#ThingsOdellCouldCatch

In case you live under a rock...
New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., made a catch that basically blew up the internet last night.

Just watch...

People are saying that might be the greatest catch of all time and I believe he also caught an ESPY nomination for Play of the Year. Needless to say, Twitter users are having a field day. Take a look at these 10 Best Twitter Reactions. Spoiler alert: my favorite is the Space Jam meme.

But, here's the best part: this isn't the first time he's made this kind of catch. In fact, he practices one-handed catches for about 20 minutes before games and works on it everyday at practice.

"I hope it is not the greatest catch because with time I hope I can make more," Beckham said.

To read more about Beckham's memorable catch and last nights game, check out this article: A Great Catch, but a Victory Is Just Out of Reach

Odell Beckham just broke the internets. Catch. Of. The. Year. #DALvsNYG http://t.co/e8J5kzCFN4
— NFL (@nfl) November 24, 2014

Oh, and the Giants lost. So there's that.

ND Women's Basketball 2013-14 Intro

Who doesn't love a great intro video?

I was looking through some today and found this:

Not too shabby.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

College basketball is back! Which means I will be glued to my phone and TV more than usual.

Last night was the #ChampionsClassic in Indianapolis. The games featured were Duke vs. Michigan State and Kentucky vs. Kansas.

Prior to the games, ESPN College BBall (@ESPNCBB) posted a few tweets with graphics that caught my attention:

RT if you think Duke will beat Michigan State tonight in the #ChampionsClassic. pic.twitter.com/M9iVIGkYsP
— ESPN College BBall (@ESPNCBB) November 18, 2014

RT if you think Michigan State will beat Duke tonight in the #ChampionsClassic. pic.twitter.com/4VJpTuA0Ch
— ESPN College BBall (@ESPNCBB) November 18, 2014

I may or may not have said this before, but I am a huge fan of graphics like these. They are eye catching and get the fans involved. Another cool feature of these graphics is that it includes the hashtag that will be used for the game: #MSUvsDUKE and of course the ESPN logo.

I think @ESPNCBB does a fantastic job covering the major games on ESPN. They usually include a hashtag, pictures and/or videos. The account also tends to use clever/casual tweets, which is something that most accounts are starting to do.

Happy college basketball season! :)

That awkward moment when...

As most people know, ESPN does not cover much hockey. Well it doesn't cover hockey at all on television. Except highlights on SportsCenter...but that really doesn't count.

ESPN is currently searching for three fans to be inducted in to their #FanHallofFame. Fans can apply online at fanhalloffame.com where they can upload photos and a story about themselves. Recently, ESPN has been tweeting various teams asking if their fans are the best.

On November 11, ESPN tweeted the Columbus Blue Jackets:

.@espn Who is this?
— NHL Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) November 11, 2014

I don't think this was quite the response ESPN was expecting from the Blue Jackets. Obviously the NHL isn't a huge fan of the "Worldwide Leader in Sports".

SI's Twitter 100

Hey sports fans! Looking for some new people to follow on Twitter? Check out Sports Illustrated's Twitter Top 100 list for the best people to follow for information and news about sports.

Welcome home, Lebron

Source: Wall Street Journal

As everyone knows, Lebron James has returned to the Cavs. His move sent fans flocking to social media, especially Facebook.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, who haven't had a spectacular season so far (2-3), saw a 19.7% increase in Facebook likes in the U.S. from July 29 to November 3. If you are someone who isn't savvy in social media percentages, 19.7% is a pretty major increase. According to the Wall Street Journal, the average growth during the off-season this year was just 4% per team.

Prior to the major jump in likes, the Cavs ranked 13th among the most-popular NBA teams. They now rank 10th in the league.

Here's to hoping he can do the same on the court.

Welcome home, Lebron.

Why the Cowboys picked the worst hashtag for London

On Sunday, November 9, the Dallas Cowboys will face the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium.

The Cowboys decided to associate a hashtag with their trip. Personally, I think the concept is a great idea. However, they needed to think about their choice a little more thoroughly before putting it to use.

I present to you...

#CowboysUK or #cowboysuk

Get it? Cowboys Suck.

FTW suggested a hashtag that wouldn't make the team look like fools: #UKCowboys

How hard was that?

From their Twitter timeline, it looks like they started using #CowboysUK on November 3:

Luggage is packed up and ready to head to the airport. Full truck. #CowboysUK pic.twitter.com/trC7BixCpN
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) November 3, 2014

According to Sports Grid, the Cowboys sent out 26 tweets over 18 hours, giving the Twitter world plenty of time to get a good laugh out of this PR mistake.

They immediately stop using the hashtag after seeing all the buzz on Twitter and my guess is someone finally said it out loud. They are now using #DALvsJAX.

Jacksonville on the other hand, chose: #JAXinUK

That's much better.

Well done, Cowboys. Cheers!

Happy Friday!

#NFL2014

NFL + Twitter = Lots and lots of data!

Have you noticed this at the top of your timeline occasionally?

Source: marketingland.com

Each week, Twitter provides a load of data collected from the weeks interaction. After they do that, they share it for everyone to see! WOO!

Oh and guess what.... It's interactive too!

To view this data each week, make sure you bookmark the following link!
https://interactive.twitter.com/nfl2014/

Twitter Interactive NFL Map

I hope you have some time to waste, because what you're about to see next will distract you for some time.

Last week, Twitter introduced the Interactive NFL Fandom Map.

That's right. Interactive.

The map allows you to see how popular teams are nationwide by using the handy-dandy drop down menus. You can compare two teams and also see which team has the most followers in each county.

HOW COOL IS THAT?!

So. Much. Data.

Time to play kids!

To read some takeaways from the map, check out the article on Mashable:
http://mashable.com/2014/10/22/nfl-twitter-map/http://mashable.com/2014/10/22/nfl-twitter-map/

Sports Fans + Social Media

We all know that in today's world social media plays a huge role in sports. Fans who regularly engage on social media and who are sports fans tend to develop social habits. In a recent study conducted by Catalyst PR, who was recently acquired by IMG, surveyed 2,100 sports fans ranging from ages 16-64 who were fans of various sports (NFL, MLB, NBA, college football, college basketball and soccer).

Here are some of the most interesting findings:

• Nearly twice as many respondents use Facebook compared to Twitter, at 73% to 37%. But on game day, they check Twitter about 1.5 times as often as they do Facebook.
• Google+ and YouTube are on the rise among fans. When fans responded to a question about which platforms they use to "disseminate and acquire sports information," those two platforms showed the most year-over-year growth, at 94% and 35%, respectively. 
• Seven out of 10 sports fans who Like or follow a brand online say they're open to sharing brand content, buying goods or engaging with social posts.

They also provided this nifty infographic that contains more information:

 

 Source: Mashable: How Sports Fans Engage With Social Media

 

Highlighting Special Moments

I recently read a post from Social 'n Sport called Four Social Media Lessons from the NFL. Third on her list was "Find 'those' moments". It talked about how the NFL highlights moments from game day that someone who isn't attending the game does not get to see. These "moments" include pictures of fans, players getting off the bus, signs on the field, etc. (see images below).

As a college student breaking in to this field, I found the following line really important:

"Stop for a moment and take in the world around you. There are pre-game rituals going on, moments between teammates, player quirks being highlighted, crazy fans and so much more. Tell more than a game story."

In the post, she says that sometimes we take these things for granted. I find that to be very true. If I am a social media manager someday, I will be sure to always stop and take a moment to capture it and share with the fans. It's all about sharing what's going on at the event with the audience.





If you are interested in social media and sports like me, I highly recommend following Jessica Smith on Twitter (@WarJessEagle) and also follow here blog here: http://socialnsport.com/

NCAA vs. Snapchat

Last post about Snapchat for a while, I promise!

I don't know about you, but when I first saw that universities using Snapchat I thought it was pretty awesome, especially the sports part. Then I began thinking about seeing those images and videos from a prospective student-athletes view. Even more awesome!

Everyone knows that the NCAA has ridiculous rules and regulations when it comes to recruiting (and everything else). Since Snapchat is so new, they didn't have any regulations in place for this new communication tool.

On February 10, 2014, the NCAA published the new policy in its educational column. Guess what it said...

"In basketball and men's ice hockey, any type of electronically transmitted correspondence (e.g., e-mail, facsimile, instant message, text message, SnapChat, etc.) may be sent to a prospective-student athlete, provided the correspondence is sent directly to the prospective student-athlete (or his or her parents or legal guardians) and is private between the sender and recipient. Once a prospective student-athlete signs a NLI or an institution's written offer of admission and/or financial aid or after the institution receives a financial deposit from the prospective student-athlete in response to the institution's offer of admission, the institution may communicate publicly with that prospective student-athlete."

Coaches can now use Snapchat to recruit.

As a student-athlete, this now gives you the opportunity to see just about everything you would on a visit and more. It's also a scandal waiting to happen because the NCAA is unable to regulate and monitor it.

My Favorite Snapchat Accounts

I know I've already talked about Snapchat in my first post (College GameDay Live (on Snapchat)), but I'm a huge fan of how teams and even universities are utilizing this platform.

So I made a list of my 4 favorite Snapchat accounts and why they're awesome.

1. University of Michigan (uofmichigan)

This was one of the first university/team accounts that I followed. Personally, I almost always look to Michigan for examples of successful social media campaigns (not just Snapchat). This account features events on campus such as fairs and sporting events. They also do a lot of t-shirt giveaways where students have to locate them by following the Snapchats. Michigan also asks for users to interact with them by asking for specific Snaps (see below):

Source: http://socialmedia.umich.edu/blog/snap-to-the-victors/

You can see all the Snaps they reposted here: http://socialmedia.umich.edu/blog/snap-to-the-victors/

2. Pittsburgh Penguins (penguins)

I may be a little biased with this one because I'm from Pittsburgh. But if you follow the Pens on Snapchat you might agree with me on this one.

Prior to the beginning of the season, the Pens do a season-ticket delivery. Players show up to fans homes to hand deliver the tickets and hangout for a while. This year, the deliveries could be seen on their Snapchat story. The Snaps included photos and videos of the players and families. The pictures on the right are a few examples featured on the story.

The Pens do a great job covering events outside of games. Snapchat is a quick and easy way to share content with users.

One more reason why I really like the Pens Snapchat is because they now have geofilters! Woo! Unfortunately I could only find one picture online and haven't been to a game so I haven't experienced it myself. So here is an example of one of the geofilters (right). This one features Iceburgh, the Pens mascot. 

3. Philadelphia Eagles (eagles)

Yes, I just listed the Eagles after a Pittsburgh team. I'm not saying I'm an Eagles fan. I'm just a fan of their Snapchat. Moving on...

The Eagles are always on their Snapchat game. Like most sports teams, they post a lot of content leading up to games. However, one thing that I think is really cool about what they do is they are on the field during warm-ups taking pictures and videos of the players. They also post a lot of witty captions with their photos and videos.

They give the fans what they want: all-access to their favorite team.

If you're an Eagles fan, following them is a must.

If you want to see some of their Snaps, check out their gallery here: Eagles Snapchat Gallery

4. Major League Baseball (mlb)

I just started following the MLB on Snapchat a few months ago and became a huge fan. They just started utilizing the platform earlier this year around spring training time. I think this appeals to fans because they cover all major games and once again give the fans what they want: all-access and behind-the-scenes. Images and videos from the locker rooms and BP, who wouldn't want to see that? I think they chose a great time to join the world of Snapchat and can't wait to see what they have in store for the World Series. Below are some examples of the MLB Snapchat:

Back in April, Mashable did a Q&A with the league's social-media producer, Hali Stark. Check out the article here: Next Up to Bat for Major League Baseball? Snapchat

They also integrated geofilters for all of the playoff games!


Have a favorite sports team that you follow on Snapchat? Leave a comment below!

Let's Hear From You!

Have a favorite sports team? Sure you do!

Comment below who your favorite team is and I'll do some research!

Also, if you have a social media platform that you want to learn about, let me know!

Happy Fall Break and football Sunday!

Jeter Takeover

Source: twitter.com

On Feb. 12, 2014, New York Yankees short stop Derek Jeter, announced on Facebook that he would retire after this season.

As of today, that post has over 76,481 likes.

Fast forward to Sept. 25th at Yankee Stadium. Jeter's last homestand.

We live in an age now where people can interact with each other via social media (obviously, I mean everyone knows that). But sometimes it's interesting to take a step back and look at the numbers from such a major event.

Below is a breakdown of social activity for #DerekJeter related terms from Sept. 25th.

Around 10 p.m. Jeter hit a walk-off single to clinch the Yankee victory over the Orioles. Needless to say, Twitter went crazy.

There were over 1250,000 #DerekJeter related terms tweeted after the hit.

Storybook ending in New York. Derek Jeter walks off a winner at Yankee Stadium, pic.twitter.com/pRS2lWATK7
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 26, 2014

This tweet from SportsCenter racked up over 26,500 retweets and over 25,300 favorites.

In the same article there were also some fun stats regarding the social activity including:

• Tweeted Jeter-identified Tweets were composed of 44% ages 35+ and 85% were ages 25+
• This is interesting because Twitter generally has a younger audience (below 25)
• There were 526,569 total tweets measured to be about Jeter at Yankee Stadium
• Only about 5% of measured tweets about Jeter were negative

Twitter wasn't the only social media platform weighing in on the Captain's farewell.

Snapchat added a geofilter for the game. Check out some of the filters below:

Source: Google Images

Source: Google Images

Jeter is most notably known for tipping his hat. Well, as the camera was on his family at Yankee Stadium, his nephew melted the hearts of America.

Farewell Captain.

#RE2PECT

#BUCTOBER

Source: behance.net

Since the Pirates play tomorrow, I felt it was only appropriate to look at all Buccos fans favorite hashtag: #BUCTOBER.

For those of you who don't know, the Pirates will face the Giants on Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 8 p.m. at PNC Park for the National League Wild Card Game.

And in case you haven't heard, Cutch is calling for a blackout.

3 words... BLACK...IT...OUT!
— andrew mccutchen (@TheCUTCH22) September 29, 2014

The Pirates clinched the Wild Card Game last week against the Braves, which immediately followed the social explosion of #BUCTOBER.

Hurdle's powers bring #BUCTOBER showers. http://t.co/fhHf63NYQk
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) September 24, 2014

 I think the Pirates do a fantastic job with their social media efforts (mainly Twitter). Here's why:

1. Fan engagement
If you take a look the Pittsburgh Pirates Twitter page, you will obviously find tweets of their own but you will also see a lot of retweets and/or replies to fans. This interaction mainly occurs before, after and in between games (obviously). Fans are especially excited leading up to tomorrow's game, so the Pirates are making sure they acknowledge the fans excitement for the game. If I got a retweet from the Pirates, I know I would be even more excited for the game!

2. Awesome graphics/videos
The Pirates are very consistent with the graphics they post before and after games. They always post a preview graphic, highlighting a specific player and important stats to know. The post game graphic is simple, clean and to the point. It includes an action shot of a player and the score. Their videos after the game against the Braves came from their Vine and/or Instagram account. They were an inside peak of the locker room celebration, which who wouldn't want to see that?

RECAP: #Pirates are heading back to #postseason after comeback win over Braves! http://t.co/p3Ns2F45F0 #RAISEIT pic.twitter.com/SHntuVDFjE
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) September 24, 2014

Bringing it back! #Buctober https://t.co/8A5r6vIBSI
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) September 24, 2014

 3. Always on their Twitter game
If you follow them on Twitter, you know that they are constantly tweeting. Some people may find it annoying, but I think it's the perfect amount. They build hype prior to games, disperse important information about games, players and events, live-tweet during games, tweet post-game press conference quotes... the list could go on and on! Their tweets are usually clever and catchy too, which I think is awesome. Short clever tweets are what capture our attention as we scroll through our Twitter feed.

Leave some of your thoughts on their social media below!

#BUCTOBER RETURNS!!!! pic.twitter.com/gt3t63j3V8
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) September 24, 2014

College GameDay Live (on Snapchat)

In 2011, an app unlike any other was born: Snapchat.

This app gives individuals the opportunity to communicate one-on-one via photos, videos and now messages.

Last October, Snapchat released a new feature for users called: Stories. This feature allows users to create a collection of photos and videos for all their friends on Snapchat to see. Each photo/video lives on the story for 24 hours, then disappears. Users also have the ability to see a list of who looked at their story (great for brands).

On August 29, 2014, Snapchat announced another new feature called: Live. This feature is described as a "community story" where Snapchatters (yes, I'm creating this word) can contribute photos/videos to the live story feed based on the event they are at. Snapchat tested this new feature early in the summer at the Electric Daisy Carnival and in Rio De Janerio at the World Cup.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Snapchat has more than 100 million active monthly users. That's a lot of people.

Every Saturday morning at 9 a.m. college football fanatics tune in to ESPN for College GameDay hosted by Lee Corso, Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard. College GameDay broadcasts live from the school that will be playing that night.

Source: Google Images

Starting this season, Snapchat has added College Football to their Live Story. Snapchatters at games on Saturday may have the opportunity to use an awesome geofilter, which they released this summer. The filters are based on the users location and may be specific to the game they are attending.

Source: inksights.rep-ink.com

Snapchatters are able to share their game experience in real-time with all Snapchat users (remember, that's over 100 million active monthly users). However, fans aren't the only ones contributing to College Football Live. On September 13th, the featured game was Georgia at South Carolina, however the start of the game was delayed due to rain. During the delay, players turned to Snapchat to pass some time.

Source: collegespun.com

So you're probably wondering, who cares? It's just a bunch of random pictures of drunk people and players college football games. Well, in my opinion, this is paving way for so many new things including recruiting and marketing. However, according to a post on Reputation Ink, some may think that these schools are collaborating with Snapchat, but that's not the case. When Oregon played during the first weekend, they said they weren't involved in the initiative. So this is all Snapchat.

College Football Live is a great tool for university athletic departments because it is free marketing and they don't have to do any work either. Obviously problems could arise from students drinking and inappropriate behavior, but the main users of Snapchat are mainly young teens ages 18 and up.


College Football Live also gives users who aren't at the game a glimpse into what goes on at major football tailgates and what the view from the student section looks like. I think it's awesome.

What are your thoughts on College Football Live? Do you just click through the snaps to get rid of them? Or do you actually watch them to see what's going on at the game?

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog about social media and sports (clever blog title is in the works)! My goal is to examine/analyze how sports teams utilize social media in all aspects. In case you haven't noticed, social media is changing the way we go about our daily lives and is making a huge impact in the world of sports. Hashtags and Twitter handles are now constantly seen on our TV's when watching a game or now we can interact with our favorite team or athlete. How cool is that??

The thing is, we don't really even think about these things. I mean we don't think about how big of an impact a simple hashtag makes on a team or league (well... I do). It's pretty awesome and I'm here to tell you about it.