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9/17/98 Phoenix New Times: The Selling of ASU Football (text)
by Father Nieuwland (2005-11-09 01:04:26)
In reply to: One more time: Need the Arizona State Jumbotron story * posted by SEE
Board Locked Return to Freq Questions
The Selling of ASU Football
No matter what happens on the field, ASU athletics hits pay dirt every game--with a nonstop stream of advertisements
By John Dougherty
Public-address announcer Jeff Munn skitters down the stairs to his press-box seat high above Sun Devil Stadium.
His heart still pounds after his frenzied drive from downtown Phoenix, where 30 minutes earlier he finished announcing the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball game that had gone 12 innings.
Munn slips out of his black suit jacket and pours a cup of coffee from a thermos. His right hand shakes as he sips the brew. A quick call to his wife to report his new location is followed by a munch on a sandwich.
"So much for dinner," says Munn, who has announced Arizona State University football games for 12 years.
Munn thumbs through a 120-plus-page script that he will read over the stadium's loudspeakers during the next five hours. His listeners: more than 72,000 fans who are already arriving to watch ASU's first football game of the season, against Pac-10 Conference rival University of Washington.
The September 5 game has been circled by Sun Devil fans since the final gun of last year's 9-3 season. ASU is ranked 8th in the preseason poll; Washington is ranked 18th. The winner of the game will join No. 6-rated UCLA as a favorite to win the Pac-10 title. The winner will also keep hope alive for a trip to the Fiesta Bowl for the national championship game.
The loser could be relegated to also-ran status only one week into the NCAA football season.
Interest in ASU football has soared since 1996, when the Sun Devils went 11-1 and came within seconds of a national championship. A few weeks ago, more than 5,000 supporters drove 100 miles to watch ASU's final preseason scrimmage at Camp Tontozona under the Mogollon Rim. Season-ticket sales top 52,000, the most in 11 years. Talk of an undefeated season is common.
It's still an hour before kickoff, but more than 15,000 fans already await the appearance of their team.
Munn scans his script and responds to a cue directing him to read a promotion encouraging fans to wear "solid gold" to the stadium. It is a pep talk few of the fans need. The student section is jammed with fans clad in gold tee shirts.
The crowd erupts with a rabid cheer as a column of Sun Devil players trots onto the field.
And Munn keeps on talking, his voice reverberating through the stadium. He finishes the plug, and flicks off the public-address switch. He appears surprised and a bit miffed.
"The team interrupted me in the middle of my announcement," Munn says to no one in particular.
The cheers swell as more Sun Devils appear on the field.
That doesn't deter Munn from plowing into another promotion, this time for Fox Sports News.
A struggle has begun--and it has nothing to do with the two football teams about to play a crucial game.
The real battle during ASU home football games pits fans against a high-tech marketing machine that employs a distracting array of audio, video, live stunts and bright signage to hammer commercial messages into a captive audience.
No matter how the game unfolds, no matter the situation on the field, Sun Devil fans face a fusillade of advertisements. The ads divert attention from the field and refocus the "market" on products and corporations being hawked.
If sports commercialization were competitive, ASU would be the Pac-10's undisputed champion. Even the Tinseltown universities--UCLA and USC--have marketing efforts that pale in comparison to the Sun Devils'.
The ASU marketing machine seems impervious to the action on the field.
This is never more apparent than when the ASU-Washington game reaches its climax. The Sun Devils trail by four points, but have the ball on the Huskies' eight-yard line. It's fourth down and goal, with less than two minutes to play.
The band strikes up the school fight song.
The crowd roars with anticipation.
But not for long.
The PA system combines with the giant electronic video board to quash the cheering with a blaring, 30-second commercial for Biddulph Oldsmobile.
The natural tension of the moment evaporates.
For the ASU athletic department, the only tally that appears to matter is the more than $2 million it rakes in each year from "corporate partners" whose jingles, slogans and come-ons bombard Sun Devil football fans.
It's 90 seconds 'til kickoff.
Jeff Munn is recognizing the 13 millionth fan to enter Sun Devil Stadium since it opened in 1958. The occasion turns into a marketing moment with striking similarities to a Jerry Colangelo-produced sporting event.
"That fan is seated in section 8, row 32, seat 1. That fan will receive round-trip tickets for two on America West Airlines, a $50 gift certificate to be honored at Don and Charlie's Restaurant and $50 in gasoline from 76/Circle K and a bouquet of cookies from Cookies in Bloom. Congratulations!"
Sixty seconds to kickoff. A heavy-metal track called "The Zoo," by an obscure 1980s German band the Scorpions, pulses through the PA system, obliterating any attempt by the crowd, cheerleaders or band to stir up some action.
Thirty seconds to kickoff. The crowd is on its feet, but its cheers are drowned out by the canned music and another plug.
"Tonight's opening kickoff is sponsored by Enterprise Rent-A-Car of Arizona," Munn states in the smooth, cordial cadence that will not change throughout the night. "Enterprise will pick you up. Call 1-800-Rent-A-Car. If you're seated in section 4, row 11, seat 3, you have won a free weekend car rental from Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Stay in your seat. An athletic department representative is on their way to you, with your prize."
Ten seconds to kickoff.
Cut back to the Scorpions. The head-banging music continues until the instant Washington's kicker boots the ball into the air.
As the ball sails toward the north end zone, some 30 Enterprise Rent-A-Car executives and their guests watch from the comfort of their VIP loge seats. The suite seats are part of a three-year, $760,000 advertising package Enterprise signed in 1997 with the ASU athletic department.
That might sound like a lot of money, but Enterprise only forks over $2,500 a year in cash, for a scholarship fund. The balance comes in trade. Enterprise provides at least 15 new Chevy Luminas for year-round use to selected ASU coaches and administrators.
In exchange for the scholarship money and cars, Enterprise is listed as sponsor of every kickoff at Sun Devil Stadium, and every men's basketball tip-off at the University Activity Center. Estimated value for the year: $20,000.
But that's just the start. Enterprise also gets one panel on a three-way, rotating sign on the stadium's southeast corner scoreboard. Value: $80,000 a year. Kick in two more 30-second public-address announcements during all ASU home football and men's basketball games valued at $24,500. Enterprise also gets two 15-second commercials with audio and video during each football game, worth $12,000.
The list of perks ASU grants Enterprise fills more than three pages of its advertising contract. There are trips to road games, banquet-hopping with ASU athletic director Kevin White and the "opportunity" to mail Enterprise promotional materials to Sun Devil season-ticket holders (a benefit with a listed value of $10,000).
All this for 15 vehicles and a scholarship that barely covers a semester of in-state tuition.
Enterprise's is the first of a wave of ads that pummels fans during play stoppages and even between plays.
While many spectators have a difficult time recalling the sponsors of the ads, there is no doubt that the audio and video blasts dampen the live experience.
"Quite frankly, the thing I notice most about it is it interferes," Harold Rowland says during halftime. A 10-year season-ticket holder from Phoenix, Rowland says he's disgusted with the promotions.
"It used to be that they would play 'Charge' over the PA system. Now all you hear are commercials. I don't need commercials."
Doug Calcaterra, another season-ticket holder, says the blitzkrieg of advertising noise is unlike any he's experienced in other stadiums.
"It keeps me away from the game. The marketing atmosphere as a whole just makes it feel like they are shoving it down our throats," Calcaterra says. "I have never been to a stadium that made me feel like that before.
"I've been to a lot of games in my life. I love ASU games, and I have had season tickets for years. But it is just very loud and annoying. I understand they have to market it. But there's a better way of doing it without taking away from the atmosphere."
Three minutes into the game, ASU scores on its first possession to take a 7-0 lead. The audio pitches are silenced as the crowd erupts for a prolonged celebration that stretches all the way through the ensuing kickoff.
The stadium throbs with football passion. A full moon beams through threatening clouds. The band plays flourishes. The crowd counts as Sparky, ASU's mascot, reels off seven pushups in front of the student section.
The fans are ready to fulfill their role as the "12th man" on the field during ASU's first defensive series--a crucial time when the fans can generate so much noise that they rattle the opposing quarterback and disrupt the offense. This 12th-man effect is no myth. Sun Devils fans have been known to unnerve the opposing offense with a unified roar that can be heard a mile away. Two years ago, Southern California and Nebraska unraveled under the relentless racket.
But not this night.
During Washington's opening possession, it isn't the rumble of the crowd that sets the tone, but a string of audio ads--most coming between plays--hawking products for Subway, Cellular One, Circle K, Samurai Sam's and U S West.
The U S West ad comes just before a critical third-and-10 play that Washington converts for a first down, moving the ball to the ASU five. Washington scores moments later to tie the game.
The touchdown triggers another spate of audio ads. The ASU band is drowned out by pitches for Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream, Circle K/Little Devil Endzone, Hancock Homes and a ticket promotion.
The crowd is subdued seconds before kickoff.
This pattern recurs many times during the next three hours. Fans rev up and momentum builds toward that rare moment of spontaneous frenzy--when traditions are born and memories forged--only to be derailed by an amplified voice.
The audio ads rain down, pimping Fox Sports Arizona, JC Penney, DiGiorno Pizza, Cox Communications (video and audio), Oscar Breadsticks, Fox Sports (again), Wells Fargo, Monti's La Casa Vieja (video and audio), Circle K/Little Devil Endzone (again), Arizona Public Service Company, Champion, Creative Communications, Met-Rx, Arizona Dodge Dealers, P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Dircks Moving, ASU's Web site, Wells Fargo (again), and America West Airlines.
Finally, halftime arrives, providing ASU with another, more controlled marketing opportunity--a dinner giveaway from P.F. Chang's and a football throwing contest, sponsored by Dodge dealers, that features an ASU student and a season-ticket holder.
The score at halftime, by the way, is Arizona State 28, Washington 21.
There was a time not too long ago when ASU presented a far purer football experience. In the 1970s, during Frank Kush's heyday as Sun Devil coach, there were no audio and video ads broadcast between plays.
Aside from play-by-play, about the only information the PA announcer provided the fans packed into the stadium were football scores from around the nation.
There were no 30-second audio/video commercials by Cox Communications, which sandwiches six college game scores between promotional messages.
There was no big video screen in the southwest corner of the stadium.
The 1988 installation of the screen was a watershed moment. ASU became one of the first universities in the country with a video screen.
During the 1988 home opener against Illinois, ASU ran two 30-second television-style commercials for Levi's Dockers sportswear. The fans hated it.
"People went absolutely crazy," says Tom Collins, ASU associate director for corporate and community relations. "Phone calls came in. We pulled the ad."
But that was before Jerry Colangelo unleashed his marketing prowess on America West Arena. There are few moments of dead air during a Phoenix Suns home game.
ASU is lifting a page from Colangelo's marketing play book.
"We are trying to ratchet it up," Collins explains. "In some respects, we are trying to compete with the Phoenix Suns."
The man responsible for boosting ASU's marketing strategy is athletic director Kevin White, who has brought a sophisticated business approach to running the athletic department since assuming the post in March 1996.
Faced with a $2.9 million budget deficit, White capitalized on ASU's trip to the Rose Bowl at the end of the 1996 season by placing a $50 surcharge on every Rose Bowl ticket sold to ASU fans, raising nearly $250,000 in one game.
White's also instituted a premium-seating plan under which season-ticket holders "donate" a minimum "gift." The gift minimums range from a low of $50 up to $2,500 for a 50-yard-line loge seat. Season tickets are an additional $140 for six games. The premiums have raised about $3.85 million this year in addition to more than $6 million in ticket sales.
While implementing new revenue streams, White also has expanded the athletic department staff, creating at least 10 new administrative positions. White's annual salary is $253,000, and the department's administrative budget is about $10 million a year, nearly half of the entire department budget, which hovers near $22 million.
Budgets for various sports--not including coaches' salaries--range from a high of $1.2 million for the football team to a low of $40,400 for the men's and women's golf teams, which are consistently among the best in the nation.
White's aggressive business approach has skirted the boundary of state procurement laws in the case of his so-far-unsuccessful effort to obtain a lucrative all-sports contract with Nike that would pump millions of dollars into the athletic department ("ASU Plays Footsie With Nike," March 12). That effort sustained a blow when Nike signed a five-year, $7 million deal with the Sun Devils' archrival, the University of Arizona.
Under White's direction, the university is also selling naming rights to practically every athletic facility on campus, including locker rooms. The University Activity Center, where the Sun Devils play home basketball games, is about to be dubbed the Wells Fargo Arena in exchange for a one-time, $5 million contribution from the banking giant.
White's adoption of a professional sports mentality on a public university campus is causing a stir in some circles. Frank Kush, ASU's winningest football coach and the last man to coach the Sun Devils to an undefeated season, is turned off by White's eagerness to sell the names of athletic facilities.
"That to me is degrading," Kush says of the Wells Fargo deal. "It should be named for somebody involved in the program, like Ned Wulk." (The retired Wulk is ASU's winningest basketball coach. In 1996, the football surface in Sun Devil Stadium was named "Frank Kush Field.")
White deferred questions about ASU marketing efforts to his assistants.
"Under Kevin White's leadership, we've tried to expand and increase our corporate sponsorship side and market promotions," Collins explains.
Attracting corporate sponsors has been relatively easy the past two years, especially after the 1996 team won the Pac-10 title with an 11-0 record and nearly brought home a national championship before losing the Rose Bowl to Ohio State.
"Sponsors and corporate partners want to be affiliated with teams that are winning," Collins says.
Sponsors are eager to shell out the dough: Arizona Dodge Dealers have signed a contract that will pay the athletic department $1.519 million over five years; Arizona Public Service, $400,000 over four years; Cellular One, $100,000 a year; Cox Communications, $110,000 over two years; DiGiorno Pizza, $85,000 over three years; Hancock Communities, $285,000 over three years; Monti's, $50,000 over two years; P.F. Chang's, $7,500 for one year; Sports Authority, $112,500 over three years; Circle K, $420,000 over three years. The list goes on.
The university is negotiating its potentially largest advertising contract with Budweiser distributor Hensley & Co. A draft contract calls for Hensley to pay $2.5 million over seven years.
Collins says the marketing effort isn't intended to detract from action on the field.
"We try to use good judgment," Collins says. "We are trying not to lose the focus that it's a college football game."
Yet ASU's ad machine supersedes even the most electrifying moments of football.
As the third quarter draws to a close, ASU trails Washington 35-28. The Sun Devils face a critical third down and 10 from the Washington 24 to start the fourth quarter.
The quarter break presents a perfect time to let the crowd build enthusiasm for the final quarter. Instead, Munn intones: "Sun Devil Fans. . . . Are you hungry? It's now time for tonight's DiGiorno's Pizza delivery of the game. Sparky is making his way around to the student and reserved sections looking for the loudest Sun Devil fan around. If he thinks you've got the stuff, then you get a pizza. So make some noise."
Instead of screaming for the Sun Devils, whose season is on the line, fans crane to watch Sparky, who quickly awards the pizza to a group of fans.
"Now direct your attention to the video and matrix board for the latest college football scores from Cox Communications," Munn instructs. "The latest college football scores are provided as a public service by Cox Communications."
If the crowd is flat, ASU quarterback Ryan Kealy isn't; he completes a pass for a first down.
But something was missing--the focused anticipation of the upcoming play accompanied by the pageantry of live music, the mystical force of chanting, and the powerful sense of unity engendered by cheering for a common goal.
Instead, 72,000 paying fans are treated as if they are sitting in front of a television set, alone.
The Sun Devil drive stalls and ASU settles for a 42-yard field goal to cut the Washington lead to 35-31 with 12:21 to play.
ASU's voracious appetite for corporate sponsorships is by no means unusual in college sports--although the Sun Devils sell more aggressively than most schools.
"For big-time college sports, football games have become commercial and entertainment spectacles, and the flow of the game is sort of irrelevant," says University of Nevada-Las Vegas sports sociologist Jim Frey. "Every time-out or stop in the action is viewed as a commercial marketing opportunity."
ASU's script accounts for nearly every time-out in a game. The first seven stoppages in the first half--whether team or TV time-outs--are devoted to advertisers. The same strategy holds true in the second half.
Munn must air about 15 additional promotions called "floaters" each quarter. While Munn decides when to read the promotions, squeezing in the ads is not easy--there are only about 35 to 40 plays per quarter. Consequently, Munn must broadcast advertisements between plays.
"If a pass is incomplete on first or second down, I do floaters then because there is so little to announce," says Munn.
Touchdowns and field goals provide more advertising windows; there's a break in the action as the teams prepare for kickoff.
TV time-outs are prime promotional moments. It is important, Munn says, to keep fans entertained during television breaks, which can stretch on for two minutes.
"The thing you try to avoid doing is make it seem as if there is down time," he explains.
But rather than relying on the band, cheerleaders and spontaneous fan participation, ASU turns to advertisers to fill the void.
Corporate sponsors are eager to plug the gaps because they want their message to be presented in a pleasurable atmosphere such as a football game, says Jay Coakley, sports sociologist at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.
"Advertisers want every person in the stadium to associate their pleasure with their logo and product and the way of life that emphasizes consumption," says Coakley. "That is why corporate sponsorships in sports are so easy to get."
Simple linkage, however, isn't always enough to ensure that an advertiser's message is getting through, says William Sutton, associate professor of sports studies at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
"You build up an immunity unless it is something clever," Sutton says. "There are so many signs and so many mentions, it just sort of blurs together."
That's why Munn's script is peppered with one "Lucky Devil Giveaway" after another throughout the game--a fan gets a prize for sitting in a selected seat or behaving in an outrageous manner.
ASU marketing director Carol Blazevich is particularly proud of the "Champion Fan-atic" promotion in which a wildly cheering student dressed in Champion sports gear receives a prize. The Champion promotion, Blazevich says, is a shining example of how to draw crowd attention to a sponsor's product through signage, audio, video messages and fan participation.
"We want you to utilize every sense you have, from your eyes to your ears to the way you communicate through your mouth," she says.
Advertising promotions also provide opportunities to expand the entertainment presented to fans during a game, even if it has nothing to do with the event.
Pat Feeney, who teaches sports sociology at Mount St. Mary's College in Emmitsburg, Maryland, says universities are eager to draw more activities, including marketing gimmicks, into athletic contests to attract spectators who may not be hard-core fans.
"You try to get more things that they can be entertained by, whether it is the halftime show, the mascot or the video board," Feeney says.
But there's a downside to marketing-as-entertainment, Feeney says. The flow of the game can't help but be impacted.
"I think it is really disruptive and says better than anything else the spectacle sports has become," says Feeney.
Spectacle or not, some believe football fans have only seen the beginning of the televisionization of the stadium experience.
Rick Burton, director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon, says he hasn't seen a university yet that is overusing video and audio technology during football games.
The former Miller Lite advertising executive says stadiums are destined to be dominated by huge video screens beaming in action from not only the game on the field but from around the country.
"People will go into the stadium to have a big-screen experience," Burton says.
What about action on the field?
"It will be critically important if the team is winning and perhaps be a little bit diminished if the team is losing," Burton says.
The jumbo-screen culture will jack the financial stakes even higher, at the risk of turning off fans.
"If the team is not competitive, will people desert the team if the entertainment is not what they expect?" Burton asks.
Paul Kalil is widely regarded as the master of stadium audio and video shows.
The 38-year-old owner of Los Angeles-based Big Screen Network Productions Inc. has produced the past 14 Super Bowls, coordinated stadium shows across the nation during the 1994 World Cup and handles in-stadium productions for the Los Angeles Dodgers and UCLA football.
Kalil is acutely aware of the powerful force he controls.
"A lot of people take this for granted," he says. "But there is potential for either enhancing a game or destroying a game."
It is essential, Kalil says, to keep the event as the central focus.
"My position is, very simply, that the media has to be first and foremost a complement to the game on the field. That's what people are there for. To watch the game and support the school," he says.
Kalil says the best use of the video screen is to "deliver the inside story of the game" to fans in the stands.
This can be accomplished by using instant replays, providing statistical information during the game, background pieces on players, coaches and the school. During lulls in the action, such as time-outs, the video screen can provide entertainment, but it should be closely tied to the venue, the team, cheerleaders, the marching band and fans.
"Historical memories, plays from previous games, funny plays, providing news about other games around the country" enhances the stadium experience, he says.
But even these forays must be moderate.
"Care needs to be taken so that you are not interrupting the game," Kalil says. "You have to be very careful and very aware of the game."
The inclusion of advertising increases the risk of running amok. This can be avoided, he says, by retaining the flexibility to forgo broadcasts at inappropriate moments.
Blasting a car ad before a key play late in the fourth quarter--as ASU did in the Washington game--is clearly an inappropriate moment, Kalil says.
While such a grievous mistake jumps out at Kalil, ASU's top marketing officials were oblivious to the commercial. Neither Collins nor Blazevich said they were aware of its timing.
Kalil says one way to avoid clashes between advertising and athletic drama is to shed the television-production mentality that is frequently incorporated.
"This is very unlike television production," he says. "You're combining television with theater. The dynamics don't play out the same. The dynamics of live theater cause you to have to make adjustments."
Yet ASU's execution leans heavily toward television production.
The athletic department contracts with KTVK-TV Channel 3 television news director Dennis Dilworth to direct the video and message screens during home games. An avid Sun Devil fan, Dilworth operates from a television production control room, which is located at the south end of the press box.
The control room contains more than 50 television monitors of all sizes. About a dozen workers, all wearing gold tee shirts bearing ASU's marketing slogan, "Playing With Fire," operate computers and control panels that command various electronic signs in the stadium.
Dilworth sits about 30 feet from windows overlooking the field, which are kept closed. He never glimpses live action of the game. The roar of the crowd barely penetrates the thick glass of the control room.
"I'm blocked off from the game," Dilworth says. "I'm not seeing what's out the window. I'm not seeing what's going on. All I'm looking at is monitors, just like if I'm directing a game from the truck or directing a newscast."
Dilworth watches monitors that display feeds from seven cameras and selects which image fans should see on the video screen.
For years, ASU did not display live action on the video screen. But that policy has changed under White.
"I like to compare it to sitting at home watching a football game," Dilworth says. "That's basically the way we try to do our coverage out there--live action, a replay if it is warranted and then a sponsor if there is a time-out."
Dilworth says he relies on Munn to keep him abreast of crowd reactions because the public-address announcer has a direct view of the field and nearly always keeps his window open to get a good feel for the mood in the stadium.
Dilworth says he and Munn decide whether an advertisement should be broadcast as scheduled in the script or delayed and, if necessary, skipped entirely because of a game situation.
"We let the game, in a lot of situations, dictate what we are going to do," Dilworth insisted.
But not always.
Dilworth says that as the Devils prepared for the critical fourth-quarter fourth-down play, he and Munn discussed whether to run the Biddulph ad. Dilworth recommended broadcasting the spot because it features Sparky, flames and ends with a "Give 'em hell, Devils" sound bite.
"We felt the spot maybe lent itself to spurring people on," Dilworth says.
If the Biddulph ad had been a straight car commercial, Dilworth says he might have done otherwise.
"That would have really brought things to a screeching halt," he says.
The sun beats down on more than 90,000 fans inside the Rose Bowl on September 12 for UCLA's opening game against No. 23 University of Texas. The temperature hovers near 90 degrees as the No. 6 Bruins take the field.
A depleted UCLA band unleashes the fight song (most of the band is missing because classes don't begin until later this month).
As the teams prepare for kickoff, the focus is on the field.
There is no canned music, no kickoff sponsor, no video board commercials--although the Rose Bowl has a state-of-the-art, Panasonic video screen.
It's simply football.
UCLA takes a far more conservative approach than ASU to corporate advertising at its football games. The impact of advertising on fans is something the university carefully monitors.
"It's a touchy subject," says UCLA marketing director Scott Mitchell. "We try to keep the game clean and pristine, and when we do tie in an advertiser, we try to have some fun with it so it's more than just a plug for one of our supporters or sponsors."
The differences between ASU and UCLA--both publicly funded institutions--are dramatic. ASU's audio and video script book covers more than 120 pages; UCLA's broadcast plugs don't fill four pages.
While ASU broadcasts TV-style 30-second commercials on its video screen, UCLA shows highlights of games from around the country and great moments in UCLA football history.
While ASU audio ads will go on for paragraphs, UCLA limits sponsorship plugs to no more than 25 words. In addition, UCLA's PA system is much softer than ASU's.
UCLA recognizes corporate sponsors with brief thanks over the PA system. But at no time during the Texas game were audio ads, let alone video, broadcast at crucial moments in the game or even between plays.
UCLA is also careful not to distract from the game with giveaway contests.
The result: UCLA fans enjoy fine college football in a historic setting with minimal commercialization.
With setting, tradition and focus on their side, UCLA fans avidly embrace their supporting role; thousands wave blue-and-white towels emblazoned with "UCLA 12th Man" while yelling "One, two, three, move the chains!" after every first down. The towels sell for $1.
Fans had plenty to cheer about Saturday as the Bruins, led by sensational quarterback Cade McNown, routed Texas 49-31.
A few hours later and 25 miles south, tens of thousands of University of Southern California football fans mill about on the private college campus, enjoying picnics before the Trojans game against San Diego State University in Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
As kickoff approaches, fans drift toward the venerable stadium, passing the giant magnolia and eucalyptus trees that tower over the pathway. A massive rose garden flanks the facility that hosted the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympic Games.
Inside the Coliseum, the dominant sound is the famous USC marching band, which seldom stops playing. Packed into a tight formation between the 10- and 20-yard lines, and filling the first 15 rows, the band literally sets the tone for the stadium atmosphere.
The 55,000 fans barely fill half the seats. But the place seems full because the seats behind both end zones are roped off. Giant banners promoting USC's corporate sponsors are placed over the roped-off sections.
While the Coliseum's signage is more prominent than Sun Devil Stadium or the Rose Bowl, the Trojans' use of the Mitsubishi big screen and audio advertising is similar to UCLA's.
One of the few audio/video promotions is an anti-drinking advertisement in which head football coach Paul Hackett and a highway patrolman encourage fans to use a designated driver.
There were only a couple of audio giveaways, and no ads after touchdowns. During long TV time-outs, the video screen broadcasts images of the band, cheerleaders, players and people in the stands. The screen zooms in on the referee when penalties are announced.
USC marketing director Mark Ryan says that while the athletic department is always seeking more revenue, the university doesn't want to give up what it sees as an important element in winning football.
"We want to maintain the home-field advantage," he says.
The No. 22 Trojans did, routing SDSU 35-6.
Most major colleges--including some storied programs--take a far lower-key approach to advertising than ASU.
Notre Dame, which plays at ASU October 10, eschews nearly all forms of advertising during football games--other than a corporate logo on the back of tickets.
"There is no signage," says Notre Dame sports information director Mike Enright. "Everything pertains to the game."
Notre Dame, which has the luxury of a lucrative television contract with NBC, has no audio advertising and no video screen.
Enright doesn't expect Notre Dame will ever become more aggressive at marketing its football games.
"I don't think there will ever come the day where you will see that at Notre Dame," he says.
Other major conferences also take a more moderate approach to in-game ads.
John Walters, a college-football writer for Sports Illustrated, says the Pac-10 schools are "much more aggressive" in marketing compared with other major conferences.
Walters says the atmosphere for football at schools like Alabama, Auburn, Florida and Louisiana State in the Southeast Conference, and Penn State, Ohio State and Michigan in the Big 10, is relatively unpolluted by advertising.
"Those places are just amazing," he says.
Arizona State's marketing, by contrast, is so aggressive, it is "selling its own program short," going so far as to require fans to purchase season tickets just to get a seat for the Notre Dame game.
The approach could create ill will, says Walters, who grew up in Tempe and attended ASU games in the late 1970s.
"I [would] feel cheated as an ASU alum or fan, thinking they are going to blackmail me for the Notre Dame game," he says.
Walters says too much marketing outside and inside the stadium threatens to ruin the game for the fans--particularly the most devoted backers who support the team in good years and bad.
"Fans want a pure experience," he says.
After nearly 200 minutes of steady advertising inside Sun Devil Stadium, the ASU marketeers finally fall silent. Apparently, all the ads have run--and there are still two minutes of football to be played.
ASU grabs a 38-35 lead on a fourth-down touchdown pass from Ryan Kealy to Tariq McDonald. ASU kicks off to the Huskies.
Washington faces a third down and three from the ASU 49. The Huskies call time-out.
As the ASU band launches into "We Will Rock You," the crowd begins clapping and starts building into a crescendo fortissimo.
The crowd roars as Washington quarterback Brock Huard settles behind center, and becomes deafening when Huard fumbles the ball--it's recovered by the Huskies.
The clock is running. Washington faces a fourth and 17 with 35 seconds to play from the Huskies' own 37. Fans turn it up another notch, stomping on seats, screaming to rattle Huard. It's pure frenzy. The Sun Devils are one play from victory.
This time, Huard is unfazed. He calmly lofts a spiral that is gathered in near midfield. Nearly 72,000 fans emit a sound of shocked disbelief as Reggie Davis goes 63 yards for a touchdown, putting the Huskies up 42-38 with 28 seconds to play.
"I don't believe it," a woman screams.
The Sun Devils have one more chance. The band fires up the ASU fight song with six seconds to play before Kealy's desperation pass falls incomplete.
It's a crushing defeat. Many fans are too stunned to move. They slump quietly in their seats, staring across the stadium. Others are angry. Most silently shuffle down the stadium aisles and slip dejectedly into Tempe's streets. The ASU band plays the fight song. Lightning darts across the sky.
And Jeff Munn launches into another plug:
"Fans, it's now time for the Met-Rx play of the game. Please direct your attention to the video board for today's great play."
There's no need to watch.
Contact John Dougherty at his online address: jdougherty@newtimes.com
Click here for link


text: Edward Patrick Masching, 89, of Pontiac, IL died Monday, January 18. 2021 at 5:45 a.m. at Evenglow Lodge Tjardes Health Center, Pontiac, IL. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated by Father Adam Cesarek Saturday, January 23, at 12 noon in St. Mary's Catholic Church, Pontiac, IL. Burial: St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Pontiac, IL. Visitation was in the church from 10 a.m. until the time of Mass. Duffy – Baier – Snedecor Funeral Home, Pontiac, was in charge of arrangements. He was born March 29, 1931 in Pontiac, IL, the son of Patrick and Alice (Ehrhardt) Masching. He married Lucille K. Kelly, his wife of 69 years, on October 20, 1951 in Loretto, IL. She survives in Pontiac. He is also survived by his children: Joyce (Don) Seib of Hubertus, Wisconsin; Joan (Richard) Hyde of Island Lake, Illinois; Mark (Kristy) Masching of Pontiac; Kevin (Joni) Masching of Odell, IL; and Eric Masching of Wisconsin. A brother, William (Donna) Masching of Campus, IL; three sisters: Rita (Marion) King of Matteson, IL; Norma (Don) O'Brien of Reddick, IL; and Ruth Schott of Buckingham, IL also survive. Surviving are his grandchildren: Brian (Lindsay) Masching, Todd (Jen) Masching, Rich (Jamie) Hyde, Kara (Justin) Hoffman, Brock Masching, Kyle (Brittany) Masching, and Larissa (Charles) Johnson; and great-grandchildren: Addison, Bailey, Cayden, Owen, Olivia, Damian, Adley, Darren, Arya, Troy, Hannah, Collin, Blake, Bryce, and Kamryn. He is also survived by his brother-in-law, Leo Kelly of Pontiac; sisters-in-law, Delores Kelly of Cornell, IL and Kay Kelly of Pontiac; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; one sister, Lucille Turner; one grandson, Derek Seib; brothers-in-law: Mac Turner, Kim Schott, Clare Kelly, and Joe Kelly; and sister-in-law, Betty Kelly. Ed graduated from Reddick High School. He had been a farmer in the Campus, IL area before working as a foreman at Interlake Steel in Pontiac, IL starting in 1965. He was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Pontiac. He loved to attend his grandchildren's sporting events, and always enjoyed having a large garden. He also enjoyed showing dairy cattle in the past. He was a past member of the Pontiac Moose Lodge, Pontiac Elks Lodge, and a member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. Ed always enjoyed telling and hearing a good "Dad joke." The family wishes to extend sincere thanks and gratitude for the loving and compassionate care the nurses and staff at Evenglow Lodge Tjardes Center and Good Samaritan Home Pontiac provided to Ed. Memorials: St. Mary's Catholic Grade School, 414 N. Main St., Pontiac, IL or Evenglow Lodge Tjardes Health Center, 215 E. Washington St., Pontiac, IL. Online condolences may be made to the family at duffy funeralhome.com or visit us on Facebook.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Affleck was responding to speculative reports that reasoned after he pulled out of directing the next films, Reeves would seek to start over with a new actor. While the logic seems like plausible speculation, I don't think that decision has been made. He made his not-so-definitive declaration during the Warner Bros-DC presentation of Justice League in Hall H at Comic-Con.
Affleck's castmates were supportive and cheered his declaration.
The real story will unfold over time, as Reeves plunges into the Batfilm after opening War For The Planet Of The Apes.


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text:
Courses for the early postdoctoral phase
Training for appointment procedures for professorships
4. to 18. November 2022
4 and 18 Nov 2022, 9am-12.30pm
Project Management for Postdoctoral Researchers
6. to 7. February 2023
6 Feb 2023, 9am-5pm & 7 Feb 2023, 9am-1pm as well as self-study and peer-feedback part


This method was deprecated in API level 25.4.0. Use setErrorMessage(int, CharSequence) instead.
action String: An identifier for this action. It can be sent back to the MediaSessionCompat through sendCustomAction(String, Bundle).
This method was deprecated in API level 25.4.0.
Set a user readable error message. This should be set when the state is STATE_ERROR.
Set the error code with an optional user readable error message. This should be set when the state is STATE_ERROR.
The position must be in ms and indicates the current playback position within the track. If the position is unknown use PLAYBACK_POSITION_UNKNOWN.
updateTime long: The time in the elapsedRealtime() timebase that the position was updated at.


text:
Acuff, MS, Lisa M., Harding University (United States)
Acuff, MS, Lisa M., Harding University
Adeyemo, Adesoji J., Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Nigeria (Nigeria)
Akers, Erin M, Diabulimia Helpline (United States)
Aldred AKA "The Grumpy Pumper", Chris
Ambler, DO, Laura, Florida State University College of Medicine Sacred Heart Hospital
Ayoub, DMD, Hisham S., Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (United States)
Barry, PhD, Samantha A., Diabetes Center of Excellence UMass Memorial Medical Center University of Massachusetts Medical School
Blaber, PhD, Michael, Florida State University College of Medicine (United States)
Blanton, CDE, Lori
Boylan, MS, Kate
Brady, MS, Patrick James, University of Iowa (United States)
, Florida State University College of Medicine
Brown, MS4, Shelbi H., Florida State University
Buchanan, Jess
Burns, PhD, Victoria, National Institute of Scientific Research - Urbanisation, Culture, & Society (Canada)
Bush, MD, Suzanne Yancey, Florida State University College of Medicine Sacred Heart Hospital
Bush, MD, Suzanne Yancey, Florida State University
Bush, MD, FACOG, NCMP, Suzanne, Florida State University College of Medicine (United States)
Charron-Prochownik, PhD, CPNP, FAAN, Denise, University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing
deBronkart, "e-Patient Dave"
DeCesare, MD, Julie Zemaitis, Florida State University College of Medicine Sacred Heart Health System
Deeb, MD, Larry, Tallahassee Memorial Hospital; University of Florida; Florida State University
Deeb, MD, Larry C., Tallahassee Memorial Hospital; University of Florida; Florida State University
Donley, PhD, Amy M., University of Central Florida (United States)
Downs, PhD, Julie, Carnegie Mellon University
Egunjobi, Ademola O., Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Nigeria (Nigeria)
Farias, PsyD, Giuliana, Florida State University College of Medicine
Fischl, PhD, MHP, Andrea F.R., University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing
Floreen, MSW, Anna, Glu/T1D Exchange
Floyd, Elizabeth, Florida State University College of Medicine (United States)
Galasko, PhD, Gail, Florida State University College of Medicine
Golladay, Michelle
Harrington, MSLIS, AHIP, Rebecca, Florida State University College of Medicine Charlotte Edwards Maguire Medical Library
Harrington, MSLIS, AHIP, Rebecca, Florida State University College of Medicine
Hart, MD, Celeste
Hood, PhD, Korey K., Stanford University School of Medicine (United States)
Hoskins, Mike
Ige, Adegbola M., Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Nigeria (Nigeria)
Iturralde, PhD, Esti, Stanford University School of Medicine (United States)
Jabson, PhD, Jennfier M., University of Tennessee (United States)
Johnson, DrPH, MPH, MA, L. Nicole, University of South Florida
Johnson, DrPH, MPH, MA, Nicole, University of South Florida
Johnson, DrPH, MPH, MA, Nicole, University of South Florida College of Public Health
Johnson, PhD, Cathryn, Emory University (United States)
Johnson, PhD, Suzanne Bennett, Florida State University College of Medicine
Kapp JD, MPH, Marshall, Florida State University Center for Innovative Collaboration in Medicine and Law
Kunik, Kelly
Lee, Melissa
Litchman, PhD, FNP-BC, Michelle, University of Utah College of Nursing
Litchman, PhD, FNP-BC, FAANP, Michelle L., University of Utah (United States)
Magrini, Kristin C., Florida State University College of Medicine
Malomo, Sunday O., Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Nigeria (Nigeria)
Malone, BSN, Kaitlin,
Mathers, BS, MA, Lain A.B., University of Illinois at Chicago
Mehta, PhD, Mira, University of Maryland-College Park (United States)
Melton, MA, MPH, Stephanie T., University of South Florida
Melton, MPH, MA, Stephanie, University of South Florida College of Public Health
Melton, PhD, MA, MPH, Stephanie T., University of South Florida
Melton, PhD, MPH, MA, Stephanie T., University South Florida
Melton, PhD, MPH, MA, Stephanie T., University of South Florida
Naranjo, PhD, Diana, Stanford University School of Medicine (United States)
Neher, MPH, Taylor L., Texas A&M University (United States)
Nowakowski, PhD, MPH, Alexandra C.H., Florida State University (United States)
Nowakowski, PhD, MPH, Alexandra C.H., Florida State University
Ojo, Oluwaseun S., Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Nigeria (Nigeria)
Osuji, Nnena A., Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Nigeria (Nigeria)
Paulus, PhD, Trena M., University of Georgia
Phillips, MD, Brianna, Florida State University College of Medicine Sacred Heart Hospital
Reyes, PhD, Elena, Florida State University College of Medicine
Rohrs, MD, Henry J., University of Florida (United States)
Rosa, Kristina & Jonathan
Rosado, PhD, Javier I, Florida State University College of Medicine
Rosasco MSLIS, AHIP, Robyn, Florida State University College of Medicine (United States)
Sahyoun, PhD, Nadine R., University of Maryland-College Park (United States)
Salazar, MPH, Kelsey R., University of Florida (United States)
Schatz, MD, Desmond A., University of Florida (United States)
Schmitt, MPM, Patricia, University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing
Schuhmacher, Meri
Scibilia, Renza (Australia)
Scibilia, Renza
Sereika, PhD, Susan M., University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing
Shelton, PhD, ARNP, CNM, Susan Liipfert, Florida State University College of Nursing
Song, PhD, Hee-Jung, University of Maryland-College Park (United States)
Souders, Danae, Florida State University College of Medicine
Sparks, Jeremy, University of Florida College of Pharmacy
Sparling, Kerri, Six Until Me
Sparling, Kerri
Sumerau, PhD, J E, University of Tampa (United States)
Sumerau, PhD, J. E., University of Tampa (United States)
Sumerau, PhD, J. E., University of Tampa
Sumerau, PhD, J.E., University of Tampa
Tanenbaum, PhD, Molly L., Stanford University School of Medicine (United States)
Toevs, PhD, Sarah E., Boise State University (United States)
Towne Jr., PhD, MPH, CPH, Samuel D., Texas A&M University (United States)
Tran, BSN, MJ, Bridge Healthcare Group (United States)
Walker, PhD, Ashby F., University of Florida (United States)
Weir, BS, Tristan B., Florida State University College of Medicine
Wingert, MPH, Ashley N., University of South Florida
Wingert, MPH, CPH, Ashley N., University of South Florida
Wood, MSLIS, AHIP, Martin, Florida State University College of Medicine
Wright, MD, Nancy, Florida State University College of Medicine
ISSN: 2374-4669 | © Copyright, Florida State University, 2018. All rights reserved.


Dr. Stephanie E. Chiuve, Division of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 900 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215.
Objectives This study examined the association of BMI repeatedly measured over 32 years and BMI during early and mid-adulthood with risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in the Nurses' Health Study.
Background SCD is often the first manifestation of coronary heart disease among women. Data regarding body mass index (BMI) and risk of SCD are limited and conflicting.
Methods We prospectively followed 72,484 women free of chronic disease from 1980 to 2012. We ascertained adult height, current weight, and weight at age 18 years at baseline, and updated weight biennially. The primary endpoint was SCD (n = 445).
Results When updated biennially, higher BMI was associated with greater SCD risk after adjusting for confounders (p linear trend <0.001). Compared with a BMI of 21.0 to 22.9 kg/m2, the multivariate relative risk (RR) of SCD was 1.46 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05 to 2.04) for BMI 25.0 to 29.9 kg/m2, 1.46 (95% CI: 1.00 to 2.13) for BMI 30.0 to 34.9 kg/m2, and 2.18 (95% CI: 1.44 to 3.28) for BMI ≥35.0 kg/m2. Among women with a BMI ≥35.0 kg/m2, SCD remained elevated even after adjustment for interim development of coronary heart disease and other mediators (RR: 1.72; 95% CI: 1.13 to 2.60). In contrast, the association between BMI and fatal coronary heart disease risk was completely attenuated after adjustment for mediators. The magnitude of the association between BMI and SCD was greater when BMI was assessed at baseline or at age 18 years, at which time SCD risk remained significantly elevated at BMI ≥30 kg/m2 after adjustment for mediators.
Conclusions Higher BMI was associated with greater risk of SCD, particularly when assessed earlier in adulthood. Strategies to maintain a healthy weight throughout adulthood may minimize SCD incidence.
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) accounts for approximately 300,000 deaths in the United States annually (1). Clinical guidelines focus prevention efforts on medical therapies in high-risk patients, yet up to 75% of all SCDs occur in patients not classified as high-risk by current guidelines (2). Broader prevention strategies are crucial for reducing the burden of SCD in the general population where most SCDs occur.
Obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥30 kg/m2) is associated with greater risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) (3), a major risk factor for SCD (4). However, data regarding the association between BMI and SCD have been conflicting. Obesity has been associated with higher risk of SCD in some studies (5–8), but not in others (9,10). Aging alters body composition (11), and age may modify the relationship between BMI and risk of SCD. For example, BMI was linearly associated with risk of SCD in middle-aged persons (7,8). In contrast, BMI was associated with SCD in a U-shaped fashion among older men and women, and the nadir in risk occurred in the overweight range (6).
In this investigation, we quantified the association between BMI repeatedly measured over 32 years and risk of SCD among women in the Nurses' Health Study. Additionally, we compared the relationship between BMI and risk of SCD with the relationship of BMI and risk of nonfatal and fatal CHD outcomes. Finally, we quantified the association of BMI and weight gain in early adulthood with risk of SCD.
The Nurses' Health Study began in 1976 when 121,700 female nurses in the United States age 30 to 55 years responded to a mailed questionnaire about demographics, lifestyle, and medical history (12). Follow-up questionnaires are administered biennially to update this information and obtain information about newly diagnosed diseases. Diet was assessed initially in 1980 with a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Return of the baseline questionnaire implied informed consent and the institutional review board at Brigham and Women's Hospital approved the study protocol. The overall follow-up rate was 96% through 2013.
The baseline for this analysis was 1980 when information on weight at age 18 years and important potential confounders (diet and physical activity) were first reported (n = 92,468 women). We excluded women with a history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer (n = 5,076) or missing information on age (n = 46), current weight (n = 560), or diet (n = 439) at baseline. We excluded women who were underweight (BMI <18.5 kg/m2) during follow-up (n = 12,781) or who had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n = 980), Parkinson disease (n = 6), or multiple sclerosis (n = 96) at baseline to reduce potential reverse causation due to underlying illness. The final analysis included 72,484 women.
We calculated BMI as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared (kg/m2). Self-reported adult height and weight were ascertained on the 1976 questionnaire. Self-reported weight was highly correlated with directly measured weight in a previous validation study (r = 0.96) (13). Women reported weight at age 18 on the 1980 questionnaire (<1% missing). This recalled weight was highly correlated with measured weight from physical examination records during that period (r = 0.87) (14).
The primary study endpoint was SCD and specific details for the classification of SCD in this population have been published previously (5). Deaths were reported by next of kin or postal authorities or identified through a search of the National Death Index (98% follow-up rate). For deaths occurring outside of the hospital or in the emergency department, where the death certificate or National Death Index search indicated possible CVD, we sought further information about the circumstances and timing surrounding the death from medical records or through interviews with the next of kin. We confirmed the endpoint of SCD through review of medical records, autopsy reports, and interviews with family members regarding the circumstances surrounding the death.
A cardiovascular death was considered sudden if the death or cardiac arrest occurred within 1 hour of symptom onset as documented by medical records or through reports from witnesses and next of kin. We excluded women with evidence of circulatory collapse (hypotension, exacerbation of congestive heart failure, or neurologic dysfunction) before the disappearance of the pulse to increase the specificity for an "arrhythmic" death (15). SCDs were defined as probable if the death was unwitnessed or occurred during sleep where the participant was documented to be symptom-free when last observed within the preceding 24 h without obvious extracardiac cause. We included both definite and probable cases in our analysis because results were not altered when we excluded probable cases.
The secondary endpoints were fatal CHD and nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI). We confirmed fatal CHD events by hospital records or autopsy reports (International Classification of Disease-8th and 9th Revision codes 410–412; International Classification of Disease-10th Revision codes I21–I22) or if CHD was listed as the underlying and most plausible cause of death on the death certificate and there was prior evidence of CHD. We also included probable fatal CHD events, which included deaths for which medical records were unavailable but CHD was the underlying cause of death on the death certificate or a search of the National Death Index, or a family member provided supporting information.
Nonfatal MIs reported on biennial questionnaires were adjudicated by medical records, which were reviewed by study investigators blinded to the participants' risk factor status. MI was defined according to World Health Organization criteria and, when available, cardiac-specific troponin levels (16). MIs that required hospital admission and were verified by letter or telephone interview, but for which medical records or pathology reports were unavailable, were defined as probable cases and included in the analysis. Results were similar if we excluded probable cases.
We performed separate analyses for the SCD and CHD endpoints. For the analysis of SCD, women contributed person-time from the return of the baseline questionnaire in 1980 until the date of death, loss to follow-up, or date of last available follow-up (December 2012). We used Cox proportional hazards models and modeled the most recently assessed BMI (updated biennially) as a time-varying covariate. In primary models, we adjusted for age; calendar time; smoking; physical activity; alcohol; total energy intake (kcal/day); family history of MI; menopausal status; use of hormone therapy, aspirin, and multivitamins; dietary factors related to SCD; and history of diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertension at baseline. In secondary models, we also adjusted for potential mediators (incident self-reported clinician-diagnosed hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, and congestive heart failure, and CHD) as time-varying covariates. P values for linear trend were computed by assigning the median value to each BMI category and modeling this as a continuous variable. We analyzed BMI using the following categories: 18.5 to 20.9, 21.0 to 22.9 (referent), 23.0 to 24.9, 25.0 to 29.9 (overweight), 30.0 to 34.9 (class I obese), and ≥35.0 (class II obese). We used the continuous measure of BMI to fit a restricted cubic spline model to explore a nonlinear relation with risk of SCD (17,18). We used 3 knots to divide continuous BMI into 4 categories (17).
We performed several pre-specified secondary analyses. To minimize potential reverse causation, we applied a 2-year lag between BMI and SCD assessment for other time periods (19). In this analysis, we also excluded events within the first 2 years of the baseline assessment. For example, BMI in 1980 estimated SCD risk between 1982 and 1984 and so forth. Furthermore, we stratified the population by age (<65 vs. ≥65 years) and by reported incident diagnosis of CHD as time-varying covariates. In the analysis stratified by prior CHD, we included women who reported a CHD event before the baseline questionnaire. We tested for interaction with a multiplicative interaction term between continuous BMI and the effect modifier (CHD or age) and compared the model with and without the interaction term using a likelihood ratio test. We attempted to restrict our analysis to never smokers; however, few cases (n = 142) across 6 BMI categories led to wide confidence limits and precluded any meaningful interpretation.
Next, we explored the association between BMI updated biennially and risk of nonfatal MI and fatal CHD. Women contributed person-time from the return of the 1980 questionnaire until the date of death, loss to follow-up, or end of follow-up (December 2012 for fatal CHD and May 2010 for nonfatal MI). We used time-varying, multivariable Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for potential confounders. In secondary models, we also adjusted for potential mediators (hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, and congestive heart failure) as time-varying covariates.
Finally, we examined the relationship among BMI at age 18, BMI at study baseline (1980), and weight gain during this timeframe and risk of SCD. In these analyses, we adjusted for covariates from the 1980 questionnaire. In the analysis of early adulthood weight gain, we additionally adjusted for BMI at age 18. We evaluated whether BMI measured at baseline provided information on SCD risk beyond current BMI by conducting a likelihood ratio test that compared multivariable models of current BMI with and without BMI at baseline.
All statistical analysis was performed using SAS software, version 9 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, North Carolina), and a p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
The prevalence of overweight and obesity increased during follow-up (Figure 1). Only 11% of women had a BMI ≥25 kg/m2 at age 18 years. This proportion increased to 37% in 1980 (mean age, 46 years; range, 33 to 66 years) and 59% in 2010 (mean age, 75 years; range, 63 to 91 years). At baseline, women with higher BMI were less likely to smoke, use hormone therapy, exercise, or consume alcohol (Table 1). Women with high BMI were older; more likely to use aspirin; and more likely to have diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and a family history of CHD. Over 32 years, 445 cases of SCD, 1,286 cases of total fatal CHD, and 2,272 nonfatal MIs occurred.
Body mass index (BMI) was estimated at age 18 years and was updated biennially from 1980 through 2008.
When updated biennially, higher BMI was associated with greater risk of SCD risk after adjusting for confounders (p linear trend <0.001) (Table 2, Figure 2). Compared with women with a BMI of 21.0 to 22.9 kg/m2, women with a BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 kg/m2, 30.0 to 34.9 kg/m2, and ≥35.0 had a significantly higher risk of SCD within the next 2 years, after controlling for confounders. The adjustment for potential mediating factors attenuated the magnitude of risk, but this risk remained significantly elevated for women with BMI ≥35.0 kg/m2.
Models adjusted for age; calendar time; smoking; physical activity; alcohol; total energy intake (kcal/day); family history of MI; current use of hormone therapy; menopausal status; aspirin use; multivitamin; intake of saturated fat, n-3 polyunsaturated fat, n-6 polyunsaturated fat, and magnesium (all updated throughout follow-up); and history of diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertension at baseline. Data were fitted by a restricted cubic spline Cox proportional hazards model. The 95% confidence intervals are indicated by the dashed lines. The models were based on 445 cases. The models for BMI at age 18 years were based on 339 cases and exclude women with BMI <18.5 kg/m2 and BMI >50.0 kg/m2. CI = confidence interval. SCD = sudden cardiac death; other abbreviations as in Figure 1.
Women with a low BMI (18.5 to 20.9 kg/m2) also had an elevated risk of SCD in the next 2 years, particularly after adjusting for potential mediating factors (Table 2). However, the J-shaped relationship was not statistically significant (p quadratic trend = 0.13). When we used a 2-year lag, the risk of SCD in women with a BMI 18.5 to 20.9 kg/m2 was attenuated and not significantly elevated (relative risk [RR] for BMI, 18.5 to 20.9 kg/m2: 1.41; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.93 to 2.14). In analyses stratified by a prior diagnosis of CHD, the elevated risk associated with obesity was significant only among women without a history of diagnosed CHD. The RR for SCD was 1.62 (95% CI: 1.05 to 2.51) for BMI 30.0 to 34.9 kg/m2 and 2.19 (95% CI: 1.35 to 3.55) for BMI ≥35.0 kg/m2 compared with BMI 21.0 to 22.9 kg/m2 (Online Table). Conversely, the elevated risk of SCD at low BMI (18.5 to 20.9 kg/m2) was significant only among women with clinician-diagnosed CHD (RR: 2.99; 95% CI: 1.43 to 6.25; p interaction = 0.004). When we stratified by age, the elevated risk at BMI ≥30.0 kg/m2 was greater in magnitude among younger (<65 years) compared with older (≥65 years) women. Notably, the interaction was not statistically significant (p interaction = 0.09) (Online Table).
BMI was associated with risk of total fatal CHD in a J-shaped fashion (p linear trend = 0.002; p quadratic trend = 0.05) (Table 2). Unlike that observed for SCD, the association between BMI ≥30.0 and risk of total fatal CHD was completely attenuated and no longer significant after adjustment for mediating factors. As with SCD, women with a low BMI (18.5 to 21.0 kg/m2) had an elevated risk of fatal CHD that was not statistically significant. This association was not appreciably altered when we applied a 2-year lag period (data not shown). When we excluded SCDs from the total fatal CHD endpoint (n = 178), the RRs were attenuated. Compared with women with a BMI 21.0 to 22.9 kg/m2, the multivariate RRs were 1.17 (95% CI: 0.90 to 1.51), 0.87 (95% CI: 0.69 to 1.10), 0.96 (95% CI: 0.78 to 1.17), 1.21 (95% CI: 0.97 to 1.52), and 1.30 (95% CI: 1.00 to 1.68) for BMI categories 18.5 to 20.9 kg/m2, 23.0 to 24.9 kg/m2, 25.0 to 29.9 kg/m2, 30.0 to 34.9 kg/m2, and ≥35.0 kg/m2, respectively.
The association between BMI and non-fatal MI was linear (p linear trend <0.001; p quadratic trend = 0.55) (Table 2). In multivariable models, women with BMI ≥25 had a significantly elevated risk of nonfatal MI and the risks were attenuated and no longer significant after adjustment for mediating factors, except among women with a BMI ≥35 kg/m2. Women who had low BMI (18.5 to 20.9 kg/m2) did not have a greater risk of nonfatal MI (RR: 0.88; 95% CI: 0.70 to 1.12), unlike SCD and fatal CHD.
Women with a higher BMI at study baseline had a greater risk of SCD (p trend <0.001; p quadratic trend = 0.27) (Table 3, Figure 2). Compared with women with a BMI 21.0 to 22.9 kg/m2, women with a BMI ≥25.0 kg/m2 had a significantly elevated risk of SCD, which remained significant after adjusting for potential mediating factors. The association between BMI at baseline and risk of SCD was not explained by current BMI. When included in the same model, baseline BMI provided additional prognostic information beyond current BMI (p likelihood ratio test = 0.003).
Elevated BMI at age 18 years was also associated with risk of SCD (p trend <0.001; p quadratic trend = 0.63) (Table 3, Figure 2). Women with a BMI ≥30.0 kg/m2 at age 18 had a significantly elevated risk of SCD after adjusting for potential confounders and mediating factors. Furthermore, the magnitude of association was larger when BMI was assessed at baseline or age 18 compared with BMI updated during follow-up (Figure 2). Additionally, weight gain in early to mid-adulthood (age 18 years to baseline; average, 27 years) was associated with risk of SCD, independent of BMI at age 18 years (p linear trend <0.001) (Table 4). This risk was significantly elevated in women who gained ≥10 kg after adjustment for potential confounders. After we adjusted for potentially mediating CVD risk factors, weight gain of ≥20 kg remained significantly associated with greater risk of SCD.
In this prospective study, women with higher BMI at 3 periods during adulthood had a greater risk of SCD. Compared with women with a BMI of 21.0 to 22.9 kg/m2, women with a BMI ≥25.0 kg/m2 had a 1.5- to 2-fold higher risk of SCD within the next 2 years after controlling for confounders. When we adjusted for potential mediators, this risk was attenuated but remained significantly elevated at a BMI ≥35.0 kg/m2. BMI was associated with risk of total fatal CHD risk, albeit weaker in magnitude compared with SCD. Furthermore, this association was attenuated completely when we adjusted for potential mediators. The association between BMI and fatal events was J-shaped, with potential elevated risks at low BMI categories. In contrast, BMI was linearly associated with nonfatal MI risk. BMI earlier in adulthood was most strongly associated with SCD. Furthermore, weight gain of ≥20 kg during early to mid-adulthood was associated with a 2-fold greater risk of SCD.
These findings suggest that the timing of BMI assessment plays a critical role in determining its relationship to SCD risk and may contribute to the inconsistencies seen in other populations (5–10). These results are highly consistent with patterns reported for BMI (20,21) and weight gain (22) in early compared with later adulthood and risk of all-cause mortality. Additionally, our results support the hypothesis that obesity may be a stronger risk factor for SCD in middle-aged versus older populations (23). Notably, BMI measured at baseline was strongly associated with risk of SCD, even after accounting for current BMI. Therefore, excess weight or substantial weight gain may have an early and/or cumulative impact on SCD risk that is not completely negated by weight loss later in life. These findings highlight the necessity of maintaining a healthy weight throughout adulthood to minimize SCD risk.
When we updated BMI throughout follow-up, the risk of SCD was inconsistently elevated in lower BMI categories. Weight loss and low BMI later in life is often a harbinger of pre-clinical disease. The elevated risk of SCD among women with low BMI may be biased by underlying chronic disease and older age (24). Consistent with this hypothesis, women with a BMI in a healthy range of 18.5 to 20.9 kg/m2 had no elevated risk when BMI was assessed earlier in adulthood or among women without clinically diagnosed CHD before the SCD. In contrast, higher BMI was associated with lower risk of SCD in women with clinically recognized CHD. This obesity paradox in patients with established CVD has been previously noted for other outcomes (25).
In previous reports from this population, BMI was positively and linearly associated with BMI and risk of total CHD (19). In the present study, the linear association was limited to nonfatal MI, whereas the association for fatal CHD was J-shaped, similar to SCD. The differential association for nonfatal versus fatal CHD is consistent with results reported in another prospective study of women (3). The excess risk associated with current overweight and obesity for all 3 endpoints was attenuated when we controlled for intermediary CHD risk factors. However, the magnitude of risk for fatal and nonfatal CHD was attenuated to a greater degree, and the risk of fatal CHD was no longer significant after adjustment for these risk factors. Therefore, excess body weight likely influences both CHD and SCD risk through atherosclerotic pathways and adverse effects on blood pressure, lipids, and insulin resistance (26). Women with BMI ≥35.0 kg/m2 had a significantly elevated risk of SCD even after adjustment for these risk factors. Therefore, extreme obesity may increase SCD through nonatherosclerotic pathways as well, such as alterations in left ventricular hypertrophy (27,28), autonomic nervous system (28), and ventricular repolarization (29,30). Moreover, excess weight early in adulthood and a greater cumulative exposure to adiposity may lead to early alterations in cardiac structure and function, which may serve as substrates for SCD later in life (27,28).
Strengths of this study include a well-defined study population with a large number of rigorously confirmed SCD cases. Furthermore, the repeated measures and wide distribution of BMI allowed us to assess the shape of the association between BMI and SCD at various points in adulthood.
Our study has several limitations. We used self-reported measures of anthropometry that have some degree of error. However, these values have previously been highly correlated with direct measures (r = 0.96) (13). Given the prospective nature of this study, such error is likely nondifferential with respect to SCD and would underestimate the true association. Also, we lacked direct measures of clinical risk factors. Therefore, we may not have captured the complete mediation effects of these risk factors or removed the potential reverse causation due to underlying illness in the low BMI categories. Although we controlled for numerous clinical and lifestyle factors, there is still the potential for residual confounding. Furthermore, the observational nature of this study prevents us from establishing a causal relation of obesity on SCD. Finally, the generalizability of our findings from a population of educated, primarily white women to other ethnicities and/or sociodemographic groups is limited. The prevalence of obesity and distribution of BMI is higher in black persons and Hispanics compared with non-Hispanic white persons in the United States (31). Prospective studies within multiethnic populations are needed to determine whether obesity contributes to the excess risk of SCD in individuals of other races (32) and individuals of low socioeconomic status (33). Future studies should also examine whether the biological effects of adiposity differs between racial and ethnic groups.
In summary, this study provides new evidence that overweight and obesity throughout adulthood and weight gain in early adulthood are risk factors for SCD. BMI is most strongly related to risk when measured earlier in adulthood. Strategies for the maintenance of healthy weight throughout adulthood may provide substantial benefit for SCD prevention in the general population, particularly among women.
COMPETENCY IN MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE: Overweight and obesity in early and later adulthood are strong risk factors for SCD. Strategies for the prevention of obesity in early adulthood and maintenance of healthy weight throughout adulthood may provide substantial benefit for SCD prevention in the general population, particularly among women.
TRANSLATIONAL OUTLOOK: Further research is needed to determine whether overweight and obesity are risk factors in multiethnic populations. Additionally, future research should evaluate whether weight loss during adulthood reduces SCD in the general population.
This study was funded by CA87969, HL034594, HL097068 (Dr. Chiuve), and HL098459 (Dr. Sun) from the National Institutes of Health and an Established Investigator Award from the American Heart Association (Dr. Albert). Dr. Chiuve is supported in part by a Watkins Discovery Award from Brigham and Women's Hospital. Dr. Tedrow has received minor range fellows course honoraria from St. Jude Medical; and minor range faculty honoraria from Biosense Webster. Dr. Albert has received grant support from St. Jude Medical. All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose.
(2013) Body mass index and incident coronary heart disease in women: a population-based prospective study. BMC Med 11:87.
(2003) Prospective study of sudden cardiac death among women in the United States. Circulation 107:2096–2101.
(2011) Electrocardiographic and clinical predictors separating atherosclerotic sudden cardiac death from incident coronary heart disease. Heart 97:1597–1601.
(2004) Sagittal abdominal diameter and risk of sudden death in asymptomatic middle-aged men: the Paris Prospective Study I. Circulation 110:2781–2785.
(2015) Obesity related risk of sudden cardiac death in the atherosclerosis risk in communities study. Heart 101:215–221.
(2012) Risk factors for sudden cardiac death in post-menopausal women. J Am Coll Cardiol 60:2674–2682.
(1995) Risk factors for sudden cardiac death in middle-aged British men. Circulation 91:1749–1756.
(2012) A systematic review of body fat distribution and mortality in older people. Maturitas 72:175–191.
(1986) A prospective study of parental history of myocardial infarction and coronary heart disease in women. Am J Epidemiol 123:48–58.
(1983) Effects of cigarette smoking on fasting triglyceride, total cholesterol, and HDL-cholesterol in women. Am Heart J 105:417–421.
(1995) The validity of recalled weight among younger women. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 19:570–572.
(1999) Presenting statistical uncertainty in trends and dose-response relations. Am J Epidemiol 149:1077–1086.
(2010) Excess weight and the risk of incident coronary heart disease among men and women. Obesity (Silver Spring) 18:377–383.
(2014) Body mass and weight change in adults in relation to mortality risk. Am J Epidemiol 179:135–144.
(2013) Distinctive profile of sudden cardiac arrest in middle-aged vs. older adults: a community-based study. Int J Cardiol 168:3495–3499.
(2000) Adiposity and mortality in men. Am J Epidemiol 152:264–271.
(2010) Body composition and heart failure prevalence and prognosis: getting to the fat of the matter in the "obesity paradox." Mayo Clin Proc 85:605–608.
(2013) Childhood obesity and cardiovascular dysfunction. J Am Coll Cardiol 62:1309–1319.
(2013) Diet-induced obesity causes long QT and reduces transcription of voltage-gated potassium channels. J Mol Cell Cardiol 59:151–158.
(1997) Electrocardiographic QTC interval: short-term weight loss effects. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 21:110–114.
(2013) Health behaviors of adults: United States, 2008-2010. Vital Health Stat 10, 1–184.
(2012) Characteristics of sudden arrhythmic death in a diverse, urban community. Am Heart J 163:125–131.
(2011) Variation in rates of fatal coronary heart disease by neighborhood socioeconomic status: the atherosclerosis risk in communities surveillance (1992-2002). Ann Epidemiol 21:580–588.


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Andover and Villages
Andover news, information and lifestyle
Road reopened following 'serious' two-car collision
Gabriel Ingram – Wednesday, July 17, 2019
Hampshire Police were dealing with a serious car collision earlier today on the A33 southbound at Micheldever and has now reopened. "The dual-carriageway is closed…
Traffic collision causes delays on A303 eastbound
Gabriel Ingram – Tuesday, July 16, 2019
A303 Eastbound lane 1 is blocked between Picket Twenty and Longparish, Forton. Delays are expected on the A303 by Picket Twenty from 10-20 minutes. Delays are…
A303, A34, M3 and Southern roadworks 15/07/19
Gabriel Ingram – Friday, July 12, 2019
The following list of roadworks and disruptions to A303, A34, M3, M4 and A308 is correct as of Monday 15th July to 21st July…
Single-vehicle collision causes major delays on A34
Gabriel Ingram – Thursday, July 11, 2019
Hampshire Road Police and SCAS are attending a single-vehicle collision. Ambulance is in attendance. Delays are expected for 1-2 more hours, say police. Hampshire Fire and Rescue…
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Home Local News Simon Evans: Genius
Simon Evans: Genius
Warren Davis
Ever since he was a small boy, all Evans really wanted was to be recognised by the world as a man of genius. He has, until now, remained thwarted. The world seems increasingly indifferent to true genius of any kind, let alone Evans'. Endlessly distracted by the trivial, we allow the classical tools of grammar, logic and rhetoric to lie unregarded in the shed of consciousness, rusting to a picturesque hue that would actually look really great on Instagram. But which filter? Hmmm…
'Super-sharp wit' (Time Out).
Simon is well known to the British comedy-going public from TV shows such as Live at the Apollo and Stand Up for the Week, and as a regular on BBC Radio 4, where his own hugely successful, acclaimed radio show Simon Evans Goes To Market returned for a fourth series in Spring 2018. A funny, incisive and informed look at the economics behind, well, everything – this is a great showcase for Simon's talents, as are his regular appearances on various panel games, most notably Radio 4's legendary The News Quiz.
You can see Simon in his new tour live and local at The Lights on Saturday, 2 June.
THIS WEEK'S LATEST
Police ask for witnesses following fatal collision on A33 near Micheldever
Gabriel Ingram - Wednesday, July 17, 2019
A 63-year-old woman from Basingstoke has died following a fatal collision with two cars on the A33 southbound this morning. Hampshire Police are now asking...
Andover Town Football Club prepares to start busy season
Andover Town Football Club is starting to prepare for their busy season starting in August, with almost 15 games against neighbouring teams, such as...
Hampshire Police were dealing with a serious car collision earlier today on the A33 southbound at Micheldever and has now reopened. "The dual-carriageway is closed...
Millions of flying ants spotted across the UK in 'Flying Ant Day 2019'
Gabriel Ingram - Tuesday, July 16, 2019
Believe it or not, it's actually a thing, flying ant day. Millions of people have seen flying ants along with birds like seagulls and...
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This spectacular and sunlit showplace home on the 24th floor features 3 bedrooms, 3 full baths, a powder room and a separate office! Truly refined living includes gourmet kitchen with rich granite ctops, custom cabinetry, built-in Kitchen aid and Dacor appliances, designer lighting and Kohler fixtures. Breathtaking southern views from every room and a huge balcony make this place absolutely unique. All hardwood floors, separate his and hers closets, 3 parking spaces and a storage unit. 24/7 full service concierge, luxuary pool and sundeck, tennis court, fitness center.


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Ichiro Suzuki moves off field, into front office role for Mariners
posted by Curtis Crabtree - May 3, 2018
Future Hall of Fame outfielder Ichiro Suzuki is transitioning from an on-field player into the role of Special Assistant to Chairman John Stanton in the team's front office effective immediately.
Ichiro will continue to be a presence with the team for the remainder of the 2018 season, but will not return to their active roster.
"It's been two-and-a-half months since I've come back and this is the happiest I've been in the 18-year career I've had," Suzuki said through his translator. "The past two months have been the happiest I've been. I knew one day that the day would come when I would have to walk away. But the Mariners have given me this opportunity to stay on. Obviously with my teammates and how great they've been and how much they mean to me and how much I want to help is the reason I wanted to stay on and help in any way I can."
Right-handed reliever Erik Goeddel has been added to the 40-man roster and called up from Triple-A Tacoma to take Ichiro's place on the roster.
"He'll continue to prepare like he's a player," General Manager Jerry Dipoto said. "You'll see him out here taking batting practice and I feel like this transition it can occur in such an organic way it'll never seem like he's no longer playing until the game starts and he's no longer in the lineup. I think being in that situation as a player, it's the easiest way to transition forward as a player and it's also the highest impact for your present teammates because players trust players. Ichiro right now is a player and in the minds of his teammates in that room he's a player and that's the way he can make the biggest impact on this team and on teams moving forward."
He can't be in the dugout during games but will assist the team's video staff and coaching staff wherever possible to aid the ball club.
"I can't say for certain that maybe I won't put on a beard and glasses and be like Bobby Valentine and be in the dugout," he joked.
Ichiro is not announcing his retirement from baseball with this move off the field. Ichiro will continue to have a locker in the clubhouse and will travel with the team everywhere they go for the remainder of the season.
"I just want it to be kind of organic, it grows, see where it fits in the best," manager Scott Servais said. "I am looking forward to just kind of sitting down with him in a different type of relationship now that he's not on an active roster and asking him questions and gaining some of his experiences and hopefully it helps me and helps the ball club out."
Added Ichiro: "When I start using a cane, that's a time that I think I should retire."
Ichiro's move off the field only covers the remainder of the 2018 season with his role for the future still to be determined. The Mariners open the 2019 season with two exhibition games and two regular season games against the Oakland Athletics in Japan. According to Ichiro's agent, via Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the possibility remains that Ichiro could play for the team on that trip.
"It's certainly not something we've closed the door on but it's not something we've spent a whole lot of time addressing," Dipoto said. "That's a good ways off. Eventually we will get there. ... We are staying open-minded in just about every way to 2019 and beyond but just want to stress we intend that to be as a Mariner."
The decision to move Ichiro off the roster was made on Monday in consultation with Ichiro, Servais, Stanton and Ichiro's agent, John Boggs. They all knew Wednesday's game against Oakland would be his last with the team for this season.
"You don't know quite how it's going to play out," Servais said. "You draw it up and as the game and the final inning unfolded, Ichiro was standing at the plate with a couple guys on base. And as he slapped the ball down the line... the coaching staff knew where we were at and you know it would have been nice if it would have snuck inside the third baseman there in fair territory.
"It didn't work out the way he hoped but he gave it everything he had."
Ichiro ranks 21st all-time in MLB history with 3,089 career hits, including 2,542 as a Mariner, after joining the team in 2001. After amassing 1,278 hits during a 9-year career (1992-2000) with the Orix Blue Wave of Japan's Pacific League, Ichiro has totaled 4,367 between MLB and Japan.
Ichiro is one of seven players to collect at least 3,000 hits and 500 stolen bases in the Major Leagues, joining Lou Brock, Ty Cobb, Eddie Collins, Rickey Henderson, Paul Molitor and Honus Wagner.
Ichiro was named the MVP of the 2001 season and racked up American League Rookie of the Year honors and a Gold Glove in his first campaign in Seattle. He joined Boston's Fred Lynn (1975) as the only players in either league to claim MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season. The 2001 season marked Ichiro's first of 10 consecutive seasons with at least 200 hits – a Major League record – including a single-season Major League record 262 hits in 2004.
"Ichiro is an important part of our family," Stanton said. "We hope and expect he will remain an important part of our family forever and we are excited on this day as he opens a new chapter in his involvement with the team that he will be doing that as a Mariner. And we would expect that he will forever be a Mariner."
Photo Credit: SEATTLE, WA - MAY 02: Robinson Cano #22 of the Seattle Mariners and Ichiro Suzuki #51 share a laugh in the dugout before the game against the Oakland Athletics at Safeco Field on May 2, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images)


Last fall, the fourth installment of the Food Entrepreneurship Series hosted food business accelerator Union Kitchen and its successful ventures — including JRINK, Eat Pizza, and Snacklins — to discuss how to launch and grow food ventures. The series is a collaboration of StartupHoyas, Georgetown's McDonough School of Business, the Georgetown University Eating Society, The Corp, and Spoon University Georgetown.
By inviting Washington, D.C., area food entrepreneurs, the Food Entrepreneurship Series gives students the opportunity to learn about the food industry and meet food entrepreneurs. At the conclusion of the panel, audience members sampled the food startups' products and networked with the panelists.
Union Kitchen CEO Cullen Gilchrist told the panel that he entered the food industry right out of school. He worked any food-related position he could get his hands on, from cook to dishwasher. Over the years, Gilchrist has come to see food as central to a community's culture, and he started Union Kitchen in the hopes of contributing to the local D.C. food culture. Through the use of Union Kitchen's on-site resources, many local D.C. food businesses received help accelerating their growth.
Successful D.C. food entrepreneurs on the panel included Shizu Okusa of JRINK, which produces healthy farm-to-bottle juices; Andy Brown of Eat Pizza, which provides quality frozen pizza; and 'Samy K', who launched Snacklins after a bet with a friend to make a healthy pork rind led to the vegan and gluten-free pork rind snacks.
When it comes to building a food venture, Brown suggested that success is based on "the relationships you can build in the process." Samy K shared three things that food entrepreneurs should keep in mind: how consumers find out about you, how do you market to them, and how to keep a high retention rate.
Gilchrist looks for certain qualities in a food entrepreneur: someone who is "smart, hustles, and works hard." They must have "an ability to learn." For entrepreneurs to get started, Gilchrist said they need a desire and a problem that their venture can solve. To find success in the food business, he suggested to "focus your work in what you're strong at" and to have a great team to account for your shortcomings.
The Food Entrepreneurship Series showcases the prominent interest that many Georgetown students have in food startups. The Georgetown neighborhood, straddling M Street, is a melting pot of culinary talent, with a wide array of international options. The university campus also hosts a popular farmer's market every Wednesday. The food scene at Georgetown is fostered by a campus of avid foodies and enterprising students, some of whom launch their own venture as students — from a group of freshmen starting a snack delivery service to dorm rooms to apartment roommates launching the flavored fries stand Spud Buds.
In appreciation of Georgetown's food culture, Alex Heintze (B'19), president of the Georgetown University Eating Society, emphasized that Georgetown has many resources for students interested in food entrepreneurship.
"StartupHoyas offers many opportunities for students interested in launching their own venture," said Heintze, such as expert advice from the Entrepreneur-in-Residence program and participation in pitch competitions for a chance to win prize money.


When you were growing up, it may have seemed as if you were always being warned that something was bad for your teeth. The foods you loved and your favorite drinks were routinely derided as having the ability to cause cavities and decay. However, by following sound dental care practices, you might be surprised to learn that things are not nearly as dire as they seem. By learning about the best dental care products and gaining an understanding of how to clean your teeth after eating questionable food items, it is possible to stay on the right side of your family dentistry expert after all.
You may have been warned about the safety of over-the-counter whitening products intended to provide significant changes in color. The fact is that whitening strips and similar products really do not harm the teeth or gums, and can help brighten teeth. However, tray systems in which peroxide solutions are held against the teeth can actually harm tooth enamel if not used correctly. In-office whitening performed by an affordable dentist in a reputable family dentistry clinic is the safest way to get noticeable results.
Another subject of some confusion is proper brushing techniques. However, by simply brushing gently and choosing toothbrushes and toothpastes bearing the American Dental Association seal of approval, it is hard to make a real misstep. Conventional brushes need to be replaced every three months. Easy-glide dental floss is a perfect choice for getting real results. Pricey water pick tools may actually do more harm than good, as they can lodge bacteria in the gums. If in doubt about what to choose, a family dentistry professional can make useful product recommendations.
Many drugs can have a detrimental effect on oral health. Methamphetamine is among the most harmful, as it contains acid and dries the mouth, which fosters plaque development. Medications such as tetracycline and other antibiotics can discolor permanent teeth if taken by children, a fact of great concern to many parents. Nicotine is known to stain the teeth, and should be avoided at all costs.
Nearly everyone received a lecture at one time or another about the perils of having too much sugar. However, family dentistry professionals are quick to point out that the sugar itself is not the culprit—it is the length of time it is allowed to stay on the teeth and convert to bacteria. By brushing often and drinking lots of water, soda and candy can remain occasional additions to any diet.


All advanced facials below are started with a cleansing foot soak, revitalising scrub and include a relaxing hand or foot massage during the treatment. Also with in these specified facials, you can look forward to a stimulating facial massage which begins from the elbow up to your neck and shoulders. To achieve great long lasting results we recommend you look into at home care to support our in salon treatments. All treatments provided are performed with certified organic products, which work wonder on the skin as well as helping our environment.


Watching Sidney Crosby score the Gold medal winning goal at the Vancouver Olympics.
Never never never give in. In nothing, great or small, large or petty, never give in.
I will be able to pay my personal coach. He will be able to come with me to World's because of CAN Fund. Thank you very much!!!
I really love my routine in the summer. Training, eating, resting, training, sleeping. I love going to the movies, playing cards, going to cool museum exhibits, travelling, going on relaxing canoe trips. I also like my winter routine which include lots of school and cross training. I like to keep it busy and intense.


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Home Headlines KOTOKO AT 85: Why David Obeng Nyarko Could Breathe a Youthful Spirit...
KOTOKO AT 85: Why David Obeng Nyarko Could Breathe a Youthful Spirit Into This Ageing Institution
It had only been minutes after Bofoakwa Tano kicked off their Division One League game against Young Apostles at the Sunyani Coronation Park. With the ball hovering somewhere around the middle of the pitch, I took long strides through the arena's inner perimeter to meet, in the stands just above, the man who had invited me — for this game and for an interview.
He had just turned 28, but David Obeng Nyarko was executing his duties as Bofoakwa's General Manager with the nous of someone much older. Obeng first joined Bofoakwa — a club based in Sunyani, the capital of Ghana's Bono Region, where he grew up — in 2016 as Development Manager, with the ink still fresh on the sheet of paper that certified his completion of an undergraduate degree in Tourism at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
Bofoakwa is a club of old, belonging to Ghana's traditional elite, but stuck in the past and well behind the times. The Hunters required a spark, a move towards greener pastures, and Obeng — youthful, passionate, and innovative — led that charge. Bofoakwa's fortunes on the pitch didn't quite reflect it — the club remains rooted in lower-league football, after all — but, under Obeng, it underwent an impressive makeover.
On the digital front, Bofoakwa ranks highly among Ghanaian clubs that have sought to harness social media's bountiful fruits, powered by Obeng and his team of creatives. Numbers on the various platforms — mainly Facebook and Twitter — have been racked up, presenting Bofoakwa as a rejuvenated force, and with a clear goal in sight.
"With exception to our traditional fans," Obeng explained not many months ago, "we want to become almost everybody's second-favourite football club in Ghana through the content that we produce."
In my case, at least, that charm worked. For Obeng himself, too, his efforts worked a treat, elevating him to top roles with the Brong Ahafo Regional Football Association (Head of Communications Directorate) and the Ghana Football Association (member of Division One League Management Committee; member of Division One Advisory Committee). He was juggling them all fine, which is why his decision — earlier this month — to vacate those offices left many bewildered.
In stepping down from the Bofoakwa job, though, Obeng was rising still, only to a higher calling. Now, you won't find any confirmation out there just yet, but there is plenty of reason to believe that Obeng is part of the new fabric of Asante Kotoko — Ghana's biggest football club, and my first love — being woven, thread after thread, by recently installed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Nana Yaw Amponsah.
The evidence is mainly seen splashed across Kotoko's various social media pages, shared by Obeng, and reflecting the same colorful and creative content that made Bofoakwa digital darlings. The rumours seem so valid, in fact, that Obeng's name has been linked — in some quarters — to Kotoko's newly-created Brands and Marketing department.
Whatever his job title is revealed as, when the official announcement is made (a matter of when, not if, at this point), there is little doubt that, as Kotoko sharpens those quills of modernity that have gone blunt over the years, Obeng's ingenuity will be felt. For a club that clocks a grand old 85 years today, Kotoko needs to appeal to a younger fanbase, and they could soon unveil just the man to steer that agenda.
NY Frimpong — Daily Mail GH
bofoakwa tano
david obeng nyarko
nana yaw amponsah
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