Vishal KolarVishal Kolar is an undergraduate business and sports management student at Whittier College. He has extensive background in both sports broadcasting and film production, as he has written films for Academy Award Winner John G. Avildsen (Rocky, The Karate Kid) and Emmy-Winner Susan B. Flanagan (Overhaulin’). On the sports side, he served as the President and Chief Broadcaster for the Whittier College Sports Network, where he facilitated the major sports broadcasts (football, basketball, baseball) for the school and called the games as the play-by-play commentator.
|
Whittier College
The Fusion between Football and Rock n’Roll
The Senior Capstone presentation will primarily focus on the entertainment value of the arena football league and how teams are differentiating themselves in regard to in-game theatrics that appeal to the general consumer. While winning is the main priority for league franchises, we will identify a different measure of success.
This presentation will provide information on the steps involved with assisting students in developing an original case analysis on relevant topics in sports management. Teachers will have a better understanding of the overall process from contacting professional organizations to conducting interviews and lastly putting together a paper worthy of publication By residing in the sport-rich state of California, students have plenty of opportunities to conduct a study with large management firms and nationally recognized athletic departments including professional sports teams.
The first section will consist of the history and description of the Arena Football League coupled with a team analysis that examines the correlation between winning percentage and attendance figures. The San Jose Sabercats will be used in a comparative study along with the newly-formed Los Angeles KISS expansion franchise.
After going over the business models of the two franchises, we will take an in-depth look at the conception and development of the LA KISS which highlights the vision of co-owners Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, who are part of the legendary Rock ‘[Roll band KISS. Along with the formation of the team, this part will also reflect the difficulties that come with forming a professional sports organization as both Simmons and Stanley had no prior experience in the sports industry before buying the team.
The KISS’s top management team placed a heavy emphasis on in-game experience when attempting to bolster economic value of the franchise. They enhanced fan engagement with a plethora of extravagant events that included cage dancers,a pyrotechnic show, and a live rock concert during the game. The presentation will assess the brand value of the organization and how it impacts the team’s ability to provide fans with top-quality entertainment and effective media outreach strategies. Since the KISS ranked second in total attendance number among the AFL franchises while sporting a losing record, it is safe to conclude the in-game festivities played a large part in attracting viewers.
Shifting gears, the next section will examine the off-season transactions and the current roster of the team. This includes the struggles regarding the poor coaching and management principles used by the team and the rocky relationship between the players and upper management. The AMC Reality show on the KISS “4th and Loud” will serve as the main source that outlines the conflicts between the coaches and executive team. In addition to that, it will cover the threats that the organization is currently facing, which are both internal and external when considering the NFL could be moving a team to Los Angeles in the near future. In addition to that, the KISS have a tall task ahead of them in reworking their roster, as most of their players were part of an expansion draft that left them dry at many crucial positions, which led them to a 3-15 season and put them in danger of staying mediocre for future years to come.
Looking into the future, the final section will address the topic of sustainability and the possibility of selling more season tickets with an emphasis on in-game entertainment instead of putting a winning team on the field Thus, presentation will conclude with a series of recommendations for the team and pose of series of thought provoking questions that examine the long-term growth of the KISS franchise and the Arena Football league as a whole.
Friday 2:45 - 3:45 pm
Stevens Creek
The Senior Capstone presentation will primarily focus on the entertainment value of the arena football league and how teams are differentiating themselves in regard to in-game theatrics that appeal to the general consumer. While winning is the main priority for league franchises, we will identify a different measure of success.
This presentation will provide information on the steps involved with assisting students in developing an original case analysis on relevant topics in sports management. Teachers will have a better understanding of the overall process from contacting professional organizations to conducting interviews and lastly putting together a paper worthy of publication By residing in the sport-rich state of California, students have plenty of opportunities to conduct a study with large management firms and nationally recognized athletic departments including professional sports teams.
The first section will consist of the history and description of the Arena Football League coupled with a team analysis that examines the correlation between winning percentage and attendance figures. The San Jose Sabercats will be used in a comparative study along with the newly-formed Los Angeles KISS expansion franchise.
After going over the business models of the two franchises, we will take an in-depth look at the conception and development of the LA KISS which highlights the vision of co-owners Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, who are part of the legendary Rock ‘[Roll band KISS. Along with the formation of the team, this part will also reflect the difficulties that come with forming a professional sports organization as both Simmons and Stanley had no prior experience in the sports industry before buying the team.
The KISS’s top management team placed a heavy emphasis on in-game experience when attempting to bolster economic value of the franchise. They enhanced fan engagement with a plethora of extravagant events that included cage dancers,a pyrotechnic show, and a live rock concert during the game. The presentation will assess the brand value of the organization and how it impacts the team’s ability to provide fans with top-quality entertainment and effective media outreach strategies. Since the KISS ranked second in total attendance number among the AFL franchises while sporting a losing record, it is safe to conclude the in-game festivities played a large part in attracting viewers.
Shifting gears, the next section will examine the off-season transactions and the current roster of the team. This includes the struggles regarding the poor coaching and management principles used by the team and the rocky relationship between the players and upper management. The AMC Reality show on the KISS “4th and Loud” will serve as the main source that outlines the conflicts between the coaches and executive team. In addition to that, it will cover the threats that the organization is currently facing, which are both internal and external when considering the NFL could be moving a team to Los Angeles in the near future. In addition to that, the KISS have a tall task ahead of them in reworking their roster, as most of their players were part of an expansion draft that left them dry at many crucial positions, which led them to a 3-15 season and put them in danger of staying mediocre for future years to come.
Looking into the future, the final section will address the topic of sustainability and the possibility of selling more season tickets with an emphasis on in-game entertainment instead of putting a winning team on the field Thus, presentation will conclude with a series of recommendations for the team and pose of series of thought provoking questions that examine the long-term growth of the KISS franchise and the Arena Football league as a whole.
Friday 2:45 - 3:45 pm
Stevens Creek