1 00:00:02,240 --> 00:00:06,800 Speaker 1: This is Masters in Business with Barry Ridholts on Bloomberg Radio. 2 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 1: This week on the podcast, I have an extra special guest. 3 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 1: His name is Alguido and he is the president of 4 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:21,279 Speaker 1: the San Francisco forty Niners and chief executive officer at 5 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 1: Elevate Sports Ventures. I only wish we had more time 6 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 1: to continue this conversation. This was absolutely fascinating. He has 7 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: an amazing background, uh, both as an athlete and as 8 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 1: an executive. Um. He really did some amazing work, uh, 9 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:43,159 Speaker 1: not only at the Dallas Cowboys, but with the San 10 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 1: Francisco forty Niners, helping them to create what is really 11 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 1: a unique sports stadium in in all of professional sports. 12 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:57,480 Speaker 1: The technology that they developed right there in the backyard 13 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:04,040 Speaker 1: of of Silicon Valley for enjoying sports, enjoying a facility, uh, 14 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:08,680 Speaker 1: is really there's nothing like it anywhere else in the country. 15 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:11,559 Speaker 1: Elvate Sports Ventures puts a lot of time and effort 16 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:15,760 Speaker 1: into finding new technologies, finding these things, commercializing them, and 17 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:19,039 Speaker 1: being able to share them with other sports facilities and 18 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:23,320 Speaker 1: other teams. It's really a fascinating conversation. If you're remotely 19 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: interested in sports technology venture capital, you're gonna find this 20 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:30,120 Speaker 1: to be really intriguing. So, with no further ado my 21 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:38,039 Speaker 1: conversation with al Guido. I'm Barry Rihults. You're listening to 22 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 1: Master's in Business on Bloomberg Radio today. I have a 23 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 1: special guest. His name is al Guido. He is the 24 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 1: president of the San Francisco Fornia Niners and he has 25 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:51,600 Speaker 1: a fascinating career in both sports and business. He was 26 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:55,160 Speaker 1: a wide receiver for the Powerhouse College of New Jersey 27 00:01:55,560 --> 00:02:01,160 Speaker 1: before joining Comcast Spectacres owned Philadelphia Flyers and seventies six Ers. 28 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 1: He moved to the Cowboys front office. During the building 29 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:08,079 Speaker 1: of the A. T and T Park, he joined Legends, 30 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:12,360 Speaker 1: a well regarded UH sports consultancy formed by the Dallas 31 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:15,919 Speaker 1: Cowboys and the New York Yankees, to help open the 32 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:20,240 Speaker 1: new San Francisco forty nine er Stadium. The San Francisco 33 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 1: Forny Niners Stadium was named the Sports Facility of the Year. 34 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 1: He was appointed president of the forty Niners at the 35 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:33,800 Speaker 1: ripe old age of thirty six. UH named to Sports 36 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:37,120 Speaker 1: Business Journal forty under forty. He is also a guest 37 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 1: lecturer at Stanford and You See Berkeley. Al Guido, welcome 38 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 1: to Bloomberg. Thank you so much for having me. It's 39 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:47,639 Speaker 1: for pleasure. So you've had a really fascinating career and 40 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:52,919 Speaker 1: you're you know, do you shave you? How? How old 41 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 1: are you now? I'm thirty eight right now, thirty eight, 42 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 1: So president of the forty niners. We're gonna talk about 43 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:01,080 Speaker 1: a few of the projects you're working on, uh that 44 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:04,720 Speaker 1: are really quite fascinating. But I have to begin with 45 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:10,119 Speaker 1: a really interesting story about you being accidentally blind copied 46 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 1: on an email and you said that was the email 47 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:16,360 Speaker 1: that changed your life. Tell us about that, no problem. 48 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 1: I went down to interview with the Dallas Cowboys for 49 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:22,120 Speaker 1: job that was titled at the time, sales manager. I 50 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: was the vice president of sales for the Phoenix Coyotes. 51 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 1: I wasn't sure what the job entitled. I got caught 52 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:30,440 Speaker 1: up in the title and the pay and not actually 53 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:34,000 Speaker 1: the project, which which was a mistake. I'm sure we've 54 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:36,200 Speaker 1: all been there. I didn't handle the interview real well. 55 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 1: I was. I answered the questions right, but you know, 56 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 1: you have that sinking gut feeling when you right where 57 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 1: you're just like, you know what, I missed that one. 58 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:47,040 Speaker 1: So I get home to Phoenix, I wake up the 59 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 1: next morning I got an email in my inbox. It says, 60 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 1: you know, Al was great, you know, polished, certainly knows 61 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 1: the job, you know, not sure is the passion. There's 62 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:01,760 Speaker 1: a family situation back in Phoenix, and so you know, 63 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:03,640 Speaker 1: if we don't hire him, we're gonna have to reopen 64 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:06,360 Speaker 1: the search. Well, obviously I knew I wasn't supposed to 65 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 1: be copied on this email. So this, by the way, 66 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 1: that reminds me of the Curb your Enthusiasm accidental text, right, 67 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:17,560 Speaker 1: the text by accidents, So they blind they copied you 68 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:21,359 Speaker 1: by accident with Jerry Jones, Stephen Jones, Charlotte Jones, the 69 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:24,360 Speaker 1: entire Jones family. And uh, you know, you're sitting stew 70 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 1: for a little while. Your first you're kind of pissed, 71 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:29,359 Speaker 1: right then you then you decide you're gonna write the email. 72 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 1: Then you delete it and you write it again. And 73 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:33,800 Speaker 1: I just essentially I responded and said, hey, if you 74 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:36,039 Speaker 1: guys don't hire me, I think it'll be the worst 75 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:39,360 Speaker 1: mistake the Gallas Cowboys ever making their franchise history. And 76 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 1: you also, we're up front, Hey, I know I wasn't 77 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:45,359 Speaker 1: supposed to be copied on, but I'm glad I was 78 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 1: I think it changed my life. I mean, if I wasn't, 79 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:49,440 Speaker 1: who knows, I would have done my follow up call. 80 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:51,520 Speaker 1: I would have sent my thank you cards, doing all that, 81 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 1: you know, all the stuff you do when you try 82 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:56,360 Speaker 1: to land a job. But for me, everyone says, hey, 83 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:57,920 Speaker 1: it took a lot of guts, and I just feel 84 00:04:57,960 --> 00:05:01,040 Speaker 1: like I had no other choice. And and so when 85 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:04,839 Speaker 1: ten minutes later, Jerry, Jerry calls and says, you know, 86 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:06,480 Speaker 1: he says that that took a lot of guts. He 87 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 1: didn't use those words, but that took a lot of guts. 88 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:11,279 Speaker 1: But I respect it and like it. You're hired just 89 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:15,120 Speaker 1: like that. That was the accidental email on purpose. So 90 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:18,720 Speaker 1: I think this is a new NFL, a new NFL strategy. 91 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 1: It sounds like something uh Belichick created. Here's what we're 92 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:25,479 Speaker 1: gonna do. Um so tell us about what the job 93 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:28,720 Speaker 1: was like at the Cowboys. What did you do for them? Uh? Look, 94 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:30,960 Speaker 1: it was a game changer for me. I mean, we 95 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:34,159 Speaker 1: we went down there to open up a facility, you know, 96 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 1: called Jerry World at the time now a T and 97 00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 1: T stadium. No one had ever thought about doing it 98 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 1: the way that he was about to go and bark 99 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 1: right the size scale. The building was being sunk down 100 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 1: fifty feet, which, by the way, is an amazing architectural feature. 101 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:54,479 Speaker 1: Someone who's been to a lot of stadiums, you walk in, 102 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 1: You're in the middle of the stadium. It's not like, 103 00:05:57,360 --> 00:05:59,159 Speaker 1: oh my god, I gotta walk up or down a 104 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:02,359 Speaker 1: thousand yard do you like? It just feels for a 105 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 1: giant stadium. It feels so accessible. And then those immense screens, 106 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:09,560 Speaker 1: it's amazing. The screens were the largest in all of 107 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:12,200 Speaker 1: sports at the time. The trusts were the largest and 108 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:14,760 Speaker 1: heaviest in the world. I mean, you could fit the 109 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:17,840 Speaker 1: Statue of Liberty inside of Cowboys Stadium. That's sending up 110 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 1: standing up. That's how crazy it was. And then on 111 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:22,839 Speaker 1: top of that, what we were doing on the sales 112 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:26,120 Speaker 1: and revenue side. Just to give you a context, personal 113 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:28,280 Speaker 1: seat licenses in the NFL have been around for a 114 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:31,600 Speaker 1: long time. There's probably twenty teams now that have them. 115 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:35,360 Speaker 1: The largest PSL campaign in NFL history was the Carolina Panthers. 116 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 1: They raised about a hundred and fifty million. With the 117 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:41,360 Speaker 1: Dallas Cowboys we did over six hundred million, and so 118 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 1: it just changed sports forever. And and we did that 119 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:49,120 Speaker 1: and had a ton of success. From there, we launched Legends, 120 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:52,880 Speaker 1: the Yankees and the Cowboys, basically the two most successful 121 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:55,880 Speaker 1: franchises in each of their respective sports. You got it. 122 00:06:56,279 --> 00:06:59,320 Speaker 1: Randy Levine and Steven Jones and Jerry Jones and came 123 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:01,279 Speaker 1: together in the stuy and Wrenner family. They wanted to 124 00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:03,919 Speaker 1: do Legends as a food and beverage company, you know. 125 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 1: So they formed this entity and Goldman Sachs was the 126 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:10,520 Speaker 1: third party. They formed this entity around food and beverage. 127 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 1: That was the only vertical that they were interested in. 128 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 1: Then they decided, you know what, we can get into 129 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 1: the sales and we said, hey, we can do this 130 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:20,600 Speaker 1: sales consulting stuff. Because everybody keeps wanting to know how 131 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:22,960 Speaker 1: we did this down at Cowboys Stadium, So let's stop 132 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 1: and we'll tell you. So what's since you instead of 133 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:28,640 Speaker 1: giving away free advice? So we created Legends. The forty 134 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:31,320 Speaker 1: niners were our first client. So I moved out to 135 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:34,000 Speaker 1: the Bay Area in late two thousand nine. I was 136 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 1: on the ground in two thousand and ten as the 137 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:39,520 Speaker 1: Legends employee. Stayed there untill two thousand and fourteen as 138 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 1: a Legends employee, and then the York family um brought 139 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:45,800 Speaker 1: me on board full time to run the team and 140 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:48,280 Speaker 1: roughly yet roughly two thousand fourteen, right before we opened. 141 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 1: And that's the new in San Francisco and new Leli Stadium, 142 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:58,480 Speaker 1: because you come on as chief operating operating officer run 143 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 1: obviously all the business vertical for both the team and 144 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:05,080 Speaker 1: the stadium itself. What happened is when Jerry decided to 145 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:07,360 Speaker 1: do the PSL campaign the way he did, it changed 146 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:10,440 Speaker 1: sports financing in the NFL forever. Right, if you if 147 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:14,119 Speaker 1: you just go thirty ft for a second, most sports 148 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:17,600 Speaker 1: stadiums built in the late nineties or early two thousand's 149 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:21,320 Speaker 1: were some form of private and public partnerships, right, tax 150 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:24,120 Speaker 1: revenues were going into these, which has always been a 151 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:27,840 Speaker 1: contentious today a very contentious and there's really, honestly, there's 152 00:08:27,840 --> 00:08:30,080 Speaker 1: not a lot of appetite anymore in the world today 153 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:33,319 Speaker 1: for taxpayers to pay for billion dollars stateis right, you're 154 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 1: a billionaire, you own a team that's worth three or 155 00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:39,120 Speaker 1: four billion, build your own stadium because the economics and honestly, 156 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:41,200 Speaker 1: the economics have changed. Right if you you know, if 157 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:44,080 Speaker 1: you go back to the late nineties in the stadium boom, 158 00:08:44,080 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 1: where the Ravens came on board, the Steelers came on board, 159 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:48,520 Speaker 1: the Eagles built a new one. They're all they were 160 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:53,320 Speaker 1: all roughly three right. Very different from a financial Now 161 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 1: you're talking a billion too. When we were in Alice 162 00:08:56,320 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 1: a billion, four in San Francisco four and a half, 163 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:02,640 Speaker 1: the five billion in l A. I mean, the risk 164 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:07,320 Speaker 1: portfolio on these projects is dramatically increased. And so what 165 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:10,599 Speaker 1: wound up happening is how how you finance those projects 166 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:14,280 Speaker 1: changed and and that's why, look, we have the forty 167 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:17,840 Speaker 1: niners business. I'm also the CEO of Elevate Sports Ventures, 168 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:21,280 Speaker 1: which is a sports consulting firm that's literally built to 169 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 1: handle this space because the game has changed relative to 170 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:28,839 Speaker 1: how sports franchises view their brand and how they monetize it. 171 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:33,920 Speaker 1: So you play bowl in college, you uh, you operate 172 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:36,520 Speaker 1: as a business person in the industry. You grew up 173 00:09:36,559 --> 00:09:41,080 Speaker 1: a fan. How do you reconcile those three different roles? 174 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:44,200 Speaker 1: Do they ever get confusing in your head? Well, every 175 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:46,080 Speaker 1: time I walk into a venue now, it's a little 176 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 1: different than when I was a kid. Right when I 177 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:50,000 Speaker 1: was a kid, I was looking for wherever the popcorn 178 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 1: was and the and the soda that my dad would 179 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:55,040 Speaker 1: buy me later in life, good beer and a hot dog. 180 00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:57,400 Speaker 1: Now I probably walk into a venue, I look at 181 00:09:57,400 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 1: the signage, I look at the concession areas, I look 182 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:04,000 Speaker 1: at the arena operations, all the content. So it's changed, 183 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:06,440 Speaker 1: but I still got that fandom. I mean, there's no 184 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:09,040 Speaker 1: doubt that's why I love sports right because it's it's 185 00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:11,280 Speaker 1: the one place where you can sort of get away 186 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:13,280 Speaker 1: from your day to day life. The emotion and the 187 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:16,559 Speaker 1: passion that people have around their sports teams. I still 188 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:19,439 Speaker 1: have that day to day. Um, I just probably look 189 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:22,400 Speaker 1: at venues a little differently. So let's talk about venues. 190 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:26,800 Speaker 1: You work with the forty Niners to build Levi Stadium. 191 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:31,120 Speaker 1: These big projects are notorious for being late and over budget. 192 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:34,640 Speaker 1: This comes in on time and and practically under budget. 193 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:38,720 Speaker 1: How did how did you manage to accomplish this unbelieable 194 00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:41,079 Speaker 1: visionary and Jed York got out in front of the 195 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:45,920 Speaker 1: stadium design. We we had a building that was design 196 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:47,959 Speaker 1: probably two years before we even put a shovel on 197 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 1: the ground, which was great for us. Is that not typical? 198 00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:54,280 Speaker 1: There's always changes? Yeah, I mean you that is always 199 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:56,280 Speaker 1: last minute changes. I mean we used to joke that 200 00:10:56,400 --> 00:10:58,960 Speaker 1: we wanted to kick Jerry out of building Jerry Jones 201 00:10:58,960 --> 00:11:00,960 Speaker 1: out of his building for the six months leading up 202 00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:03,680 Speaker 1: to stadium opening because he was constantly making changes. And 203 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:05,440 Speaker 1: by the way, it's what makes them great, what makes 204 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:08,160 Speaker 1: Jed York great. But we had a great construction team. 205 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:10,840 Speaker 1: We were lucky and in the tech side because we 206 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:15,199 Speaker 1: we built Levi Stadium on three pillars fan experience, sustainability, 207 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:18,320 Speaker 1: and technology. Being inside the Bay Area. We had the 208 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:22,079 Speaker 1: world's greatest, greatest technology partners. Facebook just went I p O. 209 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:25,160 Speaker 1: We literally hired the person who built the Facebook infrastructure 210 00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:28,079 Speaker 1: to build our stadium infrastructure. So we came along in 211 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:31,199 Speaker 1: a really good time. Um, you know, the financing world 212 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:33,760 Speaker 1: was really good. Our team was starting to come along 213 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:36,440 Speaker 1: and starting to perform. So a lot of things went well. 214 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 1: But I gotta say a lot of it is is 215 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:40,640 Speaker 1: I give credit to Jed York and the York family. 216 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:44,280 Speaker 1: So you come on board as chief operating officer, and 217 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:46,240 Speaker 1: then last year it was it last year. You get 218 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:48,720 Speaker 1: promoted two years ago, two years ago, two years ago. 219 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:52,400 Speaker 1: How did your role change? What are your job responsibilities 220 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:55,640 Speaker 1: today versus then? Well, they change, They didn't change very much. 221 00:11:55,679 --> 00:11:57,200 Speaker 1: To be honest with you, what I would say is 222 00:11:57,240 --> 00:11:59,800 Speaker 1: we've grown in nature. So you know when we set 223 00:11:59,840 --> 00:12:01,959 Speaker 1: out to build Levi's what I say is, we're a 224 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:05,560 Speaker 1: sports and entertainment company that also plays football, right because 225 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:08,160 Speaker 1: the building itself. You don't build a one point four 226 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:10,760 Speaker 1: billion dollar stadium and only hosts ten or twelve games 227 00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:13,439 Speaker 1: and it makes no sense, right, So twelve if you lucky, 228 00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:16,959 Speaker 1: that's right. So we've now incubated a technology company. We 229 00:12:17,080 --> 00:12:20,120 Speaker 1: have four We've done forty investments in the last two years. 230 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:23,160 Speaker 1: We have a restaurant concept, we have physical therapy centers 231 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:25,559 Speaker 1: that are not forty niners. We have forty niners, fitness 232 00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:28,520 Speaker 1: gyms that are branded underneath our watch with a gentleman 233 00:12:28,520 --> 00:12:30,520 Speaker 1: who used to run twenty for our fitness named Mark 234 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:33,560 Speaker 1: Master off its so co branded for fitness gym. So 235 00:12:33,880 --> 00:12:37,200 Speaker 1: we've taken our vertical instead of looking at the three 236 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:40,720 Speaker 1: pillars of revenue like every team right suite, sponsorship tickets, 237 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:44,160 Speaker 1: we of course we have those for us. It's why 238 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:48,199 Speaker 1: can't we take our brand and expand outside of our footprint, 239 00:12:48,240 --> 00:12:51,640 Speaker 1: inside of technology, inside of land development, and so for me, 240 00:12:52,440 --> 00:12:54,960 Speaker 1: my role hasn't changed much outside of the fact that 241 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:57,400 Speaker 1: the company has grown tremendously over the course of the 242 00:12:57,480 --> 00:13:00,160 Speaker 1: last two years. So here's the pushback for that. You 243 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:03,480 Speaker 1: have a fan base that lives and does with how 244 00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:07,840 Speaker 1: well the team is doing, and they're fairly loyal group 245 00:13:08,559 --> 00:13:11,920 Speaker 1: um because once Montana and Rice retired, you know, I 246 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:13,520 Speaker 1: would have that would have been the last year saw 247 00:13:13,679 --> 00:13:16,000 Speaker 1: me for a while, but they stuck with the fort 248 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:18,080 Speaker 1: in Us for a while. Do you run the risk 249 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:21,679 Speaker 1: of deluding the brand, of changing the fan experience? Because 250 00:13:21,720 --> 00:13:23,400 Speaker 1: if you go to a game and it's a close 251 00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:26,320 Speaker 1: game and they lose, you're dejected, but you know it's 252 00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:29,080 Speaker 1: still part of the fan experience. If you go to 253 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:31,720 Speaker 1: a restaurant and you're not happy and it's forty nine 254 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:34,680 Speaker 1: ers logo, do you go to a gym and there's 255 00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:37,280 Speaker 1: an issue, you don't quite have the same control of 256 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:40,040 Speaker 1: that fan experience. And it it that has to be 257 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:43,760 Speaker 1: a legitimate risk, isn't it. It's it's a legitimate risk 258 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:47,360 Speaker 1: that every stadium arena owner needs to ask themselves that 259 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:51,160 Speaker 1: they're designing the building right. It's and I think that's 260 00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:53,160 Speaker 1: the pillar and the vision that we look through right 261 00:13:53,240 --> 00:13:56,280 Speaker 1: or the lens, I should say, is let's not do 262 00:13:56,559 --> 00:13:59,160 Speaker 1: things that take away from the hero feature. And the 263 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:02,360 Speaker 1: hero feature in my mind is the play on the field. Right, 264 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:05,760 Speaker 1: If everything else is just additive, meaning if I could 265 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:07,880 Speaker 1: get you two in and out of the stadium faster 266 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:10,760 Speaker 1: because I use technology, you would say that's great. Right. 267 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:12,719 Speaker 1: If I can make the building safer because of the 268 00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:15,360 Speaker 1: mobile ticketing platform and knowing the data, you'd say great. 269 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:18,240 Speaker 1: If I could deliver food and beverage to every single 270 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:20,480 Speaker 1: seat in the building, which has never been done before, 271 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:22,920 Speaker 1: we did it Leavi Stadium, where the world's fastest pizza 272 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:25,440 Speaker 1: delivery company will deliver something to your seat in less 273 00:14:25,440 --> 00:14:29,720 Speaker 1: than eight minutes. To me, it's what are the convenient 274 00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:32,280 Speaker 1: things that you want as a patron inside of a 275 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:35,480 Speaker 1: venue that's gonna make you keep coming back? And you 276 00:14:35,520 --> 00:14:37,720 Speaker 1: know what I can give you those I'm not going 277 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:40,640 Speaker 1: to take away from what I grew up as a 278 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:43,920 Speaker 1: fan loving. Right, don't change the game on the field 279 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:47,000 Speaker 1: or give me too many bells and whistles that distract 280 00:14:47,080 --> 00:14:49,320 Speaker 1: me when I'm watching the game. I'm watching the game. 281 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:51,800 Speaker 1: But in football, as you know, we got a six 282 00:14:51,880 --> 00:14:54,120 Speaker 1: hour time frame from the time you leave your house 283 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:56,640 Speaker 1: to the time you leave that parking lot. Four of 284 00:14:56,680 --> 00:14:59,720 Speaker 1: those hours of the game window. Inside of those four hours, 285 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:03,000 Speaker 1: only twenty eight minutes of live sports. So are you 286 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:05,280 Speaker 1: telling me you're gonna be disconnected from the world from 287 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:08,160 Speaker 1: the rest of that time. No. Now, Look, NFL is 288 00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:11,560 Speaker 1: different than baseball, different than the NBA. So what I 289 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:14,080 Speaker 1: would say is what we built is perfect for Levi's 290 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:16,920 Speaker 1: in the Bay Area. I'm not suggesting that you should 291 00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:18,920 Speaker 1: just dump it into some other market. I think you 292 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:21,800 Speaker 1: gotta build for each market. So how do you measure 293 00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:25,720 Speaker 1: the success of the organization. It has to be more 294 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:29,520 Speaker 1: than just win loss record. It should be I mean, look, 295 00:15:29,560 --> 00:15:31,640 Speaker 1: the goals of a football team are to win the 296 00:15:31,640 --> 00:15:34,200 Speaker 1: Super Bowl every year. That's not the why or the 297 00:15:34,240 --> 00:15:39,400 Speaker 1: purpose right to me. I measured success obviously by our 298 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:42,000 Speaker 1: wins and losses on the field. But in football it's 299 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:44,120 Speaker 1: a tough business to be in. Right, fifty percent of 300 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:45,840 Speaker 1: the teams you make the playoffs don't make it the 301 00:15:45,880 --> 00:15:49,480 Speaker 1: next year. You know, generally speaking, three core things make 302 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:53,040 Speaker 1: you a consistent winning for football organization. Right, continuity that 303 00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:56,320 Speaker 1: within your front office, your ownership, your GM, your coach 304 00:15:56,960 --> 00:16:00,000 Speaker 1: a coach. Schematically that gives you an X and O's advantage, 305 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:01,640 Speaker 1: and we like to think Kyle Shanahan is one of 306 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:03,480 Speaker 1: the best in the business on the offensive side of 307 00:16:03,560 --> 00:16:08,200 Speaker 1: leisure and then pretty simple a franchise quarterback. And so 308 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:09,600 Speaker 1: you know, if you think about the a f C, 309 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:13,200 Speaker 1: there's been three quarterbacks that have participated in in you know, 310 00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:15,360 Speaker 1: sort of the Super Bowl. In the a f C side, 311 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:19,000 Speaker 1: you've got Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger, Sprinkler 312 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:22,520 Speaker 1: and a couple of Joe Flacco's over the last seventeen years. Right, 313 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:25,640 Speaker 1: So just tell you what you need. On the business side. 314 00:16:25,760 --> 00:16:29,080 Speaker 1: For us, it's all about fan experience. Where we rank 315 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:31,840 Speaker 1: in the NFL. Obviously, revenues are a big component of 316 00:16:31,880 --> 00:16:34,280 Speaker 1: it because we want to stay competitive with our other 317 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:37,040 Speaker 1: partners in the league. And we've gone from a bottom 318 00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:39,760 Speaker 1: tier revenue team in the NFL when we're at Candlestick Park, 319 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:42,560 Speaker 1: which is hard to believe the five times Super Bowl champions, 320 00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:45,160 Speaker 1: being the bottom of the NFL and revenue, to now 321 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:48,800 Speaker 1: being a top revenue team with a massive global footprint 322 00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:52,120 Speaker 1: that's arguably second or third in the line of the 323 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:55,280 Speaker 1: NFL based off where you are. There has been so 324 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:58,760 Speaker 1: much news about sports over the past few weeks. We 325 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:01,960 Speaker 1: have to discuss some of that, and we'll get to it, 326 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:04,920 Speaker 1: but I have to talk about the new venture that 327 00:17:05,040 --> 00:17:09,880 Speaker 1: the forty Niners launched with some partners called Elevate Sports Ventures. 328 00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:12,720 Speaker 1: Tell us a little bit about what's happening with that. 329 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:16,200 Speaker 1: So I'm super excited to announce as part of Elevate 330 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:19,240 Speaker 1: Sports Ventures, which is a consulting, sales and marketing consulting 331 00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:24,080 Speaker 1: firm working with landmark sports properties arenas stadiums, we have 332 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:27,400 Speaker 1: now brought on oak View Group and a gentleman by 333 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:29,760 Speaker 1: the name of Tim Lawicki, who is a titan in 334 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:33,040 Speaker 1: this industry. He built a g He was the president 335 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:36,199 Speaker 1: of Maple League Sports Entertainment. Oak View Group for the 336 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:40,000 Speaker 1: last two years has been spending time building arenas in 337 00:17:40,040 --> 00:17:43,280 Speaker 1: the facility management space, and they were looking for a 338 00:17:43,359 --> 00:17:45,840 Speaker 1: partner on the sales and marketing front to run all 339 00:17:45,840 --> 00:17:48,960 Speaker 1: of their operations. So today I'm excited to announce that 340 00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:52,360 Speaker 1: partnership and to tell people that we will be operating 341 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:55,600 Speaker 1: the new NHL Seattle Arena that hopefully is going to 342 00:17:55,680 --> 00:17:58,760 Speaker 1: come online, which we get good news on June. Waiting 343 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:02,119 Speaker 1: to hear a new HOW team coming to Seattle. And 344 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:04,359 Speaker 1: when that happens, the new stadium gets built with the 345 00:18:04,359 --> 00:18:06,840 Speaker 1: help of elevator. Well, you know what I'm I'm super 346 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:08,960 Speaker 1: excited about. We didn't have to build a new stadium. 347 00:18:08,960 --> 00:18:11,200 Speaker 1: What we what we're doing is we're spending about seven 348 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:14,879 Speaker 1: hundred million dollars to renovate Key Arena. You're almost building 349 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:16,639 Speaker 1: a new stadi. Yeah. And what I would tell people 350 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 1: were kind of in your backyard, right. So for those 351 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:21,600 Speaker 1: listeners who might be a New York sports fan, think 352 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:23,960 Speaker 1: about what happened to Madison Square Garden a couple of 353 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:26,879 Speaker 1: years ago, right where they kept the historic nature of 354 00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:30,520 Speaker 1: the garden, but they've redesigned and reimagined everything. I will, 355 00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:34,520 Speaker 1: I will be grudgingly admit it's a significant improvement. And 356 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:37,120 Speaker 1: I'm one of the people. I'm a long suffering Knicks 357 00:18:37,119 --> 00:18:39,000 Speaker 1: fan who want to see them level that dump and 358 00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:41,000 Speaker 1: put up a new one. But I have to admit 359 00:18:41,119 --> 00:18:45,479 Speaker 1: it's gotten significantly better. I would agree, and I and 360 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:47,800 Speaker 1: I think if you look at KI Arena in Seattle, 361 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:51,440 Speaker 1: right for all the history around that, for the concerts, 362 00:18:51,480 --> 00:18:54,200 Speaker 1: I mean, you talk about a music venue. So we 363 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:57,479 Speaker 1: we've hired a populous oak View group is funding the 364 00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:00,639 Speaker 1: entire project. We are running the sales and marketing on 365 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:02,879 Speaker 1: behalf of Todd lie Wicky, who is now the president 366 00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:04,760 Speaker 1: of that team, who used to be the chief operating 367 00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:08,240 Speaker 1: officer of the NFL. So we're beyond excited to announce 368 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:12,000 Speaker 1: that we're also bringing on another partner, Live Nation and Ticketmaster, 369 00:19:12,080 --> 00:19:16,080 Speaker 1: the world's largest content company and ticketing business. We feel 370 00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:19,639 Speaker 1: as if we can bring oak Views facility management properties 371 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:24,080 Speaker 1: and they're consulting along with our sales expertise, combined with 372 00:19:24,119 --> 00:19:27,560 Speaker 1: the content and the technology that Ticketmaster will bring to bear, 373 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:29,919 Speaker 1: that we feel like we can work with any sports 374 00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:33,080 Speaker 1: property across the across the globe. So that raises an 375 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:37,280 Speaker 1: interesting question. You have UM legends out there. This is 376 00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:42,080 Speaker 1: essentially the same space. How many new stadiums are going 377 00:19:42,119 --> 00:19:45,560 Speaker 1: to get either built or refurbished. Is there enough business 378 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:52,200 Speaker 1: for this sort of UM company or is it consistently 379 00:19:52,359 --> 00:19:56,000 Speaker 1: the bottom what's call at sevent of teams need help 380 00:19:56,160 --> 00:20:00,160 Speaker 1: in monetizing what they do. So it's I would say 381 00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:02,760 Speaker 1: there's parts of it that are similar UM. To answer 382 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:04,320 Speaker 1: your question of whether or not this is a big 383 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:08,240 Speaker 1: enough business, thirty billion dollars is being spent or has 384 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:12,679 Speaker 1: been spent in building, stadium renovation, designs development. So I 385 00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:15,439 Speaker 1: tell you this is a big space. Sports business is 386 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:19,200 Speaker 1: only growing, There's no question about that. Our our key 387 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:21,960 Speaker 1: differentiators from what they do there are a food and 388 00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:25,840 Speaker 1: beverage company and a sales marketing consulting firm. O v 389 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:29,040 Speaker 1: G is putting capital risk. They're funding these properties when 390 00:20:29,040 --> 00:20:31,359 Speaker 1: they go into it. Right there, They're they're putting the 391 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:34,680 Speaker 1: money down. O View Group is funded by Tim Lewicky. 392 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:37,960 Speaker 1: Obviously irving A's off used to be the x CEO 393 00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:41,840 Speaker 1: of of Live Nation and Dolan right the MSG properties 394 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:44,879 Speaker 1: and then uh Tim also took on some money from 395 00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:47,600 Speaker 1: Silver Lakes. So we are actually putting capital at risk 396 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:50,359 Speaker 1: and then going in and managed on behalf. We're not 397 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:53,399 Speaker 1: just a fee based consulting firm, which is similar to 398 00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:56,360 Speaker 1: what that's what Legends does. I have nothing but respect 399 00:20:56,359 --> 00:20:58,960 Speaker 1: for them. I work for them. They're tremendous people. I 400 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:01,920 Speaker 1: think there's enough to go around in this business. We 401 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:05,160 Speaker 1: think we have a vertical and an offering that will 402 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:09,840 Speaker 1: reimagine this sports marketing consulting space. And I think given 403 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:12,239 Speaker 1: just that we've been in the market ninety days, we 404 00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:15,720 Speaker 1: now have a client every single sport. That's pretty impressive. 405 00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:20,080 Speaker 1: So you've answered the question. I was gonna ask about 406 00:21:21,119 --> 00:21:24,800 Speaker 1: what do these consultancies do, but you hinted at something 407 00:21:24,840 --> 00:21:28,080 Speaker 1: else I have to talk about. You mentioned the technology 408 00:21:28,119 --> 00:21:30,680 Speaker 1: in Levi Stadium. What do you think is going to 409 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:36,159 Speaker 1: happen in terms of digital interaction and augmented reality and 410 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:42,359 Speaker 1: just the entire fan experience combining technology and and enjoying 411 00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:45,159 Speaker 1: the game. I think this is the best time to 412 00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:48,560 Speaker 1: be inside of technology and sports, and they're all sort 413 00:21:48,600 --> 00:21:52,239 Speaker 1: of coming together at the perfect It's like the perfect storm, right, 414 00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:54,439 Speaker 1: and you guys are really in the sweet spot of that, right, 415 00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:56,840 Speaker 1: And and it starts with let's just at the core 416 00:21:56,880 --> 00:21:59,320 Speaker 1: of it, it starts with safety. If you think, unfortunately 417 00:21:59,320 --> 00:22:01,679 Speaker 1: about the vents that are going on in our world today, 418 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:04,440 Speaker 1: the incidents in Manchester and that arena a couple of 419 00:22:04,520 --> 00:22:08,639 Speaker 1: years ago, it's becoming clear that fans now understand the 420 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:12,439 Speaker 1: importance of the digital footprint, the tracking mechanism. Right, if 421 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:14,280 Speaker 1: you went to an airport, you would have never thought 422 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:16,960 Speaker 1: before that, hey, I could just give you my airplane 423 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:19,760 Speaker 1: ticket and you could go jump on that plane. But 424 00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:21,959 Speaker 1: that's how nobody checked you on, right, And that's how 425 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:24,920 Speaker 1: it's worked in stadiums forever, but that that time has 426 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:27,760 Speaker 1: to end. So once you take the utility functions of 427 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:29,840 Speaker 1: the technology right, and what I mean is your tickets 428 00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:32,880 Speaker 1: and your parking, great, but then what do you do? 429 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:34,560 Speaker 1: Do you even enter with a ticket or do you 430 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:38,440 Speaker 1: enter with biometrics when you get inside the stadium forgetting 431 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:40,800 Speaker 1: VR right of putting a goggle on? What is your 432 00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:43,680 Speaker 1: a R How are you using your AI, within your 433 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:46,640 Speaker 1: chatbots and your services to you know, to make sure 434 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:49,840 Speaker 1: that you can communicate with seventy thousand fans. So to me, 435 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:53,159 Speaker 1: this is part of the why we created the venture 436 00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:56,280 Speaker 1: arm and invested in all these technology companies because the 437 00:22:56,280 --> 00:22:59,080 Speaker 1: game is changing. You we've talked well, I'm sure we'll 438 00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:01,960 Speaker 1: talk about gambling. How does that work? In venue? How 439 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:04,639 Speaker 1: do the how does the mobile footprint right? How do 440 00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:07,240 Speaker 1: you how do you where to each venue? You know? 441 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:10,359 Speaker 1: How do you interact with fans? Given where technology and 442 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:14,320 Speaker 1: content is today? It starts with building the infrastructure, which 443 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:17,680 Speaker 1: is why to your last question is is there enough business? 444 00:23:18,359 --> 00:23:20,959 Speaker 1: All of these people are either building new or renovating 445 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:24,240 Speaker 1: to get themselves updated with the current needs of the world. 446 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:28,520 Speaker 1: The news flow has just been NonStop. Have to talk 447 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:34,760 Speaker 1: about the Supreme Court decision legalizing state betting on sports. 448 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:39,040 Speaker 1: If I'm the NFL, I have to be salivating thinking 449 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:44,080 Speaker 1: this is an enormous revenue opportunity. I think they're twofold. 450 00:23:44,520 --> 00:23:49,159 Speaker 1: Everybody understands the revenue opportunity. The concern is the integrity 451 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:51,480 Speaker 1: of your game, right and and so what I think 452 00:23:51,520 --> 00:23:53,960 Speaker 1: the NFL, when I know the NFL is stated in 453 00:23:54,080 --> 00:23:57,440 Speaker 1: Roger Goodell is look, we're gonna follow this. The most 454 00:23:57,480 --> 00:23:59,840 Speaker 1: important thing is the integrity of our game. We would 455 00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:03,680 Speaker 1: this to come down at a federal for the federal 456 00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:06,120 Speaker 1: government to take a perspective on this and not necessarily 457 00:24:06,119 --> 00:24:08,280 Speaker 1: go state by state. Well, I think it's that that 458 00:24:08,280 --> 00:24:11,120 Speaker 1: ship is sailed given the Supreme Court decision. It may 459 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:14,359 Speaker 1: unless there's congressional legislation, correct, and it sounds like there's 460 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:17,720 Speaker 1: going to be either way. Your point is well taken. Look, 461 00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:21,560 Speaker 1: I think it's here. It's coming. Um, it's already coming. 462 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:24,879 Speaker 1: And the question becomes, you know, Adam Silver is already 463 00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:26,920 Speaker 1: out there saying he wants one per cent of all 464 00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:31,800 Speaker 1: wages placed on the NBA. Look, don't yeah exactly, I 465 00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:34,040 Speaker 1: don't know if that's exactly what's going to happen. But 466 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:37,320 Speaker 1: there's no question our i P is valuable in the NFL. 467 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:40,879 Speaker 1: I am a firm believer that gambling and fantasy sports 468 00:24:40,920 --> 00:24:43,880 Speaker 1: grows our fan base long term. I don't think anybody 469 00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:46,600 Speaker 1: would argue that what fantasy football has done for the 470 00:24:46,720 --> 00:24:50,040 Speaker 1: NFL makes people tune in on the broadcast, makes people 471 00:24:50,320 --> 00:24:53,359 Speaker 1: you know, follow each individual player. So to me, I 472 00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:57,080 Speaker 1: view this as an unbelievable positive down. The next question 473 00:24:57,119 --> 00:24:58,439 Speaker 1: is how do you roll it out? Right? Do you 474 00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:01,159 Speaker 1: go to the English Premier League round where you literally 475 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:03,879 Speaker 1: have cash boxes in every single stadium in arena and 476 00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:06,720 Speaker 1: they're making bets intro game that will they make the 477 00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:10,080 Speaker 1: penalty kick? What will they who scores first? It really 478 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:14,680 Speaker 1: is an amazing yeah. And if you think about football, right, football, 479 00:25:14,800 --> 00:25:17,879 Speaker 1: outside of horse racing, is probably the easiest sport because 480 00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:20,920 Speaker 1: can you imagine the amount of prop bets, the downtimes 481 00:25:20,960 --> 00:25:23,960 Speaker 1: that every quarters, the kickoffs, the the you know, the 482 00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:27,320 Speaker 1: coin flip. Right, Other sports generally probably that happened a 483 00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:29,800 Speaker 1: little bit more faster paced, don't have as many of those. 484 00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:32,800 Speaker 1: So look, trust me as a person that operates, I 485 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:34,840 Speaker 1: got a couple of hats, but you know the San 486 00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:38,520 Speaker 1: Francisco Fognars business. Of course I'm interested and I am 487 00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:42,400 Speaker 1: tuned into what is about to happen on the integrity 488 00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:44,880 Speaker 1: side of the sport. There's no question that you have 489 00:25:44,960 --> 00:25:48,000 Speaker 1: to think about it. Right. Match fixing has happened in 490 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:50,919 Speaker 1: the world, and so you know you have you have 491 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:52,840 Speaker 1: to at least understand how this is going to be 492 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:56,720 Speaker 1: regulated within your sport and outside of your sport. Um 493 00:25:56,760 --> 00:25:59,480 Speaker 1: but I look, I I view it as it's happening. 494 00:25:59,800 --> 00:26:01,919 Speaker 1: It's coming, we need to get ready for it. I 495 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:04,080 Speaker 1: think long term it's going to be a positive. So 496 00:26:04,119 --> 00:26:06,960 Speaker 1: that's my take. Let me put on my market guy 497 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:12,040 Speaker 1: hat and address integrity. So the way you make money 498 00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:17,000 Speaker 1: fixing sports is having a long shot, unexpectedly win and 499 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:19,439 Speaker 1: being on the right side of that. Now, in Europe 500 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:22,639 Speaker 1: where they've had sports gambling for a while, when an 501 00:26:22,720 --> 00:26:26,640 Speaker 1: unseated player in tennis beats the number six player and 502 00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:30,680 Speaker 1: and it's a pretty big purse, that immediately generates an investigation. 503 00:26:31,160 --> 00:26:35,639 Speaker 1: So and it's the same thing happens in in the market. 504 00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:39,440 Speaker 1: If there's an unexpected takeover of a company and there 505 00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:42,560 Speaker 1: was some gee, why was all this stock option activity 506 00:26:43,320 --> 00:26:46,639 Speaker 1: three days before this takeover. It's a red flag. You 507 00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:51,959 Speaker 1: can actually use gambling as a way too. There's a 508 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:56,359 Speaker 1: temptation from the various people to abuse it. But the 509 00:26:56,440 --> 00:27:00,000 Speaker 1: market can allow you to actually operate, to maintain integrity, 510 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:02,600 Speaker 1: to do the game. Yeah, I think you can, and 511 00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:05,000 Speaker 1: but the examples you brought up are scary. You know, 512 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:07,840 Speaker 1: think about this, right, A football game might be harder, 513 00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:10,479 Speaker 1: given that you know, one on one matches, it's a 514 00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:13,360 Speaker 1: fairly easier thing to do. But look at the Tim 515 00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:17,560 Speaker 1: donnehee situation right in the NBA. It doesn't have to 516 00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:20,360 Speaker 1: be a player. It could be a referee, It could 517 00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:23,560 Speaker 1: be a replayfully, you know. So you know, my thing 518 00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:26,000 Speaker 1: is you never want that in your sport because I 519 00:27:26,040 --> 00:27:28,520 Speaker 1: do think that that would ruin you know, ruin pieces 520 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:31,000 Speaker 1: perceptions of whether or not it's a fair game. So 521 00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:34,560 Speaker 1: you mentioned replay. Let's talk a little bit about a 522 00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:38,239 Speaker 1: basic football question. What the hell is a catch? I 523 00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:40,359 Speaker 1: remember when I was a kid. You caught the ball, 524 00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:43,240 Speaker 1: you maintain control, You hit the ground, and you still 525 00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:45,679 Speaker 1: have control. It was a catch that seems to have 526 00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:49,160 Speaker 1: gone away. Like I'm with you. We we finally changed 527 00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:52,360 Speaker 1: this rule this year. We were all frustrated by this 528 00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:54,480 Speaker 1: rule inside the league. I mean I you would sit 529 00:27:54,520 --> 00:27:56,720 Speaker 1: in again, I'd sit in games, whether in our venue 530 00:27:56,720 --> 00:28:00,160 Speaker 1: and other venues. And you just like what you said. 531 00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:01,760 Speaker 1: I mean when I grew up, right, I knew exactly 532 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:03,520 Speaker 1: what I thought it catch was he use control of 533 00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:05,600 Speaker 1: the ball, that's it. If it scored it out when 534 00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:07,960 Speaker 1: he hits the ground, it's not the whole like football move, 535 00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:10,399 Speaker 1: not foot what is a football move? And uh, I 536 00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:12,720 Speaker 1: think we've gotten to the point right now. You know, 537 00:28:12,840 --> 00:28:15,919 Speaker 1: catch two feet on the ground, that's it, right, And 538 00:28:15,960 --> 00:28:17,520 Speaker 1: if you you know this year, I think the Jesse 539 00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:19,840 Speaker 1: Jameson thing is Jesse james right, the extended over the 540 00:28:19,840 --> 00:28:22,960 Speaker 1: goal line of Pittsburgh. Obviously you know when the ball 541 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:25,439 Speaker 1: then hits the ground, it moves that that's now a 542 00:28:25,440 --> 00:28:28,119 Speaker 1: touchdown when it when it wasn't a catch before. Like 543 00:28:28,200 --> 00:28:30,400 Speaker 1: it's not making Jerry Jones feel any better that Dez 544 00:28:30,520 --> 00:28:33,960 Speaker 1: Bryant's catch in Green Bay is now catching wasn't a 545 00:28:34,040 --> 00:28:38,920 Speaker 1: catch then? And look, I it's it's it's easy for 546 00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:41,280 Speaker 1: everybody in the audience today. This is where I think 547 00:28:41,280 --> 00:28:43,760 Speaker 1: technology is both good and bad. Right when you and 548 00:28:43,760 --> 00:28:46,960 Speaker 1: I were growing up, HD wasn't there. You couldn't slow 549 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:50,800 Speaker 1: mow these things down. It's a difficult sport. Every sports 550 00:28:50,800 --> 00:28:53,240 Speaker 1: a difficult sport to ref But even you know, even 551 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:57,160 Speaker 1: when you slow it down millisecond by millisecond, you actually 552 00:28:57,280 --> 00:29:00,680 Speaker 1: create this fake thing. You have to look at it 553 00:29:00,840 --> 00:29:02,480 Speaker 1: all right, So here it is in real time, and 554 00:29:02,520 --> 00:29:04,480 Speaker 1: here it is slowed down a little bit, but you 555 00:29:04,600 --> 00:29:08,200 Speaker 1: get a distorted viewpoint with these super duper slow mos 556 00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:11,440 Speaker 1: and ultra HD. That's not the real world. You might 557 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:15,280 Speaker 1: as well be looking at, you know, nanoparticles. At that point, Yeah, 558 00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:18,840 Speaker 1: you're sort of paralyzed by all the replays and analysis 559 00:29:18,840 --> 00:29:22,320 Speaker 1: and everything else. And I think you're right. You can 560 00:29:22,360 --> 00:29:24,840 Speaker 1: push it too far. Right. You have all this technology 561 00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:26,720 Speaker 1: which then allows you to do all these things and 562 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:29,320 Speaker 1: slow it down, But then it's paralysis by analysis. So 563 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:32,600 Speaker 1: you get to a point where, holy smokes, it's still 564 00:29:32,640 --> 00:29:35,360 Speaker 1: just a game. Can't we just can't we just referee 565 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:40,000 Speaker 1: and it should really not be there, shouldn't be lawyers involved. Yeah, 566 00:29:40,040 --> 00:29:43,120 Speaker 1: so I think we're I think finally we're simplifying it 567 00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:46,080 Speaker 1: this year. This coming year, the new rule will be intact. 568 00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:49,520 Speaker 1: I hope that it reduces the amount of discussion because 569 00:29:50,600 --> 00:29:52,760 Speaker 1: you just don't want that right. You want the discussion 570 00:29:52,800 --> 00:29:55,760 Speaker 1: to be X and o's should have a should coach 571 00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:58,959 Speaker 1: went for it on fourth down? Punted? Gone for two? 572 00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:01,479 Speaker 1: That's what you when you're walking as a fan, right 573 00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:03,280 Speaker 1: when I look, when I walked out of games with 574 00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:06,760 Speaker 1: my father, my mother, the whole debate was should we 575 00:30:06,800 --> 00:30:08,760 Speaker 1: have done this? Should we have done that? It wasn't 576 00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:12,520 Speaker 1: Was this a catch or not right? It wasn't taking that. 577 00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:15,080 Speaker 1: I'd haven't really even thought about the referees at that 578 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:18,120 Speaker 1: time unless they throw a flag on holding or pass interference, right, 579 00:30:18,320 --> 00:30:21,080 Speaker 1: the subjective calls. But you know, for the most part, 580 00:30:21,080 --> 00:30:24,400 Speaker 1: you want people leaving talking about the game, not the referees. 581 00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:28,360 Speaker 1: So let's talk about and and we caveated this before, 582 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:31,800 Speaker 1: but I'll repeat it. Al is not speaking on behalf 583 00:30:31,840 --> 00:30:35,480 Speaker 1: of the NFL. This is his opinion, so he is 584 00:30:35,520 --> 00:30:39,440 Speaker 1: not making broad declarations on behalf of the league. But 585 00:30:39,560 --> 00:30:42,760 Speaker 1: as long as I have you here, let me ask 586 00:30:42,800 --> 00:30:47,040 Speaker 1: you about celebrations in the end zone. Okay, I have 587 00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:51,160 Speaker 1: always thought that that penalty was sort of weird. You 588 00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:54,520 Speaker 1: have this unsportsmanlike conduct. If someone is being a jerk 589 00:30:55,120 --> 00:30:57,840 Speaker 1: and taunting somebody you could throw a flag at them, 590 00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:01,680 Speaker 1: but somebody hasn't a using play, and they in a 591 00:31:01,720 --> 00:31:05,840 Speaker 1: big game and they score, why not let them celebrate 592 00:31:05,960 --> 00:31:09,360 Speaker 1: dance a little bit. What's the problem with that? To 593 00:31:09,440 --> 00:31:11,840 Speaker 1: be there's there should be no problem with it. And 594 00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:14,960 Speaker 1: and thankfully the NFL last year allowed back in the 595 00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:18,520 Speaker 1: touchdown celebrations because look, whether it's funny or I mean, 596 00:31:18,520 --> 00:31:21,640 Speaker 1: people called us to no fun league, and I think 597 00:31:21,680 --> 00:31:23,840 Speaker 1: you can become that a little bit. And to me, 598 00:31:24,840 --> 00:31:28,440 Speaker 1: I think it removes that connection from a fan to 599 00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:31,040 Speaker 1: a player to a team. And and if you look 600 00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:34,440 Speaker 1: this year and obviously the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, 601 00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:36,720 Speaker 1: not only were they known as a really good team, 602 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:39,000 Speaker 1: they were probably known as the team that was most 603 00:31:39,080 --> 00:31:42,239 Speaker 1: you know together because their celebration, their touchdown celebration, their 604 00:31:42,280 --> 00:31:45,680 Speaker 1: interception interceptions. They were doing dances out on the field. 605 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:48,280 Speaker 1: And I go back to our history at the forty 606 00:31:48,320 --> 00:31:50,960 Speaker 1: nine is whether it's the Dion Sanders dance, the Marten 607 00:31:51,040 --> 00:31:55,280 Speaker 1: Hanks chicken, at some level you remember those moments because 608 00:31:55,320 --> 00:31:59,160 Speaker 1: of them, right that fans love it. Fans. What I 609 00:31:59,160 --> 00:32:01,840 Speaker 1: what I tell people is and you're seeing it now 610 00:32:02,120 --> 00:32:05,080 Speaker 1: how it plays out on content, right, everybody watches the games, 611 00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:07,800 Speaker 1: but the content that gets the most engagement is when 612 00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:10,760 Speaker 1: you get behind the mask, right or underneath the hood 613 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:13,800 Speaker 1: and you learn about these people as as as as 614 00:32:13,880 --> 00:32:16,280 Speaker 1: human beings. I mean, look at Tom burst time right 615 00:32:16,320 --> 00:32:19,200 Speaker 1: on the Facebook. You know how many times people get 616 00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:22,200 Speaker 1: an in depth look at how time Brady lives his life. 617 00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:24,960 Speaker 1: We need to do more of that as a franchise, 618 00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:28,320 Speaker 1: as a as a league. All leagues do because you 619 00:32:28,360 --> 00:32:32,120 Speaker 1: want people now want a connection with their teams on 620 00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:34,760 Speaker 1: a much deeper level than just wins and loss. That's right, 621 00:32:34,800 --> 00:32:38,200 Speaker 1: Brady is what fifty three fifty four and he's still 622 00:32:38,280 --> 00:32:41,760 Speaker 1: in there playing amazing. Look, it's an amazing story. I mean, 623 00:32:41,840 --> 00:32:43,480 Speaker 1: however old he is, I mean, he's one of the 624 00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:46,680 Speaker 1: greatest ever do one of the greatest ever. So the 625 00:32:46,800 --> 00:32:49,560 Speaker 1: celebration is one thing that's an easy question. Let's talk 626 00:32:49,600 --> 00:32:54,440 Speaker 1: about again more news. The we just heard about kneeling 627 00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:59,840 Speaker 1: um and the new rules the owners have issued. I 628 00:33:00,080 --> 00:33:02,680 Speaker 1: was in the impression that those sort of penalties if 629 00:33:02,680 --> 00:33:07,080 Speaker 1: you kneel you'll be fined, are covered by the contract 630 00:33:07,120 --> 00:33:10,120 Speaker 1: between the league and the players Association. Do I not 631 00:33:10,320 --> 00:33:14,200 Speaker 1: understand that correctly? Now, what seemingly what came down here 632 00:33:14,320 --> 00:33:18,560 Speaker 1: was that the NFL will find the team, the team 633 00:33:18,600 --> 00:33:22,280 Speaker 1: will decide to discipline their player on their own. Now, 634 00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:26,520 Speaker 1: they give the player the option of staying in the 635 00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:30,520 Speaker 1: locker room during the national anthem instead of kneeling. What 636 00:33:30,600 --> 00:33:33,400 Speaker 1: happens if a dozen players don't come out? I mean, 637 00:33:33,400 --> 00:33:36,320 Speaker 1: you're creating a possible all right, Now, there's a new 638 00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:39,200 Speaker 1: scenario here, you know, remains to be seen. I would 639 00:33:39,240 --> 00:33:42,360 Speaker 1: say we we at the forty niners, we've obviously dealt 640 00:33:42,400 --> 00:33:46,320 Speaker 1: with this for for a long time, right, because why 641 00:33:46,320 --> 00:33:50,080 Speaker 1: would it affect you more than anyone else? Our former quarterback, 642 00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:53,160 Speaker 1: I should say, Colin Kaepernick started the movement, and look 643 00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:54,719 Speaker 1: what I what I would tell you on this Our 644 00:33:54,800 --> 00:33:57,720 Speaker 1: owner UM abstain from voting, was one of the only 645 00:33:57,760 --> 00:34:00,440 Speaker 1: owner owners to do so. I think about it in 646 00:34:00,440 --> 00:34:03,960 Speaker 1: this way, right, what we need to somewhat in this 647 00:34:04,080 --> 00:34:08,560 Speaker 1: country and in this sport move from protest to progress. 648 00:34:08,560 --> 00:34:11,560 Speaker 1: Our owner UM has donated over ten million dollars the 649 00:34:11,640 --> 00:34:14,680 Speaker 1: last two years to impact social causes inside of the 650 00:34:14,719 --> 00:34:19,080 Speaker 1: Bay Area. We've seen our police, UM and our communities 651 00:34:19,120 --> 00:34:22,000 Speaker 1: grow a deeper level of engagement based off those things, 652 00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:25,000 Speaker 1: you know, do I what I kneel for the national athem, 653 00:34:25,080 --> 00:34:28,160 Speaker 1: No right, UM, but I do believe that there's underlying 654 00:34:28,200 --> 00:34:30,400 Speaker 1: issues in the world, and we as a community at 655 00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:32,840 Speaker 1: the San Francisco For and Honors, believe that we should 656 00:34:32,880 --> 00:34:36,399 Speaker 1: be in those discussions. And uh, it's sort of our 657 00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:39,319 Speaker 1: job to be a good community partner and steward. And 658 00:34:39,360 --> 00:34:42,319 Speaker 1: so we're gonna keep working with our players. UM. I 659 00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:44,520 Speaker 1: can't speak for what every other team is gonna do, 660 00:34:44,680 --> 00:34:47,920 Speaker 1: but for us, you know, we know that our players 661 00:34:47,920 --> 00:34:50,000 Speaker 1: are not just there for the sixteen or eighteen or 662 00:34:50,080 --> 00:34:53,720 Speaker 1: nineteen games they play. They're they're an employee of ours, 663 00:34:53,719 --> 00:34:56,239 Speaker 1: They're a fabric of our community. Their kids go to 664 00:34:56,280 --> 00:34:59,640 Speaker 1: schools in our area. So for us, it's find out 665 00:34:59,680 --> 00:35:02,760 Speaker 1: what they're are passionate about, help support him in that cause, 666 00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:05,759 Speaker 1: Help educate and make people aware of the things that 667 00:35:05,800 --> 00:35:08,759 Speaker 1: are going on in the world, and put money, um 668 00:35:08,800 --> 00:35:11,919 Speaker 1: back into the community to affect change in a positive way. 669 00:35:12,600 --> 00:35:15,280 Speaker 1: We have been speaking to al Quido. He's the president 670 00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:18,920 Speaker 1: of the San Francisco forty Niners. If you enjoy this conversation, 671 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:21,600 Speaker 1: be sure and stick around for the podcast extras. Will 672 00:35:21,640 --> 00:35:26,440 Speaker 1: we keep the tape rolling and continue discussing all things uh, sports, 673 00:35:26,480 --> 00:35:31,000 Speaker 1: business and football. We love your comments, feedback and suggestions 674 00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:34,799 Speaker 1: right to us at m IB podcast at Bloomberg dot net. 675 00:35:35,239 --> 00:35:38,120 Speaker 1: You can check out my daily column on Bloomberg dot com. 676 00:35:38,280 --> 00:35:41,600 Speaker 1: Follow me on Twitter at Rid Holts. I'm Barry Ridhults. 677 00:35:41,640 --> 00:35:58,200 Speaker 1: You're listening to Master's in Business on Bloomberg Radio. Welcome 678 00:35:58,239 --> 00:36:00,319 Speaker 1: to the podcast. Al, thank you for doing this. I 679 00:36:00,360 --> 00:36:02,319 Speaker 1: wish we had more time. I know you have a 680 00:36:02,360 --> 00:36:07,880 Speaker 1: busy schedule this week. UM, let's let's just do a 681 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:10,160 Speaker 1: quick speed round. I want to talk to you more 682 00:36:10,200 --> 00:36:15,760 Speaker 1: about you and not just about sports, gambling and Colin Kaepernack. So. 683 00:36:15,760 --> 00:36:18,600 Speaker 1: So in the five or so minutes we have left, 684 00:36:19,080 --> 00:36:22,160 Speaker 1: let's plat through ten questions really quickly. Are you ready? 685 00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:25,040 Speaker 1: This will be a speed round. Most important thing people 686 00:36:25,080 --> 00:36:30,560 Speaker 1: don't know about your background or about you. I grew 687 00:36:30,600 --> 00:36:33,319 Speaker 1: up a blue collar family. Father was a truck driver, 688 00:36:33,400 --> 00:36:37,680 Speaker 1: mother was administrator. Um. Unfortunately I move thirteen times before 689 00:36:37,719 --> 00:36:41,640 Speaker 1: I was seventeen years old, bankrupt, two homes. So, UM, 690 00:36:41,680 --> 00:36:44,919 Speaker 1: you know, my my parents did everything they possibly could 691 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:47,239 Speaker 1: to to give me a good life, and I'm I'm 692 00:36:47,360 --> 00:36:50,880 Speaker 1: unbelievably fortunate for it. Tell us about your early mentors. 693 00:36:52,440 --> 00:36:55,799 Speaker 1: My father from a work ethic perspective, um, you know, 694 00:36:55,880 --> 00:36:59,200 Speaker 1: my mother from a loving perspective. In the business world. 695 00:36:59,480 --> 00:37:01,799 Speaker 1: You know, I say I have three. Jim Vanstone taught 696 00:37:01,800 --> 00:37:04,359 Speaker 1: me this business at the Philadelphia Flyers and seventies six 697 00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:07,840 Speaker 1: chat Estis with the Dallas Cowboys taught me how to 698 00:37:07,840 --> 00:37:11,040 Speaker 1: be a leader and build great culture. And Jed Yorke 699 00:37:11,120 --> 00:37:13,320 Speaker 1: taught me how to be a visionary and an entrepreneur 700 00:37:13,360 --> 00:37:21,360 Speaker 1: and think outside the box. What players, businesspeople, sports figures 701 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:27,600 Speaker 1: influenced your approach to thinking about the business? Wow, players, 702 00:37:27,640 --> 00:37:33,439 Speaker 1: sports figures, um or business people, business people, I'll say 703 00:37:33,640 --> 00:37:35,640 Speaker 1: a partner of ours who have come to really love 704 00:37:36,120 --> 00:37:38,880 Speaker 1: the CEO of S A P. Bill McDermott has become 705 00:37:38,880 --> 00:37:41,840 Speaker 1: a great friend. I love his sort of corner store 706 00:37:41,880 --> 00:37:44,840 Speaker 1: Delhi to the corner office, the way that he runs 707 00:37:44,880 --> 00:37:49,480 Speaker 1: his organization. Uh. From a culture, management, leadership perspective, it's 708 00:37:49,480 --> 00:37:52,480 Speaker 1: good to know at that big of a company the 709 00:37:52,560 --> 00:37:56,160 Speaker 1: little things still matter most. Um and the SAP the giant, 710 00:37:56,200 --> 00:37:59,920 Speaker 1: the giant. Yeah, because I just think that at his 711 00:38:00,120 --> 00:38:04,239 Speaker 1: core it's all about leadership, vision why purpose? To me, 712 00:38:04,400 --> 00:38:05,920 Speaker 1: by far and away, he's one of he's been one 713 00:38:05,960 --> 00:38:09,799 Speaker 1: of my favorites. That that's interesting. Tell us about some 714 00:38:09,920 --> 00:38:12,160 Speaker 1: of your favorite books. What what do you read? What 715 00:38:12,239 --> 00:38:15,880 Speaker 1: do you find interesting, sports, non sports, fiction, non fiction, whatever. 716 00:38:16,280 --> 00:38:18,960 Speaker 1: I'm a big, obviously business book reader, but I'll tell 717 00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:22,160 Speaker 1: you my passion is in the Simon Sinek is a 718 00:38:22,160 --> 00:38:25,839 Speaker 1: tremendous friend, executive coach. His start with Why Book for 719 00:38:25,920 --> 00:38:28,880 Speaker 1: Me sort of changed it all, um, you know, and 720 00:38:28,920 --> 00:38:32,000 Speaker 1: then and then Leaders Eat Last was a tremendous opportunity 721 00:38:32,040 --> 00:38:34,880 Speaker 1: to learn from the military. I think, to take military 722 00:38:34,880 --> 00:38:37,920 Speaker 1: practices and put him in business world. So he's been 723 00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:42,440 Speaker 1: an unbelievable mentor. But both really interesting names. What do 724 00:38:42,480 --> 00:38:44,759 Speaker 1: you find most exciting about what's going on in the 725 00:38:44,760 --> 00:38:50,360 Speaker 1: world of sports business today? I think that sports business teams, brands, 726 00:38:50,600 --> 00:38:53,840 Speaker 1: leagues are branching out into other areas. Is the most 727 00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:56,160 Speaker 1: is is to me. You know, you've got the NBA 728 00:38:56,320 --> 00:38:59,719 Speaker 1: doing e sports, You've got the NFL looking into development, 729 00:38:59,719 --> 00:39:06,279 Speaker 1: pretty's overseas. These these brands are becoming global brands. Their publishers, 730 00:39:06,280 --> 00:39:09,920 Speaker 1: their content creators, their storytellers, right their sales and marketers. 731 00:39:10,200 --> 00:39:13,440 Speaker 1: They've you know, there are incubators and innovation and technology 732 00:39:13,760 --> 00:39:17,200 Speaker 1: it's not just a sport anymore. What do you do 733 00:39:17,360 --> 00:39:20,920 Speaker 1: outside of the office for fun? I got three little 734 00:39:20,960 --> 00:39:23,560 Speaker 1: girls at home. UM, so my wife would tell me 735 00:39:23,600 --> 00:39:26,560 Speaker 1: if I do anything outside of take care of my nine, 736 00:39:26,640 --> 00:39:28,960 Speaker 1: seven and five year over that too much. I love 737 00:39:29,040 --> 00:39:32,319 Speaker 1: to play pick up basketball. UM. I enjoy a good 738 00:39:32,320 --> 00:39:34,400 Speaker 1: golf round, although I haven't played in quite a while. 739 00:39:34,880 --> 00:39:37,000 Speaker 1: Tell us about a time you failed and what you 740 00:39:37,120 --> 00:39:41,200 Speaker 1: learned from the experience. Well, I, UM, I went into 741 00:39:41,920 --> 00:39:45,520 Speaker 1: a job opportunity with the Lakewood Blue Claws, a single 742 00:39:45,520 --> 00:39:49,719 Speaker 1: a affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, and Uh, I wasn't 743 00:39:49,719 --> 00:39:51,440 Speaker 1: as prepared as I thought I needed to be. I 744 00:39:51,440 --> 00:39:54,560 Speaker 1: thought it was a layoup job for me. Um. I 745 00:39:54,560 --> 00:39:57,160 Speaker 1: didn't show up with with my A game is what 746 00:39:57,200 --> 00:39:59,160 Speaker 1: you would call it. And I and from there on 747 00:39:59,280 --> 00:40:01,080 Speaker 1: out I made or that there was never a time 748 00:40:01,120 --> 00:40:03,280 Speaker 1: where I didn't show up with my A game. Recent 749 00:40:03,320 --> 00:40:05,680 Speaker 1: college graduate comes up to you and says, I'm interested 750 00:40:05,680 --> 00:40:08,480 Speaker 1: in the career and uh, in the business of sports. 751 00:40:09,120 --> 00:40:11,799 Speaker 1: What sort of advice would you give them? Grit and perseverance. 752 00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:13,920 Speaker 1: It's not an easy world to get into, but once 753 00:40:13,960 --> 00:40:16,400 Speaker 1: you get into it, man, work your tail off because 754 00:40:16,800 --> 00:40:19,080 Speaker 1: it is the best. In my opinion, it's the best 755 00:40:19,200 --> 00:40:21,680 Speaker 1: job vertical you could be in. And the other thing 756 00:40:21,680 --> 00:40:24,880 Speaker 1: I would say is be a sponge. Learn inside and 757 00:40:24,920 --> 00:40:27,640 Speaker 1: out how these businesses operate. It is not as simple 758 00:40:27,640 --> 00:40:29,680 Speaker 1: as a movie theater. Don't just focus on the ticket 759 00:40:29,719 --> 00:40:32,880 Speaker 1: someone buys. Focus on how the don't focus on the 760 00:40:33,000 --> 00:40:35,480 Speaker 1: end result. Focus on how, the how, the how the 761 00:40:35,480 --> 00:40:38,960 Speaker 1: how they got there. And our final question, what is 762 00:40:38,960 --> 00:40:41,520 Speaker 1: it that you know about the world of sports business 763 00:40:41,600 --> 00:40:44,399 Speaker 1: today that you wish you knew a couple of years 764 00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:48,040 Speaker 1: ago when you were beginning. Normally I say thirty years ago, 765 00:40:48,080 --> 00:40:50,480 Speaker 1: but with you, I have to say a decade ago 766 00:40:50,600 --> 00:40:54,320 Speaker 1: when you were first getting uh getting involved in this business. 767 00:40:54,520 --> 00:40:57,520 Speaker 1: My largest learning curve is to deal with the political specter. 768 00:40:58,280 --> 00:41:01,040 Speaker 1: You know, I think as a business person um rational 769 00:41:01,120 --> 00:41:04,959 Speaker 1: thought generally always prevails and in the politics world that's 770 00:41:05,000 --> 00:41:09,520 Speaker 1: not the same. And so to understand people's motivations is important. 771 00:41:09,520 --> 00:41:11,440 Speaker 1: I don't say that in a negative way. I just 772 00:41:11,520 --> 00:41:14,560 Speaker 1: think that you need to understand in every conversation what's 773 00:41:14,560 --> 00:41:17,760 Speaker 1: important to that to those people, and politics and private 774 00:41:17,800 --> 00:41:21,399 Speaker 1: don't always align. Under understood. We have been speaking with 775 00:41:21,440 --> 00:41:24,600 Speaker 1: al Guido. He is the president of the San Francisco, 776 00:41:24,640 --> 00:41:28,040 Speaker 1: forty niners. If you enjoy this conversation, be shure and 777 00:41:28,080 --> 00:41:30,600 Speaker 1: look up an inch, ight down an inch on Bloomberg 778 00:41:30,640 --> 00:41:35,640 Speaker 1: dot com, Apple iTunes, overcast, wherever finer podcasts are sold, 779 00:41:35,880 --> 00:41:38,040 Speaker 1: and you can see any of the other two hundred 780 00:41:38,120 --> 00:41:41,680 Speaker 1: or so such conversations we've had. We love your comments, 781 00:41:41,680 --> 00:41:45,440 Speaker 1: feedback and suggestions right to us at m IB podcast 782 00:41:45,480 --> 00:41:48,319 Speaker 1: at Bloomberg dot net. I would be remiss if I 783 00:41:48,360 --> 00:41:50,920 Speaker 1: did not thank the correct team that helps put together 784 00:41:50,960 --> 00:41:54,360 Speaker 1: these podcasts each week. Taylor Riggs is our producer, Booker 785 00:41:55,080 --> 00:41:58,680 Speaker 1: Medina Parwana is our audio engineer and producer. Michael bat 786 00:41:58,800 --> 00:42:02,319 Speaker 1: Nick is our head of search. I'm Barry Results. You've 787 00:42:02,320 --> 00:42:05,520 Speaker 1: been listening to Masters in Business on Bloomberg Radio.