What I Like.... With Turner Sports Exec VP & COO Lenny Daniels

Daniels Serves As Turner Sports Exec VP & COO

In our continuing series, SportsBusiness Daily/SportsBusiness Journal asks top sports personalities for their thoughts, ideas, aspirations and likes. Today, Turner Sports Exec VP & COO LENNY DANIELS.

What I like in an insight: It's almost always more feasible than you think.

An influential person in my career: DAVID LEVY (of course, but true).

An out-of-the-box idea: Touch screens.

A timeless idea: Cable (pay) TV. Ted was really smart.
 
A business deal: March Madness on TruTV.
 
A sports facility: The AELTC Grounds at Wimbledon.

A sports event: Any Summer Olympics.

A strategy: Hire by judging the personality first, the expertise second.

A hire: ERNIE JOHNSON, the best person, period.

A brand: Intel. I am intrigued by brands behind the brands. Ever bought a computer chip?

A trend: Digital and linear becoming one.

An innovation: Smart phones, they run our lives.

A pro league or team business initiative: NFL flexible scheduling. It's really smart to maximize reach.

A story that bears watching: Miami Heat.

Daniels Lists 1st And 10 Line Idea He Wishes He Came Up With

An idea or invention I wish I had thought of: 1st and 10 line for football.

A fantasy job: Own or manage a small airport (FBO).

What I like about my job: My ability to affect change and create an environment that is challenging and fun.

Sports: During play, the story is always about performance (or luck).

Sports business: Built in, hard-core audiences.

Sports media: From the technicians, to the on-air talent, to the leagues, it's all about passion for the game first.

Sports technology: It's awesome that sports always leads in new technologies and drives the industry with innovative initiatives like HD and now 3-D.

Competing: When you win, you learn, and when you lose, you learn.

The future (or direction) of sports business: More top-tier sports programming migrating to cable.

Sports fans: Lifelong TV fans.

What I would like to change: The college football non-playoff system.

Change in what I do: Find a better balance between home and work.

See: More dedicated sports channels.

See more of in sports: More access to the competitors, teams and coaches.

See more of in sports business: More collaboration between media competitors.

See less of in sports: Carrying emotions off the field.

See less of in sports business: Selling things twice.

Daniels Would Like To See MMA Become More Mainstream

See different: UFC made more mainstream.

Eliminate: Illegal drug use.

What I don't like in general: Traffic in Atlanta.

Pet peeve: The one word answer "sure."

In sports: Labor issues stemming from millionaires on both sides.

In business: Dishonesty.

About sports fans: Being oblivious to what is going on around them.

What I like in people: Getting the most out of people when they don't even know it.

That would surprise those who know me: I don't watch a lot of TV.

Above all else: Boating with my family.

About myself: I believe I'm a people person first.

Heroes: My father, the cabinet maker, who leads by example.

Players: MARINO, DUPER, CLAYTON.

Teams: The Dolphins.

City: Sydney.

Possession: Boat.

Memento: My first director's "track."

Time of year (because): October. My wife and I go all out for Halloween.

Music: Satellite radio, love the '80s on eight.

Book: "The Five People You Meet in Heaven," by MITCH ALBOM.

Author: DALE CARNEGIE.

Web sites: Is there anything more important than Google? OK, CNN.com.

Gadgets: Whole home audio controls.

Chores: Feeding the dogs before work.

Hobbies: Flying my own plane, boating. (I am an instrument-rated pilot who loves just flying to get a good hamburger!)

Trips: Our best trips were to Hawaii, especially Thanksgiving in Hawaii.

Movie: "Silence of the Lambs."

TV: "Boston Legal."

Concerts: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN in Barcelona, on the Fourth of July, in a bullring.

Food: My wife's homemade spaghetti sauce.

Drink: Captain and Coke with a lime.

Scent: Fresh cut grass.

Vacation spots: Any beach.

Cars: 1987 refurbished Pontiac Fiero.

Singer: Always been a huge Boston fan.

Quote: "Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get." -- Dale Carnegie