Tao of Sports Podcast

Over two years ago, Michael Abramson came on the podcast ( Ep. 520 ) to discuss how The Hartford Yard Goats would open up the 2016 season in their new ballpark. Almost 300 episodes and two years later, Abramson returns to the podcast to discuss why 2017, not 2016, was the opening year at home for The Hartford Yard Goats. In a story that covered the gamit from construction delays, FBI investigation...

Isabella Tamplin opens up the ticket world of Brazil for podcast listeners, sharing insight into her company, Grupo BWA, which oversees ticketing for over 30 professional soccer clubs. Tamplin discusses some of the issues facing the Brazillan soccer fan, especially in attendance and ticket buying consumption. Tamplin discusses how the area has handled venue operations since the Rio 2016 Games & FI...

John Katz returns for a third time to the podcast ( Ep. 601 & Ep. 183 ), this time to discuss how Tim Tebow and a lunar eclipse, two marketing boons that helped the Columbia Fireflies achieve attendance metrics in 2017. Katz discusses Tebowmania, and how to handle the international press attention that came along with it. Katz shares how the team prepared for the lunar eclipse game in August 2017....

Jim Boone joins the podcast to chat about the volatility in the secondary ticket market for combat sports, especially considering the terrible pricing decisions of the Mayweather-McGregor bout in August. Boone discusses his insight into reselling tickets for MMA/UFC and boxing, as well as why the Klitschko brothers never yielded out a huge demand from American audiences despite their title reigns....

Seth Shapiro joins the podcast to discuss the world of sports filmmaking, fresh off of a trip with the NFL in China. Shapiro talks not only about the air of filmmaking, but also the production angle, where there are time limitations with sports stars, as well as branding implications. Shapiro covers the several issues concerning how gauge evergreen content in a world of fast paced social media, al...

Even with the legacy of UCLA, the Bruins face constant changes in how they operate. Assistant Athletic Director of Ticket Sales Evan Flagg explains that UCLA has had to make tough decisions when it comes to dynamic pricing, as well as avoiding dropping the ticket price if they feel it price was originally in error. Flagg shares his insight into dealing with group sales and ticket initiatives for p...

Originally published in 1998, the book "Field of Schemes" has continued to be a hot topic for public stadium finance opponents in the 19 years since. Co-Author Neil DeMause talks about some of the issues surrounding the ability of teams to gain publicly financed stadiums, as well as the economic viability that each project actually presents to the community at large. DeMause shares insight into ho...

Ashwin Puri joins the podcast to chat about the end of his experience as the Chief Revenue Officer of Cal-Berkeley Athletics and the transition to VP of Strategy and Business Operations at the Oakland Athletics. Puri discusses his time moving from NBA TMBO to Cal in order to start the in-house model for the Pac-12 school in 2012, as well as some of the ways he met the challenge of bureaucracy whil...

Mark Murdock joins the podcast to chat about how whole body cryotherapy and other recovery modalities are changing sports fitness and athletic training. Murdock discusses the latest cutting-edge recovery methods from the point of view as a former coach; introducing the concept of infrared light therapy which has been shown to reduce oxidative stress and to help rapid recovery, improved sleep and i...

Jared Kozinn offers up his perspective on how to sell premium suite space, especially when the tastes of corporate buyers have changed. Kozinn talks about building up and retaining value for customers, as well as engaging with additional VIP experiences beyond the stadium home dates. Kozinn shares his own learning experiences with the Milwaukee Brewers during the Hank The Dog frenzy and sports mar...

Max Kozinn shares his knowledge of sports membership sales, not just with the San Antonio Spurs, but also with the University of Texas-Austin and with Life Time Fitness. Kozinn discusses some of the facets of engaging the customer in a longer term relationship, as well as cultivating more prospects by referrals. Kozinn shares some of the intrinsic values that Spurs Sports & Entertainment emulates...

Ken Gelman comes on the podcast to chat about the KASAI Elite Grappling Championships ("KASAI"), New York City's premier competitive professional and amateur Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) promotion. Gelman talks about how committed the organization is to hosting live events featuring the most talented male and female grapplers from around the globe. Gelman discusses the history of KASAI's organization, includin...

Craig Pintens joins the podcast to share his insight on how his marketing team has enhanced the profile of the University of Oregon athletic department. Pintens discusses various aspects of tickets, especially concerning deals and subscription models. Pintens talks about how to create a brand mechanism that doesn't happen as one opportunity, but continues to grow with a long term strategy. Twitter...

To put it mildly, Eric Kussin's return to the podcast has been exactly 4 years apart (Ep. 218) with a lot of issues in-between. In 2015, Kussin suffered a hard drive crash of his brain as chief revenue officer of the Florida Panthers. Now on the road to recovery, Kussin shares his comeback story about mental health, and some of the things that sports sales professionals can do to improve theirs da...

Patrick Nowlin shares his knowledge on both the third party and in-house model, having worked at both. Now at the University of Oklahoma as an assistant athletic director, Nowlin talks about some of the different methods of implementing better technology in an environment that is often more conservative on change. Nowlin describes his methods for not only increasing sales and customer service, as...

Under Bryan Sperber's leadership, the Phoenix International Raceway is undertaking a massive $178 million dollar rebuild of its facility, aimed at ensuring NASCAR's legacy in the technology era of sports marketing. Sperber discusses some of the features of the build-out, including how PIR is embracing esports as well as non-race events, and developing unique fan experiences when NASCAR comes to to...

After about 15 years of bobbleheads as a giveaway item, the crazy just continues for sports as a gift to drive attendance numbers. Alexander Promotion's Brian Sloan talks about how a simplistic bobblehead is no longer the regular order of the day, transitioning now to talking bobbleheads with microchip technology, life-sized bobbleheads as well as memento theme nights where the bobblehead tells a...

Nick Schmidt fully admits that sitting in class at Seattle University with Troy Kirby was an experience that he will never forget, and is the guest for Episode 800 of the podcast. Schmidt talks about various concepts at the small college level, concerning both the student athlete and the administrator engaging across campus and with each other. Schmidt discusses some of the ways he feels can help...

Adam White started Front Office Sports when he was a sophomore at the University of Miami, and now in three years, has grown into a premiere website for sports career advice and employment. White discusses the role of Front Office Sports in engaging current sports business executives and getting them to agree to be interviewed for the blog as a way of paying it forward to young professionals. Whit...

Dave Arthur is an academic at heart, but understands the classroom limitations of sports education that need real world experience. Serving as managing director for iSport.edu, Arthur talks about bridging the gaps with online education and instructors who possess real-world sports industry skills. Arthur shares his insights into building true consulting assessments for sports organizations, as wel...

Jeff Longo is not only an associate professor of sports, events and entertainment at Johnson & Wales in Charlotte, but also an owner of a Southern Professional Hockey League team, the Fayetteville Marksmen. Longo shares his decision to go into pro hockey team ownership, some of the pitfalls concerning budgeting and revenue generation that he has had to overcome, and how the Fayetteville team's reb...

Anthony Rodriguez comes on the podcast to discuss the branding of the athlete in the digital world, how you can grow a niche audience that supports a brand and whether or not esports has a longevity brand with its athletes. Rodriguez shares how a tennis player coming into his dorm room upended his business aspirations, and the various ways in which tech has increased awareness of an athlete. Rodri...

John Collins' experience with the major professional sports goes back to his days working at NFL Films, extends to working as President of the Cleveland Browns and as COO of the NHL. Collins now oversees NFL On Location, which is a joint venture with the NFL and a private equity firm, trying to create a better resale experience for those consumers trying to access the Super Bowl. Collins discusses...

Sean Stellato has dealt with the adversities of sport both on and off of the field, beginning with his 1994 high school football team, the Salem Witches, which made it to the state super bowl, despite the obstacles in front of them. Stellato has written a book on that experience, called No Backing Down and shares insight into what exactly made that team so special. Stellato also shares his backgro...

Try to get a meeting culture going where Rocky Harris works, he dares you. The Chief Operating Officer talks about his lack of eagerness to create a meeting culture and his ability to disrupt them, involving as few people as possible in order to ensure that the decision is made and initiated upon. Harris shares his experience coming from the professional sports and Corporate America ranks, and how...