Jason Peck is one of the O.G. bloggers who covered sports and social media.  Anything athletes, teams, sports professionals and other sports organizations were doing online, Jason was covering.  He is someone who inspired me to share my own thoughts about a growing passion of mine over the last year.  And a few of his articles gave me the moxie and drive to create SportsNetworker, which leads you here today as a part of this growing sports community.

Even though Jason didn’t come hear me speak about LinkedIn viral marketing at blogworld (I won’t hold it against him, lol) I thought it would be a great opportunity to show my appreciation for his pioneering efforts in this space with a video interview.  Watch below to hear why Jason started blogging on sports and social media, what it has done for his personal brand, and where the industry is headed in the future.  Make sure to check him out on Twitter as well, as he constantly shares killer content.

Sports and Social Media with Jason Peck is a post from: Lewis Howes

(This is another funny guest post by The Virtual Biographer™, Brad Williamson.)

Let’s look back – ooooooooooh – 20 years ago when I was a fresh-faced nine year old cutie patootie…

I liked:

• Duck Hunt
• New Kids On The Block
• Yoo-Hoo
• Girbaud

And most of all…

• Nolan Ryan

That dude was my personal Jesus.  On the mound at the old Arlington Stadium, he’d wind-up and knee himself in the nose one hundred times a night (damn, he had a high leg-kick!) in an effort to make my nine year old mind ooze with amazement.  And at the end of each game – which inevitably produced some sort of record-breaking moment – I’d be left with a heart that was hungry for more of his heat; but, unfortunately, I had nowhere to turn for additional insight into the life of my favorite living legend.  So instead of firing up a pubecent Prodigy Online, I’d reach for my “Nolan Ryan – Throwing Heat” book or my “Nolan Ryan – Feel The Heat” VHS.  After all, that’s all I had to enjoy when I needed a ‘lil more of The Ryan Express in my life.  Blogs weren’t born yet and Twitter was still a lame application awaiting its debut into the mindless mainstream.

Between starts, I needed me some more Nolan, but where was I to go to find my fix?

Today, there are digital ways for giddy kids, or giddy grown-ups, to gain additional insight into the lives of those they have man-love towards.  Sure, there’s a googillion sports sites out there that deliver an incredible amount of insight about player’s performances, but none of them provide content about what fans really want: details into their days as a person who’s living the dream of being idolized as a sports star.

How can this be?  How can we have an Internet that’s full of both brilliance and idiocy not have much Soulful content from public figures about the lives they lead?  Sure, they’re busy being bad asses, but would it really be that much of a burden for them to reach out to their fans and fancy them with a little Web-love every once in a while?

I know that back in ‘89, if Nolan was on the Net, I’d gladly wait the ten minutes it would take to load a single page of his blog, because I was fanatical about the guy.  Now, in ‘09, I can instantly load 73 tabs of individual athlete blogs and be in hero-heaven for hours on end, gaining insight into the lives I love to live vicariously through.

…Actually, scratch that. Because, now that I really think about it, I can’t do that AT ALL.

I’m not aware of any personal blogs by athletes that are worth following on a daily basis.  And, in my personal opinion, that’s just pathetic and lazy.  There are millions of nine year olds out there who so desperately want a role model in the world of sports to look up to, but, for some crazy reason I can’t begin to comprehend, they can’t be found on the Net, because taking fifteen minutes to satisfy an impressionable youngster’s hunger for insight into an idol’s life is just too much to ask from someone who plays a child’s game for only a few hours a night.

I’m sorry to sound so irritated by the lack of communication between athletes and their fans, but it just irks me that there are thousands of highly paid professional athletes out there who are only taking care of half the responsibilities they have as a potentially influential public figure.

Click here to stalk Brad Williamson on the Cyberscapes!

Like this article?  Read Brad’s last article: Athlete Twitterers are Inconsiderate Social Media Amateurs

How Athletes are Emotionally Abusing Children is a post from: Lewis Howes

There’s two co-workers in my office who love soccer. “That’s cute,” I like to tell them and accuse them of being unpatriotic for not liking football or America’s pastime more. But that poses the question. What if you’re trying to market soccer in America? Hockey in Texas? The WBNA anywhere?

Educate People About the Game

Fans often don’t appreciate what they don’t understand, and while most of us play soccer when we’re younger (Our Dad’s just sign us up so they can stare at the soccer mom’s when our mom’s aren’t looking?) we often quit before high school and play the sports all our friends are playing.

Casual sports fans probably like wheeling bicycle kicks, headers, penalty kicks and other exciting shots, but could careless during the other hour and twenty minutes that ‘nothing is going on.’ It’s because they don’t understand the nuances of the game. If someone can’t tell the difference in Lionel Messi and Charlie Davies that means they ‘don’t get it.’

Not understanding the nuances of the game usually equates to not being able to appreciate anything aside from the goals. People in Michigan and Minnesota like hockey because they grew up playing it, but in Texas, they group up playing football. There’s no reason Texan’s should like hockey except that they haven’t been exposed to it the same way people from the north have.

Use time outs (maybe flops in soccer?) to explain basic rules, host online campaigns on the US Men’s soccer page showing good non-scoring plays (and explaining why they’re good.) If a fan understands what he’s watching he’s more prone to enjoying it.

Provide Access to the Personalities

The NBA is exceptional and marketing individual players so it’s probably no coincidence they’ve been the quickest league in adopting social media. Lewis wrote a great post (please hyperlink the one I’m talking about ☺ and alter this sentence appropriately) about some of the things he’d do if he were still playing today to increase visibility.

Have players to post game interviews that are live on Ustream (instead of hours later on sports center or a sound byte in the news paper the next morning). Have players answer 2 questions each on a platforms such as Twitter or Facebook. Host tweet-ups with your athletes and fans that bought special packages, etc.

The bottom line is that if fans aren’t a huge fan of the sport it doesn’t mean that they won’t become a big fan of a particular player that resonates with them. Personally, I love the scrappy guy that doesn’t have Adrian Peterson or Carl Crawford’s tool set but finds a way to make plays, to win games, to orchestrate come backs on sheer heart and grit alone. If those guys are giving me access you can bet your ass I’m tuning in.

In Conclusion

Often times make marketing out to be a lot harder than it has to be.  Tell compelling stories, find compelling stories and then share them (or give your fans a way to share them for you.) It starts with education, people have to understand what they’re watching. But they also have to know why, why they should care. It’s the stories (and the personalities that make up those stories) that entice people to flip to that channel.

Sometimes people make that story easy. See: Usain Bolt. But other times the people doing the marketing (YOU!) have to dig a little deeper. That doesn’t mean it can’t be done.

Oh, and who are we kidding, NOBODY can market the WBNA.

What do you think? How would you sell soccer in America? Hockey in Texas? Cricket in Canada?

Post inspired by Anita Lobo

Two Ways to Enhance Marketing for Unpopular Sports is a post from: Lewis Howes

How To Get A Job In Sports is a post from: Lewis Howes

One billion dollars. $1,000,000,000. Can you say, “Tiger, Tiger Woods, y’all?”

That’s a lot of zeros for a guy who gets paid to play a game for a living. Heck, that’s a lot of zeros for a guy who gets paid to do anything for a living! According to Forbes Magazine, Tiger Woods became the first professional athlete to pass one billion dollars in career earnings, after winning the Fed Ex Cup this year.

What’s even crazier: the man is just 33 years old, which means he still has 17 years until he is even eligible for the Champions tour (where the old guys play). Most people expect Woods to have a solid ten more years before he starts to fade, and even Tiger has said that the older he gets, the better player he becomes. Just imagine how much more money Tiger Woods will have earned when he finally decides to call it quits.

Athletes probably get paid too much money (that’s a debate for another time), but in my opinion, if there is just one athlete who deserves that kind of money, it’s Tiger Woods. Why? Because, Tiger Woods is golf. In the last fifteen years, he has revolutionized the sport. More and more kids, especially in urban areas, are playing. Courses routinely set attendance records when he is playing. And when Tiger is in contention on any given Sunday, that tournament is bound to attract a nice television audience. In fact, attendance and ratings drop noticeably when Tiger is not involved. Every week on Wednesday nights, PGA executives should be on their knees praying for a good showing from Mr. Woods.

Let’s face it; there is no athlete who is as overwhelmingly and single-handedly responsible for the success of his or her sport as Tiger Woods. It’s not even close. Sure, if Lebron or Kobe weren’t around, the NBA might not be as exciting. If Albert Pujols or Manny Ramirez weren’t around, the MLB might not be as entertaining. If Crosby or Ovechkin weren’t around, the NHL would lose a great storyline. What all these hypotheticals have in common is that others would step into their places. But if Tiger Woods weren’t around, the PGA would not have anywhere near the popularity it has now. He is irreplaceable.

So, congratulations Tiger Woods for your achievement. One billion dollars, a hot babe to call your wife, two beautiful kids, and the oh-so-impossible (and you know what I’m talking about if you’re a golfer) ability to hit a ball 300+ yards down the center of the fairway, or stick it three feet from the pin from 200 yards out! You have changed the game forever. Golf is not just a game for rich white kids from the suburbs anymore. You’ve legitimized golf as a sport. And most importantly, you’ve single-handedly turned the PGA into a successful organization and brand. You deserve every one of those billion dollars. Just try not to spend it all in one place.

Tiger Wood$: The Billion Dollar Man is a post from: Lewis Howes

(This is a guest article by  Milee Karre)

Twitter has become one of the biggest outlets for athletes to express their minds about daily experiences, controlling the media, and to interact with fans.  As countless have documented many top athletes aren’t just on twitter, but are somewhat consumed by it. That is all fine and dandy, but what if we could take twitter and take it back in time and see what those athletes would have said during their prime.

Wouldn’t you like to hear from Dennis Rodman during his playing days with tweets like, “I’d like to apologize to the NBA for my actions, the ball slipped down to my foot and somehow went 30 rows up” or, “I just can’t figure out what dress to pick out. If I send a Twit Pic can my followers help?”

What about his teammate the greatest player ever to touch a basketball, we as fans could have been inspired by Michael Jordan not only with his play, but with his tweets.  “Even though I missed one tonight I’ll promise you I will make the next one!”, or “There is only mental weakness never physical”.

How about our good friend Mike Tyson, likely the most controversial athlete of all time.  What on earth would he say? (With lisp) “I am the greatest ever to grace this pretty little ring”. Everything else I tried to come up with is nothing nearly appropriate for this forum.  It involved kids, eating, and fornicating. Yeah, try and put that together.

Lets move on to one of my favorite athletes to ever play basketball, and the trendsetter to fashion and style in the NBA; Pete Maravich. It is possible that he would never had time to send out frequent tweets considering his obsessive practice habits, but we like to speculate anyway. “Just scored 55 tonight. Think I’m going to stay and get more shots up Dad is giving me the look”. Or maybe when his life all changed, “Thank you for the feedback on my contract, I’m not feeling the love elsewhere though.”

The age of blogging has taken over rumor central. Almost to point where anything is believable. Who could of you used Twitter or needed it more then Roger Clemens to possibly prove his innocence. “Just got done working out check the Twit Pic, see nothing looks unfamiliar!”

We will never know what these athletes would have said during the prime of their careers on Twitter, but we do know that it most likely would have given us fans more insight into these controversial athletes lives. The height of their powers could have been strengthened with this powerful social networking tool and maybe saved some image problems.  Yes, we will never know what they would have said but it is always fun to imagine.

Twitter and Athletes From the Past is a post from: Lewis Howes

Buffalo Bills receiver, Terrell Owens, went into a postgame press conference after his team was defeated by the New Orleans Saints because it was mandated by the National Football League that he do so. (He also went catchless for zero yards and touchdowns for the first time in 185 games.)

{The following is the background and essentially a lesson in PR 101.}

Based on past performances, media expected Owens to provide enough provocative commentary to write their stories for them. They knew from experience what kind of questions that could set him off. So they poked; they prodded and reconfigured questions to get him to say something that would make for a sensational headline.

What emerged from a session during which Owens wore sunglasses and spoke in one or very few-word answers was growth of a reputation that he says he is trying to quell.

Owens left the Philadelphia Eagles for more money, then threw quarterback, Donovan McNabb, and other personnel under the proverbial bus. He took his ego and sunglass case to Dallas where he emotionally proclaimed during a press conference that followed a tough loss “That’s my quarterback…” when reporters asked about a questionable performance of Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo.

During the time he sought a trade from the Eagles, he was interviewed while doing shirtless sit-ups in his driveway. This man is a far cry from shy.

There is little debate that Owens is a talented receiver. He believes he is misunderstood, however. He said it is the media, and not him, that are to blame for his controversial reputation. He even blamed media for not taking his own written words – those he posted on his Twitter page – for taking him seriously, when intended to joke.

Personnel on ESPN’s NFL Live said that Owens was in a no-win situation with media after the Bills loss to the Saints. I disagree.

Media training can help Owens or anyone that has to face reporters after less-than-desirable circumstances answer questions without sounding smug or ignorant. It will help someone like Owens, who has created a circus-like public reputation wherever he’s gone, go straight with his reputation.

Coaches with whom Owens has worked have said that the receiver only wants to play football and play it well. Along with playing the game in the NFL are responsibilities to the media.

Whether it’s answering reporters’ questions during a news conference or posting thoughts on Twitter, athletes must consider what comes out of their mouth and minds, and the tone of those words. People who work with media can be a great help. I think for Owens, that help is as close as the Bills PR department.

Whether you’re an athlete, a food service provider or a stay-at-home parent, only you are responsible for what you say and how you say it. Your actions will go a long way toward backing up those words.

T.O. Blames Media for Reputation. Really? is a post from: Lewis Howes

You’ve done it before.

You’re at a networking event, a bar, a neighbor’s apartment, or wherever there are people you’ve not met before.  Someone introduces you to someone else, and instantly their name goes in one ear and out the other.  You struggle to try to get it back, but it’s gone forever.

DOH!

Why does that happen?  Simple: our brain is processing something else at that moment, and we just didn’t prioritize remembering the name.

If it happens to you all the time, chances are YOUR name is forgotten by others just as quickly.  If you could just figure out a way to help others instantly remember you better, your name recognition – and potentially your sales – would increase.

Jeffrey Gitomer, sales author extraordinaire, says it best when he says, “It’s not about who you know, it’s who knows you.”  And he’s soooooo right.

“The 800-Pound Gorilla” is a business term that describes a company or an individual that’s impossible to ignore and tough to compete against.  I picked that name for my company because lots of people remember it, and it’s fun to say.  I’ve lost track a long time ago of how many people have come up to me and told me, “Ohhh, so YOU’RE the 800-Pound Gorilla… gee, you’ve lost a few pounds!” or something like that.  They had heard about me somewhere, and they connected the name to the person.

It’s not about who you know.  It’s who knows you.

How can you better stand out and be remembered?  Here are some things you might consider to be more memorable, either on the phone or in person:

Consider a shortened “professional” last name.

Is your last name difficult to pronounce?  Try an abbreviation or adaptation on the phones that’s easier to remember.  For example:  if your name is Jenna Goraskiewicz, consider “Jenna Gore” on your business cards, voice mail, and correspondence.

Is your name too common?  Use an adaptation.

Randy Brown might come off as too easily forgettable; if you’re selling basketball, why not become “Randy B” or “Roundball Randy”?  (If that sounds too corny or unprofessional for you, then don’t do it; but remember, we’re in show business, and the main objective here is to be memorable in a positive way.)

Use a helpful alliteration with your first name

“Stormin’ Norman”, “Stan the Man”, or “Sweet Baby Ray” helps people remember your first name, which can be enough to distinguish you as memorable.

Take a distinguishing characteristic of yours and put it in your name

“The Bald Guy”, “The Big Man”, “Goalie Girl”, or something else about you can put you front and center in someone’s memory in an unmistakable way.

A self-appointed title

If you don’t want to go so far as to change your professional name, you could become “The Fan’s Best Friend”, “The Swami of Sales”, “The Center Court Expert”, “Queen of Group Events”, “The Guru of Good Seats”, or something else fun (and non-offensive to your co-workers!).

A descriptor using “Mr.” or “Ms.” as the prefix.

“Mr. Tickets”, “Ms. Group Outing”, or “Mr. Baseball” are a few examples.

The “Connection”

Examples: “Frank Calhoun, The Suite Connection”; “Marcus Albertson, your Celebrity Seat Connection”; or something similar.

A talent or hobby you have

It may or may not coincide with the sport or team you represent, but it’s something you could be known for: “Bass Master”, “Piano Man” or “Surf Dude”.

Something your last name sounds like that is well-known.

My last name, Guertin, “rhymes with thirteen”.  Other examples: Dave Mack, “like the truck”; Brian Aniston, “like the actress”, or Ron Torsche, “sounds like Porsche”.

Consider adding something to your name to improve your Memorability with others.  If it’s done right, it can work for you!

P.S.  Here’s a fun idea: Take this article to your next sales meeting or morning gathering with your co-workers, and take turns brainstorming potential name ideas for each other.  You’ll get ideas from others that you would never have considered on your own!

Why Can’t Anyone Remember Your Name? is a post from: Lewis Howes

On September 21st, @NYJET_Prime tweeted to Dustin Keller, “Hey, I just sprung for a white Keller Titans Jersey, I’m starting to sniff favorite Jet ever, lol. Pls sign 15 year contract!”

Two days later, Keller replied, “Hey @NYJET_Prime Thanks. Appreciate the support. Check out this video I made for you http://bit.ly/3PWTyz.”

The ensuing reaction from the fan was unreal. After seeing the video, his next six tweets were all Keller-related, including messages to Keller directly, to the Jets account, and to another fan.

“@DustinKeller81 Holy Sh-t!!! I know I’m an adult and all but that’s freaking awesome. I feel like a kid with a permagrin now, THANKS!!!”

“@DUSTINKELLER81 Just wanted to say thanks again- I really appreciate it. Not only are you a great Player but person as well. THANKS AGAIN!!!”

“@nyjets Dustin Keller did something real nice for me, I wish I had a better way to say thanks. Tweeting TY just isn’t doing it. He’s the best.”

“@trevsw that was amazing! What a great guy!! I’m still in shock and have permagrin. Go Jets!!!”

“@DUSTINKELLER81 I just told my dad. You made my year! I told him I was giddy like a 12 year old girl. Corny I know, but ur the best.”

“@DUSTINKELLER81 Thanks Again- I’m not semi Jet famous. I had like 3 spam followers now it’s up to 41. You da man!! Good Luck this weekend!!”

You may look at these tweets and say that his reaction was over the top. But think about it: You tweet one of your favorite players and not only does he respond, but he responds with a personalized video thanking you for your comments and for being a fan. Of course you would go nuts!

What’s important to remember is that it was the video that elicited this reaction. Plenty of people get @replies from athletes on Twitter, but very few get personalized video responses. And the craziest thing is that all Keller needed was 20 seconds of his time (trust me, I was there). In return for those 20 seconds, he got 600+ people to watch the video on Youtube, a lot of respect from his fans, and one fan who will absolutely worship him for the rest of his career.

So, athletes, if you’re not sure about using social media or you aren’t seeing the results you desire, remember this: You have to care. When you’re laying in bed after waking up or before going to sleep, take twenty minutes and respond to those hundreds, or thousands, of people who are talking to you on Twitter or Facebook. It doesn’t take much, all they want is a response.

Look at Kerry Rhodes. He’s built 20,000 organic followers with messages like, “thx” and “no problem.” He takes the time to respond to as many fans as possible. Then he gets on uStream to answer fans in a more personal manner. Why? Because he cares! And that is why he has fans who care about him.

Attention Athletes Using Social Media: Care! is a post from: Lewis Howes

Will public relations help dig professional tennis star out of controversy?

Two weeks later, and people are still talking about the Serena Slam on a U.S. Open linesperson. I spoke to a friend today who just got off the tennis court and described a controversial call. She said not to worry – that she didn’t “Go Serena.”

There have been several public outbursts by public people in recent weeks and each time, many of the stories were passed along with reference to Serena.

The Serena about which I write is three-time U.S. Open champion, Serena Williams, whose semifinal match at this year’s event (which she lost to unseeded Kim Clijsters) can be summed up in four letters. Unfortunately, those four letters spell a word that can’t be spoken on commercial television without penalty so I, therefore, won’t repeat them here. Williams was subsequently fined $10,000 in addition to the $500 for which she already put on her tab for a code violation (she smashed her racquet in disgust after the first set of the same match).

Williams wasn’t the only player to voice an FCC-violating opinion. Roger Federer was fined $1,500 for yelling an obscenity to the chair umpire during the Open’s title match, which he lost to Juan Martin del Potro.

Williams exploded after being called for a foot fault. While it was suspect to this HD eye, the issue was not about the call. It should have been taken like a bitter pill and the match moved forward. Instead, the high-profile tennis player raised her racket and voice toward the linesperson, and changed the discussion about this year’s U.S. Open forever.

Williams’ image took a hit. She was escorted from Arthur Ashe Stadium (named for one of the most stand-up people to play professional tennis) by a cacophony of boos, and CBS Sports commentator, Mary Carrillo called for Williams’ suspension. In her post-match press conference Williams didn’t own up to saying the things she did. While she eventually posted words about her poor choice of actions on her blog and via Twitter, she initially released a statement through a public relations firm that said, “In the heat of battle I let my passion and emotion get the better of me and as a result, handled the situation poorly.” (Even John McEnroe, a former pro who holds titles for arguing with umpires, likely thought, um, yeahhhh…)

The fact is that when it comes to public perception, written apologies hold about as much weight as a whiffle ball. As someone who spends much of her life writing, I’m the first to tell you that putting pen to paper – or clicking a keyboard — is easy. You don’t have to verbally utter a thing or look anyone in the eye.

Those are the precise reasons Williams could have put this PR blemish that she bestowed on herself and the U.S. Open to rest by immediately speaking up. She could have answered openly when questioned by ESPN commentator, Patrick McEnroe, about the outburst. (She, instead, disingenuously giggled.) She could have of popped the controversy balloon; instead, she allowed it to grow, and now it appears to be sticking around for awhile.

I must say that I’m no language saint when it comes to sports whether I’m playing or watching. I respect officials of every sport, however. Do I agree with every call? Absolutely not. Like all of us, they just do their jobs the best ways they know.

Tempers are not for a sport like tennis that prides itself on grace and decorum, let alone any field of play. For someone who says she values the image of the sport, acting and reacting to challenges must be handled with better thought and execution than what Williams did.

Serena Steals the Spotlight for All the Wrong Reasons is a post from: Lewis Howes