March 2013 NFL Concussions II: 2nd Issue

The Business of the Game Monthly Newsletter March 1, 2013:
NFL Concussions II: 2nd Issue

(1st Issue was July, 2012 @www.whitecollarsports.com)

?Say Ow! The tag-line that will define the future of the NFL? ?How can the death of an NLF Great broaden the conversation about safety concerns in football and the need for increased career-education to student-athletes?? I. Who is Junior Seau? Junior Seau was a three-sport star at Oceanside High School in Oceanside, California and was named to Parade Magazine?s prep All-American football team his senior year. He played college football at The University of Southern California (USC) and in his Senior year earned unanimous All-American honors. Seau was then selected by the San Diego Chargers with the 5th pick in the 1st round of the 1990 NFL Draft. He played 13 years for the Chargers, 3 years for the Miami Dolphins, took a brief 4-day retirement, and played 4 more years with the New England Patriots. He earned NFL All-Pro honors 10 times, Pro Bowl selections 12 times and was named to the NFL?s 1990s All-Decade Team during his 20-year career. Seau also recorded 545 tackles, 56.5 sacks, and 18 interceptions.

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April 2013 Amateur Status & Copyright Infringement

The Business of the Game Monthly Newsletter
April 3, 2013

From Boys to Men: Why can?t Desmond Howard benefit from his likeness, whether, Student-Athlete or Professional Anchor? How the NCAA?s labeling of collegiate athletes as ?Amateurs? Obstructs their ability to benefit from the use of their likeness! I. Who is Desmond Howard? Michigan Wolverine great, 1991 Heisman Trophy winner, and Super Bowl XXXI MVP Desmond Howard has enjoyed much good fortune since hanging up his football cleats in 2002. Howard has been a college football analyst on the 3-time Sports Emmy Award-winning ESPN ?College Game Day? show with Host Chris Fowler, and analysts Lee Corso, and Kirk Herbstreit since 2005. Howard was also enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011 and became the first football player in University of Michigan history to receive the designation of ?Michigan Football Legend? in 2011.

 

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May 2013 The Rutgers University Scandal:
Why was the Men’s Basketball Coach fired and why did the Athletic Director Resign

The Business of the Game Monthly Newsletter
May 3, 2013

I. Who is Mike Rice and Tim Pernetti?

Mike Rice is the former men's basketball coach at Robert Morris University and Rutgers University. From 2007 to 2010, he led Robert Morris to an overall 73-31 record, 3 straight Northeast Conference Championships, and their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1992. He did not have the same three year success from 2010 to 2013 at Rutgers compiling an overall record of 111-61, finishing 11th, 12th, and 13th place in Northeast Conference regular season play, and never reaching the NCAA Tournament. Tim Pernetti is the former Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at Rutgers University. He held the position from 2009 until 2013 providing oversight for twenty-four sports programs. Pernetti is largely credited with making the most transformative move in the history of athletics at Rutgers in regards to the work, oversight, execution and announcement of Rutgers agreement to join the prestigious Big Ten Conference which was announced on November 20, 2012

 

 

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June 2013 Is the University of Michigan caught in the Spider’s Web. . . the C-Web?!

The Business of the Game Monthly Newsletter
June 3, 2013

I. Who is Chris Webber?

Chris Webber, also known as “C-Web” is a former NBA, NCAA, and High School basketball star. His NBA career spanned 15 years with the Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Washington Bullets/Wizards and Detroit Pistons. When he entered the NBA Draft in 1993, he became the first college sophomore since fellow Michigan native and NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson to garner the #1 overall pick. Webber went on to win “Rookie Of The Year” honors and was selected to the NBA All-Star Team 5 times.

 

 

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July 2013 PEDs Milk does the Body good?

The Business of the Game Monthly Newsletter
July 1st, 2013

I. What are PEDs?

Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDS) are a variety of substances and schemes that enhance our ability to perform and do work. This includes medications, procedures and even devices that are intended to improve athletic sports performance. Some of these substances are naturally occurring, easily available and completely legal while others are manufactured, illegal, or banned by many sporting organizations. Many athletes, coaches, politicians and fans feel the use of certain substances is unethical in sports. PEDs range from caffeine to the Erythropoietin (EPO), testosterone and other steroids and growth hormones. The most commonly used PEDs are anabolic androgenic steroids, which are known for their ability to build and strengthen muscle as well as reduce body fat. They allow athletes to train harder and longer at any given period. Anabolic steroids come with serious physical side effects as well. Men may develop: prominent breasts, baldness, shrunken testicles, infertility, and

 

 

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Aug 2013 Aaron Hernandez:

From Patriot to Enemy of the State?

The Business of the Game Monthly Newsletter
Aug 1st, 2013

I. Who is Aaron Hernandez?

Aaron Hernandez had a brief three-year career in the NFL as a tight-end for The New England Patriots and made one Pro Bowl appearance at the end of the 2011 season. Prior to being drafted by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft, Hernandez played three years of college football at the University of Florida under coach Urban Meyer, and in his final year as a junior, helped lead the Gators to the 2009 BCS National Championship. Hernandez went on to win the 2009 “John Mackey Award” given annually to the nation's best tight end, after leading the Gators in receptions with 68 for 850 yards and five touchdowns. Also in 2009, he received All-America honors from The Associated Press, College Football News, and The Sporting News. Hernandez played high school football at Bristol Central High School where he won the Connecticut Gatorade Football Player of the year during his senior year in 2007.

 

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Sep 2013 Like a Good Neighbor,

Are Insurance Policies there?

The Business of the Game Monthly Newsletter
Sept 1st, 2013

I. What happened to De’Antre Turman?

De’ Antre Turman, a standout high school football player in Georgia, tragically died after being injured during a scrimmage in late August, 2013. A 16-year-old junior cornerback at Creekside High School in suburban Atlanta, Turman suffered a broken neck and a fractured third cervical vertebra in his upper spinal cord after tackling a receiver during a scrimmage game against Banneker High School. He was considered one of the state’s best prospects as one of 50 in Georgia to have received a scholarship offer. University of Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops believes his staff was the first to offer a scholarship to Turman.

II. Should parents purchase life or disability insurance policies for their kids if they are high school athletes?

 

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Oct 2013

The NFL Concussion Lawsuit Settlement:

The Headache that won’t go away, Part II?

The Business of the Game Monthly Newsletter
Oct 1st, 2013

I. What are the terms of the settlement?

The National Football League (NFL) recently settled a lawsuit brought by NFL Retirees as a result of concussions. The deal calls for the NFL to pay $765 million to fund medical exams, concussion-related compensation, medical research for retired NFL players and their families, and litigation expenses, according to a court document filed in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia.1 The settlement includes a $675 million fund set up to compensate former players and families of deceased players who have suffered cognitive brain injury, including the families of players who committed suicide after suffering from a brain condition called CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy); a maximum of $75 million for retired players' medical exams, which could be used to diagnose future neurodegenerative disease; and $10 million devoted to research and education.

The rest of the settlement would be devoted to legal fees and the cost of administering funds to plaintiffs.4 These funds will be paid out over 20 years with half of the total being paid out within the first three years and the rest over the next 17 years.56 Individual awards would be capped at $5 million for men with a motor neuron disease called ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or “Lou Gherig’s disease”),

 

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Nov 2013 Condoleezza Rice:
From The White House to College Football,

The Business of the Game Monthly Newsletter
Nov 1st, 2013

I. Who is Condoleezza Rice?

Rice served as the 66th Secretary of State of the United States (2005 - 2009) becoming the 2nd woman and first African-American to hold the post. Rice also served as President George W. Bush’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (National Security Advisor, 2001-2005), the first woman to hold the position. From 1993-1999 Rice served as Stanford University’s Provost, during which she was the institution's chief budget and academic officer. Rice is currently a Professor of Political Economy in the Graduate School of Business; the Thomas and Barbara Stephenson Senior Fellow on Public Policy at the Hoover Institution; and a Professor of Political Science at Stanford University. Rice is a founding partner of RiceHadleyGates , an international strategic consulting firm based in Silicon Valley and Washington, DC. Rice also serves as a member on numerous boards including the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.6 Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Rice earned her Bachelor's degree in political science, cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Denver; her Master's from the University of Notre Dame; and her Ph.D. from the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver.

II. What is the College Football Playoff Selection Committee?

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Dec 31st, 2013 – Christmas Edition

Bullying: The NFL’s latest headache ,

The Business of the Game Monthly Newsletter
Dec 31st, 2013

I. Who are Johnathan Martin and Richie Incognito?

Martin and Incognito are NFL players and teammates on temporary leave from the Miami Dolphins. Both are offensive lineman: Martin a 6 foot 5, 312-pound left tackle; and Incognito, a 6 foot 3, 315-pound left guard. Martin is a 2nd year pro whom was selected in the 2nd round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Dolphins, and Incognito is a 9-year veteran whom was selected in the 3rd round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams where he spent 5 seasons. Incognito played 3 games in 2009 for the Buffalo Bills before signing with the Dolphins in 2010. Martin, the son of Harvard graduates and raised on classic literature and classical music, played his college football at Stanford University where he was a Greek and Roman classics major.

II. Why are the two on leave from the Dolphins?

 

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Jan 2014 Winning the Heisman Trophy:

Yet, losing the Ethics and Law Battle?

The Business of the Game Monthly Newsletter
Jan 15th, 2014

I. 2013 Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston

James Winston, a redshirt freshman, doubles as a quarterback and outfielder/relief pitcher for the Florida State Seminoles. He became the 2nd freshman and youngest winner of the Heisman Trophy On December 14, 2013, and he is only nineteen (19) years old. Winston set an Atlantic Coast Conference record of passing for 3,820 yards and 38 touchdowns, and led Florida State to a 13-0 regular season record. Winston and his #1 ranked Seminoles will take on the #2 ranked Auburn Tigers in college football’s 2014 BCS National Championship game on Jan. 6.

Winston was accused of rape by a Florida State University student at an off campus apartment on Dec. 7, 2012

 

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Feb 2014 NFL Concussions, Issue #4:

The Judge that wouldn’t be!

The Business of the Game Monthly Newsletter
Feb 6th, 2014

I. U.S. District Judge rejects the NFL Concussion Settlement

The National Football League (NFL) arrived at an agreement in principle in with Plaintiff’s Attorneys wherein the Plaintiff’s are NFL Retirees as a result of concussions. The deal calls for the NFL to pay $765 Million to fund medical exams, concussion related compensation, medical research for retired NFL Players and their families, and litigation expenses, according to a court document filed in the U.S. District Court in Philadelphia. This was a landmark Settlement as the NFL had previously denied any and all liability regarding the Plaintiffs’, NFL Retirees, claims. Judge Anita B. Brody of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania rejected the proposed settlement because the league and the Plaintiff’s lawyers had not produced enough evidence to convince her that $765 million would cover the potential costs for 18,000 retirees over the 65-year life of the agreement.

 

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Mar 2014 Family Feud: Will Collegiate Athletes in the United States be unionized? Survey Says?!

The Business of the Game Monthly Newsletter
March 4th, 2014

I. What is at stake?

The National Collegiate Athletic Association(NCAA) has designated college players as student athletes since 1953. This is the pivotal term being fought over as Northwestern University Student-Athletes filed an application with the National Labor Relations Board requesting recognition of the athletes as a Union. The NCAA uses the term “student-athlete” to avoid the legal responsibilities associated with the term “Employee.” To this end, there are a growing number of groups such as Interns that worked on the cinematic production Black Swan pursuing actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act arguing the term “employee” includes interns. To be sure, the Northwestern University Student-Athletes, calling themselves College Athletes Players Association (CAPA), also implicates the NCAA designation, “student-athlete” which prevents the athletes from, both, being paid as “employees”, and from seeking the ability to negotiate over issues like sports-related medical expenses. Notably, the ability to negotiate over these terms are typically, in the labor law sector, deemed to be “terms and conditions of employment.” However, if the collegiate athletes are not deemed to be employees, how will courts leap the legal obstacle and definition of employee, to allow them to enjoy a right of employees, which is to unionize for purposes of negotiating the “terms and conditions of employment”.

 

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Apr 2014 The Common Core Standards:

How Sports Business education can lead the way!

The Business of the Game Monthly Newsletter
April 1st, 2014

I. What is Common Core?

The Common Core State Standards Initiative is an education initiative in the United States that details what K-12 students should know in English language arts and mathematics at the end of each grade. The initiative is sponsored by the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and seeks to establish consistent education standards across the states as well as ensure that students graduating from high school are prepared to enter credit-bearing courses at two- or four-year college programs or enter the workforce. Here are the specific Standards for English and Math:

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May 2014 Donald Sterling’s racist comments and the NBA’s Response:

Where do we go from here?

The Business of the Game Monthly Newsletter
May 12th, 2014

I. Who is Donald Sterling and what did he do?

Donald Sterling is the Owner of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers. He earned his fortune practicing law and in the real estate business. He and his wife, bought the Los Angeles Clippers, then, the San Diego Clippers, in 1981. Donald Sterling and his wife are currently going through a divorce which makes this story even more interesting since it involves a girlfriend. Donald Sterling’s net worth is $1.9 Billion Dollars. He started making money in 1961 as he was making his career as a divorce and personal injury attorney. He began by purchasing a 26-unit apartment building in Beverly Hills and then he purchased the Clippers in 1981 for $12.5 million. As of 2014, the team is worth $700 million. However, Sterling’s tenure as the owner of the L.A. Clippers has not lacked controversy.

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June 2014 Why we can wait: The NBA’s fumbling of racial discriminatory behavior by Owners:

Where do we go from here?

The Business of the Game Monthly Newsletter
June 2014

I. Why we can’t wait(By Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.)

The great manifesto Why we can’t Wait was written by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a monumental Civil Rights Activist of the 1950’s and 1060’s. The book was written about the nonviolent movement against racial segregation. Dr. King used his Letter from the Birmingham Jail as the impetus for the Book to encourage Negro Americans during the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation. The book focused on the United States government providing full and equal rights to African-Americans.

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July 2014 Why we can’t wait (By Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.)

The Business of the Game Monthly Newsletter
July 2014

Why we can wait: The NBA’s fumbling of racial discriminatory behavior by Owners

The great manifesto Why we can’t Wait was written by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a monumental Civil Rights Activist of the 1950’s and 1060’s. The book was written about the nonviolent movement against racial segregation. Dr. King used his Letter from the Birmingham Jail as the impetus for the Book to encourage Negro Americans during the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation. The book focused on the United States government providing full and equal rights to African-Americans.

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Aug 2014 The O’Bannon vs. NCAA trial

The Business of the Game Monthly Newsletter
Aug 2014

I. The O’Bannon vs. NCAA trial What is the status of the Trial?

We first analyzed the O’Bannon v. NCAA lawsuit in the Monthly Newsletter (April 2013), it had not yet gone to trial. Now, Thirteen months later, the case went to trial on June 9 at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The trial concluded on June 27th after fifteen (15) days of testimony and U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken is expected to have a ruling by mid-August. No matter which side wins, the loser will appeal to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals – a process that could take at least a year. After that, an attempt to get the U.S. Supreme Court to take the case is possible, if not likely. Yet, it is far from certain the high court would choose to hear it.

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Sept 2014 What is the LeBron James brand and can it change how small markets are viewed in the NBA?

The Business of the Game Monthly Newsletter
Sept 2014

I. What is a brand anyway?

Jerry McLaughlin of Forbes magazine states that “brand” is one of those words that is widely used but unevenly understood. A brand is the idea or image of a specific product or service that consumers connect with, by identifying the name, logo, slogan, or design of the company who owns the idea or image. Put simply, your brand is what your prospect thinks of when he or she hears your brand name and exists only in someone’s mind. “Building a brand,” or “branding” is when that idea or image is marketed so that it is recognizable by more and more people, and identified with a certain service or product when there are many other companies offering the same service or product.

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Oct 2014 “How Student-Athletes and Parents can learn from the Ray Rice debacle”

The Business of the Game Monthly Newsletter
Oct 2014

I. The Truth!!!!!

In the 1992 Film “A Few Good Men”, there is a scene wherein Tom Cruise, playing a JAG Attorney , questions Jack Nicholson, whom played Colonel Jessep, directly inquisitions him, “I want the truth!!! Colonel Jessep responds by yelling, “YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH.” Now, in our WhiteCollarSports.com imagination, many of us may be able to imagine Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner, giving the same response when asked about whether he, or any NFL Employee, saw the elevator video footage of Ray Rice striking his fiancé before the recent TMZ disclosure of the video.

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Feb 2015 “Don’t Drop the Ball. . . Use your Head!” Why High School and NCAA Football programs must follow A Concussion Protocol

The Business of the Game Monthly Newsletter
Feb 2015

I. U of M Football staff drops the ball

The Michigan Wolverines lack of communication on the sideline led to the mishandling of a head injury to quarterback Shane Morris early in the 4th quarter of a September 27th contest between the Wolverines and the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Morris suffered a concussion to go with a high ankle sprain. According to NCAA policy, a player must be removed from the game immediately if he shows any sign of a concussion. But Michigan head football coach Brady Hoke has maintained that he, other coaches and medical personnel did not see the incident occur in real time.

University of Michigan Athletic Director Dave Brandon issued a statement after the game, “Unfortunately, this confusion created a circumstance that was not in the best interest of one of our student-athletes. I sincerely apologize for the mistakes that were made. We have to learn from this situation, and moving forward, we will make important changes so we can fully live up to our shared goal of putting student-athletes safety first.”

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Mar 2015 “High Schools and Sports Business Programming: The New Frontier

The Business of the Game Monthly Newsletter
Mar 2015

I. Are there any high schools in the U.S. that offer a sports business curriculum?

The State of Michigan Department of Education does not have a sanctioned sports business curriculum for high schools. Furthermore, WhiteCollarSports.com has only identified one high school in the U.S. that offers a sports business curriculum. The Boss Business of Sports School in New York City prepares students with a rigorous and relevant program of studies that build business management and administration competencies within a core academic curriculum related to the sports and entertainment industry.

The Boss Business of Sports School is not a prep school or private school, but it is a sign that sports can do well as an education platform. Students have opportunities for real-world learning in the sports and business community through internships, job shadowing, and career days with numerous businesses. In a time where we question the value of sports in higher education, the BOSS school, at the high school level, has absorbed its challenges and questions and used sports business, not athletics, as a vehicle for success.

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