What makes athletes so captivating? Tony Hollingsworth, Sr. Director of Strategy at Laundry Service, has a clear idea why: because they’re the last great superheroes.

In this episode, Tony explains how athletes embody the traits of the characters we’ve idolized since childhood—larger-than-life figures with stories that inspire, connect, and evolve. He shares how this perspective shapes his work on campaigns with icons like Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers for Gatorade.

We also dive into the power of storytelling in sports, drawing parallels to our shared love of the 90’s Chicago Bulls and the never-ending narratives of comic books. For Tony, sports are about more than just games—they’re stories with legacies that grow, change, and endure for generations.

Tune in to hear how athletes became modern-day superheroes and what that means for sports marketing, storytelling, and our personal connections to the games we love.

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The Spread is produced by Butter Studio.