Tiger’s infamous secrecy has kept his image clean throughout most of his career.  When he finally made a mistake that he could not keep hidden, the media pounced.  Unfortunately, Tiger did not come out and admit what had happened.  He refused to speak to anyone and as a result, rumors starting spreading.  As time has passed, more and more of the truth has been revealed as more people involved have come forward and spoken about what they know.

Tiger’s position throughout this entire incident has been that he deserves his privacy and everyone should leave him alone. While this is probably true, the fact remains that the lives of people who are exceedingly rich and famous are never really kept secret.  Until he comes out and addresses the public with the entire truth, this situation is not going to go away.  He is the only one who can bring closure to the issue and once he does, he can return to golf.

That being said, I am sick of hearing about this every time I watch Sportscenter.  I am sick of hearing about his mother-in-law falling over and the subsequent 911 call that followed.  I am sick of hearing the continuous barrage of hatred that everyone now seems to have towards him.  And who the hell is Rick Reilly or Herm Edwards to publicly map out what Tiger needs to do during the next year in order to regain their respect and prove to his wife that he is a good guy?  Enough.  I hope you can make it through this Tiger, and be a better person because of it.  You are still my favorite golfer, and your legacy to me will always be defined by shots like this, regardless of what happens off the course.

A patron of USC 91411 could make several arguments that the service is in fact not a form of cheating.  For one, the service is available to everyone.  Even those who cannot afford it can reap its benefits simply by providing more tests or papers from their own classes.  Exams from previous years are very helpful study aids, and many professors have realized this and post their old tests anyways.  If teachers are concerned about cheating, it is their responsibility to   change their tests every year.  All in all, If the service is helpful, there is an act-utilitarian argument that every student benefits from having access to these documents.  

Patrons could also argue that the service does not violate any school rules.  If the past papers and exams are used strictly as study aids, no rules will likely be broken.  Legal issues could arise if papers are plagiarized, but that threat exists with or without USC 91411.  Even more important, students would be able to gain a sense of a professor’s grading style and tendencies when evaluating a student’s writing.  This information is very valuable, and as stated earlier, can theoretically be obtained by all students.

Despite these arguments for USC 91411, there are even stronger ones against it.  Realistically, the service is not available to everyone.  There will always be a percentage of students who have never heard of the service, leaving them at a disadvantage.  In addition, those who cannot afford to pay for the service may have difficulties donating their own tests and papers.  Many professors already refrain from handing back tests because they fear cheaters will pass them on, and even more would take up this practice once the company gained renown.  In these cases, students would not even have a chance to donate tests and gain free access to the database.  In the end, it would most likely be a smaller group of people with access to all the former tests and papers while most are left with nothing.

While looking at old papers may not directly violate any rules, it still gives the student a distinct advantage.  Most graded papers are covered in notes and comments that clearly indicate the preferences of the professor.  With this information, as well as the information written in the body, a student could re-write the same essay without even knowing the material.  It would be next to impossible for any professor to recognize a paper that was written a couple years back, and if the student makes even minor alterations, the act will most likely go unnoticed.  As a result, some students would have access to privileged information about a professor’s grading tendencies and material to write about without even having to attend a lecture.

The most important argument against USC 91411 is one of virtue.  Universities are supposed to train leaders of high character.  They are designed not only to educate, but also to develop young minds into contributing adults.  A strong sense of morals is vital to all leaders as it helps them to make unbiased decisions about what is best for the group as a whole.  A prestigious university could never allow a service that encourages inequality, especially when determining grades for the students that attend it.  Doing so not only reflects poorly on the school, but also reinforces bad habits that will stick with students long after they graduate.

The foundation of our society lies in integrity.  In school, in business, in everything we do.  When integrity is compromised, things tend to fall apart.  If USC becomes known for having a service like this, its reputation is immediately tarnished.  It is as if the students are learning that they can get by simply by copying others’ work.  While the idea is clever and would surely be profitable, the school must do what is right to maintain its own credibility.  I think anyone hiring a USC grad would agree.

One major aspect of running an effective union involves electing the right leadership.  The MLB players union has recently elected Michael Weiner as their new executive director.  One of the biggest issues that he will deal with involves restructuring the financial system of the league.  The MLB does not currently have a revenue sharing system like the NFL.  As a result, some teams are very well-off and others are broke.  Ideally, Weiner will help move talks in the right direction to get this fixed so there is more fairness amongst the teams.

Once in a while, a dispute gets so bad that the players decide to strike.  The NBA experienced a dispute in 1999 that resulted in a three month strike during the middle of the season.  Even though the playoffs were not affected, the league and players lost a lot of money as ad revenue died off and salaries were not paid.  The NFL is also facing major issues between its owners and players, and as of right now, the 2011 season may be in question.  Hopefully everyone involved will be able to place their egos aside and reach an agreement or the most popular sport in the country will not be played.

As a Vikings fan, I couldn’t be happier with how the whole Favre situation turned out this year.  The team already had a stellar defense and ground-game and only needed a quarterback who could bring it all together. However, most of the sporting community was understandably mad at Favre for flip-flopping on his decision to return multiple times and eventually backing into a new job playing for the arch-rival of his previous team.  He seemed whiny and pathetic in his post-retirement speeches, and many thought all the theatrics were simply a show to get out of preseason workouts.  Even former Viking Fran Tarkenton had had enough of Favre’s antics.

Regardless of anyone’s opinions about him, Brett Favre made the best business decision for himself when he came to the Vikings.  All of the pieces were in place, along with an offensive scheme that he was already familiar with and a coach with whom he had already worked.  He also gained an opportunity to get back at Green Bay who had kindly told him that he was not wanted back after he tried to skip out on off-season workouts three summers ago.  Finally, he received $25 million for two years, a price that no other team was willing to pay.  

Favre has a lot to prove this season.  He has astounded everyone with miraculous throws and the third best record in the NFL.  Yet things have fallen apart for him in recent years during playoff runs and the doubters will continue to remember those moments until he overcomes them.  However, if he continues this run, his story will go down in league history as one of the greatest ever.

A brand can sponsor a player, a team, an event, and even a stadium.  The NFL, for example, requires that its players all wear Reebok attire.  Every jersey, hat, and other piece of clothing that the players wear is made by Reebok.  Many universities have deals with brands that provide them with all of their clothing and game day apparel.  This is especially common at colleges because individual players are not allowed to receive sponsorship deals as amateur athletes.  Soccer teams have adapted a system where a company will sponsor each team and get their logo on the front of the team’s jerseys.  Even events can be sponsored by companies, especially races, golf tournaments, and bowl games.  The naming rights for big college bowl games are especially valuable and are one of the reasons why we are having so much trouble doing away with the BCS bowl system

It is very interesting to see the sponsorships of entire stadiums.  In most cases, the naming rights to a stadium is costly.  One of the most expensive is Reliant Stadium in Houston which costs about $10 million per year.  This site shows some of the biggest contracts in naming rights across the country.  While these rights are pricy, they are very beneficial for the companies that own them.  In some cases, the name of a stadium or arena becomes almost iconic.  Think of the Staples Center in Los Angeles.  People associate the arena with the city, the Lakers, a winning franchise, and glamorous southern California.  Staples is just a common office supply store, but their image is greatly enhanced simply because their name is up on that building.  This blog points out that many sponsors of stadiums are banks and other financial institutions.  I would guess that heavy competition between these institutions is the reason why such investments are made, and this is probably also why they have the naming rights to so many skyscrapers .

The most important sponsorship deals in all of sports are on the individual level.  Iconic players can bring enormous sales to whichever brand they wear while playing.  This was made common knowledge in 2003 when an 18-year old Lebron James signed a $90 million dollar contract to wear Nike shoes once he reached the NBA.  People were shocked at the fortune given to the young man before he even played a professional game, but this was common practice for Nike.  They have developed brands and images based around superstars for years, and their return on investment has been enormous.  Throughout the common sports era, Nike has surpassed all competitors to become the undisputed king of sports sponsorships.

When Nike finds a player that they really like, they do not just give them standard Nike equipment to wear.  Instead, they develop a completely unique brand for that player.  The first player to receive this treatment was Michael Jordan who signed his first deal in 1984 for $2.5 million.  Since then, Jordan has become his own brand within Nike called Jumpman23.  The same has been done for Tiger Woods, Lebron James, and Roger Federer.  These players have progressed so far in their respective sports that they have earned their own lines of Nike apparel.

Perhaps Nike’s greatest sponsorship achievement came through Tiger Woods.  The golfing world has been dominated by big brands such as Callaway, Taylor Made, Cleveland, Odyssey, Adams, Ping, Titleist, and many more.  Nike was never a golf company and it is likely that most golfers would have sneered at any equipment made by them prior to Tiger.  But when Nike signed on the with most popular golfer in history, they dove headfirst into what seemed like an impossible market to penetrate.  Suddenly, everyone wanted to use Nike equipment.  They developed state-of-the-art clubs and high-performace clothing for golfers.  Nike balls became the most popular in stores, and a new brand was born.  

How does a shoe company burst into an enormous and prestigious market like golf?  By sponsoring the only golfer that matters.  Tiger is the face of golf.  He turns casual fans into avid viewers.  His game would be the same regardless of which equipment he used, but Nike got to him first.  Now, his clothing and equipment are iconic… all bearing the Nike Swoosh.  Nike may have paid Tiger an absurd amount of money to wear their merchandise, but he completely legitimized them as a golf company.  In perhaps the only sport that can be played by all ages, such an endorsement is priceless.  It is just another example of the ingenuity of this company to have the foresight to sign the best talent and the resources to create quality products.

Athletes have the ability to transform and redefine a brand.  As we have seen in many cases, popular culture is often affected by sports and sporting apparel.  Today, it is not uncommon to see the most popular (and most expensive) golf attire in a pro shop made by Nike.  A pair of shoes designed for Lebron James may cost $120 or more, and they fly off shelves everywhere.  People are ready and willing to pay a premium in an effort to emulate their favorite pro athletes.  The best sporting goods manufactures are well aware of this fact and make sure to sponsor the players they believe will turn into superstars.

Poker is unique in the sense that one does not have to be an athlete to compete in it.  Many people have always enjoyed playing poker throughout the world, but the concept of doing so professionally was only known within the confines of Las Vegas.  In 2003, the country watched average-joe Chris Moneymaker win the main event and a wheelbarrow full of cash.  Soon afterward, the poker industry exploded.  Everything from merchandise to chip sets to video games hit the market, and it seemed like nobody could get enough of the gambling sensation.

Perhaps the biggest winners in all of this were the gambling websites.  Poker was no longer confined to casinos, and the internet made it possible for millions of people to play online for actual money or just for fun.  Either way, there was massive traffic on these sites which generated huge ad revenues.  Hence, major sponsorship deals started coming up for anyone playing on television.  All of the pros are decked out with hats and shirts that read pokerstars.net or fulltiltpoker.net, two of the biggest gambling websites.  As the nobodies playing in the tournaments make it further and further in the main event, they suddenly start showing up on screen with giant ads pinned to their clothes as well.  Even the fans are given shirts with ads across the front.

Watching this all progress in this year’s WSOP has been somewhat despicable.  The poker buzz of 2003-2004 has since cooled off, but the programmers still manage to cram an entire series out of a generally long and boring event.  The actions of the crowd are obviously choreographed.  The amount of time between cards dealt is comically drawn out as six different cameras capture the same 5-second clip and turn it into a 30-second waste of time.  Pointless background stories about the players and stupid jokes from the commentators combine to turn 10 minuets of actual entertainment into an hour-long episode.  Yet the event remains extremely popular and profitable, another testament to the ingenuity of ESPN.

The channel was developed in 2003 as a showcase for NFL films and has since grown immensely.  It now offers eight prime-time games per year in what they call “the run for the playoffs”.  It also replays the four best games from every Sunday throughout the week.  The replays, however, are sped up to show less downtime between plays and even offer post-game interviews with players talking about game-changing plays as they occur on television.

The channel is offered for free from DirecTV and runs consumer specific commercials throughout all of its programming.  Because most fans do not have NFL Sunday Ticket (a service that allows viewers to watch every game each Sunday), the NFL Network provides a valuable opportunity to see out-of-region games without having to pay extra for them.  Once again, the NFL is setting the bar for providing the best entertainment service to its fans.

As a fan of these sports, it has been fun to watch the X Games evolve from season to season.  The producers have been very keen to what sells for these games and what does not, and they have adjusted them accordingly.  The least popular events like rock climbing get replaced by more exciting events such as the skateboard big air and moto-cross best trick.  While these events are much more fun to watch, they are becoming exceedingly dangerous as athletes fall from vast heights when they lose control.

ESPN has done a wonderful job of taking what used to be underground and making it mainstream.  Sports like skateboarding used to be associated with touble-making kids.  The X Games introduced the idea of professioanl skateboarding with paid competitions and major sponsoship deals for those atheletes who particiapted.  The sports lend themselves to a younger generation, and these days, it is not uncommon to see kids as young as twelve competing on the same level as everyone else.  The generation of guys who started the revolution have since been replaced by kids who started out in parking lots.

Sponsorships for athletes of this genre are especially valuable.  Most boys will go through a phase when they want to try and make it in extreme sports.  When they see kids their age on television wearing a certain brand of shoe or shirt, they are very likely to ask their parents for the same.  Once again, fashion is affected by a sport’s sponsorship deals.  This leads to big profits for those companies that are involved in the industry.

However, their role may be diminishing with the advancement of the internet and computer technology. Sports blogs are continuing to multiply as more and more fans are realizing that they can now become a part of the conversation instead of just sitting in the audience.  The best have gained so much renown that they now receive revenue from ads on their blogs, in turn making them “professional writers”.

Common fans may not be the only rival of professional writers.  According to this blog, computers may soon have the necessary capabilities to write news stories for sporting events.  The system uses algorithms and complex analysis of detailed stats to identify major turning points and crucial plays throughout the game. While this system may effectively recap a game, real sports writing has nothing to do with summaries.  It involves in-depth analysis of on-field play and outside knowledge of everything else, a feat that computers cannot yet accomplish.  

A person no longer needs to work for a major newspaper to be a good sports writer.  It is refreshing to see normal fans, the true life-blood of any league, finally have an active role in the sports discussion. Historically, the only people who even get a chance in this business have to start as a player or coach.  While some are absolutely qualified for their new professions, others do not belong on television (Lou Holtz). Luckily, technology has provided us all with an opportunity to write and debate in an open forum.  While the role of the professional sports writer is still significant, its authoritative control of all sports discussion is crumbling.

This website provides an eye-opening look at the disparity in payrolls in the MLB.  The Yankees top the list at $201,449,189 with the second place Mets coming in at $149,373,987.  Only seven other teams are even above $100,000,000.  After being bounced from the playoffs early last year, New York reached out to super-star pitchers CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett and signed them to enormous contracts.  The signings stole the free agent aces away from their small-market teams and brought them in like ringers to bring back the title.

While this practice is not new to baseball and certainly not limited to just the Yankees, many fans resent the fact that the wealthiest teams get to buy championships.  One fan’s blog expresses a funny take on the teams spending and why it simply is not fair for most other teams in the league.  Because baseball does not have a salary cap, owners are free to spend as much money as they want on their team.  For the Yankees, this is a lot of money.  Enough for a the highest payroll in baseball (and the luxury taxes that come along with it) and a new stadium in the same year.

However, this Yankee team was different than those of previous years.  The team has been trying to buy the best talent every year this decade.  Even so, they haven’t been able to win a championship since 2000 and have seen the rival Red Sox and upstart Rays usurp their thrown in the AL East.  In 2009, the team team was different.  What used to be a bunch of individual stars became an unstoppable unit.  Rodriguez finally hit in the playoffs.  Sabathia proved he was worth every penny.  Teixeira brought defense to first base and the veterans kept it all together.  I am not a Yankee fan, but this was far and away the best team I’ve ever seen. Probably too good.