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The Tao of Sports Podcast – The Definitive Sports, Marketing, Business Industry News Podcast

Sports Revenue Analytics veteran and sport management professor Troy Kirby interviews the team behind the teams in Front Offices and Athletics Departments throughout the world, revealing an industry of specialists and minds unseen by the local or national media. Examined in this podcast are current or long-standing industry topics; tickets, business, analytics, moneyball, revenue, finance, economy, sales and jobs of the NCAA, NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL. Also included are topics surrounding third party vendors, sports business, revenue, marketing, mentoring interns, facilities, managing employees, as well as how to not only break into sports, but stay in the industry long-term. The often-invisible side of the industry is where the Tao of Sports Podcast attempts to pull back the elusive curtain, providing information both to industry insiders and those who want to work in sports. Troy Kirby is a sport management professor at Saint Martin's University in Lacey, Washington.
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The Tao of Sports Podcast – The Definitive Sports, Marketing, Business Industry News Podcast
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Now displaying: October, 2013
Oct 30, 2013

 

The Mountain West Conference holds one of the hottest tickets in Las Vegas during conference tournament time for men’s basketball. Dan Butterly oversees the Mountain West’s annual conference tournament, and talks about how he helps sell sponsorship inventory as well as achieves activation for corporate clients. Butterly discusses how the Mountain West engages and educates fans during a rabid, sell-out situation for each game, as well as ensures that once teams lose, fans have a secondary ticket market to resell to fans interested in attending the remaining games on the schedule. Twitter: @DanButterly

Oct 28, 2013

 

Recognized by The Sporting News as one of the Top 100 most powerful people in sports, Mike Goff has created some of the most dynamic and far-reaching brand development in the sports industry. Goff talks about Premier Sports Management’s role in recalibrating the current Bowl Championship Series of college football after being hired by the NCAA Division I conferences to help define the identity, branding, marketing and operational structure of its new 2015 playoff system. Goff talks his 22-year-career as VP of Corporate Marketing for Sprint Nextel, about his expertise in helping strategic and implementation planning of Sprint and Nextel in 2005, creating a sponsorship marketing effort with the NFL, NASCAR, PGA Tour, NCAA and World Cup Soccer. Goff discusses the elusive millennial fan, efforts to sell to that new fanbase, and the emerging role of technology in live sports entertainment venues. Twitter: @RMGoff

Oct 25, 2013

 

Drake Nelson spent 10 years in the world of independent professional wrestling entertainment and has now shifted into managing the largest comedy club in Reno, Nevada. Nelson talks about some of the reasons that professional wrestling is dying out on the circuit and presents a different view point on how promotions work in that industry niche. Nelson discusses his outlook on entertainment in general, now in the world of comedy where he competes nightly against other casinos the attention of those living or vacationing in Reno. Twitter: @CannibalDrake

Oct 23, 2013

 

Derrick Docket examines the role of social media from the perspective of an college athletic conference, where the focus has to be expanded to the Missouri Valley Conference’s ten member schools. Docket talks about the challenges of ensuring fairness to each member school, as well as how social media at each athletic department changed over the last few years. Docket discusses how livestreaming sports events has helped expand media attention to Olympic sports that would have otherwise received much less interest from traditional media outlets. Twitter: @DDocket

Oct 21, 2013

 

The world of sports communication and branding is where Jim Delaney focuses his attention on most. Delaney discusses some of the issues surrounding the roles of traditional and social media, as well as how new platforms can cause issues when messaging isn’t correct across the board. Delaney talks about a team or individual knowing their brand enough, especially when it comes to things which appear controversial, but really aren’t to the brand’s main constituents. Twitter: @Activate

Oct 18, 2013

 

The complex world of major gifts, fundraising and overall annual giving to university athletics is broken down by David Sabolcik, who has spent several years at different departments across the country building better revenue streams. Sabolcik has spent time at the University of Minnesota Moorhead, the University of New Mexico, San Jose State, Georgia State and University of Nevada-Reno, and talks about how to ensure proper care of each donor gift is delivered by a development officer. Sabolcik discusses the idea of presenting good mentoring to young development officers and some of the misconceptions of where money goes and why in college athletics. Twitter: @Davidsabolcik

Oct 16, 2013

 

John Kosner oversees the digital landscape of ESPN and its many affiliates, including Grantland.com headed by Bill Simmons, ESPN The Magazine, and espnW, the network’s initiative targeted at female sports fans. Kosner talks about how the digital landscape has changed with ESPN constantly trying to keep ahead with its presence, expanding both the 30 for 30 features, Grantland and now 538, the new Nate Silver site. Kosner discusses how ESPN has also adapted to the social landscape, moving its discussion boards to Facebook and how ESPN online has developed with podcasts and ESPN Radio. Kosner also covers how ESPN has crafted its own social media policy for its personalities regarding interaction with fans and has continued to push its brand further. Twitter: @JKosner

Oct 14, 2013

 

Joe Vrankin helped preside over one of the largest sports league expansions in history during a nearly nine-year run as chief operating officer of the Arena Football League and its subsidiary, the Arena Football League 2. Vrankin talks about the details of league expansion, how the AFL changed during the 2000s to its eventual demise under a strike-riddled 2007 campaign as the collective bargaining negotiations became intense. Vrankin discusses some of the innovations of the old AFL incarnations, including miking the coaches during broadcast interviews and the NBC league ownership model. Twitter: @JVrankin

Oct 11, 2013

 

Shon Spevak has spent most of his adult life in Cedar City, Utah. A graduate of his hometown university, Spevak talks about his role with SUU as it has grown up in the last nine years over his tenure from a department with a sole conference home to finally being a member of the Big Sky Conference for all of its sports. Spevak discusses the challenges of being in a remote location, continuing to foster growth in his career development in athletics, as well as helping broaden his mentorship skills with student workers. Twitter: @ShonSpevak

Oct 9, 2013

 

Jim Willits has had a 20-year career in sports, rising to the role of Vice President of Sales for 8 years with the Philadelphia Flyers. Willits talks about the barriers that young students put on themselves trying to break into the industry, especially when presenting resumes or getting a face-to-face interview. Willits discusses how the industry needs for employees has changed, and how a lot of young employees need to be able to adapt to those changes to show value. Willits describes his role as a trainer for young executives, providing them with an affordable alternative in career coaching and development toward landing a job in the sports industry. Twitter: @WillRockSports

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