Week 6 Fantasy Football Player Rankings

Week 6 Rankings               Teams on Bye Weeks: Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins

QB’s:

1.       Peyton Manning ( Jac)

2.       Drew Brees (@NE)

3.       Aaron Rodgers (@ Bal)

4.       Robert Griffen III (@Dal)

5.       Cam Newton (@Min)

6.       Tom Brady (NO)

7.       Colin Kaepernick (Ari)

8.       Philip Rivers (Ind)

9.       Tony Romo (Wsh)

10.   Andrew Luck (@SD)

11.   Matt Stafford (@Cle)

12.   Nick Foles (@TB)

13.   Joe Flacco (GB)

14.   Russell Wilson (Ten)

15.   Jay Culter (NYG)

16.   Eli Manning (@Chi)

17.   Geno Smith (Pit)

18.   Alex Smith (Oak)

19.   Terrell Pryor (@KC)

20.   Andy Dalton (@Buf)

21.   Sam Bradford (@Hou)

22.   Ben Roethlisberger (@NYJ)

23.   Mike Glennon (Phi)

24.   Brandon Weeden (Det)

25.   Matt Schaub (STL)

26.   Carson Palmer (@SF)

27.   Chad Henne (@Den)

28.   Matt Cassel (Car)

Week 5 threw some surprises our way. Tony Romo threw for more yards than he had in the previous two weeks combined and added 5 touchdown passes to his total of 14 for the season. Geno Smith looked outstanding Monday night as the Jets beat the Falcon and Nick Foles stepped in for Michael Vick to secure a win for the Eagles.

Peyton Manning is playing the best football of his life and that is why he remains the number one quarterback. Drew Brees keeps pace with the record books and will deliver a performance to remember against the Patriots. That being said, for the Patroits to stay in this game they will need to deliver offensively. Look for Tom Brady will respond with big numbers this week after a poor performance last week. Gronk will only help his stats in the red zone. Aaron Rodger and the Packers are back to their winning ways, look for him to score often against the Ravens as the Pack Attack will look to help out their banged up defense by scoring lots of points. I think that Cam Newton, RG3, and Kaepernick turn the corner this week. Look for them to run early to set up the play action and passing later in the game.

Sleepers: Nick Foles and Geno Smith

The Bucs will test Nick Foles early and he will have to pass to set up McCoy and the run. I think that Foles steps up and passes well this week look for him to throw over 250 yards and 2 touchdowns. I don’t think that Geno Smith will play as well as he did on Monday but look for him to open up the field with his running ability. I think that he is a good waiver wire stash for bye weeks.

Struggles: Tony Romo and Matt Schaub

Matt Schaub is not much of a deviation with how he has played this season, but I think he struggles and T.J. Yates starts the second half only to do just as bad. If you had Tony Romo sitting on your bench last week you will certainly question yourself but don’t. You obviously have a better option and while Romo can post great stats sometimes he falls apart under pressure. The Cowboys don’t run the ball often which means it is up to Romo pass often. Tony is a boom or bust fantasy player so when he gets protection and can find his wide-out he is a top QB, but when he gets under duress such as with his pick late in the game he tends to make mistakes. Coming off the bye, I think the Redskins get the best of him this week.  

College Players Protest NCAA

In an athlete-driven national movement, football players from Georgia Tech, Georgia, and Northwestern took the field Saturday wearing gear they had marked up in protest to the NCAA’s treatment of athletes on issues ranging from compensation to player safety. Student athletes from these teams marked their wristbands and towels with APU standing for---All Players United----in a show of support against how the NCAA treats college athletes.

The issue at stake is whether student athletes should be compensated by the NCAA. The argument the APU makes is that these student athletes risk their bodies for the profit of others. This hot topic of debate has some feel as though student athletes are compensated enough by scholarships, while others feel as though a scholarship is not enough. The NCAA has stated that they will not compensate student athletes. They are also currently battling a lawsuit from current and former student athletes regarding to how the NCAA profits off the names and likableness of its student athletes. (See my article on the O’BannonLawsuit) The NCAA has continued to see their support drop and public showings such as these by the athletes will only draw more criticism. I understand where critics of compensating student athletes come from; however, I feel that college athletes should be compensated in some way other than just from scholarships.

Will O’Bannon Change College Athletics?

This case presents a natural tie-in to the Johnny Manziel autograph story which is the debate over whether or not athletes should be allowed to profit off their name, image and likeness. Should the plaintiffs prevail in the “O’Bannon case,” college athletics will be radically transformed which may bring to an end amateur sport as we know it. What is being called into question is whether the NCAA and co-defendants EA Sports and Collegiate Licensing Company violated antitrust law by conspiring to fix a price of zero for use of college athletes' likenesses in their products. This has major implications to college sports because a victory for the plaintiffs would force a major concession by the NCAA and may lead to college athletic compensation. 

CEO’s Don’t Value Social Media

If you could help your company grow by joining social media, would you? The CEO’s from the majority of the world's largest companies don't seem to care much for social media and the reason why isn't clear. They likely don't care or are far busier working and think it's a distraction. Social media has grown faster than industry knowledge on how to use it and if social media is a vital part of today’s online experience, why do so many CEO's neglect it?”

The social media world is huge and for companies to continue to grow and connect with their customers they must embrace this social world. How big are these networks? As of January 2013, the five largest social networks based on active monthly users were: Facebook (1 billion), YouTube (800 million) and Google+ (343 million) followed by Twitter and LinkedIn with 200 million active monthly users each. A study released Wednesday by Domo and CEO.com found that nearly 70% of Fortune 500 CEO's have no presence whatsoever on any major social media channels, including Facebook,Twitter, LinkedIn or Google+. Of the 30% that choose to engage in social media, nearly all of them (28%) do so through LinkedIn. While the number of CEO's utilizing the other three networks is small, it appears that Twitter is the only other social channel Fortune 500 CEO's are moving toward. Here are some of the report's most interesting findings:

Orlando City Envisions a “Brazilian Beckham”

When David Beckham signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy there was fervor of excitement from everyone. Beckham was the first major international signing for Major League Soccer and while he was known by fans for his ability on the field, he was also an icon off. The “Beckham effect” led to an increased awareness of soccer in the United States and a growth of MLS. Since the signing of Beckham the MLS has added 7 teams and built numerous soccer specific stadiums. MLS Commissioner Don Garber said last week the league will add four new teams by 2020. With league revenue growing many minor league teams vie for one of these four spots. While clubs reputations will be considered in the process, the ability to draw top talent has become a major factor in deciding who will be accepted into the league.

Owners of Orlando City Soccer Club are making a pitch for a funding plan to build a soccer specific stadium in Orlando. The minor league team is trying to build a soccer specific stadium as part of a quest for a major league soccer franchise. In local government presentations on Tuesday, Orlando City S.C. said that they truly invision themselves signing a “Brazilian Beckham” when they plan to enter Major League Soccer in 2020. Orlando is thought to be a front-runner in being added to the league. "MLS is waiting for us to say we have a funding plan for a stadium, and then they will give us a franchise," Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said. "It's as simple as that."

Phoenix Sun's: Nothing Like a Rivalry

There is nothing better for sports teams than rivalry games. To have your team showcased on national television, and see increased ticket and merchandise sales during the course of a regular season game is invaluable to any organization. The Phoenix Suns plan to revive their rivalry with Los Angeles and bring the energy back into their stadium when they face their Western Conference competitors.  

The brawl between the Diamondbacks and Dodgers this season demonstrates the power of rivalry games. After the brawl both teams saw an increase in ticket sales, social media interaction, and interest in the next time both teams met. If anything good came out of the brawl other than Mark McGwire nearly getting into a fist fight, it was the resurgence of a rivalry between two teams. The Phoenix Sun’s seek to create this kind of rivalry with Los Angeles so that they can increase national television exposure, ticket sales, and merchandise sales.   

Ref Cam Gives New Perspective

In case you missed it, the wireless ref cam was featured in last night’s game between the MLS All Stars and A.S. Roma. The Ref Cam is a person-wearable wireless camera system designed to capture the point-of-view (POV) of the referee during live broadcast productions of sporting events. The camera is positioned at the eye level of a referee, giving viewers a first-person perspective of the field. Ref cam has been seen on other televised sports this year, including WNBA and European Rugby matches; however, with the growing use of the ref cam for major televised events, it seems as though televised sports are moving in the direction of using a ref cam with every broadcast. This is a step in the right direction for viewers because the camera angle brings you onto the pitch for a first-person perspective which allows viewers onto the field and into the action. For every call you think the ref got wrong, you can see it from the refs’ angle the moment they made the call and that adds value to viewers.

                                                      

NFL Makes Major Pro Bowl Changes

The NFL is making big changes to this year’s Pro Bowl, the AFC vs. NFC format has been eliminated in favor of captains picking 43 players regardless of conference. The NFL is trying to revitalize their All Star game much like MLB. Controversy stirred over Roger Goodell's comments that players played with a lack of effort in the Pro Bowl game; however, last year’s game put an end to such controversy. The problem is that the game has little meaning and impact on the players. Fans see it is seen as a vacation game for the NFL’s Elite and that misperception won’t change unless the NFL starts to make some changes. When the halftime entertainment for the Super Bowl generates more excitement than a game that is supposed to showcase the NFL’s best talent then you know something is wrong.

Major reasons why fans do not like the game are the rules. The game has many limitations from a traditional football game there is no blitzing, no blocking punts or field goals, no more than two wideouts lined up on one side, no offensive shifts or movements on the offensive line prior to the snap, no defensive alignments besides the basic 4-3.To make the game even more like a scrimmage, Intentional Grounding is legal. The problem the NFL has with this game is that no one cares about it. Even with the change of date to before the Super Bowl, the Pro Bowl is the most meaningless all star game in sports. Television ratings aren't the problem the quality of the game is.

Milwaukee Brewers Give Back to Fans

Brewers owner Mark Attanasio announced that all fans attending any of the 12 Brewers home games in August would receive a $10 voucher for free concessions, merchandise and game tickets at Miller Park. This announcement comes shortly after Mark promised to give back to the fans following Ryan Braun’s suspension and a dismal season as the team sits in last place of the NL Central. Every ticketed fan who attends a home game through August will receive a voucher good for $10 that can be used for food, beverage, merchandise and tickets sold at nearly every outlet. Vouchers may also be combined and be used at any remaining home game in 2013.

The Brewers are trying to fill seats at a time when they are far out of the playoff race. With all of the anger and controversy surrounding Ryan Braun, this promotion should provided some added incentive for fans to venture over to Miller Park and catch a baseball game.  The Brewers are giving back to the fans. Coincidentally, Braun is forfeiting about $3.1 million of pay while suspended. With attendance expected to be above 30,000 in August, the Brewers expect to distribute more than $3.6 million worth of vouchers. This added savings from Ryan Braun’s suspension should subsidize the cost of this promotion and give the fans something to talk about other than the steroid suspension.

The Impact of Moneyball on Sports and Business

Moneyball has forever changed the way that people will see the game of baseball. Billy Beane developed a system which evaluated talent using big data to find the best value in players to build a winning team. This strategy led the 2002 Oakland A’s to a record winning season and changed Major League Baseball forever. The principles Billy developed for evaluating talent stands for much more than just baseball. People that make decisions using discipline, who are managing trend lines, growing the business, and making hard decisions, adhere to the same principles of Moneyball. After the release of the book Moneyball, Wall Street took to heart the principles which Billy developed and so should you. 

MLB All-Star Game Reaches New Records

The 2013 Major League All-Star game has proven to be a great success for baseball. This year’s Mid-Summer Classic delivered as a social media showcase and provided fans with more engagement than ever.  The statistics from twitter have shown that this year, fans wanted to have their opinion heard about who made the team and who the winner would be. This growth of interest in the All Star game demonstrates how the game has become important to the fans again. Gone is the time when the American and National league teams would approach this game as a friendly and throw out every position player and pitcher who made the team regardless of the score, and the fans have responded demonstrating their growing interest in the game through social media and television ratings. They care about who makes the team, who wins this game, and how their favorite players perform.

Should Little League Ban the Curveball?

The curveball has long been the discussion of much debate in Little League baseball. For years, parents and doctors have agreed that the curveball has been the cause of unnecessary damage to young pitchers arms. However, recent studies have shown no correlation between increase in the damage to young pitchers arms from a curveball or fastball. Little League has taken great steps over the years to protect young players on the diamond; however, when players play year round and youth coaches’ priorities are to win games, this pitch can be overused and lead young pitchers to blowing out their arms.

For the past several years, researchers at Georgia Tech have been tracking every pitch used in the Little League World Series. Their results have shown that with every year there is an increase in how many curveballs are thrown. These young players see pitchers like Justin Verlander and Matt Harvey on the television fooling batters with breaking pitches and they want to throw like the pros. The problem is that professional players are more physically developed and are working with the best coaches in the world to learn the proper mechanics to protect their arms. Little League pitchers learn these pitches throwing in backyards and rarely have experienced coaches who understand correct mechanics to protect their arms.

Charleston RiverDogs: A Winning Promotion

Objectives: Minor League Baseball promotions inspire MiLB Executives to react with sentiments such as “Why didn’t I think of that?” Then there was the event staged by the Charleston RiverDogs on June 18th, where MiLB Executives reacted along the lines of “I never would have thought of that!” Minor League Baseball has long been praised for doing non-traditional things surrounding the game to fill seats and increase revenue. When the RiverDogs announced that they would host the 53^rd annual South Atlantic League All-Star Game they sought to do something creative to excite fans and increase ticket sales for the event. When the team announced that they would be holding the Home Run Derby on the flight deck of the USS Yorktown, something which has never been done before, the world took notice of this event.

How To Improve Your Social Media ROI

#1: Use Social Media to Promote Your Offers

Social Media is an inexpensive way to use promotion to sell tickets, keep new and existing customers, and create excitement for your team. Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and LinkIn help drive interest and customers to your market and are important channels to gain attention for your promotions. Ways to better engage your customer base:

   

·        Create polls that ask customers fun questions related to your products or service.

·         Ask customers to share pictures.

·         Tweet interesting or unusual facts about your team or franchise.

·         Create a Youtube channel and regularly add fun and useful videos.

·         Launch a video contest: Ask fans what they like about going to games.

·         Join LinkIn groups which are popular with your customers.

·         Ask customers to provide recommendations to improve the fan experience.

·         Post interesting articles, announcements, special offers, and team related news.