What I Like... With Tennis Channel Chair & CEO Ken Solomon

Solomon Likes Tennis Channel- ESPN Broadcast Partnership

In our continuing series, SportsBusiness Daily/SportsBusiness Journal asks top sports personalities for their thoughts, ideas, aspirations and likes. Today, Tennis Channel Chair & CEO KEN SOLOMON.

What I like in an insight: It's not the cards you're dealt in life, it's how you choose to play them.

An influential person in my career: Tennis Channel investors -- very influential (LOL).

An out-of-the-box idea: Putting the top 70 tournaments in tennis -- including the majors -- on one television channel for fans to follow throughout the year.

A timeless idea: Quality never goes out of style.

A business deal: Tennis Channel-ESPN broadcast partnership that brings fans round-the-clock tennis coverage during all top competition.

A sports facility: Our new, HD, state-of-the art broadcast facility and 5,600-square-feet "U.S. Open Tonight" soundstage.

A sports event: Finals at Wimbledon, sitting in the Royal Box.

A strategy: Then-Sen. OBAMA's belief in the "Better Angels" in the nature of the American people. He trusted that people would be their own change.

A hire: LARRY SCOTT as the Pac-10 commissioner.

A brand: Volkl skis.

A trend: Broadband viewing and greater sports-media personalization put in the hands of fans. We're moving toward one channel: yours.

An innovation: Slingbox -- time shift, place shift -- TV on my computer ...  
anywhere.

A pro league or team business initiative: Live-event streaming partnerships with cable operators. This summer's San Diego Padres online in-market partnership with Cox Cable, for example.

A story that bears watching: After ROGER FEDERER's record-breaking Wimbledon championship, the return of RAFAEL NADAL to join him on center stage in the rivalry, and ANDY RODDICK's chances at this year's U.S. Open.

An idea or invention I wish I had thought of: iPod, iPhoto, iTouch, iMac ... these Apple guys are good.

A fantasy job: Professional sports photographer.

What I like about my job: Being able to bring together all of the stakeholders in the tennis world: players, governing bodies, fans, viewers, sponsors and media to help grow the game.

Sports: The ultimate meritocracy.

Sports business: Sports are a pure passion category for hundreds of millions of people worldwide; its power is unrivaled.

Sports media: That they ask me what I like ...

Sports technology: "Hawkeye" line calling in tennis.

Competing: Winning.

Sports fans: We've been here since ancient times and we ain't goin' away. It beats war.

What I would like to change: Anger to tolerance and appreciation for diverse opinions.

Change in what I do: To not wake up with my BlackBerry under my pillow.

See more of in sports: Equality for women.

See less of in sports: Competition is great, but less naked acrimony in conflict.

See different: My check book.

Eliminate: Tennis Channel's chief financial officer (just kidding, we love "DOLLAR BILL" SIMON).

What I don't like in general: Talking down to television audiences. (They're a lot smarter than us programmers!).

Pet peeve: Sports tiers.

In sports: Sports tiers.

In business: Did I forget to mention sports tiers?

About sports fans: They drink ALL of my beer.

What I like in people: Who consider the interests of others before their own.

That would surprise those who know me: I get cold sweats and can't sleep
before a big presentation or engagement; they say it looks easy ... it ain't!

About myself: At home with my wife and three kids I'm last in command.

Heroes: My grandfather (who founded "21" Club), JIMMY CONNORS, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, and two KINGS: BILLIE JEAN and MARTIN LUTHER.

Teams: BRYAN brothers; WILLIAMS sisters.

City: New York, Paris, London, Melbourne (get the picture?).

Memento: My first real piece of art -- JAMES COIGNARD's "Espace Gris."

Time of year (because): End of summer, because of Labor Day, BBQs and the U.S. Open.

Music: TOM PETTY & the Heartbreakers, Talking Heads, The Killers, MILES DAVIS, Dire Straits, Cowboy Junkies, The Doors, BRIAN FERRY, Steely Dan, DAVE MATTHEWS, NAT KING COLE.

Books: "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" by DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN.

Authors: DAVID MCCULLOUGH, MICHAEL LEWIS, BUD COLLINS.

Magazines: "Mad Magazine" and "The Economist" (in that order).

Web sites: My two sons' and daughter's MySpace pages -- someone has to keep an eye on them.

Gadgets: Amazon Kindle, iTouch.

Chores: Deciding with BILL MACATEE who will take out the trash at our
Wimbledon Village rental house.

Hobbies: Heli-skiing, scuba diving, water ski slalom and jumping, photography.

Trips: The Ice Hotel in Sweden; landing and sleeping over on USS John C.
Stennis aircraft carrier during advanced covert war game; diving 650 feet below the surface on an active Navy nuclear submarine for 10 hours.

Movies: "The Godfather," "Apocalypse Now," "Caddyshack," "Lawrence of
Arabia."

TV: "Dexter," "Weeds," "The West Wing," "30 Rock," "The Office."

Concerts: Pink Floyd: The Wall -- Feb. 8, 1980 at the L.A. Sports Arena.

Artist: CLAUDE MONET, JACKSON POLLACK.

Food: New York's "21" Club hamburger (after oyster appetizer) with
three-olive martini.

Meal: Lobsters caught while diving wrecks off Cape Cod and enjoyed with my family ... and lots of butter!

Drink: Bruichladdich 25-year-old single-malt scotch.

Scent: "I love the smell of napalm in the morning, smells like ... victory."

Vacation spots: 100 feet under water, anywhere.

Cars: My 1962 280SL convertible.

Singer: Tom Petty, FRANK SINATRA, BILLIE HOLIDAY.

Quote: "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before
starting to improve the world." -- ANNE FRANK.