The CUSP Show

Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson welcome Mike “Wally” Walczewski, better known as King Wally, the iconic public address announcer of the New York Knicks, to the show for a special episode celebrating the franchise’s 2026 NBA championship. One of only two primary PA announcers in Knicks history, Walczewski reflects on his 37-year career at MSG, what it felt like to announce a championship season, an...

Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson welcome back Marc Horine, Chief Business Officer at For Soccer, for a special World Cup 2026 edition of the show, recorded as the tournament’s group stage wraps up across the United States. Horine discusses how For Soccer was built around the long-anticipated opportunity of hosting the World Cup in North America, and how the company has positioned itself at the cent...

Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson welcome Adam Zimmerman, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Content for the Atlanta Braves, to the show to discuss how one of baseball’s most innovative franchises has transformed its identity through mixed-use development, content strategy, and a bold approach to regional media. Zimmerman shares the story of how he joined the Braves ahead of the 2017 opening of...

Tom Richardson welcomes journalist and author Danny Funt to the show to discuss his new book, Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling , and the sweeping impact legalized sports betting has had on leagues, media companies, athletes, and fans. Drawing on years of reporting and research, Funt examines how professional sports leagues went from staunch opponents of gambling to...

Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson welcome VKTRY Gear CEO Steve Wasik to the show to discuss the entrepreneurial journey behind one of the fastest-growing performance brands in sports. Wasik shares how VKTRY evolved from a family-owned Connecticut shoe business into a company trusted by athletes across the NFL, NBA, MLB, and collegiate sports before recently being acquired by Dr. Scholl’s. The conver...

Tom Richardson welcomes Jerome Allen of the NBA to the show to discuss the evolving role of player engagement, and how the next generation of athletes are navigating NIL, media, and technology. A current Columbia Sports Management student and member of the NBA’s Player Engagement Operations team, Allen shares how experiences ranging from a year abroad in South Africa to working at Roc Nation shape...

Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson welcome Melissa Jacobs to the show to discuss the current state of youth sports, the evolution of sports media, and why the NFL continues to dominate the sports and entertainment landscape. A longtime NFL writer and founder of The Football Girl , Jacobs discusses her transition from covering the league for outlets like Sports Illustrated , The Guardian , and the BBC...

Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson welcome Morgan Cato, EVP of Player Operations at the National Basketball Players Association to the show, to discuss her unique journey through each side of the basketball business: from the NBA league office to the Phoenix Suns and now the players association. Cato shares insights on rookie development, mental wellness, NIL preparedness, player engagement, and the...

Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson welcome Dr. Harvey Schiller, Chairman at Schiller Management Group to the show, to reflect on the life, legacy, and lasting influence of Ted Turner following his passing. Having worked closely alongside Turner during the rise of Turner Broadcasting, Schiller shares firsthand stories about the visionary executive who helped reshape sports media, cable television, and...

Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson welcome Sheila Sickau, Head of Football Development for the Kansas City Chiefs to the show, to break down how flag football is reshaping the future of the sport, from youth participation to global expansion and women’s access to the game. Sickau is the Pro Sports Assembly 2025 Medal of Leadership Rising Leader honoree and on the show she shares her unique journey fr...

Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson welcome Patrick Crakes, Principal of Crakes Media and longtime Fox Sports executive, to the show, to break down the rapidly evolving sports media landscape and the realities behind today’s skyrocketing rights deals. Drawing on decades of experience, Crakes explains why the industry hasn’t undergone the “overnight disruption” many predicted, and instead has seen a sl...

Joe Favorito welcomes Greg Fox, Athletic Director at Yeshiva University, to discuss the remarkable rise of Yeshiva men’s basketball and how the program has evolved into a global brand. He shares his journey through college athletics and what makes Yeshiva’s model unique: from rigorous academic demands and religious commitments to competing at a high level on the court. Fox highlights the impact of...

Joe Favorito welcomes Endicott College Adjunct Professor, Ken Davidoff, to the CUSP Show, for a thoughtful conversation on storytelling, media evolution, and rediscovering a love for the game of baseball. A longtime baseball columnist at the NY Post, who spent decades covering the sport at the highest level, Davidoff reflects on the grind of beat reporting, the rapid shift toward real-time, “hot t...

Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson welcome Cam Smith, Substack’s Head of Sports Partnerships and Columbia Sports Management alum, to the CUSP Show to explore how the platform is reshaping sports media. What started as a newsletter product has evolved into a multi-format ecosystem spanning audio, video, and community-driven discovery, giving creators more control than ever over their work and their au...

Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson welcome Kevin Lopes, Vice President of Business Development and Innovation at ESPN, to the CUSP Show to discuss his 18-year journey at the company and how ESPN continues to evolve at the forefront of sports media. From starting as a programming coordinator to leading innovation initiatives, Lopes shares how timing, relationships, and a willingness to embrace new tec...

In this special CUSP Show conversation, Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson take a step back after 500 episodes to reflect on how much the sports business has evolved, and where it may be headed next. The two hosts dive into a discussion on the current state of the industry, from March Madness and the Big East Tournament to golf’s evolving business model, media rights strategy, and shifting fan behavi...

Recorded at the 2025 Columbia Sports Management Conference in October, moderator Chris Lencheski leads a conversation on the forces reshaping the sports investment market. Joined by Daniel Adams of Polsinelli, William Mao of Octagon, Betsy Morgan of TOGETHXR, and Stephen Schifrin of Terrapin Partners, the discussion explores how investors, advisors, and operators are evaluating today’s sports land...

Live from Super Bowl Radio Row, Joe Favorito welcomes David James Clarke IV, CEO of Praxis AI, for a conversation about how artificial intelligence is becoming a practical tool across sports, media, education, and healthcare. Clark explains how Praxis AI uses “digital twins” to help scale human expertise, making knowledge more accessible without losing the personality, communication style, and exp...

Recorded at the 2025 Columbia Sports Management Conference in October, Talk Show Host Ann Liguori hosts a panel conversation on how golf is evolving through media, technology, and new competitive formats. Joining the discussion are Jake Hoselton, Co-Founder of Grass League; Andrew Macaulay, Chief Technology Officer at TMRW Sports; Joe Purzycki, Co-Founder and CEO of Pro Shop; and Neil Schuster, Co...

For the 500th episode of the CUSP Show, Live from SuperBowl Radio Row, Joe Favorito and Scott Rosner welcome content creator Uly Morazan, known online as Uly and Ernesto, for a conversation about how pop culture, humor, and social media are helping bring new audiences into football. Morazan shares how his journey into the NFL began unexpectedly through the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce storyline,...

Live from Super Bowl Radio Row, Joe Favorito and Scott Rosner welcome Jamie Pagliei, better known to fans as “The Philly Sports Guy.” While you may not immediately recognize the name, you certainly know the green mohawk, face paint, and relentless energy that have made him a staple at Eagles, Phillies, Flyers, and Sixers games. Pagliei shares his journey from growing up in West Philadelphia and De...

Live from Super Bowl Radio Row, Joe Favorito and Scott Rosner sit down with fellow Columbia faculty member Chris Lencheski to unpack how motorsports, and global sports investing more broadly, are evolving in real time. Lencheski shares how Phoenicia Sport & Entertainment operates with a “people first” approach and why being “quiet” can be a strategic advantage when building long-term relationships...

Live from SuperBowl Radio Row, Joe Favorito and Scott Rosner welcome Dave Nugent, Co-Founder & CEO of Next League, to unpack how sports organizations should evaluate, build, and operate technology that grows audiences and drives revenue. Nugent shares his path from co-founding OMNIGON in 2008, spotting an early gap in “deep tech” within sports, to selling the company to Infront Sports & Media, lea...

Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson welcome Jose Diaz, Executive Vice President at SMAC Entertainment, to break down how the agency operates at the intersection of talent management, content production, brand incubation, and strategic partnerships. Diaz shares SMAC’s origin story, from early days working out of Constance Schwartz’s kitchen table to building a multifaceted business representing high-pr...

Live from SuperBowl Radio Row, Joe Favorito and Scott Rosner sit down with Dedan Brozino, Chief Development Officer and President of the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, to talk legacy, modernization, and what’s next for one of sports’ most iconic venues. Brozino breaks down the Rose Bowl’s unique governance structure, City of Pasadena ownership, the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation’s fundraising role, and...