Sports Biz Rundown (9/7/2020 - 9/11/2020)
Nick Hayden
Founder of Explore ATX | Creating Linkedin content about innovation and tourism insights
Today and always, we remember those lives who were lost on September 11th, 2001. September is the official month of sports in 2020 with the possibility of seven sport equinoxes (when there are NFL, MLB, NHL, and NBA games on the same day) occurring! Thursday kicked off the 2020 NFL season and introduced new social justice initiatives to the football stage. Social justice initiatives continue at the U.S. Open and in Madden '21 with Naomi Osaka's mask commemorations and Colin Kaepernick's Black Power fist celebration. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact college campuses, the debate on college football happening has become political. Nike continues to look for ways to generate revenue in the corona-economy with the start of their maternity collection. Oakley just released their first NFL collection and has also helped develop COVID-19 preventative face masks for in-game use.
The goal of Sports Biz Rundown is to give you a very concise rundown of what happened this week in the world of sports & entertainment. Providing you every Friday with the top sports biz news, events, careers, and more.
FOOTBALL IS BACK.
The NFL season is officially underway! Last night, the Kansas City Chiefs--the reigning 2020 Super Bowl Champions--took on the Houston Texans. The Chiefs beat the Texans with a final score of 34-20. Last week, Texans QB Deshaun Watson signed a 4-year $160M contract extension making Watson and Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes the two highest-paid players in the NFL. After a summer of high emphasis on social justice, the NFL as a whole is encouraging social justice initiatives this season. The NFL, which until recently had restricted its players from protesting on the field for social change, is going all in for the 2020 season. The league has planned to stencil the phrases "It Takes All of Us" and "End Racism" in the end zones. They will be stenciled in paint in each team's end zones all season long.
The college football season for the ACC kicked off last night with the UAB Blazers playing the Miami Hurricanes. Power Five conference college football has become a key political issue as the 2020 election approaches, and the impending NFL season will only ratchet up the intensity around empty stadiums and player protests. Politicians have been leveraging the state of college football for months, and now both parties are looking to tie the Big Ten's decision to postpone the season to their own political narratives. President Trump spoke last week with Kevin Warren (Big Ten commissioner) about "immediately starting up Big Ten football." The Biden-Harris campaign has been running ads in Big Ten markets featuring images of empty football stadiums saying "Donald Trump put our nation on the sidelines." (Axios Sports)
SOCIAL JUSTICE & SPORTS
At this year's U.S. Open, it seems as though playing in the Arthur Ashe Stadium means more. Arthur Ashe is the only African American male tennis player to win the U.S. Open (and Wimbledon) singles titles. He also stood at the forefront of political activism and social justice issues while working alongside Martin Luther King Jr. For the entirety of this year's U.S. Open, professional tennis stars have been making statements about the social injustice apparent in our country. One of those players being Naomi Osaka. Osaka wants to use the U.S. Open as a platform to bring light to police brutality in our country. In doing so, she has brought several different face masks to the U.S. Open with the names of police brutality victims. Names include Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.
For the first time since 2016, Colin Kaepernick is back in EA Sports’ Madden NFL series. EA lost the rights to Kaepernick’s likeness when he lost his job in the NFL, but after negotiating with him individually, gamers can once again play as Kaepernick in the popular video game series. The Undefeated’s Aaron Dodson reports that Kaepernick took a “hands on” approach to his inclusion in the game, lobbying for his digital avatar to have an Afro (as opposed to the cornrows he had in Madden 17) and to use the Black Power fist as a touchdown celebration, as he did in his most recent NFL season. (Sports Illustrated)
MONEY MOVES
Nike (NKE) is getting into the maternity clothing market with the creation of Nike (M). According to Nike, the new line of maternity clothing looks to bring sports science to maternity apparel. The Swoosh brand’s design team says that the new line has a particular emphasis on style and performance. According to Grand View Research, the global maternity wear market size was valued at $18.3 billion in 2018, so it comes at no surprise that the global sportswear company would jump into the market. One unique part of Nike (M)’s marketing strategy is that the brand is viewing maternity as a continuation of a woman’s athletic life rather than a pause. Nike also put a premium on the durability of the new line’s fabric to accommodate the changing body of expecting moms. (Yahoo! Finance)
Oakley has unveiled their 32 set collection of sunglasses for every National Football League (NFL) team. This is the 1st year of the 4-year partnership. Oakley is providing technology-advanced shields and eyewear powered by Prizm Lens Technology for all 32 teams, personnel, officials and fans. This is the biggest deal in Oakley’s history. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Oakley came up with the design to incorporate a face shield into the helmets as well. The mouth area is now made with clear plastic with slits and holes in it to block an direct pathways of liquid droplets, but promote airflow, communication, and sound waves.
Sports Biz Pod, a podcast covering sports business. Two episodes released per week. (On Tuesday) Featuring interviews with athletes, investors, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders in sports & entertainment. (On Friday) Featuring commentary with special guests recapping the week of sports business news, events, and careers. Produced by the Blue Wire podcast network. Affiliate of Sports Biz Group. www.sportsbizpod.com
Episodes released this week (Click graphic to listen):
UPCOMING EVENTS
We are continuing to update our google calendar with accurate online events and rescheduled physical events. Here are some new updates:
- Kentucky Derby: Sep 5 *Reschedule
- CFB Week 1: Sep 5 *No Change
- NFL Opening Game: Sep 10 *No Change
- Preakness Stakes: Oct 3 *Reschedule
- Masters Tournament: Nov 12-15 *Reschedule
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INTERNSHIP
Unforced Errors: Digital Media Intern
Connected Health: Sports Performance Training Intern
ENTRY-LEVEL
Bleacher Report: House of Highlights Social Programmer
SportsRecruits: Sales Development Representative
MID-LEVEL
Overtime: Marketing Manager
- Apply (Scroll down to "How to Apply")
New York Islanders: Account Executive - Partnership Sales
SENIOR-LEVEL
U.S. Soccer Federation: Director of High Performance
Elevate Sports Ventures: Vice President - Corporate Partnerships
Producer, Digital Content | Proven Content Professional in Streaming Media | Creating Compelling Content for Brands and Audiences | Digital Content, TV & Social Media
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