Pretty Boy

     It's no secret athletes usually give each other lavish gifts with their big-time contracts.  Athletes have been known to give cars, expensive dinners, jewelry, and more as presents.  A highly noted event of this is when Brian McRae leased pitcher Frank Castillo a convertible Mercedes-Benz after he knocked one out of the park during batting practice at Wrigley Field.  However, this gift might be the first of it's kind.
    Jonathon Niese admitted upon arriving to spring training that he received a nose job over the offseason.  Wait... it gets even better.  The whole thing started off as a joke once former teammate Carlos Beltran said he would pay for Niese to get a new nose.  The original motivation was aesthetics, however, Niese got the best of this fun.  Beltran promised to pay for the surgery before he was traded last July to the San Francisco Giants.  According to Niese, Beltran has not covered the tab, but he doesn't care if he pays for it.  The new nose has made it easier for Niese to breathe during workouts, but he is not sure how it will effect him on the mound.
    Beltran signed a two year deal this offseason witht he St. Louis Cardinals and will be making approximately $13 million this year.  Niese is one year from arbitration and earned $452,000 last year.  It would look bad upon Beltran not to carry out his promise, but at least Niese will be a more handsome stud on the mound.  Maybe we'll see more fashion-esque fun in sport.  Any ideas about the Edmonton Oilers Taylor Hall?

Jon Niese (AD/Adam Rubin)

Taylor "Frankenstein" Hall

Sports in Images - 1

I wanted to make a series of posts that depict sport in images.  Good times, bad times, bloopers, amazing plays, etc...  Here's my first one, enjoy! (If the animation doesn't work on click on the image.  Some images are not animated).

Fishing in Australia

I first discovered this back when C.C. signed with NYY

Boston Bruins Stanley Cup party tab

 

 

Mascot fail

First Ever Fantasy Sport Awards?

  
     One of the biggest growing trends in sport of my time has been Fantasy Sports.  Men everywhere obsess over it.  Friends join leagues where winners take home money/trophies, bragging rights, or simple friendly bets.  TV shows have even been created in honor of fantasy football.  The show The League is about a group of friends who play in a fantasy football league in order to win the "Shiva-bowl" and take home the "Shiva" trophy.  With the grammys that have just passed by and the Oscars on the way, there is no doubt that it's an award season.  SiriusXM's Fantasy Sports Radio (XM channel 87, Sirius 210) is attempting the first fantasy sports awards (at least the first I have heard of *shurgs*) called The Fantasies.  I would think this idea would have been thought of 2-3 years ago at least.
     The awards will air on SiriusXM's Fantasy Sports Radio (XM channel 87, Sirius 210) on February 23, 2012 at 8:00pm EST.  Unfortunately, I discovered about this rather late.  The polls are closed so no one can vote anymore nor see the who is competing for each award, but I can list the awards being given this year.  The official website features 14 awards (and another blog gives some of the players up for baseball awards):

• Fantasy Football Stud – for the best fantasy football player in 2011
• Bell Cow - for the best running back in fantasy football in 2011
• Mr. Fantasy Baseball – for the best player in fantasy baseball right now
• Albert Pujols 
• Matt Kemp 
• Miguel Cabrera
• 1st Star – for the best player in fantasy hockey right now
• The Bernie Madoff Award – for the biggest fantasy football “steal” on draft day or free agency in 2011
• The Jerry Rice Award - for the best wide receiver in fantasy football in 2011
• Fantasy Ace – for the best pitcher in fantasy baseball right now
• Justin Verlander 
• Clayton Kershaw 
• Roy Halladay 
• Hoops Hero – for the best player in fantasy basketball right now  
• Big Man on Campus – for the best player in college fantasy football in 2011
• Hot Wheel – for the driver most likely to finish the 2012 fantasy NASCAR season with the most points
• Alley Oop – for the fantasy basketball player whose value will rise the most in 2012
• Back on the Bandwagon – for the fantasy baseball player expected to be the most improved in 2012
• Hanley Ramirez 
• Carl Crawford 
• Adam Dunn
• Worst screwing – to the player who caused the most frustration in fantasy football in 2011
• Gunslinger – for the best quarterback in fantasy football in 2011

     Of those listed, let me talk about who will win.  Miguel Cabrera will win Mr. Fantasy Baseball.  He plays in the American League, he is very consistent, and he is not limited to first base (third base eligible).  Justin Verlander will win the Fantasy Ace.  This stud's mug is on the MLB 2K12 video game cover and he is the American League MVP and Cy Young Award winner.  Carl Crawford is most likely to win the Back on the Bandwagon award because the club he plays for gives him the best to chance to likely put up better numbers than the others nominees.

     I can't wait to see who wins, especially my favorite, 1st Star - the player best in hockey fantasy right now.  However, I feel there needs to be more diverse categories and awards in each sport for athletes to win.

Long Lost Twins?

Is Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) from the office secretly related to the Manning brothers?  Decide for yourself.

Leagues Toughest Guy (NHL)

     When it comes to hockey, many fans associate the word tough with the Boston Bruins.  It's no secret that the Bruins play hard, rough, and defend for each other.  You can say their motto is rough and tough, at least their attitude and mentality show it.  This past Sunday Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic was highlighted above the team as the league's toughest player.  NHLPA polls show 20% of players around the league voted for him.  Before Sunday's game versus the Minnesota Wild, Lucic commented on his award, "It's good to heart that... It's an honor to be recognized by the people around the league as being a tough player.  For myself, you take a lot of pride in that just because in the way I play and have to keep that up" (Gulizia, p.1).

Lucic pumps up crowds after fighting

     In 56 games this season for the B's, Lucic has netted 20 goals (tied for team first with youngster Tyler Seguin) and tallied 22 assists for a total of 42 points.  Lucic is ranked second in the club for most penalty minutes.  Many compare Lucic to Cam Neely.  Both play similarly.  Lucic hustles hard, he can play the body, skate well, and bang the puck into the back of the net.  He's the real deal when it comes to a grinder who can score.  Oh yeah, and he's not afraid to drop the gloves, but it takes two to tango.  Forward Chris Kelly complimented Milan Lucic pointing out what's unique about his teammate, "I don’t think there’s too many guys that can skate like he does, score like he does and fights like he does... He fights all the tough guys - he does it all" (Gulizia, p. 1). 

Lucic lands a left jab

     Lucic commented the tough mentality is a team effort and he is happy to be individually recognized on behalf of the team.  Among Lucic, other Bruins won awards.  Patrice Bergeron won most underrated player award.  For this first time since "The Comeback Kid's" concussion in the 2007-2008 season, hockey fans are seeing signs of the old Bergeron who was scoring 70+ points a season.  Bergeron has made a successful recovery and still has the chance to be the superstar he can be.  Defenseman and Captain Zdeno "Big Z" Chara was also recognized as the league's hardest defenseman to play against and for having the hardest shot.  Be sure to watch the former Stanley Cup champions as they finish off their six game road trip this week. 

Wednesday, Feb. 22 vs St. Louis Blues - 8:00pm [NESN(HD)]
Friday, Feb. 24 vs Buffalo Sabres - 7:30pm [NESN(HD)]
Saturday, Feb. 25 vs Ottawa Senators - 7:00pm [CBC, NESN(HD), & RDS(HD)]

Oh, for those who haven't seen how these bo$$e$ roll.  Stanley Cup tab.

Pawngo Stunt Angers Boston Sports Fans

     I know this happened awhile ago and this post is late, but I wanted to write about this.  A Denver based company, Pawngo, dumped approximately 8,000 Butterfinger candy bars (the number varies in many articles.  Some say how many pounds.) in Copley Square of Boston, MA the Tuesday following the Superbowl.  The company also included a sign that read "Thank You Wes Welker - Pawngo".  The sign included the company's logo as well.  The meaning most Boston sports fans got from this stunt was that Pawngo was making fun of Wes Welker for dropping the ball in the Superbowl.  Pawngo was indirectly saying that Wes Welker has "butter fingers".  Whether or not the stunt was just fun and games, it still appears Broncos fans are still sour from being knocked out of the playoffs by the New England Patriots.  Sports are very popular in Boston and the stunt Pawngo executed "badmouthed" one of the city's favorite teams.  Sports are infused in Boston's society.  Many Bostonians know about sport whether they like they actively follow sports or just small talk to chat amongst coworkers.  The stunt angered Boston so much that Pawngo's CEO, Todd Hills, officially released this apology.
     Perhaps this stunt will gain the support of many sports fans who hate Boston.  Many people dislike Boston sports and would support those who mock Boston's teams.  The stunt can be seen as classless, but it could be positive exposure for the new company in the sports world.  As if the outcome of the game was not enough punishment for diehard Boston fans.  What does everyone think?  Was this stunt a good business move for Pawngo or not?

SI Struggles - New Swimsuit Issue to be a Step in the Right Direction

     When it comes to men, sports and women are the cream of the crop.  However, since 2009 Sports Illustrated has been in a slump, but estimates an 8% increase in advertising revenue.  Sports Illustrated did not release a specific number of dollars that 8% represents, but does expect a better outcome for this year's swimsuit issue.  The content for this issue goes far beyond the printed magazine and can be found on many platforms.  The best part is the content on different platforms is not necessarily the same.  SI Swimsuit Edition of 2012 will branch to SI.com content, media for iPhones, iPads, Android, Nook, & Kindle.  VH1 also made a special program to honor the swimsuit edition and DirectTV has joined with SI to create an app allowing smartphone users to scan "digital watermarks" in the print magazine to unlock additional content else-wise unavailable to others.  This year's issue will include athletes again.  Digital media will have pictures of models that give the reader a 360 degree view.  When clicking on the pictures, it will seem like the model is spinning, giving it a video-like feel.  Any online media (including phones and tablets) will feature links to the models' Twitter pages so readers can follow the models online.  With all the different platforms, the swimsuit issue will reach 65 million readers. 
     The breakdown for the location of advertising revenues are as follows:
- Print: 55%
- Online media: 31%
- Experimental/Event marketing: 10%
- Smartphones & Tablets: 5%
These numbers make sense, but I would think that online media would be closer to the print media.  This year's issue has 211 pages of which 82 are ad pages.  In 2011 there were 86 ad pages and 77 in 2011.  Perhaps the 9 page ad gap from 2010 to 2011 played a strong role in generating smaller revenues than previous years.  An interesting stat to pay attention to is that 38% of the readers for the swimsuit issue are women.  This number is a lot higher than people would think.  There are many typical ads people may think are for men.  Companies advertising in this year's issue include Kru82 vodka, Gillete, Lexus, and the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority.  Take note that Gillette is targeting women for its Venus line of razors.  It may be beneficial to advertise certain products for women in the swimsuit, but research must be conducted to see women's perception of the magazine.  If women do not feel pretty while reading the issue, maybe it would be a good idea to advertise cosmetic products. 
     Last years smartphone and tablet technology was made in haste and this year looks to be much better.  The Creative Director of Sports Illustrated, Chris Hercik, said, "This was really the first time where we had an entire year to completely build out the product and make it deeper, smoother and much more interactive"  (Sport Business Journal, Fisher).

9-Year Old Twins Banned From Youth Hockey

     Austin Foglietta scored his 200th goal and had asked to keep the puck.  You would think harmless, right?  Apparently not, according to his parents and a few others.  It is said his coach had freaked out, yelled, and threw a bag of pucks in his reaction to the incident.  The coach, Bill Norcross, and his followers deny the accusations.  He claims the story has been fabricated, but why would the Foglietta's file an official complaint with Lynn Youth Hockey?  Norcross says the Foglietta's mother has tried to run the team herself.  He has shown emails requesting that her son play defense.  Norcross' response in short: why put him there if it doesn't benefit the team?  Why is this the coach's philosophy when he says he was upset about Austin asking for the puck because he values team play.  1)  Team play can still be valued and respected alongside personal merit & 2)  How is playing players only where it makes the team most likely to win a team-like atmosphere in youth sport?
      Either way, Lynn Youth Hockey League said the Foglietta's and the league should end their relationship and kicked Austin and his twin brother William off the team.  The two 9-year old twins could not practice or play games with their teams.  Norcross' attorny, Kevin Foley, believes Holly Foglietta is making up a story and being persistent about it.  However certain laws show the twins should have been able to play up to the date of their hearing.  Needless to say the story of the event has many shifting details and the Lynn Youth Hockey League's reaction to the situation seems poor, unprofessional, and ridiculous.  It was only a filed complaint.  So what if Mrs. Foglietta called it nearly "child-abuse".  Is the reaction hinting maybe their is something being covered up?  It was quite a harsh punishment for asking to keep a puck to remember your 200th goal WHEN YOU ARE NINE YEARS OLD.  Check out the story for yourselves at The Daily Item.

Austin and William with Lord Stanley

People Have a lot to Say

And people can talk all the smack they want about the Superbowl, about Tom Brady (can't throw and catch a ball by himself), and Boston sports.  I have lived in a great time.  I've seen all four major teams win championships.  Who else has in their lifetime?  I laugh when NY wants to bring up the beef.  A review of the last decade...

Yes, I found this pic on Barstool.

Cats365

     What a genius idea.  What other franchise in the NBA comes up with an amazing ticket seasons renewal plan other than the Charlotte Bobcats.  Absurd, right?  The thought of this club creating a plan of solid gold is like imagining Dikembe Mutombo sinking a bucket from half court... with his eyes closed (however, no problem for MJ... from the free throw line).  The team currently only has a current attendance of 16,982 fans per game.  Rather embarrassing due to the league's average attendance is 17,105 fans per game, but maybe this new plan will help this struggling franchise.  I mean it should.  The new plan seeks to connect fans to the organization in a deeper sense.  It reaches out to their personal interests outside of the sport, giving the season ticket more value than ever before.  Many teams suffering this season are expected to follow in the paw prints of the Bobcats.  The team announced its program during the last sales and marketing meeting.  Will other clubs be able to catch onto the 'Cats tail?
     The Bobcats have split the type of lifestyle activities into several categories including "out-on-the-town", "athletic focus", "family time", "community involvement", and "business networking".  The catch to this program is that only season ticket holders renewing their tickets will have access to the new Cats365 program.  It's all inclusive because the price for these events are included in the season ticket price.  There are an estimated 60 non-game activities to be included in this package.  Activities include bowling nights, golf outings, UFC Fight Nights, movies at the arena, sport lessons, business networking opportunities, community service/volunteer events, and more.  The new program should give fans a better sense of belonging and will feel a stronger connection to the Bobcats organization.  Currently the 'Cats have approximately an 80% renewal rate which is quite high for an organization that had a record of 3-22 as of February 9th.
    Despite the poor performance by the Bobcats this season, fans should be open to forgiving their team due to the shortened and oddly shaped season almost taken away by a lockout.  Cats365 truly has new ideas that will attract fans once innovated into their current system.   I believe other leagues will adopt this policy as well, not just other NBA franchises.  I also believe including something about food will increase the value of season tickets.  Some franchises have "All-you-can-eat" tickets, where the price of the food is already in the ticket price.  However, this would most likely drastically kill concession's numbers.  What does everyone think?

Logo from the official Bobcats' website

 

 &

Owned.