PROFESSIONAL
What I Like …
■ An insight: The pain of discipline vs. the pain of regret.
■ An influential person in my career: Bill Veeck.
■ An out-of-the-box idea: Sugar Saturdays (only consume sugar on Saturdays).
■ A timeless idea: Sunday dinners with family.
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| Photo by: TBT |
■ A sports facility: Hinkle Fieldhouse.
■ A sports event: Illinois vs. Arizona, NCAA tournament, 2005.
■ A strategy: Deliver a great experience to as many people as possible and the rest will take care of itself.
■ A hire: Brad Stevens.
■ A brand: Kind.
■ A trend: College basketball student sections on top of the court.
■ An innovation: Apple anything.
■ A story that bears watching: “On Cinema,” “Decker.”
■ A fantasy job: Lorne Michaels’ job.
Jon Mugar
Founder and CEO,
The Basketball Tournament
■ Where I'm From: Boston.
■ Where I Went to School: B.A. in English and M.A. in education, Tufts University.
■ My First Job: Grocery bagger at Star Market.
What I Like About …
■ My job: It’s almost impossible.
■ Sports: Results matter. Words don’t.
■ Sports business: Ability to try new concepts.
■ Sports media: Grantland.
■ Sports technology: Live streaming / PPV.
■ Competing: Teaches resiliency.
■ The future of sports business: More power to fans and improved sports properties as a result.
What I Would Like To …
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Hinkle Fieldhouse
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
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■ Change: College football tournament structure (32 teams, single elimination).
■ Change in what I do: Stop picking cuticles.
■ See: The 16 seed host the 1 seed in the opening round of NCAA tournament.
■ See more of in sports: Experimentation when it comes to formats.
■ See more of in sports business: More incentive for people to take risks.
■ See less of in sports: Regular-season games.
■ See different: Cheap, general admission seating section in NBA arenas close to the court.
■ See less of in sports business: Time buys.
■ Eliminate: Publicly financed stadiums.
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Illinois vs. Arizona, NCAA tournament, 2005
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
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What I Don’t Like …
■ In general: Commissioner salaries over $40,000,000.
■ Pet peeve: Affixing the word “-gate” to a news event.
■ In business: Sacrificing customer service for growth.
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| Jumbo the Elephant, Tufts University |
■ About sports fans: Too few have an opportunity to make a major impact on the professional sport they love.
PERSONAL
What I Like …
■ People: Thoughtfulness.
■ That would surprise those who know me: I’m active on eBay.
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Larry David and Larry Bird
Photos by: GETTY IMAGES
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■ Above all else: Originality.
■ About myself: Incapable of answering.
■ Heroes: The Two Larrys (David and Bird).
■ Players: Buster Posey, Kawhi Leonard.
■ Team: Tufts baseball.
■ City: Boston.
■ Possession: Life-size Cecil Fielder cutout.
■ Memento: Letter from Steve Bartman.
■ Time of year (because): March (Madness).
■ Music: Beatles.
■ Book: “Matterhorn.”
■ Author: David Foster Wallace.
■ Magazine: Street & Smith’s Fantasy Baseball Preview.
■ Websites: BookBub.com, ISlideUSA.com.
■ Gadget: iPhone.
■ App: Epicurious.
■ Hobby: Cooking.
■ Trip: Armenia.
■ Movie: “Hoosiers.”
■ TV: “Nathan For You.”
■ Concerts: Farm Aid.
■ Artist: Kye Potter.
■ Food: Gum.
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Photo by: MATT THOMAN / TBT
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■ Dessert: Black raspberry
ice cream w/jimmies.
■ Drink: Painkiller.
■ Scent: Supermarket doughnut cases.
■ Vacation spots: St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
■ Quote: “If the work of your life can be accomplished in your lifetime, you’re not thinking big enough.”
