Final Post

             I was nervous registering for this course because I am not the greatest writer as I struggle putting my thoughts to paper however, after completing this course I couldn’t be happier. I feel more confident and my grammar has improved throughout this semester.

           

            For my persona, I wish I took this course during the college football season. There was not a lot of news regarding Penn State Football all summer. I mostly concentrated on recruiting and game previews. I would have enjoyed doing game previews and recaps during the fall. My persona would have been stronger during the fall and I could have potentially gained more blog followers as well as Twitter followers. I wish I had the time to continue my persona this fall, but between my full time job at ESPN and more master’s courses I would not be able to consistently and successfully write blog posts.     

            In terms of the course, the only thing that bothered me was not knowing where we stood. I was nervous about my grade throughout the semester. Overall, this course was very interesting, especially the lectures. For future semesters, I think it would be cool if you did a Google hangout for lectures. It would have been nice to see you and all my classmates’ faces a few times at least. This semester went by really fast but I enjoyed every minute of it! 

Social Media Campaign Critique

             In June, Nike released a new social media campaign for niche sports, “The Chosen.” Nike chose to release this campaign via Facebook days before using it on television. The campaign involves a film featuring skate legend Paul Rodriguez, Olympic snowboarder Danny Kass, and surfers Julian Wilson and Laura Enever. This film campaign was shot all over the world.
            The social aspect of the campaign includes a video contest for skaters, surfers, BMX riders, snowboarders, and skiers. These athletes can submit a video of themselves doing their respective action sport for a chance to travel with the Nike team. The winners of this video contest will be determined by Nike, Nike athletes, and fans.
            This campaign is a huge step for action sports across the world. Nike is extremely powerful and they will try their best to take action sports to the next level. I think it was a smart decision by Nike to release this campaign on Facebook before television. A 30 second television commercial is not as often available as a Facebook page.
            Nike obviously understands the future of ads is moving towards social media and as a result the growing conversation of action sports is becoming more popular. Years ago, the only thing action sports fans had was the X Games but today there are several more outlets between Nike and Redbull.
            My social media idea for my online presence will consists of using Twitter to gain more app users. I will engage with other Penn State Football bloggers and fans. After several conversations on Twitter, more Penn State Football fans will start to see my username/app which could possibly lead to more users. Social media is very powerful and if used correctly it can help your online presence tremendously.    

Penn State Vs. University Of Central Florida Preview - Game 3

The Nittany Lions will face their first true test of the season on September 14 against the Central Florida Knights. The kickoff is at 6:00 pm at Beaver Stadium and will be televised on the Big Ten Network. The crazy atmosphere inside the stadium, which is sometimes used to the Lions’ advantage, will not faze the Knights. The Knights are coming off of an impressive ten win season with one of their few losses coming from the Ohio State Buckeyes, who they played away the second week of the season last year and lost just 31 - 16. The Buckeyes finished the season undefeated. Penn State will have to play a very strong game on the defensive side of the ball in order to win this game. The Knights return several players from last year’s offense. Their quarterback, junior Blake Bortles, threw for 3,059 yards, 25 touchdowns, and just 4 interceptions last year. Bortles will have a lot of experienced receivers to choose from as well; juniors Jeff Godfrey, Rannell Hall, and J.J. Worton all had at least 30 receptions and over 400 yards receiving. The Nittany Lions secondary especially need to keep an eye on Hall, who during the last season averaged 18 yards per catch. If Penn State can't keep the Knights off the board the game will most likely become a shootout. The Knights defense is very young and inexperienced. They lost two starters in the secondary; one of which was the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year. The Knight’s defensive line is very young and will struggle to get through Penn State's experienced offensive line. I believe this game will be high scoring and closer than most predict. Eventually Penn State will shut down Bortles and keep the Knights off the scoreboard. Penn State 37 UCF 21.

Multimedia Script - BSPG App Commercial Script

Executive Summary Presentation

A Company Description Summary
The Beaver Stadium Parking Group (BSPG) is a public company, owned and funded by Penn State University. The BSPG was created in 2005 to help organize and manage the Beaver Stadium Parking Lots. Over the last 8 years, BSPG has worked to improve Beaver Stadium game day parking but there is still room for continued improvement. Last year the BSPG created a technology department to begin utilizing technology for further improvements and to look for new and innovative ways to improve parking. It is currently experimenting with mobile applications.

The Problem
The biggest problems with the current Beaver Stadium Parking model is traffic flow into the stadium, as well as, monitoring the capacity of each lot. Fans that arrive approximately an hour before the game will sit in traffic for at least an hour, potentially missing pre-game activities and kickoff. Most of the traffic builds right by the stadium because fans want to park close and as fewer open spots are left, cars need to be re-routed to other lots.

Your Solution
The BSPG technology department recently came up with a solution that could change the parking plans for Beaver Stadium and athletic stadiums across the country: a location-based mobile app that will help fans find open parking spaces quickly and will help with traffic flow into the stadium lots. The market for this app includes any game attendee that did not buy parking passes ahead of time, fans that attend single games, or fans attending from the opposing teams. The app would also be useful for groups that want to park near each other to tailgate. Tailgating is an important part of the game day experience and if fans are traveling in multiple cars, the app will enable them to find a general parking lot that has several open spots by each other, in a quick and easy display. In order for this app to work, each parking space would require a location chip and sensor in the turtarrier. This technology will allow the app to recognize if the space is available or full.

Why Now
It is important to implement this mobile app now because the 2013 Penn State Football season is quickly approaching. It could take some time for all Penn State Football fans and game attendees to find out about the app, but there are plenty of advertising opportunities available. We plan to advertise via commercial spots throughout each game, via Online Ticketing websites, with an on-site kiosk outside the stadium and through social media. We plan to run 3 commercials each home game, once during pre game, halftime, and between the third and fourth quarters. Even if only half of the crowd catches the first few commercial spots during the game, that is already 55,000 people! As more people hear about this mobile app, the Beaver Stadium Parking model will be changed forever.

Penn State Vs. Eastern Michigan Preview

After opening the 2013 season versus Syracuse at Met Life Stadium, in New Jersey the Nittany Lions return home to play a Mid-American Conference member, Eastern Michigan. In 2012, the Eagles went 2-10. Although the Eagles have several players returning on the offensive side of the ball there lack of experience on defense will hurt them versus PSU and the rest of the season. They will return only 5 players on defense. Considering they only had 7 total sacks last season, this is not a good sign for EMU. If the Eagles can’t put pressure on Christian Hackenberg or Tyler Ferguson, they are in a lot of trouble. Even though both Hackenberg and Ferguson have no experience at this level, they will have plenty of time to get the ball away. Look for the 2012 Big Ten Wide Receiver of the Year Allen Robinson and the Penn State’s tight ends to have huge days. Penn State needs to take this game seriously because their next two opponents, University of Central Florida and Kent State, won a combined 21 games last season. They need to get off to a fast start so less experienced players can get some playing time in the second half. It is important for starters to get some rest in games like these because once Big Ten games start they will be playing the whole game. Penn State should put this game away by halftime, forcing several turnovers. PSU wins 42 - 7.

Elevator Pitch - First Draft

The Beaver Stadium Game Day Parking App is a location based app that will give Penn State Football fans the ability to see every available general parking spot surrounding the stadium from any mobile device. There are several parking spots that are purchased in advanced for the whole season, which will not be available to view on the app. The market for this app includes any game attendee that did not buy parking passes ahead of time, fans that attend single games, or fans attending from the opposing teams. The app would also be useful for groups that want to park near each other to tailgate. Tailgating is an important part of the game day experience and if fans are traveling in multiple cars, the app will enable them to find a general parking lot that has several open spots by each other, in a quick and easy display. In order for this app to work, each parking space would require a location chip and sensor in the turtarrier. This technology will allow the app to recognize if the space is available or full. Overall, this app will help fans find open parking spaces quickly and will help with traffic flow in and out of the stadium.

Penn State Vs. Syracuse 2013 Season Opener Preview

Penn State Football's season opener versus Syracuse is less than 2 months away. The old eastern rivals will kick off on Saturday, August 31 at 3:30pm at Met Life Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ. The game will be televised on ABC/ESPN2. Penn State and Syracuse have played 70 times. They played every season from 1944 - 1990 and in the 2008 and 2009 seasons. Penn State owns a 42-23-5 record versus Syracuse. After the 2012 season concluded it looked as if this upcoming game would be a very tough matchup for the Nittany Lions. The Orangemen won six of their last seven games, including a blowout of West Virginia in the Pinstripe Bowl. But things changed quickly for the Orangemen, Head Coach Doug Marrone left for the Buffalo Bills. Defensive Coordinator Scott Shafer took over for Marrone. Shafer was the team's Defensive Coordinator since 2009. Shafer's biggest obstacle this summer is choosing a quarterback. Either sophomore Terrel Hunt or Oklahoma transfer Drew Allen will be lining up under center versus Penn State. Both quarterbacks have very little experience. The Nittany Lions can relate on the inexperienced quarterback front. True freshman Christian Hackenberg and junior college transfer Tyler Ferguson will be competing this summer for the starting job. Though Penn State will have an inexperienced quarterback starting, there is plenty of talent returning on offense that will give the quarterback some comfort. Junior running back Zack Zwinak and junior wide receiver Allen Robinson will help take the pressure off the quarterback. Zwinak ran for 1000 yards and 6 touchdowns last season while Robinson caught 77 passes for 1018 yards and 11 touchdowns. Both players will have to show up against Syracuse in order for the Nittany Lions to move the ball on offense. On the defensive side of the ball, Penn State will need to put pressure on Allen or Hunt. 2012 Big Ten Freshman Player of the Year, defensive end Deon Barnes and outside linebacker Mike Hull will be relied on to get to the quarterback. If Barnes and Hull can keep Allen or Hunt in check, the Nittany Lions will be able keep the Orangemen off the scoreboard. Both Penn State and Syracuse will be starting inexperienced quarterbacks but the Nittany Lions have the advantage with several key play makers on the offensive and defensive side. Penn State wins 28 – 7.

Publishing Plan

I could attempt getting my blog posts, Paterno Field and Pay College Athletes? published by Penn State's student run newspaper, The Daily Collegian. They have an opinion section with a submission form page. Both of my posts fit the requirements, they ask for the letters to be less than 250 words. I think my blog posts could be published by The Daily Collegian because both posts are debated often at Penn State. 

Proposal

My persona is still the same. The Nittany Lion Report is still a blog for die hard Penn State Football fans, focusing on recruiting and the team. I am going to continue using the NLR pseudonym the rest of the semester. It has been challenging so far because it is the off season for college football. Besides recruiting, the summer depth chart, and NCAA issues I haven't had a lot of topics to blog about. Moving forward I would like to concentrate more on the team. I want to preview each regular season game on Penn State's schedule this year. This will allow me to give readers a sense of how Penn State Football will do this coming season and who their opponents are. So far I don't think my readers know a lot about the team and whether they will be successful this coming season. I also need to be more active on Twitter and Facebook. I need to share my blog posts with the Penn State Football community either with Penn State Football hashtags or on various Penn State Football Facebook pages. By the end of the semester I will have a in depth preview for each match up and several posts on recent recruiting news. I also want to rewrite my Fighting For The Other Side post. I want to fight for the side I believe in. I truly believe the NCAA shouldn't of sanctioned Penn State. Last, I want to rewrite portions of my resume. I want to make each bullet point more interesting. I have learned a lot this past six weeks through the readings, lectures, and writing. I am looking forward to the next six weeks!   

4-star Cornerback Troy Vincent Jr. Commits To Penn State

Baltimore native, Troy Vincent Jr., committed to the Nittany Lions on June 26th. He is the 12th commitment of the 2014 class and the fifth four-star recruit. Penn State is currently ranked 18th in the country in ESPN's recruiting rankings. Vincent Jr. selected Penn State over 20 programs including Notre Dame, Wisconsin, and Michigan State. Head Coach Bill O'Brien continues to recruit bright student athletes. Vincent Jr. wants to study at Penn State's Dickinson School of Law. His intelligence also helps him on the football field according to his trainer and family friend, Roman Morris. Morris told ESPN's Nittany Nation "He's one of the most highly intelligent football players that I've ever been around. He can do anything that's asked of him on the football field, from any scheme. ... He's a coach's dream." Vincent Jr. comes from good genes too. His father played cornerback in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles. Between Vincent Jr.'s genes and intelligence it seems like Bill O'Brien landed a fantastic student and football player.  

Wikipedia - Penn State Football’s Super Six: “Supa Six”

Penn State Football’s Super Six:

“Supa Six”

The “Supa Six” is a self-proclaimed group of six junior Penn State Football players; Kyle Carter, Allen Robinson, Adrian Amos, Donovan Smith, Bill Belton, and Deion Barnes. They are part of Penn State Football’s 2011 recruiting class.  

                                                          

Contents How it started Kyle Carter Allen Robinson Adrian Amos Donovan Smith Bill Belton Deion Barnes

How It Started:

In the summer of 2011 Kyle Carter, Allen Robinson, Adrian Amos, Donovan Smith, Bill Belton, and Deion Barnes watched ESPN’s 30 for 30 series on the Michigan Basketball Fab Five. They instantly became inspired by the deep connection the Fab Five had with each other. They were so inspired that they wanted to create a nickname for their group. After deep discussion, they came up with the “Supa Six”. They did not reveal their group nick name until the 2012 summer pre season. They didn’t want the upperclassmen to think they were selfish. Going into the 2012 season the “Supa Six” had high expectations. They understood they were the future of the program and it was their time. All members of the “Supa Six” contributed to the team in the 2012 season.

Kyle Carter, Tight End:

Carter redshirted in 2011. Penn State Football Head Coach Bill O’Brien had high expectations for Carter going into the 2012 Season. Before the season started O’Brien claimed Carter was a ‘big time talent” several times. In 2012, Carter had 36 receptions, 436 yards, and 2 touchdowns.

Allen Robinson, Wide Receiver:

Robinson caught just 4 passes for 87 yards in the 2011 season, mostly because of the experienced group of wide receivers ahead of him. After several wide receivers transferred going into the 2012 season, Robinson was the number 1 wide receiver on the depth chart. Robinson exceeded expectations in 2012. He had 77 receptions, 1018 yards, and 11 touchdowns. He set the Penn State Football record for the most completions in a season.

Adrian Amos, Defensive Back:

Amos contributed to the 2011 team, playing in every game. In 2012, he lined up at safety and corner throughout the season. Amos had 31 solo tackles and 2 interceptions.

Donovan Smith, Offensive Lineman:

Smith redshirted his freshman year in 2011. In 2012, Smith started at left tackle and never looked back. He flourished in that position, mostly because of his size. He is 6’5 and 327 pounds.

Bill Belton, Running Back:

Belton saw some playing time in 2011. He was originally a wide receiver but before the 2012 season O’Brien switched him to tailback. Belton struggled from the start and his playing time diminished as the season went on. He managed 60 rushes, 253 yards, and 3 touchdowns.

Deion Barnes, Defensive End:

Barnes redshirted his freshman year in 2011. In 2012, Barnes showcased his size and speed with 6 sacks. Barnes also had 10 tackles for loss.

Sources:

http://blog.pennlive.com/pennstatefootball/2012/08/penn_states_supa_six_primed_fo.html

http://www.centredaily.com/2012/08/26/3310886/the-supa-six-underclassmen-hoping.html

http://www.espn.com

Bill O'Brien Gets Pay Raise

Head Coach Bill O'Brien restructured his deal with Penn State this past week. O'Brien's restructured deal includes a 1 million dollar raise and it will be more costly for him to leave for a college job than an NFL job. The total value of O'Brien's contract (2013-2016) is 12,789,413 dollars, 3.2 million a year. After the 2015 season O'Brien and Penn State can negotiate an extension. This is great news for Penn State Football fans. O'Brien saved the football program last season. There are not many college football coaches that would of been able to replicate what he accomplished in 2012. He won 8 games with Matt McGloin, a former walk on quarterback and Zack Zwinak, a third string running back. He made both Matt and Zach look like stars. O'Brien also continues to recruit well even with the sanctions. Penn State is currently ranked 22 in Rival's Class of 2014 ranking. With the success O'Brien is having on the field and in recruiting, he is worth every penny.

Should Division 1 College Athletes Be Paid?

As the NCAA continues to profit each year, the on going debate on whether Division I college athletes should be paid continues. Last year the NCAA's revenue was 871.6 million dollars. Many see that number and are curious why college athletes do not profit from it. The answer is simple. They are already getting paid in a sense by going to college for free. The scholarship includes tuition, housing, text books, medical coverage, and several meals. Most importantly, they will have no college loans after graduation. According to the American Student Assistance statistics, close to 12 million Americans are currently paying back college loans. Obviously, it is very common to have college loans. The fact that student athletes do not have to worry about paying any loans because they are above average at a sport outweighs all the reasons for them to get paid. College athletes are fortunate enough to get an education for free, anything more than that would be a crime.   

Paterno Field at Beaver Stadium

Before the Sandusky scandal rocked Penn State University, it was inevitable that the university would eventually name the field at Beaver Stadium after Joe Paterno. After Paterno was fired and his statue was taken down, many lost hope. I believe it will eventually happen much to the dismay of the general public and media. Paterno and his family deserve this honor considering all he did for the university. He was so much more than a head football coach. He was a philanthropist, a educator, and a father figure to the Penn State community. He donated millions of dollars to numerous charities in State College, the Mount Nittany Hospital expansion, the spiritual center on campus, and to the university for a new library(Paterno Library). Also, he cared more about his players grades than wins/losses. Penn State Football's graduation rate under Paterno was 78 percent. The national average was 67. In Paterno's last season as the head coach the team had a 87 percent graduation rate, tied with Stanford for 10th in nation. Paterno once said "They ask me what I'd like written about me when I'm gone. I hope they write that I made Penn State a better place, not that I was just a good football coach." Paterno did make Penn State a better place and the university should celebrate it by naming the field at Beaver Stadium, Paterno Field.  

How To Buy A Public Ticket For A Penn State Football Home Game

Step 1: Open your internet browser.

 Step 2: In the address bar, type http://www.gopsusports.com. (this will bring you to the Penn State Athletics home webpage)

 Step 3: Once the home webpage loads, look for the navigation bar at the top of the page. There is a Tickets button in the bar on the right side of the page. It is between the Nittany Lion Club and Multimedia buttons. Click the Tickets button.

 Step 4: After you click the Tickets button a drop down menu will appear. Under sport specific tickets, click Football.

Step 5: Once the Football ticket page loads, scroll down until you see a link for 2013 Football Tickets Buyers Guide. Below this link you will see information regarding Public Single Ticket Sales.


All Penn State Football Public Tickets will go on sale at the end of July!

O'Brien Releases Summer Depth Chart

Today, Head Coach Bill O'Brien released the summer depth chart. The most surprising news was incoming freshman Christian Hackenberg and junior college transfer Tyler Ferguson were listed as co starting quarterbacks. Ferguson has been with the team since January and played in the spring game while Hackenberg will be joining the team in August. I give Ferguson the early edge in the race because of experience. Ferguson has a stronger grasp of the playbook and the speed of play. Though, I would not be surprised if O'Brien goes with Hackenberg. O'Brien speaks very highly of Hackenberg and would not name him a co starting quarterback if he didn't have the confidence that he could win the job. The battle will begin when the team reports on August 5. Below is the first team chart.

Offensive line: Tackles Donovan Smith/Adam Gress, guards Miles Dieffenbach/John Urschel, center Ty Howle.

Quarterback: Tyler Ferguson/Christian Hackenberg

Running backs: Zach Zwinak

Tight ends: Kyle Carter, Jesse James

Wide receivers: Allen Robinson, Brandon Moseby-Felder

Defensive line: C.J. Olaniyan, DaQuan Jones, Kyle Baublitz, Deion Barnes

Linebackers: Mike Hull, Glenn Carson, Nyeem Wartman

Defensive backs: Corners Trevor Williams/Jordan Lucas, safeties Adrian Amos/Malcolm Willis/Ryan Keiser.

New Resume

Google:
Nittany Lion Report
http://nittanyreport.blogspot.com/
The Nittany Lion Report is a blog for die hard Penn State Football fans, focusing on the team and recruiting.

Twitter:
@nittanyreport
24/7 team and recruiting news from @nittanyreport Bleeding blue and white just for you.

Wikipedia:
Nittany Lion Report
The Nittany Lion Report is a Penn State Football blogger who graduated from PSU in 2011 and has followed the team since 2003 as a fan, student, and employee. The NLR focuses on team and recruiting news.

Facebook:
Nittany Lion Report
The official Facebook fan page for the Nittany Lion Report. A Penn State Football blog focusing on team and recruiting news.

Class of 2014 Quarterback Recruit Michael O'Connor chooses Penn State

Penn State Head Football Coach Bill O'Brien continues to do what so many thought was impossible, recruit some of the best high school football players in the nation. On June 8, ESPN 150 and four star quarterback Michael O'Connor chose the Nittany Lions over Tennessee, Michigan State, and others. O'Connor told ESPN's Nittany Nation why he chose PSU, "First off, they have a great business program, regardless of what happens with football, I know I'll be able to get a great education." Bill O'Brien kept his promise on recruiting student athletes and continuing Joe Paterno's "success with honor." It is always refreshing to hear a recruit talk about receiving an education before playing football. O'Connor will enroll early at Penn State in January 2014. This will allow him to get a jump on some general education courses as well as the playbook.  Fortunately for O'Connor he already has a great understanding of the pro style offense. He runs a very similar offense at his high school, IMG Academy, in Bradenton, Florida. O'Connor also told Nittany Nation that "Coach O'Brien isn't promising me anything, but he will let me compete for the starting job and that's all I could hope for. Just overall I felt it was a great fit for me." The future is bright at the quarterback position for Penn State Football between O'Connor and Christian Hackenberg. 

Fighting For The Other Side

The NCAA has seen it’s fair share of scandals in college football, but none of those scandals compare to what happened at Penn State University 2 years ago. On November 6, 2011 retired Penn State Football Assistant Coach, Jerry Sandusky, was arrested and charged on multiple accounts of child molestation.  Several of these accounts dated back to Sandusky’s days as an assistant coach under the late Joe Paterno. One account even occurred in the Penn State Football facility in 2001. Following the arrest, media coverage was “out of control.” Penn State University chose to manage the media risk by firing Paterno. To this day, many believe Joe Paterno could have done more to stop Sandusky. Instead of conducting an internal investigation, the NCAA used Penn State’s Freeh Report. Penn State hired former F.B.I. Director Louis Freeh to investigate.  Freeh concluded “"In order to avoid the consequences of bad publicity, the most powerful leaders at Penn State University repeatedly concealed critical facts relating to Sandusky's child abuse from the authorities, the Board of Trustees, Penn State community, and the public at large. Although concern to treat the child abuser humanely was expressly stated, no such sentiments were ever expressed by them for Sandusky's victims." The NCAA took Freeh’s report and handed Penn State Football the worst sanctions college football has seen since Southern Methodist University received the death penalty many years ago.  The NCAA sanctions included a 60 million dollar fine, a four-year football postseason ban, vacation of all wins dating to 1998, and a reduction of 10 initial and 20 total scholarships each year for a four-year period. The NCAA made an example out of Penn State in order to make sure this never happens again. Although some may think these sanctions are too harsh, I believe it was the right thing to do. After the 2001 incident, (a graduate assistant witnessed Sandusky molesting a child in the Lasche Building locker-room) Sandusky should have been arrested and banned from Penn State for life.  Instead, the incident passed and Sandusky continued to prey on young children for 10 more years. The graduate assistant told Joe Paterno what he saw that night, Paterno than relayed the information to his superiors. Paterno should have taken care of this incident himself.  Paterno could of saved several victims, his legacy, and the future of Penn State Football. Although these sanctions are tough, they may have not been tough enough. Current Head Coach Bill O'Brien is still recruiting very well. He recruited the number 1 quarterback in the class of 2014, Christian Hackenberg. He also won 8 games last season after losing several star players. Maybe the NCAA should have given PSU the death penalty. What do you think?