1 00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:04,800 Speaker 1: This is the Business of Sports from Bloomberg Radio. Hi, 2 00:00:04,880 --> 00:00:08,440 Speaker 1: I'm Jason Kelly. This is the Bloomberg Business of Sports podcast, 3 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:10,879 Speaker 1: where we talk about the big money issues in the 4 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 1: world of sports today. I'm joined by none other than 5 00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: Joe No Sarah, columnist for Bloomberg Opinion, host of the 6 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 1: mega hit soon to be a movie podcast, The Shrink 7 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 1: next Door. It was literally the number one podcast last year. 8 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: He's also the author and this is why I wanted 9 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 1: to talk to him of Indentured, The Battle to End 10 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 1: the Exploitation of College Athletes, as well as All the 11 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:37,440 Speaker 1: Devils Are Here, The Hidden History of the Financial Crisis, 12 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 1: and other books. He's always got a hot take. So 13 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 1: Joe No Sarah, first of all, so excited to talk 14 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 1: to you. The magic of modern technology brings us together. 15 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: I love hanging out with you in the studio, but 16 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:52,919 Speaker 1: this is the next best thing. You know, When I 17 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:56,639 Speaker 1: was trying to figure out what happens next, especially when 18 00:00:56,640 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: it relates to college sports, there you were on the 19 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 1: Bloomberg with your column coronavirus may make college sports sane again, 20 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 1: very optimistic for a guy like you who's followed this 21 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:11,839 Speaker 1: so closely, tell me what you were thinking about. Yeah, 22 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 1: I'm optimistic they'll run out of money and come to 23 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 1: their senses. Um uh here here's um, here's what I 24 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 1: think could happen. A lot depends, of course, on how 25 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:29,959 Speaker 1: much belt tightening universities have to do and and and uh. 26 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:35,200 Speaker 1: But but number one. Uh, the minimum requirement for a 27 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:38,640 Speaker 1: Division one school is to have sixteen teams. That's an 28 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 1: n c A rule sixteen teams, and obviously it's supposed 29 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 1: to be more or less evenly divided between women's team, 30 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 1: women's teams, and men's teams. But um, but it's an 31 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 1: arbitrary number. You know that the n c A has 32 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 1: imposed and school a conference entire conferences have gone to 33 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 1: the n c A and said, look, you know, can 34 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 1: you at least temporarily waive this rule? And the n 35 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:10,079 Speaker 1: c A said no, but you know, we'll grant individual 36 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: waivers if certain schools come to us and we think, 37 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 1: you know, you deserve to go under sixteen. Well, I mean, 38 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 1: that's ridiculous that the n c a A should have 39 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:22,000 Speaker 1: the power to tell schools that are going to be 40 00:02:22,040 --> 00:02:24,920 Speaker 1: in a terrible financial bind because of the pandemic, you 41 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 1: know how many teams they can have so you know, 42 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:31,760 Speaker 1: my hope number one is that as we get through 43 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:35,680 Speaker 1: this uh stage, uh, the schools will just say, you know, 44 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 1: we're gonna do what we need to do, and the 45 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 1: n c a A can just stuff it. Um. Although 46 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 1: the side so far are not good. Here you have 47 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:48,520 Speaker 1: the University of Akron, which is in terrible, terrible trouble. 48 00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 1: It's uh, it's losing so much money that they eliminated 49 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:58,360 Speaker 1: six six of their eleven academic colleges, so the majority. 50 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:00,959 Speaker 1: And then they said, well, we're gonna make major cuts 51 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:04,880 Speaker 1: in our sports Division two, in our in our athletic program. 52 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:09,799 Speaker 1: And what did they do. They cut three minor sports 53 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 1: to go from nineteen to sixteen. In other words, they 54 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:15,960 Speaker 1: didn't have the nerve to make the major cut that 55 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 1: would defy the n c a A A on how many 56 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 1: on how many teams they could have, which is crazy 57 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 1: if you're in that much, if you're in that much 58 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 1: financial trouble. Um. So that's that's that's point number one. 59 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:31,919 Speaker 1: Point number two is you know, Ohio State is not 60 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 1: going to be hurt by this pandemic more more than temporarily, 61 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 1: but the Eastern Michigan's and the Kent States and and 62 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 1: the historically black colleges, they're gonna be. They're gonna be 63 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 1: clawberd um in their athletic departments, which don't have that 64 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 1: much money to begin with, and which they have long 65 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:56,640 Speaker 1: been trying to play play with the big boys. You know, 66 00:03:56,760 --> 00:04:01,000 Speaker 1: when and and when when UH? For instance, when the 67 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:03,880 Speaker 1: big schools, when the power five schools got the ability 68 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 1: to pay UH athletes, were what's called, um, gosh, I 69 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:10,600 Speaker 1: can't even remember what it's called, but it's a differential. 70 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 1: It's a differential between what college costs and what their 71 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 1: scholarship gives. So they get a check for six or 72 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:20,039 Speaker 1: seven thousand dollars a year or something like that. So 73 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:21,680 Speaker 1: you know, the little schools have been doing that too. 74 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 1: They can't afford to do that. So what I was 75 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 1: kind of hoping is that the financial UH devastation wrought 76 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:32,839 Speaker 1: by this pandemic will cause the smaller schools to say, 77 00:04:32,839 --> 00:04:35,000 Speaker 1: you know what, we're just not going to compete in 78 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:37,719 Speaker 1: football with Notre Dame anymore. It doesn't make any sense. 79 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:42,360 Speaker 1: We're gonna downscale. We're gonna change the way we do business. UM, 80 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 1: We're gonna regionalize our our smaller sports so that the 81 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 1: tennis team isn't flying from West Virginia to Texas for 82 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:53,600 Speaker 1: a match, which is crazy. Um, So there's all these 83 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:56,360 Speaker 1: things that could be done that would be still allow 84 00:04:56,440 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 1: for athletics, still allow for competition, uh, still allow for 85 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:03,919 Speaker 1: the fans and the student body to be excited. But 86 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 1: they're not trying to play with Michigan and Ohio State. 87 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:10,279 Speaker 1: And it would be a much more sensible way to 88 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:14,400 Speaker 1: conduct athletics. And you know, and it's it's funny. You know. 89 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 1: I started off by saying it it's optimistic and um 90 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:20,160 Speaker 1: and it is to some extent. I'll stand by that 91 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 1: to to the to the extent that this presupposes something 92 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:31,840 Speaker 1: that I think almost everyone agrees with, which is this 93 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:37,279 Speaker 1: system is messed up. It is broken. And you know, 94 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:39,920 Speaker 1: I go back to your book, which is just fantastic 95 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:42,960 Speaker 1: indentured the battle to end the exploitation of college athletes. 96 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:47,280 Speaker 1: I mean, this is not new in many ways, the dysfunction, 97 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:50,280 Speaker 1: to put it kindly, of the of the n C 98 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:56,120 Speaker 1: double A. And yet, as you just pointed out, the 99 00:05:56,320 --> 00:06:01,120 Speaker 1: power is still tremendous for the n C double A. 100 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:04,640 Speaker 1: Are there any beyond coronavirus? Are there any cracks here? 101 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:08,680 Speaker 1: Or is it consolidating power. Well, no, no, there are 102 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:12,320 Speaker 1: there are definitely cracks. Um, They're not coming from where 103 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 1: you might think, I mean, unfortunately, it's not coming from 104 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:19,480 Speaker 1: university presidents who ostensibly, you know, control the n c 105 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:24,279 Speaker 1: A although they really don't. It's coming from state legislatures, right. So, 106 00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 1: so the biggest crack, obviously is the name, image and 107 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 1: likeness legislation that is sweeping through the country one state 108 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 1: after another, where athletes will be allowed to take advantage 109 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:39,920 Speaker 1: of their own name, their own likeness, and their own image, 110 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 1: which they should have been being able to do for decades, 111 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 1: and they'll be able to sign and sign autographs and 112 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:50,520 Speaker 1: have endorsements and do commercials and all that sort of thing. Um, 113 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:54,159 Speaker 1: that is a huge crack. And uh, the n c 114 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:58,880 Speaker 1: a A has you know, realizes that it cannot fight 115 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:01,800 Speaker 1: this anymore. So what's it's trying. What it's trying to 116 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:03,599 Speaker 1: do right now is control it. It's trying to come 117 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:06,279 Speaker 1: up with its own set of guidelines that will allow 118 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:09,159 Speaker 1: it to sort of remain in charge of this aspect 119 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:12,360 Speaker 1: of college sports. I don't know whether they'll succeed because 120 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:16,520 Speaker 1: they've lost so much um juice. Uh, they're just they're 121 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:21,520 Speaker 1: they're not really believable organization anymore. And uh, you know, 122 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:23,800 Speaker 1: the state legislature just saying, you know, the hell with you. 123 00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:25,280 Speaker 1: We're not going to sit around and wait for you 124 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:27,280 Speaker 1: guys to come up with your own rules. We're gonna 125 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:30,440 Speaker 1: pass our rules, and you know if you don't like it, 126 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:33,560 Speaker 1: sue us um. Now that now the n c A 127 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:35,840 Speaker 1: is going to the federal government and hoping they can 128 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:38,440 Speaker 1: get an antitrust exemption. But I don't think that's gonna happen. 129 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:40,400 Speaker 1: I don't think that's gonna happen either, because for the 130 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:45,040 Speaker 1: same reason, you know, Congress, they used to have a 131 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:47,320 Speaker 1: lot of clout in Congress. They don't have any right now. 132 00:07:48,680 --> 00:07:51,640 Speaker 1: So are you going back to this theme of optimism. 133 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 1: Are you optimistic that we could see structural changes in 134 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 1: the NZ double A given everything that's going on, well, 135 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:02,960 Speaker 1: structural changes in the way that I suggest, which is 136 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:05,960 Speaker 1: that you'll wind up with I mean, if if things 137 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:08,880 Speaker 1: went right, you'd wind up with sixty four or sixty 138 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 1: five major football powers concentrated in the Power five conferences 139 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:17,680 Speaker 1: and maybe a few other schools. Right. That makes sense, Okay, 140 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:21,240 Speaker 1: because what Ohio State does and USC does and u 141 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:24,440 Speaker 1: c l A. Does that that that's that's not college sports. 142 00:08:24,520 --> 00:08:27,560 Speaker 1: That's major American entertainment. You know, it's a it's a 143 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:32,240 Speaker 1: multibillion dollar business. It's untouchable. And you'll also you'll have 144 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:34,600 Speaker 1: probably maybe a hundred and fifty a hundred and sixty 145 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:37,960 Speaker 1: schools that have the ability to field a decent Division 146 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:41,679 Speaker 1: one basketball team because basketball is a lot cheaper than football. 147 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 1: So a school like Providence College or Holy Cross they 148 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:48,240 Speaker 1: could they could have Division one basketball without having a 149 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:52,880 Speaker 1: football team, or you know, and and but but everything 150 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:58,120 Speaker 1: else could be would be you know, downgraded a little 151 00:08:58,120 --> 00:09:01,040 Speaker 1: bit so that you're spending less money and regionalizing it. 152 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:04,560 Speaker 1: That's hugely important because so much money gets spent on travel, 153 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:09,080 Speaker 1: so much, so much class time gets wasted because they're 154 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:13,560 Speaker 1: on airplanes, and and the conference realignment has really made 155 00:09:13,559 --> 00:09:18,320 Speaker 1: a mess of regionalization, and you need to recapture like 156 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:23,520 Speaker 1: for tennis, for golf, for um, for field hockey, for 157 00:09:23,559 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 1: any sport other than basketball and football. You need to regionalize. 158 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:31,520 Speaker 1: It's just it just there's nothing else makes And they 159 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:33,240 Speaker 1: all know it, they all know it. They all know 160 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:35,760 Speaker 1: what an imposition it is for the students, and they 161 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:39,160 Speaker 1: all know how much money it costs, and money that 162 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:43,520 Speaker 1: they don't really have right now. So the structural changes 163 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:46,800 Speaker 1: that the struggle change is not you know, paying the players, 164 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:50,160 Speaker 1: which of course I've advocated for a decade, but um, 165 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:52,960 Speaker 1: but you know, we'll take one across one bridge at 166 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:55,959 Speaker 1: a time, right. Yeah, it is sort of bunkers that 167 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:58,280 Speaker 1: I know enough to be dangerous about college lacrosse. And 168 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:00,400 Speaker 1: you know the fact that Denver UH is in the 169 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:04,679 Speaker 1: Big East sort of is hard hard to get your uh. 170 00:10:05,040 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 1: I didn't even I didn't even know that, but that's 171 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:11,160 Speaker 1: a hilarious fact. It's crazy. Um. So when you talk 172 00:10:11,240 --> 00:10:13,760 Speaker 1: about college athletics, you know one thing I wanted to 173 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:17,200 Speaker 1: ask you about two because candidly it is a subject 174 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:20,440 Speaker 1: around my dinner table, having a junior in high school 175 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:24,040 Speaker 1: who's looking to play in colleges. This whole question of eligibility. 176 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:27,400 Speaker 1: And I wonder how much you've thought about that, extending 177 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:32,960 Speaker 1: eligibility given the pandemic, mean, does that effect sort of 178 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 1: the economics, does it affect the recruiting, How does that 179 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:39,800 Speaker 1: play through in your estimation? Knowing n C double a 180 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:43,360 Speaker 1: sports the way you do, well, it does And that's 181 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:48,280 Speaker 1: why the n c A A. With the exception of, um, 182 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:53,360 Speaker 1: I'm trying to think what sport uh oh, the spring sports. Okay, 183 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:57,439 Speaker 1: so athletes who play in the spring sports are being 184 00:10:57,440 --> 00:11:02,240 Speaker 1: given another semester or year of edgibility, I'm pretty sure 185 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:05,360 Speaker 1: the seniors especially, But they're not doing that for this 186 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:07,560 Speaker 1: fall sports. I mean, they're basically saying this is a 187 00:11:07,559 --> 00:11:12,440 Speaker 1: one time only thing. And UM, it will I mean, 188 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:14,880 Speaker 1: because they don't play football or basketball in the spring. 189 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:19,560 Speaker 1: It will have a pretty minor effect on the economics 190 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:23,720 Speaker 1: of college sports because most of the athletes UM in 191 00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:26,319 Speaker 1: the spring sports either get no scholarship or they get 192 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:29,720 Speaker 1: a partial scholarship. You know, baseball only has I think 193 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:36,240 Speaker 1: eleven scholarships for the entire team, so they divvy it up. Interesting. Um, 194 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:41,040 Speaker 1: So when you think about everything else that's sort of 195 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 1: going on, uh in the world. And you know, you 196 00:11:44,679 --> 00:11:47,640 Speaker 1: have written about the financial crisis, You've written about so 197 00:11:47,679 --> 00:11:50,000 Speaker 1: many different things. You know, I love talking to you 198 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:53,640 Speaker 1: about sports. Um. You know you go back. You and 199 00:11:53,679 --> 00:11:56,640 Speaker 1: I have talked on our Business Week program before about 200 00:11:56,880 --> 00:12:00,600 Speaker 1: Boom Pickens and on all of those things. You've covered 201 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:06,240 Speaker 1: business for so long. How are you thinking about business overall? Changing? Uh? 202 00:12:06,280 --> 00:12:10,199 Speaker 1: In the course of recovery we hope from this pandemic. 203 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:15,480 Speaker 1: Oh boy. Um, you know, I think big business won't 204 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:18,160 Speaker 1: be harmed all that much. I mean, it's it's they're 205 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:20,400 Speaker 1: taking a hit right now, but they can afford it. 206 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:24,600 Speaker 1: They can they can they can handle it. Um. But 207 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:27,920 Speaker 1: small business is going to be devastated, devastated. I predict 208 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:31,480 Speaker 1: that when New York finally reopens, you know, maybe half 209 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:37,679 Speaker 1: or less of the kin of the city's restaurants will survive. Um. 210 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:40,320 Speaker 1: And you know, all those little shops. I mean, people 211 00:12:40,360 --> 00:12:42,840 Speaker 1: aren't going to do boutique shopping for a while, and 212 00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:45,880 Speaker 1: they're gonna be afraid to go into stores. And you know, 213 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:49,040 Speaker 1: you know, you know, Amazon is going to do great 214 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:51,360 Speaker 1: and and I mean I don't even know how many 215 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:53,959 Speaker 1: cars people are gonna want to buy in the short term, um, 216 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:58,200 Speaker 1: because they're not driving around as much. But um, I think, 217 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:01,080 Speaker 1: I mean, I think we're going to have huge, huge 218 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:03,880 Speaker 1: economic downturn because of this lock because of the way 219 00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:06,680 Speaker 1: we've handled this virus, with with the with the lockdown 220 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:11,080 Speaker 1: and with basically shutting down the country. Um. I'm not 221 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:15,559 Speaker 1: I'm not optimistic about this. Um. You know, I think 222 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:18,360 Speaker 1: if your IBM, you'll be fine. If your Xerox, you'll 223 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:21,680 Speaker 1: be fine. If you're um, you know Amazon, you'll be fine. 224 00:13:21,720 --> 00:13:25,440 Speaker 1: But if you're if you're the if you're Danny Myers, 225 00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:27,800 Speaker 1: if you're Danny Meyer and you have the you know 226 00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:31,600 Speaker 1: these these half these dozen high end restaurants all around 227 00:13:31,679 --> 00:13:35,880 Speaker 1: New York and elsewhere, you've got a big problem. Yeah. Yeah, well, 228 00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:37,960 Speaker 1: I mean it's interesting to to think about to go 229 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:40,720 Speaker 1: back to the colleges for a second, this notion of 230 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:44,040 Speaker 1: exactly what you said, not just from a sports perspective, 231 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:46,720 Speaker 1: but from a college perspective. If you are a big, 232 00:13:46,760 --> 00:13:51,920 Speaker 1: wealthy institution, higher educational institution, you're probably gonna be okay. 233 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:54,440 Speaker 1: But they're going to be colleges that just straight up 234 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:56,840 Speaker 1: go out of business. Here right there are gonna be 235 00:13:56,920 --> 00:13:59,200 Speaker 1: some okay. So here's what's happening in the college. It's 236 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:01,040 Speaker 1: funny you should mention in that because I just wrote 237 00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:04,480 Speaker 1: something about that for Business Week. Um, we're getting a preview. 238 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:10,760 Speaker 1: I like it. Okay. So, so colleges depend on tuition. Obviously, 239 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:16,440 Speaker 1: Colleges know that students and parents hate online learning, and 240 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 1: they had to do it this semester because they had 241 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:23,200 Speaker 1: no choice. But they are not going to start the 242 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:27,840 Speaker 1: fall most schools with UM with online learning, and you 243 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:31,040 Speaker 1: already seeing it. A number of produced announced they're going 244 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:33,960 Speaker 1: to open. Boston College has announced that, Notre Dame has 245 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:37,240 Speaker 1: announced that, Columbia has announced it. Schools are going to 246 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:40,160 Speaker 1: open their campuses, and they might do some social distancing 247 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 1: and wearing a mask and that sort of thing, but 248 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:44,120 Speaker 1: they are going to open their campuses because they can't 249 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:49,840 Speaker 1: afford to lose that tuition. And so uh if if 250 00:14:50,720 --> 00:14:54,600 Speaker 1: all the schools open, the number of failures might be 251 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:58,760 Speaker 1: fairly small. But any school it says we're going to 252 00:14:58,800 --> 00:15:01,920 Speaker 1: start the fall with line learning is risking going out 253 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:04,840 Speaker 1: of business because all of the students are all going 254 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:07,960 Speaker 1: to take a gap here and they won't have any tuition. 255 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:10,080 Speaker 1: And and you know, like Purdue, you know, this is 256 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:14,240 Speaker 1: what I didn't quite realize that Produce produce revenue total 257 00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:18,480 Speaker 1: revenue is one point nine billion dollars. Of that amount, 258 00:15:18,920 --> 00:15:22,680 Speaker 1: they get one point three billion from tuition. Holy smokes. 259 00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: So no wonder they they're going to open the campus. 260 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:29,040 Speaker 1: What choice do they have? And you know, it's another 261 00:15:29,160 --> 00:15:37,680 Speaker 1: it's a really interesting example of uh A institutions weighing 262 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:41,280 Speaker 1: the risk reward calculation. So is there a risk that 263 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:44,000 Speaker 1: could be an outbreak of COVID, Yeah, sure there is, 264 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:47,520 Speaker 1: but they have to take that risk if they want 265 00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:52,920 Speaker 1: to remain alive. And so what does that do for sports? 266 00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:54,680 Speaker 1: I mean, let's bring it back to sports. I mean, 267 00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:57,760 Speaker 1: are we going to see college football this year? And 268 00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:03,080 Speaker 1: former fashion? I believe we are. Um you know, I 269 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:05,720 Speaker 1: don't know if you remember this, but Mike Pence had 270 00:16:05,760 --> 00:16:09,840 Speaker 1: a meeting maybe three weeks ago, maybe a month ago 271 00:16:10,040 --> 00:16:15,320 Speaker 1: with um uh, various conference commissioners, and he said, we 272 00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:17,160 Speaker 1: have to have football. We have to have football in 273 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:20,840 Speaker 1: the fall. The country needs it. And the commissioners basically said, look, 274 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:23,200 Speaker 1: if we don't have students on campus, we are not 275 00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:24,720 Speaker 1: going to have football. We are not going to have 276 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:27,320 Speaker 1: the football team being the only students on the campus. 277 00:16:27,400 --> 00:16:31,600 Speaker 1: That would just be you know, that would that would 278 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:36,840 Speaker 1: that would move the hypocrisy meter up by about so. 279 00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:41,560 Speaker 1: But but now you see schools are going back and 280 00:16:41,640 --> 00:16:44,360 Speaker 1: so I think what I think I think is the 281 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 1: likeliest scenario is that instead of starting the football practices 282 00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:54,240 Speaker 1: in early August, they'll start it later and they might 283 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:58,480 Speaker 1: push the season back two or three weeks as well, um, 284 00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:02,359 Speaker 1: just a just a try to get the virus, um, 285 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:05,280 Speaker 1: you know, try to see if it's really dampened down. UM. 286 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:07,640 Speaker 1: But I do, I do strongly believe that we'll see 287 00:17:07,680 --> 00:17:12,879 Speaker 1: football with fans in the stands are now probably not yeah, 288 00:17:13,080 --> 00:17:17,080 Speaker 1: at least not at first. UM. Or you could limit 289 00:17:17,119 --> 00:17:19,520 Speaker 1: the fans, you know, one every third seed or four seed, 290 00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:23,280 Speaker 1: which is also kind of weird. Right. Yeah, well, you 291 00:17:23,320 --> 00:17:27,280 Speaker 1: know it's almost a sure thing that, um, if basketball 292 00:17:27,320 --> 00:17:29,120 Speaker 1: starts up again this year, there won't be any fans 293 00:17:29,119 --> 00:17:30,600 Speaker 1: in the stand there's a lot of pressure for that 294 00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:33,800 Speaker 1: to happen. Right, And so what do you make of 295 00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:36,879 Speaker 1: the sort of all the pro sports debating sort of 296 00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:38,800 Speaker 1: how and when to come back? I mean, we're obviously 297 00:17:38,840 --> 00:17:41,679 Speaker 1: all watching baseball to to a large extent, those of 298 00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:44,040 Speaker 1: us at a certain age who you know, still watch baseball, 299 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:47,240 Speaker 1: although I feel like when I talked to people twenty 300 00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:49,720 Speaker 1: years younger than me, it's it's almost like talking to 301 00:17:49,720 --> 00:17:52,320 Speaker 1: them about cricket. But we'll set that aside for for 302 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:57,240 Speaker 1: another time. But you know, Major League Baseball, NBA, you know, 303 00:17:57,359 --> 00:18:01,400 Speaker 1: still wants to finish it season. National Football League, uh, 304 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:08,320 Speaker 1: still talking about doing something. How does this work? Out well. Um. 305 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:16,199 Speaker 1: In football especially, uh, you could you you can economically, 306 00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:19,280 Speaker 1: you can justify economically playing with no no people in 307 00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:23,040 Speaker 1: the skins because the television revenue is so huge. Um, 308 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:25,840 Speaker 1: So you know, they might not be as profitable as 309 00:18:25,840 --> 00:18:27,359 Speaker 1: they have been. It might even be a break even 310 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:31,280 Speaker 1: operation without fans. But they could do it. Um. Baseball 311 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:35,680 Speaker 1: is a much tougher situation because baseball do have a 312 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:40,240 Speaker 1: national contract, um. So much of baseball is built around 313 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:45,720 Speaker 1: regional um sports television and there's not the same amount 314 00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:47,800 Speaker 1: of money and they're much more dependent on the gate. 315 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:51,560 Speaker 1: So for baseball to have empty stands, yes, they could 316 00:18:51,560 --> 00:18:53,680 Speaker 1: do it, but it would be much more of a hardship, 317 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:55,919 Speaker 1: uh than it would be for football. But you know, 318 00:18:55,920 --> 00:18:57,840 Speaker 1: they're all talking about it, and they're all trying to 319 00:18:57,880 --> 00:18:59,879 Speaker 1: figure this out. And what they're really all hoping is 320 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:05,080 Speaker 1: that by the end of the summer, you know, most 321 00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:09,679 Speaker 1: vestiges of the virus will have gone away. UM. I 322 00:19:09,680 --> 00:19:11,240 Speaker 1: don't know if that will happen or not. And and 323 00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 1: the one thing I've learned about viruses is I've been 324 00:19:13,320 --> 00:19:16,600 Speaker 1: reading and writing about it, is they come in waves. 325 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:19,240 Speaker 1: So just because it ends in August doesn't mean it's 326 00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:22,520 Speaker 1: not going to come back with a fury in October. Uh, 327 00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:26,200 Speaker 1: and then we'll really see what happens. How's this been 328 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:34,320 Speaker 1: for you? Like in the I'm ready to say um, 329 00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:37,280 Speaker 1: because it's actually been fine. I'm one of I'm one 330 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:40,000 Speaker 1: of the lucky ones. I've got a place in Southampton. 331 00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:44,879 Speaker 1: My son seems to be enjoying. Um. He gets to 332 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:47,720 Speaker 1: play with his friends on Fortnite every every night, and 333 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:50,600 Speaker 1: and and to face time with them, and he gets 334 00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:53,720 Speaker 1: to play basketball at the court next door, and play 335 00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:56,280 Speaker 1: with the dog in the backyard. And my wife and 336 00:19:56,280 --> 00:19:57,680 Speaker 1: I were able to get a lot of work done, 337 00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:01,120 Speaker 1: so no problems. And I'm being better because my wife 338 00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:04,680 Speaker 1: has been cooking up a storm. Well that's good alright. 339 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:09,280 Speaker 1: So you said next door, you said Southampton, So that 340 00:20:09,359 --> 00:20:14,239 Speaker 1: gives me a natural bridge uh into the Shrink next door. Uh. 341 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:18,720 Speaker 1: For those of you who apparently weren't sentient last year. 342 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:22,080 Speaker 1: Uh and listening to podcasts number one podcast last year, 343 00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:27,200 Speaker 1: The Shrink next Door coming soon to a screen near you. 344 00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:32,840 Speaker 1: Give us an update on Marty and Ira. Okay, so 345 00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:39,959 Speaker 1: um number one. The hearings about whether I should lose 346 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:42,639 Speaker 1: his license or not have been put on hold. Because 347 00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:47,040 Speaker 1: of the coronavirus. Sadly. Um So, that's just in abeyance. 348 00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:50,000 Speaker 1: Number two, we're working on a final episode, which I 349 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:54,080 Speaker 1: believe air in mid June. That's happened, that's happening right now. 350 00:20:54,359 --> 00:20:57,320 Speaker 1: Just kind of updating everybody into what's happened, and talking 351 00:20:57,359 --> 00:20:59,840 Speaker 1: about all the other patients that I've met and came 352 00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:03,760 Speaker 1: in contact with after the after the podcast came out, 353 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:06,520 Speaker 1: and sort of catching up on Marty and his life. 354 00:21:07,480 --> 00:21:11,440 Speaker 1: Um and number three, you know, the Shrink has been 355 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:15,920 Speaker 1: bought by Apple TV, and Will Farrell and Paul Rodd 356 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:18,280 Speaker 1: are going to play the main characters. And it's very 357 00:21:18,400 --> 00:21:24,280 Speaker 1: very Marty and Ira respectively. Marty Jesus, I've listened to 358 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:27,080 Speaker 1: it eight hundred thousand times. All Right, I'm gonna go 359 00:21:27,119 --> 00:21:29,000 Speaker 1: back and fix that in post, but go ahead, Marty 360 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:32,679 Speaker 1: and I um So, Marty, Yes, Marty is gonna be 361 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:35,119 Speaker 1: played by Will Farrell and Ike is going to be 362 00:21:35,119 --> 00:21:39,359 Speaker 1: played by Paul Rudd and um And I've had several 363 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:42,600 Speaker 1: meetings Zoom meetings with the writers, and Marty's had a 364 00:21:42,640 --> 00:21:45,160 Speaker 1: meeting with the Zoom meeting with the writers, and Phillis 365 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:47,640 Speaker 1: is at his sister is at a meeting with the writers, 366 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:51,560 Speaker 1: so everybody's happy. Did you ever expect that this was 367 00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:55,480 Speaker 1: going to be what it was? I thought it was 368 00:21:55,520 --> 00:21:57,600 Speaker 1: gonna I tell you, I didn't think it was gonna 369 00:21:57,600 --> 00:22:01,439 Speaker 1: be that big. But um, I gotta tell yeah. In 370 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:05,080 Speaker 1: the ten years since I've lived in this house and 371 00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:08,080 Speaker 1: Marty was my next door neighbor, every time I would 372 00:22:08,080 --> 00:22:12,919 Speaker 1: tell the story to somebody, their DAWs would dropped. And 373 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:16,880 Speaker 1: so I knew that it had this inherent fascination and drama, 374 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:19,320 Speaker 1: and I thought it would do well. I didn't think 375 00:22:19,359 --> 00:22:21,760 Speaker 1: it would be what it is. I mean I did. 376 00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:23,920 Speaker 1: I did not think that. But but you know, I'm 377 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:28,399 Speaker 1: a I'm a confident guy, you know, But why do 378 00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:30,879 Speaker 1: you think it did? Why do you think it was 379 00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:34,240 Speaker 1: such a light? I mean beyond the story. I mean, 380 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:36,320 Speaker 1: the story is incredibly compelling, and you and I have 381 00:22:36,359 --> 00:22:39,600 Speaker 1: talked about this a lot before, But what was it 382 00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:44,480 Speaker 1: that just hit Is it just this moment that we 383 00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:46,480 Speaker 1: I mean, we're living in a different moment now, but 384 00:22:46,840 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 1: the moment that we were living in, what was it? Well? 385 00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:54,840 Speaker 1: I think one thing is that millions upon millions of 386 00:22:54,920 --> 00:23:00,239 Speaker 1: people have been in therapy and how many times if 387 00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:03,800 Speaker 1: you ever read something or seeing something about a real 388 00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:08,640 Speaker 1: life therapist interacting with a patient for good or ill, 389 00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:13,120 Speaker 1: never never, And so I think there was a fascination 390 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:16,119 Speaker 1: just because it was a psychiatrist, and because there was 391 00:23:16,200 --> 00:23:19,080 Speaker 1: manipulation involved, and and and and yes it was a 392 00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:22,159 Speaker 1: compelling story. But I also think the other reason is 393 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:27,520 Speaker 1: that all until The Shrink came along, every true crime 394 00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:31,440 Speaker 1: story that you saw on a podcast involved a murder, 395 00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:36,719 Speaker 1: and this was the first one where nobody got killed 396 00:23:37,119 --> 00:23:40,480 Speaker 1: who really was In addition to being about a psychiatrist, 397 00:23:40,520 --> 00:23:44,399 Speaker 1: it was a very psychological drama that engaged you in 398 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:47,720 Speaker 1: a different way than you know, how do we catch 399 00:23:47,720 --> 00:23:50,520 Speaker 1: the killer? And I think they had a lot to 400 00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:52,679 Speaker 1: do with it. So how do you follow up the 401 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:58,240 Speaker 1: Shrink next door? Joe? Um, I have an answer to that, 402 00:23:58,280 --> 00:24:00,679 Speaker 1: but I'm not allowed to tell you because or the 403 00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:05,880 Speaker 1: digital team at Bloomberg would kill me. Good. Well, that's 404 00:24:05,920 --> 00:24:08,960 Speaker 1: a good tease for what's next. Um. Really good to 405 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:11,320 Speaker 1: catch up with you. Thank you so much. It was 406 00:24:11,359 --> 00:24:14,679 Speaker 1: one of these moments where as I was reading around 407 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:18,200 Speaker 1: everything going on in the world, yours is a take 408 00:24:18,240 --> 00:24:20,639 Speaker 1: that I just wanted to get, especially knowing all the 409 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:22,600 Speaker 1: work you've done around the n C Double A and 410 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:26,240 Speaker 1: and the importance of that conversation. So really grateful for 411 00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:28,200 Speaker 1: your time, Jena Sarah, thank you very much. It was 412 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:32,800 Speaker 1: a pleasure. As always. That's Jonah Sarah Calmness for Bloomberg, Opinion, author, 413 00:24:33,119 --> 00:24:37,280 Speaker 1: podcaster and as he said, can't wait for the movie 414 00:24:37,359 --> 00:24:41,160 Speaker 1: adaptation of The Shrink next Door starring Will Ferrell and 415 00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:43,960 Speaker 1: Paul Rudd. If you haven't listened to that podcast, you've 416 00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:46,840 Speaker 1: got to listen to it before you watch the movie. Well, 417 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:49,399 Speaker 1: in terms of sports, we're here each and every Monday, 418 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:52,640 Speaker 1: Wednesday and Thursday exploring the world of money and sports. 419 00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:55,000 Speaker 1: Join us again this weekend. We're gonna talk health and 420 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:59,680 Speaker 1: wellness fitness with the CEOs of Planet Fitness and Equinox. 421 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:02,800 Speaker 1: You're listening to Bloomberg Business of Sports on Bloomberg Radio 422 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:06,320 Speaker 1: around the world and online wherever you get your podcasts. 423 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:08,639 Speaker 1: M M