PETER ROBERT CASEY

Social Savviness

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Robert Casey) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:49:00 +0000

Avoid it if you must, but there’s no questioning social media’s transformational impact on how we experience basketball—as fans, media, players or coaches.

Before a game even tips off, fans have already checked-in on Foursquare, uploaded a picture of their seated vantage point to Facebook and perhaps tweeted about the ever-increasing price of concessions.

The media are sharing anecdotes and sound bites from their courtside perches, and receiving immediate feedback on their post-game stories. Fans can quickly share these recaps, advance the dialogue or Stumble it to websurfers with similar interests...

For the full story, visit SLAMonline... Quotes from Jimmer Fredette, Iman Shumpert, Anthony Davis, Austin Rivers & more.

Three years ago today...

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Robert Casey) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 03:58:00 +0000

...I launched PeterRobertCasey.com.

The primary purpose, at the time, was to break into the business of basketball. Blogging was to be used as a networking tool, a place to learn in 'real-time.' All in public. To meet people, but with the end goal of helping to facilitate getting a job in hoops.

Well, I've landed.

It didn't take all three years to meet the mission, but after waking up from one of those "What day is it?" two-hour naps, I recalled the personal significance of October 26th, partly because I found myself helping someone else accomplish the same goal earlier in the day.

That's the beauty of it. I started blogging with a selfish intent -- to help "myself" get a job -- but quickly realized that's not how the "real world" works. You build trust, respect and authority by helping others. Not yourself. And it took the practice of blogging to really absorb that truth.

The journey started with a void. I was working in higher education administration at the time. Life was comfy, cozy. Newly married. Nice job title. Decent salary. Great benefits. All en route to earning an Ivy League master's education, mostly on the school's dime. Yet I was unfulfilled.

I went to graduate school at night, on a part-time basis after work. While taking an elective course in Higher Education, I looked around the classroom and saw passion. Passion in the subject. Passion in the field. You could see it in my classmates' eyes. Certainly not mine.

I liked working with students. And, sure, you could say I was 'helping' them. But every day that I went home and looked back on the day, I felt unsatisfied. Incomplete. The one key learning in my core curriculum of Organizational Psychology was that the biggest motivator in the workplace wasn't money. Or benefits. Or recognition. Or any other extrinsic element. It was enjoyment of the actual work.

I didn't have it, and I needed to get off that treadmill.

The class went on for another hour. I spent the duration of the session with my head buried in a notebook, jotting down the names of basketball figures who inspired me. Hoops had been my lifelong passion, but I was looking for a second act and thought that ship had sailed. I would be wrong.

I 'Googled' all of the names on the list I drew up. Read their bios. Digested their journeys. Strangely, I noticed, they all didn't follow the same path. Some took the traditional, well-beaten course of player to coach to front office professional. Others must have had a moment like I did, a deep acknowledgement of that void, and consciously decided to act on their passion.

I raced home, told my wife about the moment, and vowed to dive head-first into hoops after graduating and returning from our honeymoon in July 2008. She was very supportive. Encouraging, in fact, too. And I still owe her a lot for the sacrifices she made. Goodbye, Europe. Welcome back to New York.

On Sunday, July 13, 2008, I hopped on LinkedIn and came across the profile of Greg Marius, CEO of the famed Entertainer's Basketball Classic at Rucker Park. I shot him a note through the platform: "Recent Columbia grad looking to help. For free." My phone rang an hour later, and I was at the park the following night after work, immediately put to task on ghost-writing corporate sponsorship proposals.

Ahh, the value of social media.

Little did I know at the time, while looking to expand my work experience, I also found a 'niche' for my blog. And a go-to value proposition needed to break into the business. Every Monday through Thursday, for the following five weeks, I'd close up shop at the office at 5 p.m., hop on the B or D train at 125th street and spend my evenings at Rucker Park -- soaking in the park's rich history, watching hoops and refining my writing skills.

The summer of 2008 was rapidly coming to a close and I still needed to build my chops. Why not pitch SLAM on the idea of covering the EBC finals for their site? I'd been writing private pitch letters all summer and spent three years at that point carefully responding to dozens of daily email inquiries about student health insurance. It was time to take this writing thing public, and SLAM obliged.

One article became two. Two became three. And thanks to a high school friend and pair of kind strangers from the Worldwide Leader, the trio of SLAM pieces spawned into a quintet of write-ups for E.S.P.N. The Magazine. Soon enough, I had a guest blogging post on Bounce Magazine. Things were going really well, and I was more than excited. I lost a lot of sleep, but who needs sleep when you're getting closer to your goal?

I found my next act - writing - and had nearly 10 articles floating independently in the digital universe. I'd drop 'em on Facebook and Twitter, but I needed a home base to anchor it all together. A hub. A place to continue my craft when the outside writing opportunities dried up.

And so this blog was born.

I went from Pete Casey to Peter Casey to Peter Robert Casey overnight. Dan Schawbel, the personal branding genius, suggested it when I reached out. Mainly because it was wide open in search engine results and 'peterrobertcasey' social media handles were readily available.

Pete Casey was too common. And there were already two quasi-famous Peter Caseys roaming the Earth, an Australian music director and the co-creator of 'Frasier.' I was a little worried about trying to sound too regal or giving off a serial killer vibe with using three names, but I trusted Dan's advice.

"Three first names. One first love. Basketball." It stuck.

The blog, which lacked a clear focus at launch, became a topical site on the intersection of basketball and social media. I would still use the site as a platform to meet new people and learn in real-time, but the learning would be about how the basketball community can maximize the utility of social media to meet their objectives.

The goal was for the site to be a resource. A place where I could experiment, make mistakes and share those miscues and successes with a very small fraction of the basketball world that fell upon my homepage. I interviewed people in the business, extracted tips and resources from dozens of marketing and social media sites, and hired a guy to help enhance my blog's search engine juice.

It was the best investment I've ever made. Not the SEO results; the actual knowledge and application skills I acquired from Mr. Saikat Bose (Thank you, brother). True to his word, more people started reading the blog. Not a lot of people, but the 'right' people. Those who worked in and around the game of basketball, exactly where I wanted to be.

An evolution occurred. Blog visitors became commenters. Commenters became subscribers. Subscribers became connections on other social channels. Social network connections became email and phone conversations. And those dialogues matured into offline relationships, even friendships in some cases.

Jordan Rich's words -- a Boston radio host who I conducted an informational interview with early on -- were proving to be true: "Writing is networking." He asked me how I was going about my job search of trying to break into basketball. When I told him that I was emailing people about openings and sending out my resume, he advised to abandon that approach immediately.

"Stop asking, start creating. Be useful," he said.

The proverbial light bulb went off. This dude was onto something. Emailing your resume around conveys the message, "I need something from you." It's an ask. Creating useful content, on the other hand, and to whatever extent I was accomplishing that, is an act of giving. And people are more inclined to help "givers" than "ask-ers."

I never sent out another resume again. My LinkedIn profile, Google search results and content and bio on the blog became my resume. I shaped the site's content to focus on how I can showcase the knowledge and work of others via interviews. I read marketing and social media blogs, sifting for applicable knowledge and shared that with the hoops community, re-purposed through a lens that makes sense to them.

Players. Coaches. Trainers. Scouts. Athletic directors. Basketball product and service companies. Media. I started writing with them in mind. "How can I help these folks?" When I interviewed people on the phone, face-to-face or via email, to share their stories and knowledge, a common theme developed: Before hanging up or closing the conversation, they all said "... And let me know how I can help you."

Reciprocation was at work. Giving begat giving.

On a random Friday in August 2009, I saw the voice message icon appear on my phone while I sat on the bus on my way home from work. I had just emerged from the subway. It was Mark Fratto of St. John's University. He was interested in issuing me a press pass to cover the men's basketball team exclusively via my personal Twitter account.

It hadn't been done before, and the story blew up.

The NBA took notice, and so did the Knicks. Apparently, Charlie Murphy and Pau Gasol did too. It was an unbelievable experience, and I learned a lot about the world of basketball media and reporting, all within the limitations of 140-character messages. It forced me to be creative, and learn on the fly.

I traveled to Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Carrier Dome, covered the Big East Tournament and even did a TV-Twitter integration with the Northeast Conference on MSG Network. I became one of the first sports writers for The Huffington Post and had my mug shown on the Madison Square Garden Marquee on my 29th birthday.

A year after that initial conversation with Fratto, the Knicks came calling again (I see you, Maleh!). They needed someone to help launch, run and grow KnicksNow.com, their social community for fans, and serve as the online voice for the team's social channels. The timing was perfect. I had ditched my day job at Columbia eight months earlier and my start-up project hadn't taken off.

When the season ended and the NBA lockout hit, I slid over seamlessly to serve as community manager for Five-Star Basketball, the camp where Michael Jordan was discovered, and over 400 NBA and 10,000 Division One players once laced 'em up. I was a three-time camper myself, a huge fan of the brand's history, what it stood for and where they were going, so it was a 'coming home' of sorts for me.

I actually interviewed Leigh Klein, co-owner of Five-Star Basketball Camps, two months into blogging. Leigh didn't hire me, but his colleague who did ... take a guess how we first connected? ... Through a Facebook message, but only after he read my blog. How fitting. It all comes back full circle. Starting this blog was the best decision I've ever made as a professional. Hands down.

Looking to get a job in basketball, too?

"Stop asking, start creating. Be useful." Shout out to Jordan Rich for that timeless advice.

PS: You can find me writing daily over at Fivestarbasketball.com, but I plan to ramp up my efforts here very soon. It's been too good to me. If you've made it this far down, thank you. It means a lot. Really does.

2011 Sports & Social Predictions

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Robert Casey) — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 19:33:00 +0000

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, all. 2010 was a great year. Along with some very smart peers, I've included a couple of sports and social media predictions in Jason Peck's 2011 compilation. Enjoy.

Sports Social Media Predictions 2011

Q+A with Coach Scott Fields

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Robert Casey) — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 20:15:00 +0000

I recently caught up with Scott Fields, an experienced and professional head coach, who most recently roamed the sidelines in China's NBL. We talked about his most current experience, past coaching memories, and what's to come for the highly successful coach.

Enjoy...

PRC: You recently arrived home after a coaching stint in China's NBL. Tell us about the experience.

Coach Fields: This was my second stint with this team. Two years ago, I coached this team to its best finish in the club's history, along with the most all-time wins for a single season. This was before the new NBL league changes and a relationship was solidified with the NBA. I chose not to return last season as I wanted to focus on an opportunity to coach at NBA Summer League with Keith Smart and the Golden State Warriors. Keith is a great guy, and has had great success in past summer leagues.

He allowed me to come in and learn new and different terminology, and see a different philosophy offensively and defensively. I was also allowed to work with the players on the court. On that note, I am excited for him as he recently signed a contract as the new Head Coach of the Warriors. It couldn't happen to a better person, and I can't thank him enough for what he has done for me already.

He is a large part of my growth and development as a Professional Coach, along with Utah Jazz Hall of Famer, Jerry Sloan, who allowed me to observe practices during the past two seasons when I was between coaching positions. Every day was a coaching clinic for me.

When the China opportunity presented itself, I had the itch to Head Coach again. I was doing some TV work for the NBA at a local station in Salt Lake City (KJZZ's Powerhouse Sports) at the time with friend Alema Harrington. Once the Lakers beat the Jazz. I was available and eager to head the (China) team up again; this time with the new NBA Rules. It was a win-win situation.

PRC: How did the season end for your team?

Coach Fields: I feel we had great success this season. We were one win short of going to the finals, and this was overachieving group; a 5-seed going into the playoffs. To put it into perpesctive, we played more than half of our regular season games with just one American due to an injury two minutes into the first game of the season. This meant we played against teams with two Americans every night.

It forced me to ask the local Chinese players to match the speed, quickness and athletic strength of two Americans every night. That is tough. We were forced to make several adjustments during games. Let's just say after a 48-minute game, I was mentally exhausted. Yet we still made the playoffs.

PRC: Aside from the level of talent, how would you compare the NBL with the NBA? What was most surprising about your coaching experience in China?

Coach Fields: The NBL season in China was unique in many ways. This was the first season that the league was backed and supported by the NBA. We played with NBA rules: 48 minute games, a 24-second shot clock, NBA three second lane, and the charge circle was in place.

And this year was the first year NBL teams allowed two Americans on each roster. In past years, each team was permitted only one American player on their roster. The league is set up to develop Chinese players. We were allowed to use the two American players on the court at the same time during the first three quarters, and only one in the 4th quarter to allow Chinese players to be in the game at the end when it mattered most.

Also, the Chinese players could only play 40 of the 48 minutes. This was a tactical and strategic matter for us, nd it forced the coaches to use younger players to also help them develop. I loved the rule. It doesn't allow the top Chinese players to play all 48 minutes of the game. You had to sit them for at least 8 minutes. I wish other countries would follow this model. It's great for the development of the players and game as a whole.

In China, of course, the language is Mandarin, but in my region, in my home city of Dongquan Chang An, Cantonese is also spoken. Language was a true barrier. I was very dependent on my translator. I didn't speak any of the local language, and the players didn't speak much English outside of a few simple greetings for both of us. They knew the curse words first. Funny how that works out.

I had constant reminders I was in a communist country. But that was easy to overcome. I just focus on our common bond, which is a love for the game. I believe every situation is what you make of it, so I don't focus on the government issues or concerns. I am there to do a job and I hit the ground running. I focus on developing players and winning games, which are are both byproducts of good 'ol hard work and preparation.

PRC: Which NBL player should fans keep their eyes on? Why?

Coach Fields: One player for fans to keep their eye on is a young man who we brought in right before the playoffs: 6'6" former Laker, Devin Green. He can play and I strongly believe he will help an NBA team again in the future. He's an athletic, combo-style guard, who can defend multiple positions. He's versatile, and I believe he averaged nearly 38 ppg. He was a triple-double threat every night out. It was common for him to drop 35-plus points, grab 15 or so rebounds and dish 8 to 12 assists per game. He made me look like a great coach. I was just smart enough to put the ball in his hands, and let him go to work. He deserves another shot at the league. He needs to be on NBA radars; if not, someone's not doing their homework.

PRC: What's been your most memorable coaching experience to date?

Coach Fields: I have been blessed to have worked with some great players in my career. I remember coaching Carlos Arroyo in Puerto Rico when he was 17, and we knew would have a bright future. He will now have a chance to win an NBA title with Wade, LeBron and Bosh in Miami.

I have coached in some beautiful and wonderful countries around the globe in Europe, Asia. and here in the USA in the minor leagues. It is hard to pin point the most memorable experience, as I take something with me from all my stops. I take with me cultural experiences from Sweden, religious experiences from Saudi Arabia, governmental experiences from China, banking experiences from Luxembourg and historical experiences from Germany.

I will never forget the financial hardships of coaching in the minor leagues here in the USA. On a personal level, I met my beautiful wife through a former player I coached in Lebanon. I met and married her while at NBA Summer League in Salt Lake City (Rocky Mountain Revue).

I guess the more magical experience was coaching and winning a championship in Lebanon, with a team I took over in late January when they were currently in 6th place in the league. My team was muslim-based and financially supported from the Prime Minister of the country. The team we played in the finals were the 5-time repeat champions, a Christian-backed club supported by the president in the country.

When you tie-in sports, politics and religion, and you have a cocktail for amazing drama.

PRC: There have been a lot of great coaches in our sport's rich history. Which coaches have had the biggest impact on your career?

Coach Fields: I grew up in the state of Indiana. I was a high school Hall of Famer, so watching those Bobby Knight-coached teams were an influence from the outset. I liked his toughness and hard working players who got the most out of their abilities.

I love the energy and positive enthusiasm of a young Rick Pitino. I will always take from the Indiana legend of John Wooden, and his quite and humble teachings. There are many great coaches overseas that many Americans never heard of, that I respect and admire. Coach Pesic who I coached against in Germany, was and still is, an international champion.

I have a soft spot in my heart for Mike D'Antoni as he got his start abroad as I have. Scott Skiles was a player/coach in Greece and we see where he is now. I coached at Chowan JC where Nate McMillen played his junior college ball, and he is with the Trailblazers. Larry Brown is a great teacher and wins everywhere he goes. I'm often compared to him as we have both had many stops and seem to achieve success at each of those stops.

I am a huge Jerry Sloan fan, who has been very kind to me over the past years and I cant thank him enough for that. I like his toughness, and he will not allow the tail to wag the dog approach. It is refreshing in this age of high-salaried athletes. Terry Porter, Avery Johnson, and of course, Phil Jackson, and his multiple championships, are something to learn from.

I also have learned from Keith Smart and Tex Winter, Phil Jackson's long-time assistant. I also liked the laid back style and humor of Coach Frank Layden, who's become a personal friend. So, I cant say just one. I am a pirate; I take a bit from everyone, pick their brain, and roll it all up into my own personality and philosophy. Then I teach, teach and teach some more to help me grow and develop into the coach that I am today.

PRC: What's next for Coach Scott Fields? What's the ultimate goal?

Coach Fields: I honestly have no idea. My goal's to be on an NBA bench. I know that opportunity doesn't come along for everyone, so I will just coach it up wherever I land, regardless of what language is spoken or if it's men's or women's basketball. Basketball is basketball around the globe, and I have been blessed to this point. I will be a cat, and just try to land on my feet. I pray and put it in the Lord's hands. I just love to coach.

The City Game...An Excerpt

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Robert Casey) — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 04:53:00 +0000

"There's a love of the game in this city that is very difficult to put in words. You start off when you're very young and you never get it out of your system. You might get married to a woman, but basketball is still your first love."

- Willie Hall, a playground ballplayer 135th Street park, near Lenox Avenue, Harlem

Forty years after Hall spoke those words, his message continues to resonate. Which is why you'll find me in rural florida gripping The City Game, a fantastic story paralleling the Knicks' 1969-70 championship season with the game played on NYC's countless slabs of asphalt.

Hall's right. I can't get it out of my system. Nor do I want to.

While the game flourishes in rural and suburban areas alike, "Basketball," as the late Pete Axthelm put it, "is the city game." Sure, deducing NYC's love for the game into mere words is a difficult challenge. But, Axthelm takes it on...and he nails it:

"The game is simple, an act of one man challenging another, twisting, feinting, then perhaps breaking free upward, directing a ball toward a target, a metal hoop ten feet above the ground. But its simple motions swirl into intricate patterns, its variations become almost endless, its brief soaring moments merge into a fascinating dance. To the uninitiated, the patterns may seem fleeting, elusive, even confusing; but on a city playground, a classic play is frozen in the minds of those who see it--a moment of order and achievement in a turbulent, frustrating existence. And a one-on-one challenge takes on wider meaning, defining identity and manhood in a society that breeds invisibility...

"Basketball is more than a sport or diversion in the cities. It is a part, often a major part, of the fabric of life."

Oh yeah, he does a great job recounting the Knicks' title run, too. But, I don't want to spoil all the fun. A used copy goes for less than $5 on eBay, plus shipping.

It's well worth it.

FIBA Experiences Social Growth Spurt During 2010 WCs

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Robert Casey) — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 23:47:00 +0000

FIBA, the world governing body for basketball, is comprised of 213 National federations, 24 of which competed in the 2010 World Basketball Championships from August 28th through September 12th.

While Kevin Durant shattered multiple scoring records en route to leading Team USA to its first gold medal, since 1994 the FIBA Turkey 2010 website clocked over 30 million visitors and the FIBA Facebook fan page eclipsed the 100,000 member mark.

Moreover, the brand's active Twitter presence saw a huge spike in followers as illustrated in the graphic below.

According to FIBA.com, "FIBA Secretary General and IOC Member Patrick Baumann told media that this edition had been the most successful in the Championship’s 60 year history."

From a social media perspective, it's tough to argue against this claim. Twitter was an infant during the 2006 World Championships, and MySpace was the most used social network by monthly active users at the time. Facebook was just over two years old in the summer of 2006.

FIBA also launched a dynamic live stats platform (including mobile) and apps for Facebook and mobile phones during the tournament.

Bobcats Seek First Fan Blogger

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Robert Casey) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:16:00 +0000

While NBA franchises continue to bring fans closer to the experience, the Charlotte Bobcats have put out a call to add their first fan blogger to BobcatsBreak.com:

"Think you’ve got what it takes to post your blogs on the official blog site of the Charlotte Bobcats? Here’s your chance to prove it. Submit a blog explaining in 500 words or less why you would make the ultimate Bobcats fan blogger. We’ll look them over, post some of the best here on bobcats.com and get your opinion through a fan vote that will help us make our ultimate decision.

Please send your blogs to insider@bobcats.com by Friday, September 17 so we can get them posted. Good luck… now get to work."

Bobcats Break serves as the team's official social hub, which includes features, blogs and links to the franchise's social properties, schedule, team store and their Ticketmaster page. This is a simple, but effective way to enhance fan engagement and implement content marketing.

Suffer From Weak Stream?

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Robert Casey) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 16:57:00 +0000

Save the urination delay issues for your doctor. I'm talking about your Twitter stream here.

Most of us suffer from oversubscription, or as FanFeedr's Ty Ahmad-Taylor dubs it, "media oppression." Ahmad-Taylor says many of us are starting "to feel oppressed by our media consumption, whether it's a stack of magazines, videos in our Netflix queue, or recorded shows on our TiVo/DVR (Tivopression?)." In the context of Twitter, it means following too many people, causing our streams to be flooded with "noise."

How about the opposite issue?

Kanye West's probably not the best example on a basketball-specific blog, but just yesterday it was pointed out that the highly acclaimed music artist only follows one person on Twitter: Justin Bieber. That's his choice. There are no rules in this game. But unless you're a sixteen-year-old "Belieber," that's weak stream.

If you visit my Twitter page, you'll notice I follow just about everyone who follows me. Yet I don't. Unlike Kanye, I don't use Twitter.com to send and receive tweets. My stream there's filled with more junk than a rock star's urine sample. I use a third party dashboard called Hootsuite, which allows me to customize the interface and create user-friendly tabs easily curate tweets from the 350 people (and brands) that I do closely follow.

Some folks prefer a desktop client like Tweetdeck, or mobile applications like Ubertwitter and Tweetie to handle their microblogging business. No matter which tool(s) you decide to use, the key to a healthy stream is following people whose tweets add value to your day (i.e. tweets that educate, entertain or inform), and using Twitter's lists feature (inside or outside of Twitter.com) to organize the flow of information that comes your way. You also can't forget Twitter's search feature to see what's being said in real-time about you, your products/services and your industry.

These tools make it easier to follow more than one person without feeling oppressed by the medium.

That's my digital Avodart. What's yours?

The NBA and Social Media: A Case Study

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Robert Casey) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:58:00 +0000

I found this excellent presentation on Slideshare created by Adam Vincenzini, and thought I'd share it with you here:

The NBA and Social Media - A case study

View more presentations from Adam @ Paratus Communications.

Where Sherman Meets State

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Robert Casey) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:11:00 +0000

Basketball was invented on December 21, 1891 at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts, by Dr. James Naismith. His intention for creating a new game was to arouse the enthusiasm of 18 incorrigible students who grew bored of indoor gymnastics and calisthenics during harsh New England winters.

But, you already knew that.

I'm a sucker for history and details. Having made two previous trips (2000 and 2004) to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, I always felt like something was missing. Despite careful curating and presentation of our game's early artifacts, the absent link to the experience was a marker of where the first basketball game actually took place.

Problem solved.

This past weekend, my father and I made the pilgrimage to Springfield to witness the unveiling of a new monument commemorating basketball's beginnings in Mason Square, across the street from the YMCA's former physical location, where Sherman meets State, and a McDonald's now occupies hallowed ground.

While I try to forgive the burger giant for commercializing this precious piece of real estate, rest assured, future trips to Springfield can now feel complete with a dedicated starting point.

Basketball: Over 1 Billion Served.

Coaches vs. Cancer Announces NYC Dinner Benefit for September 27, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Robert Casey) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:37:00 +0000

It's not every day you get a chance to share a meal with some of New York's finest college coaches while raising money and awareness for a quality cause. In advance of their annual Classic at MSG, Coaches vs. Cancer will host the first-ever Dinner Benefit in New York City.

Please read the announcement below for details. Hope to see you there.

"On September 27, 2010 the New York Athletic Club, NYC will host the inaugural Coaches vs. Cancer Dinner Benefit. For 17 years, Coaches vs. Cancer has been raising funds to benefit the American Cancer Society over $60,000,000 and counting. Greg D’Alba, Executive Vice President and COO for CNN, will serve as Event Chairman and welcome Coach Co-Hosts Jim Boeheim of Syracuse University, Mitch Buonaguro of Siena College, Steve Lavin of St. John’s University, Tom Pecora of Fordham University, Barry Rohrssen of Manhattan College and more as they raise awareness and funds to support the life-saving work of the American Cancer Society.

Sponsorships and tickets are available to spend an evening enjoying the company of legendary college basketball coaches in a fun and intimate setting. Guests will dine among the coaches and experience exciting interactions throughout the night. This incredible experience not only promises to be unique and memorable; it is guaranteed to make an impact in the fight against cancer.

Coaches vs. Cancer is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. The initiative leverages the personal experiences, community leadership, and professional excellence of basketball coaches nationwide to increase cancer awareness and promote healthy living through year-round awareness efforts, fundraising activities, and advocacy programs. Coach Jim Boeheim of Syracuse University declares, “This is a special program because it brings the coaches, players, and fans on one level. We all have been affected by cancer in one way or another, so together we have combined our efforts to help control it.” Madison Square Garden has hosted the annual Coaches vs. Cancer Classic since 1995, effectively bringing this program into the spotlight in New York City. The upcoming Dinner Benefit will enhance this program’s influence and impact within the community.

The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and eliminate suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, they fight for every birthday threatened by cancer. They save lives by helping people stay well, helping people get well, finding cures and fighting back By preventing cancer or detecting it early, by being there during and after a cancer diagnosis, by investing in groundbreaking research, and by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer, the American Cancer Society is making tangible progress in their battle. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, they turn what they know about cancer into what they do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating another birthday this year.

Opportunities to attend the Coaches vs. Cancer Dinner Benefit are currently available. Contact Kristen Heinemann for more information, 212.237.3889, kristen.heinemann@cancer.org."

Stop Dropping the Ball

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Robert Casey) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:30:00 +0000

Social technology is a gift and a curse.

Gift: The tools allow us to reconnect with old friends and acquaintances, and they offer us the opportunity to forge new relationships rather easily.

Curse: Sooner or later, our networks become harder to navigate and manage. To counter the ever-growing relations and relationships, we create lists (Twitter), groups (Facebook/Email), and tags (LinkedIn) to organize these contacts. Yet we often still drop the ball and fail to stay in touch, unless we need something.

That gets old fast.

We all have Gmail, right? Well, I just found a valuable new tool via John Jantsch's Duct Tape Marketing Blog (which, by the way, I recommend you subscribe to) called Etacts, and I've already tested the waters for you.

Etacts plugs-in seamlessly with your Gmail account and automatically reminds you to contact those with whom you've fallen out of touch.

I checked-in with 5 people this morning to see how life's treating them. No favors; no retweet requests; no "please forward this on or your sex life will be jeopardized for the next decade'' messages. Just a line to see how they're doing. People like that. It shows you care.

Enjoy.

The NBA: Where (Team) Chemistry Happens - Chemists Wanted!

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Robert Casey) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:03:00 +0000

Love to write? Huge basketball fan? Then why not combine your passion and skills by contributing to Team Chemist, LLC. We take a look at the story beyond the stats to see what really makes up winning teams.

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Contact us at info@theteamchemist.com and tell us why you have the elusive team chemistry to join us. Send us your resume and a writing sample. While this is an unpaid position, you'll gain a wealth of knowledge. and have the chance to join a growing start-up. School / internship credit may be available.

Journalism and writing majors, or those with sufficient writing experience, are highly preferred. Please visit our website for more details about the company.

Diagnosis: Oversubscribed

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Robert Casey) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 04:29:00 +0000

I recently spent 5 days in Las Vegas for NBA Summer League, mostly without internet ($15/day was too much for me), and learned something about my consumption of online content:

I'm oversubscribed.

While sitting in Sin City's International Airport on my way home, I took advantage of the free WiFi and opened my Google Reader to find over 500 unread articles.

That's too much to catch up on; so I sought out the priority sources, and marked the rest as read. But I felt guilty, or like I was missing out on information.

Ever happen to you?

I subscribe to 50 feeds across several topical areas; the majority are basketball-related (26). I've been trimming here and there, but I'm starting to cut out some blogs I enjoy reading.

As someone who's always searching for ways to become more efficient and effective, I thought I'd ask you.

How do you manage your subscriptions?

2010 Free Agency Marks a New Era

noreply@blogger.com (Jon Thompson) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 19:26:00 +0000

By Jon Thompson
Follow me on Twitter: @jonithom

The much anticipated 2010 free agent summer has lived up to its hype and much more. The biggest news of the summer is obviously the formation of the Miami Heat superpower, which is history defining in its own, but there's also some major trends that are emerging and/or have been confirmed by the events that have transpired over the last couple of weeks. Think about it this way; If you and 5 of your friends took ALL of the money you would spend on social activities for 3 years and saved it for one game of monopoly played with real money, the same amount of ridiculousness would occur.

Three's Company

We saw it in 2008 when Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen formed the Celtics' “Big 3” and won a championship in their first year together, but I don't think many people saw this as an emerging trend. It's two years later and the “Biggest 3” has now been formed with Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh in Miami. This three is so big, the first thing old school rasslin' fans thought about was when the nWo was formed and took over the souls of millions of kids and immature adults. The super trio trend didn't lose any steam after Chris Paul hinted at joining forces with Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony in New York while attending Melo's wedding. I take this news very seriously because something tells me CP3 was channeling his inner Ron Artest and drunkenly blurting out sober thoughts. Then there's the trio in Oklahoma City that no one is talking about despite their early success. Jeff Green and future MVP Kevin Durant have only played three seasons in the NBA while Russell Westbrook has only played two. People have already forgotten how well they played against the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs this year. If you look at the top teams in the NBA, it's as if all the legendary wrestling tandems have emerged at he same time; nWo, DX, Four Horseman and of course the Lake Show acting as the reigning Nation of Domination. Personally, I'm all for this trend because it's exciting for the players, exciting for the fans and its great attention for the NBA overall.

BIG Money

When I woke up this morning I crossed my fingers and got out of bed hoping to be 10 inches taller, making me a seven footer with good basketball fundamentals and great range. Well unfortunately it didn't happen, but its fun thinking about how rich I would be if it had. Big men in the NBA are cashing in on massive contracts due to a high demand and low supply of dependable size in the middle. Amare Stoudemire has secured the biggest contract of the summer after signing with the Knicks for $100 million over the next five years. Fellow power forward Chris Bosh, who is seen as the top big man this summer, only signed for a measly $110 million over the next six years. The sad thing is that those two signings aren't the ones that make me scratch my head. Seven footer Darko Milicic, the second overall pick in the 2003 draft(ahead Anthony, Bosh and Wade), has been everything but productive during his first 7 years in the league. For his career he is averaging 5.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 17.5 minutes per game. Does this describe a player who should be getting a new contract for $20 million over the next four years? Apparently the Timberwolves thought so. Brendan Haywood, a 10 and 10 player who has played on a losing team for most of his career, signed a 6 year, $55 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks. The Russian billionaire who guaranteed a basketball dynasty in NJ made his big splash in the NBA by giving $35 million to Travis Outlaw, who is hardly anyone to write home about. Carlos Boozer and David Lee will also be eating well for the next few years after both players agreed to $80 million contracts with the Bulls and Warriors respectively. Just to put this price gouging in perspective, Charles Barkley never made over $5 million/year during his prime. This trend isn't going to end anytime soon either, because there is a scarcity of talented big men in the NBA and a lack of talented big men in the pipeline. Everyone wants to see the next Michael Jordan, but what we need is the next Hakeem Olajuwon.

It's Not Tampering, It's Recruiting

Recruiting has made its way into professional basketball and it's in full effect. This free agency period looks more like a college signing period. Instead of monitoring scholarships for the last 3 years, teams managed money in hopes of getting the best players in this once in a lifetime class. There was no shortage of big college names either, with Tom Izzo, John Calipari and Mike Krzyzewski all being rumored as the next handler of LeBron at some point during the media circus. Then there's John Wall, the most antipated rookie since King James. If the Nets had won the draft lottery, do you think LeBron would still be taking his talents to South Beach? I don't. But in the end, Pat Riley took everyone to school and made the three big free agents an offer they couldn't refuse.

I believe the main reason this trend is emerging is because the best players in the NBA today are too friendly. I remember when players treated their best friends like their worst enemies when on the court. Most of the all-time greats had the mindset that everyone who wasn't on their team was an enemy, and even if they couldn't beat them, they still wouldn't join them. Now the mindset is, if I have the best chance of winning by playing with my friends, why not? This is something that Melo, CP3 and Amare are thinking about right now. You know who doesn't have any friends? 5-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant. He likes it that way.

Recruiting also means players are taking more control of their own careers which means owners and GMs have less control of their own roster and ultimately their job. Owners are naturally power hungry so we should expect more public rants in the future like that of Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, but maybe not quite as unprofessional and psychotically possessive. The only thing more unprofessional than the the harshly dismissive comments in Gilbert's letter, is the Comic Sans font he used to get his point across; which makes people wonder if the letter should actually be categorized as a comedy. What did Mavs owner Mark Cuban think about Gilbert's letter? “He deserves a lot of credit for putting it out there.” And of course whenever successful African Americans in the spotlight are mired in controversy, there's only a matter of time before we get an equally controversial statement from Jesse Jackson. Although I don't necessarily agree with Jackson's comments about Gilbert seeing James as a runaway slave, where was Gilbert's reaction, or even acknowledgment following Big Z's decision to join LeBron in Miami after playing in Cleveland for 13 years?

More Money? No Thank You

In a sports culture that has often been criticized for its emphasis on money and personal accomplishments, it seems that the concept of winning is beginning to overtake the concept of individual fame, and the superstars are leading the movement. James, Wade and Bosh gave up over $15 million EACH to form a team that they believe can win multiple championships. Mike Miller, Udonis Haslem and Big Z have also given up many millions, which in the end totals over $60 million and counting that players have given up to play in South Beach next year. Derek Fisher aka Robert Horry 2.0 also turned down money to stay with the Lakers in hopes of achieving his second 3-peat in LA. The biggest story of the offseason may eventually turn out to be Durantula's new contract with Oklahoma City which will pay him around $87 million over the next 5 years. Durant could have waited until the end of his contract and cashed in on a max deal, but instead he extended his contract early and only needed a tweet to announce it. The most impressive thing about this transaction is that it only took Durant one minute to sign the contract. These signings say a lot about the character of these players and how teams are running their organizations. More and more GMs and team executives are talking about the importance of character and team chemistry, and this free agency period has confirmed its necessity.

Growing up some of my favorite players and some the most popular players in the league didn't have a ring(i.e. Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Allen Iverson, Reggie Miller, John Stockton) but I don't recall any of the overly harsh criticism that I hear spoken towards the ringless stars today. Despite what has transpired in the last couple of weeks, for anyone to question LeBron's love for the city of Cleveland is absurd. I haven't experienced it YET, but when you become a huge celebrity, especially at such a young age, you're forced into an ongoing battle against the resistance. In the biggest decision of his life, LeBron took control of his own destiny and made the best decision for himself by going to Miami. It's sort of a parodox because although players are sacrificing money and personal image to be on a winning team, it's still all about cementing their own legacy; and in today's professional basketball world, rings determine where you rank amongst the all time greats.

Alan Stein's Social Media Slam Dunk

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Robert Casey) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:40:00 +0000

Alan Stein, an internationally renowned basketball-specific strength and conditioning coach, is launching a fun new project today around one simple question:

Can He Dunk?

It's simple. Select 7 high school basketball players who cannot dunk a basketball. Put them through a rigorous 10-week training program. Document their progress by filming 2 weekly dunk attempts. At the end of 10 weeks, answer the question once and for all:

Can He Dunk?

According to Alan,

"The purpose of this project is to show the world the realistic results you can attain from proper training. We aim to prove how fraudulent those folks are that claim they can help you get a 50” vertical or improve a player’s vertical jump by 12 inches in 6 weeks. As for the Can He Dunk? Project, we make no promise that any of the participants will be able to dunk. We are merely showing real players with real results."

Fun. Simple. Real. Interactive. Make sure you follow the project and connect with fellow viewers to track your own progress and share your training routine.

Here's a peek at the promo video:

2010 Baltimore Showcase - Sunday, July 25, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Robert Casey) — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 05:31:00 +0000

This just in from my friend, Noam Fishman. If you know any players looking for professional overseas exposure, check out the event below. Please direct all questions to Noam at:

PerformanceSportsHoops@gmail.com.

2010 Baltimore Showcase-Flyer(2)

Social Media Movement for British Basketball

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Robert Casey) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:07:00 +0000

While Team USA struggles to recruit top tier players for the 2010 FIBA WCs that are not managing injuries, divorce settlements or free agency contract negotiations, our friends across the pond are experiencing a much larger and more structural issue:

Lack of public awareness of their national team.

With the aid of a flip cam, online social tools and an undeniable love for the game of basketball, HoopsFix.com editor, Sam Neter, is on a mission to generate awareness and interest in the Great Britain Basketball Team (currently ranked 58th in the world by FIBA) through his website BackBritishBasketball.com.

The campaign also extends to Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. But, before you head off to explore Sam's creative efforts, please check out this introductory video that's rife with accents and emotional music.

Cheers!

Leave it up to the Community

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Robert Casey) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Collectively, your community is smarter and more creative than you. Engage them.

Why?

Because they come up with ideas like the free agency caravan to help lure in top talent. Not only did fans originate the idea, but the Rockets are taking them on the road to be a part of the experience.

Will it deliver free agents?

I'm not sure. But, I bet you those fans are on board for life. Brilliant move, Mr. Morey. Nice use of Twitter.

Spikes, Stunts and Gimmicks

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Robert Casey) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Elmore Morganthaler and Ralph Siewert were a pair of 7-footers that suited up for the Basketball Association of America's (BAA) inaugural season in 1946-47. A precursor to the NBA, the BAA's product was hardly remarkable and Morganthaler and Siewert served as mere promotional stunts to attract people to the gate.

Morganthaler was known for playing with a piece of chewing gum behind his ear, only to retrieve it during stoppages in play for a few chews. Siewert was a towering flopper who could sell calls alongside FIFA's finest. While the pair was good for a short spike in ticket sales, their slapstick approach to the game jeopardized the long-term viability of professional basketball.

Spikes, stunts and gimmicks work for the Jersey Shore cast. In basketball, they don't get talked about for long.

Seth Godin said it best in Purple Cow, "Marketing in a post-TV world is no longer about making a product attractive or interesting or pretty or funny after it's designed and built - it's about designing the thing to be virus-worthy in the first place....Products and services that are worth talking about get talked about."

Luckily, for the league, George Mikan was only a year away.

Your "Aha" Experience with Social Media ...

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Robert Casey) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 16:41:00 +0000

I had a great conversation on Friday with Trevor Turnbull, co-founder of Sport Fan Connect, about sports, social media and business. Trevor brought up a question about my "Aha" experience, or moment of sudden insight where I realized the value of social media.

With hope that you'll share your experience below, I reflect:

Newly married and armed with a Master's degree from Columbia University, I spent July 2008 trying to find experience in the business of basketball. Since it's hard to get experience without having experience, I decided to offer my writing services for free.

Sure, I had a nine-to-five to pay the bills; but I also had evenings, weekends, and my wife's encouragement to pursue what it is that I loved. I wouldn't use my day job as an excuse to not hustle in the margins.

To find an organization that was willing to bring in a volunteer or intern, I turned to LinkedIn. At the time, I was getting almost daily requests in my inbox to join and connect with former and current colleagues on this suddenly popular 5-year old platform. And so I obliged.

Using the search feature, I sought out people who were already in the space and came across the profile of Gregory Marius, founder and CEO of the Entertainer's Basketball Classic at Rucker Park. Having read about the tournament's legacy and seen footage of the games, I decided to send Greg Marius a connection request and intro message to see if help was needed.

Within hours, my phone rang; it was Greg. That was a Sunday. On Monday evening I was at the park meeting Greg and his staff, and learning more about the EBC's writing needs for drafting corporate sponsorship proposals to help fund the tournament.

The light bulb turned on. I quickly realized that social media was more than sharing what I had for lunch that day.

How about you? When did you say "Aha"? What were the results for you or your organization? Or both?

Back When I Had Game...

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Robert Casey) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 03:41:00 +0000

Remember HoopsTV.com?

Back in the day, I submitted some high school highlights to the site and Mike Antinoro -- now Executive VP at Six Flags -- featured 6 clips on their first video, Ball Above All. That was when VHS was status quo, and I had a first step. I found the segment on YouTube, and thought I'd share. I'm rocking #23 and am featured at:

:05
:23
:35
:55
1:04
1:07

How I wish that site, and my game, still existed.

3,085 Tweets Per Second

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Robert Casey) — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 04:42:00 +0000

According to the L.A. Times, that's how fast Twitter was moving last night when the final horn sounded to end Game 7 of the NBA Finals. On the average day, Twitter nets 750 tweets per second.

It all makes Nielsen Ratings sound so passe.

Who's Accountable?

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Robert Casey) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 18:29:00 +0000

Silence breeds speculation in the social sphere. There are bloggers who falsify sources and stories in search for quick publicity. And reader discernment, or lack thereof, leads to perpetuating phony news.

Now that media's easily shareable, it's hard to mitigate the momentum of hundreds (thousands?) of readers passing on the untrue story of Tom Izzo informing his MSU players that he's NBA-bound.

Rick Shepich of LivingstonDaily.com posted a great article today, Few answers for MSU on New Media, which begs some important questions:

Who's accountable? The reckless blogger(s), or the quick-to-share reader? Or both? More importantly, what's the solution? Is there one?

Please chime in.

Warriors Rebranded

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Robert Casey) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:48:00 +0000

At the end of May, I wrote about the Warriors' Draft Challenge going social leading up team's 6th and 34th picks on June 24. The Challenge offers fans a chance to win season tickets for 2010-11, but it also dropped clues on the Warriors' new look.

Today, a package arrived in the mail that confirmed the Warriors would use a silhouette of the yet-to-be-completed Eastern Span of the Bay Bridge as the focal point of their logo. Here's a picture of the XL t-shirt that I received:

A press release states that the new primary logo "Salutes the team's Bay Area past and links to the exciting prospects of the organization's future...and is a direct spin-off of the 'The City' logo, one of the most popular emblems in the history of professional sports." Also included was a logo evolution for the Warriors. Check the site intro for the visual evolution.

The official team colors are: Warriors Royal Blue and California Golden Yellow.

What'cha think?