“Sport Is Fantastic 2010″

Eden Park, Auckland – July 19 & 20

Follow @SportConference for tweets on the latest from the sports digital marketing world.

Great lineup of speakers for 2 whole days at Auckland’s Eden Park.

Remember to hashtag it #scnz

If you follow #scau in Sydney last week, get more info from Auckland

“Fan & Participant Engagement in the Digital Age”

Star City Hotel, Sydney – July 13 & 14

Follow @SportConference for tweets on the latest from the sports digital marketing world.

Great lineup of speakers for 2 whole days at Sydney’s Star City.

Remember to hashtag it #scau

Next week in Auckland #scnz

From Forbes.com What The Knicks Told LeBron: Come To New York And Make $1 Billion

Here is the InterBrand presentation that backs up the numbers that the New York Knicks should be the destination for @KingJames.

Perhaps the Knicks could’ve used this fan photo added to LeBron’s Facebook page to the presentation as well?

If you don’t know by know LeBron James will choosing his next NBA team (or perhaps staying in Cleveland) via ESPN in a prime time special at 9pm ET.

Why will LeBron break the Internet?

Joined Twitter as @KingJames yesterday… 279,400 followers when I started this post now 280,748…

Where is LeBron?

Want to know where Lebron (or at least the person tweeting for him) is?

Take the Location details from his Twitter account and put the numbers into Google Maps.

Hint: Turn off Location update when tweeting from UberTwitter.

Perhaps LeBron needs some training from Sports Geek?

View Larger Map

LeBron Online Launch?

Why not launch a personal site & take control of your Facebook Fan page while you have the world’s attention?

What is it doing? Collecting email addresses, smart strategy why not hit up the sports world email boxes with new offers from King James?

But the most staggering is the traffic hitting up his new website from that one tweet via Bit.ly.

Still not convinced about social media being an effective platform for sports & athletes?  Why not?

Where will LeBron end up?

Happy to have LeBron as a Sports Geek ambassador

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Contact Sports Geek to better leverage your sports properties via social media

Best of Digital Sports World #10

This coming week may be the biggest in NBA history as the free agent class of LeBron, Wade & Bosh among others decide where they will continue to ply their trade.  Teams & fans are in a frenzy at the possibility of landing one, two are perhaps all three. Chicago Bulls sold 1500 season tickets in 48 hours just on speculation alone.

Darren Rovell does are great job breaking down what LeBron’s worth maybe to each potential destination.

Latest release of SSMI was released this week looking at the NRL clubs and how they use social media platforms to connect with sports fans.  Hear more about it on @SportzfanRadio this Sunday at http://SportzfanRadio.com.

@WeThinkSocial thank social media for lifting profile of soccer in the US looking back at the Twitter rates during the USA Soccer run.

Good video captured by @JasonPeck at Social Media event in DC.

Great piece on ambush marketing at the World Cup with Bavaria Vs Budweiser.

Sacramento Kings engage fans during NBA Draft hat tip to @BrianGainor

If you’re reading this then I recommend you read 30 Sports Blogs you should be reading.  Note: @SportsAndaLatte just moved here.

Look out Steele Sidebottom, back to back titles seem unlikely as QB Fudge Van Hooser commits to Tulane, becomes an early Name Of The Year favorite

#localfooty connecting with fans

Sports Geek getting the Southern Footy League up to speed with social media promoting this Saturday’s via a Facebook promotion with half-price entry to anyone who RSVPs on Facebook.

Best On Ground

Wimbledon using Facebook & Livestream to create a mashup to connect the press room to Facebook fans.

Video Clip of the Week

More from Wimbledon since it is reaching the pointy end…

Book your ticket for SRG Conferences
Got your ticket yet? HUGE lineup with speakers from Real Madrid, NBA (Trailblazers & Timberwolves) & Tottenham…
Engaging Fans & Participants in the Digital Age Sydney – Star City – July 13 & 14

Best of Digital Sports World #9

While World Cup teams have banned players from using social media, others are using it as a launch platform for endorsement exposure.  In Cristiano Ronaldo’s case exposure is exactly the right word with his Armani photo getting 32k likes and 11,780 comments.

Twitter reports the massive spikes in traffic from the #worldcup but it was the Lakers’ win in the NBA Finals that broke records.

NBA Championship between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. The Lakers’ victory generated a record 3,085 TPS as the game ended.

Darren Rovell reports IMG lost $4.6M in income due to Tiger Woods’ issues.

Big brands are following the lead of sports teams befriending Facebook.

Great tips from @ChrisBrogan on using Twitter.

@BrianGainor releases another Partnership Activation newsletter if you don’t subscribe to it I suggest you do.

Fox Sports take a peek behind the scenes of the NBA use of social media, it’s a slam dunk.

Good advice from @TrevorYoung – I Urge You to Ignore Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare et al

Amazing game at Wimbledon

Can’t got past without mentioning the amazing 5 set match between Isner & Mahut that took 3 days to complete and ended with a 70-68 Isnet win in the 5th.

But here is the tweet of the tournament so far from Andy Roddick.

Best On Ground

Toyota Racing have done well offering NASCAR fans the ability to create their very own NASCAR, great sport-sponsor digital promotion with Sponsafier 2.

Video Clip of the Week

NBA using Vimeo to as part of broadcast package of the NBA Finals…

Book your ticket for SRG Conferences
Got your ticket yet? HUGE lineup with speakers from Real Madrid, NBA (Trailblazers & Timberwolves) & Tottenham…
Engaging Fans & Participants in the Digital Age Sydney – Star City – July 13 & 14

Best of Digital Sports World #8

Sports on Facebook is tracking the Facebook activities of World Cup fans by passion, popularity, intensity, region & group.

World Cup getting strong TV ratings in the US after the draw with England.  Even 2M+ Australians got up at 4:30am to watch the Socceroos fail against the Germans.

From the world of NBA USA Today talks to Jeanie Buss about Twitter, Phil Jackson and working in the NBA.

32 Creative and Clever Sports Posters to Inspire You

@Mashable took us Inside Gatorade’s Social Media Command Center

Andy Pawlowski (@pawlow34) uses his learning from the Digital Disciple series with Facebook: 5 Things NCAA Programs could steal from the NBA

A look at the roles involved in social media in college athletics from @ZachLassiter, what do you think of the Protector, the Entertainer, and the Interactor?

Dwight Howard building his endorsement base via his Superman persona from @sports_business

@Harry_O is running another competition via Twitter engaging with his fans looking for a “fresh” photo.

If you didn’t catch it, here is our look at the Andrew Johns saga and how the Australian Twitter community responded, a must read fro any athlete manager.

Welcome to Twitter – AFL Insider

Good to see the @AFL mix it up engaging with fans via different Twitter accounts. Waiting for @NRLHQ to tweet…

Best On Ground

Twitter is doing it’s best to bring World Cup fans together with it World Cup 2010 page.  You can track tweets from games providing a twitter commentary when you mute the TV for vuvuzela relief.

Video Clip of the Week

Kobe Bryant fan needs to be seen to be believed…

Book your ticket for SRG Conferences
Got your ticket yet? HUGE lineup with speakers from Real Madrid, NBA (Trailblazers & Timberwolves) & Tottenham…
Engaging Fans & Participants in the Digital Age Sydney – Star City – July 13 & 14

In case you missed Sunday’s episode of @SportzfanRadio I suggest you listen to the podcast.  Topics covered included World Cup, NBA Finals, Horse Racing, NRL & AFL as well as the VUVUZELA

Sportzfan Radio Show 158 Part 1 & Sportzfan Radio 158 Part 2

Tell us your weird/strange sporting superstitions. #superstitionsinsport for next week’s show…

Tune in from 12 next Sunday for Sportzfan Radio

Best of Digital Sports World – Ronaldo Edition 7

Apologies to Justin Bieber but for the next 31 days you won’t be the number 1 topic on the Internet.  That position will be held by the FIFA World Cup. (Bucket List: Mention Justin Bieber in a blog post. Completed)

Here is @Mashable’s guide to following the World Cup on Twitter.  The easiest way is to use #worldcup hashtag and follow soccer tweeps to chat about games as they happen.

Best digital representation of the World Cup schedule (pictured), click around & bookmark it!

Great work from the guys @Activ8Social with the Rajon Rondo’s #LooseBall Scavenger Hunt combining Foursquare, Twitter & Facebook the social media triple-play.

An interesting opposing view on the NBA Finals “Don’t watch the NBA Finals!”

Congrats to the Chicago Blackhawks on winning the Stanley Cup.  Great exposure for sponsor Van Kampen Investments on the Blackhawks website, simple but very effective!

Great research from @TimBull from Tribalytic on the AFL’s hashtag strategy, I’ve been discussing this one with Tim for a while, great to see some data to back it up.  Shows the power leagues like the @AFL have in shaping the conversation on Twitter!

Welcome to Twitter – Brendan Fevola

Love seeing new athletes join Twitter, didn’t think I’d see this guy anytime soon….

Please Fev be careful with the Twitpics

Best On Ground

Great promotion by @NHL over the playoffs with Beard-a-thon, great connection with a sponsor King of Shaves as well as connecting with hockey fans to raise money!  WIN-WIN-WIN

YouTube Clip of the Week

Continuing the World Cup theme…

Edition 6 of #BODSW

NBA is stepping things up with the NBA Finals starting today.

• Getting creative setting up a Twitter account for the matchup @CELTICSvLAKERS
• Setting up a The Finals app on their Facebook page to play highlights from the NBA Finals Archive.
• Shout Go Lakers or Go Celtics in Foursquare to get a Lakers or Celtics badge.
• Providing a Twitter Mashup at NBA.com/Twitter

ESPN having a little fun with the upcoming NBA Free Agent market with the Free Agent Slot Machine.

Sports technology expanding it’s reach with the NFL’s replay technology being adopted by the military help monitor battlefields in Afghanistan. (Link no longer valid, thanks Yahoo)

Are you ready for the World Cup? Is your iPhone?  The New York Times review World Cup apps that will help you track all the news.

Want to be a sponsor of a successful team? Get on board early don’t expect to jump on the bandwagon just when the good times start.  Just ask the NHL’s Philly Flyers their playoff run has them with happy sponsors and a waiting list!

Super Swarms are the next big thing in Foursquare with a 332 people checking in at a Conan O’Brien show.  Look for Foursquare to keep things interesting by setting bigger targets.

In case you missed it, here are 5 mistakes you need to avoid on Twitter.

Congrats to  Collingwood’s Steele Sidebottom winning the Name of the Year competition.

Worst On Ground

It was great to see Amare Stoudamire win Best on Ground in last week’s edition but this week he (or his team) made the mistake of the automated blog post.  Adding a note to his fans that was obviously written before Game 5 but it was posted after the Western Conference Finals had finished.  (Phoenix lost)

Perhaps Amare needs some Sports Geek help? Try Social Media Athlete Training.

Best On Ground

This week’s Best On Ground goes to Kathleen Hessert for this tweet, are you ready for this game changer?

YouTube Clip of the Week

Remembering Dennis Hopper in Hoosiers… RIP

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