One Goal

Welp, Cleveland it’s that time of year again. NBA playoff time.

Hearing that just makes me cringe. Playoffs. I have flashbacks to so many missed opportunities. But, this year is our year! (I’m sure we all said that when the Spurs swept the Cavs in the finals).

There’s something different about the Cavs this year. And I’m not talking about their skills, drive or team unity. I’m talking about how they are promoting themselves.

Twitter

Twitter is slowly taking over social media. Everybody is doing it: athletes, celebrities and political figures. Yes, even the Cleveland Cavaliers.

@cavsthrowback gave away a free vintage style T-shirt during playoff game 1. They had many people start to follow them on Twitter and gained instant publicity. This was a great way for them to promote their T-shirts to all the Cavs fans.

@clecavs has over 3,000 followers on Twitter. Throughout the playoffs @clecavs has been giving away prizes such as signed merchandise and even tickets! I was at playoff game 1 and I kept checking my Twitter to see if I could win anything. I didn’t (Sad, I know).

How cool is it the Cavs are using social media to promote their games? News flash- it’s working. @clecavs gives updates of scores throughout the entire Cavs series. They are also giving followers on Twitter a code to use to buy tickets for upcoming playoff games! (You should probably follow them).

Cav Fanatic

The Cavs even have their own official fan site called Cav Fanatic. The site has over 9,ooo registered fans. Fans are able to make blog posts and upload pictures. The one thing I love about the site is the freedom that the fans have to talk about their team. Nothing is better for an organization than word of mouth.

That’s a lie, there’s another thing I love about the site. That would be Joe Smith’s profile. I’m a huge Big Joe fan and was pumped when he came back to Cleveland. Joe Smith has a playoff song posted on his Cav Fanatic page.

I LOVE IT!!! What a great way to promote your team during a time when the fans need to be behind them! This song got me pumped to watch the Cavs. (And I’m listening to it while I’m typing this, it’s rather catchy).

You Tube

You Tube. What a great place to post a video that you don’t mind the entire world seeing. The Cavs did just that.

This video is one of the most hysterical things I have ever seen. And boy did it go viral quick. The video started to appear on ESPN almost instantly. It was an instant classic. The Cavs are known to be one of the teams in the NBA that have the most fun. I think this proves it.

My PeRspective

I think the Cleveland Cavaliers have done the most amazing job using social media to get Cleveland fans pumped. Everyday I log onto my Twitter and hope that I can win something. (I won a tape measure when I was like 5, otherwise I haven’t won crap in my life).

Listening to Big Joe’s playoff song is a great way to get fans pumped. The song also helped Cleveland fans embrace Big Joe when he came back to Cleveland. The Cav Fanatic site even had a special ticket offer for all registered users. Currently, they are giving away tickets to the most spirited fan. Are you going to register?

The Playoff Proposal video will forever be embedded into the minds of Cleveland fans everywhere. I personally won’t be able to get the image of Delonte West sniffing a shoe or crying on Curly’s shoulder out of my mind.

Every way the Cavs used social media has been successful. And I bet they will continue to be successful. I know it’s getting me pumped up about playoffs. And I’m sure it’s helping ticket sales.  (I went to playoff game 1). Mike Brown being Coach of the Year is also great publicity for the franchise and a great accomplishment and honor.

I just have one thing left to say: One Goal. LETS GO CAVS!!!

*All the pictures you see I took during the Cavs v Nets and Cavs v Detroit.

“I need you on your feet and ready to greet the world famous …”

I got an early birthday present on Thursday. I got to go and see the Harlem Globetrotters while they were in Cleveland! You have NO IDEA how excited I was. ♥

You’re probably thinking, “What’s so special about the Globetrotters?!?! It’s just another over-priced sporting event.”

That’s where you’re wrong. #1 Tickets are reasonably priced for a family. The average ticket price is $25. #2 I was laughing and enjoying myself just as much as the 8 year old girl that was sitting in front of me.

Incase you aren’t sure who the Harlem Globetrotter are let me get you up to date:

History

The Globetrotters were founded by Abe Saperstein in 1926. The team was made up of the best African American players in Chicago.  On January 27, 1927 the Globetrotters played their very first road game. They got a total payout of $75.

They started out playing “real games” in Illinois and the mid-west. Then one day in 1939 the Globetrotters had a 112-5 lead during a game they were playing. The Globetrotters decided to start goofing around during the game and the crowd loved it.

The Globetrotters had their own Saturday morning cartoon show and were on ABC’s Wide World of Sports.

In 1993 the team almost went bankrupt due to And1 tours, the decline of the Wide World of Sports and NBA players doing tricks during regular season games. A few years later, the Globetrotters started playing college teams which upset fans that came to watch the Globetrotters and their comedy.

Now

The Globetrotters have re-established themselves. At their games now, you still get their old slap stick comedy that has been loved by many for years. There are also some new and improved 21st century references.

At the game Thursday a child from the audience had trouble making foul shots. Special K, a Globetrotter, let the crowd know the child could be a “future member of the Boston Celtics”. Cleveland fans loved that.

The Globetrotters have also incorporated texting into their routine. During the game you can text whether you’d like the Washington Generals coach to wear a tutu or a hot dog costume if the Globetrotters happen to lose. (Hint: chances are good the Globetrotters win.)

Famous Globetrotters

• #22 Fred “Curly” Neal: Curly was a Globetrotter for 22 seasons. He played in more than 6,000 games in 97 countries. He attended Johnson C. Smith University in North Carolina where he lead his team to the CIAA title game his senior year.
• #13 Wilt Chamberlain: He signed with the Globetrotters in 1958. He played in the NBA 1959-1973 where he scored 100 points during a game against the New York Knicks on March 12, 1962. His number was the first ever retired by the Globetrotters. He attended the University of Kansas.
• #40 Marques Haynes: Played from 1947-53 and 1972-79 with the Globetrotters. Haynes was known for his dribbling skills that wowed the crowd. He played in more than 12,000 games and nearly 100 countries. He was the first Globetrotter to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Haynes attended Langston University where he lead the team to a 112-3 record in his four years there.
• #36 Meadowlark Lemon: He played for 24 seasons in more than 7,500 consecutive games. Lemon sent a letter to the Globetrotters requesting a tryout then spent two years in the Army. He played his first full season in 1954. He received the John W. Bunn Award for his lifetime contributions to basketball.
• #50 Reece “Goose” Tatum: He played with the Globetrotters for 12 seasons. Tatum was known as the “Clown Prince” of the Globetrotters. In the 1940s Tatum was a baseball player for the Birmingham Black Barons and the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro National League

S.P.I.N.

Last year, the Globetrotters started a program called S.P.I.N. meaning Some Playtime Is Necessary. S.P.I.N. is a program designed to make fitness fun for kids, while promoting and encouraging an active lifestyle.

The Globetrotters enlisted the help of thousands of kids and adults at YMCA’s across the United States, and families from coast to coast in their backyards and at local playgrounds, and established a world record with the simultaneous dribbling of basketballs.

C.H.E.E.R.

In 2004 the Harlem Globetrotters started the program C.H.E.E.R. which stands for Cooperation, Healthy Mind & Body, Effort, Enthusiasm and Responsibility. The “Ambassadors of Goodwill” have visited nearly 1,000 schools promoting this program.

The program was designed with assistance from the U.S. Department of Education, The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and state educators. The program focuses on elementary school students and involves the Globetrotters incorporating their skills with a “C.H.E.E.R.” basketball.

My PeRspective

The Globetrotters show isn’t just full of basketball tricks. There’s actually a key message that they want you to take away. That message you ask, it’s don’t cheat.

The coach from the Washington Generals puts a lid on top of the Globetrotters basketball hoop so they can’t score. He also makes them use a remote controlled ball. After both of these events happen, the announcer prompts the audience to boo. He asks, ” And what do we think about cheating, Cleveland?”

I love that message! I love that every kid gets to sit next to their parents and boo a cheater. And the fact that the parents encourage their kids to boo is heart-warming. It’s actually promoting a good message.

I love the fact that the Globetrotters have two community outreach programs. In today’s obese world it’s nice to see more athletes promoting fitness.

The Globetrotters also promote good and clean family-fun. It’s not often you can take a child to a sporting event and not worry about drunks, swearing and steroids. This is the kind of show that I hope continues on for years and years since it is doing such good in the world. I hope one day to even take my children (not for a long time, mom) to go see the Harlem Globetrotters.

Locals

After doing some research, okay that’s a lie I looked at the all-time roster, I found some LOCAL Globetrotters. I had no idea!!! Warning, this is a pretty long list:

• Chad Allen from Miami (Ohio)
• Robert Aston from Toledo
• Donald Barnette from Miami (Ohio)
• Curtis Bell from Woodward H.S.
• Wille Bell from Woodward H.S.
• Wyatt “Sonny” Boswell from Scott H.S.
• Agis Bray from Wilberforce
• Andre Bryant from KENT STATE!!!
• John “Bill” Chavers from Baldwin Wallace

• Al Dixon from Bowling Green
• James Doughty from Ohio State
• Jesse Jemison from Cincinnati
• Damon Jones from Wilberforce
• William Jones from Woodward H.S.
• Norman Lee Jr. from Roosevelt H.S.
• Melvin Levett from Cincinnati
• Elzie Lewis from Wilberforce
• Donald “Ducky” Moore from Cleveland Central H.S.
• Tony Peyton from Scott H.S.
• Derick Polk from Ohio State
• Louis “Babe” Pressley from Cleveland Central H.S.
• Al Price from Libby H.S.
• Bernie Price from Libby H.S.
• Frank Washington from Wilberforce
• Tony Wilcox from Wittenberg

Note: All pictures but the one included in the Famous Globetrotters section I took during the Harlem Globetrotters show on Thursday, April 17 in Cleveland, Ohio.

The World of Baseball Sheads A Tear Today

The world of baseball lost one of its own today, Nick Adenhart.

When you hear the story of how this happened and his short major league career, you will get chills. I’m teary-eyed again just writing this blog. That’s a lie, I cried.

Adenhart was a passenger in a car that was broadsided in an intersection at about 12:30 a.m. by a minivan that apparently ran a red light. He was one of four people in the car, three died. The van driver fled the scene. The driver was later caught and identified as Andrew Thomas Gallo. He will be charged with manslaughter, felony driving under the influence and hit-and-run.

Two of the passengers were pronounced dead at the scene. The other two were taken to UC Irvine Medical Center. Adenhart underwent surgery and died at the hospital, but it’s not clear if he died during or after the procedure. The remaining passenger was in critical condition.

Adenhart had just made his season debut pitching for the Angels ( he threw six scoreless innings). His father flew to his game from Maryland to see his start. This was only his fourth major league start. He was selected by the Angels in the 14th round of the 2004 draft. At the time of his death, he was the youngest pitcher on a big league roster.

“He lived his dream and was blessed to be part of an organization comprised of such warm, caring and compassionate people,” Adenhart’s parents said in the Angels statement. “The Angels were his extended family. Thanks to all of Nick’s loyal supporters and fans throughout his career. He will always be in everyone’s hearts forever.”

Adenhart was a member of the 2006 Olympic Qualifying Team that traveled to Cuba and qualified the United States for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. He started one game for Team USA, earning a no-decision and striking out six batters in an 8-7 win over Brazil.

“The Angels family has suffered a tremendous loss today,” Tony Reagins, the team’s general manager, said in a written statement. “We are deeply saddened and shocked by this tragic loss. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Nick’s family, friends, loved ones and fans.”

Social Media Outreach

The reaction from people around the United States has been overwhelming. Many fans and friends have compiled pictures and videos to commemorate Adenhart. Many people have updated their status on Facebook and Twitter to respect the loss of Adenhart.

On Facebook alone, 25 groups have been created in his memory. Those groups have a total of 4,316 members as of 9:18 p.m. The numbers are still growing. The on-going support shows how much people care, whether they are an Angels fan or not. Rivalries have been put aside. Everyone is an Angel today.

Many videos are surfacing around YouTube and Facebook. Including this moving memorial,

MLB Outreach

The Angels’ game Thursday night with the Oakland A’s was postponed at the direction of Bud Selig, commissioner of Major League Baseball.

“Major League Baseball is in mourning today upon the news of this tragedy that has taken Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others,” Selig said in a statement. “Nick was just 22 years of age, with a wonderful life and career ahead of him. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my sincere sympathy to the families and friends of all three victims and to the entire Angels’ organization. I send my deepest condolences to Nick’s parents, Jim and Janet. The hearts of everyone in baseball are with them at this most difficult time.”

My PeRspective

In a situation like this you have to ask yourself, “What should we do?” It’s not like your organization is prepared for this. This is a tragedy, NO ONE prepares themselves for this.

The Angels did hold a press conference today. Was that the right thing to do so quickly during a tragedy? That’s your call.

During the press conference nobody cried but Adenhart’s agent, Scott Boras. Boras is known by many to be a very sly person. There is already a lot of controversy whether his crying was real or not. Watch this video to see what you think.

MLB has already changed Adenhart’s status on their national website. His current status says deceased. To me, that was a little too soon to change.

I think MLB made the correct decision by canceling the Angel’s game for today. All MLB teams around the league held a moment of silence before today’s game to remember Adenhart. That was also the correct decision. With such a tragedy the Angels and MLB handled this situation the only way that could be expected  in such a tough time.

* On a personal note: My thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and teammates of Nick Adenhart. This is a tough time that is going to take a long time to heal. Anything I’ve ever heard about him has been positive. Everyone also said he loved baseball and was a genuine guy. It’s during tragedies like this that make you think twice next time you get into a car or on the road. I just hope everyone can take something positive away from this tragic situation. May Nick be the “angel” sitting on his teammates shoulders for this season and seasons to come.

More Trouble In Cleveland

As if Cleveland fans didn’t already have something to complain about………

Cleveland Brown’s WR Donte Stallworth hit and killed a man with his car on Saturday March 14 while in Florida. DUI and manslaughter charges were filed on Wednesday April 1. If convicted, Stallworth could face a maximum of 15 years in jail. He was released on a $200,000 bail.

In case you aren’t aware of the Stallworth incident, here’s a recap:

March 14

Stallworth hit and killed pedestrian, Mario Reyes, on his way to Miami Beach around 7 a.m. The police drew blood to test for alcohol and drugs at that time. Results could take as little as three days or as long as three weeks.

When the Cleveland Browns became aware of the accident they released this statement:

“We are aware of the incident involving Donte Stallworth and have been in contact with his representatives.We understand the seriousness of this situation, but will not have any further comment at this time as this is an ongoing investigation.”

March 24

Stallworth said he flashed his lights to warn the pedestrian before he was hit. Why Stallworth couldn’t hit the breaks I don’t know. Do you have any idea?

Police said he was driving 50 mph in a 40 mph zone. No charges were filed since the police were still waiting for Stallworth’s blood test results.

The police released content from the 911 calls that came in once Stallworth struck Reyes with his car.

Here’s a link to a video of ESPN legal analyst Roger Cossack describing the Donte Stallworth case.

April 1

Donte Stallworth was officially charged with DUI manslaughter. His blood-alcohol level during the crash was .126, the legal limit in Florida is .08. When the pedestrian was hit he was NOT in a crosswalk..

The DUI charge carries up to a six month sentence plus fines and community service. Stallworth can face 15 years in jail with the manslaughter charge.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league will review the case under its conduct and substance abuse policies.

Stallworth isn’t allowed to drive while on bail and he isn’t allowed to drink alcohol, according to court documents. He also must observe a midnight to 6 a.m. curfew and submit to random alcohol and drug testing through the NFL’s substance abuse program.

The Cleveland Browns released a statement that said:

“The charges levied against Donte Stallworth are very serious and we are disappointed he has put himself in this position. We are saddened by the circumstances that have taken place and our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Mario Reyes. We have been in communication with the Commissioner, who is reviewing the situation under league policies, and we will without further comment at this time.”

April 2

Stallworth surrendered at the Miami-Dade county jail. He was later released on a $200,000 bail.

Outside the courthouse, he said:

“I just want to first extend my condolences to the Reyes family. My prayers are with them.”

My PeRspective

Any way you look at it, Stallworth has let down his friends,his family and the city of Cleveland. It’s a shame that something this tragic has to happen to anyone. It doesn’t matter if you’re a celebrity, athlete or a regular person: all appropriate actions should be taken.

The Cleveland Browns handled this the best they could. They issued a statement as soon as they heard the news about Stallworth. That’s the correct thing to do during a crisis management situation. They waited until they got all the information available before a later detailed statement was released.

Even though people may not believe it, Stallworth did the right thing with what he said. He was under investigation, his statement had to be very careful and particular. He said the right things, even though people don’t think he meant it.

The Cleveland Browns and Donte Stallworth did the right things with their crisis management. No one has done any television interviews which isn’t appropriate in such a tragic situation. The statements issued by both parties were appropriate for the times they were released. The Browns and Stallworth are doing everything they can.

The Miami Hearald has video from the scene when Stallworth hit and killed a pedestrian. Here’s the disclaimer from the website if you chose to watch: *THIS VIDEO CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES* As medics work to resuscitate a pedestrian that was struck and killed on the MacArthur Causeway Saturday morning, the driver of the car, Cleveland Browns’ player Donte Stallworth is seen taking a sobriety test administered by Miami Beach police.

Pro Athletes Using Social Media

MySpace…Facebook…Twitter… 

If you’ve been keeping up with the social media scene you recognize these three words. They are all social networking sites that bring people all around the world together. You can chat, share pictures and information about yourself.

Many businesses are using social media sites to promote the products they have to offer. Now, many athletes are using social media sites to promote clothing lines, promote their teams and to try and connect with fans.

Twitter

On Sunday, March 15 Milwaukee Bucks forward Charlie Villanueva, known as @CV31, used Twitter….. during half time of his game!!! For some reason he decided he needed to Tweet (make a post on Twitter). It said:

In da locker room, snuck to post my twitt. We’re playing the Celtics, tie ball game at da half. Coach wants more toughness. I gotta step up.

Is this the right thing to do? Should athletes be using Twitter during their games?

Well, Villanueva’s coach, Scott Skiles, doesn’t think so. He has now banned all his athletes from using Twitter during games.

The Phoenix Sun’s Shaquille O’Neal on the other hand doesn’t get punished for using Twitter during games.

“As long as he gets 25 (points) and 11 (rebounds), he can do whatever he wants. He can Twitter, Facebook, MySpace,” said Sun’s coach Gentry about O’Neal.

O’Neal, who goes by the name @THE_REAL_SHAQ_on Twitter, even posted on Twitter about the Villanueva incident. “Attention all twitterers I’m a tweet at halftime and not get fined like vill a new wave a whteva his name is”

Was Shaq’s comment out of line? A little, I think so. How about you?

Blogging

Former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling announced his retirement on his blog. His blog, 38 Pitches, is highly viewed by sports fans. On March 23 at 9:37 a.m. fans read his newest blog post titled Calling It Quits. His post has received over 1,200+ comments.

I think that showed Schilling wanted to reach out to his fans that he hoped to keep even after he retired. Was it a good idea to announce retirement on a blog?

Even though he announced on his blog about his retirement first, he still held a press confrence to announce it. In my opinion, it was a great way to reach out to the fans who had supported him throughout his 23 year career.

The Effects

I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s not a good idea for athletes to use social media sites DURING a game. It seems a little distracting. But there’s no problem with them using it to promote themselves or their team.  I think it’s a great idea given that people are online all the time these days.

On Twitter, Shaq had made posts telling fans where he was located and if they were one of the first people to find him that he would give away free tickets to his game. How cool is that?!?! (And I looked, the people that found him ACTUALLY got tickets from Shaq).

Yes, sometimes athletes post comments about each other but I hope they mean no harm. Shaq posted how he’d vote Kobe for MVP and how LeBron didn’t start the “picture taking” before the game, Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson did.

Athletes need to be careful with what they post on social media sites. That’s where a PR professional would come in. Monitoring that athlete would be a priority. Not all publicity is good publicity.

Does March Madness Belong At The Workplace?

It’s that time of year again.  No, I’m not talking about Christmas. It’s NCAA March Madness time! (Which is just as exciting as Christmas).

If you’re like me, you look forward to this time of year. I cheer for my favorite team and always have something to watch. I even won a pool last year! No, I didn’t pick teams because of their pretty colors or cute and fuzzy mascot.

This years games start on Thursday, March 19. Some people have jobs which you would think would get in the way of their basketball viewing. Wrong! Thanks to our friends at CBSSports.com games are streamed live for all to watch.

I know what you’re thinking. “Wow Melissa! Isn’t it unethical to watch games while you’re at work?” Why, yes. I do believe so. It’s very unethical. What do you think?

The Facts

CBS has been streaming games on-line since 2003 when it was a pay-per-view format. They continued to charge viewers until 2005. In 2005, they earned about $250,000 in revenue. That’s a lot of money to watch college hoops!

In 2007 the site became free to watch your favorite college hoop-stars. March Madness On-Demand was estimated to make more than $21 million in total revenue based on its free, ad-supported model.

By the Numbers

It’s amazing how many people watch on-line.

• In 2007, nearly 1.4 million unique viewers watched an average of 1.9 hours of live video.
• In 2008, the number of unique viewers grew 164% to 4.8 million. Views grew 81% to  5 million hours.

For 2009, unique viewers are estimated to grow 50% to 7.2 million. Holy crap! Don’t you think that’s a very high amount of viewers?

The Boss Button

Oh the Boss Button. Now talk about unethical. To be honest, it’s exactly what it sounds like.

Say you’re at work , trying to be sneaky, and you’re watching a March Madness game on your computer. Then, all of a sudden a co-worker or your boss (gasp!) starts walking towards you. Oh, no! What are you going to do?

Don’t worry my basketball loving friend. CBS has got you covered. All you do is click the Boss Button that is provided. Once you click, a spreadsheet pops up on your screen and the game, including the sound, is gone. Hopefully no one looks close because the spreadsheet is the statistics for how much food is consumed during March Madness.

There was a record 2.5 million-plus clicks last year. Want to know what’s worse? This year the button has a sponsor: Comcast. So now it seems like Comcast is okay with you being sneaky and not doing your work while you’re being paid to be at work!

Ethics Lesson

To me, you shouldn’t be sneaking around at work watching basketball. If you are watching the games and have the sound off or hit the Boss Button, that should tell you that you’re doing something wrong! It’s okay to pull up the sports page every once in a while to check a score or two.

An estimated $1.7 to $3.4 billion in lost productivity during this years tournament. That sounds extreme but you never know. Some companies have even blocked CBSSports.com to make sure its employees stay on track.

With 60 million Americans identifying themselves as college basketball fans, it makes me worry. Will all 60 million somehow be deceitful and watch behind their boss’s back? When it comes to ethics you need to ask yourself: Is is really worth getting fired over?

Successful Campaigns

When I talked about the NBA Cares in my last post, I realized that I forgot something. I forgot to tell you about my two favorite NBA Cares programs. The reason they are my favorite is because I think they are some of the programs that can actually make the biggest impact in the world.

Vaccines for Teens

The NBA and WNBA have teamed up with the Society for Adolescent Medicine (SAM) and sanofi pasteur (the vaccines division of the sanofi-acentis Group) to launch the program Vaccines for Teens. It is a national multimedia campaign designed to educate teen and their families about the importance of vaccination series, potentially life-threatening diseases.

The program started on February 23, 2009, at an event at Cordova Primary School in Phoenix, Arizona. Grant Hill, a

Barry Gossage/NBAE/Getty Images

seven time All-Star and member of the Phoenix Suns, is the spokesperson for the campaign. Hill will appear in the nationally broadcasted  public service announcement.

Other versions of the public service announcement will feature Lisa Leslie of the Los Angeles Sparks, which will air nationally, Richard Hamilton of the Detroit Pistons, which will air in Detroit and George Gervin, NBA legend and Hall of Famer which will air in San Antonio.

Teens are at risk for meningococcal disease, influenza and whooping cough, which can spread from person to person during everyday activities. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)  and other leading medical groups recommend vaccination for preteens and teens against all three of these diseases.

“Just like on the basketball court, when it comes to protecting teen health, the best offense is a good defense,” said Grant Hill. “Vaccination is an easy way to help teens grow into healthy adults, so our hope is that parents will speak with the child’s health-care provider about immunization.”

The program has a series of additional initiatives as part of the campaign, including educational materials distributed through the league’s Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA program and they have created a website  to educate teens and their parents and encourage them to get vaccinated.

Nothing But Nets

This is a grassroots campaign that is trying to save lives by preventing malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa. Even though the UN Foundation has been working with the UN for years to fight malaria, many believe (including myself) that it was a column that Rick Reilly wrote for Sports Illustrated that got readers thinking about helping those in need.

Reilly challenged each of his readers to donate $10 for the purchase of an anti-malaria bed net. The response from Reilly’s article was incredible. Reilly’s article and the response from the people lead to the creation of the Nothing But Nets program. Who knew a sports writer like Reilly would make such a difference in so many lives.

Within a few short months of Reilly’s article being published, over $1 million was raised and Nothing But Nets was created. The UN Foundation has now partnered with groups such as the NBA Cares, The People of the United Methodist Church and Sports Illustrated, along with corporate, multi-media and financial partners to raise awareness and funds to purchase and distribute bed nets to save lives.

With the money raised, the UN Foundation and its partners worked with the Measles Initiative, one of the most successful vaccination efforts ever, to purchase those bed nets and distribute them in the countries and communities in greatest need. In just five years, nearly a quarter billion children have been vaccinated. The Measles Initiative distributes bed nets along with measles vaccinations and other medicines to at risk communities.

It’s amazing to know that an everyday person can make sure a difference. The Milford United Methodist Church provided nets in the Nothing But Nets campaign. On its February 29 blog, they have raised another $166,343 to help save more lives.

The NBA REALLY Does Care

Disclaimer: This is a long post. The NBA Cares is a program that I am passionate about because of all the lives it has positively effected.

The reason I feel it is necessary to talk about the NBA Cares is because in this tough economic time, they still strive to do the best they can and make a difference in lives. I’m going to walk you through how the NBA Cares program came about and what they are still doing today.

In 2005 the NBA, its players and teams announced a new program called NBA Cares. Through this program the league, players and teams will raise and contribute $100 million for charity, donate more than 1 million hours of hands-on volunteer service to communities around the world, and build more than 100 places where kids can learn and play over the next five years. Now that sounds like a pretty cool idea, huh?

Whelp, everyone had his or her doubts about this program when it first started. Commissioner David Stern said, “Our teams were doing so much individually, but we weren’t feeling the connection to each other.” Really Stern? It sounds like someone told you to say that. He also said, “…professional sports leagues carry a special obligation. The remarkable celebrity that NBA players hold empowers them to effect change.” Now that statement I agree with. It was about time the NBA started to be known for something other than buzzer beaters and fights.

How It Started

Gary Dineen (NBAE/Getty Images)

NBA Cares tipped-off (haha get it? tipped-off) in November and December of 2005. Teams and players hosted coat drives, turkey giveaways and served food at soup kitchens. During the All-Star game they planned to unveil one of the first 100 youth sites in Houston. During the summer sanctioned charity games and Basketball without Borders was planned. Did the Commissioner and players ever imagine that NBA Cares would become what it is today?

Ongoing Outreach: The Beginning

The league continues to support such programs, including, but not limited to:

• National Book Festival

Each year the NBA partners with the White House and the Library of Congress to participate in the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C.

• Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF Program

Started in 2001, the NBA and WNBA partnered together to raise money for kids worldwide during Halloween.

• HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS advocacy is supported in a variety of ways, including grassroots events around the world, player PSAs, leadership in the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS and through donations to foundations such as the Magic Johnson Foundation for AIDS Research.

• Read to Achieve

The NBA and its family of players have helped more than 50 million children a year through this campaign designed to help kids develop a life-long love for reading and encourage adults to read regularly with children. Read to Achieve, with the help of its partners, has already created more than 100 Reading and Learning Centers, more than 150 Reading Corners and donated more than 750,000 books and magazines throughout North America. Amazing!

What Has Become

NBA Cares works with internationally-recognized, youth-serving organizations that are geared toward there key social issues:

1. Education
2. Youth and Family Development
3. Health-Related Causes

Education

Each NBA team participates individually in various Read to Achieve activities. They participate in read-aloud and other shared readings at schools, community-based organizations and libraries to name a few

Notable Programs:

• Cleveland Cavaliers Head of the Class and All-Star Kids Program
• Los Angeles Lakers Annual Reading Challenge
• Detroit Pistons “March is Reading Month” Book Drive

Youth and Family Development

NBA Cares strives to provide places where kids and families can live, learn and play. Players serve as role models in sports, fitness and nutrition. The game of basketball is used to teach sportsmanship, respect and teamwork.

Notable Programs:

• Golden State Warriors Get Fit Program
• Greg Oden and Oregon Mentors Team Up for “Team Oden”
• Phoenix Suns Nite Hoops Program

Health and Wellness

NBA Cares wants everyone to make healthy choices and work towards living well.

Notable Programs:

• NBA FIT
• Milwaukee Bucks Kids Summer Lunch Program
• New Orleans Hornets Season of Giving

By the Numbers

Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images

Since October 2005 (as of January 30, 2009) the NBA Cares has raised more than $97 million for charity donated more than 800,000 hours of hands-on volunteer service and built more than 350 places where kids and families can live, learn and play. Those are some VERY impressive numbers.

According to the NBA Cares website, the NBA is dedicated to demonstrating leadership in social responsibility, using the popularity and visibility of its teams, players and the league to effect positive change around the world. The larger NBA Family (including current and former players and coaches, parents, wives, referees and league and team employees) is committed to giving back, motivated by the unique opportunity to make a profound difference.

My Opinion on This Community Outreach

Most of us focus on the bad things in life when things don’t go our way. When a NBA player helps with book readings, learning center dedications, food or blood or coat drives and charity auctions the media looks away. Some people view it as PR material and nothing more. When’s the last time you saw an NBA player recognized on an independent media outlet for the work they did for NBA Cares?

Unless you’ve spent time serving food to the homeless or collecting goods for the poor, you’ve come up short compared to every player in the NBA. Commissioner Stern set a five-year goal for the program and it’s almost passed every mark set!

If you made as much money as a professional athlete would you spend your free time at a homeless shelter? I don’t think so. This is a great program. The bottom line is that we all have a duty to give back. Nothing creates a stronger bond between people than working together to create something for someone less fortunate than ourselves. Don’t criticize such fantastic community outreach programs like NBA Cares before you ask yourself: What have you done to give back?

* Sorry this post was so long. I obviously feel very strongly about this program and don’t understand how anyone can question its motives after all the good it has done worldwide.

A-Rod’s “Tic Tac” Crisis Management

Alex Rodriguez. Yes, I’m sick of hearing about him, too. I’m over the fact that he did steroids ( I didn’t really like him much to begin with). I don’t like the fact that he did steroids;however, I like how he handled it.

One of baseballs most popular sluggers admitted that he used steroids. He had no choice, his name was leaked into the media that he was one of the 104 players who tested positive for steroids in 2003. Actually, I guess he had the choice to ignore it and act like it never happened, or he could deny that he took steroids *cough cough Barry Bonds*

In case you live under a rock, here’s what we know about A-Rod:

• He took “boli” which is an over-the-counter substance. The term “boli” could describe anabolic steroids Deca-Durabolin, Dianabol or Primobolan.
• His cousin, who is now identified as Yuri Sucart, bought it in the Dominican Republic and brought it to the USA, where he injected Rodriguez.
• He took the drug about twice a month during six-month cycles from 2001-2003 while he played for the Texas Rangers.
• He claims to have done it because it provided an energy boost.

A-Rod’s Call to Action

Thank goodness A-Rod has some good people working for him. Within 24 hours after the allegations, an interview with ESPN was setup inside Rodriguez’s Miami home on February 9. (If the media wanted the story, they had to make the effort to get it). After the interview there were still many questions that the media and baseball lovers alike wanted to be answered . Was this a good PR move or were people just caught up in the whirlwind of everything going on? You be the judge.

None of Rodriguez’s current Yankee teammates would talk to the press, which I’m sure they were advised not to. A major press conference was set-up for Tuesday, February 17, the day he would arrive at spring training. Kudos to his PR people for planning ahead and building suspense. All anyone on television could talk about was the “A-Roid” press conference where their questions would finally be answered.

The day A-Rod arrived might be one of the most anticipated spring training arrivals of all season. There were WAY too many members of the media there (more than 200) so some of them got shut out. Bummer. The press conference was the day the Yankees were holding physicals.

The Press Conference

26 of his teammates, including Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte were at the press conference. Was it for moral support, to hear the truth, to listen to his lies or to thank God that no one caught them yet? You answer that question yourself. A-Rod paused for almost 40 seconds during his speech and turned to his teammates and simply said, “Thank you.”

Al Messerschmidt/ Getty Images

To start off the press conference A-Rod made an opening statement. In my opinion he did this to maybe help avoid some of the harsh questions the media was prepared to ask him. Throughout the press conference, Rodriguez fielded questions of various aspects from the media and handled himself very professionally in my eyes.

” I knew we weren’t taking Tic Tacs.” – Alex Rodriguez on the steroids he says his cousin injected him with.

Yes, A-Rod still left some questions to be answered after his press conference. The biggest one for me was whether I believed him or not. Many say he has shamed the game and shouldn’t  be considered for the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Many also commended him for coming clean about his steroid use and confronting the public about it. He had a very well executed crisis management plan that worked pretty effectively.

Gene J. Puskar/ AP Image

Yes, the media will always dig deeper so they can get another story but A-Rod handled this crisis with poise while trying to keep his dignity. With ongoing investigations and  more exposure of his life expected to continue , A-Rod will keep his composure if he sticks to his crisis management plan.

LeBron James signs with the Cleveland Browns

LeBron James…you either hate him or you LOVE him. I personally like him as a basketball player and a basketball player only. He’s been a great boost for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the city of Cleveland.

LeBron has many nicknames, whether you agree with them or not:

• The King
• Cleveland’s Golden Boy
• Bron
• LeMazing
• Bron-Bron
• LBJ
• The Chosen One

Now that you’ve gotten your very own LeBron James history we’re ready to move on. (Not like you didn’t know something about him already).

I’m sure you may have noticed, but LeBron has quite a few commercials airing on television. He’s done a few for SportsCenter (I like the one with a copy machine and another with a throne). These commercial always seem to captivate me because I want to see what dumb things they’ve paid him to do. LeBron also has a commercial that he did for State Farm Insurance. Once seeing this commercial I’ve decided his pr person is amazing. I’d like to shake his or her hand (and get a job with them).

There was a lot of suspense built up to this commercial. Television channels would show a picture from behind LeBron with him having a press conference. It made me wonder…what stunt is he going to pull this time? People honestly wondered if he was going to leave the NBA not knowing this was a cheap trick to get you to tune in. When the commercial aired, I was dumbfounded.

I THOUGHT IT WAS GENIUS.

LeBron has made it known that he is a Yankees, Bulls and Cowboys fan. (Weird since he grew up in Ohio. Front runner? Maybe.)He’s even been photographed wearing those teams merchandise while attending Cleveland sporting events. After events like these, LeBron needed some good pr. The State Farm commercial was exactly that.

“I’m going to a Cavaliers game and sit right behind their bench, wearing a Detroit Pistons cap. Let’s see how LeBron likes that.” -Bob Feller to a Plain Dealer reporter

Seeing LeBron in a Cleveland Browns jersey was what fans needed to see. Giving the fans hope that LeBron doesn’t hate our city and our team is what I needed to see. This was a great way for LeBron to start making amends with fans who are still  upset about the way he supports other teams.

I personally was so upset when LeBron walked around supporting other teams. *Insert bad name for LeBron here* I really do feel like his “people” and hopefully himself are trying to let everyone in Cleveland know that he cares. The next step is for him to attend a Browns and/or Indians game while wearing that teams logo. (I don’t think that’s asking a lot). But hey, it’s a step in the right direction.

AP Photo/Tony Dejak