PROFESSIONAL
What I Like …
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With the PGA Tour schedule underway, Rapp is planning for May’s Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.
Photo by: JENNIFER PEREZ / PGA TOUR
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■ An insight: “A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
■ An influential person in my career: Sen. Wendell H. Ford.
■ An out-of-the-box idea: Building a golf course from the ground up with the fan experience at the heart of the design so fans can actually see the world’s best golfers hit any shot on any hole at any time.
■ A timeless idea: “All things being equal, people will do business with a friend; all things being unequal, people will still do business with a friend.” — Mark McCormack.
■ A business deal: FedEx Cup — in one fell swoop transformed the entire structure of the tour season as FedEx became its largest sponsor.
Matt Rapp
Executive director
The Players Championship
■ Where I’m from: Louisville, Ky.
■ Where I Went to School: University of Pennsylvania.
■ My First Job: U.S. Senate staffer.
■ A sports facility: Camden Yards. The first “new” stadium to go back to what stadiums should be about.
■ A strategy: Focus on and fix problems — there is no quick/easy path to success, just lots of grinding.
■ A hire: Mark Lamping, president of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
■ A brand: Grey Goose.
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Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
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■ A pro league or team business initiative: Tampa Bay Lightning transformation of the fan/sponsor experience.
■ A story that bears watching: Overexposure of the NFL. When is there too much of a good thing?
■ An idea or invention I wish I had thought of: “College GameDay.”
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Photo by: SCOTT CLARKE / ESPN IMAGES
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What I Like About …
■ My job: Our team. The job changes and challenges in numerous ways every day, and I get to interact with people all over Jacksonville on a regular basis.
■ Sports technology: Hawk-Eye in tennis. Too bad all reviews aren’t so quick and decisive.
■ Competing: So many people in the business of sports were competitive athletes — adds a great edge but also an understanding of team.
■ The future of sports business: Live/appointment television has largely been reduced to sports. That is an unbelievably strong position to be in.
What I Would Like To …
■ Change: Complacency. It’s not enough to want something different — you have to get out and make it so.
■ Change in what I do: Be more patient.
■ See: More kids out playing games in the neighborhood and not on the couch.
■ See more of in sports: Venues that are in the heart of the city. They help define a city and its identity.
■ See less of in sports business: Guerrilla marketing.
■ Eliminate: Waste — time, energy, trash that isn’t recycled …
What I Don’t Like …
■ In general: Selfies.
■ Pet peeve: Professional portraits with a hand on the face/chin — leave it to Rodin.
■ In sports: Excessive celebrations for a good play when your team is getting it handed to them.
PERSONAL
What I Like …
■ That would surprise those who know me: People who have been to my office (guaranteed first ballot hall of famer if there were a shrine to messy) are shocked that I keep a tidy household!
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Rickie Fowler
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
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■ About myself: Laughter, especially when it is at my own expense.
■ Heroes: Ben Franklin, Leonardo da Vinci, Warren Buffett.
■ Players: Rickie Fowler, KD, Peyton Manning, Billy Horschel.
■ Teams: Reds, Jaguars, University of Louisville basketball.
■ City: Jacksonville. Lived, worked and traveled many places — JAX is a truly unknown gem.
■ Memento: Picture in my office of the sun setting on TPC Sawgrass in the aftermath of Tiger’s win in 2013.
■ Books: “The Outpost,” “Ice to the Eskimos,”
“Outliers,” “Into Thin Air,” “The Presidents Club.”
■ Magazine: Vanity Fair.
■ Websites: NPR.org, ted.com, PGATour.com.
■ Gadget: Tide clock.
■ Apps: Spotify, Uber, 120 Sports, Yahoo Weather, Charity Miles.
■ Chores: I actually like doing laundry.
■ Hobbies: Reading, looking for sharks’ teeth, triathlons.
■ Trips: Five miles deep into a coal mine; landing on and touring an active aircraft carrier — makes you appreciate the hardships our armed forces deal with day and night to keep us safe.
■ Movies: “LA Confidential,” “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,” “Caddyshack,” “Fletch.”
■ Concert: Lyle Lovett.
■ Food: Steak, pizza, Mexican.
■ Drink: Sawgrass Splash.
■ Vacation spot: Maine in the summer.
■ Car: Tesla.
■ Singer: Jack Johnson.
■ Quote: “Success isn’t owned. It’s leased, and rent is due every day.” — J.J. Watt.
