The Tiger Saga: What He Could Learn from Michael Phelps

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where the Vikings just keep on winning... :)

You've all heard by now about the Tiger Woods kerfuffle, so I'll spare you the recap. A lot has already been said about how Tiger and his PR team have blown this one...I would agree with that sentiment. None of us know the truth, and it's possible the guy is just trying to protect his family - or that he just doesn't care. Still, he owes the world, the sponsors and the legion of fans responsible for his incredible wealth an explanation. So now, being that Tiger's puckering up tighter than a snare drum and pulling his version of a "no comment" response, what's the best course of action for him to take?

We need look no further than the Michael Phelps situation a few short months ago for guidance. You'll remember he was caught on camera having a little too much fun at a house party, and it turned into a full-fledged PR crisis. And when the photos went public...he came out, ate crow, offered an honest explanation, took all questions and sincerely apologized. And...if you haven't noticed (and you probably haven't, because this crisis was handled very well), Phelps has moved on, and he's pretty much been forgiven for his mistake in the vicious court of public opinion. Crisis PR at its finest.

So what did Phelps do well that Tiger can do?

1. Stop avoiding the spotlight, call a presser and answer some questions. Yesterday. It doesn't matter quite as much what he says - although the truth would be great. It matters more that he faces the music, allows people to connect with him and offers an honest account of the situation and his feelings.

2. Let the media in...a little bit. Tiger has been known for keeping his personal affairs completely to himself, and that's surely his right. But in a situation like this, it gives the public no basis for comparison when judging his character. It might be a strong play for him to give ESPN, 60 Minutes or somebody else an exclusive interview filmed inside his house, with video of his family. Let people see the man behind the domination. I'm not saying he has to become Terrell Owens. But Phelps? Alex Rodriguez? Andre Agassi? When they faced trouble, they went out and did interviews with the big dogs and told their story.

3. Audit (and maybe tweak) your TSR (Tiger Social Responsibility) activities. Taken from the popular corporate PR term corporate social responsibility, this refers to the work Tiger does in the community and the good work he does with his wealth for those less fortunate. Of course, Tiger has his own Foundation, and he's struck partnerships with companies who sponsor events, golf tournaments, etc. Tiger shows up, says all the right things, etc. But lately it's starting to come out that he doesn't exactly go to the lengths that others with his stature do - or that other legends of golf have gone. And when he does, he doesn't always project the right attitude. It couldn't hurt to do more for kids to learn and experience the game of golf, and do it with a smile on his face.

These all would be helpful to Tiger as he goes forward in this accident mess. But I think most people would agree that he simply needs to do something...and fast. What do you think?

I'm out like Lawrence Frank.

Soccer in America

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where Brett Favre beating the packers as a member of the Vikings will go down as one of the seminal Minnesota sports moments of this generation.

Thanks to Jackie Adkins (@JackieAdkins) for the inspiration for this post. He is a recent grad of the University of North Carolina, and a sharp young sports/marketing mind. The content here is based on a presentation he wrote entitled "Soccer: The Rest of the World's Game," which he so generously sent to me to write about.

Now, it's no shock that soccer is not as mainstream in America as other sports. Many people think it's a boring sport to watch, that there aren't many goals scored and that it's played sloppily in general (with phenomena like "flopping"). Plus, traditionally, the USA hasn't been a strong soccer nation in major competitions. We all know how we Americans love to rally around a winner...we simply haven't had that chance very often with the national soccer teams.

There are signs, though, that the sport is gaining a foothold in America and could be on the verge of explosion into the mainstream. Here are some proof points:

--Soccer is America's #1 youth game today. Yes, more kids play soccer here today than any other sport. No lie. And as these kids grow up, they'll bring their affinity for the sport into their homes, their decisions and (critical to the growth of soccer) their purchases.

--The USA National Teams are starting to enjoy some success. The Mens' National Team hosted the 1994 World Cup, had a strong showing in 2002 and recently played in the final of the FIFA Confederations Cup, considered a top prep tourney for the World Cup. And you know that the Women's Team has been a dynamo, winning in 1999 and playing well ever since.

--Soccer is the Hispanic world's #1 sport, and as more Hispanics become Americans, they naturally bring the game to the nation.

--Major League Soccer, and women's leagues, are taking off and growing. It took a while, but the fans are coming - and sponsors are buying into it.

All of these bode well for the sport, but what does soccer need to do to continue and stimulate this growth in America?

First, broader exposure to the game would help. For example, currently, not even all of the Mens' National Team games are on ESPN or other forms of cable or network national television. How can Americans rally behind the team and sport if they can't watch their premier teams compete? And this isn't the time to ask for more beat reporters, but even local soccer teams don't currently receive the level of coverage as other local squads - despite the increasing demographic interest noted above.

Second, continue to build slowly but surely. Those looking to turn a quick profit in soccer probably won't do it, and momentum could be lost along the way. Building an empire and a movement takes time - you can't do it overnight. It takes years. Keep taking steps forward, and eventually your journey will be complete. For example, it seems like the MLS has this figured out - as much as they'd like to be a 30-team league, and others want them to be that large, they've been very methodical in expansion and have picked their franchise cities carefully.

Third, soccer's fans in America have to evangelize. New fans have to be won with passion, not with scoring. So, just like with any other branding effort, people need to experience the game in ways they haven't before - that is how they will see the light. And in lieu of broadcast access and other barriers to entry, the sport's ardent fans have got to carry the torch on this one.

Fourth, the Men's National Team needs to do well in South Africa in the 2010 World Cup. In most of the world, this is considered the biggest sports event in the world - bigger than the Olympics, the Super Bowl, etc. And the USA has qualified as the winner of their region...there's nothing that would do more for soccer in America than a deep run in The Big One next summer.

Personally, I really like soccer. I've watched it, played it and announced it. Sure, there isn't as much scoring as other sports, but there's just as much (or more) strategy, talent, rivalry, passion, etc. on the pitch as any other sport. That's the real beauty of the game - just like with a great work of art, you just have to look a little harder to see it. And for those of you who have never played - try it. You might just experience for yourself what so many others have experienced. If soccer were to become a mainstream sport in this nation, awesome. I'm all for it, and I hope this post is in some small way a contribution to that effort.

That's all for now. I'm out like MLB umpires' eyesight this postseason.

Sports Journalism at its Finest...Or Not

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where my fantasy football teams (all four of them) are 3-0 instead of the other records they currently have.

I must apologize for my absence. In the last month, I've celebrated a birthday with my son and an anniversary with my wife. I've had one PR project after another at work, keeping me busier than normal. I've helped some family and friends through some tougher-than-normal times. And the real kicker - I and my family packed up our lives and moved into a new house. This insane level of real-life business - which always comes first in my book - has kept me offline for quite some time. So I apologize to all of you. Hopefully now I'll be better about blogging again...I've got a lot to say.

So...I bet you've seen the Terrell Owens interview/presser after the Bills' loss this past weekend. If not, here's a clip:



To reset the situation: Owens' streak of more than 180 straight games with a catch came to an end in the loss, and the media in the room were trying to get his reaction to that. If that's what you call that kind of shenanigans they were pulling in that room.

I've worked in sports journalism, and I know for a fact that sports are maybe the most formulaic subjects to cover in the journalism world. The elements of the different stories you write and people you cover are essentially the same. The features you produce on the players are all basically the same. The feel-good, human interest stories you look for are roughly the same. Before and after the game, from one game to the next, the questions media ask players and coaches are pretty much the same. This isn't to say that it isn't challenging or difficult work (actually, keeping it fresh and looking for new angles can be one of the hardest parts), and that sports journalism doesn't have its share of incredibly talented professionals. All I'm saying is...well...reporters and situations have a tendency to default to the routine.

In Owens' case, the routine for him is complaining incessantly about his plight in life, or that he isn't catching enough balls, or that his teams don't have what it takes. So, naturally, when a long games-with-catches streak ends, the post-game presser will be full of ranting and raving, right?

Wrong. Owens, in a rare show of humility, answered every question straight as an arrow. He didn't raise his voice or insult anyone. He stuck to the company line. And, in this case, I'm going to give him an A. Why?

Because the reporters in the room also defaulted to routine, and put on one of the worst displays of journalism I've ever seen. They expected him to be a brat, and they acted like it. Can you even count the number of leading questions they asked him? Did you see how they baited Owens to get him to snap? And then, when he didn't play the game, how they didn't let up? You can't blame a reporter for trying to dig deep and unearth a story. But there's a difference between approaching a source with a researched, informed, objective, intelligent line of questioning and this nonsense. This was unethical, shoddy and just plain bad journalism. As a reporter, you don't make the news...you report it. Simple as that. You just can't say that for those folks in that room who clearly were trying to do the former.

Sports journalism is a noble trade, and a great passion of mine and many others. I like to see it done well, with sound principle and ethics, and not like this. Here's hoping we see fewer incidents like this in the future.

I'm out like the Washington Redskins.

Gopher Football: The Experience

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where Little Leaguers who stand, watch and showboat after hitting home runs get benched. And then suspended. No matter what game or tournament they're playing in. (we need to teach kids today to Respect The Game!)

It won't come as a surprise to most of my readers that my beloved Minnesota Golden Gophers are opening a new stadium this fall, back on campus. It's a rare thing these days: a brand new college football stadium. And, as a season ticket holder (and former letterwinner), September 12 will be a happy, happy day indeed.

But why am I most excited about this? Well, it's all about the experience...the ability to be on campus, tailgating, going to pep rallies and parades, hanging out with fellow rubes, being outdoors, establishing new traditions and adapting old ones, etc. If you've been in the Metrodome for a college football game, well, you know what I mean. I marched in the band, and we had to bus it over to the Dome from campus. Talk about an atmosphere killer..."Hey, let's get on the bus!" And even being on the field playing pregame and halftime shows, I could barely hear myself play...to say nothing at all for the people in the seats. Damn those acoustics.

But, thinking about this a bit broader, there is a lesson here that all of us professional marketers (and beyond) need to keep in mind. These days, when word-of-mouth marketing is even more the gold standard than it's ever been, is there a better way to promote/advance your company, product or brand than to get people excited about it through a positive experience? I dare you to find one. An advocate's endorsement carries more weight with a prospective buyer than anything else in their buying decisions. And first-hand knowledge/experience of a product/company/brand will deliver more return business than any other interaction with that product/company/brand.

Congrats to the University on this seminal moment in its history. Ski-U-Mah indeed. And congrats to those who figured out that the continued success of the Gopher football program depended on a common, shared, positive experience with the team...and then did what they needed to do to ensure that experience would take place every fall Saturday at home for the foreseeable future. Let this be a turning point for Gopher Nation, not only on the field but for the good of the University and the state she serves.

I'm out like Sage Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson.

Breaking News on Twitter

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where Erin Andrews and everyone else can live their lives without fear of being videotaped through a peephole. Seriously, throw the book at that sicko(s).

Twitter...it's all the rage these days. Mark Madsen of the Timberwolves told the world he was getting traded. Mark Cuban said goodbye to a player today via Twitter. Ocho Cinco...well, he's being himself. And Drew Rosenhaus incurred the wrath of the Vikings today by Tweeting that Aundrae Allison, a WR (and his client), would be released by 5 p.m. today if not traded before then. Of course, with the Tweet going out, his trade value evaporated and the Vikings had to release him.

For better or worse (I think it's for the better), Twitter and other social media are here to stay in the sports world. Athletes, teams and leagues have unprecedented opportunity to engage their fans and build communities around their teams. And lately, sports figures of all kinds have been using Twitter like in the above examples to break news. What are we to make of this, and what implications does this have on the news cycle of the sports world.

First, now the people doing the Tweeting have the opportunity to break their own news. Basically, this gives them the power to shape the message exactly how they want it to come across, which in the case of some of these examples could be quite helpful/valuable. For example, Drew Rosenhaus, in screwing over the Vikings, protected his client's interests...he did his job. And Mark Madsen was able to break the news of his trade to his fans and thank them for their support. This messenger role has typically been reserved for the media, but technology has enabled these sorts of direct correspondences. As Twitter becomes more mainstream, one has to wonder if these examples could usher in a powerful change in the role of all types of sports media...will their roles change significantly, and - maybe even - will they be needed at all?

Second, it's already starting to prompt a series of policies from teams/leagues regulating how their athletes use Twitter and other sites. If athletes have the power to correspond directly with audiences without a filter or an editor, teams/leagues then should feel the need to exercise some "quality control," for lack of a better term. So teams, just like companies everywhere, are adopting policies governing how their employees use social media, and what they can and cannot say online. The Green Bay Packers just became one of the first sports organizations to do this.

The debate has just begun over whether or not teams should have the right to do this to their players, and how media like Twitter should be integrated into the fabric of professional sports. This is a conversation I'd love to encourage here on The Sports Ace. I can see how athletes could want to use Twitter to build their own fan bases and their own personal brands, but I also don't blame teams for unveiling policies designed to keep their players focused on their jobs. One thing's for sure - it's going to be fun to watch all of this unfold.

Anyways, these are a couple of interesting talkers that I've been thinking about recently. What do you think?

I'm out like Stephon Marbury's marbles.

Happy Blog Birthday

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where the top sluggers always participate in the Home Run Derby regardless of how they feel, what it might do to their swing, etc.



Four years ago today, I started this blog. It's been a rollercoaster ride, but here we are, still having fun. And I'm really excited that today, on TSA's fourth birthday, it has the highest readership and following that it's ever had.

A sincere thanks to all of you for reading, commenting, Tweeting and everything else. It's my privilege to contribute in my own small way to the bigger conversation going on out there, and it's a real honor that you all take the time to engage with me. Here's to the next four years, and beyond!

I'm out like the National League.

Celebrity Product Plugs...in Social Media

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where there are still few things more enjoyable and sacred than a Fourth of July with family, friends and some good food and drink. I hope you all had a great holiday!

Shawn Johnson (the gold-medal gymnast and Dancing with the Stars champ) is one of the few celebrities I follow on Twitter (@ShawneyJ) - she's obviously an incredible athlete and person, and I think she's a lot more human in social media than most people with her level of fame. And I think it's interesting how in the past couple of days she's started Tweeting about Crest White Strips...how they're helping her, how they provide value, etc. I would be shocked if she were doing this on her own...Crest probably has her inked to some sort of sponsorship deal.

This appears to be one of the first examples of a celebrity plugging a brand/product through social media, and I think this is a great case study of how it can be done well for two primary reasons. First, Johnson works in her Crest mentions smoothly, completely in her normal tone and style. It doesn't read anything like typical advertising/PR/promotional copy - it's very easy to grasp, and it seems very much like something she would have told you if you were standing two feet apart. Second, she doesn't beat you over the head with it - since starting on June 29, she's written a grand total of four Tweets mentioning White Strips. That's in between 2-3 Tweets a week. If there were too many messages, the celebrity's objectives would seem too obvious, and that might be negative for the brand and the celebrity plugger. But this frequency seems like just the right amount (or maybe just a bit more would be okay) to keep the brand and product on the top of followers' minds.

No doubt that this is the tip of the iceberg - as athletes, celebrities and brands of all kinds look to gain more mindshare in social media like Twitter, these sorts of partnerships will become much more common. I think this one is being executed well, and it should help both the celebrity and the brand/product. And it will be interesting to see how this kind of marketing takes shape in the coming months. Will Shaq get involved? Danica Patrick? Others?

What do you think? Will more of these partnerships be forged? What do marketers/celebrities need to keep in mind when plugging brands and products in social media? Comments welcome.

That's all for now. I'm out like the Marians (Gaborik and Hossa).

Twitter Counseling

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where cheaters in major sports never get to play real games - even in the minor leagues - before their suspensions are over.

So there's been a hubbub on Twitter in the past few days about people being sick and tired of reading Tweets from people about Michael Jackson's life, death and legacy. People have berated, snubbed and threatened to unfollow others over this, just because they don't want to be exposed to Jackson dialogue anymore. I might be risking a few follows with this, but to all of you who are doing that: deal with it.

Let's face it: one of Twitter's top strengths is its ability to provide a forum for people to share news and experiences with each other, regardless of geography, in real time. When President Obama was inaugurated, millions of people around the world Facebooked and Tweeted each other, sharing in the experience and the significance of the day. Just as it was a great tool for sharing and community building in a time of celebration, why should it be any different in a time of sadness? That's right, it shouldn't - in fact, it might be even more important in bad times. All people are doing on Twitter is working through their natural grief processes together, in a community of people that supports them. People shouldn't belittle or threaten others or put them down for coping with loss in any way, including this one.

And let's remember, it takes time for people to grieve. As I write this, it's been exactly one week since Jackson died. Anyone who's ever lost someone/something that's important to them knows that it can take days, weeks, months and even years to fully move on from a grief-inducing event. And we all grieve differently. Sure, Jackson isn't a member of the vast majority of our immediate families. But his music brings an entire generation of people back to their childhood, and reminds many more of other memories in their life - many of those good. It's been one week, people...there are lots of people out there still coping with Jackson's death. And that's perfectly normal and okay. It happens every time a song comes on the radio, or another news story hits the airwaves...it's still very fresh. Heck, people are still grieving for Elvis.

Personally, I love how Twitter gives me a way to connect with others I respect and share really big events - both good and bad - with them in a way I couldn't before. This is the essence of how Twitter builds community, and how members of that community support and pick each other up. If Twitter can help people work through major community/national events of loss or grief, such as Michael Jackson's death, then I think it does a tremendous service to us all. We should be helping our neighbors, not tearing them down.

That's all for now. I'm out like the King of Pop himself...RIP.

And Now...Your Phoenix Mercury, Presented by Lifelock

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where we're always ready for Game 1 no matter how much time we've had off since our last series. And media discussion of teams' time off between series? Non-existent.

The WNBA's Phoenix Mercury are now presented by Lifelock. No joke (photo at right shows star player Diana Taurasi with Lifelock CEO Todd Davis).

In a first-of-its-kind corporate/sports partnership deal including a major U.S. "big four sport" team, Lifelock obtained the rights to launch the first-ever branded jersey, among other terms. So, effective immediately, you won't see "Mercury" on the front of the team's jerseys. You'll see "Lifelock" instead. There will still be a small Mercury logo on the front, but the average Joe on the street who doesn't follow the WNBA will probably think they're the Lifelocks.

These days, teams are doing just about anything to make some more money and make themselves more attractive to corporate marketers. But no team had gone to these lengths and sold the name on its jersey before this week. Will this start a domino effect - will we see other teams in the WNBA and beyond put a company name on the front of their jersey? (Editor's Note: as of June 9, the Los Angeles Sparks also inked a deal with Farmers Insurance) Or is the jersey sacred enough that this is a one-hit wonder? Time will tell. But, to me, the question now is: should teams do this or not? What decision is best for the franchise?

This issue, to me, is all about branding. Of course, brands are the sets of experiences, reputations and associations that customers have with companies, people or other entities. Any professional marketer knows that a company's brand is an incredibly important asset. It takes great amount of time and sustained effort to build a successful brand, yet brands can implode from a single event. If cash is the lifeblood of a business, the brand is definitely its face.

So how does branding enter into the world of sports? I think a team's name doubles as their brand. Sure, attributes of that brand can be a player, a style of play, a stadium/venue, etc. But ultimately, "The Yankees," "the Cowboys," "the Lakers" and "the Mercury" are brands, just like Coca-Cola, Microsoft or Disney.

Applied to this situation, the Mercury as a franchise have built an identity among a community of people according to that name/brand, as they've operated under that name for their entire existence. The team isn't changing its name in this deal, but it does now have a new name on its jersey. As a result, the team is essentially re-branding itself - or, at the very least, it risks confusing everyone about the true identity of the team and what it stands for.

Sure, maybe the team hadn't been making a lot of money before, and sure, teams have moved to new markets and changed names quite often in all leagues. But this is different - the Mercury didn't move, and its new "name" is a corporate one. Needless to say, this is a huge risk. It may work out well, and it will surely generate revenue in the short term, but my hunch is that people may backlash against a more corporate influence in professional sports. I also believe that the team's brand will suffer, and that it may go through a sort of identity crisis. Put another way, if someone looks at the Mercury on the court and thinks they're the Lifelocks, who really are they? What they're not, by name, is a professional basketball team - instead, they're a bunch of identity theft protectors playing a basketball game. As a result, my initial read on this is that it's a negative for the team and the league in the long-term.

This is why other parts of the announcement release should be concerning to fans of the WNBA. Commissioner David Stern is quoted in the Mercury/Lifelock news release as saying the partnership is "...an important next step in the growth of the WNBA. We are confident that [Lifelock's] alliance with the Mercury and the WNBA will accelerate LifeLock’s growth, and this deal serves as a blueprint for other associations of its kind with all our WNBA teams." This could imply that Stern wants or hopes that other franchises will adopt corporate naming deals like this. Sure, it might pump more money now into the game/league/individual franchises, but I think it would usher in a series of branding issues which would cause identity and broader marketing issues within those teams and leagues. It's the kind of stuff we've never seen before in professional sports.

It seems to me like sports teams - and the leagues and commissioners - should work to preserve their names and identities. After all, their names are their brands...sure, devoted fans will still follow them, but the rest of society will only be confused. Plus, teams and leagues have invested years and huge sums of money in marketing and establishing themselves and building their brands over time. I'd hate to see all of that get tossed out with the trash.

That's all for now. I'm out like LeBron James' sportsmanship.

What I Learned from Tom Brokaw

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where we always play defense for 48 minutes.

Last week, my wife and I had the incredible honor and privilege of meeting Tom Brokaw at the annual Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Page One Awards banquet. This is always a wonderful event to attend, because I get to see lots of great friends and help honor the truly great journalism that is practiced every year in Minnesota. But this year, Minnesota SPJ really outdid itself by securing Brokaw to be the keynote speaker.

His speech centered on the dire situation the journalism industry finds itself in today, and what everyone from rank and file reporters to news executives to the general public can do to improve it. I'm sure that you, like me, have heard many people speak on this topic, but I've never heard it done like Brokaw did it.

He didn't mince words. When he talked about why the industry fell into the rut it's in, he said (summarizing): We're forgetting as a society that information isn't free.

In a short, simple sentence, there it is. All of it. Think about it for a minute.

With the Internet, it has never been easier or cheaper to read the news. The number of people in America who do not pay for their news is increasing daily - and, in particular, the youngest Americans have never known what it's like to pay for their news...they've never had to do it before. Of course, this is troubling because it takes serious financial and human resources to do journalism well. It just does. There are so many blogs and "news sites" out there, but how many of them are actually breaking real news? How many of them allocate and invest the resources it takes to do the legwork to report real, accurate, relevant stories - ones which truly make an impact on the way we live our lives, or the way our elected leaders govern, or protect the public? It's a small percentage, to be sure. Most blogs simply aggregate news from other sources, and put their own unique spin on that news. And let's be honest with ourselves and admit that most of the "news" we read on a daily basis is pop culture on a stick, whether it's sports, entertainment, etc.

Of course, we NEED trained journalists and journalism organizations to produce this kind of real, hard news, because it's incredibly important to our way of life. Journalism, after all, is the "Fourth Estate" of government; our founding fathers realized right away that an informed public was the single most important aspect of a democratic society. Why do you think they wrote the First Amendment? Freedom of speech, and the press, and assembly, etc.? Journalism has forever been regarded as a fourth branch, right up there with the executive, judicial and legislative branches...it places checks and balances on the other three, and ensures that the people have the knowledge they need to live their lives and ably elect their leaders. Imagine, for just a minute, what our society would be like if journalism wasn't done, or done well. It's not much of a stretch to say that it would be completely different...there may not even be an America to speak of.

So it is paramount to our future to understand that information isn't free, and that we need to act to invest in it and educate each other about this. Maybe if people have a true appreciation for what's at stake here, they'll be more apt to pick up a paper from the newsstand, or click through on a banner advertisement. At the same time, news executives need to take bold action soon to advance this agenda in the public discourse. Sure, it's self-serving - it's about journalism entities making enough money to survive. But it's also about ensuring that American democracy as we know it can function into the future. If they don't take up the cause, no one will.

To me, Brokaw's statement was sheer brilliance, a masterpiece of wordsmithing that could only be done by one of the greatest journalists of all time. I've literally spent hours reflecting on this since I heard his speech, and I hope you'll give this some thought as well.

What a night it was. Sure, it was an unforgettable because of the opportunity to sit down with Brokaw at the same dinner table and have a once-in-a-lifetime conversation. But I still can't believe how lucky we all were to hear honest reflection on the journalism industry from one of the greatest to ever practice the craft. If you'd like to experience the thrill for yourself, I'd encourage you to visit the Minnesota SPJ Web site at http://www.mnspj.org/ and watch the video of his keynote speech.

This Memorial Day Weekend, as we remember and honor our veterans for all they've done for us, let's not forget that they sacrificed as much to preserve our way of life as anything else. It's our time now to step up to the plate and do our part...I see this is one important way we can do just that.

That's all for now. I'm out like the Boston Celtics.

The Dodgers: Marketing Through The Manny Debacle

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where we always play bogey-free golf on Sundays.

You all know by now that Manny Ramirez has been suspended for 50 games by Major League Baseball for a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs. It's the latest black eye on a sport which has been severely battered over the last few years.

But, in this post, I'd like to focus on the Dodgers and the team's marketing. Much has been made of the team's efforts around Manny: it is a case study on how to build a local-market campaign around a superstar athlete. From Mannywood to wigs to jerseys to ticket sale promotions, the Dodgers have been very aggressive in trying to build excitement among Dodger Nation through Manny. And, by the accounts I've read, it was working remarkably well...before the suspension news came down. So, if you're the Dodgers and the centerpiece of the entire effort takes a credibility/reputation hit, what do you do now?

Well, the team seems to be moving forward on the same track, almost like nothing ever happened. Manny will be back in July, after all, and he's still a part of the team. Of course, this begs several questions. Is it smart marketing to keep going with an aggressive campaign built on an athlete with a damaged reputation? What does such an effort say about the team or organization doing the marketing? Do these athletes with damaged reputations still carry marketing weight?

To the latter, generally speaking, recent precedent would suggest that a baseball player's reputation and marketability evaporate when they're hit with steroid-related suspensions/accusations. Just look at Clemens, McGwire, Bonds, Palmeiro and the long list of others in this same situation. But Ramirez' stock - although definitely weakened - still seems to have a pulse, at least. Based on what's going on with the Dodgers, it appears that he might be the guy who breaks precedent and still have a chance to be the central figure in campaigns going forward.

But what about the fact he was busted for, essentially, cheating? Doesn't that matter at all? Shouldn't this change how the Dodgers move forward? In this case, surprisingly, the answer appears to be no. Why?

Allow me to offer a couple of reasons:

• Marketing isn't just about the product, service or asset (in this case Manny) - it's also about the pool of buyers you're targeting. Successful marketing surely means that you enable a group of people to buy what you're selling. But that group first has to need or want - or you need to convince them they need or want - what you have to offer. So, as important as Manny is in this entire situation, the Los Angeles/Dodger Nation baseball marketplace is just as important. I'm no expert on Southern California culture, and I'm not trying to label Dodger Nation in any way, but from everything I've read Dodger Nation - for whatever reason - is still buying what the team is selling. Plain and simple. There's still a marketplace for the team, for Manny and for the campaign efforts the team has put forth. And no matter where you land on the right or wrong of the ethics/values involved with the situation, this truth validates the team's strategy.
• Maybe this is a sign that we've reached a critical tipping point or new stage in the public's process of dealing with the Steroid Era. I think the public could very well be so burnt out on the bad news that they just don't care anymore; just like the grief process has stages, maybe the public has gone from anger and/or denial to acceptance, and fans are choosing to move on and focus again on the game itself. Let's face it: no one is shocked anymore about players testing positive for PEDs. And Americans love baseball. There hasn't been a scandal in the game's history that has kept fans away for the long-term. Even nowadays, fans are turning out in record numbers league-wide. It seems the Dodgers have recognized this, and are simply moving on along with their fans. This doesn't mean everyone's ignored what Manny did - they just aren't dwelling on it.

No matter what you think about the right vs. wrong of the situation, Dodger Nation continues to buy into the larger Mannywood concept. And the Dodgers in turn are continuing to feed the beast, using their assets (including Manny) to enable their audiences to buy what they want. After all, that's what successful marketers do, isn't it?

That's all for now. I'm out like the Vancouver Canucks and Atlanta Hawks.

Brett Favre to the Vikings?

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where we always sweep our first round playoff series.

Every hour and day that passes, it seems more and more likely that Brett Favre will become a Viking. I know Favre plays this retirement game every year, and there's absolutely no guarantee of anything, but all signs and logic point to Favre wearing Purple this season. I can't tell you how excited I am about this.

Yes, I am a lifelong, die-hard Viking fan, so adding a first-ballot Hall of Famer (no matter how washed up) to a QB-needy franchise is exciting enough. But I'll take off my helmet, horns, braids and the Moss jersey I bought the day after the 1999 Falcon debacle to tell you why else I think this is a great move for my hometown team:

• Tickets. If you're just joining us, the NFL is big business. And the Vikings, for the first time in a long time, are in serious danger of not selling out every game in the 2009 campaign. Consider that problem solved - and in no time flat - if Favre is signed. Plus, that nice new stadium Viking ownership wants to build might actually stand a chance of getting done if people were more interested in the franchise.
• Television. The Vikings not only would feature the best storyline in the NFL, with Favre returning to the NFC North, but also would feature a roster including Favre, Adrian Peterson, Bernard Berrian, Jared Allen, Antoine Winfield, the Williams Wall, etc. The combination of that much drama and talent adds up to a lot of "featured game" national television time - and more revenue and general interest for the team.
• Talent. Brett Favre, despite his age and all his supposed injury baggage, would go into training camp as the clear starter...he's surely better than Tarvaris and Sage. Favre would no doubt help Tarvaris and Sage develop and learn, no matter what roles they play in the future. And the Vikings would almost assuredly go into the season as the odds-on favorite to win the NFC and play in the Super Bowl.
• Rivalry. The Vikings/Packers is far and away the best rivalry in the Upper Midwest in any sport, and easily one of the best in the NFL. Trash talk flies, practical jokes occur and passions run high all year round. And there are no prouder fans in the NFL than Packer fans. So imagine the best and most revered player in the history of the Packers, a guy who Packer fans absolutely went mental over for so many years, going to their archrival - and then leading them to success. It would be a seminal moment in the long, storied history of this rivalry, and take that passion and excitement to a whole new level. Plus, Packer fans have always seemed to have a good comeback for every brag point or jab that Viking fans throw at them. Favre, to the Vikings? It would be the ultimate all-time zinger to Packer Nation, one for which there can be no comeback. Viking fans are collectively licking their chops right now.

If the Vikings' front office has any sense, they'll sign Favre sooner than later, let their fan base absorb the news and get excited all summer long, let Favre get comfortable on the team and with the offense, and then sit back and watch the wins pile up in the fall. Worst case scenario, the Vikings would be more relevant and fun to watch than ever before. Good times indeed.

I'm out like anyone hitting against Zach Greinke.

Cleaning House

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where we always enter the playoffs playing our best ball of the year.

You may have read that the Minnesota Wild, in the span of a single week, lost their coach and fired their general manager. The beat reporters covering the Timberwolves also believe that the long-suffering Wolves will have a new GM and coach by the time they tip off the 2009-10 season. This is not surprising - of course, both teams have been associated for some time with sustained mediocrity. The Wild haven't been past the first round of the playoffs since 2004 and have botched some personnel decisions, and the Wolves have been even worse to the point that apathy runs rampant through their supposed fan base.

These changes mark seminal moments in the life of both franchises, but to me these decisions go beyond wins and losses. Decisions like these are big risks - it doesn't seem like things could get worse, but wrong hires could send the franchises into absolute disarray on and off the ice/court. But the owners are taking these risks (finally, some would argue) to try to inject life in their fan bases and, even more fundamentally in my opinion, bolster their bottom lines.

Fans in Minnesota seem more forgiving than in other areas of the nation, but they've been growing weary and apathetic lately. They feel their teams underachieve, and that ownership has ignored them and their wishes when making big decisions. Now teams shouldn't automatically do everything fans say they should do, but the lack of success resulting from the decisions that have been made hasn't exactly quieted the doubters. Plus, you don't want to consistently alienate fans to the point where they grow apathetic.

So these moves, to me, are examples of the owners telling fans that they do in fact matter and that they're trying to put a winning product on the ice/court. Sales of just about everything have been down, and buzz/interest around the teams have dropped. When this happens even with the Wild, a very popular team that's sold out every home game it's ever played, that's something definitely worth noting. Changes at the top will give team marketers a powerful new tool with which to reverse these trends: optimism.

Plus, teams need to show they're making an effort to win in order to keep the big checks coming in from sponsors, etc. As I've written before, companies with winning brands want to associate themselves with winning teams, and the closest thing to a winner in Minnesota winter sports this year was the Gopher mens' basketball team. With the Wolves especially, simple supply and demand economics would dictate that the quality of sponsor hasn't necessarily been high lately - and that sponsorships the team does have might not be earning the same dollars that similar deals may be with higher-performing teams in the NBA. It's just good business to make changes that improve your ability to compete and monetize/maximize your assets, and new leadership and resulting sucecss changes the complete landscape from ticket sales to TV contracts to in-venue advertising.

The Wild and Timberwolves, like any other business in these tough economic times, are doing what they feel they need to do to make the most money they can: cleaning house in the front office and injecting buzz/optimism back into their franchises. For the good of the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, I hope it works...oh, and a few more wins wouldn't be too much to ask either, would it?

That's all for now. I'm out like the entire Washington Natinals organization (no, that's not a typo...that's really what their jerseys said. Honest).

It's Opening Day!

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where the Big Ten Conference and its teams always get the respect they so rightly deserve.

Opening Day in Major League Baseball is one of the greatest days on the sports calendar every year. Maybe I feel that way because I grew up playing the game, and I’m a die-hard Twins fan. But on this day, every year, even fans of the Royals and Pirates can realistically dream of a World Series run. They have the same record as everyone else, after all…

On this Opening Day, I’ll be watching two things:

• The Twins (duh!). My local nine seems poised (on paper) to win another division title, as long as they can beat back the injury bug and hit well with RISP like they did last season. The fact that Sports Illustrated picked them to win the AL Central has me a bit worried (that magazine’s curse, especially for NFL teams, is legendary). But, worst case scenario, this has been a fun team to watch pretty much every day because of their lineup, pitching and defense. I expect more of the same this season.
• The economics of the game. This economy has seemingly impacted everyone, unless you’re John Calipari or Manny Ramirez. Will teams – especially the smaller market ones – continue to draw well, or will this be the dreaded sport/season when economics catch up with pro sports leagues? MLB is the first league to start a new season in this recession, yet the Twins have already sold 1.2 million tickets for the 2009 campaign. That’s a strong number of pre-sales, and presumably there will be many more at the gates if the team can make a run. But Minneapolis/St. Paul, like many other markets, has been hit hard – and could still fall harder. Will the Twins be a rallying point for the community, or a luxury area residents can’t afford? And what about teams/markets like Pittsburgh, or Kansas City, or Seattle, or heaven forbid – New York?

It should be another interesting season in MLB. I’ll be tuned in, that’s for sure. My World Series Prediction: Twins over Cubs, in 7 games. And there will be much rejoicing.

And – I haven’t forgotten – my NCAA Title Game Prediction: North Carolina 82, Michigan State 80. Sparty is a heckuva lot better than anyone gives them credit for, and they’re a far better team than the one that played UNC and lost by 35 earlier in the season. Plus, they’re playing at home. But UNC, led by the Chosen One himself Tyler Hansbrough, is the 2008-09 Team of Destiny. The Tar Heels are one game away from another title, and this is exactly the game that Tyler and company deferred their millions to come back to school and win. All season, they’ve wanted it more than any other team in the nation, and they surely have the talent. Don’t expect them to choke now after coming this far.

That’s all for now. I’m out like the Minnesota Wild.

The Resume Cloud - A Simple Tool With Benefits for Candidates and Recruiters

Welcome back to The Sports Ace!

The below post is co-authored with good friend/great PR mind Lauren Fernandez (@CubanaLAF on Twitter). We hope you enjoy it!

Of course, we all know that a resume can make all the difference for a candidate trying to get that first interview for a job they really want. Conversely, it's also an employer's first look at potential candidates they hope to hire and have contribute to the long-term success of their business. From looking at a resume, reviewers can glean an awful lot of information about a candidate's personality - and essentially sum up their "personal brand" and see if that fits with their company. So how can an employer distill all the resumes they receive into usable, comparable information so that they maximize their chances of hiring the right person? And how can candidates make sure they're putting their best foot forward to distinguish themselves from the competition?

How about using a resume cloud?

This is a take on the popular word cloud tools available on the Internet. If you're unfamiliar with them, they are Web sites which take any word processed document and produce a word cloud from it, which is a scrambled mess of keywords that are commonly found in that particular document. The more times the word is used, the bigger it appears in the cloud. This tool is incredibly useful for identifying the words and phrases that you're using most often - and consequently, that stand the best chance of sticking with whoever reads your writing.

Applied to a resume, this word cloud tool could be incredibly useful to employers so that they can see the common words and themes in a candidate's resume. These words/themes are the foundation of the candidates' brand - so they can simply compare that brand to their company's own culture and brand to see if there's a potential match.

Companies are all about their brand, because that is what is being shown to consumers. They need to validate that your mindset and strengths are aligned with their own, because working in the corporate environment means that you are representing not only your own persona, but a company brand as well.

In much the same way, this tool could be incredibly useful to the candidates as well. By running your resume through a word cloud, you could see how you're representing yourself in your resume and what messages you're conveying about who you are. If you like what you see - if the biggest keywords are in alignment with who you are and what you want the employer to see from you, then we think you can submit confidently for that job. On the other hand, if you feel the biggest words do not speak well to who you are and what you want in your next position, then your resume may need some revision.

Word clouds can also be beneficial to the candidate that needs to see what their strengths and weaknesses are – because sometimes they aren’t as apparent to the busy individual who is constantly going. It is also a great way to re-evaluate why you might not have received a call for an interview, especially if you compare the keywords with what are most prominent on the company Web site and news stories about the brand.

It never hurts to pay attention to the exact messages you've sending to those who you may want to work for, and on the employer side, it never hurts to do your due diligence to see whether or not someone will be a good long-term fit with your organization. A resume cloud, we think, could be a very effective tool for both groups. A job opportunity can be viewed as a marriage – both the employer and employee are making a vow to put the brand in the most positive light possible.

Some word cloud Web sites to get you started:

Wordle: http://www.wordle.net/
Tocloud: http://www.tocloud.com/

Thoughts/comments welcome!

Sports Market Audit: Seattle

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where March Madness is back in full force. Oh, how we missed it.

I just had the idea to start using some blog posts to take a look at interesting sports markets around the nation, and the latest news/trends/topics coming from them. For my first Sports Market Audit, I'd like to take a trip to the Pacific Northwest and visit one of my all-time favorite cities: The Emerald City herself, Seattle. As any area regular will tell you, when the sun is out, there are few places more beautiful on earth. But when it rains, well, it's downright gloomy.

To put it nicely, Seattle is in one of those rainy periods when it comes to its sports life. The Sonics packed up and moved. The Washington Huskies suffered through their worst football season in school history last fall (although their mens' basketball team just won the Pac 10 regular season title). The Mariners lost 101 games in 2008, and I'm not convinced the return of Ken Griffey Jr. will lead to better things for the local nine this year. And let's not forget the Seahawks, who fought injuries and finished 4-12 in the worst division in the NFL.

But, for me, here's the real kicker (no pun intended): the Seattle Sounders FC, the city's new MLS (that's Major League Soccer, for the uninitiated TSA readers) franchise, is not just competing well with the Mariners for sponsorships and season ticket sales - they're waxing the floor with them. Check out this interesting piece from the Puget Sound Business Journal.

Hmmm. Now don't get me wrong - I'm not trying to argue that one league or one sport is better than another in this post. But how in the world does an expansion franchise in a fledgling soccer league from a city and surrounding region not exactly known as a soccer hotbed trounce quite possibly the most established player on the scene? Allow me to offer some potential reasons:

• Just win, baby. The Mariners lost 101 games last year. The Sounders didn't lose any. In today's "What have you done for me lately?" world of professional sports, consider this a statement about which team area fans think will compete better in 2009.
• Novelty. They're the new game in town, and people/organizations want to try it on and see how it fits. Nothing wrong with that.
• Winners prefer to associate with other winners. The Seattle area is home to several industry-leading businesses - the short list includes Microsoft, Boeing, Starbucks, etc. They all consider themselves winners in their chosen "game," and they want that hard-earned brand of theirs to align with similar winning brands. At this stage of the game, the Sounders have more of a winning brand than the Mariners.
• Marketing ROI. Fans follow winning teams more than losing ones - ticket sales are higher, mindshare is greater, etc. So naturally a company's marketing investment in two otherwise equal teams generates greater ROI with the one that wins more. Simple as that.
• Urban marketing/branding. This soccer franchise represents a new beginning for the Seattle sports marketplace, which has a bit of a black eye after losing the Sonics to Oklahoma City. Civic, business, community and other leaders in the city and region need the Sounders to succeed in order to prove/reinforce that the Seattle marketplace can continue to be a viable one for sports and broader business in the coming years and decades. They also desperately want to boost civic pride and show people across America that Seattle remains a major player on the national scene. So they've clearly chosen to invest in trying to make their new team a success. It's uncanny sometimes how closely a city's sports teams embody and reflect that city's vibe and brand...so I think you can look at this as a marketing investment by the people and businesses of Seattle in their city's long-term viability and relevance.

So what does this say about the state of sports in Seattle? I can't blame folks there for trying to see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel when it comes to their teams. But I think this shows just how desperate fans there are for a winner and a fresh start - and how badly sponsors and other corporate partners there want to be associated with a winning product. Time will tell whether the Sounders can deliver or not.

I'm out like all those Big East bubble teams from the NCAA tournament.

What's Your Social Media Voice?

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where optimism over our Boys of Summer (Go Twins!) always reigns supreme this time of year. Especially when we sign a Gold-Glove All-Star for a bargain price at the start of camp.

Maybe the most fascinating part of social media for me is the voice that people choose to take with the various interfaces like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. There are so many ways to use these sites, and engage in direct conversations of all types with others. But should people interact differently with each other and show different sides of themselves on the different sites? What are the best practices for how to use each interface? Does it even matter?

It seems that most social media veterans have at some point thought about how they want to use these sites, how they want to represent themselves on each one, etc. Conversely, I find that many social media newbies - and even some veterans - haven't seriously thought about how they come across through the different social media channels. Every Tweet, Facebook wall post, status update, group you join, etc. speaks to who you are and what other people will think of you. Put another way, everything about you in social media speaks to your own personal brand.

So the question then becomes: are you presenting yourself on social media the way that you want, and giving the perception of yourself that you want others to have? Is your online self adding value to the community that you are a part of? What are the potential consequences of how you represent yourself, and are you okay with them?

Personally, I believe in using each site differently. Each one seems to have a different vibe, set of users and reasons for existence. Plus, I have many different roles in life just like anyone else, so I give each of those roles the attention/respect I think they deserve on the site that I think they align with the closest. My Facebook profile is my personal social media tool - for personal connections (friends and family) only. My LinkedIn profile is for my professional life only. And my Twitter, loosely defined, is a strategic combination of the two. Sure, there's plenty of overlap in who I engage with on each site and what we talk about. But those people that I connect with through all three sites could look closely and see a different side of me on each one. The content I post, the conversations I have and the tone I use are different for each site. But I am very careful that everything I do supports who I am, my values/beliefs and how I want others to see me in the online world. It works for me.

If you haven't thought about this, then you probably should. And if you have, well, maybe it's worth doing again. Are you portraying yourself in a way that's true to who you are and what you hope to get out of your investment in social media? If the answer is no, then you probably should make some changes. It could mean editing your profile, or restricting what you Tweet about, engaging more with certain contacts or any number of other things. But give it some serious thought, and I think the process will help you achieve your social media goals.

As always, thoughts/comments are more than welcome. What is your social media voice?

I'm out like scoring in the mens' basketball version of the Big Ten Conference.

Nike: The Sports Marketing Giant Cuts Back?

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where our teams are always locks for the Big Dance...never on the bubble.

News broke today that Nike, a true heavyweight in the sports marketing business, may cut its budget in that area due to economic considerations (link to a story: http://tinyurl.com/dh2zu4 - thanks to Ron Goch - @RonGoch - for Tweeting it over).

The article raises some interesting points, which I'll elaborate on briefly:

--Potential cuts in partnerships with athletes would be made among lower-tier players, preserving relationships and contractual agreements with better-known stars. If you have limited marketing dollars, you have to make sure you get maximum bang for the buck, and a big part of that is sticking with the key assets that got you to where you are in the first place. Bigger names = bigger traffic = bigger return.

--Nike marketing executives, despite their potential reduction in budget, still probably won't be pleased if they see a reduction in results - namely market share and mindshare. And honestly, they shouldn't be. Their internal staff and outside help will be tasked with improving results using cheaper strategies and tactics, and I think the job can be done. Don't be surprised if plenty of social media, YouTube, etc. ideas get the green light.

--The belt-tightening, if it indeed happens, likely will be a healthy process for the company. It's easy to spend money fast, especially in the sports marketing biz. Granted, the circumstances aren't optimal, but it's not a terribly bad thing for them that they have to look at everything they're doing under the microscope and make sure they're getting the most bang for their buck. They'll emerge from the exercise as a stronger company.

It will be an interesting year at Nike headquarters, not only for the belt-tightening that may occur but also for the great ideas and campaigns that would surely follow. They've delivered in the past, and there's no reason to expect any less this year...I, for one, will be watching with interest and seeing what I can learn from them along the way.

I'm out like the SEC in men's college hoops.

Consequences of the Steroid Era

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where the U of Minnesota Marching Band I proudly played in for 4 years finally gets its day in the spotlight...and the USC band takes a back seat.

Unless you've been under a rock, you know by now that Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids a few years ago, according to a report from SI.com. How unfortunate that another of baseball's supposed greats cheated - and countless thousands of kids are crying because their role model couldn't distinguish right from wrong. It makes me absolutely sick.

I think it's about time to start really holding the game's leadership accountable for the Steroid Era, namely commissioner Bud Selig. Sure, people have shown displeasure with his reign, but I don't think he receives the wrath he deserves and has earned. It's any top executive's job to ensure that the product his/her organization provides value for the money consumers spend on it - and does so in a legal, ethical manner. This is even more the case where the product - and the teams and players - are so public. Sure, ticket sales have never been higher, although the recession could change that. But ask anyone 30-50 years from now what they'll remember most about the game from the past decade, and I'm sure their answers will almost universally center on one theme: steroids and cheaters in the game.

And now, with my marketing/PR hat on, the steroid scandal is an absolute branding disaster for the game. Instead of being known as the national pastime, as it has been for generations, baseball is now inherently associated with steroids and cheating. This alone is serious enough, with plenty of implications on the future of the game. But the kicker is that Selig and others in baseball leadership don't seem to be doing much about it. They aren't publicly bashing the cheaters and defending the integrity of the game. They also aren't reaching out any more than normal to fans (namely parents of young kids playing the game) to tout the game's greatness - and to cultivate the next generation of baseball fans, who will be the ones buying the tickets and merchandise a couple of decades from now. To me, these are serious mistakes by the Selig Administration, and they will leave an ugly, lasting stain on the game.

What could they do to improve the situation? Well, for starters, resign and let a new set of leaders reform the game. But since that likely won't happen, I think Selig should come out strong, with his gloves off, and publicly expose any/all cheating in the game and shame/punish the guilty players. Say that there's no room in today's game for cheaters. Establish zero-tolerance policies going forward that strictly police players and ensure the integrity of the game. Convince the players' union that these measures are absolutely necessary and vital to ensure that the game and league still exist a few decades from now. Invest more in existing and new programs to promote the game and teach younger generations to appreciate it. Acknowledge the negative, and reflect upon it, but also highlight the positive and work doggedly to set a new course. And then don't look back.

It's an exercise in good crisis communications. And this is definitely a time of crisis...the future of the game, or at least the version of the game that we all love and grew up with, is at stake.

I'm out like Alex Rodriguez from future consideration for the Hall of Fame.

PR = Sales?

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where we always win at home.

I saw a brilliant blog post today from Lauren Fernandez, a Twitterer I follow from the Dallas area (she's a packer fan, but we won't hold that against her). She makes the argument that there's more sales involved in PR than you'd think at first - and she's absolutely right.

Here's the text of her post (also at http://laurenafernandez.wordpress.com/):

"Most of the PR pros I know turn their nose up at being compared to a sales person - maybe it’s because the stereotype of sales people is that slick, used cars salesman that will tell you anything to buy a car. Isn’t that misconception, though, exactly the type of thing we fight in this field? The stereotype that we are party planners might apply to some, but doesn’t apply to us as a whole.

My dad has been in sales for 25+ years, and I can assure you that I would never make the comparison of some who was a national sales manager in the medical field to a used car salesman.

PR and publicity involves selling, and any salesperson will tell you that you have to analyze your audience before you even begin an approach. Well, I do that when I start a campaign. A sales person has a deep understanding of why people will be receptive to a certain message, or what type of audience they are talking to - it’s an act of persuasion. Don’t we as PR professionals “persuade” the media to run a story through the art of an effective pitch? And then, once the journalist is hooked, the information that we provide the journalist with needs to be enticing to their audience so they are receptive (there is that word again) to the message. Sounds familar…..

Everytime I pick up the phone, I am selling a client to the media - the organization I work for. You can call it pitching all you want, but it is a very similar concept.

A big part of both a PR and salesperson is to figure out who to sell your ideas to: whether its a product, a non-profit, etc. My dad knows just as much about the products he is selling as the doctors do - he actually scrubs in and has to explain to the doctor how to use the equipment. We, as PR professionals, have to know the ins and outs of what we are pitching.

In this field, you HAVE to be personable. In sales, you have to be just as personable, but you have an entertainment budget. So, it might be a different playing field, but you still have to put yourself out there. I’m not sure how many sales people PR pros have talked to, because all the ones I know are friendly, courteous and always hold me rapt with their conversation. They know how to step outside their circle and make contacts with people they might never have talked to before. They know how to build relationships through conversation, even with those that might not be a salesperson. My personality comes directly from two sales people (although my mom quit when I was born) the type that PR pros turn their nose up at. But guess what I am most complimented on? How approachable and personable I am, and how I am not scared to step outside the bubble and ask questions.

So, look in the mirror and you might see the salesperson within."

This is spot on. Comments/thoughts welcome.

I'm out like the Gopher basketball team. I swear they didn't even get off the bus tonight.

A Grand Victory

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where 1-year, $25 million contract offers never happen.

You might have heard, despite the pomp and circumstance of the Super Bowl, that Tennessee women's basketball head coach Pat Summitt is just a single victory away from her 1,000th career win. Her team lost tonight at Oklahoma in her first attempt at the mark, but it's just a matter of time before she hits that incredible milestone.

No matter what you think of Summitt and her coaching ability/style/talent, or whether you love her or hate her, it's time to take a pause and try to fully comprehend the magnitude of what she's about to accomplish. She's the winningest college basketball coach ever, a true trailblazer in the world of women's athletics in America, and she's on the verge of a milestone that has only been dreamed of up until now. The math of how many games you need to win in a season to reach that mark is simply mindboggling, and you don't just need a lot of great players and luck to win that many games. You also need to be able to teach, motivate and relate to players across decades and generations, and to combine superior people skills with a love and deep knowledge of the game. Very rare indeed...unprecedented, actually.

We here at The Sports Ace salute Pat Summitt for her historic accomplishment. May basketball fans everywhere appreciate what she's done for the University of Tennessee and women's sports in general.

I'm out like the NFL season.

Super Bowl Sunday

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where every home (including mine) has Rock Band and Rock Band 2 with unlimited song downloads.

Super Bowl Sunday, the unofficial national holiday itself, is finally upon us. Don't forget, in the midst of the 25,000-calorie snack trays, $3-million 30-second ads and lip-synching musical artists that there actually will be a football game played today. I know, what a concept. According to ESPN, 30 million pounds of chips and 8 million pounds of popcorn will be consumed in America today. Sick (literally).

It took me longer than normal to figure out how I'm going to pick this game. I like both teams and think they both have redeeming qualities. But in the end, it all comes down to Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald. Warner is a likely Hall-of-Famer now that he's led another team to the Big Game, and Twin Cities-raised Fitz is in one heckuva zone. The two of them are the key to Arizona's chances today.

And that just won't matter. Pittsburgh is uniquely qualified to actually get to Kurt Warner, one of the best quick-fire QBs in memory, on the blitz. They are good and fast enough in the defensive backfield to take away the Arizona passing attack, which almost by itself has gotten the Cards to Tampa. And they have a QB and offense that has a knack for getting the job done in big games, no matter what their stats (or lack thereof) might be. The Steelers are the tougher, sharper team, and they will show it today.

The Sports Ace's Super Bowl XLIII Pick: Pittsburgh 27, Arizona 17. The most dominant franchise in NFL history will get one for the second hand. And Mike Tomlin becomes the latest Vikings assistant to win the Lombardi Trophy as a head coach.

I'm out like Cris Carter.

One Nasty Losing Streak

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where the Super Bowl is always played the week after the conference championship games.

One nasty streak has been bothering Minnesota Golden Gopher fans for some time: 20 losses in a row by the mens' basketball team to Illinois. There have been some vicious heartbreakers in that stretch, including a last-second, snatch-defeat-from-the-jaws-of-victory loss in 2002 that kept the Gophers from winning a share of the Big 10 title and clinching an NCAA berth. Ugh.

For perspective, the last time the Gophers beat Illinois...
--Bill Clinton was still our President, and Gore vs. Bush hadn't happened yet.
--The Twin Towers still stood.
--Y2K was a vicious myth and a huge IT consulting boost.
--"...Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears was the #1 song on the pop chart.
--Tiger Woods only had one major tournament win, the 1997 Masters.
--the Denver Broncos had just beaten the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII, a game which Viking fans could barely watch.
--Napster hadn't even been invented.
--Lance Armstrong hadn't yet won a Tour de France.
--"The Matrix," "American Beauty," "The Sixth Sense" and "Fight Club" hadn't yet been released. In the theaters.

Gophers, end this streak. Tonight. Please.

I'm out like Kevin Love from the NBA Rookies game.

Getting that First PR Job - Tips

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where it's always golf season.

Lately I've been seeing a lot of blog posts and Twitter banter about how to land that first PR job. It's tougher than ever nowadays, thanks to the economy. But I think there are still plenty of opportunities out there, and that entry-level folks that position themselves the right way can land well and succeed.

Here are a few tips:

--Network. Meet as many people as you can, and when you meet a pro, get their business card. And then buy them coffee. You get jobs these days by knowing the right person in the right place at the right time, and I don't know anyone that wouldn't sit down with a curious student and answer their questions. The sick thing is that when I've gone to speak at local universities, I bring a tall stack of business cards...and only a handful of students grab one. Immediately those few stand out, and then the ones that actually call me or follow up somehow are the ones I remember.

--Work Hard. This goes without saying, of course. But the early years of your career are the ones in which you will probably work the hardest. You probably don't have a spouse/family yet. So dig in, propose strong value-add ideas, meet as many people as you can and learn something new every day.

--Bring something else to the table other than PR skills. Don't get me wrong - you won't get a job without being able to write, argue, speak, think, etc. But I think some of the best and most valued PR pros are not the ones with a straight PR education and background; they have degrees or work/extra-curricular experience in business, or political science, or journalism, or just about anything else. One of the best ways you can do that is to identify what you know and are passionate about and then look for a job where you can add that unique value to your organization immediately. Chances are you'll be that much happier as well if you're doing the kind of work you're really passionate about.

I could go on a long time, but these are the real keys to me. Reader thoughts/comments/tips are absolutely welcome...drop off a comment. And students, consider this an open invitation to contact me. Email, Twitter at @JasonSprenger, etc. I'd be more than happy to help.

I'm out like Herm Edwards.

How Not to Sell a Stadium to the Public

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where we never lose to an unranked opponent in a Grand Slam tournament.

Of all the angles used by pro sports teams to secure local funding for a new stadium, we here in the Twin Cities are hearing a new one: it's a huge economic stimulus/public works project. Yep, no lie.

You may be aware that the Minnesota Vikings are in a desperate stadium situation. Their lease in the Metrodome ends in a few short years, and they're the NFL team worth the least amount of money - due in large part to their lack of revenue opportunities in their current digs. Current ownership, of course, would love to see that change, and of course, they're not going to shell out all of the money it would take to rectify the situation. So public assistance is needed.

For a few years now, the Vikings and owner Zygi Wilf have attempted to push a stadium bill through the Minnesota Legislature. Unfortunately for them, the state has had other priorities, and now with a $5.2 billion budget deficit, the state is hardly in a financial place where it can contribute a half a billion dollars of public/tax money to such an effort. This is not pleasing to current ownership.

Enter the Vikings' PR/community relations folks. Of course, these are tough economic times. So the Vikings are trying to sell a stadium bill with the angle that it's going to create thousands of local jobs and stimulate the economy, helping our area weather the storm and emerge stronger.

To be honest, this isn't a completely stupid idea...it's timely, and it's somewhat true. But the first time I heard this, I shook my head in disappointment. They've stepped up to the plate with the tried-and-true sales angles several times already, in better economic times, and struck out every time. So this strikes me as a desperate, reaching, last-ditch effort to sell the stadium.

But what really bugs me - personally and professionally - is that this angle is built upon the concept of the terrible economy. It's going to be awful hard for the Vikings to win public support and several hundred million dollars to finance the project when they base their sales pitch on a beast that has caused such negative images and experiences among their fan base and the taxpayers they expect to finance it. By bringing up all that negative, it makes your job to persuade and achieve a positive so much more difficult. Plus, they're walking a very fine line between asking for public money and giving the impression that their financial woes are more important than those of their fans and the taxpayers, at a time when millions of Minnesotans have it much tougher right now than the few folks asking for the assistance. You better believe that the second they encounter resistance to this plan, they'll start complaining/whining about how desperate their situation is and threatening to move the team if they don't get their way. Doing that, I think, would make an awful lot of people very angry, and could quite possibly shut the door altogether on the Vikings and their stadium wishes in Minnesota.

Don't get me wrong - I don't want to see the Vikings leave Minnesota. But I don't believe in these dire straits that the People of Minnesota should have to cough up almost $1 billion scarce and hard-earned tax dollars so a New Jersey-based real estate mogul and his fellow suits can profit from a new stadium and the other commercial developments that would go around it. And I don't see this angle faring any better in the court of public opinion and the Legislature than the tried-and-true methods that landed the Twins a new ballpark, the Gopher football team a new stadium and any other pro team around the nation their new arenas. Instead, I think this angle could very well backfire on the Vikings and seal their fate in this marketplace.

I'm out like Venus Williams and Ana Ivanovic.

Paul Blart: #1

Welcome back to the Sports Ace, where we always make the right predictions (hahahaha...sure). You read it here first: Cards vs Steelers. Woot.

As Ted C Williams so brilliantly noted in his comment to an earlier post, Paul Blart: Mall Cop zoomed to the #1 box office spot this weekend. Could it be that Kevin James' intense Twin Cities swing last week played a major role in spurring the movie to the top? Whether yes or no, here's wondering who the next big name to land in Minneapolis will be. You can't mess with success.

I'm out like the Eagles, Ravens and that referee who ruled that kickoff out of bounds in the Cardinals game (and consequently the rule making that a non-reviewable call). Whew.

Conference Championship Games

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where we play a full 60 minutes every time out and advance no matter what seed we are.

A few angles on today's NFL Championship Sunday that I haven't heard much about this week:

--This has got to be the first time ever that both #6 seeds have advanced to their respective title games. Both Philadelphia and Baltimore deserve huge kudos for that, and they follow in line with the Steelers of a couple of years ago who won it all from the #6 seed. Could you imagine if both win today? Take your seed and throw it out the window, baby. But seriously, there's a reason that more #6 seeds don't go to the Big One: it's one tough road to the top, and I would argue that both Philly and Baltimore have their toughest games yet today.

--Kurt Warner might seriously be a Hall of Famer. He's won his ring(s). He's put up the numbers. He's got the story to go with it all. And this season, he's taken a team that he wasn't at the helm of in September to a place it's never been before. I said before the playoffs that if he takes them to the Promised Land, I think he's a lock. Let's see if he can get it done.

My Picks:
Arizona 35, Philadelphia 24
Yes, I'm siding with the home team. The Cards are red hot, and they're led by the afore-mentioned Kurt Warner and one of the greatest WR teams since the 1998 Vikings. At home, for the right to go someplace the franchise has never been, why not? Story to follow...Donovan McNabb, ostracized by Philly fans, packs up and moves to Minnesota to QB the Vikings. It could happen.

Pittsburgh 10, Baltimore 9
If you're a fan of smash-mouth football, this is your Super Bowl. These teams feature the top two defenses in the NFL, competent offenses, underdog coaches and rabid fans. And - if you forgot - they're archrivals. This one's got the potential to be one of the all-time classics, and it very well could come down to the final seconds.

I'm out like Leslie Frazier from every head coaching competition he's ever been in.

The Twin Cities: Where Movie Stars Go to Promote

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where we always get four "Yes!" ratings from the judges on American Idol.

You may have heard about the new Kevin James movie, where he plays a mall cop. I heard about it, straight from James himself, many times...on my favorite sports talk radio station, on other area radio stations, in the local papers, on local television - even on Fox Sports Net North during halftime of the latest Timberwolves game.

It's been well documented that Hollywood is trying new marketing strategies to sell movie tickets - and meeting moviegoers is one of those concepts. What's surprising to me is how high the Twin Cities area seems to rate on the list of places for stars to spend prime movie promoting time. This area is well known as the place that produced the Coen brothers and the place where Diablo Cody wrote Juno, among other highlights. But in the last month (give or take a few days), two leading men have come to town and done touring junkets hyping their movies within a week of their release. James spent the better part of two days here, and Will Smith toured the Twin Cities in one whirlwind day just before the release of Seven Pounds.

I think it's great that our area is at least a little bit relevant in some Hollywood circles and boardrooms. But these visits have caused me to wonder quite a bit. How does a movie's marketing team decide where to spend its time in advance of its release? And why have they chosen to visit us here in so-called flyover land? Here are some possible ideas I've come up with...bear in mind that I really don't know if these are true or not.

--Are we a relatively tech-savvy population, and we can Twitter and blog our thoughts around the nation?
--Do we house more people in the target demographics for the movies than other cities around the nation?
--Do we have more disposable income here than in other markets around the country?
--Are they coming simply because they've spent very little time and money here over the years, and they see an untapped marketplace?

Hmmm. I'd love to hear your thoughts/comments.

I'm out like the Timberwolves' winning streak.

Online Newsrooms

I'm thinking through a potential online newsroom for my company, so I Google searched for some tips on Do's and Don'ts. Here's the most comprehensive site I found on the topic: http://www.tekgroup.com/marketing/tekmedia_tips2005/.

And if anyone manages or knows of great online newsrooms, I'd love to take a look. Drop me a comment with your URL.

Enjoy!

We Got Jacked

Welcome back to The Sports Ace (sarcastic comments typically kick off these posts. Look for them in the future)...

Welcome to the New and Improved "The Sports Ace." For those who may have found your way here via Twitter or something else, I'm glad you stopped by. Come on back soon.

The Twin Cities radio community got Jacked this afternoon...as in Jack 104.1-FM. For the past few days, we've heard teasers on the station that "the end is coming on Monday at 5 p.m...get ready for our happy ending." The frequency has had a history of format changes and turmoil in the never-ending search for advertising dollars, and the smart money today was on a similar change.

So, like any good radio channel flipper, I tuned in around 4:57 p.m., just in time to catch some of "The Last Song." The perfect send-off, I thought. And then, at 5 p.m., the big voice came on. The verbiage (probably not exactly word for word, but it's close):

"And now, it's time for our happy ending. This is the end..."

a 10-second pause (very Sopranos finale-like)

"...of commercials during your drive home! Beginning today, we're offering one hour commercial-free during your drive home. What...did you think we were changing format or something?"

The local media are in a tizzy, because they also anticipated - and devoted ink to - a format change. I belly laughed for a minute and loved every second of "Viva la Vida," the smash hit from my favorite band, as the station's first song as a...commercial-free one-hour drive-time provider.

This is just the latest example of one of the common denominators of PR, in my estimation. Among the best tools in a PR person's arsenal can be a well-coordinated stunt, and a well-coordinated reveal ranks up there on the stunt list. Already the blogosphere is atwitter (pun intended) over this, and I can't wait to read more in the morning. The buzz the station created for an otherwise relatively minor programming change...wow. I dare you to calculate the ROI on that.

I'm out like both #1 seeds in the NFL playoffs.