1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:03,400 Speaker 1: This is the business of sports. Let's talk Super Bowl 2 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: and Fox Sports. Guarantee money isn't necessarily guaranteed. One Major 3 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:11,000 Speaker 1: League Soccer owner is leading out fifty million dollar investment, 4 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: blurring of the lines between sports team owners and the 5 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:18,599 Speaker 1: sports gambling space. How high can these valuations go? Evan 6 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 1: william Off the field, the NBA has never been buzzier, 7 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 1: and the leaders in the sports industry, Major League Baseball 8 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:27,000 Speaker 1: Commission to Rob Manfred Fidy O'Neill is President of Director 9 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: Consumer and that then the race car driver Elliot Gastron Evs, 10 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 1: Jared Smith, president of Ticketmasters. Bloomberg Business of Sports from 11 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:37,839 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Radio. Hello, I'm Michael barn and I'm Evan Novie Williams. 12 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:40,160 Speaker 1: Over the next hour, we will explore the big money 13 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 1: issues in the world of sports and talk to some 14 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:44,519 Speaker 1: of the biggest players in the industry. Today, we sit 15 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:48,440 Speaker 1: down with Dayshauseners, CEO of the U s TAS National 16 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 1: Tennis Center. We'll talk about tennis and how the corunavirus 17 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:54,560 Speaker 1: is impacting the sport. We will talk about that straight 18 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 1: ahead on the Bloomberg Business of Sports show. But first 19 00:00:56,880 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 1: let's look at some of the top stories of the week. Yes, 20 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 1: let's start with Mike Gundy, UM, the Oklahoma State football coach. Uh. 21 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 1: And to bring it up speed, folks. UM coach Gundy 22 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:15,399 Speaker 1: said that his goal is to return to the football 23 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 1: building on May one because he hopes that the tests 24 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:21,639 Speaker 1: for COVID nineteen will be available in a few weeks 25 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:26,320 Speaker 1: to clear both employees and players. What do you think, 26 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 1: oh man? I mean? He also said he was in 27 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 1: favor of bringing players back because they're eight years old, 28 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:35,679 Speaker 1: they're healthy, they have the ability to fight this virus off. 29 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:39,119 Speaker 1: He also said it was essentially the flu um. All 30 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 1: of this gets back to one of my life tenants 31 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 1: that you should never trust a college football coach about 32 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 1: anything he says that is not college football. Uh. These guys, Uh, 33 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: you know, these guys are not experts and anything else. 34 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 1: And also they tend to be so incredibly myoptically focused 35 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 1: on the job of recruiting and playing and and and 36 00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:00,080 Speaker 1: putting a team on the field that they often know 37 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:02,920 Speaker 1: just ignore things that are happening in the world. But 38 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 1: this is a bad look, and I think you saw 39 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:09,080 Speaker 1: it pretty quickly. Both the university Oklahoma State and his 40 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 1: athletic director, his boss both came out very quickly and 41 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 1: distanced themselves from the comments that he made. Well, look, 42 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 1: I mean, especially if you're in Oklahoma and you're in 43 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 1: that bubble, you're not seeing it from the rest of 44 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:26,680 Speaker 1: the world. And I get it. You know, it's like, 45 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:29,120 Speaker 1: you're a football coach. You want to you want to 46 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 1: play the game, and you want to get this going. 47 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 1: But coach Gundy, come out, man, you're a man. You're 48 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 1: forty the yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Who has a quote 49 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:42,120 Speaker 1: from a Power five athletic director that just says anything 50 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 1: you don't want your coach to say. He did a 51 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:47,839 Speaker 1: great job of saying it, which I think I think 52 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 1: sums that up pretty quickly. And I do think it's 53 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 1: good that, like a lot of people jumped on this, right. 54 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: This was a conference call that Mike Gundy had with 55 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 1: with reporters, and it sounds like even on the call itself, 56 00:02:57,760 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 1: there was there was some pushback on it. So, you know, 57 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 1: college football coach said said the wrong thing, And it 58 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:06,120 Speaker 1: seems like, you know, people are recognizing that that that 59 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:09,799 Speaker 1: he he was maybe a little over zealous about about 60 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 1: his his optimism for when football players were going to 61 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 1: come back. Yeah, but he's got a mean but what 62 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:20,919 Speaker 1: are you gonna do. Uh, let's move on here. Uh, 63 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 1: this one a little more serious. Um, we're talking about 64 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 1: the impact of COVID nineteen on the institutions. And yes, 65 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 1: a lot of colleges are really feeling the pain right now. Yeah, 66 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 1: it's kind of an easy transition because I mean, one 67 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 1: of the things Mike Gundy did say, you know, is 68 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 1: we've got to get money flowing back through the state 69 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:44,120 Speaker 1: of Oklahoma. And you know, there's no question that, you know, 70 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:46,440 Speaker 1: college sports. You know, a lot of these schools, maybe 71 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: not the biggest, biggest ones, but a lot of these 72 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 1: schools are pretty cash trapped. And as you know, Michael, 73 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 1: you know, they're making a lot of money on football. 74 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: If football ends up not happening or being disrupted in 75 00:03:57,320 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 1: some ways, I think there's gonna be a pretty the massive, 76 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 1: massive impact on budgets around the country. That could affect 77 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 1: how much coaches get paid. It should affect how much 78 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:09,920 Speaker 1: coaches get paid. It should also affect how much money 79 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:16,040 Speaker 1: gets spent on facilities and you know, capital projects I have. Unfortunately, 80 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 1: I think it may also affect how many sports get offered. 81 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 1: You know, we saw Old Dominion cut its wrestling program 82 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 1: about a week ago. That was a decision that the 83 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:28,080 Speaker 1: that the athletic director said was also influenced by, you know, 84 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 1: budgetary pressure because of because of the virus. I'd like 85 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:33,720 Speaker 1: to think that those are the last decisions that get made, 86 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:35,840 Speaker 1: you know. I'd like to think opportunities for student athletes 87 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:38,599 Speaker 1: are the things that schools would cling to at the 88 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 1: very least before before cutting it. But I think there's 89 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:44,279 Speaker 1: no question that if football season doesn't happen in the 90 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:47,720 Speaker 1: way that it has in the past, commercially whatever that 91 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 1: looks like, um, there's gonna be some pretty big ramifications 92 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:53,880 Speaker 1: in college sports. And just to give you an idea, uh, 93 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 1: there is a twee uh involving the golfers and their 94 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:03,480 Speaker 1: program and they're saying that their program could lose between 95 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:07,360 Speaker 1: ten million to seventy five million dollars based on early 96 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:11,840 Speaker 1: initial projections. So, uh, yeah, in Minnesota is the first 97 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 1: the first school I think that is actually like really 98 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:18,040 Speaker 1: laid really laid that stuff out. I was also kind 99 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:23,599 Speaker 1: of caught by a comment that the Iowa State athletic 100 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 1: director said when he when he was asked about all this, 101 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:29,760 Speaker 1: and essentially, you know, he said that you know, we're 102 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:32,039 Speaker 1: looking at three possibilities. It's it's a blizzard that we 103 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 1: hunker down for the winter. It's Falmer's Almanac predicting we're 104 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:37,719 Speaker 1: gonna have a hard winter, or we're facing the ice age, 105 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:40,840 Speaker 1: and if we can't play football this year, it's the 106 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 1: ice age. There's no one in our industry right now 107 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 1: that could reasonably forecast a contingency plan for how they 108 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:49,719 Speaker 1: would get through not playing any football games. So you know, 109 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:53,200 Speaker 1: that's a pretty pretty stark way of laying out exactly 110 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:58,360 Speaker 1: what the financial ramifications are for this. Finally, we we 111 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:02,119 Speaker 1: kind of talk about this. Um. The NASCAR has been 112 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 1: broadcasting a lot of e NASCAR races, the EYE Racing 113 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 1: Pro Invitational Series. Now. On April five, they ran a 114 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:14,839 Speaker 1: simulated race is if you were at Bristol and a 115 00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 1: lot of drivers who are on the circuit participate in 116 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 1: the E Sports series. One driver is Bubba Wallace. Uh. Now, 117 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:30,560 Speaker 1: the term rage quit in case anybody doesn't know it, 118 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:35,000 Speaker 1: the bottom line is he got tangled up, uh in 119 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 1: with another driver, uh, Clint Bowyer, and uh he got 120 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:45,960 Speaker 1: mad and uh and he said, okay, I'm not that's that. 121 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:49,480 Speaker 1: He quit, like about eleven laps into the race, and 122 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:53,159 Speaker 1: now it's the people reacted to this and that whatever. 123 00:06:53,640 --> 00:07:00,280 Speaker 1: But more importantly, Wallace actually lost a sponsor, it said, 124 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:03,840 Speaker 1: the joint muscle cream company Blue Emu, and they were 125 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 1: not happy about it. Now, but this is the problem 126 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:10,720 Speaker 1: I've got with this. The executive vice president of Blue Emo, 127 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:14,760 Speaker 1: Ben Blessing, was quoted as saying, can you imagine if 128 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:17,680 Speaker 1: he did that in real life on a track? No, 129 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:23,840 Speaker 1: because it's not real. It's like, I'm sorry that you 130 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:27,960 Speaker 1: just answered your question in that statement. If he did 131 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:30,800 Speaker 1: this in real life on a track, If I'm playing 132 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:34,920 Speaker 1: a video game and I've got a gun and I 133 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:37,840 Speaker 1: shoot another person, are you gonna come and tell me? 134 00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:40,559 Speaker 1: Can you imagine if he did that in real life? 135 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:44,680 Speaker 1: I don't know. I don't understand that. I'm sorry. It's like, 136 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:50,320 Speaker 1: you know, if you wanted to sever tize with Bubba Wallace, Okay, 137 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:53,880 Speaker 1: but don't give me this and then tell me this 138 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 1: is this is the final straw and this is why 139 00:07:55,920 --> 00:07:59,480 Speaker 1: you did it. I'm sorry that peeves me. It's if 140 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 1: you did you mentioned some good points and this is 141 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 1: way more world your world in mine. So I want 142 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:06,320 Speaker 1: to get you talking a little bit more on it. 143 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:08,960 Speaker 1: But my question for you. You know, we've seen, you know, 144 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:12,360 Speaker 1: after NASCAR events, you know, fighters end up fighting. We've 145 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:15,520 Speaker 1: seen guys throw helmets at cars when they're driving by, 146 00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:18,760 Speaker 1: you know, some reckless stuff. Is it common for sponsors 147 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 1: to just drop you as a result of something you 148 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:24,120 Speaker 1: did on the track? Off the track? Is that does 149 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:26,600 Speaker 1: that happen often? Or is this just really a kind 150 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:29,000 Speaker 1: of totally out of left field maneuver. Oh, I mean 151 00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 1: it happens on the track, that it doesn't happen when 152 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:36,920 Speaker 1: when you're playing a video game. And I mean, let's 153 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:41,319 Speaker 1: put this in perspective, folks. This is a video game. 154 00:08:41,920 --> 00:08:46,240 Speaker 1: And yes, I enjoy watching it, and and I don't 155 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:49,680 Speaker 1: deny that one bit, But to say, can you imagine 156 00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:52,200 Speaker 1: him doing that in real life on the track. No, 157 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:58,960 Speaker 1: And it's you know, come on it just let's let's 158 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:01,840 Speaker 1: take a breath here, folks. It's now. If you're not 159 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:05,520 Speaker 1: a fan of Bubba Wallace, that's one thing, but let's 160 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 1: let's be real here. It is Bubba like a fiery guy? 161 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:12,560 Speaker 1: Is that his reputation? Well, I mean, if he feels 162 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:16,200 Speaker 1: like he's wrong, he'll he'll come back. Now he drives 163 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:21,280 Speaker 1: for Richard Petty Motorsports. Uh now, yes, he lost you cool, 164 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 1: and you know, maybe you shouldn't have done that because 165 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:28,160 Speaker 1: you know, it's there are some PC moments and you're 166 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:34,680 Speaker 1: trying to keep your sponsors happy. But this is this 167 00:09:34,760 --> 00:09:39,200 Speaker 1: is not real life. I'm sorry, you know. Also, rage 168 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:42,640 Speaker 1: quitting is a like time honored tradition in video gaming. 169 00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:44,439 Speaker 1: Any I think anyone who's ever played a video game 170 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:48,280 Speaker 1: with somebody else understands kind of how the emotions run 171 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:51,080 Speaker 1: high and that happens. One other thing I will say 172 00:09:51,120 --> 00:09:53,720 Speaker 1: on this, I didn't watch any of the of the 173 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:57,560 Speaker 1: Eye Racing NASCAR event. The only clip I saw was 174 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:01,320 Speaker 1: the third thirty second clip of Bubba Wallace rage quitting, 175 00:10:01,720 --> 00:10:05,640 Speaker 1: and Blue EMU is the principal brand in that clip. 176 00:10:06,120 --> 00:10:08,280 Speaker 1: You know, it's if they have their logo or their 177 00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:12,280 Speaker 1: name kind of written over his rear view mirror, you know. So, 178 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:14,640 Speaker 1: so the only thing I watched of this race was 179 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:17,839 Speaker 1: was a clip that had Blue Emu's logo and name 180 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:19,079 Speaker 1: in it. So, I mean, obviously I'm not going to 181 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:21,320 Speaker 1: tell the company how to spend its money, but I 182 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:23,640 Speaker 1: would imagine they got some pretty darn good bang for 183 00:10:23,679 --> 00:10:26,240 Speaker 1: the buck out of you know, the fact that the 184 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:29,320 Speaker 1: viral clip that happened during that race was one in 185 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:32,280 Speaker 1: which their their logo is front and center. He he 186 00:10:32,480 --> 00:10:35,760 Speaker 1: also said this is what Blessing said also with Blue 187 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:38,880 Speaker 1: EMU uh talking to Action Network that they thought they 188 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:42,959 Speaker 1: were sponsoring uh Wallace. It was a Blessing in disguise, 189 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:45,680 Speaker 1: but they found out that they aren't sponsoring a professional driver, 190 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:48,520 Speaker 1: but someone like my thirteen year old son who broker's 191 00:10:48,559 --> 00:10:53,839 Speaker 1: controller while building a house in a game. Wow, I 192 00:10:53,960 --> 00:11:00,560 Speaker 1: do not get it. Relationship will not be be revived 193 00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:03,719 Speaker 1: in a later date. Oh man, okay, let's get to 194 00:11:03,840 --> 00:11:06,440 Speaker 1: our interview with Danny's Austiner see all of the U 195 00:11:06,559 --> 00:11:09,920 Speaker 1: s TAS National Tennis Center. Thanks so much for joining us. 196 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:12,400 Speaker 1: I want to start off with the facility that's being 197 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:15,520 Speaker 1: used right now. I understand that it's being used as 198 00:11:15,559 --> 00:11:19,480 Speaker 1: a temporary hospital unit. Tend to describe more about that. 199 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:23,280 Speaker 1: So uh we we've actually got multiple purposes going on 200 00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 1: here at the same time. In Lewis Armstrong Stadium, we 201 00:11:26,559 --> 00:11:29,720 Speaker 1: can go Monday. Our partners at Restaurant Associates started packaging 202 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:32,880 Speaker 1: about twenty five thousand meals per day and that is 203 00:11:32,920 --> 00:11:36,000 Speaker 1: going to the workers at the Javit Center along with 204 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:39,520 Speaker 1: underprivileged kids from the New York City school system. And 205 00:11:39,559 --> 00:11:42,320 Speaker 1: these packages are a combination of six meals in it, 206 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:44,520 Speaker 1: so it's supposed to mental last two days, breakfast, lunch, 207 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:46,840 Speaker 1: and dinner for two days, and they're going six am 208 00:11:46,840 --> 00:11:50,000 Speaker 1: to about eleven pm with two shifts, and they're utilizing 209 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:52,600 Speaker 1: all the open space. They possibly count an armstrong, including 210 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:56,120 Speaker 1: on the court itself and then in uh in the 211 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:58,800 Speaker 1: indoor training center where we have twelve indoor courts that 212 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:01,200 Speaker 1: we use a round our tennis programs, and then it 213 00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:04,360 Speaker 1: gets converted into multiple purposes. For the open we do 214 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:07,080 Speaker 1: a am X fan experience, and we do our hospitality 215 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 1: program out there, and we usually hold back six courts 216 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:13,679 Speaker 1: for player indoor practice. And that the city asked us, 217 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:16,240 Speaker 1: going through the Office of Emergency Management, to see if 218 00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:18,960 Speaker 1: they can convert that into a three fifty bed hospital, 219 00:12:19,559 --> 00:12:22,400 Speaker 1: and they started working on that last week to receive patients. 220 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:25,440 Speaker 1: They're breaking that up into three groups. The first hundred 221 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:27,679 Speaker 1: and fifty beds in one section of the courts, and 222 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:30,520 Speaker 1: then another hundred and fifty and then probably at least 223 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:33,920 Speaker 1: another fifty and the third section maybe more so for 224 00:12:33,920 --> 00:12:36,480 Speaker 1: for listeners who don't know. You know, the tennis facility 225 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:39,760 Speaker 1: is out in Flushing Queens is pretty close to almost hospital, 226 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:42,680 Speaker 1: which is one of the most stressed hospitals in the city, 227 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:45,600 Speaker 1: I believe. Right now, I'm curious when when they reach 228 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 1: out to you, what is that decision, Well, what does 229 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:50,400 Speaker 1: that conversation look like On the U. S t A. Side. 230 00:12:50,440 --> 00:12:52,520 Speaker 1: Is it an immediate yes kind of What do you 231 00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:55,520 Speaker 1: guys have to talk about before you say okay to 232 00:12:55,640 --> 00:12:59,520 Speaker 1: converting you know, those facilities into temporary hospital. It's a 233 00:12:59,640 --> 00:13:01,800 Speaker 1: very fair question. We we started hearing about two weeks 234 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:04,200 Speaker 1: ago where the governor said they needed upwards of a 235 00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:07,760 Speaker 1: million to two million square feet of open space for 236 00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:10,319 Speaker 1: incremental hospital beds. I don't remember the exact number of 237 00:13:10,360 --> 00:13:12,719 Speaker 1: hospital beds they were looking for, but that was the 238 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:14,360 Speaker 1: square footage they were looking for. Now, we don't have 239 00:13:14,360 --> 00:13:18,479 Speaker 1: anything along those lines here. But rightfully, UH Cities Departments, 240 00:13:18,559 --> 00:13:20,840 Speaker 1: the Parks Department, and O. E. M. Started thinking about 241 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:22,640 Speaker 1: what are the really big structures in the city. And 242 00:13:22,679 --> 00:13:25,640 Speaker 1: they thought about Arthur R. Stadium, which seems obvious, but 243 00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:27,760 Speaker 1: the fact is, well it's the largest tennis stadium in 244 00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:30,240 Speaker 1: the world. It's not really conducive for open space the 245 00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:35,199 Speaker 1: court itself exactly right. So I when they came out 246 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:36,560 Speaker 1: here to talk to me about it, I said, you know, 247 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:38,319 Speaker 1: we do have the indoor training center. Won't get you 248 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:39,920 Speaker 1: a million, but it'll probably get your close to a 249 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:42,960 Speaker 1: hundred thousand. So it's not nearly the scale of Jabbits, 250 00:13:43,559 --> 00:13:46,160 Speaker 1: but certainly at the same time, three hundred and fifty 251 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:48,480 Speaker 1: to five hundred beds is a lot better. When you 252 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:50,640 Speaker 1: think about East Elmhurst, We've been part of the Queen's 253 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:53,120 Speaker 1: community for over a hundred years, the US Open has 254 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:55,760 Speaker 1: been and the fact is East Elmhurst is three and 255 00:13:55,760 --> 00:13:57,400 Speaker 1: a half miles from where we are right here, so 256 00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:00,560 Speaker 1: they are right in our neighborhood and they you know, 257 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:02,960 Speaker 1: everyone knows New York City is the epicenter for the country. 258 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:05,320 Speaker 1: Well East Elmhurst right now is the epicenter for New 259 00:14:05,400 --> 00:14:09,040 Speaker 1: York City. That hospital is completely overwhelmed with the volume 260 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:11,560 Speaker 1: of patients and seeing so you know, we want to 261 00:14:11,559 --> 00:14:13,680 Speaker 1: do whatever we possibly can. Most of us are sitting 262 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:16,199 Speaker 1: around doing virtually nothing in terms of trying to help 263 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:18,440 Speaker 1: fight this battle. We're not in the medical field, so 264 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:20,680 Speaker 1: what can we possibly do. So it was a very 265 00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:23,800 Speaker 1: easy decision for the US here to support the Queen's community. 266 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:25,800 Speaker 1: And I think it's great that you guys are doing it. 267 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:28,320 Speaker 1: We are a business show, so I am curious, are 268 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:30,720 Speaker 1: you do you get paid for they pay rent for that. 269 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:32,560 Speaker 1: Do you get paid for this? Who kind of foots 270 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:35,000 Speaker 1: the bill for kind of all this coming together and 271 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:36,960 Speaker 1: then on the back end kind of unwinding at all. 272 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:40,040 Speaker 1: So I'm sure there are real estate firms out there 273 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:42,360 Speaker 1: that are, you know, providing spaces to the city and 274 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:44,640 Speaker 1: they're charging rent for it, and God bless them, but 275 00:14:44,760 --> 00:14:46,360 Speaker 1: you know, as a tenant of the city, it did 276 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:48,240 Speaker 1: not think like that was the thing for us to 277 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:50,920 Speaker 1: be doing right now. So we're not charging rent for it. 278 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:52,840 Speaker 1: We've only asked for them to any out of pocket 279 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:55,640 Speaker 1: expenses we might incur. We've just asked them to cover. 280 00:14:56,320 --> 00:14:57,920 Speaker 1: But what the city did is they hired a firm 281 00:14:58,320 --> 00:15:03,000 Speaker 1: company out of Galveston, Texas called SLS and they're they 282 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:05,480 Speaker 1: kind of special in this disaster relief type stuff. So 283 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:08,560 Speaker 1: they're building this hospital from scratch. They're responsible for everything 284 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:12,240 Speaker 1: from creating the rooms, to all the infrastructure, to the beds, 285 00:15:12,280 --> 00:15:14,680 Speaker 1: to the nurses and the doctors, all the respiratory equipment. 286 00:15:14,720 --> 00:15:17,440 Speaker 1: Whatever is needed in there is what they coordinate and 287 00:15:17,760 --> 00:15:20,720 Speaker 1: they will actually operate the hospital. One thing about that 288 00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:23,880 Speaker 1: is it's got to be a lot to prepare for 289 00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:27,960 Speaker 1: something like this because we've never experienced anything like this 290 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:31,520 Speaker 1: h ever. I mean to where sports has come to 291 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:35,560 Speaker 1: a grinding halt and everybody is trying to pitch in 292 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:41,920 Speaker 1: to beat this virus, and New York is the epicenter 293 00:15:42,080 --> 00:15:45,640 Speaker 1: for the whole thing. Can you tell us about the 294 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:50,760 Speaker 1: the emotional standpoint and what you guys are going through. Yeah, 295 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:53,360 Speaker 1: there's there's no question. And listen to the US Open. 296 00:15:53,560 --> 00:15:55,800 Speaker 1: Is that is start the main draw. The Open is 297 00:15:56,200 --> 00:15:59,480 Speaker 1: scheduled to start August thirty one. That's that's the Monday 298 00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:01,880 Speaker 1: before to Day as the traditional start of the Open 299 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:05,360 Speaker 1: every single year. And when the virus, the first conversations 300 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:07,240 Speaker 1: coming out of China in January were sitting and saying, 301 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:09,040 Speaker 1: oh my god, it's not till August. We have a 302 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:11,000 Speaker 1: long runway to before we really have to try to 303 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:13,160 Speaker 1: get this out. Well, you know now with April that 304 00:16:13,360 --> 00:16:16,520 Speaker 1: is how while it's been going into snail's face on 305 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:18,600 Speaker 1: the one end, time is starting to fly by us. 306 00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:20,720 Speaker 1: So you know, our full intentions are to host the 307 00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:23,880 Speaker 1: open We're gonna go by what the governing bodies tell 308 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:26,000 Speaker 1: us from the city and the state and the federal government. 309 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:28,920 Speaker 1: We're not going to act foolishly in this process. Uh 310 00:16:28,920 --> 00:16:30,720 Speaker 1: So we have to plan accordingly to that. But at 311 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:32,840 Speaker 1: the same time, we have to help the city build 312 00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:35,400 Speaker 1: a hospital, get it up and running, take patients in, 313 00:16:35,880 --> 00:16:38,560 Speaker 1: and hopefully see this curve flatt and as quickly as possible. 314 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:40,960 Speaker 1: We're an overflow for what's going on in the community 315 00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:42,960 Speaker 1: where the intention here is not to be a standalone 316 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:46,560 Speaker 1: hospital indefinitely. So once the hospitals can start to get 317 00:16:46,600 --> 00:16:48,400 Speaker 1: their breath back in them and they can start to 318 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:50,840 Speaker 1: see patients the way they normally would, you know, this 319 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:53,600 Speaker 1: thing will close down quickly and we can start to 320 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:56,560 Speaker 1: clean up and we can even hopefully resume our ordinary 321 00:16:56,560 --> 00:16:59,880 Speaker 1: tennis programming, our summer camps and then build towards the US. 322 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:02,480 Speaker 1: But that's such a long way away, and we just 323 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:05,400 Speaker 1: really have to rely on the city and state officials 324 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:09,000 Speaker 1: to help us guide us through that process to that point. 325 00:17:09,160 --> 00:17:11,000 Speaker 1: How how long does you do you think it takes 326 00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:13,600 Speaker 1: once you know, once the city says, you know, guys, 327 00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:16,480 Speaker 1: thank you very much we don't need your facility anymore. 328 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:19,920 Speaker 1: How long does it take to kind of unwind everything 329 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:22,119 Speaker 1: that's been done to get it back to whatever the 330 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:26,080 Speaker 1: kind of original tennis purpose was. I think when even 331 00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:28,480 Speaker 1: when you see things get built up from from a 332 00:17:28,520 --> 00:17:30,800 Speaker 1: concert perspective, you know, it may take your days to 333 00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:32,720 Speaker 1: build these things that you're out in twenty four hours. 334 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:34,960 Speaker 1: Like all of this stuff that they're bringing in either 335 00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:37,439 Speaker 1: rented or it's got to get out of here quickly. 336 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:39,760 Speaker 1: I think the cleaning and the sanitizing portion of it 337 00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:42,840 Speaker 1: will take longer than that. I would anticipate that from 338 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:44,800 Speaker 1: the time the hospital closes, it will probably still be 339 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:47,880 Speaker 1: another two weeks probably before we would be able to reopen. 340 00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:51,160 Speaker 1: We're seeing a lot of sports team owners, sports league, 341 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:55,520 Speaker 1: sports entities, nonprofits stepping up to the plate during this time. 342 00:17:55,520 --> 00:17:57,560 Speaker 1: I'm curious if you think that kind of when everything 343 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:00,720 Speaker 1: goes back to normal, do you think that ends are 344 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:03,120 Speaker 1: going to remember, you know, think about the companies that 345 00:18:03,119 --> 00:18:05,040 Speaker 1: that did right by the city, that kind of opened 346 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:07,320 Speaker 1: their doors when when people needed it, and there may 347 00:18:07,359 --> 00:18:10,560 Speaker 1: be kind of a shifting of fan dollars to the 348 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:13,719 Speaker 1: groups that they appreciate having done the most in a 349 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:17,840 Speaker 1: hard time. I think there could be an initial aspect 350 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:20,200 Speaker 1: to it, but you know, if we're thinking about long term, 351 00:18:20,560 --> 00:18:23,159 Speaker 1: I don't really think to three years from now. Someone's 352 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:25,680 Speaker 1: going to be rating how the sports franchises and the 353 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:28,600 Speaker 1: leagues and the organizations within the Tri state area responded 354 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:30,680 Speaker 1: to the virus, and that's where people are gonna put 355 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:33,159 Speaker 1: their dollars to. You know, I have this dream and 356 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:35,360 Speaker 1: hopefully it becomes a reality, but you know, it's quite 357 00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:38,480 Speaker 1: possible we may be the first large scale international event 358 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:40,720 Speaker 1: that comes back to the stage at the end of August. 359 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:42,920 Speaker 1: And what an incredible thing for New York City to 360 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:45,480 Speaker 1: welcome the world to the US Open. We broadcast over 361 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:48,439 Speaker 1: two hundred countries. Uh, you know, that's still four and 362 00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:50,439 Speaker 1: a half months away, and there's a lot that's going 363 00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:52,399 Speaker 1: to happen between now and then, but that would be 364 00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 1: an incredible opportunity for the city to showcase to the 365 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:57,720 Speaker 1: world how we recovered and what, you know, how the 366 00:18:57,720 --> 00:19:02,080 Speaker 1: city's back on track. How big would that be When 367 00:19:02,119 --> 00:19:04,040 Speaker 1: we were talking about this, I mean this this is 368 00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:08,240 Speaker 1: the US Open is always something that is huge, especially 369 00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:12,320 Speaker 1: for New York. Can you expand more on that, on 370 00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:16,520 Speaker 1: on what this would mean yeah, well, financially for the 371 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:19,159 Speaker 1: city well as as well as for the organization. I mean, 372 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:22,040 Speaker 1: we're the national governing body of tennis in this country 373 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:24,240 Speaker 1: and that we fund our mission through the U s 374 00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:27,720 Speaker 1: Open primarily. So obviously for the organization it's enormous. But 375 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:29,760 Speaker 1: for the city, if you go back to when the 376 00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:32,720 Speaker 1: one time the city hosted the Super Bowl several years ago, 377 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:35,960 Speaker 1: the economic impact was reported to be about four hundred 378 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:38,720 Speaker 1: to four hundred fifty million dollars, which is an impressive number. 379 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:41,520 Speaker 1: The US Open on an annual basis, since we've been 380 00:19:41,560 --> 00:19:44,320 Speaker 1: in the city for a hundred years, is generating over 381 00:19:44,359 --> 00:19:46,800 Speaker 1: eight hundred million dollars of economic impact for the city. 382 00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:49,719 Speaker 1: It's incredible for tourism or the six percent of our 383 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:53,720 Speaker 1: fans come from outside this country. Traditionally more than total 384 00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:56,200 Speaker 1: come from outside the Tri State area. And these folks 385 00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:57,960 Speaker 1: that are coming from outside the Tri State area, they're 386 00:19:57,960 --> 00:19:59,760 Speaker 1: not just coming for a day, They're coming for a weekend. 387 00:19:59,760 --> 00:20:01,920 Speaker 1: For a week. There's staying in the local hotels, they're 388 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:05,600 Speaker 1: flying in here, eating in local restaurants. So it's a 389 00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:08,080 Speaker 1: huge thing for the city. And and actually the week 390 00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:10,960 Speaker 1: before and after Labor Day as tourism starts to die off. 391 00:20:11,359 --> 00:20:14,239 Speaker 1: We're still really full throttle at the US Open from 392 00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:17,560 Speaker 1: a tourism perspective, so it's fabulous for the city, hotel 393 00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:21,280 Speaker 1: and the whole economy of the city. Have you guys 394 00:20:21,320 --> 00:20:23,800 Speaker 1: heard from any you know, government entity, whether the state 395 00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:27,400 Speaker 1: or federal level, kind of maybe guidance or thought process 396 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:29,160 Speaker 1: on you know, as you said, a lot of people 397 00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:31,840 Speaker 1: are coming from overseas to come here. Just just any 398 00:20:31,880 --> 00:20:34,640 Speaker 1: thought on on on what things might look like come 399 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:37,600 Speaker 1: you know, late August when it's time to hopefully put 400 00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:40,240 Speaker 1: this thing on Now. A matter of fact, I know 401 00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:43,520 Speaker 1: that are the CEO or Mike Dowas has a call 402 00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:46,600 Speaker 1: today with someone within the Trump administration just to give 403 00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:49,119 Speaker 1: a perspective from tennis and what the tennis means to 404 00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:51,359 Speaker 1: this country and what's going on right now and the 405 00:20:51,359 --> 00:20:54,159 Speaker 1: impact that's having in the local facilities throughout the country. 406 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:56,879 Speaker 1: Uh So, the US Open years a big economic engine 407 00:20:56,920 --> 00:20:59,159 Speaker 1: for the organization, but we also want to promote the 408 00:20:59,160 --> 00:21:01,560 Speaker 1: growth of the sport, and right now all the facilities 409 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:03,600 Speaker 1: are obviously closed throughout the country, so we want to 410 00:21:03,600 --> 00:21:05,960 Speaker 1: make sure that those facilities are able to stay in 411 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:09,440 Speaker 1: business when they come back. Up and running. Well, that's 412 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:13,680 Speaker 1: That's another thing about that is a lot of tournaments 413 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:17,760 Speaker 1: have been canceled. I mean just recently, Uh we've lost 414 00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:23,120 Speaker 1: the Wimbledon and you know it. I said this earlier 415 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:28,600 Speaker 1: about the impact of the coronavirus. Tennis. I believe will 416 00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:33,320 Speaker 1: always recover. But right now, you guys are everybody is 417 00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:36,240 Speaker 1: in a financial crunch. How is it for you guys 418 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:40,919 Speaker 1: right now? Listen? Right now, we're obviously our staff is 419 00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:43,080 Speaker 1: working remotely for the most part. We have a small 420 00:21:43,119 --> 00:21:45,680 Speaker 1: contingent of staff out here at the Tennis Center helping 421 00:21:45,760 --> 00:21:48,720 Speaker 1: support the city within initiatives going on, by and large 422 00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:51,800 Speaker 1: the entire organizations. You know, our offices are closed, but 423 00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:55,680 Speaker 1: everyone's working remotely. There are conversations going on every single 424 00:21:55,760 --> 00:21:58,080 Speaker 1: day to try and understand the impact this is having 425 00:21:58,119 --> 00:22:00,399 Speaker 1: for us, both short and long term. When you think 426 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:02,879 Speaker 1: about the US we talk about economic engine for the city, 427 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:05,520 Speaker 1: but we hire over seven thousand people to work this 428 00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:07,800 Speaker 1: event and then has working for a day or a 429 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:10,400 Speaker 1: week that you know, we start ramping up in February, 430 00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:12,720 Speaker 1: so it means so much of the community we're working with, 431 00:22:12,720 --> 00:22:15,960 Speaker 1: so many local restaurants were taking thousands of hotel rooms. 432 00:22:16,520 --> 00:22:19,439 Speaker 1: So yeah, I mean every moment, I think we're all 433 00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:21,920 Speaker 1: from a business respective thinking about the impact that the 434 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:25,680 Speaker 1: virus is having a across the country. It's really unfathomable. 435 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:29,520 Speaker 1: You've mentioned a few times kind of the import that 436 00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:32,119 Speaker 1: you know, this one event has on your kind of 437 00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:34,159 Speaker 1: the U s tas bottom line year round. You know, 438 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:35,879 Speaker 1: I think it's kind of similar and correct me if 439 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:37,560 Speaker 1: I'm wrong to the n c A A, you know, 440 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:39,640 Speaker 1: which makes the bulk of its money during one event, 441 00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:42,199 Speaker 1: the men's basketball Tournament, and then uses that money to 442 00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:45,040 Speaker 1: kind of promote college sports as a mandate, you know, 443 00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:47,240 Speaker 1: across the country for the other three d and sixty 444 00:22:47,280 --> 00:22:49,439 Speaker 1: four days. Can you give us a sense just how 445 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:52,280 Speaker 1: important the US Open as an event is for for 446 00:22:52,359 --> 00:22:56,000 Speaker 1: your bottom line every year? Oh, there's no question it's 447 00:22:55,760 --> 00:22:58,000 Speaker 1: it does provide you know, it's kind of our annual 448 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:00,800 Speaker 1: bake sale, we jokingly say, for the organization, and it 449 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:04,119 Speaker 1: funds the mission across the country. And we've got seventeen section. 450 00:23:06,040 --> 00:23:07,800 Speaker 1: It's a it's a great, big sale and it tastes 451 00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:11,239 Speaker 1: quite good annually. So yeah, there's there's no question we 452 00:23:11,280 --> 00:23:13,800 Speaker 1: want to host the Open. Uh, We're not going anywhere 453 00:23:13,840 --> 00:23:16,359 Speaker 1: if it ends up that the virus impacts the ability 454 00:23:16,359 --> 00:23:17,920 Speaker 1: to host the Open this year, we'll be back in. 455 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:21,520 Speaker 1: But right now it's you know, full steam ahead to plan. 456 00:23:21,720 --> 00:23:23,840 Speaker 1: You you just don't show up August, turn the lights 457 00:23:23,880 --> 00:23:26,399 Speaker 1: on and start playing tennis. So there's a lot of 458 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:28,880 Speaker 1: work that goes on starting the day after each US 459 00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:31,760 Speaker 1: Open for the following year. I was looking at the 460 00:23:32,040 --> 00:23:35,080 Speaker 1: financial reports this morning. It looks like and and correct 461 00:23:35,119 --> 00:23:37,080 Speaker 1: me if this is wrong. You guys do about you know, 462 00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:40,040 Speaker 1: four h fifty million in revenue every year and the 463 00:23:40,119 --> 00:23:42,880 Speaker 1: Open itself is about three eight Is that is those 464 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:47,879 Speaker 1: numbers right? That's approximately correct est? Got okay? Uh? And 465 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:50,560 Speaker 1: is there any I mean thinking about obviously worst case 466 00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:52,920 Speaker 1: scenario is this event can't happen? I mean, are their 467 00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:55,440 Speaker 1: reserves or there I mean anything you can say about 468 00:23:55,480 --> 00:23:57,880 Speaker 1: insurance policies kind of how do you guys think about 469 00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:01,480 Speaker 1: the disaster scenario? Business wise? That might be you know, 470 00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:04,480 Speaker 1: a worst case scenario here this year. Yeah. I won't 471 00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:07,280 Speaker 1: get into all the specifics, but our our mandate is 472 00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:09,880 Speaker 1: to is to protect the organization, and so there are 473 00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:12,639 Speaker 1: reserves that kind of our own rainy day fund. I 474 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:17,239 Speaker 1: wanted to bring up another segment here. Uh. And I 475 00:24:17,280 --> 00:24:21,520 Speaker 1: guess I know this sounds silly, but it seems like 476 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:24,200 Speaker 1: now we're seeing a lot of people doing the E 477 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:27,800 Speaker 1: sports thing and people are loving that, and people are 478 00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:32,080 Speaker 1: watching that on TV. And have you guys ever thought 479 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:35,520 Speaker 1: about maybe doing that, uh, some sort of an E 480 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:39,040 Speaker 1: sports segment where you're playing tennis, but you've got Serena 481 00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:43,720 Speaker 1: Williams uh playing against Naomi Osaka and they are and 482 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:50,480 Speaker 1: they're battling out on TV. So ironically, last summer at 483 00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:53,639 Speaker 1: the National Tennis and we hosted the largest sporting event 484 00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:57,640 Speaker 1: ever in the world with Fortnite, and they paid out 485 00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:01,760 Speaker 1: about they paid out thirty million dollars in prize money 486 00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:04,320 Speaker 1: and thirty million dollars for a weekend event. And it 487 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:06,080 Speaker 1: ended up that there was a sixteen year old kid 488 00:25:06,080 --> 00:25:09,760 Speaker 1: from Pennsylvania who won first supplies, which was three million dollars. 489 00:25:09,800 --> 00:25:12,800 Speaker 1: So if you're not thinking about the sports, your your 490 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:14,719 Speaker 1: head is in the sand. There's no question about it. 491 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:17,240 Speaker 1: As the nationally that's the biggest event you guys have 492 00:25:17,320 --> 00:25:23,240 Speaker 1: done that's not tennis at that facility outside of tennis, Yes, absolutely, uh, 493 00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:25,560 Speaker 1: And it was really phenomenal what they did. There was 494 00:25:25,680 --> 00:25:28,000 Speaker 1: no no expensive bar to create something for that. It 495 00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:30,520 Speaker 1: was like a thank you to their fans for what 496 00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:32,199 Speaker 1: they're able to do their You know, the number of 497 00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:37,520 Speaker 1: people playing that event, uh fortnite worldwide is staggering, So 498 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:40,320 Speaker 1: I listen, there's there's no question NBA owners and what 499 00:25:40,359 --> 00:25:42,280 Speaker 1: they're doing getting into that sport. But you know, we 500 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:45,159 Speaker 1: don't represent the players as the governing body. We represent 501 00:25:45,280 --> 00:25:48,000 Speaker 1: the sport in this country, so we can't. Actually we 502 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:50,199 Speaker 1: could suggest this arena which you might want to get involved, 503 00:25:50,240 --> 00:25:52,919 Speaker 1: but that's not our role. But yeah, I think we 504 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:56,840 Speaker 1: always look at opportunities and E sports is something where 505 00:25:56,880 --> 00:25:59,080 Speaker 1: we'd like to think that our facilities are ideally suited 506 00:25:59,119 --> 00:26:02,040 Speaker 1: for them. Where or not we're the one to create 507 00:26:02,040 --> 00:26:04,920 Speaker 1: an E sport league for tennis is remains to be seen. 508 00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:07,919 Speaker 1: A lot of people obviously are turning to the sports 509 00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:10,840 Speaker 1: as a way of getting you know, younger generations, uh 510 00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:13,280 Speaker 1: interested in their product. You guys are doing some interesting 511 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:15,680 Speaker 1: things as well on the tennis side, trying to get 512 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:18,560 Speaker 1: young people you know interested in tennis. Net generation being 513 00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:20,159 Speaker 1: one of them. Can you give us an update on 514 00:26:20,240 --> 00:26:22,560 Speaker 1: kind of where things stand as you guys think about 515 00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:26,080 Speaker 1: the next generation or next generation or two of future 516 00:26:26,080 --> 00:26:29,359 Speaker 1: tennis players. Yeah, well, there's two things. There's there's no 517 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:31,920 Speaker 1: question that the data shows us so that when people 518 00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:33,320 Speaker 1: come out to the Open for the first time that 519 00:26:33,320 --> 00:26:35,560 Speaker 1: really didn't know him that much about tennis, there they 520 00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:38,919 Speaker 1: have a phenomenal time. Plus of the people that come 521 00:26:38,920 --> 00:26:40,440 Speaker 1: out to the U S Open and have an incredibly 522 00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:44,160 Speaker 1: positive experience, which is really unprecedented for sports and entertainment. 523 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:46,280 Speaker 1: And if you have a great experience of the sporting event, 524 00:26:46,359 --> 00:26:48,159 Speaker 1: chances are you're gonna go pick up a tennis rack 525 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:49,879 Speaker 1: and play tennis for the first time. And that's what 526 00:26:49,920 --> 00:26:52,720 Speaker 1: the data shows us. So for the Open, we've been 527 00:26:52,760 --> 00:26:56,240 Speaker 1: really making a conscientious effort to skew younger with our audience, 528 00:26:56,280 --> 00:26:58,720 Speaker 1: and that's why we introduced fan Week, which used to 529 00:26:58,760 --> 00:27:01,800 Speaker 1: be our qualifying tournament that we before, it's free last 530 00:27:01,840 --> 00:27:04,000 Speaker 1: year where our partners a Chase. We introduced a whole 531 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:06,920 Speaker 1: series of concerts in the evening free concerts. And so 532 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:08,760 Speaker 1: what we're starting to see is the demographics of the 533 00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:11,080 Speaker 1: Open are shifting younger and that can only help us 534 00:27:11,080 --> 00:27:14,480 Speaker 1: grow the sport of tennis. On the net generation side, ironically, 535 00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:16,840 Speaker 1: people are not out on tennis courts right now. But 536 00:27:16,880 --> 00:27:19,800 Speaker 1: if families go out to net generation dot Com, they'll 537 00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:22,040 Speaker 1: see on our website that what we're doing is telling 538 00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:25,240 Speaker 1: people you're staying home. You can't play tennis in public facilities, 539 00:27:25,240 --> 00:27:27,399 Speaker 1: but there's things you could do watching our videos. You 540 00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:30,320 Speaker 1: can stay healthy, you can exercise your brain and your body, 541 00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:32,359 Speaker 1: either on your driveway or in your front yard or 542 00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:34,679 Speaker 1: wherever you have the opportunity to do those things. And 543 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:37,639 Speaker 1: net Generation is an opportunity for us to really help 544 00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:40,560 Speaker 1: grow the sport at a very young age. And we've 545 00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:42,480 Speaker 1: it's been in existence for the last two to three 546 00:27:42,520 --> 00:27:45,080 Speaker 1: years now and we're starting to really see the growth 547 00:27:45,080 --> 00:27:47,280 Speaker 1: from then. What are you seeing from a from a 548 00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:50,000 Speaker 1: demographic kind of shift. I've interviewed a number of young 549 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:52,679 Speaker 1: black female tennis players obviously, who say that, you know, 550 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:55,960 Speaker 1: watching Venus and Serena do so well for so long 551 00:27:56,080 --> 00:27:58,720 Speaker 1: kind of inspired them. You know, there's some young black 552 00:27:58,760 --> 00:28:01,120 Speaker 1: male tennis players that are also, you know, playing very 553 00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:04,520 Speaker 1: well right now. What have you seen demographically as a 554 00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:06,920 Speaker 1: as a shift or just a change, and and maybe 555 00:28:06,960 --> 00:28:10,320 Speaker 1: the tennis playing population here in the US, well, there's 556 00:28:10,359 --> 00:28:12,120 Speaker 1: no question in the last twenty years, if you look 557 00:28:12,200 --> 00:28:14,120 Speaker 1: Tiger Woods what he's done for golf, and you will 558 00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:16,399 Speaker 1: call at Serena and Venus have done for tennis. There's 559 00:28:16,440 --> 00:28:19,119 Speaker 1: there's no question the impact that they've had on the sport. 560 00:28:19,480 --> 00:28:22,000 Speaker 1: And I think for US, the big radical shift that 561 00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:24,399 Speaker 1: we've seen in the last ten plus years is you 562 00:28:24,560 --> 00:28:26,440 Speaker 1: used to be data from the US Open that showed 563 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:28,639 Speaker 1: unless you had two Americans playing in the finals that 564 00:28:28,640 --> 00:28:31,159 Speaker 1: I'm going back fifteen twenty years now, that the ratings 565 00:28:31,160 --> 00:28:33,160 Speaker 1: would be much lower. If you looked at twenty years 566 00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:36,280 Speaker 1: worth of data from the eighties to two thousand, you know, 567 00:28:36,320 --> 00:28:39,200 Speaker 1: if you had two US players in the finals, then 568 00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:41,280 Speaker 1: you had your highest ratings for those years. If you 569 00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:43,480 Speaker 1: had one, that would be the next set. If you 570 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:45,240 Speaker 1: had no Americans in the finals, that was to be 571 00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:48,160 Speaker 1: the lowest ratings. But tennis have become such an international 572 00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:50,200 Speaker 1: sport in the last ten years. People don't think about 573 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:52,440 Speaker 1: where Roger Federer is from. They just think of him 574 00:28:52,440 --> 00:28:55,120 Speaker 1: as a tennis rock star. And that's the type of 575 00:28:55,120 --> 00:28:58,480 Speaker 1: stuff that helps grow the sport demographically as well as 576 00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:01,960 Speaker 1: anything else, as much as having homegrown talent from the 577 00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:04,320 Speaker 1: United States. So you look at the last ten years, 578 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:06,960 Speaker 1: our ratings continue to grow. There haven't been a lot 579 00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:09,320 Speaker 1: of Americans in the finals on the male side. But 580 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:12,000 Speaker 1: at the same time, you've had Roger, you've had Ratha, 581 00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:14,760 Speaker 1: you've had no Vac, and you've had other players that 582 00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:17,640 Speaker 1: really transcend necessarily where the country they're from. They're just 583 00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:21,360 Speaker 1: incredible athletes that people love to see. Have you had 584 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:25,640 Speaker 1: a problem with youth programs because especially now with coronavirus, 585 00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:29,520 Speaker 1: but there's some sports have been having a slump in that. 586 00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:33,560 Speaker 1: Have you seen that in tennis, We've we've been one 587 00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:36,080 Speaker 1: of the fortunate few. You're absolutely right, a lot of 588 00:29:36,080 --> 00:29:39,640 Speaker 1: the sports have seen that slump. We we've been fairly leveled. 589 00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:41,840 Speaker 1: If anything, we've seen a little growth, but we have 590 00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:44,240 Speaker 1: not been down. So we've been very fortunate in that 591 00:29:44,280 --> 00:29:47,080 Speaker 1: regard because we really started to hit it hard at 592 00:29:47,080 --> 00:29:50,040 Speaker 1: the time when those before the slump started for many sports, 593 00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:53,239 Speaker 1: recognizing that, you know, while people didn't view tennis as 594 00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:55,480 Speaker 1: a team sport, that it was really important for kids 595 00:29:55,560 --> 00:29:57,080 Speaker 1: to feel like they could become part of a team 596 00:29:57,080 --> 00:29:59,480 Speaker 1: when they're playing tennis, and that was part of the initiative, 597 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:02,400 Speaker 1: and then really launching net generation and getting providers out 598 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:05,680 Speaker 1: there that understored understand the sport that was sanctioned to 599 00:30:05,680 --> 00:30:07,920 Speaker 1: participate in the sport. That we're teaching the sport the 600 00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:10,720 Speaker 1: correct way, all can only help row the youth movement 601 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:14,480 Speaker 1: in tennis. You just mentioned Roger Federer, and I would 602 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:17,640 Speaker 1: love to hear your thoughts on kind of this generation 603 00:30:17,720 --> 00:30:21,040 Speaker 1: of of great tennis players, specifically you know, the big three, Roger, 604 00:30:21,160 --> 00:30:24,160 Speaker 1: Rafael and Novak Uh kind of how omni present they've 605 00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:27,120 Speaker 1: been for so long, and what you think about kind 606 00:30:27,120 --> 00:30:30,080 Speaker 1: of the next generation of stars coming up below them, 607 00:30:30,160 --> 00:30:32,960 Speaker 1: and kind of their ability to kind of keep a 608 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:35,240 Speaker 1: spotlight on tennas tennis in a way that kind of 609 00:30:35,280 --> 00:30:38,040 Speaker 1: these big three have for really, you know, two plus 610 00:30:38,120 --> 00:30:41,520 Speaker 1: decades now. So I happen to have gotten into the 611 00:30:41,720 --> 00:30:45,160 Speaker 1: to the US Open business on the tail end of 612 00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:49,560 Speaker 1: the Pete Sampras and Andrea Agassi era, and I got 613 00:30:49,560 --> 00:30:52,440 Speaker 1: to be here for when Pete won his last championship, 614 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:54,880 Speaker 1: and when Pete retired then Andrea a couple of years later, 615 00:30:54,960 --> 00:30:56,760 Speaker 1: people were kind of like, well, what's going to happen 616 00:30:56,800 --> 00:30:59,640 Speaker 1: to the US Open and tennis in this country? And 617 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:01,840 Speaker 1: as I said, what really happened is it just becomes 618 00:31:01,840 --> 00:31:04,800 Speaker 1: so much more international. And Roger Federer came in and 619 00:31:04,840 --> 00:31:07,320 Speaker 1: when the US Open five years in a row, and 620 00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:10,080 Speaker 1: during those five years, because he is such an incredible 621 00:31:10,120 --> 00:31:13,240 Speaker 1: humanitarian in person and athlete, no one sat here at 622 00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:15,400 Speaker 1: one time saying, oh my god, I can't believe in 623 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:17,680 Speaker 1: American didn't win that. It was like, oh my god, 624 00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:20,400 Speaker 1: did you see what Roger did? And now last year 625 00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:22,720 Speaker 1: at the YEARS Open, I just had you happen to 626 00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:25,080 Speaker 1: be sitting here with my kids watching a Roger match, 627 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:27,480 Speaker 1: and I said to them, you just don't ever really 628 00:31:27,520 --> 00:31:32,160 Speaker 1: know you You're seeing, you know, unarguably the greatest tennis 629 00:31:32,160 --> 00:31:34,400 Speaker 1: player of all time, and this may be his last match. 630 00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:36,160 Speaker 1: He says he's going to keep playing, but you don't know. 631 00:31:36,200 --> 00:31:38,000 Speaker 1: And I try to explain to them. When I was 632 00:31:38,040 --> 00:31:40,240 Speaker 1: growing up, all people did was talk about Babe Ruth 633 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:43,600 Speaker 1: in baseball. Now, Babe Ruth played forty years before I 634 00:31:43,640 --> 00:31:46,640 Speaker 1: was even alive. But the fact is people are seeing 635 00:31:46,760 --> 00:31:49,120 Speaker 1: Roger Federer now, and forty years from now they'll refer 636 00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:51,240 Speaker 1: to him in tennis the way people talk about Babe 637 00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:54,040 Speaker 1: Ruth in baseball. And I was trying to get my 638 00:31:54,120 --> 00:31:56,920 Speaker 1: kids to appreciate what they were actually witnessing on the court, 639 00:31:57,120 --> 00:31:58,920 Speaker 1: and the same thing for Serena. I mean, what they've 640 00:31:58,960 --> 00:32:01,960 Speaker 1: done for the sport is is really remarkable. I think 641 00:32:01,960 --> 00:32:05,760 Speaker 1: one thing too about the sport that always impressed me 642 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:10,200 Speaker 1: is that you always knew the names involved, especially the 643 00:32:10,200 --> 00:32:13,320 Speaker 1: big names. I mean, even even as a kid, I 644 00:32:13,400 --> 00:32:16,800 Speaker 1: knew who Rod Labor was and and I can go 645 00:32:16,880 --> 00:32:20,240 Speaker 1: on down the line, and you know, even when I 646 00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:24,760 Speaker 1: saw a Rod Labor on those old Battle of the 647 00:32:24,840 --> 00:32:27,480 Speaker 1: Champions or whatever it was on ABC where the other 648 00:32:27,520 --> 00:32:31,720 Speaker 1: sports athletes would contend with each other, Uh, that was 649 00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:36,280 Speaker 1: introduced to stuff like that. And I think the youth today, Uh, 650 00:32:36,600 --> 00:32:40,959 Speaker 1: we're blessed with so much media involved that they can 651 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:44,800 Speaker 1: identify with these with these stars. If I'm wrong about 652 00:32:44,800 --> 00:32:48,280 Speaker 1: the question, no, your spot on and social media is 653 00:32:48,280 --> 00:32:51,320 Speaker 1: obviously you know they're You're talking about followings tens of 654 00:32:51,360 --> 00:32:54,760 Speaker 1: millions for several of these players, and well, you know, 655 00:32:54,800 --> 00:32:58,440 Speaker 1: it's quite possible we'll never see anybody of of Roger's 656 00:32:58,800 --> 00:33:01,520 Speaker 1: character and the Bill at ease. Uh. You know, there'll 657 00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:03,600 Speaker 1: be another generation of tennis superstars are going to come 658 00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:05,200 Speaker 1: down the pike in the next five to ten years, 659 00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:07,600 Speaker 1: and we may not be able to identify who those 660 00:33:07,680 --> 00:33:10,160 Speaker 1: top three are on the mail and men and women's 661 00:33:10,160 --> 00:33:13,120 Speaker 1: side today, but we'll be on the phone talking about 662 00:33:13,120 --> 00:33:18,760 Speaker 1: five years from now about this next great rang of players. Danny, 663 00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:20,080 Speaker 1: do you I mean, I think we have a lot 664 00:33:20,080 --> 00:33:21,880 Speaker 1: of listeners that have probably been to a US Open 665 00:33:21,920 --> 00:33:25,600 Speaker 1: and maybe understand kind of the sprawling nature of the 666 00:33:25,680 --> 00:33:28,680 Speaker 1: layout and the fact that the food is fantastic and 667 00:33:28,720 --> 00:33:30,720 Speaker 1: you can get, you know, a ticket and go for 668 00:33:30,760 --> 00:33:33,720 Speaker 1: the entire day and bounce around between courts. Do you 669 00:33:33,720 --> 00:33:35,760 Speaker 1: feel like you guys were kind of on the cutting 670 00:33:35,840 --> 00:33:38,360 Speaker 1: edge of where a lot of sporting events are shifting 671 00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:41,160 Speaker 1: to now where it certainly feels as though kind of 672 00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:44,640 Speaker 1: like the festival atmosphere is something that people, you know, 673 00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:47,400 Speaker 1: really want to embrace. Even at sporting events, we're just 674 00:33:47,440 --> 00:33:49,440 Speaker 1: going to a game and sitting down and watching the 675 00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:52,480 Speaker 1: game and leaving no longer is is maybe enough for 676 00:33:52,520 --> 00:33:56,240 Speaker 1: fans anymore? I You're spot on. We're not going to 677 00:33:56,320 --> 00:33:58,120 Speaker 1: sit here and pat ourselves on the back for being 678 00:33:58,120 --> 00:34:00,080 Speaker 1: at the forefront of this. But there's no question and 679 00:34:00,600 --> 00:34:03,040 Speaker 1: that whether it's celebrity chefs that have been part of 680 00:34:03,040 --> 00:34:06,360 Speaker 1: our program for twenty plus years or when we transformed 681 00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:08,560 Speaker 1: the site five years ago and we started to think 682 00:34:08,600 --> 00:34:10,600 Speaker 1: about the fact that we need to be more elevated 683 00:34:10,600 --> 00:34:12,879 Speaker 1: because that, you know, the as the fans get younger, 684 00:34:12,880 --> 00:34:15,319 Speaker 1: their attention spans are gonna be much shorter and they'll 685 00:34:15,360 --> 00:34:17,040 Speaker 1: only be able to watch one match at a time 686 00:34:17,080 --> 00:34:18,800 Speaker 1: for so long. So now they could actually have a 687 00:34:18,880 --> 00:34:21,200 Speaker 1: view for four or five matches at the same time. 688 00:34:21,640 --> 00:34:23,800 Speaker 1: Or what we're doing from a social perspective, and you know, 689 00:34:23,840 --> 00:34:26,959 Speaker 1: across the board, the merchandise that we're offering, always being 690 00:34:26,960 --> 00:34:30,319 Speaker 1: with the hottest brands. Yeah, this was I always felt 691 00:34:30,360 --> 00:34:32,200 Speaker 1: like it wasn't my job in terms of who one 692 00:34:32,239 --> 00:34:34,120 Speaker 1: are lost on the court, but in terms of once 693 00:34:34,160 --> 00:34:36,240 Speaker 1: you came through the gate, if you're not watching tennis, 694 00:34:36,800 --> 00:34:38,840 Speaker 1: I want this experience for you to be unrivaled in 695 00:34:39,280 --> 00:34:42,239 Speaker 1: sports or entertainment. And so you know that what are 696 00:34:42,280 --> 00:34:44,680 Speaker 1: cooler conversation you're gonna have the next day and someone 697 00:34:44,719 --> 00:34:46,120 Speaker 1: says to you, how was the Open? Who did you 698 00:34:46,160 --> 00:34:48,440 Speaker 1: see play? And it might be I don't really know 699 00:34:48,440 --> 00:34:50,879 Speaker 1: who I saw, but I had an unbelievable time. Sorry, 700 00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:52,279 Speaker 1: since you guys have been ahead of the curve, we'll 701 00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:54,880 Speaker 1: let you. We'll let you out on this question. What's next? 702 00:34:55,000 --> 00:34:57,480 Speaker 1: What are you guys thinking? About three or four or 703 00:34:57,520 --> 00:34:59,480 Speaker 1: five years down the line that might be something that 704 00:34:59,480 --> 00:35:02,960 Speaker 1: other sports these are doing ten years from now. Well, 705 00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:04,759 Speaker 1: my senses, I'm going to continue to eat my way 706 00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:07,160 Speaker 1: through Manhattan and the world and going to every type 707 00:35:07,200 --> 00:35:09,360 Speaker 1: of sporting and special event out there to see you 708 00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:12,160 Speaker 1: there's an idea you can steal from somebody every single day. 709 00:35:12,200 --> 00:35:15,239 Speaker 1: So we're gonna keep looking where. You know, we're gonna 710 00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:17,359 Speaker 1: have to react to the coronavirus too. You know, what's 711 00:35:17,400 --> 00:35:19,640 Speaker 1: the fans perspective going to be on what they want 712 00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:21,880 Speaker 1: that sporting event to be like, and we want to 713 00:35:21,880 --> 00:35:23,440 Speaker 1: be ahead of the curve on that as well. If 714 00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:25,719 Speaker 1: we're fortunate enough to host the Open this year, we 715 00:35:25,800 --> 00:35:28,120 Speaker 1: want to we want to impact it in a very 716 00:35:28,160 --> 00:35:30,040 Speaker 1: impactful way for the fans so that they come out 717 00:35:30,080 --> 00:35:33,040 Speaker 1: here and say the USA really understands the impact of 718 00:35:33,080 --> 00:35:35,600 Speaker 1: the coronavirus and they're doing the right things by the 719 00:35:35,600 --> 00:35:38,320 Speaker 1: fans and the players and everyone else involved in the event. 720 00:35:38,400 --> 00:35:40,719 Speaker 1: So you know, it's not necessarily about what's in three 721 00:35:40,719 --> 00:35:42,200 Speaker 1: to five years, but how do we how do we 722 00:35:42,239 --> 00:35:46,080 Speaker 1: attack this? Even Danny's Austin, CEO of the U s 723 00:35:46,080 --> 00:35:49,560 Speaker 1: TAS National Tennis Center, thank you so much for joining us. 724 00:35:49,719 --> 00:35:52,600 Speaker 1: We really enjoyed talking with you. Thank you, guys. I'm 725 00:35:52,640 --> 00:35:56,759 Speaker 1: just impressed that the U s t A. Uh, they 726 00:35:57,160 --> 00:36:00,000 Speaker 1: they're going to come out on the other side. Um, 727 00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:04,600 Speaker 1: he might be even stronger because I enjoy hearing some 728 00:36:04,680 --> 00:36:06,239 Speaker 1: of the things that they're trying to do back for 729 00:36:06,280 --> 00:36:12,720 Speaker 1: the community, from preparing food for underprivileged children, uh and 730 00:36:12,880 --> 00:36:15,359 Speaker 1: on and on and on, and it's it shows you 731 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:19,600 Speaker 1: the spirit of not only just New York City, but 732 00:36:19,760 --> 00:36:24,040 Speaker 1: the U. S in general during the coronavirus crisis. Yeah. 733 00:36:24,080 --> 00:36:25,719 Speaker 1: And you heard him say, you know, when when the 734 00:36:25,760 --> 00:36:28,680 Speaker 1: city reached out to ask if you know they had 735 00:36:28,719 --> 00:36:31,840 Speaker 1: facilities that that could host you know, hundreds of beds, 736 00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:33,719 Speaker 1: it was an easy choice for them. You know, it 737 00:36:33,719 --> 00:36:36,920 Speaker 1: wasn't didn't sound like it was a particularly long conversation. 738 00:36:37,280 --> 00:36:39,719 Speaker 1: So yes, I think kudos to the U. S t A, 739 00:36:39,920 --> 00:36:42,560 Speaker 1: no question. Um. And you know, as we talked about 740 00:36:42,640 --> 00:36:44,720 Speaker 1: with the n c A A, you know, I hope, 741 00:36:44,800 --> 00:36:46,839 Speaker 1: you know, for their sake financially, they can get this 742 00:36:46,920 --> 00:36:49,560 Speaker 1: event in. Um. Hopefully the country will be in a 743 00:36:49,560 --> 00:36:52,360 Speaker 1: place where they can do that. Um. But yes, I 744 00:36:52,360 --> 00:36:54,880 Speaker 1: mean it's I'm I'm happy for them I'm glad that 745 00:36:54,920 --> 00:36:57,040 Speaker 1: they're doing it. Uh and I'm and I'm proud of 746 00:36:57,040 --> 00:36:59,120 Speaker 1: them for making that choice and being so reactive to it. 747 00:37:00,560 --> 00:37:04,000 Speaker 1: My goals and moreau, that's not it feels better to 748 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:05,640 Speaker 1: be a number one than number five. I'll wear a 749 00:37:05,719 --> 00:37:07,440 Speaker 1: number because of Mike. We have a chance to go 750 00:37:07,520 --> 00:37:09,319 Speaker 1: for three in a row. Good numbers of a good time. 751 00:37:09,320 --> 00:37:11,440 Speaker 1: When I first started wearing the number, I would just 752 00:37:11,480 --> 00:37:16,680 Speaker 1: happy in Bloomberg Business of Sports, the number of the week. Time. 753 00:37:16,719 --> 00:37:18,759 Speaker 1: Now for the number of the week. This is gonna 754 00:37:18,800 --> 00:37:24,279 Speaker 1: be an easy for you to be before. This is 755 00:37:24,280 --> 00:37:33,160 Speaker 1: gonna be good. The number is seven thousand, seven, seven 756 00:37:33,160 --> 00:37:36,080 Speaker 1: thousand dollars. Man, you tell me these things are easy, 757 00:37:36,160 --> 00:37:38,120 Speaker 1: and then I then I lay an egg. When we're 758 00:37:38,120 --> 00:37:40,399 Speaker 1: when we're talking about it, give me, give me a hint. 759 00:37:41,160 --> 00:37:47,560 Speaker 1: You wrote it. Oh, is this golf simulators? Yes? Yes, yes, yeah, 760 00:37:47,560 --> 00:37:49,080 Speaker 1: I know this is a fun one. Yeah, I know. 761 00:37:49,080 --> 00:37:50,680 Speaker 1: I'm glad you mentioned it actually because I was going 762 00:37:50,719 --> 00:37:53,120 Speaker 1: to talk about it on the show. Um. Yeah, so 763 00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:55,760 Speaker 1: you know, no surprise that as golfers around the country 764 00:37:55,800 --> 00:37:59,440 Speaker 1: are you know, thinking about a season that maybe curtailed 765 00:37:59,680 --> 00:38:02,839 Speaker 1: or might even be uh put on the course they're 766 00:38:02,880 --> 00:38:06,560 Speaker 1: buying up golf simulators. Sales of at home golf simulators. 767 00:38:06,560 --> 00:38:09,239 Speaker 1: Matt's nets are going through the roof right now. And 768 00:38:09,280 --> 00:38:11,160 Speaker 1: some of these, as you said, cost as much as 769 00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:13,439 Speaker 1: seven there's even more expensive ones. I didn't. I didn't 770 00:38:13,480 --> 00:38:15,520 Speaker 1: put them in the story. But you know, if you are, 771 00:38:15,840 --> 00:38:17,920 Speaker 1: if you've got some money to burn and you love golf, 772 00:38:18,200 --> 00:38:20,440 Speaker 1: there are some pretty sweet setups you can put in 773 00:38:20,480 --> 00:38:23,040 Speaker 1: your basement or in your garage or in your backyard 774 00:38:23,440 --> 00:38:25,759 Speaker 1: that do a pretty good job of simulating what golf 775 00:38:25,800 --> 00:38:29,680 Speaker 1: feels like and looks like. Oh, man, if I played golf, 776 00:38:29,719 --> 00:38:31,040 Speaker 1: I would love to have one of these. I was 777 00:38:31,040 --> 00:38:33,040 Speaker 1: looking at a picture of it. Oh that looks good. 778 00:38:33,120 --> 00:38:36,000 Speaker 1: It's funny. Yeah, So I was doing doing the story obviously, 779 00:38:36,320 --> 00:38:37,920 Speaker 1: was was on a lot of these websites. And now 780 00:38:38,040 --> 00:38:41,440 Speaker 1: every ad I have, like banner ad on a website 781 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:45,080 Speaker 1: is you know, one of these beautiful golf simulators with 782 00:38:45,400 --> 00:38:48,439 Speaker 1: blackout curtains and a projector. And I'm like, oh man, 783 00:38:48,920 --> 00:38:51,279 Speaker 1: I wish I had the money to spend on one 784 00:38:51,320 --> 00:38:54,480 Speaker 1: of those things. It's just taunting me right now. You 785 00:38:54,600 --> 00:38:57,279 Speaker 1: have been listening to the Bloomberg Business of Sports, We're 786 00:38:57,280 --> 00:38:59,280 Speaker 1: here each and every week at the same time, plus 787 00:38:59,320 --> 00:39:01,880 Speaker 1: online wherever you get your podcast, and you can catch 788 00:39:01,920 --> 00:39:05,279 Speaker 1: those Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Michael Bar on Twitter at 789 00:39:05,280 --> 00:39:08,719 Speaker 1: Big Bar Sports. I'm Evan Novie Williams on Twitter at 790 00:39:08,800 --> 00:39:11,839 Speaker 1: Novi Underscore Williams join us again. Next week we're gonna 791 00:39:11,840 --> 00:39:14,720 Speaker 1: speak with the biggest and brightest in the sports business world. 792 00:39:15,160 --> 00:39:18,040 Speaker 1: You're listening to Bloomberg Business of Sports from Bloomberg Radio 793 00:39:18,200 --> 00:39:19,080 Speaker 1: around the world.