Sports Management Blog

Online Sports Management Degree Programs

Nolan Thomas of Agency Athlete — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:26:57 +0000

While the Movie Jerry Maguire brought Sports Agent careers into the spotlight, being a player’s agent is only one of many careers for those interested in Sports Management.

OTHER SIDE OF THE SPECTRUM

While player management is highly important to the games, you have to remember that there are Sports Managers on the other side of the spectrum as well. Regardless of how many superstars such as Albert Pujols, Tom Brady and LeBron James that a team has, the team will not go very far without a great Sports Manager behind the scenes.

The Sports Manager is in charge of:

Handling all of the business aspects of a sports team
Negotiating and signing contracts with new players
Planning and working the team budget
Organizing team travel
Team uniforms
Training facilities
Manage sports arena

NOT SO FAST

In order to make sound executive decisions, it is a must that Sports Managers work intently with the team’s coaches, scouts, and trainers in order to keep the team rolling on all cylinders.

Sounds easy, right? Not so fast!

It’s not so easy and as well as having to please the team’s owners, a Sports Manager has to please the fans too. One does not go without the other and what makes it even tougher is that every move you make is probably going to be printed in the media.

UP TO THE CHALLENGE

So do you think that you are up to the challenge?

If you answered yes, the first thing you need to do is to earn a college degree in Sports Management.

With a Sports Management degree, you will have career opportunities to work:

In public relations
As athletic directors
In Administration.

ONLINE DEGREE PROGRAMS

Many colleges and universities offer an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in sport management. There are also numerous schools that offer a master’s degree in sport management as well.

If your aspiration is to be a team General Manager some day, you are going to need the master’s degree eventually.

While some of you would love the opportunity but time is a big factor, there are many online degree programs from fully accredited schools that you can do in your spare time.

For more information on schools offering online degree programs in Sports Management, you can visit our home page where we list a variety of online sports management degree options.

What To Look For In Sports Management Degree Programs

Nolan Thomas of Agency Athlete — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:30:38 +0000

While some colleges and universities call the program “Sports Management” and others may call it “Sports Administration,” there are many schools in North America that offer degree programs that will train and develop students for a career in the sport industry.

While the programs may be similar, each individual school’s Sports Management program could have different nuisances and requirements in order to earn a degree.

Some schools offer both undergraduate and graduate Sports Management degree programs although the majority of them strictly offer undergraduate degrees.

CURRICULUM

The required curriculum of each school may vary, but they all have courses that include:

· Business Management
· Introduction to Sport Administration
· Principles of Management
· Accounting
· Sports Marketing
· Ethical Principles in Sport
· Economics of Sport

In addition, depending on what area of Sports Management you are thinking about venturing into, specific courses for those fields may be offered as well including:

· Financial Management
· Consumer Behavior
· Business Law
· Advertising
· Media Writing
· Public Relations
· Broadcast performance

Of course, general studies such as English, History, Mathematics, Literature and speech are also required curriculum.

INTERNSHIPS

Besides the required coursework needed to earn a Sports Management degree, most colleges and universities require that students in these programs serve an administrative internship during their senior year.

Internship requirements can be served at numerous different venues such as at a fitness center, college athletic office, local elementary, middle, or high school or college conference office.

Sometimes internships will be paid employment but the majority of the time these are unpaid except for the valuable experience you receive.

Most schools require an internship proposal to be submitted for approval first to ensure that the internship you have in mind fits the program.

CREDITS

Each school will have different credits that you will be expected to earn in order to receive your degree.

Each course and internship has credits assigned and once all credits have been completed, you will have earned your degree.

GPA

As in any degree program, students will be expected to keep a required grade point average (GPA) in order to earn the appropriate credits and earn your degree.

Most schools require a Core GPA of at least 2.7 and an Overall GPA of 2.5 although it may vary depending on which school you are attending.

COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

Many colleges, universities and online schools offer Sports Management Degree programs. Sports Management Certification programs are offered as well. Here is a list from North American Society of Sports Management that includes schools that offer degrees related to Sports Management. You can also visit the online programs listed on our site, that also offer sports management degree programs.

5 Sports Management Careers You Probably Don’t Know About

Nolan Thomas of Agency Athlete — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:36:49 +0000

When people think about a career in Sports Management they instantly think of the movie “Jerry McGuire”. Sports Agents seem to take the spotlight in the Sports Management industry, when in actuality, there are many career options to explore.

While being a sports agent can be a rewarding career with a mass amount of perks for sports fans, there are numerous avenues a person can take besides being a Sports Agent that would fall under the “Sports Management” umbrella.

A Sports Agents main duty to their clients is to negotiate their professional sports contract with the team they will be playing for. This could be right out of high school or college, as a free agent, or right after being traded to a different team.

This is usually the aspect of Sports Management that an agent cares to concentrate on with their clients and while they may offer other services, they are usually delegated to someone else within the agency or outsourced to a third party company that works directly with the agency.

Some of these duties include marketing and endorsements, contract advisor services, tax planning, financial /investment advice, legal services, realty, relocation and media relations.

There are some agents that handle all of these duties themselves, but typically those agents only have one client or a low minimum number of clients so they have the time to do all these things whereas an agent with 25 or more clients does not.

Therefore, you can have a career in Sports Management and meet and work with professional athletes without having to be certified or pay yearly dues to remain a certified agent.

There are many sports agencies and agents out there that are looking for people to specialize in a particular aspect of the many services that are offered as Sports Management to their clients.

Public Relations

You could hit the streets or the phones to find endorsement opportunities, professional appearances and autograph sessions. Even though most Athletes make a lot of money from their salaries, they are always looking for additional income opportunities, a little fun money so to speak.

Someone that has a knack talking to people, is a good salesperson and realizes and enjoys the leg work could be very successful specializing in athlete marketing and endorsements.

Legal Services

Lawyers or paralegals could offer contract advisor services working directly with a sports agent to ensure that each and every contract has the appropriate wording to make sure the client gets what he is looking for.

Some athletes just cannot stay out of trouble or are looking for legal advise on one thing or another and legal services is an excellent option for lawyers who love sports.

Accounting and Financial Planning

If you are good with numbers and are a certified public accountant, you could always specialize in doing professional athletes tax returns each year. Technically you would only be busy four months out the year with this specialty.

Are you an investment guru? Athletes are always looking for financial /investment advice and the smart ones are continually looking out for the future. They want a diversified portfolio that will have them and their families living comfortably years after retiring from professional sports.

Relocation

Professional athletes are constantly moving around whether it be as a free agent signing with a different team or being traded and someone who specializes in realty and relocation for athletes is always in high demand.

Media Relations

The last specialization I am going to speak about is media relations.

You may not think that this is very important, but as a sports fan you probably hear it every day. Phrases such as “Coach Speak,” “GM Speak,” or “Player Speak” describing the typical answers they give to the media on a daily basis is extremely important.

A Media Relations Specialist works with Athletes, Coaches and Executives everyday on what to say, their mannerisms, facial expressions, and how they should portray themselves to the media.

As you can see, there are a lot more careers in Sports Management then just being a Sports Agent.

Sports Management Offers Lucrative Career Choices

Nolan Thomas of Agency Athlete — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:16:44 +0000

Sports is one of the world’s biggest and most lucrative industries with Sports Management continuing to be a fast growing field and besides athlete management includes financial management, athletic performance, coaching, and sports medical careers.

Talent scouts, coaches, and team administrative office staff are all included when it comes to Sports Management.

Possible Sports Management Job Titles

Sport management careers have a variety of different job titles. Program director, marketing and promotions director, corporate sales director, director of ticketing, facilities coordinator, athletic director, athletic business manager, and fitness manager are all sport management titles.

Besides the traditional American sports triumvirate of football, baseball and basketball there are many other professional sports that offer good sports management career choices, such as golf, tennis, NASCAR, MMA, hockey, surfing, skiing and snowboarding, along with the universal appeal of soccer, the world’s #1 sport.

Anyone that is interested in a career in sports management has an extensive amount of different individual positions in different sports in which to apply for.

However, the most popular career in Sports Management is as a Sports Agent who represents professional athletes, takes care of contract negotiations, marketing, as well as housing, taxes and more.

The Benefits Of Completing A Sports Management Internship

These days, most universities, both online and traditional brick-and-mortar, are offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Sports Management.

Most undergraduate sport management degree programs include courses in accounting, management, marketing, economics, and computer applications and along with focusing on the business aspect of sport in culture, sport ethics, sport finance, sports information, intercollegiate and professional sports, sport law, facility management and sport marketing.

Some collegiate sports management degree programs also include internship opportunities to give the student hands-on experience in the field. Although the majority of these internships are unpaid and will most likely include filing and moving paper around rather then receiving the one-on-one hands-on experience in dealing first hand with professional athletes.

There are some programs out there however that offer the student hands-on experience in dealing directly with professional athletes under the umbrella of their parent company and gives them the opportunity to earn money in the process. Passing a free certification course is all that is necessary to qualify for this program.

All in all, if you love every aspect of the sports world and would like a career in sports management, the opportunities are out there, you just have to go for it!

“First and Goal” Renamed “Sports Management Blog”

admin — Wed, 25 May 2011 17:01:20 +0000

We are renaming the blog here at sportsmanagementdegree.org to Sports Management Blog, to better reflect our mission, which is namely to post insightful content related specifically to the sports management industry. In the future, you will notice a shift in our approach, as we attempt to narrow our focus to our specialty. No longer will we be posting on tangentially related sports topics. Henceforth, this blog will almost exclusively feature industry news and resources.

13 Sports Management Experts Worth Knowing About

Linda — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:09:37 +0000

Sports management can prove a brutal career, but a rewarding one if the manager finds a niche and becomes successful in his or her specialty. This list of 13 sports management experts worth knowing is filled with individuals who focused on a specific sport and took his or her expertise to the limit. Some are professors, some are business owners, and some fill both roles in pursuit of sports management excellence.

This list is arranged alphabetically by surname.

Dr. Robin Ammon is a full Professor and the Chair of the Department of Sport Management at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. Dr. Ammon has worked for himself, and for a national crowd management company (CSC) as a supervisor, manager and consultant. This experience has included various Super Bowls, collegiate athletic events and hundreds of concerts all across North America. In 2002, Dr. Ammon was elected as the 17th President of the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM).
Richard L. Andersen, CFE, president of Lighthouse Consulting and long-term International Association of Assembly Managers (IAAM) leader, is president and CEO of Northlands in Edmonton, Alberta. He is a 32-year facility development and management veteran. Earlier in his professional career, Andersen served as President of Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, FL, where he supervised the delivery of services to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and was part of the Super Bowl XXIX Hosting Committee in 1995.
Nick Brockmeyer, president of Platinum Sports & Entertainment Management, LLC, started his agency when he was in the final year of law school. His agency represents about 40 professional baseball players at various levels of the game. Combining business savvy with a little sports know-how, he and fellow Southeast graduate Bert Fulk own the largest baseball talent agency in the state of Missouri. He also teaches a class on sports law at Washington University and one on sports and entertainment management at Fontbonne University.
Dr. Eric Brownlee, a sports management professor in the U of M’s School of Kinesiology and also vice president of the U of M’s Sports Business Institute, Brownlee has developed a defensive backs coaching manual for the University of Minnesota Golden Gopher football program. The manual was created through qualitative research and a comprehensive literature review and included information about drills, tactics, recruiting, training and conditioning.
Bobby Goldwater, well known as an industry leader and consultant in the sports venue management field, served 24 years at in a number of executive positions. Mr. Goldwater currently is president of The Goldwater Group LLC, a consulting management company serving the sports and entertainment industry. In 2008, he was honored by the Event and Arena Marketing Conference, receiving its prestigious GIGI Award of Excellence and being inducted into the EAMC’s Hall of Fame.
Alistair Gray, whose consultancy firm conducted a review of the Football Association of Ireland, is an expert in leadership and management in sports administration. His clients include a number of leading multi-national PLCs and sporting organizations such as the International Cricket Council, The Football Association, ECB, Cricket Australia, the SFA, FAI, Lawn Tennis Association, UK Sport and Sport England. Alistair is chairman of British Swimming through to the 2012 Olympic Games.
Dr. Donna Lopiano is the former Chief Executive Officer of the Women’s Sports Foundation (1992-2007) and was named one of “The 10 Most Powerful Women in Sports” by Fox Sports. Recognized as one of the foremost national experts on gender equity in sport, Dr. Lopiano has testified about Title IX and gender equity before three Congressional committees, served as a consultant to the U.S. Office for Civil Rights Department of Health, Education and Welfare Title IX Task Force and as an expert witness in twenty-eight court cases.
Jim Loria has been involved in hockey team management since 1977, including working in the National Hockey League with the Washington Capitals, Minnesota North Stars and Carolina Hurricanes. He has over 30 years of sports marketing and management experience, has been with Sioux Falls Sports since its inception in 1998. Loria recently was promoted to the position of President of Sioux Falls Sports, the parent company of the Sioux Falls Stampede Hockey Club and Sioux Falls Fighting Pheasants Baseball Club.
Larry Martin is the vice president of operations for ScoreBig, Inc., the first e-commerce website exclusively for the sale and distribution of undersold live event tickets. Prior to joining ScoreBig, Martin spent three years as the senior director of Team Marketing & Business Operations (TMBO) for the NBA, and was responsible for working with all NBA, WNBA and D-League teams in the areas of ticket sales, ticket operations, yield management, and new technology.
Dan Migala currently is vice president of creative partnerships for the San Diego Padres, a position he has held since October of 2009. Migala has received praise from the sports marketing community after suggesting the Chicago White Sox change their game times to 7:11 p.m. to appease 7-Eleven, a potential sponsor. The idea was sold instantly, achieving many accolades including earning Migala a lifetime pass to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.
Dr. Roto is a long-time fantasy expert who has been featured on TV for his fantasy sports expertise. Additionally, he has been a competitor and commissioner in fantasy leagues for over 20 years winning numerous league championships. Dr.Roto can often be seen attending spring training games in Florida as well as NFL camps in the summer. He has many contacts in the industry and is privy to inside scoops that will put your team well on its way to winning a league championship.
Dr. Donald Sabo is a recognized expert on gender relations and has published extensively on physical activity and health, gender equity in athletics, women’s sports, sport and masculinity and men’s violence. Sabo is former president of the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport, and a frequently invited speaker at colleges, universities, and conferences. He received the Women’s Sports Foundation President’s Award in May, 2001 and has appeared on many television shows.
Dr. William A. Sutton, associate director of the DeVos Sport Business Management program at the University of Central Florida, teaches courses in sport marketing and sales and promotional management in sport, and serves as the internship coordinator for the program. In addition to his duties at UCF, Dr. Sutton is the founder and principal of Bill Sutton & Associates, a consulting firm specializing in strategic marketing and revenue enhancement for clients including the NBA, NHL, Orlando Magic and New York Yankees.

Top 50 Sites for Free Sports Clips and Videos

admin — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 08:50:02 +0000

Sports management is an interesting and exciting field for those who are passionate about sports and savvy in business. You have the opportunity to work in a fast-paced environment, you can choose to work for a variety of sports facilities, or you could even work in various sports programs for a college or university. But you don’t have to work in the industry in order to have a knack for sports. These sites provide an incredible amount of sports videos and clips. For those who want to pursue a sports management degree, these can be useful for your education, or they are great videos for any sports enthusiast. You will see the performances of athletes, as well as learn valuable lessons from commentary.

Networks and Cable Sites

Many network and cable web sites feature sports clips and videos. These are great places to start when it comes to finding sports media.

CBSSports.com Videos: Watch the latest news and sports clips from around the world of sports.
ESPN Video: Clips from sports games, and different news casts. Interesting things to watch.
FOX Sports on MSN: A look at sports clips from FOX Sports, and information on what’s happening in different leagues.
NBC Sports: Cool clips, sports news videos and commentary from NBC.
NFL Network: Get videos, watch sports clips, and more on the NFL Network site. Free videos.
TNT Sports: Clips and videos, as well as news, related to sports and sports subjects.
TBS Sports: Great videos, with a special focus on baseball — especially off season. Interesting sports clips.
Wide World of Sports: ABC news has a sports site that can help you find links to videos and clips.
USA Network Sports: Watch clips of sports events, and see video. Also get recaps and schedules.
Tennis Channel: Great videos from the world of tennis. Also includes video from Wimbledon. A great source for tennis sports clips.
Sky Sports: This British sports network offers plenty of interesting video clips from around the world. Get your fix of world sports from this web site.
BBC Sport: Another British station, this network is well known for its news. Watch the sports section for great video clips and commentary.

Sports Video Sites

Information on sports videos, sports video sites, and web sites devoted watching sports clips and learning about sports.

NESN.com: A site devoted to sports in New England, including the Patriots, Celtics, Red Sox and Bruins.
CSTV.com: College sports clips and videos. A great look at what’s going on in the world of college sports.
Freecaster.tv: Great clips and videos related to extreme sports. An adrenaline rush in every video you watch.
Strike Football: Great videos about soccer. This is an exciting site full of action clips related to what everyone else in the world calls football.
footytube: A great video site devoted to soccer.
SkateLog: Watch videos and clips of inline skating and roller skating. Fun clips, as well as news and information from the world of competitive skating.
The Sports Network: News and information about sports, as well as videos and clips related to sports. Interesting videos and commentary.
PlayerPress.com: News, information and videos related to all things sports. Read commentary and watch clips.
Extreme Sports Clips: Watch amazing videos from extreme sports. Great action and excitement from all around the world of extreme sports.
MLB.com: Find clips of baseball games, and watch videos of news and commentary, as well as the latest action. Keep up with off-season news as well.
NBA TV: If basketball is your thing, this is a great site to visit. Watch video clips and interviews with athletes. Cool videos and more.
SportHaven.com: Watch some sports videos and clips from around the world.
PANCRASE.org: Watch different video clips from MMA and UFC. A great place to watch a number of fight sports videos.
MMA Fight Dump: If you are interested in mixed martial arts, this is the video site for you. It’s pretty rough and raw, though.
GrindTV: All about surf, skate and similar sports. A great place to watch the latest videos.
Free Sport Video Live Streaming: Get sports live streaming from this German station that helps you keep up with a variety of different sports.
Card Player TV: If you are interested in the indoor sport of poker, this is the place to go. Great, exciting poker video clips.
EA Sports: Watch video clips from different sports video games. A fun way to enjoy sports, and watch sports videos.

Video Sites

There are a number of video sites devoted to showing different events. With a little poking around in different categories, you can find some great sports clips.

WiredCinema: Watch the sports section of WiredCinema for sports clips and videos. Find a number of great sports sites as well.
YouTube Sports: Find plenty of great sports clips on YouTube. You expect to see plenty of videos on YouTube, and this doesn’t disappoint in terms of sports clips.
LIVE Sports on USTREAM: Watch live sports videos on Ustream. A great place to go to get sports video.
Free Sports Videos: Watch free sports videos on Veoh. A great place to go to watch great clips.
Sports Videos: Get into sports video archives from Archives.org. A great place for those looking for sports clips.
Sports Videos at Break: This category offers you the chance to watch funny sports videos.
Sports: Metacafe offers some great sports clips, including some exclusive video. A great place to go if you are interested in sports videos.
Sports Video: OVGuide offers some great sports videos and clips.
Sports: Google Video offers you a helpful way to search thousands of sports clips.
Sports & Extreme Channel: Dailymotion offers great sports video and highlights from around the web.
Sport: ClipMoon offers a category related to sports. An interesting place to go for sports clips.

Training and How-To Sites

You can find some great videos on sports and training when you frequent some of the following sites.

Sports and Fitness Videos: Get training on proper form when playing sports, and watch sports and fitness videos from eHow.
Kudda: A video library focused on training videos for sports. Become a better athlete with help from these free videos.
Sports Training Videos: Learn Out Loud offers helpful sports training videos.
Sports Training: Find articles and helpful videos on sports training and how-tos.
Sports Training Videos: Exercise TV offers helpful training and workout videos.
workoutz.com: Free exercise workouts that you can use.
Free Workout Routines: Get these exercise routines, aimed mainly at women.
PhysicalFitnet: Exercise programs and workouts for your athletic improvement.
#1 Exercises Guide: BodyBuilding.com offers helpful videos about exercises you can do, focusing on different muscle groups.

Friend Us on Facebook!

admin — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 16:06:42 +0000

In an effort to get with the times, we are now finally on Facebook. Feel free to check out our Sports Management Degree page in order to stay connected with us, as well as other prospective students interested in a … Continue reading →

The College Sports Administrator Hall of Fame

Linda — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 20:58:44 +0000

You might notice that there are as many women listed in this College Sports Administrator Hall of Fame as men — and, for good reason. While men notably led as college sports administrators for decades, women are beginning to make their marks as college sports directors and administrators across the country. While the focus often is on women’s college sports, their leadership often shows remarkable achievements for both genders. This list represents just a handful of talented and knowledgeable individuals who have led college sports and their teams to greatness over the years.

The following names are listed alphabetically by given name to show that we do not favor one person over another. Also, you may notice that many administrators on this list began their careers in sports, playing for college teams.

Dr. Alpha Alexander, co-founder and vice-president of the Black Women in Sports Foundation, received her masters and doctorate degrees in Physical Education from Temple University in Pennsylvania, and she began her career in 1976 as a graduate assistant in Women’s Athletics at Temple University. Today, after many awards and more than a decade of service on the United States Olympic Committee Board of Directors, Dr. Alexander serves as an administrator at a Tennessee high school.
Andrea Seger, in 1995, was chosen by Ball State to direct the newly combined men’s and women’s intercollegiate athletics program. At the time, Seger was one of only four women in the United States to oversee a combined NCAA Division 1A athletics department. She was named one of Street & Smith’s Super 50 Women Sports Executives in 1998. Seger retired from Ball State in 2002, and now works as search counsel within Alden & Associates’ executive search practice. She also served as Interim Executive Director at NACWAA (National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators) in early 2010.
Bob Goin, a 1959 graduate of Bethany College in West Virginia and now in retirement, launched his athletic career at that school in 1960. Among other designations, he served as Athletic Director at the University of Cincinnati and Florida State University. During his tenure at Cincinnati, the school joined the Big East Conference. Goin also played a major role in shaping the future of the Florida State program, and has served on the NCAA Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet and the NCAA Football Bowl Certification Subcommittee.
Deborah A. Yow, who has served on the NCAA Management Council and the NCAA Division I Budget Committee, resigned in 2010 after 16 years as director of athletics at the University of Maryland — where she became the first female athletic director at any Atlantic Coast Conference school. During her tenure, the school’s athletic teams captured twenty national championships. She now serves as the director of athletics at North Carolina State University.

James Lynah (d. 1956) was a sports administrator who was considered the primary founder of the Eastern College Athletic Conference. He served as the first Director of Athletics at Cornell University from 1935 to 1943, where he led the creation of the Eastern Intercollegiate Athletics agency, which became the modern ECAC. Lynah was succeeded at Cornell by Robert Kane (see below). The ECAC created the James Lynah Distinguished Achievement Award in 1957 to recognize outstanding athletic administrators.
Jennifer Alley, former UNC head coach, served nine years as the first full time head women’s basketball coach at the University of North Carolina and helped the Tar Heels capture the 1984 ACC crown. She served as the Executive Director for NACWAA from 2006-2009 and now serves as that organization’s Executive Director Emeritus. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame as well as on several other organizations.

Joni Comstock is a coach-turned-administrator. She served two Big Ten universities before making her way to the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) in 2006, where she holds the role of senior vice president for championships and senior woman administrator. Her duties at the national office include oversight of 84 NCAA national championships, statistics, playing rules administration, media coordination efforts and gender initiatives. She also serves on the board of directors for the NAWCAA.
Kevin Anderson has been hired as the new director of athletics at the University of Maryland, after serving at the United States Military Academy, where he directed Army’s athletics department since 2004. At Army, Anderson was responsible for a 25-sport program that served more than 900 cadet-athletes. On the field, Anderson has led a broad-based resurgence that has seen 20 teams earn berths in NCAA Championships, including programs in 10 different sports. He replaces Deborah Yow (see above).
Larry Scott, the former Chairman and CEO of the WTA Tour, a 2008 Time Magazine Best Sports Executive and a former All-American tennis player at Harvard University, has been Commissioner of the collegiate Pac-10 Conference since 1 July 2009. Eleven months later, the Conference announced expansion of Pac-10 to Pac-12 with the addition of Colorado (2012) and Utah (2011). Since Harvard, Scott has established a solid track record of innovation and growth across a range of different sports at both the college and professional levels.
Lew Perkins was chosen for the upside to his service as Director of Athletics at the University of Kansas. Perkins previously held similar positions with five other major universities, where he gained a reputation for successfully cleaning up schools that suffered under NCAA violations. In the summer of 2008 Perkins topped public voting in Time Magazine’s online poll of the best sports executives in the world. In June 2010, Perkins announced he would retire after the 2010-2011 school year, but on September 7, 2010 Perkins announced his retirement would be effective immediately, reasons unknown.
Marcia Saneholtz retired from her 28-year stint at Washington State University as Senior Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator in 2007, where she supervised and mentored many nationally successful coaches while aiding in the development of the athletics department’s rise to national prominence. She received the NACWAA Administrator of the Year Award in 1997 and served as NACWAA President from 1992-1993, and served on the Pacific-10 Conference’s Senior Woman’s Administrative Committee.
Dr. Myles Brand (d. 2009) earned his degrees in philosophy, but served as president for various universities and institutions until his appointment in 2002 as president of the NCAA. Brand established a system for academic reform among college athletes and was an advocate for diversity and inclusion across all sports. Brand also put college executives in visible leadership roles to tackle the most pressing problems facing college sports.

Robert Kane (d. 1992) was a celebrated sports administrator who first established himself as a talented sprinter at Cornell University. Kane became Acting Director of Cornell Athletics from 1941-1944 and then served as the Director of Cornell Athletics from 1944-1971. He also served as president of the United States Olympic Committee from 1977-80. He founded the National Sports Festival, later renamed the U.S. Olympic Festival. Kane was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1986.
Tina Sloane-Greene, another Temple graduate, is a is co-founder and President of the Black Women in Sports Foundation. As the first African-American head coach in the history of women’s intercollegiate lacrosse, Ms. Sloan Green was head coach of the Temple University Women’s Lacrosse Team from 1973-1992. In 2008, Professor Sloan Green received Lifetime Achievement Awards from the NACWAA.

Top 10 Obese Athletes Who Dominated Their Sport

admin — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 22:34:13 +0000

When most of us think about sports, and professional athletes, “fat” is not usually a word that comes to mind. However, the truth is that some athletes are obese. They simply aren’t burning off calories at the rate they are consuming them. Sports managers and trainers may try to get some athletes in shape, but they may not be interested in losing weight. And why should they be? If a professional athlete is doing well in his or her sport, why change anything. There is no reason to lose weight if you can dominate. Here are 10 athletes who did well in their sports, in spite of being heavy:

Babe Ruth: George Herman Ruth, Jr. is probably the most famous of baseball players. He was also a large man — a large man whose nickname was “Babe“. Baseball fans still love Babe Ruth, and he is still considered one of the best players ever. He was known for high living, eating, drinking and carousing with enthusiasm. His lifestyle ensured that he would not be slim. Even so, he was still a fantastic hitter. Even in 1921, as he grew larger and larger, he had arguably his best season.

David Wells: Like Babe Ruth, David Wells made his name as a pitcher. They call him “Boomer” because he is big and bad on the mound. Considered one of the premier left handed pitchers in Major League Baseball, Wells made his mark by being one of the 20 pitchers to have pitched a perfect game. He played for the Yankees and for the Red Sox, and has made several post-season appearances. You have to admit, seeing a ball thrown from this big man from the mound would be a little intimidating.

Shaquille O’Neal: This big man center is a big man. He is one of the heaviest players the NBA has ever seen, weighing in at 325 pounds. To be fair, he is 7ft 1 in tall. But other tall players do not have his bulk. Shaq has been able to use his size to dominate other players on the court, and has helped different teams win NBA championships. Recently, O’Neal has been moved around a lot between teams, and he is also the oldest active player in the NBA. Basketball is in his blood and he continues to play — and play reasonably well.

Glen Davis: There’s a reason that Glen Davis is referred to as “Big Baby”. It’s because he’s big. Weighing in at 289 pounds, Davis is another big man who can dominate through his size. Davis plays as a backup center sometimes, but he is most often used as a power forward. While he didn’t get a lot of playing time during the regular season, Davis rose to prominence for the Celtics during the NBA playoffs in 2010, even playing a role in the Finals series.

Charles Barkley: There’s reason that announces call Charles Barkley “The Round Mound of Rebound.” He was a good rebounder, but he also had a distinctive build. He dominated players on the court, though, and had an aggressive style of play. He was also outspoken, not shy about his opinions. Fans, though, love his brash ways, and Barkley is still on the sports scene as an analyst. Barkley also writes books and follows politics. He famously announced in 2008 that he would run for Alabama governor in 2014.

Jerome Bettis: Okay, so it’s hard to pick from football players that could be considered obese. There are a lot of very big guys that play football. One of them is Jerome Bettis, whose nickname is “The Bus.” And the man really is a bus. At 5 ft 11 in and 252 pounds, Bettis was able to power through a number of tackles as a back. Sometimes he even dragged his would-be tacklers into the end zone with him. Bettis is retired now, but the legend of The Bus still lives on.

John Daly: One of the most famous golfers in the world is John Daly. He is famous for his driving distance, and as a result is called “Long John”. His off tee shots are considered rather dominating. Also dominating is his appearance. As someone who appears obese, Daly flouts the country club look adopted by most other golfers. Additionally, his attitude and appearance in other ways also set him apart from other golfers. But there is no denying that he is an intriguing figure — and one that still dominates on the course.

André the Giant: You probably know this…giant…from The Princess Bride. However, André René Roussimoff was professional wrestler in France. And, due to his size, it is little surprise that he dominated, even winning a title, and being inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame. The giant was more than 7 ft tall, and weighed more than 500 pounds. Even though his size is the result of a real condition, he also helped things along with a great deal of eating and drinking.

Tony Stewart: Anthony Wayne Stewart is one of the premier auto racing drivers in the U.S. He has won titles in Indy and stock cars. He also drives in NASCAR. Stewart is known for his large size, as well as his driving ability. In addition to driving, he is also an owner. He only drives part time now. Stewart is rather large, though, and some have disparagingly joked about his ability to get into a race car. But that doesn’t change the fact that he has been a great driver, and one that has won plenty of awards.

Dusty Rhodes: This professional wrestler won several National Wrestling Alliance titles. He also did well in the WCW and with WWE. Dusty is known for his polka-dot wrestling outfit, and for his expanding size. Born Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr., Dusty Rhodes was known for his over the top performances, and also worked hard to be seen as a working class hero. He was known for the Bionic Elbow, a signature finishing move. Right now, Dusty still wrestles sometimes, but mainly does work as a booker and producer in Florida.