1 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:13,480 Speaker 1: We welcome you to the Official Titans Podcast, brought to 2 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:17,080 Speaker 1: you by Farm Bureau Health Plans. Look to the folks 3 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 1: at Farm Bureau Health Plans when you need someone who 4 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:23,439 Speaker 1: understands the exes and ohs of healthcare coverage. They've been 5 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:27,440 Speaker 1: protecting Tennessee And since nineteen forty seven. And he hasn't 6 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:30,920 Speaker 1: been protecting Tennessee And since nineteen forty seven, but he 7 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:34,280 Speaker 1: did it for a long time in many roles, the 8 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 1: last of which the president and CEO of this organization 9 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:42,479 Speaker 1: until just days ago. Steve Underwood, your exit interview on 10 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:46,600 Speaker 1: the Official Titans Podcast, We welcome. I'm looking forward to it, Mike, 11 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:49,879 Speaker 1: and thanks to our friends at Farm Bureau. That's good stuff, 12 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:54,320 Speaker 1: all right. So we have done interviews with you in 13 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 1: the past, and we've talked about so much history, and 14 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:01,320 Speaker 1: if people haven't listened to your ot from twenty eighteen, 15 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 1: we certainly want to encourage them to do that because 16 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:07,360 Speaker 1: the talk of the move and everything that went with 17 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:12,840 Speaker 1: it is fascinating, particularly as we enter sort of the 18 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 1: second stage of the Titans, going into the second generation. 19 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:21,840 Speaker 1: But I want to talk about the most recent incarnation 20 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:27,679 Speaker 1: of your time with the team and how fascinating. It 21 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:30,399 Speaker 1: is from the standpoint you retire in two thousand eleven, 22 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:34,479 Speaker 1: you head back to Texas. You love retirement. Things are 23 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:38,039 Speaker 1: going well, Texas is good, and life is good, and 24 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: everything's going well, and then in two and fifteen the 25 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:48,240 Speaker 1: phone starts ringing. Did you consider turning it down? And 26 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: did you think you'd be here five years? I never 27 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 1: necessarily considered turning it down. I did go to my wife, 28 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 1: Francis and asked her if she was going to be 29 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: okay with it. Of course, what I've to her, Mike, 30 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 1: was what Amy had pitched me, which was a couple 31 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 1: of months. Francis and I had or I had had 32 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 1: a project under the way for many years, which was 33 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:15,040 Speaker 1: to buy a brand new Corvette and take delivery of 34 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:19,960 Speaker 1: it at the assembly facility and boweling brain, and I 35 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:22,240 Speaker 1: had put aside the money. It had taken me many 36 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:25,520 Speaker 1: many years to save the money for the car, and 37 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 1: because we still had children at home and still going 38 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:31,119 Speaker 1: to college, I had never committed money to buy the car. 39 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 1: And Francis said, I'll go along with it, see if 40 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:37,160 Speaker 1: you'll go ahead, and the order year of car wow, 41 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:40,079 Speaker 1: which I did, and we she and I picked it 42 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:43,920 Speaker 1: up in July, after I had started work in Nashville 43 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:47,359 Speaker 1: in March. Actually started to believe it or not, Mike 44 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 1: at the NFL's annual owner meetings, which that year were 45 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 1: in Phoenix at the Billmore and that's where my first 46 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:01,080 Speaker 1: day on the job was. Of course, I know most 47 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:03,239 Speaker 1: of all those people I knew, and many of them 48 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 1: remembered me from other clubs and from the league office 49 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 1: and so forth. Then it was several months later and 50 00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:13,799 Speaker 1: he said, Hey, we're still going through the transition. Would 51 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:16,800 Speaker 1: you mind staying through the end of the season That 52 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:20,239 Speaker 1: would have been the twenty fifteen regular season. And again 53 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 1: I consulted with Francis and we were okay with it. 54 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 1: But all that time I was trying to help them 55 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:31,720 Speaker 1: look for someone to be their permanent resident in charge 56 00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 1: executive in charge. And from time to time I would 57 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:38,520 Speaker 1: send them lists and resumes and this guy might be good, 58 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 1: you might want to interview this guy, and I would 59 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:48,320 Speaker 1: never hear anything back from an After several months of that, 60 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 1: I mean, I was still sending things, but I think 61 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 1: any sort of cut off for foreclosed further discussion of 62 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:58,040 Speaker 1: it by saying, well, could you stay through the end 63 00:03:58,040 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 1: of the season, so we put all that on the hole, 64 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 1: the search for someone permanent, and kept working on the 65 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 1: projects that we were trying to address. Now, I want 66 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 1: to hit something personally about you before we move forward. 67 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 1: I would bet that the thought about a Corvette started 68 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:21,480 Speaker 1: when you were a young man coming from You don't 69 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:24,719 Speaker 1: come from royalty, as you mentioned on many occasions. You 70 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:29,039 Speaker 1: come from most humble beginnings, right, And many people in 71 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:31,839 Speaker 1: this country have who have come from humble beginnings have 72 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:35,720 Speaker 1: a car dream. We are the land of cars. Obviously 73 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 1: they were invented here, and so that that sort of 74 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 1: factored into the process, is that this had been a 75 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:47,839 Speaker 1: lifelong dream? Correct? Oh? Well, in high school I worked 76 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:50,760 Speaker 1: at a gas pumping gas, which is something, of course 77 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:53,320 Speaker 1: people don't do anymore except in the state of New Jersey. 78 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:57,080 Speaker 1: But I was pumping gas and making dollar and a 79 00:04:57,160 --> 00:04:58,799 Speaker 1: quarter an hour, and there was a guy in town 80 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 1: who had a silver steam Ray of the fastback model 81 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty three, and I became just totally enamored 82 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:13,240 Speaker 1: of his car. And then from that point on, every 83 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:15,279 Speaker 1: time I would see a Corvette while I was I 84 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 1: would get at least a little excited and became more 85 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:22,680 Speaker 1: and more in love with the car over time, and 86 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:26,680 Speaker 1: then finally, some time in the mid eighties, I started 87 00:05:26,720 --> 00:05:31,479 Speaker 1: a secret slush fund to buy a Corvette. I eventually 88 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 1: told Francis about it after I had a few thousand 89 00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:36,599 Speaker 1: dollars in it, and some weeks I was not able 90 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:38,920 Speaker 1: to save anything. Other weeks I would stay, you know, 91 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:42,840 Speaker 1: a few dollars. So the savings process for the car 92 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:48,279 Speaker 1: lasted almost thirty years, and over that time I built 93 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 1: up enough money to actually buy the car. But by 94 00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:56,279 Speaker 1: then I had two kids at Baylor, and you know, 95 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: was a little concerned about making sure that we could 96 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 1: pay for all that. Our son was still living up 97 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:06,080 Speaker 1: until twenty eleven, so I had had that concern as well. 98 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:10,800 Speaker 1: But all of those things were pretty much taken care 99 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:13,360 Speaker 1: of by the time I went back to work, and 100 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:15,360 Speaker 1: my wife had pity on me and said, we'll go 101 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:18,040 Speaker 1: ahead and order the car and then I'll be okay 102 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:20,359 Speaker 1: with you. Got I think it's an important part of 103 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:23,520 Speaker 1: the Steve Underwood story, though, because where you come from, 104 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 1: how you came up with mister Adams, how hard you 105 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 1: had to work, how you advanced through the organization, and 106 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:33,040 Speaker 1: the fact that you would save in that way tells 107 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:35,160 Speaker 1: a lot about your story, which is why I wanted 108 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:38,479 Speaker 1: to bring it out, and I think it also tells 109 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 1: why she picked up the phone and called you at 110 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:45,120 Speaker 1: this point, because when you walked back into Saint Thomas 111 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:53,360 Speaker 1: Sports Parks, mess Let's face it. So let me ask you, 112 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:56,240 Speaker 1: at the moment you walked back into the office in 113 00:06:56,279 --> 00:06:59,480 Speaker 1: the spring of twenty fifteen, what were the first things 114 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 1: that had to be addressed to get the taiton straight. 115 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 1: Of all the concerns that Aby and I had at 116 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: that moment in time, the biggest one to me was 117 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:14,800 Speaker 1: what I was described as among our staff, a sort 118 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 1: of deep, abiding concern about the direction the team was 119 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:23,480 Speaker 1: going and our future outlook as an NFL club. Mister 120 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:27,280 Speaker 1: Adams had passed away, but people there really never gotten 121 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:30,600 Speaker 1: much of a chance to interact with Tommy and Susie. 122 00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:35,560 Speaker 1: Tommy became with the president immediately after mister Adams's death, 123 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:39,640 Speaker 1: and Susie was controlling owner. We had a relatively new 124 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:44,840 Speaker 1: head coach in ken wizen Hunt. Now we had another 125 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:49,760 Speaker 1: new owner that no one really knew, an interim president 126 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:53,160 Speaker 1: who had just finished being retired for over three years. 127 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 1: Had to try to be constructive about it. Had not 128 00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:01,280 Speaker 1: really had very competitive football teams for a number of years. 129 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:05,360 Speaker 1: All those things I think weight on the staff. On 130 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:08,040 Speaker 1: top of that, there was an owner who seemed to 131 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:11,720 Speaker 1: be inexperienced about what to do about an NFL team. 132 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 1: Now you understand this, Mike, and many of our listeners 133 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:23,240 Speaker 1: will understand. NFL teams changing hands sends a very difficult 134 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:27,800 Speaker 1: message to your staff because new owners do things like 135 00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:31,240 Speaker 1: fire everybody in sight and start over again. So I 136 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:36,560 Speaker 1: think there was this sort of overlay among all of 137 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:39,440 Speaker 1: the people on the football and business side about Okay, well, 138 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:42,400 Speaker 1: what does all this mean for us and for our families? 139 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:47,520 Speaker 1: Where are we going and who are these leaders and 140 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:49,679 Speaker 1: what do we know about them? But to me, the 141 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:55,080 Speaker 1: single largest concern was getting our staff on board with 142 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:58,520 Speaker 1: what was going to happen and having a program that 143 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:03,080 Speaker 1: they could be leaving and could trust, because those are 144 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:06,520 Speaker 1: the things that make for successful organizations. But that was 145 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:10,560 Speaker 1: the biggest, single problem in resetting this thing and gaining stability. 146 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:14,560 Speaker 1: Probably the most important factor to me was people getting 147 00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:18,360 Speaker 1: to know Amy Adam Strunk and for the league totally 148 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:22,360 Speaker 1: and for everybody. I mean, it seems like that is 149 00:09:22,480 --> 00:09:27,320 Speaker 1: the real story of her success Over five years. Is 150 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:29,439 Speaker 1: that once people got to know or whether it was 151 00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 1: other owners, whether it was the NFL office, whether it 152 00:09:32,679 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 1: was our fan base, whether it was the staff, it 153 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:39,720 Speaker 1: didn't make any difference. Once that was in place, things 154 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:43,560 Speaker 1: started to stabilize. Was that the key people getting to 155 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:47,199 Speaker 1: know her, oh totally. You know, getting to know her 156 00:09:47,280 --> 00:09:49,560 Speaker 1: or anyone else for that matter, is a process that 157 00:09:49,679 --> 00:09:54,240 Speaker 1: takes time. It's just like restoring the confidence of our staff. 158 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:57,600 Speaker 1: We had to work at any getting exposure because, as 159 00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:01,680 Speaker 1: you suggest, once people get an opportunity to meet her, 160 00:10:02,440 --> 00:10:06,800 Speaker 1: see how down to earth and friendly she is, which, 161 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:10,760 Speaker 1: by the way, and again without trying to cast as 162 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:15,080 Speaker 1: versions was those were not necessarily qualities that mister Adams had, 163 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:23,040 Speaker 1: but his daughter has them richly. So getting exposure to 164 00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:27,359 Speaker 1: the league's staff to lead officials to our own employees 165 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:32,320 Speaker 1: who never really had much way to know anything about Annie. 166 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:36,200 Speaker 1: My view has always been that mister Adams left the 167 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:41,040 Speaker 1: impression and with other owners, that he suspected his children 168 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:44,160 Speaker 1: would sell the team, and I have reason to believe 169 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:49,760 Speaker 1: that that's the impression that he intended to leave. But 170 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:52,280 Speaker 1: as it turned out, Annie had no intention at all 171 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:56,440 Speaker 1: of so neither did Kenneth and his family for that matter. 172 00:10:56,800 --> 00:11:00,439 Speaker 1: They wanted to be successful in our business and make 173 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:03,679 Speaker 1: a name in a mark for themselves, which is very understandable. 174 00:11:04,160 --> 00:11:08,400 Speaker 1: And once it became clear to everyone that Amy was 175 00:11:08,440 --> 00:11:11,600 Speaker 1: not going to sell, by the way, another process that 176 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:15,200 Speaker 1: took some time. There were a lot of non believers 177 00:11:15,600 --> 00:11:19,800 Speaker 1: about all that. But once they became convinced not only 178 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:22,240 Speaker 1: that she wasn't selling, but that she was going to 179 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:26,319 Speaker 1: do whatever was necessary to be successful in our business 180 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:29,839 Speaker 1: on and off the field. As you can see, not 181 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:33,000 Speaker 1: only with our business and with our football, with the 182 00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:38,000 Speaker 1: draft and with improvements at Nissan Stadium and all of 183 00:11:38,040 --> 00:11:41,080 Speaker 1: the other things that have happened, to say nothing of 184 00:11:41,080 --> 00:11:44,960 Speaker 1: our playoff run last year, they became believers in aiming. 185 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:49,240 Speaker 1: And that was probably the greatest single thing that happened 186 00:11:49,559 --> 00:11:54,080 Speaker 1: during that time period that she made the impression on 187 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 1: people that it was not time to give up on us, 188 00:11:57,320 --> 00:12:00,520 Speaker 1: it was time to double them. In her time owners, 189 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:05,000 Speaker 1: she's gone from being an unknown figure almost in oiler history. 190 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:08,960 Speaker 1: Fairly or unfairly, she was not known by many people 191 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:12,920 Speaker 1: to where she now has a position of prominence not 192 00:12:12,960 --> 00:12:16,520 Speaker 1: only in this community, but she has an amount of 193 00:12:16,559 --> 00:12:22,320 Speaker 1: respect around the league that most owners don't have as you, 194 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:25,439 Speaker 1: and I'm surprised some business school hasn't studied it because 195 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:27,920 Speaker 1: it really is quite a case study. Why is she 196 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:30,880 Speaker 1: so good at this? What is it about her that 197 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:34,200 Speaker 1: allowed her to come from such a different business and 198 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:37,679 Speaker 1: step into this and do this so well? There are 199 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:41,640 Speaker 1: at least two or three things, in my opinion. First 200 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:47,320 Speaker 1: of all, Amy has remarkably good instincts about our business. 201 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:51,680 Speaker 1: You know, you sit down an interview five executives who 202 00:12:51,720 --> 00:12:54,400 Speaker 1: have made their own mark in the NFL as player 203 00:12:54,520 --> 00:12:58,880 Speaker 1: personnel directors are in charge of scouting departments, our assistant GM, 204 00:12:59,559 --> 00:13:02,920 Speaker 1: and pick the one person. I'm not saying there weren't 205 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:05,640 Speaker 1: other people in that group who couldn't have been a GM, 206 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:10,199 Speaker 1: because Chris Ballard has done a great job at Indianapolis. 207 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:14,960 Speaker 1: But Amy's decision about John was the product, in my opinion, 208 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:20,000 Speaker 1: of having great instincts, not necessarily about football, but about people. 209 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:24,079 Speaker 1: She's very good, I think at reading people, not just 210 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:29,480 Speaker 1: John Robinson, but all of us. She's very insightful in 211 00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:33,400 Speaker 1: that way. I think another gift of Amy's is that 212 00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:37,880 Speaker 1: she has great and good common sense. She does the 213 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:42,280 Speaker 1: right thing for the right reason. Almost every time. That 214 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:47,400 Speaker 1: doesn't exist in every owner that I've ever met. Amy 215 00:13:47,559 --> 00:13:52,160 Speaker 1: is more a student of people and more trying to 216 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:56,280 Speaker 1: get to know and understand them, and has the ability, 217 00:13:56,400 --> 00:13:59,839 Speaker 1: which is not commonplace Mike, to pick out great people 218 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:04,320 Speaker 1: from a crowd. Those are some of the qualities that 219 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:08,600 Speaker 1: I so admired her. It seems like two. She has 220 00:14:08,679 --> 00:14:11,320 Speaker 1: something that a lot of you Texans seem to be 221 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:17,400 Speaker 1: quite proud of. She has quite a bs meeter. Yes, 222 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:22,520 Speaker 1: she has a be She can identify it from a 223 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:26,040 Speaker 1: from a good ways away. And I almost always return 224 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:29,160 Speaker 1: to this because it's been such an important part of 225 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:33,040 Speaker 1: the five years that I've been back. John's hiring is 226 00:14:33,080 --> 00:14:36,720 Speaker 1: a great piece of our history and one of Amy's 227 00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:41,120 Speaker 1: boldest moves as an owner. We had assembled a great 228 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:44,360 Speaker 1: group of candidates, you know. Martin Mayhew was in that group, 229 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:49,200 Speaker 1: still an executive with forty nine ers, Chris Ballard, who 230 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:53,040 Speaker 1: is a general manager of great standing in his own right, 231 00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:58,240 Speaker 1: and we spent three or four hours with each of 232 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:02,320 Speaker 1: the five or six men that he interviewed. Kenneth was 233 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:05,560 Speaker 1: also in the room, I might add, but when it 234 00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:08,480 Speaker 1: was over, John Bull, I mean, Amy believed that John 235 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:11,960 Speaker 1: was the best choice, and her instincts had proven to 236 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:17,440 Speaker 1: be sound, I think is a good word. So picking 237 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:21,400 Speaker 1: someone out of a group like that, that's a quality that's, 238 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:27,760 Speaker 1: in my opinion, Mike pretty rare. And while her dad 239 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:31,080 Speaker 1: did from time to time exhibit a good instinct. You know, 240 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:35,000 Speaker 1: he hired Mike Halliback when Mike was seventy four years old. 241 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:41,440 Speaker 1: That was another kind of bold thing. I thought Mike 242 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:47,160 Speaker 1: had worked kind of behind the scenes and labored in 243 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:51,640 Speaker 1: obscurity for all those many years. Not two other football executives, 244 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:56,040 Speaker 1: but to the league in general, most most everyone knew 245 00:15:56,120 --> 00:16:01,800 Speaker 1: Michael was a superb football talented later, but getting to 246 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:04,960 Speaker 1: be able to pass judgment on someone with just three 247 00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:08,080 Speaker 1: or four hours together with them, and you know, John 248 00:16:08,840 --> 00:16:13,360 Speaker 1: doesn't really have what I would consider to be you 249 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:17,840 Speaker 1: use the term bs. He doesn't really mence a lot 250 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:22,640 Speaker 1: of words about That isn't something that he does. He 251 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:25,760 Speaker 1: thinks about what his position is, he tries to gather 252 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:28,560 Speaker 1: as much information as he can, and he makes a decision. 253 00:16:29,080 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 1: And he has never tried to lay behind the log 254 00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:39,120 Speaker 1: with me. In our conversations and discussions, they've been very 255 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:42,760 Speaker 1: direct and very candid, And those are qualities that great 256 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:47,880 Speaker 1: general managers into it. You immediately put together a team 257 00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:50,360 Speaker 1: of people that you work with on an executive level. 258 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:52,880 Speaker 1: When you came back at twenty and twenty fifteen and 259 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:57,480 Speaker 1: you had what you called strategic imperatives, Yes, what were 260 00:16:57,520 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 1: the strategic imperatives and why are they important for the 261 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:05,680 Speaker 1: Titans to establish those? Even if they aren't as sexy 262 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:08,960 Speaker 1: as trading the first round pick and picking Jack Conklin 263 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 1: and things like that, But you were trying to lay 264 00:17:12,040 --> 00:17:14,919 Speaker 1: down some things from the business side that would improve 265 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:19,719 Speaker 1: things strategically and for the fan base. Yes, every executive, 266 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:24,080 Speaker 1: whether you're with the NFL or xon Mobile or the 267 00:17:24,119 --> 00:17:27,119 Speaker 1: flower shop down the street, needs to have a set 268 00:17:27,280 --> 00:17:32,200 Speaker 1: of super priorities that relate to the future of the business. 269 00:17:32,640 --> 00:17:34,680 Speaker 1: What do we need to look at or work on 270 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:39,000 Speaker 1: to be successful, not just now, but five years from now, 271 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 1: ten years from now. What we do now and what 272 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:48,600 Speaker 1: current problems we're facing those matter, of course, but what 273 00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:52,080 Speaker 1: we want our business to look like a couple of 274 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:56,040 Speaker 1: years from now, ten years from now. Those are things 275 00:17:56,080 --> 00:17:58,720 Speaker 1: that need to be set out and everyone needs to 276 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:01,600 Speaker 1: get on board about it. So one of the things 277 00:18:01,680 --> 00:18:05,359 Speaker 1: that any leader, a business leader needs to do is 278 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:09,160 Speaker 1: make sure that his team understands what is most important 279 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:11,920 Speaker 1: to him and in this case, to our owner, because 280 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:15,240 Speaker 1: we review those with aiming as well. If you have 281 00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:19,080 Speaker 1: your senior staff on board and people thinking about and 282 00:18:19,119 --> 00:18:23,399 Speaker 1: working on and working toward those objectives, you're likely to 283 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:27,159 Speaker 1: have a decent chance to meet the need when it 284 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:31,760 Speaker 1: finally comes. So our strategic objectives were established fairly on 285 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:37,720 Speaker 1: and they included our local revenue growth. We're in a 286 00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:42,560 Speaker 1: small market. There are teams that have multiples of our 287 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:47,159 Speaker 1: local revenue. We have to compete with them both on 288 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:50,080 Speaker 1: the stadium side of the football side. There are a 289 00:18:50,080 --> 00:18:55,119 Speaker 1: lot of competitive circuit breakers that the league uses to 290 00:18:55,160 --> 00:18:59,439 Speaker 1: try and ensure equal competition on the field, but you 291 00:18:59,480 --> 00:19:01,679 Speaker 1: still have to pay everyone. You still have to have 292 00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:06,280 Speaker 1: money to do that. Another objective that we have worked 293 00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:10,680 Speaker 1: on very hard is stadium security. I realized from time 294 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:13,760 Speaker 1: to time we've irritated some fans about the links we 295 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:16,600 Speaker 1: go to to try and make sure there are no 296 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:20,520 Speaker 1: weapons in the stadium. But stadium security has been a 297 00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:25,679 Speaker 1: long time strategic objective of ours, and when I have 298 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:30,560 Speaker 1: been asked about it in other settings, yeah, we do 299 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:33,359 Speaker 1: go through a lot of effort about screening, and I 300 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:37,720 Speaker 1: realize nobody thinks anything is very likely to happen. There 301 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:40,960 Speaker 1: are also very few people who thought that terrorists were 302 00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:44,560 Speaker 1: going to fly airplanes into skyscrapers. You know, we want 303 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:48,480 Speaker 1: to be able to say about our stadium security. We 304 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:52,520 Speaker 1: did everything we knew to do and everything the experts 305 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:55,920 Speaker 1: told us to try and keep everybody safe. And if 306 00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:59,600 Speaker 1: there's never an issue, great, you won't find anyone happier 307 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:02,240 Speaker 1: about it than I am. But if there is an issue, 308 00:20:02,359 --> 00:20:05,119 Speaker 1: I want us to be able to say, hey, we 309 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:09,120 Speaker 1: were given a list of things to do, protocols to follow, 310 00:20:09,640 --> 00:20:12,840 Speaker 1: objectives to achieve, and we did everything that we could 311 00:20:12,840 --> 00:20:16,480 Speaker 1: within reason to get that done. Capital spending at Nissan 312 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:20,959 Speaker 1: Stadium is another strategic objective of ours, not only because 313 00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:23,760 Speaker 1: we're spending so much money to try and make the 314 00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:28,960 Speaker 1: stadium better and more fan friendly, but also because we 315 00:20:29,040 --> 00:20:31,760 Speaker 1: have a metropolitan government and sports authority to think about. 316 00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:34,359 Speaker 1: And of course we have many things waiting in the 317 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:38,639 Speaker 1: queue to get done, and they fit into a number 318 00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:42,679 Speaker 1: of categories, but it suffices to say they are something 319 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:47,120 Speaker 1: that we have to look at strategically because we care 320 00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:49,159 Speaker 1: what the stadium is going to look like and be 321 00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:51,960 Speaker 1: like in terms of the fan experienced five and ten 322 00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:56,399 Speaker 1: years from now. The physical growth of our facilities is 323 00:20:56,440 --> 00:21:00,480 Speaker 1: another strategic objective of ours. As you know, we have 324 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:04,880 Speaker 1: added a net of eighty incremental people since I came 325 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:07,679 Speaker 1: back to work five years ago. All those people need 326 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:10,000 Speaker 1: a place to work. I mean they're all working from 327 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:13,439 Speaker 1: home at the moment, or most of them are, but 328 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:16,280 Speaker 1: they do have to have a place to be in 329 00:21:16,359 --> 00:21:19,600 Speaker 1: a workspace. I think that's something that is important to 330 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:24,119 Speaker 1: every employee and every staff person. Well, we had to 331 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:25,800 Speaker 1: get a new building, and it's going to be a 332 00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:28,920 Speaker 1: forty thousand square foot building, and it's going to take 333 00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:30,960 Speaker 1: a lot of planning, a lot of effort, and a 334 00:21:31,040 --> 00:21:33,560 Speaker 1: lot of money to get it built and get it 335 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:38,359 Speaker 1: furnished and occupied. Those are some of the things that 336 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:42,520 Speaker 1: we've worked on. The twenty nineteen NFL Draft and Nashville 337 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:46,600 Speaker 1: that we hosted was another strategic objective of ours. It's 338 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:49,919 Speaker 1: off the list now, but there'll always be something to 339 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:52,600 Speaker 1: try and take its place, because you need four or 340 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:56,160 Speaker 1: five or six things that everyone is dialed into and 341 00:21:56,200 --> 00:21:59,680 Speaker 1: working on pretty much all the time at every NFL club. 342 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:04,000 Speaker 1: We're not a static enterprise, and we have to continue improve. 343 00:22:04,359 --> 00:22:07,840 Speaker 1: When Phil Brettison wanted to bring pro sports to Nashville, 344 00:22:07,920 --> 00:22:11,800 Speaker 1: one of the reasons was the infrastructure that it would 345 00:22:11,800 --> 00:22:14,919 Speaker 1: help to bring to finish off his downtown plan. The 346 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:19,400 Speaker 1: arena and the stadium as part of that infrastructure. Obviously, 347 00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:23,800 Speaker 1: the arena is used for many different dates. People may 348 00:22:23,840 --> 00:22:29,560 Speaker 1: not realize the stadium Nissan Stadium last year was used 349 00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:34,040 Speaker 1: for over four hundred different dates. And that's something that 350 00:22:34,119 --> 00:22:37,000 Speaker 1: has been expanded greatly in the last five years. Is 351 00:22:37,280 --> 00:22:41,920 Speaker 1: the nine football use of stadium on a regular basis, 352 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:46,160 Speaker 1: and that relates to our strategic objective about local revenue. 353 00:22:46,240 --> 00:22:50,520 Speaker 1: The stadium has been underutilized, in my opinion or much 354 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:53,159 Speaker 1: of its existence. We have two beautiful clubs, one of 355 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:57,800 Speaker 1: which overlooks downtown and the other overlooks the confluence of 356 00:22:57,920 --> 00:23:01,760 Speaker 1: three interstate highways. Maybe not quite as appealing as the 357 00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:06,439 Speaker 1: river and downtown, but still something people enjoy being part of. 358 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:09,280 Speaker 1: And then we have a bunch of other discrete spaces 359 00:23:09,320 --> 00:23:12,880 Speaker 1: inside the building where you can have smaller meetings. But 360 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:17,880 Speaker 1: we also have the parking lots and so many places. 361 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:20,800 Speaker 1: You know, people love to go down to the sidelines 362 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:23,840 Speaker 1: and stand on the field kind of do the tour. 363 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:26,800 Speaker 1: We're also have a growing tour business. All of it's 364 00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:30,480 Speaker 1: been sidelined at the moment because of COVID nineteen, but 365 00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:33,600 Speaker 1: I think all that'll be back, and the venue business 366 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:38,119 Speaker 1: in Nashville generally is growing, mostly because Nashville is such 367 00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:40,879 Speaker 1: a great town. There's so many things to do there 368 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:45,480 Speaker 1: on the entertainment side, so many world class restaurants, attractions, 369 00:23:46,359 --> 00:23:51,160 Speaker 1: things to do downtown, all of which got super viewed 370 00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:56,480 Speaker 1: during the twenty nineteen NFL draft, and the events. But 371 00:23:56,560 --> 00:23:59,880 Speaker 1: the events business is yet another reason why we need 372 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:03,680 Speaker 1: to continue looking for ways to grow our businesses at 373 00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:07,680 Speaker 1: the stadium and utilize what is one of Nashville's greatest 374 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:11,879 Speaker 1: public works. This is the OTP presented by Farm Bureau 375 00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:15,240 Speaker 1: Health Plans. Don't get sacked by the high cost of healthcare. 376 00:24:15,680 --> 00:24:18,320 Speaker 1: Make Farm Bureau Health Plans your first line of protection. 377 00:24:18,359 --> 00:24:22,560 Speaker 1: They've been protecting Tennessee and since nineteen forty seven. Okay, 378 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:26,840 Speaker 1: Steve Underwood, some questions to conclude, what are you most 379 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:29,880 Speaker 1: proud of that the organization has accomplished in the last 380 00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:33,640 Speaker 1: five years. You know, there are lots of accomplishments mine, 381 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:37,600 Speaker 1: but I almost always go back to this. We're a 382 00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:43,160 Speaker 1: football organization first, so winning playoff games on the road 383 00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:48,879 Speaker 1: when you are a huge underdog, that is an enormous accomplishment, 384 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:52,320 Speaker 1: particularly when you haven't done well for so long. This 385 00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:56,840 Speaker 1: past season is the greatest season that we've enjoyed competitively 386 00:24:57,080 --> 00:25:00,879 Speaker 1: in fifteen years or so ever. Anybody who should have 387 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:03,720 Speaker 1: their hats off to our head coach, our coaching staff, 388 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:07,920 Speaker 1: our general manager and his staff about what that means 389 00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:13,120 Speaker 1: in terms of the phrase you use accomplishment, And because 390 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:15,960 Speaker 1: we are a football organization, I'm not sure you can 391 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:19,919 Speaker 1: have anything bigger than going deep into the playoffs if 392 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:23,280 Speaker 1: you're an NFL team. But there have been some other 393 00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:28,080 Speaker 1: accomplishments that I think are worth mentioning. One of those 394 00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:30,800 Speaker 1: is four winning seasons in a row. Very few teams 395 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:35,360 Speaker 1: accomplished that over and over again, and I think it 396 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:37,639 Speaker 1: needs to be viewed in the light of where we 397 00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:40,919 Speaker 1: came from. What were the four eight twelve seasons like 398 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:43,720 Speaker 1: that before? I think we did have one nine and 399 00:25:43,840 --> 00:25:48,119 Speaker 1: seven season during Mike Munchack's ten years head coached, but 400 00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:53,720 Speaker 1: it was not a playoff season. Another great accomplishment is 401 00:25:53,760 --> 00:25:57,720 Speaker 1: the twenty nineteen NFL Draft that we hosted in Nashville. 402 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:03,679 Speaker 1: I still believe that's easily the largest sporting event in 403 00:26:03,760 --> 00:26:09,960 Speaker 1: the history of Tennessee and left so many positive impressions 404 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:13,760 Speaker 1: all over the country, not just about Nashville, Tennessee in 405 00:26:13,840 --> 00:26:17,560 Speaker 1: general and our franchise. I thought it was a great 406 00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:21,480 Speaker 1: thing too for solidifying our relationship with the League that 407 00:26:21,680 --> 00:26:25,199 Speaker 1: somehow gets a little overlooked in that mix because you 408 00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:29,320 Speaker 1: have six hundred thousand people and great TV ratings and 409 00:26:29,440 --> 00:26:32,960 Speaker 1: everybody having a good time. But the league also saw 410 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:38,919 Speaker 1: firsthand what Amy's management means and how committed she is 411 00:26:38,920 --> 00:26:42,040 Speaker 1: to being a successful owner. So there was another knock 412 00:26:42,119 --> 00:26:45,920 Speaker 1: tied in that somewhere that needs to be mentioned that 413 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:50,520 Speaker 1: doesn't get said very often. I think the designation of 414 00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:54,679 Speaker 1: Nissan Stadium under the Safety Act is another under the 415 00:26:54,760 --> 00:26:58,879 Speaker 1: radar thing that has happened that has benefited our club 416 00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:04,200 Speaker 1: and stadium and each and every person that walks into 417 00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:08,639 Speaker 1: that build. It gives me a comfort knowing that the 418 00:27:08,720 --> 00:27:12,160 Speaker 1: Homeland Security Department has looked at that building and said, 419 00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:16,399 Speaker 1: you guys are doing everything correctly, We're pleased about the 420 00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:19,000 Speaker 1: direction that you're going, and we're going to designate you 421 00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:25,679 Speaker 1: under the Act. Again. It doesn't sound like something that's spectacular, 422 00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:29,320 Speaker 1: but we devoted millions of dollars and huge resources to 423 00:27:29,400 --> 00:27:32,480 Speaker 1: getting that done. My hat is still off all of 424 00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:37,400 Speaker 1: our security folks, John Albertson, Floyd Hide, Bob Flynn, all 425 00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:41,280 Speaker 1: of the people that contributed to that. It's a huge accomplishment. 426 00:27:41,920 --> 00:27:44,199 Speaker 1: I think our new building is also going to be 427 00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:47,479 Speaker 1: another huge accomplishment. You may be able to see it 428 00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:50,159 Speaker 1: up your window if you're in the building or if 429 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:52,680 Speaker 1: you're driving and buy. That's going to be a great 430 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:57,600 Speaker 1: thing for our franchise and for Amy's heritage. But all 431 00:27:57,640 --> 00:28:00,440 Speaker 1: of those, as good as they are, all of those 432 00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:04,080 Speaker 1: things taken back seat to being in the conference championship 433 00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:08,040 Speaker 1: last game, a game we could have won, by the way, 434 00:28:08,240 --> 00:28:12,480 Speaker 1: and I think everybody should take huge pride. What's the 435 00:28:12,680 --> 00:28:17,600 Speaker 1: biggest change in the NFL from your start in the 436 00:28:17,720 --> 00:28:22,760 Speaker 1: nineteen seventies until now. I don't know where I read this, 437 00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:28,920 Speaker 1: but sometime in seventy seven the league made a new 438 00:28:29,040 --> 00:28:33,200 Speaker 1: deal with the three networks, so DLA negotiated at the 439 00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:38,680 Speaker 1: same time. Because our business relies so much on live attendance, 440 00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:42,480 Speaker 1: a lot of people don't think about the media and 441 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:48,320 Speaker 1: entertainment outside of the stadium context. So that deal with 442 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:51,400 Speaker 1: the three networks was for five hundred and seventy six 443 00:28:51,520 --> 00:28:54,120 Speaker 1: million dollars. That was the year. By the way, I 444 00:28:54,160 --> 00:28:59,520 Speaker 1: started with the team as an outside lawyer some forty 445 00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:03,480 Speaker 1: three years ago now, and five hundred and seventy six 446 00:29:03,560 --> 00:29:05,640 Speaker 1: million dollars sounds like a lot of money. It is 447 00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:07,720 Speaker 1: a lot of money, and it was a very big 448 00:29:07,760 --> 00:29:10,200 Speaker 1: deal at the time. I think there were a lot 449 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:14,600 Speaker 1: of people surprised. At the time. The league had just 450 00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:22,560 Speaker 1: finished a sort of aboarded strike player strike, John Mackey 451 00:29:23,120 --> 00:29:28,280 Speaker 1: lawsuit and so forth, and so the numbers looked huge then, 452 00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:32,080 Speaker 1: but nothing in comparison to what they are now. Those 453 00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:38,840 Speaker 1: numbers now are ten times that size, thousand percent growth 454 00:29:39,080 --> 00:29:43,440 Speaker 1: even over forty three years as being something small. But 455 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:46,760 Speaker 1: among the other facets of that that have to be 456 00:29:46,840 --> 00:29:52,080 Speaker 1: considered are that NFL games on television, along with a 457 00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:55,440 Speaker 1: few other sporting events, are really the only thing growing 458 00:29:56,040 --> 00:30:00,880 Speaker 1: on network television. People more and more people are watching. 459 00:30:00,920 --> 00:30:03,040 Speaker 1: There was the set back in the election year, but 460 00:30:03,760 --> 00:30:05,880 Speaker 1: you know, the next two years it was up by 461 00:30:06,360 --> 00:30:09,000 Speaker 1: in one case of double digits in terms of ratings. 462 00:30:09,920 --> 00:30:13,440 Speaker 1: And that's not the only way people are consuming our 463 00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:18,959 Speaker 1: entertainment offers. They're watching it on digital devices, they're streaming 464 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:23,840 Speaker 1: things on mobile devices, they're listening on satellite radio, on 465 00:30:24,320 --> 00:30:28,320 Speaker 1: terrestrial radio, and they are of course also going to 466 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:32,880 Speaker 1: the games in person. But another facet of watching our 467 00:30:32,920 --> 00:30:37,080 Speaker 1: games in person is the fact that virtually every person 468 00:30:37,200 --> 00:30:40,600 Speaker 1: walking in that stadium is bringing in a handheld digital device, 469 00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:44,280 Speaker 1: and while they're watching our game, they're also looking at 470 00:30:44,280 --> 00:30:47,640 Speaker 1: other things on their cell phones iPads. What if they're 471 00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:51,719 Speaker 1: bringing in with That's the reason, by the way, that 472 00:30:51,760 --> 00:30:53,920 Speaker 1: we had to install a new eight and a half 473 00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:59,440 Speaker 1: million dollar Wi Fi network over the past yes, eight 474 00:30:59,440 --> 00:31:03,160 Speaker 1: and a half million dollars. But that's because the fan 475 00:31:03,320 --> 00:31:08,240 Speaker 1: experience is changing. People are watching more than one thing 476 00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:10,640 Speaker 1: at a time. And that's true whether you're at home 477 00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:14,360 Speaker 1: or in an NFL stadium, or on the subway or 478 00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:18,080 Speaker 1: an airplane or whatever you're doing. People are doing more 479 00:31:18,120 --> 00:31:21,959 Speaker 1: than one thing at a time. It's a huge indisha 480 00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:26,760 Speaker 1: of modern society. So I think the biggest change that 481 00:31:26,840 --> 00:31:30,520 Speaker 1: has happened is how many different ways pete because nobody 482 00:31:30,640 --> 00:31:33,800 Speaker 1: was watching anything in their seat except the game in 483 00:31:33,920 --> 00:31:37,440 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy seven when I first began, that was all 484 00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:41,840 Speaker 1: that was going on. Handheld digital devices were something that 485 00:31:41,960 --> 00:31:47,400 Speaker 1: was twenty twenty five years away. So the media landscape 486 00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:51,520 Speaker 1: is really what has changed the most. Yeah, our players 487 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:54,800 Speaker 1: getting paid more money, you bet? Is the quality of 488 00:31:54,960 --> 00:31:59,760 Speaker 1: play better? Yes? Are we facing problems that relate to 489 00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:03,600 Speaker 1: the health and safety of players? Sure, all of those 490 00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:07,680 Speaker 1: things matter and all of them represent changes. By the way, 491 00:32:07,720 --> 00:32:10,760 Speaker 1: in nineteen seventy seven, when I started at the orders, 492 00:32:10,920 --> 00:32:13,760 Speaker 1: there was about twenty people that were employees of the 493 00:32:13,760 --> 00:32:18,400 Speaker 1: football team only as a half dozen coaches. There was 494 00:32:18,440 --> 00:32:21,920 Speaker 1: a general manager and an assistant GM, handful of scouts 495 00:32:22,920 --> 00:32:24,360 Speaker 1: and a few of the people that are working in 496 00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:27,360 Speaker 1: the ticket office. Maybe get total of twenty five or thirty. 497 00:32:27,720 --> 00:32:30,800 Speaker 1: Now you know, we've got two hundred people on our 498 00:32:30,840 --> 00:32:35,280 Speaker 1: business side. So growth, however you want to measure, whatever 499 00:32:35,360 --> 00:32:38,760 Speaker 1: metrics you want to use, is something that has happened 500 00:32:38,760 --> 00:32:43,200 Speaker 1: to the NFL in huge is not a big enough 501 00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:47,560 Speaker 1: word to describe it, but it includes huge changes in 502 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:50,480 Speaker 1: the media landscape that you would know, Mike oh so 503 00:32:50,680 --> 00:32:56,760 Speaker 1: well from your perspective in the media business, and it's 504 00:32:57,520 --> 00:33:01,200 Speaker 1: I think the biggest single change that has happened is 505 00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:04,800 Speaker 1: how our entertainment is being consumed and by how many 506 00:33:04,840 --> 00:33:08,600 Speaker 1: people on how many different platforms there used to just 507 00:33:08,680 --> 00:33:12,440 Speaker 1: be the one and now there are many. All right, 508 00:33:12,520 --> 00:33:17,160 Speaker 1: let's wrap up with this. Five decades in the National 509 00:33:17,160 --> 00:33:22,720 Speaker 1: Football League for Steve Underwood. You go from pumping gas 510 00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:28,960 Speaker 1: in Baytown, I got it right, Baytown, right right, pumping gas, 511 00:33:29,960 --> 00:33:32,360 Speaker 1: trying to find money to go to University of Texas, 512 00:33:33,080 --> 00:33:37,480 Speaker 1: dreaming of owning a corvette someday, taking out loans or 513 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:41,080 Speaker 1: you know, paying fifteen dollars a quarter whatever, and you 514 00:33:41,160 --> 00:33:45,120 Speaker 1: advance all the way to become president and CEO of 515 00:33:45,160 --> 00:33:49,120 Speaker 1: an NFL team. It's a great country, right, oh gosh? 516 00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:54,120 Speaker 1: So and maybe best of all, you get to go 517 00:33:54,160 --> 00:33:58,440 Speaker 1: to Bowley Green to pick up your corvette after you 518 00:33:58,920 --> 00:34:02,360 Speaker 1: save in your own modern day piggy bank, so to speak. 519 00:34:02,400 --> 00:34:06,240 Speaker 1: But I mean, it's an American dream type story. It's 520 00:34:06,240 --> 00:34:09,239 Speaker 1: an American success story. It's something that I know you 521 00:34:09,280 --> 00:34:12,120 Speaker 1: and your family are proud of, the people who have 522 00:34:12,239 --> 00:34:15,120 Speaker 1: worked with you are proud of it. What is your 523 00:34:15,200 --> 00:34:19,680 Speaker 1: overriding memory of your time with Bud Adams, the Houston Oilers, 524 00:34:19,719 --> 00:34:23,920 Speaker 1: the Tennessee Oilers, and on two occasions, the Tennessee type. 525 00:34:24,360 --> 00:34:26,600 Speaker 1: You know, Mike of all the questions you've asked today. 526 00:34:26,640 --> 00:34:30,160 Speaker 1: That's the easiest. My fondest memory of all of that 527 00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:32,759 Speaker 1: are all of the great people that I got to 528 00:34:32,760 --> 00:34:35,080 Speaker 1: work with. I don't care what kind of leader you are, 529 00:34:35,200 --> 00:34:39,000 Speaker 1: you have to have a great supporting cast. And the 530 00:34:39,080 --> 00:34:41,640 Speaker 1: people that I've had the honor and privilege of working 531 00:34:41,680 --> 00:34:44,200 Speaker 1: with over the last forty years just some of the 532 00:34:44,239 --> 00:34:47,480 Speaker 1: greatest folks in the world. And that includes, by the way, 533 00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:51,279 Speaker 1: all of our honors. I would not be where I was, 534 00:34:51,840 --> 00:34:53,640 Speaker 1: where I am if it were not for them. I 535 00:34:53,680 --> 00:34:57,680 Speaker 1: wouldn't have these memories and the privileges that I have 536 00:34:57,880 --> 00:35:02,440 Speaker 1: enjoyed but for our owner. So all of the people 537 00:35:02,520 --> 00:35:05,799 Speaker 1: that I have worked with, having those experiences with them, 538 00:35:06,480 --> 00:35:09,759 Speaker 1: there's nothing like going through a crisis with somebody that 539 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:13,400 Speaker 1: you know and trust. And there's a bunch of those 540 00:35:13,400 --> 00:35:16,400 Speaker 1: people that I have gotten to work with over the years. 541 00:35:17,200 --> 00:35:20,520 Speaker 1: For example, I've worked with Randy Schofield, who is the 542 00:35:20,560 --> 00:35:24,400 Speaker 1: president of our parent company. I've known Randy within weeks 543 00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:26,520 Speaker 1: of the time that I first came to work there. 544 00:35:27,880 --> 00:35:30,960 Speaker 1: Janine Kaufman, I've worked with Janine for over twenty years. 545 00:35:31,080 --> 00:35:38,360 Speaker 1: Russ Hudson again over twenty years, Robbie Boring over twenty years. Well, 546 00:35:38,600 --> 00:35:43,680 Speaker 1: you go through enough episodes of life and business people 547 00:35:43,719 --> 00:35:49,839 Speaker 1: like that, and you develop a respect level, friendship level 548 00:35:50,640 --> 00:35:54,040 Speaker 1: that just there's really nothing else like it, Mike, as 549 00:35:54,040 --> 00:35:57,600 Speaker 1: far as I'm concerned, I would do anything for the 550 00:35:57,640 --> 00:35:59,719 Speaker 1: people that I have gotten to know and work with. 551 00:36:00,239 --> 00:36:04,440 Speaker 1: I've just mentioned a handful. You know, Burt. I hired 552 00:36:04,440 --> 00:36:09,680 Speaker 1: Burt almost five years ago. He's just been a huge 553 00:36:09,719 --> 00:36:14,080 Speaker 1: friend and co worker and so many of the things 554 00:36:14,080 --> 00:36:18,520 Speaker 1: that we've done, so you. I have to say this, Mike, 555 00:36:18,600 --> 00:36:22,600 Speaker 1: since I have the floor at the moment, there isn't 556 00:36:22,640 --> 00:36:25,160 Speaker 1: anyone that works for us that I have enjoyed working 557 00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:28,319 Speaker 1: with any more than you. You're such a probe and 558 00:36:28,560 --> 00:36:32,080 Speaker 1: always dependable with everything that we've asked you to do. 559 00:36:32,160 --> 00:36:34,160 Speaker 1: And I know we throw a lot or have thrown 560 00:36:34,160 --> 00:36:36,520 Speaker 1: a lot at you. Thank you for what you have 561 00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:42,879 Speaker 1: meant to our organization. I'll always be glad and respectful 562 00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:46,640 Speaker 1: of our friendship. Well, thank you, and I'm so glad 563 00:36:46,719 --> 00:36:50,000 Speaker 1: that five years ago you decided to come back for 564 00:36:50,040 --> 00:36:54,600 Speaker 1: a couple of months and it lasted sixty one months. 565 00:36:54,640 --> 00:36:58,520 Speaker 1: I think so a Texan is a Texan all his 566 00:36:58,719 --> 00:37:02,200 Speaker 1: or her life. No matter what. Once you're a Texan, 567 00:37:02,320 --> 00:37:05,439 Speaker 1: you're always a Texan. We'll just remember this too. You're 568 00:37:05,480 --> 00:37:10,840 Speaker 1: also a Nashvillion and so you have both honors. And 569 00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:13,959 Speaker 1: we are most glad and most glad that you took 570 00:37:13,960 --> 00:37:16,680 Speaker 1: this time with us for what we'll call the exit 571 00:37:16,719 --> 00:37:21,160 Speaker 1: Interview on the OTP. The privilege, husband mine, Michael, thank 572 00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:25,040 Speaker 1: you for staring us for it. Steve Underwood part of 573 00:37:25,080 --> 00:37:29,600 Speaker 1: this organization now and forever with us on the OTP, 574 00:37:30,280 --> 00:37:33,080 Speaker 1: sponsored by our great friends at Farm Bureau Health Plans 575 00:37:33,080 --> 00:37:35,400 Speaker 1: for Steve. I'm Mike Keith. Thanks for joining us for 576 00:37:35,440 --> 00:37:36,440 Speaker 1: this edition of the