ADAM GROSSMAN began his sports business career as an intern for the Red Sox, before becoming Special Assistant to the President & CEO Larry Lucchino and eventually VP/Marketing. While with the Red Sox, Grossman helped advance the club’s regional marketing activities and worked with MLB International on the franchise's presence in Japan. Since joining the Dolphins in ’09, Grossman has initiated and expanded many of the team’s regional marketing, corporate communication and community outreach efforts. Grossman recently took some time to discuss his Cleveland roots, his days with the Red Sox and his current role in the Dolphins organization.
Word Association
Twitter: Endless
Reality TV: The furthest thing from reality
Angry Birds: Addictive
Dolphins QB: Important
LeBron James: Decisive
Q: Do you believe in the Cleveland Curse?
Grossman: I don’t believe in the Cleveland Curse, only because if the Red Sox won the World Series after 86 years, there’s hope for Cleveland. But it’s certainly been painful.
Q: What is the biggest difference between a Boston sports fan and a Miami sports fan?
Grossman: Well, the accents are very different. And I think the Miami fans are certainly passionate, but there are a lot of other things to be passionate about here in South Florida. In Boston, it’s a bit of a religion, at least with the Red Sox. They live and die with the teams. Here, they live and die but they can hang on the beach too, so I think the medicine is a little bit easier.
Q: As you worked your way up in the sports industry, what was your worst day?
Grossman: I remember my first summer working for the Red Sox, THEO [EPSTEIN] almost sent me home because I was wearing ugly pants. They were seersucker; this was week two and he just said, “Those are the most ridiculous pants I think I’ve ever seen.” That was one of those moments where your internship could go one of two ways after that. I thought it may have been grounds for dismissal.
Q: Who is your favorite celebrity owner?
Grossman: We’re close with all of them, but I’m personally the closest with the ESTEFANS because they live in Miami and they’ve been a huge door-opener to markets and relationships that I don’t think we had before.
Q: Since last summer, the Heat have had a very strong presence in Miami. How has that impacted your local marketing efforts for the Dolphins?
Grossman: We have a great respect for the Heat. We’ve celebrated alongside the Heat, congratulating them with a full-page ad when they landed WADE again and brought down BOSH and JAMES. We were also cheering for them during the playoffs. I think the Heat has made the market an even greater sports town. The excitement that they’ve generated is positive for all the clubs locally. For us, I don’t think it necessarily changed our strategies, but I do think, as with anything, there are a lot of challenges in all markets right now. I think we’ve become more aggressive and more vigilant in our marketing efforts to reach out to all areas of South Florida and make sure we’re reaching as many fans, as many communities as possible.
Q: What are your thoughts on LIV nightclub at Sun Life Stadium one year removed from the opening? Has it been a successful venture for the Dolphins?
Grossman: Yes. It’s still such a new concept but it has been a differentiator -- something that we offer that I don’t think anyone else in sports offers. And I think anytime you have that, it can be really positive, especially when you’ve got the NFL where a lot of teams and fans are travelling to the market. Our Owner, STEVE ROSS, has bold vision when it comes to these kinds of projects, and LIV offers a unique and alternative experience to that of the traditional NFL sports experience. We’ve certainly learned a lot the first year, and we’re going to be experimenting a little more with different concepts and different themes this year.
