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 --> 00:00:06,840 Speaker 1: what are things we can do to transform our business 3 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:09,719 Speaker 1: and engage our fans globally in different ways, people are 4 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:12,680 Speaker 1: using their name and likeness to create more opportunities, more 5 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:15,520 Speaker 1: 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 dis 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: blub my horizons and be able to expand. Sports need 10 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:29,040 Speaker 1: to be consumed a lot and not to the 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 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 1: Hi everyone, I'm Jason Kelly and I'm Mike Lynch, and 14 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 1: you're listening to the Bloomberg Business of Sports podcasts. We 15 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 1: get together a few times. We talk about the biggest 16 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:51,520 Speaker 1: stories in sports, talk to some of the biggest names. Today, 17 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:53,479 Speaker 1: We've got a ton to talk about, Lynchie. It was 18 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:55,640 Speaker 1: one of these weekends where I feel like there are 19 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 1: a lot of threads to pull, a lot of storylines 20 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 1: emerging across all all kinds of sports. Uh, we're gonna 21 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:05,880 Speaker 1: start you know dealer's choice here. Gotta start down in 22 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:08,559 Speaker 1: the A T l Um. I want to talk about 23 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:11,680 Speaker 1: Julio Jones in a second, but first the Hawks. Trey Young. 24 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 1: It's not just an MSG thing. Apparently his his magic 25 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 1: works in Philadelphia as well, at least in Game one. 26 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:23,200 Speaker 1: This is one of the breakout stories of the of 27 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 1: the NBA playoffs so far. I think, well, historically, if 28 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 1: you look at teams that make great runs in the playoffs, 29 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 1: there are teams that are usually just sleepers in December 30 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:36,759 Speaker 1: and January, early February, then all of a sudden around 31 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:38,960 Speaker 1: late March and right into April, they just sort of 32 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:42,120 Speaker 1: started playing great basketball. And that's what the Hawks have done. 33 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 1: I mean, they took out the Nickelbocker's in five games, 34 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 1: and right now they're going against the mighty seventies sixers, 35 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: who still, you know, had they had the number one seed, 36 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 1: but still haven't proven to anybody that they're worthy of 37 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 1: any type of respect at all. And that's the way 38 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,840 Speaker 1: the Atlanta Hawks are treating them. Yeah, it's it's fascinating 39 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:01,040 Speaker 1: to watch. I mean, and you know, I'm an Atlanta 40 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: guy followed this team very closely. I've looked into you know, 41 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:06,920 Speaker 1: not just what they are doing on the court, but 42 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:10,559 Speaker 1: off the court, with a lot of their um involvement 43 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 1: in the Georgia elections and polling places and turning State 44 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:17,240 Speaker 1: Farm Arena where the games will move later this week 45 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:20,800 Speaker 1: into a polling place. But you know, the from a 46 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 1: storyline perspective, if you're thinking about it from the NBA's 47 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 1: perspective and knowing that good stories bring in viewers and attention, 48 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 1: you know, this is a playoffs where the ratings are 49 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:35,519 Speaker 1: not great and if you go through the weekends, setting 50 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 1: aside my excitement about the Hawks and folks down in Atlanta, 51 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:43,799 Speaker 1: it's actually not a great storyline so far. If you 52 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 1: think about star power drawing viewers. Right, Lebron's out, Steph 53 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 1: Curries out, and now Lucas out. With the Mavericks going 54 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:59,240 Speaker 1: down to the Clippers in a seven game first round series, 55 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:03,239 Speaker 1: that's not great and so in some ways more pressure 56 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 1: on Trey Young and the Hawks to perform because they 57 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:10,800 Speaker 1: need something to rally around. Well they do, and the 58 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: you know, if you look at the ratings and you 59 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 1: can star power is number one because the NBA is 60 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:17,799 Speaker 1: the one league with star power accounts, but also look 61 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 1: at some of the major markets, the Lakers at Los Angeles, Boston, 62 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:23,239 Speaker 1: the Celtics New York, the next Chicago with the Bulls, 63 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 1: Washington with the wasard San Francisco out of the playoffs 64 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 1: right now, So then you're right, you need someone like 65 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:30,919 Speaker 1: a Trey Young to be like a story like that. 66 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 1: Jeremy Lynn was years ago, said Wow, where did this 67 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:36,080 Speaker 1: guy come from? This guy is unstoppable? He said, I 68 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:38,920 Speaker 1: gotta watch him. Let's make when's Atlanta playing next? And 69 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:42,920 Speaker 1: he's he's approaching that territory. Yeah, and it's interesting, you know, 70 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:45,760 Speaker 1: one of these things when you think about New York. 71 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 1: And we had a good time catching up last week 72 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:52,720 Speaker 1: with John Abamondi, the president of the essentially the CEO 73 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:55,880 Speaker 1: of the Nets of Brooklyn Nazis. He's the see of 74 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 1: the company that owns the Nets and Barkley's Arena and 75 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 1: umber of other basketball related franchises, including the New York Liberty. 76 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:08,120 Speaker 1: You know, Brooklyn is still in it, although James Harden 77 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 1: is hurt, and so you wonder how that's gonna play 78 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 1: out in this series that they have against the Bucks. 79 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 1: I'm you know, this is the one, you know, so 80 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 1: there's one team left from the New York area and 81 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:26,280 Speaker 1: one team left from the Los Angeles area. I'm not 82 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 1: sure people would have predicted necessarily, certainly at the beginning 83 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:31,600 Speaker 1: of the season that the Clippers would be the l 84 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:34,360 Speaker 1: A team that that's still around. So we'll see where 85 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:37,160 Speaker 1: where this goes there down to eight and um, I mean, 86 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:39,479 Speaker 1: it's also kind of amazing to think about we're not 87 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 1: going to see the NBA Finals this year till literally 88 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 1: lot It's gonna be July before we're looking at um 89 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:48,400 Speaker 1: that that final series, so a lot of time to 90 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 1: come uh shifting, We'll come back to Atlanta in a second, 91 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:55,400 Speaker 1: But staying with basketball, we didn't get a chance last 92 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:59,279 Speaker 1: week lynch E to talk much at all about coach 93 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 1: k um Mike Sachowski stepping down after this season at 94 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 1: Duke University. Decades at the Helm there. Uh, you know, 95 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:14,159 Speaker 1: arguably in in the present day, probably the best known 96 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 1: UM college coach, certainly one who can the only one 97 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 1: who can be distilled down to a single letter. You know, 98 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:26,600 Speaker 1: you've watched his his rise, his success. What do you 99 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:30,760 Speaker 1: think he meant to to the game of college basketball? 100 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:32,760 Speaker 1: Because it feels like he was one of the great 101 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:36,760 Speaker 1: elevators in many ways. I think credibility is the number 102 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:40,520 Speaker 1: one thing with Coachewski. Um. You know that sovereign college 103 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 1: basketball and college big time college sports are often referred 104 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:47,240 Speaker 1: to as assess pool. And you don't think of that 105 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 1: when you think of Mike Sachowski. You think of guys 106 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:52,600 Speaker 1: coming there and doing what's best for them, whether it's 107 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:54,680 Speaker 1: play for a year and go to the NBA or 108 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:57,840 Speaker 1: stay for four years and get your degree. But good 109 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 1: value is good sportsmanship and strict discipline. That comes, of 110 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 1: course from coach K who went to West Point and 111 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:06,240 Speaker 1: then coached at West Point and brought those values down 112 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:08,440 Speaker 1: to Duke and has instilled him among his players over 113 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:11,599 Speaker 1: the years. Yeah, you know, it's it's been interesting to 114 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 1: read the kind of post mortems, as it were, of 115 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 1: his career, you know, a little early because he's got 116 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:19,720 Speaker 1: another year to play and who knows. I mean, they've 117 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:22,279 Speaker 1: got a talented team, so they could make a deep run. 118 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:24,200 Speaker 1: They did not make the n C Double A tournament 119 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 1: this year. And and Coach K was very clear about saying, 120 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:29,520 Speaker 1: you know, this isn't about the changing game. This is 121 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:32,160 Speaker 1: about decisions from my family. He's in his seventies. I 122 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 1: get it um. But the game has changed certainly since 123 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:39,400 Speaker 1: he started. And one of the things that I found 124 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:41,800 Speaker 1: so interesting in terms of kind of the business of 125 00:06:41,839 --> 00:06:45,919 Speaker 1: sports Lynchi was this notion that he was not successful 126 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:49,840 Speaker 1: early on. He had a terrible first three seasons at 127 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 1: Duke and really thought he was going to get fired. 128 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:56,920 Speaker 1: And you do wonder in this day and age if 129 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 1: a coach k would would survive the first few years 130 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:04,480 Speaker 1: at a big time college basketball program. He was thirty 131 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:07,520 Speaker 1: eight and forty seven in his first three seasons, and 132 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 1: he feared for his life. But his athletic director Tom 133 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:14,360 Speaker 1: Butters gave him complete confidence and said, I am supporting you. 134 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 1: And he was playing in a tough league. I mean, 135 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:18,520 Speaker 1: you know this is playing you know this is a 136 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:21,400 Speaker 1: tough league. The a CEC with a lot of great teams. 137 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:23,600 Speaker 1: I mean that the tar Heels ruled at the time. Now, 138 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 1: Bill Foster had a great team when he had Spinarkle 139 00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:29,760 Speaker 1: and those guys before Satowski. But he had to work 140 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 1: his way back um different academic standards from some of 141 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:35,240 Speaker 1: the other teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and he 142 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:37,960 Speaker 1: find to build up the program and again credibility And 143 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 1: it all comes down where where the moms and dads 144 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 1: want to send their son who they want to have 145 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 1: as their guardian and their mentor for the next four years. 146 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 1: And obviously the comfort level with coach k was above 147 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 1: the charts. Yeah yeah, and and obviously built the brand 148 00:07:56,800 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 1: of Duke, which is a phenomenal school of course, Um, 149 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:03,440 Speaker 1: but Duke basketball, you know, really became synonymous with high 150 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 1: level college basketball and you know, constantly at the top 151 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 1: of the table. Um, as it were. One interesting conversation 152 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:13,000 Speaker 1: coming up this week, I'm gonna catch up with Nina King. 153 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:16,120 Speaker 1: She is the new athletic director, so obviously she had 154 00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:19,120 Speaker 1: a hand, uh in all the decision making around this. 155 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 1: Gonna catch up with her later this week, so we'll 156 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 1: play a portion of that on our weekend show. Um 157 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 1: coming up later this week. All right, back to Atlanta 158 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:30,000 Speaker 1: for a second. Let's shift to uh National Football League 159 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:32,880 Speaker 1: Julio Jones not going to be a Falcon anymore, headed 160 00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:36,520 Speaker 1: a little bit north to the Tennessee Titans. What do 161 00:08:36,559 --> 00:08:39,559 Speaker 1: you make of this deal? This? This was the deal 162 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:42,880 Speaker 1: the trade um that probably had the most tongues wagging, 163 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 1: aside from the Aaron Rodgers drama, which hasn't resulted in 164 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:49,600 Speaker 1: a trade yet you know this was this was very 165 00:08:49,679 --> 00:08:51,719 Speaker 1: dramatic over the course of the last week or so, 166 00:08:51,880 --> 00:08:54,080 Speaker 1: lynching it was, and a lot of people up here 167 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:56,199 Speaker 1: in the window was salivating over the thought of getting 168 00:08:56,240 --> 00:08:58,760 Speaker 1: Julio Jones and a Patriot juniform and maybe have been 169 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 1: working with mac Joe the Jones boys. Uh, they would 170 00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:04,080 Speaker 1: have been calling them. But he goes to uh a 171 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:07,640 Speaker 1: former Patriot, Mike Rabels Tennessee Titans. And every time I 172 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:10,120 Speaker 1: look at a big name that is has traded to 173 00:09:10,160 --> 00:09:12,560 Speaker 1: another team, there were two needles I I pay attention 174 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:15,079 Speaker 1: to that are moving up or down. One is a 175 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:19,280 Speaker 1: season ticket sales and the other is jersey sales. So 176 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:21,600 Speaker 1: Julio Jones apparently is going to get to keep his 177 00:09:21,679 --> 00:09:24,880 Speaker 1: number eleven because A. J. Brown has graciously agreed to 178 00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:27,079 Speaker 1: give it to him. Now A J wanted to wear 179 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:30,240 Speaker 1: number one, but he couldn't do that because Warren Moon's 180 00:09:30,440 --> 00:09:34,160 Speaker 1: number one has been retired by the franchise. So so 181 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:35,960 Speaker 1: we'll have to look at the jersey sales. And so 182 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:38,640 Speaker 1: it may be a two for here, and maybe we 183 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 1: were number eleven for Julio Jones in Tennessee, and you 184 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:44,640 Speaker 1: wear whatever the new number is for a j Brown. Yeah, yeah, 185 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:47,160 Speaker 1: that'll it'll be interesting to see how he catches on 186 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:50,320 Speaker 1: in Tennessee. I mean, this was a broken marriage for sure, 187 00:09:51,120 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 1: played out publicly and and for those who didn't see it, 188 00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:58,320 Speaker 1: it's worth you talk about the media influence on the 189 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:01,400 Speaker 1: business of sports UM and and Sharpe, who's very close 190 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:03,760 Speaker 1: to Julio Jones, you know, calls him on his cell 191 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:06,920 Speaker 1: phone on the air UM last week and has a 192 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:11,560 Speaker 1: conversation that certainly, I don't know if it accelerated the process, 193 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:14,120 Speaker 1: but it certainly brought it out very much into the open. 194 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 1: There are some questions that still haven't totally been answered 195 00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:20,040 Speaker 1: as to whether Julio, who was clearly driving in his 196 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:23,240 Speaker 1: car at that moment, knew that he was live on television, 197 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:26,600 Speaker 1: but definitely went viral with him saying like I'm out 198 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:30,240 Speaker 1: of Atlanta like that. That question is UM. That question 199 00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:33,360 Speaker 1: has been answered. It There was some speculation he could 200 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 1: go to the Cowboys at that moment that obviously UM 201 00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:39,960 Speaker 1: didn't happen. There were some reports that maybe he would 202 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 1: go to the Seahawks, you know, for Atlanta. If you 203 00:10:43,679 --> 00:10:47,080 Speaker 1: think about the business decision here, Lynchy, I mean, I 204 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:49,160 Speaker 1: talked with a lot of Atlanta fans, some of whom 205 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:51,840 Speaker 1: were in my family over the weekend about this. And 206 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:54,920 Speaker 1: you know, there is some concern if you're an Atlanta 207 00:10:54,960 --> 00:10:57,520 Speaker 1: fan that this is a you know, literally and figuratively 208 00:10:57,559 --> 00:11:02,160 Speaker 1: sort of a franchise player in many ways. Um and 209 00:11:02,240 --> 00:11:05,880 Speaker 1: yet uh, probably if you're going to keep him one 210 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:10,720 Speaker 1: more year, not not worth it because and I'll say this, 211 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:13,880 Speaker 1: you know, just realistically, Falcons are going to make it 212 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:16,560 Speaker 1: that there. They are very very unlikely to make a 213 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:19,800 Speaker 1: Super Bowl run. Uh this year. They need to rebuild, 214 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:23,120 Speaker 1: and so getting a couple of pretty good draft picks 215 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:27,040 Speaker 1: is probably from an investment perspective, the best thing you 216 00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:30,240 Speaker 1: can do if you're in a rebuild mode. They've got 217 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:33,680 Speaker 1: a new coach in Arthur Smith, and they need to 218 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:36,960 Speaker 1: make some changes. And and one of the big questions, 219 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:41,120 Speaker 1: of course, is going to be how long Uh. Speaking 220 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:46,480 Speaker 1: of Boston area stars, the former BC standout Matt Ryan 221 00:11:47,160 --> 00:11:50,040 Speaker 1: uh last down there in Atlanta. I mean, he's coming 222 00:11:50,080 --> 00:11:52,800 Speaker 1: to the end. We don't know how many years he's 223 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:56,280 Speaker 1: got left. But they did not draft Justin Fields, who 224 00:11:56,320 --> 00:11:59,440 Speaker 1: I think many people wanted uh them to do the 225 00:11:59,440 --> 00:12:03,280 Speaker 1: Falcon but you know, it does feel like I read 226 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:05,240 Speaker 1: a lot over the weekend that basically said this was 227 00:12:05,280 --> 00:12:09,320 Speaker 1: the right business decision if you're Arthur blaying well. And 228 00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:11,320 Speaker 1: by waiting until June one, they do get a great 229 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:14,200 Speaker 1: deal of salary cap relief. With Julio Jones, he was 230 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:17,240 Speaker 1: gonna cost them over twenty three million dollars against the 231 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:19,280 Speaker 1: cap coming this year, So they get a little bit 232 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:23,000 Speaker 1: of relief there to maybe retain some players that might 233 00:12:23,040 --> 00:12:26,320 Speaker 1: be in the final year of their contract. But many 234 00:12:26,320 --> 00:12:27,720 Speaker 1: of the players on this team are going to have 235 00:12:27,760 --> 00:12:30,560 Speaker 1: to restructure their contracts. And you know, they did not 236 00:12:30,600 --> 00:12:32,559 Speaker 1: do a good job with the salary cap. And Mattie 237 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:34,880 Speaker 1: Ice has gonna now he's got one less weapon to 238 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:38,200 Speaker 1: to throw two down there in Atlanta. We all, you know, 239 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:40,920 Speaker 1: falling very closely up here in Boston obviously, and he 240 00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:43,320 Speaker 1: had that great run we went to the Super Bowl 241 00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:48,200 Speaker 1: against the Patriots. But um, yeah, I think when you've 242 00:12:48,240 --> 00:12:51,040 Speaker 1: got Tom Brady in your division down there, um I 243 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:52,720 Speaker 1: don't think you're I don't think you're gonna win the 244 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:54,600 Speaker 1: division this yet. I hate to break it to you, Jason, 245 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:58,520 Speaker 1: I think you're probably right. Yeah, it is a tough 246 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:01,040 Speaker 1: it is a tough road there in the in the 247 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:04,960 Speaker 1: NFC South. Now there is some excitement um around Uh 248 00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:07,920 Speaker 1: Kyle Pitts, the tight end that the Falcons drafted, and 249 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:10,800 Speaker 1: and and again that comes down. So that was their 250 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:13,959 Speaker 1: their top pick, the number four overall pick. Again they 251 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:18,760 Speaker 1: did not uh draft a quarterback. And again, when you 252 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:21,719 Speaker 1: think about the business of building a roster, and this 253 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:23,880 Speaker 1: is what an observer said to me over the weekend, 254 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:28,120 Speaker 1: you know your your long Kyle Pitts at this point, 255 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:32,040 Speaker 1: you know, he becomes essentially you know, will be Will 256 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:37,079 Speaker 1: he be as impactful a player as Julio Jones has been? Maybe, um, 257 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:41,480 Speaker 1: but you know he's obviously younger. Um. You know, Julio 258 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:46,920 Speaker 1: certainly had some issues with injuries and whatnot. So um, 259 00:13:46,960 --> 00:13:49,760 Speaker 1: a rebuild for sure. But you know, just harkening back 260 00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:52,320 Speaker 1: a little bit to the top of the conversation, Lanta 261 00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:55,080 Speaker 1: Hawks were in a rebuild for some time and now, 262 00:13:55,280 --> 00:13:57,720 Speaker 1: you know, making a nice little run in in their 263 00:13:58,559 --> 00:14:01,079 Speaker 1: in their sport, and a lot of excitement in Atlanta 264 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:04,720 Speaker 1: around that. Uh. Let's head across the pond if we 265 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:11,439 Speaker 1: can to Paris and Roland Garros, where they are bereft 266 00:14:11,679 --> 00:14:16,280 Speaker 1: of superstars increasingly Lynchy Roger Federer taking himself out of 267 00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:21,200 Speaker 1: the tournament after the fourth round, Serena Williams losing her match, 268 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:27,479 Speaker 1: so Federer out, Serena out. Naomi Osaka of course retiring 269 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:30,520 Speaker 1: from the tournament citing some mental health issues that were 270 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:33,560 Speaker 1: spurred by her um or sort of brought to the 271 00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:36,640 Speaker 1: four I should say, by her refusal to participate in 272 00:14:36,640 --> 00:14:40,360 Speaker 1: in the press conference and the press availabilities. If you 273 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:44,080 Speaker 1: are a programmer, if you are a producer of a tournament, 274 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:47,720 Speaker 1: this is not good news for you, having the biggest 275 00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:52,320 Speaker 1: stars exit stage left. Yeah, and they've got a problem 276 00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:54,920 Speaker 1: over there too with with COVID, they have restricted um 277 00:14:55,240 --> 00:14:58,080 Speaker 1: attendance and for many of their matches, so and they 278 00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:01,320 Speaker 1: also have a curfew. I think it's nine o'clock at night. 279 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:04,360 Speaker 1: That nobody that. I think Federer's last match went to 280 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:06,560 Speaker 1: like one o'clock in the morning. But he says he's 281 00:15:06,560 --> 00:15:08,680 Speaker 1: just listening to his body. He's coming off to knee 282 00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:13,840 Speaker 1: operations and presumably he's getting ready for Wimbledon's he's resting 283 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:15,920 Speaker 1: right now. But you know, the end is near for 284 00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:18,040 Speaker 1: forty year old and in this sport, and he's been 285 00:15:18,040 --> 00:15:19,880 Speaker 1: a great champion over the years. He's won a ton 286 00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:22,120 Speaker 1: of money, and he's been one of the one of 287 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:26,400 Speaker 1: the great gracious champions that hasn't let in everything he's 288 00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:30,200 Speaker 1: accomplished go to his head. Yeah. Well, and you know, 289 00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:33,840 Speaker 1: for Serena's part, you know, she's still chasing that that 290 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:38,080 Speaker 1: elusive next uh Grand Slam. Hasn't been able to match 291 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:41,960 Speaker 1: that record yet. And um, you know, her first Majors 292 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:45,640 Speaker 1: win nineteen nine, I mean just shows the span and 293 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:49,320 Speaker 1: it's just incredible. Um. So obviously, you know a lot 294 00:15:49,320 --> 00:15:52,600 Speaker 1: of attention will be paid Wimbledon, and then uh, you know, 295 00:15:52,640 --> 00:15:54,840 Speaker 1: closer to home here, a lot of attention pay played 296 00:15:55,200 --> 00:15:59,280 Speaker 1: in the US Open. You know, for Naomi's part, one 297 00:15:59,320 --> 00:16:01,960 Speaker 1: of the big X questions is going to be whether 298 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:05,440 Speaker 1: she plays in and how she plays in the Olympics, 299 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:07,680 Speaker 1: which are in her home country of Japan's schedule to 300 00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:09,720 Speaker 1: be in her home country of Japan. There's been speculation 301 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:13,720 Speaker 1: that she could be the flag bearer at the opening ceremonies. 302 00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:16,880 Speaker 1: The press availability I was reading this morning is a 303 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:19,760 Speaker 1: little bit different there. It's sort of this mixed area, 304 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:24,800 Speaker 1: mixed media area, so it's not the the same rhythm, 305 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:27,560 Speaker 1: and you know, sitting behind a table on a on 306 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:30,920 Speaker 1: a dias and and fielding questions unless you're a metal 307 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:33,960 Speaker 1: winner apparently, so UM, we'll see. I mean there are 308 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:37,000 Speaker 1: a lot of discussions about athletes and media and social 309 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 1: media and how that all, um, how that all plays together. Uh, 310 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:46,000 Speaker 1: speaking of tennis. One deal that I saw this morning 311 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:47,320 Speaker 1: that you and I were talking about a little bit 312 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:50,720 Speaker 1: before we came on areas um CBC Capital Partners. This 313 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:53,560 Speaker 1: is going back to my private equity days. Uh. This 314 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:57,080 Speaker 1: has been a very active investment firm in the sports world. 315 00:16:57,160 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 1: They bought, their bought and sold very success Formula one. 316 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:03,800 Speaker 1: I believe there have been reports that they made ten 317 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:07,439 Speaker 1: times their money um buying and selling Formula one. So 318 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:12,800 Speaker 1: they're interested in pursuing other sports. They apparently Lynchy are 319 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:16,080 Speaker 1: in advanced talks. This is according to Sky Sports, on 320 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:19,760 Speaker 1: a deal to merge the women's Tour and the men's 321 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:22,680 Speaker 1: Tour in tennis. If you talk to people in the 322 00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:24,600 Speaker 1: world of tennis, and I'm sure you've heard this many 323 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:27,159 Speaker 1: times over the years, this is a long time coming. 324 00:17:27,359 --> 00:17:31,240 Speaker 1: It would really help the sport in many ways. Obviously, 325 00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:34,639 Speaker 1: these these tours come together for all the majors, but 326 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:38,280 Speaker 1: otherwise they're playing in different places at different times. And 327 00:17:38,359 --> 00:17:41,119 Speaker 1: the rules are a little bit different in compensation and 328 00:17:41,359 --> 00:17:44,760 Speaker 1: all of those things. To me from from a pure 329 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:47,879 Speaker 1: business perspective, I think this is the I think this 330 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:51,040 Speaker 1: is the right thing to do, don't you? Without question? 331 00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:53,399 Speaker 1: I mean, how many governing bodies are there in tennis 332 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:55,199 Speaker 1: right now? At least a half a dozen, right the 333 00:17:55,240 --> 00:17:58,520 Speaker 1: A t P, the w t A, the International Tennis Federation, 334 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:03,400 Speaker 1: Every Grand Slam has its own federation. And speaking of Federa, 335 00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:05,760 Speaker 1: Federa is very much in favor of this and has 336 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:07,280 Speaker 1: been for a long time. And you would think a 337 00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:08,800 Speaker 1: guy like that would say, look, I don't want to 338 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:11,240 Speaker 1: be merged. I'm I'm doing great on my own. But 339 00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:13,480 Speaker 1: he he thinks it's for for the greater good of 340 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:17,119 Speaker 1: the sport. He thinks it's the right thing to do. Um, 341 00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:20,679 Speaker 1: you'll have one platform where you can watch men's and 342 00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:23,160 Speaker 1: women's tennis rather than trying to figure out, okay, where's 343 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:26,240 Speaker 1: the women's store this week, where's the men's store this week? UM? 344 00:18:26,359 --> 00:18:32,320 Speaker 1: More prize money, UM, the digital platform going on worldwide streaming. UM. 345 00:18:32,359 --> 00:18:35,320 Speaker 1: I think it's a great idea. Obviously, Uh, it would 346 00:18:35,359 --> 00:18:36,920 Speaker 1: not be a good idea for the p G N 347 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:39,240 Speaker 1: l P g A, the NBA and the w n 348 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:40,879 Speaker 1: B A. But I think for the A t P 349 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:43,440 Speaker 1: and the w t A, this is a win win, 350 00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:48,760 Speaker 1: especially with the CVC Capital Partners coming back coming in 351 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:52,280 Speaker 1: as the driving force. Yeah. I mean, What's what's fascinating 352 00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:54,840 Speaker 1: to me about this too, and and I've been doing 353 00:18:54,840 --> 00:18:57,800 Speaker 1: a little bit of work on this is this notion 354 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:00,200 Speaker 1: that you know, tennis and Billy jan King obviously gets 355 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:02,920 Speaker 1: a huge amount of credit for this. You know, tennis 356 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:06,760 Speaker 1: has come the closest of any major sport where you 357 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:10,280 Speaker 1: have both men and women competing at a high professional 358 00:19:10,359 --> 00:19:16,440 Speaker 1: level in terms of something resembling parity, uh in terms 359 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:19,840 Speaker 1: of compensation, and so you would hope that this would 360 00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:24,679 Speaker 1: some if you believe in in pay equality, you you 361 00:19:24,720 --> 00:19:27,920 Speaker 1: would hope that this would cement that that this would 362 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:30,400 Speaker 1: make it that much easier because it would there would 363 00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:33,919 Speaker 1: just be consistency across the entire professional league that that 364 00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:37,520 Speaker 1: would include both the men's game and and the women's game. 365 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:40,480 Speaker 1: You know, it also comes in and this echoes back 366 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:42,879 Speaker 1: to what we were talking about with with Federer and 367 00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:46,159 Speaker 1: Serena and others, And when you think about especially in 368 00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:51,600 Speaker 1: the men's game, Federer Djokovic and Nadal. They are not 369 00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:54,040 Speaker 1: long for this tour. I mean they will continue to 370 00:19:54,080 --> 00:19:56,239 Speaker 1: make lots of money on on their own and in 371 00:19:56,280 --> 00:19:59,520 Speaker 1: all sorts of different ways through sponsorships and and there 372 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:04,879 Speaker 1: are other business interests. But um, you know, tennis on 373 00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:07,000 Speaker 1: the men's side especially needs a shot in the arm. 374 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:09,560 Speaker 1: They need another group of players to come along. There 375 00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:13,320 Speaker 1: is a nice crop of female players who are coming along. 376 00:20:13,359 --> 00:20:15,399 Speaker 1: But the more that they can do to sort of 377 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:18,480 Speaker 1: shore up the business side would seem to would seem 378 00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:22,080 Speaker 1: to be really important. All right. Uh, let's round out 379 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:26,240 Speaker 1: the conversation by talking about this fight quote unquote, I'm 380 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:30,480 Speaker 1: doing air quotes that happened yesterday on on Sunday. Uh 381 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:36,639 Speaker 1: here between the Mayweather Paul about um not an official fight. 382 00:20:36,920 --> 00:20:40,280 Speaker 1: There was no winner declared. Uh, there was a referee. 383 00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:43,080 Speaker 1: But this was not a sanctioned event. This was purely 384 00:20:43,920 --> 00:20:48,600 Speaker 1: um It's not a publicity stunt necessarily, and yet it 385 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:53,560 Speaker 1: kind of was uh good, bad, indifferent? What what what 386 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:55,760 Speaker 1: do you make of this for the sport of boxing 387 00:20:55,760 --> 00:20:58,760 Speaker 1: and fighting? I'm indifferent to it. I'm a big boxing 388 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:00,879 Speaker 1: fan and have been for a long long time. This 389 00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:03,919 Speaker 1: was nothing more than a marketing ploy right here to 390 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:06,000 Speaker 1: try to get some pay per view people, to try 391 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:11,480 Speaker 1: to get the Paul Logan's generation to watch watch in fight. 392 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:13,240 Speaker 1: But this, you know, this guy weighs a hundred ninety 393 00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:15,920 Speaker 1: pounds and you know Merryweather's you know, was he forty 394 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:17,919 Speaker 1: five years old? Forty four years old, I think right now. 395 00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:20,000 Speaker 1: And he's no business fighting a guy like this. And 396 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:23,320 Speaker 1: there were no judges, no official Nobody could win, nobody 397 00:21:23,359 --> 00:21:28,080 Speaker 1: could lose, but knockouts were legal and love he Logan landed, 398 00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:30,960 Speaker 1: he was eight rounds, he lasted, so he considers that 399 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:33,680 Speaker 1: a win. I'm very indifferent to it. I hate to 400 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:36,840 Speaker 1: say it. Um boxing is I don't want to say 401 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:40,520 Speaker 1: a dead sport, but it's on life support. It is 402 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:43,239 Speaker 1: struggling for sure. And and I think, you know, I 403 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:45,240 Speaker 1: was talking to some folks about this towards the end 404 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:48,040 Speaker 1: of last week leading up to this fight, and and 405 00:21:48,119 --> 00:21:50,639 Speaker 1: I feel like they're there are a couple camps, you know, 406 00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:54,080 Speaker 1: One is that this is there. There are a couple 407 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:57,280 Speaker 1: sort of opposite sort of pullar opposite camps. One is 408 00:21:57,320 --> 00:21:59,280 Speaker 1: this is horrible for the sport. You know that it 409 00:21:59,359 --> 00:22:02,080 Speaker 1: sort of makes the coockery of it and you know, 410 00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:04,920 Speaker 1: this is the sweet science. This is you know, there's 411 00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:06,879 Speaker 1: so much history, as you know, far better than I 412 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:10,280 Speaker 1: UM in the sport of boxing, and some of the 413 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:15,160 Speaker 1: iconic athletes of the past several generations have come through 414 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:18,720 Speaker 1: UM the world of boxing. There's the other side of 415 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:23,760 Speaker 1: it that basically says, look, anything that exposes this particular 416 00:22:23,840 --> 00:22:27,919 Speaker 1: sport in any form to a broader, younger audience is 417 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:31,240 Speaker 1: ultimately good for business and and good for for the 418 00:22:31,280 --> 00:22:34,240 Speaker 1: future of the sport. I mean, certainly Floyd Mayweather, he 419 00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:38,520 Speaker 1: essentially made that case that this put him in front 420 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:44,360 Speaker 1: of basically Logan Paul's social media fueled audience, A much 421 00:22:44,440 --> 00:22:47,840 Speaker 1: younger audience who you know now probably knows who Floyd 422 00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:52,280 Speaker 1: Mayweather is, and it may not have UM before. I 423 00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:55,000 Speaker 1: don't know. I mean there there's something a little bit 424 00:22:55,640 --> 00:23:00,919 Speaker 1: circus e to to use a nonword about this for 425 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:03,960 Speaker 1: me at least, and I think we'll wait to see 426 00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:08,120 Speaker 1: exactly how much money was generated. I mean, certainly these 427 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:11,040 Speaker 1: guys walked out with with a nice a nice amount 428 00:23:11,080 --> 00:23:13,879 Speaker 1: of dough UM. But but what it ultimately means for 429 00:23:13,880 --> 00:23:16,720 Speaker 1: the sport. One interesting side note that I was reading 430 00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:19,840 Speaker 1: about is that apparently Showtime, which had the pay per 431 00:23:19,920 --> 00:23:24,239 Speaker 1: view rights you know, both streaming and and on you know, 432 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:28,439 Speaker 1: video on demand, UH ran into some issues and so 433 00:23:28,520 --> 00:23:30,520 Speaker 1: there were some glitches with with people getting to it. 434 00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:32,680 Speaker 1: So that's not great. That's not great for Showtime, and 435 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:36,240 Speaker 1: it's also not great, um, you know for for fans 436 00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:40,160 Speaker 1: who wanted to pay the fifty bucks too to get 437 00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:42,440 Speaker 1: the to get the fight and and having those sort 438 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:44,840 Speaker 1: of sorts of troubles. We've talked a lot about how 439 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:47,480 Speaker 1: people are going to consume sports going forward, and streamers 440 00:23:47,520 --> 00:23:53,400 Speaker 1: obviously or are are a resurgen. I was gonna say 441 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:57,720 Speaker 1: we're insurgent to some extent, uh in terms of being 442 00:23:57,800 --> 00:24:01,400 Speaker 1: the destination, But I don't know. I mean, I'm rather 443 00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:04,440 Speaker 1: indifferent as well. I'd never to be honest, and even 444 00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:07,080 Speaker 1: though it's kind of my job to to watch things 445 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:11,199 Speaker 1: like this, I never even I it never crossed my 446 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:14,639 Speaker 1: mind to I sorry, I never clicked on it, you know. 447 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:18,119 Speaker 1: I A week ago yesterday on Sunday, I spoke at 448 00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:23,520 Speaker 1: Marvin Hagler's memorial service at Rocky Marciano Stadium and Brockton 449 00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:26,720 Speaker 1: Thomas the hitman Hearns showed up unannounced, which was a 450 00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:28,679 Speaker 1: huge surprise and a huge lift and you've got a 451 00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:32,160 Speaker 1: great ovation. But up there with Stephen A. Smith spoke 452 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:35,080 Speaker 1: Um L. Bernstein was there and a bunch of boxing 453 00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:37,200 Speaker 1: writers who were there, and was sitting around and said, 454 00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:39,800 Speaker 1: can anyone name the middleweight champion of the world. Yeah, 455 00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:43,359 Speaker 1: no one could say who's the heavyweight champion of the world. 456 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:45,959 Speaker 1: And there was a dispute between, well, it's either Tyson 457 00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:49,439 Speaker 1: Fury or Anthony Joshua and it was. It didn't just 458 00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:51,480 Speaker 1: roll off everybody's lips. And these are people who have 459 00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:54,240 Speaker 1: been lifelong boxing people. And I think that just that 460 00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:57,080 Speaker 1: told me a ton about the state of boxing. Why 461 00:24:57,119 --> 00:24:59,000 Speaker 1: do you think it is? I mean, knowing it, knowing 462 00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:03,280 Speaker 1: the business, you do what what happened? Personalities without question. 463 00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:06,679 Speaker 1: When Hagler was fighting, the middleweight or the welterweight was Sugar, 464 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:11,040 Speaker 1: Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler, and they 465 00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:14,240 Speaker 1: they sustained it for a decade or more. I mean 466 00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:17,399 Speaker 1: Ray Leonard came off the seventies six Olympics and he 467 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:20,320 Speaker 1: fought Hagler in seven and it was a huge fight. 468 00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:22,760 Speaker 1: The heavyweight of course, you know where you had Ali, 469 00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:25,960 Speaker 1: you had Frazier. Then they had Tyson, eventa holy Field, 470 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:31,840 Speaker 1: Larry Holmes, and who are these people now? Yeah, yeah, yeah, 471 00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:33,879 Speaker 1: I mean it certainly has fallen off. I mean I 472 00:25:34,119 --> 00:25:36,639 Speaker 1: I definitely grew up in the in the Tyson holy 473 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:41,280 Speaker 1: Field generation, and I mean remember that very well. And 474 00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:45,200 Speaker 1: you know, these were controversial figures in in some way, 475 00:25:45,280 --> 00:25:47,480 Speaker 1: certainly in the case of Mike Tyson, who who's still 476 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:51,120 Speaker 1: around in some form are fashion and finds his way 477 00:25:51,160 --> 00:25:54,080 Speaker 1: into into popular culture um here and there. But you're right, 478 00:25:54,119 --> 00:25:57,399 Speaker 1: they were very much embedded in in a culture that 479 00:25:57,560 --> 00:26:00,920 Speaker 1: was well beyond the sports world, and you know, you 480 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:04,600 Speaker 1: would have been as likely to see them on television 481 00:26:04,720 --> 00:26:06,600 Speaker 1: or on the cover of a magazine, a non sports 482 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:10,000 Speaker 1: magazine in many ways. I mean, obviously Ali stands head 483 00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:14,040 Speaker 1: and shoulders above um anyone in that regard in terms 484 00:26:14,040 --> 00:26:18,440 Speaker 1: of his social activism and whatnot. But you know, Tyson, 485 00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:22,359 Speaker 1: I think in many ways stands for me at least 486 00:26:22,400 --> 00:26:26,400 Speaker 1: as as the last boxer who truly captured the public's 487 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:29,119 Speaker 1: imagination and who you would say, you know what, we're 488 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:31,200 Speaker 1: going to get the Tyson fight. You know, we're gonna 489 00:26:31,240 --> 00:26:33,679 Speaker 1: watch the Tyson fight. Everybody come over and even the 490 00:26:34,359 --> 00:26:37,159 Speaker 1: even folks who wouldn't necessarily be following it, you know, 491 00:26:37,240 --> 00:26:40,040 Speaker 1: knew who Mike Tyson was. But I mean that that's 492 00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:42,520 Speaker 1: actually that's a crazy story to say that the people 493 00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:44,760 Speaker 1: whose business it is to know these things were like, 494 00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:49,600 Speaker 1: can I google it? Yeah? Yeah, that that We're all 495 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:52,600 Speaker 1: standing there like without with our draws down, scratching our heads. 496 00:26:52,600 --> 00:26:55,199 Speaker 1: And you know, it's hard to believe we would we 497 00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:57,760 Speaker 1: could rattle off probably the top five and in five 498 00:26:57,800 --> 00:27:01,320 Speaker 1: different weight divisions twenty years ago. Yeah. Absolutely. And you 499 00:27:01,359 --> 00:27:03,600 Speaker 1: know what, one thing, getting back to this tennis thing, 500 00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:05,800 Speaker 1: with all the different tennis federations with the A, T P, 501 00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:08,440 Speaker 1: W T A International blah blah blah blah blah, it 502 00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:11,240 Speaker 1: reminds me so much of of of boxing when boxing 503 00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:13,440 Speaker 1: went to the w b A, the w B, OH, 504 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:15,800 Speaker 1: the ib F, and you know, we used to joke 505 00:27:15,840 --> 00:27:18,080 Speaker 1: and said, it's the ib WU, you know, a f 506 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:21,760 Speaker 1: l C I O Champion of the World. And you know, 507 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:24,919 Speaker 1: let's just have one federation like in boxing, Let's have 508 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:27,840 Speaker 1: one in golf and two sports that really need a 509 00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:31,800 Speaker 1: boost in the arm in attendance, in investment, in advertising, 510 00:27:31,800 --> 00:27:34,760 Speaker 1: and in marketing, and let's let's let's make boxing and 511 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:38,000 Speaker 1: tennis great again. Well, I will tell you that just 512 00:27:38,040 --> 00:27:40,720 Speaker 1: to round this out, I mean, there there are two 513 00:27:40,760 --> 00:27:43,720 Speaker 1: abbreviations that, in many ways I think, and i'd be 514 00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:47,879 Speaker 1: instineer take on this, have probably been largely responsible for 515 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:50,199 Speaker 1: the decline of boxing. And that's m M A and 516 00:27:50,320 --> 00:27:55,160 Speaker 1: UFC related. Obviously. Um, those have certainly caught on because 517 00:27:55,880 --> 00:27:58,960 Speaker 1: you know, many, many people know who Connor McGregor is. 518 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:03,400 Speaker 1: Again in the wider world, Um, you know, I would 519 00:28:03,520 --> 00:28:06,720 Speaker 1: argue that you know, Dana White, people know him from 520 00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:08,720 Speaker 1: the UFC in the same way that they used to 521 00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:11,639 Speaker 1: talk about Don King and in the world of boxing, 522 00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:13,800 Speaker 1: and and obviously one of the things, and this I 523 00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:16,720 Speaker 1: think speaks to your exact point. One of the things 524 00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:19,600 Speaker 1: the UFC has done for better and worse, and there 525 00:28:19,640 --> 00:28:22,479 Speaker 1: are a lot of debates around this is they own it. 526 00:28:22,840 --> 00:28:27,199 Speaker 1: They have the talent, They control everything around it, so 527 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:30,040 Speaker 1: there's no room to be like, well but that's the 528 00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:32,840 Speaker 1: other thing, or this is the other thing. Even the 529 00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:36,280 Speaker 1: Professional Fighters League and we have their CEO on on 530 00:28:36,320 --> 00:28:39,600 Speaker 1: this program not too long ago. You know, it's run, 531 00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:43,480 Speaker 1: it's a tight ship. It's the second most popular M 532 00:28:43,600 --> 00:28:47,560 Speaker 1: M A H venue or or organization, I should say 533 00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:51,760 Speaker 1: behind the UFC. So they've learned something about kind of 534 00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:55,560 Speaker 1: locking up the intellectual property um and and kind of 535 00:28:55,600 --> 00:28:59,080 Speaker 1: having the athletes in in the way the fighters in 536 00:28:59,080 --> 00:29:02,320 Speaker 1: this case uh in where they want them uh and 537 00:29:02,320 --> 00:29:07,560 Speaker 1: and so there there's less room for variation. Without question. 538 00:29:07,640 --> 00:29:10,280 Speaker 1: They are that the Friday night fights used to be 539 00:29:10,320 --> 00:29:13,080 Speaker 1: the thing to watch everything and then why world of sports, 540 00:29:13,080 --> 00:29:16,360 Speaker 1: you'd watch everything. And now this generation Z right now 541 00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:21,160 Speaker 1: is locked into m M a UFC without question, and 542 00:29:21,200 --> 00:29:22,680 Speaker 1: it's never I don't think it's going to go back 543 00:29:22,720 --> 00:29:24,560 Speaker 1: to boxing. I think they love the action on this, 544 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:27,040 Speaker 1: they can bet on this, they can sit ringside, and 545 00:29:27,040 --> 00:29:29,400 Speaker 1: and so there has a little bit of a gladiator 546 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:32,440 Speaker 1: tinge to it a little bit. We're watching it, and uh, 547 00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:34,560 Speaker 1: I think it's gone. This generation will never come back 548 00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:37,240 Speaker 1: to boxing ever. Alright, Well, you've been listening to the 549 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:40,120 Speaker 1: Blueberg Business of Sports podcast. I'm Jason Kelly. Find me 550 00:29:40,200 --> 00:29:42,920 Speaker 1: on Twitter at Jason Kelly News and I'm Mike Lynch. 551 00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:45,280 Speaker 1: You can follow me at Lynch e w CVB and 552 00:29:45,320 --> 00:29:47,479 Speaker 1: we're here with you each and every Monday, Wednesday and 553 00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:51,120 Speaker 1: Thursday talking about the world of money and sports. It's 554 00:29:51,120 --> 00:29:54,080 Speaker 1: an exciting week. We've got coming up, as I mentioned earlier, 555 00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:56,680 Speaker 1: going to catch up with Nina King, the new athletic 556 00:29:56,720 --> 00:30:00,440 Speaker 1: director down at Duke. We're also gonna catch hup with 557 00:30:00,560 --> 00:30:05,320 Speaker 1: Scott O'Neal. He is the CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports 558 00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:08,680 Speaker 1: and Entertainment. Of course, the owners of the seventies Sixers 559 00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:13,000 Speaker 1: and the New Jersey Devils and the Crystal Palace Football Club, 560 00:30:13,160 --> 00:30:15,920 Speaker 1: so he's gonna have a lot to say about this 561 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:18,360 Speaker 1: data sports. You're listening to The Bloomberg Business of Sports 562 00:30:18,600 --> 00:30:21,120 Speaker 1: on Bloomberg Radio around the world and online wherever you 563 00:30:21,160 --> 00:30:21,920 Speaker 1: get your podcast.