Ruthless Accountability: What the Business of Sports Can Teach SVB
March 15, 2023 (New York, New York): Patrick Ewing had what it takes. Arguably one of the greatest college basketball players of all time at Georgetown University, the dominant New York Knicks center (1985–2000) went on to succeed legendary John Thompson as head coach of the Hoyas.
That stage of his celebrated life has now come to an end as Georgetown president President John J. DeGioia announced on March 9th that the school was entering a new chapter seeking a new leader to serve at the helm of its storied program. After an unGeorgetown-like 7-win, 25-loss record this year, Ewing was fired.
He’s in fine company. Another legendary coach, responsible for securing 35 of the school’s 41 NCAA tournament appearances, was ousted after 47 seasons with Syracuse. Jim Boeheim has seen it all. But on March 8th just hours after the Orange were bested by Wake Forest in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, a hotly contested 77–74 defeat, the powers that be at Syracuse declared that the near half-century of Boeheim stewardship had ended.
He’s in fine company as well. Another 20 high-profile college basketball coaches found themselves in need of headhunters following disappointing results in their respective conferences.
Far more rigorous of a system holding talent to perform at an elite level is the one applied to athletes. Clemson’s DJ Uiagalelei, the pre-season Heisman candidate who inked an unprecedented seven figure NIL deal to endorse Dr. Pepper, found out the hard way that past credentials will only get you so far. Not only was he benched in his final regular season game by head coach Dabo Swinney but he suffered the indignity of having to secure home at Oregon State to proffer his wares. Brutal accountability. But it sends an explosive shot across the bow. No one is safe.
Lest one think that this is strictly reserved for the college realm, the pros are far more ruthless. Take Nathaniel Hackett of the Denver Broncos. Steering the Broncos for less than a season, he went 4–11, with zero playoff appearances. He’s in fine company. Just ask College Football Playoff National Championship coach Urban Meyer. His one-and-done demise as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars (2–11) in 2021 was a wake-up call. The list goes on and on. You’re only as good as your last winning season.
Mediocrity dulls the senses of billionaire pro team owners and collegiate team custodians alike. And it does so in all sports at all levels of the game. Immunity from unrealized and unfulfilled expectations of excellence is a non-starter in sport. A quarterback who keeps throwing multiple interceptions game-in game-out is going to be benched. No two ways about it. On the positive side, such proactive intervention ensures that the team still has a shot at redemption.
On the flip side, segments in corporate America appear to have been empowered to operate with a carte blanche license to fail. In fact, aiding and abetting the Too Big To Fail mentality will only yield bigger and more prominent failures. Big boys with big toys who play with other people’s cash continue to make bona fide big mistakes, fully aware that there’s a high probability that Uncle Sam will clean up their mess.
In simple terms, the Federal government plays the role of drug dealer with the taxpayer playing the unwanted role of junkie. Yes, that’s what a bailout is.
Structural changes in the aftermath of The Great Recession were supposed to protect our financial system from the present carnage. SVB’s market cap was $16.7B just one week ago. It was $32B just one year ago. All that wealth is gone. Evaporated. No protection. All those shareholders have zero recourse. No bailout for the moms and pops of America who held, say, $15,000 in their retirement portfolio.
I get it. Shareholders are a different breed, a different class than depositors. There’s risk in everything. Yes, even banking. But risk of insolvency and bankruptcy of the 16th largest bank in America–no. And by the way, depositors understood risk too. The FDIC secures a max of $250,000 of each independent account. At least, that’s what its purview is in theory.
When all is said and done, there is something to be said about being under surgical scrutiny that fosters accountability. Perhaps it’s time to broadcast a new weekly show on Netflix just to keep the Federal Reserve and financial C-Suite in check. We can call it…The Banking Games.
Steve Feuerstein is a 30-year veteran of the sports marketing and sponsorship industry. A former rights owner of professional sports events, agent to athletes, and tri-state New York radio show host, Steve founded SportsBiz to develop 21st-Century solutions steeped in AI and machine learning previously unavailable to corporate sponsors.
SportsBiz develops dynamic software that serve sponsors of professional sports, collegiate sports, and eSports. The company has recently introduced a novel TV, Web, and Social Media valuation and recommendation solution. Additional soon-to-be-released solutions include Social Impact, Metaverse, BrandMatch, and Campaign Recommendation Engine. Learn more at
SportsBiz.com.
SportsBiz Appoints Worldwide Technology, Media & Advertising Executive David J. Moore as Chairman of the Board
Some of the most iconic commercials in the sports industry history have been those that embraced athletes on their home turf bearing personal, intimate messages penetrating the hearts and minds of the masses.
NEW YORK — (BUSINESS WIRE) — SportsBiz Inc. announced today that technology, media and advertising industry leader David J. Moore has been named Chairman of the Board. Moore joins SportsBiz after 12-years at the executive level of the world’s largest advertising group, WPP, where he served as President of WPP Digital and Chairman of Xaxis.
Moore was the founder and CEO of 24/7 Real Media, which he sold to WPP for $649 million in 2007. In his time at WPP, Moore championed the transformative role of technology through the development of new media products that deliver quantifiable value. He also helped support and develop a range of WPP venture investments.
SportsBiz is disrupting the way corporate sponsors spend their money, maximize their sponsorship investments and objectively measure their results through its advanced AI software solutions. For the first time in the 60+-year history of the business of sports, brands will be empowered to control the entire sponsorship process via target market KPI inputs and optimize their $100B+ spend on athletes, teams, leagues, stadiums and events.
“We have built a culture at SportsBiz which prides itself on excellence and Dave is the paragon of all things extraordinary. He’s a visionary. He’s an elite strategist. He’s a fighter. He’s an accomplished and dynamic corporate thinker and entrepreneur. In short, he’s the embodiment of everything that a team like ours has been looking for — what a privilege it is to welcome him on board,” noted SportsBiz’s Founder & CEO, Steve Feuerstein.
Moore will assume a vital role crafting and implementing the company’s fundraising, new client acquisition and public relations strategies. In addition, Moore also has the first right to invest $500,000 as part of the company’s overall $3.5 million present raise.
Reflecting on his decision to join the company at its helm, Moore stated, “I’ve been part of many outstanding companies in my career. It goes without saying, that after extensive research and discussions about the unique value of SportsBiz’s DeepSport Solution, it was an easy decision to be a part of this vibrant company.”
“Through emerging technologies and AI, our solutions are going to radically change the business of sports. Moreover, SportsBiz’s ability to remedy vast and costly pain points that sponsors routinely experience is steeped in decades of living and breathing their day-to-day challenges. What an unprecedented value proposition!”
Steve Feuerstein is a 30-year veteran of the sports marketing and sponsorship industry. A former rights owner of professional sports events, agent to athletes, and tri-state New York radio show host, Steve founded SportsBiz to develop 21st-Century solutions steeped in AI and machine learning previously unavailable to corporate sponsors.
About SportsBiz SportsBiz develops a blend of dynamic AI-enabled and human-fusion software solutions that serve sponsors of professional sports, collegiate sports, and eSports. Its first go-to-market offer in Q4 2022 is a TV, Web and Social Media Value Analysis & Recommendation Engine to objectively measure and optimize brand exposure. Soon-to-be-released solutions include Social Impact, Organic Event Creation, Metaverse, BrandMatch, NIL and Campaign Recommendation Engine. Learn more at SportsBiz.com
Timeless Athlete Endorsements: The Masterful Humanizing of Sports Stars
Some of the most iconic commercials in the sports industry history have been those that embraced athletes on their home turf bearing personal, intimate messages penetrating the hearts and minds of the masses.
Mean Joe Green
Looking back at the timeless Mean Joe Green endorsement of Coke in 1979, one cannot help but be reminded that beyond the gritty hype, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ star athlete is as delicate as the next guy.
An admiring fan offered up his Coke to the agonizing Green as the towering defensive tackle passed him in the tunnel. Green’s “unMean-like” toss of his jersey to the compassionate young boy sentimentally impacted every teenager of my youth.
Michael Jordan
Another iconic ad for the ages was Michael Jordan’s introspective, soul-bearing reminiscence during his 30-second narrative entitled “Failure” promoting Nike, a living ode to his failed performances. And yet he never hesitated to step up when the next game was on the line. It was a masterful Madison Avenue achievement, an expression of pure humility while actually touting GOAT-level transcendence.
Threading a needle that both acknowledged failure as a necessity for success was an enormous accomplishment in creative advertising genius. It was a practical education that the only thing to fear is fear itself; that the only thing worse than failing is not trying.
That 1993 masterpiece punctuated an eternal message that it is in fact one’s ability to fail that ultimately contributes to executing one’s greatest potential. It was relatable to many of us who bemoan not winning the proverbial lottery because we never even bought a ticket. Michael Jordan’s militant drive for excellence and self-empowerment from his own “failure,” is why he hit the jackpot.
Derek Jeter
And then there’s Derek Jeter’s retirement alliance with Gatorade at his final All-Star Game was a bona fide draw on the heartstrings of any sports fan.
Jeter’s unscripted mingling with adoring locals on his home turf adjacent to Yankee Stadium accentuated his greatness via his approachability. Blending into the community and behaving with humility with those who inhabit the hallowed square blocks representing the undisputed soul of the Bronx Bombers, Derek Jeter the Captain became Derek Jeter the New Yorker.
What is truly majestic about an athlete’s iconic status is their ability to provide sponsors with access to the passions of consumers unlike other forms of brand advertising. If the campaign is executed with the right balance of moxy and humility, it can foster an enduring, coveted legacy among sponsor, fan, and athlete.
Such success often warrants that the brand yield center stage to the athlete. Maintaining a low profile during its own product promotion, while counterintuitive and quite the paradox, scores big points with the audience.
In Jeter’s sendoff below, there was one only visible moment during which the iconic Gatorade cooler appeared in this iconic spot. Gatorade, the sponsor and advertiser, takes a mere sliver of screentime to promote its alliance with Jeter.
The closing brilliantly showcases an orange Gatorade lightning bolt emblazoned with the Captain’s Number 2.
This commercial spot culminates in an artful graphic transition where Jeter’s #2 seamlessly fades to a Gatorade logo, as if they are one in the same entity: Jeter equals Gatorade and vice versa. Smart move by the creative strategists over Gatorade’s PepsiCo parent company.
Diana Flores
While she has yet to establish herself as a legend, the young Diana Flores has unquestionably earned emerging iconic status, starring in the NFL’s 90-second tour de force salute to women at this year’s Super Bowl. It was not only entertaining and uplifting, but sported a message of empowerment appealing uniquely to audiences of all ages and genders.
Flores emphatically declared that women can not only play football but they can do so intelligently — playing flag football — without encumbering the brutal risks of the full-contact sport.
The Deafening Silence of NFL Sponsors
Throughout the commercial she razzled and dazzled as she dashed through scene after scene and evaded everyone and anyone with whom she crossed paths trying to pull her flag and render her “tackled.” With flag poised at the hip, she finally finds refuge in the safety of her own home welcomed with what was to be a well-deserved maternal hug. As it ends up in this penultimate scene, even her own mom was deviously in pursuit of her flag. Cute. Smart. Creative.
The Common Thread
A common thread throughout these ads is that advertising executives, brands and sponsors opted to use star athletes in their natural habitat and execute such advertisements with realism and a bit of the unexpected.
As seen with Mean Joe Green, Michael Jordan, and Derek Jeter, iconic ads are not only memorable but have the tendency to be passed from generation to generation. Inspirational by design, they encourage others to excel and strive to achieve their own personal best.
Sponsor’s yearn for little more than to reach the mindscape of its target market in a novel fashion. Brands need to take a step back and remind themselves of the unparalleled power of an iconic athlete. Relatable. Personal. Intimate. Vulnerable.
Postscript: The Future Opportunity
There are tens of thousands of professional, collegiate, and eSport athletes in the United States today. How does a brand even begin to find the best fitting, optimal relationship? How does a brand establish confidence that its choice of Athlete A was a better choice than Athlete B — all things being equal (budget, target market fit, alignment of KPIs)?
In the past, there was little a brand could do other than rely on the guidance of its external agencies or an internal gut check to make that decision. That approach is fast becoming a relic of 20th Century sports marketing.
Technology and the algorithms that companies are building are providing access to a brave new world to usher in far more optimal, sculpted, lasting relationships.
Steve Feuerstein is a 30-year veteran of the sports marketing and sponsorship industry. A former rights owner of professional sports events, agent to athletes, and tri-state New York radio show host, Steve founded SportsBiz to develop 21st-Century solutions steeped in AI and machine learning previously unavailable to corporate sponsors.
SportsBiz develops dynamic software that serve sponsors of professional sports, collegiate sports, and eSports. The company has recently introduced a novel TV, Web, and Social Media valuation and recommendation solution. Additional soon-to-be-released solutions include Social Impact, Metaverse, BrandMatch, and Campaign Recommendation Engine. Learn more at
SportsBiz.com.
Sports sponsorship and the National Football League (NFL) have a real challenge.
There were a total of 49 ads aired during the #superbowl2023 representing 36 minutes of collective commercial broadcast time.
According to the Sports Business Journal, the NFL assembled a sponsorship roster totaling 40 Official Partners for the ’22-’23 season. Those sponsors each pay the NFL rights fees an estimated $40M — $250M annually.
Intellectual property usage — consisting of the rights to the NFL’s coveted name and logo — is routinely one of the more important benefits.
Here’s the kicker: A staggering 78% of all 40 NFL partners opted NOT to advertise during the nation’s biggest game. Of the 11 brands that did, however, ONLY 3 touted their partnership with the NFL by showcasing the brand’s logo next to the NFL shield.
So at the end of the day, only 7.5% of all sponsors of the NFL made the effort to advertise during the game and proudly integrate their NFL designation into their spots. It’s essential to note that collective rights fees paid into the NFL war chest this year totaled an estimated $1.8B.
There’s simply no justification for brands failing to maximize that costly yet special relationship with the NFL. Integrating what they’ve paid for into highly creative advertising that resonates with their target markets is an imperative.
Steve Feuerstein is a 30-year veteran of the sports marketing and sponsorship industry. A former rights owner of professional sports events, agent to athletes, and tri-state New York radio show host, Steve founded SportsBiz to develop 21st-Century solutions steeped in AI and machine learning previously unavailable to corporate sponsors.SportsBiz develops dynamic software that serve sponsors of professional sports, collegiate sports, and eSports. The company has recently introduced a novel TV, Web, and Social Media valuation and recommendation solution. Additional soon-to-be-released solutions include Social Impact, Metaverse, BrandMatch, and Campaign Recommendation Engine. Learn more at
SportsBiz.com.
