Morgan Foss

Growing up on a cattle farm in Alden, New York, a rural community 30 minutes east of Buffalo, gave Morgan Foss G’20 an understanding of agriculture, food production and life on a farm.

The master’s degree in public relations Foss graduated with from the gave her a strong foundation of communication, writing, relationship-building and strategic thinking.

Today, she puts it all together as program manager for the Buffalo Bills Foundation, the nonprofit arm of her hometown football franchise. The foundation supports a wide breadth of initiatives dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Western New York region, but its primary focus is addressing child hunger, food access and supporting healthy eating.

“Buffalo is the sixth most segregated metropolitan region in the country and 1 in 5 children—1 in 8 people overall—are food insecure,” Foss says, illuminating the importance of her work with the foundation. “There are many food deserts within the city and in surrounding communities, despite there being many agricultural areas, like where I grew up.”

The supports several nonprofit organizations and programs that uplift the food system and provide healthy foods to underserved families. Foss is one of three employees who liaise with the foundation’s board of directors to respond to funding requests and direct resources to the many hunger-fighting organizations doing the work.

“The Bills organization has such a large platform and influence in the Western New York region. So in this position, I can connect the community’s needs with resources and bring awareness to specific causes.”

A Pandemic-Inspired Pivot

While Foss was always drawn to nonprofit and community-based work, she went to Newhouse intent on entering entertainment public relations after completing an undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama.

In the spring of 2020, she was planning to visit Los Angeles for the entertainment immersion experience and was pursuing an internship in Nashville with Sony Music Entertainment, and then … we all know what happened next.

Foss (left) and Buffalo Bills Foundation president Thomasina Stenhouse, Ph.D., visit the Providence Farm Collective, an Orchard Park-based organization that cultivates farmer-led and community-rooted agriculture and food systems.

“All of a sudden I was finishing up my master’s degree, teaching undergraduate courses online and doing a virtual internship all from my childhood bedroom while simultaneously working on my family farm,” Foss says.

Not only were her personal plans put on hold, but the entire PR and entertainment industry was a question mark as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. With so much uncertainty, Foss began looking for opportunities closer to home, ultimately leading to her dream career with the Bills.

“It was a crazy time and while many businesses closed, my family farm and the agriculture industry trudged forward to ensure food was produced and stocked on shelves,” says Foss. “The pandemic certainly changed the trajectory of my career, but I’m grateful for it.” She emphasizes that her experience in 2020 built life skills that have wildly benefited her career—including adaptability, organization, being innovative with her time and space and the ability to build relationships through a screen.

Giving Back and Living the Dream

Foss was named community relations coordinator with the Bills in 2022. Now in her third season with the organization, she has been promoted to Bills Foundation program manager, overseeing the distribution of foundation grants to nonprofits across the community.

Foss has also worked on initiatives promoting cancer awareness, military appreciation and social justice (in partnership with the National Football League’s Crucial Catch, Salute to Service and Inspire Change initiatives), as well as CPR education and AED awareness, youth sports and physical fitness and numerous other causes championed by players.

The Bills recently wrapped up their annual Huddle of Hunger Initiative, which collected over 31,000 pounds of food and raised more than $150,000 to support 20 local charities, including FeedMore WNY and its 400 hunger-relief agencies serving the four counties surrounding Highmark Stadium. “For this year’s food drive, we had 16 rookie players and six veteran players participate and a massive turnout,” Foss says. “The Buffalo Bills players are amazing and very dedicated to the community where they play.”

Foss with her partner, Tre, and son, Tino, at Bills training camp this summer

Besides the technical and interpersonal skills she developed at Newhouse, Foss says one of the best takeaways has been the group of friends and fellow alumni she connected with during the master’s program.

“I have a group chat with my best friends from the program,” Foss says. “Going through this experience together of graduating during the pandemic was unique, and we know we can count on each other to discuss our careers—areas we might want to grow in and navigating challenges or transitions. I love having peers who are on the same wavelength and seeing my friends growing and doing amazing work in their industries and their fields.”

Earlier this year, Foss had her first baby, a son named Valentino—Tino for short—and returned to her role part-time for the 2024 season. She is thrilled to be back in the business of connecting the foundation’s resources and the Bills players with the people and organizations in her community doing incredible work.

“Just so far this season [in addition to Huddle for Hunger], we’ve brought players to Dave and Buster’s to hang out with families affected by cancer, we’ve made sandwiches and handed out food with players at St. Luke’s Missionary Church, we’re getting ready for Veterans and Native Heritage Month celebrations in November. We do a lot with different youth organizations and that’s probably my favorite part of the job—just seeing kids light up after meeting their idol,” Foss says.

To learn more about the work of Foss and the Buffalo Bills Foundation, visit .

Students from the Falk College’s Australia: Sport, History and Culture class this summer

“Falk College is creating exceptional experiential learning opportunities for future sports professionals,” says Falk College Dean Jeremy S. Jordan. “Women’s prominence in sports is growing exponentially as they lead traditional male and female teams, engage larger audiences, earn new sponsorships and gain greater media attention than ever before. This partnership integrates our students and faculty with the outstanding work of Women Leaders in Sports and guides us as we develop programming and curricula to meet the needs of this dynamic field.”

Jordan also noted that the recently concluded Summer Olympics generated tremendous excitement and support for women in a variety of sports. It was the fourth Summer Olympic Games where female U.S. athletes won more medals than their male counterparts. The was evident in Paris, from former student-athletes who competed in various sports, to faculty and students participating in academic opportunities, to those working behind the scenes—many facilitating media coverage of women-dominated and other events.

The novel partnership was inspired after Syracuse University’s Women in Leadership (WiL) Initiative hosted Women Leaders in Sports’s Chief Executive Officer Patti Phillips on campus last March for a series of meetings and presentations. The collaborative effort will create mentoring, learning, fellowship, internship and membership opportunities for Falk students, provide access to professional memberships to Falk faculty and support faculty attendance at significant events, such as the Women Leaders in Sports National Convention. The joint agreement names Phillips as special advisor to Jordan and enlists her services as an “executive in residence” at Falk. The partnership also calls for an exchange of relevant University research and co-creates a Women Leaders in Sports Fellowship.

Women Leaders in Sports is a 45-year-old organization dedicated to enhancing women’s influence and transforming leadership in sports. Phillips notes that this new partnership makes great strategic sense given the synergies between her organization and the Falk College.

“We accelerate the potential of women to positively impact sports with year-round, world-class leadership development, career training and networking,” says Phillips. “Our nearly 6,000 members share Falk College’s core commitment to mastering all facets of sports, whether business management and human performance or use of technology and marketing. Our members will gain insights that can make them even more effective administrators and executives.”

According to Women Leaders in Sports, nearly half of the women who attend one of the organization’s leadership experiences advance in their careers within a year. The organization hosted 16 national events in 2023. Beyond training and networking, the group also hosts an exclusive online career platform, celebrates member accomplishments with awards and media recognition, and engages, educates and challenges industry leaders to make more diverse and equitable hiring decisions.

Today’s announcement comes just four months after Syracuse University announced it would transform the Falk College into a first-of-its-kind College of Sport. The reimagined David B. Falk College of Sport will be the first standalone college on an R1 campus to focus exclusively on sports-related disciplines, making the University among the leading academic institutions for preparing students to lead and drive innovation in sport-related fields and industries. The transformation follows two decades of recognized excellence in sport management, sport analytics, exercise science and nutrition, and such innovative interdisciplinary majors as esports. The Falk College’s excellence, combined with the high growth of sport in the U.S. and around the world, has created unprecedented demand for talented practitioners and professionals.

About the Reimagined David B. Falk College of Sport

The reimagined Falk College of Sport will house academic programs in sport management, sport analytics, exercise science, nutrition and, jointly with the Newhouse School of Public Communications, esports. It will focus on four areas of academic excellence: Sport Business, Human Performance, Sport Technology and Innovation, and Community Sport and Wellness. The college will also launch a new research institute focused on sport and innovation that will leverage an interdisciplinary, cross-campus approach to drive innovation in sport and health outcomes and integrate expertise in business, digital media and technology, among other areas of academic focus.

About Women Leaders in Sports

Founded in 1979, Women Leaders in Sports is the only nationally recognized professional membership organization whose mission is to develop, connect, advance and champion women leaders working in sports. Women Leaders provides career and leadership training, access to a powerful network and the resources to advance women at every stage of their careers. Learn more about the organization on its and follow Women Leaders on ,��,�� ���Ի���.

Syracuse University’s WiL

Establishing Syracuse University as a pacesetter in cultivating women leaders, the Women in Leadership Initiative supports professional development for women on campus through education, awareness and mentorship. Created in 2018, the WiL seeks to catalyze the personal and collective advancement of women on campus. WiL hosts a robust professional development program, with opportunities customized to the needs of faculty and staff. Participants benefit from the real experiences and candid advice offered by panels and solo guest speakers.

Noah Eagle is handling play-by-play duties for NBC’s coverage of Team USA men’s and women’s basketball at the Summer Olympics.

The Super Bowl. French Open tennis. Primetime college football and basketball games between nationally ranked opponents. The radio play-by-play voice of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers.

In the ever-competitive field of sports broadcasting, what Noah Eagle ’19 has accomplished in his six-year professional career is quite impressive. In May, Eagle’s hard work was recognized by his peers, as he won the Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Personality/Emerging On Air after his debut season calling “Big Ten Saturday Night,” the weekly primetime Big Ten football game broadcast on NBC and Peacock.

Noah Eagle (center) won a Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Personality/Emerging On Air after his debut season calling “Big Ten Saturday Night,” the weekly primetime Big Ten football game broadcast on NBC and Peacock. He’s pictured with sideline reporter Kathryn Tappen (left) and color commentator Todd Blackledge.

Eagle’s ascension has been meteoric—the Clippers hired him right after he graduated with a broadcast and digital journalism degree from the —and he’s just scratching the surface of his potential. His next assignment takes him to Paris, France, as the play-by-play broadcaster for Team USA men’s and women’s basketball at the Summer Olympics.

For someone who grew up a “massive” fan of the NBA, broadcasting Team USA games at the Olympics is a “special honor,” says Eagle. Especially since he will call games involving NBA players he has long admired—like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry—and will be on the mic as the U.S. women’s team pursues their unprecedented eighth consecutive gold medal.

“Basketball has been a passion of mine for a long time, and when I look at this specific assignment, it’s a dream come true. Watching Team USA at the Olympics helped grow my love for the sport, especially the ‘Redeem Team’ in 2008 that brought back the gold medal for the U.S. I remember parking myself on the couch during those Olympics and watching LeBron James play with Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Jason Kidd and Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse basketball royalty. Those were legends of the game. Now, I’m calling Team USA games with LeBron, K.D. and Steph, who are legends of the game. There’s something special about calling basketball games while representing your country,” Eagle says.

The father-son sportscasting duo of Ian Eagle ’90 (left) and Noah Eagle ’19

Sportscasting and a love for Syracuse University runs in the family. Noah’s father, Ian ’90, has handled play-by-play for CBS Sports’ NFL games since 1998 and concluded his first year as the network’s lead announcer for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. His mother, Alisa (Terry) Eagle ’90, earned a retailing degree from what is now the , and his sister, Erin ’21, earned an advertising degree from Newhouse.

“When I’m calling games, I’ve always got an orange wristband on my right wrist that shows my Orange connection,” Eagle says. “There’s always so much love to the ’Cuse. As my mom always says, Syracuse University is our happy place.”

Before the Olympics began, Eagle sat down with SU News to discuss his “surreal” career journey, how he’s preparing to call Team USA’s basketball games and the lessons he learned from his debut performance at the Olympics in 2021.

At the age of 27, you’ve already worked the Super Bowl, served as the radio voice of the Los Angeles Clippers, called French Open tennis action and broadcast countless college football and basketball games. How would you describe your ascension in sportscasting?

Noah Eagle

It’s quite surreal. I never anticipated my career going this way, but that’s what I love about this field. You never know the path you’re going to take. Everybody’s sportscasting path is different based on timing and circumstances. I was fortunate to not only have something open up [the Clippers radio play-by-play job] but to have people who believed in me and put my name out there for that job. Olivia Stomski [director of the Newhouse Sports Media Center and professor of broadcast and digital journalism and television, radio and film] is at the top of that list, and I had so many great mentors around campus who played a massive role in my career.

I’ve gotten lucky that I’ve gotten chances to do some big things, and my viewpoint has always been if you get the chance to do the big thing, you better step up and knock it out of the park. I’ve loved every second and hope this journey continues for a long time.

How have you been preparing for the Games?

Learning about every team and putting my broadcast boards together [with key facts and figures for each team]. Before that, I read a book on the original Dream Team because I wanted to make sure I knew my history of why there weren’t professionals allowed on the United States’ teams before 1992, why they changed that rule and how that decision has impacted the Olympics. Now, it’s preparing for the men’s and women’s competitions, making sure I’m knowledgeable about the teams and players.

It’s an honor to call basketball games at the Olympics, but my preparation is no different than if I was preparing to call a high school, college or NBA game. You put the team together on your broadcast board and make sure you have all the information you think you might need. Preparing gets easier with each game because you’ve got a much better sense of the teams based on the flow of how these games go.

What lessons did you learn from your first Olympic assignment in 2021 calling 3-on-3 basketball from NBC’s headquarters?

Because of being prepared for any outcome, you’d better be ready to deliver a memorable call for the big moments that matter the most, the moments that are guaranteed to live on the longest in the gold medal games. It can’t just be the standard, run-of-the-mill call. I don’t necessarily spend the night before thinking about what I’m going to say, but before our broadcast starts, I have a general idea of the direction I’m going to go. If you’re trying to think of it in the moment, that’s when things can go awry.

Mike Mangano

That’s why Mangano has fully embraced the partnership between the University’s and the in the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics that’s allowing nearly 50 students majoring in sport analytics to provide real-world data to assist the coaching and athletic performance staffs of 11 of Syracuse’s men’s and women’s athletic teams.

The specifics vary from sport to sport, but in general, most students are collecting performance data from the student-athletes’ wearable devices, analyzing that data from training, practices and games, and interpreting that data to provide insights to coaches and staff.

When Mangano was an assistant athletic trainer for the men’s soccer team, he says that kind of data helped coaches determine the optimum workload for each player. Once the players started maintaining that weekly goal, soft tissue injuries decreased. “So, for me, it’s great. I don’t have to do as much work,” Mangano says, laughing. “But at the same time, my philosophy is, do the work on the front end. If you can prevent injuries–and obviously you can’t prevent them all–but if you can prevent most of the injuries and add that kind of education for the student-athletes and coaches, then (the analytics) are working for us.”

The genesis of this partnership between athletics and analytics can be traced to Mangano’s interest in analytics and sport performance and conversations he had with , the program manager for the program and a former soccer standout at Le Moyne College in Syracuse. Riverso encouraged Mangano to earn his , which Mangano did last year, and they arranged for sport analytics students to start collecting, analyzing and interpreting data for the men’s soccer team in 2022.

Sport analytics students also started working with the women’s lacrosse team last season. The men’s soccer team won the 2022 Division I national championship, while the women’s lacrosse team reached the 2023 Division I Final Four.

Sport analytics student Danielle Napierski at the JMA Wireless Dome, where she attends practices and games to collect data on the Syracuse women’s basketball team and its opponents.

“The role of our student analysts has been integral to our program’s success,” says , men’s soccer head coach. “The student analysts are responsible for collecting and interpreting all GPS data and providing detailed post-match and post-training reports. These reports are presented to the coaching staff with concise information that enables us to make objective decisions around training load and managing student-athletes’ minutes in games. “In addition to the GPS data, the student analysts provide half-time and post-match reports of pre-determined categories that allow us to see how we are playing, and how we can make the necessary adjustments,” says McIntyre.

The partnership expanded this academic year to include the following teams: women’s and men’s basketball, field hockey, football, ice hockey, women’s and men’s lacrosse, women’s and men’s soccer, softball and track and field.

“The coaches were open to having students who were passionate about working with this type of data metrics and analysis, and this was a perfect opportunity to start utilizing my knowledge and applying what I learned in the classroom,” says second-year student Danielle Napierski, who is one of seven sport analytics students working for the women’s basketball team.

, assistant provost for student-athlete academic development at Syracuse, says the sport analytics students are available to all athletic teams and the athletic department plans to make this a long-term arrangement with the sport analytics program.

“This collaboration represents an exciting opportunity to merge the worlds of athletics and data analysis, further enhancing our ability to make informed decisions and drive success both on and off the field,” says Syracuse Director of Athletics . “Together, we will harness the power of analytics to gain a competitive edge and propel our student-athletes and teams to new heights.”

, director of the sport analytics program and a professor in the Department of Sport Management, says the partnership provides sport analytics students with a one-of-a-kind opportunity to apply the data analytics skills they’re learning in class. “It not only provides the students with real-world experience in sports but gives them the chance to see it applied directly to the University sports teams they already love and support,” Paul says.

Second-year student Dan Griffiths says when he first toured the campus, his guide said the sport analytics program partnered with some of the teams, and Griffiths figured it was only the football and basketball teams. But now, two years later, Griffiths is working with his favorite sport, track and field.

“This is exactly why I came to Syracuse,” Griffiths says. “After my first year, I was very committed to being a part of the team, and I saw that I could have this opportunity as long as I had the initiative to take it on myself.”

To get a better understanding of this partnership, we talked to sport analytics students Griffiths, Napierski and Caden Lippie about their roles with the athletics department. Visit the to read more about their experiences.

During an appearance Friday at the , the decorated sportscaster shared a story from his iconic career about a regrettable mistake that he turned into a teachable moment for the students who packed the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium for the .

Bob Costas shared tips and stories from his decorated sportscasting career and participated in a question-and-answer segment with current students during Newhouse’s Leaders in Communications lecture series.

The Chicago Cubs were taking on the St. Louis Cardinals on June 28, 2015, and Cubs pitcher Pedro Strop had an outing to forget, allowing a home run, hitting a batter and walking a batter in a disastrous relief effort. As he walked off the mound, Strop pointed to the sky, a trademark gesture for the reliever. Costas admits he’s not a fan of athletes celebrating when their performance is substandard, and he wanted to poke a little fun at Strop during his MLB Network broadcast.

Problem was, Costas didn’t have as much time as he anticipated going into the commercial break, and he was forced to cut off his remarks quickly.

“Strop is on his way out, pointing toward the heavens. We can only ask — or wonder — that he is asking some departed relative for forgiveness for this atrocious performance,” Costas said at the time, words he would later regret as the moment went viral on Twitter.

Two days later, the remorseful Costas approached Strop in the team’s hotel lobby in St. Louis, delivering a heartfelt apology. Strop knew Costas made a mistake and appreciated the Major League Baseball Hall of Famer speaking to him in person.

“My producer told me Twitter was blowing up over this, and usually if Twitter is blowing up, I’m okay with it,” says Costas, 71, who stays off social media.

“But I wasn’t okay with it. I rewatched the clip and it was even worse than I thought. But if Twitter did not exist. If somehow, I had done this in 1990, I would have done the same thing. … We were bonded by this goofy incident, where I admitted that I stepped in it. That’s the way you handle a screwup. Not a big to-do online, but you look the person in the eyes and admit you screwed up.”

A Deep Love and Appreciation for Language

Costas’ career highlights include winning 29 Emmy Awards, covering 12 Olympics and calling or hosting multiple World Series, Super Bowls and NBA Finals.

Open to current Newhouse students, including those studying broadcast and digital journalism, the two-hour program featured video clips from Costas’ career and a question-and-answer segment.

Costas encouraged students to be well-read— “not just for the knowledge, but to appreciate the language, learn how to turn a phrase and appreciate the beauty of prose”—lamented the rise of sports hot takes—when commentators and analysts shout an attention-grabbing opinion over each other in an attempt to go viral on social media—and shared how he’s been blessed with a vivid memory and quick recall that allows him to write his broadcast copy directly out of his head as he’s thinking it.

The WAER Hall of Famer still calls baseball games and makes appearances on MLB Network and CNN, and hosts “Back On the Record With Bob Costas” on HBO.

Bob Costas ’74 delivers remarks during his 2018 induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

“Thank goodness I can because I have no other discernible talents. Things everyone else can do like fix a flat tire or screw in a light bulb, I can’t do at all. But I’m pretty good verbally and I always liked the English language,” says Costas, who mixed in self-deprecating remarks and showed he’s not afraid to make fun of himself during the program.

“When you’re broadcasting a game, the respect for knowledge and pacing isn’t just what you say, it’s how you say and write your copy.”

Speaking Truth to the Sports Powers-That-Be

Costas has not shied away from calling out hypocrisy in the sports landscape and speaking truth to the powerful sports organizations during his career.

Bob Costas on the NBC Sunday Night Football broadcast set.

Among the incidents that drew harsh commentary from Costas: corruption in the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and how the IOC often awarded the Olympics to countries with either dubious records on human rights issues or leaders with a checkered past; the NFL’s longstanding refusal to admit players were suffering from concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive and fatal brain disease associated with repeated traumatic brain injuries; and the rampant use of steroids among MLB players.

“Speaking the truth was always important to me. I have heard occasionally, from people who don’t take the time to get a grasp on the issue at hand and just want to say something cynically, ‘oh, now he says it and speaks out on the issue’ but really, I said it all along when it came to these problems,” Costas said. “I have always addressed those issues in a straightforward, well-informed way. … I have a platform and I made the points. But I also called the games and dramatized the games, honestly and hopefully not mindlessly. If I had not been able to do all those things at the level of quality that the networks and audiences hoped for, there wouldn’t have been an avenue for me to do those other commentaries.”

Memorializing Greatest of All Time: Muhammad Ali

When former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali passed away in 2016, Costas caught a red-eye flight back from a baseball broadcast in St. Louis, Missouri, to record a segment for NBC. Costas grew up watching Ali dominate foes in the ring, and admired Ali’s outspoken ways and his unwavering commitment to social justice advocacy.

Bob Costas

As Costas was coming into his own as an aspiring sportscaster at Syracuse University in the 1970s, he witnessed Ali take his then-controversial stands against the Vietnam War, causing him to lose his heavyweight title.

Tapping into his vivid memories of Ali’s life, Costas penned his tribute to Ali on the back of his boarding pass, then delivered a moving and emotional tribute to one of sport’s all-time greats.

“Ali was a huge part of my life. We were young people in college at Syracuse University, and virtually all of us were against the war in Vietnam. You didn’t have to be Black to understand the meaning of the civil rights movement, to see what he represented to people beyond his athletic skill. I knew not just the physical fights, but the sociological aspects of Ali,” Costas said. “Had I not been paying attention to his remarkable life, I don’t think that piece would have had the texture that I hope it had. It would have had the usual platitudes that surround that kind of tribute, absent much insight. I was aiming to tell those grace notes and maybe I was channeling some of those great voices of people I admired growing up.”

In case you missed it: Costas was a in March. A transcript [PDF] is also available.

Then, there are the , a minor league baseball team that has changed the way baseball is played.

Yes, the fundamentals of the game remain the same. But the Bananas—who are bringing their unique brand of baseball to Syracuse’s NBT Stadium Thursday evening as part of their sold-out Banana Ball World Tour—incorporate a fan-friendly style that has ushered in a new generation of fans, something that was sorely lacking in Major League Baseball (MLB).

Enticements include a breakdancing first-base coach, a dance team consisting solely of grandmothers (the Banana Nanas), choreographed walk-up performances for every batter and a commitment to providing fans with nonstop entertainment from the moment they enter the ballpark.

Biko Skalla ’18 blends sportscasting with entertainment as the official voice of the Savannah Bananas baseball team.

And the voice of the Bananas, Biko Skalla ’18, is an up-and-coming broadcaster who, like the players he covers, isn’t afraid to break traditional norms. Skalla shows excitement and passion that is reflected whenever he calls a huge moment for the team. He lets his goofy personality show through to the audience with an over-the-top call. He’s even conducted or in an following a big win.

With a personality that perfectly aligns with the zany on-field antics of the team he covers, Skalla has found a home in Savannah as the Bananas’ ultimate hype man while honing a craft he hopes can carry him to the big leagues.

“I’m always true to myself and who I am when I get fired up about things that maybe other broadcasters would see as more mundane. And while I changed my broadcasting style, I didn’t change who I am as a broadcaster or the standards that I developed at Syracuse University. And that’s important because this is not the end goal for me. The end goal is a Major League Baseball broadcast booth,” says Skalla, in his fourth season covering the Bananas.

A Broadcasting Job Unlike Anything Else

Skalla possessed the play-by-play experience before coming to Savannah—he was the lead broadcaster for two years with the Saugerties Stallions, who play in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, a wooden bat league that is about as far removed from the big leagues as you can get—and he spent two seasons working for the MLB Network after graduating with a degree in from the .

Skalla landed a job with the MLB Network while still at Syracuse. He quickly moved up the ranks, starting as a video editor before being promoted to broadcast associate and then associate producer.

But something wasn’t right. After two years, Skalla wasn’t satisfied with the career path he was on. Longing to return to the broadcast booth, Skalla began scouring the baseball broadcasting job boards and websites, searching for the job that could launch his career.

Skalla (right) has formed a strong bond with the Savannah Bananas players during his four seasons with the team.

One day, he came across an opening for the Bananas that “was unlike any job opening I’d ever seen,” Skalla says. Bananas’ owner Jesse Cole was looking for a broadcaster and an entertainer, and almost immediately, Skalla knew “this job was for me.”

Skalla learned all about the history of the Bananas and their desire to produce the most entertaining version of baseball possible. The personality of the Bananas—making baseball fun and not taking themselves or the game too seriously—resonated with what Skalla wanted out of a broadcasting job.

Skalla was originally hired on a two-and-a-half-month seasonal contract, but after proving his dedication, he was promoted to a full-time position.

“I love baseball more than anything, it’s always been my number one love from as far back as I can remember. Bananas games are six hours of non-stop entertainment and it’s about making people happy and spreading joy by bringing folks back to baseball, which is the greatest game in the world. I bring a lot of excitement to our broadcasts. I’m just more jazzed up about everything that’s happening. That comes with the job, and that’s perfect because I’m an excitable person,” Skalla says of the Bananas, who have sold out every single home game since their inaugural season in 2016.

Eyeing a Return to Major League Baseball

In 2021, the Coastal Plain League named Skalla its Broadcaster of the Year.

The path to an MLB broadcasting job can be arduous. Competition for these jobs is intense. After all, there’s only 30 MLB teams and thousands of aspiring sportscasters vying for the same on-air positions.

Whenever the time comes for him to leave the Bananas to pursue his MLB dreams, he feels confident that the lessons he’s learned during his young career—which included on-air broadcasting experience on campus with , and —will serve him well.

“When I was in Newhouse, you know there’s a broadcasting standard to live up to, and that’s instilled in you from day one. I learned so much about the importance of telling a great story and how to conduct an interesting interview. Being able to broadcast a Bananas game in Syracuse is going to be surreal. This city means so much to me, it’s where I learned to be a broadcaster, and I’ll always be proud to be a Syracuse University alumnus,” says Skalla, whose hard work earned him the Coastal Plain League Broadcaster of the Year honors in 2021.

Eternally proud of his South Asian heritage, Shroff readily admits a sense of pride when he looks around the sportscasting landscape and sees a plethora of talented South Asian broadcasters working for ESPN, MLB Network, Fox Sports, TNT and other national media outlets.

It’s a change that has been a long time coming. Growing up, Shroff remembers watching his beloved New York Yankees and other professional sports games on television … and not seeing anyone who looked like him calling the games. That’s because the industry was dominated by white men.

Shroff’s parents immigrated to the United States from India as first-generation Americans. His parents—Hitesh and Nikita—arrived in New York City in 1972, at the time George Steinbrenner’s Yankees were embarking on a great run of success in the 1970s.

Hitesh came to America to earn a college degree in accounting, but he never worked a day in his life as an accountant. Rather, his passion was photography, and he carved out a 40-year career as a successful photographer before retiring.

Pursuing passions was something Nikita and Hitesh emphasized to their baseball-crazy son. By the time Anish was in the fifth grade he was an avid baseball player, a rabid collector of sports trading cards and read the Newark Star-Ledger sports section cover-to-cover.

When it came time to decide on a career, Anish opted to study in the . A talented student broadcaster for , Shroff found himself calling Orange games on one of the country’s most prestigious radio stations.

The hard work and dedication Shroff put into his craft paid off, as today, he is entering his second season calling Carolina Panthers games on the team’s network of radio stations. Shroff has also handled play-by-play duties for ESPN’s coverage of college football, college basketball, men’s lacrosse and baseball.

Anish Shroff ’04, radio play-by-play voice of the Carolina Panthers.

For all his success, Shroff credits his parents for encouraging him to go after his dreams. But before more South Asians can follow his path, Shroff says a change is needed in how that community views the industry and aspiring sportscasters who want to make a living as a broadcaster.

“The one part of this story of which we need to take ownership is that sportscasting is not a profession that is looked upon favorably in the South Asian community. You’re not going to be a doctor? You’re not going to be an engineer? You’re not getting your master’s degree in business administration? You don’t want to go to graduate school? What are you doing? He wants to go and do what, communications? That’s just not what we do,” Shroff says of how the South Asian community has traditionally viewed the fields of sportscasting and broadcast journalism.

“A lot of South Asians who may have wanted to pursue this path don’t get the one thing that they need—encouragement. I never felt the pressure that I had to go be a doctor or a lawyer or an engineer or go get an MBA or do one of those things that are traditionally associated with the South Asian subculture. From that standpoint, we’ve got to take ownership and encourage our kids to do what they want. I was lucky,” says Shroff.

On this “’Cuse Conversation,” Shroff discusses his path to the NFL, how he cultivated his voice as a broadcaster, why he feels future sportscasters should embrace reading and learning history to help hone their on-air skills and how he’s forever thankful that his immigrant parents encouraged him to pursue his sportscasting dreams.

Check out featuring Shroff.  A transcript [PDF] is also available.

Take the case of . As a child, Smith had his life mapped out. His hometown Philadelphia Phillies were his favorite baseball team, and Smith envisioned becoming a famous sportscaster like one of his idols, Harry Kalas, the Phillies’ longtime radio play-by-play voice. While at an art show, Smith’s mother met Kalas, and when Kalas found out Smith was interested in a career in sports broadcasting, he recommended Smith study at Syracuse University.

Today, Smith is living out his childhood dreams. He anchors ESPN’s flagship show, “SportsCenter,” and is a Sports Emmy-winning host of ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” and “E:60” programs. Smith also reports on feature stories and investigative pieces while providing legal analysis across multiple ESPN platforms and ABC News, including serving as a regular contributor on “20/20.”

Ryan Smith is living out his childhood dreams. He anchors ESPN’s flagship show, “SportsCenter,” and is a Sports Emmy-winning host of ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” and “E:60” programs. Hear his story on the latest episode of the Syracuse University podcast.

But his path to journalism was unorthodox. Smith followed Kalas’ advice and enrolled at Syracuse University, but he was more interested in studying in the .

After earning a political science degree, Smith obtained a law degree from Columbia Law School. A successful lawyer who previously worked for the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars and as a sports and entertainment lawyer in New York City, Smith didn’t feel satisfied, so he pivoted to pursue a career in television.

Ryan Smith ’92

Today, Smith combines his love of the law and sports with his passion for journalism.

“There are so many times when I walk onto ‘SportsCenter’ and am in awe of my career. Even though it wasn’t a straight-line path, I got to the point I always dreamt about. I always tell people, just because it might not be what you’re doing right now, doesn’t mean you should let go of that dream,” Smith says.

On this “’Cuse Conversation,” Smith discusses his unusual career path and the skillsets from being a lawyer that carry over to journalism.

Check out podcast featuring Smith. A transcript [PDF] is also available.

, an assistant teaching professor at Syracuse University’s Falk College who studies veterinary social work, says we need to do prioritize the well-being of horses. Please see her comments below. If you’d like to schedule an interview with her, please reach out to Vanessa Marquette, media relations specialist, at vrmarque@syr.edu.

Professor Aviva Vincent

Professor Vincent writes: “Yes, there should be outrage about the equine deaths. And, equestrians should be questioning the humane and welfare considerations for competing at elite levels.

The tragedies that have occurred at Churchill Downs leading up to the race is not unique to racing, or unfortunately, equestrian sports. Too often the public learns about post-mortem tragedies of horses competing at the most elite level of competition. Yes, this season death was on the race track, but we learned of equine deaths during the last Olympics (eventing) and other widely viewed, elite competitions.

Riding horses, physically getting on their back, goes against the very nature of their prey instinct.  And yet, horses and humans have found a unique way to achieve partnership and connection. In this regard, the core attributes of a successful, bi-directional interspecies relationship are trust, respect, and acceptance. Equine welfare is at the core of understanding the bond between humans and animals. There should be a bond, especially in high-stakes competition. Riders, therefore, have a responsibility to their horses to ensure that the work they do is harmonious, promoting physical and mental relaxation of the horse. This is achieved through trust and respect for the rider by the horse, and a rider’s attitude of an empathetic leader and partner who does not hinder the horse physically or mentally.

This is not to say that trust, respect, and love were not present between the rider and horse in each tragedy. But, at what point does trust, respect, and love reshape the desire to compete at such extremes, or change the expectations of competition (i.e., those beyond the rider engaged in the sport- owners, trainers, course developers, investors…). Perhaps there is space to reposition the value of the horse on love and life, rather than a vehicle for competition.

Yes, I too am angry. But I am not surprised. The horse needs to be an equal competitor, not just a vehicle in competition. Then we can prioritize welfare in sport.”

, a professor at Syracuse University. Dima has taught classes about soccer and popular culture for the course “Soccer and Africa,” offers some thoughts about what it will take for Americans to bring the same level of enthusiasm to soccer as they do to watching Ted Lasso.

• “Given the series’ immense popularity, it is fair to wonder if Ted Lassohas changed the perception/reality that Americans do not know or care about soccer. It must be said that, ever since the US last hosted the World Cup in 1994, this has cyclically become a modish question. The short answer is…marginally so. Yes, the Premier League has respectable TV ratings in the US; yes, MLS has become bigger and more fun; yes, the US Women’s national team continues to dominate the world and we should all care about that much more; yes, the US men’s national team continues to show good promise for the future, as talented young players—Pulisic, Reyna, Adams, McKennie—will all be in their prime at the next World Cup, co-hosted by the US along with Canada and Mexico; but, no, this is still a sport that barely cracks the top five of main US sports. Ted Lasso cannot make Americans care more about soccer, because only consistent winning can do that in the US,” said Dima.

• “The series became a hit by relying on the excessive American fascination with everything British. It is also funny, well-written, really well-acted, and, most importantly, almost obnoxiously optimistic. Is there a more typically American quality than obnoxious optimism? I believe in ‘Believe,’” says Ted in the first season finale. Optimism, belief, hope, and ridiculousness are all wrapped into this one motto that also represents a distillation of the American spirit—one that does not break when coming face to face with the (stereotypically) stern, stoic, and undemonstrative English philosophy of life,” said Dima.

• “Ted, unabashedly, is who is he—he does not change. If anything, it feels like it is Ted who is meant to change everyone else. His unfailing ethic of care positively affects those around him, but he himself does not change. This means that in essence, he is still an American football coach. It is not soccer, then, that wins the hearts of the viewers, it is American exceptionalism, sugarcoated with a double dose of “believe.” And whenever this exceptionalism translates into the US men’s national team regularly winning on the world stage, it will be then and only then that soccer will gain in popularity,” said Dima.

For reporters looking to connect with Professor Dima, please contact Ellen James Mbuqu, executive director of media relations, ejmbuqe@syr.edu or 412-496-0551.

Rick Burton

The fastest game on ice requires the fastest internet connectivity available, and this season an upgrade is underway. The National Hockey League (NHL) has updated wireless access in arenas throughout the league. As the puck dropped on opening night recently, nearly two-thirds of all NHL rinks had 5G connectivity. It’s simply a sign of the times when it comes to competitive sports—not only for fans but for teams, too.

“The speed of modern hockey is similar in some regards to the speed of change in technology and decision-making by contemporary leaders,” says , David B. Falk Endowed Professor of Sport Management in the Falk College. “In a hockey game, players have split seconds to make choices that influence outcomes. Modern business is becoming much the same way and while 5G sounds exciting today, 6G is right around the corner.”

Of the 32 arenas in the NHL, 21 have been equipped with 5G with four or five more slated to be upgraded this year and the remainder by the following season. It’s a necessity when it comes to the fan experience. People sitting in the arena want access to fast wireless speeds, not only to keep up with the game on social media, but to check email or their favorite TikTok videos. It’s part of life for professional sports to try to stay relevant in the lives of an increasingly distracted fan base.

“In an era where it is tough to attract millennials and Gen Zers to stadiums and arenas to watch traditional sport, a few professional sport leagues in North America have performed better than others,” says Norm O’Reilly, professor of sport management at Maine Business School. “These are typically the ones who understand that ticket buyers of these cohorts need environments that are both engaging and interactive.”

Burton and O’Reilly write extensively about the current state and future of hockey in their new book, “.” As is the case with most professional sports, the NHL is at a crossroads when it comes to appealing to young fans while maintaining its current fan base. In one small sense, faster wireless connectivity is important to the success of the league, as important as fast wireless speeds in the classroom, boardroom or hotel room.

“We are all moving faster than ever before,” Burton says, “and hockey reflects that new reality.”

Mike Tirico ’88 has seen and called it all during a decorated and award-winning sports broadcasting career that started at WAER on the Syracuse University campus and has taken him around the world as one of the most versatile and well-respected voices in sports.

Mike Tirico ’88 is the new play-by-play broadcaster for NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.”

Starting this fall, Tirico—who recently was nominated for his third straight Sports Emmy Award in the Outstanding Sports Personality: Host category—will replace the legendary Al Michaels as the play-by-play broadcaster for NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.”

Tirico will transition from his current duties hosting NBC’s “Football Night in America,” the pre-game show that leads up to “Sunday Night Football,” and make his return to the broadcast booth.

“This is the type of assignment that allows an opportunity to reflect on those who have supported and influenced you along the way. For me, that starts at Syracuse with undergraduate experience at Newhouse and Maxwell, along with working at WAER-FM and then WTVH-TV5. I am eternally grateful to the many supportive friends on campus and around Central New York who for decades have always treated me as one of their own,” says Tirico, the 2010 Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association (NSSA).

With Michaels’ move to Amazon to serve as lead commentator for its new “Thursday Night Football” package, the timing was perfect for Tirico to return to the broadcasting booth. Tirico will be joined by longtime “Sunday Night Football” color commentator Cris Collinsworth and sideline reporter Melissa Stark.

“Cris is a University of Florida alumnus and Melissa a University of Virginia alumna, so I guess our team colors will be Orange and Blue…but we know which shade is the best version of that combo!” says Tirico, who earned a broadcast journalism degree from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and a political science degree from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

This isn’t Tirico’s first stint broadcasting primetime NFL games. The Syracuse University Trustee has handled “Thursday Night Football” play-by-play responsibilities alongside Collinsworth for 21 NFL games since Tirico came to NBC Sports in 2016.

“When Mike joined NBC Sports in 2016, it was our plan for him to become our primetime Olympics host and the play-by-play voice of Sunday Night Football. We are excited to have Mike join Cris Collinsworth full-time in the booth this season,” said NBC Sports Chairman Pete Bevacqua .

Tirico, Collinsworth and Stark will work their first game together in the revamped NBC Sports broadcast booth for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, Aug. 4, on NBC and Peacock. They will also call the Sept. 8 NFL Kickoff Game on NBC and Peacock.

Tirico also served as the voice of ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” from 2006-2015 and has called primetime NFL games for last 15 years. All told, Tirico has 26 years of experience as an NFL primetime studio host or play-by-play voice, and has called more than 200 NFL games.

This past year, as NBC Sports’ studio host, Tirico anchored the network’s primetime coverage of the Summer and Winter Olympics, “Football Night in America,” the Super Bowl LVI Pregame Show, the Triple Crown of horse racing, golf’s U.S. Open and the Indianapolis 500.

With ESPN, Tirico covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, golf, the Olympics, college football, college basketball, tennis and World Cup soccer.

Tirico was also sports director at WTVH-TV in Syracuse from 1987-91 and handled play-by-play duties for Syracuse University basketball, football, lacrosse and volleyball.

Tirico got his start in sports broadcasting while a student at Syracuse, serving as assistant sports director at WAER. In 2014, Tirico was inducted into WAER’s Hall of Fame.

A passionate supporter of Syracuse University and avid Orange ambassador, in 2005, Tirico received the George Arents Award, Syracuse University’s highest alumni honor, presented annually to alumni who have made outstanding contributions to their chosen fields. He has worked with the Newhouse Advisory Board, the Sport Management Advisory Council and the Athletics Advisory Board.

Thompson, an expert on pop culture and television, explained that while the incident made for interesting television, it went largely unnoticed. “Surprising, weird and hyper-dramatic,” Thompson said. “Yet today, I searched the hallways in vain to find anyone who had seen it, or even heard tell of it. I’ve been paying close attention to the Olympics for 40 years, and never have I seen one surrounded by so much silence, so little buzz.”

Andrew Siciliano ’96

Andrew Siciliano ’96 doesn’t know how he got so lucky.

Eighteen years ago, Siciliano, an avid NFL fan, would watch that week’s top games with his Syracuse University buddies in one of their father’s basements, screaming at the television while cheering on his beloved Cleveland Browns.

Today, Siciliano is just as passionate about football, but instead of being glued to his television as a fan, he is bringing the highlights to millions of fans around the world as host of DIRECTV’s RedZone Channel.

Every Sunday is surreal for Siciliano, who earned a broadcast journalism degree from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. He freely admits he’s not quite sure how he got here, but he’s grateful to hold down a job he loves.

This week, Los Angeles is the scene for Super Bowl 56, which pits the Cincinnati Bengals against the Los Angeles Rams. The game has special significance for Siciliano, who has been the preseason television play-by-play voice of the Rams since 2011.

Siciliano can be seen every week on “NFL Now,” and “Thursday Night Football First Look,” as well as NFL Network’s on-location coverage of the Senior Bowl, the NFL Draft and training camps.

We recently sat down with Siciliano, who shares how Syracuse University and WAER impacted his broadcasting style, reveals the big break that launched his career and gives advice to sportscasters looking to follow in his footsteps.

PODCAST: Check out the full conversation with Siciliano on ’Cuse Conversations.

Wolohan discussed the rise in Sports betting, saying, “Legal sports gambling brings everything above board. Now, if you were looking at the integrity of the game, you can follow where the money was going,” Wolohan told the DCNF. “The casinos can look at where every specific bet goes and recognize if there are unusual trends in bets placed.”

Thompson remarked upon the lack of coverage of women’s sports in the media and on the story of student-athlete Odicci Alexander, saying, “I’m sure there have been great stories filled with all of these great narrative flourishes like hers that have been going on in women’s sports for years, but people who would have loved those stories never hear them because there hasn’t been a lot of space given.”

Rick Burton

Rick Burton, the David B. Falk Endowed Professor of Sport Management in the Falk College, authored an op-ed for Yahoo! Sports titled “.” Burton, who serves as the University’s faculty athletics representative to the ACC and NCAA, is an expert on sports and society.

Given the recent NFL annual college draft, Burton writes about a study completed by Syracuse faculty that predicts which NFL teams have the greatest potential for arrests and off-field problems. Syracuse’s , professor of sport management, , assistant professor of public health, and , a sports law attorney and former undergraduate student, recently published their research in the Journal of Organizational Behavior,��titled “Women Executives and Off-the-Job Misconduct by High-Profile Employees: A Study of National Football League Team Organizations.”

Burton writes that the study found that whether an NFL team had a “critical mass” of female executives (two or more) was the greatest statistical variable predictor of NFL arrests. The research team looked at police arrest data from 27 NFL teams over a 12 year period and unpacked nine potentially significant variables. These findings, Burton says, are significant and likely helpful for many top NFL teams. However, he writes that the results may not be accepted well by sports executives who feel they are often under fire. “The sports industry is always under massive scrutiny, and entities like the federal government remain curious whether league leaders are sufficiently proactive,” Burton writes.

Burton also says that intersections between race and policing cannot be diminished, as conversations about Black athletes who have suffered social injustices throughout their careers must be heard, as Graham, et al, recognize in their paper. Ultimately, Burton says it is easy for some to “suggest arrests in pro sports are destructive,” but he believes that this research is both economically and socially beneficial for the future of many NFL teams.

To read his essay in its entirety, visit .

Syracuse University media relations team members work regularly with the campus community to secure placements of op-eds. Anyone interested in writing an op-ed should first review the University’s op-ed guidelines and email media@syr.edu.

Jaron May ’22

WAER 88.3 FM has announced that Jaron May, a junior broadcast and digital journalism major in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, is the station’s incoming sports director.

“We’re excited to have Jaron leading the WAER sports department in the coming year. He demonstrates excellent leadership qualities and has proven to be a reliable member of the staff,” says Kevin Kloss, WAER’s content and operations manager who oversees the sports department. “We are both confident and excited in Jaron’s ability to help ensure the next wave of WAER students are prepared to continue the legacy of professional level sports broadcasts.”

As sports director, May will be responsible for leading a team of students in the tradition of providing high-quality sports broadcasts and coverage to the Syracuse University and Central New York community throughout the year ahead.

To learn more about May, visit

From left are Kevin Brown ’11, Rob Ford ’01, Jason Benetti ’05

Major League Baseball will be the first of the four major North American team sports to return to the playing field since COVID-19 struck when the season begins Thursday. Kevin Brown ’11 ���Ի���Rob Ford ’01 discuss covering baseball during a pandemic, the new rules for our nation’s pastime and the importance of the season occurring without any hitches, while Jason Benetti ’05 shares why he has the best job in sports broadcasting. Read more on the .

A member of Syracuse’s All-Century Team, Morris’ No. 47 jersey was retired by the University in 2018.

Morris will join 13 other greats as honorees during the ACC Night of Legends at the Charlotte Convention Center on Friday, Dec. 6. The class will also be recognized during the on-field, pregame festivities at the 15th annual Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game set for Saturday, Dec. 7 at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium.

A four-year starter at running back for the Orange from 1978-81, Morris logged 813 carries for a team-record 4,299 yards (5.3 avg.) and 25 touchdowns. He also excelled as a kick returner, running back 40 kickoffs for 1,004 yards (25.1 avg.) and two scores.

Overall, Morris holds outright or shares 16 Syracuse records, including the single-game (252 vs. Kansas, 1979), single-season (1,372 in 1979) and career rushing yardage marks. Additionally, he is the program’s all-time leader in rushing yards per game (113.1), 100-yard games (22) and all-purpose yards (5,581).

The Ayers, Massachusetts, native posted three 1,000-yard rushing seasons, including his rookie year of 1978 when he became the only freshman in team history to reach the milestone. Morris finished the campaign with 1,001 yards and was named ECAC Rookie of the Year.

The next season, Morris authored the finest one-year rushing performance in Syracuse history. He ran for a school-record 1,372 yards and seven touchdowns on 238 carries (5.7 avg.). He also led the Orange to their first bowl victory in 18 years, closing the season with 155 yards to propel the Orange to a 31-7 triumph over McNeese State in the 1979 Independence Bowl.

Morris’s list of collegiate honors includes All-America certificates in 1979 and 1981, and the 1980 ECAC Offensive Player of the Year Award, an honor he shared with Yale’s Rich Diana, despite playing only six games because of injury.

Following his Orange career, Morris was selected by the New York Giants in the second round of the 1982 NFL Draft. He spent eight seasons (1982-88, 1991) in the NFL, including seven in New York. While with the Giants, Morris set franchise career rushing record with 5,296 yards (since broken). He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection and helped the team win its first Super Bowl title in 1986.

A member of Syracuse’s All-Century Team, Morris’ No. 47 jersey was retired by the school in 2018.

Previous Orange standouts to be honored as ACC Football Legends include Floyd Little (2013), Art Monk (2014), Chris Gedney (2015), Tom Coughlin (2017) and Don McPherson (2018).

2019 ACC Football Legends Class
Joe Nash (1978-81), Boston College, DL

Brian Dawkins (1992-95), Clemson, FS

Christopher Port (1986-89), Duke, OT

Ron Sellers (1966-68), Florida State, FL

Derrick Morgan (2007-09), Georgia Tech, LB

Deion Branch (2000-01), Louisville, WR

Bernie Kosar (1983-84), Miami, QB

Julius Peppers (1998-2000), North Carolina, LB

Nate Irving (2006-10), NC State, LB

Rickey Jackson (1977-80), Pittsburgh, LB

Joe Morris (1978-81), Syracuse, RB

Don Majkowski (1984-86), Virginia, QB

DeAngelo Hall (2001-03), Virginia Tech, CB

Bob McCreary (1958-60), Wake Forest, OT/DT

is a sports economist and professor at the Syracuse University David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.

Paul says:

“The key to betting the Kentucky Derby is to have fun. You should view this as consumption, not investment.

“Betting on the race gives you a chance to come home with some additional money, but there are plenty of experts and the combined ‘wisdom of crowds’ coupled with the rather large takeout (the portion of the betting pool the track keeps for itself) on the part of the tracks. It is very difficult to consistently win.

“If looking for general angles, there is the phenomenon of the favorite-longshot bias, where longshots are generally over bet, and favorites under bet. This is quite different than what we see in North American sports such as baseball, where the reverse is true (favorites are over bet). This difference likely stems from emotional attachment and timeframe of the wager, whereas in the Kentucky Derby most bettors may not have an emotional attachment to any particular horse (which could change during the Triple Crown) and the race itself is very short. Baseball, on the other hand, has emotional attachment by fans over time and the duration of your wager often exceeds three hours.”

To request interviews or get more information:

Daryl Lovell
Media Relations Manager
Division of Marketing and Communications

T 315.443.1184   M��315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu |

The Nancy Cantor Warehouse, 350 W. Fayette St., 2^nd Fl., Syracuse, NY 13202
news.syr.edu |

Syracuse University

In a statement about the ad, Burton said that “it’s very difficult to be everything to everybody. While it is an exciting piece of film-making that grabs your attention, the ad does not make a sports performance claim nor a fashion claim nor does it articulate a brand benefit.”

In the NPR episode, Burton provides some of his Olympics insight to the Los Angeles-based show, as the city looks ahead to LA’s hosting of the 2028 summer games.

Burton joined Scott Soshnick, Michael Barr and Eben Novy-Williams to discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including the fiasco surrounding USA Gymnastics and what it’s dissolution could mean for the athletes and broadcaster NBC.

“With fewer viewers watching traditional television, sports properties need to focus on new digital and immersive products to reach new audiences and deepen spectator engagement,” said Wolohan, professor of sports law at Syracuse University in New York.

“American sports culture is still — largely, if often invisibly — a conservative space,” she wrote. “This will no doubt come as a surprise to fans, presidents and pundits enraged by the waves of NFL players and teams protesting during the national anthem — and to those who see some sort of nefarious liberal bias lurking among the sports media.” 

The SU and ESF Faculty and Staff Bowling League is seeking new members. This is a fun handicap league accepting male and female bowlers who are currently employed at the College or the University. Your skill level does not matter; we will accept the beginner to the high average bowler. In fact, the beginner will be encouraged and coached by the more experienced and skilled bowlers. At present, we bowl at the Village Lanes at 201 E. Manlius St., East Syracuse, from 4:55 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays from Sept.-April. Practice bowling is 10 minutes before the league starts. Weekly fees are about $13 each week. Currently we are a non-sanctioned league.

This league has a long history of bowling in the area; from Drumlins in the ’60s to the present day at the Village Lanes. Members have always been recruited from the University and College communities. Fortunately, last year we successfully recruited several new members to revitalize the league. Unfortunately, a few members will not be returning this year.

This year we are in search of new members who would like to join a team, or become league subs. The only criterion is that the bowler be working for the College or the University, or is an alumnus. Each team consists of four bowlers with one or two substitutes. There are also opportunities for league subs. As an incentive, league subs’ fees are paid for by the team. So the goal would be to find several bowlers who would like to join us either full time or as subs.

If you are interested in joining us, or have further questions, please contact us soon. League play starts Sept. 5. However, on Aug. 29, there will be a practice session when you can check us out and see which team you might want to join. Team captains: Danielle Smith, Casey Morris, Ray Leach, Aaron Knight, Jason LaTray, Bill Powell, Eric Greenfield and Randy Money.

Paul Szemkow
League Secretary
SU ���Ի���ESF Faculty ���Ի���Staff League
402 Baker Lab
Syracuse, NY 13210
315.470.6635
315.470.6958 FAX
pszemkow@esf.edu

Gary Wilson
League President
SU ���Ի���ESF Faculty ���Ի���Staff League
4327 Cedarvale Rd.
Syracuse, NY 13215
315.492.9602
wilsong@twcny.rr.com

“There’s no amount of money that will get him his reputation back,” Deninger told International Business Times in a phone interview Thursday. “No one is at fault for that other than himself.”

When asked how Simpson could make money now that he’s out of jail, Deninger said that Simpson could sell his story about his time in jail.

“He could probably sell rights to his story — the ‘O.J. in jail’ story,” he said, noting that there are a multitude of content sources either online or in a book form. “There might be somebody would buy the rights to that.”

Professor Burton offered these remarks about the impending news:

• “The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) really needs this selection of LA for a variety of reasons, chief among them the revenue that flows from the host Organizing Committee (the OCOG) to the host Olympic Committee. The USOC has long been fortified by funds generated by Los Angeles in 1984, Atlanta in 1996 and Salt Lake City in 2002 but more than two decades is a long thirsty time of waiting for the next cash infusion. Secondly, winning a bid (be it ’24 or ’28) will energize sponsors for both the USOC and International Olympic Committee (IOC). American sponsors have long dominated the IOC’s TOP program (the exclusive global sponsors) but sponsors like McDonald’s have recently pulled away from the IOC and getting a host city like LA should inspire new sponsors to join the Olympic movement,” Burton says.
• “Paris has said they will not take ’28 while LA has acknowledged they might take ’28 if there were ‘disproportionate benefits’ given to them for waiting the extra four years. If LA wins ’28 in September 2017, it means the city has to keep its Olympic energy up for 11 years. That’s a long time and any number of changes could take place including the name of the mayor, the current LA chairman (Casey Wasserman) and the fiscal mood of the tax base,” Burton says.
• “If LA wins ’28, it means that the U.S. will not have hosted the Summer Games (which are far bigger than the Winter Games) in 32 years. That is the equivalent of an entire generation that didn’t see the excitement and build-up associated with Olympic sports like swimming, athletics (track and field), gymnastics, wrestling, etc. While many of those sports are sustained by annual NCAA activities, 32 years is a very long time for this ‘shot in the arm’.” Burton says.
• “Los Angeles hosting for a third time is not unknown (London in 1908, 1948 and 2012 and theoretically Paris in 1900, 1924 and 2024) but it would solidify LA’s position as one of the world’s greatest sport cities. In that case (winning ’28), LA would have hosted in 1932, 1984 and 2028) and would be able to once again use the LA Coliseum as a site for Olympic activity,” Burton says
• “While there is great excitement about Los Angeles potentially winning a bid (either ’24 or ’28), bear in mind that various IOC members have been displeased with the USOC since the 1996 Games in Atlanta for a variety of reasons (chief among them that the USOC’s broadcast and sponsorship agreements with the IOC have provided the USOC more money than any other country in the world). And while the current USOC leadership (in particular the very brilliant Scott Blackmon) has done a great job, one of the reasons LA will win is because the IOC is finding very few other cities (with countries behind them) willing to bid and assume the crushing debt now associated with hosting the Games. Brazil is a perfect example of what can go wrong (as Montreal was in 1976),” Burton says.

Professor Burton is available to speak with media. Please contact Michele Barrett, director of communications at Falk College at mibarret@syr.edu or 315.443.6172, or Ellen James Mbuqe, director of news and PR, at ejmbuqe@syr.edu or 315.443.1897.

###

In the meantime, there’s going to be a lot of fans who want to stock up on Las Vegas Raiders gear. Since all official NFL merchandise will continue to use the Oakland Raiders moniker, that opens the door for knock-off Vegas hats, jerseys and other apparel.

Patrick Walsh, an assistant professor of sport management at Syracuse University, went into more detail on exactly how the knock-off gear could damage the Las Vegas Raiders brand.

“From a licensing perspective, licensees are chosen and approved because they make high-quality products,” Walsh said, via the Sun. “From an NFL perspective and from a team perspective, you want fans if they buy Las Vegas merchandise, apparel, collectibles, you want it to be a high-quality product. If there is knockoff merchandise, not only does it impact from a financial perspective, it could impact from a brand perspective as well. . . .

“I think there would be some potential for confusion to the brand. You want the brand to remain consistent. If you have Oakland-specific merchandise and Las Vegas-specific merchandise, there would be some confusion there because there eventually will be some different associations people have with the Las Vegas Raiders than they would with the Oakland Raiders.”

“I get why they did it,” Patrick Walsh, assistant professor of sport management at Syracuse University, said. “If you look at the name, if it would have been Las Vegas Golden Knights, that would have been an extremely long team name for a brand. From a branding perspective, you always want your name to be short and memorable, so I think that’s the strategy they’re looking for. The longer you get with that name, the more difficult it is to license that name.”

“I didn’t want to do it if the only jobs that came out if it were working for teams,” he said. “I don’t know how many of those jobs there will be. I hope that all of them are able to live that. So in putting it together, I started thinking about the business side. I searched for business analytics and being able to model the curriculum on that. Because a sports team isn’t that much different from many other businesses, those skills translate pretty easily.”

“Our five tools are math, econ, communications, foreign language and computers,” Paul said, while Veley adds that it is a great time for this major to start. “This clearly will meet a need in the industry,” he said. “And that’s what education is all about.”

“Upon graduation, students will be prepared to think conceptually and analytically while applying these principles to real issues in sport organizations,” he said. “Our program prepares students for a variety of different possible analytics career paths on the player evaluation side, business side, or both.”

“Jeff Gordon was really the driver that initiated the transition from regional “good ol’ boy” Southern stock car racing and helped turn NASCAR into a national sports property. Gordon helped bridge NASCAR from an era featuring drivers like Richard Petty, Bobby Allison and Cale Yarborough to the NASCAR we know today.
Gordon was hugely influential in helping America bring new perceptions to the sport.”

Professor Burton is available for interview. Contact him via email at rhburton@syr.edu or 315-443-9633.

“This is not a question of whether this is gambling by definition,” he said. “To me that’s obvious: It is. Money is put at risk, the ‘house’ gets its cut and players play at a negative expected value in the long run. Since the leagues and major investors have partnered with FanDuel and DraftKings, I think it makes it much less likely it will be deemed illegal. But that does not mean that it’s not gambling, as people can and do lose money.”

Rick Burton

, David B. Falk Endowed Professor of Sport Management at Syracuse University, served as the chief marketing officer for the U.S. Olympic Committee at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics, remarks on the Beijing becoming the first city ever to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics.

“This is a great win for the Chinese Olympic Committee and shows the importance of China to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Combined with the U.S. Olympic Committee’s decision to withdraw Boston from the 2024 bid, we can see that in the period of 2008-2022, China will have very much emerged as an important influencer of the Olympic movement while at the same time, the U.S. has been rather quiet.”

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