The Athlete Versus The Brand
When you look at the above advertisement, you will find two elements: the athlete and the brand. While individually, they each represent something different, together they unite to form one singular message. Although the message is now singular, the question though is which message connects with people the most. Is it the athlete or is it the brand? Some may answer that the advertisement doesn’t favor one side more than the other, but athletes for the most part have been the centerpiece of sports marketing campaigns and continue to be the centerpiece for global sports brands. (more…)
Winning Solves [Almost] Everything
In an ideal world, you would never lose. Winning would be easy and losing would be a figment of the imagination. Unfortunately, we can only dream about that kind of world. Instead, losing is a reality which makes winning that much more important. In the past month or so I have heard ramblings about how great LeBron James is and how he and Kobe Bryant were destined for a classic NBA finals which would be remembered for all times. Instead, Nike is pulling their Kobe/LeBron commercials faster than Isiah Thomas is being forgotten, and LeBron is getting ready for a long summer. With LeBron unable to make it to the NBA finals, the rumor mill is starting to gain momentum. While there are still those that talk about how great LeBron is, the fact remains that LeBron has won nothing.
With Cleveland unable to make it to the NBA finals comes a new set of problems. With LeBron able to opt out of his contract next summer, Cleveland is in the position to lose one of the greatest superstars because they weren’t able to do one thing: win. People often like to quote the popular statement “Winning isn’t everything,” but what people fail to realize is the whole quote:
Men, I’ll be honest. Winning isn’t everything. Men, it’s the only thing! — Henry Russel Sanders
It is ironic that a quote that so many people use to console those who have lost is actually part of a quote meant to instill the idea that winning is the only option and that it’s all that matters. (more…)
How To Be Kobe Bryant In The Workplace
If you were to take away the Hollywood sign, most everyone would notice and panic. Similar to that sentiment, if Kobe Bryant were to play basketball in any city other than Los Angeles, people would be in disarray and begin a ‘bring Kobe back’ campaign. While Kobe leaving LA may seem like a far off issue, Kobe has become such an established brand in Los Angeles, that Los Angeles without Kobe is like a sandwich with no bread. While the average fan can only imagine being Kobe Bryant and making the clutch shot in the last moments of a game, that doesn’t mean you can’t be Kobe Bryant in the workplace.
When Kobe entered the NBA he was just 17 years old at the time. As a rookie, scouts and NBA analysts saw flashes of brilliance, but also saw streaks of immaturity and lack of discipline. For most of us, we too go through something similar to what Kobe had to go through. When starting a job, we try to do the best we can, but that doesn’t mean we always do it right. Kobe’s role during his first year was to learn and play the role he was given which was off the bench at the time. When starting with a company it is important to spend time learning the in’s and out’s of how the company runs and also to perform your tasks to the best of your abilities. Doing so will guarantee you more ‘playing time’ later on as you gain the the respect of your peers and seniors. (more…)
How NBA Stars Are Using Twitter To Brand Themselves
Ever wanted to know what Shaquille O’neal does before a game or where Baron Davis likes to go on his off days? Thanks to Twitter, now you can. For the last 4 months, I have been watching the accounts of players like Shaquille O’neal and Baron Davis and have been paying careful attention to the number of followers that they have. The amount of influence that athletes like Baron and Shaq have accumulated in just the past few months is impressive
In the last 3 months, Shaquille O’neal, better known as The_Real_Shaq on Twitter, has gone from 50,000 followers to nearly 1 million. At first glance, you may think that it is the “Shaq Brand” that has drawn in the large number of followers, but that is not entirely true. Companies like Dell and Woot.com have all tried to do what Shaq has done with Twitter, but they can’t because of what Shaq and other NBA stars have been doing.
Yes, Shaquille O’neal is a world famous athlete, but he is also a brand in himself. Like the Nike swoop that has become an iconic figure in sports, Shaquille’s personality is the same. NBA stars are branding themselves not as just athletes, but as ‘real people.’ If you look at what NBA players are tweeting about, they aren’t talking about how many points they scored or if a referee got a play wrong, they are tweeting about what regular people like you and I would tweet about. From Shaq’s thoughts on the recent Manny Ramirez drug suspension to Derek Fisher’s NCAA Bracket results, when you are following an NBA star you feel like you are following a real person.
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Mission: Live at 24 Hour Fitness
In the next month, I will be attempting to spend 24 hours at a 24 hour fitness. I will eat, sleep, and exercise at 24 hour fitness. It may seem a little crazy (maybe more than a little), but it was an idea that I came up with when talking with my friend. As a college student I paid $700 a month including furnishings and utilities for housing. I got my own room, my own bathroom, and shared a living space with 3 crazy other people. Compared to what other college students were paying at other colleges, I consider myself lucky. For example, my girlfriend paid $800 and shared a room. This didn’t include utilities or furnishings.
So the question that my friend and I talked about was how to live cheap. Now the word cheap may be associated with ‘poor quality,’ but to a college student it means ‘bargain’ and ‘good deal.’ The idea that I came up with was why not live at 24 Hour Fitness.
For $20 a month, you have 24 hour access to their facilities. Assuming that their are 30 days in a month that means you are paying an average of $.66 a month! That is a deal. I know what you are thinking by now, “Who in their right mind would do this?” The answer to that would be a college student. The perception that anything can happen in college is pretty accurate and an idea like this is right up a college students alley. Now, what I am proposing is not to actually live, study, and sleep at 24 hour fitness permanently, but to stay their for 24 hours for fun and jokes.
For 24 hours, my friend and I will be going to a yet to be determined 24 Hour Fitness Center and attempting to ‘live’ their for 24 hours straight. We will each be bringing a small gym backpack. In it will be a small container of rice (in case we starve), $10.00, gloves (for when we pump iron), and duct tape (I’ve heard you can use it for anything). Aside from the items listed, we will also be bringing a basketball, toothbrush and toothpaste, a sweater, and 1 paper cup each.
Also, I plan on video recording the whole 24 hours (or at least most of it) so I will be bringing additional disks to record as well as batteries.
The next question that you may be wondering is, “What will you eat? Where will you sleep? How will you shower..” The answer is simple. For every daily activity that we would normally do, we can do it at 24 Hour Fitness also.
Here are a couple questions that some of my friends already asked me:
1. Where will you sleep? –Yoga mats in the exercise rooms (gonna pretend we’re meditating…for a long time)
2. Shower? –Lucky for us, 24 Hour Fitness has showers for members to use. I will not be recording this for obvious reasons.
3. Food? –Simple. All the PowerBar’s we can eat for $10. Water is free (if not, we might die of dehydration.)
4. Boredom? –No way to solve this. It is bound to happen. Hopefully later than sooner.
5. Getting kicked out of 24 Hour Fitness? — As far as I know their is no rule against staying at the gym as long as you are a member and you aren’t breaking any of their rules.
6. Are you gonna bring your cellphone? — Nope. If I need to contact someone I’m gonna do it the old fashioned way: pay phone.
Hopefully at the end of this ‘adventure’ I will be able to look back on it and have a few laughs. Otherwise, I expect to never set foot in a gym for many months after it and have a greater appreciation for my bed.
Stay tuned for 24 hours at 24 Hour Fitness review.
What Sports Stars Do On the Weekend..
Anyone here look familiar?
Alex Rodriguez, Tony Hawk, Michael Phelps, and last but not least, Kobe Bryant rocking it with Guitar Hero.
The Shoe That Became A Lifestyle
As I signed on the dotted line, I signed away $143.24. In return, I was given the newest pair of Kobe’s to hit stores. While some may consider it a waste, some consider it hobby and to others a passion. Like car collectors, coin collectors or even stamp collectors, shoe collectors are plenty in numbers.
The shoe that started it all became the starting point of what would undoubtedly launch a new chapter in lifestyle and culture. The Air Jordan 1.
Launching in 1985, Michael Jordan’s Air Jordan’s, were first banned by the NBA for its violation of its color schemes. Still this did nothing but help the sales of the Air Jordan’s. Instead, the Air Jordan’s were advertised as being the reason that Michael was so good in the first place. They made him so good, the NBA wouldn’t allow him to use them. Of course, this made people want them more. Along with the new shoe came Michael Jordan himself. Michael Jordan became one of the most popular sports figure of his time. Through his flashy dunks and acrobatic moves, MJ won fans on and off the court.
The new Air Jordan’s created a whole now lifestyle and culture. From inner city kids who made them a must-have, to suburban kids who wanted to have a piece of “his greatness”, the shoe became a cultural lightning bolt. Selling at around three figures, Air Jordan’s made getting one a status symbol as well as lifestyle. Proof of which can be seen from gang violence in which individuals were killed for there Jordan’s.
While many would say that they are just ’shoes’, let us dissect what exactly they mean by that. As a society we have certain ideas on what is appropriate attire. For example, wearing a suit and tie to a meeting is appropriate while wearing jeans is not. The Air Jordan has become a new symbol. Not only does it represent just a ’shoe’, but it represents the whole lifestyle and culture of basketball. Athletes buy the shoes in hopes that they can have a shed of ‘Jordan’ in them, while others buy them just to be part of the culture. In some cases, Jordan’s have become part of ones wardrobe on a daily basis.
Whatever the case may be, when a boy or girl begins to tie the laces to there Jordan’s they are putting on a piece of history. They are putting on the shoe that Michael Jordan helped create. Michael Jordan wanted to create a shoe that was stylish and trend setting while comfortable and supportive to the athlete. Not only has he done this, but he has created something else.
The Lifestyle.
The Dream That Could Die
It started with a whistle and ended with a whistle. As the Los Angeles Laker’s took the floor for the last time in Los Angeles, thousands watched with anxious thoughts. Would the Laker’s walk out victorious? Or would the Laker’s walk out as only ’second best.’ After day’s of watching the Laker’s second half breakdown in game 4, LA wondered which Laker team would show up for game 5. Would it be the energetic and confident Laker’s from the first half, or would it be the lethargic and fragile Laker squad from the second half. One thing was sure though, number 24 wouldn’t go out without a fight.
“There’s a million way to get respect…but there’s only one way to get the kind of respect thats undeniable.The kind that they can never take away from you. Win”
Win. Simple as that. While it is only 3 letters it means the world to some. For the Laker’s, the dreams of winning a championship meet them face to face.
One would expect the Laker’s to be worried and down after the greatest comeback win in NBA Finals history by the Celtics, but instead it was just the opposite. As if it is all part of a script, Kobe Bryant is unfazed. The kind of calm and collectiveness that Kobe shows at news conferences and at team meetings is one that we haven’t seen in ages. The last time we saw someone this collected and calm? Michael Jordan, 1989.
What many remember as “The Shot” over Craig Ehlo followed a game 6 loss to the Cavaliers which would have clinched the series. In a game that crushed the hearts of the Bulls, Michael Jordan remained calm and collective and stated three words to his team mates. “We will win.” These same words would be echoed by a young man with talents beyond our imagination. Fast Forward back to the present Game 5, and LA fans find themselves in the same predicament. Up by 15 at one point, the Laker’s have see there lead almost cut in half. As the game cuts to the final 3 minutes LA fans watch with fear on would shoulder, and hope on the other. With the game too close to call, each minute is precious, each dribble important, each shot contested.
As the whistle finally blows, the Laker’s live another day. In a game where passion played as much of a role as talent, Kobe Bryant remains calm and collective at post-game interviews. In a series where the odds are against them, the quote “Be history or make history” seems appropriate. While we can’t say with certainty that the Laker’s will make history, many would agree that this Laker team has all the tools, talents, and drive to do just that.
Make history.
