Tao of Sports Podcast

  VP of Partnerships & Strategy at Adrenalin, Bryan Kimball has helped some of the largest professional teams in the country realize and re-establish their brand identity with fans. Kimball talks about advertising, fan perceptions, how giveaways can harm a brand’s value, and feel for logos.

  Christine Stoffel is at the forefront of founding & developing the premier information technology conference in the country for professional teams and college athletic departments. The SEAT Conference has already gained a reputation for engaging IT professionals, working through various issues, as dynamic pricing, WiFi and other technology transform the fan experience at the ballpark.

  Guest relations may be one of the saving graces to protect the in-stadium attendances for all professional and college sports. Guest Relations Expert Anthony Cangelosi has both a background in professional sports sales, and secret shopping at large stadiums & venues. Cangelosi talks about some of the ways that third party vendors may be damaging a team’s relationship with the fan without the fra...

  Sr. Associate Athletic Director of External Relations Paul Ladwig oversees one of the more dynamic university athletic department revenue streams in the country at Fresno State. Ladwig talks about how the 1990s model of FBS before others made it cool. Ladwig talks about his philosophy on sales, especially reducing the amount of papering the city and how success means team work, thus it starts at...

  The Golden State Warriors have achieved some remarkable ticket sales goals in 2012-13, and one of the members of the team responsible is Account Executive Andrew Rossi. The NBA team was highlighted in the Wall Street Journal for their efforts to win in sales despite the product on the court. Rossi talks about engaging customer service, trying to seek out what the customer really wants through a...

  Sr. Director of Tickets for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans Zach Brockman talks about engaging fans and customers long term. Brockman speaks about the methodology behind training his new hires, how as a student of both GameFace, Inc., and Jon Spoelstra’s books, in the world of ticket sales & professional sports.

  Preston Shytle comes from the third party ticket sales model at the Aspire Group into his current position as director of development at the University of Maryland. Shytle talks about the current annual giving model, and developing a sales mentality of customer service.

  Andrew Doeschot has risen through the St. Louis University Athletic Department ranks from his start at the ticket office to his current role as an associate athletic director. Doeschot talks about the ticket sales impact of hiring the late head men’s basketball coach Rick Majerius had on the Billikens. Doeschot also discusses the role of the athletic department within the university’s mission an...

  Fan Development Manager Ryan McKee is making every attempt to show Australian Rules Football’s Essendon Club some of the newest promotions to engage fans. McKee talks about his time with the club, the adjustment to the AFL and the country of Australia, as well as discusses his native Canada, detailing his time with the Vancouver Canucks and MLS WhiteCaps.

  Jerry Seltzer’s father Leo created the sport of roller derby in 1935, but Jerry has carried the legacy as the World Skating League’s Commissioner since Leo’s death in 1978. Jerry talks about some of the different situations in which roller derby managed to draw upwards of 20,000 to 30,000 people to a single event. Jerry also talks about his industry influential decision found BASS Ticketing Syst...

  Durham Bulls General Manager Mike Birling deals with a 1980s hit movie, a historical minor league club and a new ballpark. Birling talks about promotions within the ballpark, refusing to provide giveaways or heavy discounts to single game customers, in order to protect the valuable price point. Birling also talks about the misconceptions of the duties of a minor league general manager and some o...

  George Stieren oversees communications for the final three races in the NASCAR series at Miami-Homestead Speedway. Stieren talks about NASCAR’s involvement with social media, its acceptance of new media, and how to innovate in a world where communication changes daily. Stieren also talks about his involvement with the San Diego Padres organization.

  Bryan Killingsworth has one of the most dynamic positions in the NFL today. The VP of Marketing & Brand Strategy for the St. Louis Rams, his task is to alter the perception of each home gameday, reinvigorate fans and ensure a high attendance mark even if the team isn’t winning many games on the field. Killingsworth talks about different marketing & brand affinity concepts he’s employing, as well...

  Collegiate Consulting Founder Russell Wright started out with a simple third-party sales concept for university athletic departments: while other third party sales focused on the big schools, Collegiate Consulting would try to help the small schools as well. Since opening their doors, Collegiate Consulting has serviced over 300 institutions, conferences, and organizations in 45 starts in the U.S...

  Director of Sales & Marketing Ted Tseng has his work cut out for him at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Denver Outlaws are one of eight teams in Major League Lacrosse but have set massive attendance records in their seven-year franchise existence. Tseng talks about how the Outlaws have engaged non-lacrosse fans to provoke some of the largest attendances in the history of the outdoor spo...

  Mets VP of Ticket Sales & Service Leigh Castergine has been utilizing various promotional opportunities to sell a MLB team & CITI Field to the masses. She talks about the “quiet” section for families with autistic children and her thoughts on selling out the house. Castergine has had a lot of experience with full buildings, also serving in a top sales role for the Boston Bruins, Orlando Magic, P...

Jay Finnerty sells college basketball tickets in the third largest city in America, where the men's basketball team may not win very many Big East games, but the attendance is never down below seven thousand a game. Finnerty talks about the issues that DePaul has embraced, using an inhouse ticket sales model of two sales people, two on the marketing staff, as DePaul goes after one of the largest a...

BJ Pickard operates one of the largest fan engagement operations in professional sports. The Arena Football League's social media efforts rival that of that larger professional leagues, and Pickard discusses where the AFL was in terms of fan support prior to the 2009 lockout and how the AFL has managed to re-engage fans back into the fold since its rebirth in 2010. Twitter: @BJPickard

In Barcelona, Rutger Hoorn oversees ticket sales for Euroleague Basketball's Final Four, which is watched by over 197 million in over 40 countries each May. The Final Four is set to be played in London for the next two years, even though the British are not generally basketball fans. Hoorn talks about the issues facing Euroleague Basketball, some of the differences of American versions European sa...

"Super Agent" Leigh Steinberg has represented some of the biggest athletes in the world of sports. The inspiration for the main character in "Jerry Maguire" and a technical advisor on "Any Given Sunday," Steinberg has represented more than 60 First Round selections of the NFL Draft, including a record eight straight No. 1 overall picks. Now rebooting his representation practice with a NFLPA recert...

Chris Gallagher has been helped re-engage a rabid fanbase with its hometown Browns in the last two seasons. Deciding to do his podcast interview while in a vehicle, off the road during a Ohio snowstorm, Gallagher talks about the different promotions, technologies and methods of ensuring quality customer service despite the on-field record whether at the Browns, Miami Dolphins, NHL Panthers. Gallag...

In less than a year on the job at Ole Miss, Ross Bjork has made a name for himself as its athletic director. His football coach, Hugh Freeze, signed the No. 1 recruit in the nation, defensive end Robert Nkemdiche, only a few months after the team went 7-6 in 2012 compared to a 2-10 in 2011. Bjork details his ideas on leadership during times of highs and lows in an athletic department and talks abo...

Is there an ROI in social media? Jeff Lillibridge may have the answers to that. He’s worked for several years with two NBA teams, both in web services and as a sales representative. Now a VP of Social Media with Phizzle, Inc., Lillibridge explains why some teams don’t really understand the new marketplace like they should, especially search and social media, and what teams should be doing to incre...

He might be considered a ticket heretic by the time listeners are done with this episode. Why? Because Steve DeLay thinks outside the box and provides his opinion contrary to what the norm is. DeLay doesn’t subscribe to the notion of heavy discounting, free tickets or premium items, especially to those single game buyers. A 20-year veteran of sports sales with 1 NBA team, 2 NHL teams, and Mandalay...

Jeff Yocom leads a staff division focused on finding the next best sports executives in the country for his pro team clients. GameFace, Inc.’s legendary status as a pioneer of training and executive search has created an environment of trust with clients during the placement process. Yocom talks about some of the various models for success, especially good career development and how to ensure spor...