Front Office Sports Today

In today's episode, we spoke with two U.S. veterans and Para-sport gold medalists Jen Lee and Christy Gardner. Both Lee and Gardner suffered injuries that led to amputation, but they did not let that stop them from competing in sports at the highest level. Hear their inspiring stories of how they overcame their injuries, what led them to Para-sports, and how they continue to serve outside the uniform.

We look back on the week’s top stories, including Michael Block’s miracle shot, the Oakland A’s saga, and ESPN layoffs. Then Jim Courier joins to look ahead to the French Open.

On today's episode, we get an update from Front Office Sports senior writer Michael McCarthy on life at ESPN. McCarthy talks about the most recent round of layoffs, the troubles around their business model, and ESPN's role in the upcoming NBA media rights negotiations. Next, we are joined by Irwin Kishner — a lawyer with over three decades of experience helping teams negotiate major deals. He shares his thoughts on San Diego's record $500 million MLS expansion fee, the Arizona Coyotes failed entertainment district, and whether or not public funds should be used to pay for sports venues.

In 2017, NFL linebacker Ryan Shazier suffered a spinal-cord injury that temporarily paralyzed him from the waist-down, bringing his once-promising career to a sudden halt. Shazier has regained the use of his legs, and while his football days are over — his career is just getting started. Shazier joins Front Office Sports Today to talk about his amazing personal triumph, his continued love for the game of football, and his current business ventures — including launching his own medical marijuana line, hosting a podcast — and pursuing a future in the broadcast booth.

Over the last decade, ESPN's Mike Greenberg has established himself as one of the most central gravitational forces in sports media. Greeny joins Senior Writers Mike McCarthy and Owen Poindexter to talk about the ins and outs of his morning show 'Get Up,' layoffs at ESPN, and the NBA Playoffs.

NHL sideline reporter Emily Kaplan joins Front Office Sports Today to talk about what it's like working on the sidelines of an NHL game. She shares her thoughts on being a female in a male-dominated industry, the high-pressure situations of reporting NHL games, gives her pick for who takes home the Stanley Cup.

The WNBA returns tonight! To kick off the season, we are joined by the New York Liberty’s new forward Breanna Stewart. Before coming to New York, Stewart spent six years with the Seattle Storm where she won two WNBA Championships, two finals MVPs, four all-star bids, and a regular season MVP award. Stewart talks about the transition from Seattle to New York, her new signature show with Puma, and what she sees in the WNBA’s future.

Voters in Arizona rejected all three propositions for the Arizona Coyotes to build an entertainment district in Tempe. Senior Reporter AJ Perez joins us to give an update on the future of the Coyotes, as well as a look into the ongoing sale of the Ottawa Senators. Next, we are joined by Donald De La Haye — Creator of the YouTube channel Deestroying. De La Haye shares his journey from being forced to choose between content creation and an athletic scholarship to where he is today at over five million subscribers on YouTube.

Robert Griffin III's time as an NFL quarterback may have come to an end, but that doesn't mean he's done with the game of football. RGIII joins us to talk about his journey from the gridiron to the broadcast booth with ESPN. Tune in to hear how RGIII got started as an analyst (even though he didn't want the job), his aspirations as a media professional, and his thoughts on the Commanders sale.

The NBA Western Conference Finals tip off tonight, but the biggest drama will be off the court. Fourteen teams have a chance at the number one pick in the NBA Draft Lottery and the right to select French phenom Victor Wembanyama. We dive into what the hype is all about and who has the best odds. Later, we hear from NBA Africa CEO Victor Williams on the unique connections the NBA is creating through the Basketball Africa League.

Tom Brady is in "deep discussions" to acquire a minority ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders. Front Office Sports senior writer Owen Poindexter raises questions about the deal, including how it will impact Brady's broadcast deal with FOX and if he will truly ever step away from the game of football. Next, we hear from Barrett Sallee, Analyst at CBS Sports HQ and host at Sirius XM, on how Deion Sanders' tenure at Colorado is impacting college football as a whole.

The sale of Manchester United is finally reaching a conclusion as the Glazers appear to have selected a preferred bidder. Plus, we take a look at the latest with Adidas, Peloton, and the Oakland A’s. After that we hear from Lanny Smith, retired NBA player and founder of Actively Black. He discusses how he sought to fill a gap with his company and saw sales soar. We also get into representation in the apparel market, and what activates social movements.

The NFL is releasing the schedule for the 2023-24 season tonight at 8 p.m. ET, and with it comes a litany of changes. Mike McCarthy, Senior Writer at Front Office Sports, breaks down the biggest innovations coming to next season's schedule. Next, we hear from Bob Lynch, founder and CEO of SponserUnited. Lynch gives us an inside look at innovations coming to the world of branding and sponsorships within sports leagues and franchises.

Just when it looked like the Oakland A's situation was clearing up, the team threw another curveball into the mix. Former Miami Marlins president and CEO David Samson joins to add some clarity to the A's saga, as well as other news around the league. But first, we hear from Front Office Sports Reporter Amanda Christovich on the recent reports involving college sports and gambling.

The Arizona Coyotes search for a new home may finally be coming to an end. After taking up temporary residence at Arizona State's Mullet Arena, approval for a new arena is on the ballet in Tempe this week. Arizona Coyotes President and CEO Xavier Guterriez joins us to break down their proposal to the city of Tempe, their plan to gain voter approval, and how (if approved) they are going to build the first privately-funded sports stadium in the history of Arizona.

Alabama's baseball coach was fired after his alleged connections to suspicious betting activity. Action Network's Darren Rovell joins us to discuss exactly what went down in Tuscaloosa, and the drama unfolding between Penn and Barstool Sports. Next, we hear from Ben Johnson, Sail GP's Senior VP of Strategy & Commercial Development. Johnson describes the high-tech sailboats you'll have to see to believe, and what they're doing to grow Sail GP's audience.

It's a big weekend for races as the Kentucky Derby kicks off tomorrow, followed up by the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday. First up, we hear from Senior Writer Mike McCarthy on Ian Rapoport's foray into horse racing. He gives us all the details on Rapoport's horse in the derby, and how he got involved with Churchill Downs in the first place. Next, we're joined by the Miami Dolphins' Chief Revenue Officer Jeremy Walls to give us an inside look on the Miami Grand Prix. He lets us know what's new to this year's event, how Miami is bringing its own cultural flavor to Formula 1, and the city's expected economic impact from the race.

The classic horse race at Churchill Downs is taking place for the 149th time this weekend. We're joined by Churchill Downs VP of Sales & Strategy Sarah Contardo to talk about the Kentucky Derby's history and the innovations they're bringing to the race this year. Afterward, we hear from FanDuel TV Anchor Todd Schrupp - a horse-racing romantic. He breaks down what makes the Kentucky Derby so special, the experience of attending the derby at Churchill Downs, and what's happening over at FanDuel TV.

ONE Championship is a first-of-its-kind martial arts league based out of Singapore. Created by Chatri Sityodtong, the league has dominated the Asian sports market and is looking to break into the United States. Sityodtong describes how he grew ONE Championship into the powerhouse it is today, his plan for cracking into the American sports landscape, and how he overcame incredible personal challenges to get where he is today.

Green Bay could host the 2025 NFL Draft, the Ottawa Senators have another celebrity interested in buying the team, and the Oakland A's owner is facing protests from fans but MLB highlight replays appeared to have covered them up — temporarily. After we hit on the biggest news heading into today, we hear from Bay Frazier — the president and CEO of VaynerSports' new basketball division. Frazier hits on partnering with Gary Vaynerchuk, what makes VaynerSports different from other sports representation agencies, and what it's like being the manager of Carmelo Anthony.

After his all-american season with the University of Houston, Marcus Sasser is gearing up for a career in the NBA. We talked with Sasser about his future in basketball, his time with the University of Houston and what he's doing to prepare for this year's NBA Draft. But first, we catch up with Action Network's Darren Rovell to take a look back at the 2023 NFL Draft. From the Texans picking second AND third overall to Will Levis sliding out of the first round, Rovell breaks down his key takeaways from this year's draft.

The NBA ratified its new collective bargaining agreement with big changes to its investing rules, drug testing, contract rules, and a new mid-season tournament. We break down the five biggest changes, then hear from Supercross star Ken Roczen on the thrilling and dangerous life of a motorcycle racer.

The day NFL fans have been waiting for since the Super Bowl is finally here. The first round of the 2023 NFL Draft starts tonight, impacting the future of all 32 NFL teams. To give us a preview of what to expect tonight, we are joined by ESPN's NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller. We also hear from our senior writer Mike McCarthy on ESPN's role in popularizing the NFL Draft. Long before ESPN came around, the draft was conducted in private hotel ballrooms. McCarthy details how we went from secret hotel meetings to one of the most popular sporting events on television.

Ken Goldin, founder and CEO of collectibles marketplace Goldin, joins Front Office Sports Today! Goldin dives deep into the collectibles landscape: Hear how he received a handful of extremely rare vintage baseball cards for just $1 per card, his take on today’s collectibles market, and his new Netflix show — ‘King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch.’

ESPN is being hit with hundreds of layoffs. Senior writer Mike McCarthy joins to explain why the job cuts are happening, and why there was nothing the sports media giant could have done to avoid downsizing. We also have breaking news from Yahoo Sports' Senior Vice President Jon Shaw that Yahoo is acquiring peer-to-peer betting app Wagr. Shaw breaks down why peer-to-peer could be the future of sports betting, and why is the right company to pull it off. 5:18 oh

Former Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel joins the show to discuss what it's like being a quarterback with first round expectations, who he likes in this year's draft class, and how he would make a selection if he were in the room. We also get the latest on how the A's potential move to Las Vegas went down and the next steps in Nevada to making a deal happen.

After agreeing to buy land for a new stadium in Las Vegas and Oakland mayor Sheng Thao ending negotiations with the MLB club, it seems that the Athletics' tenure in Oakland could be coming to an end. Former baseball executive David Samson joins the podcast to explain what he thinks is going on with the A's, and why a move to Las Vegas isn't exactly a done deal. Also, professional boxer Ryan Garcia, who has a marquee matchup Saturday night against Gervonta Davis, is on the podcast. Garcia gives a preview of the fight, and details how he wants to make an impact on the world with his status as a pro boxer.

It's 4/20, a day typically associated with one thing — cannabis. Weed. Ganja. Pot, if you will. In observance of the unofficial holiday, we brought on former NFL running back Ricky Williams to talk about the role cannabis has played not only on his career, but his life. Williams chats about cannabis improving his ability to play football, taking time to appreciate the things life has given him (whether they seem good or bad), and his thoughts on 4/20.

David Samson saw a lot in his time as president of the Miami Marlins. He won a world series ring, hosted the all-star game, built a new baseball park, and was fired shortly after Derek Jeter took over as CEO. Samson shares his thoughts on the organization, the city of Miami, and the Yankees' legendary shortstop-turned-baseball-executive. We also get an update on the Washington Commanders sale from our own AJ Perez, who details a surprising new bid for the football team.

For months, the Glazer family has been considering bids from various suiters to buy Manchester United. After a lengthy process and several potentially record-breaking bids, the Glazers could be taking the legendary club off the market and settling on minority investments instead. Writer Doug Greenberg joins us to break down the latest with the legendary Premier League club. We also hear from Lawrence D. Mandelker, an attorney from Venable LLP who represents high net-worth individuals just in time for Tax Day. Mandelker spoke to us about how despite receiving generational amounts of wealth, many athletes can find themselves struggling to pay off expenses.

Action Network's Darren Rovell makes his Front Office Sports Today debut talking about the rise of legalized sports betting in the United States and MLB teams selling alcohol into the eighth inning of baseball games. We also hear from Pamela Duckworth, Head of networks and originals at Fubo, on the future of how we watch sports in the era of cord-cutting. She shares her experience of how she came to be an executive at Fubo, and what it's like being a female executive in a male-dominated industry.

After a years-long saga, Dan Snyder has tentatively agreed on a deal to sell the Washington Commanders to private equity investor Josh Harris. Senior Reporter A.J. Perez joins the show to break down the details of that transaction. We then hear from ESPN's NBA analyst Doris Burke just in time for the NBA playoffs. Burke gives us all her takes for the playoffs, as well as some insight on her career as an analyst and the NBA's upcoming media rights deal.

Mat Ishbia has owned the Phoenix Suns for just over two months, and he is already facing some of the same allegations that forced former owner Robert Sarver to sell the team. Also, Editor-in-Chief Ernest Baker traveled to Akron, Ohio to get a first-hand look at LeBron James' I PROMISE program. He joins the show to detail what he saw, and how James is impacting the community of Akron.

The NBA Play-in Tournament, which kicked off last night, is a relatively new concept meant to discourage NBA teams from tanking. We explain why that isn't necessarily the case, and why some teams are tanking harder this year than ever before. Afterwards, Gene Cook, eBay's VP of Global Collectibles, joins our Editor-in-Chief Ernest Baker to talk through how eBay helped skyrocket the collectibles industry.

For today's episode, we decided to take a look into mental health and how it can impact the performance of professional athletes across a variety of sports. From Michael Phelps to Naomi Osaka, there have been a multitude of athletes that have spoken out to raise awareness for people struggling with their mental health. David Chadwick is the founder of RealResponse, an organization that provides tools for collegiate athletes to address and communicate any mental health issues they may be facing. Chadwick joins us to talk about his time as a collegiate athlete and how it led to his creation of RealResponse.

Robots are calling the strike zone across Triple-A baseball, and they could be coming to the major leagues soon. Sports Illustrated writer Emma Baccellieri joins us to talk about the implications robot umpires could have on the game, and what exactly constitutes a "perfect strike zone."

The Arizona Coyotes are suing the city of Phoenix for $2.3 billion in damages, which is "coincidentally" how much they plan to spend on their new arena development in Tempe. Owen breaks down that story, and then we hear from Intersport Global President Brian Greybill on turning big sporting events like the Masters into full-fledged fan experiences.

Today begins a tradition unlike any other. The Masters kicks off in Augusta, Georgia and we've got Senior Writer Mike McCarthy joining us to give us all the details we need to know for the hallowed event. PGA Tour commentator and 2008 Masters champion Trevor Immelman gives us an inside look at the acclaimed tournament.

Sabrina Ionescu joins our Editor-in-Chief Ernest Baker to share a look on her journey as a basketball player, as well as the growth of her personal brand. We also hear Reporter Amanda Christovich's takeaways from UConn's national championship, and how the women's side of the tournament has skyrocketed in popularity.

Endeavor merged two of the largest sports entertainment companies in WWE and the UFC to create a sports media juggernaut. Senior Reporter AJ Perez joins to break down that heavyweight deal. We also hear from Seattle Mariners President of Business Operations Catie Griggs on what it takes to run a baseball organization from behind-the-scenes.

Doug Greenberg fills in for Owen to give an update on MLB after the league's opening weekend. We also hear from Belinda Oakley, CEO of Sodexo Live! to hear a behind-the-scenes look of what it's like feeding the fans of a major league stadium.

Opening Day has come and gone, but there's still big news for baseball! The MiLB has reached a deal on a collective bargaining agreement for the first time in history, and we've brought on the man who broke the news himself - Athletic Senior Writer Evan Drellich. We also don't want you to forget about the final four coming up this weekend, so stay tuned for one last preview of the big dance.

Opening Day is here! The Athletic National Writer Eno Sarris joins us to take a look at the first day of the Major League Baseball regular season. He breaks down the new rule changes for the sport, and speculates on the best teams in the league division-by-division.

The Final Four for the Women's NCAA Tournament is set, featuring one of the most anticipated matchups in college basketball between reigning champion South Carolina and offensive powerhouse Iowa. Amanda Christovich joins to break down the matchup and give all her takes on the upcoming Final Four. We also hear from our senior reporter AJ Perez with an update on the NFL owner's meetings in Phoenix, AZ. 00:00:00 - Intro/AJ Perez gives update on NFL owner's meeting 00:05:25 - Quick News: Private Equity Investment in NFL, Man Utd Sale, and more 00:07:53 - Amanda Christovich on the Women's Final Four

Reporter Amanda Christovich joins the pod to break down the unusual Final Four we find ourselves with in this year's Men's NCAA Tournament. We're also joined by Jim Cavale, the founder and CEO of INFLCR (think of LinkedIn for NIL athletes). Cavale shares his thoughts on the landscape of NIL, and how the NCAA could go about regulating it in the future. 00:00:45 - Why there is such an unusual Final Four 00:06:25 - Amanda's firsthand look at FAU's Final Four run 00:08:40 - Jim Cavale breaks down INFLCR 00:10:21 - The lack of regulation in the NIL Landscape 00:16:25 - NCAA President Charlie Baker's time in DC

We hear from Senior Reporter AJ Perez from the NFL owner's meetings in Phoenix, Arizona. He gives an update on the Dan Snyder saga and Roger Goodell's salary. We're also joined by Professional Fighters League founder Donn Davis to hear about the innovative new MMA league.

The 2023 NWSL season kicks off tomorrow, and there's some lofty hopes for the league. Owen breaks down quotes from the commissioner, and then we hear from our own Amanda Christovich on the Sweet Sixteen and what's made Princeton's run so special.

Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno is meeting with Anaheim mayor Ashleigh Aitken, and while we don’t know exactly what they’re going to say, we do know there's a lot to talk about between the two. We break down the saga that has unfolded between the MLB team and the city of its namesake. We also hear from MLS NEXT Pro president Charles Altchek on the developmental soccer league.

After breaking down the madness that happened in the first two rounds of the men's and women's NCAA Tournament, we are joined by ESPN analyst Jay Williams to talk about his playing career, his time on ESPN (especially with Stephen A. Smith), and his thoughts on the current landscape of sports media.

Mike Tyson joins Front Office Sports Today to talk about his new cannabis company 'Tyson 2.0.' We dive into the legendary boxer's business, how he benefits from cannabis, and what his life has been like since he stepped out of the ring.