Welcome to Last Week’s Wins #17!
Today, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we have the opportunity to reflect on history and gain strength for the future.
In a few days, Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th President of the United States and Kamala Harris will be sworn in as the first female, first African-American, and first South Asian-American Vice President of the United States!
WINS THIS WEEK
Winning with Class: The #BillsMafia Way
NYCFC x Mastercard Launch Small Business Assistance Program
“Kicking The Stigma” of Mental Health in Sports
WHY THESE WINS MATTER
BILLS FANS DONATE TO CHARITIES OF RAVENS’ PLAYERS
Yes, I am upset about the Ravens’ loss. Postgame, I expected to see nothing but disgruntled fans when I opened my social media.
However, I quickly ran into the overwhelming generosity of #BillsMafia.
You might remember these charitable Bills’ fans from Last Week’s Wins #10.
Almost immediately following Lamar Jackson’s early exit from Saturday night’s playoff game, a group of Bills’ fans began donating $8 to Lamar’s favorite charity, Blessings in a Backpack.
The generosity did not stop with the injured Lamar Jackson. Ravens’ Walter Payton Man of the Year finalist, Bradley Bozeman, woke up Sunday to a surge of donations to the Bozeman Foundation from Bills’ fans.
Obviously the Ravens’ loss still hurts. But I’ll be honest, it was pretty awesome to see the genuine and sincere outreach of support from Bills’ fans.
I think it's fair to say #BillsMafia gained a few Baltimoreans for the remainder of their postseason run.
NYCFC & MASTERCARD REWARDING SMALL BUSINESS WITH 2021 MLS SPONSORSHIP
New York City Football Club recently announced a partnership with MasterCard aimed to support small businesses impacted by the pandemic in the South Bronx.
The goal of the partnership is to provide a 2021 MLS season sponsorship package for a local small business. The program, City Assist, is accepting applications through February 14th and plans to announce a winner by March 1st.
The small business selected will receive a full-packaged NYCFC partnership, including:
Exclusive title of “Official Small Business of New York City FC”
In-stadium branding
Logo inclusion on NYCFC’s partner webpage
One hundred (100) tickets in the lower level
Two NYCFC jerseys
Two invitations to NYCFC’s partner forums
Media and digital publicity
“We recognize that we have a platform that we can provide a really engaging opportunity for local businesses.” - NYCFC COO Matt Goodman
NYC Football Club has been actively involved in social impact movements. The club worked with the South Bronx community throughout 2020 to support areas in need. In August 2020, NYCFC partnered with the Jackie Robinson Foundation to, “have an even more meaningful impact on the local communities we are honored to represent.”
NYCFC’s ongoing community relationship makes this partnership even more important. City Assist is providing an opportunity for small businesses to bring awareness to their community impact and development.
As many businesses struggle to stay open, partnerships between larger organizations like NYCFC and MasterCard can open the door to new opportunities and small business growth.
OPEN THE DISCUSSION OF MENTAL HEALTH IN SPORTS
The Indianapolis Colts and Irsay Family have been trying to do their part in sparking meaningful discussions on mental health. You may have recently seen/heard their “Kicking the Stigma” My Cause My Cleats commercials.
“It’s not like a disease. It is a disease. And we need avenues to seek help. It’s hard enough to seek help but to have that (stigma) hanging over your head.” - Kalen Jackson, Colts Vice-Chair/Owner
This initiative provides an opportunity for stories to be told. The entire Colts’ organization, from Owner Jim Irsay to Colts Star linebacker Darius Leonard, are telling their stories, opening up about their pain, and fighting the stigma around mental health.
Fighting the stigma is vital to changing the culture. Fighting the stigma means going against people like UFC Founder Dana White, who claims that brain trauma and issues are just, “part of the gig” for his athletes.
Fighting the stigma means not jumping to conclusions. Let’s use Kyrie Irving’s “personal days” as an example.
During this time off, Kyrie was spotted on a Zoom call with supporters for a Manhattan District Attorney candidate as well as fined after breaking the NBA’s COVID protocols at a family birthday party.
There is a lot to unpack in Kyrie’s journey this past week.
We can either judge his actions; or we can try to understand the full picture of how this person thinks.
In the aftermath of an attempted American coup, the lack of charges in Wisconsin for the shooting of Jacob Blake, an ongoing global pandemic, and the rapidly approaching one-year mark from the death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others…
Maybe Kyrie needed a breath.
I do not know the full story. And neither do you. What we do know is that Kyrie Irving is a human with emotions, interests, and passions, just like me and you. We know that he is using his platform to do what he can to fight social justice issues. We know he is more than just an athlete.