1
00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:04,120
Speaker 1: Hello, I'm Scott Nobe Williams and I'm Michael barn. This

2
00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:07,960
Speaker 1: is the Bloomberg Business of Sports podcast. Up the Band

3
00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:12,280
Speaker 1: is Back, where we explore the big money issues in

4
00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:15,120
Speaker 1: the world of sports. I gotta ask, by the way,

5
00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:19,079
Speaker 1: how you went treasure hunting up? And I did. I

6
00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:23,439
Speaker 1: went out to Montana, right outside Yellowstone for partially to

7
00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:26,840
Speaker 1: treasure hunt, partially to fly fish, partially to uh to

8
00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:28,639
Speaker 1: do some hiking. It was a blast. It was a

9
00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:31,440
Speaker 1: good time. No treasure though, unfortunately I did bring home

10
00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:35,080
Speaker 1: some elk Hendlers that my girlfriend is not so happy about.

11
00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:38,320
Speaker 1: You didn't shoot the olk. I did not shoot the Okay,

12
00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:40,960
Speaker 1: there we go. Do you use like a metal detective

13
00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:43,680
Speaker 1: kind of thing? No? No, those are actually not allowed

14
00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:46,400
Speaker 1: in Yellowstone Park. Um, and I don't think they're allowed

15
00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:48,600
Speaker 1: in Stay four uts either. Can I just comment on

16
00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:51,479
Speaker 1: the contrast that we have today. You were fly fishing,

17
00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:58,000
Speaker 1: you know, roughing it in Yellowstone almost a jellystone, and

18
00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:00,680
Speaker 1: I caught it's such a hot day here in New York.

19
00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:03,640
Speaker 1: And I see bar socks are like winter socks, these

20
00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:05,920
Speaker 1: thick things. So I'm like, Bar, what's with the thick

21
00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:08,959
Speaker 1: socks today? And he tells us he actually had to

22
00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:12,120
Speaker 1: cream his feet this month. I put lotion on my

23
00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:16,200
Speaker 1: feet because my feet were getting ashy. My wife was saying,

24
00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:18,680
Speaker 1: you know, you gotta do something about your ashy feet.

25
00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:22,360
Speaker 1: And I wanted to put some lotion on my feet

26
00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:24,640
Speaker 1: and then, but in order to do that, you have

27
00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:26,160
Speaker 1: to have thick socks. You can't do it with the

28
00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:30,280
Speaker 1: regular dress socks. I don't even know what I put.

29
00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:32,160
Speaker 1: I put a picture of you, and Colin tipped the

30
00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:34,640
Speaker 1: producer on Twitter and just told the world that you

31
00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:38,680
Speaker 1: were creaming your feet today. Thanks man. Yes, okay, let

32
00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:40,240
Speaker 1: me feel your hands since you're so close to me.

33
00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:44,240
Speaker 1: How are they supple? Supple? Go ahead? What are we

34
00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:47,840
Speaker 1: talking about? No one's listening anyway. Well, yeah, we let's

35
00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:50,760
Speaker 1: start with the president of the n c double A, Mr. Emmett.

36
00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:54,040
Speaker 1: He is saying that schools in California should be banned

37
00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:57,280
Speaker 1: from the league if a bill in the state is

38
00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:03,880
Speaker 1: past college athletes. And even I thought, yeah, so, just

39
00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:06,280
Speaker 1: just to set this up there, there's a bill in

40
00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:10,520
Speaker 1: in California's Congress right now. Uh, if it passes, which

41
00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:14,839
Speaker 1: it could do as early as I believe, early in July. UM,

42
00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:17,160
Speaker 1: it requires the schools who get ten million dollars a

43
00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:20,720
Speaker 1: year in media rights. So you know twenty three big

44
00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:25,280
Speaker 1: Division one UH schools in in California, that they be

45
00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:29,360
Speaker 1: prohibited from preventing athletes from marketing their name, image and likeness.

46
00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:31,760
Speaker 1: If you remember Ed O'Bannon's lawsuit, this is what he

47
00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:34,560
Speaker 1: was arguing, that that that athletes, well maybe they shouldn't

48
00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:36,639
Speaker 1: get paid while they're in college. They should be able

49
00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:39,840
Speaker 1: to sign endorsements, they should be able to be in advertisements,

50
00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:42,440
Speaker 1: they should be able to negotiate to be in video games.

51
00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:44,560
Speaker 1: All that. This is a bill that would say that

52
00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:48,400
Speaker 1: colleges can't hide behind nca rules and prevent athletes from

53
00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:50,880
Speaker 1: doing that. And Mark Emirtt, president of the n c A,

54
00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:54,760
Speaker 1: sent a letter to UH to the California Senate earlier

55
00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:57,880
Speaker 1: this week essentially saying, listen, if you pass this law,

56
00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:02,560
Speaker 1: we are going to boot the California schools, keep them

57
00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:06,000
Speaker 1: out of n c a A National championships because we

58
00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:09,799
Speaker 1: can't deem them eligible anymore. I think that I think

59
00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:14,960
Speaker 1: that was an appropriate silence because it's just tone dev Mark,

60
00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:19,000
Speaker 1: come on, changes a foot, buddy, change Yeah, this the name,

61
00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:22,000
Speaker 1: image and likeness seems to be the next frontier if

62
00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:24,480
Speaker 1: you think about how you know, amateurism is going to

63
00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:26,240
Speaker 1: continue to get chipped away, and the n c A

64
00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:30,400
Speaker 1: itself has a working Yeah, val Acurman and Jeane Smith

65
00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:32,600
Speaker 1: are leading a new group that that is trying to

66
00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:35,720
Speaker 1: explore how they want to do that. Um, this bill

67
00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:38,360
Speaker 1: doesn't take even if it even if it passes and

68
00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:40,400
Speaker 1: it's signed into law by Gavin Newsom, I don't think

69
00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:43,600
Speaker 1: it takes effect until three So there will be you know,

70
00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:45,840
Speaker 1: ample time here for the n c a A to

71
00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:49,600
Speaker 1: appeal it or take legal action if they want to. Um.

72
00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:52,720
Speaker 1: There's also a bill in the US Congress right now

73
00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:54,960
Speaker 1: that that would do the same thing. So there's a

74
00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:56,960
Speaker 1: chance that even if this passes, there's something else that

75
00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:59,440
Speaker 1: comes along the pipe that that that that makes this

76
00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:02,680
Speaker 1: change faster. I think the big question here is this

77
00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:06,440
Speaker 1: a bluff? You know, is this a leverage play? If

78
00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:08,920
Speaker 1: California does sign this, I would be very interested to

79
00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:12,200
Speaker 1: see to keep the status quo and keep these teams

80
00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:14,520
Speaker 1: out of champ No. I mean the question, so so

81
00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:17,479
Speaker 1: the threat. The part I find interesting here is is

82
00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:20,719
Speaker 1: let's say emer kicks these teams, these schools out right. Um,

83
00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:22,280
Speaker 1: u c l A is not going to give up

84
00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:25,120
Speaker 1: playing football, u c USC is not going to give

85
00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:27,800
Speaker 1: up playing basketball and volleyball. These schools are still gonna

86
00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:29,479
Speaker 1: offer these sports. They're gonna need a new place to

87
00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:32,360
Speaker 1: do that. Right, So, if the California schools start their

88
00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:36,640
Speaker 1: own league, right with maybe some more progressive rules, what's

89
00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:39,400
Speaker 1: to say that the University of Oregon doesn't say, well,

90
00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:41,480
Speaker 1: that looks pretty good to us, join them. Yeah, So

91
00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:44,960
Speaker 1: the n c A, by kicking out the California schools,

92
00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:47,680
Speaker 1: could run the risk of forcing them to start their

93
00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:49,920
Speaker 1: own thing that is then a direct competitor. That might

94
00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:53,359
Speaker 1: be a more interesting possibility that than the n c A.

95
00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:59,240
Speaker 1: I cannot believe that Mark Emmert would risk this. Yeah,

96
00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:01,640
Speaker 1: and one of the or I mean and and Emmett,

97
00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:06,120
Speaker 1: I'm sure is getting pressure from other schools because you know,

98
00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:09,039
Speaker 1: if this, if this law passes suddenly there is a

99
00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:13,320
Speaker 1: big imbalance between you know, if I'm a high school

100
00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:15,560
Speaker 1: absolutely want to absolutely want to go to the school.

101
00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:18,880
Speaker 1: If I'm debating between Oregon and USC, you know, USC

102
00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:21,960
Speaker 1: is offering me the ability to make money on my own.

103
00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:25,000
Speaker 1: The number of students that student athletes that this would

104
00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,840
Speaker 1: impact I really do. If let's say open it up,

105
00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:33,559
Speaker 1: anybody can sign anything they want. Most student athletes are

106
00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:36,960
Speaker 1: no name athletes that are not what what are you

107
00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:39,200
Speaker 1: going to get the local car dealer? Maybe he will

108
00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:40,880
Speaker 1: give you a couple of bucks to drive our car.

109
00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:45,320
Speaker 1: This is not everybody is not Johnny Manzel. But the

110
00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:48,400
Speaker 1: students that these schools care about are the Johnny Manzels.

111
00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:50,600
Speaker 1: But there are many. There might not be that many

112
00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:53,680
Speaker 1: of them, but the top top recruits are the ones

113
00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:56,159
Speaker 1: that they really care about. And if if the top top,

114
00:05:57,360 --> 00:05:58,840
Speaker 1: I'm going to get off to the foot because it's

115
00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:02,600
Speaker 1: only only effected a handful of athletes every year. But

116
00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:05,719
Speaker 1: just like all the handwringing about the the NBA Draft

117
00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:09,239
Speaker 1: and underclassmen and we're talking about maybe ten people a year,

118
00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:13,440
Speaker 1: Come on, but the top teams always have that star. Yeah,

119
00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:15,760
Speaker 1: always who's the quarterback at Notre Dame Michael Ball? But

120
00:06:15,839 --> 00:06:18,320
Speaker 1: not this year. I don't know who's the quarterback at US.

121
00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:25,599
Speaker 1: The quarterback I have the football. We just went all right,

122
00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:29,359
Speaker 1: get named me the top two college or college quarterbacks

123
00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:32,880
Speaker 1: right now. But but Scott, you're not talking about exclusively

124
00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:35,800
Speaker 1: national deals. No, I'm people who are USC fans. That's

125
00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:40,920
Speaker 1: why who the USC car dealer, the pizza player. I

126
00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:43,760
Speaker 1: get it, but there's still not as big a brand

127
00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:47,400
Speaker 1: as I believe. The athletes think this is some sort

128
00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:51,200
Speaker 1: of path to riches for all of them, and I'm

129
00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:52,840
Speaker 1: here to tell you it is not. I think you're

130
00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:55,320
Speaker 1: right about that. And again, this is this. This bill

131
00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:59,760
Speaker 1: is not about offering all athletes a stipend for their work.

132
00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:02,680
Speaker 1: Is just about, you know, maybe being able to hire

133
00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:05,960
Speaker 1: an agent and trying to pursue the commercial opportunities around

134
00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:09,320
Speaker 1: ads and around endorsements. Next we turn into the Olympics

135
00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:12,160
Speaker 1: and the IOC signing a nine year global deal with

136
00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:15,960
Speaker 1: Coca Cola and a Chinese company that is the country's

137
00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:21,640
Speaker 1: top milk producer, Milk Body Good. You know what I hear.

138
00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:25,480
Speaker 1: You can use milk for footbath. I should try. You

139
00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:27,680
Speaker 1: should try. You should try stick in your feet and

140
00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:30,040
Speaker 1: milk it and see what happens. And then the cream.

141
00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:33,000
Speaker 1: First the milk, then the cream. I said yesterday, the

142
00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:38,440
Speaker 1: people use must I love Noxima. You knew what you got.

143
00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:41,560
Speaker 1: You had that blue heavy container Noxima. It was fun

144
00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:44,640
Speaker 1: the first bit you took out of there. I tried

145
00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:48,160
Speaker 1: as a kid who didn't. Who didn't explain a lot? Okay, So,

146
00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:52,960
Speaker 1: Coca Cola and the three billion dollars. Yeah, so this

147
00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:55,960
Speaker 1: is I believe it's a twelve year deal, Michael. So

148
00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:58,640
Speaker 1: it covers the what has that been? Like we're launching

149
00:07:58,720 --> 00:08:00,400
Speaker 1: right into like, hey wait, I've got this. That's on

150
00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:03,120
Speaker 1: this gentleman. I know my role here because I would like,

151
00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:08,160
Speaker 1: I think it's important context. It's it's so, it's it's

152
00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:13,800
Speaker 1: the six games after the after the Tokyo Games next year.

153
00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:15,800
Speaker 1: Um So, a few of those games we don't have

154
00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:18,000
Speaker 1: a location for yet. But this is an interesting one

155
00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:20,800
Speaker 1: that as you mentioned, Michael, it's Coke has been you know,

156
00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:23,240
Speaker 1: Coke has been a partner of the IOC and the

157
00:08:23,240 --> 00:08:25,960
Speaker 1: Olympics for almost a hundred years now, I think. But

158
00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:30,360
Speaker 1: they are now sharing this deal with a Chinese dairy

159
00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:34,200
Speaker 1: company called Meinnu. I'm not sure if I'm pronouncing that correctly.

160
00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:38,760
Speaker 1: Um So, instead of Coke being the official non alcoholic

161
00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:46,200
Speaker 1: drinking it's a weird designation and on alcoholic and drinkable yogurt,

162
00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:50,199
Speaker 1: drink is drinkable dairy. All of that. Um the three

163
00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:52,320
Speaker 1: billion is a is a is a huge price tag.

164
00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:54,280
Speaker 1: If you look at this on the macro level, it's

165
00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:56,680
Speaker 1: still about the support for the i o C and

166
00:08:56,720 --> 00:09:00,320
Speaker 1: the and the Olympic. Absolutely, that's that's the significant Yeah,

167
00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:02,240
Speaker 1: and the folks over at SPJ kind of broke down

168
00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:04,560
Speaker 1: the numbers one and a half billion of that. So

169
00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:08,360
Speaker 1: half of that three billion dollar price tag is going

170
00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:12,880
Speaker 1: to is a minimum ad spend for IOC digital properties. Right,

171
00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:15,520
Speaker 1: So that's not an NBC. Yeah, that's the Olympic channel,

172
00:09:15,559 --> 00:09:18,640
Speaker 1: that's you know, IOC website, etcetera. Um so I'm sure

173
00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:21,720
Speaker 1: that's a big boost for the IOC. The rights increases

174
00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:25,920
Speaker 1: obviously high. There's a relationship between Megnu and Coke. I

175
00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:29,960
Speaker 1: believe the Coke's largest bottler in China is a shareholder

176
00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:33,040
Speaker 1: in Megnu. UM. I don't fully understand exactly why this

177
00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:35,920
Speaker 1: wouldn't couldn't be just two separate one should be one

178
00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:39,120
Speaker 1: dairy category, one for one for soft drinks, for non

179
00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:42,240
Speaker 1: alcoholic drinks, unless your Laverne and you put in the

180
00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:47,240
Speaker 1: milk and the coke, that would be the sm Once again, no, Williams, No,

181
00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:56,040
Speaker 1: but you know what, No, it's I have to disagree

182
00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:57,960
Speaker 1: because it's already worked. Because I never heard of this

183
00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:01,400
Speaker 1: Chinese milk company until right now when we're talking about it.

184
00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:05,120
Speaker 1: Can you buy this? You can't buy it? Well, but

185
00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:07,840
Speaker 1: I mean now I know the name. That's the whole

186
00:10:07,880 --> 00:10:10,000
Speaker 1: thing about it, getting a name out there, that's true. Yeah,

187
00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:12,559
Speaker 1: I didn't know men you before this. Yeah, let's hope

188
00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:14,920
Speaker 1: that's how it's pronounced. Um and there. This is the

189
00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:17,959
Speaker 1: top spot. This is the big, big IOC sponsorships. Obviously

190
00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:20,920
Speaker 1: the three billion dollar price tag I see recently reupt

191
00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:24,079
Speaker 1: I believe with Intel and Ali Baba's. But just again

192
00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:26,960
Speaker 1: for those who thought there was some sort of demise

193
00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:29,920
Speaker 1: of the Olympic Games. You know, by the way, they

194
00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:35,640
Speaker 1: also awarded the Olympics to Italy. The Winter Games. Got

195
00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:41,080
Speaker 1: some stable cities coming up for the Olympics where there's

196
00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:43,479
Speaker 1: not going to be those bad stories of white elephants

197
00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:46,040
Speaker 1: or crost over runs. You see. L A said there

198
00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:49,599
Speaker 1: might be a billion dollar profit on the games you

199
00:10:49,960 --> 00:10:56,040
Speaker 1: hear before, Yeah, yeah, yeah, Paris, Milan, l A. Yeah's

200
00:10:56,720 --> 00:10:59,280
Speaker 1: you've got some big stable cities that of course things change,

201
00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:03,880
Speaker 1: but looking good in the near term anyway for IOC

202
00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:08,319
Speaker 1: news coming out of Olympics that they will have successful games. Absolutely, Uh,

203
00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:12,040
Speaker 1: let's talk about our next topic. We have Steph Curry

204
00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:16,079
Speaker 1: Golden State Warriors unveiling his new golf collection for Under Armour. No,

205
00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:19,000
Speaker 1: you did not hear me. Uh make a mistake about

206
00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:26,679
Speaker 1: the wrong sport, which is conceivable. But now you just

207
00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:28,760
Speaker 1: dropped all your papers by that. Well I know, man,

208
00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:34,920
Speaker 1: but sure I did. Anyway, Well, what's this with the

209
00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:40,120
Speaker 1: golf collection? Because I have to make you know. Yes,

210
00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:45,120
Speaker 1: So where does Steff have a huge following? Yes in

211
00:11:45,320 --> 00:11:48,240
Speaker 1: the Bay Area, but yes in Asia. He has taken

212
00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:51,480
Speaker 1: tours over there before with Under Armour. What better place, again,

213
00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:54,840
Speaker 1: this is about consumer product. What better place to go

214
00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:57,200
Speaker 1: than Asia and be Steph Curry and see if you

215
00:11:57,240 --> 00:11:59,440
Speaker 1: can't get the line off of the bank. Yeah, it's funny.

216
00:11:59,480 --> 00:12:02,839
Speaker 1: The China has an interesting relationship with golf also. A

217
00:12:02,880 --> 00:12:05,840
Speaker 1: couple of years ago the Chinese government shuttered a number

218
00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:08,040
Speaker 1: of golf courses for a long time. There was a

219
00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:10,400
Speaker 1: ban on on building new ones that that I believe

220
00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:14,080
Speaker 1: is gone. Um, but you're right there if you're under

221
00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:16,080
Speaker 1: Armer obviously is doing a lot of business in China

222
00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:20,400
Speaker 1: right now. Steph is a huge celebrity over there because

223
00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:23,959
Speaker 1: of basketball. Um, I'm sure the golf population is growing. Um,

224
00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:26,880
Speaker 1: so this is a push, yeah, to to to move

225
00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:29,600
Speaker 1: into a new area I would think for under Armer

226
00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:31,480
Speaker 1: in terms of golf in China, and also to use

227
00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:33,640
Speaker 1: you know a guy who is a massive celebrity over there.

228
00:12:33,640 --> 00:12:35,640
Speaker 1: I'll tell you in China. I remember this from some

229
00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:40,439
Speaker 1: of the older players. It's important that Steph is not

230
00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:45,319
Speaker 1: seven ft tall, that he's relatable. I mean, yes, he's

231
00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:47,480
Speaker 1: still a pretty tall guy when you just did walking

232
00:12:47,520 --> 00:12:52,319
Speaker 1: around the streets, but he he comes across as huh,

233
00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:55,400
Speaker 1: he's like you and me. So that's important in the

234
00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:59,199
Speaker 1: Chinese market that he'd be this sort of relatable character

235
00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:02,120
Speaker 1: like Alan iver S was. Um, that's why Allen was

236
00:13:02,160 --> 00:13:03,480
Speaker 1: so popular. One of the reasons. Yes, it was a

237
00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:05,560
Speaker 1: style of game, but it's also the fact that he

238
00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:08,200
Speaker 1: was not a seven footer that does not sell well.

239
00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:11,360
Speaker 1: It's funny that the most famous Chinese basketball player wasn't

240
00:13:12,480 --> 00:13:15,679
Speaker 1: only because I think he was the first to go Sure. Yeah,

241
00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:20,920
Speaker 1: if it could have been a five eleven guard handle

242
00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:23,840
Speaker 1: the ball like Iverson would have been great part of

243
00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:27,480
Speaker 1: this collection. By the way, Um, they're the steps basketball

244
00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:31,120
Speaker 1: shoes have been kind of repurposed. The design essentially into

245
00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:34,040
Speaker 1: golf shoes. Um. I think it's a smart move. I

246
00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:38,440
Speaker 1: mean using probably under omer's most important sports endorser. Yeah,

247
00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:40,679
Speaker 1: outside of maybe the Rock, but he's, you know, athlete,

248
00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:43,440
Speaker 1: you can use maybe loosely there, Um, but yeah, using

249
00:13:43,520 --> 00:13:46,400
Speaker 1: him to sell something beyond just the sport that he plays.

250
00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:48,760
Speaker 1: I think it's a smart move. Just justin kiss Dwayne

251
00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:50,960
Speaker 1: is a just in casey's a listener, I am going

252
00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:53,360
Speaker 1: to disagree with your loosely there. That That was Evan

253
00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:56,040
Speaker 1: Novie Williams who contended that you could loosely use the

254
00:13:56,080 --> 00:14:00,360
Speaker 1: Rock as an athlete playing falls football at Miami. Foot

255
00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:04,000
Speaker 1: wrestlers are athletes. Sure, he does his own stunts. Let

256
00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:06,680
Speaker 1: me see you do that. Mr fly Rock, if you're listening,

257
00:14:07,280 --> 00:14:10,680
Speaker 1: I don't think you're an athlete. Come at me. Okay,

258
00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:15,520
Speaker 1: So when Mr Rock, I have nothing to do with this. Uh.

259
00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:19,160
Speaker 1: This is the Bloomberg Business of Sports podcast Michael barn

260
00:14:19,160 --> 00:14:21,680
Speaker 1: along with Scott sash Nick and Evan W. Williams. We're

261
00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:24,280
Speaker 1: here each and every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday exploring the

262
00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:25,960
Speaker 1: world of money in sports. Join us again at the

263
00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:27,720
Speaker 1: end of the week when we speak with former US

264
00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:30,840
Speaker 1: soccer player Christine Lily. You're listening to Bloomberg Business of

265
00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:35,680
Speaker 1: Sports on Bloomberg Radio around the world and online wherever

266
00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:37,000
Speaker 1: you get your podcasts.