Changing of the Guard? My advice to the WWE

After what happened last Sunday and Monday, I have to do a follow-up blog. Anyone who watched the Money in the Bank Pay-Per-View thought that John Cena was going be fired for not beating CM Punk last Sunday. Even if you didn't, NO ONE thought that Cena was really to going to be fired. Who fires your ultimate money-maker? 

Anyways, the ending of ending of Monday Night Raw was totally unexpected. NO ONE expected Triple H to come out, let alone give the announcement that would shock the wrestling world. I don't know what's real or not, but I do know the WWE has issues to fix. The frustrating part is that these problems are not hard to fix. Here are my top 5 things the WWE needs to fix. Hope you enjoy my reasons why. 

1. Do not release John Cena, REBRAND HIM!!! 

Most of you Cena Haters would love to see him get fired last Monday. You didn't get your wish. He's not going anywhere guys. He has an important match with The Rock at WrestleMania 28. 

I do believe he does need some time off from the WWE. I think it would be beneficial to both the fans (older fans) and John Cena himself. During his time off, the WWE can help rebrand Cena. If it worked for Randy Orton (Legend Killer to The Viper), it can work for John Cena. He can still appeal to women and kids, but he needs an edge for the male fans to like him. My guess is a mixture of the current John Cena and the "Doctor of Thuggnamonics" John Cena. Many people forget that John Cena was a heel back in the day. Since he gets booed regardless, I hope he gives us a reason to boo him. 

It can only improve his chances when he becomes WWE Champion again, and faces The Rock at WrestleMania 28. He would not beat The Rock (who hasn't a match since 2004) with the same five moves like he does everyone else.  

After his time off (hopefully), I want to see a new and improved John Cena. New theme music, different wrestling moves, and a new attitude for C-Nation. I personally prefer The Chain Gang, but that's just me. I actually want his match with The Rock to be a classic match. After The Rock owned Cena on the mic before WrestleMania 27, I want to see John Cena make a comeback verbally. He won't beat The Rock on the mic (nobody does), but at least make it more entertaining. 

2. End the PG Era, or limit it to one show 

It's obvious that the story lines need to be better, but the WWE has to end the PG Era. If the WWE still wants to keep it, here's my idea. Make Monday Night Raw TV-14, Smackdown TV-PG, and all Pay-Per-View events either TV-14 or TV-MA. This way there's something for every WWE fan and Pay-Per-View events can be exciting again. This will give all the WWE stars more room to be more edgy, risque, and still be themselves. All the violence and foul language from the Attitude Era will be back. It can even be taken to another event once the event is on Pay-Per-View. Let's hope all the "more-talk-less-wrestling" shows will officially end. 

With this rating in tact, put John Cena back on Smackdown and Randy Orton on Raw. I feel like both wrestlers should are on the wrong shows. It's time for Randy Orton to be the face of Monday Night Raw and/or WWE. Cena can be still be a superstar, but in a smaller role on Smackdown. I feel ratings will go up on BOTH shows once the switch is made. On a side note, limit Michael Cole to Raw and leave him off Smackdown. I like Booker T and Josh Matthew's commentating so keep him to one show only.

3. Bring CM Punk back for WrestleMania 28 

The winner between The Miz vs. Rey Mysterio will the new WWE Champion. Keep in mind Alberto Del Rio can cash in his "Money in the Bank" briefcase and become Champion as well. You might fool some of the WWE fans, but most wrestling fans know who the REAL WWE Champion is. That man is CM Punk. 

I can see him coming back at the Royal Rumble. I don't think he'll win it, but at least he'll be the last 5 or 6 wrestlers in it. From there, he can face Triple H at WrestleMania 28. It won't be the main event, but it will be main event material. All the talk (real or not) he said about the Triple H and the McMahon family can be fuel for a great match adding to main event card. I can only imagine the build-up both of those guys can do for that match. Even if CM Punk is the TRUE WWE Champion then, I still want to match to be a non-title match. Only the Rock/Cena match should be for the WWE Title. He can face both wrestlers in another Pay-Per-View event, but not WrestleMania. 

Many people thought that Triple H will face the Undertaker at WrestleMania. Why? I know the match will be good, but we have seen this before.... Twice. Nobody has faced the Undertaker three times at WrestleMania. Kane, HBK, and Triple H faced him twice and they all lost. 

I would give Randy Orton another shot at the Undertaker. He's more popular now than the last time he faced him. For me, the BEST choice is The Big Show. He faced the Undertaker before at WrestleMania, but it wasn't one-on-one. This time, he can get a main-event match with the Undertaker with home-field advantage in Miami. The Big Show lives in South Florida and well-known in the community. I think he's the best fit to end the Undertaker's streak, or the Deadman leaving Miami at 20-0. Ironically, he could leave Miami with a better streak than 72' Miami Dolphins. 

4. Market the DIvas More 

The most frustrating part about the current WWE is the lack-of-interest with the WWE Divas. I'm starting to miss Trish Stratus and Lita more after watching these Diva matches. 

The problems is not the looks, it's the in-ring ability. Even when some of these Divas can wrestler, the match is just not fun to watch. They have Divas like Beth Phoenix, Eve, Melina, Natalya, and others who I actually like to see in and out the ring. With some of them, well, I'm still holding judgement. I would love to see better story lines for them as well. It wouldn't hurt to see them a Pay-Per-View event every now and then. Leaving most, if not all, the WWE Divas out of Pay-Per-View events is just plain disrespectful. 

We all know the WWE Divas are the most beautiful women in the world. I would love to see them marketed that way. I remember when the WWE had a Divas magazine back in 2001 with Lita on the front cover. One of the best purchases I ever bought as a 14 year old kid. Why can't the WWE do that today? Don't bring the "it's the PG Era" excuse because I was a kid when that magazine came out. I knew 8 year-olds who bought that magazine and no one complained about it. 

Let's bring back the WWE Divas being on Playboy again. If not Playboy, then let's say Maxim. Anyway to showcase the Divas in a tasteful manner, I'm all for it. I love to see a Bikini Contest around SummerSlam. It likely won't happen, but it's fitting with the whole SummerSlam theme. I would also like to see a Bra & Panties match again. Sounds like this match fits the Extreme Rules Pay-Per-View event. 

5. Listen to the Fans (At least the smart ones)

You'll be surprised how smart the WWE fans can be at times. Not all of us are stupid kids or dumb adults. I would to have the younger generation see the excitement that was the Attitude Era. This PG Era was watered down what the WWE used to be. It doesn't have to be The Attitude Era of years past, but please bring some edge to these shows. I tune in to watch a wresting event, not a Disney show. 

I agree with most of the WWE is doing with giving certain wrestlers the push they deserve like John Morrison, The Miz, and Alberto Del Rio. They're not big-time starts yet, but at least give them the chance to be one. The WWE is starting to do that now. Most of the WWE fans just want to see good entertainment overall. We're here to help the product and not hurt it. To the older WWE fans, the PG Era has hurt it enough. 

The Rock vs. Cena: More than a Wrestling Match

On April 1st, 2012, two of the biggest names in a pro wrestling will collide at WrestleMania 28. It's gonna be The Rock challenging John Cena for the WWE Title in The Rock's hometown of Miami, Florida. John Cena has the belt right now, but the WWE will give him the title back in time before WrestleMania. It will be a battle between the two biggest stars in the WWE representing two different generations. In order to understand the title (More than a wrestling match), you need to understand the two wrestlers and the era they represent. Not to mention the current state of the WWE. 

The Rock & The Attitude Era 

Before there was a John Cena, there was The Rock. A third generation superstar who debuted in the WWF (old name) in 1996. He left in 2004 to make movies. During his eight-year career, he became one of the biggest stars in WWF history. He was up there wrestling legends like Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant, and his rival, Stone Cold Steve Austin. His matches and unique charisma build the company into the Attitude Era in the WWF. His style transcended into pop culture. Winning the WWF Title has harder back then because was only one belt at the time. He became a 7-time WWF champion as a heel. The Rock had too many rivalries to count. His most famous rivalries were between Stone Cold, Triple H, and Mankind. The Rock's success in movies payed the way for other WWE superstars (like John Cena) to be in movies. I believe that WWE Films wouldn't exist without The Rock's success in movies. 

The Attitude Era was between 1997-2001. It was known as the WWF (World Wrestling Federation) back then. I'll give to 2002 since it went from the WWF to the the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) in 2002. It was supposed to be for older teens and adult males, but kids were watching it to. I know because I was one of those young kids watching the WWF at that time. I know I'm not the only one. This era of wrestling was that kids/adults loved and the parents/most women hated. There was chair shots, people bleeding, numerous foul language (the worst was bleeped out), and violent matches. In the midst of all that, they were wrestlers who can promote themselves on the microphone and back it up in the ring. I saw a lot of innovative wrestling moves during this time period. An added bonus was seeing women in less clothing. The WWE Divas (Female wrestlers) back then had "Bra & Panties" match. First one stripped to there bra & panties loses. A little example of what the Attitude Era was like back then. There were other example I could use, but fans of the Attitude Era know what I'm talking about. 

John Cena & The Current PG Era 

John Cena has been in the WWE since 2002. He really didn't become a rising superstar until 2004. Ironically, this was the time that The Rock left to do movies. His reign as the United States Champion gave him more attention to WWE fans. His custom-made US Title gave Cena more attention as a rising star. Since winning the WWE title at WrestleMania 21, he never looked back. The custom-made WWE Title was made to cater to the style of John Cena. It officially became the new look for anyone who becomes the WWE Champion from that day on. He's been a good guy ever since he won the title. Many fans started to rebel against Cena by booing him, even when he's supposed to be cheered. 

My only issue with John Cena is that he didn't have legit rivals in his career. He had Brock Lesnar as a heel, Edge back in 2006, and Bastista before he left. My favorite rivalry was when Cena faced Randy Orton in 2009. 

The WWE officially went into the current PG Era sometime in 2008. The move would appeal to women and kids who make up 40% of their television viewers. This era has little to no cussing, little blood, little use of steel chairs, and no "adult-themed" events. Everything that the Attitude Era was, the PG Era is the opposite. I didn't have a problem with it because the show was still entertaining and still appealed to other 60% (myself included) who was a long-time male viewers. Ever since John Cena's finishing move changed from the "F.U." to the "Attitude Adjustment", I really noticed multiple changes in the WWE. I knew then that sometime was up, but wasn't prepared for the era that came after it. 

Issues with the Current PG Era 

It pains me to see the WWE today from what it used to be. I grew up in the Attitude Era, but those days are long gone. The problem with the WWE is not that it's fake, it's not entertaining. Even from the name change (2002) to when I was in college from 2005-2008, the WWE was still entertaining. I can barely watch Monday Night Raw anymore. The anonymous GM, Michael Cole's bad jokes, and Cena doing the same act every week, is frustrating to watch. I see a whole lot of talking and never enough wrestling. Instead of complaining about the show, I just stopped watching all together. All the violence and "attitude" the WWE had back then was quickly erased. Many WWE suerstars didn't like the direction the company was going. Many of those superstars (like Bastista) has left the WWE. No word on if any of those former stars will come back. 

I'll give Smackdown a chance because it's at least entertaining. I like Booker T as a commentator and lots of young talent around Randy Orton. He should be the face Monday Night Raw and/or WWE, but at least his versatility (face or heel) can open the door for other stars like Shameus and Christian. 

I haven't watched a Pay-Per-View event since Bragging Rights 2009, but I hear people getting ripped off when their entertainment. $45 to watch an extended Monday Night Raw? In this current economy? NO Thanks!!! I've hear that Smackdown portion at least tries, so that's saying something. 

To many of the older male fans like myself, The Rock is our last hope of restoring the WWE to what is was back then. He speaks for us who have been tired of the same, rehashed material the WWE puts out every Monday and sometimes Friday (aired on Tuesday). Were all tired of John Cena's stale mic skills and lack of in-ring performance. I feel like he's getting worse every time I watch his matches. I actually like John Cena, but he's boring me right now. Where was the Chain Gang attitude from a few years ago? Even the "Doctor of Thugganomics" was better than the current John Cena. CM Punk had his moment. Hopefully the Rock finishes it by becoming the the new WWE at WrestleMania. We all want this PG Era to end badly, but will it end?

My WrestleMania 28 Prediction

The build up for this match will probably be the biggest thing to hit the WWE in a long time. The match will be bigger than the Rock vs. Hogan ten years ago. We have the Rock, who's a WWE Legend/Current Movie Star. We have John Cena, the face of the WWE in the prime of his career. John Cena has had rivals in the past, but this rivalry with the Rock will stick for years to come. This match will be a fair one-on-one match given the magnitude of this event. I'm guessing it's going to be a No Disqualification Match or a No Holds Barred Match to make sure there's a winner in Miami. 

My prediction is on the People's Champion The Rock. I think the WWE will FINALLY do something right and let him win in his hometown of Miami. That would mean that the The Rock (Attitude Era) will be 2-0 against Hulk Hogan (Face of the 80's Era) & John Cena (Face of current PG Era). John Cena stared this whole thing by bashing him the newspaper back in 2008. He challenged him to a match at WrestleMania 26 the following year. Although I agree with most of Cena's statements, He ran his mouth first. That's why I think Cena will FINALLY get his in the Rock's hometown of Miami. Hopefully Cena shows class after the match. If he doesn't, the fans could hate him more than Cleveland fans do Lebron James. 

It will be interesting to see what the Rock will do as the new WWE Champion. Most of the older male fans who abandon the new WWE will be back if he wins at WrestleMania. Do I expect him to come back full-time? NO!! He's a movie star now. What I would like to see him do is help the upcoming stars (Del Rio, Miz, R-Truth, Kofi, etc) bring the WWE to a brand new Era. My prediction being a mix of the PG Era & Attitude Era. Something for every WWE viewer. The old Attitude Era will NEVER be to what it used to back then. Everybody (most older male fans) are tired of the current PG Era and ready for a change of direction. Hopefully The Rock does this in his short time with the WWE. Maybe John Cena can finally be a heel again. Now that would be fun to watch. 

As much as I'm pulling for The Rock at WrestleMania, I can also see John Cena retaining the WWE Title. All I got to say is this. I hope Sun Life Stadium has extra security because that loss could cause a riot in Miami. Don't think Miami fans can do it? They can. Remember when Cena faced RVD at One Night Stand? Remember the lack of respect Cena got at that event? Remember the sign "If Cena wins, we RIOT"? I assume it's going to be something like that in Miami, only not as bad as ECW fans. Miami HATES everything Boston. They hate The Celtics, Patriots, and at WrestleMania in Miami, will HATE Boston-native John Cena. 

To me, it's not if John Cena wins, but HOW he wins. If he improves his skills in the ring, has a classic match, and beats the Rock, I can live with that. The older fans will be 50-50 on returning, but can live with the results myself. If he beats The Rock like he did Triple H at WrestleMania 22, than I'm DONE with the WWE. Hate to see innocent people injured at a wrestling event (like WM24 in Orlando), but it could happen if John Cena walks out of Miami with the WWE Title. 

The Build Up to WrestleMania 

I don't see John Cena holding the belt for the rest of 2011. He will lose to someone (Likely CM Punk or Alberto Del Rio) and have a leave of absence via injury or time off. I hope he does this because I want both wrestlers at 100% heading to WrestleMania 28. I like Cena, but we ALL (older male fans) need a little break from his signature moves. That would mean WWE Management will have to find a new face to fill in for Cena. They have guys like Del Rio, John Morrison, and the Miz to do that. The question is this. Will the WWE give them a shot? Until that time, let's make Smackdown the flagship show in the WWE. At least that show has potential. Hopefully this feud can bring the WWE back to life. If the build up is anything like the build-up for WrestleMania 27 this year, I can only imagine the build up for next year. In words of Bart Scott, Can't Wait!!  

Refrences (Photos)

http://horiwood.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/the-rock-for-kalani-jones-samoan-kiwis-in-hollywood-and-entertainment-texts-that-are-relevant-2010-part-2s.jpg

http://slamzilla.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/johncena.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KswFp7afOxI/TaE3jTBXhyI/AAAAAAAABVI/9ahwj6fJo6Y/s1600/versus-the-rock-vs-john-cena.jpg

Other References

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/wrestling/article849554.ece

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1607906/john-cena-challenges-rock.jhtml

The Pac-12 & The Landmark Deal

The SEC has its own network deal with ESPN and CBS. The Big-Ten has their own network deal with Fox Sports. The Texas Longhorns have their own deal with ESPN starting August 26th. Now you can add the Pac-12 to the list. The soon-to-be Pac-12 conference reached a "landmark" deal with ESPN and Fox Media Group. The deal will take place in 2012 when the Pac-12 will have their inaugural season as a conference. Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott had three objective in creating this conference. Here are his following objectives: 

1. Quantum Leap in revenue 

Larry Scott is no stranger to making landmark deals. While he was the CEO of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), he landed a six-year $88 million deal with Sony Ericsson. It was the largest sponsorship deal in women's sports history. He makes another landmark deal as the Pac-12 Commissioner by creating a 12-year deal with ESPN and Fox Sports. 

This deal will make $3 billion in conference revenue. This revenue will top the financial powerhouses like the SEC and the Big Ten. The conference will make $250 million annually, while each school shares in the profits for $21 million a piece. It's way more money than $600 million the conference received in media revenue last season. The deal will include the new schools, like Colorado and Utah, who will join the conference on July 1st. Each school is a part of an equitable, revenue sharing plan where each schools shares in equal profits in media revenue. Teams like USC and Oregon can't get more money because they draw bigger TV ratings. The revenue from this deal will be "adding back the sports that have been cut" as stated by Commissioner Scott. 

2. More National Exposure 

The Pac-10 (soon-to-be Pac-12) Football already have exposure from networks like ABC, ESPN, and Fox Sports Net. In addition to those deals, the new deal with will have Pac-12 Football on FOX and FX. The Pac-12 Title Game will be aired on FOX for this year (2011) and next year's (2012) season. After that, ESPN will hold the title game and rotate with FOX every other year until the deal is done in 2023. ESPN and FOX will rotate on the 44 games a year that will be on national television. The rest will on the Commissioner's third objective being the Pac-12 Network. 

3. The Pac-12 Network 

The Pac-12 Network will one of three companies by entity of Pac-12 Enterprise. The other two companies, Pac-12 Digital and Pac-12 Promotions, will increase the league's visibility in the national media. The network will hold football games, men's basketball games, and most women's basketball games that's not on FOX and/or ESPN networks. With there "main revenue" sports in tact, there will also be an in-house network that provides the conference to air there "Olympic" sports. Commissioner Larry Scott said that "We are prolific when it comes to Olympic sports. We want a vehicle to promote our Olympic sports."

In my opinion, I like the ESPN/FOX deal with the Pac-12. It's a very unique deal that can benefit the conference and college sports on the west coast. Every school, including the new teams like Colorado and Utah, are created equally and share in equal revenue. This conference will be able to get the top high school recruits and compete for championship in college athletics. As a SEC fan, I think this is the conference that can compete with them the SEC in the future. I like the idea that the conference will use the money to bring back the sports programs that have been cut in the past. Much love and respect to the Pac-12 in the future. I might even travel from the Panhandle of Florida to see a Pac-12 football game in the future. 

References 

 http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/04/pac-12-officially-announces-landmark-media-deal/

http://www.foxsportsarizona.com/05/04/11/Landmark-deal-boosts-Pac-12s-clout-expos/landing_pac10.html?blockID=516701&feedID=3801

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2rCQUHD0dc

The 2011 NFL Lockout

Anyone who has recently watched ESPN has heard of the current NFL lockout. Football fans and analyst would normally be talking about draft picks, free agency, and how the Green Bay Packers can repeat as Super Bowl Champions. All that has changed since the NFL players and owners can’t agree on a new collective bargaining agreement that expired on March 1st, 2011. It’s a very complicated issue, but here are the following issues affecting this current NFL lockout:

1. An Extended Season

The NFL season is usually a 16-game season with three or four playoffs games. A playoff team can play 17 – 20 games in a single season depending on where that team was ranked. The owners requested for an 18-game season to make money via ticket sales, merchandise, and television revenue. Many of the players opposed this proposal because it would increase their chances of getting injured without compensation. If the NFL owners want this, they will have to pay the players more by giving them a bigger share of the money and health benefits. In addiction to that, there have been talks about minimizing or eliminating the NFL preseason in the process of an 18-game season.

2. Salaries

This issue is always big with players and owners. Players want more money and the owners don’t want overblown salaries. In any sport, a salary cap was designed to have a level playing field for all teams. There was no salary cap for the 2010 season because the NFL owners used their option to extend the collective bargaining agreement for another year. All 32 teams are different when it comes to the salary cap. The issue would be how much each team’s salary would increase or decrease over time.

3. Revenue Sharing

The most talked about and scrutinized issue in this whole lockout is the issue revenue sharing. The whole “money pie” is made up of $9 billion. Both sides are arguing which side gets the most. If not the most, than the percentage of money both sides can agree to. They are other key issues that play a major role in deciding the revenue sharing for both players and owners.

4. Financial Information

This issue is more about trust than releasing information about finances. The players feel like the owners haven’t been honest about the money they really make. The players requested that the owners reveal their financial records of how they make and earn money. The owners declined that request. Even with this issue being about finances, the real issue here is lack of trust. 

5. Rookie Salaries

One of the few things that both sides agree on is to change the rookie salary. There have been a lot of rookie athletes who come into the league with a big time contract, yet they’ve been untested in the game of football. Some of the contracts these rookies get is something a veteran player might receive over time. For example, when quarterback Jamarcus Russell was drafted as the first overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, he was given $62 million contract with $32 million guaranteed. Needless to say for Raiders fans, it didn’t work out. Both sides will likely agree on a sliding scales based on the round a player was drafted.

This issued has become one of the biggest union debates to come in professional sports in the last five years. The NHL and NBA have had their union disputes in the past, but both sports don’t even compare to the NFL. The NFL is “king” in America and any labor dispute the league has will be magnified more closely than other sports. Regardless of who wins, the NFL fans still lose if there is no NFL season. No one knows for sure when a deal would get done to insure an NFL season in 2011. All I know is that the fans would rather hear about player contracts than union/league contracts.

References

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ycn-8051788

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/15241433/distrustful-owners-hold-the-key-to-unlocking-the-lockout

Jay-Z vs. David Ortiz: The 40/40 Feud

This case can be viewed as Boston v. New York in the courtroom. In 2010, Rapper Jay-Z (Noted Yankee fan) and a business partner sued Boston slugger David Ortiz in a Manhattan courtroom. The lawsuit was for trademark infringement over the name of Ortiz's nightclub in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) called Forty-Forty. The lawsuit was seeking over $5 Million in damages and have Ortiz not use the 40/40 name off Jay-Z's fame.

Jay-Z owns an upscale nightclub called the 40/40 Club. His nightclub chain can be found in places like Manhattan (NY), Las Vegas (NV), and Atlantic City (NJ). The club name referenced the rare baseball feat of 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in one season. The lawsuit states that David Ortiz was "fully aware" of the 40/40 nightclub in Manhattan before he opened his club called "Forty/Forty". Ortiz was a noted patron at the club on several occasions.

Jay-Z and his team of attorneys could not hold claim to the "Forty/Forty" name in the Dominican Republic. The attorneys went after Ortiz in the U.S. registration he used to set-up his website for the club. In the end, the court ruled in favor of the Plaintiff (Jay-Z). The name was too similar to Jay-Z's 40/40 Nightclub. David Ortiz agreed to settle out of court by taking down the infringing website and change the name of his nightclub in Santo Domingo. No word yet on what his new club name is in Santo Domingo.


References

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/04/16/entertainment/main6402080.shtml

http://www.ny1.com/content/sports/sports_news/117052/jay-z-sues-david-ortiz-over-40-40-club

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.11509/title.court-rules-in-jay-zs-favor-david-ortiz-to-rename-club

The Interview with Keith Tribble of UCF

Keith Tribble

UCF Athletic Director

Phone: 407-823-2261

Fax: 407-823-1274

http://ucfathletics.cstv.com/genrel/tribble_keithr00.html

Background and History

Keith Tribble has been the Athletic Director at UCF (University of Central Florida) for close to five years. On June 6^th, 2006, he became the 9^th Athletic Director in UCF history.  In addition, he became one of seven Athletic Directors in College FBS (Division 1). His ultimate goal at UCF is to do two things: “To graduate our student athletes and compete for championships”. UCF has been graduating athletes and competing for championships in all sports. Keith’s goal is to make a well-rounded athlete, not one who only competes in the world of sports.

His life has been around college athletics since his days of college. Keith Tribble graduated from Killian High School in Miami, Florida where he was born and raised. He went on play college football at the University of Florida as an Offensive Guard. Keith was able to play in three bowl games in his Florida Gator career and graduating in 1977 with a Bachelors Degree in Journalism (Public Relations and marketing). After college, he got a job as a Sales Executive at Celtex Corporation. Four years later, he went back to his alma mater and became the Associate Athletic Director at the University of Florida.

Keith moved on from his alma mater into executive positions within the next four years. From 1989 to 1990, he became the Director of Event Management at Raycom. The next two years after that, he became the Executive Director for Sunshine State Football overlooking the Blockbuster Bowl. He went back into college athletics in 1992 becoming the Senior Associate Athletic Director for UNLV (University of Nevada Las Vegas) for one year.

Before he became the Athletic Director for UCF, he was more noticed for being the CEO of the Orange Bowl Committee in his hometown of Miami, Florida. He was there for 13 years and played an important role of changing the college bowl system into a major industry. Keith has guided the BCS committee into negotiations deals with FOX Sports, a long-term agreement with newly named Sun Life Stadium, and renegotiated with FedEx to remain as a title sponsor for a record 18^th game. Under his leadership, the Orange Bowl has hosted 6 Championship Games including the most recent BCS Title Game in January 2009. Ironically, Keith’s alma mater, The Florida Gators, beat the Oklahoma Sooners in that 2009 BCS Title Game.

The Questions for Keith Tribble

 1. Being 1 of 7 Black Athletic Directors in College FBS. As a Black Man myself, how does it feel? Do you feel like there's a responsibility in being one of the few black directors?

Answer: First and foremost, I am proud to hold the position of Director of Athletics, and the opportunity to make an impact on over 500 student-athletes at UCF.  Rightfully, my responsibility is the well-being of this athletics program and the young men and women who represent this University on the field of competition and in the classroom.

2. Do you feel that diversity inside major college programs is improving? If not, then why is that?

Answer: Diversity is improving in college athletics nationwide.  On our campus, is Dr. Richard Lapchick, and the great work his department through our DeVos School in monitoring cultural trends and statistics in college athletics.  Employing diverse staffs, whether it be coaching or administrative, will continue to improve as we as leaders can train, mentor and cultivate the younger generation first getting into this field.

3. By UCF being in the big city of Orlando, do you feel like there's an advantage for recruiting student athletes?

Answer: Having a great location as the UCF campus, in Orlando, in the State of Florida is certainly an appealing trio when prospective student-athletes from northern states tour our campus.  The majority of our student-athletes hail from Florida, so the advantage for them is the excellence in academics UCF offers as well as a drivable distance from their hometowns.  What UCF will need to continue to do is build tradition.  We simply have not been around long enough to think our community will embrace us through birthright.  We have to work on it, through aggressive marketing, media coverage, and excellence in athletics – whether it is winning championships or building solid academics.

4. UCF has expanded so much, especially the athletic program. What did the school do to improve on it? Marketing? Brand Awareness?

Answer: The recent growth of UCF Athletics, and our University overall, occurred through the vision and leadership of our President, Dr. Hitt.  He made a strong commitment to Athletics, for it to be in a position to become as successful as the University was becoming.  Our new facilities have become beacons of that success.  The community, alumni and fans now have reasons nearly year-round to come to campus and celebrate UCF, through our athletics events.

5. For someone like myself who wants to get starting in collegiate athletics, what advice would you give me?

Answer: I would recommend getting involved in college athletics while you are a student in school, whether volunteering or through internships.  The young men and women who have longevity in this business have been doing since their college days.  When you start in those educational roles, you develop the passion and understanding necessary for movement and growth.  It is difficult to just walk in from some other line of work and get the whole college athletics picture.

6. With social media being so popular, what's your policy on student-athletes using social media via Facebook or Twitter? You feel like it's a good thing or bad thing?

Answer: Our student services department advocates to our student-athletes safe usage of their personal social network accounts.  We supply literature, lectures and examples of what is and what isn’t appropriate.  We also monitor our student-athletes’ social network accounts, from one of their coaches periodically checking to someone assigned from our administrative staff.

7. UCF has expanded so much with the new stadium and ties to a TV network. Will the program move to another conference (like the Big East) to improve your brand awareness for recruiting student athletes?

Answer: We are proud members of Conference USA.  If an opportunity exists to help C-USA become an automatic qualifying league, we want to be on the forefront of that movement.  UCF can compete in an automatic qualifying conference, so if the landscape does start to shift as it periodically does, all we can do is be ready to move in that direction if those opportunities exist.

8. I went to the final UCF vs. USF game in 2008. It's a rivalry many don't know about. How did it get started? Will it be renewed?

Answer: The series actually began before my tenure started at UCF in 2006.  Both schools have interest in renewing the series, and are discussing those options presently.

9. Being in Conference USA means UCF is currently a Non-BCS team. How would you feel about a College Playoff opening the doors for school like UCF? Do you think UCF can be the next Boise State or TCU?

Answer: I cannot answer whether a playoff creates those opportunities as some may think.  The system we have in place today is the best we’ve had since I can remember.  Right now, No. 1 has an opportunity to play No. 2 in the championship game.  Those rankings are primarily based on the national rankings we subscribe to all season-long.  Prior to the Bowl Championship Series, it was not guaranteed that we get the two top ranked teams to play for the national title.  We do have access to the BCS through Conference USA.  Just like Boise State playing in the Fiesta Bowl, or TCU in the Rose Bowl, if you have a successful season such as those two schools did, a major bowl invite is available.

Analysis of The Interview

I thought the interview with Keith Tribble was very interesting. I did this interview via email and thank Joe Hornstein for helping me out for this interview. What got my attention was from the first question I asked. I asked him about being one of seven Black Athletic Directors in College FBS and the responsibility with it. It was important for me to hear his answer being a young black man myself. He never mentioned his race and said he was committed to the UCF student athletes. Would of like to hear a little bit more of an answer, but respect his answer and where he’s coming from. I can understand why he answered the way he did. Keith also told me that diversity in college athletics is improving nationwide. It has been criticized in the past and now it’s good to hear that it’s improving behind the scenes, instead of being in front of it.

UCF is one few schools in the state of Florida to be located in the big city of Orlando. I ask him about it and his answer has interesting. As usual, most of the student athletes come from the state of Florida. The attraction of a major campus in a major city has attracted student athletes from northern states as well. That was interesting because some of the student athletes I’m met come from states like Pennsylvania and Michigan. Once they have time to build a tradition, UCF will continue to grow. He credits the vision and leaderships of President Dr. Hitt for UCF growing the way it is now. President Dr. Hitt made a strong commitment to Athletics through various marketing techniques and his vision, along with major support, made UCF what is today. It’s only a matter of time before UCF gets national attention.

I liked his answer to athletes with social media sites. I haven’t heard many schools offer literature, lectures and examples of what is and what’s appropriate. UCF administration monitors their social media sites, but helping their students on social media is beneficial to the school and the athlete. I have not heard of any “Twitter Moments” with UCF athletes so whatever they’re doing is working.

I can use the information he gave me in so many ways. As a fan college football, I can expect the UCF/USF rivalry will be renewed in the near future. I think it’s a rivalry that can be just as, if not better, than the FSU/Florida or the FSU/Miami rivalry. The school has slowly evolved and hopes to see this school in the BCS Bowl Game in the near future. It’s unsure whether UCF will stay in C-USA or not, but that program will be successful in a BCS conference or not. In regards of starting a career in sports, his advice was getting involved through volunteer work or through internships while in school. I’m done a few sports internships in the past and will continue to do that in the future. I hope to have the opportunity to work with UCF Athletics in the future. Maybe then, I can understand the meaning of being a UCF Knight under Athletic Director Keith Tribble. 

Ideas & Synopsis

Sports Synopsis

Sports teams are a lot like people in this current economy. The bigger teams/leagues with money will survive and the smaller teams/leagues will struggle. The smaller teams have to rely on creative ideas to bring in revenue in this slow economy. Another factor that keep venues alive is the loyal fan base. Living in an area that loves SEC football, I truly understand the passion they have for their specific SEC team. To some of these fans, it’s a religion and not a sport.

While college football in the south will likely survive the economy, many pro teams are not so lucky. With the lost of living and gas prices going up, fan attendance goes down. Organizations like the Arena Football League and minor hockey leagues had to be shut down because of this. Most of the major sporting event have suffered, but not to the point of being shut down. Some of these franchises want new venues, but have to be held off to a later date.

This article showed me how sporting events are “The Great Escape” from reality. Lots of people work long hours, hate their jobs, hate their life, and need something to look forward to. To some of these fans, it’s the only thing they have to interact with others, while providing bonding opportunities with close friends and families. Even when times are hard, fans will find enough money to spend on their team via game day or merchandise. 

My Ideas on Making Money in a Down Economy

We have seen over the years that loyal fans and will do anything for their team. People that are on the business side recognize this and come up with creative ideas to bring money in a down economy. Here are some of my ideas to generate revenue:

Idea #1: Make Events for the Fans

The only way athletes and/or arenas make money because of its fans. It’s important for teams and franchises to interact with fans as much as possible. Facility Managers can create an event where fans have access to their favorite star. In the event you can have a Q &A session with their favorite star, autograph from athletes, and photo opportunities with players. It’s also a good opportunity for fans to interact with other fans and make new friends. 

The most successful example is the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) Fan Expo event in Toronto. UFC 129 was a big event promoting Canada’s own George St. Pierre against American Jake Shields at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This event was sold out for about two months and already grossed $11 million at the gate. The day before, and morning of this event, the UFC has an event strictly for the fans called UFC Fan Expo. They have 125 vendors throughout MMA spectrum selling T-shirts and other merchandise. In addition, the event had 300,000 square feet for UFC seminars, tutorial, autograph signing with UFC fighters, photos with UFC fighters, and so much more. With the UFC being so successful with fan interaction, it led to the big event that at the Rogers Centre. 55,000 people witnessed UFC 129 that night and millions of people on Pay-Per-View.

Idea #2: Schedule Live Events

If you live in a big city, most facility managers are already doing this. This is best way to bring money in and not rely on sporting events to bring in money. Sporting events go like a season. Take college towns for example. If that particular school is good at football, their peak season is in the fall. The wintertime if that school is a basketball town. Few college schools are good at both and revenue streams come in the combination of fall and winter. For college football towns like SEC areas, spring football is popular and usually that lasted a month or less financially. Pro teams are not so lucky, especially in the NFL right now. Their current lockout can devastate not just an NFL franchise, but also an entire city. Scheduling live events can do more than just generate revenue during the off-season, but it can also generate revenue if a lockout takes place. Another bonus in doing this is that your facility can stay current in the entertainment industry for live events. Current shows can include, but not limit to, WWE events, UFC events, Cirque Du Soleil, and maybe live acts like artist Lil Wayne.

My examples of how this idea works is what’s going on the Amway Center in Orlando and the American Airlines Arena (AA Arena) in Miami. Despite the fact that the Orlando Magic team had a disappointing season, the Amway Center is moving on financially and making live events happen. Upcoming shows include artists like Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi, Rueben Blades, and Gilberto Santa Rosa. Other acts include comedian Martin Lawrence and his comedy tour. The same goes for AA Arena in Miami. As of right now, The Miami Heat team are still in the playoffs. That doesn’t stop the arena from scheduling live events. Latin artists like Luis Miguel and Camilo Sesto are scheduled to perform regardless of how the Miami Heat plays in the playoffs. Once the off-season begins, AA Arena will have artists like Sade and Britney Spears scheduled. The advantage a major city has is the fact that with so many things going on, they don’t have to rely on sports to survive financially. Some smaller cities have this advantage, but most don’t.

Idea #3: If all Else Fails, Party Party Party!!!

I saved this one for the last because it’s a hit-or-miss ideas depending on who you are. Pro Athletes, and some college players, are superstars in their own right. My thought is why not cash in on this idea and create an event from this. My idea is having an artist perform and the athlete (college or pro) host the event. I’m thinking about Lil Wayne performing live with special guest host Mark Ingram at Club La Vela in Panama City. This can generate revenue from Lil Wayne fans, Alabama fans, and Saints fans.

Where I live in Fort Walton Beach, people like to party hard. Since SEC football is so popular where I live, I’ve heard about viewing parties for a particular team like Auburn, Alabama, FSU, and the Florida Gators. It’s a great idea for fan interaction and money for your business or event. If you’re a pro athlete, you can have parties promoting your product, a new season, or just hanging out with the fans. Athletes have done this before, but some athletes need to be careful at parties. Anyone who watches ESPN frequently knows the dark side to pro athletes at parties.

An example of this is a flyer I saw at the 400 club in South Beach Miami. Larry Hughes, New York Knick at the time, and current Jaguars Running Back Maurice Jones-Drew hosted a party for Steven Tulloch Charity Weekend. Steven Tulloch is a current Linebacker for the Tennessee Titans. Another event is when Channing Crowder, Miami Dolphin Linebacker, hosted a “Back 2 Camp” weekend event. I didn’t hear anything negative at these events so I’m assuming everything went well.

Conclusion

There are many other ways to generate revenue in this economy. What I have listed are only some of the ideas to bring money in. Right now, some facility manager is coming up with ideas more creative than what I have suggested. Living in the Florida Panhandle near a lot of SEC schools, fan loyalty and game attendance will never be an issue for years to come. I can go ahead and add FSU (Florida State) to list of schools that have loyal fans and great attendance on game days. Nobody knows for sure when the economy will get better. All I know is that whether it’s a big market or small market, only the strong (and most creative) will survive this on-going recession.

Reference List

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/685409-ufc-fan-expo-in-toronto-a-huge-victory-for-the-ufc

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/sold+Toronto+tickets+million+gate/4272483/story.html

http://www.amwaycenter.com/concerts-and-events

http://www.aaarena.com/default.asp?aaarena=11&urlkeyword=Events%20Tickets

http://www.myspace.com/400club

http://www.frbatlanta.org/pubs/econsouth/econsouth_vol_11_no_3_sports_draw_fans.cfm

2010: The Decision (Lebron James)

In the summer of 2010, Lebron James had a major decision to make. Stay in Cleveland and win the city its first NBA title, or leave for another team. Throughout the season, they’re were various people (fans, reporters, analyst) speculating on where he will go like The Knicks, Mavericks, Bulls, and even the Nets because of ties part-owner/rapper Jay-Z. On July 7^th, he makes his decision in a one-hour ESPN special called “The Decision.” After much speculation, he utters the following phrase that will be remembered forever: “I’m taking my talents to South Beach and joining the Miami Heat.” It sounds like it’s just another big name athlete making his decision to play basketball right? WRONG!!!  Lebron’s “Decision” was a big move for him, and also created a trend that’s occurring in the NBA today. Here’s why this move was such a big story:

The Ratings

This move made Lebron James remind me of his favorite team in the New York Yankees. You either loved it, hated it, indifferent, or simply put-off by the act of arrogance he displayed on July 7^th. Either way, the ratings ESPN received made it a smash hit for not just Lebron James and ESPN, but for the NBA as well. Overnight, ESPN received a 7.3 rating during the one-hour special. It even reached as high as 9.6 once Lebron James told the world he’s “taking his talents to South Beach”. ESPN’s 7.3 rating was the highest Non-NFL event for 2010. “The Decision” was even bigger than his 7.1 rating on ESPN when Cleveland lost to Boston in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.

The fallout for these high ratings made the Miami Heat the most talked about team in the NBA Off-season. ESPN gave the Heat it’s own page called “The Heat Index”. These pages are usually for all sports teams in cities like Los Angeles, New York, Boston, and Chicago. This was the first time an NBA team had it’s own page on ESPN. The network took it even further by having live coverage of their pre-season training at Eglin AFB in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. It was the first time in 23 seasons that the Miami Heat took their training camp on the road. Once the season began on October 27^th, TNT received a record breaking 3.5 rating for the Heat’s 1^st regular season game against the Boston Celtics. This was the start of the most anticipated NBA season in league history.

The Reaction to “The Decision”

For Miami Heat fans, they won the Lebron James lottery. They already had Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh just signed a week ago, and now Lebron James. The talk of dynasty and winning 70 games or more quickly ran through the media. People all over were buying Heat gear and jumping on the South Beach bandwagon. Fans in South Florida were happy, while others were not so much.

As soon as Lebron James announced were he was going, fans in Cleveland were outraged. There were Fans burning his jersey, putting it in trash, and references to “Quitter”. That was because many fans believed that Lebron “quit” on his team during the Cavs lost to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Playoffs. The worst was when Cavs Owner Dan Gilbert was critical of Lebron for his decision. While many felt the Owner’s anger, others had sympathy for Lebron and understood why he left Cleveland. Many fans understood the “business side” of leaving for Miami, but most were disappointed in him for leaving the team without telling the fans first. NBA fans would love to see him win a title in his home state of Ohio. For now, he’s the new Art Modell in Cleveland and that’s not a good thing for him. For most of the season, the other 29 teams Miami played in booed Lebron James when he had the ball in his hands. The Heat became “The Villains” of the NBA over the usual Lakers or Celtics. Love him or hate him, arenas were filled, tickets were sold, and TV rating got bigger.

Start of a New Trend 

Lebron James joins forces with Chris Bosh and long-time friend Dwayne Wade in Miami. Three franchise players on one team. NBA superstars teaming up and joining a big city team was the new trend of the league. The balance of power has shifted from the owners to the players. Back in the day, Franchise players joining forces was unheard of. That’s like Larry Bird leaving Boston to join forces with Magic Johnson with the Lakers. Wouldn’t happen!! This trend will continue with free agents like Chris Paul and Dwight Howard possibly look for new teams. Big city teams like the Heat, Lakers, Bulls, and Knicks have the money and market power to lure those big-name stars. Small market teams like Cleveland, New Orleans, and Sacramento don’t have either. Teams like Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs might have the tools to lure a big-name star, but still don’t compare to the big markets/cities. Keep in mind that most NBA stars love the big city, bright lights of being an NBA star. Lebron James himself said he wanted to be a “global icon”. They’re looking for a team that reflects that “superstar lifestyle” for winning games in a particular city. Let’s see if the looming lockout changes things and level the playing field for small market teams. For a guy who grew up a fan of the Yankees (MLB) and the Dallas Cowboys (NFL), should we be surprised he made this move? I wasn’t.

The Copycat Moves  

They were many trades teams made to make their teams better, but there were some that actually copied the Miami Heat playbook. Case in point the New York Knicks. They drafted Amare Stoudamire around the time of Lebron’s move to Miami. During this season, they made a Blockbuster trade with the Denver Nuggets sending Carmello Anthony and veteran Chauncey Billups to the Knicks. Before that trade went on, there was in-state rival Orlando Magic. Out of nowhere, they made a blockbuster trade of their own sending Jason Richardson and former teammate Hedo Turkoglu to Orlando for back-up center Marcin Gortat, Vince Carter, and Mickael Piertrus to the Phoenix Suns. The Magic also traded starter Richard Lewis to the Washington Wizards for Gilbert Arenas. Both teams (Knicks & Magic) didn’t get out of the first round of the NBA playoffs. Both teams should improve next season, but you never know in the NBA.

Conclusion

This story is still very recent and still need time to fully put “The Decision” into perspective. For right now, “The Decision” has paid off for Lebron this season. The Miami Heat is in a good position to go deep in the playoffs and maybe win a championship back to Miami (2^nd overall for the franchise). Even if they don’t win the championship this season, they will be in a good position to win it next season, despite the looming lockout when the season is over. Until that time, I will sit back and watch a future dynasty in the making.

The Reference Links
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2010/07/lebrons-the-decision-was-a-ratings-hit/1
http://www.nba.com/2010/news/10/27/tnt-ratings/index.html
http://espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/miamiheat/
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/07/11/1725091/lebron-james-loved-hated-misunderstood.html
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5365793
http://money.cnn.com/2007/11/28/news/newsmakers/lebron_james.fortune/index.htm
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/110425&sportCat=nba
http://www.nwfdailynews.com/articles/eglin-32919-heat-hurlburt.html
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5932861
http://www.denverpost.com/nuggets/ci_17443219
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2010/07/ex-browns-owner-art-modell-nonsense-that-lebron-james-is-more-hated-in-cleveland/1