Pre-Super Bowl XLIV Water Cooler Conversation Starters (and Stoppers) for Non-Sports Fans

It's the moment fans have been waiting for... finding out who will be going to the Super Bowl next month. So, for non-sports fans, building rapport with clients, customers, colleagues and bosses who follow football is easy this week, IF you can talk about the big game.  Here's an all purpose conversation starter, and a conversation stopper, along with some Super Bowl basics you'll need to know:

Conversation starter: "What an ending... The Colts and the Saints are gonna meet up in Miami!"

Because?: Two games were played this weekend to determine who's going to the Super Bowl and both were exciting. The NFC Championship game between the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints went into overtime with the Saint's Garrett Hartley kicking the winning field goal to win the game. And,quarterback Peyton Manning threw 3 Touchdowns and rallied his Indianapolis Colts to overcome an 11-point deficit to defeat the New York Jets and claim the AFC Championship.

Conversation stopper:  “If the Super Bowl is Indianapolis vs. New Orleans, why is the game being played in Miami?”

Because?: True fans know that the location of the Super Bowl is pre-determined. Several years before the game is played, NFL cities with warm climates or enclosed stadiums submit bids to the NFL for the right to host the game. Each city must meet certain minimum criteria of available hotel rooms, practice facilities, stadium capacity, and more before they will be considered for a Super Bowl. At the NFL's annual meeting (usually in May), the 32 NFL owners vote on the location. Cities that receive few votes are eliminated, and votes continue until one city receives a clear majority (at least 17 votes).

Background Basics about this year's Super Bowl game:

• The Indianapolis Colts are the AFC (American Football Conference) Champions.
  
  
• The New Orleans Saints are the NFC (National Football Conference) Champions.
  
  
• This year's Super Bowl will be held February 7, 2010 in Miami Florida.
  
  
• This is Super Bowl XLIV (44)
  
  
• It's the first time ever in the history of the New Orleans Saints' franchise for the team to go to the Super Bowl (It's also the first time ever that the Saints won the NFC Championship.)
  
  
• It's the second time in four years that the Indianapolis Colts will play in the Super Bowl.
  
  
• New Orleans is the boyhood home of Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning whose father (former quarterback) Archie Manning played for the Saints for 10 full seasons and resides there now.
  
  

If you've got a conversation starter that worked... or one that didn't, let us know. We'd like to hear about it. 

More Water Cooler Conversation Starters (and Stoppers!) about the NFL Playoffs Round 2

Football will continue to dominate the talk around the proverbial water cooler this week. So, here are some more sports talk ideas -- what to say and what NOT to say -- about the second round of playoff games that took place this weekend. Use these to help you connect and communicate with colleagues, clients, supervisors and friends:

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS VS. ARIZONA CARDINALS

Conversation starter: "The Saints Breezed to victory.”

Because?: New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees led the Saints to a 45-14 thrashing of the Arizona Cardinals. This means the Saints will host their first ever NFC Championship game in team history next week.

Conversation stopper:  “Did you know that Gumby is the official mascot for the Saints?”

Because?: Gumbo The Dog is the official mascot of the NFL's New Orleans Saints. Gumbo is in the form of a "Saint" Bernard dog. It was the Louisiana Restaurant Association's gift to the Saints. Even though Gumbo went into a brief retirement, he was brought back by popular demand. For years, Gumbo was in fact a real Saint Bernard dog that roamed the sidelines in Saints apparel for dogs. The reason for choosing this breed of dog is the fact that Orleans Parish (where the City of New Orleans lies) shares a border with St. Bernard Parish to the east.


INDIANAPOLIS COLTS VS. BALTIMORE RAVENS

Conversation starter: "Indianapolis wins the battle of the Colts."

Because?: Peyton Manning led the Indianapolis Colts past the Baltimore Ravens 20-3. The Colts franchise used to be located in Baltimore until 1984 when the franchise relocated to Indianapolis. The new Baltimore team (the Ravens) started to play in 1996.  Some Baltimore fans remain loyal to the original team.

Conversation stopper: "Where did Manning learn to play so well?”

Because?: All sports fans know that Peyton’s father is Archie Manning, a former Pro Bowl quarterback who played from 1971-1984 and his brother is current New York Giants starting quarterback Eli Manning.


MINNESOTA VIKINGS VS. DALLAS COWBOYS

Conversation starter: "Who says you can't play in the NFL after 40…"

Because?: 40-year-old Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre threw four touchdown passes in the Vikings 34-3 domination of the Dallas Cowboys.

Conversation stopper: When talking about the Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre, remember his last name sounds like “Farv.”

Because?: Unless you're quoting Ben Stiller's character, Ted, in the comedy hit movie There's Something About Mary ("What about Brett Fav... ruh?"), mispronouncing this future Hall of Famer’s last name is a dead giveaway that you’re a rookie. 


NEW YORK JETS VS. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

Conversation starter: “Rookies rule New York.”

Because?: Rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez led rookie coach Rex Ryan’s Jets to a 17-14 upset of the San Diego Chargers.

Conversation stopper: "Home teams always win."

Because: While it's true that three of the playoff games were won by the home teams, the Jets were the lone visiting team to win a playoff game this weekend.

NFL Playoff Water Cooler Conversation Starters... and some Stoppers

Starting on Monday, the office chatter will probably be dominated by playoff talk. No need to sit on the sidelines this year. Here are some easy comments you can use to start or participate in just about any conversation about the games. And, just for fun, we've included a few "stoppers" to steer clear of, too:


NY JETS VS. CINCINNATI BENGALS

Conversation starter: "After such a great season and making the playoffs, too bad the Bengals were the Bungles again.”

Because?: The Bengals lost to the wild card NY Jets 24-14 and haven't won a playoff game since 1990.

Conversation stopper: "What a coincidence that Chad Ochocinco’s jersey number is 85!"

Because?: A known 'showman', he legally changed his name from Chad Javon Johnson to Chad Javon Ocho Cinco (which is "8-5" in Spanish. "85" is actually "ochenta y cinco") in honor of his Hispanic heritage, he has said.


BALTIMORE RAVENS VS. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Conversation starter: "Joe Flacco has more playoff wins (3) in the past two years than the Patriots (2) have during the past three seasons."

Because?: Second year Ravens Quarterback Joe Flacco won two playoff games as a rookie last year, along with his 34-14 win against the Patriots this weekend.

Conversation stopper: "Too bad Tom Brady doesn't have pretty girlfriend to console him."

Because?: Quarterback Tom Brady married Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen last year.


PHILADELPHIA EAGLES VS. DALLAS COWBOYS

Conversation starter: "Did you see the Cowboys game? Yea… it was the 1st playoff win for Dallas since 1996."

Because?: The Cowboys --also known as 'America's Team'-- hadn't won a playoff game in 13 years.

Conversation stopper: "Too bad the Cowboys fans had to endure the victory in such a modest stadium. NOT!"

Because?: The Cowboys' new stadium opened in Arlington, TX in 2009 at an estimated cost of $1.2 billion! The domed stadium features the world's largest column-free interior and the largest high definition video screen. It seats 80,000, making it the third largest seating capacity stadium and can expand to hold up to 111,000 which makes it the largest capacity stadium in the NFL.


ARIZONA CARDINALS VS. GREEN BAY PACKERS

Conversation starter: "The Cardinals-Packers game was an instant classic!"

Because?: This was the most exciting game of the weekend with lots of play back and forth resulting in  overtime and ultimately turned out to be the highest scoring playoff game in NFL history (51-45).

Conversation stopper: "It’s pretty clear that Kurt Warner should retire, don’t you think?"

Context: Prior to the playoff game, Kurt Warner was asked by the press if he was considering retiring at the end of the season. However, he played well with more touchdown passes (five) than incompletions (four), pushing his lifetime playoff record to 9-3.  He looks as strong as he did in 1999 when he led the Rams to victory in Super Bowl XXXIV. (There is no better come back player than Warner!).

Talking theTalk about the 2009 Post Season Playoffs: Step 1

For football fans --and let's face it, that's a lot of people because professional football is one of the most popular spectator sports in the country-- the playoffs are the most exciting part of the season.  Since the playoffs begin today, here's a quick overview of the basics such as who's playing and when, key lingo and some background information to help you begin to talk the talk:

Who's Playing in the Playoffs?

       Indianapolis Colts              San Diego Chargers
       New Orleans Saints           Minnesota Vikings
       Green Bay Packers            Arizona Cardinals
       New York Jets                  Cincinnati Bengals
       Philadelphia Eagles             Dallas Cowboys
       Baltimore Ravens               New England Patriots

What sports fans know: The playoffs are a series of four rounds of games between 12 teams which ultimately results in the NFL's championship game, the Super Bowl. Eight of the teams are Division champs. The remainder are "wildcards". Within the NFL there are 2 Conferences (AFC and NFC). Within each conference there are 4 Divisions (N, S, E, W). Division champs have the best record in their divisions. Each conference has two wild card spots for the two teams with the best record that did not win their division.

How Do They Determine Which Teams Play Each Other?
The process for scheduling 'matchups' is called 'seeding'. The highest seeded teams always play the lowest seeded teams as the privilege of having outplayed the other teams in the conference.
What Sports Fans Know: Seeding also determines which teams play at home - the team with the highest seeding in a match up, plays at home... and gets the home field advantage, giving the team a "12th man".  Each of the four rounds has a name: The Wild Card Weekend, the Division Round, the Conference Round and the Super Bowl. Some fans like to track the winners of each round on a bracket. You can download your own Playoff bracket here.

Who's Playing This Weekend -- The Wild Card Weekend?
Today, the NY Jets will play the Cincinnati Bengals and the Dallas Cowboys will face the Philadelphia Eagles.
What Sports Fans Know: Both of these match-ups ironically are repeat match-ups of the final game of the season in which Jets beat the Bengals and the Cowboys beat the Eagles.

On Sunday, the Arizona Cardinals will play the Green Bay Packers and the Baltimore Ravens will play the New England Patriots.
What Sorts Fans Know: The Cardinals and Packers just played against one another in the final game of the season in which the Packers dominated the Cardinals so the Cardinals will have a chance at revenge.

Extra Credit
The Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers, New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings will have the weekend off as they await the winners of the first round.
What Sports Fans Know:  In playoff speak, they have a "bye" . Byes are the reward for the teams that have the first and second best record in their conferences. They get to progress to the next round without playing an opponent in the first round.

If you want to find out more on the rules of football, player positions and what the heck the referees are signaling check this out. 

Next time we'll share some Playoff conversation starters... and stoppers!

Blackhawks Suck: A Cautionary Tale for the New Year

Non-sports fans can take comfort in the fact that even sports fans need some help when it comes to talking sports at work.  Take Andrew’s story, for example.

Andrew is a senior project manager and an avid sports fan. His favorite sport to follow is hockey. His boss invited him to attend a hockey game in his company’s luxury suite along with some visiting staff from the company’s Chicago office. His hometown team, the St. Louis Blues would be playing the Chicago Blackhawks.  There’s a strong old rivalry between these teams, so the evening promised to be a lot of fun.

Now, the rules for attending a game in a luxury box for work purposes are a bit different from those when watching from the seats, and we’ll cover those in a future post. For now, just know that there is one overarching rule that covers both. And, neglecting that was Andrew’s mistake. Andrew’s costly mistake.

The evening started out with promise. He arrived to the suite about 30 minutes early so he could make small talk with his colleagues. He wore his work clothes knowing the rest of the group would be dressed the same way. And, he opted for just one beer when it was offered to him, which he drank slowly throughout the evening.  Then the game started and Andrew’s sports fan self got the better of him.

At several points in the game Andrew slipped into his sports fan mode and belted out what he called "a standard jeer" (Blackhawks suck!) at key moments in the play.  Nobody seemed offended by it, Andrew said. It’s just what any good Blues fan would say and I said it, according to Andrew.

However, the next day, his boss called him into his office. Apparently a senior vice president from the Chicago office didn’t see it that way and reported Andrew to Andrew’s boss’s boss.   Not only was Andrew written up, but Andrew’s boss was too, for not keeping Andrew in check. Now relations between Andrew and Andrew’s boss are strained. 

If you haven’t guessed the #1 rule that Andrew broke it is this: Always be aware of who is watching the game with you.

In this case, the “who” wasn’t just staff from the Chicago office, but staff who were much higher up on the corporate food chain than Andrew.

Using Sports to Connect with Customers: Case Study #2

2XPM84CB4EE6 Since opportunities to connect with customers can occur just about anywhere – your office, their office, on the phone, at a restaurant, on the golf course, at a Happy Hour, etc. -- it's important to consider where the communication is taking place. In most cases, the scene can influence your choice of an opening question or observation.

Here's how Ashley, a pharmaceutical sales representative, maximizes sales visits to a particular customer:

“There’s one dentist's office I call on that makes it really easy for me.  All of the staffers are huge fans of everything... During baseball season, they’re wearing baseball stuff, football season, football stuff, hockey season, hockey stuff. They say they do it to connect with their patients. But, it makes it easy for me, too.  All I have to do is say something like, “Are you happy with the team this week?” And, they’re chattering away. Then I bring out my samples, and they’re ready to listen.

Ashley’s wise to piggyback on the same strategy her client uses to make their patients comfortable. It doesn’t get any easier than that!  In fact, any sales rep who wouldn’t pick up on the sports clues and use them to their advantage should consider a different career.

Sports & Sportsmanship Drive Many Businesses

Some may find it hard to believe, but sports can play an important role in the success of many businesses and organizations. (So, this may be the best reason why you should have a solid understanding -- or at least an appreciation of -- sports).

For one thing, sports conversations can have a positive impact on boosting morale. A 2006 research report about the impact of sports on the UK workplace, commissioned by the global recruiting firm, Hudson, found that:

63% of men and 52% of women said that sporting success (i.e. their team winning) has an impact on their approach to work.

47% women and 40% of men said that sporting success lifts their mood and makes them more productive in their jobs.

 A fifth of the men said sport increased their motivation at work compared to 12% of women. Only 3% said that sporting success is distracting and makes them less productive.

Plus, the culture of sport is woven into the daily goings-on of many businesses and organizations. Here are some of the things we've noticed: Managers typically arrange employees into teams. Meetings and conversations are peppered with sports analogies or terminologies, and competition between employees is encouraged. For example, employees are referred to as “team members.” Certain key team members may be designated as “captains” while back-up team leaders are known as “on the bench.” Meeting goals or falling short are characterized as “wins and losses.” When team members need direction they are “coached” rather than addressed. Instead of meetings, there are “huddles.”

In some cases, people who don’t have a basic understanding of sports might leave a meeting not knowing exactly what to do.  For example, if a sales manager said, ‘We need to use a long-pass strategy now,’ how many around the table would have understood he was directing them to shift their focus away from small accounts? 

Finally, the conduct and attitude considered as befitting participants in sports, i.e. good sportsmanship, makes for good business practices, too: things like fair play, courtesy, grace in losing, persistence, confidence, teamwork and mental toughness to name a few.