Click Here for Part 1 of “Anschutz to Sell AEG – NFL Still Coming, Part 1″

Now that you’ve read Part 1, let’s jump right into the second half of the article. With the NFL already three weeks in (!!), let’s dive into the three most likely teams that will move to LA and my prediction for which franchise it will ultimately be, starting with…

Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders, previously the Los Angeles Raiders, as tenants of the Los Angeles Coliseum between 1982-1994, have considered a return to Los Angeles. Currently, the Raiders play in antiquated O.co Coliseum, which generated only $48 million in stadium revenue last season – the lowest figure in the NFL.[1] The team still has $125 million of debt outstanding on loans from Oakland-Alameda County that it is paying in part from concession and parking revenue. According to Forbes’ annual “NFL Team Valuations” list, the 2012 Raiders are currently valued at $785 million, ranking 30^th out of the 32 NFL teams.[2] O.co’s lack of premium seating and luxury boxes, retail space, and entertainment areas, which are all features that newer stadium facilities possess, has prevented the Raiders from generating maximum revenue, and has left current owner Mark Davis (son of recently-departed Al Davis, the Raiders’ longtime owner) in the unenviable position of determining the tenuous future of his father’s beloved franchise.

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Phil Anschutz has shockingly decided to sell his multi-billion dollar sports and entertainment conglomerate AEG.

Late on the night of September 17, a story first reported by the Wall Street Journal revealed the impending sale of Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), a huge sports and entertainment conglomerate that owns the Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings, Coachella music festival, Staples Center, Farmers Field, part of Los Angeles Lakers basketball, and many other sports venues around the globe. The Los Angeles-based company has also been a leader in trying to bring an NFL franchise back to LA, as evidenced by their attempt to seek approval to build Farmers Field in LA that would ultimately be an NFL team’s home. Owned by Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz and managed by widely respected CEO and president Tim Leiweke, AEG’s dynamic duo was anointed as the high-powered dream team that would bring football back to LA. Mock-ups of Farmers Field had Los Angeles fans salivating over the $1.2 billion facility that would surely attract teams like the Jaguars and Vikings to uproot and relocate to the nation’s second largest market. Now, the impending sale of AEG has shaken the sports landscape and caused many fans and journalists to doubt the likelihood of NFL football in LA.

On September 17, renowned sports columnist Bill Simmons tweeted:

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This year, the students of Georgetown’s graduate Sports Industry Management program will have the unique treat of being visited by industry professionals on a regular basis to hear them speak about their work and career, and best of all, answer questions and provide priceless insight into developing a career in the sports industry. Check back frequently for updates on the Global Sports Business Speaker Series.

September 13, 2012 – Bruce Bundrant, Head of Commercial Partnerships at Liverpool Football Club

The Fall 2012 Global Sports Business Speaker Series began Thursday, September 13, with a visit from Bruce Bundrant, a 15-year sports veteran in international business, primarily in soccer (he actually referred to the sport as ‘football’, which immediately endeared him to me and the few other international students in the room).

Bundrant began the talks with a brief overview of his career in the sports industry, which started with an internship at DC United whilst he was gaining his Masters in Sports Management at West Virginia. When I asked about how he had managed to get this start in the industry, Bundrant referred to a combination of perseverance and luck, as Major League Soccer was no more than a couple years old, and during his time as an intern the club hosted the championship game and won the MLS Cup. This exposure acted as a springboard for Bundrant’s career, which saw him work for the European Marketing Firm Sport 5, GMR Marketing, and finally Liverpool FC.

Throughout his career Bundrant has held varying roles in sales, sponsorship and buying, emphasizing how important it is to get experience in all angles in order to “stay ahead of the game” and be successful in this extremely competitive industry. As an example, Bundrant credited his experience at GMR as a buyer to his success at Liverpool where he worked in sales, as he was able to see what both parties would be looking for in a deal.

The talks concluded with several questions regarding Major League Soccer and the Premier League. Bundrant noted the value that Premier League teams are now placing in eastern markets, rather than the west, given the enormous fan base in Asia and the crowded market in America.

Next week’s speaker will be Deb Fiddelke, Chicago 2016 Summer Olympic Bid Committee, Vice President, Edelman.

Click Here to listen to Episode 15 of “I Totally Agree”

“I Totally Agree” is a podcast recorded and produced by Georgetown Sports Industry Management students Gene Horlbeck and Chris Yortsos. The podcast touches on relevant topics in the sports industry as well as individual insights into the business of the industry.

In this episode, Chris and Gene breakdown today’s surprising news of Notre Dame joining the ACC.  Is this a good move for both parties?  What is the effect on the other major conferences?  Listen in for all the answers.

The NHL off-season is always a tough time for hockey fans (especially when there is a lockout threat). I decided to avoid my frustration about the potential lockout and instead use that energy for good. Take lemons and make lemonade. And that is what this blog post is all about. One Georgetown SIM student who has done just that!

Jonathan Merrill, a recent SIM graduate, started a business (Creative Collectibles) building furniture out of… wait for it…hockey sticks.

Although Jonathan is just getting started, he already sold a Capitals repurposed hockey-stick chair online for $800. Pretty cool, right?

Other creative collectibles include a coat rack made out of stick blades and picture frames/puck holders made from broken sticks.

When I asked Jonathan about how he got started creating household items out of hockey equipment, he cited his internship from his time in the Georgetown SIM program, “While interning with a NHL team and running their memorabilia game auctions, I noticed that players were always breaking sticks and they were being thrown away.”

Jonathan saw this ‘trash’ as the beginning of a innovative project. You know what they say, one man’s broken hockey stick is another man’s treasure.

According to Jonathan, “After doing some research online, I realized that some pretty cool stuff can be created from recycled sports equipment. I didn’t come up with idea for many of the things I have made, but when most people see Creative Collectibles for the first time they act like I invented the wheel.”

His company, “Creative Collectibles” has a new facebook page, twitter page, and he is available for orders if you email him at jm885@georgetown.edu.