As Facebook grows so does the usage of Fan Pages.  I wanted a way for people to share what Fan Pages they liked so Fan Pages providing great content or services or interaction will be rewarded with more fans.  Unfortunately many Fan Pages on Facebook provide very little value.  It has become harder for Facebook users to find great Fan Pages.  The idea has been adapted from the popular #FollowFriday meme on Twitter.

How does Facebook Fan Page Friday work?

I don’t want to put down too many rules so here is how it works.

Become a fan of Facebook Fan Page Friday so people know about it!  [Sports Geek Note: I got some valid feedback regarding this step.   You do not have to become a fan of Fan Page Friday to play, it is completely optional.  The driver is to share great info it is NOT get fans, but hey if you're a fan of the idea by all means]

Every Friday pick a Fan Page you like and click the Share + button.  It’s at the bottom of the left column of the Fan Page, unfortunately Facebook do a great job of hiding it.

Make a post to your profile like below:
My @Fan Page Friday is [name of page] because [reason].

If you the @ before typing Fan Page Friday it links back to the page.  You can use that to refer to any person or Fan Page on Facebook.  Additionally the Fan Page you select will get a nice wall post from your reference.

That’s your challenge for this Friday, share with your Facebook friends a Fan Page that you think is awesome and tell them why!  Social media is all about sharing.

Do you run a Fan Page?

If you run your own Fan Page what about sharing the love for another Fan Page with your Fans?  Same concept share with your fans another Fan Page they may like or complements your Fan Page.   You can also keep your recommendation permanent by adding them to your favorite pages list on your fan page.

It’s all karma people… share the love.

I’m very interested in seeing how or even if this concept takes off.  I leave it your very capable hands…

Connect with Sports Geek on Twitter, Foursquare, Facebook & LinkedIn
Contact Sports Geek about developing some projects to develop your fan base.

Like social media, fantasy sports connects people bringing them together over a common interest.  It stimulates off-line meetups like we see on Twitter with tweetups.  Our NBA fantasy competition regularly holds our draft night each year in company board rooms or stadium corporate suites.  Do you meet with your fantasy sports friends IRL (in real life) if so let us know how?

We keep hearing the statistics on how much time people are spending on social media websites like Facebook, Twitter & YouTube.  Fantasy sports is a huge driver of web site traffic as the guys at SuperFooty can attest with SuperCoach.  Not only is there a huge spike in traffic when the teams are announced each Thursday, fans flock to the site for the final match of the round on Sunday to check the progress of their weekly matchup.

On that note there are still spots available in the SuperCoach Twitter League Code 404204 please join in the fun.

What do you think?
Can fantasy sports be regarded as social media?

Why do you play fantasy sports?

Connect with Sports Geek on Twitter, Foursquare, Facebook & LinkedIn
Contact Sports Geek about the Sports Geek Social Media Workshop.

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@_SportsGeek_ Feel passionate about #sports and/or #tech? Sports Geek opening up guest posts spots #lovetohearfromyou about 20 hours ago via Tweetie

It was great to see the passion for the game at grassroots and it will be great creating a strong social media strategy for these clubs.

Social media can allow sporting clubs to become an online community hub for sports, families & local business if executed correctly in the same way they have been an “offline” community hub for many years.

And because the Slideshare – YouTube embed seems to playing up here is the video I played, an oldie but a goodie for people who are not quite understanding the impact social media is having on the world.

Sports Geek Social Media Workshop comes in 2 forms:

Social Media Heavy Hitters – Comprehensive workshop targeted to leagues, franchises & facilities who want to grow and manage their social media presence.

Small Sports Big Opportunities – Sports Geek gives back to local clubs & leagues to help them find new sponsorship opportunities via social media.

Check out Sports Geek Social Media Workshop for more info.

Connect with Sports Geek on Twitter, Foursquare, Facebook & LinkedIn
Contact Sports Geek about the Sports Geek Social Media Workshop.

I am lucky enough to learn Impro from the talented group at Impro Melbourne (@ImproMelbourne). Impro is all about creating something (a story/scene) from nothing or at least very little.  In impro workshops we are taught different techniques and games in telling stories.  One of these games is called Action, Colour, Emotion where the one person tells a story to a partner.  The partner listening to the story calls for more action, more colour or more emotion to reflect what they want to hear in the story.

You can apply this same game to identify the social media content produced by sports teams.

Action Updates

Action – keep the story moving, don’t get stuck in the same place.

Keeping your fans up to date with your sport is a goal of you social media plan (You do have a plan don’t you? If not contact Sports Geek) these updates are staple of sports communications but fans expect more than just news clippings & score updates.

Colour Updates

Colour – description required, give me more in-depth detail.

Fans love finding out the news they don’t normally get from newspapers or sports radio reports.

What do fans want?  These example may seem minor but not to the fans.

• Updates on player injuries
• Notice when players or coaches will be appearing in media
• Changes to team lineup
• News when team in on the road

Emotion Updates

Emotion – tell us how you’re feeling in the story we want to feel it too.

Emotion may be the toughest to convey via a tweet or a status update but it connects with your team with fans the most.  It may be a simple as a picture shared of the team in celebration after a big win or an empty locker room after a disappointing loss.  The fan feels the elation with winning & pain of losing sometimes moreso than the players, social media allows them to share that passion.

Did we get the puck in the net?

OK I got caught up in the Canada-USA gold medal game.

Next step is to track which content hits home the most that way you like the impro game you’ll find out what the listener (your fans) want to hear more in your social media content.

What do you track?

• Replies/Comments – How many fans responded directly to you content with support or questions?
• Retweets or Shares – How many fans promoted your message to support the team?
• Traffic – How many views or visitors did you receive from each kind of message?

Need help tracking your social media response?  At Sports Geek we can assist you in tools & techniques to use to give you the information you need quickly.

Additionally I can’t recommend Impro Melbourne enough, do yourself a favour and check out a show or workshops.

Check out Sports Geek Social Media Workshop to learn more about sports & social media.
Contact Sports Geek for more info on our Sports Geek Social Media Workshop.

How do you get rid of these fake athlete accounts?  Contact Sports Geek for more info on how to eliminate fake accounts in your sport.

What about the general public – how do you know who to follow & who to listen to?  Who is real?

Sports Geek’s Twitter Quick Follow Guide

What is their username?

Is it a real person or a real brand?  It may be nickname or an online name but if the name looks suspect don’t bother following.

What is their Twitter avatar?

Same question – is it a real person or logo? Admittedly some people use cartoon avatars or non-descript pictures but they maybe just shy.

Some fakes use the same avatar on multiple accounts if you see the avatar repeated in may be a fake or an automated account.

What is their bio say?

Gives you some insight into what they will tweet about and how that might interest you to follow back.

How many followers do they have?

This one is more subjective as some people relate follower numbers with influence & expertise.  This is where you look at the follower to following ratio.  High following numbers can be automated via tools to automatically follow people on keywords.  Twitter tries to restrict this by implementing rules & guidelines but they can be exploited by third-party follower tools.  How can you spot an inflated follower count?  They are following as many people as they have following them – maintaining the Twitter 1:1 ratio. However many of those accounts may be automatically following back to increase their follower counts as well.  These accounts use technology that works on following people & unfollowing them 24 hours later if they haven’t followed back, churning through the Twitterverse looking for accounts that automatically follow back.

Sports Geek Tip: High follower numbers does not automatically equal expertise or influence.

What do they tweet about?

This is the main criteria I use to decide whether I follow back.

What are they tweeting about? Is it topics of interest to you?
Who do they tweet with? Do other people you know tweet with them?
If they just broadcast and never engage in discussion, will it provide value to me?

Now that might seem like too much to check, yet it only takes 10-15 seconds and allows you to have a stream of quality tweets in your field of interest.

Fake accounts crave attention and followers if you don’t follow them you don’t have to worry about them.

If you want to follow me please do so @seancallanan (I talk about sports & tech funnily enough) or for article & blog posts from @_sportsgeek_.

Connect with Sports Geek on Twitter, Foursquare, Facebook & LinkedIn
Contact Sports Geek about the Sports Geek Social Media Workshop.

• wondering “what’s all the fuss social media about?”
• starting to use Twitter but not sure what to tweet or why to tweet or when to tweet?
• the administrator for a Facebook Fan looking for strategies to grow your fan base?
• aware of some social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube), heard of others (Foursquare, LinkedIn) but wondering how to tackle them all with an integrated approach.

Well what you need is the Sports Geek Social Media Workshop!

After the Sports Geek Social Media Workshop you’ll understand how social media can keep your fans connected.

Some of the topics covered in the Sports Geek Social Media Workshop include:

• How to monitor your brand in the digital space
• How to find your fans using social media
• What platforms your fans are using
• How to engage your Twitter following
• How to make sales via social media platforms
• Creating engaging social media stories

You’ll also receive some useful information on:

• Social media usage in USA garnered through recent Sports Geek Trip
• How the New York Knicks integrated their “I Declare” campaign with social media

Sports Geek Social Media Workshop comes in 2 forms:

Social Media Heavy Hitters – Comprehensive workshop targeted to leagues, franchises & facilities who want to grow and manage their social media presence.

Small Sports Big Opportunities – Sports Geek gives back to local clubs & leagues to help them find new sponsorship opportunities via social media.

Check out Sports Geek Social Media Workshop for more info.

Connect with Sports Geek on Twitter, Foursquare, Facebook & LinkedIn
Contact Sports Geek about the Sports Geek Social Media Workshop.

I guess my question was answered?

@seancallanan: Can sports pick hashtags? Won’t #superbowl get a good run? RT @NFLprguy: We will be using #sb44 for all things Super Bowl-related. #sb44 4:57 PM Feb 1st from TweetDeck

Graph credit – Twitter Blog

Connect with Sports Geek on Twitter, Foursquare, Facebook & LinkedIn
Contact Sports Geek if you help promoting your event via social media.

An autoresponder is a computer program that automatically answers e-mail sent to it. Thanks Wikipedia

That is a simple explanation for what has become forgotten technology.  Social media darlings like Facebook, YouTube & Twitter dominate the digital landscape.

How can autoresponders be used in sports?

If you haven’t worked it out that is “Sports Geek formula” (How can {insert tech here} be used in sports?).

Fan Mail – Why not accept fan mail for each player via email?  Athlete’s still get fan mail but fan emails is vastly under utilised.  Why not setup an email autoresponder for each player on the roster?  In return the fan will receive an automated response from their fave player which may seem impersonal but it can be coupled with an exclusive wallpaper download or a discounted merchandise coupon.

Ticketing or Event FAQ – Not everybody can be online all the time so hitting the web for ticketing or event information may not be convenient for a fan (e.g. fan using an iPod touch).  But an offline copy via an email might be the best method of delivery for this information.

Statistics – The demand for sports statistics has grown due to the insatiable appetite for sports information by fantasy sports fans.  A post-game update of the stats autoresponder would allow delivery of box-scores and stats via email.

Email Competitions – The simplest & easiest way of using autoresponders running an email competition. All entries are collected via the autoresponder email account and a reply will inform the fan they have been entered into the competition.

Fan Feedback - Ask your fans for feedback, this is actually being implemented at Melbourne Demons via ideas@melbournefc.com.au.  They encourage fan feedback and you are rewarded with an automated email from MFC President Jim Stynes saying thanks which is a nice touch, see below snippet.

Thank you for taking the time to send us your idea.  Your feedback  is important to us and is essential to  helping us to build a club that reflects your needs and that of the entire MFC community.

Why use Autoresponders?

1. Give instant feedback to you fans via email.
2. Follow up fans with additional offers – tickets, merchandise, newsletter signups.
3. To deliver information to your fans.

Still unsure how they work?
Here’s a challenge email auto@sportsgeek.com.au to find out.
Go on I dare ya!

Connect with Sports Geek on Twitter, Foursquare, Facebook & LinkedIn
Contact Sports Geek if you want to know more about connecting with your fans.

Monitoring of your brand is mandatory to hear what your fans are saying but in some cases also your players.  Conversely, athletes also need to be aware of the impact a tweet or picture on Facebook may have on their image and their club’s image.  Most athlete’s “get it” but for those who don’t there needs to be sports executives monitoring the digital space to protecting the team & league’s brand.

This from Sports Illustrated saying the tweets shared by NBA players may be crucial in monitoring the big free agent class of 2010.

Social networking will influence the free-agent market this summer. So promises a league insider with an extended background in college basketball.

“In the old days, teams used to control players,” he said. “Now the teams have lost that control, to the point that the NBA had to put in rules that players are not allowed to use Twitter at halftime. The thing with these players, their lifestyles revolve around technology. They want instant information.

“You’re now dealing with kids who think that anything you do or say is public. To them it is public, because they all communicate with each other.”

This week, the Celtics dealt with a half-day of speculation that Pierce was out for the year after teammate Shelden Williams posted a Twitter message that suggested bad news was on the way. As a result, the Celtics rushed out a news release late at night diagnosing Pierce as day-to-day with a sprained foot. “They don’t think about the rules or privacy when they use Twitter,” the league insider said. “The Celtics don’t want the opposition to know if Pierce is injured, but Williams didn’t think about what he was doing to the Celtics; he just did it.

“Twitter has become a broadcasting network for athletes. Around July 1, there is going to be so much tweeting among the free agents, and all of these guys will be communicating with each other, and if you don’t think they’re going to be telling each other about the offers they’re getting, then you’re crazy. It’s going to be the summer of instant information, and it’s going to change the whole market, because everybody will know what kind of money is out there and what each team is trying to do.

“If I were a GM, I’d hire two or three kids from college and have them scour the Internet every day to find out what’s being said by who. If you want to know what’s going on, that’s how you can find out.”

If you want to see what athletes are tweeting then follow our list – Athletes Who Tweet.  Are we missing your fave athlete who tweets? Let us know at @_SportsGeek_.

Follow Sports Geek on Twitter @_SportsGeek_ & @seancallanan

Contact Sports Geek for more info on how to manage your digital presence

Now I love the concept of connecting fans (so much so it’s our tag line) but after playing with the FanPulse app I was disappointed with my initial experience.

FanPulse relies upon the user to grow their on network by inviting friends via the usual methods – Twitter, Facebook & Address Book.  As a new app it needs to “lift it’s eyes” (to use an over-used sports cliche) and have some vision for the application.  This approach limits the fan to only connecting with fans they know, it goes against the model of two of the web’s biggest movers – Twitter & Foursquare.  The release did not gain momentum released too close to the SuperBowl with only 139 check-ins to the big game.

It is hard to get traction with FanPulse if it only works if the onus is on you to get friends to join up.

Is there a rule that you can’t make new friends as an adult? According to Jerry Seinfeld yes (please indulge a Seinfeld fan).

When you’re in your thirties it’s very hard to make a new friend. Whatever the
group is that you’ve got now that’s who you’re going with. you’re not
interviewing, you’re not looking at any new people, you’re not interested in
seeing any applications. They don’t know the places. They don’t know the food.
They don’t know the activities, If I meet a guy in a club on the gym or
someplace I’m sure you’re a very nice person you seem to have a lot of
potential, but we’re just not hiring right now. Of course when you’re a kid,
you can be friends with anybody. Remember when you were a little kid what were
the qualifications? If someone’s in front of my house NOW, That’s my friend,
they’re my friend. That’s it. Are you a grown up.? No. Great! Come on in. Jump
up and down on my bed. And if you have anything in common at all, You like
Cherry Soda? I like Cherry Soda! We’ll be best friends!

But I digress, as someone who lives in the Web 2.0 world I disagree with Jerry as social networking platforms like Twitter, Foursquare, Facebook & LinkedIn allow you can make new friends & connections.  What FanPulse needs is to add the ability to befriend other fans who have checked into the sports event as Foursquare does and as Twitter offers with it’s Nearby functionality.  This would make the app instantly more enjoyable as you can start shouting to other fans “virtually” attending the game.

As I blogged prior to my #sportsgeektrip I was hoping Foursquare would provide value.  What Foursquare allowed me to do was connect with fans in the stadium and send friend requests to those fans.  It allowed me to connect with sports fans in a foreign city as well as find out where they go before & after games.

Check out the Foursquare pages I attended games at:

• Madison Square Garden
• Staples Center
• Rose Bowl
• American Airline Center

Look at the Foursquare stats on those stadia! If you’re not excited about that data and what it means for sports then you’re in the wrong game.

Now I’m not writing off FanPulse but the key to a successful social network is numbers whether they be followers, friends or fans.  A few tweaks in the application to allow easy connecting with fans and it could take off.

Connect with Sports Geek on Twitter, Foursquare, Facebook & LinkedIn
Contact Sports Geek to find out where your fans hang out online.

Many leagues across the globe follow a similar digital model.  League web sites are developed and team web sites are created under the league umbrella.

MLB.com, NBA.com,  NHL.com, AFL.com.au are some examples of these Leagues that follow this “Umbrella model”.
(*edit thanks for comment: Essendon stand alone as an exception running independently of the AFL very successfully with EssendonFC.com.au)

If you take a look at team websites e.g. LA Dodgers Vs New York Yankees or Collingwood Vs Hawthorn you’ll see some team customization but they are locked into a League framework.  The NBA follows a similar model but teams are using custom landing pages (or splash pages like the Mavs do) to offer fans special deals.

Other leagues like the NFL.com & PremierLeague.com have decoupled the League’s web deal from the teams.

What’s better?

The “Umbrella model” makes administration of League branding much easier and sometimes can lead to a better sponsorship deal as it is league-wide.  However, it can be restrictive both creatively and financially to the teams who want to push the Web 2.0 envelope.  From a technical prospective a league wide CMS (content management system) does reduce the need for in-house web staff for teams but many people who use these systems find them too restrictive.  Leagues that abandon the “Umbrella model” face the problem of a potentially creating a tech gap between the have and have-nots.  Some teams like those run by MSG (Knicks, Rangers, Liberty) help promote their teams outside the standard team’s sites through the stadium (TheGarden.com), then again with so many sports properties MSG is a unique business.

What are your thoughts?

• Does the ability for league’s to secure deals outweigh a team’s desire to innovate?
• Would teams do a better job if they could go it alone?
• Would small-market teams struggle maintaining own website?

Ask Sports Geek a question on FormSpring.
Contact Sports Geek if you want web advice to keep your fans coming back

Follow Sports Geek TV on YouTube.
Contact Sports Geek to find out more about Sports & Tech.
In case you missed it, here’s the list of tweeps who took part in #sportsgeektrip.

Thanks

@adamgruer @allihouseworth @allisaasheley @amandarykoff @andrewmbogut @anitakilkenny @ausrob @badz85 @bentortura @BradMayne @brendanjack @chantelleaustin @chrissduffy @christinejg @cram33 @dani3boyz @danieleade @darylcook @davecharest @day2daypa @deanmillson @dj_rod @downesy @emstar666 @espnzone @ezmacs99 @finn_bradshaw @fmome @harry_o @heidiheartshugs @ideasculture @impromelbourne @intair @jamesharley @janemills3142 @jdbasketball @JillDotts @johnrille @katpawz @katwoman5 @kick2kick @lectric @lilylauren @lisahayes4 @lukeii @marcusmoments @markquest @matty_stevens @mcuban @melbournejules @mikefoden @mollyfud @mrthill @nicflux @packers4 @peter_r_casey @philliesmania @pwnolan @r_geez @samanthabell1 @samotage @scottkilmartin @semipro @shoelover79 @snarkle @souldesign1 @sportzfanradio @taraceebee @the_boneyard @the_tony @themonkeyboy @Tim_Butcher @tim_in_CT @Tw1sty @urbansmiler @yummololaberry

Most of the teams & even some of the facilities now have a presence on Twitter, it’s how they use it is where it gets interesting.  For a list of League & Franchise Twitter accounts check out our Sports Geek Stars list.

The tweets from sports Twitter accounts fall into 4 categories.

Sports News Information

These tweets are standard fare for sports accounts generally relaying news & articles from the team’s website or local news reports.  These can use tech like Feedburner or TwitterFeed to automatically post to Twitter.  The key is to ensure these tweets are sent at a time when your fans want them and are sufficiently spaced out so you do not flood your fans twitter stream.

@thenyrangers Rangers alum Steve Vickers was this week’s guest on Rangers Radio, check out this week’s show here: http://bit.ly/5ubq1v

But sports twitter fans love the easy “insider” access that you can get with services like Twitpic to get closer them to the team.  It is these kind of updates that give your stream value & are unique to your Twitter “broadcast”. News & notes from practice or simple updates from your team’s road trip that are exclusive to your Twitter stream are more likely to generate buzz amongst your fans.

@VanCanucks http://twitpic.com/117p7l – All #Canucks Olympians wearing their Olympic gloves at practice this morning.

Promotions & Marketing

This is where you can make offers to fans.  Some might be ticket offers like below from the Clippers or sponsor promotions.  The New York Rangers were the only team that I witnessed on #sportsgeektrip that used Twitter at the game when they upgraded some of their twitter followers.  As more sports fans tweet during games expect sports facilities to start engaging with fans in the stadium.

@laclippers Here’s an exclusive offer just for our followers: buy 1 ticket to Sat’s game v. @Spurs, get 1 free: http://bit.ly/951eYQ /CODE: CLIPTWEET

Play By Play

Using Twitter for play by play or score updates can be fraught with danger as many fans may tune out the tweets or worse unfollow due to the high frequency of tweets in a short period.  It can work in a low-scoring sport like hockey or soccer where scores are rare but in higher scoring sports twitter doesn’t translate.  The key thing to remember before tweeting is “Am I providing value to my followers with this tweet?” if the answer is no then don’t hit that enter key.

Score update or highlight tweets however can help generate fervor in your fan base triggering your fan’s Twitter support.  It’s a fine line if you turn your in-game tweets into a more conversational stream (next category) you may see more Twitter action from your fans.

Conversational

This is where Twitter can really help you engage your fans.  Ask questions, answer questions, join in the conversation with your tribe.  Conversations can happen with a “corporate” sports account but many people like talking to a person rather than a brand.  This is where Peter Casey has had success when covering St John’s games via Twitter.

@stkildafc RT @BridgetteHEY: Lock and load! Got my @stkildafc membership today. Two more weeks checking the mail box #gosaints

@CFL Not anymore! Thanks for the heads up… RT @merlin67: @CFL you are missing @MrMann86 on your cfl players list

Here’s one of my faves from a game I was at at MSG

@Peter_R_Casey The ref just copped a feel on the other ref. Right cheek. #awkwardmomentsinsports #stjbb

In a future post I will look at the tech you can use to monitor, track & build your Twitter presence.

Read more about the #sportsgeektrip in these posts.
Contact Sports Geek for more info on how to manage your Twitter presence .

Formspring allows anonymous questions to be asked and answered via a simple web form.

Could Formspring be a good way of getting fans to ask questions and connect with your sport?

How could you use formspring in sports?

• Take questions from fans for coaches, perhaps a formspring press conference?
• Setup a season ticket sales account to answer queries & encourage sales
• Setup an account specific to an event or promotion to handle questions
• Manage queries from fans surrounding a big news event e.g. New signing or trade

If you have any questions for me about formspring or #sportsgeektrip or anything at all, please ask away…

On Facebook? Become a fan of Sports Geek.
Contact Sports Geek for more info on the Sports Geek Study Trip findings.

The primary goal of the trip was to watch, assess, study both sports fans as well as sports franchises and facilities. It was great to hear how fans feel about their teams efforts on the court & field and in the domain of Sports Geek the online world.

Thanks to all the great people I met in LA, Dallas & New York, 3 great sports cities.

Thanks to those who supported the trip via Twitter, Facebook & YouTube, it was very much appreciated.

So many ideas, so stay tuned…

For more photos of #sportsgeektrip become a fan of Sports Geek on Facebook
Contact Sports Geek for more info on the Sports Geek Study Trip findings.

Madison Square Garden as they say is “The World’s Most Famous Arena” you can feel the history of the place as soon as you walk in. I caught the Knicks play the Pistons on Martin Luther King holiday. The MSG old feel & intimacy is stark contrast to the Staples Center in LA which was a terrific facility but fans were not as close to the action. However it was at the Rangers game that I saw the famous New York passion, the fans made the Garden come alive as they defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 8-2.
However, a highlight for the #sportsgeektrip for me was meeting Knick legend Walt “Clyde” Frazier before the Knicks game.

For more photos of #sportsgeektrip become a fan of Sports Geek on Facebook
Contact Sports Geek for more info on the Sports Geek Study Trip.

I started with a Sports Geek Bucket List…

Here’s just some of what I’ve done so far:

• Attended a College Tailgate but also the game! BCS Championship Game at Rosebowl with 94,000 of my closest friends.  Go Longhorns!
• Got my picture taken with the BCS Coaches Trophy.
• Saw the NBA’s best player Kobe Bryant (3 times) unfortunately he hasn’t been at his best but does enough to win.  Including a cross town match against the LA Clippers with Baron Davis at his best & Aussie Andrew Bogut’s Bucks who unfortunately had no fight left in them.
• Watched Dirk Nowitski score his 20,000th NBA point against the Lakers from the a private suite at American Airlines Center.
• Saw Mark Cuban at Mavs game unable to meet him he is too excited about his Mavs in season.
• Toured the American Airlines Center with CEO Brad Mayne including the terrific facilities the Mavs in their locker room.  Terrific facility Brad, best HD scoreboards I’ve seen (excluding the ridiculous screen at Cowboys Stadium).
• Fell in love with the beauty & history of Dodger Stadium, will be back for a game.
• Jaw dropping amazement of the magnitude of the Cowboys Stadium with the Cowboys on the field practicing!
• Saw Big Ben Wallace from the Pistons turn back the clock against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.  Great history in that arena, even walking around met Walt “Clyde” Frazier & John Starks.
• Watch some great hockey thanks to the LA Kings at the Staples Center & Dallas Stars at American Airline Center.

That is just the venues, games & sports stars you may know but I’ve met a lot of cool people as well. All the time taking notes on the promotions, marketing and watching offline fans to see how to best connect them with online fans.

If you’re in New York come & say G’day as I’m hosting a #sportsgeektweetup on Wednesday night 7pm at ESPN Zone.

The screen alone cost $40M weighs as much as a full Airbus.  The roof sagged 5 inches when it was first attached.

I was lucky enough to take the tour while the Cowboys were preparing for their playoff encounter against Brett Favre’s Minnesota Vikings.  To simulate the the noise expected by Vikings fans they pumped crowd noise throughout the stadium.  While standing in the end zone I recorded this, have a listen.

Crowd Noise During Cowboys Practice

Unfortunately no video was allowed but check out the Cowboys Stadium photo gallery for some great shots.

I wouldn’t be Sports Geek if I wasn’t impressed with the full-on DataCenter that is the heart of the stadium.  Standard stuff from an IT point of view but everyone seemed very impressed with the Mission-Impossible style description “6 seconds to get out if there’s a fire, as the oxygen is sucked out of the room”.

Additionally Jerry Jones, owner of the Cowboys spent $1.4B in conjunction with the City of Arlington on the stadium but only 90% suites have been sold so if you can help him out with the other 10% click here.

I jokingly referred to Cowboys Stadium as the “Death Star” which I think Jerry Jones would like.  Little did I know that is one of the names the locals have given it.  Tours have been extremely popular with 150,000 people touring the venue in it’s first 127 days.  It has a staff of 6,200 on game day and will host the 2010 NBA All-Star game and the 2011 Super Bowl.

For more photos of #sportsgeektrip become a fan of Sports Geek on Facebook
Contact Sports Geek for more info on the  Sports Geek Study Trip.

One of the reasons that Dallas was picked for the #sportsgeektrip was to meet Mavs’ owner Mark Cuban who I consider a fellow Sports Geek.  Unfortunately, he was unable to meet me during the season but he was kind enough to reply and wish me well on the #sportsgeektrip. Outside the AAC there was a definite buzz with the Lakers in town.  The Mavs Street Team ran promotions with inflatable hoops keeping the young fans entertained as well as a DJ & host promoting the game and firing up the fans.

One promotion I liked was free tickets to fans who made the “extra” effort.  Fans turned up in costumes, full body paint, wigs, etc and for that they received a standing room ticket at the end of the court.

I did a lap of the American Airlines Center concourse, it wasn’t as spacious as the Staple Center but it used every inch efficiently for concessions, promotions & merchandising.  I was seated just above the visitor’s tunnel behind the Maverick’s bench.  As luck would’ve have it Mark Cuban was sitting 30 feet in front of me.  It was quite funny to seem him motion to the bench to turn the music up during the introductions to get the fans fired up.

The Mavs provide great entertainment value for the fan outside the great talent on the floor.  With the Mavs Surround Sound Drumline & the ManiAACs providing plenty of energy during the game (check out video below).  One nice touch was the fact the rims were miked up, if a shot clunked out you heard it likewise if Dirk swished a 3 -ball you caught that as well.  The video production work on the scoreboards were both more entertaining (Ron Burgundy provided the security notices) and more informative with stats provided throughout the night than the Staples Center.

What happened next I can only explain in one word… awesome!

After a few tweets pre-game..

@seancallanan – G’day @mcuban, Sports Geek here… If you sitting near me in Section 115, Row H, Seat 7 stop by and say hi #sportsgeektrip #gomavs 3:52 PM Jan 13th from Tweetie

@seancallanan – G’day @bradmayne, I’ve arrived at your arena to see the Mavs hand the Lakers a lesson #sportsgeektrip #gomavs http://twitpic.com/xz8ka 3:40 PM Jan 13th from Tweetie

Brad Mayne, CEO of American Airline Center, stopped by seat and invited me back to his suite at the Platinum Club.  At half-time I checked out the Platinum club level and met up with Brad at his suite.  Great view of the game and in the second half Dirk Nowitzki scored his 20,000 NBA point.  With a Foster’s in hand (apparently the Aussie reputation for liking beer precedes us) I was able to meet some great people who manage facilities around the globe for Global Spectrum as well as learn more about IAAM (International Association of Assembly Managers Foundation).

Great facility Brad, I highly recommend taking in a game at the AAC if you’re in Dallas.  I’ll be back on Saturday to see some more NHL when the Dallas Stars take on the Detroit Red Wings.  Tweet me @seancallanan if you want an impromptu #sportsgeektweetup, but it will take a but to beat that one

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Contact Sports Geek for more info on the  Sports Geek Study Trip.