1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:03,520 Speaker 1: Hello, I'm evanby Williams and I'm Michael Bars got his 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:06,760 Speaker 1: all today and this is the Bloomberg Business of Sports podcast, 3 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:09,160 Speaker 1: where we explore the big money issues in the world 4 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 1: of sports. Let's start with probably one of the more 5 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:19,400 Speaker 1: shocking retirements at least this year. UH. Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, 6 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 1: just twenty nine, says that he is going to retire 7 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 1: that a certain way is and how I envisioned this 8 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:29,920 Speaker 1: or planned this, But but I'm gonna retire. This is 9 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:33,280 Speaker 1: not an easy decision. Honestly, it's the hardest decision in 10 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:38,159 Speaker 1: my life. Uh, but it is the right decision for 11 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:42,879 Speaker 1: me now. Andrew Luck has been through numerous injuries. He 12 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 1: was in the league since twelve. Uh. There was one 13 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:51,199 Speaker 1: year where uh he just didn't play it because he 14 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:53,159 Speaker 1: had suffered. I think it was something in his arm 15 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 1: worthy shoulder, and and I I feel awful for him because, 16 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 1: as you know, you're giving up something that you love. 17 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:06,480 Speaker 1: But at the same time, too, uh, I feel hey, 18 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:09,319 Speaker 1: he's trying to preserve himself and because at twenty nine 19 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:11,759 Speaker 1: there's a lot of life still left. Yeah, he I mean, 20 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:14,119 Speaker 1: he he played six NFL seasons and as you said, 21 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:16,200 Speaker 1: at the beginning. If you go through, you know there's 22 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 1: a long list of players who have retired early from 23 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:21,840 Speaker 1: the NFL. UM. I think this, this and Barry Sanders 24 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:24,800 Speaker 1: might be the two, the two most shocking. Uh. Certainly 25 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 1: a lot of money on the table uh here that 26 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 1: he left. I mean he's giving up future salary. Of course, 27 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 1: it sounds like the twenty four million in bonuses that 28 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:35,960 Speaker 1: the Cults could have asked for back they're choosing not 29 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:38,759 Speaker 1: to do, which is a nice gesture from Jim Mercy. 30 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:41,680 Speaker 1: I don't believe the Lions extended that to either Barry 31 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:45,479 Speaker 1: Sanders or Calvin Johnson when they retired. Um. But if 32 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 1: you think about the long term, if if Andrew Luck 33 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 1: had been able to stay healthy, the the shelf life 34 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: for quarterbacks in this league is incredibly long if you're 35 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 1: good enough, and it certainly seemed as though Andrew Luck 36 00:01:57,240 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: was good enough. And Jim Mercy said it this weekend, 37 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 1: the owner the Colts, he may have made another five 38 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:06,320 Speaker 1: million dollars in his career playing football if he had 39 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:09,520 Speaker 1: been able to extend it. Um. So certainly a lot 40 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 1: of financial ramifications here for Andrew as well. Well. First, 41 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 1: he's got to stand up when I mean, I don't 42 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:19,240 Speaker 1: mean that in a figurative sense. I'm talking literally if 43 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:22,079 Speaker 1: you if you can't walk because there was a leg 44 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:25,359 Speaker 1: injury he was going through, and I mean, at some 45 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:28,000 Speaker 1: point your body says, look, I don't care if you're 46 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:31,799 Speaker 1: twenty nine, thirty nine, whatever, You've got to just take 47 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:34,760 Speaker 1: it easy. Again. I feel bad for him because you know, 48 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:36,960 Speaker 1: it's hard to walk away from something you love. Yeah, 49 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 1: I have a tweet here from Zach Kiefer, who's the 50 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 1: Colt Spet writer for the Athletic Um. And you mentioned 51 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 1: a few of this, but real quick, the physical toll 52 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 1: and Andrew Luck during six NFL seasons, torn cartilage and 53 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:50,040 Speaker 1: two ribs, partially torn abdomen, a lacerated kidney that left 54 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 1: him peeing blood, at least one concussion, a torn laborman 55 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 1: his throwing shoulder, and then this calf high ankle sprain 56 00:02:56,400 --> 00:02:58,800 Speaker 1: that led to him retiring. Uh So, just think about 57 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 1: that list for a second in six years. And I 58 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 1: know Scott has said this on the program before, and 59 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:05,079 Speaker 1: he's right. If you take in an NFL game from 60 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 1: the field level, the amount of violence and impact in 61 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 1: one snap is mind blowing. And the idea that you 62 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: know after six years that that someone like Andrew Luck 63 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 1: and that's just six pro seasons he played at Stanford, 64 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 1: he played in high school. The idea that that anyone 65 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 1: at nine decides, you know what, this might not be 66 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 1: the future for my body. I don't understand how people 67 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 1: can criticize that. And I'm sure you saw there are 68 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:30,520 Speaker 1: a lot of people out there that are criticizing the decision. 69 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:34,000 Speaker 1: Yeah and see. And that's look, I have to take 70 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 1: exception to it because, first of all, like you said, 71 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:42,600 Speaker 1: when you're on eye level and you see a professional 72 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 1: football game, I'm gonna take it down a level when 73 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 1: I used to many years ago with the old USFL 74 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 1: and I think it's old this story before and uh, 75 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 1: I was working for sound holding a parabolic mike, and 76 00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 1: I'm on the sidelines and all of a sudden, here 77 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 1: comes a sweet playing It's coming right at me and 78 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: it sounds like a thunderous heard of buffalo coming right 79 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:09,480 Speaker 1: at you, And of course the engineer climbs in my ears. 80 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: I'm moving the headsets and says, whatever happened, save the mic, 81 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 1: thank you, and the top priority. But that that is 82 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:22,360 Speaker 1: what I'm talking about, the intensity of the game and 83 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:26,720 Speaker 1: I know as fans we like to play armchair quarterback 84 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:30,240 Speaker 1: on Monday's like, I don't understand this and that whatever, Well, 85 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:33,839 Speaker 1: you go out there and play it. You go out 86 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:37,240 Speaker 1: there and get hit. And and I told somebody, you know, 87 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:40,080 Speaker 1: someone was saying, oh my goodness, they can't take this hit. 88 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:43,839 Speaker 1: And I said, if they hit you one time and 89 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:46,920 Speaker 1: the state that you're in, you would be unconscious for 90 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:50,840 Speaker 1: two months. And yeah, I just I wish people would understand. 91 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 1: And and another, you know, another point to make on this, 92 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:58,800 Speaker 1: the I think every time someone retires earlier than we expect, 93 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:01,240 Speaker 1: you know that you and have this discussion about whether 94 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 1: this is a trend that's going to continue happening. I 95 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 1: do think that this is that this retirement scares the 96 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:10,599 Speaker 1: heck out of a lot of NFL owners and gms 97 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:14,599 Speaker 1: and coaches. The idea that Andrew luck Um at twenty 98 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:17,159 Speaker 1: nine years old, right after the season that he had, 99 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:19,839 Speaker 1: which was I mean, he played fantastic last year. The 100 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:22,320 Speaker 1: idea that he would hang up his cleats and his 101 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 1: pads after that season, with so much potential money looking 102 00:05:26,839 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 1: ahead to him at the future, um, I think that 103 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 1: scares people a lot. And let's not forget also Rob Gronkowski, 104 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 1: you know, who was not criticized nearly as much as 105 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:37,080 Speaker 1: Andrew Luck was, but who retired this year with a 106 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 1: lot a couple more years easily on his playing career 107 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:42,840 Speaker 1: if he wanted to, largely because the physical toll on 108 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:45,599 Speaker 1: his body was something he didn't want to deal with anymore. Um, 109 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:48,200 Speaker 1: if you get to a point where more athletes are 110 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:50,720 Speaker 1: making this decision, and if Andrew Luck can do it, 111 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:53,360 Speaker 1: anyone can. Um. I think that is that is a 112 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 1: future that that that scares a lot of people that 113 00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 1: work in the NFL. Andrew Luck takes some time, man, 114 00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 1: Just do what you got to do. To the friend 115 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:05,279 Speaker 1: of the program, Oliver Luck, his father, Uh, take some time, 116 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:07,680 Speaker 1: just talk with your son and and you know, just 117 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:10,719 Speaker 1: experienced life. I'm glad you mentioned that, Michael, because we 118 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 1: had Oliver Luck on the podcast last year and you 119 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:17,159 Speaker 1: asked him, Hey, Oliver, how is Andrews rehab going? And 120 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 1: this is what he had to say. It was a 121 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:22,159 Speaker 1: challenging time for him and as you know, by extension, 122 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:25,479 Speaker 1: for our whole family, right his his girlfriend and he's 123 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 1: got three siblings, and for my wife and me. You know, 124 00:06:28,040 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 1: he's like all these quarterbacks. Right. He's competitive, he's driven, 125 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:34,720 Speaker 1: and when you can't play, you're in an awful mood. 126 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:37,240 Speaker 1: And he was in a bad mood right because he 127 00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:39,400 Speaker 1: basically did rehab for you know, for a year after 128 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:43,120 Speaker 1: the labor surgery. Um. You know, as he likes to say, 129 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:45,279 Speaker 1: he you know, it's a chance to sort of really 130 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: reflect in a very deep way about who you are 131 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:49,800 Speaker 1: and what you are. And he looked into the abyss 132 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:51,599 Speaker 1: because there was a point where you know, he wasn't 133 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 1: sure if he could ever throw the ball again without 134 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:56,680 Speaker 1: you know, serious pain. So I'm delighted. My wife and 135 00:06:56,680 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 1: I were delighted that he's back and able to play 136 00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:02,600 Speaker 1: and throw and know and play pretty well. Uh, And 137 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:05,000 Speaker 1: we're really please because he's in a much better mood. 138 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:07,640 Speaker 1: It wasn't much fun last year at Thanksgiving. This year 139 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 1: he was great. You know that that doesn't matter. And 140 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:12,360 Speaker 1: I think that's actually a really interesting point about the 141 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:16,280 Speaker 1: physical the mental effect that physical rehab has on you, right, 142 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 1: the way that going through that can affect your social life, 143 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:22,280 Speaker 1: your relationship with your family, with your loved ones. That 144 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 1: story does not get told nearly enough. Um, But I 145 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:27,480 Speaker 1: wish the people that were criticizing Andrew Luck for retiring. 146 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 1: I wish they could listen to that, and I wish 147 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 1: they could think about it. Up. Next, let's talk about 148 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:35,160 Speaker 1: the launch of the a c C Network, which is 149 00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:39,600 Speaker 1: set to air forty regular season college football games this season. Yeah, 150 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:42,200 Speaker 1: the a c C Atlantic Coast Conference has been talking 151 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:44,720 Speaker 1: about this for for ten years now. You know, right 152 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 1: after the Big Ten launched its network with uh Fox 153 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 1: back in two thousands seven, the a CEC started thinking about, 154 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:53,040 Speaker 1: you know, hey, should we do the same thing. We're 155 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:56,400 Speaker 1: seeing how ad sales and subscription fees that the tremendous 156 00:07:56,400 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 1: amount of money in in live TV for sports. Should 157 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:01,920 Speaker 1: we do the same thing? And they decided it wasn't 158 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:04,200 Speaker 1: right for them at the time. They expanded a bit, 159 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:08,200 Speaker 1: you know, in in thirteen and fourteen, they added pit Syracuse, 160 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:11,640 Speaker 1: Notre Dame for everything but football, Louisville. They became a 161 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:15,080 Speaker 1: conference that now spans the entire Eastern Seaboard from Boston 162 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:17,000 Speaker 1: and upstate New York, all the way down to Miami, 163 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:21,400 Speaker 1: out west, all the way to Indiana and in Kentucky. 164 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:26,640 Speaker 1: Uh they became a real regional powerhouse. Now they're launching 165 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:30,280 Speaker 1: the network. I'm amazed it took ten years because I mean, 166 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:34,760 Speaker 1: we all saw this coming and and and kudos. I'm 167 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:37,520 Speaker 1: sure it's going to go off very well because we 168 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:40,959 Speaker 1: love our appetite for college football. Why did it take 169 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 1: so Yeah, it's interesting. And they're of the of the 170 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:45,960 Speaker 1: power of five leagues, the Big Ten, the SEC, the 171 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:48,640 Speaker 1: Big Twelve, the PAC twelve. In the SEC, they're the 172 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:51,080 Speaker 1: fourth one to do this, right, The Big Ten was first, 173 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:54,400 Speaker 1: The Pack twelve went next, doing it alone without a 174 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:57,160 Speaker 1: without a partner. The SEC, along with the ESPN and 175 00:08:57,280 --> 00:08:59,679 Speaker 1: Hearst they did there's in two thousand fourteen and now 176 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:02,520 Speaker 1: the SEC. And the reason the Big Twelve isn't there 177 00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:05,800 Speaker 1: yet is because Texas has its own Longhorn networks side 178 00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:08,920 Speaker 1: deal with ESPN that makes that very difficult. Um. But yes, 179 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:12,400 Speaker 1: the a c C money wise, is the fifth in 180 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:14,400 Speaker 1: that list of five. You know, they share the least 181 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:17,200 Speaker 1: amount of money with their fellow schools. I think this 182 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:19,320 Speaker 1: was a case of they needed to be better in football. 183 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:23,960 Speaker 1: Clemson solved that. Um, they needed a more regional footprint. 184 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:27,079 Speaker 1: They got that and now suddenly, in conjunction with ESPN, 185 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:29,320 Speaker 1: ESPN owns this network, but they will share the cost 186 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:32,240 Speaker 1: and they will share the revenue. Is the time to 187 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 1: launch it. I am shocked by the way, as you 188 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:42,559 Speaker 1: had mentioned that college football season is here. It's not like, yeah, 189 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:46,800 Speaker 1: oh man, I I wonder where somebody died. My great, 190 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:52,160 Speaker 1: I'm getting ahold real fast. Uh finally, Actually Scott would 191 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:55,080 Speaker 1: have said old real fast. It's like I thought you 192 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:59,240 Speaker 1: were ancient already, so I said the joke for you, Scott. Yeah, 193 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:02,360 Speaker 1: uh finally. The US Open in tennis kicks off today 194 00:10:02,559 --> 00:10:05,840 Speaker 1: in New York. What are you watching for? Yeah, I 195 00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:08,680 Speaker 1: mean the it's it's amazing and we've talked about this before, 196 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:11,400 Speaker 1: this idea that that's the same names. You know. The 197 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:15,680 Speaker 1: three male favorites are Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael 198 00:10:15,679 --> 00:10:19,120 Speaker 1: and the Doll. They've they've won the last eleven Grand Slams. 199 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:21,480 Speaker 1: They were this it feels like the same three guys 200 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:23,720 Speaker 1: that we were talking back back in two thousand ten 201 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:27,800 Speaker 1: at the US Open. The main female favorite Serena Williams, 202 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:29,760 Speaker 1: and I would argue that that field is much more 203 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:32,720 Speaker 1: wide open um. But it's pretty amazing that, you know, 204 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:36,040 Speaker 1: we're still talking about really the same big names that 205 00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:38,040 Speaker 1: we've been talking about in tennis for ten plus years. 206 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:40,680 Speaker 1: You know what we're talking about those big names because 207 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:44,120 Speaker 1: Forbes came out with an article about the highest paid 208 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:47,840 Speaker 1: tennis players in twenty nineteen and leading the field Roger 209 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:52,360 Speaker 1: Federer at ninety three million dollars. Yeah, Roger Federer is 210 00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:55,600 Speaker 1: the is the in terms of athletes and off off court, 211 00:10:55,679 --> 00:10:59,160 Speaker 1: off field, off ice endorsements, is the undisputed king, right, 212 00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:02,400 Speaker 1: he blows out everybody else. Um But yeah, so Federer, 213 00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:05,120 Speaker 1: Djokovic is next on that list. One thing interesting about 214 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:07,800 Speaker 1: this list, um, As we talk a lot about nowadays 215 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:11,280 Speaker 1: about gender equity pay equity in sports. If you look 216 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:14,600 Speaker 1: at the top ten highest earning tennis players, five of 217 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:17,839 Speaker 1: them are women. So you mentioned Serena Williams, She's number 218 00:11:17,840 --> 00:11:19,920 Speaker 1: five on that list. The first four our men. But 219 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:23,520 Speaker 1: if you go beyond her, Naomi Osaka last year's winner, six, 220 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:26,680 Speaker 1: Alexander javerev Is seven, and then eight, nine and ten 221 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:30,800 Speaker 1: are Angelie Kerber, Simona Hallop and Sloan Stevens. So of 222 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:33,840 Speaker 1: the top ten highest earning tennis players, half of them 223 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:36,400 Speaker 1: are women. That's that's a very nice uh, that's a 224 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:38,920 Speaker 1: good balance for the sport, and in my opinion, I 225 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:41,920 Speaker 1: believe it's the only sport that is anything close to 226 00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:44,280 Speaker 1: that where where the top ten earners in the sport 227 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:46,360 Speaker 1: have half her men and half her women. And by 228 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:49,560 Speaker 1: the way, the stakes Sloane Stevens, for an example, she 229 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:54,520 Speaker 1: earned nine point six million dollars so far in prize money, 230 00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:59,040 Speaker 1: four point one million, endorsements five point five million, which 231 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 1: means there's a lot of coin in the endorsements, absolutely, 232 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:04,480 Speaker 1: and and worth asking as well. You know, as we 233 00:12:04,559 --> 00:12:07,440 Speaker 1: keep talking about these names, at some point, these guys 234 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:10,480 Speaker 1: are gonna retire. Screen Williams is going to retire, Roger 235 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:15,160 Speaker 1: Federer is about eight something like that. Um, what happens 236 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:17,319 Speaker 1: to tennis? You know, these dollars are gonna have to 237 00:12:17,360 --> 00:12:20,200 Speaker 1: go somewhere in some capacity. Um. And we keep hearing 238 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:23,360 Speaker 1: about this young group, especially on the mail side, this 239 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:26,199 Speaker 1: young group of of men who eventually are going to 240 00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:28,880 Speaker 1: challenge these big three. It hasn't happened yet, um, but 241 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:30,959 Speaker 1: who knows, Maybe this us open. Maybe the next three 242 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:33,520 Speaker 1: weeks are the time when when some big name, maybe 243 00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:36,600 Speaker 1: it's Javerev, maybe it's Nick Curios who we talked to 244 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:38,880 Speaker 1: to Mark Iron about a couple a couple of weeks ago, 245 00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:42,040 Speaker 1: who's the most polarizing and possibly the most electric player 246 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:44,760 Speaker 1: in the game. At some point, you know, someone that's 247 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:46,760 Speaker 1: not named Federer, Djokovic and Nadal is gonna win a 248 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:48,600 Speaker 1: Men's Grand Slam um, and that will be a big 249 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:51,640 Speaker 1: moment for Dennis. This has been the Bloomberg Business of 250 00:12:51,679 --> 00:12:54,920 Speaker 1: Sports podcast on Michael Barr along with Evan W William Scott. 251 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:57,880 Speaker 1: He will be back on the show Wednesday. We miss him, 252 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:00,600 Speaker 1: but we are here each and every Monday, Wednesday and 253 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:03,440 Speaker 1: Thursday exploring the world of money in sports. Join us 254 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:04,680 Speaker 1: again at the end of the week when we speak 255 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:07,640 Speaker 1: with Gary Stoken, the CEO and president of the Peach Poll, 256 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:10,680 Speaker 1: who has a lot of thoughts on how college football 257 00:13:10,679 --> 00:13:13,760 Speaker 1: season starts. It'll be a good conversation. Sweet, you're listening 258 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:16,920 Speaker 1: to Bloomberg Business of Sports on Bloomberg Radio around the 259 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:19,760 Speaker 1: world and online wherever you get your podcasts.