Desert Hawks. Red Hawks. Nighthawks. Any way you cut it, the NHL expansion team in Las Vegas is going to have a pretty cool name.

Do you want more social media followers? Do you want to attract sponsors?

When we think of an athlete, naturally we think of their sport. They’re known for competing, for their accomplishments and their success in their field. They get sponsors like Nike and Gatorade because that’s the easy connection to make. But athletes do in fact have lives outside of sports. When they’re not training or competing, they have hours to dedicate to other passions and hobbies. We often don’t see that side of athletes, and might not even know of their interests off the field, but their hobbies can provide a unique sponsorship opportunity for the brands that aren’t Nike.

1. Gatorade has sponsored the NFL since 1983. The partnership is the longest standing in the NFL.

2. The NFL made $1.2 billion in sponsorships last season (2014-2015). That’s more than any other pro league in North America. The money came from new deals in 2015 with Hyundai and Dannon, as well as standing partnerships with 30 other brands including Pepsi, Verizon, and McDonalds.                                                                                                                                                                   

Recently, OpenSponsorship was in the middle of creating a deal between a female athlete and what we thought was a makeup wipe brand. It was only when we got a call from the athlete’s agent that we realized that the brand, SweetSpot labs, makes cleaning wipes and soaps for vaginas, not faces. That led us to think about where feminine products fit in to the sponsorship world.

1. Canoe/Kayak

Canoeing and Kayaking are the summer versions of downhill skiing. There are two different types of events. The first are sprints which are purely speed races held in calm waters. The first one to cross the finish line wins. Slaloms on the other hand are not so simple. Competitors must pass through gates on their way through the whitewater course, going through some against the current, with time penalties for touching and missing gates. While navigating the tricky course, they must avoid obstacles in their paths.

Becoming YouTube famous is a modern phenomenon. With just a computer and a camera, you can broadcast your face around the world. YouTubers have quickly grown to a new level of fame, rivaling that of athletes and celebrities. However, even in the ever-changing world that we live in, the presence and influence of athletes are immutable.