1
00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:05,520
Speaker 1: Hello, I'm Scott Suster, I'm Evan, Novie Williams, and I'm

2
00:00:05,559 --> 00:00:08,760
Speaker 1: Michael Barr. And this is the Bloomberg Business of Sports

3
00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:12,639
Speaker 1: podcast where we Sorry it's just two letters because it

4
00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:15,560
Speaker 1: should be four people altogether. It should be four letters

5
00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:21,119
Speaker 1: in week because me, you, Evan and Medina. What is

6
00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:25,040
Speaker 1: he talking about? I am excited for We got a team, man, Yes,

7
00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:27,520
Speaker 1: we have a team. And there's always one person who's

8
00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:29,960
Speaker 1: late to the locker room for practice, and today that

9
00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:33,280
Speaker 1: would be you, Michael Barr. I'm still confused by that

10
00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:41,160
Speaker 1: whole four letters. You're not confused, That's the thing. You're

11
00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:45,120
Speaker 1: not con Do not make that mistake. You are not confused. Hey,

12
00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:47,280
Speaker 1: we're going to explore the big money issues in the

13
00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:50,559
Speaker 1: world of sports. We really are. So let's start with

14
00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:56,360
Speaker 1: big gambly deals NHL, the Devil's, the seventies sixers. This

15
00:00:56,520 --> 00:00:59,480
Speaker 1: is looking good. We gotta have a sports cafe. Oh

16
00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:01,360
Speaker 1: my goodness, this is gonna be good. I just want

17
00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:03,400
Speaker 1: to see bars sitting. I we really have to do this,

18
00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:05,120
Speaker 1: Like we have to go to one of these games

19
00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:06,959
Speaker 1: and just sit in the gambling. I mean, you can't

20
00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:10,399
Speaker 1: place the yes, you can't. You can't. You can't. I

21
00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:12,200
Speaker 1: was thinking which one yesterday. I'm like, wait, where are

22
00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:15,119
Speaker 1: we where? Jersey? Yes, New Jersey, we can. We gotta

23
00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:16,680
Speaker 1: go with here. I could just see you like just

24
00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:21,039
Speaker 1: showing down place and are we all going to make

25
00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:23,399
Speaker 1: this like a date where we all just go? I mean,

26
00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:25,399
Speaker 1: I say yes, but I always harkened back to the

27
00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:28,120
Speaker 1: day where Eben was like a mile from your house

28
00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:30,120
Speaker 1: and didn't let you know. So it's really hard for

29
00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:32,480
Speaker 1: me to say whether Eben will be interrupt Oh yeah,

30
00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:34,480
Speaker 1: you were right there at the faux share man. It's

31
00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:39,720
Speaker 1: not the full share man. Did not call Michael Barr.

32
00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:42,920
Speaker 1: They have good burgers at THEEMIC. I love the burgers day.

33
00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:44,200
Speaker 1: This is what I want to I want to see

34
00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:46,679
Speaker 1: Bar with his burger And what do you like in

35
00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:51,000
Speaker 1: the Georgia Southern Game? Can you can you? What do

36
00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:53,000
Speaker 1: you push the button? Because my hands are full of sauce.

37
00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:59,400
Speaker 1: But this is big. I mean the NHL follows followed

38
00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:02,280
Speaker 1: the NBA, and I love these exclusive deals that aren't

39
00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:05,120
Speaker 1: really exclusive. You get to say you're the official partner

40
00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:08,400
Speaker 1: and all that, but the fact remains the league can

41
00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:10,440
Speaker 1: still go out and sign plenty of other deals. Yeah,

42
00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:14,480
Speaker 1: there's NHL signed a league wide deal with MGM earlier

43
00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:17,040
Speaker 1: this week. UH, teams are still allowed to do their

44
00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:18,840
Speaker 1: own stuff, which we've seen with the Devils twice in

45
00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:21,560
Speaker 1: the past week. UH. It's similar to the NBA deal

46
00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:23,760
Speaker 1: and that, as Scott said, it's not exclusive. You know,

47
00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:26,440
Speaker 1: there will be other partners that that that partner with

48
00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:29,600
Speaker 1: gambling houses and sports books that are going to partner

49
00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:32,440
Speaker 1: with the NHL, just like there will be with the NBA. UH.

50
00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,160
Speaker 1: The NHL is going a little differently though. We've talked about,

51
00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:38,960
Speaker 1: you know, the integrity fees that the baseball and basketball

52
00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:42,600
Speaker 1: sought so much. NHL has has has distanced itself from that.

53
00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:45,560
Speaker 1: They're not interested in that. The NBA's deal with MGM

54
00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:49,160
Speaker 1: included a portion of buying that exclusive data. NHL did

55
00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:52,080
Speaker 1: not have that l is going to. The NHL is

56
00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:55,200
Speaker 1: building its own data, not in the way that NFL is.

57
00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:58,000
Speaker 1: They're not putting chips on players yet. UM, they're doing

58
00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:01,240
Speaker 1: player tracking system, but that the NFL does have that

59
00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:03,400
Speaker 1: with sport Radar. They're just not releasing a lot of

60
00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:09,400
Speaker 1: data specifically things like oh, I don't know impact, I'm

61
00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:11,840
Speaker 1: not sure the NFL wants that data out there right

62
00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:14,400
Speaker 1: for technology, the company with the with the chips and

63
00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:18,080
Speaker 1: in player shoulder beds um. The NHL is you know,

64
00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:21,160
Speaker 1: embracing that that future, you know where maybe there will

65
00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:23,440
Speaker 1: be betting on and this isn't happening yet, despite what

66
00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:25,560
Speaker 1: you may read, there may be betting on the hardest

67
00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:29,000
Speaker 1: shot taken in an NHL game. Who you got more

68
00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:33,360
Speaker 1: the fastest? Darniell Nurse speak. It was the last night

69
00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:35,560
Speaker 1: by the way bar. You're like, this was cool, right, Well,

70
00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:37,680
Speaker 1: I flick on the game listen, and you know, obviously

71
00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:39,720
Speaker 1: I felt hockey probably closer than the others because of

72
00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:42,600
Speaker 1: my son. But it didn't occur to me until one

73
00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:45,000
Speaker 1: brother took a shot on the other brother that PK

74
00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:49,960
Speaker 1: Suban was playing against, Malcolm Suban last Night's growing up. Yeah,

75
00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:51,560
Speaker 1: you're always playing and then here you are in the

76
00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:53,800
Speaker 1: NHL and one brother is taking a shot against the other.

77
00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:57,400
Speaker 1: If your teammates a scouting report, yeah, exact weak love side. Yeah,

78
00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:00,040
Speaker 1: it doesn't move well laterally, Yeah, it's just this is

79
00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:02,200
Speaker 1: for you putting that frog in my bed and then

80
00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:05,119
Speaker 1: you know, I like that stuff. Yeah, that's all I mean.

81
00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:08,240
Speaker 1: Apropos of nothing other than he said that, and it

82
00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:13,440
Speaker 1: just sparked. Yeah, yeah, I just that's what would have

83
00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:16,240
Speaker 1: happened in the bars. Frog in my bad where you

84
00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:20,599
Speaker 1: get in my boots? You never played that trick? Oh

85
00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:23,720
Speaker 1: god no, I mean I had friends that was come

86
00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:26,480
Speaker 1: to music right back. Now, we're serting the special bar.

87
00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:32,240
Speaker 1: We would sometimes we would catch frogs in the backyard

88
00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:36,840
Speaker 1: sometimes and sometimes we were a little naughty and put

89
00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:38,719
Speaker 1: him in the bed. And we'd put him in the bed.

90
00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:42,000
Speaker 1: I guess it's better than snakes. And oh yeah, a horsehead.

91
00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:45,800
Speaker 1: You won't see me touch of snakes. Medina going a

92
00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:50,720
Speaker 1: little godfather us. Of course, I know some references. Excuse me,

93
00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:58,080
Speaker 1: they do we should make her do what the podcast

94
00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:01,680
Speaker 1: available every Monday was say they should do it. I'm sorry,

95
00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:04,400
Speaker 1: were you speaking? I don't even know, because we already know.

96
00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:12,560
Speaker 1: I interrupted. I blacked out shortly after that Monday. I

97
00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:15,160
Speaker 1: like that we had to do that. Man, that's pretty good. Uh.

98
00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:21,600
Speaker 1: The next topic, now, this one is well, I mean, yes,

99
00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:24,160
Speaker 1: we did have this is this is about Maryland football

100
00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:30,720
Speaker 1: coach d J. Durkin. Yeah. This got a lot of

101
00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:36,680
Speaker 1: people upset about this because they allowed to uh, and

102
00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:39,480
Speaker 1: but we got to explain what led up to this,

103
00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:43,719
Speaker 1: because I remember there was a nineteen year old who died.

104
00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:48,839
Speaker 1: One of his players died during practice. So and ESPN

105
00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:52,240
Speaker 1: had a report of a toxic culture at Maryland football

106
00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:55,480
Speaker 1: and which Maryland looked into and agreed with everything except

107
00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:58,480
Speaker 1: for use of the word toxic culture. They described it

108
00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:00,560
Speaker 1: pretty much as a toxic culture, out the word. The

109
00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:03,680
Speaker 1: report even admits that there was negligence in this kid's death.

110
00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:07,120
Speaker 1: He didn't need to happen, um, but people on the

111
00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:10,279
Speaker 1: field made bad choices. It led to a player dying,

112
00:06:10,279 --> 00:06:14,040
Speaker 1: which you know is the worst possible scenario in college sports.

113
00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:16,039
Speaker 1: You know, other things get more attention, but this is

114
00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:18,680
Speaker 1: the worst thing that can happen. In my opinion, if

115
00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:22,720
Speaker 1: you are and coach, literally, I think we'd have a

116
00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:26,640
Speaker 1: unanimous for I mean, I'm shocked that this guy and

117
00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:28,479
Speaker 1: and the athletic director, both of them are staying in

118
00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:30,680
Speaker 1: their jobs. I'll read something real quick from the Board

119
00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:33,159
Speaker 1: of Regent's chair Jim Brady from their press conference on

120
00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:37,080
Speaker 1: Tuesday UM. During DJ Durkin's tenure, the athletic department lacked

121
00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:40,080
Speaker 1: a culture of accountability, did not provide adequate oversight of

122
00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:42,520
Speaker 1: the football program and did not provide Mr Durkin with

123
00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:45,360
Speaker 1: the tools, resources, and guidance necessary to support and educate

124
00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:47,880
Speaker 1: a first time head coach in a major conference. And

125
00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:50,080
Speaker 1: and those guys keep their jobs. They're all great, you're

126
00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:52,400
Speaker 1: all out of work exactly. Well, it looks like we

127
00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:55,320
Speaker 1: need to we need to clean house. And yet everybody

128
00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:58,360
Speaker 1: stays what the university president may be leaving now while

129
00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:00,760
Speaker 1: as low as he's still the president, uh I believe

130
00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:04,039
Speaker 1: president's title, it seems as if he isn't on board

131
00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:06,400
Speaker 1: with the decision. He kept referring to the Board of Regents, well,

132
00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:11,800
Speaker 1: didn't refer to DJ, would not refer to the by name. Right. Yeah,

133
00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:16,240
Speaker 1: we see college scandals pop up a bunch, um, and

134
00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:19,360
Speaker 1: it seems obvious why the wrong decision gets made. Right,

135
00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:22,480
Speaker 1: it's usually for money. Um, it's harder to see the

136
00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:25,640
Speaker 1: money threads here. You know this team is not going

137
00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:27,760
Speaker 1: to recruit, well, they're gonna be bad for a while.

138
00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:30,160
Speaker 1: It seems as though boosters, if you read the news

139
00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:32,240
Speaker 1: in the past couple of days, people who donate money

140
00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:35,080
Speaker 1: to the to the athletic department don't seem all that

141
00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:39,520
Speaker 1: happy either. You know, Maryland is in financial trouble. It's

142
00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:41,960
Speaker 1: a little harder to see the threads where you know,

143
00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:44,040
Speaker 1: you look at urban Meyer and what happened earlier this year,

144
00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:46,920
Speaker 1: you can understand why. You know, there's a huge financial

145
00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:50,119
Speaker 1: hit coming to Ohio state if open Meyer steps down. UM,

146
00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:53,240
Speaker 1: you don't really see the same connection here with with Maryland.

147
00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:54,600
Speaker 1: What say you, I don't mean to put you on

148
00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:57,640
Speaker 1: the spot, Edvan, but what say Kevin Plank and all this?

149
00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:00,320
Speaker 1: I think when I think Maryland, I think Kevin. I

150
00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:04,120
Speaker 1: mean they have sure. Yeah, I don't know. I don't

151
00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:06,960
Speaker 1: know if he's commented at all. Um. Yeah, he's certainly

152
00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:09,600
Speaker 1: one of the most talking about boosters and and and

153
00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:12,960
Speaker 1: graduates who are closely aligned with the athletic department. Um.

154
00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:15,560
Speaker 1: He is kind of, you know, to Maryland what Phil

155
00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:19,080
Speaker 1: Knight is to University of Oregon. UM. Maybe not as

156
00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:23,120
Speaker 1: entwined business related wise, but yeah, he started in Maryland,

157
00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:26,120
Speaker 1: he's based in Baltimore. UM. Will be interesting to see

158
00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:28,720
Speaker 1: if he has anything to say. UM. It does feel

159
00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:30,760
Speaker 1: as though there that we haven't heard the end of this.

160
00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:35,120
Speaker 1: You know what we're hearing reports that the players out

161
00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:38,480
Speaker 1: boosters are tremendously powerful in this world. And if there

162
00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:40,320
Speaker 1: are enough of them who are upset. You know, who

163
00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:42,480
Speaker 1: knows if if this is a decision that changes a

164
00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:45,200
Speaker 1: little bit moving forward, or if d J. Durkin's tenure

165
00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:49,880
Speaker 1: becomes untenable. Um. One other, one other thing where I

166
00:08:49,880 --> 00:08:51,760
Speaker 1: mean the strength coach who came out of this, in

167
00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:53,960
Speaker 1: my opinion looking the worst out of all the people

168
00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:56,880
Speaker 1: employed by the university. He got a three fift thousand

169
00:08:56,920 --> 00:09:00,199
Speaker 1: dollar package when he left, which is two thirds of

170
00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:03,240
Speaker 1: his salary um. There's maybe a case to be made that,

171
00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:06,319
Speaker 1: you know, because the university and the athletic department specifically

172
00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:08,520
Speaker 1: is struggling so much for money that letting d J.

173
00:09:08,679 --> 00:09:10,920
Speaker 1: Durk and go was going to be expensive. You would

174
00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:13,040
Speaker 1: have to agree to some settlement, you need to hire

175
00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:16,160
Speaker 1: a replace. Amazing with the findings in that report that

176
00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:19,680
Speaker 1: you could not dismiss for cause, well, and that's it

177
00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:22,960
Speaker 1: happened so early in college football. I can't even you

178
00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:25,280
Speaker 1: can count on one hand the number of coaches who

179
00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:28,000
Speaker 1: have been fired for cause, not just because of the

180
00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:30,360
Speaker 1: legal headache that's going to follow. Because of that. You know,

181
00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:32,240
Speaker 1: they're athletic directors who are afraid that it's going to

182
00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:34,480
Speaker 1: hurt their next hiring. You know that that a good

183
00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:36,200
Speaker 1: college coach isn't going to go to a place that

184
00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:39,800
Speaker 1: didn't stand up for its coach. As dumb as that sounds,

185
00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:41,600
Speaker 1: that is, that is the thinking of a lot of

186
00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:43,760
Speaker 1: athletic track Let me add that, first of all, the

187
00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:46,760
Speaker 1: nineteen year old Jordan McNair is the one who died.

188
00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:51,199
Speaker 1: His father Marty McNair said, quote, I feel like I've

189
00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:54,760
Speaker 1: been punched in the stomach and somebody spit in my face.

190
00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:59,559
Speaker 1: So I can't imagine what the who can't who can't

191
00:09:59,559 --> 00:10:02,520
Speaker 1: feel for him and understand exactly what he's going through?

192
00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:04,440
Speaker 1: And how many parents out there are going to be

193
00:10:04,440 --> 00:10:06,720
Speaker 1: willing to send their and their kids to play for

194
00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:08,520
Speaker 1: this guy. That's what I'm saying. You think about, oh,

195
00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:10,920
Speaker 1: financial hit, and oh they won't get a good coach?

196
00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:13,439
Speaker 1: What about the best players? If I'm sitting, if I'm

197
00:10:13,480 --> 00:10:16,559
Speaker 1: the parent of a good player, how does this guy

198
00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:20,040
Speaker 1: come into my living room and repeat the words he

199
00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:23,200
Speaker 1: said at the McNair coffee table, I'll take care of

200
00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:27,560
Speaker 1: your son. How does he say it again? You can't.

201
00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:31,720
Speaker 1: We need to reiterate something. And yes, we all know

202
00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:34,880
Speaker 1: football is a rough and tumble sport. There's no question

203
00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:37,079
Speaker 1: about it. You've got to prepare for it. The hit

204
00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:40,959
Speaker 1: so hard. I get all of that, But it's a game.

205
00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:45,680
Speaker 1: It is a game, period, especially especially at the college

206
00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:50,440
Speaker 1: left college. These are not professional athletes here, yeah, I

207
00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:53,959
Speaker 1: mean these are kids. Yeah. And you yell at a kid,

208
00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:55,920
Speaker 1: keep going, keep going, keep going. A coach is yelling

209
00:10:55,960 --> 00:10:58,920
Speaker 1: at you, keep going. And there's you making fun of you.

210
00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:01,120
Speaker 1: You're gonna keep going. You're afraid to lose your scholarship,

211
00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:03,199
Speaker 1: You're afraid to lose your starting spot. You're afraid whatever,

212
00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:06,480
Speaker 1: you keep going. That's the problem. And this is a

213
00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:08,599
Speaker 1: Maryland school that was added to the Big Ten a

214
00:11:08,679 --> 00:11:11,800
Speaker 1: number of years ago, primarily as a TV money grab.

215
00:11:12,360 --> 00:11:15,320
Speaker 1: They don't even see the full amount of Big Ten

216
00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:18,840
Speaker 1: money sharing until I think next year, maybe a year,

217
00:11:19,559 --> 00:11:23,560
Speaker 1: even because it was phased in. UM. They're financially you know,

218
00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:26,120
Speaker 1: they're leaning heavily on student fees, they're leaning heavily on

219
00:11:26,160 --> 00:11:29,480
Speaker 1: the on the on the institution itself to help balance

220
00:11:29,520 --> 00:11:32,240
Speaker 1: the budget there at the bottom money wise and the

221
00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:35,360
Speaker 1: Big Ten. Essentially, it's a mess and it's only going

222
00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:38,880
Speaker 1: to get worse. For a number of reasons, this wasn't

223
00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:43,720
Speaker 1: a bad idea when this was scheduled earlier, the w

224
00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:47,240
Speaker 1: w E event in Saudi Arabia, and then all hell

225
00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:54,240
Speaker 1: broke loose because of what happened to a reporter. Yes,

226
00:11:54,480 --> 00:12:00,800
Speaker 1: and in the Saudi consulate in istanbul Uh. Now because

227
00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:05,199
Speaker 1: of that, the w w E Championship and the stars

228
00:12:05,280 --> 00:12:09,280
Speaker 1: involved in this, many are dropping out. Yeah, they're staging

229
00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:13,520
Speaker 1: an event in Saudi Arabia and amazingly, women are not

230
00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:16,760
Speaker 1: allowed to go. And this was being promoted. I don't

231
00:12:16,760 --> 00:12:19,920
Speaker 1: know if you saw this bar. They were promoting this

232
00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:24,440
Speaker 1: particular Saudi Arabia event at an event here that was

233
00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:28,560
Speaker 1: just for their female stars, and the crowd started booing

234
00:12:28,760 --> 00:12:32,040
Speaker 1: when it was put on the screen. I mean, multiple

235
00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:34,719
Speaker 1: things that people are not happy about here. And then

236
00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:38,880
Speaker 1: when you add all in that, the Saudi Sovereign Wealth

237
00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:41,680
Speaker 1: Fund had planned to make a four million dollar investment

238
00:12:41,679 --> 00:12:46,559
Speaker 1: and endeavor and now they're pulling out. You just I

239
00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:50,760
Speaker 1: know different companies, but there's there. There's money from the

240
00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:56,400
Speaker 1: Saudis sprinkled across sports and entertainment, and you're wondering where

241
00:12:56,400 --> 00:12:59,840
Speaker 1: the conversations were with different companies was their planned investments.

242
00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:04,360
Speaker 1: You're looking to expand everybody's looking to expand globally, but

243
00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:07,840
Speaker 1: tough time to go stage this event in Saudi Arabia.

244
00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:10,760
Speaker 1: As we're seeing across the business world, not just in sports,

245
00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:13,120
Speaker 1: the companies out there and the people out there who

246
00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:15,280
Speaker 1: have over the past couple of years aligned themselves very

247
00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:17,840
Speaker 1: closely with the Saudi Royal family are now kind of

248
00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:21,360
Speaker 1: going through this reckoning. For now, it looks like the

249
00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:23,840
Speaker 1: w w E event is still going to happen. There's

250
00:13:23,880 --> 00:13:26,480
Speaker 1: a there's a big tennis event, but an exhibition between

251
00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:30,120
Speaker 1: Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal in December. Both those guys

252
00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:31,920
Speaker 1: are being paid I think a million dollars to play

253
00:13:31,920 --> 00:13:37,000
Speaker 1: a match down he passed on the same thing. Um,

254
00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:40,120
Speaker 1: that at least appears like it's still gonna happen. Brazil

255
00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:43,640
Speaker 1: and Argentina played a soccer game there I think in October,

256
00:13:43,679 --> 00:13:47,160
Speaker 1: a couple of weeks ago. Um, the sports is kind

257
00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:50,160
Speaker 1: of a vehicle for for countries like that to to

258
00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:52,439
Speaker 1: kind of push their their influence and also try to

259
00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:54,840
Speaker 1: legitimize what they're doing. It wasn't so, you know, I

260
00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:56,320
Speaker 1: was on the phone with one of the members of

261
00:13:56,320 --> 00:14:00,400
Speaker 1: the royal family who was touring the US, sort of

262
00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:05,080
Speaker 1: getting a look at infrastructure of leagues of teams of facilities,

263
00:14:05,400 --> 00:14:08,880
Speaker 1: meeting with folks all over the country in various sports

264
00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:12,320
Speaker 1: to figure out how do we build this sort of

265
00:14:12,360 --> 00:14:16,599
Speaker 1: infrastructure back at home? And there they were going to

266
00:14:16,920 --> 00:14:22,240
Speaker 1: billions of dollars in investment. Is was going to be

267
00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:26,480
Speaker 1: made inside of Saudi Arabia. But it's Friday, the Crown

268
00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:30,720
Speaker 1: Jewel event, and again one superstar is dropping out, probably

269
00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:33,200
Speaker 1: one of the biggest ones, John Cena, he's not going

270
00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:37,480
Speaker 1: to go to it either. I'm waving my That's all

271
00:14:37,520 --> 00:14:41,040
Speaker 1: I That's all I got for w W W. You know, listen,

272
00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:43,360
Speaker 1: when I was young, I I definitely did go to

273
00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:46,480
Speaker 1: Madison Square Garden. I saw Andre the Giant, I saw

274
00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:50,440
Speaker 1: the Iron Cheek, I saw Big John stud my favorite

275
00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:55,320
Speaker 1: close but never win Star s D Special Delivery Jones.

276
00:14:56,000 --> 00:15:03,560
Speaker 1: So you guys, guys had different Martino for you. No. No,

277
00:15:03,680 --> 00:15:08,320
Speaker 1: in Detroit, we had Brazil in Detroit. Oh man was great.

278
00:15:08,400 --> 00:15:10,160
Speaker 1: We we had there were a lot of them. Man,

279
00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:14,360
Speaker 1: it was like Elbow Mackenzie. See, anybody in Detroit knows

280
00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:16,920
Speaker 1: exactly what I'm talking about. Was that just for Detroit

281
00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:19,920
Speaker 1: that wasn't a part of like the w W or anything. No, no, no,

282
00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:24,920
Speaker 1: this was years ago, back when wrestling was wrastling. That's

283
00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:27,400
Speaker 1: the way it was back then. So but you have

284
00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:29,320
Speaker 1: good news in bed news. You're getting a contract the

285
00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:32,400
Speaker 1: bed news, it's the Detroit w W You're gonna get

286
00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:36,720
Speaker 1: your first matches against the elbow guy. Oh man, there

287
00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:40,320
Speaker 1: was somebody. I don't want to mention. There's certain moves

288
00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:43,880
Speaker 1: because I don't any kids like sleep Yeah, see, don't

289
00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:47,280
Speaker 1: do that. Don't do the sleep the camel clutch. Oh

290
00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:51,760
Speaker 1: I had. I had a but my friend once in

291
00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:56,960
Speaker 1: my bed, and I know there was we were stupid kids.

292
00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:00,320
Speaker 1: Somebody did the sleeper move like this, the way you

293
00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:02,320
Speaker 1: got to push, push from the back of the head

294
00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:04,880
Speaker 1: and into the hand that's in the throat. Yeah, I'll

295
00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:09,000
Speaker 1: show you all forever. We didn't record this. I tried

296
00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:10,560
Speaker 1: to do that, I think when we were young, because

297
00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:12,400
Speaker 1: when I grew up it was all about like hack

298
00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:14,840
Speaker 1: saw Jim dougging and like I think it was like

299
00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:18,600
Speaker 1: the Bumblebee twins and like all that kind of stuff

300
00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:25,000
Speaker 1: that he has. No, I watched a lot of wrestling

301
00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:26,960
Speaker 1: when I was young. I loved it, Like you know, obviously,

302
00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:31,280
Speaker 1: hul Colgan and Jim the enveiled Night Heart Heart Foundation.

303
00:16:31,960 --> 00:16:35,440
Speaker 1: Do you still Mena? Do you still watch? I don't watch,

304
00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:38,200
Speaker 1: but I did go to a wrestling match at Barkley

305
00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:41,120
Speaker 1: Center like about two summers ago. It was like the

306
00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:43,160
Speaker 1: league right below the w W. I forgot what the

307
00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:45,440
Speaker 1: name was, but if it's on TV, I'll watch just

308
00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:49,360
Speaker 1: for entertainment. And does does the alignment with Saudi Arabia

309
00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:53,360
Speaker 1: change the way you feel about w W? Oh boy

310
00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:56,440
Speaker 1: for opinion here, I'm not sure. I didn't really think

311
00:16:56,480 --> 00:16:59,200
Speaker 1: about it actually, so I pleaded a fifth at the moment.

312
00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:02,520
Speaker 1: Anybody ever go for the Mexicans, the Lucha Libre, the

313
00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:08,959
Speaker 1: guys with the masks, anybody that wasn't? I don't remember that,

314
00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:11,879
Speaker 1: but yeah, that's not what is it? Nacho Libre? Was

315
00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:14,840
Speaker 1: that the name of the movie, but yeah, yeah it

316
00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:17,720
Speaker 1: was named. It was came from right, speaking of rough

317
00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:19,960
Speaker 1: and tumble. Anybody used to watch the old roller Derby

318
00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:24,200
Speaker 1: man tacking the day women roller Derby. I used to Macarena,

319
00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:26,080
Speaker 1: home of the Long Island Ducks hockey team. They had

320
00:17:26,160 --> 00:17:31,520
Speaker 1: roller Derby Glow. Watch that a lot too. There we go,

321
00:17:31,920 --> 00:17:39,480
Speaker 1: I just looking no idea. Thank God he serves because

322
00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:42,240
Speaker 1: the entertainment portion. He laughs. Okay, I want to lock

323
00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:45,359
Speaker 1: this up. This is the Bloomberg Business of Sports podcast

324
00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:49,200
Speaker 1: on Michael bar along with Scott Sasnik and Evan Nobi,

325
00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:52,399
Speaker 1: Williams Medina. Why don't you tell everybody we're here every

326
00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:58,880
Speaker 1: mind Wednesday. I screw that one. That's Monday, Wednesday, Thursday.

327
00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:01,560
Speaker 1: For those who really wanted exploring the world of money

328
00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:03,440
Speaker 1: in sports, join us again at the end of the

329
00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:05,760
Speaker 1: week when we speak with the biggest and brightest in

330
00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:10,800
Speaker 1: the sports business industry. I know things. You listening to

331
00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:14,560
Speaker 1: Bloomberg Business of Sports on Bloomberg Radio around the world

332
00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:16,359
Speaker 1: and online where podcasts aren't able to