Sports Then and Now

Sports has evolved in some aspects while completely changing in others as in the early days of the NFL seeing players smoking cigarettes on the sideline was not uncommon. The money that is now generated is immense compared to the past due to TV deals and the expansion of ways to watch the game due to technology. Being able to watch a soccer match across the world used to take some lucky local programming but now it can be accessed by nearly any smartphone with an internet connection. Sports were due to change in one way or another but this will incorporate the social media aspect of how sports has changed for the better…as well as for the worse in the rest of this article.

Players Posting Their Offseason Training Sessions

The secret training regimen being kept from competitors was a common tactic used in the past. Now athletes are friendlier than in the past with players training with rivals on other teams that might have knocked them out of the playoffs. This is due to more opportunities for young elite athletes to play on teams and in camps against other top prospects. In essence many professional athletes grow up together whether they live near each other or see each other a few times a year at large tournaments. Social media helps them stay connected while in the past they would have had to call each other or write letters. There are still those old school players that do not train with rivals as they think they could use they gained knowledge to their advantage during the next professional season. Kobe Bryant noted that he used playing with the Olympic team as a way to pick up tendencies of players that might not be visible on tape.

We’ve all seen and laughed at the commercial where the guy is pretending to pay attention to his girlfriend when he’s actually sneaking a peek at his phone to catch the game. For better or worse, this is a reality these days, as there is almost no way for you to miss watching a sporting event. Technology has not only made missing the big game impossible, but it’s also completely altered the way in which we watch our favorite sporting events. From social media and high def TV to tablets and even drones, read on for more info on five tech items that are changing the way we watch sports. What’s the over/under you’re going to love this? We’ll take the over!

1. Social Media

Remember when we thought social media was just a phase? We’ll give you a minute to LOL. Not only is this not a passing fad but it’s also quickly picking up speed in its reach and in its mediums. As with nearly everything in modern day life, this form of media has had a direct effect on the way we watch sports. From watching live events online and interacting with the actual players on Twitter to video highlights on Facebook and following the Instagram feeds of our favorite athletes, social media has made us all even bigger superfans. Head of Sports Broadcast Partnerships at Twitter Andrew Barge has even dubbed Twitter “the world’s largest digital sports bar.” Not only does social media give us access to the actual events, but it also gives us a way to chat about our favorite games/matches for days (or even months!) after they’ve happened. Fast food chain Wendy’s recently upped the madness ante on March Madness by offering an online sports bracket. This is a sports fan’s dream and social media only adds to the hype.

2. Drones

While drones used in an official capacity for sporting events are fairly strictly regulated, there are people using commercial drones to capture incredible footage. They were used in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi to film skiing and snowboarding. According to this article on sUAS News, “Drones have also been used to film Formula One races, the X Games, the AMA Supercross Series, high school football practices, and extreme sports events such as surfing, snowboarding, and skateboarding.” The NFL primarily uses CableCam systems, which is actually the case in point in favor of drones, as these cable-suspended camera systems are limited in the areas they can cover. While the future of drones used in an official capacity for sports coverage is uncertain due to FAA and other regulations, many are pushing for drone use due its ability to catch otherwise impossible angles. Read the rest of this entry →

Sports betting is without question a driving force in the popularity of sports worldwide. This is not to say that sports would not be thriving without a betting market–but it certainly helps. Betting on sports allows individuals with a higher level of knowledge (or at least, they believe they have some higher level of knowledge) to earn money for their research and play their convictions and instincts against the bookmakers. Oftentimes, the real sharps in Las Vegas know exactly what type of line they are looking for, and understand how the bookmakers work better than the traditional sports fan. Sports betting is not without it’s scandals and scandalous personality, such as disgraced ex-NBA referee Tim Donaghy, but the existence of cheats and match fixers has not persuaded people from continuing to bet on games in all sorts of avenues, from casino sports books, to online sportsbooks such as Betser betting. Gambling can help bring you closer to other sports fans, and some of the most knowledge sports fans as well.

How Can I Use Gambling as Networking?

Well, if you’re exceptionally good–you should create a blog and post your picks and you will gain notoriety for your ability to correcting pick lines and games worthy of betting. One great example of gambling as networking is Haralobos Voulgaris, one of the most prolific NBA bettors in history, who has parlayed his betting acumen into a recurring guest role on the popular Bill Simmons podcast, as well as a healthy social media following. He is now regarded as a sports personality, which stemmed from his success in gambling.

It is possible for regular joes to do this same thing, and network in the same way. Perhaps you’ll never be interviewed by Bill Simmons, but by tracking and editorializing your gambles, you can build a following–if you are right more than you’re wrong. Everyone is looking for the edge, and with a little SEO and some good picks, these people will end up on your website, or your social media, or your whatever, the fact is, they will know who you are. Media outlets may contact you for comments, larger betting syndicates may want to hire you to be their expert on site. Basically, if you succeed in your bets, you can succeed elsewhere as well. And elsewhere might just be more sustainable and less stressful! Read the rest of this entry →

Belcher Tragedy Has NO Team Colors

In this age of social media, you receive news good and BAD in a fraction of a second.

Unfortunately today the news was of the extremely  HORRIBLE variety.  It was reported this morning that K.C. Chiefs linebacker, Jovan Belcher killed his girlfriend then took his own life outside the team facility.

Kansas City Star:

Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher this morning shot and killed his girlfriend before going to Arrowhead Stadium and fatally shooting himself as team personnel tried to stop him, police said.

Police Capt. David Lindaman said Belcher, 25, and his girlfriend, 22, got into an argument around 7 a.m. at their home in the 5400 block of Crysler Avenue in Kansas City. Around 7:50 a.m., Lindaman said, Belcher shot his girlfriend multiple times. She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Lindaman said Belcher’s mother, who was visiting the couple and their 3-month-old daughter, witnessed the shooting and was being interviewed by police.

Belcher left the scene on Crysler and went to the Chiefs practice facility at Arrowhead, police said.

Police were called to the stadium around 8:10 a.m. Lindaman said when Belcher arrived there he encountered General Manager Scott Pioli and other team personnel. They apparently attempted to keep him from committing additional acts of violence. When police arrived, Belcher shot himself in the head.

When receiving such HORRIFIC news in a fraction of second, whether it directly affects you or not, all you can do is REACT.

You don’t REACT, you just FEEL.

I am a fan of the New England Patriots so does this unfathomable act affect my team or people I know?

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Ronaldo Rules The Pitch & Social Media.

Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo is ARGUABLY the best soccer player on the earth (unless you are a fan of Lionel Messi), but there is NO DISPUTING that he is the social media king. Ronaldo just eclipsed an eye popping 50 million fans on his Facebook page on Monday.

He thanked his fans:

Reaching 50.000.000 likes is unbelievable …I want to thank you, you you, you and everyone who have been supporting me all these years. I really want us to keep sharing all the good moments together – and the best is still to come. THANK YOU ALL

The post was shared 2,192 times, has 208, 934 likes and over 13,ooo comments. That is fan engagement at it’s BEST.

Ronaldo also took to Twitter to acknowledge his 13M followers for their support as well:

I really want us to keep sharing all the good moments together – and the best is still to come.THANK YOU ALL #50M

— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) October 15, 2012

Ronaldo’s social media status is simply incredible. His 50M fans on Facebook accounts for 5% of users WORLDWIDE.

He has more fans than Real Madrid, the team he plays for.

Ronaldo is only 27 years old and he has many more years in front of him to dominate the pitch and the internet.

The world is his for the TAKING….

H/T To NESN.com.

It was about a year ago that I first learned about Twitter and started my own personal Twitter account (dhprguy). At the time I was working for a public relations firm and it was pretty obvious that gaining an understanding of the power of social networks was essential for people in the public relations field.

As a networking tool, I’m still not sold on Twitter. Most of the people that follow you and that you follow on Twitter are complete strangers and interactions seem to be a bit forced and trivial.

When you are following thousands of people, as many people do, and have thousands following you, I don’t see how you can expect to have a meaningful conversation or personal engagement with someone.

However, as a tool for disseminating information there is no question that Twitter has a ton of power.

Many companies are using Twitter to inform customers and potential customers about their products. It also is a great place for bloggers like myself to announce our latest post or share a great site or blog that we saw somewhere else on the web.

Many celebrities have figured out that putting something on Twitter before formally announcing it to the media helps ensure that the points they want to make can be told (140 characters at a time).
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