Front Office Features

Rob and Chris are back together for the first time in a while..., and A LOT has changed in the sports world since they last spoke. Rob shares the life of a SVP in the Minor Leagues after a week of rain, cold, and fireworks. Rob ranked it as the top 3 worst moments of his life. We take a deep drive into the ever changing world of the NCAA and how NIL is here to stay. The market was open for business right away with athletes signing deals at a breaktaking pace. Chris is fed up with the NCAA and how unprepared they were for the rule changes. Rob sees a major whitespace for young people to pave the way in a brand new industry. We also discuss the Olympics and the recent controversy around the mairjuana regulations. Chris is also on the side of the Olympics not happening.

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In this episode Rob is flying solo. He discusses a great article written by his colleague about finding your passion in sports business. Then Rob Googles "How do I get a job in sports?" Rob, shouting to himself, disagrees with many of the first articles that pop up on the Google machine.

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You've graduated with a sports management degree and now what? We always get asked where do I look for jobs. Well Matt Morrison, CEO and Founder of Openly HQ is changing the game and has created a Glassdoor type site for sports job seekers. We dive into where the idea stemmed from and how he differentiates himself from the other traditional job boards. They've taken an approach of ensuring quality over quantity and providing resources for job seekers such as resume tips and interview prep. One of the fascinating parts of our interview is discussing what goes into being an entrepreneur in the sports world and what type of challenges he has faced along the way, For everyone out there currently looking for their dream job, they need to head over to Openly HQ and sign up for an account.

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Rob is headed in early to Polar Park to open the doors to 5,000 police officers to honor a fallen Worcester officer this past week. We dive into how important a role sports plays in healing communities during times of need and how much our society has missed this aspect over the past year. Rob asks Chris about his former boss, Lou Lamoriello, the current GM of the Islanders which takes Chris down memory lane. Chris claims Lou to be the most intimidating human on the Planet and has trouble describing how his presence can just change a room. Also, he is known as one of the most fiercely loyal people to work for and Chris is now on time for everything in life thanks to his practices. We then dive into a hot button topic... sports and salaries of the front office. Before doing that we learn of Rob's hatred of cats and Chris drops some cat killing stats that are mind blowing. A great return to normalcy in the world of FoF! 

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Chris tried to take his family to a Red Sox game and it turned into a picnic in the suite due to the rain all Memorial Day Weekend. Zach got a ball thrown up to him by the Marlins and immediately tried to throw it back in true 5 year old fashion. Rob and his wife headed out on the town for their first date night in over a year leading to Rob drinking raw eggs for an after dinner drink as only Rob could. We then dive into why there was no podcast last week and the future of Front Office Features. This was a true raw episode with Rob sharing his feelings and thoughts on the current status of FoF and what the next iteration would or could look like. We wanted to provide the listeners authentic insight into our thoughts as well as ensure we find ways to make this better for you, our listeners. The burden of life sometimes gets in the way of our best laid plans. Plus a HUGE Thank You to all our listeners for helping get us to our 50,000 download milestone!

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Rob is back on the same day Massachusetts announces the return of fans to 100% capacity at the end of the month. Chris gets a reprieve in this episode as Rob does an amazing job on bringing us truly behind the scenes on the weeks leading up to Opening Day at the WooSox. This is an absolute must listen for anyone looking to work in sports with a blow by blow account of each day and every issue that can go wrong before the first pitch. In true Rob fashion, he has a rabbit story before we actually dive in. Chris apparently isn't the only one with animal stories. This episode may be the truest and most in depth peak behind the curtain we've done to date as it makes you feel as though you are living each moment with Rob. Plus, hear how Rob lost his temper on the fireworks vendor due to the amount of time it took to start the show after the Friday game. Lastly, Rob answers Chris's question as to why Polar Park wasn't built with the same dimensions as Fenway.

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Chris rides solo again as Rob has Game 2 of his 12 game homestand. We hear a great story about the WooSox Opening Day ceremony that featured a 92 year old Bob Cousy quite literally stealing the show. As promised, we have Sam Marteka join us to take us behind the scenes on his current job search as he gets ready to graduate from Syracuse in a few weeks. Sam shares some the mistakes he has made along the way and how he continually is improving his process. While he still hasn't landed his dream role, we are pretty confident if he stays on his path, it will be a matter of when and not if. Chris reminds everyone that working in sports is a privilege and to ensure you take some time to remember the next few weeks when you land your first role in this great industry. Rob is back next week with more details on the WooSox Opening Day and all of his obstacles to get there.

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Chris rides solo for the first time ever as our good buddy Rob is ensuring the WooSox Ballpark is all set for Opening Day next week. If you have a moment, send him a message and let him know you are thinking of him with all the stress he is dealing with for the THIRD time. Chris speaks directly to the upcoming graduating class and congratulates them on their amazing accomplishment and reminds them to stay on course to land their dream role. Too many people succumb to the pressure from friends, professors, or parents to take the first role offered to them to appease others. Trust you gut, take your time, and let the good come to you. You've invested 22 years of your life to get to this point, don't start down the wrong path because someone has told you "this is the right way." Plus we are going to begin having volunteers join us to discuss their journey and share what obstacles they have encountered along the process thanks to a great suggestion from Sam Marteka. Chris also goes behind the scenes and provides the anatomy on a sponsorship deal that he was able to land today after TWO years of initial outreach.

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SPECIAL CO-HOST ALERT! Rob is off doing his day job and breaking the news to WooSox season ticket holders around Opening Day protocols. Returning guest, Brian Specia fills in admirably with Chris as the two old friends pick up where they left off. Chris quickly touches on the "Super League" that came and went in the blink of an eye while watching the Red Sox vs Mets in the background. Poor DeGrom. Brian and Chris dive into the NFL draft which airs tonight and the amazing power behind the event as it has evolved throughout the years. Chris knows one of Brian's pet peeves is the nepotism that happens in our industry and how it can negatively affect an organization. Chris explains how Fenway Sports is now hoping to combat this with new policies geared towards helping diversity. Brian provides great insight into the world of expansion and talks about what is happening with the Kracken and his own experience and days in Vegas. Chris closes the loop on Owl Gate.

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Sports Jobs are back! Chris and Rob get back to the basics and provide you the answers to the test to help you nail your interview and land your dream job in sports. We touch on separating yourself from the pack by bringing the heat in your interview. Want to get yourself out of the dreaded pile? Listen to this episode and you'll immediately be in a better position to secure a spot in our crazy world. If you still say "get your foot in the door", want to work in marketing but are applying for a sales job, or feel frustrated by your lack of direction... this episode is for you. Beyond this important topic, Rob and Chris have their patented diversion from the topic and explore the checkmark crowd vs the X crowd. A trip down memory lane of the 90s ensues and hilarity follows. Plus Chris was challenged in an informational interview by the one that got away from Rob.

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