What I Like.... With MLB Senior VP/Int'l Business Paul Archey

Archey Cites Wife As Influential Person In Career

In our continuing series, SportsBusiness Daily/SportsBusiness Journal asks top sports personalities for their thoughts, ideas, aspirations and likes. Today, MLB Senior VP/Int'l Business Operations PAUL ARCHEY.

What I like in an insight: There is no substitute for hard work. "The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary." -- VINCE LOMBARDI.

An influential person in my career: My wife, who encouraged me to take chances and supported me when I did.

An out-of-the-box idea: A lime in a beer.

A timeless idea: MLB Spring Training. Sunshine, baseball and all 30 teams are tied.

A sports facility: Wrigley Field. The new stadiums are great, but Wrigley is a special place.

A sports event: Game 7 of the World Series. I've been fortunate to attend numerous sporting events, but nothing compares to the drama of Game 7.

A strategy: A good business deal is never one-sided.
 
A hire: JOHN CALIPARI at University of Kentucky.

A brand: Apple.

A trend: Social media in sports.

An innovation: DVRs -- changing the way viewers consume programming.

A pro league or team business initiative: MLB Network.

A story that bears watching: IMG's expanding presence in college sports.

Archey Says Silly Bandz Is A Product He Wishes He Had Thought Of

An idea or invention I wish I had thought of: Silly Bandz.

A fantasy job: Athletic director, University of Kentucky.

What I like about my job: Building relationships around the world. Cultures are very different, but people are not.

Sports: Competition, rivalries, underdogs.

Sports business: At the end of the day, it's the entertainment business, not life or death. It should be fun.

Sports media: It's taking fans places they have never been in sports: in the huddle, locker room and on the field.

Sports technology: Helping expand the limits of athletic performances.

Competing: The best way to measure your ability.

The future (or direction) of sports business: Global. International markets increase business opportunities and talent pool.

Sports fans: Fans who truly appreciate the moment. I will always remember PAUL O'NEILL's last game at Yankee Stadium because of the way the fans embraced the moment.

What I'd like to change in what I do: Be less attached to my BlackBerry.

See: College athletes receive a stipend.

See more of in sports: Players staying longer with one team.

See less of in sports: Excessive and choreographed celebrations for less-than-extraordinary performances.

See less of in sports business: Self-promoters. Accomplishments speak louder than words.

See different: The BCS football championship system.

Eliminate: The "one and done" athlete in college basketball. Let players turn pro out of high school if they don't want to go to college.

What I don't like in general: Useless e-mails.

People Who Take Too Long At X-Ray Machines Bother Archey

Pet peeve: People who take forever to go through X-ray machines at airports.

In sports: Youth coaches who are concerned more about winning than the kids they are coaching.

In business: People who don't do what they say.

What I like that would surprise those who know me: I was 21 when I first flew in an airplane. I've more than made up for it over the years. I also used to have a mullet.

Above all else: My faith and family come first.

About myself: My jumpshot. I can't play defense anymore but I still like to shoot.

Heroes: My parents. As a proud parent of three kids myself, I am continuously reminded of how supportive and encouraging my parents were for me growing up.

Players: My kids: JAKE (baseball), MEGAN (field hockey) and PETER (football).

Teams: University of Kentucky basketball and the Big Red Machine. Passions that span four generations.

City: A tie: Rome (it's a living museum) and Sydney (no place I would rather be than Bondi Beach in the summer).

Possession: My grandmother's homemade quilts and artwork.

Memento: Photo of me with PETE ROSE sitting on the back of a pick-up truck in my hometown of Greenup, Ky., (pop. 1,100) when I was 8 years old (sporting the same haircut as Pete, too).

Time of year: Spring.

Music: Classic rock and country.

Books: "All Over But the Shoutin'," by RICK BRAGG.

Authors: CARL HIAASEN -- great sense of humor.

Magazine: Sports Illustrated.

Websites: MLB.com and KentuckySportsRadio.com.

Gadgets: BlackBerry.

Hobbies: Basketball; watching my kids play sports.

Trips: Moonlight Basin, Mont.; and Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic.

Movies: "Bull Durham" and "The Dark Knight."

TV: MLB Network, "SportsCenter," HBO ("Entourage" and "Hard Knocks").

Concerts: My first concert was KISS in 1978; nothing else compares.

Food: In a restaurant: Ribeye steak and mashed potatoes; Takeout: Indian food; Delivery: Pizza.

Dessert: Blackberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream.

Drink: Cranberry juice and seltzer.

Scent: Pine tar.

Vacation spots: Chatham, Cape Cod; and Lake Cumberland, Ky.

Singers: ERIC CLAPTON, BOB SEGER and Rascal Flatts.

Quote: "Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are and your reputation is merely what others think you are." -- JOHN WOODEN.