Throwback Thursday

Troy Vincent was one of the more notable interviews we had during our time at SJU. Vincent not only was a legend on the field for teams like the Eagles and Bills, but he was also the head of the Player’s Union at the time of this interview. This interview took place during a critical time in the NFL’s history. We were one of the first stations to interview Vincent after the Ray Rice scandal. This interview is an interesting mix of past accomplishments and the future of the NFL.

Troy Vincent Former Eagles CB -- 9.12.14 23rd (3rd) show

Throwback Thursday!

Billy Cunningham is considered one of the greatest 6^th men ever to step on the court. His skills, precision, and love of the game propelled him as a player, coach, and analysis. Cunningham has one of the greatest grasps on the game. His vast knowledge helped lead the Sixers to victory over and over again. This was definitely a not miss for us!

Billy Cunningham NBA Hall of Famer and Former 76ers Head Coach and foward/center -- 3.21.15 8th (42th)

Fly Eagles Fly...

Fly Eagles Fly... The Birds finally did it, after years and years of disappointment... The Philadelphia Eagles are Super Bowl Champions. The Eagles were front runners after Week 4, they were the team to beat. They were the team that could be Super Bowl Champions. The Eagles truly had it all, and they were a very extremely fun and interesting team to watch. They were the team every single commentator, fan, and expert were talking about...

In sports you sometimes have only one chance, that one year where every single thing seemed to click. This was that type of season for the Eagles, the defense greatly improved, the running game was spectacular, and Carson Wentz was just simply amazing. Every single moment of the Eagles season was exciting, fun, and memorable. There was no doubt they had the ability to win it all... That was until Week 14... the Carson Wentz injury... Every single one of those fans, commentators, and experts said the Eagles were done. Their season was over. Maybe next year they would have an opportunity to perform again. But, then something amazing happened... A team rallied together like nothing that had ever been seen before.

A team joined together behind a Quarterback that many called washed-up, overrated, and terrible. Every single day going into the NFL Playoffs every sports channel talked about how the Eagles will embarrass themselves in the playoffs. They would be blown out in their first game against the Falcons. Well, the Eagles came out and played strong defense to bring themselves a victory. After what some called a sloppy offensive performance by the Eagles, commentators everywhere said that they would not stand a chance against the Vikings. Well, weren't they shocked... The Nick Foles of old came out to play, and gave one of the greatest playoff performances in history. The team fired on all cylinders, the passing game, the running game, the defense... everything was outrageously great... too great as some said.

After an amazing performance in the NFC Championship the Eagles were back... They were going to the Super Bowl. The spotlight was all over the team, from Nick Foles to Donnie Jones. Every player on the team was being interviewed and questioned, day in and day out. Though after their surprisingly great performance in the NFC Championship, many experts and fans still doubted them. People believed that the team had no chance against the All-Time Great Tom Brady. That the Eagles would be beat badly, and Nick Foles would not stand a chance against the Patriots defense.

Well, the Philadelphia Eagles did it... They shocked the world... St. Nick partied with Mickey Mouse.... The Birds went down Broad Street... This team changed the world of football... They proved every single expert wrong. This was an up and down season, filled with joy and sadness. But, it was truly the most magical season in sports history. We can always say we are Super Bowl Champions.

Should leagues make investments?

 Though as a fan sports may look as an enjoyable form of entertainment, however this is not the only thing. Sports as a whole are one of the most profitable businesses around. Teams in general never pay for their stadiums and they bring in 100,000s of thousands of fans each year for outrageous amounts of money. Every single thing a team or league does makes money, whether that is tickets, merchandise or specialty events. With sports being such big money makers, should we see more investments by them?

MLBAM was a huge investment made by all 30 teams in the MLB. Each team invested a small amount of money for a stake in the company. Bamtech was used as the technology side for the MLB, as well as other sports. It is basically the high-tech running of things like the website, analytics, and advertising. Though MLBAM had been very profitable for the MLB teams over the years, the real payout came in 2017. The Walt Disney Company, who already owned a stake in the company decided to purchase the rest of Bamtech. This purchase was valued at about $1.5 billion. Each team would get $50 million in pure profits to use on whatever they would like for the upcoming season. This was seen as a very strong investment. Throughout the entire process it made good financial sense for the teams to invest in the up and coming company. Every step of the way Bamtech made the MLB money, and should be viewed as the overall picture of how to invest.

But, will we see other leagues do things like this in the future? That I am unsure of that, due to the fact it takes many steps along the way to get the process done. Major League Baseball did it right, they showed that they could invest in something and turn it into a profitable business. Sports leagues are basically large investment brokerages with their entities underneath them. So it would be wise for each league to expand their businesses further. In the short-run it could save money throughout the year, but in the long run we could see even more profits from investing.

Throwback Thursday!

It is sometimes difficult for an athlete to adjust to life not on the field. This Throwback Thursday is about a player who easily adjusted. Keith Mitchell not only had a very successful NFL career but his career off the field has taken off! Mitchell has started several wellness programs to improve the lives of people around him. Keith Mitchell tells us through his holistic approach he is in the best shape of his life!

Keith Mitchell - Former Pro Bowl NFL LB - S5E7 (55) 10.9.15

Website: http://www.thelightitupfoundation.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/K_Mitchell59