As I look back at the first three months of 2019, here are three trend stories that may not have made the biggest national headlines, but intrigued me, are sneaky interesting and worthy of attention:
MORE WOMEN IN THE EXECUTIVE RANKS: Over the first three months of the year, we’ve seen a positive trend in diversity hiring at the executive level of sports, where it’s so desperately needed.
At MLS, Chief Administration Officer JoAnn Neale was promoted to president, making her one of the most senior female executives across major pro leagues.
At the PGA Tour, Alex Baldwin was named president of the Web.com Tour, making her the first woman to lead one of the tour’s six global properties.
Two big moves at the NFL, where Renie Anderson continues to gain influence at the league after being promoted to executive vice president of NFL partnerships, becoming its first de facto chief revenue officer and giving her oversight of all sales. At the team level, T-Mobile’s Meredith Starkey shifts from the brand side to become the first CMO in the history of the Carolina Panthers.
Li Li Leung left the NBA to become president and CEO of USA Gymnastics, and the XFL named LAFC general counsel Heather Brooks Karatz as its first franchise president, tabbing her to run its L.A. team. These moves represent real progress, and when you add them to Kathy Carter’s hiring at LA28 and Sarah Hirshland becoming CEO of the U.S. Olympic Committee last year, you see a nice narrative around the changing face in the executive ranks of sports business.
THE DISCORD ON THE ATP TOUR: I’m struck by the chasm that exists within the ATP Tour, as the player representatives on the board of directors voted not to extend the contract of President and CEO Chris Kermode last month. Kermode officially started in 2014 and his tenure was largely supported by tournament directors, partners and other stakeholders. But there was tension and discord — a split between players and tournaments and acrimony among the top players about the path forward. Kermode did have some player support, including from such stars as Rafael Nadal — but obviously not enough.
Players want more prize money and to maximize their earnings. Tournaments have their own agendas that naturally don’t always align with talent. But instead of compromise and continuity behind Kermode, the ATP is scrambling and searching for a new leader who must step into a political quagmire. Who would want this task amid such division? Compare the stark difference between the ATP and the PGA Tour. Sure, the PGA Tour will always have issues over player schedules and quality fields, but there is far more collaboration — as well as support for its leader, Commissioner Jay Monahan — than is currently on the ATP Tour. Keep an eye on this story.
THE MAP OF MLS: The first three months of 2019 have been a productive whirlwind for MLS that shouldn’t be overlooked. First, I was impressed by how the league sorted through an ugly scenario related to the Columbus Crew and operator Anthony Precourt’s desire to relocate the team to Austin. MLS Commissioner Don Garber didn’t get the credit he deserved for recruiting deep-pocketed, local ownership with the Haslam family and Dr. Pete Edwards, which surprisingly included plans for a new downtown Columbus facility to open in 2021. Garber also was able to secure Precourt the operating rights to Austin for a team to start in 2021 with plans for a new, 20,000-seat stadium. So, Garber and MLS were able to keep an original market of Columbus and its fans happy, while placing a bet on the promise of Austin and giving Precourt two years to get game-ready. Not bad work at all.
This comes while first-year franchise FC Cincinnati has major local buzz around its launch and drew record attendance for its opener. Meanwhile, St. Louis and Sacramento have emerged as the front-runners in the latest expansion plan. Put it all together and it’s not surprising that MLS owners signed Garber to a five-year contract extension. It’s been a pretty interesting three months as MLS builds out its long-term domestic footprint.
Like I said, there have been a lot of important stories so far in 2019, but these three shouldn’t go unnoticed. What stories have caught your eye?
Abraham Madkour can be reached at amadkour@sportsbusinessjournal.com.
