WEBVTT - Carolyn Tisch Blodgett Talks Player Salaries, Women's Sports

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<v Speaker 1>Bloomberg Audio Studios, Podcasts, Radio News.

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<v Speaker 2>All Right, we're already talking, we're already going because we're

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<v Speaker 2>excited about this. I almost feel like we should just

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<v Speaker 2>jump in. Let's do that. Bloomberg News sports reporter Vanessa

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<v Speaker 2>Perdomo is with She joins us along with Carolyn Tish Blodget.

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<v Speaker 2>She is governor and lead owner of Gotham FC football club,

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<v Speaker 2>the National Women's Soccer League and WSL team, and she's

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<v Speaker 2>founder and CEO of Next three Ventures, is an investment

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<v Speaker 2>firm in sports, media and entertainment. Welcome, Welcome, Welcome. I

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<v Speaker 2>was going to start it off because Vanessa, you and

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<v Speaker 2>the sports crew, they put out a great story about

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<v Speaker 2>like trends to watch in twenty twenty six, and one

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<v Speaker 2>of it is kind of labor battles in women's sports

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<v Speaker 2>and talking about it getting messy, especially as you see

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<v Speaker 2>escalating salaries and you see more stars leaving for Europe.

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<v Speaker 2>So I kind of Carolyn, want to start that with you.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, are you concerned about kind of losing players

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<v Speaker 2>to Europe and tea as we've seen salaries escalade and

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<v Speaker 2>welcome and die here.

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<v Speaker 1>Here, let's die right in.

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<v Speaker 3>So I'm a firm believer that rising tides lifts all boats.

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<v Speaker 3>We are If you think about where women's sports was

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<v Speaker 3>when we came in as new owners two years ago,

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<v Speaker 3>they were not being talked about on Bloomberg. They were

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<v Speaker 3>not no one was investing in it. And when we

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<v Speaker 3>came in, ninety nine percent of investments in sports went

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<v Speaker 3>to the men's went to men's teams, and so you

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<v Speaker 3>were starting to see that shift. You know, we came

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<v Speaker 3>in twenty twenty three. There have been several new owners

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<v Speaker 3>that have come into the National Women's Soccer League that

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<v Speaker 3>we're in, as well as the WNBA and others. So

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<v Speaker 3>you're starting to see a real shift. And with that

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<v Speaker 3>comes challenges and you start to see you know, it

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<v Speaker 3>wouldn't I don't think our league would be as successful

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<v Speaker 3>as we have been if there weren't other leagues that

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<v Speaker 3>were competing for talent. This is good, So yeah, I

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<v Speaker 3>think competition is good.

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<v Speaker 2>But are you afraid of losing some key players? Yes?

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<v Speaker 3>I mean obviously there has been news of players leaving

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<v Speaker 3>for Europe. I think you'll continue to see that. You'll

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<v Speaker 3>also see players coming back. With Lindsay Horan, Lindsay Heaps

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<v Speaker 3>just signed with Denver, We've had players go play in

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<v Speaker 3>Europe and then come back.

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<v Speaker 1>So part of it, I think when you zoom.

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<v Speaker 3>In, I think it feels like, oh my god, this

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<v Speaker 3>guy is telling everybody's leaving for Europe. If we pull

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<v Speaker 3>back and say this is actually the we're competing for

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<v Speaker 3>global talent in a global game, this is kind of

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<v Speaker 3>the natural evolution of this.

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<v Speaker 1>So let me ask the question in a different way,

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<v Speaker 1>and it's about a strategy for making sure those players

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<v Speaker 1>don't leave.

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<v Speaker 2>It's a strategy for keeping those players on your team.

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<v Speaker 1>How do you do it without breaking the bank?

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<v Speaker 3>So that is something we talk about on a daily basis.

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<v Speaker 3>Our general manager ya Elle averbush West has put together

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<v Speaker 3>an incredible roster over the last year. So we've won

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<v Speaker 3>two championships in the last three years. And when we

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<v Speaker 3>think about why would a player want a question we

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<v Speaker 3>ask ourselves daily is why would a player who could play.

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<v Speaker 1>Anywhere want to come play for Gotham.

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<v Speaker 3>Part of that, you know, I think what they have

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<v Speaker 3>in Europe is obviously these brand legacies that it's hard

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<v Speaker 3>to compete with. Chelsea's been around forever. If you want

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<v Speaker 3>to go, if your dream has been to play for Chelsea,

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<v Speaker 3>that's hard to compete with. What we have is I

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<v Speaker 3>think some of the best coaching staff in the business.

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<v Speaker 3>We have We've been very much at the forefront in

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<v Speaker 3>terms of investing in medical so we probably have arguably

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<v Speaker 3>the best medical director in women's soccer, if not you

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<v Speaker 3>know women's sports today. We've invested in mental health, We've

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<v Speaker 3>invested in a performance coach. So we're kind of investing.

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<v Speaker 3>And if you want you if you're sitting here today

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<v Speaker 3>as a player and you say where can I get better?

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<v Speaker 3>I would arguably say Gotham is the.

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<v Speaker 1>Best place to go.

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<v Speaker 3>And so we're really thinking about what is our competitive

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<v Speaker 3>advantage and where can we compete and let's go invest there.

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<v Speaker 2>Well.

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<v Speaker 4>I think the interesting thing is, obviously Gotham had made

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<v Speaker 4>this really big effort to sign these huge stars the

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<v Speaker 4>US men's the national team.

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<v Speaker 1>That there's four or five stars.

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<v Speaker 4>You have Jane Show who just came in last year

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<v Speaker 4>at Midge Perse, Emily Sune Rose Levelle NWSL twenty twenty

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<v Speaker 4>five MVP, you know for the championship game. You have

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<v Speaker 4>these massive stars, and it was it was felt like

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<v Speaker 4>a concerted effort to do that to make sure you

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<v Speaker 4>have these big stars and the lead used to rely

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<v Speaker 4>solely on the USO International team stars. Tell me about

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<v Speaker 4>where that's gone. Why is it still important to the

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<v Speaker 4>business to have stars like that? But how much it's

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<v Speaker 4>grown over the last couple of years. So yeah, I

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<v Speaker 4>think it's a really good question.

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<v Speaker 3>So I'm a big believer that stars dry viewership, and

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<v Speaker 3>stars drive particularly a casual fandom. I built my career

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<v Speaker 3>in marketing. I used to run marketing at Peloton, and

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<v Speaker 3>that was really our model was help these instructors turn

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<v Speaker 3>into stars. That is something we've brought to Gotham, and

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<v Speaker 3>we've taken not just the stars that we inherit like

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<v Speaker 3>we brought in like a Rose and a Sonnet, but

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<v Speaker 3>also helped someone like a Jalen Howell kind of find

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<v Speaker 3>her voice and become more of a star.

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<v Speaker 1>Robin I was thinking I was Robin Arzon.

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<v Speaker 3>Yes, yeah, Robin and I worked very close together, killer right,

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<v Speaker 3>But we helped her and she really knows how to

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<v Speaker 3>build her own brand. So I don't want to take

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<v Speaker 3>we get any credit of that, but we helped these

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<v Speaker 3>instructors really turn into the house.

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<v Speaker 2>But you guys appreciate it certainly as part of the Piloton.

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<v Speaker 1>Brand exactly, and that's what we're helping to do.

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<v Speaker 3>I think for a lot of our stars at Gotham,

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<v Speaker 3>I think that really again that drives viewership. That brings

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<v Speaker 3>at the US woman's national team is or is an opportunity.

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<v Speaker 1>To bring a casual fan in.

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<v Speaker 3>If you think about how many people watched the Olympics

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<v Speaker 3>last year the US team win a gold medal, I

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<v Speaker 3>think it was like nine million people. We have an

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<v Speaker 3>opportunity at Gotham. Six of those players played for Gotham

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<v Speaker 3>at the time. We can help bring those people and

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<v Speaker 3>bridge that gap from US fandom to Gotham nuts.

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<v Speaker 4>I mean, six people is amazing to have that kind

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<v Speaker 4>of power. I mean, let's talk a little bit more

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<v Speaker 4>about the overall business of the NDWASEL.

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<v Speaker 1>You had mentioned it before.

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<v Speaker 4>You the new owners coming in and one of them

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<v Speaker 4>is a colleague from the NFL or if they're blank,

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<v Speaker 4>played one hundred and sixty five million dollars to bring

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<v Speaker 4>an end of asale team to Atlanta.

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<v Speaker 1>How big this business has.

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<v Speaker 4>Got from twenty nineteen from a two million dollar expansion.

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<v Speaker 1>Of to one hundred and sixty five million. What's the

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<v Speaker 1>next step? But how does that keep going and how

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<v Speaker 1>do you make sure.

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<v Speaker 4>That it doesn't plateau after such a big year.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, we write there's been so much news in the

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<v Speaker 3>End of Yourself we haven't.

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<v Speaker 1>Even talked about the Blanks hugging it.

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<v Speaker 3>Yes, we're so happy that Arthur and his son Josh

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<v Speaker 3>have have joined us in the league. I think one

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<v Speaker 3>of the one of the real bright spots of the league,

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<v Speaker 3>I think is the boardroom and is the compilation of owners.

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<v Speaker 1>In this room.

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<v Speaker 3>You have owners like the Wilfs from the NFL, the

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<v Speaker 3>Blanks now and obviously our family. You have owners from

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<v Speaker 3>the NBA, from MLS, from European league.

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<v Speaker 1>So you really have a and they believe in it.

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<v Speaker 1>They believe in the End of your Self product.

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<v Speaker 4>Right, these long term sports owners, you very much feel

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<v Speaker 4>that there.

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<v Speaker 3>Is The conversations at the board are about how are

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<v Speaker 3>we going to grow sustainably?

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<v Speaker 1>How are we going to reach the next level?

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<v Speaker 3>As you asked, it is not about like how can

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<v Speaker 3>I make a quick dollar and turn around and sell it.

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<v Speaker 3>This is a group of owners that want to be

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<v Speaker 3>there and want it, you know, in invest in its.

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<v Speaker 2>Future, building out their portfolio.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, big way and deeply care.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you talk about investing in the future. Before we

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<v Speaker 2>got going, I talked about growing up watching the Giants seasons.

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<v Speaker 2>Tickets my dad had and we all kind of went

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<v Speaker 2>to games. They've had some highs and lows. They need

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<v Speaker 2>a new head coach. Any update, and I'm just curious

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<v Speaker 2>Jason Harbaugh, like, is are you guys talking to him?

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<v Speaker 2>John Harbaugh? Sorry? Are you guys talking to him?

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<v Speaker 1>I definitely cannot be the one to break any news here.

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<v Speaker 1>We did not time this interview with the.

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<v Speaker 3>Coaching sir, So nothing to say, but excited obviously for

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<v Speaker 3>the Giant's future.

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<v Speaker 2>But there'll be a new coach soon.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, obviously there will be a coach. Just help me

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<v Speaker 1>naming who it is? Do you have one? I cannot know.

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<v Speaker 3>Hey, listens, nothing, I've just been in my office all day.

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<v Speaker 2>It's John calling. No, no, no, hey, Just quickly twenty seconds.

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<v Speaker 2>You got you have invested in volleyball, You invested in

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<v Speaker 2>sale GP, which is something we've covered here. Anything else

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<v Speaker 2>you're looking at for your portfolio? Just got about twenty seconds.

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<v Speaker 1>Yes, yes, nothing to announce today.

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<v Speaker 3>But we're continue to look at emerging leagues, look at

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<v Speaker 3>emerging sports, and we're very focused on youth sports and

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<v Speaker 3>who are the leagues that are really building up the

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<v Speaker 3>kind of grassroots sports from the ground up.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, will you come and tell us when you've got

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<v Speaker 2>a Nico run right over? Thank you, Thank you, Vanessa, also, Carolyn,

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<v Speaker 2>thank you so much, really appreciate it. Carolyn Tish Blodger,

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<v Speaker 2>lead owner of Gotham Football Club, and of course our

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<v Speaker 2>Vanessa Prodoma, she's Bloomberg New Sports reporter. Thank you. Thank

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<v Speaker 2>If you missed any of it, check it out on

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<v Speaker 2>our podcast feed.