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WHAT'S POPPIN'?

 
8.18.10

Our preparations are underway for the world's largest Walk to Defeat ALS. We hope you can join us at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, NY on September 26 to help strike out Lou Gehrig's Disease (but did Lou really have ALS, see this recent article).

Thanks to MSG Varsity for their sponsorship of our Bruce Beck and Ian Eagle Sports Broadcasting Camp. What an eight days we had! Over 90 campers from all over the country converged on the Yogi Berra Museum and Montclair State University to learn the tricks of the trade. Leandra Reilly-Lardner launched a new "super advanced" camp for the older students concentrating on on-camera performance. We took the "original" camp to New Meadowlands Stadium, NBA Entertainment, TD Bank Ballpark - home of the Somerset Patriots, and the Timex Performance Center, where Tom Coughlin and Jerry Reese from the Giants talked to the kids. Next year, our 10th anniversary of the camp, amazing.

Seton Hall Men's Basketball will hold a three day Select-a-Seat event at Prudential Center from August 24-26 for fans interested in scoping out full season ticket locations. For information call 877-SHU-HOOP. New coach Kevin Willard seems to have a pretty full cupboard for 2010-11. Schedule highlights include games: at Temple and UMASS, home games vs. Cornell and Dayton, a BIG EAST/SEC challenge ESPN game vs. Arkansas, very attractive BIG EAST home dates, and three games in the Virgin Islands beginning with Alabama.

Is anyone as concerned about the Yankees as I am? Vasquez, Joba, and Burnett are shaky, Pettitte will be out for at least another couple weeks, A Rod, Posada, and Swisher are banged up. Resting Hughes around the All-Star break messed up his whole season. Making Joba a starter messed up his whole career. This is an old team. Can they get through one more regular season and get back to the Series with this group? As Willie Nelson sang "worried mind, worried mind...".

Best,


Dave Popkin, Partner

 
6.28.10

After weeks of promoting the World Cup with previews, game stories, analysis, photos of the players' girlfriends, and stories about every possible controversy, the New York Post's headline on Sunday after the U.S. loss to Ghana on Saturday: This Sport is Stupid Anyway. Priceless. Seriously, I'm not sure if these referees are crooked or blind. For more on that, go to: www.lasiktherefs.com

I'm glad I stayed up for the Yankee/Dodger rubber game last night. The Bombers were down 5-0 early and 6-2 in the ninth. They were lifeless. Then Mr. Torre brought his closer, Jonathan Broxton, into a four-run game and the guy proceeded to give it up. Broxton threw almost 50 pitches in that ninth inning. The Yankees put together one long, professional, playoff-type at bat after the next and scored four runs to tie. The nice part was: two rookies Chad Huffman and Colin Curtis drove in three of the runs. Then Cano homered in the tenth, a two inning win for "The Great Rivera" as Jon Miller calls him, and it was time to start spreading the news. The Yankees were leaving today with a series win and leaving Torre with a bitter taste. The team has gotten younger, but maintained its heart and professionalism. They are one good set-up man away from going back to the Series.

I worked the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball event in Belmar this weekend. We had perfect weather and a nice turnout. Thanks to The Orthopaedic Institute of Central Jersey for their continuing support of the event. The Tour decided to let any beach goers into the outer court/sponsor village area for free, which obviously helped attendance, while ticket buyers got access to the main stadium. The April Ross/Jen Kessy team won the women's title on ESPN2 and the perennial men's favorites Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser won on Universal Sports. The Tour has visited Belmar 17 times now and the players and fans always seem to enjoy the atmosphere. Look for a return in 2011.

Congratulations to MSG Varsity for a successful first school year. I called some games for Varsity this year and was amazed by the ambitious, new channel. The 24-hour high school sports network produced well over 400 games this year, several magazine shows, a live call-in show with prep guru Mike Quick, and a nightly hour-long High School Sportsdesk with Jared Greenberg and Shauna Ryan. They have two new HD trucks on the way for next year and the network seems like a big hit for Cablevision. Tremendous job by all, it was really a tour de force.

Best,


Dave Popkin, Partner

 
6.4.10

There seems to be a resurgence in horse racing this year. I'm only a casual fan, but I enjoy a day at the track. Hats off to Monmouth Park and their marketing partners including The Star-Ledger and WFAN, attendance was up markedly for Opening Weekend compared to the last few years. Monmouth is executing the "go big or go home" theory right now by calling their schedule the "Elite Summer Meet" and increasing their purses to nearly $1 million per day on average and thereby improving the quality of horses running. It looks like they will catch a break by getting Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver in the 2010 Haskell, making their biggest day of the year even bigger. This weekend the track features the Jersey Shore Jazz and Blues Festival. It's hard to make it in the horse racing business these days without slots (which should be granted to the New Jersey tracks already), but our friends at Monmouth Park are making a strong move down the stretch...

By the way, Robin Cunningham, one of Seton Hall's all-time women's basketball greats, has a small share in one of this week's Belmont Stakes favorites Uptowncharlybrown. Good luck.

Speaking of the Pirates, the donors and alumni down in Spring Lake last night were excited to meet new head basketball coaches Kevin Willard and Anne Donovan. Willard has a six-person staff that has hit the ground running and it seems like they are young, aggressive, and willing to outwork other teams. With the loss of John Garcia and perhaps Herb Pope (depending upon his health status), the frontline is looking a little young and undermanned, but with Jeremy Hazell, Jeff Robinson, and Jordan Theodore back this team should be at least in the middle of the BIG EAST pack. Donovan has her assistants in place and will join The Hall full-time after her New York Liberty season finishes. The Hall-of-Famer will be worth the wait. They look like two good hires to me.

Best,


Dave Popkin, Partner

 
3.31.10

I had a chance to meet and interview the two new Seton Hall Basketball coaches today. Kevin Willard seems like a no-frills gym rat with good lineage that demands accountability. His roster is entirely in-flux. The good news is: he was running on the treadmill with Melvyn Oliver early this morning. The bad news is: his three best players have declared for the NBA Draft. I'd be shocked if they all go. My guess is Herb Pope will be told he'll be drafted in the first round, will actually be drafted in the second round, and will be gone. It's unfortunate because he really could have used another year in school. I know he has familial financial pressures however and wants to get on with his career. I'd say there's a better than average chance that Jeff Robinson and Jeremy Hazell return. If not, there are a lot of holes to fill. Willard wasted no time in signing up his first recruit. Anali Okoloji, an active 6'8 forward, has given a verbal commitment to Seton Hall. He can shoot the 3 and run the floor. He looks like a West Virginia kind of player (which is obviously a good thing). Willard's staff is very young, but includes a couple of friendly Seton Hall faces like Shaheen Holloway, Grant Billmeier, Marcus Toney-El, and Steve Sauers.

Anne Donovan was very impressive. She's bright and engaging. If there were a Mount Rushmore of women's basketball in this country, Donovan would be on it. She is a five-time Olympic gold medal winner as a player and coach and has coached four WNBA teams (including Seattle in their championship season). She'll coach the Liberty this summer before taking over the Pirates full-time. Plus, she's one of the greatest college players of all-time. I would think she could get an audience in any living room she wants. Hats off to my friend Phyllis Mangina for 25 fine years at Seton Hall and for being on the dais when Donovan was announced, true class. It looks like brighter days are ahead for Seton Hall women's basketball.

Good move finally by Joe Girardi and the Yankees by putting Joba Chamberlain in the pen. It's been clear all along that he is much more dominant as a reliever and that it makes the team tougher to beat with him setting up Rivera. To me, he's the heir apparent to Mo. Why keep messing with the kid's role and innings and arm and psyche? Brian Cashman continues to give him hope that he'll start in the future and conflict what the on-field staff sees. I don't get it.

Speaking of baseball, I took a short trip up to Cooperstown last weekend. I never tire of visiting the Hall of Fame and that quaint little town. The Museum is so well done and the people are friendly and laid back. I recommend it for a change of pace from the Metro area and to re-ignite your love of the game. The pancakes at the tiny Cooperstown Diner are worth writing home about too. Thanks to the man that didn't really invent baseball, Abner Doubleday. Opening Night is Sunday - thank goodness baseball is back...play ball!

Best,


Dave Popkin, Partner

 
3.2.10

I caught the end of the USA/Canada gold medal hockey game, but so did you and 33% of the country. It was the biggest televised hockey rating since the U.S. gold medal game in 1980. I spoke to a client last night who said she hadn't watched much hockey in her life, but after watching that game was now going to start watching the NHL. Her husband wanted it in writing. The point is: if the NHL doesn't: 1) put the pedal to the medal and really market these Olympic stars down the stretch they are missing a huge opportunity and 2) realize the positives far outweigh the negatives and let the players continue to participate in 2014 and beyond. If they don't get that they can't buy this kind of great publicity and good feeling for their sport, then they're nuts and they deserve their fate.

But then again, just about every sport is insane right now. MLS is talking about a work stoppage this month, when they are trying to take advantage of last year's momentum and open two new stadiums in major markets. The NFL has been very public about their labor battle that may kill the golden goose after next season. The NBA seems like they are not close on a new collective bargaining agreement. The basketball owners seem to have the biggest beef because many of the teams are losing tens of millions annually. They've done it to themselves by maxing out too many players and overpaying for guys who are not difference makers in terms of wins or the box office. If you're going to pay someone $8 million, they had better be a game-changer in one or both areas. Still, there needs to be a correction. TV ratings are up because fans can't afford to go to the games! They can't afford to go to the games because the players make too much MONEY!

The NFL contracts have never made sense to me. If there is any sport where the players need guaranteed contracts, it's football. Pay them a little less, but guarantee the deals. If a 300-pound lineman accidentally falls back on your knee, you're done and the team can just cut you. The players with leverage are working a decent amount of guaranteed money into their contracts, but nothing like the other sports. It seems unjust to me.

Wagner fired Mike Deane as their head basketball coach yesterday after they won only five games this year and lost to Bryant (1-29) and NJIT (twice). I got on Deane's case several times over the years on-the-air for ripping into his student-athletes so voraciously and publicly. That said, the guy knows basketball better than most people I've ever met, he graduated all his guys, the fans loved him, he won 23 games two years ago, and he has taken three different schools to the NCAA Tournament (albeit not Wagner). Good luck White Mike and farewell for now...



Best,


Dave Popkin, Partner

 
1.20.10

Well, I promised our staff a retraction if the Jets actually won last week and here we are. I hope reaching the AFC Championship Game helps them sell their overpriced PSLs.

I tried to buy a Yankees mini-plan for 2010 yesterday and couldn't. It looks like they are going to sell out of full and partial season ticket plans (or come close) based on renewals and those people taking extra seats. Must be nice. I assume that doesn't include their outrageously priced seats near the rails. Their box office person didn't try to sell me those seats or any seats though, didn't even gather my data for a future sale.

I wonder what losing Bengie Molina, who took a one-year deal from the Giants instead of a two-year deal from the Mets, and not signing any pitchers has done for the Mets sales. It has to be pretty scary.

The Nets can't give them away. I predict Seton Hall will win more games than the Nets this year. It's all about the ping pong balls at this point. Is John Wall from Kentucky the number one pick and if so, a difference maker if the Nets get that pick? Where is this team going to play next year, by the way? It doesn't look like they've broken ground in Brooklyn and the Dec. 31 "deadline" is long gone. The Wizards are talking about trading everyone just to change the faces and the culture in the locker room after the Agent Zero fiasco, it's time for the Nets to do the same.

So Northeastern and Hofstra have eliminated their football programs. There was supposed to be a rally by football supporters at the Hofstra game last night, but they couldn't get anyone to go. That's a sign. They had 172 season ticket holders, no bowl revenue, 12 coaches, 90 athletes on scholarship, and a program that cost over $4.5 million per year. The University President decided to put that money into academics and stop the money pit. Good for him.

Best,


Dave Popkin, Partner

 
1.6.10

I want to get this on record before the totals come out at 1:00 p.m. EST today. I would have voted for Fred McGriff, Jack Morris, Don Mattingly, Roberto Alomar, and Pete Rose (if he were eligible) for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Even with the high ERA, Morris was the best starter of the 80's, was a legitimate ace, an All-Star, and won World Series with three different teams. I wouldn't argue strenuously against Bert Blyleven, amazing numbers on bad teams.

Seton Hall goes up to Storrs to take on UCONN tonight. The Pirates haven't won there since 1992, but they have a chance tonight. They haven't figured out how to play 40 (or 45 because of the overtimes) solid minutes yet, but watch out when/if they do. Crazy, classic game in Cancun this weekend with Virginia Tech, but alas, another loss. Don't hate me because I'm sunburned.

Typical Jets. The head coach waves the white flag when they were still eligible for the playoffs, the team wins five of six, everybody starts laying down for them, their game gets moved to 8:20 p.m. on a freezing night to close out the stadium to further abuse the fans, and now they're beating their chests that they made the playoffs. I hope this helps them sell some PSLs for Unnecessary Meadowlands Stadium.

The PGA Tour is secretly salivating that Tiger's return will be their biggest TV ratings ever. The frisky feline is still in hibernation apparently, but it will be a spectacle when he decides to come back. Looks like about a $500 million dollar mistake by him between the divorce and lost endorsements and purses. Nice job.

Am I the only one that thinks the Yankees have ripped the chemistry right out of this team? Melky, Damon, and Matsui must have had 40 game-winning hits combined, if you include the playoffs, and really in Pinstripe Land what else really matters? Hopefully there's no market from Damon and they get him back at a discount. Only about six weeks until pitchers and catchers.

Best,


Dave Popkin, Partner

 
12.10.09

Congratulations to Seton Hall men's basketball on their great (7-0) start. The Pirates are our longest standing client at 10 years. I've never seen the team look more dominant than they have the last couple weeks and am looking forward to seeing the step-up in competition when Temple, West Virginia, and Syracuse invade Prudential Center in the next couple weeks. Herb Pope is a star in the making.

Be on the lookout for PIP client Mario Gallucci in area media outlets in the next week. Depositions begin in his Michael Mastromarino (Body Parts) case on Wednesday.

PIP client Dr. Cary Silverman is doing his part to help the U.S. Olympic teams achieve gold in the upcoming Vancouver Winter Games. He has provided free LASIK surgery to eight Olympic athletes to give them a competitive edge: www.LasikForTheGold.com.

Did you see Saint Peter's basketball on the front page of the Star-Ledger and in the New York Times recently? PIP helped the Peacocks attract a big crowd to the 6:00 a.m. wake-up call over Monmouth on Nov. 17 on ESPN. Be there for Peacock Hall of Fame Day on Dec. 12 vs. Wagner.

Very nice field assembled for the SFIC Basketball Festival, especially the boys games which will be played at Kean University on Jan. 10. The top team in the nation St. Patrick's will take on Trenton Catholic. Saint Anthony (#24 nationally) plays NIA Prep, St. Benedict's (#8 nationally) will battle Our Savior New American, and Saint Peter's Prep versus Hudson Catholic.

Best,


Dave Popkin, Partner

 
11.13.09

What a Fall for Metropolitan area sports fans! The Yankees are back in their rightful place. The Nets and Knicks are a combined (1-16). Rutgers football just demolished a ranked team. Two PIP clients square off in the opening night of college basketball season – Saint Peter's at Seton Hall. Look for the Peacocks to move up the MAAC standings this year for Head Coach John Dunne and the Pirates to win 20 games and be on the NCAA bubble.

Things are busy at Positive Impact Partners as well. Tonight, we'll be at The Rock for the Seton Hall opener. Tomorrow, it's merchandise sales at West Point for VMI at Army football. Sunday, I broadcast the Seton Hall game on 77WABC from Monmouth's fantastic new $57 million arena, the Multipurpose Activity Center. Monmouth Athletic Director Dr. Marilyn McNeil gave me a tour of the facility recently and I must say, it's as nice as most Atlantic 10 buildings. What a big boost for the basketball coaches Dave Calloway and Stephanie Gaitley, the entire University community, and for the Northeast Conference. The Hawks open tonight by hosting FIU and new coach Isiah Thomas.

PIP's Ed Schwartz reports that the 15th Annual Lou Gehrig Sports Awards last night at the Marriott Marquis was a tremendous fundraising success again for the ALS Association – Greater New York Chapter. Bob Costas and Jeremy Schaap served as the masters of ceremonies and Bernie Williams, Curtis Martin, Dominique Wilkins, Goose Gossage, and George Vescey were honored. To donate, go to: http://www.als-ny.org/

Best,


Dave Popkin, Partner

 
10.15.09

Everything is bubbling all at once on the New York/New Jersey sports scene, so I might as well make some fearless predictions. The Yankees face their nemesis, the Angels (NYY in 7). The Giants have cruised through the JV part of their schedule unscathed, now the real test (return to Super Bowl). The Jets look better (first round playoff loss). The Mets are tearing up the golf course and Jose Reyes' lower extremities (no off-season moves again will result in a 70-win team and a long season for Gary, Ron, and the as yet unsigned Keith). Rutgers is beating up on poor Texas Southern (low level bowl game loss). Of course, THE TIME IS NOW for Seton Hall Basketball as PIP rolls out their sales and marketing campaign (20 wins and firmly on the bubble for the Pirates).

Hey, even the Nets got over 12,000 for an exhibition game in Newark, not bad. They should do better for the Knick pre-season game there (A new owner and move to The Rock is Option B if Brooklyn doesn't fly). 37 wins, no playoffs, no LeBron for the Knicks, and Donnie Walsh retires and says "oh well". Rangers back in the Conference Finals, Devils out in the first round.

The PIP staff and I got to see Army defeat Vandy in OT on Saturday. You can't beat West Point in the autumn. Very nice defensive effort, but what in the name of Red Blaik is up with their offense? Big win though for the Black Knights (3-3). Prediction (5-7) and no bowling.

With apologies to the great Steve Somers, The Fearless Forecaster has spoken.

Best,


Dave Popkin, Partner

 
08.26.09

Wow, what a busy month September will be at Positive Impact Partners! On September 12 we will be managing two large events. A large crew and I will be at The Walk to Defeat ALS in East Meadow, NY, the largest ALS walk in the country, where we expect more than 6,000 participants. The rest of our team will be managing the merchandise sales at the Army football opener versus Duke. Coach K will be honored by the Black Knights for his tenure as a basketball player and coach and a big crowd is expected for new coach Rich Ellerson's debut. September 19 is another Army home game. September 26 will be a special TBA event at Monmouth Park. Oh, and you can catch me on Saturday, September 5 at 2:00 p.m. calling the Beantown Brawl between Northeastern and Boston College football on ESPN360.

"If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it." Lucille Ball

Best,


Dave Popkin, Partner

 
07.17.09

I had the opportunity to play in the Fifth Annual Team Walker Golf Outing on Tuesday at Somerset Hills Country Club. Wow, what a course, certainly not for the faint of heart. Beautiful landscapes, helpful caddies and staff, delicious food, good company, and a great cause. Team Walker is a non-profit that was founded by former Seton Hall basketball star Jerry Walker. They provide much-needed after-school academic and athletic programs for the youth of Jersey City. All in all a successful and enjoyable day, and I actually parred the last hole.

Speaking of former Hall stars, I ran into John Allen on campus today. He was back in South Orange for a little physical therapy. Tootie is coming off of a very successful season playing in France and it looks like he'll be headed to Croatia in late August to start a season of ball there. John is one of the great guys and talented players that I have ever encountered at Seton Hall. He said that Donald Copeland is doing great, living in Jersey City, working out at Seton Hall. The Donald also played in France last year and stopped by for an interview with me on Seton Hall halftime. Copeland was such a big game player late in his career. He improved so much over all four seasons in college. Stan Gaines and Allen both played well at a showcase this week in Las Vegas. Stan did not play at all last year and is hoping to land a contract to play overseas. The loquacious Marcus Toney-El has been a fixture at the Regan Center all year, getting ready for his next pro stop. I guess you also saw that Paul Gause has been spotted at Seton Hall working out and getting ready for a pro football career with Las Vegas in the new UFL. It's nice that they want to stay a part of the Pirate family and gracious of Joe Quinlan, Bobby Gonzalez, and the Seton Hall staff to allow it. It is important for the current players to learn from their experiences and see that they are part of something larger. Good luck in your globetrotting fellas, a great group of Pirates.

Best,


Dave Popkin, Partner

 
07.13.09

I had a chance to check out CitiField for the first time on Friday night. I was impressed and felt it was comparable to the new Yankee Stadium despite the fact that they spent about a third of the money the Yankees spent to build their stadium, certainly an achievement. The parking was slightly improved over Shea. Their green initiative was admirable and effective. I love the little city bridge that you walk over to get to the food court. The food was on-par with Yankee and much better than Shea. We had access to the corporately named Caesars Club on the 300 level, which definitely had an upscale Atlantic City-feel. It was expensive for a ballpark, but I felt fair for the level of food and ambiance. Checking IDs of the 40, 50, and 60-year old drinkers is silly, insulting, and slows up the line. The seats are all angled to home plate which makes your view of the game better 95% of the time (as long as the ball isn't hit into the corner). The merchandise stores were nice, but when asked for normal sizes for several items (can I get a large t-shirt?) we were told "those sold out on opening day and we haven't been replenished". The park should be more Metsy. The video boards were absolutely humongous, the sound was plenty loud, and I can't estimate how many hundreds of big flat screen TVs populate the stadium. The world's largest chip crunching promotion for Wise was cute and got everyone's attention. The staff was friendly, but not as pro-active as Yankee Stadium where they are using many greeters with "How Can I Help You?" signs on the concourses to help people learn the ballpark. The team was weak, I mean they got shut out by Bronson Arroyo and the Reds, but they do have nine guys on the DL so what can you expect? Overall, I was a fan and would go back.

Best,


Dave Popkin, Partner

 
06.23.09

Friends,

Welcome to our new website. Please take a look at some of the new features like our Testimonials and Portfolio pages.

I got the opportunity to attend the U.S. Open Golf Championship over the last few days. The USGA made the right call by allowing the people that paid full price for little to no golf on Thursday to attend on Monday. Granted, they were reacting to public and media pressure, but the result was a good one for all involved. The last round was very exciting with several Cinderellas like Lucas Glover and Ricky Barnes battling the comeback kid David Duval and the sentimental choice Phil Mickelson. The USGA does an incredible job running this event from the parking operation managed by our friends at Country Club Services, to the amazing 43,000 square foot Merchandise Pavilion, to the free radios that American Express provided to patrons, to the edible and affordable food. It was a nice experience all-around. I found the crowd to be enthusiastic and respectful also. For good insight on the time, thought, and effort the USGA puts into this event every year, check out John Feinstein's fine book Open, which focuses on the course and event management at Bethpage Black leading up to the 2002 Open. Feinstein is one of my favorite authors in general and I've been lucky enough to interview him several times.

I'm in the middle of Curt Smith's latest book, Pull Up a Chair: The Vin Scully Story. Smith will appear at the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center to discuss the book on Sunday from 4:00-5:30 p.m. In this reporter's humble opinion, Scully is the most talented baseball broadcaster ever. Some of my other favorites working now are my man Gary Cohen, Dan Shulman, Jon Miller, and Pat Hughes.

Next up for Positive Impact Partners is the inaugural Walk for Team Walker on Saturday, June 27 at Exchange Place in Jersey City. We hope you can join us to support Jerry Walker's efforts in bringing needed academic and athletic after-school programs to the youth of Jersey City.

Remember, if you're not getting better, you're getting worse.

Best,


Dave Popkin, Partner

 
06.10.09

Friends,

Welcome to the inaugural What's Poppin'? Blog and the new Positive Impact Partners website. We will update our blog a couple of times per month or when we have some interesting stories or successes to share.

Things are busy and good here at Positive Impact Partners. We are in the middle of managing six fundraising walks and a run this Spring. We are not just a sports agency anymore. PIP handles marketing and event management for several business niches including sports, broadcasting, professional, and non-profits. Our diverse skill sets have proven valuable to many businesses in the Northeast that have looked to outsource certain tasks.

Please check out the new Testimonials page on our website and a Portfolio of some recent projects. We are living in a challenging time and PIP is available to join your team and get the job done. Thanks for your support.

Best,


Dave Popkin, Partner