PROFESSIONAL
What I Like …
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McGowan’s Blazers open the season with a new name on their home.
Photo by: RYAN PROUTY / PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
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■ An insight: Actions speak louder than words.
■ An influential person in my career: Tim Leiweke.
■ An out-of-the-box idea: Hyperloop.
■ A timeless idea: Hand-written thank you cards.
■ A business deal: Moda Center naming rights.
■ A sports facility: Staples Center, Anfield Stadium.
CHRIS MCGOWAN
President and CEO
Portland Trail Blazers
■ Where I'm from: Carlisle, Pa.
■ Where I Went to School: B.A., University of Delaware.
■ My First Job: Grocery store bagger.
■ A sports event: Stanley Cup Final, Los Angeles Kings’ clinching game, June 11, 2012.
■ A strategy: Hire great people — and give them room to be great.
■ A hire: Adam Silver.
■ A brand: Nike.
■ A trend: Analytics and big data.
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Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
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■ An innovation: TiVo/DVR.
■ A pro league or team business initiative: Seattle Sounders’ GM retention vote by season-ticket holders.
■ A story that bears watching: Ed O’Bannon NCAA lawsuit.
■ An idea or invention I wish I had thought of: Google.
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Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
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■ A fantasy job: Rancher.
What I Like about …
■ Sports: One of the few unpredictable things in life.
■ Sports business: The ability to bring communities together to create lasting memories.
■ Sports media: Willingness to tell our story, good or bad.
■ Sports technology: Ability to expose our brands to a wider audience.
■ The future of sports business: Innovation and sophistication of leaders in the industry improves daily.
■ Sports fans: The personal investment and commitment they give to their favorite team.
■ My job: It doesn’t feel like a job.
What I Would Like To …
■ Change: Relying too heavily on email to interact and maintain important relationships.
■ Change in what I do: Fewer meetings and more time to strategize.
■ See: My kids grow up happy and healthy.
■ See more of in sports business: People starting their sports careers in the ticket department.
■ See less of in sports: Seemingly never-ending discussion about performance-enhancing drugs.
■ See less of in sports business: Division between the team side and the business side.
■ See different: Treatment of the greats from the past; they deserve better.
■ Eliminate: Negativity on message boards and social media.
PERSONAL
What I Like …
■ That would surprise those who know me: In high school, I wanted to be a police officer.
■ Above all else: Family: Susan, Ryan, Kyle.
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Landon Donovan
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
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■ Hero: My dad.
■ Players: Damian Lillard, Landon Donovan, Dustin Brown, Cristiano Ronaldo, Tim Duncan.
■ City: San Francisco.
■ Possession: Stanley Cup championship ring.
■ Memento: Khata (Tibetan scarf) given to me by the Dalai Lama.
■ Time of year: Summer, because I get to spend more time with my kids.
■ Author: Jim Collins.
■ Magazines: Portland Monthly, Sunset, Wine Spectator.
■ Chore: Taking the trash down a long, long, long driveway to the curb.
■ Hobbies: Trail running, wine tasting, fly fishing, mountain biking, food.
■ Trip: Argentina.
■ Movies: “Into the Wild,” “Rushmore,” “Goodfellas.”
■ TV: “Portlandia,” “Man vs. Wild,” “Chopped,” “Wild Alaska.”
■ Concerts: Pearl Jam, Avett Brothers, Bob Dylan, Mumford & Sons, Willie Nelson.
■ Artists: Melissa Graves Brown, Chad McGowan (my brother).
■ Food: Cheeseburger with french fries.
■ Dessert: Chocolate milkshake.
■ Drink: Water.
■ Scent: Whatever my wife picks out …
■ Vacation spot: Sun Valley, Idaho.
■ Cars: Necessary to get from Point A to Point B (not a big car guy).
■ Quote: “All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable and those that move.” Benjamin Franklin.
