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SBJ/September 26-October 2, 2011/People and Pop Culture
Luc Robitaille, president of business operations, Los Angeles Kings
Published September 26, 2011, Page 34
PROFESSIONAL
What I Like …
■ A person: David O’Connor of CAA.
■ An influential person in my career: Tim Leiweke.
■ A timeless idea: The customer always comes first.
■ A business deal: The naming-rights deal for Farmers Field before ground was broken.
■ A sports facility: The Olympic ski facility — Utah Olympic Park — in Park City, Utah.
■ A strategy: The vision of downtown Los Angeles.
■ A hire: John Collins as NHL chief operating officer.
■ A brand: Four Seasons.
■ A story that bears watching: NBA lockout.
■ An idea or invention I wish I had thought of: Composite hockey stick.
■ A fantasy job: Hiking guide in Hawaii.
What I Like About …
■ My job: Feeling the passion of the people who work around me every day.
■ Sports: It is the greatest form of reality TV.
■ Sports media: The ability to get instant information.
■ Sports technology: Skycam, the robotic camera that runs on a cable used for national TV broadcasts.
■ Competing: I liked it as a player and now, in my role today, I still love the thrill of competition.
■ The future (or direction) of sports business: The quest to find new, incremental streams of revenue.
What I Would Like To …
■ Change: Negativity on the whole.
■ See more of in sports: That the general public could have a better understanding of what a professional athlete goes through on a daily basis.
■ See more of in sports business: Clubs working together for the good of the league.
■ See less of in sports: Head injuries.
■ See less of in sports business: Egos.
■ Eliminate: Conversations on email — pick up the phone.
What I Don’t Like ...
■ Pet peeve: People who don’t offer solutions.
■ In business: Dishonesty.
■ About sports fans: The potential for “unsportsmanlike conduct” in the stands.
PERSONAL
What I Like …
■ People: Honesty.
■ That would surprise those who know me: I am a cycling enthusiast.
■ Above all else: My family.
■ Heroes: John Wooden, Maurice “Rocket” Richard and Joe Montana.
■ Players: Wayne Gretzky, Joe Sakic, Steve Yzerman and Rob Blake.
■ Teams: Kings (obviously) and the New York Yankees.
■ Cities: Los Angeles, New York and Chicago.
■ Possession: My 2002 Stanley Cup ring.
■ Memento: Hand-written letters from Maurice Richard and Phil Esposito.
■ Time of year (because): Winter — it’s time for hockey.
■ Books: “Many Lives, Many Masters,” “Outliers,” and “Good to Great.”
■ Magazine: Forbes.
■ Websites: LAKings.com and TSN.ca.
■ Gadget: iPad.
■ IPad apps: Flipboard, MyFitnessPal.
■ Chores: Feeding my dogs.
■ Hobby: Hiking.
■ Trips: Traveling across the U.S. in a motor home/RV.
■ Movies: “The Shawshank Redemption,” “Goodfellas,” and the new movie called “The Help.”
■ TV: “The Vampire Diaries” (my son’s show).
■ Concerts: Damien Rice.
■ Artists: David Garibaldi and Amedeo Modigliani.
■ Food: Sushi.
■ Dessert: Sugar pie (popular in Quebec).
■ Drink: Venti coffee.
■ Scent: My wife’s perfume — Chanel No. 5.
■ Vacation spots: Hawaii.
■ Singer: Jessarae (my son).
■ Quote: “He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.” — Chinese proverb
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What I Like …
■ A person: David O’Connor of CAA.
■ An influential person in my career: Tim Leiweke.
■ A timeless idea: The customer always comes first.
■ A business deal: The naming-rights deal for Farmers Field before ground was broken.
■ A sports facility: The Olympic ski facility — Utah Olympic Park — in Park City, Utah.
■ A strategy: The vision of downtown Los Angeles.
■ A hire: John Collins as NHL chief operating officer.
■ A brand: Four Seasons.
LUC ROBITAILLE
President of business operations,
Los Angeles Kings
■ Where I'm from: Originally Montreal; now living in Los Angeles.
■ Where I Went to School: Montreal’s Henri-Bourassa High School.
■ My First Job: Worked for my dad in his scrap yard in Quebec.
■ An innovation: Internet access on airplanes.President of business operations,
Los Angeles Kings
■ Where I'm from: Originally Montreal; now living in Los Angeles.
■ Where I Went to School: Montreal’s Henri-Bourassa High School.
■ My First Job: Worked for my dad in his scrap yard in Quebec.
■ A story that bears watching: NBA lockout.
■ An idea or invention I wish I had thought of: Composite hockey stick.
■ A fantasy job: Hiking guide in Hawaii.
What I Like About …
■ My job: Feeling the passion of the people who work around me every day.
 |
■ Sports media: The ability to get instant information.
■ Sports technology: Skycam, the robotic camera that runs on a cable used for national TV broadcasts.
■ Competing: I liked it as a player and now, in my role today, I still love the thrill of competition.
 |
| GETTY IMAGES |
■ The future (or direction) of sports business: The quest to find new, incremental streams of revenue.
What I Would Like To …
■ Change: Negativity on the whole.
■ See more of in sports: That the general public could have a better understanding of what a professional athlete goes through on a daily basis.
■ See more of in sports business: Clubs working together for the good of the league.
■ See less of in sports: Head injuries.
■ See less of in sports business: Egos.
■ Eliminate: Conversations on email — pick up the phone.
What I Don’t Like ...
■ Pet peeve: People who don’t offer solutions.
■ In business: Dishonesty.
■ About sports fans: The potential for “unsportsmanlike conduct” in the stands.
PERSONAL
What I Like …
■ People: Honesty.
■ That would surprise those who know me: I am a cycling enthusiast.
■ Above all else: My family.
■ Heroes: John Wooden, Maurice “Rocket” Richard and Joe Montana.
■ Players: Wayne Gretzky, Joe Sakic, Steve Yzerman and Rob Blake.
■ Teams: Kings (obviously) and the New York Yankees.
■ Cities: Los Angeles, New York and Chicago.
■ Possession: My 2002 Stanley Cup ring.
■ Memento: Hand-written letters from Maurice Richard and Phil Esposito.
 |
■ Books: “Many Lives, Many Masters,” “Outliers,” and “Good to Great.”
■ Magazine: Forbes.
■ Websites: LAKings.com and TSN.ca.
■ Gadget: iPad.
 |
■ Chores: Feeding my dogs.
■ Hobby: Hiking.
■ Trips: Traveling across the U.S. in a motor home/RV.
■ Movies: “The Shawshank Redemption,” “Goodfellas,” and the new movie called “The Help.”
 |
■ Concerts: Damien Rice.
■ Artists: David Garibaldi and Amedeo Modigliani.
■ Food: Sushi.
■ Dessert: Sugar pie (popular in Quebec).
■ Drink: Venti coffee.
 |
■ Vacation spots: Hawaii.
■ Singer: Jessarae (my son).
■ Quote: “He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.” — Chinese proverb
