PROFESSIONAL
What I Like …
■ An insight: U.S. culture will never embrace electronic music or soccer — I love when insights are wrong.
■ An influential person in my career: Chris Robichaud, currently CEO at PMK-BNC, my first mentor and a really smart guy.
■ An out-of-the-box idea: 3-D printing.
■ A timeless idea: Daytime baseball.
■ A business deal: TV deal by the NBA. In only 35 years they created $24 billion in value.
■ A sports facility: New Atlanta Stadium. It looks like it’s going to be incredible.
■ A sports event: International soccer. The energy destroys even the most intense U.S. sport.
■ A hire: Michele Roberts, executive director of the NBPA. Gotta respect anyone still breaking glass ceilings in today’s day and age.
Brian Gordon
CEO, Engine Shop
■ What I do: Create ideas that connect brands to people through passion points of sports, entertainment and lifestyle.
■ Where I’m from: Sacramento — I claim NORCAL.
■ Where I went to school: University of California, Santa Barbara — Gauchos.
■ My first job: Lifeguard.
■ A brand: Under Armour. Fifteen years ago did anyone really think a brand would come out of nowhere to become No. 2 and potentially challenge Nike?
■ An innovation: The greatest innovation in sports history came in 1904 with the cup. Just try to argue with me on that one.
■ A pro league or team business initiative: NHL’s commitment to, and branding of, its outdoor games.
■ A story that bears watching: The run-up to the NBA’s next collective-bargaining agreement.
What I Like About …
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Rendering: ATLANTA FALCONS
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■ Sports media: Personalities that speak their mind even if it could get them in trouble.
■ Sports technology: Everything is bigger, faster, better. It’s scary.
■ Competing: NCAA tournament — the greatest competitive event format in sports.
■ The direction of sports business:
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The NBPA’s Michele Roberts
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
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The growing acceptance that the future generations will consume sports very differently than their elders.
■ Sports fans: Two people that have never met and in any other context wouldn’t even speak, can be bound so much by a team that they find themselves hugging at a game when something good happens..
What I Would Like To …
■ Change: Pete Rose’s ban from
baseball.
■ Change in what I do: Less reacting to the nonstop communication.
■ See: 2014-15 Kentucky basketball team versus the Knicks.
■ See more of in sports: Players staying with one team for their whole career.
■ See different: Compensation rules for NCAA athletes.
■ Eliminate: Terrible food at sporting events.
What I Don’t Like …
■ In general: People that call your cellphone and, if you don’t pick up, they proceed to text and then email you. Really?
■ Pet peeve: When someone driving doesn’t follow the unwritten “every other car” merge rule.
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Chest painting: Outlaw it!
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
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■ In sports: The Seahawks, for so many reasons, but being a Niners fan may have something to do with it.
■ In business: Attitude and ego.
■ About sports fans: Chest painters. That may seem elitist, but it should be outlawed.
PERSONAL
What I Like …
■ People: Smart, independent-minded people.
■ That would surprise those who know me: My wife wears the pants and I’m totally fine with that.
■ Above all else: Family — cliché but true.
■ About myself: Passion. You can’t ever question whether I’m passionate about the things I believe in.
■ Heroes: Anyone that risks their lives for the safety of others.
■ Players: The entire roster of the 2001-02 Sacramento Kings, who were derailed by scandal in their quest for a ring.
■ City: Any great beach city if I’m with the whole family. Paris if I’m only with my wife.
■ Memento: Photo of my father from when he was about 2 years old. Sits in a glass case on my nightstand.
■ Time of year: Fall. I’m from Cali, and the rumors about the fall in New England are 100 percent true. There’s just something about it.
■ Music: All kinds, but EDM is probably on top. And Taylor, don’t you dare hate on Taylor.
■ Author: Does Bill Simmons count?
■ Websites: Weather websites. You check weather.com. I’m on the sites that Jim Cantore goes to in order to find out what to put on weather.com.
■ Hobbies: Either running around with my kids or working when I’m not running around with my kids.
■ Trips: LOVE and NEED my vacations. Family trip to Italy was incredible.
■ Movies: “True Romance” and … wait for it … “Miss Congeniality.”
■ TV: Right now, it’s all about “The Blacklist.”
■ Food: Nachos. I can’t pass up even the worst nachos.
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James Spader in “The Blacklist”
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
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■ Dessert: My wife’s icebox cake and her bread pudding.
■ Drink: Angel’s Envy Old Fashioned.
■ Scent: That’s creepy.
■ Cars: Mercedes-Benz. Why would anyone want to drive anything else?
■ Aftershave: Let me get in my time machine and go back to 1950 and then I can tell you what kind of aftershave I like.
■ Singer: The singers I like just wave their hands around in the air and don’t actually sing.
■ Quote: “The hardest part of the decision is the decision itself, so just make it and charge ahead.” — my father.
