The Wizard of Westwood Passes

Tragedy.

One of the most admirable, iconic, and influential men in sports passed away yesterday. John Wooden, legendary college basketball coach of the UCLA Bruins, died at the age of 99 from natural causes. Under Wooden, the Bruins still hold the NCAA record for consecutive wins (88) and they took home 10 National Championships throughout the 1960's and 70's.

John Wooden was truly an inspirational leader who had an unmatched positive effect on all who played for, worked with, or crossed paths with him.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

"Material possessions, winning scores, and great reputations are meaningless in the eyes of the Lord, because He knows what we really are and that is all that matters."

-John Wooden

Better than Before?

Could it be possible that the Orlando Magic are really a better team than their stellar '09 finals run? Absolutely. With the swap of Hedo Turkoglu for a red hot Vince Carter, and a healthy all-star caliber point guard in Jameer Nelson, I'd put money on it that the Magic will be heading back to the finals for a second straight time. If Dwight can keep out of foul trouble, he presents a tough matchup for any team in the East. Even bench play is overpowering for the Magic. Pietrus and Gortat lead a strong charge off the pine. With stifling play against the Hawks so far, I see no reason why the MAgic can't sweep them and begin looking towards Cleveland and LeBron's Cavaliers.

read more!
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/387372-nba-playoff-preview-breaking-down-orlando-magic-vs-atlanta-hawks

Thanks for reading!!!

-Hunter

DRAFT DAY!

It's finally here. The much anticipated 75th NFL Draft! After suffering through all the pre-hype and mock draft boards parading around the media, we can finally sit back and see when Tim Tebow is chosen. I mean, see when everyone gets picked. I must admit though, I am quite curious to see where the golden boy lands. It seems like a unanimous opinion that he won't make it into the first round, but we'll see. And what's this I hear about the Lions trading picks for haynesworth and mgahee? I wouldn't be opposed.

Personally, I think C.J. Spiller will be the most dynamic player entering the draft. The kid can catch, run, and return kicks. I think he is still top 5 talent in the class regardless of where he is taken. He's got ridiculous speed. A 3 time All-American track athlete! Can't wait to see what he can do.

Thanks for reading!

-Hunter

A Dream to a Reality

The Butler Bulldogs lost a heart breaker last night to the storied Duke Blue Devils.

Yes, Butler was the vandal that plagued my bracket with upsets and wrong picks. Yes, I didn't pick them going past the 2nd round. And YES, I still wanted Butler to win.

I give respect to Duke, but Butler may have just revolutionized the tournament. With the looming expansion of the tournament field, the public now sees that a mid-major team is able to compete, up until the final game, with powerhouse schools like Duke. But either way, what a shot by Hayward!! I can't believe he missed it. As a team that was supposed to fade away into the oblivion, Butler has inspired me to keep rootin' for the underdog.

Rich Rod

Rich Rodriguez makes negative headlines. Again.

Apparently, the University of Michigan head football coach been sued along with several business partners by a company that says it has yet to be repaid for a $1 million loan.

The suit filed in federal court last month by the West Columbia Trading Company of South Carolina claims a corporation formed to develop 60 condominiums near Alabama's football stadium owes more than $995,000 plus interest on a $1 million loan for the project made in 2006.

Rich Rod continues to take steps in reverse in terms of creating both a positive personal brand as well as a positive brand for The University of Michigan. Both brands have continually taken negative blows since he arrived, with NCAA violations, controversy over his hiring, and now this plaguing his tenure. Personally, I don't believe he is the best fit for this program.

To read more, go to:
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/13108633/rodriguez-named-in-1m-alabama-condoloan-suit?source=rss_teams_Michigan_Wolverines

-Hunter

Bring on the Madness!

In my opinion, March Madness is not just an activity, but rather a way of life. At least for the month of March! If students strategically place themselves in the back row of their classrooms, they shouldn't be surprised to see phones and iPods alike lit up with self-updating scores of these captivating games. I love this time of year, but I've begun to realize that marketers do as well. The amount of sponsorships that can be placed on a bracket like this is endless, and it becomes a regular hotbed of currency exchange.
Now to the field. My personal overall favorite is Kansas as a National Champion, with a final four win over Syracuse, and a win over Kentucky in the championship game. I have yet to decide on the fate of Kentucky and Duke in other brackets however, because I view them as being the weakest #1 seeds. But the real story is the upset picks. Upsets are what makes this bracket and this time of year so much fun. My favorite upsets are #13 Siena over #4 Purdue, and #12 Cornell over #5 Temple....But we'll have to see. It's what creates the Madness!

Don't forget to make your bracket and join a pool!

-Hunter

LT...A Tearful Departure

LaDainian Tomlinson was recently released by his one and only employer, the San Diego Chargers. LT, #3 on the all-time touchdown list (behind #2 Jerry Rice, and Emmitt Smith) has been declining in production, and will turn 31 at the start of next season. In December of 2006, LT surpassed the record for the most points by a player in an NFL season. So what's next for the star running back? Well, he is adamant that retirement is not an option. He insists that his main priority, still, is to win a championship. However, finding a successful team with a shot at the championship and one that he will mesh with could be the toughest part of this release. In my opinion, his brand is still intact. When i hear his name associated with his age, it almost seems surprising. Even though running backs statistically decline exponentially after the age of 27, I think Tomlinson still has a few solid years left.

to read more, see http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4943207&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

Hook Em' Horns BigTen Bound?

Texas, a dominant presence in many major college sports, is a force to be reckoned with both competitively and economically. Statistically, it seems that Texas has the earning potential to produce revenue the size of the very state they're named after. But after having success in the Big 12 conference especially when it comes to football (2010 title game appearance, 2005 national champions) could they be interested in a move?
The word on the street is that another traditional powerhouse conference, the Big Ten, is looking to add a 12th team to their lineup. Among other contestants like Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, and others, Texas oddly enough looks to be a front runner. This boggles my mind in terms of the location. Big Ten conference schools are concentrated primarily in the Midwest, making Texas' location both perfect for their current conference, and strange for the prospective Big Ten addition. In my opinion, Notre Dame should suck it up, drop their seperate broadcasting contract and independant label, and join up with a conference already!

To read this full article, go to:

http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2010/02/11/texas-to-big-ten-rumors-heat-up/?ncid=txtlnkusspor00000002

Disappointment.

Wow. the 2010 Slam Dunk Contest may have been one of the most boring all-star events, much less sporting events, that I have ever seen (and I have recently begun to watch Olympic Curling, so that's saying something). The dunks were extremely lackluster, there was a total absence of hype surrounding the event, and in my opinion, LeBron James removing himself from the contestant list was one of the sole reasons.
Granted, it's not like LeBron needs any marketing help. The guy is a household name at the age of 25 for crying out loud. But when I heard that he was going to participate last year, I immediately checked my calendar to see if I would be able to watch the competition a year later. That's the kind of effect that his star power would have brought. But watching a bunch of no-names compete in an irrelevant shell of what the dunk contest used to be, is not high on my list of priority tv. The lone bright spot, Nate Robinson, had to do with the fact that he became the first ever 3-time slam dunk champion in NBA history. And for a guy who's 5 foot 9 inches tall, that's a pretty tall stat.
For the future, the NBA needs to heavily recruit some of the talent that has been diminishing for this contest to really succeed again.
LeBron 2011!!!

to read this full article, hit up:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/frank_hughes/02/14/dunk.contest/index.html

That was a Brees....

What a game! sort of...

With 2 high-powered offenses, i didn't think it would be any problem for either team to conjure up a cornucopia of razzle dazzle big time plays to wow the crowd. I was mistaken. In my opinion, with a peculiarly low level of hype surrounding the game, it almost seemed to pass by like any other game at first, but of course, the media can put a spin on anything. Peyton vs. Brees. The established, efficient, perennial championship contender vs. The war-torn, flashy, rebuilding organization. It seemed almost like America wanted New Orleans to win, but not crush the blue collar Colts. Even though they were pitted the underdog, everyone knows what kind of players the Saints have.

With a gleeful Tom Benson hoisting the franchises 1st Lombardi trophy, the owner put it best as he chanted "we back!" to the many fans cheering with enthusiasm. Then, handing it off to the man who helped rebuild a once dismal franchise (Most recently, 2005: 3-13) a tearful Brees thanked God, his teammates, and his owner for bringing him in to do a job, and breathed relief as he realized the accomplishment that had been reached.

The commercials! Another interesting aspect of the spectacle that is the superbowl had few gems in this years crown. Personally, I only found a select few to be humorous (Stolen Dorito bag) and I believe the fact that Pepsi is experimenting with social media marketing might be a reason why. Each company will change their entire strategy if this works for Pepsi, so this might be just the beginning for the downward spiral of television ads. Brace yourselves...as if they weren't already dull enough!

Congrats New Orleans!

Cissoko to GV??

After hearing a rumor that made my heart jump, I decided it'd be best if I actually found out first hand before spreading the good news!(for some)

Cornerback Boubacar Cissoko was dismissed from The University of Michigan's football team mid season last year, after making his Sophomore debut as a starter for the Wolverines. Coming out of high school, Cissoko was the 3rd best cornerback, with a 5 star position rating. However, after violating team rules, the kid was dismissed from the team MID SEASON!

Now, rumor mill had it that Cissoko would be transferring(or at least attempting) to Grand Valley State University. A very successful D-II program. However this didn't pan out for him, because apparently he's in more legal trouble than we know. From a marketing standpoint, Boubacar's future doesn't look promising....

Hall of Famer Pours It On

No. 4 Syracuse, a famous participant and winner of the epic 6 overtime game between the Orangemen and the Huskies of Connecticut a year ago, were back at it again. However this time, they're come from behind win over fellow Big East competitor Georgetown(No. 11), was kept in the parameters of regulation but would be overshadowed by a storied career.

Coach Jim Boeheim achieved his 819th career win, passing current coaching legend Jim Calhoun(Connecticut) for sixth all time in Division 1. Coach Boeheim's 34 year career is marked with an astonishing 32 20+ win seasons, with 25 tournament appearances as well as 1 National Championship. And did I mention it was his alma mater? To this day, Boeheim is one of the very rare individuals who has spent their entire college basketball career, from player to assistant coach to head coach, at one university.

Congrats, Coach!

Meet Me

Hey all!

First of all, I'd like to welcome you to my blog. My name is Hunter, and, as the title states, this blog involves the sports world and its current events, as well as commonly applied principles and processes concerning marketing techniques. I'm from the great mitten state of Michigan, and I'm a junior in college.

For my blog, I chose to follow major websites such as ESPN.com, CBSSportsline.com, SI.com, CNN.com, as well as more specific websites like Mashable.com that follow updates on Social Media Marketing. I also decided to follow updates on other blogs from iconic figures like Mark Cuban and Jalen Rose.

I'm a huge college football fan, more specifically the University of Michigan, and my love for college football has led me to be a strong supporter of most NCAA athletics. I prefer NCAA athletics over professional, and my reasons will hopefully be revealed through my posts. I chose to follow the websites named above because I believe not only will they inform me about the goings on in collegiate athletics, but also what's happening with professional sports. Who knows, maybe it will alter my opinion as well as the occasional readers opinion as well!