Sports Business Journal — July 11, 2022

JULY 11-17, 2022
VOLUME 25 ISSUE 14 • $10.95

CHAMPIONS 2022

Still In
The Game

Leigh Steinberg has overcome demons in his personal life
and shown he remains a force in sports and society.

PAGEs 18-23

Where college sports Ourand: How media High-tech glass hoops Friction for a
goes next after another execs are handling court offers added frictionless brand: The
coverage of LIV Golf revenue potential murky future of Clear
wave of realignment
PAGE 12 PAGE 14 PAGE 16
PAGE 6

RECOGNIZING THE

NEW WAVE

OF LEADERS

NOMINATIONS FOR CELEBRATION
CLASS OF 2022 OF HONOREES

Open now until Sunday, Will be held on November 16th
August 7th at 11:59 PM ET. in NY at the Marquee Nightclub.

For more information and to nominate, visit www.sbjnewvoicesunder30.com

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STATE OF PLAY

Finishing
Kick

The first season of the
reborn USFL wrapped up
with the Birmingham
Stallions defeating the
Philadelphia Stars 33-30 in
Canton, Ohio, on July 3.
Given that neither the
Alliance of American
Football (in 2019) nor the
second edition of the XFL
(2020) made it to a
championship game in
their inaugural seasons,
crowning a champion in
Year 1 made the USFL a
spring football success,
but the game also scored
on television. Fox drew an
average of just under 1.52
million viewers, the most
for the league since its
opening weekend in April
and, though it was in a
different time window,
more than the NHL’s
Winter Classic (1.36
million on TNT) or the top
Premier League match in
the U.S. (1.4 million for a
Chelsea-Liverpool game
last summer on NBC).

YOU’RE HIRED GAME TIME MONEY TALKS

The San Jose Sharks named MIKE Not a
GRIER general manager, making sport says
the person
him the first Black man to hold about to
that position for an NHL team. watch 17
games of
NBA 2K released the cover athletes for its 2023 edition: Drew Lock
DEVIN BOOKER of the Phoenix Suns, DIANA TAURASI and SUE BIRD at QB.

(WNBA edition) and MICHAEL JORDAN (special edition) — Tweet from the official U.S. Open tennis
account (@usopen), calling out a Seahawks
Getty Images (2); Courtesy of Showtime; Courtesy of NBA2K (3) DONUTS COMING ATTRACTIONS fan who disparaged tennis; the tweet then

Dunkin’ Donuts joined the “NYC POINT went viral with over 80,000 likes
roster of sponsors for 3ICE, GODS,”
a 3-on-3 hockey league that a J U LY 11-17, 2022 | 3

debuted earlier this year. documentary
by executive
THE METER
producers
COFFEE Kevin Durant

Black Rifle Coffee and the and Rich
Dallas Cowboys announced Kleiman,
a new sponsorship deal less debuts on
than 24 hours after another Showtime on
July 29
mass shooting in the U.S.

W W W . S P O R T S B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L . C O M

FORUM Stories of the year (so far!)

ABRAHAM MADKOUR M Y TOP sports business stories half- lion capital raise in February. Look for in-
way through 2022: vestments in marketing, sports betting, NFTs
PUBLISHER AND and youth development. Players hope to get
EXECUTIVE EDITOR FORE! I facilitated a discussion with 25 top a share in the form of larger salaries. There The entire contents
sports executives over dinner recently, and were positive investments in the NWSL and of this magazine are
THIS WEEK the most debated topic was the impact of LIV women’s hockey, but everyone is watching copyrighted by Street &
MEDIA Golf. LIV Golf versus the PGA Tour has all to see if the WNBA’s healthy raise truly am- Smith’s Sports Business
the ingredients to be one of the biggest sports plifies — and globalizes — the game. Journal 2022 with all rights
8 LOOKING LIVE business stories of the year: massive amounts reserved. Street & Smith’s
Live-event programming of money, huge egos and geopolitics. Many  ATHLETES DRAWN INTO POLITICAL GAMES- is a registered trademark
dominated the most- felt LIV Golf was done when a number of golf- MANSHIP: This is complicated and I’m uncertain of Leaders Group Holdings
viewed telecasts for the ers pledged allegiance to the PGA Tour in of the long-term impact, but we should all be LLC. Reproduction or use,
first half of the year. February, and when Sean Bratches resigned concerned if athletes are used as collateral or without permission, of
in May. But as one source kept telling me, “This negotiating tools in global politics. Many feel editorial or graphic content
By Austin Karp will get momentum because the money is just Russia wrongfully detained Brittney Griner in any manner is prohibited.
too damn big.” That is proving right — for as the country was facing global sanctions for Street & Smith’s Sports
DATA now — and the industry is watching. Stories invading Ukraine. Last week, she pleaded Business Journal (ISSN-
10 R EAD THE SIGNS about LIV Golf are the most read on our web- guilty to carrying cannabis oil and could face 1098-5972) publishes up
site, as the industry is intrigued with compe- a long prison sentence. The All-England Club to 49 print or digital issues
New MLB partners Dairy tition, and — whether you agree or not — any banned Russian and Belarusian players from each year, for $325 a year
Queen and Cue Health sense of innovation. Continue to watch if there Wimbledon because of Russia’s invasion. by Street & Smith’s Sports
go virtual with field-level is a profitable business model for LIV Golf, if Those could be arbitrary reactions and/or a Business Journal, at 120
signage opportunities. any brands support it and how much further frightening new reality of athletes as political West Morehead Street, Suite
By Derick Moss this divides the pro golf community. pawns. This is worth watching as it’s far dif- 310, Charlotte, NC 28202.
ferent than sports leagues and athletes making In Canada $390 per year,
LABOR  IN A BIG COUNTRY: The shocking moves by political decisions based on their values. includes GST and all other
13 G ROWING UP USC and UCLA to the Big Ten put college sports countries $504, includes
on a fast track to two super conferences as the ALSOWORTHNOTING: MLS’s deal with Apple a one-year subscription
TOGETHER growing disparity between non-“Power Two” could be an industry changer, but it’s too early and expedited air delivery
Hall of Fame QB Warren schools will reshape the map of college sports to tell. … F1 continues its surge in U.S., but (GST#139794580).
Moon and agent for the next few decades. Big Ten Commis- remains a niche in this country. … MLB and Periodicals postage paid at
Leigh Steinberg share sioner Kevin Warren also emerged as an the MLBPA reached a deal after a 99-day lock- Charlotte, NC, and additional
a decades-long influential power broker who seized an op- out, but the same issues and distrust will re- mailing offices. Street &
relationship. portunity by out-maneuvering his Alliance turn at the end of this short, five-year deal. … Smith’s Sports Business
allies. All of this, including the Big 12’s sur- The massive contracts for NFL on-air talent Journal is a publication of
By Liz Mullen prising hire of new Commissioner Brett Yor- went against conventional wisdom and proved Leaders Group Holdings
mark, comes as NIL threatens competitive that TV networks will invest in a league that LLC. Street & Smith’s Sports
MARKETING integrity, college sports transforms its gover- commands the highest rights fee. … As the Business Journal is an equal
15 NEW CHAPTER nance and the NCAA, whatever that will be, long-term prospects for RSNs look dismal, Bally opportunity employer.
searches for a new president. Buckle up. There Sports is betting on a direct-to-consumer of-
As Paul Archey takes is clearly turbulence ahead. fering that could determine the road ahead POSTMASTER: Please
over as president, JMI for teams looking to maintain healthy media send address changes
Sports looks for oppor-  RECESSION PROOF: Chelsea was sold to a revenue from their local markets. to Street & Smith’s
tunities in the college group led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Sports Business Journal —
space and beyond. Capital Group for $3.1 billion; the Denver Bron-  QUOTE OF 2022 SO FAR: Subscriber Services,
By Michael Smith cos were sold to a group led by Rob Walton “It is the tour’s obnoxious greed that P.O. Box 36637,
for $4.65 billion. Both broke the record for a Charlotte, NC 28236-6637.
OPINION team sale price. The two deals, while different has really opened the door If the Post Office alerts
24 HONOR HISTORY assets with different financial models, show for opportunities elsewhere.” us that your magazine is
tremendous demand for franchise acquisition Consider the implications of Phil Mickel- undeliverable, we have no
American sports teams in the face of economic headwinds, and they son’s criticism of the PGA Tour before the further obligation unless we
and leagues can take indicate no concern over future revenue Saudi International in February. It exposed receive a corrected address
a page from Australia’s streams or growth prospects. In addition, the his distrust of the tour, fueled division among within 3 months.
honoring of indigenous quality of the buyers shows that owning a team players, established a narrative to join LIV
culture. is not just good business, but a high-profile, Golf, amplified questions about athlete market- FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE CALL
By Rick Burton and prestigious business, which will only help lure ing rights, and was a precursor to Mickelson’s 1-800-829-9839
Norm O’Reilly other mega-billionaire bidders in the future. comments to author Alan Shipnuck, which
cost him endorsements and goodwill. Hard to For article reprints, please
OPINION. . . . . . . . . . 24 remember a quote having such force. contact celebrate@
CLOSING SHOT. . . . 26 sportsbusinessjournal.com
Abraham Madkour can be reached or call customer service at
Cover image by Richard Rafferty at [email protected]. 1-800-829-9839.

4 | J U LY 11-17, 2022  THE WNBA’S SUPPORT SYSTEM: Women’s
sports have seen an influx of interest in 2022,
none more evident than the WNBA’s $75 mil-

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upfront

Five of the top 10
schools in average
college football
attendance in 2021 were
in the SEC, and that
doesn’t even include
Florida, where the Gators
regularly pack in fans in
Gainesville. Four more
of the top 10 were in the
Big Ten.

P2 ... or not P2? wealth and influence to dictate the next iteration of college sports.
After another round of realignment, with more maybe to come, Will it look like the NFL, with an AFC and NFC? Will college

here’s where each Power Five conference stands. BY MICHAEL SMITH football break away into its own unique entity? Just how bold
C do the SEC and Big Ten want to get? With Southern California
ONFERENCE REALIGNMENT and consolidation has and UCLA leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten, and Oklahoma
become woven into the summer offseason like and Texas exiting the Big 12 for the SEC in the coming years,
fireworks on the Fourth of July, as schools look the consolidation of power has successfully re-engineered the
P5 landscape.
to climb the college hierarchy in the relentless
How did the enterprise arrive here? Just look at the TV view-
pursuit of more money and stature. What remains is the torn ership and attendance numbers from the 2021 season. Eleven
of the top 12 schools in college football attendance came from
fabric of college athletics, at least until a new one is formed. the SEC and the Big Ten. The other one: Texas.

In this case, the new fabric is a consolidation of the Power Five When the Big Ten and SEC were playing, fans were watching.
The most-watched game of each week involved an SEC or Big
conferences into the Power Two — the Big Ten and the SEC Ten team. Of the top 10 most-watched regular-season games,
eight were SEC or Big Ten games.
— driven by their ability to generate more revenue from their
The P2 already dominated college football. Their expansion
media rights and massive stadiums that serve millions of fans. merely fortified their position.

Industry insiders project that schools in those two conferenc- Given the events of the past two weeks, what follows is a Getty Images
conference-by-conference glance at the far-reaching impact on
es could be making double what their counterparts in the ACC, those in the Power Five, Notre Dame and the Group of Five.

Big 12 and Pac-12 will make in future years.

It’s those 32 schools, 16 each in the Big Ten and SEC, with the

6 | J U LY 11-17, 2022 WWW.SPORTSBUSINESSJOURNAL.COM

SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL

HIGHEST AVERAGE COLLEGE FOOTBALL MOST-WATCHED COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAMES DURING 2021 SEASON
ATTENDANCE DURING 2021 SEASON
Excludes conference championships, bowls, playoffs and CFP title game

RANK SCHOOL AVERAGE ATTENDANCE RANK TELECAST DATE NETWORK START (ET) VIEWERS (000s)
1 Michigan 108,763
1 Ohio State-Michigan 11/27 Fox 12:15 p.m. 15,893

2 Penn State 106,799 2 Alabama-Auburn 11/27 CBS 3:31 p.m. 10,369

3 Texas A&M 102,883 3 Michigan-Michigan State 10/30 Fox 12:06 p.m. 9,289

4 Alabama 98,720 4 Georgia-Clemson 9/4 ABC 7:37 p.m. 8,863

5 Ohio State 96,756 5 Alabama-Texas A&M 10/9 CBS 8:00 p.m. 8,334

6 LSU 94,808 6 Alabama-Florida 9/18 CBS 3:30 p.m. 7,863

7 Georgia 92,746 7 Notre Dame-Florida State 9/5 ABC 7:38 p.m. 7,751

8 Texas 91,939 8 Oregon-Ohio State 9/11 Fox 12:06 p.m. 7,730

9 Tennessee 86,386 9 Auburn-Penn State 9/18 ABC 7:37 p.m. 7,606

10 Nebraska 86,173 10 Navy-Army 12/12 CBS 2:54 p.m. 7,575

Getty Images ACC The 32 future schools in the SEC and Big Ten regularly Notre Dame
win the title, taken this year by Georgia over Alabama.
THE ACC has two primary objectives in this round of THE FIGHTING IRISH have three clear choices to
realignment: Pac-12 consider.

First, it must keep its membership together. Blue- COMMISSIONER GEORGE KLIAVKOFF’S first objective One, they can stay put as an independent in football
chip brands like Clemson, Florida State, Miami and is to hold the remaining 10 schools together. The and a member of the ACC in other sports. Notre Dame
North Carolina will obviously be intrigued by the best news so far is that the Big Ten doesn’t appear has always fiercely protected its status as an inde-
prospects of membership in the Big Ten or SEC if an to be in further expansion mode — Notre Dame being pendent, but clinging to that now comes with risk.
opportunity arises. For now, the league’s grant of the obvious exception. If the Big Ten is not an option
media rights seems to be doing its job. and the Big 12 is the best landing spot for blue-chip- Will the Irish fall well behind financially if they
pers Oregon, Stanford or Washington, is it really don’t join one of the P2 conferences? Will they enjoy
Second, can the conference use this opportunity worthwhile to make that move when they could just the same access to the playoff ? And, at what cost will
to reopen its media rights contract with its partner, stay together and possibly add two new schools? Notre Dame pay if it spurns the Big Ten and SEC?
ESPN? The ACC is locked into a long-term contract
that undervalues the league and runs out in 2035-36. If the Pac-12 schools can stay together — they’ve Two, the Irish can join one of the P2 leagues and
That’s a long time to continue losing ground in the made that pledge to one another, whatever that’s secure their financial future. There’s a high degree
revenue race. worth these days — Kliavkoff has the authority to of clout and relevance that now comes with that
move forward with expansion. That could target membership.
Some type of partnership with the Pac-12 has been Boise State, San Diego State or possibly SMU, if
discussed as a means to create a new negotiating op- the league is looking for a Texas connection. Three, Notre Dame could join the ACC as a full
portunity for more money, but sources around the member, including football, and potentially secure
ACC are dubious of jumping into bed with a confer- SEC the ACC’s financial future. The Irish’s contract with
ence on the opposite coast that’s scrambling after the ACC supposedly requires them to join the ACC
losing its two L.A. schools. THE BIG TEN’S expansion creates an interesting game if they ever decide to join a conference in football.
of chicken. Both conferences sit at 16 schools. The
Big 12 best brands have already been plucked from the Big At this stage, Notre Dame probably has as many
12 and Pac-12. All that’s left to plunder is the ACC, options as anyone.
THE BIG 12 knows just how the Pac-12 feels. It was which has that pesky grant of rights to navigate.
blindsided almost a year ago when Oklahoma and Group of Five
Texas decided to leave and join the SEC. The remedy There doesn’t seem to be an obvious next move,
was to react quickly and add four new schools, which except for adding Notre Dame. But sitting still opens CONFERENCE EXPANSION and realignment always
provided some stability in numbers and something up further risk. has a trickle-down effect. The impact was abun-
for Big 12 schools to look forward to in their world dant last year after Oklahoma and Texas made
after the Sooners and Longhorns. their moves.

The conference is not necessarily compelled to make The Big 12 had to backfill with four schools from
a move now, but this could be a time to be opportu- outside of the Power Five, which triggered chang-
nistic and seize Pac-12 schools looking to leave. That es in the AAC, Conference USA and Sun Belt.
would bolster the Big 12’s negotiating position when
new Commissioner Brett Yormark takes the league This time, it appears that the Mountain West could
back to the negotiating table with ESPN and Fox. feel the brunt of realignment, especially if two of
its marquee schools get an offer from the Pac-12.
Big Ten Boise State and San Diego State are mentioned most
prominently as potential targets if the conference
THE ADDITION of UCLA and USC, just as the confer- expands to replace UCLA and USC. Memphis and
ence was finalizing its new media rights deal with SMU could be other G5 options for the Pac-12.
Fox and other companies, was a shrewd move by
Commissioner Kevin Warren, whose timing could Peer pressure
not have been better.
EACH SUMMER provides reminders of what retired
The Big Ten’s contract with Fox, like most media Duke AD Kevin White said about realignment: What
deals, contains a composition clause that accounts happens in athletics isn’t unlike what happens
for any membership changes. But this isn’t just any across campus. Schools are aspirational.
membership change; this is USC and UCLA, and that
has to alter the value proposition. In the academic and endowment world, Duke
wants to be Stanford, Stanford wants to be Princ-
eton and Princeton wants to be Harvard.

Their sports teams are no different.

W W W . S P O R T S B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L . C O M J U LY 11-17, 2022 | 7

UPFRONT

Live-event programming continues to dominate

BY AUSTIN KARP MOST-WATCHED TELECASTS FOR 2022 THROUGH JUNE

O NETWORK(S) DATE TELECAST VIEWERS (000S)

NLY 12 TELECASTS from the 1 NBC 2/13 Super Bowl LVI: Rams-Bengals 110,400 NFL
second quarter cracked 1/30
2022’s list of top 50 shows, 2 Fox 1/30 NFC Championship: Rams-49ers 50,225 50%
1/23
with Day 1 of hearings from the House 3 CBS AFC Championship: Chiefs-Bengals 47,851 25
1/16 telecasts
select committee investigating the 4 CBS AFC Divisional Playoff: Chiefs-Bills 42,736
1/23 OTHER
Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol taking the 5 CBS/ 1/22 NFC Wild Card: 49ers-Cowboys 41,496
Nickelodeon 16%
top spot for the quarter and No. 19
6 NBC NFC Divisional Playoff: Buccaneers-Rams 39,880 8 telecasts
year-to-date with 19.4 million viewers. 36,923
7 Fox NFC Divisional Playoff: Packers-49ers OLYMPICS
The North Carolina-Duke Final Four State of the Union 34,646
(President Biden address) 14%
game was the most-watched sports 8 Multiple 3/1 AFC Divisional Playoff: Titans-Bengals 30,752
30,373 7
event of the quarter, placing at No. 25 9 CBS 1/22 NFC Wild Card: Buccaneers-Eagles 30,185 telecasts
10 Fox 1/16 28,910
for the year with 18.5 million viewers. 11 NBC 1/16 AFC Wild Card: Chiefs-Steelers 26,786 NBA
12 NBC 1/15 26,373
The reason so few second-quarter 13 Fox 1/2 AFC Wild Card: Bengals-Raiders 12%
14 CBS 1/15 24,000
sports events made the list: the lack NFL: Cardinals-Cowboys 6 telecasts

of NFL games, which continue to AFC Wild Card: Bills-Patriots CBB
Beijing Olympics: Night 11
dominate the top of the list. Second- (after Super Bowl) 8%

quarter telecasts like the final round 4 telecasts

of the Masters, the first round of the 15 NBC/USA 2/13 Note:
Telecasts
NFL Draft and the Grammy Awards are English-
only; list
were among the broadcasts just miss- 16 ABC/ESPN/ 1/17 NFC Wild Card: Rams-Cardinals 23,020 excludes
ESPN2 any
ing the top 50. CFP Championship Game: 22,563 syndicated
ESPN/ESPN2/ Georgia-Alabama programs
The five non-sports telecasts on the 17 ESPNU 1/10 NFL: Cowboys-Eagles 20,207 or pregame
19,400 shows.
list to date are President Joe Biden’s 18 ABC/ESPN 1/8 Jan. 6 House committee hearings: Day 1 19,310 Source:
19,200 Sports
State of the Union, two telecasts from NFL: 49ers-Rams 19,098 Business
18,769 Journal
the Jan. 6 committee, the Academy 19 Multiple 6/9 “Sunday Night Football”: Vikings-Packers research
18,600
Awards, and an episode of “60 Minutes” 20 Fox 1/9 NFL: Chiefs-Broncos
18,500
that aired after a big audience for the 21 NBC 1/2 NFL: (singleheader)
“Sunday Night Football”: 18,100
San Francisco 49ers-Dallas Cowboys 22 ABC/ESPN 1/8 Chargers-Raiders
NCAA Tournament: Final Four: 16,859
NFC Wild Card game. Among the tele- 23 CBS 1/2 North Carolina-Duke 16,631
NCAA Basketball Championship: 16,623
casts bumped off the list were four Kansas-North Carolina 16,000
NFL: Steelers-Ravens 14,817
nights from the Beijing Winter Olym- 24 NBC 1/9 14,400
Rose Bowl: Ohio State-Utah 14,167
pics on NBC — though seven Winter 25 TBS/TNT/ 4/2 13,993
truTV 4/4 Academy Awards 13,784
Olympic nights remain in the top 50. 1/9 13,700
Kentucky Derby (race segment) 13,600
Overall, the list continues to show 26 TBS/TNT/
truTV NFL: (regional) 13,584
the importance of live-event program-
Beijing Olympics: Opening Ceremony 13,256
ming to TV networks. Sports continues 27 CBS
NFL: (regional) 13,200
to occupy 45 of the 50 most-watched 28 ESPN/ESPN2 1/1 13,200
NBA Finals: Warriors-Celtics: Game 6 13,016
telecasts on TV through the first half 29 ABC 3/27
NFL: (regional) 12,200
of the year, which is the same figure 30 NBC 5/7
Beijing Olympics: Night 4 12,063
that sports held after the first quarter. 31 Fox 1/2 12,000
Beijing Olympics: Night 3 11,911
Among the sports telecasts making NCAA Tournament: Elite Eight: 11,902
North Carolina-Saint Peter’s 11,523
their way into the top 50 during the 32 NBC 2/4 “Monday Night Football”: 11,500
Browns-Steelers 11,291
second quarter: the NBA Finals, NCAA 33 CBS 1/9 Beijing Olympics: Night 8

Men’s Basketball Final Four and Cham- 34 ABC 6/16 Jan. 6 House Committee Hearings: Day 6

pionship, and the Kentucky Derby. 35 Fox 1/9 NBA Finals: Warriors-Celtics: Game 5
NCAA Tournament: Final Four:
36 NBC/USA 2/6 Kansas-Villanova
NBA Finals: Warriors-Celtics: Game 4
37 NBC/USA 2/5
Beijing Olympics: Night 7
38 CBS 3/26
NBA Finals: Warriors-Celtics: Game 2
39 ESPN/ESPN2 1/3
NBA Finals: Warriors-Celtics: Game 1
40 NBC/USA 2/10
6/28 NBA Finals: Warriors-Celtics: Game 3
41 Multiple 6/13
Beijing Olympics: Night 5
42 ABC 4/2
“60 Minutes”
43 TBS/TNT/ 6/10
truTV 2/9
6/5
44 ABC 6/2
6/8
45 NBC/USA 2/7
1/16
46 ABC

47 ABC/ESPN2

48 ABC Getty Images

The first hearing on the Jan. 6 Capitol 49 NBC/USA
attack drew 19.4 million viewers.
50 CBS

8 | J U LY 11-17, 2022 WWW.SPORTSBUSINESSJOURNAL.COM

SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL

 The toll in Ukraine on the esports industry has included lost partners, new
obstacles and human resource challenges as employees suffer emotional stress.

War’s toll in Ukraine A REGION DISSOLVES gov lamented. “Their loss was con-
includes esports, creates sidered ours. Now, the concept of CIS
entertainment challenges THAT FEBRUARY DAY was the start of Esports is dead. Someone may be try-
T the dismantling of esports in Eastern ing to revive and apply it, but this only
HE WAR IN UKRAINE has had a selling media rights for streams and Europe and Russia, just one sector causes insult.”
profound effect around the content. harmed as Ukraine’s economy has
world, even at times disrupt- shrunk almost 45% per World Bank. As it stands, WePlay has continued
WePlay has been a major tourna- The unity they once shared in busi- its operations in the attempt to give
ing where people turn to escape the ment organizer, producing events such ness and competition would be torn the world a place to be entertained
as the Dota 2 WePlay AniMajor (2021) apart. What people knew CIS Esports and find somewhere they can forget
realities of conflict — esports and and the WePlay Academy League (Russia and Eastern Europe) to mean about the atrocities taking place in
(Counter-Strike: Global Offensive), went through a drastic change. Many Ukraine. WePlay employees who were
video games. But when war comes to while also providing language support teams, like Gambit Esports (then the forced from their homes due to the
for streams in Ukrainian and Russian. No. 2-ranked CS:GO team in the war have now shifted to remote work.
the doorstep of those who provide that world), were banned from competition The office in Kyiv has been shut down
And it was during one such event due to its players being Russian. for now and moved to a temporary
entertainment, what happens next? when the thoughts of war in Ukraine office in Ivano-Frankivsk, located in
became the reality. The war had thrown CIS Esports Western Ukraine.
“ Yo u b e c o m e into turmoil. Organizations based in
“On Feb. 24, part of the WePlay Russia, such as Virtus.Pro and Gam- WePlay has an office in Los Angeles
stronger and try to Esports team, including myself, were bit, were looking at a huge potential as well and is operating normally there.
on a work trip in Dubai, at the Gamers loss in competition and sponsorship
do more.” Galaxy: Dota 2 Invitational Series Dubai revenue. But the esports community THE HUMAN COST
2022. Like many, we found out that the did its best to “do more.”
Those are the war had started from our relatives who THE WAR HAS TAKEN its toll on employ-
were in Ukraine at the time,” Bilonogov “A number of esports organizations ees. Bilonogov has noticed, and right-
words of Maksym said. “There was fear for my loved ones, that are sponsored by the Russian gov- ly so he said, a “sharp deterioration”
anger at what happened, confusion and ernment or Russian corporations are in their emotional state. The com-
BY KEVIN HITT, Bilonogov, the chief apathy. The worst thing was the under- prohibited from participating in inter- pany is doing its best to help those
standing that, at that moment, you were national tournaments,” Bilonogov said. who need emotional support.
THE ESPORTS visionary officer and not near your nearest and dearest and “However, if the organizer permits,
OBSERVER general producer at were unable to help them in any way.” players can participate in competitions “Many employees experienced a
WePlay Esports, a individually under a neutral tag.” sharp deterioration in their emotion-
al state during the war. To help them
tournament operator But it wasn’t just the teams them- in some way, WePlay Holding has
selves that were being left out. WePlay launched regular online meetings
and organizer based in Kyiv, Ukraine. also suffered, as it had to terminate with a psychologist, during which
contracts and stop any cooperation employees can share their experi-
WePlay Esports operates under the with companies or individuals under ences and get professional help,” Bi-
economic sanctions from the inter- lonogov said. “Our managers
umbrella of the WePlay Esports Media national community. regularly conduct online surveys to
understand what kind of help employ-
Oleksii Nogin Holding Co., which provides services “Most international companies, not ees need.”
only esports ones, left Russia and Be-
for integrating brands into tourna- larus, and also terminated partner- And sadly, some have heard the call
ship agreements with Russian to war and have left to fight for the
ment broadcasts and creating brand- companies,” Bilonogov said. “WePlay country they call home, not knowing
Holding also terminated cooperation if they will return.
ed content and shows, as well as with all companies and contractors
from the Russian Federation and the Gaming and esports may be enter-
Republic of Belarus. Instead, we tainment, but they provided necessary
kicked off making Ukrainian-lan- diversions during the tough times of
guage broadcasts. Currently, the team the COVID-19 pandemic. They’re still
is working on Season 4 of the WePlay doing so during the war in Ukraine.
Academy League, our CS:GO tourna- WePlay has taken extraordinary mea-
ment for up-and-coming esports play- sures in continuing its mission of pro-
ers. It was founded long before the war, viding an outlet for those that need it.
in 2021, and now the war cannot stop
us from doing more.” “The war in Ukraine has been going
on for months,” Bilonogov said. “Until
And while WePlay is trying to bring Feb. 24, active hostilities in some re-
some sort of normalcy to esports in gions of Ukraine have been going on
Eastern Europe, Bilonogov believes for eight years. We Ukrainians under-
the CIS Esports landscape has been stand everyone who says they are tired
changed forever. of war. We have to admit that we are
also tired. Each of us wants to hear that
“Now, dramatic changes are taking the war is over and go back to building
place in esports in Eastern Europe," our future at home as soon as possible.
he said. "Previously, you have prob-
ably heard about something called “However, we are not ready to hear
‘CIS Esports,’ which meant some sort these words if what we have to do in
of mix between the esports communi- return is consent to the occupation
ties of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, etc. of our lands and people — we cannot
Our victory was their victory,” Bilono- betray those who gave their lives for
our freedom and independence.”

W W W . S P O R T S B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L . C O M J U LY 11-17, 2022 | 9

UPFRONT

MLB SIGNAGE
REPORT

Most Teams Deals
29
Brand 23
StubHub 23
State Farm 21
Hankook Tire* 21
Geico* 20
Progressive 19
Coca-Cola 19
A-B InBev* 18
New Era 17
Fanatics
Toyota

* Indicates MLB league sponsor

Entering Brands

Brand Deals

Dairy Queen* 10

Cue Health* 9

Amtrak 6

New MLB partners going virtual with John Deere 6

ANC Sports 5

field-level signage opportunities He Gets Us 4

Pixel Vault 4

F IELD-LEVEL LED SIGNAGE was Cremily 3
approved for MLB teams this
season, and first-year league Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers and those new brands is the faith project Take 5 Oil Change 3
Washington Nationals and on the “He Gets Us,” a $100 million Christian
“kickplate” for the Detroit Tigers. (A national advertising campaign that WIN Reality 3
kickplate is the padded bottom edge Christianity Today called the largest
partners Dairy Queen and Cue Health of the backstop.) in history. Michigan-based agency * Indicates MLB league sponsor
Haven is managing the campaign, Note: Brands that did not have an instance of sig-
have taken full advantage. For both The Tigers also sold that location which is funded by a group of donors nage in the 2021 season, with how many team
to team sponsor PointsBet as teams from the faith-based nonprofit The deals they have in 2022.
brands, every instance of TV-visible continue to increase opportunities for Servant Foundation. The campaign
TV-visible assets. Several teams are has signage with the Texas Rangers,
signage has been vir- selling the “upper home plate” area St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pi- Top Growing Brands
— signage either in the stairwell of rates and Chicago White Sox after
tual — Dairy Queen has the bottom rows or in the walls of the signing its first-ever sports deal with Brand Deals Change
camera well — that are captured dur- the Minnesota Wild in 2021.
10 deals, all for home- ing player walkups to the plate and
as they step out of the batter’s box. Newcomer Pixel Vault is a well-
plate rotational LED, funded Web3 startup that is building BetMGM* 15 +9
In total, there are 89 new brands a giant warehouse for NFT superhe-
BY DERICK while Cue positions its with MLB season signage this season roes that it hopes will rival Marvel or Corona * 14 +9
MOSS logo behind the plate, on across 261 separate deals. Among
the back side of the Disney. The tech brand has Mastercard* 13 +7
LED field-level signage with
SBJ ATLAS mound and on giant cen- the Red Sox, Astros, Angels Camping World* 8 +6
and Pirates this season. Pixel
terfield LED boards in Vault signed with WME last Adobe* 6 +5
year, and in May the brand
Seattle and Cincinnati, according to hired Tzvi Twersky, former * Indicates MLB league sponsor
sports marketing lead at Tik- Note: These are brand sponsors that have ex-
Nielsen data analyzed by SBJ Atlas. Tok and CMO of the Mamba panded their existing MLB portfolio by the most
Sports Academy, to run its team deals, with number of total deals in 2022
MLB teams are averaging nearly sports business. and number added since 2021.

30 different partners in their Look for more sponsor-

home-plate signage rotation, ship and sports marketing Declining Brands

which can be both virtual and insights at

static images. Signage com- www.sbjatlas.com. Brand Deals Change

pany ANC, which worked with Blue-Emu 0 -14

the New York Mets to develop Old Dominion
Freight
the league’s first LED signage 1 -13

behind home plate this season, Protiviti 0 -13

now positions its logo in that Discount Tire 0 -7

spot for the Mets, Kansas City

above: Coca-Cola has 20 team Jersey Mike’s 11 -5 Getty Images (2)
deals throughout MLB.
right: Geico has 21 team deals Note: These are brand sponsors that scaled back
this season and has sponsored their previous MLB portfolio by the most team
MLB since 2018. deals, with number of total deals in 2022 and
how many have lapsed since 2021.
All data as of June 30.

1 0 | J U LY 11-17, 2022 WWW.SPORTSBUSINESSJOURNAL.COM

SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL

THE INSIDERS

MARKETING AND SPONSORSHIP off a 21-point loss to Dallas in the 1972 Super Bowl,

and after two losses in the NFL Championship, he

was developing a reputation as a coach who could

win everything but the title game. The resulting

motivation built a fire under Shula and his squad,

leading them to both the perfect season and con-

secutive Super Bowl titles.

“No one was more motivated than Shula and it

spread,” said Fisher. “He

was Captain Ahab looking

Coach Don Shula for the white whale. He was

made it a mission for on a crusade not just to win
the 1972 team to not
only win the Super a Super Bowl, but to win
Bowl but to win every game, and he created
every game. that motivation in the
team.”

That Dolphins team is

generally thought of as un-

dersized, and even its players didn’t consider them-

selves overly skilled. Repeatedly, Fisher heard them

tell him they weren’t that gifted athletically; they

just made the most of their “limited” skills. “Even

Bob Griese said that,” Fisher recalled. “A lot of

them were smaller and slower than you would ex-

pect an NFL athlete to be, even then, but they were

highly skilled and highly motivated, like Griese.”

There are six Pro Football Hall of Fame players

from that Dolphins team. Many had qualities far

beyond athletic skills: a doctor, lawyer and politi-

cians (Morrall was mayor of Davie, Fla.), and suc-

cessful businessmen came out of that locker room.

Author’s childhood memories of Offensive line coach Monte Clark later became

what was then the youngest coach in the NFL, head-

spectacular undefeated season ing the San Francisco 49ers at 38.

“Especially since I was a fan, I always wondered

whether this just a good team that got lucky or a

inspire book on ’72 Dolphins bunch of great players, but I came away thinking

this was a group of great players who were unusu-

ally intelligent,” Fisher said.

W HEN YOU REVISIT CHILDHOOD institutions, the memory The 1973 Dolphins repeated as Super Bowl champs,
often succumbs to reality: That nursery school play-
ground, recalled as massive, turns out too small to influencer of pop culture, the Dol- but with two losses (one late in the season with
phins’ version of perfection is an
eternally cited measure of quality. nothing at stake), they aren’t as revered. Nonethe-
There are a few others from half a
century ago, like the “Immaculate less, some concede that squad was a better team
Reception,” but none that span the
contain a half-court basketball game. A beloved burger shack of duration of a season. than the perfect Dolphins.

your youth has been razed, supplanted by U.S. Starbucks #15,501. In light of the current political di- “[Running back Larry] Csonka would always
visiveness, it’s often forgotten how
Such was not the case with author Marshall Jon Fisher, who polarized America was then because say ‘only one

grew up in Miami and experienced a of the Vietnam War. team is unde- “When I started
There were crew-cut feated, so the project, I
fan’s ecstasy during the Dolphins Super right wingers in the that’s got to be
Dolphins locker the greatest,’” wondered if it was
Bowl title and undefeated 1972 season, room like QB Earl
Morrall, who saved
an accomplishment unique to the NFL, the season after Bob
Griese’s broken leg
and one of endless fascina- in Game 5, and those said Fisher, just nostalgia on my
of the opposite per- “but he would part, but after all my
tion across sports. suasion, like the po- also admit
litically active tight that they were work, now I know
Thus, Fisher’s just-pub- end Marv Fleming,
who Ebony named
lished work, “Seventeen and the country’s “Most there was something
Eligible Bachelor.” special about this
Oh: Miami, 1972, and the “It was a real mix of politics, but better the next group.”
they put that aside and a lot of that year.”
NFL’s Only Perfect Season.” credit there goes to [head coach] Don
Shula,” said Fisher. Shula was coming Those flaw-
He started the project wonder- less Dolphins

BY TERRY LEFTON ing if he was just propelled will forever be
by fond youthful memories,

one of life’s most compelling an example — unless and until their feat is matched.

forces. Having interviewed Is that even possible is an era of free agency and a

around half of the surviving members of the team, he’s 17-game regular season schedule?

convinced they were unique beyond their record. “It becomes less likely, because they added a game,

“When I started the project, I wondered if it was just so maybe it’ll take another 50 years,” said Fisher.

nostalgia on my part, but after all my work, now I know “The Patriots came close, but we’ve seen 100-plus

there was something special about this group,” said NFL seasons and it’s happened once. That shows

Fisher, who was nine during the Dolphins’ flawless season. “It’s you how unlikely it is.”

AP Images something that stuck with me my whole life and made an impres-

sion; now I realize how lucky I was just to be a fan.” Terry Lefton can be reached at
[email protected].
Even as the NFL has morphed beyond sports into a principal

W W W . S P O R T S B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L . C O M J U LY 11-17, 2022 | 1 1

SPORTS MEDIA Tour “the most credible destination and it has been
for decades,” and doesn’t see that changing anytime
Media execs discuss decision soon.
making on LIV Golf coverage
I HAD JUST FINISHED WATCHING the Orioles blow Executives at the NBC-owned Golf Channel are
a ninth-inning lead on July 1 when I switched course, in Pumpkin Ridge. The LIV tournament taking a similar view. Golf Channel has gone in-
to ESPN to catch the 11 p.m. “SportsCenter.” ended the following day, a day earlier than the PGA depth covering all the controversies surrounding
Tour. And LIV had been the focus of an enormous LIV for months. Last Thursday, Golf Channel’s
homepage had as many as four LIV-related stories
I was not surprised to see golf highlights near amount of controversy all year. — from Rory McIlroy saying that talks between
the PGA Tour and LIV “needs to happen” to Billy
the top of the show, given that LIV Golf’s first U.S. “You take all these things into account and you Horschel describing some golfers playing on the
LIV tour as “hypocrites.”
competition had taken place earlier that Friday in try to make a value judgement to serve the sports
When it comes to LIV’s events, Golf Channel Ex-
Oregon. fans that are coming to the table,” ecutive Producer Molly Solomon said her channel’s
news programs will cover them in the same way
I was more surprised, however, that Williamson said. “There’s another they cover exhibition events.

“SportsCenter” showed several LIV LIV tournament coming up in Bed- “It doesn’t have the same competitive edge and
value of winning that most of our coverage focuses
Golf highlights before going to PGA minster (N.J.), which is obviously on,” she said. “I think a key differentiator is the
Official World Golf Ranking. Until the league re-
Tour highlights from the John Deere closer to the media market of New ceives Official World Golf Ranking points and is
recognized for its competitive nature, it’s more
Classic in Illinois. York City, so I’m sure there will be exhibition than a professional series. We’re going
to evaluate our level of coverage based on that going
Given ESPN’s cozy relationship with heightened interest around that.” forward.”

the PGA Tour — ESPN+ holds tour But what about ESPN’s PGA Tour Golf Channel did not have a lot of day-to-day cov-
erage of LIV’s Oregon event. Solomon said the LIV
rights through 2030 — I asked ESPN relationship? How does that affect tournament finished after Golf Channel’s postgame
show, “Golf Central,” had already ended, which
executives what guidelines they use what — and how many — LIV high- kept coverage at a minimum.

to cover the controversial new league BY JOHN OURAND lights that “SportsCenter” carries? “Every week is going to be different and it’s going
backed by an oppressive Saudi regime. Williamson says his team’s edito- to be an ongoing editorial decision,” Solomon said.
“Every week there’s a LIV event, we’ll consider its
“It’s not an exact science,” said rial decisions are based more on newsworthy value, and that’s going to evolve. We’re
going to ask ourselves if this tournament is relevant
Norby Williamson, ESPN’s executive viewer interests than corporate rela- to golf fans and where does it fit into our postgame
show if there’s been an event.”
vice president of event and studio production and tionships.
LIV Golf does not have any U.S. media deals yet
executive editor. “Ultimately, I’m judged by whether we are in- and does not appear close to striking one. It streamed
its first two tournaments via YouTube, Facebook
On that Friday, LIV’s event featured golfers who creasing audience on ‘SportsCenter’ and digital,” and its own website — a media distribution strat-
egy it plans to continue through this year.
even casual sports fans would recognize. The he said. “I’m paid to have credibility and to serve
Both Williamson and Solomon pointed out their
“SportsCenter” highlights package included shots sports fans in that space and give them the context, networks’ LIV Golf coverage heading into the Or-
egon event.
from Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka, perspective and coverage they want.”
ESPN covered 9/11 family protestors that were
for example. As LIV Golf’s newness wears off, Williamson ex- at Pumpkin Ridge, though not on the 11 p.m.
“SportsCenter” I watched.
It was LIV’s first event on U.S. soil at a notable pects ESPN’s coverage to change. He called the PGA
Williamson also pointed to a feature it ran that
ESPN’s Norby showed Phil Mickelson’s on-course struggles since
Williamson he joined the LIV tour. “Phil Mickelson is a golf
said coverage icon, and we were assessing his performance,” he
of LIV Golf is said. “I don’t look at that as pro-LIV coverage or
“not an exact anti-PGA Tour coverage.”
science,” add-
ing that deci- Solomon said that Golf Channel has spent months
sions are based covering LIV Golf as a “golf news event” and has
on viewer not felt pressure from the PGA Tour regarding its
interests. coverage.

“The tour respects our responsibility to cover
the world of golf, particularly in our news studio
programming,” she said. “The commissioner has
talked about the Saudi-backed series on our news
shows. We haven’t shied away from talking about
LIV Golf in our news programming, and the PGA
Tour has not asked us to.”

John Ourand can be reached at jourand@sports- ESPN Images
businessjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @
Ourand_SBJ, read his weekly newsletter and listen to
his weekly podcast.

1 2 | J U LY 11-17, 2022 WWW.SPORTSBUSINESSJOURNAL.COM

SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL

backs and first-rounders in the NFL, I don’t have

time to take care of him.’ But he did; he didn’t turn

his back on me.”

In fact, their phone calls were so frequent, the

agent and the quarterback were featured in a Pac

Bell commercial in the 1980s.

By 1984, the NFL was interested in Moon playing

quarterback. Because there was no free agency then

and because no NFL club drafted Moon in 1978, no

 Warren Moon asked team held his rights and
Leigh Steinberg to he made history.
speak at his Pro Football
Hall of Fame induction “Warren Moon comes
ceremony in 2006. back in the NFL and he’s
the first absolute free

agent,” Steinberg said.

Back then the USFL was

in business and that league, as well as the NFL and

CFL, were interested in signing Moon. “He set off

a huge frenzy where 12 different teams bid on him.

We took a nationwide tour.”

Moon ended up signing what was then a record

contract with the Houston Oilers — $5.5 million

for five years, most of it guaranteed. And then Moon

proved he did belong in the NFL, as he made the

Pro Bowl nine times and won Offensive Player of

the Year in 1990.

Moon was selected to the Pro Football Hall of

LABOR AND AGENTS Fame in 2006, which Steinberg said was one of the

Warren Moon and highlights of his 47-year career. “He is the only
Leigh Steinberg share a
decades-long friendship African American quarterback to make it in the

Hall of Fame and he asked me to give his present-

ing speech,” Steinberg said. “So there we are after

23 years together and I am introducing him and it

was a pretty profound moment.”

During their long relationship, Moon saw first-

hand Steinberg’s battle with alcoholism. “He did

hit rock bottom and I was there when it happened

and I watched it,” Moon said. After retiring from

M football, Moon went to work for Steinberg as head

ORE THAN 40 YEARS AGO, agent Leigh — and there were 12 rounds at that time. “ of business development, but that’s when Stein-
Steinberg delivered some bad news to That kind of news might end some NFL agent-
his client, quarterback Warren Moon. berg’s drinking really took off. He missed business
player relationships. But for Steinberg and Moon,
it was the beginning of one of the most successful meetings because he was home drinking vodka.
— and historic — partnerships in sports, as well
Moon had just been named MVP of the 1978 Rose as a lifelong friendship. Steinberg tried and failed at least two times to get

Bowl, after leading the University of Washington Steinberg said of all the hundreds of players he’s sober and, although Moon was initially supportive,
represented, he was closest to Moon. “We were like
to an upset victory over Michigan. Despite that, brothers,” he said. “We grew up together.” he ultimately decided that he was going to have to

Steinberg told Moon that NFL teams were not going Moon said, “He was the most important man in walk away from his friend “because it seemed like
my life from when I was 21 years old until I retired.”
to draft him, not as a quarterback anyway. nothing I did or nothing I said made any difference.”
In 1978, the Canadian Football League came call-
“There was a lot of prej- ing because Edmonton Eskimos head coach Hugh For Moon it was especially painful because his
Campbell not only thought Moon could play quar-
udice then when it came to terback, but be great. father died of alcoholism when he was 7 years old.

the so-called thinking posi- Steinberg advised Moon to write down the pros “It was deja vu and he was one of my closest friends
and cons of the NFL versus the CFL. “And when I
tions,” Steinberg recalled. went through the pros and the cons of both, Can- at the time. It was tough for me to walk away from
ada came out ahead and that’s the reason I went
“People had doubts about there,” Moon said. him because I pride myself on being a very loyal

Black quarterbacks.” The decision proved a fruitful one. Moon domi- person, but I felt that was the best thing I could do
nated the CFL, winning five Grey Cups — the CFL’s
Steinberg canvassed the equivalent of the Super Bowl — from 1978 to 1982 for him at that time.”
and was named the Cup MVP twice. He led the league
league and found some in passing yards and touchdowns and was named Steinberg finally did get sober, and when he had
the most outstanding player.
teams might want to draft a year or so of sobriety under his belt, Moon re-
During that time, Steinberg negotiated three CFL
Moon, late, and with a contracts for Moon and kept him motivated. “He sumed the relationship.
didn’t desert me,” Moon said. “Once I went to Can-
catch. “A lot of teams want- ada, he could have said, ‘OK, this guy is going to Now, it’s like the old days — Moon and Steinberg,
Canada, here I am representing all these quarter-
BY LIZ MULLEN ed to change his position. talking about all kinds of things on the phone,

I said to him, ‘Do you want just like in the commercial. They both went to

to change your position?’ Hamilton High School in Los Angeles and were

He said, ‘Never. I was born to play quarterback.’” together when the school unveiled a mural of Moon

Moon remembers Steinberg giving him the news. earlier this year.

“Leigh talked to more teams about me than I did “I am very, very proud of him,” Moon said. “He’s

— because they were not talking to me,” he said. healthy and he’s rebuilt his business and he’s doing

“And his due diligence was telling him that most the things he wants to do.”

teams were not going to draft me as a quarterback,

AP Imgaes but there were some teams that were going to change Liz Mullen can be reached at
[email protected].
my position to defensive back or wide receiver. And Follow her on Twitter @SBJLizMullen.

if I was drafted it would be later, later in the draft

W W W . S P O R T S B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L . C O M J U LY 11-17, 2022 | 1 3

FA C I L I T I E S

LumiFlex glass LED basketball surface
offers lucrative sponsorship opportunities
A
SB GLASSFLOOR’SLumiFlex basketball court
recently received Level 1 Competition ap-
proval from FIBA. That critical step allows

the German company’s court, which combines a

durable glass surface with LED components and

computer software to create a basketball court that

is essentially an oversized monitor, to be used at From graphics to rotating
sponsorship positions,
any world championship overseen by basketball’s ASB Glassfloor’s long-
lasting LumiFlex LED
governing body, including the Olympic Games. glass basketball court
offers numerous new
In late June, the head of the German Bundesliga potential revenue
streams for users. The
Basketball League, Stefan company has its eye on
the U.S. market.
Holz, said that the league
LUCRATIVE OPTIONS
will allow its teams to use
CRYPTO.COM ARENA President Lee Zeidman was
the court for league play in intrigued by the German company’s product. But,
he said, “there would be a whole host of questions
the foreseeable future, I would have before it even got on an NBA radar,”
like what type of sub-surface goes under the glass
though he didn’t give a spe- court, or “what happens if the LED goes out and
you lose the lines on your court?”
cific timeline.
The court doesn’t work atop ice — another Zeidman
And now ASB GlassFloor question — and the price tag for a permanent instal-
lation — low seven figures, though each court is cus-
is turning its attention to tom, so prices vary — is substantially higher than
hardwood courts, which usually run around $250,000.
the lucrative North Ameri-
That said, LumiFlex courts are expected to last
can arena market. Manag- durability. Babinsky, who described himself as a six to seven decades, meaning less maintenance,
glass crusader, said the courts can handle any type more events, and no labor costs related to switching
BY BRET MCCORMICK ing Director Christof of footwear, including high heels; they don’t scratch, out floors, whereas hardwood floors, or pieces of
stain, or mark. Ceramic dots scattered across the them, must be replaced much more often.
Babinsky said the com- surface prevent floor burn from falls.
There is no doubt that the LumiFlex court would
pany is looking for joint “You’ve never changed your windows because be a useful competitive addition to practice facili-
the glass has gone old, you change them because ties for pro and top college teams.
venture partners — strategic and/or financial — to the technology around them has become old,” said
Babinsky, who in 2012 took over the company his Plus, the revenue generation potential from the
launch an American undertaking. The goal is to father, Horst, founded in the 1960s. LED court is immense. Teams could sell sponsorships
on the floor to a handful of companies, changing the
have an office and sales and installation teams in During the past decade, LED has moved beyond sponsor every two minutes, for example. Sponsorship
signboards onto the sides and tops of buildings. messages could be an animation, not just a logo or
place by the middle of 2023. Floors are a natural next progression, though the graphic. Jason Miller, Excel senior vice president
LED had to be equipped to cope with the constant and head of properties, said NBA floor sponsorships
“We’re fully aware that we need a U.S. entity to vibrations of running athletes. could be lucrative; maybe not seven figures themselves,
but certainly part of overall seven-figure packages.
do this full-on,” Babinsky said. “LED, itself, damages when you touch it. That’s Oberlander thought top-tier college teams could po-
a problem,” Babinsky said. “By applying surfaces tentially get six figures from court sponsors.
Babinsky’s goal is for the courts to be used by in front of it, you solve a lot of these things and
that makes it more usable.” A sponsor’s logo could flash onto the court after
the NBA’s teams. An NBA spokesperson said the a made 3-pointer, the exact moment when all eyes
The company’s first video floor was created in in the building are looking at that player on the
league is aware of the product but added nothing 2014 and trialed at a Nike 3-on-3 event in Berlin the court. And thus, the court “becomes your most im-
following year. More 3-on-3 events followed, and the portant advertising real estate that you own as the
beyond that. It would clearly be a big adjustment Harlem Globetrotters played on the court in 2017. host of the game,” Babinsky said.
Urging from interested German pro basketball teams
for the league, which has played on wooden courts nudged FIBA to more closely study the innovation, Bret McCormick can be reached at bmccormick@
and the governing body conducted player interviews sportsbusinessjournal.com.
— mostly maple — for over a century. and surveys last year during a 3-on-3 tournament
in western Germany.
The LED glass courts are worth keeping an eye
No one expects high-level pro basketball leagues
on. They’re very expensive up front, but they last to allow a digital dinosaur to stride across the court
while a game is in progress — as one of ASB Glass-
longer than hardwood floors, perform better, and Floor’s promotional videos shows — but an NBA All-
Star game or overseas exhibition could invite that
reduce labor costs. Their display capabilities gen- kind of experimentation, as could a TV broadcast.

erate seemingly endless fan experience and engage- “It has a ton of life, and I think it’s a really in-
teresting option,” said MKTG Senior Vice President
ment, and advertising and sponsorship Emily Spiegel. “It’s like a lot of things, is it tech
for tech’s sake? We come at it from a brand per-
opportunities. And FIBA’s Level 1 competition ap- spective and our ‘watch outs’ for our clients would
be making sure it enhances and doesn’t take away
proval is the biggest statement yet that there would from the fan experience.”

be no competitive integrity sacrifice in switching

basketball courts from hardwood to glass.

“It’s a pretty remarkable innovation,” said ASM

Global Chief Commercial Officer Jason Ober-

lander, who formerly worked with the NBA han-

dling global sales for what’s now the G League. “I

can’t comment on the quality of the surface as a

playing surface, but from a branding and advertis-

ing perspective, in my experience, traditional courts

have increasingly become beachfront real estate

for brands, so a canvas to paint on and execute from

a brand marketer’s perspective is exciting.” Courtesy ASB GlassFloor

MORE USABLE

MODERN MANUFACTURED GLASS has qualities poorly
understood by the public, including greater flexibil-
ity than hardwood — 1.8 times more flexible, accord-
ing to one of the company’s videos — and more

1 4 | J U LY 11-17, 2022 WWW.SPORTSBUSINESSJOURNAL.COM

SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL

PORTFOLIO COLLEGES

With Archey at the helm, JMI Sports
to write next chapter in college space

P AUL ARCHEY had hit up his JMI SPORTS
longtime friend, Tom Stultz,
for Kentucky basketball tick- LEADERSHIP

ets plenty of times before. This time,  Erik Judson – CEO
 Paul Archey – President,
they came with a catch.
JMI Sports Properties
Stultz was trying to convince his fel-  Kim Shelton – Senior VP,

low native of Greenup, Ky., to leave his College Properties
 Nicole Metzger – Senior
dream job at Major League Baseball
VP, Conferences and
and go to work for a fledg- National Sales
 Nino Vanin – VP, JMI
BY MICHAEL ling multimedia rights Sports Properties
 Laila Brock – VP,
SMITH agency called JMI Sports. Business Development
JMI’s lone college client
PROPERTIES
was Kentucky.
 Clemson
On paper, it was a classic mismatch (sponsorship sales)

— JMI, fighting well above its weight  Columbia
 DePaul
class, against MLB, where Archey had  Georgia

risen to senior vice president of inter- (JV with Learfield)
 Harvard
national business and formed a strong  Kentucky
 Notre Dame
bond with Commissioner Rob Manfred.
(JV with Legends)
“I never thought I’d leave MLB,”  Penn
 Pittsburgh
Archey said.
CONFERENCES
The combination of Stultz’s sales
 Atlantic 10
acumen and the rich Rupp Arena en-  Ivy League
 Mid-American
vironment did a number on Archey,  Mountain West
 Patriot League
who left that night in 2015 thinking,  Southern Conference

“You know what? This could work.” VENUES

Archey accepted the job a few weeks  Rupp Arena,
Lexington, Ky.
later to run the UK property with
 Snapdragon Stadium,
Stultz serving as JMI’s president. San Diego State

It’s seven years later and Archey is ences, the Breeders’ Cup, Penn Relays Some of those opportunities could  The Armory
and Rupp Arena. Notre Dame is a joint
replacing the man who convinced him venture with Legends, while Georgia even come from beyond the borders EVENTS
is a joint venture with Learfield.
to come home to Kentucky. Stultz is of traditional college business.  Breeders’ Cup
Archey’s intention is to continue  Millrose Games
stepping back from the business, and JMI’s growth without sacrificing what Archey believes there could be other  Penn Relays
it calls its boutique white-glove service,
JMI has elevated Archey to president, a phrase Stultz and Judson used repeat- undervalued events, like
edly to win Kentucky’s business.
effective immediately. Stultz is not the Millrose Games or The JMI Sports leadership
“We’re recognizing the need for our Penn Relays, that offer
calling this a full-fledged retirement, company to evolve, to better position potential. team, from left, includes
us for growth down the road and bet- Nino Vanin, Laila
but more of an advisory role after 20 ter serve our clients in a dynamic “Paul has brought a Brock, Nicole Metzger,
college marketplace,” Archey said. Kim Shelton and new
years of working in collegiate multi- “I’ve been really adamant that we need
to take advantage of the expertise we
media rights. have in this company.” great deal of vision, ex- president Paul Archey.

JMI’s CEO, Erik Judson, remains perience and talent to

in his same position. JMI,” Stultz said. “We’ve assembled

With the shift in leadership comes a superb team that’s ready to go to

a restructuring of sorts at the top. the next level. I will miss the day-to-

Archey has formed a leadership team day challenges of building business-

that consists of senior vice presidents es, but I’m excited about the next

Kim Shelton and Nicole Metzger, as well chapter.”

as vice presidents Nino Vanin and Laila

Brock. Metzger will lead national sales.

JMI, whose headquarters has always As Stultz steps back, fond memories of UK success will linger

been in San Diego, will expand its pres-

ence in Lexington, Ky., too, moving into TOM STULTZ’S storied career in collegiate multimedia day-to-day and hand the reins to JMI’s new president,
rights will forever be linked to the University of Ken- Paul Archey. Stultz will be available as a special
a 20,000-square-foot space in the newly tucky. It was there in 2004 that Stultz negotiated a adviser, but mostly he’ll be back in Greenville, S.C.,
landmark 10-year, $80 million deal with the Wildcats for where he’s surrounded by children and grandchildren.
renovated Central Bank Center. Host Communications, the largest of its kind at the time.
Even though he won’t be in Lexington as much,
The restructuring and office expan- Stultz returned to UK a decade later for another Stultz still will bleed blue.
groundbreaking deal, this time with JMI Sports, a
sion for the 50-person company reflect challenger brand new to the college space. The outcome “Tom is among the most influential individuals in
was a 15-year, $210 million deal that took UK’s rights constructing today’s collegiate sports multimedia
the growth JMI has sustained since away from IMG College in a David vs. Goliath style upset. landscape,” CEO Erik Judson said. “Tom has been my
right hand as we launched our multimedia business
entering the college space and winning Stultz, who has overseen JMI’s college properties and helped to grow JMI Sports to where it is now. He is
business for the past decade, will step away from the a giant in this business.” — M.S.
Courtesy of JMI Sports Kentucky’s rights in 2014 with a 15-year

deal worth a staggering $210 million.

JMI now represents 21 properties,

including the likes of Notre Dame and

Georgia to go with Kentucky and Pitts-

burgh in the Power Five, six confer-

W W W . S P O R T S B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L . C O M J U LY 11-17, 2022 | 1 5

PORTFOLIO FACILITIES AND TICKETING

Partly cloudy, with headwinds

While Clear’s tech is well-
respected, the company is
still figuring out where it
fits in the sports world.

BY BRET McCORMICK

C LEAR CEO CARYN SEIDMAN-BECKER

opened her most recent quarterly
earnings call by saying, “At Clear,
we love travel, and we love airports.”

That’s always been true for a com-

pany that was born out of 9/11 and,

since its rebirth in 2010, “derives substantially all of

its revenue from subscriptions to its consumer avia-

tion service, Clear Plus,” according to recent financial

filings.

Clear’s experience in the sports industry has been

much less impactful.

The company, which went public in mid-2021 but

hasn’t been profitable since its relaunch in 2010, spent

the past six years trying to figure out where it fits in

sports with efforts ranging from marketing-based

deployments of express lanes like the ones it’s syn-

onymous with at airports, to helping fans prove their

vaccine status during the past two years of the pan-

demic. Neither is currently capable of sustaining the

company’s sports business long term.

The pandemic years have proved especially turbu-

lent. The company quickly stood up a sports and

entertainment division in early 2021, hiring more

than 50 people, according to sources, including Jerome

Pickett, general manager of sports and entertainment, integration with Venuetize to provide age verification Financial filings indicate it has over $3 million
on mobile ordering of alcohol at LAFC’s Banc of committed to marketing in sports stadiums through
who joined from the NBA where he was an executive California Stadium offers a good example of where 2026. But revenue derived from sports venues, includ-
the company wants to go. ing Health Pass, “historically have been immaterial”
vice president and head of security. to its financial results. The company brought in $254
But it’s still just a trial. million of overall revenue in 2021 but ended the year
Then in less than a year, Clear disassembled the “There is potential for biometric engagement in with a net loss of $115 million.
sports, and I think Clear knows how to do it,” said a
sports group and reorganized the company in a move source. “It’s just a matter of how everything gets in- The sports business pre-pandemic was primarily
tegrated and how independent they can get with de- marketing-based deployment of Clear lanes, with a
that squelched internal competition but cost it sig- livering a product.” few biometric trials sprinkled in. The lanes — only
11 sports partners are using them now — face two
nificant sports industry experience. Key sports-fo- A NECESSARY PRODUCT major issues when used at a general admission en-
trance: Fans don’t need to prove their identity to enter,
cused leaders left for various reasons, some Clear, which has $299 million in cash on hand fol- and a Clear membership doesn’t circumvent the
lowing its June 2021 IPO, has three main products, leagues’ requirement for all fans to be security
personal — including Pickett, who stepped down to in addition to licensing its software: the Clear Plus screened before entering. In many cases, scanning
airport express lane membership that costs $189 an- into a Clear kiosk added a step to an ingress process
take care of his father — while others’ positions were nually; its free app, which houses Health Pass; and that’s getting easier and faster all the time. For David
Reserve, the company’s virtual queuing technology.
eliminated. Clear’s Health
Pass provides
That leaves Clear, post-pandemic, almost exactly a way to dem-
onstrate a
where it started in sports back in 2016. Opinions of user’s vaccina-
tion status.
those in the industry that Sports Business Journal

spoke to about Clear ranged from thinking the com-

pany could have a significant positive impact on

nearly every aspect of the in-venue fan experience,

part of a biometrics-heavy future, to major doubts

about where it fits into the fan experience and its

commitment to its sports business.

“Our commitment to sports and entertainment is

only bigger and more aggressive than it ever has been

before in our history,” said Clear EVP, Growth, Getty Images; Courtesy of Clear

Catesby Perrin. “We remain deeply excited about all

the things we can do for our partners, and frankly,

feedback from the sports market for all the way we

can solve problems for them.”

Most felt like Clear is focused on the right ideas

— further fostering the frictionless convenience

economy — but that the company hasn’t quite figured

out what to make or how to get it to market. Its recent

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SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL

Touhey, principal at Connett Consulting and a former care, slowed the release of new products. “Mobile ordering by itself is not a big-ticket item.
Then to have a feature inside of mobile ordering that
NBA/NHL venue executive, the issue was obvious: “There was always friction and disconnect what you’re trying to monetize is going to be tough,” said
Anthony Perez, CEO of VenueNext.
“You don’t solve a problem that I have,” he said. the road map was that was being built. It was never
Following its IPO, Clear acquired two companies,
Not long into the pandemic, the company made a really clear when things were going to be delivered,” Whyline and Atlas Certified, both of which pertain
to access control and could be used in a sports setting.
smart pivot to Health Pass, a product said one source. “There were certainly efficiencies Would another acquisition, of an app-building com-
pany, for example, enable the company to become
that traded in part on a strong reputa- that needed to happen.” more independent in its sports business efforts?

tion in governmental circles resulting When several GMs of verticals left in late 2020 and Other sources that SBJ spoke with suggested an
acquisition of Clear, which has an enterprise value
from Clear’s airport business. Health early 2021, including Pickett (after 15 months), Clear of more than $2 billion, by a larger company with

Pass was used during the NHL and took the chance to reorganize around its product, sports ties might be prudent, if the company is seri-
ous about its sports business. One source said Tick-
NBA’s 2020 bubble competitions and and less around specific verticals, though some still etmaster or Fanatics “could really change the
landscape of the business if they owned a biometric
helped the UFC restart touring in spring exist. The sports and entertainment vertical was identity company.”

2021. Rose Bowl COO George Cunning- eliminated. No one filled Pickett’s vacant position. An acquisition, or being acquired, could help Clear
land a potentially critical piece that has so far evad-
ham said the venue had an easier time Remaining is a unified business development team ed it: a native integration with one of the major tick-
eting providers that could power biometric ticketing,
convincing the state of California to that includes people from various dis- among other possibilities.

allow it to host fans earlier this year ciplines, according to the company, “Until that’s done,” said Mike Conley, executive
vice president and chief information officer of the
because it worked with the provider. including sports- Cleveland Cavaliers, who used Health Pass and dis-
cussed other unrealized ideas. “It remains a disparate
In January focused duo Ash Because ticket experience that forces the fan/consumer to use mul-
tiple applications while visiting a venue.”
2021, Clear Ainbinder and holders don’t
Sam Spector. The have to establish Perrin pushed back on the need for a ticketing in-
Clear’s biggest hired Pickett, platform and in- their identity at tegration, saying that’s just a single use case. That’s
tegrations group games, using true, but it’s an awfully important one. The digital
success has come who worked is handling the Clear can actu- ticket is now central to the live sports experience,
at airports, where firsthand with ally add a step and any of the big ticketing companies’ massive reach
users establish their the company within the sports industry would single-handedly
identity as part of during the company’s inte- before fans go amplify Clear’s sports business.
the security clear- 2020 NBA bub- grations in sports through security
ance process, but with concession- screening. “There is only so much you can do as a company
if Ticketmaster, or SeatGeek, or AXS, or Paciolan
the need is less pro- ble, to head its aires, app build- isn’t willing to play in the sandbox with you,” said a
nounced at sports sports and en- source. “Biometric ticketing requires ticketing inte-
events. tertainment ers, and other fan experience tech gration. Integration requires both parties being com-
mitted to making it happen.”
vertical. Pick- companies. Now, it can deploy products
The company’s 2021 annual report mentioned “We
ett grew a being built generally for the company tirelessly pursue our goals with passion and some-
times ‘no’ simply means ‘not yet.’”
team of three sports-focused people into in any specific vertical, like sports, as
As the sports industry emerges from the pandem-
roughly 50, many with extensive sports opposed to what existed previously, ic, revenue normalizes, and technology continues
to reshape fan experience, a reorganized Clear will
industry experience. Over the next year, described by one source as, “more of a have its best chance yet to prove if its existence in
sports is still a “not yet,” and more than just a sim-
Health Pass helped the company balloon ‘Lord of the Rings’ environment where each business ple “no.”

its partner roster from around 30 to 180, on its own was trying to create all their own stuff.

according to a source. “I think the consolidation of the businesses is good

As the virus kept stadiums empty for because there was competition between them and

months, the industry’s collective thirst things weren’t getting built,” the source added.

for revenue quickly complicated the The company said that Perrin, Ainbinder, Spector,

sports efforts. All new tech and products, Andy Mitchell (senior vice president, partner suc-

whether Health Pass or biometric identity verifica- cess), Brian Bolten (head of sports and entertainment

tion, were being initially vetted by teams’ sponsorship marketing), and Sam Adeyemi (director, sports and

groups looking for new revenue streams. Paying to entertainment partnerships) are all still working

have its tech deployed at a venue was an unsustain- closely on sports. Clear wouldn’t otherwise discuss

able game Clear couldn’t play, so it shifted to a soft- specific personnel issues or structures.

ware licensing business model. Several sources with NO … OR NOT YET?

knowledge of the company indicated that teams passed Perrin said Clear is looking to create not just one
specific product but rather a network of live sports
on doing deals because of that. use cases where the company’s tech enables a more
frictionless fan experience. The biometric age-gating
Getty Images REORGANIZATION trial at Banc of California Stadium integrates facial
recognition tech — users must be registered with
As 2021 progressed, the American public’s adher- Clear — into the venue app to prove mobile ordering
ence to COVID safety measures lagged. Just four purchasers of alcohol are 21 or older so they don’t
months into the year, the Texas Rangers opened the have to pull out their wallet to pick up their order.
MLB season at home in front of more than 35,000 fans.
Health Pass is still being used in places, but its mo- The tech performed well during an early 2022 mo-
ment has largely passed. It “wildly accelerated both bile ordering age validation trial with the Las Vegas
our product, our brand, and our relevance across Raiders at Allegiant Stadium, a partnership with
different verticals,” said Perrin. The company had concessionaire Levy and app builders YinzCam. But
5.5 million total users (paying and non-paying) on its sources indicated that other aspects of the setup are
platform a year ago, and recently announced that still being evaluated to determine if the trial will ever
number had jumped to 11.8 million. be expanded. A Raiders spokesperson said the orga-
nization has nothing deployed with Clear right now,
“It was a necessary product,” said one industry and nothing scheduled for the future, though a Clear
executive who, like many, preferred to remain anon- spokesperson said the two sides remain partners and
ymous in case they work with Clear again. “But it are working on new initiatives.
didn’t remain necessary to the degree that it could
continue to propel Clear’s business.” Clear’s tech is widely viewed as robust and effec-
tive, but it still relies on other entities’ involvement
The company didn’t have another long-term viable for deployment. In some cases, it will joint pitch with
sports product that could stand on its own. Sources an integration partner, like Venuetize or YinzCam.
told SBJ that internal competitions in late 2020 and
throughout 2021 between the company’s newer B2B
verticals, like sports and entertainment and health

W W W . S P O R T S B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L . C O M J U LY 11-17, 2022 | 1 7



SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL

Leigh Steinberg’s
Second Act
The veteran agent is making the most of his fresh opportunity
in the industry and the stage to promote change.

BY LIZ MULLEN

Y OU CAN’T GOOGLE LEIGH STEINBERG sports agent virtually disap- The Champions Aikman says the way Stein-
without getting hits that call him “the peared from the industry. In berg was able to get sober and
real life Jerry Maguire.” But at the time 2012, he filed for Chapter 7 Sports Business Journal will turn his life around is a great
that movie came out, in December 1996, liquidation bankruptcy. honor the Champions class of 2022 story. Steinberg has publicly
Steinberg’s life was nothing like the throughout the year: spoken about his alcoholism
Ten years later, he has an

character Tom Cruise played. office again, in Newport Date Champion and recently celebrated his
Beach, overlooking the harbor. April Joe Gibbs 13th year of sobriety.
Maguire gets fired from a powerful sports agency. He has three young assistants June Susan O’Malley
staffing his office. And he has “It’s just a great comeback
Worse yet, he gets fired by the quarterback who is story,” Aikman said. “He talks

the lock No. 1 pick the night before the NFL Draft.

“I’m finished,” a drunk Maguire says in an airport a life-size painting of Kansas July Leigh Steinberg about it. He hit rock bottom.
City Chiefs quarterback Pat- August John Swofford Lost pretty much everything
lounge. “Now, I’m a cautionary tale.” rick Mahomes, a relatively new he had. For him to be where

At the time that movie was released, Steinberg’s

career was shooting straight up, like a rocket ship. Steinberg Sports client. Ma- September Anita DeFrantz he’s at, however many years,

He had represented the overall No. 1 pick in the NFL homes was a year old when October Larry Jones eight years, nine years sober
“Jerry Maguire” came out. and resurrect his career, I
Draft a record eight times, including five times in

the 1990s. His first client, Cal quarterback Steve Bart- Life is stranger than fiction, think that’s the greatest thing

kowski, was the No. 1 selection in the 1975 NFL Draft. but Leigh Steinberg’s story is almost too crazy to be he’s done.”

“I never said Jerry Maguire was autobiographical,” true. In addition to his eight No.1 overall picks, he Steinberg represented Aikman through his entire

Steinberg said. “It doesn’t make a very good movie has represented 12 Pro Football Hall of Fame members football career, and he and Moorad negotiated three

when someone starts with the first pick in the first and set many contract records over a remarkable contracts for him, all of which broke records. “You

round and does the biggest contract of all time and 48-year career. can talk about record contracts, accolades and the

is 25 years old. There is no crisis.” ‘Jerry Maguire’ movie made — he’s done all those

Steinberg garnered more success, including selling “For him to be where he’s at ... things,” Aikman said. “But for me, as someone
who considers him a friend, I think what he’s done
the firm he founded with former baseball agent (and

later former Padres owner) Jeff Moorad, for $120 mil- and resurrect his career, I think in his personal life and to be someone who he can
that’s the greatest thing he’s look in the mirror and feel proud of is his greatest
lion to Canadian financial company Assante Corp. accomplishment.”
done.”
in 1999. But then crisis hit, and it hit Steinberg hard- In the movie, Jerry Maguire suffers from a crisis
of conscience. In real life, Steinberg, from his first
er than anything that happened to Jerry Maguire.

His younger partner, David Dunn, left the firm,

taking employees and dozens of NFL player clients TROY AIKMAN client, used sports as a way to drive multiple chari-
table causes, from helping disadvantaged youth to
with him. A five-week trial revealed embarrassing

details about virtually all the people who worked at saving the environment and endangered species, to

the firm, including things Steinberg did while in- Steinberg was a consultant to Cameron Crowe, doing work on concussions.

toxicated. writer and director of “Jerry Maguire.” Steinberg It’s a mission that has been obvious to each client,

Steinberg struggled with alcoholism and was ar- makes a cameo appearance alongside his client, then- including Rolf Benirschke, the former San Diego

Richard Rafferty rested at least three times Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman, who was the Chargers kicker, and one of Steinberg’s first clients.

Leigh Steinberg has — twice for drunken driv- lock No. 1 draft pick in 1989, like the character in the “I will tell you Leigh was an idealist, and he recognized
represented 12 Pro ing and once for drinking
Football Hall of Fame in public. Around 2009, the movie. Unlike the fictional quarterback, Frank “Cush” the power of sport and the opportunities we had as
members. most public, most quoted
Cushman, Aikman didn’t fire Steinberg and remains athletes way before anybody else did.”

friends with him today. CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

W W W . S P O R T S B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L . C O M J U LY 11-17, 2022 | 1 9

CHAMPIONS: LEIGH STEINBERG

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

FAMILY LIFE

Leigh Steinberg was born in Los An-

geles in 1949, the son of Warren and

Betty (Blass) Steinberg. His parents met

while working on the UCLA student

newspaper. Betty was managing editor

and Warren was the sports editor of

the Daily Bruin.

Betty’s father, Dr. Leo Blass, was one

of 78 doctors, nurses, patients and oth-

ers who were shot and killed during a

humanitarian mission, traveling in a

convoy of medical professionals from

Tel Aviv to Jerusalem during the War

of Independence in 1948. Even though

he died before Steinberg was born, the

agent says his maternal grandfather

was a role model to him.

Steinberg’s paternal grandfather,

John Steinberg, was a restaurateur and

ran the Trocadero night club and the

Hillcrest Country Club, both of which

attracted a Hollywood clientele. “My

grandpa played gin rummy every day

with Groucho Marx, George Burns, Steinberg, standing outside his office in Newport Beach, Calif., said he doesn’t mind where he works as long as he can see water.
Jack Benny,” Steinberg said.

Steinberg went to his first baseball Jim was the smartest one in the fam- Don’s career as a diplomat and Leigh’s ley for All-Cal weekend and someone

game featuring the Hollywood Stars ily, Don was an athlete, and Leigh was career as an agent. put the headphones on my head and I

with Burns. He sat on Marilyn Mon- the popular one who was voted student The family was not rich in dollars, heard ‘Light My Fire’ by The Doors,”

roe’s lap when he was a child and has body president in elementary school, as Warren was a teacher and then a Steinberg said. “And I walked out on

a signed guitar from Elvis Presley. His junior high, high school and college. principal, while getting his Ph.D. “My Telegraph Avenue and there were tie-

grandfather John wanted him to be Warren imparted two core values to father had three degrees; my mother dye and long hair and alternative dress

an actor, but his father Warren forged his sons, early and often. “One was: had two,” Leigh said. But they were a and herbal substances and rock music.”

a different path. Treasure relationships, especially fam- very educated family and that learning “I gotta be here,” Steinberg recalled

“He was an idealist,” Steinberg said ily,” Leigh Steinberg said. “The second was imparted on the boys, along with thinking. “This is the center of student

of his father. “He could have gone into was make a meaningful difference in a message that they had to give back. life in the United States.”

the restaurant business and followed the world and help people who can’t “I hope this doesn’t sound immodest, He transferred to Berkeley the next

my grandfather. He wanted to teach help themselves.” we were all most likely to succeed, we year and became involved in politics

kids. He wanted to work on human re- The family had a weekly, mandatory were all student body presidents, and on and off campus. He was elected to

lations issues.” meeting. “We used Roberts Rules of all the rest,” Don Steinberg said. “But student leadership positions and pro-

Warren became a teacher, principal Order to run the meeting,” Steinberg it was so clear to me that Leigh was not tested the Vietnam War. He met a new

and civil and human rights activist in said. “We had a treasurer, sergeant of only the popular one, but he was the generation of famous people, including

Los Angeles, including arms, so the five of us politician. … There was no question he Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison, who

being a co-founding ad- each had a position.” was going to be a senator for California both performed at Berkeley. He met

viser and longtime THE STEINBERG FILE Don Steinberg recalls when he grew up or he was going to be then-California Gov. Ronald Reagan and

member and president n Born: March 27, it was a serious busi- a civil rights lawyer, or he was going feminist icon Gloria Steinem. He went
of the Los Angeles 1949, in Los Angeles ness, in that it was man- to be secretary of state.” to law school at Berkeley and for room
Human Rights Commis- datory, but the meeting and board became a dorm counselor,
sion. Warren, who died n Residence: had a silly name. “It was DIFFERENT MOVIE where he met other people who would
in 2004, won many Newport Beach, Calif. called the Muttonhead later become famous.
awards for his work in Club — just because my Although so many people bring up
education, human rela- n College: University dad loved that funny “Jerry Maguire” when talking about “There was a little bearded guy
tions and civil rights. of California, Berkeley name,” he said. Steinberg, the agent said the film “For- named Steve and he set the phones of
(1970), political sci- rest Gump” best describes his life. everybody in the dorm ringing so you
ence; UC-Berkeley
School of Law, Juris

Steinberg is the el- Doctor (1973) They would discuss “When I say it was like ‘Forrest couldn’t turn them off. His name was
dest of three sons. The n Occupation: Agent, new business, like Gump,’ a lot of unlikely things hap- Steve Wozniak,” Steinberg said of the
middle brother, Jim, a where they would go on pened,” Steinberg said. He also met, by man who later co-founded Apple with
year and a half young- founder of Steinberg a family vacation, and happenstance, many people who were Steve Jobs. Cal’s quarterback, Steve
er than Leigh, is an there was a section for or would become cultural, political and Bartkowski, also lived in that dorm.
Sports & Entertainment
n Family: Sons Jon

and Matt, and daughter

author and spiritual Katie Steinberg praise and one for sports icons. After graduating from law school,

scholar. Leigh’s young- gripes. The boys were Steinberg started college at his par- the plan was for Steinberg to tour the

est brother, Don, four not permitted to call ents’ alma mater, UCLA, and one of the world and then take a job in the Alam-

years his junior, has devoted his life each other names, but rather they could first people he ran into in class was Lew eda County District Attorney’s office.

to public service, including working point out specific behaviors that both- Alcindor (now Kareeem Abdul Jabbar). But he contracted dysentery after swim-

as an adviser to former President Bill ered them, Don said. He was a football fan and when UCLA ming in the Nile in Egypt, ended up in Richard Rafferty

Clinton and serving as U.S. ambassador “It was a remarkable dispute settle- played Cal at Berkeley, Steinberg went a London hospital and lost almost 50

to Angola. Don has won many honors, ment mechanism, and it kept the fam- up there to root on the Bruins, but fell pounds. He was recovering at his par-

including the Presidential Meritorious ily very close,” Don Steinberg said. It in love with the rival. ents’ home in Los Angeles when he got

Honor Award. also served as good early training for “My freshman year I went to Berke- another call that changed his life.

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SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL

Bartkowski called Steinberg because he was hav- the city. It left Steinberg stunned, but made him real- at the same level as Bartkowski. So at the end of that
ing trouble negotiating his contract after being taken ize he could achieve his lifetime goal of making year, I said, ‘You know what? This is not the right
with the first draft pick in 1975. Bartkowski asked positive change through sports. methodology.’”
his old dorm counselor for help.
It wouldn’t be easy. He decided to research college football players and
“I didn’t understand anything about football con- “You remember there was no organized field of their families. He looked for intelligent players from
tracts, but I understood leverage and there was a agentry when I started in 1975,” Steinberg said. “So good families who had demonstrated leadership and/
league competing with the NFL at that time called [Bengals owner/general manager] Mike Brown hangs or a desire to give back.
the World Football League,” Steinberg said. Bart- up the phone on me when I call him because I am
kowski and the Falcons were stuck on $400,000 for a representing Pat McInally in 1975, who was going to One of the players he recruited in the 1977 draft
four-year contract, but after Steinberg took him to be my second client.” Since Brown wouldn’t work was Benirschke, a kicker and zoology major at UC
meet owners of the WFL, the Falcons raised their with Steinberg, he couldn’t represent McInally, but Davis who worked summers at the San Diego Zoo and
offer to $600,000 — a record for a rookie. Bartkowski referred Falcons all-pro running back whose father was a pathologist. Bernirschke was
Dave Hampton, who became Steinberg’s second client. drafted the last round of 1977 NFL Draft and traded
Steinberg and his client flew to Atlanta and what The next year, Steinberg recruited players at the to the Chargers. Steinberg told him he had to give
he saw at the airport made him reconsider his life college all-star games, the Hula Bowl and the Senior back and he had to contribute money from his own
plan to become a prosecutor on the way to becoming Bowl. “I had a reasonable year, I had a second-round wallet, Bernirschke recalled.
a politician. There were lights, billboards, news cam- draft pick, Jeb Blount with the Oakland Raiders; I
eras, and Atlanta’s NBC affiliate interrupted “The had five draft picks,” Steinberg said. “But they weren’t Now virtually every athlete across sports has a cause,
Tonight Show” to broadcast Bartkowski arriving in if not a full-blown charitable foundation, but that wasn’t

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

Learning the Inside Game Kraft said. “And Leigh was someone, lar day, he is thinking down the line
right from the beginning, who was very maybe a year or two.”
EDUCATED AT BERKELEY during the owner Ralph Wilson. Steinberg personable, very accommodating,
represented two future Hall of Fame trying to answer questions.” Policy noted that Steinberg had a
late 1960s and early 1970s, protesting members (defensive end Bruce Smith way of befriending owners and
and running back Thurman Thomas) of Shortly after Kraft became an owner, management of teams that went to the
for civil rights and against the Vietnam the Bills teams that went to four Super Steinberg invited him to his famous Super Bowl. The relationship between
Bowls in a row in the early 1990s and Super Bowl party, whose attendees Policy, then 49ers owner Eddie
War, Leigh Steinberg started his agent lost all four. included a mix of high-profile people in DeBartolo and Steinberg intensified
sports, entertainment and media. Kraft after San Francisco traded for the
career with a mindset of fighting the Smith, the NFL’s all-time sack leader, remembers how Steinberg “moved me agent’s client, Steve Young, in 1987.
always wanted his contract re-negoti- around and introduced me to people.”
system. ated (see story, Page 23). “So, you “Steve was done with Tampa Bay,”
know, we would just laugh about it,” The owner and the agent became Steinberg said. “[49ers head coach]
Early on, he had a negotiating Steinberg said. “Ralph Wilson used to personal friends. Bill Walsh said Joe Montana’s back is
send me a chocolate football every so bad he won’t be the starter.”
experience with the late Bill Bidwill, year for Christmas. … And Bruce was Later Steinberg and Kraft negotiated
the best defensive player in many a record-setting deal for Bledsoe, “I said, ‘We don’t want to replace an
owner of the then St. Louis Cardinals, senses of the game, so they did keep coming to terms in Kraft’s hot tub at his icon,’” Steinberg related. “He said,
re-doing his contract.” home in Cape Cod. Kraft also remem- ‘He’ll retire.’ Famous last words —
regarding UCLA running back Theotis bers traveling from New England to three years later he still wasn’t retired.”
Another owner he befriended was Los Angeles for Steinberg’s 50th
Brown, a second-round pick in the 1979 Robert Kraft immediately after he birthday party. That led to what has been called the
bought the New England Patriots in biggest quarterback controversy of all
NFL Draft who profoundly changed 1994. Steinberg represented then Relationships run the sports time between Young and Montana.
Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe business, and especially the NFL.
Steinberg’s professional style. when they first met, but their conversa- Policy said Steinberg and Young
tions went far beyond the standard Carmen Policy, former executive were misled. “And Bill actually misled
“Bill Bidwill was notoriously parsimo- agent-owner talk. vice president and general counsel of Eddie and myself,” Policy said. “The
the San Francisco 49ers, remembers whole skepticism was the potential for
nious,” Steinberg said, and made an “Here you come in as a new owner to meeting Steinberg in the mid-1980s. a quarterback controversy. And Bill
the league. It’s just a whole new way of had assured us that he had made it
offer for the player that was way below doing business, there are so many “He had a strategy that had long- perfectly clear to Leigh Steinberg and
people you have to connect with,” range ramifications tied to it,” Policy Steve Young that he had not promised
the market at that time. said. “He played the business game anything in terms of starting with
like a chess game. He was so many Young’s coming to the 49ers — which
“So I began a press campaign and moves ahead in his head just on a actually wasn’t true.”
good morning phone call or a particu-
said, ’You know, if the difference Policy said Steinberg helped
manage what was a very difficult
between what they were offering and situation. “Without Leigh Steinberg,
that whole situation would never have
what they could pay would be been maintained for those three very
tumultuous years,” Policy said. “And I
reflected in lower ticket prices, I guess venture to say Steve would not have
been a 49er. And I venture to say we
we could understand, or if it was would not have gotten another Super
Bowl after 1989.”
money donated to charity, I guess we
The 49ers won the Super Bowl in
could understand.’” 1994 and Young was named MVP after
throwing six touchdown passes and
Steinberg’s public campaign won beating the Chargers 49-26. Steinberg
said Young ran up to him on the
over the media and the fans but Bidwill sideline after that game, yelling “The
monkey’s off my back. The monkey’s
called his bluff. He gave money to a off my back.” — L.M.

Catholic youth soccer organization,

instead of the inner city charity that

Steinberg and the player were

targeting.

“And what I learned from that

negotiation was never to negotiate

publicly and never to put an owner up

against a wall because the only person

who could ultimately approve com-

pensation for my player was the

owner,” Steinberg said. “And ever after

that, I started playing the inside game.”

Instead of fighting owners, Stein-

berg started

AP Images befriending Steve Young (left)
them. joins Steinberg in
1984 to announce
One of them his deal with the
was the late USFL’s L.A. Express.
Buffalo Bills

W W W . S P O R T S B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L . C O M J U LY 11-17, 2022 | 2 1

CHAMPIONS: LEIGH STEINBERG

Leigh 1995 Ki-Jana Carter). dying of cancer. I thought I could hold
Steinberg “I lived a very my marriage together and I thought
I could provide housing that was mold
poses with charmed life,” Stein- safe. I felt like a failure and I needed
berg said. “It was to numb that, but the better choice
“Jerry Maguire” good until 2001. It would have been to just deal with the
actors Cuba was all positive. We problem.”
Gooding were making a dif-
Jr. and Tom ference.” Once he was living alone after his
Cruise. divorce, Steinberg started drinking in
the daytime.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21 million, 40-year contract for BYU quar- TROUBLED TIMES Courtesy of Leigh Steinberg
terback Steve Young to join the USFL’s “My only coherent thought was,
the case in 1977. “Nobody had charities,” L.A. Express. Young never saw all the In 2001, on the Friday night of Presi- ‘Where could I get more vodka?’” His
Bernirschke said. “None.” money as the USFL folded, instead mov- dents Day weekend, Steinberg’s then mother suffered a stroke, and he moved
ing on to join Tampa in the NFL. partner, David Dunn, left the agency, back to his parents’ house again.
Bernirschke was only making $24,000 taking five employees with him to form
a year then so he donated $50 per field In 1985, in what Sports Illustrated a new agency called Athletes First. Steinberg started work on a 12-step
goal made. Other people and companies called “the NFL’s wedding of the year,” recovery program and checked into a
started donating after that, and Kicks Steinberg married Lucy Semeniuk, What ensued was the biggest, most sober living house in Orange, Calif., a
for Critters raised millions for endan- with Young, Moon, Bartkowski, Easley, public and nasty sports agency break- city 15 miles inland and many more
gered species. Prominent business and Bernischke and other NFL player cli- up in the history of the business. At miles less glamorous than Newport
political people, including the mayor ents as groomsmen. His wife was from least 35 clients, including Bledsoe, left Beach. It was a two-story home with
of San Diego, were on the board. Newport Beach so he opened an office Steinberg’s firm within a few months. long bedrooms housing other people
there, with a view of the ocean. Stein- who were trying to get sober. “I worked
The effort had its downsides, too. “If berg says he doesn’t care where he Lawyers for Dunn alleged Steinberg the 12 steps with a sponsor and went
I would miss a kick, the next day, in works, as long as he can see water. mistreated employees and clients, and to meetings and dedicated myself to
the film study the guys would make fun did little work. Bledsoe testified that getting sober.”
of me,” Bernirschke said. “They would In 1989, Aikman was seen as the lock Steinberg engaged in embarrassing
make all these dead animal sounds be- No. 1 draft pick coming out of UCLA. behavior, including while he was drunk, Eventually Steinberg could tell
cause I let down the team, ‘Arghroo!’” “You know, when I was coming out, if and that he encouraged Dunn to start people how many days he had been
you were a quarterback, if you were a his own firm. sober, then it grew into months and
FINDING SUCCESS top quarterback there really were two years. Steinberg posts about his so-
agents who you hired and it was either Forensic experts hired by Assante briety anniversaries on social media
Steinberg started his career working Leigh Steinberg or Marvin Demoff,” Corp. uncovered a memo written by and hosts sober birthday parties every
out of his parents’ card room, making Aikman said. Athletes First’s Brian Murphy which year.
his own phone calls and typing his own they alleged spelled out a blackmail plot
letters. He signed players, including He met with both Demoff and Stein- involving the secrets Murphy learned “I had no choice,” Steinberg said
future Hall of Fame players like Warren berg, as well as other agents. “I just felt about Steinberg’s personal life. “This about being public about his sobriety.
Moon, slowly but surely. going through the process that he was is probably the most important thing “My life, it isn’t like when I had alco-
a good fit for me and at the time he has to know about Leigh,” Murphy wrote holic incidents, they weren’t publicized.
In 1981, he was starting to hit his Warren Moon and Steve Young. And in the unearthed email which was part They were. All I could do is be transpar-
stride. He represented first-round draft Marvin had Dan Marino and John of court documents. “He cannot let this ent with people.”
picks Kenny Easley and Curt Marsh as Elway. And so, I couldn’t have gone go public. Instead, he will have to ne-
well as second-rounder Neil Lomax, wrong with either guy, it was just a gotiate a quick settlement with us.” Once he started accumulating time
adding another starting quarterback comfort level that I had with Leigh.” sober, people in his life and in the sports
to his roster. He moved out of his par- An eight-member jury agreed with business started welcoming him back.
ents’ house in Los Angeles and into his Steinberg, along with Moorad and Steinberg’s lawyers and awarded $44.66
dream house in Berkeley, made of red- agent Scott Parker, negotiated three million in damages, half of which were “Let’s be honest, the NFL might be
wood and glass overlooking the bay. contracts for Aikman and all were re- punitive, against Dunn and Athletes the Disneyland of drinking,” Steinberg
cords. “The only thing I really wanted First. Dunn and Athletes First appealed, said. “It’s not like I was free-basing
The house served as his home and in my contract was a no-trade clause,” and the verdict was overturned, based cocaine or shooting heroin. I was doing
office. General managers had to climb Aikman said. “I will say this in every on errors by the trial court judge. the same thing that other people do.
81 steps to reach it. Steinberg remem- deal that I did with the Cowboys, I had Just, at the end, I couldn’t control it.”
bers the late New York Giants general a ballpark figure that I thought would There’s a perception in the business
manager George Young making the be a good deal for me. I never really that the breakup and trial were the After a year or so of sobriety, Stein-
climb “and I thought I would get him expressed that to Leigh, but I will say cause of Steinberg hitting bottom but berg started getting offers from inves-
physically compliant by the time he he far exceeded that each time.” Steinberg disputes that. “The David tors who wanted an equity stake in
made it,” the agent said. Dunn thing — I didn’t lose everything,” his comeback as an agent. People saw
Starting with Aikman in 1989, Stein- he said. “I was financially set for life. him as “a distressed” property, he
In 1984, Steinberg negotiated a record berg represented six of the No. 1 overall I still had clients.” said, but they still wanted to invest.
$5.5 million deal for Moon for five years, picks for the next seven years (1990 Jeff “I still had a brand.”
after getting offers from the Canadian George, 1991 Russell Maryland, 1993 What caused his downfall, Steinberg
Football League, USFL and other NFL Drew Bledsoe, 1994 Dan Wilkinson and said, was a series of personal tragedies Steinberg started working with a
teams. Shortly after that, Steinberg shat- that hit one after another in the early young agent named Chris Cabott in
tered that record by negotiating a $42 2000s. He had two sons and a daughter 2014. The breakthrough for the recov-
with his wife and both of his boys were ered Steinberg Sports & Entertain-
diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, ment came when they signed
an incurable disease that causes blind- quarterback Paxton Lynch and he was
ness. Severe storms caused mold in his drafted No. 26 in 2016. Lynch ended
custom-built home in Newport Beach up being an NFL bust, but he was still
and it had to be leveled. He and his wife a first-round quarterback.
got divorced. His father was diagnosed
with cancer and died. The next year, they signed Mahomes,
who was the No. 10 pick in the 2017 draft.
A FALL, THEN RECOVERY Mahomes, who was initially viewed by
draft analysts as a third-round or fifth-
“I thought I could protect my kids round prospect, is wildly exceeding
everyone’s expectations.
from blindness,” Steinberg said. “I
CONTINUED ON PAGE 23
thought I could stop my father from

2 2 | J U LY 11-17, 2022 WWW.SPORTSBUSINESSJOURNAL.COM

SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL

LEIGH STEINBERG SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON SOME wonderful personality. He was anyone else. He had a fabulous the ball defensively. The ques-
OF THE TOP NFL CLIENTS HE’S REPRESENTED larger than life. He was going sense of humor. He and Bruce tion is, can you find the ball?
to be a huge star for Cincinnati, [Smith] were a part of that team He had an uncanny ability to
BRUCE SMITH was 1-15 and at one point but he goes out in the pre- that went to four straight Super do that. He was in the armed
they said Jerry Jones would season and tears up his knee Bowls and lost. Thurman got forces and was a heat-seeking
DE, 1985 No. 1 pick, 2009 buy the 7-11 and change the and never gets a chance and drafted in the second round, missile.”
Pro Football Hall of Fame name to 0-11. He was tough never is the same. His foot stuck always resented it, and made
“Bruce Smith never liked a in that he intellectually under- in the turf and it was one of the people pay all of those years.” TONY GONZALEZ
contract that he signed the stood what he was up against things that caused me to cru-
moment he signed it. Bruce in those early years on the sade to get AstroTurf out of the KENNY EASELY TE, 1997 No. 13 pick; 2019
was the all-time sack leader Cowboys. They had no line- stadiums.” Pro Football Hall of Fame
and very bright.” men, nothing. The team was SS, 1981 No. 4 pick, 2017 “Tony grew up in Huntington
worse than what he had at HOWIE LONG Pro Football Hall of Fame Beach right next to where I
EDGERRIN JAMES UCLA. But that changed.” “The most dominating defen- lived. Charismatic, very bright,
DE, 1981 No. 48 pick, 2000 sive player I ever met. Also very family guy. Arguably the best
RB, 1999 No. 4 pick, 2020 JEFF GEORGE Pro Football Hall of Fame bright. I was in his wedding. He tight end in history.”
Pro Football Hall of Fame “Howie and I had a short was so dynamic that people
“Maybe the brightest player QB, 1990 No. 1 pick time together. He was the fun- wouldn’t run in his direction.” JOHN LYNCH
I had was Edgerrin James. ... “He had the best pro scout- niest single player I ever met.
He had his entire contract up ing day that I have seen in 50 Normally the quarterback would DERRICK THOMAS SS, 1993 No. 82 pick; 2021
with every incentive on his years. They called it the $15 be interviewed or the running Pro Football Hall of Fame
computer and he would look million video tape because back would be interviewed. He LB, 1989 No. 4 pick, “John Lynch had a
at it after every game. He had that is the amount of money he was so clever; he was the one 2009 Pro Football businessman for a father
a steel trap for a brain.” signed his first contract for.” [the media] went to for quotes.” who owned the radio
Hall of Fame network that the
TROY AIKMAN RUSSELL MARYLAND STEVE YOUNG “He was a terrify- Chargers were
ing defensive threat. on. The irony
QB, 1989 No. 1 DT, 1991 No. 1 NFL pick QB, 1984 No. 1 pick, USFL He could sack the was here’s John,
pick, 2006 Pro “Russell Maryland had a supplemental draft; 2005 Pro quarterback at any Stanford grad,
Football Hall motor that never stopped. He time. We ended up high IQ, would
of Fame was a player who never took Football Hall of Fame doing Third and have had a won-
“Might be time off on any play so he was “Totally brilliant. Totally ambi- Long, a children’s derful life, playing
the tough- hyper productive because he tious. I thought he might end literacy program. the tough position
est player I never quit. And he had exem- up being a U.S. senator. He was He ended up of safety. Physical.
ever worked plary work ethics.” the real deal in (the Mormon testifying in front Smacking people.
with. He church), the great-great-grand- of Congress on Being the hardest hit-
came into a KI-JANA CARTER son of Brigham Young. All he children’s literacy; ter ever. It’s ironic that
very difficult wanted to do was start. The first he testified for this guy, brought up
situation in RB, 1995 No. 1 pick thing we did was sign him in the the kids who lost in a wealthy family,
Dallas where “Ki-Jana was probably the USFL to the biggest contract their parents in played at Stanford
the team saddest story. ... He had a in the history of sports, but he Vietnam. He and had that
wasn’t like that. He wasn’t even was a pro- degree and had a
cashing his checks. His mother found role father who had a
would discover his game check model.” business fortune,
in his sock drawer. So here he
was, held up as an example of KEVIN GREENE would play safety and
sports economics run amok, but smack people
he was low-key and easy-going DE/LB, 1985 No. 113 pick, around.”
and non-materialistic.” 2016 Pro Football Hall of

THURMAN Fame
THOMAS “Kevin Greene was
maybe the most intense
RB, 1988 No. 40 player I ever met. Also
pick, 2008 Pro
Football Hall of a sack leader, but
he was a really
Fame disruptive
“Thurman force
Thomas was an
offensive weap- defen-
on unlike most sively.
running backs. He Certain
ran the ball but he also players had a
caught the ball. He was
a much higher percent- nose for a ball
age of their offense than and he ended
up being
around

Getty Images (5) CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23 finding a way to reverse the damage Leigh Steinberg has had hyper- “You make the judgment that if it
from concussions. baric oxygen treatments, he said. He is just one hour a day of recovery ac-
Last year, billionaire Ron Burkle works out with a personal trainer tivities, that would give me 23 hours
invested in Steinberg’s agency and the He’s also proud of the many char- three times a week. He takes an aver- of freedom,” he said. Thousands of
firm has since expanded into NBA itable organizations his athletes age of 15,000 steps a day. And he’s people struggling with alcohol and
player and MLB player representa- have launched, including Kicks for working on a lot of projects. A docu- drug addiction have reached out to
tion. Cabott is CEO and Steinberg is Critters, which is not only one of mentarian is following him around him on social media.
the chairman of the agency. the first athlete charities, but the to do a new story on his life. He’s got
first to tie an athletic achievement speaking engagements; he’s got his “I am in my 13th year of sobriety,”
What Steinberg is proudest of is to giving to a cause. agent academies to train the next Steinberg said. “I consider that my
not the contracts or the money, but generation of agents to be ethical comeback — not that I ever went any-
the things he’s done to make the Steinberg is 73, but doesn’t look and give back; and he is spending at where — is maintaining my sobriety
world better, including research on it. His brother, Don, who is four years least an hour a day working on his and being a good father and anything
concussions. Since 1994, he has held his junior, said he gets comments all program of staying sober. I did professionally was like a cherry
an annual concussion conference the time on his brother’s youthful on top.”
and is hopeful doctors are close to appearance.

W W W . S P O R T S B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L . C O M J U LY 11-17, 2022 | 2 3

OPINION

Lessons from Down Under: tell the story of Wadawurrung country, the story of
Honoring the history of the land Djilang, and take people back on a journey to what
the country was like prior to how we see the built
O NEOFUSJUSTRETURNED from guiding a group fully sincere. environment today. In the design I have the Kar-
of university students around Australia and As it says on the AFL’s website, “The jumpers are diniyoo, the sunrise taking place and the two teams
while there, bumped into a working concept coming together to play what we call Marngrook.
an incredible tapestry of art, spirit, colour, and mean- The Barwon River is a place that our eels would
travel down [and] Bunjil [watching] over this coun-
immediately capable of benefiting our North Amer- ing.” And then, the website asks if AFL fans have a try he created, [flying] over the stadium, watching
over country and the river.”
ican leagues. That idea? Full recognition of the favorite.
Interestingly, indigenous efforts weren’t restrict-
indigenous people on whose land the teams of the What a novel approach. The concept isn’t strictly ed to the AFL. In Sydney, the Syracuse study abroad
students met with an NRL team that employed an
NFL/CFL, NBA/WNBA, NHL, MLB, BY RICK BURTON about monetizing home and away mer- indigenous programs coordinator who runs the
MLS/NWSL, MLR, UFC, PGA Tour/ AND NORM O’REILLY chandise (as American sports market- Cronulla Sharks Deadly Choices Program in schools.
LPGA, NASCAR, and IndyCar cur- ers would), but rather seeking artistic She also coordinates the NRL’s Indigenous Round,
the Reconciliation Action Plan, and conducts health
rently compete. ways to make amends for past nation- and well-being checks with indigenous community
members.
Discussing the idea, the other one al bias, prejudice, and racism.
“I’ll be in sport until the day I die,” said Jessica
brought up his past experiences working on a Ca- What was even more fascinating was observing Macartney, head of government and community for
the Sharks, “because sport can be used as a vehicle
nadian government policy tied to Aboriginal sport how each team incorporated Aboriginal art into a to deliver change.”

and the many barriers that still exist in making unique canvas showcased on the team’s guernsey Australia should not stand alone in honoring its
original inhabitants or pushing reconciliation to-
real progress for Aboriginal people and their in- (another word for jumper or team singlet). They not ward First Nations people. In Canada, where the
horrors of what happened at Residential Schools
volvement in organized sport. only honored distinct Aboriginal cultures but also are coming to light and putting scars on Canada’s
reputation, teams and leagues should think about
Our chat led to this article and a fervent hope we celebrated the past and present. taking a page from the AFL or NRL.

can inspire incremental change. Collingwood’s artists showed a magpie shedding Noticing reconciliation efforts Down Under isn’t
meant to suggest North American teams don’t con-
To be clear (as a disclaimer), this is not an argu- its old feathers to reflect the changing of an era.
duct their own community
mentative piece supporting team name changes from Essendon’s effort was designed by star forward An- outreach for various under-
served or marginalized com-
Redskins (now Commanders), Indians (Guardians), thony McDonald-Tipungwuti, who chose to depict munities. But in places where
the NFL, NHL, MLB, and NBA
and Fighting Sioux (Fighting Hawks), or a debate a journey to a central meeting place. trademarks (i.e., intellectual
property) are treated as sacred,
whether others (think the Blackhawks, Seminoles, One of our favorites was the Geelong Cats jumper, it seems uniform modifications
are often restricted to honoring
Utes, Aztecs, Chiefs, Braves and Warriors) should which was fashioned by Corrina Eccles and incor- women (Breast Cancer Aware-
ness Month) and veterans.
revisit their entrenched and supposedly well-intend- porated meaningful landmarks known throughout
With growing awareness of
ed positions. the Barwon region. As Eccles noted, “I wanted to Black Lives Matter (and with
horror still fresh in our minds
Most who follow these discussions know, despite from the tragedies in Buffalo
and Uvalde), we know our
semi-frequent op-ed pieces, good intentions usually sports practitioner ecosystem
faces daily challenges to help
end with someone outraged. Instead, our goal today fans look away from the reali-
ties of modern living. That said,
is challenging hierarchical standards and initiating there is one significant community most teams and
leagues seem to forget to honor and assist.
overdue honoring of native North Americans by Isn’t it time North American pro sports leagues
and racing conglomerates recognize their stadiums
drawing on something happening in Australia, which are built on land with deep historical significance
and, in almost every case, were constructed on sacred
honors past indigenous generations in celebratory ground that wasn’t purchased (or negotiated fairly)
but instead stolen? Isn’t it time to go way beyond
ways we firmly believe could work in North America. reading a statement before executives give speech-
es, and instead provide uniform proof we are at-
Want that example? tempting to make amends?

Most Australian professional sports leagues — the Rick Burton is the David B. Falk Professor of Sport

Australian Football League, National Rugby League, Management at Syracuse University. Norm O’Reilly is

National Basketball League, Supercars Champion- the dean of the University of Maine’s Graduate School of

ship — designate one week of the season as the In- Business. Their new book, “Business the NHL Way:

digenous Round and require all of their teams to Lessons from the Fastest Game on Ice,” will be pub-

produce indigenous uniforms (or paint schemes on lished by the University of Toronto Press in October.

cars) that is commemorative, fashionable yet also

above: Cairns Taipans; Grant Trouville
Members of
the Cronulla
Sharks
rugby team
in their
Indigenous
Round jer-
seys.
left: Artist
and histo-
rian Henry
Fourmile
gathers
with Cairns
Taipans
players to
discuss
the signifi-
cance of the
design.

2 4 | J U LY 11-17, 2022 WWW.SPORTSBUSINESSJOURNAL.COM

SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL

Sport will always be a and me, to act. By supporting great organizations
tool for social change
like these and working with them to drive a shared

agenda for change, we can progress faster, giving

kids and communities the tools they need to thrive.

The harsh reality is that most of the kids without

access to sport come from low-income or disadvan-

taged families and commu-

M Y ATHLETIC CAREER and sports experiences mother, leader and business executive. nities — the communities Demand still
were what you might expect of an Olympic and families that need it far outweighs
gold medalist. I was fortunate enough to KIDS AND COMMUNITIES most. By denying kids the the supply of
get involved in sports at a young age, which allowed DESERVE MORE opportunity to participate available and
in these programs, they

me to find the champion athlete within me early on. All kids across the globe deserve the same benefits also miss out on the other affordable
services these sports pro- programs.
After years and years of hard work, long practices, that sports gave me. Problem solving, collaboration grams often provide such

and tough training sessions, I acquired the skills I and creativity are all skills that kids need in order

needed to succeed at sports — and more important- to thrive, and there’s no better place to learn those as food, transportation,

ly — in life. BY BENITA skills than on the playing field. tutoring, social services, and mentoring.
However, you don’t need to be an Olym- Not to mention that when used as a tool
There are hundreds of organizations with a mission

pic champion to experience the many FITZGERALD for social change, sport strengthens com- to provide these opportunities to the communities
benefits sports can offer. I firmly believe MOSLEY munities by improving health, education,
there’s an athlete within all of us, and what and social cohesion. Simply put, high- they serve. They need support to help them build

capacity, develop structured programs, hire staff,

sport teaches us is that there’s also a quality sports activities are some of the train coaches, rent facilities, and more. We can only

leader, strategist, teammate, competitor, and more, most effective youth development programs avail- make this happen together. It’s crucial that we ad-

just waiting to be unleashed. able. dress some of the most pressing societal gaps to ensure

I’m living proof that access to sports can change The benefits of youth sports are undeniable, which these kids have access to the tools they need to succeed

lives. With every track practice I endured, every is why organizations that intentionally deliver these — on the playing field and in life.

competition I participated in, and every hurdle I benefits are being created at unprecedented rates.

cleared, I learned discipline, self confidence, grit Sadly, there are also many challenges, as demand Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, an Olympic gold medalist
and purpose-led champion in sports and business, is
and perseverance. My self-esteem improved, and I still far outweighs the supply of available and af- responsible for stewarding LeagueApps’ partnerships
with North American professional sports leagues and
learned how to push myself beyond my limits to get fordable programs. Many of these sports-based youth their respective youth development initiatives. She
also drives the advancement of the NextUp community
better every day. development organizations are understaffed and platform and, as president of FundPlay, leads this
LeagueApps program to support youth sports
But I didn’t get there alone. Throughout my life, underfunded, requiring them to implement wait organizations and foster sports experience opportuni-
ties for young people from underserved communities.
I’ve stood on the shoulders of leaders and educators lists and eventually turn kids away. As a result, too She served as CEO of the Laureus Sport for Good
Foundation USA and COO of the USOPC.
like my mother, who helped integrate our county’s many kids who want to take advantage of the posi-

school system in the 1960s, and other advocates and tive impact of youth sports are unable to do so.

legislators who made critical advances in women’s KIDS ARE WAITING
sports, such as Title IX. As a result, I had the op- FOR US TO ACT
portunity to experience the attendant benefits of

sports, enabling me to be a better person, athlete, Kids and families are waiting for leaders, like you

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W W W . S P O R T S B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L . C O M J U LY 11-17, 2022 | 2 5

CLOSING SHOT

All was going well
with Reebok’s mar-
keting campaign
with Dan O’Brien
(left) and Dave
Johnson until
O’Brien failed to
qualify for the 1992
Olympics.

Dan And Dave’s Reebok Run

The shoe brand made decathletes Dan O’Brien and Dave Johnson the center of a memorable
1992 marketing campaign that backfired on the road to the Barcelona Olympics.

BY TERRY LEFTON

IT WAS A CAMPAIGN inspired more than heralded as a separate competition: Bank Park, a 320-acre sports and enter- debated by marketers. The cross-train- Getty Images
three decades ago by an innocuous re- “Who is the World’s Greatest Athlete?” tainment facility in Mesa, Ariz., just ing shoe it supported was Reebok’s top
mark in a forgotten conference room That was the start of “Dan Versus Dave outside of Phoenix. “People remember seller that year. So, it should be con-
at Reebok’s former headquarters in — To Be Settled in Barcelona.’’ me for the Dan and Dave commercials sidered a success, said Nobs, who re-
Stoughton, Mass. A dozen marketers more than they remember me winning cently reunited with O’Brien during a
were scrambling for the proverbial “big It wasn’t. Weeks before those ’92 the [1996] gold medal. And it was prob- golf tournament at Arizona State Uni-
idea” to leverage Reebok’s global Olym- Games, O’Brien failed to qualify for the ably the most coverage the decathlon versity. “We’re still talking about it,’’
pic rights. While the 1992 Barcelona U.S. team after a disastrous pole vault ever got in America.” laughed Nobs, “and few remember the
Games marked the first NBA “Dream attempt at the Olympic Trials, where other ads or even which team won that
Team,” those were difficult rights to he finished 11th among decathletes. Dave Nobs was then working for Super Bowl.”
control, as Rebook later found, when O’Brien had his comeuppance, winning Cohn & Wolfe on the Reebok campaign
Michael Jordan famously obscured gold at the 1996 Games in Atlanta. Still, and had an SI cover booked for Dan O’Brien signed with Nike in 1993 and
Reebok’s logo on his warmups. the campaign was so memorable and and Dave before the Olympic Trials. wore the swoosh while winning his gold
pervasive, with more than a dozen TV That cover evaporated, but the story medal. There aren’t any Reeboks left
Longtime Olympic marketer Chester ads, that it’s considered a sign post on of Dan not qualifying made the nightly in his closet. Still, with well more than
Wheeler quietly mentioned to the group the boulevard of exceptional sports network TV news. 15 minutes of fame accrued, “Dan vs.
that the world’s top two decathletes — marketing. Competing on a broken foot, Dave” still evokes in O’Brien the sen-
Dan O’Brien and Dave Johnson — Johnson won a bronze in Barcelona. “It became this ‘agony of defeat’ mo- timentality of a long-lost classmate
shared other compelling qualities: each ment that’s lived on,” said Nobs, now rediscovered.
was American, and they were both under “Dave (now athletic director at a managing director and chief growth
contract to Reebok. Chiat/Day Creative Regis St. Mary Catholic School in Or- officer at Lavidge, a Phoenix advertis- “Sure, it was a lesson in not counting
Director Rick Sittig took that concept egon) and I were kind of the first real- ing, digital and PR agency. Images of your chickens, but it was just one of
and built a $25 million campaign that ity TV stars,” said O’Brien, now Dave consoling Dan were ubiquitous those million-dollar ideas,” said
debuted in 1992 with a series of Super executive vice president of sports per- for a time, and a “retooled” campaign O’Brien, who’s still recognized by the
Bowl ads. In an election year, it was formance, health, wellness and fitness continued through the Olympics. occasional stranger. “Thirty years
at Legacy Sports, which operates Bell later, people still remember.”
The legacy of “Dan vs. Dave” is still

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