NFL Tells Captain Morgan to Walk the Plank

When Philadelphia Eagles’ tight end Brent Celek scored a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys earlier this month, his end zone celebration set off a marketing firestorm.

Celek struck a “Captain Morgan” pose because the rum company was offering to donate $10,000 to the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund every time a player performed the pose after scoring a TD. But the NFL immediately stepped in and threatened a “significant” penalty to any future player that participates in the now short-lived Captain Morgan campaign.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told Yahoo! Sports: “A company can’t pay a player to somehow promote it’s product on the field.”

Fitness Information Technology contacted Dr. David Stotlar, a professor of sport marketing at the University of Northern Colorado, to get his perspective on the issue. Stotlar authors Developing Successful Sport Marketing Plans, 3rd Edition, Developing Successful Sport Sponsorship Plans, 3rd Edition, and is a co-author of Fundamentals of Sport Marketing, 3rd Edition.

Q: Would this be a textbook definition of ambush marketing, as the NFL labeled it in its response?

Stotlar: Clearly an example of ambush marketing. The worst thing is that they are enlisting others to help them achieve that fraud.

Q: What are your thoughts about the NFL’s reaction to the Captain Morgan campaign?

Stotlar: I think it’s a fitting reaction. If you stop the players from participating, you can take away the stage. Ambush marketing is completely out of control. If a company wants to contribute to NFL Charities, there is an appropriate way to do that.

Q: Even though the NFL is squashing this campaign, would you say it has been a success in terms of bringing exposure to Captain Morgan?

Stotlar: Not so much. Some say that any publicity is a good thing, but unethical behavior seldom has lasting positive effects.

Q: Another campaign that does have the NFL’s blessing and has been very popular the last couple of years is the Coors Light mock press conference commercials. How would you rate the success and popularity of this marketing campaign?

Stotlar: I think the novelty is wearing off. They were funny and interesting in the beginning, but it’s getting a little old and predictable.

Sport Marketing Association Honors WVU College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences Faculty Member with Lifetime Service Award

Morgantown, W.Va. [Nov. 6, 2009] Dr. Dallas Branch, associate professor of the Sport Management program at West Virginia University’s College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences (WVU – CPASS), was presented with a Lifetime Service Award by the Sport Marketing Association (SMA) and Fitness Information Technology (FiT) for his service and dedication to the Sport Marketing Quarterly (SMQ).

Dr. Dallas Branch with Lifetime Achievement Award from SMA and FiT

Shortly after beginning his teaching career at WVU, Branch started SMQ in 1992 to advance the study and practice of sport marketing. He was the journal’s first editor and served on its editorial board for nearly 18 years.  Branch was also the co-founder of the SMA, which was established in 2002 to provide a national forum for sport marketing and management education and professionals working in the industry.

“The Sport Marketing Quarterly was created to bridge the gap between sport sciences academicians and professionals working in the sport marketing field,” said Branch, who received his award at the annual SMA conference in Cleveland on October 29. “I have enjoyed serving on the editorial review board and watching the journal grow with the support of the SMA.”

Dr. Nancy Lough, associate professor and director of the Center for Sports Education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and the journal’s next editor, has served on the editorial review board with Branch for nine years. Her goal as the incoming editor is to “honor Branch’s leadership and continue to provide a publication that serves as a legacy to his years of service.”

“Dr. Branch pursued the vision to create one publication to serve both academicians and sport marketing practitioners. Sport Marketing Quarterly has continued to strive toward fulfillment of the original vision, through incorporation of unique aspects such as a case study section and professional profile in each issue to compliment the cutting edge research produced by sport marketing scholars from around the world,” said Lough.

Sport Marketing Quarterly - Volume 18 - Number 3 - 2009

According to Lough, SMQ maintains subscriptions in 25 countries, in addition to the United States, and every member of SMA receives a subscription to SMQ.

Past and current SMA executive board members have served on the editorial review board and published in SMQ. In honor of Dr. Branch and the editors who served after him, the editor of the journal now maintains an official position on the SMA executive board.

Published by FiT of the International Center for Performance Excellence (ICPE) at WVU, the Sport Marketing Quarterly is available to the general public in print and online subscriptions.

For more information about the Sport Marketing Quarterly, visit www.fitinfotech.com. Information about the SMA is available at www.sportmarketingassociation.com.

Panel of Pro Sports Experts Offers Insight, Opinion

A group of proverbial heavyweights in the sport industry gathered at West Virginia University Wednesday night to share their insight, opinions, and plenty of jokes during “The Business of Sports” discussion.

The distinguished lecture series featured Ken Kendrick, managing general partner of the Arizona Diamondbacks; Bob Nutting, principal owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates; Oliver Luck, president and general manager of the Houston Dynamo; and Sam Huff, a Hall of Fame linebacker and current radio broadcaster for the Washington Redskins. It was a great opportunity to hear the foursome’s viewpoints on a variety of timely topics and their responses to questions were, at times, as humorous as they were insightful.

Below are some of their thoughts on a variety of topics that were discussed.

• On public financing of stadiums

There has been plenty of research, much of which has been published in the International Journal of Sport Finance, regarding the benefits and/or drawbacks of public financing for construction of new stadiums and arenas. All three panelists associated with professional teams claimed that there were long-term benefits for communities that receive a new professional sports facility, despite many sports economists who claim otherwise. Both MLB owners on the panel also happen to own teams that received public financing to help fund stadium construction projects.

Pittsburgh footed a large portion ($174 million) of the bill for the Pirates’ new PNC Park, which opened in 2002 but was five years prior to Nutting’s ownership. Kendrick’s Diamondbacks and their retractable roof stadium (Chase Field Ballpark) cost taxpayers approximately $238 million.

“It’s difficult to talk about public funding of stadiums during these economic times,” Kendrick admitted. “Economic impact studies show there can be a return on investment. Over time, there is tremendous tax revenue and jobs are created and I think that model still works. But having said that, in this time (of economic struggles) I think public funds should be used other ways.”

Luck was previously the CEO of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority, which oversaw the construction and financing of Houston’s three new professional sports venues—the Astros’ Minute Maid Park, the Rockets’ and Comets’ Toyota Center, and the Texans’ Reliant Stadium.

“The city of Houston took on approximately $1 billion in municipal debt to build three new venues,” Luck said. “All three were up for a public vote and all narrowly passed and they were funded by hotel and rental car taxes. Because of those new venues, Houston has been chosen to host the Super Bowl (2004), Final Four (2011 and 2016), MLB all-star game (2004), NBA all-star game (2006), and (in 2010) the MLS all-star game and that’s important for a city that was down on its luck after the Oilers left Houston. It helped to rejuvenate the urban core of Houston.”

• On small- and mid-market teams competing in Major League Baseball

Both Nutting and Kendrick consider themselves owners of mid-market clubs, although based on the most recent MLB revenue reports the Diamondbacks are a few rungs above the Pirates. The biggest limitation, according to Kendrick, was that small- and mid-market teams are less able to successfully cope with injuries to key players. If they retain All-Star caliber players, often much of the team’s salary is invested in that one player.

The Diamondbacks, winners of the 2001 World Series in a dramatic Game 7, 9th inning rally to defeat the New York Yankees, have had some very talented players on their roster. In fact, five of the past 10 National League Cy Young Award winners played for Arizona (Randy Johnson in 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002, and Brandon Webb in 2006). Arizona made it to the playoffs in 2007 and finished second in the NL West in 2008 but this past season finished in last place in its division due in large part to an opening-day injury to Webb.

“This year our top pitcher, who had won the Cy Young, was injured in the first game of the year and he missed the rest of the season,” Kendrick said. “That was a devastating injury for us to try to overcome.

“It would be nice to have unlimited money like the New York Yankees. But I think that (Arizona’s) competitive model is a very good one and, frankly, for me it’s a lot of fun to beat teams like (the Yankees).”