About the Author: Cam Suarez-Bitar
Thanks for viewing my blog/newsletter.
I live in Chicago and consult independently in marketing, public relations, and sponsorship since 2009. In 2011, I earned my Master of Sports Administration (Marketing and Public Relations) degree at Northwestern University. My master’s thesis is a historical analysis of American and international auto racing and a look towards the future of motorsports as clean fuels and EVs gain market share throughout the 21st century. It earned Northwestern University’s “Distinguished Thesis Award” in 2011 and stands as the first academic source on professional electric auto racing.
My blog provides discussions relevant to sports business and solutions to problems faced by entities responsible for the evolution of the industry. Non-traditional forms of generating revenue, issues in leadership (both corporate and personal), and how sports shape – and are affected by – society are just some of the topics I address.
This blog is also meant to function as a means to share my knowledge with interested parties and learn from both participants’ responses and the research I perform to post meaningful and relevant information. Also, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions you wish to pose directly to me, I can be reached by email at: C O M S P O R T S B I Z at G M A I L dot C O M.
I earned my BA in History from the University of Southern California in 2004, earned certificates in economics from The London School of Economics and Political Science, and have worked in education, emergency medical services, coaching (high school football and college archery), and sales. 
On my spare time I go back to being a musician (I play the piano and enjoy writing and performing electronic and ambient music on my own), writer (poetry and fiction), and athlete (by running, playing pickup football games in the neighborhood from time to time [it’s been a while], and skating).
Thank you for reading!
Communications on Sports Business 
I am looking forward to your insight on lectures from your studies on sports business. Also, I would enjoy any reflections on your experiences working with athletes and teams, from coaching high school football players to volunteering as an advisor to college and amateur teams and athletes. I would especially like to read any of your opinions on professional sports within the context of your studies at Northwestern’s reputable sports administration program.
Thank you for your feedback. In this blog, I will discuss many different aspects of sports as an activity and the business of sports itself. Certainly, I will draw conclusions from my own experiences both in the office and on the field to complement my reasoning. Thank you for your support and feel free to continue adding suggestions.
Fantastic material. The subject matter of Communications and Sports Administration is fascinating, as it is an ever evolving field encompassing the traditional sports through the leagues, from the little to the big ones, to those local organizations gathering a number of prospective athletes, through school athletic programs.
It would be interesting to learn about how some sports have become more popular among the masses, while others are more exclusive of the affluent, and their potential to influence the world of sports business.
Lots of luck!
Thank you for your feedback.
It is my goal with this “blog” to cover several issues in sports business. Your remark regarding sports and their popularity/appeal is one I will address soon in a future post. How does a sport become “mainstream”? What is a modern sport? How does one explain the reasons why polo, golf, and tennis are examples of sports historically played by the affluent while basketball, football, and baseball all owe their existence to the working class? I will answer all of these questions and more soon; in fact, if you have more suggestions, please feel free to post them here.
Thanks again for your support!
I think that this blog truly has an opportunity to create the kind of open dialog from which great ideas germinate. I look forward to following your posts as we delve into the topics outlined above, and am particularly interested in the role of sports in society. The post on Lombardi and leadership was both insightful and well written. It seems an excellent place to start a discussion.
Thank you for your input. Please feel free to add your own knowledge and raise questions pertaining to topics that interest you. If you have a suggestion for a topic I ought to address in a future post, you need only let me know.
Heard about this from our mutual acquaintance and enjoyed reading through your entries to date. The piece about Lombardi is right on. Many years ago I knew someone who played high school football for him when he coached at St. Cecelia’s in Englewood NJ. That man, since deceased, admired him greatly, was proud of having been associated with him, and always tried to live in accordance with the lessons learned from him as a player and as a man. He was not always successful, but who is?
Good luck with your blog and your studies. I look forward to reading more.
Dear Kevin,
Thank you for your feedback. It is not difficult to imagine how a person could admire Lombardi, for it appears that all who worked with him developed a greater sense of who they wanted to be and what they were capable of accomplishing. Willie Wood, Paul Hornung, and your acquaintance are just three men among those fortunate enough to have learned about football – and life itself, consequentially – from Coach Lombardi at different stages in their lives. His leadership style is a fine example to follow, if not always in a professional setting with others, then certainly on a more personal level with oneself. After all, there is so much wisdom that can be derived from his actions on the field and one can learn a thing or two from the great coach about the toughness one needs to take the day’s blows and move forward dauntlessly and without relent. The men who learned from Lombardi also warrant admiration, since not just anyone could share the field with him and to be on his roster, at any level, meant that you were special. Sure, they were not always successful, but Lombardi’s coaching gave these men the strength to recover from the greatest challenges in their pursuit of that success. Lombardi did not mind so much if you were knocked down; rather, he wanted to see if you were capable of getting back up. Football is a sport that is much like life: you will definitely fall time and again, the clock keeps ticking and you must get up, and you have to commit to going as far as possible before you fall again. It repeats and repeats, but only if you are tough enough. When the last second expires and your eyes roll up to the scoreboard, you may not always have the highest score, but you better always make sure you have nothing left in the tank. Understanding that and living it will ensure success more often than not, and Lombardi’s players understood this well. Therein lies the glory of both football and life.
If you have any particular memories you wish to share of the man you knew who once played for Coach Lombardi, please feel free to share them here with all of us. Thanks again for your comment and readership.
Good luck to you.
Best regards,
Cam.
great forum
Thank you for your support!
Great blog! Your views are backed with valid points and not just opinion. I am intrigued by your “Should College Athletes Be Paid” I think this subject is quickly becoming serious talk in the sports world. When discussed amongst my peers no one can come to a clear cut conclusion. Well done. Keep it coming. May I make a suggestion? I think we all agree when I say you should do a piece on the Fantasy Sporting world. I’d like to read your insight on the subject.
Dear Brackie,
Thank you for your feedback and insight.
I appreciate your suggestion and will write a piece on fantasy sports soon, especially since fantasy sports provide both brands and properties an efficient medium to directly interact with fans. For instance, if you look at the most recent Sports Illustrated issue (August 2-8), you will find that the best ad belongs to Verizon. Out of all the ads in that magazine, it is the only one that serves a function for the fantasy sports fan on “draft day.” Rather than interrupt an article with a page or two of passive advertising, Verizon eased the process of drafting players for fantasy sports fans by providing the latter with a pull-out booklet they can use to list their players for the season. This approach to advertising (what can the brand/sponsor do for the audience) is one of the next frontiers in sports marketing.
Keep checking back and thank you for your readership. I will write on fantasy sports and their relevance to sports marketing in a few weeks. Thanks for the idea and for your support.
Best regards,
Cam Suarez-Bitar.
Thanks for the link to Employment & the Law — much appreciated.
I look forward to reading more of your posts! Keep up the great work!
Best Regards,
Ashley
No problem and thank you for your kind sentiments. Good luck and let me know if I could ever be of assistance.
Best regards,
Cam.