There's a group of people who I interact with (real life friends and social media acquaintances) who just don't understand why I'm so concerned about the current Browns regime.
Call me a hater, Mangini's #1 fan, an idiot, a moron, someone lacking football sense all you want. The fact is I have some very deep concerns that are football related, and if you want to listen and open up your mind, you will understand that my arguments are strongly based in logic. Where do we begin?
-Rewind to 2009: Eric Mangini just led the Browns to 4 wins in a row. Mike Holmgren comes in and decides to retain Mangini. Seems like a good move at the time. Hell, I agreed with the move. However, here's where the train starts taking the wrong turn...
2010 Offseason: Holmgren tells Mangini and the media that he wants to win now (or what the current trend of what mostly girls like to say: "RIGHT MEOW!!!!!!!!"). By doing so, the Browns sign Scott Fujita (a great locker room guy and solid player, but not an impact guy), Chris Gocong (see: Fujita, Scott for description), trade for Peyton Hillis (smart for 2010), and sign over the hill turnover machine Jake Delhomme and solid career backup Seneca Wallace.
Now, all these vets serve a purpose, even Delhomme. However, this purpose has absolutely nothing to do with "winning now." These are locker room guys who are meant to provide adequate production, and in the case of Delhomme he's a veteran meant to teach a young guy how to play the position of QB. In no way would any rational mind think these guys are impact players meant to fulfill Holmgren's mandate of "winning now."
The 2010 Draft was solid despite the gambles on Montario Hardesty and Colt McCoy. This draft is still panning out, and for all we know Hardesty can show us something next year being a full year removed from the ACL tear. However, to expect your impact players to come from a single draft and to make an impact as rookies is once again irrational and does not fulfill Holmgren's mandate of "winning now."
So here we are going into the 2010 season with a roster void of impact players and lacking a true starting QB option, and the coach has a Team President-mandate to win now. It just so happens that the schedule is the toughest in the NFL, too.
Is this really fair to Mangini? Not at all, but I trusted that Holmgren was a rational thinker: that this is year two of a massive rebuilding project, and year one of said rebuilding project with a true General Manager at the helm. Of course Mangini wasn't truly expected to win now, was he? He wasn't going to make Mangini the fall guy for a subpar roster so he didn't look bad...was he?
2010 Regular Season:
The Browns were clearly undermanned week in and week out, but somewhere along the line established an identity: they ran the football down your throat with a punishing running game and played generally solid defense. The run defense was massively improved compared to years past, and Rob Ryan's schematic vision was finally starting to be seen by the masses: Browns fans were starting to envision just what this exotic defense would look like with TRUE playmakers on defense. The Special Teams were once again spectacular.
However, Jake Delhomme was not playing well even before his ankle injury. Seneca Wallace still played like a backup QB. Then Seneca got hurt and the focus moved to Colt McCoy. Colt was impressive in his first start against the Steelers, decent against the Saints (truthfully, the defense won that game), and sensational against the Patriots. The Browns worked their way up to 3-5, going 3-2 in the last 5 games...but even before that, fans could see just how close to victory the Browns were against truly tough teams (Bucs, Chiefs and Falcons come to mind). In many cases, coaching got them close, but fumbles and other non-coaching related blunders kept the Browns from victory.
The Browns had momentum going into the Jets game, which in my opinion was the turning point of the 2010 season. It was Coach Mangini's old team, with many of the players he coached up, vs. his new team. It was Colt McCoy's most impressive game, in fact, I truly thought the game tying drive signaled his arrival to the NFL. The Browns got within field goal range but a Chansi Stuckey fumble in overtime signaled the end.
It was downhill from there. Scott Fujita was injured in the game and ruled out for the season after that. This was a major injury because Fujita was a major reason behind the improvement of the run defense. Without Fujita, the defense devolved back to the shoddy run defenses of years past.
Colt McCoy was hurt in the following game, and a (now healthy) Jake Delhomme squeaked out a couple wins despite looking like he was driving an out of control car ready to crash it at any second.
However, when Colt came back, he wasn't the same Colt we saw from before. He suddenly looked like a rookie...defenses had finally figured out how to game plan against him and he was ineffective. By this point, rumblings of Mangini's job security had shaken Berea, and Mangini lost the locker room.
Until the wheels fell off on the season and questions about Mangini's job security became apparent, we could say this about the Browns: they were an undermanned yet physical football team. The Browns may not win, but the next morning, you KNEW you played the Cleveland Browns the day before. The team was well-prepared and well-coached every week.
And then, despite a roster devoid of playmakers, a merry go round at the QB position, and the toughest schedule in the league, Mangini was fired.
At that point, I knew deep in my heart: Mangini was set up to fail, set up to be the fall guy for a roster that wasn't ready to compete yet. That doesn't sit well with me because it shows a lack of integrity by those who put him in that position. And that comes squarely at the top. They were supposed to have his back and they didn't. Ever get sold out by your superiors at your job? I have (not at my current job, I love my current job). It's not a fun feeling.
The blame game began: Brian Daboll's offense was archaic, I'm bringing in someone to run MY offense, this was Mangini's hand picked roster to win it all (the most laughable argument I've ever heard but people bring it up all the time when slamming the guy), etc.
Then it happened: the Browns hired Pat Shurmur. Shurmur's resume did not read of someone qualified to be an NFL head coach, however I sold myself because of Holmgren and Heckert's familiarity with him. I thought maybe the anonymous guy could be the guy to bring us out of the doldrums.
It made sense because it was a perfect storm: Holmgren's hand-picked coach takes over a roster in Year Two of Heckert's rebuilding process with year two of a QB who showed flashes of brilliance in his rookie year (but also showed some serious warning signs, which I'll get to in a minute) going against a much softer schedule than Mangini faced in 2010. Shurmur was set up for success!
Except it didn't happen. Shurmur's offense makes Daboll's look like the Greatest Show on Turf Rams in comparison. Shurmur undid everything Mangini established with the physical running game and strong special teams. And worst of all: the team is ill-prepared week in and week out. It was apparent Week One against the Bengals when the defense was asleep at the wheel when AJ Green went streaking past everyone to give up the game-clinching TD. Special Teams gaffes have killed the Browns this season. Poor preparation (asleep at the wheel for hurry up offenses, fake field goals, etc) has killed the Browns this season. Most of all, Shurmur doesn't come off as a strong leader: he comes off more like Holmgren's puppet than anything else.
Most of all, we saw the warning signs from Colt McCoy in December of 2010, and Holmgren decided to stick with Colt in 2011 without providing any competition. I understand the reasoning behind it, but I have seen this script before with Charlie Frye in 2006. It did not end well.
What really sticks in my craw this season? The excuses: Colt is a "rookie QB" (no he isn't), The Browns HAD to get younger this season (if that's the case then why the hell didn't we get younger last season?), this is "year two of year one" (again, NO IT IS NOT!!!!!!), the lockout (Jim Harbaugh isn't hurting from it).
Here's the bottom line: Mangini may have not been the best coach on the planet, and no one is saying that he is, but if you're going to replace him after setting him up to fail, you better replace him with someone who looks like a genius by comparison.
I can accept the argument than Mangini was not the guy to lead us to the promised land (but I'll also argue he's been dealt awful hands by both teams he's worked for), but I can't accept that one year after being given a mandate to "win now," suddenly the Browns are making excuses for their new coach because he's their hand-picked guy. Something reeks like bad fish about it. It shows a lack of integrity.
Given everything we have seen this season that has shown ill-preparedness, aloofness and arrogance by the coaching staff, how can we expect a bright future? What makes this front office think that Pat Shurmur is a great coach who will be here for a long time aside from the President's ego?
Don't forget: the buck stops at your desk, Mike Holmgren. Your move.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Remembering Steve Jobs
This post is difficult to write, and it's funny as to why it is so difficult to write: I never met Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs was, for all intents and purposes, the CEO of a global corporation who only knows I exist because of my AppleID I created when I purchased my first iPod back in 2005, and through their financial reports due to the products I have purchased through them. Why should I be so saddened that a billionaire with more money than I can fathom is gone?
Then I realize why this post is so difficult: I'm writing it on my Macbook, which as you know (unless you live under a rock) is made by Apple. I often say one of my biggest mistakes in life was waiting 22 1/2 years before FINALLY switching from Windows to Mac.
Meanwhile, I'm charging my iPad on said Macbook. My iPod nano sits in my car as my playlist whenever sports radio is unlistenable and I also use when I go on runs or walks.
Also meanwhile, I'm finally going to take the iPhone plunge when the iPhone 4S is available. iPhone is a phone I've sought after for years but couldn't take the plunge because it wasn't available for the wireless carrier my family was on. (Now, ironically, I work for the carrier that has carried the iPhone all along, and am paying my $200 early termination fee to leave my family's carrier and go onto my own plan with said original iPhone carrier. Go figure, right?) Apple indirectly writes my paychecks through their incredible mobile products. I literally would not be able to sell products the way I do without Steve Jobs' influence, and I literally would not get paid the way I do without him.
So, needless to say, Apple has a tremendous influence on my life via Steve's vision. You may be the staunchest Windows or Android fan and refuse to cave to Apple's "closed ecosystem," but whether you like it or not, Steve Jobs' influence on your life is as indirectly impacted as it is directly impacted on my life.
Everything that is fundamental in how we communicate or use technology today has been either created by Steve Jobs or created in response to Steve Jobs' creations.
-Without the Mac there is no Windows, or a mouse to navigate. There is no debating this.
-Without the iPhone there's a good chance that all the rage would still be "dumbphones" with full keyboards instead of the move to touchscreen smartphones we have seen in the past few years. Hell, every single smartphone that has been introduced in the past four years has been in direct response to the iPhone. Even touchscreen dumbphones today try to be a primitive version of the iPhone.
-Without the iPhone, Android wouldn't be a household name because Verizon wouldn't have marketed the "Droid" brand so heavily because they desperately needed an iPhone competitor. BlackBerry wouldn't have moved to the interface that they have with BB OS6 and 7, Windows Phone would still be this impossible to use mess of an interface that Joe Public would have no idea how to use. Steve Jobs brought smartphones to the masses, and made them easier to use than even the simplest of flip phones.
-Without the iPad, the tablet market doesn't even exist. Everything before it was those God-awful "Tablet PC's" that were completely unintuitive. I can only imagine how convenient having an iPad would have been in college, because I could store all my notes and textbooks on the device.
-Of course, without the iPod, we'd all still be using those horrific MP3 players of the past.
To lose such an influential figure at an age where he still had plenty of life left if he stayed healthy is a true tragedy for this world.
The biggest lesson that I'll learn from Steve Jobs is how to run a successful business. Chances are I'll never own a business like Apple. But the principles used by Apple are principles that every business should follow, but they sadly do not because of too many accountants and MBA's on the Board of Directors are focused on formulas and operations algorithms instead of focusing on what matters most: PRODUCT. Sure, Apple still has a focus on profit margins and business operations, but they do not compromise the quality of their product in order to reach those goals. Apple doesn't use focus groups because they (rightfully) believe they know what the public wants before they even think they want it. There's a "different" culture at Apple, and most truly successful, game-changing businesses have that "different" approach (Chipotle being a perfect example...they're literally the Apple of the food industry). It's truly a shame that more businesses don't study Apple's corporate philosophy and try to replicate it...I think our economy would rebound as a result, and more jobs with higher paying wages would be created in the process.
So, when you think look at the total body of work, it is not at all surprising to see why so many are deeply saddened by the passing of a legend. The candles and flowers outside of Apple Retail Stores and outside of Apple's corporate campus are certainly warranted. Those who aren't saddened by his passing either have not experienced the joy of his creations, or are ignorant of his impact on the competitions' products they do use. Thank you, Steve Jobs. Thank you for your incredible influence on my life and I hope your influence on Apple will live on for decades after your passing so our lives can be enriched further. You will be sorely missed.
Sent from my Macbook.
Then I realize why this post is so difficult: I'm writing it on my Macbook, which as you know (unless you live under a rock) is made by Apple. I often say one of my biggest mistakes in life was waiting 22 1/2 years before FINALLY switching from Windows to Mac.
Meanwhile, I'm charging my iPad on said Macbook. My iPod nano sits in my car as my playlist whenever sports radio is unlistenable and I also use when I go on runs or walks.
Also meanwhile, I'm finally going to take the iPhone plunge when the iPhone 4S is available. iPhone is a phone I've sought after for years but couldn't take the plunge because it wasn't available for the wireless carrier my family was on. (Now, ironically, I work for the carrier that has carried the iPhone all along, and am paying my $200 early termination fee to leave my family's carrier and go onto my own plan with said original iPhone carrier. Go figure, right?) Apple indirectly writes my paychecks through their incredible mobile products. I literally would not be able to sell products the way I do without Steve Jobs' influence, and I literally would not get paid the way I do without him.
So, needless to say, Apple has a tremendous influence on my life via Steve's vision. You may be the staunchest Windows or Android fan and refuse to cave to Apple's "closed ecosystem," but whether you like it or not, Steve Jobs' influence on your life is as indirectly impacted as it is directly impacted on my life.
Everything that is fundamental in how we communicate or use technology today has been either created by Steve Jobs or created in response to Steve Jobs' creations.
-Without the Mac there is no Windows, or a mouse to navigate. There is no debating this.
-Without the iPhone there's a good chance that all the rage would still be "dumbphones" with full keyboards instead of the move to touchscreen smartphones we have seen in the past few years. Hell, every single smartphone that has been introduced in the past four years has been in direct response to the iPhone. Even touchscreen dumbphones today try to be a primitive version of the iPhone.
-Without the iPhone, Android wouldn't be a household name because Verizon wouldn't have marketed the "Droid" brand so heavily because they desperately needed an iPhone competitor. BlackBerry wouldn't have moved to the interface that they have with BB OS6 and 7, Windows Phone would still be this impossible to use mess of an interface that Joe Public would have no idea how to use. Steve Jobs brought smartphones to the masses, and made them easier to use than even the simplest of flip phones.
-Without the iPad, the tablet market doesn't even exist. Everything before it was those God-awful "Tablet PC's" that were completely unintuitive. I can only imagine how convenient having an iPad would have been in college, because I could store all my notes and textbooks on the device.
-Of course, without the iPod, we'd all still be using those horrific MP3 players of the past.
To lose such an influential figure at an age where he still had plenty of life left if he stayed healthy is a true tragedy for this world.
The biggest lesson that I'll learn from Steve Jobs is how to run a successful business. Chances are I'll never own a business like Apple. But the principles used by Apple are principles that every business should follow, but they sadly do not because of too many accountants and MBA's on the Board of Directors are focused on formulas and operations algorithms instead of focusing on what matters most: PRODUCT. Sure, Apple still has a focus on profit margins and business operations, but they do not compromise the quality of their product in order to reach those goals. Apple doesn't use focus groups because they (rightfully) believe they know what the public wants before they even think they want it. There's a "different" culture at Apple, and most truly successful, game-changing businesses have that "different" approach (Chipotle being a perfect example...they're literally the Apple of the food industry). It's truly a shame that more businesses don't study Apple's corporate philosophy and try to replicate it...I think our economy would rebound as a result, and more jobs with higher paying wages would be created in the process.
So, when you think look at the total body of work, it is not at all surprising to see why so many are deeply saddened by the passing of a legend. The candles and flowers outside of Apple Retail Stores and outside of Apple's corporate campus are certainly warranted. Those who aren't saddened by his passing either have not experienced the joy of his creations, or are ignorant of his impact on the competitions' products they do use. Thank you, Steve Jobs. Thank you for your incredible influence on my life and I hope your influence on Apple will live on for decades after your passing so our lives can be enriched further. You will be sorely missed.
Sent from my Macbook.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
The Curious Case of Holmgren/Heckert/Shurmur
I am going to start by saying this: Truthfully, this is an overreaction to today's stunning, bitter loss to the Bengals, but I need to rant. Hopefully come January we can look back at this piece and laugh.
When Browns President Mike Holmgren fired Eric Mangini and hired Pat Shurmur, the bar was set: despite beating the defending Super Bowl Champion Saints, the always winning Patriots, and coming within a Chansi Stuckey fumble from beating the Jets, apparently Pat Shurmur could do better than Eric Mangini as the Browns' head coach...so Mangini was fired, and Shurmur was hired.
Now, after a loss to a team that was 4-12 a year ago, starting a rookie at QB, that lost its best defensive player, we're supposed to be "patient?"
All offseason Holmgren and Browns GM Tom Heckert skewered the offensive scheme of the 2010 Browns, subtly indicating that it was the scheme's fault that the offense was terrible, not the fact that there was a dearth of talent on the field.
Now, only a Greg Little addition later, the Browns offense looks no different. And the team is far more undisciplined than they were a year ago. The penalties in the first quarter alone were sickening and inexcusable because most high school teams shows more discipline.
The bar was set when Mangini was fired: this Browns team needs to win more than 5 games or else this change at head coach was an absolute failure.
After all, Mangini wasn't given a lot of slack, right?
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
The Rock: The Most Electrifying Launch in Twitter History
I have a confession to make: growing up, I was a HUGE wrestling fan. From the moment I first saw "Macho Man" Randy Savage drop a flying elbow on WCW Saturday Night, I was hooked. Eventually, the Attitude Era of the WWF captivated me until about 2002 when I grew a little older, and the newly christened World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) lost its luster. I occasionally watch today out of the corner of my eye just to keep tabs on who's headlining, and watch the occasional big returns (known among Internet wrestling fans as "mark out moments") of Superstars from years gone by. Guys like Hulk Hogan, the reformation of DeGeneration-X and of course, the return of Bret "The Hitman" Hart were all epic memories for those of us nostalgic for days of Sports Entertainment Past.
However, nothing compared to the return of The Great One, The Most Electrifying Man in All Of Entertainment, The People's Champ, none other than The Rock. I felt like I jumped into a time machine and went back in time about 10-12 years. It was an incredible return that many thought would never happen. And to top it all off: he did it while launching his social media initiatives, which gives me a nice segue into this becoming a professional column for this digital marketing professional.
Here's the truth: The Rock had the greatest launch of a Twitter account in the history of Twitter. Many will disagree because Dwayne Johnson doesn't have the mainstream cache of Tiger Woods or LeBron James, despite starring in many successful feature films. Yes, I remember the hoopla around the launch of LeBron's Twitter account and how rapidly his followers grew. There's are major reasons why The Rock's Twitter launch was the most electrifying launch in the history of Twitter. Dwayne Johnson, World Wrestling Entertainment and the company behind The Rock's Twitter launch, Digital Royalty (the company behind the social media efforts of Shaq, The Cleveland Indians, UFC and many more sports and celebrity social media initiatives) could not have executed this plan better.
The Rock's Twitter launch marked a return to his roots. There is a very small, but important reason why the launch of Dwayne Johnson's Twitter account is so fascinating: The chose the Twitter handle @TheRock. Those who have followed The Rock's career know that he has tried to shed the image of a "pro wrestler acting in movies." When Hulk Hogan was trying to become a movie star, people still thought of him as a "wrestling actor" rather than a true Hollywood star. The Rock successfully made this switch and then tried to shed his nickname. Gone was name "The Rock" or Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson from movie credits, he was simply "Dwayne Johnson." People thought he was embarrassed of his wrestling past, when in reality that was what made him the movie star he is today.
The Rock's Twitter name @TheRock is proof that Dwyane Johnson has not forgotten about where he came from. He can try all he wants to shed his nickname, but he will always be The Rock. He essentially re-branded himself in one fell swoop, realizing that fans everywhere still think of him as The People's Champ even though he also shines on the silver screen. He could have just as easily been @DwayneJohnson, but he chose @TheRock. From a branding perspective, that is a very bold move considering his efforts to shed the nickname in recent years.
The Rock's Twitter launch coincided with an Earth shattering announcement of his return to WWE. I do realize that LeBron's social media efforts coincided with a certain "decision" that caused a metric ton of buzz (I'm still extremely bitter about it, I might add). However, LeBron's social media efforts combined with his "decision" sparked extreme negative sentiment in the social media community that many say destroyed his brand. The Rock, however, successfully created extremely positive buzz among a fan base that was starving for the return of The Great One, and got many past wrestling fans who don't watch anymore (such as myself) extremely interested in present-day WWE, at least until WrestleMania, which The Rock is scheduled to guest host. The hashtag "#therock" was the #1 trending topic on Twitter and "Dwayne Johnson" was the #1 trend among Google Trends. In one fell swoop, The Rock owned the social media landscape, and the sentiment was all positive.
Not only is Dwayne Johnson in the spotlight, but so is World Wrestling Entertainment. The company which runs an amazing social media department has come upon some tough times in the development of new stars. WrestleMania looked to be a snoozer. Instantly, WWE has the attention of current fans, past fans dying for nostalgia and casual observers who remember the golden era of the World Wrestling Federation known as the "Attitude Era." WrestleMania XXVII may break the milestone of one million pay-per-view buys, which would be incredible considering how WWE has fallen among mainstream interest since its peak in 1998-2001.
So bravo to Dwayne Johnson, World Wrestling Entertainment and Digital Royalty. You have successfully electrified both the Sports Entertainment AND social media landscape.
(For those of you who want to rain on this post and say "Wrestling is fake" I say this: it may be scripted, but you try to play a football game 4 or more nights a week with no offseason for a 20-30 year career. Your body gets beaten to hell in sports entertainment and there are the scars, surgeries, mental issues and deaths to prove it.)
However, nothing compared to the return of The Great One, The Most Electrifying Man in All Of Entertainment, The People's Champ, none other than The Rock. I felt like I jumped into a time machine and went back in time about 10-12 years. It was an incredible return that many thought would never happen. And to top it all off: he did it while launching his social media initiatives, which gives me a nice segue into this becoming a professional column for this digital marketing professional.
Here's the truth: The Rock had the greatest launch of a Twitter account in the history of Twitter. Many will disagree because Dwayne Johnson doesn't have the mainstream cache of Tiger Woods or LeBron James, despite starring in many successful feature films. Yes, I remember the hoopla around the launch of LeBron's Twitter account and how rapidly his followers grew. There's are major reasons why The Rock's Twitter launch was the most electrifying launch in the history of Twitter. Dwayne Johnson, World Wrestling Entertainment and the company behind The Rock's Twitter launch, Digital Royalty (the company behind the social media efforts of Shaq, The Cleveland Indians, UFC and many more sports and celebrity social media initiatives) could not have executed this plan better.
The Rock's Twitter launch marked a return to his roots. There is a very small, but important reason why the launch of Dwayne Johnson's Twitter account is so fascinating: The chose the Twitter handle @TheRock. Those who have followed The Rock's career know that he has tried to shed the image of a "pro wrestler acting in movies." When Hulk Hogan was trying to become a movie star, people still thought of him as a "wrestling actor" rather than a true Hollywood star. The Rock successfully made this switch and then tried to shed his nickname. Gone was name "The Rock" or Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson from movie credits, he was simply "Dwayne Johnson." People thought he was embarrassed of his wrestling past, when in reality that was what made him the movie star he is today.
The Rock's Twitter name @TheRock is proof that Dwyane Johnson has not forgotten about where he came from. He can try all he wants to shed his nickname, but he will always be The Rock. He essentially re-branded himself in one fell swoop, realizing that fans everywhere still think of him as The People's Champ even though he also shines on the silver screen. He could have just as easily been @DwayneJohnson, but he chose @TheRock. From a branding perspective, that is a very bold move considering his efforts to shed the nickname in recent years.
The Rock's Twitter launch coincided with an Earth shattering announcement of his return to WWE. I do realize that LeBron's social media efforts coincided with a certain "decision" that caused a metric ton of buzz (I'm still extremely bitter about it, I might add). However, LeBron's social media efforts combined with his "decision" sparked extreme negative sentiment in the social media community that many say destroyed his brand. The Rock, however, successfully created extremely positive buzz among a fan base that was starving for the return of The Great One, and got many past wrestling fans who don't watch anymore (such as myself) extremely interested in present-day WWE, at least until WrestleMania, which The Rock is scheduled to guest host. The hashtag "#therock" was the #1 trending topic on Twitter and "Dwayne Johnson" was the #1 trend among Google Trends. In one fell swoop, The Rock owned the social media landscape, and the sentiment was all positive.
Not only is Dwayne Johnson in the spotlight, but so is World Wrestling Entertainment. The company which runs an amazing social media department has come upon some tough times in the development of new stars. WrestleMania looked to be a snoozer. Instantly, WWE has the attention of current fans, past fans dying for nostalgia and casual observers who remember the golden era of the World Wrestling Federation known as the "Attitude Era." WrestleMania XXVII may break the milestone of one million pay-per-view buys, which would be incredible considering how WWE has fallen among mainstream interest since its peak in 1998-2001.
So bravo to Dwayne Johnson, World Wrestling Entertainment and Digital Royalty. You have successfully electrified both the Sports Entertainment AND social media landscape.
(For those of you who want to rain on this post and say "Wrestling is fake" I say this: it may be scripted, but you try to play a football game 4 or more nights a week with no offseason for a 20-30 year career. Your body gets beaten to hell in sports entertainment and there are the scars, surgeries, mental issues and deaths to prove it.)
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
The Overrating of Mark Sanchez
I can't believe this happened, but man is it awesome: Adam Schefter re-tweeted not one, but two tweets by yours truly and my Twitter feed blew up with replies from Jets fans in outrage over what I said about their franchise quarterback. I need the proper forum to respond and it can't be done in 140 characters, so this is it.
Immediately, the common sentiment among Jets fans is "Enjoy your Pro Bowl center (Alex Mack), we'll keep our QB who has led us to two straight AFC Championship games!" That's fine. You can feel that way. My team is in a rebuilding phase and I believe in a bright future thanks to Browns General Manager Tom Heckert and the development of Colt McCoy. I'm not at all bitter that the Browns let Sanchez go to the Jets when we were in position to draft him. In fact, I'm far more upset the Browns didn't draft Josh Freeman and instead traded our draft position to the Bucs so they could select him.
But here's the truth: Mark Sanchez is overrated. Whether you agree or think I'm just a bitter Jets hater, please understand this...
-A quarterback with passing weapons such as Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards (when he's not dropping the football), Jericho Cotchery, Brad Smith and Dustin Keller should not struggle throwing the football for any reason. The Jets had moments of frustration offensively this season when Sanchez would clearly struggle.
-He had an excellent running game on top of the incredible depth the Jets had at receiver. This should have only helped Sanchez complete passes to his receivers. That didn't happen.
-Offensive line: One of the best in the National Football League. The Jets are solid up front, especially at the center and both tackle positions. Sanchez was rarely under duress.
What's my point? Sanchez was put in literally the perfect position to succeed. He made some progress from year one to year two but overall he was not good enough given the weapons he had at his disposal.
A sub-55% completion percentage, a 75 QB rating and a middle of the road TD/INT ratio is simply not good enough when you have the offensive talent the Jets have. Furthermore, Sanchez's body language and demeanor have been criticized by fans and media in New York at times. I do not see this problem going away in the future, especially as the Jets are expected to lose at least one of their top offensive weapons.
Compare this to Josh Freeman, a fellow 2nd year QB with far less talent on his team: 25 TD's/6 INT's, a completion percentage of an incredible 65.6%! This is the QB I'm FAR more upset the Browns let get away!
In fact, that should be the outrage among Browns fans, not that we traded away the rights to Sanchez.
Hopefully Colt McCoy makes us forget about that draft day blunder. But I certainly don't call the Sanchez trade a bad one, especially since Alex Mack has turned into a very solid anchor on the offensive line.
Immediately, the common sentiment among Jets fans is "Enjoy your Pro Bowl center (Alex Mack), we'll keep our QB who has led us to two straight AFC Championship games!" That's fine. You can feel that way. My team is in a rebuilding phase and I believe in a bright future thanks to Browns General Manager Tom Heckert and the development of Colt McCoy. I'm not at all bitter that the Browns let Sanchez go to the Jets when we were in position to draft him. In fact, I'm far more upset the Browns didn't draft Josh Freeman and instead traded our draft position to the Bucs so they could select him.
But here's the truth: Mark Sanchez is overrated. Whether you agree or think I'm just a bitter Jets hater, please understand this...
-A quarterback with passing weapons such as Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards (when he's not dropping the football), Jericho Cotchery, Brad Smith and Dustin Keller should not struggle throwing the football for any reason. The Jets had moments of frustration offensively this season when Sanchez would clearly struggle.
-He had an excellent running game on top of the incredible depth the Jets had at receiver. This should have only helped Sanchez complete passes to his receivers. That didn't happen.
-Offensive line: One of the best in the National Football League. The Jets are solid up front, especially at the center and both tackle positions. Sanchez was rarely under duress.
What's my point? Sanchez was put in literally the perfect position to succeed. He made some progress from year one to year two but overall he was not good enough given the weapons he had at his disposal.
A sub-55% completion percentage, a 75 QB rating and a middle of the road TD/INT ratio is simply not good enough when you have the offensive talent the Jets have. Furthermore, Sanchez's body language and demeanor have been criticized by fans and media in New York at times. I do not see this problem going away in the future, especially as the Jets are expected to lose at least one of their top offensive weapons.
Compare this to Josh Freeman, a fellow 2nd year QB with far less talent on his team: 25 TD's/6 INT's, a completion percentage of an incredible 65.6%! This is the QB I'm FAR more upset the Browns let get away!
In fact, that should be the outrage among Browns fans, not that we traded away the rights to Sanchez.
Hopefully Colt McCoy makes us forget about that draft day blunder. But I certainly don't call the Sanchez trade a bad one, especially since Alex Mack has turned into a very solid anchor on the offensive line.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
How To: Build A First Class Cleveland
One of the hot button topics among Cleveland-area tweeps/social media activists is how to revitalize Cleveland thanks to Cleveland.com's #CLE20 topic of the week. (I'm not one of the 20 who's supposed to discuss it this month, but I've sorta forced my way in there. I can't help myself; I'm drawn to discussions on how to fix the city that I love dearly.) We can talk for hours discussing ideas for the criminally unused Lakefront, tax incentives for business (I'm not glossing over that fact; tax incentives are an absolute necessity) and marketing campaigns for Cleveland. In the end, it all boils down to one tried and true philosophy:
If you're going to rebuild and revitalize Cleveland, you absolutely MUST build first-class facilities then convey the proper message to the rest of the world.
The new Casino, Medical Mart/East Bank and West Bank and park projects are great starts, but this type of community investment absolutely MUST continue. Let's look at the history of businesses that have been down in the dumps but revitalized themselves. What do they all have in common? They innovate and rebuild themselves into selling first class products and services, then they market them well. While there's a lot more red tape and elections involved with a city government (again, this is why I said I'm NOT glossing over tax incentives for businesses) than a large business, the same principle applies.
Let's take a look:
-Apple was near death in the mid-90's before Steve Jobs was brought back to the company he created. What was the first thing he did? He focused on elegant, first class design, innovation, and marketing. Apple's identity is infamous and recognizable to anyone with a pulse thanks to their brilliant design, innovation and marketing.
-Ford was at $2 on the stock market before they mortgaged literally the entire company, sold all their unnecessary assets that took the focus off of their core brands and focused on design, technology, innovation and smart marketing. Ford focused on making their products the absolute best in the world in terms of quality and fuel efficiency and are well on track to being an American comeback story. Their marketing, with a focus on social media and consumer testimonials, is top notch.
-General Motors and Chrysler actually went bankrupt and needed government rescue, but that doesn't change the fact that they are refocused and are churning out quality product on their way back to prominence. Along the way they've invested in excellent marketing, with GM hiring former Hyundai and Nissan marketing exec Joel Ewanik. And how can you not get chills when you see this new Chrysler ad?
-New York City brought itself back in the 90's by drastically reducing crime and cleaning up the streets. Please keep in mind that New York was an absolute cesspool in the 70's and 80's. They reinvented themselves, and now I <3 NY is an infamous marketing campaign.
These are several examples based on my own personal interests, there are many more comeback stories in business and in city revitalization. But they all share the same central theme: they focus on building first class facilities, attracting first class people to the city and projecting a first class image. Also, cities focus on cleanliness and crime reduction.
We already have first class museums. Let's market them properly. Let's convince our museums to offer an "all-in-one" day pass or a 2 day pass across the city (the Rock Hall and Science Center are a bit of a hike compared to the Art Museum and Museum of Natural History, for example, so it may make sense to break them up in a 2-day package). Can we put together a package with our friends in Canton for the Pro Football Hall of Fame? For the Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown is built around baseball. We're a football city, why not use that to our advantage?
We have first class theaters. Once again, let's market them properly. How about a Museum/Theater combination pack? Fun during the day and fun at night?
Hopkins International Airport? NOT first class, as Mark Szczepanik says in this tweet. The first impression of Cleveland to many travelers is the airport. I'll be honest: Hopkins is the worst airport I have ever been in. If you're going to be a first class city, you must project a first class image and a first class airport is an absolute necessity.
Our schools? I don't even know where to begin. All I can say is this: fix them.
Where will the money come from for all of this? I have no idea. That's not my prerogative. I'm not a politician nor did I stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night. Find a way, use the brain power this city has to figure out ways to spend our capital investment money wisely and do whatever is necessary to allow first-class companies to set up shop in downtown Cleveland.
While the steps may be more complex that I lay out in this post, the central message is clear as to how to fix what ails Cleveland: if you're going to invest in businesses, buildings and other improvements, make them first class and do not allow anything to distract from that central focus. We must do this with an intensity, tenacity and focus unlike anything we have done before.
We can keep the "woe is me" mentality, discuss how miserable the weather is (oh and by the way, Cleveland didn't get hit as hard as most of the country this past week), or we can actually channel our ideas and do something about it. It's our move. Let's go.
If you're going to rebuild and revitalize Cleveland, you absolutely MUST build first-class facilities then convey the proper message to the rest of the world.
The new Casino, Medical Mart/East Bank and West Bank and park projects are great starts, but this type of community investment absolutely MUST continue. Let's look at the history of businesses that have been down in the dumps but revitalized themselves. What do they all have in common? They innovate and rebuild themselves into selling first class products and services, then they market them well. While there's a lot more red tape and elections involved with a city government (again, this is why I said I'm NOT glossing over tax incentives for businesses) than a large business, the same principle applies.
Let's take a look:
-Apple was near death in the mid-90's before Steve Jobs was brought back to the company he created. What was the first thing he did? He focused on elegant, first class design, innovation, and marketing. Apple's identity is infamous and recognizable to anyone with a pulse thanks to their brilliant design, innovation and marketing.
-Ford was at $2 on the stock market before they mortgaged literally the entire company, sold all their unnecessary assets that took the focus off of their core brands and focused on design, technology, innovation and smart marketing. Ford focused on making their products the absolute best in the world in terms of quality and fuel efficiency and are well on track to being an American comeback story. Their marketing, with a focus on social media and consumer testimonials, is top notch.
-General Motors and Chrysler actually went bankrupt and needed government rescue, but that doesn't change the fact that they are refocused and are churning out quality product on their way back to prominence. Along the way they've invested in excellent marketing, with GM hiring former Hyundai and Nissan marketing exec Joel Ewanik. And how can you not get chills when you see this new Chrysler ad?
-New York City brought itself back in the 90's by drastically reducing crime and cleaning up the streets. Please keep in mind that New York was an absolute cesspool in the 70's and 80's. They reinvented themselves, and now I <3 NY is an infamous marketing campaign.
These are several examples based on my own personal interests, there are many more comeback stories in business and in city revitalization. But they all share the same central theme: they focus on building first class facilities, attracting first class people to the city and projecting a first class image. Also, cities focus on cleanliness and crime reduction.
We already have first class museums. Let's market them properly. Let's convince our museums to offer an "all-in-one" day pass or a 2 day pass across the city (the Rock Hall and Science Center are a bit of a hike compared to the Art Museum and Museum of Natural History, for example, so it may make sense to break them up in a 2-day package). Can we put together a package with our friends in Canton for the Pro Football Hall of Fame? For the Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown is built around baseball. We're a football city, why not use that to our advantage?
We have first class theaters. Once again, let's market them properly. How about a Museum/Theater combination pack? Fun during the day and fun at night?
Hopkins International Airport? NOT first class, as Mark Szczepanik says in this tweet. The first impression of Cleveland to many travelers is the airport. I'll be honest: Hopkins is the worst airport I have ever been in. If you're going to be a first class city, you must project a first class image and a first class airport is an absolute necessity.
Our schools? I don't even know where to begin. All I can say is this: fix them.
Where will the money come from for all of this? I have no idea. That's not my prerogative. I'm not a politician nor did I stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night. Find a way, use the brain power this city has to figure out ways to spend our capital investment money wisely and do whatever is necessary to allow first-class companies to set up shop in downtown Cleveland.
While the steps may be more complex that I lay out in this post, the central message is clear as to how to fix what ails Cleveland: if you're going to invest in businesses, buildings and other improvements, make them first class and do not allow anything to distract from that central focus. We must do this with an intensity, tenacity and focus unlike anything we have done before.
We can keep the "woe is me" mentality, discuss how miserable the weather is (oh and by the way, Cleveland didn't get hit as hard as most of the country this past week), or we can actually channel our ideas and do something about it. It's our move. Let's go.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Don't Be Fake on Social Media, But Have Standards
This blog post is mostly inspired by the blog posted by Steve Kaczynski over the weekend entitled "Just Be Yourself On Twitter." It's a great post and I encourage you to check it out: http://stevekaczynski.com/?p=38
His thoughts are 100% accurate, in my opinion. I, too, believe there are too many "Tweet-Bots" on Twitter who are too afraid to show their real personality and tweet only industry-related articles in an effort to look professional. I want to make this perfectly clear: I absolutely believe you should share interesting and informative industry-related articles. It is important when establishing your professional credibility.
However, do you want to stand out as unique and offer your own touch? Or would you rather be part of "the crowd?" This can be tough because you don't want to seem like a "diva" or arrogant by your peers. However, I feel that being able to offer your own opinion on your industry is a benefit to not only yourself, but your employer. It shows the ability to think outside the box and be willing to stand by your opinion. Think of it like a Presidential cabinet: You can have differing opinions as long as you come to a clear consensus and can work together. Hopefully your opinion is well thought out, tactful and professional.
My opinions on sports are well known and I give my sports opinions in the style of a radio show host. My professional opinions are just as strong, however, I deliver them with more professional tact. Why? It's simple: professional opinions are supposed to be delivered intelligently, instead of the "two or more people sitting at the barstool talking over Budweisers" style of sports, pop culture and entertainment discussion.
I also like to talk about pop culture (and relentlessly rip away at the utter American embarrassment known as "Jersey Shore") in snarky tweets, and my utter hatred for LeBron James and all things Pittsburgh. I also don't make it shy that if you haven't looked at a Ford, GM or (2011 and beyond) Chrysler product when car shopping, you're cheating yourself.
There are standards of decency on any level, however. Here are my "Standards and Practices" for non-professional social media (LinkedIn is a completely different ballgame because it's a professional site):
1) Network TV appropriate: I do not drop S-bombs or F-bombs on Twitter, for example. Nor do I cross the line into extremely risque territory. Quite frankly, there are certain trending topics on Twitter that I wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole and I can't believe they become trending topics. If you wouldn't say it in front of your parents, don't say it on Twitter or Facebook.
2) No personal insults: unless we're talking about LeBron James (but even then there's a line that I don't quite feel comfortable crossing). It's just not classy. Not much else to say here.
3) Avoid really strong political opinions: To be clear: it is very, VERY important to be active and interested in politics in this country. However, to be abrasive and insult the other party is polarizing and not always the smartest approach. If you're a liberal, would you talk politics over Thanksgiving dinner with your ultra conservative father in law? Imagine that except your beliefs aren't left at the dinner table, but broadcast to dozens to thousands of people. I prefer "The Daily Show" approach: you can tip your hand to where your beliefs lie, but it's far easier point out the absurdity of the political system in a humorous manner.
4) Avoid TMI: I'm what you would call a "sharer." However, there are topics I avoid like the plague. I don't talk about relationships on my social media sites, nor do I talk about family outside of light humor or when someone needs prayers. I also avoid talking about when I'm not in the best mood. It's not that I don't want people knowing what's going on in my life, it's that I don't want that information to be public knowledge. It's better saved for private discussion, not broadcast to the world. I understand that everyone has different thresholds between private information and public information, however, most of you know what sounds the alarm on the "cringe meter" and what doesn't.
5) Be you: It's great that you enjoy talking about your industry. It shows that you're interested and enjoy what you do. However, being a "tweet-bot" removes the "social" from "social media." Isn't the whole part of being social to let yourself and your personality shine? You HAVE to play in the social space in order to "get" the social space. If you don't, you think you know but have no idea.
For most of us: we are people first with a profession and hobbies. Why can't there be a nice mix in what you share with your friends and followers?
His thoughts are 100% accurate, in my opinion. I, too, believe there are too many "Tweet-Bots" on Twitter who are too afraid to show their real personality and tweet only industry-related articles in an effort to look professional. I want to make this perfectly clear: I absolutely believe you should share interesting and informative industry-related articles. It is important when establishing your professional credibility.
However, do you want to stand out as unique and offer your own touch? Or would you rather be part of "the crowd?" This can be tough because you don't want to seem like a "diva" or arrogant by your peers. However, I feel that being able to offer your own opinion on your industry is a benefit to not only yourself, but your employer. It shows the ability to think outside the box and be willing to stand by your opinion. Think of it like a Presidential cabinet: You can have differing opinions as long as you come to a clear consensus and can work together. Hopefully your opinion is well thought out, tactful and professional.
My opinions on sports are well known and I give my sports opinions in the style of a radio show host. My professional opinions are just as strong, however, I deliver them with more professional tact. Why? It's simple: professional opinions are supposed to be delivered intelligently, instead of the "two or more people sitting at the barstool talking over Budweisers" style of sports, pop culture and entertainment discussion.
I also like to talk about pop culture (and relentlessly rip away at the utter American embarrassment known as "Jersey Shore") in snarky tweets, and my utter hatred for LeBron James and all things Pittsburgh. I also don't make it shy that if you haven't looked at a Ford, GM or (2011 and beyond) Chrysler product when car shopping, you're cheating yourself.
There are standards of decency on any level, however. Here are my "Standards and Practices" for non-professional social media (LinkedIn is a completely different ballgame because it's a professional site):
1) Network TV appropriate: I do not drop S-bombs or F-bombs on Twitter, for example. Nor do I cross the line into extremely risque territory. Quite frankly, there are certain trending topics on Twitter that I wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole and I can't believe they become trending topics. If you wouldn't say it in front of your parents, don't say it on Twitter or Facebook.
2) No personal insults: unless we're talking about LeBron James (but even then there's a line that I don't quite feel comfortable crossing). It's just not classy. Not much else to say here.
3) Avoid really strong political opinions: To be clear: it is very, VERY important to be active and interested in politics in this country. However, to be abrasive and insult the other party is polarizing and not always the smartest approach. If you're a liberal, would you talk politics over Thanksgiving dinner with your ultra conservative father in law? Imagine that except your beliefs aren't left at the dinner table, but broadcast to dozens to thousands of people. I prefer "The Daily Show" approach: you can tip your hand to where your beliefs lie, but it's far easier point out the absurdity of the political system in a humorous manner.
4) Avoid TMI: I'm what you would call a "sharer." However, there are topics I avoid like the plague. I don't talk about relationships on my social media sites, nor do I talk about family outside of light humor or when someone needs prayers. I also avoid talking about when I'm not in the best mood. It's not that I don't want people knowing what's going on in my life, it's that I don't want that information to be public knowledge. It's better saved for private discussion, not broadcast to the world. I understand that everyone has different thresholds between private information and public information, however, most of you know what sounds the alarm on the "cringe meter" and what doesn't.
5) Be you: It's great that you enjoy talking about your industry. It shows that you're interested and enjoy what you do. However, being a "tweet-bot" removes the "social" from "social media." Isn't the whole part of being social to let yourself and your personality shine? You HAVE to play in the social space in order to "get" the social space. If you don't, you think you know but have no idea.
For most of us: we are people first with a profession and hobbies. Why can't there be a nice mix in what you share with your friends and followers?
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