Mike Tirico has maintained a strong relationship with Syracuse University for the last 28 years, both as a student and an alumnus. On his most recent visit, Tirico brought a group of prominent panelists with him, many of whom were also SU alumni.

The group of panelists, partially moderated by Tirico, an ESPN journalist, convened Tuesday in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications to discuss the power and influence of the National Football League and how it will continue to dominate over the next decade. The auditorium was full throughout the event, which took place between 1 and 5 p.m.

‘That NFL shield is iconic, it transcends sports. (The NFL) is the most powerful form of entertainment in this country, not of just sports,’ said John Wildhack, SU alumnus and executive vice president of program acquisitions and strategy at ESPN.

The first panel, titled ‘Moving the Chains: Keeping the NFL Business Model Strong,’ discussed the NFL’s current success as well as what they expected from the NFL in the coming decade. The panel provided insight on several of the business practices surrounding the league, as well as its associates, including advertising, marketing and financing.

The panel was supplemented at times with video presentations by two prominent alumni, sports broadcasters Bob Costas and Matthew Berry, as well as a live telephone conversation with current Minnesota Vikings quarterback Donovan McNabb, also an SU alumnus.

The three guests and panelists discussed ways to keep the economy surrounding the NFL strong, while at the same time pleasing fans.

One of the ways to do that is by continuously putting out information through any medium, said Patricia Betron, a 1988 alumna and senior vice president of multimedia sales at ESPN.

‘With sports, the more we put out there, the more people are consuming it,’ she said.

One way for the NFL to expand is by reaching out to new demographics, specifically women, said Melissa Richards-Person, a 1989 alumna and senior director of advertising and promotions at Papa John’s International. She also said Hispanics are an important demographic.

‘Folks that are becoming Americanized see the NFL as a way to become assimilated,’ she said. ‘It’s a way for them to become Americanized and to embrace the U.S.’

Members on the second panel, ‘Yards After Contact: Keeping the Fans of the NFL Connected,’ discussed how it has become more important to publish stories faster. Tirico cited an example from his most recent Monday Night Football coverage, when he had to update the second he found out a player was injured for fear of social media announcing it first.

Panelist Rich Cimini, a 1985 alumnus and a writer for ESPNNewYork.com, said, ‘Because of Twitter, things happen immediately. There’s no such thing as waiting until you get back to the press box anymore. The shelf life is not what it used to be, it has to get out immediately.’

Much of this constant need for instant information is because of fantasy football, Wildhack said.

‘Fantasy drives not just ratings, but overall consumption of the game,’ he said.

The panel also talked about the detrimental effects the National Basketball Association lockout would have on the NFL. Richards-Person discussed the negative effects the lockout would specifically have on Papa John’s.

‘Any time that people aren’t going to be engaged in a live sporting event, where people aren’t going to make appointments to watch a sporting event, is bad for pizza sales,’ she said.

Russ Brandon, president and CEO of the Buffalo Bills, also spoke of the NBA lockout’s potential negative effects on the NFL. He talked about how sports unite people.

‘‘High tide raises all boats.’ It’s that communal aspect that really makes the community embrace a team and make it something special,’ he said.

Lorraine Branham, dean of Newhouse, said she was pleased with the number of alumni on the panels.

‘We have a lot of terrific alums. One of the reasons we have this draw is from graduating people like the Mike Tiricos and the Patricia Betrons,’ she said.

David Fine, a freshman broadcast journalism major, said he was ecstatic to be in attendance.

‘This was a dream come true in that I’m looking to be a broadcaster,’ he said. ‘Hearing from guys inside of the industry is extremely helpful.’

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Published on October 18, 2011 at 12:00 pm

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