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Feb

27

ESPN to launch Chicago sports site

Filed Under Sports Business News, Sports Media | 4 Comments

Earlier this week, ESPN announced that it will launch a new website dedicated to covering Chicago sports. The sport media empire decided that it wanted to start targeting sports fans in specific markets and what better city to start with than Chicago. ESPNChicago.com will be the first of these local sports sites, but ESPN is hoping that it won’t be the last.

“We already have a user base with millions of people coming to [ESPN.com] looking for Chicago sports,” Horine said. “At its core, the mission is simple: to super-serve Chicago sports fans.”

In addition to sports news, the site will have social-networking aspects, a travel partnership and even a way to organize your local softball team.

And like the cable channel, ESPN Chicago will feature its own “SportsCenter”-style newscast with a three- to five-minute highlight reel of the day’s top stories. It will have original content and include breaking news, provided by Chicago’s WLS-Ch. 7. The ABC affiliate and ESPN are both owned by The Walt Disney Co.

ESPN columnist Gene Wojciechowski, a former Chicago Tribune sportswriter, will write for the site. Other ESPN contributors will write for the Chicago site, as will ESPN 1000 radio personalities Tom Waddle and Bruce Levine.

To be honest, I guess I’m surprised that this is the first time a major media outlet has created a website solely dedicated to a single region’s sports coverage. The Huffington Post created a Chicago local site last summer with blog posts and aggregated news feeds of stories central to the area. MillerCoors will be the charter advertiser for the ESPN Chicago website to get it up and running. It will certainly be interesting to see how users are attracted to the website and if it becomes a popular go-to website for Chicago sports fans.

Feb

26

Job Posting: Octagon Experience Internship

Filed Under Career, Job Openings | 2 Comments

I was just passed along this internship description, but the application is due tomorrow (Friday) so you would need to get on it right now if you’re interested. But since it was such a great opportunity, I wanted to pass it along to my readers. You can read more about the Octagon Experience at this website.

The Athletes & Personalities division’s Octagon Experience is a 10-week undergraduate summer internship program at various Octagon offices in the U.S. It introduces students to the world of sports and entertainment marketing in many different capacities. The Octagon Experience is a full-time, fully involved, learning by doing internship program for the passionate, creative and focused individual pursuing a career in the world of sports and entertainment marketing. Octagon seeks talented and driven applicants to fill internship positions in the athletes & personalities division, assisting in a wide range of projects and activities. The program is limited in size to maximize industry exposure for each participant, providing for a unique summer work experience. In order to be considered for the unpaid internship, students must be able to receive academic credit. Additional internship opportunities are available throughout the year in Athletes & Personalities division offices throughout the U.S.

In 2009, the Octagon Experience will take place from June 1 to August 7, 2009 and we will offer internship positions at the following locations:

Chicago, IL
Los Angeles, CA
McLean, VA (Headquarters)
New York, NY
Portland, ME
Richmond, VA
San Diego, CA

26

Job Opening: Boston Bruins Communications Internship

Filed Under Career, Job Openings | 1 Comment

The Boston Bruins have communications internship openings for both the summer and fall. If you’re interested or want more information, please visit this link for the summer one and this link for the fall.

The Boston Bruins Communications Internship is a position that fulfills a variety of roles within the Bruins Communications Department. Interns will gain experience working in the Public Relations, Media Relations, and Communications aspects of the department. Essential duties are as follows:

- Compiling press clippings for distribution to Bruins management and coaching staff
- Compiling stat packets for distribution to Bruins management and coaching staff
- Authoring feature stories for the Boston Bruins website, bostonbruins.com
- Assisting in the gameday media operations for all Boston Bruins home games
- Coordinating interviews between members of the local and national media and Bruins players
- Transcribing coach and player interviews for distribution to local media
- Working with the Bruins Communications staff to create and develop pitches to publicize the Bruins players, staff and organization
- Assisting in the media operations of the NHL Draft including research of prospects and drafted players, coordinating interviews with drafted players, authoring biographies of drafted players and authoring feature stories on bostonbruins.com (Summer only)
- Assisting in the media operations of the Bruins Development Camp- a week-long camp for Bruins prospects and draft picks. This will include coordinating interviews with players and local/national media, authoring biographies of attendees, transcribing coach and player interviews after practices and authoring feature stories on bostonbruins.com (Summer only)

25

Sports and Twitter Update

Filed Under Social Media | 3 Comments

I’ve talked about sports teams using Twitter and other social media platforms effectively in past posts. I don’t want to repeat those posts, but there have been a couple new websites and blog posts that I wanted to pass along.

Ryan Stephens put together a list of sports marketing tweeples, which you can view at his blog. While I am mentioned in the list, that’s not why I’m linking to it. If you’re interested in a job in either sports public relations or marketing, I’d highly recommend following each and every single person on his list. Personally, I have gained a lot of valuable information about the industry by following these amazing individuals.

Octagon created Twackle, a website that has created widgets for each professional sports team in the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL. For more information on this new website, you can check out their FAQ page.

SportsByBrooks has a post up that quickly summarizes a question posed on Pardon the Interruption.

I was watching Pardon the Interruption the other day, and Wilbon and Kornheiser were talking about the ramifications of athletes using Twitter to communicate with fans. Is the wall of privacy finally completely crumbling around athletes? And if the players can just directly talk to the public on their own terms, what use do they have for the traditional media anymore?

He then led into the great story about Shaquille O’Neal tweeting at a diner in Phoenix and talking to fellow Twitterers who were at the same diner. Not only does it help boost his brand to see this athlete so readily interacting with fans both online and in person, but we also learn that he is a very genorous tipper. Shaq is a great example of an athlete who gets it.

To all twitterers , if u c me n public come say hi, we r not the same we r from twitteronia, we connect

On Tuesday, Shaq gave another example of how he gets Twitter by continuing to engage the fans and his followers.

I’m at the fashion sq mall, any1 touches me gets 2 tickets, tag me and say yur twit u hv 20 min

The Chicago Sun-Times just printed an article discussing the merits of professional athletes using Twitter. Kathleen Hessert says an advantage of athletes using Twitter is the opportunity to directly present themselves to their fans without having to go through the media.

‘It’s not from a public-relations person or a media person or a team spokesperson — it’s through you,” Hessert said. ”There is a growing chasm between fans and elite athletes and entertainers. It’s really wide right now. This is a way to narrow that chasm.”

If you have any news or recommended blog posts about Twitter and sports, please feel free to leave a comment!

Feb

24

Job Posting: Nashville Predators Media Relations Internship

Filed Under Career, Job Openings | 1 Comment

The Nashville Predators are looking for a media relations/publication intern as well as an intern for their team website for this summer. For more info or to apply, please check out this website.

Media Relations and Publications Internship
This intern assists in the compilation of statistical materials, helps maintain archives (clip files, photo files, etc), produces daily clip package, writes articles for publications and website, edits various media relations materials, assists in the coordination of game day activities (pre-game set-up, press box operation and post-game), and assists in daily media/public/corporate communication activities.

Web Site Internship
Ideal for a person with an interest in journalism. Responsibilities will fall strongly in the creation of written and video features for NashvillePredators.com, including conducting interviews with Predators players, coaches, and front office staff members. Candidate will be responsible to produce regular written features for the team website. Candidate will also be responsible to work with Community Relations and Youth & Amateur Hockey departments to produce written features on those departments’ events.

23

Sports PR pro Joe Goldstein passes away

Filed Under Sports PR | Leave a Comment

New York sports public relations practitioner Joe Goldstein passed away on February 13, 2009, at the age of 81 from a heart attack and stroke. In 1987, Sports Illustrated ran a feature on Goldstein and what made him different from your typical PR man — he was a great resource for any NYC sports reporter.

Too, he’s a mighty sports resource, a walking, talking yellow pages. Any reporter needing an unlisted phone number can get it from Goldstein, whether the number has to do with Joey’s clients or not. Need facts? Call Goldstein. Need directions? Call Goldstein. He’s a kind of AAA without the membership fee. He arranges hotel reservations when all rooms are booked, makes last-minute dinner reservations for 8 p.m. on Saturday, gets tickets to hit shows at the last moment (he attends every Broadway play each season) and somehow finds a parking pass when there are no more left. “I do want to be loved,” he says, “or at least regarded fondly.”

Many articles and blog posts can be found about his life’s work, which I have collected and mentioned below. As you will clearly read in the comments below, Goldstein was so successful because of the relationships he developed with journalists rather than just writing a press release and sending it out. We should all take notes from the great work done by this man throughout his career.

Tim Bontemps of the New York Post:

“He made it a genuinely personal skill, the art of public relations,” said former Yankees PR director Marty Appel, who now runs his own public relations company. “It wasn’t about writing a press release and e-mailing it off to 100 people with a press of a button.” …

Long-time Mets PR director Jay Horwitz felt Goldstein’s impact on his career first hand. When the Mets were searching for a public relations director in 1980, Goldstein recommended the team hire Horwitz, then Fairleigh Dickinson’s sports information director. Twenty-nine years later, Horwitz, who only yesterday learned from friends about Goldstein’s recommendation, still is working for the club.

“I never knew, and he never told me that,” Horwitz said. “All I can remember is when Jim Nagourney hired me, he said people in the business had recommended me. I was just shocked I got the call, and I’m sure my name wasn’t at the top of anybody’s list. I just really wish I would have known before. . . . He was the Babe Ruth of my industry.

“But 30 years later, I can say thank you, Joey.”

16

Career: Los Angeles Kings Career Fair

Filed Under Career | Leave a Comment

The LA Kings are hosting a career fair on March 16th this year so if you’re in the area or interested in working in the LA area, you can get more information and register at this website.

Don’t miss this opportunity to apply to jobs with some of the top sports and entertainment companies in Southern California!

Monday, March 16th
5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
STAPLES Center

15

Job Posting: Trenton Devils Public Relations Internship

Filed Under Career, Job Openings, Sports PR | Leave a Comment

The Trenton Devils, an ECHL team, recently announced an opening for a public relations internship for this upcoming summer. While you may think interning during the offseason wouldn’t be as beneficial, you will likely get a great experience assisting with the team’s media guide and planning for the upcoming season. For more information and to apply, you can visit this website.

This position is responsible for assisting the Director of Public Relations and Broadcasting with day-to-day duties. The position is unpaid, but may be used for college credit. The internship requires approximately 15 hours a week.

14

Career: Carolina Hurricanes 2nd Annual Career Fair

Filed Under Career | 4 Comments

The Carolina Hurricanes are hosting their second annual career fair this year on February 26th. For more information and to register for the event, please go to this website.

Come join the Carolina Hurricanes and RBC Center for the 2nd Annual Carolina Hurricanes Career Fair. Don’t miss this opportunity to meet with leaders of professional sports franchises, sports marketing and broadcasting companies, as well as staffing and recruiting agencies. Bring your resumé.

Event Schedule

1:00 Career Fair Doors Open

4:30 Career Fair Ends — Extended Networking Event Begins

6:00 Extended Networking Ends — Gates Open for Game

7:00 ’Canes vs Sabres Game Starts!

13

Future Flacker with Jessica Felten

Filed Under Career, Sports PR | 2 Comments

Flacker is a blog written by a young PR professional, Patrick Evans, and he does this feature called Future Flacker in which he interviews young, up and coming PR students and professionals about their specialties. Last week, he interviewed Jessica Felten, who is interning with a minor league sports team. I’ve included an excerpt below, but you can read the entire interview at Flacker.

2. What was the best and worst part of working in sports PR?

The best part about working in sports PR were the close relationships that were built because of everyone’s dedication to the success of the organization. As I worked in the PR department, one of my responsibilities
was to keep the press informed on any team or league news and, in doing so, I eventually found myself knowing every statistic for every player. It was great that as an intern, I had such a large role and truly gained that real life experience.

You really stumped me with the second part of your question, the worst part about sports PR, because I don¹t know if I have an answer. Sure, the hours were long and most of the games were on weekend nights, (working, on weekends, in college? That¹s like social suicide!) But I enjoyed my work so much that I never thought about what else I could be doing. I was just focused on doing a great job.

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Feb

27