OpenFortune 🥠’s Post

Saban. Carroll. Belichick. 🐐 Talk about the end of an era. It’s going to be strange watching football without seeing their trademark sideline antics. Pulling the red review flag out of a sock. Furiously masticating gum. Or tossing hands up in disgust. One of my big guilty pleasures is watching sports documentaries. 30 for 30. NFL Films. HBO docs. Doesn’t matter the sport or athlete, I will watch it. What really intrigues me is peeking behind the scenes to see what made these legends tick. Without turning this into a Sports Illustrated essay, here’s a few quick takeaways from the above GOAT coaches: 🏈 Pete Carroll 🏈 After taking the job at USC, Pete Carroll realized that he didn’t have a set of values or a moral code that governed his actions. He made this his #1 focus inside the locker room, and this philosophy helped him become one of four football coaches to win a college title and a Super Bowl. 🏈 Saban. 🏈 What motivated the 7-time college champion GOAT to start his day? Was it landing a five-star recruit? Beating former assistant coaches? Hoisting another trophy? It was actually something simpler. “Part of my motivation for getting up in the morning is I love to have a cup of coffee and two Debbie cookies every day,” Saban said. “And when I don’t have them, I’m cranky.” Yes. It is important to have lofty goals, but having “street-level” motivations, as Ramit Sethi calls them, are the key for daily action. 🏈 Belichick. 🏈 Pretty simple. “We’re moving on to Cincinnati.”

Introducing: The Game Changer Series. BLA’s new series aimed at keeping you ahead of the game on the latest industry-disrupting sports headlines. In this installment of our Game Changers series, we highlight the MLB Draft Combine at Chase Field, Arizona. Held from June 18 to 23, this year’s combine features 319 Draft-eligible prospects (193 collegiate players and 126 high school athletes) from the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Prospects will participate in comprehensive evaluations using state-of-the-art technology, a pro-style showcase workout, and strength tests. Additionally, they will be featured on MLB social media channels, receive personal branding training, and gain exposure to MLB teams. These opportunities allow players to enhance their skills, increase visibility, and boost their draft prospects. How will the MLB Draft Combine influence the careers of these young athletes as the draft approaches? BLA will be at this event and welcomes you to connect with us!

🚨 New Episode 🚨 A couple of years ago, the NCAA did something CRAZY. After a few legal defeats and legislative challenges, the college sports organizing body finally threw up their hands and started allowing college athletes to make some money by using their name, image, or likeness in different marketing activity. What happened next was a veritable explosion of new companies, brands, brokers, collectives and athletes all trying to gain a toehold and this new and potentially lucrative marketplace. It was, many said, the new Wild West of college sports. If there’s a sheriff in town trying to bring some order to the chaos of NIL, it might just be LEARFIELD’s Executive Vice President Solly Fulp. It’s safe to say college sports is woven deeply into Solly’s DNA. Before landing at Learfield, he was a D1 wrestler at Oregon and later a Deputy Athletic Director at Cal. And it’s those experiences that position him so well to work on both the opportunities and challenges associated with NIL. In this episode, we talk all about those opportunities and challenges, how Learfield is approaching the quickly evolving NIL market, how Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders fits in, and much much more. And, if you stick around long enough, you’ll even learn how depriving yourself of water affects your teeth. You wouldn’t want to miss that, right…? You can listen to our conversation by clicking below, or use this link to head to your favorite podcast platform: https://lnkd.in/gt3cjE2X Also mentioned in this episode: Cole Gahagan, Andrew Wheeler, The University of Alabama, University of Colorado Boulder, #CoachPrime, University of Oregon, Dunkin', Toyota Motor Corporation, T-Mobile #Podcast #sportsbiz #collegesports #NIL #NameImageLikeness Sports Business Journal Business of College Sports Front Office Sports

🏈 Touchdowns, Traditions, and Triumphs: Celebrating the Cultural Legacy of the Super Bowl! 🌟 As you know, the Superbowl is next Sunday. As we gear up for yet another super spectacular one, let's talk about the rich history and cultural significance of this iconic event. 🚀 A Tale of Triumphs: The Super Bowl transcends the realm of football, unfolding as a chronicle of triumphs—a yearly performacne making together the narratives of champions. Since its first game in 1967 with the GreenBay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs, to the present moment, every Super Bowl crafts a story stitched with threads of athletic excellence and collaborative spirit. Each edition unfolds a chapter of the invincable human spirit carved in the annals of sports history. 🏈🏆 Beyond the Game: But it's not just about touchdowns and tackles. The Super Bowl has evolved into a cultural phenomenon, reflecting the spirit of the times. It's a moment when the country comes together, not just to watch a game, but to celebrate unity, diversity, and the shared joy of competition. Halftime: A Stage for Culture: The halftime show has become a cultural touchstone, featuring performances that transcend genres and generations. From marching bands to global superstars, the halftime show is a time for everyone to come together. It adds a new layer to the Super Bowl's cultural quilt, leaving an amzing mark on our memories. 🎤 🎶 🌐 So, as we rev up for Super Bowl LVIII, let's celebrate the rich history and culture that makes the Super Bowl more than just a game. Share your favorite Super Bowl traditions or memories below! 🏈🎉 #SuperBowlHistory #CulturalCelebration #SuperBowlLVI #SportsAndCulture #sportmarketing

In honor of Better Business Communication Day, I want to share something that happened to me recently.⁠ ⁠ A tequila company reached out to me, unsure of why their national radio interview wasn't helping them sell their booze. ⁠ ⁠ As soon as I listened, I knew.⁠ ⁠ The spokesperson, an NHL star (you all know), was talking on his phone while walking down one of the busiest streets in America.⁠ ⁠ With all the background noise and his phone notifications going off, no one heard his message.⁠ ⁠ Limit audio distractions. ⁠ ⁠ Don't let something like this be why your audience doesn't connect with you and your message, trust you... and buy from you. #publicspeaking #executivetraining #executivecoach

The National Football League’s (NFL) 2024 championship game, also known as the Super Bowl, will take place in Las Vegas on February 11. This single day event has evolved since its origination in the 1960’s to become one of the largest and most commercialized sporting events of our time. As we prepare for this experience, there are a few learning moments we can take from this event that extend beyond the 100-yard field of the game: - More than just a sport, the game is now an experience for children, families and others who may not know all the rules of the game but who share common passions. - The halftime show has evolved to showcase entertainment and draw in different audiences who may not even be the ones who like the sport of football. ... and much more. To delve into more of these key takeaways in the faculty insight article from Lawrence Abeln, deputy dean of Thunderbird Executive Education and Clinical Professor of Global Management: https://lnkd.in/gUisxxsN #facultyinsights

The greatest gift in life is knowing that life is like riding a bicycle, to stay balanced, you must keep pedaling. Now, I have built a backwards steering bicycle for those who have never found joy and happiness in life, showing them that there are two journeys, Pattern A and Pattern B. If Pattern A is not giving you peace of mind, there is another option, Pattern B. We can be angry or we can be free from anger. It is all within us. To ride my backwards steering bicycle, all you must do is give up your relationship with the original bicycle. What is the lesson? We are not dealing with people or things, we are dealing with the gap between the brain and consciousness. What is in your gap? Anger or joy?

My newest article for The Conversation

Many longtime NFL players reach out to me. Every conversation contains 2 things: 1. "What got me to the NFL won't keep me playing in the NFL." I always ask veteran players, "Why now?" and they always land on this sentiment. Anyone with any shred of longevity (regardless of industry) knows it's paramount to evolve continually. 2. "I'm equally passionate about my life outside of football." I also ask what they attribute their success to. Without fail, they all talk about how getting engaged in other areas of their lives took unnecessary pressure off competing. This is key! No one is a one-trick pony. --- How are you going to evolve in the back half of 2024? What skill or passion are you currently ignoring?

I think it's safe to say most of us have heard something along the lines of "do what you love and it will never feel like work". I love sports. And I love marketing. So I think it's also safe to assume I'm going to immensely enjoy my opportunities to work with the Professional Sports Services Team at Withum. As a New York Giants fan myself, this recent article published by the team brings up some strong feelings for me from this past NFL offseason and the personal turmoil created by being on the outside-looking-in at Saquon Barkley's contract negotiation saga. If you follow the NFL, then you know contracts for players in the running back position has been a hot topic. The article provides a unique business perspective behind the running back position and what it means for other young running backs nearing a contract negotiation. https://lnkd.in/e8TCNb2Z