Busy Winter Break

David R.

December 29, 2010 - 6:48 PM

This year's winter break has been a little different than usual, so it would make sense that my trip to the mountains was a little unusual as well. For the past eight years I have come up here for the entire week and gone home only at the end of it. This year I came up when I usually do, but I went home yesterday afternoon to work at a Nuggets game, and then left early this morning to come back up to the mountains to ski. The Nuggets ironically played the Portland Trailblazers and won with ease, but the game wasn't as exciting as it could have been as both teams' stars (Carmello Anthony and Brandon Roy) were missing in action.

I have worked a Nuggets game and an Avalanche game this break for Kroenke Sports Enterprises(KSE), the company at which I interned this summer in the Corporate Sales Department. I really enjoyed interning there this summer and this is a company that I would love to work for after I graduate, so I decided it would be beneficial to work a few games while I'm home and allow myself to become a familiar face. Even though my focus within the journalism school is public relations, my last two internships have had more of a sports business focus and I think this career field might now be my first choice upon graduating.

During the summer I was involved with more of the business aspect of corporate sales as none of the three teams involved with KSE were in season. Now, having worked two games while the Nuggets and Avalanche are in the middle of their respective seasons, I can't help but notice all of the similarities that are present between the work I have done with KSE this break and the work I do for my internship with the athletic department at the University of Oregon. For example, when working at Oregon basketball games it is my responsibility to find contestants for various promotions. When I was working at the Avalanche game, my main task was to find four contestants to compete in the Arby's Roast Beef Race. At Oregon football games usually I am assigned to promotions like the Carl's Jr. Lucky Seat Lucky Row or the Amp Student Fan of The Game. Last night at the Nuggets game I got to help out with the Colorado Lottery promotion at it was pretty cool.

We were given five blown up balls, all a different color, that were replicas of the actual power balls that are used to determine the Colorado Power Ball winner. One person took two balls to one side of the Pepsi Center and the other two of us took the other three to the other side. When it became time for the promotion a spot light was shined on us and we threw the balls down into the stands from the 300-level in the arena. The fans were supposed to continuously hit the balls until they ended up on the court. At that point in time the five contestants that were chosen to participate were supposed to grab the ball corresponding to the color of the shirt they were given and slam it into a large basketball hoop at center court. It was fun to be a part of it and it was pretty entertaining to watch.

Tomorrow will be my last day of skiing for the break before I head to Fort Collins to celebrate New Years with my friends at Colorado State University. It will probably be my last day of skiing for the year so I plan to make the most of it!