Fin.

La'Roi Glover - Aztec Hall of Famer

By Oumar Ganame (SMBA '11)

This weekend saw a very proud moment for the Sports MBA Program, as well as San Diego State University Athletics. Six members were inducted into the Aztec Hall of Fame, including our own La’Roi Glover. Inducted along with La’Roi were Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, Doug Harvey, Tonette Dyer, John Hyden, and Fred Miller.

A product of Point Loma High School in San Diego, La’Roi was a star player at SDSU before moving on to a successful 13-year career in the NFL. That career included six Pro-Bowls and an All-Pro selection after leading the NFL in sacks in 2000. While attending classes in the Sports MBA program, La’Roi was given the opportunity to become the Director of Player Programs with the St. Louis Rams.

LA'ROI INTERVIEW

Despite his departure, La’Roi will always be a member of the 2011 Sports MBA class. We are beyond proud of his achievements and his current position with the Rams. La’Roi will certainly be a big player within the National Football League for years to come.

Collective Bargaining Negotiations

As part of the Sports MBA, the SMBA ’11 class participated in a Collective Bargaining Simulation over the past two days. The simulation has been a part of the Sports MBA program every year, but this was the first time a class has tackled a current sports business issue: the NFL.

The simulation was part of the overall Operations Management course and included briefings and materials from Dr. Singh, who has a considerable amount of collective bargaining experience, and Jim Steeg, who owns a great deal of football business knowledge.

Thursday, which was a full day of negotiations, contained a number of highlights. They included storm-outs, a lot of yelling, stubbornness, press conferences, and a host of other strategic moves. In the end, 4 of the 6 groups reached a compromise, while 2 groups had to go to arbitration.

It was a great learning experience and, hopefully, next year’s class enjoys the process just as much.

Guest Speaker: Greg Byrne – Arizona’s Athletic Director

Yesterday, the SMBA ’11 class had the pleasure of welcoming Greg Byrne, the University of Arizona’s Director of Athletics, to the classroom. Byrne, in town for the Wildcats football game against UCLA, talked about his time as Mississippi State’s AD and the type of culture he is trying to create in Arizona.

He said, “Passion, enthusiasm, and interest are the best things about college athletics, but they are also the worst things too.”

Byrne loves the fact that U of A is—really—the only game in Tucson and, therefore, has competitive advantage. But, still, he emphasized Arizona’s commitment to customer satisfaction and academic performance. He also discussed how he’s changing the atmosphere for athletics, which includes installing a large video board and implementing the Wildcat Walk to enhance the fan experience.

Byrne also discussed the popularity of women’s softball, the 1-and-done rule for basketball, conference realignment, how he deals with agents, advantages and disadvantages of social media, enforcing academic integrity, and paying student-athletes, and having his father as AD of Texas A&M.

SMBA ’11 thanks Byrne for visiting the classroom!

Guest Speaker: Michael Catanzaro – Vitro Agency

The SMBA ’11 class hosted Michael Catanzaro, a Group Account Director for Vitro Agency, today. One of Catanzaro’s clients is Asics, an account he has personally worked on for four years. He took us through an impressive Powerpoint that highlighted the global brand campaign and four pillars that Vitro Agency focuses on for all of its clients: awareness, familiarity, consideration, and purchase.

Catanzaro led us through Asics’ goals and the campaigns that his agency pitched to Asics, including the successful "Sound mind, sound body" campaign. He discussed the difficulties facing an agency, Asics future plans (including sponsoring the November 7th New York City marathon), how to get the most out of brand, television commercial production, and the future advertising campaigns for Asics.

It was great to have Catanzaro in the classroom and his first-hand experience helped the SMBA ’11 class better understand another side of the IMC process.

Jimmy Plays Games

As part of Marketing 729, the SMBA ’11 class is reading Digital Korea by Tomi T Ahonen and Jim O’Reilly. The book details how South Korea has become the world’s most connected country. And, since classmate Jimyong Moon (SMBA ’11) is originally from South Korea, he was more than happy to show us two of the book’s main examples of technological advancement: CyWorld and Kart Rider.

Guest Speaker: Laura Broderick

Today, Laura Broderick, Senior Vice President of Brand Development for the San Diego Padres, visited with the SMBA ’11 class. Broderick talked about her impressive background, which includes a Harvard MBA and hiring current Padres’ President Tom Garfinkel as an intern when she worked at DELL.

Broderick detailed how the Padres have changed their logo eight times in their 40-year history and, as a result, have had no unity behind the brand. To that end, when Broderick was hired last October, she put an emphasis on the “SD” because it unfies the city around the Padres. She also focused on all of the touchpoints the Padres weren’t taking advantage of, such as the promotional giveaway packaging.

Broderick also went through the Padres’ community outreach initiatives, which include Military Appreciation games and Stand-Up to Cancer. She also discussed measuring ROI on certain events, how other MLB teams operate their brand, the Padres relationship with BAM, dealing with current hurdles, and transitioning from a non-sports career. The class thanks Laura for stopping by the classroom.

Internship with SDSU's Women's BBall

By Danielle Arrington (SMBA '11)

Upon entering this program, it was my goal to find a way to get involved with my passion for basketball and my love for the women’s game. Luckily, an opportunity presented itself working with the Los Angeles Sparks on their first annual pre-season game at Viejas Arena and continuing throughout the season. As the Sparks season ended in August, I was looking for other potential opportunities. I found that opportunity with SDSU’s Women’s Basketball team.

After speaking with coaches of the team, I was offered the position of Head Manager. Although, the job doesn’t sound very glamorous, it has been the best learning experience I could’ve ever asked for. On top of that, I love women’s basketball, I get an insider’s look at the team because I’m at every practice, and I get to wear hoop shorts to work every day.

For those wondering what I do on a daily basis, the answer is any and everything the Head Coach asks me to do. Whether that’s setting up practice, participating in practice drills, analyzing and reviewing tape, or doing a statistical analysis on players’ shot selections, I’m involved in many aspects of the teams operations.

As the season progresses, I see myself, more and more, becoming a fan….and an Aztec.

Go Aztecs!

SDSU Upsets Air Force

SDSU football beat a ranked opponent for the first time since 1996 and SMBA ’11 was there. Joe, Peggy, Jodi, and Greg M. represented the class by assisting with game day activities, which included sponsor activation and T-shirt cannon duties. In fact, the crew was armed with Flip cams to capture sponsored events throughout the game.

Meanwhile, SDSU held off #23 Air Force to move to 4-2 on the season. The next home game will be against Colorado State in two weeks.

Guest Speaker: Jennifer Kurisu – NYCA

As part of the IMC, the SMBA ’11 class welcomed Jennifer Kurisu, Account Planner for NYCA, to the classroom. NYCA is a marketing and advertising firm that handles sport entities, such as TaylorMade and adidas.

Kurisu mostly works with brand planning and how to have NYCA athletes convey the vision of NYCA. Currently, NYCA is the largest Integrated Marketing Communication agency in San Diego with 41 employees on staff. They have a dozen clients, which include the aforementioned sport entities as well as The San Diego Union-Tribune and Barona casinos.

Kurisu discussed a TaylorMade case study, which included using athletes as all together to promote a trust in the brand rather than relying on one star athlete. She also discussed TaylorMade's "I am a golfer" ad campaign from NYCA. Kurisu also discussed her job duties, social media, NYCA’s vision, brand importance, her career path, and advice for the SMBA ’11 class. The class thanks Kurisu for taking time to visit.

Sandy Alderson to the Mets?

Friend of the SMBA, Sandy Alderson, has interviewed for the New York Mets General Manager position. While this would be a great hire by the Mets, it certainly would be nice if Alderson remained in his current position to help MLB labor practices in the Dominican Republic.

ALDERSON TO METS

Regardless, it’s a testament to Alderson’s credentials that baseball people believe he could succeed in yet another area within MLB. SMBA ’11 wishes Alderson all the best in his decision.

Globalization of Sport

Another class is done for SMBA ’11. As the class heads into the final weeks of classroom portion of the program, a number of final projects and presentations are finishing; including Dr. Francis’ Globalization of Sport.

Six groups presented their research findings, which were conducted through primary and secondary research, on a range of topics:

1) Professionalization of MLB labor practices in the Dominican Republic
2) Unions and antecedents leading to the 1994 MLB strike and parallels to a possible NFL strike
3) A case study of NFL Europe
4) Lessons learned from the English Premier League
5) Comparing the Internationalization efforts of the NFL and NBA
6) Community building through sports

All groups did a fantastic job and with a final lecture from Dr. Francis today, there now remains four classes for SMBA ’11.

Finance II Player Valuations

As part of Dr. Moon Song’s Finance II class, we read and analyzed the Harvard Business Case on Alex Rodriguez. More specifically, the SMBA ’11 class learned about the finances of the Texas Rangers 2000 decision to make A-Rod the highest paid player in MLB history at the time.

Using this case, SMBA ’11 put together player valuations for different players. Today, the first four of eight groups presented their player valuations to the class. The players evaluated were:

Cristiano Ronaldo
Matt Holliday
Troy Tulowitzki
C.C. Sabathia

The results varied, but it was fun to learn who was overpriced, underpriced, and just about right. Four more groups will present next week.

Guest Speaker – Steve Becvar, XFL

Remember when the XFL unapologetically introduced itself in 2000? Well, after a successful first week that produced large TV ratings on NBC, as well as an air of excitement, the XFL quickly lost its momentum. In fact, after only one season, the XFL shut down operations.

Today, Steve Becvar, who was VP of Corporate Sales and Marketing for one of the Memphis XFL team, discussed that one crazy year. Currently, Becvar is the Associate Athletic Director at the University of San Diego and he has spoken to past SMBA classes during the IMC class.

Becvar worked for the Memphis Maniax and moved his family for the opportunity to head the marketing department for a new League that was generating a lot of excitement. Even though Memphis averaged 21,000 fans per game and had 9,000 season ticket holders, Becvar admitted that there were some growing pains.

Becvar discussed those growing pains, the XFL corporation, working at the team level, the day he found out the League was shutting down, and shared some stories about his experience. He admitted that he was “intrigued by the unknown” and, unfortunately, the unknown ended up not working.

Padres Come Up Short

The San Diego Padres were picked by many to finish the 2010 MLB season at the bottom of the division. Instead, they spent 148 days atop the National League West. And, despite a low payroll, a Padres win on the last day of the season would’ve setup two one-game playoffs, which would have marked the first time in MLB history.

Unfortunately, the San Francisco Giants beat the Padres 3-0 and the ‘Little Engine That Could’ has to wait until next year. However, the Padres generated nearly 4,000 more fans per game in attendance and kept their two star players (Adrian Gonzalez and Heath Bell) throughout the season, despite rumors that they would trade them.

Regardless, even a Dr. Lackritz statistical analysis wouldn’t have predicted this sort of season for the low-payroll Padres. SMBA ’11 was happy to be a part of the fun.

WAC Sports Network

Greg Moore (SMBA ’11) is currently helping the Western Athletic Conference Sports Network. The new network debuted on September 18th with the Fresno State v. Utah State football game and is continuing with some exciting games this weekend. The regional network will feature WAC football and basketball games regionally on media outlets in the respective school markets.

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WAC SPORTS

Schools, as well as conferences, are continuing to use television to expand their brand and leverage their presence. Please follow WAC Sports Network on Twitter and Facebook to keep up with the new network’s progress.

Troon Regional Golf Workshop

By Greg Leisher (SMBA '11)

As you have probably figured out by prior posts, our class is actively participating in internships with a variety of sports organizations in San Diego. I have had the unique opportunity to partner with Bill O'Brien, the General Manager at Maderas Golf Course, consistently rated as one of the best courses in San Diego and part of the Troon Golf network. The experience has been very valuable to date, as I have been able to expand my knowledge of the golf industry from the perspective of the facility vs. my prior perspective as a customer.

As part of the internship, Bill has been very generous with his time and recently invited me to join him on a visit to Indian Wells Golf Resort, where his colleagues from other Troon courses in Southern California were convening to share best practices and discuss new corporate initiatives. Being tasked with assisting the continuous process improvement initiatives at Maderas, I naturally jumped at the opportunity to hear proven solutions from other courses. The day proved to be quite productive, since I was given tremendous access to Troon's corporate objectives while also getting a better sense of the culture of the organization. Bill's colleagues welcomed me with open arms and I'm looking forward to continuing a dialogue with several of them when I visit Scottsdale later this month!

Kassim Osgood

While the San Diego State football team is making some news on-the-field, it appears as though some former Aztecs are making news off-the-field:

OSGOOD ESCAPES INTRUDER

To Kassim Osgood’s credit, he has made news on-the-field, as well. Before his touchdown catch in the Jacksonville Jaguars opener against Denver, he made three Pro Bowls as a special teams ace with the San Diego Chargers. Luckily, Osgood appears to be okay after this incident.

Dr. Belch Returns

A familiar face returned to teach Integrated Marketing Communications to SMBA ’11. Dr. George E. Belch, who taught Marketing Research to the class in the Spring, will teach IMC with help from the book he co-wrote with his brother, Dr. Michael Belch.

Among Dr. Belch’s impressive career highlights are working at DuPont Company as a marketing representative, working as a research analyst for the DDB Worldwide advertising agency, and authoring or coauthoring more than 30 articles in leading academic journals.

It’s good to have him back, especially for a subject that many in the class would like to pursue as a career.

NBA Case

Building on the UFC case we did, Dr. Francis had the other half of the SMBA ’11 class use a variety of tools to accurately analyze the National Basketball Association (NBA) and their attempts to expand globally.

The NBA, as outlined in the case, must decide how to expand their brand internationally, specifically in Europe.

As we did for the UFC case, SMBA ’11 split into groups to discuss and present the issues presented in the NBA case. This time, members of the class played the role of David Stern and eventually reached an agreement on which group had the best ideas for global expansion. Interestingly, despite using similar tools, each presentation had a different recommendation, which ranged from an 8-team European League, having the NBA play regular season games against European teams, and acquiring already-established European teams.

SDSU Football and KGB SkyShow

Once again the SMBA ’11 crew played a key role in an SDSU football win. The Aztecs beat Utah State 41-7 yesterday to move to 3-1 on the season and SMBA ’11 was all over Qualcomm helping out.

Some members of the class helped out at Aztec Village before the game, where Zuma the Puma took a liking to Tana. Jodi assisted with game-day operations and Tana tweeted from all over the stadium for Aztec Game Time. Demian was updating Aztec Game Time’s Facebook page from the field and Emily, Luke, Greg M., and Joe assisted Learfield with the T-shirt canon. The Marshall Faulk Foundation was promoting their Homecoming event, so Alyssa was in attendance, as well.

A big crowd was on-hand thanks to the annual KGB SkyShow. Due to all the hard work SMBA ’11 put in, the crew had front row seats for one of the largest firework displays in the country. Go Aztecs!

Guest Speaker: Michael Jacobson – Octagon

Michael Jacobson, Director of Talent Relations for Octagon First Call, made a trip down from Los Angeles to speak to SMBA ’11 today. Need Jerome Bettis to endorse your product? How about Cindy Crawford to pitch your company? Jacobson advises companies and acquires talent to ensure a successful partnership. He determines the value of a celebrity in order to negotiate partnerships and activate programs.

The average day for Jacobson consists of meeting with managers, publicists, agents, and lawyers. His goal is celebrity acquisition and sponsor activation. Surprisingly, 80% of what Octagon does is not sports-related, even though they started out in the sports business.

Jacobson took us through the process he uses and then discussed Octagon’s mission statement, case studies (Sears, Oscar Meyer, and Mitsubishi), moral clauses, Q-scores, how to value talent, and his career path. SMBA ’11 thanks Jacobson for coming in and talking with the class.

Former Padres GM hired by Diamondbacks

The game of musical chairs continues in the National League West. Former San Diego Padres’ General Manager Kevin Towers was hired by the Arizona Diamondbacks as Executive Vice President and General Manager.

Ironically, the Diamondbacks turned down Towers five years ago. But, he’s responsible for a number of the highly regarded players on the Padres’ current roster, such as Mat Latos, Heath Bell, and Luke Gregerson.

ARIZONA HIRES TOWERS

Now, Towers is in Arizona, former Diamondback owner Jeff Moorad owns the Padres, and former Padre Manager Bruce Bochy is managing the San Francisco Giants. With hope, this game of musical chairs ends with the Padres in the playoffs.

Guest Speaker: Ben Roller

As part of Aaron LeValley’s CRM class, Ben Roller of the San Diego Padres came by to speak to SMBA ’11. Roller is Manager of Database and CRM Operations for the Padres.

Roller discussed renewal rates, ticket selling, and how the CRM database can lead to identifying areas of weakness during a given game or team home-stand. He also took us through the tools used by the Padres to further customer relationship and how it helps their sale staff to retain and collect ticket sales.

Roller supported LeValley’s assertion that CRMs can help teams identify areas to improve customer relationships and can, eventually, lead to future success. SMBA '11 thanks Ben Roller coming in and talking with us.

Aaron LeValley – Client Relationship Management

Yesterday SMBA ’11 started another class: Client Relationship Management (CRM). The class is taught by Aaron LeValley, who works as a Database Manager and Analyst for the Los Angeles Kings. He also has experience working in Sales and Marketing departments for the Oakland Raiders, Phoenix Suns, and Arizona Diamondbacks.

Since CRM is becoming increasingly important in the business world, SMBA ’11 is honored to have someone with actual experience with a lot of the programs that teams are using.

IMG Event Staff at the Hurley Pro

By Victoria Hoe (SMBA '11)

Just back from 8 days in San Clemente at the Hurley Pro surfing event and I've finally had time to digest the experience. The 2010 Hurley Pro took place on San Onofre State Beach - Lower Trestles, one of the best surfing spots in North America. It represented the only ASP World Tour event on mainland U.S. shores, where the very best surfers in the world fight it out for the world title. I was offered the opportunity to work on the event staff by Lisa Jenkins (SMBA '06), who currently serves as the Director of Events for IMG's Action Sports division. IMG's event staff teamed up with representatives from Hurley and the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) to run the week-long competition.

Founded in 1999 and now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nike, Hurley describes itself as an authentic 'Microphone for Youth' brand rooted in surf, skate, art, music and beach cultures. My position at the event was that of Athlete Concierge, a very unique role for an ASP surfing event. Both Hurley and IMG set out to create a one-of-a-kind experience for the athletes and provide them with an extra level of service that they are not accustomed to. Going above and beyond for the athletes included providing complimentary valet parking, tickets and discounts to local events and attractions, warm showers at the beach, VIP access for friends and family, beach-side internet access, board check, and complimentary ding repair. In my opinion, Hurley and IMG succeeded in pulling off an absolutely first-rate event. The branding of both the competition and the experience for the athletes was so unique, many were in shock at the level of service. Many surfers were overheard saying that Hurley Pro was their favorite stop on tour and that they had nothing but great impressions of the Hurley brand because of it.

Another major undertaking for the event was the state-of-the-art webcasts broadcasted worldwide everyday from the competition. Trestles is not an easy site to access by any means and the Hurley crew did an amazing job securing multiple camera angles (and water cams!) to deliver live competition heats and exclusive behind-the-scenes content. The Hurley Pro also offered an official App for iPhone and iPad so that fans could track the action anytime and anywhere in the palm of their hands. Overall, it was an excellent event to learn from and witness. The folks from IMG and Hurley are true professionals and it was an absolute pleasure getting to work with them for the week.

UFC Case

As Dr. Francis’ class deals with the global side of business and being able to use a variety of tools to accurately analyze a company, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was an appropriate case to examine.

UFC has a number of issues they must address including—but not limited to—athlete compensation, international growth, and sponsors that align with their fan base that continues to deviate from their original 18-36 year-old male demographic.

Today, SMBA ’11 split into groups to discuss and present UFC issues presented in the case we read. Half of the class also wrote detailed papers using analytical tools about the UFC that were handed in before class. Next week, the other half of the class will write papers regarding the globalization of the NBA.

Dr. Belch on Reggie Bush

Much to the chagrin of Peggy Morales (SMBA ’11), USC continues to make the news for items that are happening off the football field. The latest is that former Trojan star running back Reggie Bush has voluntarily given back his 2005 Heisman Trophy.

Dr. Belch, who will be teaching SMBA ’11 again this Fall, weighed in on Bush’s image this week for USA Today:

REGGIE BUSH USA TODAY

From a marketing standpoint, it’s hard to imagine Bush regaining the same marketability he had in 2005. However, USC might have a tougher time than Bush in the coming seasons.

Chivas’ Soccer Match at PETCO

SMBA ’11, prospective students, family, and friends all helped distribute programs and rosters to fans before the Chivas USA of Major League Soccer versus Mexico's Chivas de Guadalajara soccer match on Tuesday night. PETCO Park was transformed from a baseball field to a soccer field and the Padres did an excellent job of hosting the match.

Soccer United Marketing (SUM) was also present and classmates Oumar Ganame, Demian Reyes, Emily Nakayama, and Krista Washington all assisted with the Futbol Fiesta before the game and they handled special assignments during halftime.

Besides raising $700 for the class’ Dominican Republic fund, the class was also able to hang around to watch some of the exciting match. Michael Lahoud of Chivas USA scored on the fifth penalty kick to seal a 1-0 victory for Chivas USA, which provided the perfect ending to a game that had a number of excellent stops.

Arizona Charity Golf Classic

By Alyssa Boyd

Last weekend, I traveled to Scottsdale, Arizona with my boss, Brandi Greenleaf, fellow co-worker Chrissy Mulder, and previous Foundation worker Mandy Snyder to help with the Arizona Charity Golf Classic, a golf tournament put on by Tim Fleming of All-Star Framing to benefit the Marshall Faulk Foundation and Packages From Home. We arrived early on Friday afternoon to begin preparation for the big tournament on Sunday. While trying to endure the 100 degree heat, we spent Friday and Saturday setting up for the "pairings reception" on Saturday night at the Scottsdale Cigar Lounge, where there was a great turnout and we raised a good amount of money in a silent auction.

Sunday was an early morning, as we were at the golf course by 7 AM to help with registration and getting all the golfers ready to play. 114 men and women from Arizona participated in the scramble golf tournament, which lasted about 4 hours. Afterwards, everyone headed over to a local bar to watch Sunday football (aka, the Patriots beat the Bengals) and spend some more money on great auction items, including Marshall Faulk autographed pictures, a Kurt Warner autographed cleat, and different golf lessons at courses around Scottsdale. It was a busy, but exciting weekend, and now it's crunch time as we begin to prepare for Marshall's two big events: the Aztec for Life Homecoming Celebration on October 15th and Celebrity Extravaganza on November 5th and 6th!

Debate: Women in Sports

The SMBA ’11 class proudly has more female students than male students. Unfortunately, the debate this week in the sports industry is about women’s place in sports after an incident involving the New York Jets.

Last weekend, Ines Sainz, a female reporter from Mexico’s TV Azteca, went to the New York Jets facility to do a story on Mark Sanchez. While there, Sainz was reportedly subjected to inappropriate behavior by the players, which led to an NFL investigation and an apology from Jets owner Woody Johnson.

Washington Redskins’ running back Clinton Portis weighed in by saying female reporters “are going to want somebody” when they go in to an NFL locker room.

It’s a shame that people are still questioning female roles in sport in 2010. With hope, this is an isolated incident, since some of the best and brightest sports’ stars (both on and off the field) are female.

Stand Up to Cancer: STANDiego

In the midst of a playoff push, the San Diego Padres held another phase of their season-long effort to raise awareness and funds for Stand Up to Cancer: STANDiego. Fans seated in section 133 of PETCO Park last Thursday wore limited-edition Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C) T-shirts and stood for the duration of the Padres-Giants’ game.

Of course, SMBA ’11 students were in section 133 and joined by Padres’ staff, including Tom Garfinkel, as well as fans supporting the fight. All net proceeds go to collaborative cancer research.

In May, the Padres became the first MLB team to partner with Stand Up To Cancer, unveiling SU2C panels at PETCO and inviting fans to sign in honor of—or in tribute to—loved ones who have battled the disease. All 38 panels are full of signatures and will be affixed to outfield walls at PETCO for the final two Padres’ home games on September 29th and 30th.

Sports MBA Info Session - Los Angeles

If you’re a prospective student that is interested in joining next year’s Sports MBA class, then stay tuned for news about information sessions in your area.

Sports MBA Director Scott Minto will be traveling across the country in the upcoming weeks to meet with prospective students. If you’re interested in attending an information session, please email smbainfo@sdsu.edu .

9/13 – LOS ANGELES (9 PM EST @ Champion’s Sports Bar – LAX Marriott)

This is a great chance to meet the program’s Director and to learn even more about the Sports MBA.

2010 NFL Season Kicks Off

The defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints defeated the Minnesota Vikings 14-9 to open up the 2010 NFL season. However, while 32 teams will be battling for a Super Bowl title this season, a more important battle is going on between NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith.

The two are on opposite sides of the table when it comes to the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, which is up in March 2011. Player health-care coverage, a possible 18-game schedule, and owners’ profits will be among the main issues that could all hold up the start of the 2011 NFL season.

Regardless, the NFL season should be just as entertaining off-the-field as it will be on-the-field.

Soccernomics

The focus of Dr. John Francis’ Management 710 class is on the World Business environment. In order for the SMBA ’11 class to better understand this topic there will be a case paper, as well as a group presentation that will deal with topics ranging from MLB labor practices in the Dominican Republic to the internationalization efforts of the NBA and the NFL.

Another resource for this class will be assigned readings from Kuper and Szymanski’s Soccernomics. Much like Moneyball complemented our Statistics’ class, Soccernomics will add to Dr. Francis’ lectures. In this book, the authors dissect the game of soccer and challenge long-held beliefs, apply reason to suggested changes, and provide thoughtful economic analysis.

Soccer Game at PETCO

Chivas USA and Chivas de Guadalajara fans will be hitting San Diego in this year’s ChivaClasico at PETCO Park. The game will take place on Tuesday, September 14 and tickets are still available.

PETCO Park hosted an international soccer match between the Mexican National Men’s Team and the Swedish Men’s National Team on January 26, 2005 and the game drew 35,521 fans.

If you’d like to help volunteer for this event and meet some of the SMBA ’11 class, please email smbainfo@sdsu.edu . We hope to see you there.

...More From the Gridiron

A San Diego sporting event wouldn’t be complete without a couple of helpful SDSU Sport MBAs. So, the first SDSU football game of the year showcased Raquel Rodriguez (SMBA ’11) and Emily Nakayama’s (SMBA ’11) talents.

The two, who are helping SDSU Athletics and Learfield with marketing efforts this Fall, handled the T-shirt cannon and interacted with fans. Of course, they were also on-hand to make sure Zuma, a new supplemental mascot, became acclimated to his new home.

While Emily and Raquel didn’t grab any touchdowns in the Aztecs 47-0 opening win, they definitely made the game more fun for the fans.

SDSU Football Wins First Game

San Diego State football is 1-0 after opening the season with a 47-0 victory over Nicholls State. QB Ryan Lindley threw for 303 yards and two touchdowns and WR DeMarco Sampson put on a show by catching seven passes for 179 yards, a school record for an opening game.

SDSU finished with 531 yards of offense and showed that it’s serious about securing its first bowl bid as a member of the 11 year-old Mountain West Conference. SDSU continues the season this Saturday at New Mexico State.

Follow Aztec Game Time on Twitter or Facebook to learn more about the football team.

Fall Semester Starts

After a long weekend that included two San Diego Padre games, the SMBA '11 class is back in the classroom to start the Fall semester. Today marks the first class of Dr. John Francis' World Business Environment.

Wednesday will be Dr. Moon Song's first Financial Management class. After that, the SMBA '11 will enjoy a short Labor Day break and, if they stick around in San Diego, they can watch the SDSU Aztec football team take on Nicholls State.

Aztec Game Time

Want to stay up-to-date on all of the happenings in the San Diego State sports' world? Friend Aztec Game Time on Facebook or follow them on Twitter at twitter.com/aztecgametime.

Now is the perfect time, since the football season kicks-off on September 4. Great job by SMBA '11 classmates Demian Reyes and Tana Prosper in helping with Aztec Game Time.

Strasburg Out for Rest of Season

Stephen Strasburg, the Washington Nationals’ 2009 No. 1 overall pick and former San Diego State pitcher, has a torn elbow ligament and will likely have Tommy John surgery. This, unfortunately, means that his promising rookie season has come to an abrupt end.

The 22 year-old was pulled from Saturday’s game at Philadelphia after he grabbed for his wrist after throwing a changeup. If he elects to have the surgery, then he would require 12 to 18 months of rehabilitation.

Strasburg went 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 68 innings with the Nationals. Strasburg initially told the team he had felt something similar at San Diego State, but continued to pitch through it. However, doctors decided that what happened at SDSU was unrelated to the ligament tear.

We wish Strasburg a fast recovery and thank him for making Aztec Nation proud this season.

Playboy Golf Tournament

During the July 24th weekend, Alyssa Boyd (SMBA '11) and Peggy Morales (SMBA '11) assisted with the Playboy Golf Tournament's stop in San Diego. The event was held at Maderas Golf Course and, as you can imagine, many of the famous Playboy Playmates were there.

Even though Alyssa and Peggy didn't include any pictures of themselves with the Playmates, they did have a good time helping out with the event.