2nd Place, AI Content Tips, Organize Your Cards
We have a diverse newsletter today on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.
Yesterday, I shared how I got to play flag football with Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders at the Rose Bowl. But here’s the rest of the story.
The game itself was a blast—players of all ages, skill levels, and backgrounds. Jerry was my team’s QB, Deion led the other side. And yeah, it was flag football, so they stuck to quarterback duties, but it was still surreal.
Jerry locked in on me during the game. Let’s just say, we had chemistry (LOL). I caught 5 touchdowns from the GOAT receiver himself.
But despite our high-scoring connection, we lost. At the end, medals were handed out for both 1st and 2nd place teams.
Deion, being Deion, couldn’t resist a laugh when he saw me wearing the 2nd place medal.
“They really gave you a 2nd place medal? And you’re gonna wear it?”
He said, laughing but with that Sanders edge we all know. That moment stuck with me. It got me thinking about the phrase, “2nd place is the first loser.” Is it true?
In life, business, and sports, does coming up short mean you’ve lost? Not necessarily.
Sure, winning matters and I’m as competitive as they come, but every “2nd place” moment teaches you something: how to adapt, improve, or push harder next time.
Sometimes, the journey is just as valuable as the medal—even if Deion’s laughing at it.
We’re excited to announce that The Knup Letter is officially open for sponsorships! To kick things off, we’re trying something new: a scaled pricing model. Do you want to be the first? For details, email me at ryan@knup.com, and let’s make 2025 a win for both of us
Loaded set of news stories for the day… Enjoy!
Nvidia Introduces Media2, A New AI-Powered System For Content Creation [TECH, CONTENT] — “The integration could lead to greater interactivity and accessibility for customers around the world, such as enabling the use of voice commands to request summaries during live sports and access other contextual information.” Interesting!
How Can Sweepstakes Sportsbooks be Legal? [SPORTS, BUSINESS] — our friends over at Gambling911 explore this topic. Are you in Sweeps at all?
Missouri regulator estimates sports betting to start this summer [SPORTS] — as we all know, they legalized it back in November 2024. But as we also know, it takes time to get launched. Summer is the goal for Missouri (just in time for my annual summar Lake of the Ozarks trip).
Gambling.com Group Finalises $160 Million Acquisition of OddsJam [BUSINESS] — Gambling.com Group has successfully concluded its acquisition of Odds Holdings, the parent company of OddsJam, valued at up to $160 million, that marks an important moment in the expansion of Gambling.com’s market presence.
Dana White Joins Meta’s Board: Bridging Sports and Technology [SPORTS, TECH] — Interesting combo here…
Coco Gauff Shares Funny Reason Why She Joined Unrivaled As Investor [SPORTS, BUSINESS] — "My dad always wanted me to follow in his footsteps and play basketball. Haha sorry dad but this is as close as it will get," Gauff wrote.
Mercedes announce ‘groundbreaking’ deal with Adidas in F1 first [SPORTS, BUSINESS] — Mercedes have signed a sponsorship deal with Adidas which will see the German apparel company supply the team’s kit for the 2025 season and beyond.
Texans vs. Chargers Wild Card Game to get the Nickelodeon/SpongeBob treatment [SPORTS] — What are your thoughts on these Alt-Cast options? I tried to watch the Disney NBA version on Christmas and just couldn’t do it.
FanDuel to debut as TGL’s official odds partner tonight on ESPN [SPORTS, BUSINESS] — Our friend Jessica Welman over at SBC covers this story!
Kambi Releases Inaugural Sports Betting Trends Report [BUSINESS] — The report offers valuable insights into the key trends that are shaping the sports betting market in 2024 and beyond.
Word of the Day: EXCITED
Excited means being full of energy and anticipation. It’s that feeling when something amazing is about to happen. It gives you the spark to show up and go all in. Without excitement, things can feel boring and routine.
Excitement is great, but it needs direction. Too much can make us lose focus. Being excited about the right things is what matters. Like catching 5 touchdowns from Jerry Rice—excitement made that moment unforgettable.
Think about what gets you excited. What gets you out of bed? Use that energy to push yourself forward. Whether it’s a project, a game, or a goal, excitement is a tool—use it wisely.
Question: What’s one thing you’re excited about right now, and how will you make the most of it?
Ummmmmmm… 73-43? How can the #1 team in the country lose by 30. Gators must be for real ya’ll. Anyways, needless to say we lost our POD yesterday lol.
Today’s POD game feels a lot like yesterday. The home team is favored, but the away team might look better on paper. We learned the hard way that home court and momentum can make all the difference. Tonight, No. 17 Oklahoma hosts No. 10 Texas A&M, and we’re trusting the home team.
Oklahoma is looking to bounce back after its first loss of the season, while Texas A&M comes in hot with eight straight wins. The key will be rebounding—Oklahoma’s coach is pushing for a full team effort to keep the Aggies off the glass. At home, with energy from the crowd, the Sooners should respond.
Let’s not overthink it. The home team is favored for a reason. Let’s back Oklahoma to defend their floor tonight.
PICK: Oklahoma -2
If you are a pick junkie and just crave picks.
We have AI generated picks across the major sports here on KnupSports.
My brother and Tim have a Substack called “Stupidest Sports Show”. Check it out → they also send out daily picks.
Once we launch our paid version of this newsletter, one of the perks here will be my other “human” sports picks.
I get asked a lot, “how do you organize your sports cards”? So I put together a blog post on it.
Organizing your sports cards is key, especially if you’re selling or showcasing. A messy collection makes it impossible to keep up. Once I organized my cards, I could find what I needed instantly and sell without stress.
Here’s my simple system: I start by sorting cards by sport (NBA, NFL, MLB). From there, I break it down into commons, rookies, team/player boxes, and unique sets I want to keep together. High-value cards go into protective cases, and my personal collection has its own special categories, including legends like Jordan, Brady, and Mahomes.
This system works perfectly for me, but the details might inspire you to create one that fits your collection. Want the full breakdown? Check out my blog post for the entire setup: How I Organize My Sports Cards.
Our newsletter has two spots for sponsors. Budget low? No problem. We are starting super low and only need 1 month commitments to begin. For details, email me at ryan@knup.com.
Using AI to Create Great Content
AI tools have become game-changers for content creation, saving time and helping you generate fresh ideas. But to get the most out of them, you need a strategy. Here are six quick tips to make AI your content secret weapon.
Start with Clear Prompts: AI works best when you give it specific instructions. Instead of asking it to “write about sports,” say something like, “write a 300-word post about how AI is used in the NFL.” The clearer your request, the better the result. We have spent months on prompt engineering for Coded Content!
Use AI for Outlines: Struggling to organize your ideas? AI can help you create a framework. Ask it to outline a blog post or structure a video script. This gives you a roadmap and speeds up the process.
Don’t Skip Editing: AI-generated content isn’t perfect. Review and tweak everything to match your voice and tone. Think of the AI as your assistant—it gets the draft done, but you add the polish.
Repurpose Content: AI makes it easy to turn one piece of content into many. Use it to convert a blog post into social media captions, video scripts, or email newsletters. This multiplies your reach without extra effort.
Add Personal Stories: AI can handle the structure and research, but it can’t replicate your unique experiences. Layer in your personal stories, insights, or examples to make the content authentic and engaging.
Experiment and Learn: AI tools improve with use. Try different tools and approaches to see what works best for you. Over time, you’ll find ways to make AI an indispensable part of your content strategy.
AI can save you hours and help you scale your content, but the magic happens when you combine its power with your unique perspective. Give these tips a try, and watch your content creation process transform!
If you want any help with this for your brand, Knup Solutions is now taking a hybrid approach to content creation. Reach out and we can help you via our Coded Content tool or our hybrid AI content solutions.
Why was the rookie card always nervous?
It didn’t have much experience!
That’s it for today! I’m heading out to grab lunch at Cowboy Chicken near the Margaritaville area here in Orlando. It’s always fun to try new spots, and my parents / brother are in the area so will meet them for some food!
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s newsletter where we will keep diving deep into topics and news — plus maybe I’ll share my full review of the food lol. Let’s see if this place lives up to the hype!
Until then, have a great day and keep chasing your goals.