Front Office Features

Chris has escaped his 10 day quarantine and survived the Super Bowl trip to LA. Chris recaps his Covid experience that consisted of old school video games, dropped off meals at the backdoor, and lots of binge watching. After escaping his porch, he headed out to LA for the Super Bowl to rub elbows with the industry and kiss some babies. From seeing Shaq DJ on stage to sipping tequila with athletes, it was a successful Super Bowl weekend trip. Rob and Chris discuss how much they enjoyed the Super Bowl halftime show and how it sent some other folks into a tizzy. We dissect why no one is watching the Olympics and wonder where all the stars have gone. Rob is headed to Seattle for TopGolf live at T-Mobile Park and also hit up the Eddie Vedder museum. 

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Rob is on his own tonight as Chris is out with COVID and relegated to the porch (GREAT Pearl Jam song) in case de Valente. Good news is he is feeling good, and better news is we have a great guest! Bob Lynch started this career in media which lead to the Miami Dolphins, Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment and now running SponsorUnited which is the go-to tool (not an ad) in the sports business world. Bob talks about how it all started, where it is growing and Sponsor University. Their program helps thousands of up and coming sports executives (like you!) get a leg up on the competition through intensive trainings, goal setting and personal development. Give a listen and share!

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We go OFF the rails early and often in this episode. Chris sends us down a crazy path after Rob brings up his recent promotion that you need to hear to believe. Let's just say Chris sings a song about a Nun that leaves Rob in tears. After going down multiple rabbit holes from Twitter vs Instagram to other random thoughts, we get somewhat back on track and tackle real life stuff. Looking to change jobs internally? We lay out the process you should follow prior to the job being posted and what you should do afterwards. Rob touches on not over using your political capital on every job that you see open. Plus, if you are looking to leverage a current job offer into more $ at your current organization then you better be ready for the answer on the other end. Rob then closes the show with another golden rule....the U-Haul Rule. Depending how many U-Hauls you need to rent should dictate whether you should move or not. 

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True to our word we have someone on the podcast this week who knows what the hell they are talking about in the world of social media and sports. Will Walsh, Fighting Irish alum, joins us to give us amazing insight into the realities of working in Digital and Content for a sports organization. Will shares a great anecdote on his first day on the job and how his Mom kept him moving in the right direction once again proving Mom knows best. We touch on the importance of a recommendation and how that helped Will land the LAFC role. Rob admits to a Film and TV major that he doesn't watch movies or TV and hilarity ensues. But Chris is disappointed to learn Will has never seen The Office. Will dives into the evolution of social media departments through the years and how each platform presents its own set of challenges and skill requirements. Will is on board with the notion that a social media and content department is the team's "Marketing Department" and that those looking to work in sports marketing, that may be your best bet. We briefly explore the Metaverse and what the future may hold for sports teams in this new age of technology. And we couldn't not tell Will about Rob selling out his social feed to post grape prices!

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Happy New Year! Rob and Chris are back at it and feeling better than ever. We hear about Rob's Italian feast that he made on Christmas day where Chris makes him an honorary Ginzo. We hear the backstory on why the Wasabi Fenway Bowl was canceled and the ripple effects it has on the people involved. We discuss the AMAZING story of Michael Gartner, the former owner of the Iowa Cubs, and how he presented his former employees with massive checks as a thank you for their efforts over the years. This sends Chris on a rant to encourage people to be more of a Michael Gartner in their career if they ever have the opportunity to. We explore the world of a social media manager at a sports organization and how their world may not always be so glamorous from the inside. There has also been a massive exodus recently of people in these positions and we dive into our theory of why and how that needs to change. 

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Happy 40th Birthday to our Founder, Rob! The FoF crew went out and celebrated the big event this past weekend at Night Shift Brewing with Rob's friends and family while his wife Amy surprised him with a tribute video. We announced 2 weeks ago that we had the biggest news of Front Office Features yet. In the spirit of full transparency, we walk the listeners through the decision that almost came to end Front Office Features as a podcast. While using our own advice and assessment of our "Why" we realized overall it wasn't time to call it quits but rather get back to basics. We are re-energized and refreshed and have no intentions of stopping anytime soon because we truly care about helping our listeners. We have an amazing and classic Rob Crain story about how a Mayor tried to shake him down for a Police Cruiser. Lastly, we dive into the Endeavor news of them buying 10 MiLB teams and how they can plan to monetize that. 

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Chris and Rob are back after a hiatus and a Thanksgiving break. Big news out of Fenway Sports Group as they announced they purchased the Pittsburgh Penguins. A huge move by the organization as it adds an NHL team to an already impressive portfolio. Chris dives into some behind the scenes processes and thoughts on how this all came together and what the future holds for Fenway. We then discuss the future of ESPN and streaming with the announcement by Disney that they will pour $33 billion into content in the next year alone. Plus a big announcement in store for Front Office Features this December! 

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The Crain and Valente household made their way into Boston this past Saturday for an Italian dinner in the North End followed by Topgolf Live at Fenway Park. It was Chris's first experience playing Top Golf and quite possibly Rachel and Amy's first time swinging a golf club. The crew had a blast that was capped with more fun at the Cask N Flagon. Rob details the business model behind Top Golf Live and all the logistics that goes into the traveling road show. Callaway, Rob's parent company who owns Top Golf, reported their earnings today and had a record Quarter mostly thanks to Topgolf. Chris shares the story behind landing the Fenway Bowl Title and how relationships play such an integral role in the world of sponsorships. 

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Happy Halloween! Rob has a hilarious story as someone stole his table that his family put out to distribute trick or treating. Rob also shares a fun fact on meteorology that he learned today. We have an update on a listener who had received the worst advice we had ever heard in regards to landing a coaching gig. Great news is he is on the right track now. Bobby Valentine is running for Mayor and released an amazing rap video asking people to vote for him. Plus Chris shares a fun fact that Bobby V claims to have invented the wrap sandwich. The whole scenario could be a Seinfeld episode. We then revisit an important topic given how the sports job market is booming. We give you the answers to the test on how to separate yourself and stand out from the proverbial pile. Don't want the job... TAKE THE JOB!.

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Chris's wild MLB Playoff run came to an end this past week as the Red Sox fell to the Houston Astros. We touch on how Fenway has never been more electric and was all made possible by a much younger audience. Rob gets HUGE news that his basketball games are coming back and Chris starts the countdown to Rob's inevitable ACL tear. We take a deep dive into the world of sports and TV viewership. The NFL dominates on an annual basis as they own roughly 95% of the top 100 watched shows on TV throughout the year. MLB has had a major issue with the majority of cord cutters unable to watch their games due to the fact the YouTube's and Hulu's don't carry the Regional Sports Networks. Chris breakdown the future of MLB TV and how in the near future you'll likely be able to purchase your local RSN no different than you do HBO Max. Lastly, we explore the MASSIVE reach of Liverpool FC around the Globe and how their number or fans and viewers dwarfs all US Sports.

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