Jason Robins sat on a black sofa at DraftKings’ outpost on radio row on the Friday morning before the Super Bowl, his back to a partition covered in faux Wrigley Field ivy. A burgundy blazer dressed up the pale blue T-shirt he wore beneath it.
Two days before the game, Robins had whittled his to-do list down to something manageable. A live shot with a financial news outlet was done, and he had almost an hour before his last task. After that, he’d head back to his hotel to change clothes for a pickleball date with WR-turned-ESPN-analyst Larry Fitzgerald, a DraftKings evangelist and shareholder who would joke that they should “start playing for equity” after winning the first point.
Seasoned by a dozen years as co-founder and CEO of a company that weathered a highly publicized FBI investigation, outlasted cease-and-desist orders in at least a dozen states and hit the NASDAQ six weeks after COVID shut down sports, Robins has grown comfortable with probing questions from TV interviewers and stock analysts, polished, though more like a well-drilled student than a practiced salesman.
In next week’s cover story, SBJ’s Bill King profiles Robins, who leads DraftKings with limitless will, immeasurable confidence and perseverance through chaotic storms to ultimate success.
SBJ Voices: MLB is back with Big Get John Smoltz; plus, so many busted brackets
On this week’s Sports Media Podcast, our Big Get is Fox MLB lead analyst John Smoltz. The Hall of Fame pitcher gets us set for the MLB season with our host, SBJ’s Austin Karp. SBJ baseball writer Erik Bacharach dives into the latest with RSNs, while SBJ’s Josh Carpenter discusses the latest as the PGA Tour battles declining TV numbers.
How do you avoid groupthink? How do you avoid various forms of cognitive bias? How do you make sure that each piece of information is valued and considered? On the latest episode of SBJ Unpacks, Balloon co-founder and CEO Amanda Greenberg, Astros Assistant GM Andrew Ball and Suns Assistant GM Ryan Resch join SBJ’s Joe Lemire to break this all down.
The latest SBJ Live is all about baseball, as Bacharach and Lemire discussed the biggest issues surrounding this season. While Shohei Ohtani dominated the chatter, the two also talked about David Rubenstein’s purchase of the Orioles, the continued benefit of the pitch clock and new rules changes and MLB’s international growth outside Asia.
Did you miss the sports business stories that SBJ’s Abe Madkour and Austin Karp are following? Check out this week’s episodes of Morning Buzzcast.
On the job
We’ve heard everyone's concerns about jobs and internships, and we want to help. SBJ is teaming with TeamWork Online to connect students to listings for internships and entry-level positions in sports business. We’ll highlight several jobs in this newsletter and provide links to the complete lists. TeamWork Online provides the following tools for job seekers looking to find their niche in the sports business.
- Profile builder to match you to jobs
- Job applications to your favorite sports or live event organizations
- Face-to-face career fairs and networking events
- Information on educational programs and universities to strengthen your skills
Some positions that are available:
Sports industry reacts to legislation to ban TikTok in the U.S.
The latest social media platform to help athletes, teams and leagues extend their reach is TikTok, but the sports world is waiting to see what happens as lawmakers discuss a potential ban.
A House bill that passed 352-65 on March 13 would give TikTok 180 days to find a buyer or face a ban in the U.S. The next step is a vote in the Senate. If passed, President Joe Biden is expected to sign it into law.
At issue is the relationship between the Chinese government and ByteDance, the Beijing-based developer of TikTok. Critics say the company is influenced by the Chinese government and the platform is being used to spread misinformation. Those opposed say the ban would interfere with free speech.
In this Early Access look at next week's magazine, SBJ reports on team executives, analysts and other experts gauging how a TikTok ban could affect sports.
Going behind the scenes with TNT Sports’ Jim Jackson, Allie LaForce and Brian Anderson
The day between the first and second rounds of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is an earned respite for the TNT Sports crew, with nearly eight hours of sitting courtside for closed practices. Coaches and players cycle through the sideline media seats by the hour to catch up with the trio and update them with insights that would later be disseminated through their second-round broadcasts.
Color analyst Jim Jackson sat back in a metal folding chair. A tan, checkered bucket hat hung slightly over his brow as he took in the Longhorns’ workout ahead of a March 23 matchup with No. 2 seed Tennessee.
“It’s an easy crew,” Jackson said of his March Madness co-workers, play-by-play voice Brian Anderson and sideline reporter Allie LaForce. “We have a great time. We keep it simple.”
This is the easy part, as SBJ's Ben Portnoy reports in this Early Access look at next week's magazine.
News and views
EMERGING STORYLINES: In this week’s Forum, SBJ’s Abe Madkour takes stock of the biggest stories in sports business at the end of Q1 2024.
THE LEFTON REPORT: As SBJ’s Terry Lefton discovers, author Ann Liguori found inspiration from 12 golf legends while writing about their life lessons.
STARTING BLOCK: Two new track events seek to build momentum off the Paris Olympics and as SBJ’s Rachel Axon notes, they may offer athletes new exposure and opportunity.
READY FOR TIPOFF: SBJ’s Ben Portnoy examines AT&T’s sponsorship of the men’s and women’s Final Fours, which hits high gear as viewership for college basketball increases.
CONCENTRATED POWER: SBJ’s Chris Smith and Rob Schaefer report two of pickleball’s leading professional leagues are joining forces. Next up: Winning back the trust of players and building on fan support.
ON THE RISE: SBJ’s Alex Silverman explores how the USL is seizing opportunity and generating enthusiasm for the Super League’s inaugural season.
RIDING THE WAVE: Pro volleyball is riding American momentum, and as SBJ’s Kevin Hitt discovers, several critical factors are converging at the right time.
TWICE AS NICE: SBJ’s Xavier Hunter uncovers how Overtime Elite is building on the energy and success of key players like twin brothers Ausar and Amen Thompson.
LOOKING INWARD: In this week’s Opinion column, SBJ contributor Shira Springer examines how the IOC’s bow for gender parity represents an opportunity to look within.
CHANGE YOUR GAME: A new Smithsonian exhibit looks at inventions that made their mark, and as SBJ’s Wes Sanderson learns, it aims to inspire people to dream up the next big idea.
Get in the know
Please also be sure you and your students are taking advantage of SBJ's nightly newsletters.
Encourage your students to share their stories of how they are handling remote coursework or summer internship/work experiences.
Parting notes
We’re looking for listings to include in the new calendar section of our updated SBJ On Campus portal. It’s as simple as going to the portal and entering the information.
As always, we want to know about research projects you’re working on that would be of interest to other professors and students, or if you have questions for our staffers, send us a note to collegecontent@sportsbusinessjournal.com.
For questions about your accounts or for access issues, or to sign up your program for SBJ On Campus, email Abby Shipp at ashipp@sportsbusinessjournal.com.