D.J. Woods Named to 2011 Biletnikoff Award Watch List

July 7, 2011

CINCINNATI -
University of Cincinnati senior D.J. Woods (Strongsville, Ohio/Strongsville) was named to the watch list for the 2011 Biletnikoff Award, the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation announced Thursday.

The Biletnikoff Award, given annually to the nation's most outstanding wide receiver, was instituted in 1994 and is named after former Florida State and Oakland Raiders wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff.

Woods, a Second-Team All-BIG EAST Conference selection, caught 57 balls for 898 yards in 2010. He added 10 touchdowns while also serving as UC's primary punt and kick returner.

He was one of the most productive players in the league a year ago, leading the BIG EAST in all-purpose yards, averaging 154.9 per game. He ranked in the Top-10 in the conference in receptions per game (3rd/4.8), receiving yards per game (2nd/74.8), punt return average (6th/7.7) and kick return average (7th/22.8). His 10 touchdowns (eight receiving, two rushing) tied for fourth in the BIG EAST.

For the complete 2011 Biletnikoff Award Watch List, visit: http://www.biletnikoffaward.com/.

The Bearcats, led by second-year head coach Butch Jones, return 18 starters from the 2010 squad, including unanimous First-Team All-BIG EAST quarterback Zach Collaros (Steubenville, Ohio/Steubenville), as well as a trio of Second-Team All-BIG EAST honorees in running back Isaiah Pead (Columbus, Ohio/Eastmoor Academy), linebacker J.K. Schaffer (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) and Woods. Season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by calling 1-877-CATS-TIX or visiting CATSTIX.com. Single-game tickets will go on sale for UCATS members on July 11, 2011 and will be available to the general public on July 18.

LeBron James to hold minority interest in Liverpool Football Club

By Eric Freeman

Over the past two decades, soccer has become increasingly popular in the United States. Beginning with the 1994 World Cup, American sports fans have steadily come to understand that players are full of engaging style even if there aren't a ton of goals, and that a draw can be just as exciting as a victory. These days, there are enough casual soccer fans that a mid-week broadcast of a Champions League match or a big weekend game between two English Premier League clubs can get a pretty solid TV rating in this country.
In fact, the sport is popular enough here that an athlete investing in a successful soccer club can be seen as a pretty intelligent business decision rather than some questionable entrance into foreign enterprise. So it should not be a terrible surprise that Miami Heat star LeBron James(notes) now owns part of the legendary Liverpool Football Club. From Matthew Futterman for the Wall Street Journal:

The deal between Mr. James and Fenway Sports Group will give Mr. James a minority stake in the soccer club Liverpool, which FSG owns. FSG, which also owns the Boston Red Sox, is partnering with Mr. James's sports-marketing firm, LRMR Branding & Marketing to become the exclusive world-wide representative for Mr. James.
The deal marks the first time that a professional athlete at the top of his game has taken an ownership interest in a team with the size and reach of Liverpool, which is one of the most popular and powerful sports franchises in the world.
It also adds yet another dimension for Boston-based FSG, which became a global operation last October when it bought Liverpool for $488 million. The company was founded as New England Sports Ventures nine years ago after Messrs. Henry and Werner bought the Red Sox and 80% of regional sports channel New England Sports Network. In 2007 Fenway became 50% owner of the Nascar auto-racing team Roush Fenway Racing.

LeBron has said for years that he wants to become a global icon on the order of Michael Jordan. And while reaching that level of fame will probably always depend most on whether or not he becomes an NBA champion several times over, business decisions like this one (and, in a more minor sense, the web cartoon series he premiered Wednesday) position him to reach out to an unprecedented number of fans. In return, he will likely help give Liverpool a larger profile among budding fans of European football in America.

Along with Manchester United, Liverpool is historically the most successful soccer team in the United Kingdom, earning 18 championships at the top level of English football and five European Cup trophies. They've fallen on relatively hard times over the past few seasons, but they are an established brand with worldwide recognition. It's extremely unlikely that LeBron will have any say in the club's policy or day-to-day operations, but, as far as marketing ploys go, this is a smart one.
LeBron's detractors are sure to wonder if continual marketing moves such as this one are distracting LeBron from gaining the competitive spark needed to become the best player on a team that wins multiple championships. These concerns are not without merit, but they'll also continue to follow James around until he reaches that achievement. If that day ever comes, LeBron will want to be well positioned to become the most famous athlete the world has ever seen. This relationship with Liverpool gets him closer to that goal. Taken on its own merits, it's a great decision.

Timbers' Darlington Nagbe arrives in Portland acclaimed, celebrated

By Joshua Mayers

Seattle Times staff reporter

Darlington Nagbe was a star in college at Akron

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BEAVERTON, Ore. — Darlington Nagbe came to MLS heralded, acclaimed and celebrated.
The No. 2 overall draft pick by the Portland Timbers is raved about by his new coach, his old college coach, teammates and executives. With nine goals and 13 assists last season, Nagbe was voted the NCAA's best player and led Akron to a national championship. Many think he's the favorite to win MLS Rookie of the Year.
But impeccable skill on the ball isn't what's most impressive about Nagbe. What stands out is the 20-year-old's selfless attitude and committed work ethic, things that don't always accompany touted prospects.
"He's got a very level head on his shoulders; (he's) a great person," said Timbers general manager Gavin Wilkinson. "He is a special player technically and physically, and we hope he sets the league on fire."
The Timbers believe they have the consummate franchise player, a dynamic attacking midfielder who can be the face of this expansion franchise for years.
Veteran goalkeeper Troy Perkins, who was a D.C. United teammate of former prodigy Freddy Adu, thinks Nagbe has the mental makeup to fulfill his potential.
"Guys who have done the things he's done, usually they bust," Perkins said. "We see it 90 percent of the time: they don't fulfill what they're supposed to. He works his butt off every day. He's quiet. He comes to training with a good mentality and listens to everyone. Everyone is happy to have him. ... He has no ego. He has no opinion of himself, which is fantastic."
This week Nagbe suffered his first setback when he learned he'll need sports hernia surgery Friday. He's expected to miss two to four weeks, but that hasn't dampened expectations.
Coach John Spencer sees him as the perfect fit for a team that hopes to play entertaining, offensive-minded soccer. Spencer, Wilkinson and the rest of the Timbers' front office hoped that he'd fall to them with the second pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft. Those wishes came true when Vancouver picked 17-year-old forward Omar Salgado.
Nagbe was as excited as his future employers. He even researched Portland online before the draft, to learn as much as he could about his prospective home.
"It's lived up to everything," said Nagbe, who was born in Liberia and grew up idolizing Thierry Henry. "The people are nice. The city is not too big, not too small. It's the right size; it's cozy. I'm liking it so far."
The location also puts him near one of his best friends from college, Sounders FC midfielder Steve Zakuani. At Akron, that pair and forward Teal Bunbury grew close off the field and remain in touch.

Earlier in preseason, Zakuani joked he left college early for MLS because he feared Nagbe would steal his starting spot.
Nagbe laughs when told the story.
"He's a clown. He always tells me, 'You're better than me,' " Nagbe said of Zakuani. "I'm like, 'Nah, I'm not better than you.' Hopefully I am better than him one day, but I have a long way to go. If I could do what he's done, I'd be pleased."
Unassuming goals for an emerging star.
 

Recruiting For the 2011 NBA Draft Is Heating Up

by Darren Heitner

As each NCAA Tournament, NIT Tournament, CollegeInsider.com Tournament, and CBI Tournament team gets knocked out of their respective tournaments, more and more college basketball players will make a decision regarding whether they will leave school for the professional ranks prior to the exhaustion of their student-athlete eligibility.  At the same time, those early entries along with college seniors will begin to select their agents.
Basketball agents have been on the grounds of several universities for quite some time, and may have even been recruiting certain players well before they entered their current institutions of higher education.  Lately, we have been running a feature titled, Agent Selection Scenarios, where we look at schools who have made it to the NCAA Tournament, their former players who have professional experience, the agents they chose to represent them in contractual relations, and current players at the school who may be drafted in 2011.  Sometimes we make a prediction as to the agents that the players might be considering.
One agent who has success year after year is Bill Duffy of BDA Sports.  I have heard of a few players that BDA Sports has been focusing on in the 2011 Draft, putting great emphasis on recruiting these gentlemen.  Names like Klay Thompson of Washington State, Nikola Vucevic of Southern California, and JaJuan Johnson of Purdue are prospects that I hear are at the top of the radar.  But I am also hearing that BDA Sports is in the mix for BYU standout Jimmer Fredette, Georgia’s Trey Thompkins, and is also in the races to represent Marcus Morris and Markieff Morris from Kansas.  Rumors have also surfaced that BDA Sports is seeking (and may be in the lead) to represent future lottery pick, Derrick Williams of Arizona, but that Rob Pelinka of Landmark Sports Agency and Bob Myers of Wasserman Media Group are competitors.
Bill Duffy has proven his capacity to be an excellent negotiator for his clients over the years.  However, last year Duffy only represented one player who was picked in the first round of the Draft.  That would be a major win for most agents, but certainly was not the norm for Duffy, who represented 6 first rounders in 2009, including the #2 overall pick, Hasheem Thabeet.  Did the OJ Mayo scandal have anything to do with that?  Will his 2011 Draft class look more like his 2010 class or his killer 2009 class?
Looking at the partial list above, Duffy casts his recruiting net far and wide.  The only concern is that it gets difficult when one has to manage so many talented players at the same time.  I suppose it is a good problem to have, but if Duffy already has Klay Thompson, Nikola Vucevic, and JaJuan Johnson “locked up”, will his company also have the time to represent all of the other talented players listed above?

2011 Indians Top 50 Prospects: #17 Alex Lavisky

Posted by Tony at 12:01 AM

Alex Lavisky – Catcher
Born: 01/13/1991 – Height: 6’1” – Weight: 205 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

(Photo: Tony Lastoria)

History: The Indians selected Lavisky in the 8^th round of the 2010 Draft out of St. Edward High School (OH). At St. Ed’s he hit .450 (36-80) with nine doubles, 13 home runs and 40 RBIs while scoring 33 runs for the OHSAA Division I State Champions. He had a firm commitment to attend school at Georgia Tech University, but the Indians swooped in at the August 16^th deadline and were able to sign to a $1 million signing bonus, a bonus that was almost five times larger than the $150,000 slot recommendation set by Major league Baseball. He was the teammate of right-handed pitcher Stetson Allie who was the Pittsburgh Pirates 2^nd round pick in the same draft, and the starting second baseman on his St. Ed’s team was sophomore Tommy Mirabelli, who is the son of Indians Director of Scouting John Mirabelli.

Strengths: Lavisky has the athleticism, defensive ability, and power potential at the catching position to be a big time catching prospect for the Indians. He has good overall strength - especially in his upper body - which gives him very good power potential from the right side of the plate. He already has very good size, and as he continues to get bigger and stronger his power potential is expected to show itself even more. He has a sound, short swing where he is quick to the ball and shows an advanced ability to consistently square the ball up with the barrel of the bat. He also brings a lot of intangibles to the plate as he shows very advanced maturity, makeup and leadership qualities for a player his age. Not only is he a leader on the field, but he also maintains an excellent mature presence off the field as well.

Lavisky has good all-around ability as a catcher, but his best skill may be his ability to catch-and-throw. He has a smooth transfer, is accurate with his throws, and has very good arm strength from behind the plate. He has soft hands and with his athleticism he really moves well behind the plate. Being able to catch a pro pitching prospect like Stetson Allie in high school no doubt allowed him to really make big strides with his catching skills.

Opportunities: Like every young hitter Lavisky needs to work on being more consistent with his approach at the plate and making more consistent contact. One thing he is working on is his timing where he needs to stay on the ball better by letting it get deeper and then try and drive it the other way or up the middle. He shows good power to left and left center, but really needs to work on being able to drive the ball to right center. His swing also tends to get loopy, so his swing mechanics will continue to be refined in order to level it out. He has a long release on his throws, so the Indians will work with him to shorten it up, something that is expected to be very fixable.

Outlook: Even though Lavisky was just drafted out of high school, he is already 20 years old, so will be pushed a little more in the system than most high school players. This was the main reason that he spent about two weeks in Low-A Lake County at the end of the 2010 regular season as a non-rostered player. The idea was to get his feet wet and start building a rapport with players and coaches as well as get to know the area in Lake County since he is expected to open the season there in 2011 as the regular catcher.

Year	Age	Team	Lvl	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
2010	19	AZL Indians	R	5	15	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	7	0	.200	.200	.200	.400
		MiLB Totals		5	15	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	7	0	.200	.200	.200	.400

2011 IMG World Congress of Sports: March 30-31 Miami, Florida

by Chris Lesley

Later this month IMG and SportsBusiness Journal/SportsBusiness Daily are hosting their annual World Congress of Sports. It is seen as one of the most prominent conferences in Sports Business with A-List Speakers and fantastic networking opportunities.
This year’s Congress will be held at the JW Marriott Marquis in Miami, Florida.
The Panel List reads as a “Who’s who” in the industry including:

• Bud Selig, Commissioner (MLB)
• Chris Parsons, Vice President (NFL)
• Peter Moore, President (EA Sports)
• Bea Perez, CMO (Coca-Cola North America)

These are just a few of the names who will be participating in discussion. There are also several breaks for opportunities to network. Not to mention several social events such as an early morning fun run and a networking reception.
Running through the list of Topics covered, the highlights include:

• “Rapid-Fire Roundtable” which includes discussion of important topics over the next 12 months with guests such as Stacey Allaster, Chairman & CEO, WTA; Scott Blackmun, CEO, USOC and Donald Fehr, Executive Director, NHLPA. With the NFL in lockout mode, this will definitely be a don’t miss discussion!
• “Sponsorship Value and Innovation: The New Realities of Sports Marketing” which will look into how social media is changing the face of sponsorship.

At a cost of $1,850 ($1,695 for SBJ/SBD subscribers), it is a little to rich for my bank account, though by coincidence, I will be in Miami during this time. If any like minded sports business professionals who are attending or in the area wish to contact me feel free to do so.
For a full rundown of the program and to register please visit here.

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