Experience Spotlight - Andrew Distler, CBS Sports

In this semester's Experience Spotlight series, the blog will be featuring Cornell ILR SBS members who have excelled in positions in the sports industry. Many talented Cornell students are making impressions all across the sports world, and this is their chance to showcase their experiences.

This week's Spotlight focuses on Andrew Distler '15.  Andrew is a senior in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences where he majors in Sociology and minors in Policy Analysis and Management, Demography, and Music. Andrew has been an active member of the club since his freshman year, attending several conferences and many other events. He also has played a critical role in the success of the Big Red Sports Network as well.  He can be reached at abd76@cornell.edu.

Andrew worked this summer with CBS Sports Network, serving as an Intern in the Programming Division. He was kind enough to answer some questions about his experience.

What were some Day-to-Day responsibilities of the position?

My day-to-day responsibilities included maintaining, and helping create, the 2014-15 college basketball and football schedules, fact checking documents and presentations, and compiling research for CBS Sports Network’s programming, which included providing team previews for several college basketball, football and hockey teams and conferences.

How were you able to get the Internship?

I had originally applied for this internship after my sophomore year. After finding out I needed more experience in order to be considered for a position, I was fortunate enough to assist in the launching of Cornell’s Big Red Sports Network last year, in which I gained lots of experience in sports marketing, research, and journalism. At my interview, my boss seemed impressed how much of the sports world I was able to comprehend, and working with BRSN is a major part of that.

How has this experience shaped your career plans?

This internship definitely made me realize that going into sports television is something I would enjoy. Before this summer, I had only really focused on careers in either league or team offices, but I discovered how much fun working for a sports network can be!

What advice would you give another student interested in a similar experience?

If I had any advice to give students interested in a similar path, it is to get involved with sports in any way possible (i.e., write for your school’s newspaper, join a sports business club, work for one of your school’s teams). Every week, the interns met with an executive from a different department, and each one said that in this industry, experience counts more than anything, so look to get involved any way you can (which is why having BRSN was so helpful for me!). Another important note: Most people in this industry, regardless of position, WANT to help you. I cannot say enough about how my bosses eagerly gave me career advice every chance they got, and how willing they were to put me in touch with other people they knew in sports. Never be afraid to reach out to anyone you know in this, or any other, industry, for advice (also helps with networking, which was also mentioned quite a bit!).

What was your favorite aspect of the experience?

My favorite part was definitely our college basketball “draft”, in which we “drafted” college basketball games from certain conferences, with other networks such as ESPN on the phone, waiting to make their picks. It felt like being the War Room for an NFL team, and they really took my suggestions of which games to air to heart. What’s cool is I can see my imprint on this season’s college basketball schedule now! I also loved being in CBS’s main office (Black Rock), as I was able to see first hand how a lot of the network is run.

Thank you to Andrew and CBS Sports for allowing us to share this awesome experience. We hope you have learned about some of the wonderful opportunities that Cornell, the ILR School, and the ILR Sports Business Society can provide in the sports world. We hope to feature many more stories from students and employers this fall!

Experience Spotlight - Sammy Gitlin, Major League Baseball

In this semester's Experience Spotlight series, the blog will be featuring Cornell ILR SBS members who have excelled in positions in the sports industry. Many talented Cornell students are making impressions all across the sports world, and this is their chance to showcase their experiences.

This week's Spotlight focuses on Samantha Gitlin '16.  Sammy is a junior in Cornell's College of Human Ecology, where she majors in Nutrition and plans to complete the Dietetics Program.

Sammy worked this summer at Major League Baseball's Office of the Commissioner. She interned in the Labor Relations Department under the Senior Director of Drug Policy, and was kind enough to answer some questions about her experience.

What were some of your day-to-day responsibilities of the position?

I had a few large projects over this summer. First, I worked on creating a comprehensive list of foods to be provided to teams when they’re on the road. Second, a large issue in baseball is players taking normal supplements (like protein, vitamins, sleep aids etc.) and then taking drug tests that come back positive. A company has been developed that does extensive drug testing on these sorts of supplements to find out whether or not they are safe for players to take. I helped to research these supplements and I created a list of categories to sort these supplements. I also helped out with a few of the labor economics projects, such as researching sports gambling (particularly in New Jersey) and looking at the newly installed replay system.

How were you able to get the internship?

Family friend connection.

How has this experience shaped your career plans?

I’m planning on pursuing sports nutrition so this was exactly what I needed to get my foot in the door. I’ve learned so much about the industry and I was able to make connections that I wouldn’t have been able to make anywhere else. I’ve learned about how each team’s dietitian prepares meals/meal plans and caters to the team’s intense nutritional needs.

What advice would you give another student interested in a similar experience?

Definitely use any connections that you have to find a cool internship! Think outside the box about places to intern at, you never know who will be hiring.

What was your favorite aspect of the experience?

Getting an inside look into a part of baseball that most people don’t think about. How the players fuel their bodies definitely correlates with their performance, and the dietitians are responsible for that.

Thank you to Sammy and Major League Baseball for allowing us to share this awesome experience. We hope you have learned about some of the wonderful opportunities that Cornell, the ILR School, and the ILR Sports Business Society can provide in the sports world. We hope to feature many more stories from students and employers this fall!

Experience Spotlight - Hudson Belinsky, Tampa Bay Rays

In this semester's Experience Spotlight series, the blog will be featuring Cornell ILR SBS members who have excelled in positions in the sports industry. Many talented Cornell students are making impressions all across the sports world, and this is their chance to showcase their experiences.

This week's Spotlight focuses on Hudson Belinsky '15.  Hudson is a senior in Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, majoring in Communications. He has twice represented Cornell and SBS (in addition to one trip as a student at Siena College) at the SABR Analytic Conference's Diamond Dollar Classic case competition. Hudson has also broadcast hockey and baseball as a member of the Big Red Sports Network.   He can be reached at hjb83@cornell.edu.

Hudson has worked for the Tampa Bay Rays since August, 2013, and will continue there through graduation.  Hudson serves as Amateur Scouting Assistant, and was kind enough to answer some questions about his experiences.


What were some of your day-to-day responsibilities of the position?

Scouting players in showcases and collegiate summer leagues, updating video and scouting report databases as necessary, tracking down players in the northeast who are rumored to be professional prospects.

How were you able to get the internship?

I networked with scouts in the northeast during my internship in the summer of 2013 and eventually met someone who needed assistance.

How has this experience shaped your career plans?

It’s reaffirmed my desire to work in Major League Baseball and given me a very firm grasp on how things operate inside the industry. 

What advice would you give another student interested in a similar experience?

Be willing to work nights and weekends. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, even if you think they might be stupid questions. Write down any scouting observation you have, and look back at your early notes often to reflect upon where you went wrong. 

What was your favorite aspect of the experience?

I really enjoyed traveling around the northeast and getting to know different pockets of the country. There’s a lot of really cool culture in New England and the mid-Atlantic states that I hadn’t really had a chance to experience before. 

Thank you to Hudson and the Tampa Bay Rays for allowing us to share this awesome experience. We hope you have learned about some of the wonderful opportunities that Cornell, the ILR School, and the ILR Sports Business Society can provide in the sports world. We hope to feature many more stories from students and employers this fall!

Experience Spotlight - Eric Schwartz, GroupM

In this semester's Experience Spotlight series, the blog will be featuring Cornell ILR SBS members who have excelled in positions in the sports industry. Many talented Cornell students are making impressions all across the sports world, and this is their chance to showcase their experiences.

This week's Spotlight focuses on Eric Schwartz '15.  Eric is a senior in Cornell's School of Hotel Administration, where he majors in Hospitality Management and minors in Real Estate. Eric has been an active member of the club since his freshman year, attending several conferences and many other events.  He can be reached at ems388@cornell.edu.

Eric worked this summer with GroupM ESP (Entertainment & Sports Partnerships), serving as a Marketing Intern. He was kind enough to answer some questions about his experience.


What were some Day-to-Day responsibilities of the position?

My daily responsibilities included researching information that related to our clients, its competitors, and its target markets, as well as building a media plan that was presented in front of a panel of judges at the end of the internship.

How were you able to get the Internship?

I interned for GroupM ESP last summer, so I was able to use the connections that I made during my time there last summer to help me get an internship this summer.

How has this experience shaped your career plans?

This experience has helped me realize that I want to pursue a career in partnership management in the sports and entertainment industry, whether it be at an agency, a sports property, or a brand.

What advice would you give another student interested in a similar experience?

For anyone interested in learning more about the business behind sports marketing, working at an agency such as GroupM ESP is a great way to learn about the preparation and tasks related to implementing a successful marketing effort in the sports industry.

What was your favorite aspect of the experience?

My favorite part of the experience was being able to work on several different accounts at the same time so that I could really understand how different brands get involved in different sports.

Thank you to Eric and GroupM for allowing us to share this awesome experience. We hope you have learned about some of the wonderful opportunities that Cornell, the ILR School, and the ILR Sports Business Society can provide in the sports world. We hope to feature many more stories from students and employers this fall!

Bloggers' Roundtable: Best Week 6 College Football Game

This week is probably the most interesting college football week so far this season. With conference schedule in full swing, we are treated to 6 match-ups between AP Top 25 teams. This week will help determine whether or not the B1G will even be in the discussion for a team for this years playoff as #19 Nebraska travels to #10 Michigan St. This week will help determine who are the truly competitive teams in the SEC West which currently has 6 of its 7 teams in the Top 15. All of those teams play each other this week as #3 Alabama travels to #11 Ole Miss for College GameDay, #5 Auburn welcomes #15 LSU and #12 Mississippi St. coming off its upset of LSU welcomes #6 Texas A&M to Starkville.

With such competitive match-ups and interesting narratives in each series, this week we asked our bloggers which college football game they were most excited for.

Rick Saxe - Featured Blogger - Nebraska at Michigan St.

The Big Ten has greatly faltered as of late, as it has been tougher than ever to find a solid team in the conference. The last undefeated team standing is Nebraska--currently 19th overall in the country--and they will be going to play a Michigan State team that has suffered a loss this season, but is still rated 9th spots ahead of Nebraska at 10th overall in the country. This game is certainly intriguing, and will give us a better idea of who the powerhouses in the Big Ten are--or if they simply don't exist.

Matthew Hakimian - Lead Editor - Stanford at Notre Dame

Stanford vs. Notre Dame stands out to me in a week filled with incredible matchups. I'm still not sold on Brian Kelly's squad, especially after their abysmal 2013 season. However, Everett Golson looks tremendous so far after being away from the team last season, and he has to be mentioned among the early Heisman favorites. Stanford had a tough loss earlier in the season against USC so we know that David Shaw is going to have his guys fired up in this rivalry game. Both teams have College Football Playoff aspiration so it should be an awesome game.

Stephen Dreznick - Featured Blogger - Stanford at Notre Dame

There are a lot of Top 25 match-ups in college football this week, but the one I am most excited for is the #14 Stanford Cardinals traveling to South Bend to play #9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Notre Dame is coming off of a victory against Syracuse, and quarterback Everett Golson has been playing well this year. Stanford has allowed the fewest points per game in the NCAA this year. It will be interesting to watch this potent Notre Dame offense go up against the best defense in college football.

Thomas Kroner - Featured Blogger - Alabama at Ole Miss

Although I should say Cornell's home and Ivy League opener against Yale, since I go here and all. But lets be real, there are 6 inter Top 25 games on Saturday. If I have to choose one, I'm going Alabama at Ole Miss, the winner of this will have a serious leg up in the SEC and National Title race.

Robert Lee - Contributor- LSU at Auburn

The most intriguing College Football game of the week for me is LSU at Auburn. LSU has announced that it will be starting true freshman, Brandon Harris, for this week's game, and it will be interesting to see how this highly touted freshman will handle himself on the road in a hostile environment. On the other hand, this game is the beginning of a hellacious schedule for the Auburn Tigers. They already have a marquee victory against Kansas State; however, of the remaining 8 games, they will have to face 6 ranked team plus South Carolina. This game against LSU could be the beginning of the end or beginning of their journey to the College Playoff for Auburn.

Cole Finke - Contributor - Stanford at Notre Dame

Come on, we go to Cornell. What is more exciting than watching than watching two football and intellectual powerhouses play in one of the biggest rivalries in college football. Stanford coaches even call their old-fashioned, smash-mouth football style “intellectual brutality.” The Cardinal remain one of the last teams in college football that play a traditional style: running a slow offense, pounding the ball in the I-formation and playing solid defense. Meanwhile, the Fighting Irish are off to a solid 4-0 start and are ranked in the Associated Press top ten. The atmosphere in Notre Dame Stadium will be wild, as the Notre Dame faithful and the famous Touchdown Jesus will watch their Fighting Irish attempt to beat Stanford for only the second time in six years. This is definitely not one to miss.

Women in Sports - Carly Rosenberg, Creative Artists Agency

The Cornell ILR Sports Business Society is pleased to present our "Women in Sports" series. In recent years, powerful women (led by many Cornell Alumnae) have advanced the role of women in the sports world. We will be featuring the stories of individuals from across the industry, in various stages of their careers, who have made an impact in sports.

Carly Rosenberg is the focus of this week's edition of Women in Sports. Rosenberg is a 2006 graduate of Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, where she completed the AEM major. She currently serves as the Sports Business Affairs Coordinator at Creative Artists Agency. Carly was kind enough to speak to the Cornell ILR SBS Blog about her career and much more.


Why did you go to Cornell?

I decided that I worked hard in high school and if I could get into a good school I should go there. I ended up applying early and I thought I owed it to myself.


What did you study at Cornell? Did you know you wanted to work in sports while at Cornell?

I was an AEM major and I mostly studied marketing. I always knew I wanted to do entertainment. But I didn’t necessarily know I wanted sports.


Could you describe your current role?
I work at Creative Artists Agency. I’m in a lawyer the sports legal department. I’m called the Coordinator. I help to coordinate the work between the four lawyers and other members in our group. On top of being the coordinator for the sports legal department, I also have other responsibilities in the group as well as work I get work from other agents in different departments.


How did you get to where you are today?

I went to Brooklyn law school and graduated during the worst economic downturn in recent history. I was applying to every job possible in legal or entertainment. I applied to Creative Artists and when they called me they asked if I was interested in a position. It was all about applying at the right time.


How has the industry changed since when you started?
I think the industry has become more about big agencies. It used to be all about one-on-one agent experiences, so that everyone had their one agent, but now it is really shifting to more a team atmosphere. I think people are excited to be represented by CAA because of all the opportunities here.


Do you have any advice for students, particularly young women, who would like to work in sports?

I think the biggest thing is always networking and connections. Although it didn’t help me get to where I am, I think it's very helpful because if you get the opportunity to work in an internship you can see if you like the field or not. Another piece of advice is to follow sports. I know so much more now about sports than I ever did. I think it helps a lot to keep up with what’s going on.


What's your favorite part about working in sports?

My favorite part about working in sports is that it’s male dominated industry and I like the idea that it’s not necessarily what you expect a women to be doing. I like that women can be knowledgeable about sports. I like a strong woman who can hang with the guys and who knows sports.

What do you most miss about your time at Cornell?

I do not miss the weather! But I do miss Cayuga’s Waiters and the vegetarian bagel from CTB!

We sincerely appreciate alumnae like Carly who take the time to share their experiences with us. "Women in Sports" is only possible through the efforts of industry leaders and students alike. We wish to thank all of the alumni who make the Sports Business Society such a valuable organization for so many Cornellians and others interested sports.

Roger Goodell Must Be Fired

On February 15th, 2014, ex-Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice was seen assaulting his wife on camera in a Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.  His left hook left her unconscious, and he is seen dragging her body out of the elevator in order to avoid detection.  On July 24th, 2014, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell decided to suspend Rice for 2 games.  To put this in perspective, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon was suspended for an entire season (16 games) for failing a drug test (later reduced).  It is absolutely ridiculous that Rice was only initially suspended for 2 games.

People were very angry at Goodell, but the story took a turn for the worse when TMZ released the actual video footage on September 8, 2014 - seven months after the incident occurred.  If TMZ could get their hands on the video footage, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Goodell saw the footage prior to making the decision to suspend Rice.  How can assaulting a woman only warrant a 2 game suspension?  After the TMZ video came out, the Baltimore Ravens released Ray Rice and he was suspended indefinitely by the NFL.  However, Commissioner Goodell was only doing this to 'save face,' as he knew he was already in hot water and the footage being released was only going to make things worse.

Roger Goodell makes $30 million each year.  He is the face of one of the biggest leagues in the entire world - for now.  But no man who makes a decision like Goodell did in response to the Ray Rice incident deserves to keep his job, especially considering how much money he makes.  It is time to fire Roger Goodell, or to force him to resign.  His reign as NFL Commissioner needs to end!