Sunday, February 27, 2011

Event: Networking and Relationship-building in Sports Business [3/1]


Tuesday 3/1 - 4:30 - Ives 105

On Tuesday, March 1st, our club is honored to host consultant and entrepreneur Eric Kutner. A 1995 graduate of Princeton (with a degree in Physics), he is a sports marketing expert who owned an operated world class tennis events, served on the USTA Eastern Board of Directors, WTA Tour Tournament Council, and Ivy Sports Symposium Planning Committee. However, this background gives an incomplete picture, as he is also a homeland security specialist, consultancy founder, and solar eclipse expedition team member.

Throughout these diverse experiences, his common thread has been social networks and relationship-building. How do these topics apply to the "inner-workings" of the sports industry? We are very much looking forward to his presentation and subsequent discussion on this topic, and we hope you will join us.

In the meantime, please show your support by attending this event on Facebook. See you all there!

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Monday, February 21, 2011

Poll of the Week: NFL Games in 2011-12

Robert Kraft

Poll of the Week is a weekly (duh) feature appearing every Monday. Please vote on the right sidebar and back up your opinion in the comments. Feel free to email poll suggestions to ilrsmcblog@gmail.com.

According to a recent AP poll, it doesn't appear that many NFL fans across America favor an expanded NFL regular season.
An Associated Press-Knowledge Networks poll released Thursday shows only lukewarm backing at best for a switch from 16 to 18 regular-season games, one of the NFL's key -- and easiest-to-understand -- proposals in its labor negotiations with the players' union.

Of everyone surveyed, 27 percent strongly favor or somewhat favor adding two regular-season games and dropping two preseason games. When the group is narrowed to those identifying themselves as NFL fans, support for the change rises to a total of 45 percent -- yet only 18 percent who strongly favor it.
Check out the rest of the details on ESPN.

ESPN provides the player's perspective - Hines Ward is quoted in the article as stating that "no player wants to play 18 games" - but Sporting News provides management's perspective.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft told NFL.com that an expanded season would aid the league in a down economy. "I really think going to an 18-game season is critical to us getting a labor deal. There's not a lot of ways in this economic environment we can generate incremental revenues. That's the best way."
So how many regular season games will the NFL play next year?

Will the players - who note fatigue and injury concerns as part of their resistance against an expanded regular season - win out against the owners, who, as Kraft states, need the additional revenue?

Further, what would you, a fan of the game, prefer?

Voting is open until Monday the 28th.

Thanks to Gabe Gershenfeld for this week's question

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Saturday, February 19, 2011

VIDEO: Gary Bettman, Rob Manfred, and ILR in Pro Sports

What are some similarities and differences in collective bargaining between professional sports and traditional industry? Find out what NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman (ILR '74) and MLB EVP HR and Labor Relations Rob Manfred (ILR '80) say on the subject -- and what this has to do with the NFL-NFLPA negotiations -- in the video following the jump.


A year ago, I was honored to participate in the Human Resource Practices and Industrial Relations in Professional Sports ILR School Workplace Colloquium Series at the Cornell Club in New York City. Both Mr. Bettman and Mr. Manfred have spoken to our club separately in the past, but seeing them interact together and compare experiences added great insight to the relevant issues. Fortunately, video of these excellent remarks from Mr. Bettman and Mr. Manfred are posted online:





Questions discussed include:
  • Do players unions more play the role of trade associations or vigilant protectors of worker's (player's) rights?
  • How do labor and management bargain when the most relevant party -- the fans -- are not at the table?
  • How was the 2004-5 NHL lockout different from the 1994-5 MLB strike? Should government intervene in a private dispute?
  • Will MLB ever see a minimum payroll or international draft?
  • Are professional sports leagues a single entity or competing teams? How does this distinction fit into antitrust law?

Keep in mind, of course, that Bettman and Manfred offer management perspectives. How might Donald Fehr, current NHLPA Executive Director and former MLBPA Executive Director, respond to their comments? Where would he agree or disagree?

These issues are extremely relevant for the NFL-NFLPA negotiations, as the NFLPA has threatened to sue the NFL under antitrust law and the NFL reacted by filing an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for failure to bargain in good faith. Both parties recently agreed to Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) mediation. FMCS Director (and Cornell undergrad and law alum) George Cohen has issued an introductory statement. Their collective bargaining agreement expires in less than two weeks. What, if anything, can the NFL and NFLPA learn from labor relations in hockey and baseball?

If non-ILRies have any questions on the terms used here, I'm happy to do my best to explain.

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Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Melo or Mediocre?


Is this man who the New York Knicks need to succeed?

Unlike any other professional team in New York, the Knicks do not have to share the biggest sports market in the world with any other team. It is for this reason that the Knicks are special to New York fans. The Knicks are "it" if you are from New York and have any interest in basketball. And in the past, our Knick teams did not make it at all difficult to be an interested fan. However, ever since the dreaded Isiah Thomas-led years it has been a different story. Nevertheless, let's not dwell on the New York fan's decade long nightmare. The fact of the matter is that now with the arrival of Amare Stoudemire and the .500 play of the New York Knicks, Knicks fans have for the first time in a long time some hope. While this may be true, any New Yorker knows that in New York .500 level play is not nearly enough. The fans are hungry for more.

Since Lebron and Bosh took their talents to South Beach, it has become the desired model for NBA teams to try to create their own "big three." The Knicks are finally in a position to add a second piece in the form of Carmelo Anthony and possibly Chris Paul down the road. However, where do Donnie Walsh and the Knicks draw the line between giving up too much and making a move that could propel this franchise to a level it has not been in many years?

This year has proven that the Knicks do have assets in their young talent. Landry Fields, Danilo Gallinari, and Wilson Chandler have all proved to be capable of playing as starters in this league. As a Knicks fan. I love to watch these players. Not only have they shown glimpses of how good they can be , but also they seem to sincerely want to play for New York. However, it is just that, they only show glimpses. At such young ages, they are too inconsistent to truly carry this team past the first round in the playoffs. The Knicks, as currently constructed, are just a mediocre .500 team and in New York that can only fly for so long.

Knick fans are craving much more, and their recent lackluster play proves that they will only continue to achieve a .500 record with the talent they have. Yes, it would be nice to have these players in addition to Carmelo who we can risk to acquire this summer. But, like I said, this is a risk. Carmelo has said himself that if he is not traded by the deadline then he will consider resigning in Denver. Let’s be frank, no matter how much people will like to criticize his gunslinger mentality, Carmelo is an elite NBA talent. Pairing Carmelo with Stoudemire would truly be magical and it would definitely give the Knicks that extra playoff push they need. Yes, it would not put us in Finals contention just yet, but with players like Eddy Curry coming off the books this summer, the Knicks can build around this talented nucleus starting next year (that is if there will be a season).

While this year’s Knicks team has been fun to watch (at times), I think what would truly be more fun is to watch Carmelo rock The Garden alongside Amare. I believe the infatuation fans currently have for these young players will quickly evaporate once they see Melo donning the blue and orange and dropping upwards of 30 points a night. Maybe we will have a couple of very good teams if these players develop to be as good as some think. But as we saw with Patrick Ewing and the great Knicks teams of the 90s, the difference between being good and winning a championship is huge, and I believe that the goal of winning a championship will be closer with Carmelo at the helm.

The question remains: wager the future or keep the status quo and remain mediocre?

I say go all in.

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Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Event: Videoconference with the Baseball Factory [2/22]


Tuesday 2/22 - 4:30 - Ives 112

On Tuesday February 22nd, our club will be holding a Skype session with the Baseball Factory. The Baseball Factory is a scouting, recruiting, and player development service for youth and high school baseball players. Since their founding in 1994, they have been educating and advising these players on their paths to play at the collegiate level.

We will be speaking with President Rob Naddelman, CEO and Founder Steve Sclafani, and National Tryout and Premium Video Program Representative (and former ILR Sports Management Club President) Tyler Twilley '10.

As Ivy League Alumnus – Naddelman and Sclafani graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, while Twilley graduated from Cornell University – they will be able to provide easily relatable advice and insights to our club members. Not only will they tell us about their company, but they will also share their experiences on gaining entry into the sports industry, general information about the sports industry, and provide us with networking tips, as well.

This looks to be a great event for all involved, and our club is anxiously awaiting it. The event will take place on Tuesday (2/22) from 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm in Ives Room 112. All are welcome to attend, and we encourage you all to do so.

In the meantime, please attend this event on Facebook for additional information. See you all there!

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Monday, February 7, 2011

Alternative Dispute Resolution in the Olympics

Olympic athletes don’t just compete on the track, pitch, pool, or ski slope—they also can compete in front of a mediator, arbitrator, or judge.

On Tuesday, our club was honored to host U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) Athlete Ombudsman John Ruger in conjunction with the ILR LR/ICL 9800 Faculty Workshop Series. You can find a few pictures here. For nearly two hours, we discussed his job, the USOC, and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) processes.


Since Ruger was appointed in 1999, his responsibilities include providing independent advice to athletes, mediating disputes between athletes and Olympic organizations, and assisting in the development and implementation of policies. A former Olympian himself in biathlon, he uses his experience as an athlete, coach, and administrator (as well as a bachelor’s degree in economics and an Executive Masters in Sports Organization Management) to understand and communicate relevant issues.


American Olympic athletes fall under unique legal protections. In the 1970s, when the NCAA and AAU were fighting each other in the courts over amateur athletics, the U.S. government did not want these organizations harming our country’s Olympic medal goals. As such, former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens sponsored the 1978 Olympic and Amateur Sports Act to charter and grant monopoly status to the USOC and requirements for National Governing Bodies (NGB). Following this act, amateurism was redefined to allow athletes who received professional pay to play in the Olympics (with the exception of boxing, because of their respective NGB). When the modern Olympics were founded at the end 19th century with the noble intentions of global sports competition, the amateurism regulations also prevented blue-collar athletes from competing, since the working-class were the ones who needed to receive money to train and compete at the highest level. Nowadays, with that relevance outdated, the U.S. simply wants to find athletes who can bring home the medals.


In 1998, revisions to the Act created the USOC Athlete Ombudsman position and the Athletes’ Advisory Council (for which Chairman Matt Van Houten, an Olympian in Handball and Ithaca native, was also in attendance). Soccer is the only Olympic sport to be covered by a Collective Bargaining Agreement, and so in the absence of union protections, these functions act as representatives, advisors, and occasionally counsel to the athletes. Sports executives have even described the council as the “conscience of the USOC.”


With a duty to represent all athletes, the position can be challenging. Ruger sometimes has to advise athletes who are competing with each other for a single position on a team, which he compared to playing the role of divorce lawyer for both the husband and the wife. Truly, any “win-win” outcomes he facilitates from those situations must be impressive.


Working with athletes also presents an interesting ADR challenge. By the very nature of their professions and achievements, athletes are confident and expect to win. However, the circumstances that lead to them contacting Ruger—such as the possibility of being sent home the night before your gold medal competition—nearly always bring athletes down to earth and leads to respectful interactions. Additionally, personalities—and resulting ADR tactics—can vary by sport. In a team-based sport such as ice hockey, a player who feels he or she has been wronged is less likely to pursue a confrontational resolution strategy (such as arbitration) if the process is going to be drawn-out and potentially detrimental to the team’s morale and objectives. However, for an individual sport such as skiing, athletes may be more likely to act in their own self-interests first.


These differences between individual and team-based sports also extend to the nature of the disputes themselves, specifically, trials. Olympic trials are one of the most common types of disputes Ruger faces, as the issue of who makes the team and who doesn’t is often contested. In a way, these arbitrations can be compared to MLB Salary arbitration, as a third-party is called upon to essentially evaluate player performance. The standards for performance are derived from the nature of the sport itself. Swimming is simple, as the top two times go to the Olympics, with no further considerations. Judging performance in soccer, for example, is much more subjective, as player instincts and leadership must be weighed in combination with the physical measurables such as speed, strength, and agility.


The other frequent USOC dispute-type is constantly under media scrutiny: doping. The realities of the situation are such that every athlete has to tell the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) the exact address of the physical location they will be for one hour for every single day of the year, in order to have a truly random drug test. MLB and the MLB Players Association have made significant improvements in their PED testing policies, but certainly nothing approaching this level of thoroughness. At the same time, WADA’s policies are such that approximately 50% of doping violations are unintentional. Such athletes generally receive more lenient sentences, yet if they were to challenge the case in arbitration, the arbitrator can only rule on whether they violated the rule or not, and not whether the rule (the substance on the banned list) was unfair in the first place. The saddest example of this situation may have been Zach Lund, the top medal contender for skeleton in the 2006 games, who was banned after his hair-replacement was added to WADA’s list, even though it had no performance-enhancing properties.

It was removed after the games, but Lund cannot get those games (and his medal opportunity) back. The NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL all bargain with their respective unions over drug policy and implementation, but the Olympics, without an athlete union, rely exclusively on WADA’s policies.


Three additional quick comments:

1. The formal USOC dispute resolution system is a three-step process, starting at the NGB level before the USOC investigates and potentially mediates. The American Arbitration Association is called upon as a last resort, but of course Ruger’s job is to resolve disputes at the lowest levels possible, first. His familiarity with the recurring issues makes him a valuable asset for suggesting policy changes at the NGB and USOC level, even though he has no legal authority to dictate procedures.

2. Ruger identified swimming and skiing as model NGB examples. What makes these successful? Beyond the popularity of these respective sports, these organizations have a strong leader, a board that provides appropriate checks-and-balances, and staff that is professional and motivated. This sounds like a universal formula for organizational effectiveness, whether in business, higher education, or sports.

3. The USOC is a relatively unique organization compared to other countries, and the U.S. was the first country to create the position of athlete ombudsman (Britain and Canada have since followed to a certain extent). Let’s hope effective ADR can bring us the gold.


Three potential questions for further discussion:

1. In what ways are dispute resolution involving athletes similar to and different than dispute resolution in the workplace?

2. What value does effective ADR provide to the USOC?

3. Should the Olympics negotiate with their athletes over drug policy as other pro sports leagues do? Or should they be held to a higher standard to enforce themselves?

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Thursday, February 3, 2011

A-Rod or Big Ben?


Who would you want leading your team on Super Bowl Sunday? The Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger or the Packers' Aaron Rodgers? After watching the first few rounds of the playoffs it might seem obvious to go with Rodgers, the hottest quarterback in the league.

But there is no question in my mind that I would rather have Big Ben leading my team down the field.


_ _ _ _
You can compare the two QBs' stats all day, and probably 90% of people would side with Rodgers hands down. I mean, how could they not after watching him tear up the Eagles and Falcons on the road with 6 TDs, 0 INTs and passer ratings of 123 and 137? However, watching him against the Bears should put some doubts into the minds of even the biggest A-Rod (nobody cares about the other - steroid pumping - A-Rod these days) fans. And can he really keep his 6th seeded team going strong for a 4th straight game, especially against arguably the best defense in football?



As a die-hard Cleveland Browns fan, I know the ins and outs of Big Ben’s game and have watched him dominate and embarrass the Browns twice annually for the past seven years. I despise him more than any player in the league, but as an objective sports fan, I have to respect his talent as a quarterback.

Aaron Rodgers simply just does not have the toughness, the intangibles or the experience that Big Ben does.

Standing 6-2 and weighing in at 240 lbs (Packers linebacker Clay Matthews weighs 250lbs), Big Ben is like a rock in the pocket making him one of the most difficult QBs in the league to bring down. Roethlisberger is able to extend drives and make plays because of his strength and toughness, which is crucial as a quarterback. With a .833 career win percentage in the playoffs (10-2), and an unblemished 2-0 record in the Super Bowl, Big Ben has shown that he gets the job done when it matters. Everyone remembers his game winning drive and his touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes in the back corner of the end zone against Arizona in Super Bowl XLIII.


Big Ben has shown over and over again that he is a winner, and at the end of the day, nobody remembers the QB with the best stats, they remember the QB with the ring of his finger. That is why with no hesitation I would pick Ben Roethlisberger to lead my team on any given Super Bowl Sunday.

Which QB would you want leading your team on Super Bowl Sunday?
Ben Roethlisberger
Aaron Rodgers







pollcode.com free polls

By Zach O'Connor

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