WEBVTT - Creating a Legacy & Setting the Tempo with Kim Miner and Teresa Resch 0:00:00.720 --> 0:00:03.040 Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're sketching 0:00:03.040 --> 0:00:05.960 out a rough schedule for all the different sporting events 0:00:05.960 --> 0:00:06.320 we want to. 0:00:06.360 --> 0:00:07.120 Hit up this summer. 0:00:07.800 --> 0:00:11.920 Are scients still working on teleportation devices or cloning? 0:00:12.600 --> 0:00:13.880 If so, let's chat. 0:00:14.480 --> 0:00:16.640 It's Tuesday, May sixth, and on today's show you'll hear 0:00:16.680 --> 0:00:20.079 another amazing conversation from Thursday's espnW summit. 0:00:19.840 --> 0:00:22.000 In New York City. This time it's my chat with 0:00:22.120 --> 0:00:23.040 Kim Minor. 0:00:22.840 --> 0:00:25.759 Chief of staff and chief legal officer for the NWSL's 0:00:25.760 --> 0:00:29.080 Boston Legacy FC, and Teresa Esh, friend of the show 0:00:29.120 --> 0:00:33.240 and president of the WNBA's Toronto Tempo. We of course 0:00:33.360 --> 0:00:36.120 get into the name change drama in Boston and the 0:00:36.200 --> 0:00:39.320 name leak incident in Toronto. Plus we talked through the 0:00:39.360 --> 0:00:42.479 lessons they've learned launching new franchises, how they've taken in 0:00:42.560 --> 0:00:45.800 and responded to feedback from fans, recruiting players in the 0:00:45.880 --> 0:00:49.600 NWSL without a draft, making the first's count, and the 0:00:49.640 --> 0:00:53.920 way celebrity owners impact teams. Plus Carly Lloyd issues an apology. 0:00:54.160 --> 0:00:55.639 Naomi Osaka is back in. 0:00:55.600 --> 0:00:58.320 The Winter Circle and the weight is over for Golden 0:00:58.360 --> 0:00:59.720 State Valkyrie basketball. 0:01:00.040 --> 0:01:16.080 It's all coming up right after this welcome back slices, 0:01:16.120 --> 0:01:20.280 Here's what you need to know today in footy news. 0:01:20.360 --> 0:01:23.440 On Saturday, former US women's national team star Carly Lloyd 0:01:23.520 --> 0:01:26.280 was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 0:01:26.360 --> 0:01:28.240 a ceremony in Frisco, Texas. 0:01:28.560 --> 0:01:30.320 The honor is well deserved. 0:01:30.400 --> 0:01:33.720 The forty two year old's international career spanned seventeen years, 0:01:34.040 --> 0:01:36.760 and in that time she grabbed two Olympic gold medals, 0:01:36.800 --> 0:01:39.760 two FIFA World Cup trophies, and two FIFA Player of 0:01:39.800 --> 0:01:43.520 the Year awards. But Lloyd's twenty minute acceptance speech wasn't 0:01:43.560 --> 0:01:46.240 really your run of the mill thanks. She used part 0:01:46.280 --> 0:01:49.280 of it to issue an apology to her former teammates. 0:01:49.600 --> 0:01:50.240 Take a listen. 0:01:51.120 --> 0:01:53.600 I wasn't there to make friends or follow the crowd. 0:01:53.840 --> 0:01:56.320 I was there to push myself to the very top 0:01:56.600 --> 0:02:01.360 while helping my team win championships. That drive often meant 0:02:01.560 --> 0:02:05.800 keeping people at a distance. I avoided unnecessary drama. I 0:02:05.920 --> 0:02:09.720 rarely showed weakness, and vulnerability wasn't something I allowed myself 0:02:09.760 --> 0:02:13.960 to express. I wouldn't say I have regrets, but if 0:02:14.000 --> 0:02:17.120 there's one thing I do wish, I wish I had 0:02:17.200 --> 0:02:22.320 let more people understand me. Over the years, I operated 0:02:22.400 --> 0:02:25.840 like an emotionless machine. I was intense and I truly 0:02:25.880 --> 0:02:28.519 believed that the only way for me to survive in 0:02:28.600 --> 0:02:32.880 such a cutthroat environment was to be that way. So 0:02:33.000 --> 0:02:36.600 to my teammates, I want to say this, I'm sorry 0:02:36.680 --> 0:02:38.720 I wasn't always able to give you. 0:02:38.760 --> 0:02:39.240 All of me. 0:02:40.720 --> 0:02:43.320 I remember Carly and a former trainer speaking at an 0:02:43.520 --> 0:02:46.160 espnW summit and the way they talked about the work 0:02:46.160 --> 0:02:49.960 that she put in, the hours, the time, the commitment 0:02:50.040 --> 0:02:53.799 to her sport. I was both impressed and mildly concerned. 0:02:54.160 --> 0:02:56.800 And it wasn't until later that she talked about regretting 0:02:57.120 --> 0:02:59.600 not inviting family and friends to her games and trying 0:02:59.639 --> 0:03:01.760 to shut them out of her soccer world in order 0:03:01.800 --> 0:03:04.480 to stay focused that I think she really realized the 0:03:04.560 --> 0:03:08.160 price she'd paid for her dedication to greatness. So I 0:03:08.240 --> 0:03:11.680 kind of love hearing her talk about that. And you know, 0:03:11.720 --> 0:03:13.280 it's hard to look back and say, would you have 0:03:13.320 --> 0:03:15.399 had the same success if you had done things differently 0:03:16.000 --> 0:03:18.280 and not you know, feel like, oh, I don't want 0:03:18.280 --> 0:03:19.920 to regret all the wins that I got as a 0:03:19.919 --> 0:03:22.560 result of the choices I made. But really interesting to 0:03:22.600 --> 0:03:25.080 hear her sort of reflect on that and see it 0:03:25.120 --> 0:03:27.359 differently now that she's out of the sport. We'll link 0:03:27.400 --> 0:03:29.000 to the full speech in our show notes if you 0:03:29.000 --> 0:03:31.880 want to check it out. Over to the NWSL Got 0:03:31.880 --> 0:03:34.760 Them f C forward Astaire Gonzalez was named the Player 0:03:34.760 --> 0:03:36.200 of the Month for the month of April. 0:03:36.280 --> 0:03:36.840 No surprise. 0:03:36.920 --> 0:03:40.840 There seven goals for her, including three braces and two 0:03:40.880 --> 0:03:43.120 game winners in the month of April. She is the 0:03:43.120 --> 0:03:45.600 current leader in the Golden Boot race for most goals 0:03:45.640 --> 0:03:48.680 in the league. Angel City f C forward Riley Tiernan 0:03:48.760 --> 0:03:50.640 was named Rookie of the Month. She scored a pair 0:03:50.680 --> 0:03:53.400 of goals across three matches in April, including the game 0:03:53.400 --> 0:03:55.280 winner in Angel City's three to one win over the 0:03:55.280 --> 0:03:58.320 Houston Dash. She leads all rookies in scoring through six 0:03:58.360 --> 0:04:00.680 weeks of league play. I also want to give a 0:04:00.680 --> 0:04:03.400 shout out to fifteen year old KK Reem, who became 0:04:03.440 --> 0:04:06.880 the youngest starter in NWSL regular season history in the 0:04:06.960 --> 0:04:09.440 Utah Royals two nil loss to the North Carolina Courage 0:04:09.440 --> 0:04:12.040 over the weekend. The Harriman, Utah native is also the 0:04:12.120 --> 0:04:15.760 Royal's youngest signee ever. She inked her contract at just 0:04:15.920 --> 0:04:18.760 fifteen years and one hundred and fifty seven days old. 0:04:19.279 --> 0:04:21.440 Can't drive a car, but she could drive the hell 0:04:21.480 --> 0:04:23.080 out of a ball. Tennis. 0:04:23.120 --> 0:04:25.400 We're a little late catching up on the weekend's tennis results, 0:04:25.400 --> 0:04:28.640 but better late than never. World number one Arena Sabalanca 0:04:28.680 --> 0:04:31.440 won the Madrid Open final on Saturday, defeating number three 0:04:31.480 --> 0:04:34.640 Coco Goff in straight sets. The victory marks her third 0:04:34.680 --> 0:04:38.360 at the tournament and twentieth career title overall. She has 0:04:38.360 --> 0:04:41.440 gotten off to a scorching start in twenty twenty five, 0:04:41.640 --> 0:04:45.039 making four straight finals, with the French Open coming up 0:04:45.040 --> 0:04:47.640 at the end of the month. More tennis, Twenty seven 0:04:47.720 --> 0:04:50.560 year old Naomio Osako won her first WTA title since 0:04:50.560 --> 0:04:53.200 twenty twenty one on Sunday at the Lope in thirty 0:04:53.200 --> 0:04:55.560 five to Saint Malo. It was also her first win 0:04:55.600 --> 0:04:58.520 since giving birth in July twenty twenty three. The four 0:04:58.560 --> 0:05:01.600 time Grand Slam winner earned the w five tournament title 0:05:01.640 --> 0:05:04.599 in straight sets, and she did it on clay, a 0:05:04.680 --> 0:05:07.680 surface that's been historically difficult for her. She alluded to 0:05:07.720 --> 0:05:10.159 that in a post on X after the win, writing quote, 0:05:10.320 --> 0:05:12.359 kind of ironic to win my first trophy back on 0:05:12.400 --> 0:05:14.760 the surface that I thought was my worst. That's one 0:05:14.800 --> 0:05:17.120 of my favorite things about life, though, there's always room 0:05:17.160 --> 0:05:17.920 to grow and evolve. 0:05:18.200 --> 0:05:20.360 Thanks to everyone accompanying me on this journey. 0:05:20.440 --> 0:05:23.000 I know it's turbulent, but it's also really fun and 0:05:23.040 --> 0:05:26.800 I'm grateful. End quote in WNBA News. There are three 0:05:26.880 --> 0:05:30.040 more preseason games to tune into tonight, including the Golden 0:05:30.080 --> 0:05:33.480 State Valkyries hosting the Los Angeles Sparks at ten pm Eastern. 0:05:33.839 --> 0:05:35.960 It'll be the first time the Valks take the court 0:05:36.000 --> 0:05:39.520 in their inaugural season of league action. I'm so excited 0:05:39.520 --> 0:05:42.039 to see what they've been putting together and super excited 0:05:42.040 --> 0:05:45.040 to see those six jerseys in action. That Valkyrie's Violet 0:05:45.120 --> 0:05:47.640 is so good. You can catch that game and the 0:05:47.680 --> 0:05:50.640 other two with a free preview of WNBA League Pass. 0:05:50.839 --> 0:05:55.159 We'll link to the schedule in our show notes. We 0:05:55.200 --> 0:05:57.000 got to take a quick break. When we come back, 0:05:57.000 --> 0:05:59.359 we're going to dig into expansion with Kim Minor and 0:05:59.440 --> 0:06:13.039 Teresa Rahans. Stay tuned, Welcome back, Slices. Let's listen to 0:06:13.080 --> 0:06:17.200 my interview with Teresa and Kim. I would like to 0:06:17.240 --> 0:06:20.440 first welcome up Kim Minor, chief of staff and chief 0:06:20.520 --> 0:06:21.640 legal Officer. 0:06:21.279 --> 0:06:22.800 For Boston Legacy FC. 0:06:23.440 --> 0:06:26.520 She previously served as Executive VP and General counsel for 0:06:26.560 --> 0:06:28.080 the Worcester Red Sox. 0:06:28.120 --> 0:06:30.480 Did I say that right? Is that correct? 0:06:30.480 --> 0:06:35.920 Worcester Woosta Wosta formerly the pot talk at Red Sox 0:06:35.960 --> 0:06:37.400 and she got her start in sports with the Red 0:06:37.400 --> 0:06:39.480 Sox and she was a college softball player at Tops. 0:06:39.640 --> 0:06:45.480 Give it up for Kim. 0:06:45.800 --> 0:06:46.880 We knew this was coming. 0:06:47.200 --> 0:06:50.000 Oh oh, I did not request this time. So good, 0:06:50.240 --> 0:06:50.839 so good. 0:06:50.960 --> 0:06:54.040 Okay, give it up for Teresa Rush, president of the 0:06:54.040 --> 0:06:58.320 Toronto Tempo, formerly VP of Basketball Operations for the Toronto Raptors. 0:06:58.600 --> 0:07:01.080 She also spent four years at the NBA office and 0:07:01.240 --> 0:07:04.040 was an All conference college volleyball player at Augustana. 0:07:04.640 --> 0:07:05.680 Give it up for Teresa. 0:07:08.960 --> 0:07:12.720 Okay, Okay, Canada pass that. 0:07:13.400 --> 0:07:13.800 I guess. 0:07:13.800 --> 0:07:18.640 So. Do you think that every time Shania Twain has 0:07:18.680 --> 0:07:21.200 a girl's night when they leave, she goes, let's go girls. 0:07:21.720 --> 0:07:26.480 Yes, I mean I'm. 0:07:24.680 --> 0:07:29.080 Gonna start doing that anyway, and I'm not Shania Twain. Okay. 0:07:29.160 --> 0:07:33.080 I'm so pumped for this conversation about expansion and hearing 0:07:33.160 --> 0:07:35.200 from some of the people that are entering this space 0:07:35.280 --> 0:07:38.320 at this incredible moment for women's sports and the power 0:07:38.360 --> 0:07:41.640 and opportunity that you have and Kim, I want to 0:07:41.680 --> 0:07:44.120 talk about your entry into the space because so many 0:07:44.120 --> 0:07:47.800 people have talked about it. Right, Boston Legacy FC, this 0:07:47.960 --> 0:07:52.800 new NWSL team that was originally Boss Nation, tell us 0:07:52.880 --> 0:07:56.600 what the biggest lesson was from that big announcement and 0:07:56.640 --> 0:07:59.160 then saying, Okay, didn't hit the mark the way we hoped. 0:07:59.240 --> 0:07:59.960 Let's try this again. 0:08:00.200 --> 0:08:03.440 Yeah, you know, there are a lot of lessons from that. 0:08:04.160 --> 0:08:06.320 If I were to pick one, I would say I 0:08:06.320 --> 0:08:08.360 think that sometimes when you I don't know if you 0:08:08.360 --> 0:08:10.280 guys have experienced this, when you want to make a 0:08:10.320 --> 0:08:15.480 big splash and you really want to have super impactful announcement, 0:08:15.800 --> 0:08:18.040 there's an instinct to sort of keep things close to 0:08:18.040 --> 0:08:20.680 the vest. And so for us, we certainly we did 0:08:20.720 --> 0:08:22.720 a lot of testing with the name, We did a 0:08:22.720 --> 0:08:25.320 lot of analysis, but in hindsight, we should have done 0:08:25.320 --> 0:08:28.800 more in an effort to sort of keep things confidential, 0:08:28.880 --> 0:08:33.120 prevent a leak, you know, preserve that sort of splash, 0:08:33.200 --> 0:08:36.520 And in hindsight, I think we should have prioritized the opposite, 0:08:36.520 --> 0:08:38.480 which is actually what we did when we switched the 0:08:38.520 --> 0:08:40.280 team name. And of course we didn't have a leak then, 0:08:40.840 --> 0:08:42.640 but it was just you know, it was a helpful 0:08:42.679 --> 0:08:44.440 reminder to all of us in terms of sort of 0:08:46.160 --> 0:08:49.000 marketing initiatives versus sort of the ultimate goal in terms 0:08:49.040 --> 0:08:51.520 of fan buying and communication. And I think that it 0:08:51.600 --> 0:08:53.640 was a good lesson for us. It was a very public, 0:08:53.679 --> 0:08:55.280 tough lesson, but yeah. 0:08:55.080 --> 0:08:56.880 The idea of like this is going to be so exciting, 0:08:56.960 --> 0:08:59.000 keep it super secret, don't tell anyone, And then when 0:08:59.040 --> 0:09:00.760 you revealed it was like, oh no, not what we 0:09:00.760 --> 0:09:02.280 were hoping for. Maybe if we'd shared it more we 0:09:02.280 --> 0:09:03.480 would have gotten enough feedback. 0:09:03.600 --> 0:09:05.319 Yeah, maybe we're just yeah exactly. 0:09:05.559 --> 0:09:07.640 And then I think, you know, the too many balls 0:09:07.679 --> 0:09:10.720 part of the campaign was something that just didn't land. Yep, 0:09:10.880 --> 0:09:13.360 when you're looking back on it, now, why didn't it land? 0:09:13.360 --> 0:09:14.240 Why didn't it work for you? 0:09:14.559 --> 0:09:14.800 Yeah? 0:09:14.840 --> 0:09:16.320 I think there are a lot of reasons, the main 0:09:16.400 --> 0:09:21.720 one being that it decentered women, and it, especially the 0:09:21.720 --> 0:09:23.480 first half of that video, which of course is the 0:09:23.480 --> 0:09:26.480 part that it led with, sort of talked about women's 0:09:26.520 --> 0:09:29.840 sports as a mirror to men's sports, and that's loud 0:09:29.840 --> 0:09:31.760 and clear. Nobody wants that that. We don't need to 0:09:31.800 --> 0:09:35.040 do that, and I think it was, you know, trying 0:09:35.080 --> 0:09:37.000 to do too much. Honestly, I think that this is 0:09:37.040 --> 0:09:40.160 also something that can happen with an expansion team, especially 0:09:40.240 --> 0:09:42.520 before you have players. Is what are you talking about? 0:09:42.559 --> 0:09:44.320 You're talking about the team and the brand. You don't 0:09:44.320 --> 0:09:46.280 even have the things that people are most excited to 0:09:46.320 --> 0:09:49.000 hear about, which are your athletes. And so there's a 0:09:49.000 --> 0:09:51.840 lot of you know, intentionality, but I think a lot 0:09:51.920 --> 0:09:54.640 of instinct to just overthink it and do too much. 0:09:55.120 --> 0:09:57.880 And we learned a hard lesson with that. But also, 0:09:58.000 --> 0:10:00.960 you know, it was hard. It was really encouraging because 0:10:01.480 --> 0:10:04.760 the women's sports fans tell you quickly when you mess up, 0:10:04.800 --> 0:10:07.160 but they also are rooting for you to succeed and 0:10:07.240 --> 0:10:11.079 if you put in the work and listen and are genuine, 0:10:11.600 --> 0:10:13.560 what we have felt is, you know, they want you 0:10:13.600 --> 0:10:16.160 to succeed and they will give you another shot. You 0:10:16.200 --> 0:10:18.160 better get it right the next chance, and I think 0:10:18.200 --> 0:10:22.800 we did. But they were really encouraging, from our supporters 0:10:22.800 --> 0:10:25.679 to our local fans to national fans, and that was 0:10:25.720 --> 0:10:26.959 a really encouraging thing to say. 0:10:27.480 --> 0:10:29.240 Yeah, I mean, it's so true how much weight we 0:10:29.280 --> 0:10:30.840 put into a name at the beginning and then it 0:10:30.920 --> 0:10:33.680 just becomes the thing. Yeah, there are so many existing 0:10:33.760 --> 0:10:36.199 names that you're like, if you like lead right now 0:10:36.200 --> 0:10:40.800 with Dodgers, like Dodging, what if you lead with Yankees. 0:10:40.840 --> 0:10:42.559 I'm not going to tell you where my brain goes, but. 0:10:44.160 --> 0:10:46.760 Some stuff right like, Yeah, there's a lot of names 0:10:46.760 --> 0:10:47.040 that have. 0:10:47.040 --> 0:10:49.200 Just been in our world forever. We don't even think 0:10:49.240 --> 0:10:52.840 about them anymore. But when you launch now it's ripe 0:10:52.880 --> 0:10:55.680 for discussion on social media and everybody has a thought 0:10:55.720 --> 0:10:56.120 about it. 0:10:56.840 --> 0:10:58.360 But I do think also it was such a. 0:10:58.520 --> 0:11:01.080 Nice reminder that or not where we used to be, 0:11:01.679 --> 0:11:05.280 and that was where we should have been well while ago. Right, 0:11:05.320 --> 0:11:08.200 admittedly it wasn't super current, but the concept would have 0:11:08.280 --> 0:11:09.920 nailed it not that long ago. 0:11:10.040 --> 0:11:11.240 But now we are past that. 0:11:11.679 --> 0:11:14.840 It's not about reflecting on where we are compared to 0:11:14.920 --> 0:11:17.160 men or in opposition to men. It's like we are 0:11:17.200 --> 0:11:19.040 so established in our own thing now that we don't 0:11:19.040 --> 0:11:23.080 even need that, which is such a good positive thing. Yeah, 0:11:23.120 --> 0:11:25.360 and you know, we'll get more into your pivot and 0:11:25.400 --> 0:11:28.040 your intentionality behind how you did that. But Teresa, speaking 0:11:28.080 --> 0:11:33.760 of leaks, Okay, you're doing the most intentional branding and 0:11:33.840 --> 0:11:36.440 name launch. You've got a whole podcast telling people this 0:11:36.520 --> 0:11:38.320 is what we're thinking, this is why we're not doing, 0:11:38.320 --> 0:11:41.000 this is why we are doing this, and then the 0:11:41.080 --> 0:11:43.160 name of your team ends up on a dropdown menu 0:11:43.200 --> 0:11:45.040 on WNBA dot com by mistake. 0:11:45.760 --> 0:11:48.120 Right, this is the big announce that you're not hoping for. 0:11:48.240 --> 0:11:50.120 So tell us how you handled that and how you 0:11:50.160 --> 0:11:51.560 just said, Okay, we're going to lean into this and 0:11:51.600 --> 0:11:52.080 make it work. 0:11:52.320 --> 0:11:52.560 Yeah. 0:11:52.640 --> 0:11:54.920 I mean, I think you set it up well in 0:11:54.920 --> 0:11:57.640 the fact that we were really transparent and everything we 0:11:57.640 --> 0:12:00.880 are trying to do, and we really wanted said women's 0:12:00.880 --> 0:12:03.400 sports fans have so long wanted to be part of 0:12:03.400 --> 0:12:07.080 the process. Yeah, So we did a podcast, we talked 0:12:07.080 --> 0:12:09.440 about all the names that weren't going to work and why, 0:12:09.559 --> 0:12:13.800 we talked about inclusive design with epic like the whole sphere, 0:12:14.320 --> 0:12:16.640 and we knew there was always a chance it was 0:12:16.679 --> 0:12:19.719 gonna leak. So we were ready for that, right And 0:12:20.000 --> 0:12:21.440 of course you don't want it to happen, but we 0:12:21.440 --> 0:12:22.720 were ready and I think that was what I was 0:12:22.760 --> 0:12:25.480 really proud of our team is Ultimately we wanted to 0:12:25.480 --> 0:12:27.880 be able to launch the same time the merchandise was ready, 0:12:28.240 --> 0:12:31.440 and that doesn't move right, So we just had to 0:12:31.440 --> 0:12:32.839 make the decision do we go or do we wait? 0:12:32.880 --> 0:12:34.760 And we just said, let's just do it, and it 0:12:34.800 --> 0:12:37.320 was about six weeks before we wanted to. And I 0:12:37.440 --> 0:12:39.880 literally look back now and I don't know how we 0:12:39.920 --> 0:12:42.760 could have kept it for six more weeks. Like December 0:12:42.800 --> 0:12:45.280 fifth was the day the Toronto Tempo was supposed to 0:12:45.280 --> 0:12:47.360 be born, right, you know, you have kids that come early, 0:12:47.440 --> 0:12:50.480 like our team just came early. You know, you're never 0:12:50.559 --> 0:12:53.480 really ready, so whenever it happens, it happens. But we 0:12:53.480 --> 0:12:56.199 were really excited to share it with the world. We 0:12:56.320 --> 0:13:01.880 had a launch video already in production, so we were 0:13:01.880 --> 0:13:04.360 able to fast forward it. It's not the full brand video. 0:13:05.200 --> 0:13:07.000 You'll see that maybe in a couple of weeks, you know, 0:13:07.080 --> 0:13:10.319 something to look out for, but we had had that piece, 0:13:10.360 --> 0:13:12.120 and then we had some licensees we were able to 0:13:12.160 --> 0:13:14.640 like turn some things so we could at least show 0:13:14.679 --> 0:13:17.080 the logo and some of the colors and things. 0:13:16.880 --> 0:13:18.000 Like that on that day. 0:13:18.160 --> 0:13:22.280 And then what was great is you know, greatness, like 0:13:22.320 --> 0:13:24.400 some of the things come out of chaos and crisis, 0:13:24.760 --> 0:13:26.559 and the fact that we were able to talk twice 0:13:26.600 --> 0:13:30.280 and then launch our first brand partner, Sephora, and then 0:13:30.400 --> 0:13:32.960 launch our team name like it just made a great cadence. 0:13:32.960 --> 0:13:34.880 So I think more than anything, we knew that there 0:13:34.880 --> 0:13:38.000 are possibility of a leak. It happened and we were ready, 0:13:38.080 --> 0:13:40.000 and I was really proud of our team for making 0:13:40.080 --> 0:13:40.520 it happen. 0:13:40.760 --> 0:13:40.920 Yeah. 0:13:40.920 --> 0:13:43.200 I mean you had the story and you had the 0:13:43.280 --> 0:13:45.920 reasoning behind your choice, because you had been so thoughtful 0:13:45.920 --> 0:13:47.760 throughout about what wasn't going to work and why you 0:13:47.800 --> 0:13:48.160 went with this. 0:13:48.320 --> 0:13:49.559 I love this tempo logo. 0:13:49.800 --> 0:13:52.040 It looks so cool and like retro to me, but 0:13:52.080 --> 0:13:56.640 then it becomes timeless because of the retro vibe I loved. Also, 0:13:56.720 --> 0:13:59.640 we were talking before this about how you try to 0:13:59.679 --> 0:14:02.080 take and input, but you also recognize that. 0:14:02.080 --> 0:14:03.199 Fans aren't always right. 0:14:03.679 --> 0:14:06.079 Tell everyone the name that would have been the name 0:14:06.120 --> 0:14:08.400 if you had just gone with the one most suggested 0:14:08.400 --> 0:14:08.960 by fans. 0:14:09.160 --> 0:14:09.360 Yeah. 0:14:09.400 --> 0:14:12.160 We ran for the month of August last year for 0:14:12.240 --> 0:14:14.840 thirty days and name your Team dot caa campaign. So 0:14:15.200 --> 0:14:17.680 it was basically like any inspiration, it could be about 0:14:17.720 --> 0:14:20.640 the name, the colors, mask whatever. So you got over 0:14:20.680 --> 0:14:24.600 ten thousand submissions, over a thousand unique names, and the 0:14:24.640 --> 0:14:27.600 most submitted name was the Raptors. 0:14:27.960 --> 0:14:28.200 Yeah. 0:14:28.960 --> 0:14:33.760 Cool, so good idea, so interesting. I guess the Raptors 0:14:33.840 --> 0:14:35.920 really have a strong hold in that city. I feel 0:14:36.000 --> 0:14:38.640 very responsible for that, having worked for them for eleven years. 0:14:38.920 --> 0:14:41.400 But I think that just goes to show like you 0:14:41.520 --> 0:14:43.200 have to go through the process and like there's a 0:14:43.240 --> 0:14:45.520 reason why, why did the Raptors resonate? Like what can 0:14:45.560 --> 0:14:47.800 we learn from that? And some other names that were 0:14:47.800 --> 0:14:50.280 submitted that there was a lot of love for that 0:14:50.320 --> 0:14:51.240 were never going to work. 0:14:51.280 --> 0:14:52.320 You know, it's trademark that you. 0:14:52.320 --> 0:14:55.640 Said, there's so many names already taken. Just unpacking that 0:14:55.680 --> 0:14:57.680 a little bit and understanding why there's love for that 0:14:57.720 --> 0:14:59.760 and like how can we incorporate those learnings into it. 0:15:00.080 --> 0:15:00.560 Yeah. 0:15:00.680 --> 0:15:03.640 Also, I'm glad you didn't choose rapped Hers, which would 0:15:03.680 --> 0:15:04.560 have been bad. 0:15:05.600 --> 0:15:07.040 A couple of those were submitted as well. 0:15:07.120 --> 0:15:09.000 I'm sure. I'm sure they were. 0:15:09.120 --> 0:15:11.960 Comes from a place of love. Like people are really 0:15:12.000 --> 0:15:13.320 passionate about these things. 0:15:15.560 --> 0:15:20.200 Yeah, we're really enthusiastic and excited for when you actually 0:15:20.240 --> 0:15:22.400 begin play. There is so much to talk about when 0:15:22.400 --> 0:15:25.000 you have players and a coach and a season, but 0:15:25.000 --> 0:15:26.880 there's still a bit of lead time, both in the 0:15:27.320 --> 0:15:29.840 and WSL and in the WNBA for you to make 0:15:29.880 --> 0:15:32.920 it so what you're doing now does have an outsized impact. 0:15:33.360 --> 0:15:37.120 First impressions matter so much if a legacy team does 0:15:37.160 --> 0:15:39.720 something that doesn't quite hit you got one hundred years 0:15:39.800 --> 0:15:43.400 worth of brand affinity that you're like, oh, they'd mess 0:15:43.440 --> 0:15:44.760 that up, but we're right back with this, or we 0:15:44.800 --> 0:15:47.680 already love this player, we have nostalgia with them. Everything 0:15:47.720 --> 0:15:50.960 y'all do now is like outsized impact on telling fans 0:15:50.960 --> 0:15:54.040 who you are. So how do you plan to capitalize 0:15:54.040 --> 0:15:57.040 on the first understanding that they have such power? 0:15:57.520 --> 0:16:00.480 Kim, Well, First, I like they ease said legacy get 0:16:00.520 --> 0:16:03.720 in there a lot of time talking about sports, and 0:16:04.040 --> 0:16:06.720 you know, I think actually sort of how we think 0:16:06.720 --> 0:16:10.720 about getting all those first is when we have the 0:16:11.200 --> 0:16:13.960 word legacy associated with our team, we know that legacies 0:16:14.000 --> 0:16:16.200 are earned, they're not given. And I think that that 0:16:16.320 --> 0:16:19.160 applies to how we do every single first with our fans, 0:16:19.560 --> 0:16:23.080 where we have to earn their respect. There is so 0:16:23.200 --> 0:16:27.560 much organic enthusiasm, and we felt that very strongly with 0:16:27.800 --> 0:16:31.040 our name launch and everything that followed. And it's there, 0:16:31.160 --> 0:16:33.160 it's there. You don't have to do a lot, it's 0:16:33.280 --> 0:16:36.320 organically there. But you need to give people easy ways 0:16:36.320 --> 0:16:39.120 to engage with the team and to cheer you on. 0:16:39.360 --> 0:16:41.280 And so I think when we think about first with 0:16:41.360 --> 0:16:43.640 our fans, it's all about how can we make it 0:16:43.720 --> 0:16:46.800 really easy to cheer, for us, to get involved, to 0:16:46.840 --> 0:16:49.040 put your name on a list, to learn about what 0:16:49.080 --> 0:16:52.400 we're doing and so and also celebrate together because there's 0:16:52.400 --> 0:16:54.960 so much to celebrate even before we have players. Once 0:16:54.960 --> 0:16:57.240 we have players, it will just be another level. But 0:16:57.400 --> 0:16:58.720 we try to look at and sort of where can 0:16:58.760 --> 0:17:01.080 we create some fun and excite mintwhere it's already there, 0:17:01.120 --> 0:17:02.320 we just have to sort of harness it. 0:17:02.960 --> 0:17:03.440 How about you? 0:17:03.720 --> 0:17:06.439 Yeah, I think when you talk about first impressions and 0:17:06.480 --> 0:17:08.440 first things, like what I'm thinking about is like, internally, 0:17:08.480 --> 0:17:10.840 how are we celebrating those first So one thing that 0:17:10.840 --> 0:17:13.120 we did is we're a team of four at the time, 0:17:13.160 --> 0:17:15.040 and it's like senior leadership and we made, you know, 0:17:15.119 --> 0:17:16.040 these big goals that we. 0:17:16.000 --> 0:17:16.719 Wanted to achieve. 0:17:17.040 --> 0:17:20.080 We actually like wrote them and grave them on bottles 0:17:20.119 --> 0:17:20.800 of champagne. 0:17:20.840 --> 0:17:22.959 So then we actually achieve those first. 0:17:23.200 --> 0:17:26.400 Yeah, we celebrate it as a team and man when 0:17:26.400 --> 0:17:26.840 we get to. 0:17:26.760 --> 0:17:29.840 Pop those bottles. But those are earned, Those are earned. 0:17:29.880 --> 0:17:32.879 So just like internally like understanding what an impact that 0:17:32.960 --> 0:17:36.159 can have, and it kind of there's a lot with 0:17:36.240 --> 0:17:40.280 a startup with expansion that goes on a lot of 0:17:41.040 --> 0:17:43.280 fires you're putting out and it's really great to like 0:17:43.400 --> 0:17:46.439 celebrate and actually take a moment and say, wow, we 0:17:46.480 --> 0:17:47.199 accomplish this. 0:17:47.400 --> 0:17:48.680 We never thought it was possible. 0:17:49.040 --> 0:17:51.800 So like, internally, that's something that really keeps us motivated, 0:17:52.400 --> 0:17:56.240 and I think, just like for externally, making sure that 0:17:56.440 --> 0:17:59.080 our fans are coming along for those first So we're 0:17:59.119 --> 0:18:03.199 going to have a lot of in person events this summer, 0:18:03.280 --> 0:18:06.560 so check out look out for Temple Live across Canada, 0:18:07.000 --> 0:18:08.560 and the fans are gonna be part of that and 0:18:08.560 --> 0:18:11.320 they're gonna be able to well I'm giving away all 0:18:11.320 --> 0:18:12.600 the secrets now, but you know. 0:18:12.680 --> 0:18:15.080 Yeah, yeah, big announcements here. 0:18:15.119 --> 0:18:17.000