Sadly, extended middle fingers, temper tantrums and mindless Twitter taunts are becoming more and more “par for the course” with today’s professional athletes. It’s against this dreary backdrop that last week’s communication from Roy Halladay to the fans of Toronto stands in blinding contrast.

The Phoenix Suns never achieved what they’d envisioned when the franchise traded for Shaquille O’Neal two seasons ago. They accomplished so much more. Sure, the Suns never made it to the NBA Finals (or the conference finals for that matter) during Shaq’s brief two-year stint in Phoenix, but that doesn’t mean his absence won’t be immensely felt within the organization. Shaq was an undeniable force in the valley of the Sun – a 300-plus pound marketing machine.

The world of sports, sports media and sports marketing are bigger now than they’ve ever been. The range and reach of digital media, branded play-by-play updates available directly on your cell phone and the recent emergence of Twitter have allowed brands – especially sports entities – and media to connect with consumers through new channels. And as the industry continues to grow (and sponsors continue spending millions in athlete endorsements), companies can utilize new mediums to maximize their marketing investments and further build brand affinity.