The BEST First Job Experience in Sports Management
Summary
TLDRDans cet épisode passionnant du podcast 'Work in Sports', l'animateur reçoit Greg Kieger, directeur adjoint des événements stadia et des opérations pour les Lansing Lug Nuts, une équipe de baseball de ligues mineures. Kieger partage ses expériences uniques dans le baseball mineur, mettant l'accent sur l'importance de l'adaptabilité, de l'innovation et du leadership pour réussir dans ce domaine dynamique. Il évoque également les défis et les récompenses de travailler dans un environnement où les événements spectaculaires et la gestion de jeunes équipes sont au cœur des opérations quotidiennes.
Takeaways
- 🏈 Le travail dans les ligues mineures implique une variété de tâches et ne se limite pas à un rôle spécifique.
- 🎯 Il est essentiel de se rendre indispensable en trouvant son domaine d'intérêt et en s'y spécialisant.
- 🌟 L'expérience dans les ligues mineures offre une opportunité unique d'être au premier plan de l'innovation dans le sport.
- ⏰ L'adoption de l'horloge de lancer dans les grandes ligues a été inspirée par les expériences positives dans les ligues mineures.
- 📈 L'horloge de lancer a amélioré la fluidité du jeu, rendant les matchs plus spectaculaires pour les fans.
- 👔 Le rôle d'assistant GM dans les ligues mineures est vaste et peut inclure la gestion de l'opération, le marketing et le personnel.
- 🔄 Le secteur des ligues mineures est un terrain d'essai pour ce qui peut être adopté par les ligues majeures, offrant ainsi une expérience variée.
- 🌐 Les événements dans les ligues mineures sont conçus pour créer une expérience unique et engageante pour les fans.
- 💡 L'adaptabilité est un trait clé pour réussir dans les ligues mineures, où les employés doivent être prêts à prendre des rôles multiples.
- 🎉 Les équipes de ligues mineures mettent l'accent sur la création d'événements spectaculaires et de divertissement pour attirer les fans.
- 🤝 Les partenariats avec des institutions comme les universités sont courants pour les équipes de ligues mineures, renforçant leur présence communautaire.
Q & A
Pourquoi le baseball mineur est-il considéré comme un terrain d'entraînement idéal pour les carrières dans le sport?
-Le baseball mineur offre une expérience variée où l'on fait un peu de tout, ce qui permet aux individus de découvrir leurs passions et de construire une expérience pratique sur leur CV.
Quelle a été l'impact positive de l'implémentation d'une horloge de 20 secondes pour le lancer dans les ligues mineures?
-L'horloge de 20 secondes a rendu le jeu plus spectaculaire et a accéléré le rythme des matchs, ce qui a été adopté par la Ligue majeure de baseball après huit ans.
Quels sont les défis spécifiques auxquels les équipes de baseball mineur doivent faire face en raison de leur taille de staff réduite?
-Les équipes de baseball mineur gèrent des événements pour des milliers de personnes avec un staff et des ressources limités, ce qui rend la gestion et l'exécution des plans critiques.
Quel est le rôle d'un assistant GM dans le baseball mineur et comment cela peut-il varier d'une équipe à une autre?
-Le rôle d'assistant GM peut inclure la supervision des opérations, l'aide aux directeurs dans leur travail et s'assurer que les attentations sont remplies. Il peut varier en fonction de l'équipe et de l'expérience du personnel.
Comment le baseball mineur permet-il aux employés de s'adapter à de multiples tâches et de devenir inestimables?
-En travaillant dans de nombreux domaines et en s'adaptant à différentes situations, les employés apprennent à s'exécuter et à devenir des éléments clés dans l'organisation, ce qui les rend inestimables.
Quels sont les attributs clés que Greg Kieger recherche dans le personnel qu'il embauche pour le baseball mineur?
-L'adaptabilité est un attribut clé recherché, ainsi que la volonté de relever de nouveaux défis et d'apprendre de l'expérience, même si cela signifie faire des tâches laborieuses.
Comment le baseball mineur gère-t-il la rotation fréquente des joueurs et l'impact sur les stratégies de marketing?
-En se concentrant sur les événements et les divertissements plutôt que sur les joueurs individuels, les équipes mineures gardent l'engagement des fans malgré le haut taux de rotation des joueurs.
Quelles sont les histoires ou expériences uniques que Greg a partagées lors de l'entrevue qui illustrent la nature imprévisible du travail dans le sport?
-Greg a partagé des histoires telles que travailler sur le film 'Rudy' et gérer une fuite de gaz lors d'un spectacle du cirque, mettant en évidence l'originalité et la variété des expériences dans le sport.
Comment le baseball mineur tire-t-il parti de la créativité et de la flexibilité dans la planification des événements?
-En jouant sur les thèmes populaires et en s'adaptant rapidement aux changements, les équipes de baseball mineur créent des événements uniques qui attirent les fans et augmentent les ventes de billets.
Quels conseils donnerait Greg aux jeunes professionnels qui entrent dans l'industrie du sport, en particulier pour gérer le rythme intense de la saison de baseball?
-Greg conseille de trouver un équilibre entre le travail et le temps de récupération, de rendre les tâches趣味性以提高士气, et de se préparer à faire face à des journées longues et des défis inattendus.
Outlines
😀 Expériences variées dans les sports mineurs
Le texte met en évidence l'importance de la polyvalence dans le domaine des sports mineurs. Il est souligné que les employés ne peuvent pas se limiter à un rôle unique et doivent être prêts à s'impliquer dans différents aspects du travail. L'auteur exprime son amour pour le chronomètre de lancer dans le baseball et aborde l'importance de l'expérience en tant qu'stagiaire dans les sports mineurs, offrant une variété d'expériences et une formation pratique. Le podcast évoque également l'innovation dans les sports mineurs, en citant l'exemple de l'implémentation d'un chronomètre de 20 secondes pour les lancers, qui a eu un impact positif sur le jeu.
🎓 Rôle d'assistant directeur général dans les sports mineurs
Le paragraphe décrit le rôle d'assistant directeur général (GM) dans les sports mineurs, expliquant que ce poste varie d'un équipe à l'autre en fonction de l'expérience et des responsabilités. L'assistant GM est présenté comme un soutien au directeur général, aidant à gérer les équipes et à s'assurer que les attentations sont remplies. Il est également responsable de la gestion des événements et des opérations, et doit s'adapter à un environnement en constante évolution, comme illustré par l'arrivée inattendue d'une affiliation avec les Oakland.
🌟 Créativité et leadership dans les sports mineurs
Le texte met en avant l'importance de la créativité et du leadership dans les sports mineurs, où les employés ont la liberté de s'exprimer et de mettre en place des événements uniques. L'auteur souligne que, contrairement aux sports professionnels, les sports mineurs offrent plus de flexibilité et d'opportunités pour innover. Le leadership est crucial pour gérer une jeune équipe et pour assurer la bonne exécution des plans, même si cela implique de jongler avec plusieurs tâches. L'auteur encourage les jeunes à s'engager dans les sports mineurs pour acquérir une expérience variée et enrichissante.
🏠 Communauté et événements dans les sports mineurs
Le paragraphe discute de la manière dont les équipes de sports mineurs peuvent devenir un événement majeur dans leur communauté, en particulier dans les villes de taille moyenne ou rurales. L'auteur parle de la manière dont son équipe gère les défis de la concurrence avec d'autres événements sportifs, comme les matchs de football de Michigan State, et comment elle profite de la dynamique de la communauté pour booster les ventes de billets et les événements familiaux. Il mentionne également des événements spéciaux, comme la journée du golf et la distribution de jerseys pour soutenir les victimes d'un drame local.
🤝 Partenariats et relations avec les grandes ligues
Le texte aborde la manière dont les équipes de sports mineurs travaillent avec les équipes des grandes ligues, non pas en tant que concurrents, mais en tant que partenaires pour créer des événements et des expériences uniques. L'auteur mentionne des programmes de golf et d'autres initiatives communautaires qui ont été mis en place pour profiter de la saison favorable et attirer les fans. Il discute également des changements apportés par le nouveau CBA (Contrat de but) avec la MLB, qui pourraient affecter la manière dont les joueurs interagissent avec la communauté et les événements locaux.
🎉 Anecdotes de carrière dans les sports mineurs
Le dernier paragraphe est une compilation d'anecdotes de carrière de l'assistant GM, qui partage des expériences inoubliables de son passé dans le sport, y compris son implication dans le tournage du film Rudy et un incident avec une fuite de gaz lors d'un spectacle de cirque. Ces histoires illustrent l'aspect inattendu et excitant du travail dans les sports mineurs, où chaque événement peut présenter de nouvelles opportunités et défis.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Minor League Baseball
💡Pitch Clock
💡Internship
💡Event Operations
💡Adaptability
💡Lansing Lug Nuts
💡Mental Health
💡CBA Agreement
💡Community Engagement
💡Staffing and Hiring
Highlights
Emphasizing the diverse roles in minor league sports marketing, not just desk work but hands-on involvement in various aspects of the game.
The introduction of a pitch clock in minor league baseball as a modernization of the game, enhancing its watchability.
Recommending minor league baseball as a comprehensive training ground for a career in sports, offering a wide range of experiences.
The significance of the 20-second pitch clock experiment in 2015, which later influenced Major League Baseball.
Discussing the role of an assistant GM in minor league baseball, including overseeing event staff and operations.
The importance of adaptability and being willing to take on various tasks in minor league sports.
The challenges of managing a young staff and the value of leadership by example in minor league baseball.
Highlighting the grind of the baseball season and the need for work-life balance for staff and players.
The strategy of planning events around local interests, such as Harry Potter and Star Wars themes, to boost ticket sales.
The impact of weather on minor league baseball operations and the need for contingency planning.
The unique experience of working on the movie 'Rudy' and the improvisation required during filming.
The story of a gas line accident during the Barnum and Bailey Circus, illustrating the unexpected challenges of event management.
The importance of mentorship in the sports industry and the role of networking in career development.
The potential changes in minor league baseball due to the new CBA agreement, affecting player appearances and marketing.
The need for creativity in minor league baseball to attract fans and differentiate from major league teams.
Transcripts
if you're going to work in minor league
sports you're not going to be a
one-trick pony you're not going to come
into marketing and that's you're going
to sit at your desk you're going to work
on a plan because it just doesn't work
that way so make yourself invaluable
find out what you love as a part of this
and um and go for it this is the work
and sports podcast
I am in love with the pitch clock got a
loaded slate here today it was a strike
he was not ready in a ready position at
the Eight Second Mark which is an
automatic strike now for the hitter
thank you baseball gods for not sticking
with tradition and instead modernizing
the game we love or maybe we should
credit minor league baseball if you've
listened to this show for even a minute
you know I recommend interning at Minor
League Baseball as the best possible
experience for your career you do a bit
of everything you see what you love you
build your hands-on experience in your
resume you learn the rhythm of what it's
like to work in sports Minor League
Baseball is the ultimate training ground
but here's another reason
you're on The Cutting Edge of innovation
it was January 15 2015 when Major League
Baseball said hey minor league teams in
double A and AAA why did you start
implementing a 20-second pitch clock and
let's just see what that does to our
piece of play problem let's see what
kind of an effect we have well the
effect it had was positive so we started
moving in that direction now it still
took Major League Baseball eight years
to adopt it and start using it but I'm
telling you the product is much more
watchable now which makes me super happy
progress is slow sometimes so in minor
league baseball you get to be on The
Cutting Edge of some of the Innovation
the test Market The Crucible for what
may be adopted a major league baseball
and you get this wide-ranging experience
love love love Minor League Baseball but
nobody knows this lifestyle better than
today's guest Greg kieger assistant GM
of Stadium events and operations for the
Lansing lug nuts
[Music]
hey Greg how are you this morning I am
I'm great how are you Brian I I'm
excited for this conversation I'm doing
really well I'm laughing as we get
started because we're going to talk a
lot about Minor League Baseball today
and that experience but before we get
started today you emailed me and you
were like hey I have to do the most
minor league baseball thing ever before
we get started in this interview take
everybody through what your morning was
like so far reminding everybody this is
the assistant GM we're talking to so
tell us what your morning was like yes I
mean minor league baseball in a nutshell
is is we've had some storms uh we we had
an exhibition game uh two nights ago we
had to switch up our season doesn't
start till tomorrow we're on the road
tomorrow so we got a call which we
typically do between seven and nine in
the morning on days we know we are gonna
have to pull the tarp off and that's
exactly what we got and the timing
obviously the more people you have
around the easier it's going to be we
had 72 degrees yesterday it was I think
43 right now
um so Not only was there a lot of water
there was some ice build up as well so
anyway I had to send you a quick email
say hey 9 30 we have a tarpole I'm not
sure depending on you know typically we
wait till we get a good dozen bodies to
make it not so difficult so
um I did arrive light and a little out
of breath because I just got off
it's it's one of those things and and we
have a we have a white board with the
number of tarpoles we have our season
hasn't started we've had one exhibition
and that was our fifth tarp pull already
oh so it's going to be a long one yeah I
I think it's funny it's like that's the
cliche thing we all say like some nights
you'll be pulling the tarp and some
nights you'll be working over here doing
this and that but you're embodying it
this is the real life like this is a
part of the that's part of the job and
part of the culture that's what we live
for that's awesome I love that okay so
let's let's get into your background a
little bit we'll dive deeper into this
conversation and and what it's like
being a minor league baseball you've
worked in a lot of different aspects of
this industry so you've worked in
college athletics and minor league
sports you've been a sport towards sales
you've been a professor for the last
three years Minor League Baseball has
been your focus for the Lansing lug nuts
what is it about Minor League Baseball
that makes it special as you compare it
to all of your other experiences what is
that special thing about Minor League
Baseball and your your estimation well
it's so different
um you look at Sports in general and can
be so many different things and
depending it seems like when you start
out you're doing so many different
things to find your Niche and get really
good find out what you're really good at
yeah and but something about Minor
League Baseball is like any to me
anything's possible I started out in
marketing promotions for a division two
college athletic department and I love
that but my career took me elsewhere as
I went along but one of the first things
I wanted to do I got hired in as the
Director of Stadium events and so I my
my life my career has really
went into the event mode operations
became a thing and but one thing about
Minor League Baseball I wanted to get
thrown in on the marketing side because
that's so much fun here because
you know truly anything is possible if
you can cultivate the way you know you
still want to do it well no matter what
that is but it seems like in other
industry is you have to be pretty
straightforward in what you do in minor
league baseball not that all the rules
get thrown out but you can kind of make
your own rules to a point and that's fun
for me I think one of the most enjoyable
things that I get to experience when
interviewing people that work in minor
league baseball is that creative side is
that ability to kind of do anything on
game night and really build up this
energy and excitement in the community
and we're gonna we're gonna talk a lot
more about that because I think that's
one of the most interesting parts of you
know outside the box thinking that
happens in in minor league sports it
doesn't necessarily happen in Pro Sports
and that can be a little bit more
regimented but before we dig in there
sometimes people hear assistant GM and
they think to themselves oh are they on
the are they are they out there scouting
like you hear in the minor leagues I'm
in the major leagues and are they are
they looking to players to sign and
things like that but it's a little
different in the miners so can you
explain a little bit more of what it
means to be an assistant GM a GM those
kind of roles front office back roles in
minor league sports sure and and I think
every
um I think the GM role is pretty similar
across the board of all 120 teams the
assistant GM role depending on uh you
know somebody that's been with the same
team for 15 years maybe in marketing and
develop into a you know a newer title so
the system GM across the board might be
a little different but for us we just
had a a changeover so we have a new GM
this year my role is to adjust a little
bit I'm I feel I'm more his chief of
staff to kind of make sure the directors
are doing what they need to do and
prepare we have a we have an extremely
young staff so I think my years in the
industry whether it's in minor league
baseball or not is kind of help them
adjust to okay this is the expectation
of what we're coming up you know we've
had preseason we've had a number of
things but for myself I came in
overseeing the event staff
through coven the pandemic I inherited
the operation side but I've done that
numerous other places and then our Major
League Baseball case stepped into them
you know and basically took over the
Minor League World we were a Toronto
Blue Jays affiliate for 15 years they
basically told Toronto hey there's space
up in Vancouver it fits better if you
stay within your country with covet
going on and all of a sudden Oakland
needed a place to be and and we were
open so a drop of a hat we were an
Oakland affiliate so
um it's never a dull moment Brian never
a dull moment there's always something
happening and going on so on that event
side you mentioned young staff I always
find Minor League Baseball fascinating
in that you have the same challenges of
the pro teams you're putting on these
massive events for thousands of people
but you have a much smaller team in
Resort resources how important does
leadership become in all of that and
being able to manage a young staff and
help grow and still deliver night in and
night out it's it's the delivery and
execution part that gets tough because
you still want people to feel like
they're learning on their own and and
Zachary Jim and I fully believe in you
know we're not going to micromanage
anybody but our door is always open
unless we're on a podcast or or
something to to knock on it and say hey
we need some help here and and you know
beer delivery gets here on Friday for
our food and beverage and all of us are
out there getting 72 kegs to wherever
they need to go and it's just one of
those things and you know if you're
going to work in minor league sports
you're not going to have you know you're
not going to be a one-trick pony you're
not going to come into marketing and
that's you're going to sit at your desk
and work on a plan you're going to
execute the plan that night because it
just doesn't work that way so make
yourself invaluable find out what you
love is a part of this and um and go for
it but but you've got to be willing to
get pulled in 20 different directions
and and not get disappointed where I
know I had a meeting set up for two
o'clock for 10 people only three people
are here that's because the other seven
people are doing something else at the
moment so it takes a lot of patience
takes a lot of adaptability but at the
end again execution and delivery is
everything by the time the gates open
they see us swimming underwater they see
everything above it and things are great
or they're not so great and we work hard
to fix them I think that's a really
inspirational part of this and I speak
in probably 40 to 50 College classrooms
each semester and I'm always telling
people go get some experience in minor
league baseball I think it is absolutely
the best training ground for exactly
what you just said you're going to be
doing a lot of different things you're
going to get exposed to a lot of
different options in the in the business
world you're going to figure out where
your love and passion may or may not be
and you're going to be on the grind and
that's a lot of what our industry is
like
what do you see when when that happens
and you bring in a lot of different
staff and there's probably high turnover
and you have interns you have people
supporting in different ways what are
those things that you look for what are
those things that you look for not only
in those people that are worth bringing
in but then those that are successful
and and do well in this field really I
go back to adaptability if you're not
willing to try something new
um try something you've never tried
before and takes some criticism you know
weather plays a big part in what we do
and what we can do and you know we just
disappoint a lot of pitching coaches and
our weather reports aren't quite right
and they start throwing their their
secondary picture to warm up and all of
a sudden the storm comes 15 minutes
early and and so
um a lot of difficult conversations
along the way but but you hit it on the
head you know Minor League Sports is
going to give you it's going to let you
know what you love pretty quickly and
what you really don't care for yeah um I
mean we went through three interns last
year we had a we had an intern first day
on a power washer all day
preseason and he didn't show up the
second day he just left and uh so it's
it's best not to sugarcoat things it's
going to be hard but you're going to put
yourself in the situations to have some
pretty incredible moments and you know
my career has been littered with 30 or
40 pretty incredible moments but if I
hadn't put myself in the position to
um arrive at that perfect situation yeah
um you know it was through hard work and
and doing some things I didn't
particularly care for but we do them
because it needs to get done and it's
like I worked in Jacksonville and we had
um
a Monday Night Raw on TV that night and
afterwards I had to go through where the
wrestlers were filtering into their
locker room afterwards and yeah that
night I got to meet Leon Wilkerson from
Leonard Skynyrd because he had been on a
flight into Jacksonville with a wrestler
invited him down and I had to get from
point A to point B and I got to spend
three minutes with the bass player from
Leonard Skynyrd and it was awesome my
bad and and it's just one of those
things that if I hadn't had to go do
that mundane test that I didn't want to
get out of because I needed to get done
but I had that moment and I'll always
remember that moment that's awesome I
love that and I think that is a attitude
that I think wins in the sports industry
is doing what needs to get done and that
used to be our philosophy a lot of times
early in my career when I was starting
out in the sports media it was yeah
there are things I don't want to do but
it needs to get done and so whoever
takes up that attitude can be that
person that proves that they have a high
ceiling and willing to do what it takes
to get the get the work done and that's
that's such an important part of the
attitude I think in our industry right
if our young professionals aren't seeing
me out doing some of those tasks and
just pointing at that and say look that
that stand needs to get clean better you
know there's a respect there and an
admiration but if they don't see me
doing it also it you know why should
they do it leadership by example it's so
important there's there's no denying
that the baseball season is a grind I
mean long hours road trips a lot of game
nights
you you have this experience but what
advice would you give to young people
breaking into the industry that this is
a this is a different Rhythm I mean what
advice would you share for surviving the
day in and day out and making sure you
stay sharp and mentally healthy we can't
do what was done to us basically and
it's you're gonna be here at eight in on
non-game days you're here till 5 30
unless we have another event or we're
here till everything's cleaned up in the
stadium which is one or two in the
morning and we just we just can't do
that younger generation isn't going to
connect to that you know they need they
need some time they need some you know
like all of us do you know here I'm in
my 50s going you know if I would have
got a little time through there I
wouldn't feel like I'm 93 but
um but uh it's just one of those things
it's like we have to be really careful
of not only the physical but the mental
as well so we're gonna find a way to to
make it fun because for us behind the
scenes It's a Grind you know I hear all
these people complaining about Major
League Baseball in this pitch clock you
know we had it all last year and us that
and you know work 8 30 to 5 30 and then
our gates open at six for seven o'clock
game you know I don't mind it too
already you know no screw the three and
a half hour games I've already been here
for 12 hours so give me all the two-hour
games we can so it's getting pasted this
yeah
that that's been good but you know you
know it goes back to Heaven fun it's the
days and game nights are a grind so
let's try to have some fun with that do
you have a favorite event planned for
this upcoming year we have Joey Chestnut
showing up to break the olive burger
eating record of course
why wouldn't we do that so I still don't
know I gotta find out if if he's you
know eating the whole burger or if we're
going to get water involved like he does
on the hot dog side but you know that's
that's one of the fun things we you know
we try to make it easy you know we try
to play off the Harry Potter stuff and
the Star Wars stuff and you know with
limitations and Licensing we have to
call it other things but it is what it
is and we just have to let people know
that's that's what it is without telling
them that's what it is so yeah yeah
Wizarding weekend we can't say it's a
hotter uh Harry Potter weekend so so we
play off of those things that we know
that's you know we're driving ticket
sales so we know what people love to do
and we you know we put our our team in
different uniforms and come out with
different giveaways and and it's like we
had uh you know with the tragedy at
Michigan State a month or so ago and we
had our we started season typically with
an exhibition game with Michigan State
and so we did that Tuesday and what we
did we did a lug nut Jersey but we had
the lug nut in their Spartan green so I
think we gave away a thousand I think
within 14 minutes they were gone so
um we had over 4 000 people actually
Tuesday we outgrew Oakland
um with with an exhibition game so that
tells you that people are excited to
come out
um like I said yesterday was 72 or 73
degrees today I think the high is 49 so
we're back prepping now we're prepping
for Michigan State to play um three
games here over the weekend because
airfield's unplayable so but that's
apparently baseball for you you know
yeah you don't it's tough to plan a
vacation yeah right it's always
interesting to me too a lot of minor
league teams are in smaller cities or
more rural areas and they can really own
that community and they can be the
biggest event in town and they can
really build that up and you guys have a
bit of a challenge lansing's a good
sized city you've got Michigan State
right down the road uh does that feel
like competition or is that something
you guys partner up with it sounds like
you have a lot of joint activations I
mean how do you how do you kind of
Leverage that relationship
I wouldn't really call it competition I
will say that in the fall
um just before our season ends and and
the better weather in October after our
season ends we try not schedule too much
around the Michigan State home football
game because it just doesn't work I
don't know we developed a golf program
after the covid year where we will set
up nine tee boxes Around The Concourse
and Chip onto holes and we set up greens
with with roping on the field and we've
done that twice last year and and that
might have been the first event we did
after lemonade League finished where
people just were excited to get out and
golf courses were kind of opening and so
that's a fun program for us they get
they get three shots and depending on if
they at least get it we fun part about
that is we've spent a week after picking
up golf balls all over because golf
balls end up all over because they still
got to hit over uh from the top of the
Concourse through the seating Bowl onto
the field so they get a point for
getting on the field if they get it in
the green they they get more points they
get a hole in one they get more points
and the winner gets the owner's box for
a night with with
um 19 friends and gets our own crushed
velvet red jacket and we just have a lot
of fun with it love it I just love the
creativity that you see in minor league
baseball and the No Holds Barred kind of
let's try it let's do it let's see what
happens kind of attitude it's fun for
pro teams they Market their athletes
right they really get those faces out
there because kids young people adults
we buy jerseys we get into the athletes
we want to have our favorite player in
minor leagues there's a lot of churn on
the roster I mean it could be completely
different from year to year you could
have a player you're investing a lot of
marketing in and then they get called up
to the next level like how hard is that
do you have to focus more on the event
and the entertainment and kind of not
not focus on the players as much or is
there a balance in there there's kind of
a balance because
um you know people that pay attention
are paying attention okay what's you
know how many number one and number two
picks are going to be playing for lug
nuts and if they turn out if they don't
show up to a game in April or May
they're probably up to the next level by
June and so it's tough so we try to
drive tickets and other things through
you know through our family fun events
that we have here
um the player side is probably going to
get a little more difficult Now with uh
this new CBA agreement with major league
baseball
um so we're going to probably see some
change to kind of like the nil has done
with College athletics yeah you know
exhibition games in in like private
appearances for communities and things
like that are going to probably start
costing us money so the pair gets paid
for those types of things where before
it was you know they just wanted to get
their face out there so if we needed to
send four kids to the elementary school
to do a reading program everyone was
happy to do it we'd pay them 25 bucks
and and they get on the community and
help us out we'd help the school out and
you know the guys would get you know
once they kind of get their names out in
the community and they hear people
cheering for them specifically once they
come to the games and I think that may
look a little different here moving
forward pretty soon
um so and we figured that Major League
Baseball would you know they had to
change wages they had to change the way
guys lived it wasn't great we've
developed a pretty good situation here
in here in Lansing for player
accommodations
so through this year things will even
change even more and and you know
there's always that rumor out there
there might be more contraction so Major
League Baseball may have to pay less
players but they're doing what's right
and and guys are making a little more
money although you know they have to
make that decision they have that seven
figure salary up if they can make it to
the very top level and right now you
know it's been barely five figures so
it's you got to play that game and guys
guys have been doing it for decades and
trying to trying to make in the major
leagues and stay in the best hotels and
have the
closed and and um it's just one of those
things that it's it needed to get better
it has gotten better and we're just
waiting to see where that's gonna land
because it's it'll probably change again
Greg I'm so appreciative all your time
it's been such an amazing conversation I
want to finish up with this with your
years of experience in the industry you
already told us one great story about
the Lynyrd Skynyrd bassist and being on
the job and having having that
experience but I gotta I gotta figure
you have more I love the storytelling
aspect of people that work in the
industry I love that those things that
we get to see and experience and others
just look at you with wrapped attention
like wait you did what you know like
right so so give us another one pull
another one out of the archives share a
story with us from your experience and
from your from your life in sports that
uh that'll be fun one to share okay well
I'm gonna share too because I can't
right like my kids I can't tell one
without the other because they're plenty
two incredible stories that just happen
to happen and I thought it was great and
one wasn't so great but um I spent six
years as an intramural director at
University Notre Dame back in the back
in the 90s and it doesn't seem that long
ago but I feel the same way trust me
um so I had a buddy show up and I was
going to take them to uh the Penn State
Notre Dame football game that fall and I
got my my two bosses worked up in the
booth for football one controlled the
scoreboard and one guy did something
else and I got more involved on the
basketball side as far as working which
offshoot of that story
um our work the scores table when
Michigan's Fab Five started their very
first game that was at Notre Dame so
that was pretty cool being a Michigan
kid yeah and a Michigan fan knowing that
was coming to see all five of them
starting the game was was pretty cool
yeah
um but
um I got a call from him after the game
during halftime they did a lot of the
shoots for um the on-field
shots for the movie Rudy that okay so I
got a call from him that night saying
hey there they have this whole plan of
attack on doing all those shots again
but they're inviting thousands of people
to come to the stadium this is on a
Sunday in uh in November and what they
want to do is they need somebody to run
the scoreboard for that I can't make it
can you make it
I said sure I'll do it yeah so he gave
me the uh assistant Director's phone
number told me what time to be there and
first they kind of ran us through some
things it's like okay here the School
Board needs to read these three things
at this particular time um they gave me
a walkie-talkie my and and again that's
I think he's indebted to me forever my
buddy got to tag along and we both got
paid to do it too so we have this
experience that you know he was just
going to come to a weekend to see his
first Notre Dame football game and we
end up working on the movie Rudy so
that's amazing so uh so we did those
three things he's like and but you know
figure out at those time frames we're
still going to run other plays that type
of thing so do us a favor and kind of
tell us what when we do this play what
should the scoreboard read with the
timing the all that stuff so we spent
probably in our kind of almost
storyboarding yeah uh and so the
director came out said you guys ready he
said you know we're ready to go he's
like okay this looks good and and then
they're down on the field we're up in
the booth and there's nothing and so we
got to bring up he's like I guess we're
not going to do the things for like
another three hours why don't you come
down we'll get something to eat and so
we got down to the field we're eating
and they're doing all the shots up in
the stand so you know we we see all the
actors that were in there John Favreau
doing his thing and yeah and uh Rudy's
dad doing his thing and so anyway we got
a couple of the other actors and one of
the um assistant director says as we're
on the field he's like we hear him
talking ever kicked a field goal no I've
never tried to feel well me knowing
where everything is
um I said tell you what let me go get a
kicking tee and so we spent 20 minutes
all these people
um trying to come over and see if they
could kick a field goal and nobody came
close but but so like it was like two
hours and then they're like okay why
don't you go up and and I think we're
ready to do it so
we're going through and they're rating
up okay we're gonna do this play the
scoreboard needs to read this okay run
it and then we'd run it we got to about
the last play and it was it's November
so it's getting pretty cold in South
Bend Indiana so we finish up they want
to do one more play they want me to run
it back and our scoreboard just shuts
down it freezes there's nothing more I
can do yeah so I'm like well I you know
I guess that's all we're gonna get we
can run the play and not show the
scoreboard and so anyway that that's one
of my stories oh yeah one of those
things that you know just because of the
department I worked in and my boss is
like I can't make it can you do it I'm
like heck yes I can yes I'm doing my
only other story if we have time yeah go
uh I'm the event manager in Jacksonville
Florida and we have uh Barnum and Bailey
Circus for a whole week
in our back asphalt parking lot is where
the elephants and most of the animals
that can take some evening weather are
there for the whole week so they're
driving these three foot Stakes into our
asphalt and through our contract and
everything everything's paid for as far
as refilling those holes and all that
stuff they're there for six days so I
basically split time for the evening
shows overseeing the facility with our
general manager and uh I just happened
to come up with Sunday which I figured I
would be working Sunday because it's
Super Bowl Sunday and my boss wants to
be able to watch everything leading up
to the game
um but the show the last show gets over
about four o'clock the game's not gonna
start till after six everything should
be fine you would figure yeah so there
they get everything torn down inside our
facility and they're tearing everything
down
um outside the facility they got to the
last tent pulled out one of the stakes
and all of a sudden you see in this
heaving in the asphalt well they had but
that stake they had punctured a gas line
oh they had punctured it so squarely
that it didn't release any gas until
they pulled it out on Sunday yeah so
um call 9-1-1 call our gas service get
everybody there we can and I'm there
till about 7 30 until everything settles
out and everything and so I missed the
first half of the Super Bowl because we
had punctured a gas line with the big
top 10 from the circus so yeah
but that's one of my stories yeah yeah
uh love it I love this stuff I always
think these stories are are so special
to our industry and unique and it's it's
different than a lot of other careers I
think that's what part part of what
makes it special so thank you for
sharing that thank you for sharing all
this great advice too I think there's so
many nuggets everybody in our audience
can take out of it and learn so much
about what it takes to survive and
thrive in this industry so Greg thank
you so much I appreciate the time and uh
you know it's always fun to give back
and you know I still hear back from from
former student workers or students I
taught and you know you help them as
much as we can as we get older our our
Branch kind of widens and you know we
get people that you know what I want to
end up with Texas so I start figuring
out who I know at Texas or used to work
at Texas I might still know somebody and
so still helping out but that's what
mentors do and that's what mentors did
for me so I'm I'm there to give back
that's why we do this show it's to help
and to build those branches so that's
awesome I appreciate you for
contributing to it absolutely
thank you
thank you to Greg for coming on the show
I love the one great story concept I
love some of the things we're hearing
from people out there doing it and
living it and having these great
experiences in the sports industry if
that doesn't get you excited motivated
intrigued by what a career in the Sports
World will look like for you or what you
might experience I don't know what will
but great advice in there what it's like
in minor league baseball the day-to-day
grind Mental Health Training staff
getting people up to speed what he looks
for in Staffing and hiring a lot of
great info in there so thanks for
listening please remember to rate review
And subscribe love to continue growing
our audience here and you're a big part
of that so I will see you all on Monday
[Applause]
[Music]
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