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People and Pop Culture

Peter Fitzpatrick, president and co-founder, Home Team Marketing

PROFESSIONAL

PHOTO BY: GUS CHAN
What I Like …

An insight: Hard work pays off — really!

An influential person in my career: My wife has influenced it more than anyone by making it possible with our family. Professionally, I’ve worked with some great people who I learned lots from: My dad, Dan Donnelly (heads Starcom MediaVest Group’s Coke team), Steve Margosian (NBC Sports Group), Roy Seinfeld (Big Ten

PETER FITZPATRICK
President and co-founder,
Home Team Marketing

Married to: Jennifer, with four children, Peter, 9, Emily, 7, Grace, 4, and Jayne, 3.

What I do: There are lots of people within HTM that are more focused on one area or the other, but I guess I’m trying the best I can to help “steer the ship.”

Where I'm from: Resident of Fairview Park, Ohio, right outside of Cleveland.

Where I Went to School: Cornell University, B.S. in city and regional planning

My First Job: Paperboy, Cleveland Plain Dealer. My two older brothers had the route before I did.

Network), Scott Malaga (Chicago Fire).

An out-of-the-box idea: Dallas Cowboys launching their own apparel brand.

A timeless idea: High school sports — football stadiums packed on Friday nights.

A business deal: Time Warner-L.A. Lakers deal, Office of National Drug Control Policy’s campaign into high schools, getting the Browns back to Cleveland!

A strategy: Be relentless.

A hire: Our dad.

A brand: Coke, Ralph Lauren, the NFL.

A trend: Going more local.

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A sports facility: Pro — Progressive Field; high school — Warren G. Harding Mollenkopf Stadium, Warren, Ohio.

An innovation: The airplane — still don’t get it! In sports, better headgear.

A pro league or team business initiative: Cleveland Cavaliers’ post-LeBron efforts.

A sports event: The Kentucky Derby.

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A story that bears watching: Continuing lack of funding with high school sports.

An idea or invention I wish I had thought of: Putting water in a bottle and selling it.

A fantasy job: Rock star for a day, sold-out stadium.


What I Like About …

My job: It’s our own creation. We’re not the spin-off of a big media or sports marketing company.

Sports business: How can’t you like working in sports?

Sports media: Changing every day. No one is smart enough to know the future.

Sports technology: Ditto.

The future of sports business: That it’s happening now, and we can affect it.

Sports fans: Create so much community/civic pride.


What I Would Like To …

See: Italy with my wife.

See different: A better example set by professional athletes — on and off the field. Whether they like it or not, kids emulate them and pay close attention to their actions.

See more of in sports: Telling it like it is, a la Charles Barkley.

Change in what I do: Eat healthier.

Change: Rising costs everywhere in big-time sports.

See less of in sports: Hugging at half court, pay to play.

Eliminate: The Yankees (but keep Jeter around), half the TV timeouts in NFL games.


What I Don’t Like ...

In general: Snakes, loose dogs (from my paperboy days).
 
Pet peeve: Rudeness, clueless drivers, politics getting in the way.

In sports: Strikes and lockouts. Are you kidding me? Isn’t there more than enough to go around?

In business: Intimidation tactics, lip service with no action.

About sports fans: Drunken idiots. I’d like to bring my kids to the game!


PERSONAL

What I Like …

People: Family and co-workers. I spend my whole life with them!

That would surprise those who know me: Some “Oprah” shows and paging through People to watch the movie star train wrecks (after my wife puts it down)!

About myself: I try to live an honest life.

Heroes: Parents, and those many people who dedicate their lives to help the suffering.

Players: Josh Cribbs, Joe Thomas, Derek Jeter.

Teams: Browns, Indians, Cavs, St. Ignatius High School, Glenville High School.

Possession: Letters from my kids and wife.

Time of year: Summer leading into fall, because weather is still good and high school football is coming.

Music: Van Morrison, Led Zeppelin.

Books: “Trinity,” by Leon Uris, “The Gemini Contenders,” by Robert Ludlum.

Magazines: People, SBJ!

Websites: ESPN.com, TwinSpires.com.

■ Gadget: Huge commercial-powered leaf vacuum. My neighbors (guys) are envious.

IPad app: Email, Angry Birds, Cover Orange.

Chores: Yardwork.

Hobbies: Coaching kids, playing with them, my garden, golf when possible!

■ Trips: Myrtle Beach, S.C., with my wife and kids, Notre Dame football game with my grandfather and family years ago, 1984 family vacation to the USA Basketball Trials (Jordan, Barkley, Ewing, Danny Manning as a high schooler, etc.).

Movies: “The Hangover,” “Wedding Crashers,” “The Shawshank Redemption,” “Saving Private Ryan.”

Concerts: The Who, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen.

Artist: I have no interest in paintings, but am in awe of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel (never seen in person).

■ TV: “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Modern Family.”

Food: Buffets … love the selection. Meat, seafood, breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Dessert: Vanilla ice cream on a steaming hot brownie.

Drinks: Ice-cold Coke, Christmas Ale from Great Lakes Brewing Co.

Scent: Burning leaves on a crisp fall night.

Vacation spots: Jersey (Long Beach Island), western Ohio on the shore of Lake Erie.

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