Media Rights, Broadcasting, and Press Credentials Issues in Sports
By: Anthony Mc Fadden
Media rights, broadcasting, and press credentials in sports have become a very heated battle between various sports leagues and the media. From bloggers to reporters, each game is becoming more and more difficult to cover. This is so because of the different sports leagues creating new rules to how they want their games covered by the media. Of course, the media are fighting back and so far haven’t been defeated by the sports leagues. If the leagues were to have their way they would want to cover the whole event themselves and have a special media for their own events.
In the first article I found titled “NFL Adopts Game Day Social Media Policy,” it talks about how the NFL is not allowing players, coaches, officials and play-by-play commentators participate in any social networking sites during a game. This is an attempt by the NFL to protect their Digital media rights to their events. The NFL and other major sports leagues for some reason think that they’re going to lose out on profits because of social networking. I don’t believe this is going to do that and if anything will help their profits. Some people forget about the game or just aren’t by a TV or radio and just want to know what’s happening in a game (Florio, 2009).
The second article, “Freedom of Information: When Sports Teams Restrict Access,” it explained how hard it is for a reporter or photographer to gain access t a sporting event. First, you must request permission ahead of time, and then you have to report to a designated area specified by the team. Then the league wants you to sign a waiver that states how you can use these images and some restrictions. I my opinion the leagues are becoming over protected over this subject. The media has been covering sporting events for a very long time and it’s never been a problem (Kirby, 2001).
Finally the article titled, “College Football Media Policy Draws Protest Letter,” talks about the media fighting back against college leagues by sending in a protest letter. The article basically outlines how news organizations are upset over new photography and online coverage restrictions for Southeastern Conference (SEC) college football games. The SEC only wants Internet photos posted that were used in the print media. That means no galleries full of event photos that we see on Yahoo Sports. The article also tells how the SEC wants to control the purchasing rights of the photos. This means they will give permission on who can use the photo and how they can be used.
To sum up the whole issue of media rights, broadcasting, and press credentials issue in sports you will have to say that leagues want complete control. They want to be in charge of how their product is showcased to their market. To take the side of the leagues, I can understand how they want to keep their products consistent across the different media platforms. This is America though and we were given the rights to express our opinions within good faith. The NFL is forgetting that and thinking that they will lose revenues for whatever reasons. Because of the strength of the media coverage the leagues cannot afford a boycott from the media because they don’t have their own media coverage teams or network. This will continue to be a heated battle between the media and sports leagues for a long time.
References:
Florio, M. (2009). Nfl adopts game day social media policy. Pro Football Talk,
Retrieved from http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/08/31/nfl-adopts-game-day-social-media-policy/
Kirby, K. (2001). Freedom of information: when sports teams restrict access. RTDNA –
Radio Television Digital News Association, Retrieved from http://www.rtdna.org/pages/media_items/when-sports-team-restrict-access180.php
Strupp, J. (2009). College football media policy draws protest letter. pdnonline.com –
Photo District News, Retrieved from http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/content_display/photo-news/photojournalism/e3i8db76f379a25018a5100689dd828c7d2
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Employment Law, Union, and Torts Issues
Employment Law, Union, and Torts Issues
By: Anthony Mc Fadden | 05/22/2010
The biggest issue in sports that I can think of is going on right now. This is the issue of injuries in sports and athlete health coverage. Unlike an injury at a regular job, it is easy to get workman compensation with your employer. When you’re talking about an athlete, and dealing with millions of dollars, now things get a bit more difficult. With so many injuries happening in sports all over the world and some being career threatening, physicians and doctors are getting scared to work with sports teams. They are fearful of the lawsuits that can follow because of possible claims of malpractice.
One article titled, “ Team doctors rattled by threat of malpractice suits,” talks about how insurance companies are beginning to stop covering athletes and franchises because of the injury liabilities (King 17) Because the insurance companies are refusing to cover the athletes, physicians are starting to turn athletes away. The article explains how team doctors were being dropped because of the malpractice funds was dropped from teams. This cause teams league wide to scramble and find coverage. The reason is that team owners don’t want to come out of pocket to pay for injured employees.
In another article, “Total disability policies often don’t allow a comeback attempt,” which explained that when an athlete sustains a career ending injury they can’t participate in any games or practice if they want to receive they benefits (Crosner, and Pasich 14). If they do their disability checks would become void immediately. The article also states that the policies are different upon individual agreements with an insurance company. There is also a waiting period for those athletes that are able to return to the sport. The article explains that it’s the athlete’s responsibility to understand their policies waiting period so their insurance is not canceled for returning too early.
Injuries occur in every sport all over the world. It is the doctor’s job to make the athlete fully aware of their current injuries. It is also the doctor’s job to make the athlete aware of the consequences for continuing to play the sport with that injury. On the reverse it’s the athlete responsibility to follow the doctors orders and understand the consequences if they continue to play the sport with their injury. In the end, like every other person living in on this planet, athletes need insurance too.
References
Crosner, Shaun, and Kirk Pasich. "Total disability policies often don’t allow a
comeback attempt." Sports Business Journal (2009): 14. Web. 23 May 2010..
King, Bill. "Team doctors rattled by threat of malpractice suits." Sports Business
Journal (2004): 17. Web. 23 May 2010..
By: Anthony Mc Fadden | 05/22/2010
The biggest issue in sports that I can think of is going on right now. This is the issue of injuries in sports and athlete health coverage. Unlike an injury at a regular job, it is easy to get workman compensation with your employer. When you’re talking about an athlete, and dealing with millions of dollars, now things get a bit more difficult. With so many injuries happening in sports all over the world and some being career threatening, physicians and doctors are getting scared to work with sports teams. They are fearful of the lawsuits that can follow because of possible claims of malpractice.
One article titled, “ Team doctors rattled by threat of malpractice suits,” talks about how insurance companies are beginning to stop covering athletes and franchises because of the injury liabilities (King 17) Because the insurance companies are refusing to cover the athletes, physicians are starting to turn athletes away. The article explains how team doctors were being dropped because of the malpractice funds was dropped from teams. This cause teams league wide to scramble and find coverage. The reason is that team owners don’t want to come out of pocket to pay for injured employees.
In another article, “Total disability policies often don’t allow a comeback attempt,” which explained that when an athlete sustains a career ending injury they can’t participate in any games or practice if they want to receive they benefits (Crosner, and Pasich 14). If they do their disability checks would become void immediately. The article also states that the policies are different upon individual agreements with an insurance company. There is also a waiting period for those athletes that are able to return to the sport. The article explains that it’s the athlete’s responsibility to understand their policies waiting period so their insurance is not canceled for returning too early.
Injuries occur in every sport all over the world. It is the doctor’s job to make the athlete fully aware of their current injuries. It is also the doctor’s job to make the athlete aware of the consequences for continuing to play the sport with that injury. On the reverse it’s the athlete responsibility to follow the doctors orders and understand the consequences if they continue to play the sport with their injury. In the end, like every other person living in on this planet, athletes need insurance too.
References
Crosner, Shaun, and Kirk Pasich. "Total disability policies often don’t allow a
comeback attempt." Sports Business Journal (2009): 14. Web. 23 May 2010.
King, Bill. "Team doctors rattled by threat of malpractice suits." Sports Business
Journal (2004): 17. Web. 23 May 2010.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Intellectual Property
Intellectual Property
In sports there are so many intellectual property issues that exist. Lawyers make millions a year just on intellectual property issues alone. Intellectual property is any product of someone's intellect that has commercial value, especially copyrighted material, patents, and trademarks. So with sports you can see how this could be a problem if not managed properly. For example when you leave from a sporting event in Los Angeles and you’re on your way to the car you run into entrepreneurs selling knock-off products of your teams merchandise. If the product is no good it can hurt the teams image. Intellectual property laws protect the sports teams and athletes to patent and copyright their merchandise, use of athletes names and use of their logos and identity marks (Abromson, 2010)
One issue in the last few years that has raised in when a player or coach gets traded to another team and gives their old teams secrets to other teams. This happened when Bret Farve was traded from the Green Bay Packer to the NY Jets. He supposedly shared the Packers plays with other teams that play against the Packers. With not enough proof about the accused conversations, no legal actions were ever taken. The are laws in place that exist, that if an investigation proved that Farve did that, he could be punished by the NFL’s new conduct policy for conduct detrimental to the League and his team. (Abromson, 2010)
Another intellectual property issue in sports is branding with an athlete. This has become huge in the media and advertising. Every product you can think of is showed during the NFL’s premiere championship game, the Super Bowl. Most of the commercial involves their players from the league. It doesn’t just stop there, think of people like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, George Forman, Magic Johnson, Dwayne Wade, Mohammad Ali etc. Because the sports industry is so huge and so popular it has become a big business move to get the consumers to see their favorite sports icon use a certain product. (Abromson, 2010)
Abromson, H. (2010). The Uniform domain name dispute resolution policy: will
alternative dispute resolution succeed where the courts have not?. Abromson on Sports Law, Retrieved from http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~rcrlj/articlespdf/abromson.pdf
Abromson, H. (2010). Favre should learn to keep a secret; a trade secret that
is. Abromson on Sports Law, Retrieved from http://www.abromsononsportslaw.com/Favre.html
Abromson, H. (2010). Branding with an athlete spokesperson. Abromson on Sports
Law, Retrieved from http://www.abromsononsportslaw.com/branding.html
In sports there are so many intellectual property issues that exist. Lawyers make millions a year just on intellectual property issues alone. Intellectual property is any product of someone's intellect that has commercial value, especially copyrighted material, patents, and trademarks. So with sports you can see how this could be a problem if not managed properly. For example when you leave from a sporting event in Los Angeles and you’re on your way to the car you run into entrepreneurs selling knock-off products of your teams merchandise. If the product is no good it can hurt the teams image. Intellectual property laws protect the sports teams and athletes to patent and copyright their merchandise, use of athletes names and use of their logos and identity marks (Abromson, 2010)
One issue in the last few years that has raised in when a player or coach gets traded to another team and gives their old teams secrets to other teams. This happened when Bret Farve was traded from the Green Bay Packer to the NY Jets. He supposedly shared the Packers plays with other teams that play against the Packers. With not enough proof about the accused conversations, no legal actions were ever taken. The are laws in place that exist, that if an investigation proved that Farve did that, he could be punished by the NFL’s new conduct policy for conduct detrimental to the League and his team. (Abromson, 2010)
Another intellectual property issue in sports is branding with an athlete. This has become huge in the media and advertising. Every product you can think of is showed during the NFL’s premiere championship game, the Super Bowl. Most of the commercial involves their players from the league. It doesn’t just stop there, think of people like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, George Forman, Magic Johnson, Dwayne Wade, Mohammad Ali etc. Because the sports industry is so huge and so popular it has become a big business move to get the consumers to see their favorite sports icon use a certain product. (Abromson, 2010)
Abromson, H. (2010). The Uniform domain name dispute resolution policy: will
alternative dispute resolution succeed where the courts have not?. Abromson on Sports Law, Retrieved from http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~rcrlj/articlespdf/abromson.pdf
Abromson, H. (2010). Favre should learn to keep a secret; a trade secret that
is. Abromson on Sports Law, Retrieved from http://www.abromsononsportslaw.com/Favre.html
Abromson, H. (2010). Branding with an athlete spokesperson. Abromson on Sports
Law, Retrieved from http://www.abromsononsportslaw.com/branding.html
Monday, May 3, 2010
The Way the NFL Organization Ticks
Overview of the Organization
The NFL’s overall goal is to provide football fans with quality tasteful sports entertainment. The produce seasons that consist of 32 professional football teams playing against each other in a pre-season, regular season, playoff tournament and a champion ship game. The pre-season games are games that are like practice games so teams can see a preview of how well their team is and see if any adjustment are needed before the regular season begins. It’s described as a scrimmage or practice run. The regular season (post season game) is where the teams compete against each other for 16 games played in 17 weeks. The teams with the most division victories advance to the playoffs. The Playoffs usually consist of 8 final of the 32 teams playing in an elimination-type tournament to see the top two teams compete in a championship game. This championship game has become known as the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl has become so popular that it generates millions of dollars is advertising as well as millions of viewers worldwide.
MISSION AND VALUES
To present the National Football League and its teams at a level that attracts the broadest audience and makes NFL football the best sports entertainment in the world. To achieve our mission, we will constantly challenge ourselves to improve and be guided by these values (NFL, 2010):
• INTEGRITY
• PERFORMANCE AND TEAMWORK
• TRADITION AND INNOVATION
• DIVERSITY
• LEARNING
Background and History
The history of the National Football League began in 1920, as representatives of several professional American football leagues and independent teams met at a dealership in Canton, Ohio. The league they formed would be mostly an informal agreement to play a common schedule and name a champion at the end of each season of play. Teams were allowed to play games outside of their league, and membership was fluid in the early years. The league renamed itself the National Football League. Only two teams, the Decatur Staleys, currently the Chicago Bears and the Chicago Cardinals, currently the Arizona Cardinals were members of the league in 1920.
In the 20s and 30s the league adopted a more formal organization. The first official championship game was held in 1933. The office of league President evolved into the more powerful Commissioner post, similar to Major League Baseball. Teams became more financially viable, the last team folding in 1952. The NFL championship game became known as "The Greatest Game Ever Played", the NFL was on its way to becoming one of the most popular sports leagues in the United States.
A rival league, known as the American Football League, was founded in 1959. It was highly successful, and forced a merger with the older NFL that resulted in a greatly expanded league and the formation of the Super Bowl, which has become, annually, the most watched sporting event in the United States. The NFL continued to expand throughout the 1970s, 80s, and 90s to its current size of 32 teams. (NFL, 2010)
The Business Model
The NFL has developed a genius way to monetize the sport of football. The majority of revenue comes from television broadcasts. The majority of NFL games are broadcast on a regional or national basis through major television networks such as Fox, CBS, NBC and ESPN. The networks negotiate contracts with the NFL, paying the league for the right to televise games. Networks will have fixed costs for the life of the contract and can rely on the NFL to bring a large viewing audience and create high ad revenue. With all their television agreements, the NFL earns close to $4 billion per season. The remainder of the league’s $7.6 billion in revenue comes from the sale of luxury suites, tickets, merchandise and sponsorships. Luxury suite sales are a huge revenue boost for the majority of teams. Finally, sales of jerseys, hats, mugs and just about anything else that can be associated with the NFL brand, is a major source of revenue (Futterman, 2009).
Because of the complex economic structure of the NFL, they use an economic system know as the oligopoly model. An oligopoly market structure is a system where an industry is dominated by a fairly minimal number of firms. With an oligopoly, each firm must take into account the actions of its competitors when making strategic decisions. One network does not want to make a dramatic change, because if the networks competition does not follow they could be left out in the cold. Instead, each firm would rather slowly fight for more market share within a stable environment. To ensure stability they work together in setting prices or with other strategic initiatives.
In professional football each team represents a separate firm and has its own individual ownership and management structure. Teams compete both for sports-related accolades and financial and market gains. Teams that are more popular and successful can leverage their power in the form of higher ticket prices, merchandise sales, and ability to attract more talented players. However, the teams must operate as a group. They compete within the same league that has its own governing body and uniform set of rules. Teams employ players that are members of a single labor union. Two systems that help keep the league operating in a stable environment are the concept of revenue sharing and the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Types of Jobs Within the Organization
The two biggest job categories that exist in he NFL are jobs in media and marketing. Both departments are equally important when it comes to generating revenue for the leagues. Other jobs that exist in the NFL are lawyers, accountants, IT department, and human resources. These departments can also be found in the individual teams. Opportunities also exist for college student trying to gain some experiences through the NFL’s internship programs. Each team also has additional job positions that include players and coaches. Teams also feature operations positions, to oversee their stadium and practice facilities. Teams have superintendents that maintain the practice and game fields. Teams also typically have a travel department. The possibilities are endless and the NFL has many career opportunities for those interested in a career in the sports industry. (NFL, 2010)
Major Positions and Responsibilities
The most important position in the NFL is the commissioner. The owners of the league choose the commissioner. The commissioner keeps the league fair and handles the major disputes between the organizations. The next important position in the league is the team owners. The team owner’s work together in the NFL to keep the playing field, mostly financial, fair and competitive. When you break into the teams individually the most important position after the team owner is the general manager, which in some cases can be the team owner or head coach. Then there is the head coach who comes next in control of the team. Finally there come the players on the team. Without the players there is no team to showcase to the fans.
Entry-Level Positions and Current Opportunities
When it comes to entry-level positions in the NFL, the best way is to get an internship through the NFL’s internship program. This program is usually offered to students during the summer. The NFL allows students to gain experience in areas that include Communications & Public Affairs, Community Affairs, Consumer Products, Events, Finance & Accounting, Football Operations, Human Resources, Information Technology, Internal Audit, International, Labor & Legal, Marketing & Sales, and Media. The NFL also includes an alternate program called the Junior Rotational Program. This program is a series of work assignments that will provide participants with an opportunity to contribute to the organization's success while receiving an unparalleled learning experience. (NFL, 2010)
If you are not in college positions in sales and marketing are other forms of entry-level positions within the NFL. With the rise of technology in the sports industry the future of the NFL may fall in the hands of tech savvy college graduates. Technologies such a web and cell phone apps are on the rise as well as other hi-tech devices (iPad). The integration of 3D technology in televisions is surfacing on the scene worldwide. Scoreboards at the stadiums and arenas are becoming more and more interactive.
Community Involvement Efforts
The NFL’s 32 teams are all involve in giving back to the community. The NFL and its players participate in programs such as youth programs, community programs, diversity programs, health programs volunteer programs and different charities around the country. Whether is building or remodeling a ne part to providing a football camp or young inspiring athletes, the NFL is ready to get involved. Recently the NFL has incorporated its community services into game events such as half-time shows both in regular season games and championship games. (NFL-Join the Team, 2010)
Recent Business News About the Organization
In bad news the NFL’s players have been getting a lot of heat on players personal lives. Whether it’s a drug problem, a DUI, being accused of rape, tax evasion or etc. It all comes back on the NFL as negative publicity and puts huge pressure on the NFL commissioner. Most recently Steelers star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been under a lot of heat for his current behavior. Sometimes these professional athletes forget that they represent the whole NFL organization and what it stands for. Roethlisberger was suspended last week for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy, a punishment resulting from an incident in which he was accused of sexually assaulting a college student in a Georgia nightclub, even though he was not charged. (Robinson, 2010)
In good news the current NFL draft brought in huge ratings and revenue for both the NFL and its networks. This years NFL draft welcomed 16 new rookies into the league. According to the article “NFL Draft's Media Circus,” these rookies will face intense scrutiny over their leadership, character, and off-field conduct because of Roethlisberger's recent behavior. The NFL draft was for the first time broadcasted live and lasted for two days. The 2010 NFL Draft created massive campaigns for the NFL and networks included Jay-Z songs Empire State of Mind, Star Is Born, On to the Next One, and So Ambitious. Wireless companies such as Verizon showcased its NFL Draft-related activities on NFL Mobile, featuring live Draft coverage and its "real-time draft tracker." (Horrow, & Swatek, 2010)
Conclusion
In conclusion, the NFL is one of the largest and fastest growing leagues in sports. With excellent revenue structure that brings in huge revenues it has the best potential for growth in both jobs and expansion. With the introduction of different new technologies and gadgets the NFL can begin to develop new job and new ways of bring their product to their fans. College students and people who are familiar with the new technologies such as the web, mobile apps and apps for the new iPad will soon began to make a huge impact in the future of sports entertainment. Technology will ultimately change the NFL’s perception on how to get their product to the customer.
References
Futterman, Matthew. (2009, March 24). NFL, DirecTV Extend Pact in $4 Billion Dea. The Wall
Street Journal. Retreived March 18, 2010 from:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123786503490122053.html
Horrow, R, & Swatek, K. (2010). Nfl draft's media circus. BusinessWeek Online, Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=49812451&site=bsi-live doi: 49812451
Robinson, A. (2010). Ward: roethlisberger's suspension 'justified'. The Associated Press,
Retrieved from http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hq_u0io3OclpYBz-AYba8o2bpN0wD9FDRF3G0
NFL (2010, January 1). League employement. Retrieved from http://www.nfl.com/about
NFL, Join theTeam (2010, January 1). Join the team. Retrieved from
https://www.jointheteam.com/
The NFL’s overall goal is to provide football fans with quality tasteful sports entertainment. The produce seasons that consist of 32 professional football teams playing against each other in a pre-season, regular season, playoff tournament and a champion ship game. The pre-season games are games that are like practice games so teams can see a preview of how well their team is and see if any adjustment are needed before the regular season begins. It’s described as a scrimmage or practice run. The regular season (post season game) is where the teams compete against each other for 16 games played in 17 weeks. The teams with the most division victories advance to the playoffs. The Playoffs usually consist of 8 final of the 32 teams playing in an elimination-type tournament to see the top two teams compete in a championship game. This championship game has become known as the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl has become so popular that it generates millions of dollars is advertising as well as millions of viewers worldwide.
MISSION AND VALUES
To present the National Football League and its teams at a level that attracts the broadest audience and makes NFL football the best sports entertainment in the world. To achieve our mission, we will constantly challenge ourselves to improve and be guided by these values (NFL, 2010):
• INTEGRITY
• PERFORMANCE AND TEAMWORK
• TRADITION AND INNOVATION
• DIVERSITY
• LEARNING
Background and History
The history of the National Football League began in 1920, as representatives of several professional American football leagues and independent teams met at a dealership in Canton, Ohio. The league they formed would be mostly an informal agreement to play a common schedule and name a champion at the end of each season of play. Teams were allowed to play games outside of their league, and membership was fluid in the early years. The league renamed itself the National Football League. Only two teams, the Decatur Staleys, currently the Chicago Bears and the Chicago Cardinals, currently the Arizona Cardinals were members of the league in 1920.
In the 20s and 30s the league adopted a more formal organization. The first official championship game was held in 1933. The office of league President evolved into the more powerful Commissioner post, similar to Major League Baseball. Teams became more financially viable, the last team folding in 1952. The NFL championship game became known as "The Greatest Game Ever Played", the NFL was on its way to becoming one of the most popular sports leagues in the United States.
A rival league, known as the American Football League, was founded in 1959. It was highly successful, and forced a merger with the older NFL that resulted in a greatly expanded league and the formation of the Super Bowl, which has become, annually, the most watched sporting event in the United States. The NFL continued to expand throughout the 1970s, 80s, and 90s to its current size of 32 teams. (NFL, 2010)
The Business Model
The NFL has developed a genius way to monetize the sport of football. The majority of revenue comes from television broadcasts. The majority of NFL games are broadcast on a regional or national basis through major television networks such as Fox, CBS, NBC and ESPN. The networks negotiate contracts with the NFL, paying the league for the right to televise games. Networks will have fixed costs for the life of the contract and can rely on the NFL to bring a large viewing audience and create high ad revenue. With all their television agreements, the NFL earns close to $4 billion per season. The remainder of the league’s $7.6 billion in revenue comes from the sale of luxury suites, tickets, merchandise and sponsorships. Luxury suite sales are a huge revenue boost for the majority of teams. Finally, sales of jerseys, hats, mugs and just about anything else that can be associated with the NFL brand, is a major source of revenue (Futterman, 2009).
Because of the complex economic structure of the NFL, they use an economic system know as the oligopoly model. An oligopoly market structure is a system where an industry is dominated by a fairly minimal number of firms. With an oligopoly, each firm must take into account the actions of its competitors when making strategic decisions. One network does not want to make a dramatic change, because if the networks competition does not follow they could be left out in the cold. Instead, each firm would rather slowly fight for more market share within a stable environment. To ensure stability they work together in setting prices or with other strategic initiatives.
In professional football each team represents a separate firm and has its own individual ownership and management structure. Teams compete both for sports-related accolades and financial and market gains. Teams that are more popular and successful can leverage their power in the form of higher ticket prices, merchandise sales, and ability to attract more talented players. However, the teams must operate as a group. They compete within the same league that has its own governing body and uniform set of rules. Teams employ players that are members of a single labor union. Two systems that help keep the league operating in a stable environment are the concept of revenue sharing and the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Types of Jobs Within the Organization
The two biggest job categories that exist in he NFL are jobs in media and marketing. Both departments are equally important when it comes to generating revenue for the leagues. Other jobs that exist in the NFL are lawyers, accountants, IT department, and human resources. These departments can also be found in the individual teams. Opportunities also exist for college student trying to gain some experiences through the NFL’s internship programs. Each team also has additional job positions that include players and coaches. Teams also feature operations positions, to oversee their stadium and practice facilities. Teams have superintendents that maintain the practice and game fields. Teams also typically have a travel department. The possibilities are endless and the NFL has many career opportunities for those interested in a career in the sports industry. (NFL, 2010)
Major Positions and Responsibilities
The most important position in the NFL is the commissioner. The owners of the league choose the commissioner. The commissioner keeps the league fair and handles the major disputes between the organizations. The next important position in the league is the team owners. The team owner’s work together in the NFL to keep the playing field, mostly financial, fair and competitive. When you break into the teams individually the most important position after the team owner is the general manager, which in some cases can be the team owner or head coach. Then there is the head coach who comes next in control of the team. Finally there come the players on the team. Without the players there is no team to showcase to the fans.
Entry-Level Positions and Current Opportunities
When it comes to entry-level positions in the NFL, the best way is to get an internship through the NFL’s internship program. This program is usually offered to students during the summer. The NFL allows students to gain experience in areas that include Communications & Public Affairs, Community Affairs, Consumer Products, Events, Finance & Accounting, Football Operations, Human Resources, Information Technology, Internal Audit, International, Labor & Legal, Marketing & Sales, and Media. The NFL also includes an alternate program called the Junior Rotational Program. This program is a series of work assignments that will provide participants with an opportunity to contribute to the organization's success while receiving an unparalleled learning experience. (NFL, 2010)
If you are not in college positions in sales and marketing are other forms of entry-level positions within the NFL. With the rise of technology in the sports industry the future of the NFL may fall in the hands of tech savvy college graduates. Technologies such a web and cell phone apps are on the rise as well as other hi-tech devices (iPad). The integration of 3D technology in televisions is surfacing on the scene worldwide. Scoreboards at the stadiums and arenas are becoming more and more interactive.
Community Involvement Efforts
The NFL’s 32 teams are all involve in giving back to the community. The NFL and its players participate in programs such as youth programs, community programs, diversity programs, health programs volunteer programs and different charities around the country. Whether is building or remodeling a ne part to providing a football camp or young inspiring athletes, the NFL is ready to get involved. Recently the NFL has incorporated its community services into game events such as half-time shows both in regular season games and championship games. (NFL-Join the Team, 2010)
Recent Business News About the Organization
In bad news the NFL’s players have been getting a lot of heat on players personal lives. Whether it’s a drug problem, a DUI, being accused of rape, tax evasion or etc. It all comes back on the NFL as negative publicity and puts huge pressure on the NFL commissioner. Most recently Steelers star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been under a lot of heat for his current behavior. Sometimes these professional athletes forget that they represent the whole NFL organization and what it stands for. Roethlisberger was suspended last week for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy, a punishment resulting from an incident in which he was accused of sexually assaulting a college student in a Georgia nightclub, even though he was not charged. (Robinson, 2010)
In good news the current NFL draft brought in huge ratings and revenue for both the NFL and its networks. This years NFL draft welcomed 16 new rookies into the league. According to the article “NFL Draft's Media Circus,” these rookies will face intense scrutiny over their leadership, character, and off-field conduct because of Roethlisberger's recent behavior. The NFL draft was for the first time broadcasted live and lasted for two days. The 2010 NFL Draft created massive campaigns for the NFL and networks included Jay-Z songs Empire State of Mind, Star Is Born, On to the Next One, and So Ambitious. Wireless companies such as Verizon showcased its NFL Draft-related activities on NFL Mobile, featuring live Draft coverage and its "real-time draft tracker." (Horrow, & Swatek, 2010)
Conclusion
In conclusion, the NFL is one of the largest and fastest growing leagues in sports. With excellent revenue structure that brings in huge revenues it has the best potential for growth in both jobs and expansion. With the introduction of different new technologies and gadgets the NFL can begin to develop new job and new ways of bring their product to their fans. College students and people who are familiar with the new technologies such as the web, mobile apps and apps for the new iPad will soon began to make a huge impact in the future of sports entertainment. Technology will ultimately change the NFL’s perception on how to get their product to the customer.
References
Futterman, Matthew. (2009, March 24). NFL, DirecTV Extend Pact in $4 Billion Dea. The Wall
Street Journal. Retreived March 18, 2010 from:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123786503490122053.html
Horrow, R, & Swatek, K. (2010). Nfl draft's media circus. BusinessWeek Online, Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=49812451&site=bsi-live doi: 49812451
Robinson, A. (2010). Ward: roethlisberger's suspension 'justified'. The Associated Press,
Retrieved from http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hq_u0io3OclpYBz-AYba8o2bpN0wD9FDRF3G0
NFL (2010, January 1). League employement. Retrieved from http://www.nfl.com/about
NFL, Join theTeam (2010, January 1). Join the team. Retrieved from
https://www.jointheteam.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
