While everyone is talking about NBA expansion, Portland Trail Blazers fans and local politicians are fighting to keep the NBA team in the city. It's more serious than you know.

The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov talks to Oregonian sports columnist Bill Oram about the battle to keep the Trail Blazers from leaving Portland. It's an interesting story that mixes the delicate power dynamics involved when a new team owner comes in, the unwillingness of a local government to give him what he wants, and the high costs of owning a pro sports team. Oram knows more about this issue than anyone else.

On this episode of Business Decision, Mike and Bill talk about his fears that the #Blazers could go, what will keep them in Portland, how this is all happening as the #WNBA comes to the city with the Portland Fire, and his prediction for how this all ends.

The Reading List

I Hope I'm Wrong But This Is Why I Fear the Trail Blazers Could Be As Good As Gone

Trail Blazers’ future in Portland less clear than ever as arena efforts meet resistance

It's time for the NFL's head coaching carousel! Where NFL head coach openings get filled. But by who? And how does it all work?

On this episode of Business Decision, Mike Vorkunov talks to Sports Illustrated NFL writer Conor about how head coaches really get hired in the NFL, who makes the decision and why. They explain where John Harbaugh could go and why the Baltimore Ravens now have the best job available on the market. Can you guess the worst jobs open right now?

Mike and Conor also talk about why some head coaching candidates don't get the look they deserve and explain why the Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan coaching tree actually is a good way to hire. Picking those Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers coaches seems to work!

06:59 “It’s the cheapest way to fix all of your problems at once without actually fixing your problems.”

08:41 Why the #Ravens job is the top head coach opening 11:40 How John Harbaugh’s agent has influenced the head coaching search

13:18 Who will the Baltimore Ravens consider for their head coaching job?

22:47 How often do NFL teams hire a coach to win the press conference?

31:47 Hiring Sean McVay’s assistant is the best hiring policy

49:14 Why teams want to hire GMs and head coaches who are friends

***This episode was recorded before Mike Tomlin left the Pittsburgh Steelers and that job became available***

READING LIST

The Top NFL Head Coaching Candidates Teams Will Consider for 2026

Ranking the NFL Head Coach Openings With the Steelers’ Job Now Available

Why Vance Joseph Is Ready to Break a Trend in the Coaching Industry

Could Skip a Step in the Head Coach Hiring Cycle

Is this year the Victor Wembanyama takes over? Are the LA Clippers going to get hammered? Is NBA expansion finally coming? What's the latest reason why the Oklahoma City Thunder could dominate the league?

Welcome to 2026, now here are the 5 biggest questions the NBA is facing in this new year. On this episode of Business Decision, Mike Vorkunov, a NBA reporter for The Athletic, and James Herbert, a national NBA writer for CBS Sports, ponder the questions that will determine the future of the #nba and try to answer them.

They also discuss whether the NBA broke the MVP award race this season. And, finally, who is the leading contender to get out of the Eastern Conference this season? It might be the New York Knicks, the Boston Celtics, the Detroit Pistons OR this mystery team.

02:24 The 5 biggest questions the NBA faces for 2026

45:11 Did the NBA kill its MVP award this season?

53:48 Who is the Eastern Conference favorite: Knicks, Celtics, Cavaliers, Pistons or this mystery team?

It's Week 18 in the NFL and the big question now is which team will Taylor Swift fans root for to win the Super Bowl since the Chiefs are done?

On this episode of Business Decision, New York Times NFL reporter Ken Belson gives his Super Bowl picks and discusses how power really works in the league. It flows through Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Their voices in the #nfl highlights today how the league got to be so big and rich. This episode isn't just about NFL scores but also the secrets of the league's most important owners. Mike and Ken discuss the NFL's secret shame machine, Robert Kraft's homegrown eggs, the TV deal that set it on course to be what it is today, and the FOX NFL music.

Ken's book's is available now. Every Day Is Sunday: How Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft, and Roger Goodell Turned the NFL into a Cultural & Economic Juggernaut

#cowboys #patriots #madden

Former NFL executive Karim Kassam (Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars) and ex-Washington Wizards assistant GM Brett Greenberg discuss how teams use data, AI and analytics in sports on this episode of Business.

On this episode, Mike Vorkunov, a NBA and basketball business reporter, explains why the jocks vs. nerds narrative is wrong and talks to two former pro sports execs about how data and analytics are actually used for important games and sports decisions. It's not just 2-point conversions and taking more 3s.

Kassam and Greenberg, who both now work at Teamworks, share their secrets from their time in pro sports. Kassam talks about the importance of data analytics in football information and how NFL teams really use data, including the lessons he learned early during his time working for an NFL team. Greenberg discusses the importance of sports analytics and why it is not as simple as it seems on Twitter.

Why does it feel like every single part of college sports is changing, and that everything is for sale now? Maybe because it's true. It's not just NIL that has changed life at your favorite college basketball and college football schools. Those universities and athletic departments are constantly seeking money everywhere now. UNLV just sold a jersey patch for its uniform before the NCAA even approved them. The University of Utah took a $500 million investment from a private equity firm. The Big 12 Conference is going into business with private equity, too. The Big Ten almost did that this fall.

Matt Brown, the co-founder of the excellent Extra Points newsletter, comes onto Business Decision, hosted by Mike Vorkunov, a reporter for The Athletic, to discuss this odd and interesting moment in time for college sports. He discusses why college athletic departments are so desperate for cash and why they are turning to private equity. The biggest threat to the future of college sports isn't NIL, it may be the transfer portal, but the biggest issue could be that college sports feels like professional sports. Also, which school sells the most booze to its fans?

Read and subscribe to Extra Points here.

01:16 Did everyone in college sports suddenly go broke?

08:20 Why private equity is becoming more popular in college athletics

25:14 Is there a breaking point for fans?

31:43 Does Facebook explains the end game for college sports?

35:07 The difference between soccer's Super League and college sports

40:20 Which college has sold the most booze?

Youth sports is now a $40 billion business. Is that a good thing?

Mike Vorkunov talks to former New York Times columnist Harvey Araton about how youth sports has changed as it became a big business with heavy investment from private equity. There's more money to be made now, but is that good for the kids and parents involved?

Harvey's novel on the pressures of youth sports — The Goal of the Game — will come out later this month. You can pre-order it here: https://www.koehlerbooks.com/book/the-goal-of-the-game/

Also, Harvey shares stories from his time covering the NBA, including how a story he wrote after talking to Karl Malone made Magic Johnson retire again.

The Reading List:

Youth Sports Are a $40 Billion Business. Private Equity Is Taking Notice. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/09/business/youth-sports-private-equity.html

Inside the Booming Business of Youth Sports Apps https://www.theinformation.com/articles/moneyball-minors-inside-booming-business-youth-sports-apps

Wall Street Is Paywalling Your Kids’ Sports https://www.levernews.com/wall-street-is-paywalling-your-kids-sports/

What do you know about Overtime? It runs one of the most interesting leagues in sports in OTE and have figured out how to reach young audiences that every other league is struggling to reach.

On this episode of Business Decision, Mike Vorkunov talks to Overtime CEO Dan Porter about OTE, how they've changed over the years, how they have success on social media and reaching young people. Dan discusses the keys to the company's success and what might have happened had TikTok actually been banned in the United States.

Also, Mike finally learns what 6-7 means, thanks to Dan since Overtime helped propel the meme to popularity.

Guest: Overtime CEO Dan Porter

Reading List:

What is ‘6-7′? It started with this high school basketball and social media star

How Overtime Elite became a college basketball ally instead of a threat

Something big happened in the sports business world this week and nobody is talking about it. But these sports experts are! On this week's episode of Business Decision, Mike Vorkunov talks to Sportico's Jacob Feldman about why a famed investment bank bought one of sports' most prominent player agencies. Goldman Sachs took a majority stake in Excel Sports, giving it control of the agency that represents some of the world's most famous athletes like Caitlin Clark, Nikola Jokić, Tiger Woods, Derek Jeter, Cal Raleigh and others.

It's a big deal. But why did they do it and what does it mean? Mike and Jacob explain it all.

Also, another sports gambling scandal just hit. This time, it's two Cleveland Guardians pitchers who got indicted by the federal government. What did Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz do, and what does it mean for MLB?

The Business Decision question of the week is something Nico Harrison answered incorrectly. It's why the Dallas #Mavericks fired their GM Tuesday.

Reading List:

Goldman Sachs to become majority stakeholder of Excel Sports Management

Goldman Sachs Buys Talent Agency of Tigers Woods, Caitlin Clark

The WNBA is in a precarious place and facing its most important offseason ever. The WNBA CBA talks between the league and the players union will determine where the WNBA goes next, and even when they can begin its 2026 season. Who has the upper hand: the league or the WNBPA? Does the union need Caitlin Clark to voice her power?

That and more on this new episode of Business Decision with The Athletic's Sabreena Merchant and Ben Pickman. Watch and listen to the wonkiest WNBA show you can. We discuss all the details of the latest WNBA CBA talks and where they go from here. We even predict when a deal might get done. It's a tricky dynamic that goes beyond just Cathy Engelbert, Adam Silver, the NBA and the public PR battle.

Plus: Name that 2011 NBA lockout player!

Guests: Sabreena Merchant and Ben Pickman