Check out the 60 pages of sports analysis, covering everything from soccer to skateboarding and about everything from labor / antitrust law to fan psychology. Highlights include ESPN 30 for 30 reviews, coverage of the 2010 Ivy Sports Symposium, and an interview with MLB SVP and General Counsel, Labor, Daniel Halem '88.
Feel free to share feedback, or start a discussion about any of the content, in the comments section below.
On March 8th, ILRSMC and Career Services cosponsored a Sports Internship Panel in 217 Ives. The panel featured five current ILR students who have had internships in various aspects of the sports industry. The initial part of the panel was moderated by ILRSMC VP of Events, Robbie Cohen.
When talking about how they got their internships, all of the panelists spoke about the importance of using networking. Each panelist used networking in some respect, whether it was to find out about potential jobs or, once they found a posting online, to learn more about the job. They expressed the importance of using Linked-in and consistently reaching out to networking contacts. Some panelists suggested sending relevant articles to relevant contacts as a way of showing value and knowledge of the current issues in the industry. All of the panelists stressed the importance of not taking too much of networking contacts’ time during a call or an in-person informational interview. They emphasized the fact that these contacts are people who can help you land a job or internship in the competitive industry, so keeping in touch with them after an informational interview is essential.
The five panelists also addressed the issue of how much responsibility an intern is given in the sports industry. A few of the panelists talked about the fact that they had to prove themselves with the responsibilities initially given to them before approaching their bosses to ask for greater responsibilities. By the end their internships, all of the panelists were given important assignments ranging from being the point person between their office and a PGA site to compiling data analyses that were used in draft rooms. The panelists also pointed out that interns should take each task given to them, even if it is mundane, as an opportunity to learn something about the way the company operates.
The final issue the panelists discussed was how to use an internship to help you get a full time job within the sports industry. One of the panelists talked about how every day in an internship is like a job interview. He talked about how this is true even if the organization you intern for does not have room to hire you. The sports industry is so small that you establish a reputation, even as an intern. Other panelists talked about the importance of developing transferable skills during each internship that could be used in different organizations throughout the sports industry.
Finally, the panelists concluded by talking about the need to manage expectations of finding a job in the sports industry even after having an internship with a sports organization. It is still difficult to break into the sports industry and, as one of the panelists mentioned, it is important to always have backups of other possible internships or jobs within the sports industry.
After the panelists concluded, Marcia Harding from ILR Career Services gave a presentation on various tools that are helpful when looking for an internship in the sports industry. She spoke about creating a sports specific resume, maintaining a Linked-in profile regularly and some of the resources the office has for ILR students looking for a sports internship in particular. Her power point is included in this post.
The ILR Office of Career Services is located in Ives 201.
Thank you to Marcia Harding and all of our panelists!
On Thursday, April 12th, the ILRSMC hosted MetLife Chief Marketing Officer Beth Hirschhorn. Hirschhorn, who graduated from Cornell University’s College of Human Ecology in 1988, deals with sports sponsorships. Some of these sports sponsorships include the MetLife blimp, the outfield signage at the new Yankee Stadium, and a cornerstone at the New Meadowlands Stadium. She discussed these sponsorships with our club, as well as her roles as Chief Marketing Officer, career advice, and more. A more thorough recap can be found after the jump.
On the roles of Chief Marketing Officer
The Chief Marketing Officer has a wide variety of duties. First, s/he is responsible for brand management. This mostly occurs through building the brand’s value. Secondly, he/she is also responsible for advertisement and promotion. It is only half the battle to establish the brand, as it still needs to be brought to the attention of the mass media. Much of this advertising and promotion is done through sponsorship, another duty that belongs to the CMO. The company needs support from sponsors in order to increase their value and exposure. Furthermore, the Chief Marketing Officer has some lower-key, but equally important, duties such as eBusiness, Conference and Event Management, Creative Services, and Mature Market Institute.
On the tracking and measuring of sponsorships and hospitality events
It is hard for a company to see exactly how successful their advertising efforts are. However, there is more and more empirical data is becoming available, allowing companies to measure the effects of their advertisements. This data comes from viewership ratings, consumer research, event attendance, media coverage, promotions results, and surveys. Hirschhorn also told us that Internet advertising is the easiest advertisement method with which to measure return on investment.
On the MetLife blimp
The MetLife blimp is so successful because it is essentially a floating billboard; this is probably the best type of billboard because it draws attention and attracts a large audience. Additionally, the MetLife blimp benefits others by providing aerial coverage that is otherwise unattainable. This allows MetLife to partner with networks – the blimp covers the event and the network mentions MetLife - and ultimately enhances the fan experience, rather than interrupting it. The result is mutual profit gains for the network and MetLife. Much of the blimp's coverage takes place during sporting events because it is one of the most prevalent live events on television. However, the blimp does have some flaws. The blimp doesn’t send a message, it just simply states the brand name. Also, the blimp is limited by not allowing for any fan interaction.
On the Yankee Stadium outfield signage
MetLife has a large billboard in centerfield of the new Yankee Stadium. The goal of this billboard is to gain public relations value. That is, people who go to the stadium will indirectly engage with the brand, and hopefully will further engage it once they leave the stadium. However, a mere sign won't necessarily connect with the audience, so MetLife has to be pro-active with their activation strategies. For example, MetLife set up a countdown to the opener of the new stadium where celebrities pulled the lever each day. This brought much media attention, where the MetLife brand was visibly present. Additionally, MetLife activated the Yankees Player of the Month award by allowing consumers to enter a sweepstakes to be the ones to hand the prize to the winner. This allowed for direct fan engagement with the brand; the Yankees already had the award, but MetLife activated it for promotion.
On being a cornerstone partner at the New Meadowlands Stadium
MetLife has its own section at the New Meadowlands Stadium, which can be seen from outside and inside the stadium. MetLife owns 45,000 square feet at the corner of the stadium; the other three corners belong to Budweiser, Pepsi, and Verizon. MetLife uses this area to share company information and engage with fans through on site marketing opportunities and designations/markings. They have to do more than the other cornerstone partners, however, because those companies can better =promote themselves with beer gardens, soda, and cool technology.
MetLife chose to be a cornerstone partner because the stadium is visible, busy, versatile, and flexible. For example, the stadium hosts two professional football teams in the world’s biggest media market, New York. Additionally, the New Meadowlands Stadium will do business beyond football in the future, with plans to host events such as soccer games and concerts. Furthermore, the stadium offered additional assets such as radio time and a suite within the stadium to entertain clients and host meetings. MetLife didn’t want to fully sponsor the stadium because the cost to do so is very high, and there is no proven metric for return on investment of stadium branding.
On the future of sports marketing
Hirschhorn believes that we will see much more activation in sports marketing. This means that when companies team up with a sponsor, they will actively promote this partnership and each other’s brands. She believes that activation strategies of sponsors haven’t been as prevalent as they should be, but that trend is changing. In the meantime, though, MetLife is taking advantage of this limited activation, in order to provide mutual gains to the sponsors and the brand. Additionally, she believes that social media will be utilized more. This will mostly be done through creating dialogue with fans. Currently, it is predominantly the sponsor pushing out the message, but more participation feedback from audience will allow for greater profits.
Career advice
Hirschhorn advised us to take exams for graduate school, such as the LSATs and GMATs, during our time as undergraduates. She believes that this is the time that students are in their best “test-taking mode." Hirschhorn also advised us that when looking for our first few jobs, we should not be concerned with salary or future jobs, but rather the job that allows us to best develop our skills; skill-building can be best done in a real working environment. Lastly, she offered us the tip to always be networking and to always be expanding this network.
Event Recap: NFLPA Executive Committee member Jim McFarland
Jim McFarland speaks to the Cornell ILR Sports Management Club
On Monday, April 8th, the ILRSMC hosted NFLPA Executive Committee member Jim McFarland. McFarland played college football at Nebraska University and enjoyed a six-year career in the NFL. He graduated from Cornell Law School in 1980 and has been practicing as an attorney ever since. In 2007, he was named to the NFLPA former players Board of Directors, and in 2010, he was made a former player representative on the NFL Executive Committee. He spoke with the club about the process of drafting a new CBA and the current troubles they are experiencing. A summary of the event can be found after the jump.
On the NFL’s massive popularity
McFarland began by explaining how the NFL’s popularity has helped increase revenues for all teams. This expanding revenue, however, has been difficult for owners and players to split up. In January, Forbes outlined the immense profitability of the NFL, Revenues and profits have risen dramatically over the years and they continue to rise. Football is even recession proof! 19 of the 32 NFL teams are currently worth at least one billion dollars. By comparison, only one other professional sports team - the New York Yankees - are worth one billion dollars.
On why the owners can afford a lockout
A decision tree was shown which detailed factors that are affecting the owners’ decision to pursue a lockout. The main issue for both the owners and their respective teams is maintaining a cash flow during the lockout. Due to contractual obligations, TV networks still need to pay the price of broadcasting games even if no games are played. Essentially, teams will still bring in some revenue during a lockout. However, the economic pitfalls of having no football in 2011 will be felt around America. Each NFL city could potentially lose 150 million dollars of revenue without a season.
On the structure of the NFLPA Executive Committee
The NFLPA Executive Committee has 12 members, including 10 active NFL players and 2 former players (including McFarland). As a former players representative, McFarland’s role on the committee is to advocate for retired players' benefits and for improvements in pensions.
On the 17-day mediation process in February
McFarland was present for 15 of the 17 days of mediation. He claimed, at first, that the talks looked promising, but eventually broke down. The talks started with issues that both sides agreed on, such as improving drug policies and limiting offseason training activities to protect against injuries. However, the major issue that split the parties was revenue sharing. The owners want the players to take a major decrease in their share, while the players feel they should not be given a smaller share as long as revenue is increasing. The players asked to see the financial documents from the owners that would show exactly why the players should accept less of the shared revenue. The owners refused, claiming the players already had enough evidence.
On the union decertification and subsequent class action lawsuit
The CBA was set to expire on March 3rd, but both parties voluntarily extended it to March 11th. Yet, after little progress, at 5PM EST on March 11th (before the CBA expired at midnight) the NFLPA announced its decertification as a union to become a trade association. Then, Tom Brady, along with 8 other active player plaintiffs and one college rookie (Von Miller of Texas A&M, now of the Denver Broncos) filed a class action lawsuit against the NFL for violation of antitrust laws. Due to its decertification, the NFLPA did not file the Brady et al. v. NFL lawsuit as a union. Instead, it served and continues to serve as an advisory trade association to the class of players. The NFL is insulated from the antitrust laws by an existing CBA negotiated by an existing Union. On how the owners are affecting this process
McFarland emphasized that one of the major difficulties has been the diversity amongst owners. He claims that Commissioner Goodell has the troubling task of trying to represent 32 rich owners, all with different views. Even worse, they all have different schedules; during the 17-day mediation, the owners only met face-to-face with the NFLPA for about three hours. Every day, the owners had 4 PM conference calls, which resulted in them only being able to reach tentative agreements with the players during the daytime, prolonging the process.
Goodell doesn’t have the control or ability to make group decisions for these owners. Many of them come from different backgrounds and have vastly different views. McFarland claimed that there are three different types of owners in the NFL today. There are fully invested owners, like Jerry Jones of the Cowboys and Bob Kraft of the Patriots, who risk takers. They run their team like a business by investing in them and marketing to increase revenues. There are family owners, such as Clark Hunt of the Chiefs and Mike Brown of the Bengals, who inherited teams from their fathers. As owners of smaller market teams that are family business, these owners are less willing to invest in their teams and take financial risks. Finally, there are owners who treat their team as just another business venture and are still involved in other businesses. All of these different owners have different opinions about the logistics of the new CBA, making collective agreement a real challenge.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell
On key dates in the near future
NFL camps open around the middle of July, so McFarland claims that all parties hope the CBA is signed by this time. If not, there will be major consequences regarding advertising and revenues.
Key statistics stated by McFarland…
-The average NFL career is 3.4 years.
-The average NFL salary is about one million dollars.
-Over 80% of all NFL players are either bankrupt or divorced after 2 years of retiring.
-84% of players end their careers with injuries.
All of these stats support the idea that the new CBA must focus, in part, on players' lives after their careers are over.
On a rookie wage scale
The NFL wants a definite wage scale, meaning a player drafted in a specific draft spot would get a specific amount of money every time. The players favor a “pool” system. This entails a team being allotted a certain amount of money to give to all of their draft picks and the team must spread it out among its selections.
On whether or not NFL players are following the negotiations
McFarland claims that “110% of NFL players are following the negotiations.” Every team has a player representative, and these player representatives are directly involved with the NFLPA Executive Committee. Individual players have been told to contact their player representative to be briefed on the current situation. McFarland spoke about how he used to routinely contact Dan Dierdof, his player representative, during his playing years.
Thank you to Jim McFarland for taking the time to speak to our club.
The ILRSMC Blog will be covering the NFL Lockout throughout the summer.
