poverty and not having a positive role model to look up to.  Each year whenever he can he is giving back to children from his former community and all over the world.

Known for answering the media with the same answer for each question, I think that he dislikes speaking to the media because he feels like the media alters his kind heart and efforts due to his legal issues and some not so smart decisions he had made throughout his journey. I think that he feels like the media is only there to destroy. He maybe feels like the media wants him to fail. I think that if the media only portrayed the real Marshawn Lynch he would give them an opportunity to ask any question they wanted to know and he will actually answer the question.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHOHHstmXe4

My Idol: Debbie Allen

During the Black Arts Movement which started in Harlem in 1965 and spread throughout many African American Communities, influenced many African Americans to pursue their dreams and express themselves through art such as dance and music. As a little girl growing up in the 90's I always dreamed of being a dancer although formal studies didnt start until I was 18 I have always wanted to be a dancer and break barriers just like my idol Debbie Allen. She like myself had a curvaceous body that many dance critics dont approve of, just like Debbie its the art of dance that is most important thats all I care about.

Debbie delivered a speech at Ted x youth that moved me. I had the pleasure of meeting her at my former Alma mater Columbia College Chicago where I studied dance as a minor. In this speech she spoke about the world of dance. She also spoke about how dance influenced her to produce, direct and choreograph. In the speech she says to dance is to know real expressions. I can relate to this because dance is like an outlet for many people. Dance is way of saying how you feel through movement and not in a verbal way. in the speech she also says that she has travleled the world to speak to many dancers and influence them to continue dancing, she stated " I feel like the whole world is dancing now." I love how in the speech she referred to Steve Jobs how he would sneak out and attend a dance class.

She started a dance academy to teach the art of dance to many young students.
I recall her conversation in the art of dance that was like music to my ears. She pointed out to dancers in the audience who were considered full including myself and told us we where the epitome of dance. We represent the Africanist aethestic that the great George Balanchine incorporated into dance.  She mentioned to us how she was criticized because of her size and how she kept dancing regardless of her body type.

I honestly admire Debbie Allen and her style of dance and what she represents as a dancer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPsc4uvpKjY

Abuse in the NFL

Hi Guys this was post had the opportunity to save from the other blog that I had last month before it somehow got deactivated. I hope you guys enjoy it

The National football league has experience some major changes. One of those major changes happens to be the implementation of the domestic violence policy. Since this policy has been put into effect many of the players are facing charges and have even been terminated from the league. The NFL implemented a domestic violence initiative under the personal conduct policy that calls for a six game suspension for the first offense and a lifetime ban for the second offense. The most infamous case of our time now is the Ray Rice case. He was suspended indefinitely by the Baltimore Ravens on September 8, 2014 for knocking his fiancé unconscious and dragging her off an elevator. When the incident first occurred he informed his coach and was only suspended for a few games. Then it seemed like when the preseason started he was then suspended indefinitely. I personally think that he was only suspended because it was revealed that the coach knew about the situation.My whole issue with this case is why suspend him indefinitely

months later when the preseason and season is about to start. I honestly think that the coach was going to defend him until it was revealed that he knew of the situation and what happened on the elevator. I honestly think that his contract was terminated due to his coach now being caught up in the triangle and being in the media. I believe that the policy states that the first offense is a 6 game suspension and the second offense is a lifetime ban(termination). I believe that this is a first offense so why is he not a Baltimore Raven anymore?
I personally think that this is the best thing that the NFL has ever done. I think that this policy will be a solution to helping prevent domestic violence. Not only will it prevent domestic violence occurring in the professional spots industry but in the world. Fans tend to pick up the habits of their favorite athlete, rappers singers and so on. I think that if they see less violence the better everyone would be off. I’m not taking sides I do think that Ray could have tried to work things out with his then fiancé now wife. I think he should have tried to keep his cool and calm down and try to talk to her and calm her down. I don't condone men putting their hands on a woman and I don't condone women putting their hands on a man. I don't agree with what the NFL has done to him I believe that he should be given that second chance. I think that it is only fair that his contract is renewed and that he is gets back on the field, but if he decides to do it again then ban him for a lifetime.As a woman that hopes and dreams of dancing on the football teams and managing players I think that its not write to violate and abuse women but I do think he deserves a fair chance.


http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2014/5/23/5744964/ray-rice-arrest-assault-statement-
apology-ravens!http://espn.go.com/espnw/news-commentary/article/11425377/nfl-implements-domestic- violence-penalties!