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WHAT SPORTS ORGANIZATIONS OR BRANDS ARE USING MOBILITY TO ENGAGE THEIR AUDIENCE?

Sports organizations that use mobility to engage their audiance are the NFL, NBA, and NASCAR among many others. The NFL's Sunday Ticket package can be watched on just about any device from a smartphone to a computer. This year the package will feature a fantasy football channel. The NFL has their own app which lets users customize their page by selecting their favorite team and player and receiving tailored information about both. The NBA has a similar package called the NBA Game Time app. Users can watch games on all of their devices and get up to the second stats and news from around the National Basketball Association.

I go to the NASCAR race in Richmond every year. In previous years you could rent a headset that let you listen to the drivers and their spotters. As technology evolved, NASCAR evolved and created their own app. According to NASCAR.com (2015) the app allows you to listen to driver audio, in car cameras, a leaderboard, and real time track position. I recently downloaded the app and I will use it when the race comes. Sports organizations are always looking into new ways to engage their fans. We live in an on the go world and almost everyone has a cell phone or tablet on them. Organizations are finding new ways to keep busy people engaged.

References:

Nascar.com (2015) Retrieved from: http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nascar-mobile-products.html on September 9, 2015

What mobility technology has had the greatest impact on today’s society and why?

Cellular phones are arguably the biggest advancement in technology in recent times. Not only have they had the biggest impact on society, but they also revolutionized the way we communicate. When I was growing up pay phones were on every corner and a call cost 25 cent. According to The Atlantic (2015) the first cell phone call was made on April 3, 1973. The phone made to make the call was as big as a home phone. This made it difficult to carry the phone around. As the years past and technology advanced, smaller phones were introduced and changed the way we see phones. When I was in high school I got my first cell phone. It was a flip phone that didn't have many bells and whistles. I believe there was a few games, a calculator, and a calendar.

Today, almost everyone has a smartphone. A device such as the iPhone or the Amazon Fire phone are capable of doing so much more than the cell phones of the 90's. Smart phones have the ability to act as a computer and apps are being created for just about everything and even replacing some tools. The other day my wife was hanging pictures and she used my phone to download an app that used my phone as a level. Smartphones have also changed the way we communicate. Texting has had a big impact on society because we can write people and they receive the message almost instantaneously. The days of writing letters are over. We live in a fast pace world and smart phones have had the biggest impact on society from a technological standpoint. I am excited to see what new technology advances the mobile world. 

Come Join Us For Training Night at Target Field (Class Assignment)

Hello, My name is Bryan Donaldson, Senior Director of Community Relations for the Minnesota Twins. Each year in the United States,13,500 children are diagnosed with cancer. Currently 35,000 children are in treatment for cancer. The Twins organization is dedicated to aiding with issues that face our community and our youth. We are honoured to be involved with an organization that benefits our future and our youth.

I am excited to announce that in partnership with the American Cancer Society, the Minnesota Twins will be hosting a Training Night at Target Field. The event will take place on August 29th as your Minnesota Twins take on the Houston Astros. The First 5,000 children 12 and under will receive  a T.C. Bear plush toy and an information packet for the first annual Train With the Twins Weekend.

                                                      Courtesy of: Minnesota Twins

Several issues are bigger than ourselves. Many of you may have been affected by cancer personally or know someone who has fought the battle. As we fight to find a cure, I encourage you to attend the game and show your support for a great cause. This exciting promotion kicks off the start of the Train With the Twins Weekend. 

Orioles Forced to Move Series to Tampa Bay

The event I chose was the Baltimore Orioles decision to move their home series with the Rays to Tampa Bay. The article is titled"Baltimore Orioles Will Play in Empty Stadium, Move Home Series to Tampa." The article was written by Ty Duffy on April 28, 2015. The article states that the Orioles were forced to postpone 2 games against the White Sox as the city was dealing with riots, and move their series against the Rays to Tampa Bay. It was decided that fans would be bared from one of the game's.The game was televised, but the stands were empty. This is the first time in the history of baseball that fans were not allowed to attend a game because of a riot. The start time for the final game of the series was moved from 7:05 to 2:05 to accommodate the 10: p.m. curfew. The Orioles decided to move their home series against the Rays to Tampa Bay. Although the Orioles were playing away from home, it was decided that they would be the home team in the series.

This was a major challenge for Major League Baseball and the Orioles. Moving the series on such a short notice must have been a logistics nightmare. The league and the team thought of the fans when they made their decision. I am sure season ticket holders were upset but they have to understand that safety is first. Lost revenue could impact the team as well.  Like I said, people who were not even involved in the incident were being targeted just because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I agree with the decision that Major League Baseball and the Baltimore Orioles made. Before the games were postponed, fans were being targeted by rioters as the left the stadium. The fact that the series was moved, made it safer for fans and the city of Baltimore. The move was done on short notice and the league as well as the team lost money but it was the right thing to do. An event like this is bigger than any sport will ever be. It was unfortunate that it happened but Baltimore is starting to get back to normal. Living in Virginia, I am only 2 hours from Baltimore. It is 1 of my favorite cites to visit. I do not agree with the event that started the riots, but I am glad the city is recovering.
Soccer is the only other sport that I know of that fans have been barred from entering the gates.

In October of 2014, CSKA Moscow, a team in the Russian Premier League were forced to play 3 games in an empty stadium. Fans were banned because they threw flares on the field, and started fights with away fans. The team could not sell tickets to their UEFA Champions League Away games at Bayern Munich and Manchester United. This is a very common theme in the sport of international soccer, I have never seen anything like this in any sports in the United States.

The How Well Do You Know Your Teams Quiz is Here!

Are you a fan of sports? Do you support teams from Richmond? Do you want to test your knowledge about our great teams? I knew you would say yes! Well then head on over to Survey Monkey and take this challenging 10 question quiz, covering all the teams from the Renegades to the Raiders! Go to SurveyMonkey now to complete your quiz! Top 5 finishers will be announced on Saturday! Link to quiz: How Well Do You Know Your Teams?

River City Rover: The Ultimate Coverage of Sports in the RVA!

 I will give a little background on my logo and name, I designed my logo to pay tribute to the flag of Richmond. I chose the name River City Rover because Richmond is known as the River City. In sports, a rover does not have a specific position on the field, and like my page, I will not cover one specific sport or team. River City Rover is dedicated to brining it's readers a fresh perspective on all things sports in the Richmond area. I will not focus on one sport or team, instead I will be covering all of the teams from the Flying Squirrels to the VCU Rams.

Since I was a child, I have always had a passion for sports. Years ago I remember going to a Richmond Braves games or a Renegades game and talking about it with my family. I have always wanted a place where I could go and discuss topics with local fans. I started River City Rover because I was disappointed about the lack of coverage there was of our great sports by fans.  The Rover will feature stories and insights about our local teams, which include news, scores, and some personal thoughts.

River City Rover was started by a fan, for fans. I encourage you to post your own insights thoughts, because if there is one thing I love, it is talking about sports. River City Rover can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest. Richmond City Rover is the place to come if you are enthusiastic and passionate about our sports scene.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rivercityrover?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RiverCityRover

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChyxjMsv7nQUrbxJOVIEcgg

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/rivercityrover1/

Courtesy of: Richmond.com