Yormark takes Big 12 reins Aug. 1 and Canton welcome Joe Browne and others with Awards of Excellence.
I hosted a dinner Tuesday night in New York City with some select leaders in sports business. In over two hours we covered a lot of ground. The bottom line from the conversations is while the leaders in sports believe that the industry should withstand a global economic slowdown or recession, there could be a slowing of deal flow and there are concerns about attendance at the live event. And other issues discussed, there's great focus on the geopolitical landscape. There's great focus on the potential impact of live golf and Saudi Arabia's interest in sports and there is real concern about the fans of the future and youth engagement, and how the industry must adapt and change the way our sports are played and presented. The two hour dialogue really reflected the dynamic time we are in in sports business.
Speaking of live golf, its first US event tees off today at Pumpkin Ridge about 20 miles west of Portland. We will be keeping our eye on local reaction, possible protests around the event, and just the overall look and feel of the tournament all this week on sportsbusinessjournal.com, and this is your morning buzzcast for Thursday June 30th, the last day of June, hard to believe.
The Big 12 officially named Brett Yormark as its next Commissioner on Wednesday. Brett Yormark said his first goal as Commissioner of the Big 12 is to listen, to learn, to find ways to add value and add resources to the conference. Yormark signed a five year deal that will begin on August 1st, and let's just say this is all people have wanted to talk about over the last three days. Yormark is well known in sports. He has a track record of nearly 30 years and many people in sports have worked with him along the way. The move is a surprise to many as he's seen as a revenue driver and this job will have a wider perch and he will have to deal with consistent and uncomfortable change within the college landscape. But let's not forget, Brett Yormark has always managed up well at NASCAR, at the Nets, and Rock Nation, and he will have to do that with the Big 12 presidents and chancellors.
He can also manage down well and he will have to listen to athletic directors at his campuses about the challenges and obstacles, and he'll also have to work well across his brethren, his other fellow commissioners in college sports.
Bottom line is, the Big 12 hired him to bring a fresh set of eyes to the job and to college sports and he will certainly bring more of a pro sports lens when it comes to brand building and revenue generation. This move also speaks to the growing professionalization of college sports and presidents and chancellors wanting someone with that pro sports experience.
I'll say this. The Big 12 is getting a committed, incredibly hardworking, and passionate leader who will be aggressive. Like I said at the top of the buzzcast, both those close to Brett Yormark and those close to college sports call this either an enlightened choice that will pay real dividends or one that has the potential to be short term because of not being the right fit. Well, we will see as Brett Yormark begins his tenure at the Big 12 on August 1st.
If you read one thing over the next few days or your July 4th holiday when you're sitting by the pool or the ocean, make sure you read Don Van Natta's extensive look at the leadership of MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred which dropped on espn.com yesterday. It's a very good extensive look at Rob Manfred's style and looks to answer the question if Manfred is the right leader for the right time in baseball history. We all know that Manfred is often criticized among baseball fans. Many claim he doesn't love the game of baseball that he oversees, but Rob Manfred says that point of view couldn't be more wrong and Don Van Natta gets into Manfred's blunt leadership style and his decision making in a very well reported balanced piece. It's a good read, so definitely take some time and read it when you get a chance.
The NBA is returning to Seattle. Yes, for the preseason. The Clippers and Trailblazers will play a preseason game on October 3rd at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. Now we know there has been a lot of talk about possible NBA expansion to Seattle, but that's not what this is about. There is a connection here for both of these teams to the Seattle market. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer lives in the region and Trailblazers owner Jody Allen also owns the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle last hosted an NBA preseason game in 2018 and that was played at Key Arena, but this will be a game of great interest because we know that Climate Pledge, which is home of the Seattle Kraken and the WNBA Storm has been specifically built for NBA games as well. So, we'll keep an eye on that game in October.
Let's end with this. Today will be a very exciting day in Canton, Ohio as the Pro Football Hall of Fame inducts its inaugural class of awards of excellence, which will be presented before a crowd of about 300 people onsite in Canton. Included in the awards of excellence are some of the leaders in the NFL who I have worked with and many of the listeners of the buzzcast have worked with over the years in the sports business. And so, special congratulations to the PR executives who really changed the game and will be honored today in Canton. They include the legendary Joe Brown who worked at the NFL for more than 50 years and has such a rich history at that league. Also, excellent PR leaders Charlie Dayton who worked in Washington and for the Buccaneers and the Carolina Panthers, Joe Gordon who worked for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jim Saccomano who spent more than 30 years at the Broncos, and Gary Wright who spent more than 30 years at the Seahawks. They will be honored today along with trainers, equipment managers, and assistant coaches.
This is a great program that the Pro Football Hall of Fame is launching today that will honor these people who have put so much time and energy and effort into the game of football. They will receive their awards of excellence. They'll also be invited to the 2022 [inaudible 00:06:45] week festivities in August in Canton, and their names will be forever placed on display in Canton. Hall of Famer Dan Fouts is the MC today, so congratulations to all these honorees who have done so much to make the NFL what it is.
That is your Morning Buzzcast for Thursday June 30th, again, the last day of June. Hard to believe. I'm Abe Madkour, until I speak to you tomorrow, stay healthy, be good to each other, and have a great day.