1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:04,600 Speaker 1: This is Bloomberg Business of Sports. The world changing and 2 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 1: what are the things we can do to transform our 3 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:09,600 Speaker 1: business and engage our fans globally in different ways. People 4 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:12,400 Speaker 1: are using their name and likeness to create more opportunities, 5 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:15,520 Speaker 1: more stakes and companies in order to turn the organization around. 6 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:17,279 Speaker 1: We had to turn it around not only gets on 7 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:20,959 Speaker 1: baseball operations side, but other business operations side well and 8 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:23,079 Speaker 1: any other sport is very difficult, but I like to 9 00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 1: brout my horizons and be able to expand. Sports need 10 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:29,040 Speaker 1: to be consumed a lot and not to a big 11 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 1: competitive advantage for in artual property holders of sports content 12 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:37,920 Speaker 1: in the media landscape. Bloomberg Business of Sports from Bloomberg Radio. 13 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:42,559 Speaker 1: Hi everyone, I'm Jason Kelly, and I'm Mike Lynch and 14 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 1: I'm Michael Barr. Over the next hour, we will explore 15 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 1: the big money issues in the world of sports and 16 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: talk to some of the biggest players in the industry. So, guys, 17 00:00:50,159 --> 00:00:52,240 Speaker 1: I would say the word of the week is fans. 18 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:54,440 Speaker 1: We've got a lot of them. They are back out. 19 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 1: They have been starving for sports, and those fans they 20 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:02,160 Speaker 1: were rapid, I mean to a point where maybe it 21 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:04,240 Speaker 1: was a little annoying to the players, but fun for 22 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:06,920 Speaker 1: us to watch um from a distance. What did you 23 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:10,120 Speaker 1: make of the p G A And as such a 24 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:12,800 Speaker 1: serious golfer and a golf fan that you are, there 25 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:16,360 Speaker 1: was there was something special that happened. Well, first of all, 26 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:18,839 Speaker 1: you had the most popular guy in the field, Phil Mickelson, 27 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:22,880 Speaker 1: and when he was leading going into the last round 28 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:24,520 Speaker 1: on Sunday and said, okay, one of the wheels going 29 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:26,800 Speaker 1: to fall off, and they didn't. He just was stronger 30 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: and stronger. And then you know, words spreads around the 31 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 1: golf course and people are watching other matches. Hey, you 32 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 1: gotta get over and watch Michelson and Kepta. This is 33 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: going to be something. So by the time they got 34 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:38,320 Speaker 1: to the eighteenth hole, all ten thousand people were on 35 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 1: the fairway. I did not have a problem with it 36 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 1: because it minded me of nineteen sixty two and Arnold 37 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:46,679 Speaker 1: Palmer was at the final round of the British Open 38 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:50,480 Speaker 1: with cal Nagel and he was he could just google 39 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 1: this and look at on YouTube the same thing. He 40 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 1: got swallowed up by the crowd. Nagel came out first 41 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 1: and his caddie came out and they were laughing. Palmer 42 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:00,240 Speaker 1: comes out and he pretends he's limping and holding onto 43 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 1: his shoulder like somebody heard him. Then he turned around 44 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 1: and he was laughing, and he he hugged padded kel 45 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 1: Nagel on the back and put it away. Michoelson said, 46 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:10,440 Speaker 1: it was a little unnerving, but it was really awesome. 47 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:12,799 Speaker 1: And I thought that was great. And you know, it's 48 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 1: it's it's it's tough. I mean, he just protected his 49 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:17,639 Speaker 1: ribs so nobody would hit him accidentally. Keptica, by the way, 50 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 1: was just a just a windy little baby about the 51 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:21,680 Speaker 1: whole thing. I mean, I think he should have short 52 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:24,320 Speaker 1: have seen some fun and some enjoyment and some uniqueness 53 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 1: in it. It's gonna become an iconic moment. Trust me, 54 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 1: when when years from now, when you look back at 55 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 1: some of the great moments in golf, that's going to 56 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:34,160 Speaker 1: be considered one of them. Well, I have to say, Bar, 57 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:36,519 Speaker 1: you know one of the things that golf needs. And 58 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: no Shade lynch E too. You know your core sport here, 59 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 1: but it needs a little bit of excitement every now 60 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:46,880 Speaker 1: and again, and and we haven't had um, we haven't 61 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 1: had this sort of excitement, especially without Tiger. That was 62 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 1: something else we talked about with Seth Wah and so 63 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 1: Mickelson maybe the man for this moment. And by the way, 64 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:00,320 Speaker 1: Michael Barr he made a lot of money. All yeah. 65 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 1: I mean, you think about it for a second. The 66 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:07,800 Speaker 1: he made about two million dollars winning this tournament. But 67 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: and I know I'm jumping ahead a little bit when 68 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 1: he and the matches are coming back. He made the 69 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 1: last time when he played with Tiger, he made about 70 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:22,799 Speaker 1: nine million dollars doing that. So I think golf is 71 00:03:22,919 --> 00:03:25,240 Speaker 1: going to be exciting to what it is exciting to 72 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:27,600 Speaker 1: watch right now. But the other thing that that caught 73 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 1: me about that when Mickelson won. We always talk about 74 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 1: the young guns out there, the Kepka's and all the 75 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:38,600 Speaker 1: others out there. But here's a man that was fifty 76 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 1: years old, the oldest ever to win the p g 77 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 1: A championship, and there he and there he is winning it. 78 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 1: And I'm wondering if that had some of the sexiness 79 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:51,560 Speaker 1: involved in in that win. All right, so let's talk 80 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 1: about the match. The match Part two. Uh, Lynchy, this 81 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 1: is straight up made for TV. It is celebrity golf. 82 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 1: It is trash talking. I have to feel like it 83 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 1: is the sort of trash talking that I dare say 84 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 1: goes on in suburban Boston there. Um, when you're out, 85 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 1: you're out on the course. But people love tuning in. 86 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 1: I mean, this is this is what we want, right 87 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:16,839 Speaker 1: We want to be flies on the wall for really 88 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 1: good athletes just messing with each other. Right. You know. 89 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 1: The only thing would be more exciting about this is 90 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:27,599 Speaker 1: if Phil step aside and had Kepta come in and 91 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:29,919 Speaker 1: he goes head to head with Bryson to Shambo. Because 92 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:32,720 Speaker 1: this is right out of this is right out of 93 00:04:32,839 --> 00:04:35,679 Speaker 1: w W E. This is right out of Muhammad Ali 94 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:38,680 Speaker 1: with Howard Costel and Joe Frazier on the stage. This 95 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:41,479 Speaker 1: is right out of any type of you know, in 96 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 1: your face, I'm better than you, and this is gonna 97 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:46,480 Speaker 1: this is gonna be awesome. But I would love to 98 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:48,520 Speaker 1: see kept and they going, it's the Shambo. And I 99 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 1: don't know who I put my money on a street fight. 100 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 1: I might put it onto Shambo. So here's here is 101 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:57,599 Speaker 1: going to be the lineup Tom Brady, Phil Nicholson versus 102 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:01,120 Speaker 1: Aaron Rodgers and Bryson de Shambo. Like that is that's 103 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 1: compelling television. That's compelling golf because you know, you've got 104 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:10,600 Speaker 1: all You've got some goats there. Uh, you know, certainly, 105 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:13,240 Speaker 1: I mean the non golfers, the football players. You know, 106 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:17,400 Speaker 1: Aaron Rodgers has become in a different way than Tom Brady, 107 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: you know, kind of this cult figure. You know, he's 108 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 1: trying out to host Jeopardy, so you know, he's got 109 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:26,919 Speaker 1: his whole stick going on. He obviously is in a 110 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:29,680 Speaker 1: bit of a shall we say, labor disagreement with his 111 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 1: current team. Um, Michael bar So you know, I don't 112 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 1: watch a huge amount of golf on television that I confess, 113 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:38,119 Speaker 1: and I know play golf or having in a number 114 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:42,120 Speaker 1: of years. But I'm tuning into this, you know, miked up. 115 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:44,560 Speaker 1: I want to hear what these guys have to say because, Lyncha, 116 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 1: you know, better than anyone, Tom Brady can talk some trash. 117 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 1: Oh he's great at He's a great trash talker. You know, 118 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 1: he goes on and on and on and on, and 119 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:54,599 Speaker 1: he was he was pretty quiet when he was in 120 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:58,040 Speaker 1: his match with Tiger and Phil and Peyton Manning. Uh, 121 00:05:58,040 --> 00:05:59,960 Speaker 1: He's this He's going to be a much different guy 122 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:02,359 Speaker 1: this time around, because remember he ripped his pants and 123 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:05,800 Speaker 1: then he wasn't playing well, right, that's right. Well, and 124 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:08,160 Speaker 1: he's got you know, he's got that fresh Super Bowl 125 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:11,800 Speaker 1: ring that you know, maybe he'll he'll be sporting for 126 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:14,720 Speaker 1: for this match. So tune in for that for sure. 127 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 1: Speak of tuning in, I'll tell you one thing I 128 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:21,560 Speaker 1: am watching, and in part because I'm interested in a 129 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 1: number of the teams playing. The NBA Playoffs are off 130 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:30,039 Speaker 1: to an unbelievable start here in New York. I have 131 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:33,400 Speaker 1: to say, it is all anybody is talking about Michael Barr, 132 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:37,280 Speaker 1: you know what. Never mind that the Garden was rocking 133 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:42,279 Speaker 1: when the Knicks one. The Garden has a different sound 134 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:44,560 Speaker 1: to it, the Garden that you can hear it when 135 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 1: you're listening to the play by play and its and 136 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 1: it's not just at the Garden. Because the Islanders advanced 137 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:55,880 Speaker 1: for the next round, they're playing Boston and and it 138 00:06:55,960 --> 00:07:00,280 Speaker 1: was rocking when the Islanders were playing. And I think 139 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:03,360 Speaker 1: the crowd come back means a lot, and I think 140 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 1: it's gonna mean big time news for the NBA. And 141 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:10,400 Speaker 1: let's face it, it is exciting to watch when the 142 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:13,120 Speaker 1: crowd is there for real, you know, I mean, okay, 143 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 1: they tried the piped in crowd and I obviously I 144 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:20,080 Speaker 1: get why, because we were going through the COVID right 145 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:23,680 Speaker 1: at its peak. But now that people are coming back, 146 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:28,880 Speaker 1: and you can't anticipate what the crowd is gonna do 147 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 1: when you pipe it in, When you get the real 148 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:33,880 Speaker 1: crowd noise, you get the ooze and the odds. I 149 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:36,520 Speaker 1: love it well, you get us and odds. You get 150 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:40,080 Speaker 1: Spike Lee dancing along the sideline. If you're talking about 151 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:48,600 Speaker 1: I mean, it is unbelievable. What's going on? What's going 152 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:52,680 Speaker 1: on up in Boston? What I'm yawning? How is that 153 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:57,600 Speaker 1: Nick's dynasty? That was the last NBA title? What was 154 00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 1: the what happened with the Celtics this week? What? Okay? 155 00:08:02,920 --> 00:08:07,800 Speaker 1: So how many won to I'm counting. I count two 156 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:14,120 Speaker 1: for the Knicks. So I did call that. I got 157 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:17,880 Speaker 1: up to make a point. Um. Listen, I am far 158 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 1: from a Knicks fan in this regard. You know that. 159 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:22,840 Speaker 1: And I'm about as big a Knicks fan as Trey 160 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:25,600 Speaker 1: Young as at this point. Um, and he was he 161 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:30,200 Speaker 1: was abused literally and figuratively in his visit. What I 162 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:34,040 Speaker 1: will say from a business perspective, and and you can 163 00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:36,480 Speaker 1: argue with this if you want, Lynchy, the Knicks are 164 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:39,079 Speaker 1: good for business the Knicks are good for the business 165 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:43,320 Speaker 1: of the NBA because whatever you think about New York 166 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 1: and part of it, let's be honest, the Knicks have 167 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:49,960 Speaker 1: been terrible. I mean, this was their first playoff win 168 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 1: this week since home playoff win, first home playoff win 169 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:57,200 Speaker 1: since the first time Knicks fans have been able to 170 00:08:57,240 --> 00:09:01,600 Speaker 1: celebrate a winning playoff game UM in practically a decade. 171 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:05,840 Speaker 1: So there's pent up demand for sure. But it's a 172 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:09,880 Speaker 1: massive TV market, and these sorts of showdowns even you know, 173 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:12,920 Speaker 1: what you're seeing between the Suns and the Lakers out 174 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:16,720 Speaker 1: west is really good UM for the NBA and shows 175 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:20,679 Speaker 1: you that, yeah, we limped through the bubble, but you know, 176 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:23,600 Speaker 1: this is how sports are meant to be consumed and 177 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:28,199 Speaker 1: it's much better for business. And everyone has built Yeah, 178 00:09:28,280 --> 00:09:30,320 Speaker 1: the bad boys at Detroit, you can do you have 179 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:40,120 Speaker 1: more titles in the next how many do you have? Oh, Ireddick. 180 00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:44,400 Speaker 1: But if I'm Adam Silver and I'm sitting a few blocks, 181 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:48,199 Speaker 1: you know, a few blocks east at NBA headquarters from 182 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:51,960 Speaker 1: Madison Square Garden, I like this. Nobody has more front 183 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 1: runners in the history of the NBA than the New 184 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:57,199 Speaker 1: York Knicks. And it's good because when when they when 185 00:09:57,320 --> 00:09:59,520 Speaker 1: good things are happening, spike Leeves in the front row 186 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:02,800 Speaker 1: all of Liberty start showing up, and usually they're just 187 00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:06,120 Speaker 1: setting themselves up for a gigantic letdown that doesn't happen. 188 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:10,480 Speaker 1: I'd love Yeah, Listen, I mean I think, can you 189 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:13,360 Speaker 1: imagine like if we had like a Knicks Lakers, fine, 190 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:16,560 Speaker 1: I mean that that is far from happening. And listen, 191 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:19,080 Speaker 1: if we looked at a little south of at least 192 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:22,800 Speaker 1: where where I'm sitting, Um, you got the Sixers looking 193 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 1: very good. You look even closer closer south, um, and 194 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 1: you've got the Brooklyn Nets who look really really good. 195 00:10:29,679 --> 00:10:32,640 Speaker 1: And obviously there's a different um kind of New York 196 00:10:32,679 --> 00:10:37,439 Speaker 1: excitement around that team. But you know, these big franchises 197 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:40,960 Speaker 1: are really good, um for the bottom line. They're good 198 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:45,040 Speaker 1: for TV revenue, and now that you've got people allowed 199 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:47,839 Speaker 1: back in stadiums, it's good for the teams, who, by 200 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:52,080 Speaker 1: the way, lost tens of millions of dollars each because 201 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:54,960 Speaker 1: they couldn't get fans into those seats last year. So 202 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:57,520 Speaker 1: this is a it's a huge side of relief for 203 00:10:57,559 --> 00:11:00,520 Speaker 1: the owners of those teams. Um. And you know, and 204 00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:02,880 Speaker 1: again in the case of the Knicks and and and 205 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:06,440 Speaker 1: I I'm sorry to say the Hawks. Um, it's been 206 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:10,920 Speaker 1: a long time since they've had a really exciting winning franchise. So, um, 207 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:13,760 Speaker 1: it's all good. It's all good. Yes, where I thought 208 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:16,200 Speaker 1: I saw Willis Reid in the stand. Look, I just 209 00:11:16,960 --> 00:11:18,960 Speaker 1: you know, if they if they played, if the Knicks 210 00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:21,680 Speaker 1: played the Lakers in the NBA Finals, Willis Reid has 211 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:25,120 Speaker 1: to come limping out of the walkway. He has to, 212 00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:27,880 Speaker 1: all right, And you know what, They're gonna play that 213 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:31,439 Speaker 1: video on the on the Jumbo drawn a thousand times today. 214 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:33,800 Speaker 1: What a treat. We are so excited to have Lee 215 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:36,559 Speaker 1: Steinberg with us. I mean, talk about the biggest names 216 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:39,560 Speaker 1: in sports, a guy who has seen it all, a 217 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:44,040 Speaker 1: super agent. He defines the term super agent in many ways. Lee, 218 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:46,800 Speaker 1: really really nice to have you with us. Nice to 219 00:11:46,840 --> 00:11:50,480 Speaker 1: be with you. So let's talk about kind of where 220 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:54,160 Speaker 1: you are at this moment, because you have pulled off 221 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 1: a pretty remarkable comeback in some ways rebuilt, um, your agency, 222 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:03,079 Speaker 1: your business. We're going to talk about a guy named 223 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:05,200 Speaker 1: Patrick Mahomes a little bit later in the show, who 224 00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:10,040 Speaker 1: you negotiated historic contract four. But this is two point 225 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:12,480 Speaker 1: oh in many ways, for you. Tell us about sort 226 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:15,280 Speaker 1: of the recent journey for you. Well, you know when 227 00:12:15,320 --> 00:12:20,360 Speaker 1: I struggled with alcohol, uh and and have especially devastating 228 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:25,120 Speaker 1: crash back in two thousand ten. Um, all I said 229 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:27,560 Speaker 1: to myself is I'll be sober and I'll be a 230 00:12:27,559 --> 00:12:30,920 Speaker 1: good father. My dad had two core values, which were 231 00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:36,200 Speaker 1: treasure relationships, especially family, and try to make a meaningful 232 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:38,679 Speaker 1: difference in the world. And I could see I wasn't 233 00:12:38,760 --> 00:12:42,360 Speaker 1: really living up to either of them. And uh, I 234 00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:46,760 Speaker 1: always knew that. Um. I mean at that point, I 235 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:50,720 Speaker 1: represented sixty two first round graphics in the NFL and 236 00:12:50,760 --> 00:12:54,240 Speaker 1: the very first pick eight times, and uh, we had 237 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:57,160 Speaker 1: twelve players in Hall of Fame. I knew that part 238 00:12:57,160 --> 00:13:00,840 Speaker 1: of it would would be uh okay to rebuild because 239 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 1: I could still find athletes that wanted to be role models, 240 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:09,280 Speaker 1: that wanted to retrace their roots. Um. But uh, staying 241 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:13,120 Speaker 1: sober and I'm now in my twelfth year continuous sobriety 242 00:13:13,559 --> 00:13:16,480 Speaker 1: and being a good posit of my Goallee. First of all, 243 00:13:16,559 --> 00:13:20,120 Speaker 1: bless your heart, because eleven years going on twelve now sober. 244 00:13:20,240 --> 00:13:22,920 Speaker 1: I mean, that's that's a great thing. And you have 245 00:13:23,080 --> 00:13:27,160 Speaker 1: seen the highs of the highs and the lows of 246 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:31,840 Speaker 1: the lows. Can you talk about that path? And now 247 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:34,240 Speaker 1: that you're back up on your game, can you talk 248 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:39,440 Speaker 1: about that what went on? Basically? Yes, I, Uh, you 249 00:13:39,480 --> 00:13:42,240 Speaker 1: have to break denial. If anyone's out there listening and 250 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:46,880 Speaker 1: they're struggling with any kind of substance and they're hopeless, uh, 251 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:50,160 Speaker 1: just know there's help. And so I did a twelve 252 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:53,400 Speaker 1: step program with a unique fellowship. I had plenty of 253 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:57,720 Speaker 1: help from people around me. Um, and you have to 254 00:13:57,760 --> 00:13:59,280 Speaker 1: be able to see the light at the end of 255 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:02,400 Speaker 1: the tunnel. You have to believe that somewhere in all 256 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:07,480 Speaker 1: this detritus and destruction, Uh, there's a better time. So 257 00:14:07,679 --> 00:14:11,880 Speaker 1: resilience is the quality really that uh saved you in that. 258 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:14,760 Speaker 1: And I thought to myself, you know, I'm not a 259 00:14:14,800 --> 00:14:19,040 Speaker 1: starving peasant in Darfer. I'm not with the last named 260 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:23,680 Speaker 1: Steinberg in Nazi Germany. I don't have any crippling disease. 261 00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:26,720 Speaker 1: What excuse do I not have? So you know, we 262 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:29,560 Speaker 1: started back a firm and and in two thousand and 263 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:34,000 Speaker 1: sixteen had a first round GRAFTI in the quarterback Paxson 264 00:14:34,120 --> 00:14:36,800 Speaker 1: Lynch and then the next year was Mahomes and last 265 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:40,080 Speaker 1: year was to a tongo by Loa. So it's a 266 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:44,400 Speaker 1: very vibrant and lively practice. And we have a younger CEO, 267 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:48,400 Speaker 1: Chris Cabot, who's who's running a lot of the day 268 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:51,480 Speaker 1: to day UH parts of it. But we have a 269 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:54,360 Speaker 1: really great team and we're still doing the same thing. 270 00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:58,200 Speaker 1: We're asking athletes to retrace their roots and set up 271 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:02,520 Speaker 1: a high school scarships on UH, or work with a 272 00:15:02,640 --> 00:15:05,360 Speaker 1: church or boys and girls club, go back to the 273 00:15:05,440 --> 00:15:09,400 Speaker 1: college university like Edgar and James did at Miami, or's 274 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:11,560 Speaker 1: Troy aman at u c I and set up a 275 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:15,520 Speaker 1: scarship fund. And then at the professional level, UM put 276 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:19,760 Speaker 1: together a board of leading business figures, political figures, and 277 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:25,960 Speaker 1: community leaders that can execute a foundation. So we're done. 278 00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:28,800 Speaker 1: Just put the hundred and seventies f single mother and 279 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:32,160 Speaker 1: her family into the first home that'll ever owned by 280 00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:35,600 Speaker 1: making the down payment and and so it's happy each 281 00:15:35,680 --> 00:15:38,680 Speaker 1: changing lives. I know you've already said brand is king. 282 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:42,240 Speaker 1: How did you rebuild your brand and more importantly, your trust, 283 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:47,720 Speaker 1: not not with with former clients, but with potential future clients. 284 00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:50,800 Speaker 1: So you have to be realistic about what the challenges 285 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:54,640 Speaker 1: are facing you. Someone might ask, how can you guarantee 286 00:15:54,640 --> 00:15:57,920 Speaker 1: you'll stay sober, which you can't. You know you've been 287 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:00,800 Speaker 1: out for five or six years, do you still have 288 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:05,360 Speaker 1: the relationships? Um, you know you're not a spring chicken exactly. 289 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:09,280 Speaker 1: You know, will you'd be around for our son's whole career. 290 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 1: So you have to have uh, well thought through answers 291 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:16,000 Speaker 1: to all of that. I don't have a divine right 292 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:21,840 Speaker 1: to represent players, but uh, we had a big baseball practice, 293 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:29,360 Speaker 1: big basketball practice, Olympic stars boxers, and um, I knew 294 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:34,160 Speaker 1: that no one had represented more high round draft picks. 295 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:37,680 Speaker 1: But I'm looking to profile certain sort of young man. 296 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:41,440 Speaker 1: So you're looking on the college campus for someone who's right, 297 00:16:41,960 --> 00:16:46,680 Speaker 1: has a zealous work ethic and also it has a 298 00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:49,720 Speaker 1: good heart. And if you can find those types, I 299 00:16:49,720 --> 00:16:53,440 Speaker 1: thought I'd still relate well. And it's interesting to pick 300 00:16:53,520 --> 00:16:56,480 Speaker 1: up on that lee. I mean, Mahomes is a fascinating 301 00:16:56,560 --> 00:16:58,480 Speaker 1: example of someone. And I've read a little bit of 302 00:16:58,960 --> 00:17:02,800 Speaker 1: what you've said in the past about the draft process. 303 00:17:02,880 --> 00:17:07,560 Speaker 1: Even for him, he was not to mix sports metaphors here. 304 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:10,000 Speaker 1: He was not a slam dunk high round draft pig 305 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:13,280 Speaker 1: in many ways. So what did you see in him 306 00:17:13,359 --> 00:17:16,840 Speaker 1: that you know? I told you that not only would 307 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:21,000 Speaker 1: he be you know, obviously a terrific m VP player, 308 00:17:21,440 --> 00:17:23,920 Speaker 1: future Hall of Famer, I think it's fair to say, 309 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:27,080 Speaker 1: but also, you know, sort of a man who would 310 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:31,760 Speaker 1: meet the moment even off the field. He had been 311 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:35,239 Speaker 1: raised by a father who was a professional athlete, and 312 00:17:35,359 --> 00:17:38,720 Speaker 1: so he saw the highs and lows, and he understood 313 00:17:38,760 --> 00:17:42,840 Speaker 1: inherently how to stay grounded. And he was raised well, 314 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:47,520 Speaker 1: so his primary focuses on other people. He asked you, 315 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:50,000 Speaker 1: if you, Matt, how are you doing? What's going on 316 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:54,240 Speaker 1: with you? And um. So that makes a natural leader. 317 00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:58,400 Speaker 1: And then he's really bright and has an identic memory, 318 00:17:58,480 --> 00:18:01,520 Speaker 1: so he can remember every single play. You had to 319 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:04,480 Speaker 1: look past the fact that Texas Tech had such a 320 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:09,560 Speaker 1: miserable defense that they were having fifty fifty five sixty 321 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:12,520 Speaker 1: points scored against them. So it put the pressure on 322 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:16,720 Speaker 1: Patrick to to score on every drive. So he made 323 00:18:16,760 --> 00:18:20,640 Speaker 1: throws and did things that people thought were guns flingerish 324 00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:23,640 Speaker 1: and uh. But you had to be able to project 325 00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:27,800 Speaker 1: beyond that because you've never seen as freakish an arm 326 00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:31,640 Speaker 1: as uh he has in the touch. But here's what's 327 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:35,920 Speaker 1: really critical for a franchise quarterback. It's now become the 328 00:18:36,359 --> 00:18:39,080 Speaker 1: pre eminent position in pro football, and a team is 329 00:18:39,080 --> 00:18:40,919 Speaker 1: going to have a hard time going to the super 330 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:43,479 Speaker 1: Bowl without one. So you look for someone you can 331 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:45,919 Speaker 1: build around for ten to twelve years, so many you 332 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:49,960 Speaker 1: can win because of rather than with. But most importantly, 333 00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:53,720 Speaker 1: what do you do in adversity? How does that athlete 334 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:57,080 Speaker 1: perform when he's thrown a couple interceptions, the game is 335 00:18:57,119 --> 00:19:00,600 Speaker 1: getting out of hand, the crowd is booing, the senders 336 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:04,080 Speaker 1: looking at the quarterback like he must be on Lucien 337 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:09,800 Speaker 1: Agens and what games getting out of hand? So Canny 338 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:14,119 Speaker 1: adopt a quiet mind, compartmentalize and elevate his level of 339 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:18,720 Speaker 1: play in critical situations to take a team to and through. 340 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:23,119 Speaker 1: And you could see that that he had the capability 341 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:25,240 Speaker 1: of that. And and then it really helps that he 342 00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:28,040 Speaker 1: had a year behind Alex Smith, who was a really 343 00:19:28,119 --> 00:19:33,399 Speaker 1: generous mentor. And had you seen someone sort of of 344 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:36,720 Speaker 1: that mold before Lee? I mean, like, who did who 345 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:39,840 Speaker 1: did you? As you were sort of putting him into 346 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:42,680 Speaker 1: even the pantheon of your own clients or even the 347 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:46,920 Speaker 1: history of the game, like who did you? Who did you? Say? Okay, well, 348 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:49,479 Speaker 1: this is a he could go into a situation like 349 00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:53,280 Speaker 1: x or he could think about a career that's similar 350 00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:59,320 Speaker 1: to why well I had for Aikman and Steve Young 351 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:02,840 Speaker 1: and Warren Moon and at Mark Bromnell and Drew Bled 352 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:08,119 Speaker 1: so in a whole starting with Steve Bartkowsky, and I 353 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:12,720 Speaker 1: had seen what was necessary to make a franchise quarterback 354 00:20:12,840 --> 00:20:17,159 Speaker 1: to be at that special level. And Um, if you 355 00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:20,040 Speaker 1: watch him throw the ball, he can do things with 356 00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:22,680 Speaker 1: it that I just haven't seen. And I've got three 357 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:26,080 Speaker 1: quarterbacks in the Hall of Fame, and he can feather 358 00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:30,399 Speaker 1: a ball. And he went back to ESPN during the 359 00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:35,119 Speaker 1: scouting process, and they take athletes outside and they have 360 00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:39,000 Speaker 1: many many stories up. They have a walkway, and so 361 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:42,080 Speaker 1: the big test is can you throw the ball over 362 00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:45,840 Speaker 1: the walkway. It takes a prodigious heave to do it, 363 00:20:46,560 --> 00:20:50,479 Speaker 1: and sitting behind there was a dummy in a chair. 364 00:20:50,560 --> 00:20:53,000 Speaker 1: But you know, if you could make it over, it's 365 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:57,080 Speaker 1: a good deal. So he goes back to throw. He 366 00:20:58,640 --> 00:21:04,199 Speaker 1: throze it over this gargantuan walkway and lands it in 367 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:08,240 Speaker 1: the lap of the dummy on the other side. And 368 00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:12,960 Speaker 1: you have to look at that and say, oh, my goodness, Um, 369 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:17,560 Speaker 1: it's unbelievable. So but the thing about him is he 370 00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:20,720 Speaker 1: never stops working to make himself better. So what you 371 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:24,359 Speaker 1: see is the tip of the iceberg. Um. What you 372 00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:28,440 Speaker 1: don't see is the extraordinary amount of time he puts 373 00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:32,280 Speaker 1: into preparation over and over again. And the fact that 374 00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:35,680 Speaker 1: contemporary athletes stay in shape, they never get out of shape. 375 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:41,080 Speaker 1: And uh um, So it was no one could ever 376 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:44,679 Speaker 1: predict the player in his first year of starting with 377 00:21:44,840 --> 00:21:49,359 Speaker 1: the m v P. I mean but because normally the 378 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:52,840 Speaker 1: progression of quarterbacks is so it takes time to read 379 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:55,640 Speaker 1: the field and to slow the defense down and all that. 380 00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:59,879 Speaker 1: And when you see people like Joe Burrow or Justin 381 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:04,680 Speaker 1: Herbert last year, that's an anomaly. Um, you're not supposed 382 00:22:04,720 --> 00:22:07,400 Speaker 1: to be that good that fast. So we'll see how 383 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:10,320 Speaker 1: they go down the road. But um, he had the 384 00:22:10,359 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 1: other experience, which is a whole year shouldn't learn and 385 00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:18,959 Speaker 1: um um, and and it helped him. Um. If I 386 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:21,880 Speaker 1: had my brothers, all my young quarterbacks would do that. 387 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:25,919 Speaker 1: But um uh, don't look for cheers from them about 388 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:28,480 Speaker 1: that proposition. So Lee, we were talking a little bit 389 00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:32,800 Speaker 1: about Patrick Mahomes and you know that deal, that recent 390 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:37,359 Speaker 1: deal records setting. Many people would argue, absolutely, he's a, 391 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:39,760 Speaker 1: he's a bargain at twice the price. This is not 392 00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:43,560 Speaker 1: your first rodeo in terms of negotiating record setting deals. 393 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:47,480 Speaker 1: But so take us inside the mechanics of that if 394 00:22:47,520 --> 00:22:50,880 Speaker 1: you can, because there was some creativity involved. It did 395 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:53,359 Speaker 1: feel like not to you know, blow too much smoke. 396 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:56,440 Speaker 1: But this this was a deal that was made for 397 00:22:56,520 --> 00:23:01,560 Speaker 1: you to figure out. So UM, my younger partner, Chris Cabot, 398 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:05,800 Speaker 1: sort of took a little bit of lead and Uh, 399 00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:11,720 Speaker 1: the challenge was how do you maximally compensate the player 400 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:18,800 Speaker 1: while quieting the fears as somehow he might leave in 401 00:23:18,960 --> 00:23:24,080 Speaker 1: free agency and giving him the best chance to ensure 402 00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:27,760 Speaker 1: um that have a supporting cast that will get him 403 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:30,960 Speaker 1: to the super Bowl. No one benefits more greatly from 404 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:33,479 Speaker 1: being in the super Bowl. Uh. And when you have 405 00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:37,600 Speaker 1: a hyper competitive client, you have to do so um. 406 00:23:37,640 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 1: You know, we have this salary cap system. UM. Normally 407 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:45,680 Speaker 1: with draft picks there's not much creativity to the process. Uh, 408 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:49,640 Speaker 1: there's somewhat slotted. But with a veteran you can use 409 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:56,120 Speaker 1: a variety of different UM mechanisms on guarantees and sort 410 00:23:56,119 --> 00:23:59,000 Speaker 1: of think outside the square and figure out a way 411 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:04,119 Speaker 1: to to maximally compensate your player at the top of 412 00:24:04,160 --> 00:24:07,520 Speaker 1: the game, but at the same time making sure that 413 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:14,840 Speaker 1: he's successful and uh and and they need security at 414 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:17,560 Speaker 1: that position. You need to know you can build around 415 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:22,760 Speaker 1: someone for a long time and and so it's sort 416 00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:28,359 Speaker 1: of important. Now. The reality is that most franchise type 417 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:33,440 Speaker 1: players end up renegotiating their contractum over and over again, 418 00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:38,000 Speaker 1: mostly because the salary cap and so um. You know, 419 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:40,760 Speaker 1: we'll see what happens down the line. But the point is, 420 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:44,480 Speaker 1: he's one happy camper in Kansas said he loves the city, 421 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:48,119 Speaker 1: got a charitable foundation there. He bought into part of 422 00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:53,240 Speaker 1: the Kansas City World's Baseball team and it was sort 423 00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:55,800 Speaker 1: of a perfect fit. So there's a big love affair 424 00:24:55,880 --> 00:24:59,440 Speaker 1: going on between him and the community, and you want 425 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:03,680 Speaker 1: to sustain to see that just grow. He pulled off 426 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:06,960 Speaker 1: that super deal with Patrick Mahomes. What have you learned 427 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:12,919 Speaker 1: anything about deals like that going forward with other athletes? 428 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:16,480 Speaker 1: What what has that taught you? So what you can 429 00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:20,639 Speaker 1: see is that the television revenue is going to increase 430 00:25:20,760 --> 00:25:24,360 Speaker 1: the market. Would you have thought that in a crater 431 00:25:24,760 --> 00:25:30,800 Speaker 1: economy and with the pandemic uh somewhat raging that the 432 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:35,280 Speaker 1: NFL television contract would go up by eighty three percent 433 00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:40,040 Speaker 1: for CBS and Fox and about a third for ESPN. 434 00:25:40,520 --> 00:25:44,639 Speaker 1: That's those dollars are. Look. When I started, it was 435 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:47,240 Speaker 1: two million dollars each team got as they're shared in 436 00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:51,119 Speaker 1: the national TV contract per year, and last year it 437 00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:55,280 Speaker 1: was over two hundred million. And with this new contract, 438 00:25:55,320 --> 00:25:57,720 Speaker 1: each team eventually going to get up to about three 439 00:25:57,800 --> 00:26:02,680 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty million dollars per year just in television revenue. 440 00:26:03,119 --> 00:26:07,399 Speaker 1: So the reason for that is lost leader bidding. So 441 00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:11,280 Speaker 1: it's not that you can network can make so much 442 00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:15,879 Speaker 1: money by buying rights fees at those exorbitant rates. But 443 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:18,160 Speaker 1: what they can do is show the promos for their 444 00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:22,919 Speaker 1: Monday through Friday advertising, get more viewers for the network 445 00:26:23,440 --> 00:26:27,560 Speaker 1: and sports delivers and the overall value of the network 446 00:26:27,600 --> 00:26:31,320 Speaker 1: goes up. So it's happy days ahead. The amazing thing 447 00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:36,399 Speaker 1: is football finally now with these quarterbacks, has players making 448 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:39,320 Speaker 1: the same or more amount of money as the highest 449 00:26:39,359 --> 00:26:42,920 Speaker 1: paid players and other sports. And this will just um 450 00:26:43,320 --> 00:26:46,840 Speaker 1: uh continue. I think we'll see a real renewed love 451 00:26:46,880 --> 00:26:53,399 Speaker 1: affair between the US population and all team sports. And 452 00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:57,840 Speaker 1: uh we you got to a point last year where 453 00:26:58,040 --> 00:27:01,120 Speaker 1: you know, after you've watched the Tiger King five times 454 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:08,520 Speaker 1: or uh, you know, old master's golf tournaments really nurtured 455 00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:14,160 Speaker 1: our love for being involved with sports. Recruiting athletes or clients. 456 00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:17,440 Speaker 1: It's very competitive business. Can you just take me through, 457 00:27:17,520 --> 00:27:19,879 Speaker 1: give me the reader's digest version. I know that you 458 00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:22,480 Speaker 1: do background checks on athletes and tell me when you're 459 00:27:22,880 --> 00:27:24,840 Speaker 1: you know you've got a comfort level with an athlete. 460 00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:31,240 Speaker 1: So normally the discussion will start with the parents. They 461 00:27:31,280 --> 00:27:35,359 Speaker 1: adopt the role of screeners, and so much of the 462 00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:39,240 Speaker 1: discussion will go into a presentation with the parents. And 463 00:27:39,280 --> 00:27:42,840 Speaker 1: while you're talking, their value system will come out there, 464 00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:47,080 Speaker 1: style of parenting will come out, their hopes and aspirations. 465 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:50,720 Speaker 1: And the most important skill in all this is listening. 466 00:27:51,359 --> 00:27:55,119 Speaker 1: If you can create enough trust around another human being 467 00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:58,800 Speaker 1: that they'll cut below the surface, peel back the layers 468 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:02,639 Speaker 1: of the onions and show you their deepest anxieties and 469 00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:06,040 Speaker 1: fears and their greatest hopes and dreams. If you can 470 00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:09,960 Speaker 1: put your head into the head and heart of someone else. Um, 471 00:28:10,320 --> 00:28:14,400 Speaker 1: so the job really is to understand uniquely, not generically, 472 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:17,960 Speaker 1: that athlete and who is what is you know, how 473 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:20,520 Speaker 1: does he feel about short term economic gain and long 474 00:28:20,640 --> 00:28:25,359 Speaker 1: term economic security and family and geographical location and being 475 00:28:25,359 --> 00:28:27,879 Speaker 1: a starter and being on the winning team, and to 476 00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:33,040 Speaker 1: really understand, um, what motivates that particular person, and so 477 00:28:33,119 --> 00:28:36,600 Speaker 1: that comes out in the process. And normally then there'd 478 00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:40,400 Speaker 1: be a cut to less agents, cut to less agents, 479 00:28:40,440 --> 00:28:43,280 Speaker 1: and then many times if we meet the player after 480 00:28:43,320 --> 00:28:48,640 Speaker 1: the playing season is over, between the season and the 481 00:28:48,680 --> 00:28:53,600 Speaker 1: bowl games and established rapport. But in these days UH, 482 00:28:54,560 --> 00:29:02,000 Speaker 1: the fortunate athlete is surrounded by unknown a or a 483 00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:07,520 Speaker 1: campus UH compliance panel and they have help in the process. Lee. 484 00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:10,120 Speaker 1: You know, one of the names that that you mentioned 485 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:12,600 Speaker 1: is Steve Young, and I just happened to be reading 486 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:16,560 Speaker 1: his terrific autobiography that he wrote with Jeff Benedict, and 487 00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:19,080 Speaker 1: you know, you pop up in there quite a bit, 488 00:29:19,160 --> 00:29:22,120 Speaker 1: and you pointed out as we were getting ready for 489 00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:25,640 Speaker 1: this show that you know, Patrick Mahomes was record setting 490 00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:28,760 Speaker 1: that contract, so was Steve Young's when he went into 491 00:29:28,840 --> 00:29:32,960 Speaker 1: the USFL. And for our younger listeners, you're gonna have 492 00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:34,640 Speaker 1: to google that because you may not know what the 493 00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:38,479 Speaker 1: heck it is. But it is fascinating to think about, 494 00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:42,040 Speaker 1: you know, those bookends as it were, of your career 495 00:29:42,120 --> 00:29:45,920 Speaker 1: as it sits right now. Lee. As you think about 496 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:51,000 Speaker 1: those negotiations, as you think about the way that owners 497 00:29:51,040 --> 00:29:54,600 Speaker 1: have changed across the league's UH that you've been working in, 498 00:29:54,760 --> 00:29:59,120 Speaker 1: especially in football, how has that part of the equation 499 00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:05,840 Speaker 1: changed just with the owners. It's changed because contemporary owners 500 00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:09,520 Speaker 1: have made their fortune in the free and tumble of 501 00:30:09,760 --> 00:30:15,240 Speaker 1: capitalist system, and they come in as successful businessmen and 502 00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:19,320 Speaker 1: they view it as a business. They loved the sport aspect, 503 00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:22,440 Speaker 1: but they view it as a business, so they're very 504 00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:28,160 Speaker 1: rational about the way they negotiate. In older days, the 505 00:30:28,240 --> 00:30:34,280 Speaker 1: only thing business that owner owned was the NFL franchise, 506 00:30:34,800 --> 00:30:38,640 Speaker 1: so if you were in Pittsburgh or the old St. 507 00:30:38,680 --> 00:30:44,920 Speaker 1: Louis Cardinals or the Cincinnati Bengals, that was those UH. 508 00:30:45,120 --> 00:30:49,680 Speaker 1: Owners lived off that revenue, so they felt economically pressed 509 00:30:49,720 --> 00:30:53,880 Speaker 1: all the time until the television UH and the rules 510 00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:58,000 Speaker 1: were so different. Remember that for many many years football 511 00:30:58,040 --> 00:31:00,760 Speaker 1: players signed a contract and then at the end of 512 00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:04,120 Speaker 1: it there was an option clause that stopped them from 513 00:31:04,160 --> 00:31:07,160 Speaker 1: going anywhere else, so there was no free agency. And 514 00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:10,680 Speaker 1: suppose the player was playing at five hundred and now 515 00:31:10,760 --> 00:31:13,480 Speaker 1: the next series work two me and by offering a 516 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:18,240 Speaker 1: ten percent raise, the owner UH could keep that players. 517 00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:21,200 Speaker 1: So you have a very different type. Now. The USFL 518 00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:26,760 Speaker 1: was wild because anytime you have leverage, which players normally 519 00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:30,720 Speaker 1: don't have. I mean it's not like, uh, if you're 520 00:31:30,840 --> 00:31:34,920 Speaker 1: negotiating a first round contract and for a draft pit 521 00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:38,760 Speaker 1: um that you have a great alternative. Oh yes, some 522 00:31:39,160 --> 00:31:41,080 Speaker 1: trankman is going to go back to u C l 523 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:43,880 Speaker 1: A and not play for the Coperts. He's going to 524 00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:48,280 Speaker 1: develop the new theory of superconductivity. Uh no, maybe he'll 525 00:31:48,480 --> 00:31:53,440 Speaker 1: play cello. In the US would still harmonic. I mean, 526 00:31:53,520 --> 00:31:57,320 Speaker 1: they obviously know that that their last offers the best. 527 00:31:57,360 --> 00:32:01,760 Speaker 1: But when you have a league, I said, and younger 528 00:32:01,800 --> 00:32:07,040 Speaker 1: listeners won't remember. But all of the USFL picked the 529 00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:13,360 Speaker 1: NFL draft clean. They signed Leergie White, they signed Jim Kelly, Herschel, Walker, 530 00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:18,320 Speaker 1: Mike Rosier, Steve Young. They they took the biggest stars. 531 00:32:18,440 --> 00:32:21,760 Speaker 1: So for a few days it was heavy times and 532 00:32:21,920 --> 00:32:25,880 Speaker 1: in Steve situations, the irony was all he wanted to 533 00:32:25,880 --> 00:32:28,400 Speaker 1: do was play, and he didn't really care about money. 534 00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:31,560 Speaker 1: So we end up with this contract. That's that makes 535 00:32:31,600 --> 00:32:35,840 Speaker 1: headlines around the entire world, and it leads off the 536 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:40,520 Speaker 1: DAN rather nightly news and and their headlines. And I 537 00:32:40,560 --> 00:32:43,479 Speaker 1: still have a Japanese newspaper. All it says is forty 538 00:32:43,560 --> 00:32:47,120 Speaker 1: two something or other forty two millions. But I couldn't 539 00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:50,880 Speaker 1: read the rest of the headlines. Um, and so here 540 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:55,920 Speaker 1: it's like now we're associated with sports economics, run a 541 00:32:56,040 --> 00:33:00,640 Speaker 1: muck and uh that was a wild owner of Willia 542 00:33:00,720 --> 00:33:04,080 Speaker 1: Muldenberg of the US about when you read if you read, 543 00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:08,160 Speaker 1: oh my god, they're like throwne glasses and offices that 544 00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:14,600 Speaker 1: are like trashed in the process. Right, Yeah, it's Uh. 545 00:33:14,960 --> 00:33:18,160 Speaker 1: I've written a book Winning is within techrity on negotiating, 546 00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:22,640 Speaker 1: and it's it's a great theory. However, you know when 547 00:33:22,640 --> 00:33:25,960 Speaker 1: Bill Poleian, Uh, when I'm doing Drew and James has 548 00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:31,719 Speaker 1: a marched out of training camp, Uh, because because we 549 00:33:31,760 --> 00:33:37,360 Speaker 1: won't agree to a contract. Right. Um, there's some interesting experiences. 550 00:33:38,560 --> 00:33:41,640 Speaker 1: All right. Everybody knows that I'm just a geeky nerd 551 00:33:42,280 --> 00:33:46,400 Speaker 1: and I'm going to go there. The movie Jerry McGuire 552 00:33:47,160 --> 00:33:51,200 Speaker 1: was based off of you, and I just wonder what 553 00:33:51,360 --> 00:33:53,560 Speaker 1: were your thoughts about that. I mean, did Tom Cruise 554 00:33:53,600 --> 00:33:55,160 Speaker 1: come to you and say, do you say show me 555 00:33:55,200 --> 00:33:59,240 Speaker 1: the money? I mean, what what what happened in that movie? Uh? 556 00:33:59,280 --> 00:34:05,480 Speaker 1: That really made you a super household name. Um well 557 00:34:05,480 --> 00:34:11,359 Speaker 1: it was and the director UM writer Cameron Crowe, who 558 00:34:11,360 --> 00:34:14,319 Speaker 1: had done a movie called Past Times of Ridgemont High, 559 00:34:14,400 --> 00:34:17,280 Speaker 1: which I thought was really funny UH and had written 560 00:34:17,360 --> 00:34:20,240 Speaker 1: rock criticism, called me and asked if he could follow 561 00:34:20,239 --> 00:34:23,320 Speaker 1: me around UH to pick up atmosphere for a film 562 00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:26,279 Speaker 1: that would be centered on the sports agent so In 563 00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:29,920 Speaker 1: who bled so was the first pick in the draft 564 00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:33,399 Speaker 1: and Uh. Cameron came with me and he flew up 565 00:34:33,400 --> 00:34:37,280 Speaker 1: when we did a press conference with Bill ourselves in Boston, 566 00:34:37,920 --> 00:34:41,680 Speaker 1: and he came to the League of meetings that were 567 00:34:41,680 --> 00:34:44,359 Speaker 1: in Palm Desert that year. He came up games with 568 00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:49,720 Speaker 1: me pro scouting the sc Super Bowl parties, UM, and 569 00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:52,760 Speaker 1: I introduced the people and told him lots and lots 570 00:34:52,760 --> 00:34:57,240 Speaker 1: of stories and then um Um. My job as technical 571 00:34:57,280 --> 00:35:01,000 Speaker 1: advisor was a vet the script so that real sports 572 00:35:01,040 --> 00:35:04,160 Speaker 1: fans note the dialogue phony or if the look is 573 00:35:04,200 --> 00:35:06,239 Speaker 1: not right, so you have to make sure that. And 574 00:35:06,239 --> 00:35:08,920 Speaker 1: then I had the actors to work with. So I 575 00:35:08,960 --> 00:35:12,799 Speaker 1: took Cuba Gooding Junior with me down to the UM 576 00:35:13,040 --> 00:35:15,520 Speaker 1: Super Bowl and Phoenix and made him britenn He was 577 00:35:15,560 --> 00:35:18,480 Speaker 1: a wide receiver. He had that hang out with Desmond 578 00:35:18,480 --> 00:35:22,240 Speaker 1: Howard and a money tumor who were wide receiver clients 579 00:35:22,960 --> 00:35:25,719 Speaker 1: for a week. And UH actually showed the quarterback in 580 00:35:25,800 --> 00:35:28,800 Speaker 1: the film, Jerry O'Connell, how to throw a spiral because 581 00:35:29,200 --> 00:35:31,440 Speaker 1: he had gone to n y U and they didn't 582 00:35:31,440 --> 00:35:35,920 Speaker 1: have UH football there. But show me the money. Um, 583 00:35:36,120 --> 00:35:39,560 Speaker 1: We're out in Palm Desert and I'm showing Tim McDonald, 584 00:35:39,640 --> 00:35:43,120 Speaker 1: who was a safety playing for Arizona that to a 585 00:35:43,200 --> 00:35:45,640 Speaker 1: variety of different teams. And they go upstairs in the 586 00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:52,440 Speaker 1: hotel and um, um Blue Jobs and money line is 587 00:35:52,520 --> 00:35:57,240 Speaker 1: on the television in the background on CNN, and so 588 00:35:57,520 --> 00:36:02,120 Speaker 1: Tim is talking to Cameron about he's looking for. Cameron says, 589 00:36:02,160 --> 00:36:04,080 Speaker 1: what do you What is it you're trying to get? 590 00:36:04,160 --> 00:36:07,719 Speaker 1: So Kim jess short towards the screen and says, I'm 591 00:36:07,760 --> 00:36:10,239 Speaker 1: looking for a team to show me some winning. I'm 592 00:36:10,280 --> 00:36:15,120 Speaker 1: looking for a team to show me respect. And then 593 00:36:16,040 --> 00:36:18,919 Speaker 1: either Cameron wrote the line show me the money or 594 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:21,600 Speaker 1: Tim said the line showed me the money. But somehow, 595 00:36:21,640 --> 00:36:26,279 Speaker 1: out of that experience it came and anywhere, probably any 596 00:36:26,360 --> 00:36:29,040 Speaker 1: time I go to an airport or out to dinner. 597 00:36:29,120 --> 00:36:32,600 Speaker 1: I flew back from Las Vegas yesterday and people walk 598 00:36:32,719 --> 00:36:38,759 Speaker 1: up and they asked me to say those four words. 599 00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:43,560 Speaker 1: So when you watched them for twenty years, I can imagine. 600 00:36:43,600 --> 00:36:45,400 Speaker 1: So when you watched the movie, did you smile or 601 00:36:45,440 --> 00:36:50,239 Speaker 1: did you cringe? Oh? I smiled. I mean Cameron. It's 602 00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:56,120 Speaker 1: Cameron's brilliant creation and UM, But I thought the part 603 00:36:56,360 --> 00:37:00,279 Speaker 1: that was valuable was to show a more humans to 604 00:37:01,239 --> 00:37:05,319 Speaker 1: UH sports agentry and to understand that yes, there's a 605 00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:10,200 Speaker 1: crass UH money only business approach, but there's also real 606 00:37:10,360 --> 00:37:15,759 Speaker 1: caring UM in relationships. And I thought that it humanized 607 00:37:15,960 --> 00:37:21,360 Speaker 1: the UH the whole to give to give Jerry McGuire 608 00:37:21,560 --> 00:37:25,799 Speaker 1: a crisis of conscience, it's the same crisis of conscience 609 00:37:25,880 --> 00:37:30,920 Speaker 1: I had when UM, I saw that my quarterbacks and 610 00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:34,719 Speaker 1: other players kept getting hid in the head um and 611 00:37:34,920 --> 00:37:38,160 Speaker 1: became aware of the dangers of concussion. So what do 612 00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:41,080 Speaker 1: you do at that point? And so what I've done 613 00:37:41,160 --> 00:37:44,880 Speaker 1: is to hold sixteen player safety conferences and campaign for 614 00:37:45,560 --> 00:37:50,400 Speaker 1: more awareness, prevention and cure. But I think the reason 615 00:37:50,480 --> 00:37:53,239 Speaker 1: it was the highest grossing sports film of all time 616 00:37:54,800 --> 00:37:59,960 Speaker 1: until The blind Side is UH, there was a romantic 617 00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:04,920 Speaker 1: relationship in it. And so you know Lee as you 618 00:38:05,320 --> 00:38:08,200 Speaker 1: as you synthesize that and you sort of synthesize your 619 00:38:08,320 --> 00:38:14,080 Speaker 1: your recent experiences. You know, the whole notion of representation, 620 00:38:14,200 --> 00:38:17,520 Speaker 1: it feels like has changed. The business has changed in 621 00:38:17,560 --> 00:38:19,560 Speaker 1: a lot of ways over the course of your career. 622 00:38:19,640 --> 00:38:23,279 Speaker 1: We have these empowered athletes, we have the power of 623 00:38:23,360 --> 00:38:28,360 Speaker 1: social media, we have you know, activism that is expected, 624 00:38:28,360 --> 00:38:31,080 Speaker 1: and we have all these outside interesting business interests that 625 00:38:31,120 --> 00:38:35,200 Speaker 1: you talked about earlier in the conversation. So how does 626 00:38:35,239 --> 00:38:38,040 Speaker 1: that change how you approach the business, how you build 627 00:38:38,080 --> 00:38:42,000 Speaker 1: a firm, how you maybe hire and recruit your your 628 00:38:42,040 --> 00:38:48,200 Speaker 1: own talent and and your own colleagues. Well, first of all, um, 629 00:38:48,239 --> 00:38:52,920 Speaker 1: every athlete today have unprecedented power over their own brand, 630 00:38:53,480 --> 00:38:56,800 Speaker 1: and so so much is about branding. It's what someone 631 00:38:56,920 --> 00:39:01,319 Speaker 1: displays on social media than the currents for endorsements and 632 00:39:01,360 --> 00:39:05,560 Speaker 1: other things. Is how many followers does someone have Twitter 633 00:39:05,960 --> 00:39:10,799 Speaker 1: or Instagram or all the rest. So it's it's developing 634 00:39:10,840 --> 00:39:14,960 Speaker 1: that player. And with the name, image likeness changes. At 635 00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:19,080 Speaker 1: the n c A coming, you're going to have people 636 00:39:19,239 --> 00:39:22,920 Speaker 1: entering from high school who become marketable players in their 637 00:39:22,920 --> 00:39:26,640 Speaker 1: collegian days, and one would assume that, um, if you 638 00:39:26,680 --> 00:39:30,640 Speaker 1: want to represent them eventually, that you'll have to be 639 00:39:30,800 --> 00:39:34,440 Speaker 1: part of that marketing and that supposed to start this summer. Um. 640 00:39:34,920 --> 00:39:39,000 Speaker 1: So who will benefit from that, Well, probably a college 641 00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:46,280 Speaker 1: quarterback from a high profile programs who think Jamis Winston 642 00:39:46,440 --> 00:39:51,200 Speaker 1: or Johnny Mansel or to a Tongo Va Loa, maybe 643 00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:54,960 Speaker 1: a female Olympics star or someone who plays in the 644 00:39:55,000 --> 00:39:58,080 Speaker 1: sports and can go Olympics. But that will be a 645 00:39:58,160 --> 00:40:03,160 Speaker 1: major change because, um, instead of the process being such 646 00:40:03,320 --> 00:40:07,040 Speaker 1: that player makes it in pro ball, it's a high 647 00:40:07,120 --> 00:40:11,120 Speaker 1: profile plays dramatically. Well there's just one of a few. 648 00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:16,200 Speaker 1: It's gonna start now in high school and these players 649 00:40:16,280 --> 00:40:20,560 Speaker 1: will be you know, carving out their own identity. But 650 00:40:21,680 --> 00:40:26,440 Speaker 1: and then the the multiple uses of it are stunning. Um. 651 00:40:26,480 --> 00:40:31,239 Speaker 1: You know, we did an event, uh for Patrick Mahomes 652 00:40:31,840 --> 00:40:36,000 Speaker 1: where he auctioned off some n f T s and 653 00:40:36,040 --> 00:40:37,880 Speaker 1: for those of the audience who don't know what they 654 00:40:37,880 --> 00:40:40,960 Speaker 1: are there beat as a memorabilia. They can be a 655 00:40:41,520 --> 00:40:45,319 Speaker 1: iconic film, it can be a painting, It could be 656 00:40:45,400 --> 00:40:47,560 Speaker 1: something to capture as a moment. And then they go 657 00:40:47,600 --> 00:40:51,680 Speaker 1: out and set a fifty or unique ones or bargained 658 00:40:51,719 --> 00:40:56,560 Speaker 1: for um. But uh, I think he raised about three 659 00:40:56,600 --> 00:40:59,960 Speaker 1: point two million dollars for charity in in like they're 660 00:41:00,040 --> 00:41:03,239 Speaker 1: few minutes. But what people were buying where things is 661 00:41:03,520 --> 00:41:09,040 Speaker 1: only give you the rights over on your computer. They 662 00:41:09,040 --> 00:41:13,480 Speaker 1: don't actually exist in what we used to think of 663 00:41:13,560 --> 00:41:18,040 Speaker 1: this real life. You're talking about collegiate sports, and I 664 00:41:18,200 --> 00:41:23,720 Speaker 1: wonder if obviously football, I mean, that's that's there's money 665 00:41:23,719 --> 00:41:28,240 Speaker 1: to be made there, But what about women's collegiate sports 666 00:41:28,360 --> 00:41:33,400 Speaker 1: and basketball and things like that? Is that basically an 667 00:41:33,480 --> 00:41:39,600 Speaker 1: untapped market that's that's waiting to to grow. It all 668 00:41:39,760 --> 00:41:48,160 Speaker 1: follows the television revenue. So that the conundrum is that, uh, 669 00:41:48,200 --> 00:41:51,520 Speaker 1: if you showed more women's sports and people saw more 670 00:41:51,560 --> 00:41:56,200 Speaker 1: women's basketball, women's volleyball, they'd be more popular. And the 671 00:41:56,280 --> 00:41:59,239 Speaker 1: rationale for not showing more is that they're not popular. 672 00:41:59,480 --> 00:42:05,919 Speaker 1: So uh, it goes round and round, um it it um. 673 00:42:06,239 --> 00:42:10,280 Speaker 1: But I've always thought there was a market in in soccer, 674 00:42:10,600 --> 00:42:18,560 Speaker 1: in basketball, in volleyball, um, uh, golf, tennis, number of sports, 675 00:42:18,680 --> 00:42:23,839 Speaker 1: um for female athletes and and you know it just 676 00:42:23,880 --> 00:42:27,920 Speaker 1: has to be marketed right. Women make the consumer purchase 677 00:42:28,080 --> 00:42:31,920 Speaker 1: decisions in the majority in the household, and it's all 678 00:42:31,960 --> 00:42:37,160 Speaker 1: about building backstory. If you can create a compelling narrative 679 00:42:37,560 --> 00:42:40,920 Speaker 1: as to why this is an interesting person, watch what 680 00:42:41,000 --> 00:42:44,040 Speaker 1: they do for the Olympics. Um, they will star build 681 00:42:44,239 --> 00:42:48,720 Speaker 1: all those I've represented Olympians and they do a terrific 682 00:42:48,800 --> 00:42:54,799 Speaker 1: job on a terrific job on on the NBC. UH 683 00:42:55,120 --> 00:42:58,879 Speaker 1: building backstory. So I think that you have to give 684 00:42:58,880 --> 00:43:02,760 Speaker 1: people a rooting in tress. And so it's a chicken 685 00:43:02,840 --> 00:43:08,360 Speaker 1: and television issue to me that that might be my 686 00:43:08,400 --> 00:43:15,839 Speaker 1: mother calling me telling me you um lee up parent Massachusetts. 687 00:43:15,920 --> 00:43:19,080 Speaker 1: Financial literacy is a really hot button topic. I'm involved 688 00:43:19,080 --> 00:43:21,440 Speaker 1: in this program called Credit for Life and which we 689 00:43:21,960 --> 00:43:25,040 Speaker 1: talked to high school students about all the financial obligations 690 00:43:25,080 --> 00:43:26,879 Speaker 1: that are coming down the track at you. And as 691 00:43:26,920 --> 00:43:29,920 Speaker 1: you just mentioned, name, image and likeness is coming at 692 00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:32,759 Speaker 1: us very soon, whether we like it or not. Do 693 00:43:32,840 --> 00:43:35,680 Speaker 1: you slap yourself on the forehead sometime and just say, 694 00:43:35,680 --> 00:43:38,360 Speaker 1: oh my goodness, these guys I'm represented can't even balance 695 00:43:38,400 --> 00:43:42,520 Speaker 1: a checkbook. So what we do? First of all, you 696 00:43:42,600 --> 00:43:46,759 Speaker 1: have a number of universities that are now doing like 697 00:43:47,520 --> 00:43:52,879 Speaker 1: file programs that start to teach people financial literacy while 698 00:43:52,920 --> 00:43:57,480 Speaker 1: they're on college campus. Second of all, um, we don't 699 00:43:57,520 --> 00:44:00,839 Speaker 1: do it ourselves, but we make sure each of our 700 00:44:00,880 --> 00:44:07,000 Speaker 1: clients as a financial planner in their life that will 701 00:44:07,080 --> 00:44:12,360 Speaker 1: go through a budget, a financial plan, explain the tax system, 702 00:44:12,360 --> 00:44:18,879 Speaker 1: Explain the fact that you're obviously not gonna play and 703 00:44:18,920 --> 00:44:23,960 Speaker 1: make money at these levels forever. And um so, I 704 00:44:24,000 --> 00:44:27,680 Speaker 1: think you'd fry. Most contemporary athletes, they may start a 705 00:44:27,719 --> 00:44:30,920 Speaker 1: little flow because none of us in the college campus 706 00:44:31,120 --> 00:44:35,120 Speaker 1: were maybeens in that field, but they have the court 707 00:44:35,800 --> 00:44:41,400 Speaker 1: And um so, I understand the that the stereotype is 708 00:44:41,560 --> 00:44:45,640 Speaker 1: the athlete who is bankrupt or something. I don't haven't 709 00:44:45,920 --> 00:44:51,680 Speaker 1: found that experience. We have very, very financially wealth set players, 710 00:44:51,719 --> 00:44:56,920 Speaker 1: and there's enough money in uh in salary today for 711 00:44:57,000 --> 00:44:59,840 Speaker 1: any player who can play any kind of extended career 712 00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:03,359 Speaker 1: of the economically set for life. Um but you have 713 00:45:03,480 --> 00:45:06,320 Speaker 1: to get them help from the start so they don't 714 00:45:06,400 --> 00:45:10,600 Speaker 1: make the mistakes that you read about. So Lee, as 715 00:45:10,880 --> 00:45:13,600 Speaker 1: we wrap up here when it sort of end where 716 00:45:13,640 --> 00:45:16,600 Speaker 1: we started a little bit, which is you know your 717 00:45:16,600 --> 00:45:19,359 Speaker 1: comeback story in in many ways, I think it's it's 718 00:45:19,400 --> 00:45:22,239 Speaker 1: safe to say you're back. I mean you you have, 719 00:45:22,600 --> 00:45:26,600 Speaker 1: um you know, you've achieved a lot on the back 720 00:45:26,640 --> 00:45:30,800 Speaker 1: of some real struggles which which you really transparently and 721 00:45:31,080 --> 00:45:34,239 Speaker 1: honestly described. So how do you feel right now? And 722 00:45:34,239 --> 00:45:38,160 Speaker 1: and and what what's the next thing for you? And 723 00:45:38,160 --> 00:45:41,799 Speaker 1: and and how are you feeling about that? Oh? Um, 724 00:45:41,880 --> 00:45:46,000 Speaker 1: I feel like midlife and totally excited. I mean, there 725 00:45:46,040 --> 00:45:49,560 Speaker 1: are real problems we can tackle through role modeling. You know, 726 00:45:49,640 --> 00:45:54,239 Speaker 1: when Lennox Lewis says real men don't hit women, it 727 00:45:54,320 --> 00:46:00,000 Speaker 1: can do more to change behavioral uh behavior in uh 728 00:46:00,080 --> 00:46:06,080 Speaker 1: young adolescents. They're all the environment sporting green alliance. Um. 729 00:46:06,160 --> 00:46:10,200 Speaker 1: And I'm gonna about to write another book and we're 730 00:46:10,200 --> 00:46:14,480 Speaker 1: looking at um people who want to do a movie, 731 00:46:14,960 --> 00:46:19,680 Speaker 1: you know, on on a long arc of life and uh, 732 00:46:19,719 --> 00:46:23,320 Speaker 1: I'll probably end up doing a podcast and then they're 733 00:46:23,360 --> 00:46:29,920 Speaker 1: exciting new there's uh all always new breakthroughs in sport. 734 00:46:30,040 --> 00:46:33,360 Speaker 1: One of them for me now is is health and wellness. 735 00:46:33,680 --> 00:46:37,040 Speaker 1: You know, whether it's hyper barco chigen or a light 736 00:46:37,160 --> 00:46:41,440 Speaker 1: then we're finding ways to recover quicker from injuries, to 737 00:46:41,640 --> 00:46:46,480 Speaker 1: sustain um energy late in a game, and for the 738 00:46:47,160 --> 00:46:54,200 Speaker 1: baby boomers sustain life um and um there's a rugby 739 00:46:54,320 --> 00:46:57,040 Speaker 1: league is trying to get going now and I agree 740 00:46:57,120 --> 00:47:00,560 Speaker 1: to help them go so and then there's always a 741 00:47:00,560 --> 00:47:04,920 Speaker 1: new athletes. Um. So the combination is really exciting and 742 00:47:05,080 --> 00:47:09,440 Speaker 1: uh uh I feel like I'm just at the beginning 743 00:47:09,480 --> 00:47:12,440 Speaker 1: all over again. Well, it's really good to spend some 744 00:47:12,440 --> 00:47:14,400 Speaker 1: time with you. We look forward to catching up in 745 00:47:14,400 --> 00:47:16,839 Speaker 1: the near future. Just what you laid out is we 746 00:47:16,840 --> 00:47:18,879 Speaker 1: we could fill a whole season of episodes just talking 747 00:47:18,880 --> 00:47:21,319 Speaker 1: about all of those, uh different things. So we'll be 748 00:47:21,360 --> 00:47:23,879 Speaker 1: leaning on you going forward to to keep us honest 749 00:47:23,920 --> 00:47:26,640 Speaker 1: on that. Great to share some stories with you and 750 00:47:26,960 --> 00:47:28,680 Speaker 1: hear about how you are at Lee Steinberg, Thank you 751 00:47:28,719 --> 00:47:32,120 Speaker 1: so much. Thank you. Clearly guys a legend to say 752 00:47:32,120 --> 00:47:34,640 Speaker 1: the least, I mean, Lee Steinberg, He's seen it all. 753 00:47:34,680 --> 00:47:36,120 Speaker 1: I mean, if you dig in a little bit to 754 00:47:36,360 --> 00:47:38,200 Speaker 1: his his personal story, and he alluded to it right 755 00:47:38,239 --> 00:47:41,160 Speaker 1: at the top of the conversation. Has not been an 756 00:47:41,160 --> 00:47:45,480 Speaker 1: easy road in in some ways. Um, you know, not 757 00:47:45,520 --> 00:47:48,120 Speaker 1: to be overly glib, but you know, life imitating art 758 00:47:48,239 --> 00:47:51,879 Speaker 1: to some extent, I mean, really went through some tough 759 00:47:51,880 --> 00:47:54,839 Speaker 1: stuff in the same way that his fictional counterpart Jerry 760 00:47:54,880 --> 00:47:57,440 Speaker 1: McGuire did. Um, but has come out the other side. 761 00:47:57,440 --> 00:48:01,759 Speaker 1: And listen, point to the score word, Patrick Mahomes, I 762 00:48:01,840 --> 00:48:04,279 Speaker 1: mean records said in contract, he negotiated it, he in 763 00:48:04,320 --> 00:48:09,759 Speaker 1: his firms. So um he is uh, he's back, baby, yep. 764 00:48:09,880 --> 00:48:12,080 Speaker 1: He is UH and you know, entering his twelfth year 765 00:48:12,080 --> 00:48:14,800 Speaker 1: of sobriety, and he remembered a couple of things his 766 00:48:14,880 --> 00:48:17,520 Speaker 1: parents told him, Treasure all your relationships and trying to 767 00:48:17,520 --> 00:48:19,680 Speaker 1: make a difference in the world. And he felt that 768 00:48:19,719 --> 00:48:22,000 Speaker 1: he was failing in both of those measures that his 769 00:48:22,080 --> 00:48:25,200 Speaker 1: parents had instilled in him. And good for him. And 770 00:48:25,360 --> 00:48:28,160 Speaker 1: he was open and very transparent, as you said, in 771 00:48:28,400 --> 00:48:31,279 Speaker 1: his sobriety and his UH and when he stumbled and 772 00:48:31,280 --> 00:48:34,000 Speaker 1: when he fell, and and he's back, baby, as they say, 773 00:48:34,040 --> 00:48:36,759 Speaker 1: he's back. You know, Bar is interesting to hear him 774 00:48:36,760 --> 00:48:40,560 Speaker 1: talk about to the differences in the players, the differences 775 00:48:40,560 --> 00:48:43,040 Speaker 1: and the owners. I mean, this is a this is 776 00:48:43,040 --> 00:48:46,600 Speaker 1: a far cry from where he started, even though you know, 777 00:48:46,840 --> 00:48:49,960 Speaker 1: the actual mechanics haven't changed that much. I mean, he's 778 00:48:50,000 --> 00:48:54,200 Speaker 1: negotiating contracts between UH an employee and an manager or 779 00:48:54,200 --> 00:48:57,160 Speaker 1: an owner of a team. But yet it is a 780 00:48:57,160 --> 00:49:00,960 Speaker 1: heck of a lot more complicated. I was surprised at 781 00:49:01,000 --> 00:49:03,719 Speaker 1: that how long he's been in it. Back when he 782 00:49:03,840 --> 00:49:08,000 Speaker 1: said that the NFL teams share two million dollars in 783 00:49:08,080 --> 00:49:12,200 Speaker 1: television rights and now it's two hundred million dollars. I mean, 784 00:49:12,239 --> 00:49:14,959 Speaker 1: the TVs back then had rabbit ears. And there's something 785 00:49:15,000 --> 00:49:16,520 Speaker 1: else the young is gonna have to look up on 786 00:49:16,560 --> 00:49:20,040 Speaker 1: Google because that's has been along. He's been a long 787 00:49:20,080 --> 00:49:22,960 Speaker 1: time in this business, and and he knows his stuff. 788 00:49:23,040 --> 00:49:26,279 Speaker 1: And and again I salute him. I mean, you talk 789 00:49:26,320 --> 00:49:30,080 Speaker 1: about literally a V shaped recovery. He is the person 790 00:49:30,520 --> 00:49:33,440 Speaker 1: that's involved in that, from the highs to the lows 791 00:49:33,480 --> 00:49:35,680 Speaker 1: and then back to the highs. Yeah, I mean my 792 00:49:35,719 --> 00:49:37,759 Speaker 1: homes in ta It doesn't get much bigger than that 793 00:49:37,800 --> 00:49:40,560 Speaker 1: in terms of representation. But you know, one thing we 794 00:49:40,600 --> 00:49:42,400 Speaker 1: didn't talk to him as much about, although it is 795 00:49:42,800 --> 00:49:45,480 Speaker 1: he alluded to it is this notion of you know, 796 00:49:45,520 --> 00:49:50,160 Speaker 1: they had this very wide portfolio in his previous iteration, 797 00:49:50,360 --> 00:49:52,840 Speaker 1: and now if you think about his business, it's essentially 798 00:49:52,920 --> 00:49:55,680 Speaker 1: much more of a boutique. It is focused on the NFL. 799 00:49:55,840 --> 00:49:57,800 Speaker 1: It is focused on the top players in the NFL 800 00:49:58,400 --> 00:50:02,200 Speaker 1: um and as he said, you know, helping them think 801 00:50:02,239 --> 00:50:07,680 Speaker 1: through their their current and their future. And I also 802 00:50:08,040 --> 00:50:10,719 Speaker 1: found it notable when we were discussing um an I 803 00:50:10,960 --> 00:50:14,439 Speaker 1: L and those sorts of issues Lynchy this notion of 804 00:50:14,840 --> 00:50:17,399 Speaker 1: the economics of the game or such that as long 805 00:50:17,440 --> 00:50:21,000 Speaker 1: as you get good advice, you shouldn't be like you 806 00:50:21,040 --> 00:50:23,440 Speaker 1: should be fine, you know, like that this is not 807 00:50:24,040 --> 00:50:28,040 Speaker 1: we we should not have the the cases of like 808 00:50:28,680 --> 00:50:32,160 Speaker 1: players blowing at all and not being able to support themselves. 809 00:50:32,200 --> 00:50:37,560 Speaker 1: That that the economic landscape is such that it's it's 810 00:50:37,600 --> 00:50:40,800 Speaker 1: possible for for just about everybody who plays pro sports. No, 811 00:50:40,960 --> 00:50:42,680 Speaker 1: it is. And we've heard of so many stories of 812 00:50:42,680 --> 00:50:45,680 Speaker 1: guys that buy seventeen cars and twelve houses, and you 813 00:50:45,719 --> 00:50:48,120 Speaker 1: know what happened to it. I can't believe it's gone. 814 00:50:48,120 --> 00:50:51,760 Speaker 1: But Lee has a very structured layout for his clients. 815 00:50:51,760 --> 00:50:55,440 Speaker 1: As you said, he you must have your own financial advisor, uh, 816 00:50:55,840 --> 00:50:57,680 Speaker 1: or you won't be my client. He also demands, and 817 00:50:57,960 --> 00:50:59,880 Speaker 1: he really didn't get into this too much, but he 818 00:51:00,040 --> 00:51:02,680 Speaker 1: demands that each one of them sets up a charity 819 00:51:02,960 --> 00:51:06,360 Speaker 1: um and and so they're very philanthropic. So all his 820 00:51:06,440 --> 00:51:08,800 Speaker 1: clients are very well they're good players, they're the stars 821 00:51:08,840 --> 00:51:11,080 Speaker 1: in the league. But they are very well rounded. And 822 00:51:11,120 --> 00:51:14,640 Speaker 1: I think they are sort of I don't want to say, 823 00:51:14,640 --> 00:51:19,120 Speaker 1: protected to from failure financial failure, and which I think 824 00:51:19,200 --> 00:51:21,880 Speaker 1: is something that makes all the parents happy, because he 825 00:51:21,920 --> 00:51:24,040 Speaker 1: said he meets with the parents first, and the most 826 00:51:24,040 --> 00:51:28,160 Speaker 1: important skill in recruiting the parents is just listening Monro's 827 00:51:28,680 --> 00:51:31,160 Speaker 1: one picks. I'm not in Germanic kids. Feels better to 828 00:51:31,160 --> 00:51:33,120 Speaker 1: be number one than number five. I'll wear a number 829 00:51:33,160 --> 00:51:34,719 Speaker 1: because of Mike. We have a chance to go for 830 00:51:34,800 --> 00:51:36,480 Speaker 1: three in a row. Good numbers is a good time. 831 00:51:36,520 --> 00:51:38,560 Speaker 1: When I first started wearing the number, how we just 832 00:51:38,600 --> 00:51:42,080 Speaker 1: have been proud Bloomberg Business of Sports, the number of 833 00:51:42,080 --> 00:51:47,240 Speaker 1: the week. Here we are all right, here's here's the topic. Now. 834 00:51:47,520 --> 00:51:52,640 Speaker 1: If the Tokyo Olympics are a scrap, obviously it would 835 00:51:52,719 --> 00:51:57,560 Speaker 1: damage the Japanese economy. Now, this is according to no 836 00:51:57,680 --> 00:52:02,879 Speaker 1: More research. If the aims were canceled, you would cause 837 00:52:02,920 --> 00:52:07,880 Speaker 1: a direct economic loss of this. And I want the 838 00:52:07,920 --> 00:52:15,320 Speaker 1: answer in dollars yet, Yeah, what they answer in dollarsiillion dollars. 839 00:52:15,680 --> 00:52:18,480 Speaker 1: I'm gonna go high. I'm gonna go real high because 840 00:52:18,520 --> 00:52:22,120 Speaker 1: I think it costs them to set everything up. And 841 00:52:22,120 --> 00:52:28,960 Speaker 1: I'm gonna double that to forty billion. Wow. Well, according 842 00:52:29,040 --> 00:52:33,640 Speaker 1: to Naga Hama, cancelation would cause the direct economic loss 843 00:52:33,800 --> 00:52:38,240 Speaker 1: of about one point for trillion yen or twelve point 844 00:52:38,440 --> 00:52:44,640 Speaker 1: nine billion dollars lose. Again, I thought you were like, 845 00:52:44,719 --> 00:52:46,759 Speaker 1: you know, you know what, he might do this again. 846 00:52:46,840 --> 00:52:49,759 Speaker 1: It's like you know super Lynch, he's gonna pull and 847 00:52:49,800 --> 00:52:54,080 Speaker 1: then yeah, then you have been eight dollars on a 848 00:52:54,200 --> 00:52:59,080 Speaker 1: broom Man price. I thought you're gonna seven trillion dollars 849 00:52:59,080 --> 00:53:04,800 Speaker 1: and I was like the um so twelve billion, twelve 850 00:53:04,800 --> 00:53:11,920 Speaker 1: and change billion dollars. It's a lot twelve point nine. Yeah, yeah, 851 00:53:12,360 --> 00:53:14,719 Speaker 1: I mean and and I don't know. I mean, I 852 00:53:14,760 --> 00:53:20,240 Speaker 1: think about the there there is the economic loss for 853 00:53:20,400 --> 00:53:23,880 Speaker 1: obviously Japan and for Tokyo. I mean there's a lot lost. 854 00:53:24,800 --> 00:53:26,920 Speaker 1: I mean I think on an individual basis, I mean, 855 00:53:27,000 --> 00:53:32,040 Speaker 1: think about the endorsements that won't happen of that athlete 856 00:53:32,280 --> 00:53:35,320 Speaker 1: that not not the Simone Biles and the Katie Ladecki's 857 00:53:35,400 --> 00:53:39,040 Speaker 1: and and those guys will be fine in some regard, 858 00:53:39,560 --> 00:53:43,200 Speaker 1: but you know that that breakout star that we probably 859 00:53:43,239 --> 00:53:45,440 Speaker 1: don't know about. And you think about like how famous 860 00:53:45,440 --> 00:53:48,600 Speaker 1: Apollo on No became, that nobody knew who he was 861 00:53:48,719 --> 00:53:51,440 Speaker 1: before the Olympics and then he went onto a very 862 00:53:51,520 --> 00:53:54,080 Speaker 1: luke at you know. I mean, there there are examples 863 00:53:54,160 --> 00:53:56,839 Speaker 1: like that of you know, these stars that we just 864 00:53:56,880 --> 00:54:00,360 Speaker 1: don't know about for in the in the mainstream, in 865 00:54:00,400 --> 00:54:02,799 Speaker 1: the mainstream world. So it'll be very sad if there's 866 00:54:02,840 --> 00:54:07,000 Speaker 1: no Olympics. Absolutely, we've been listening to Bloomberg Business of Sports. 867 00:54:07,000 --> 00:54:08,360 Speaker 1: Are here each and every week for you at the 868 00:54:08,360 --> 00:54:11,040 Speaker 1: same time, plus online wherever you get your podcast. Let's 869 00:54:11,080 --> 00:54:14,799 Speaker 1: drop on Monday's, Wednesdays and Thursday's. I'm Jason Kelly. Follow 870 00:54:14,880 --> 00:54:18,040 Speaker 1: me on Twitter at Jason Kelly News and congratulations at 871 00:54:18,080 --> 00:54:20,560 Speaker 1: Jason Kelly who showed us the money in the number 872 00:54:20,600 --> 00:54:23,319 Speaker 1: of the week. On Mike Lynch, you can follow me 873 00:54:23,360 --> 00:54:26,920 Speaker 1: at Lynch e w CBB and I'm Michael bar on 874 00:54:26,920 --> 00:54:31,320 Speaker 1: Twitter at Big Bars Sports. So you're listening to Bloomberg 875 00:54:31,360 --> 00:54:34,440 Speaker 1: Business of Sports and Bloomberg Radio around the world.