The CUSP Show

Fans are always looking for the extra edge when it comes to fantasy sports. What if we told you a start-up company based in Midtown Manhattan called The Quant Edge had the tools to bring you to the next level of your fantasy ownership this fall.

Join Tom & Joe as they talk to Founder and CEO of The Quant Edge, Todd Gross, Sports Product Manager, Eliot Crist and Dave Connors, Head of Business Development. This predictive analytics data analysis company simplifies statistics from sports to help better identify matchups you need to win fantasy football.

Learn what they are doing to revolutionize how you look at fantasy sports.

Visit the website at https://www.thequantedge.com/

The Facts

The CUSP Show is a production by the faculty of Sports Management at Columbia University. You can get in touch with the program on Twitter @CU_SPS_Sports. Our presenters are Joe Favorito (@Joefav) and Tom Richardson (@ConvergenceTR).

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecuspshow.substack.com

Ray Negron, Best-Selling Author, NY Yankees Executive, Producer and Inspirational Speaker, joins Joe to discuss his path, his amazing stories of Yankee history, and his other adventures.

Ray’s amazing journey began decades ago when at 16-years of age, he was caught spraying graffiti on a wall at Yankee Stadium by NY Yankees owner, George Steinbrenner. As fate would have it, Steinbrenner decided against putting Ray in jail and instead, offered him a second chance making him the batboy for the greatest franchise in sports history. Ray was propelled into a dream job sharing the dugout with the “Bronx Zoo” team of the seventies. He became a positive influence in the fiery clubhouse that included Manager Billy Martin, superstar Reggie Jackson and the legendary Thurman Munson. And for the next 35 years, Steinbrenner and Ray built a special relationship until Steinbrenner’s passing in 2010.

Steinbrenner’s vision lives on through Ray. As a Community Consultant for the NY Yankees, Ray is immersed in ensuring that veteran players and Yankee rookies promote the tradition of the club’s pride and inspiration by visiting terminally sick kids in hospitals and supporting the inner-city youth throughout New York. He is the founder of “Hank’s Yanks”, a not for profit competitive youth travel baseball team of underprivileged kids (ages 10-18) sponsored by New York Yankees co-owner Hank Steinbrenner.

Visit his website at: http://theraynegronstory.com/index.html

The Facts

The CUSP Show is a production by the faculty of Sports Management at Columbia University. You can get in touch with the program on Twitter @CU_SPS_Sports. Our presenters are Joe Favorito (@Joefav) and Tom Richardson (@ConvergenceTR).

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecuspshow.substack.com

Melissa Jacobs, the Managing Editor and Founder of The Football Girl, joins Joe to discuss her path, entrepreneurial spirit, and finding her niche with the Football Girl.

She started TFG in late 2009 on the belief that female NFL fans deserve a community that goes well beyond Football 101, recipes and pink apparel. She has aimed to provide robust content ranging from fantasy advice to exclusive interviews that appeals to all fans of all levels.

Visit her website at: thefootballgirl.com/

The Facts

The CUSP Show is a production by the faculty of Sports Management at Columbia University. You can get in touch with the program on Twitter @CU_SPS_Sports. Our presenters are Joe Favorito (@Joefav) and Tom Richardson (@ConvergenceTR).

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecuspshow.substack.com

Ed O’Brien, Head of Sports for Clear, joins Joe to discuss his path from college, through the New York Jets and to Columbia University.

Clear, a company that allows you to skip the lines at stadia, airports using by confirming your identity with the tap of a finger or the blink of an eye. Ed discusses how he got into the field and how this technology is redefining the fan experience

The Facts

The CUSP Show is a production by the faculty of Sports Management at Columbia University. You can get in touch with the program on Twitter @CU_SPS_Sports. Our presenters are Joe Favorito (@Joefav) and Tom Richardson (@ConvergenceTR).

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecuspshow.substack.com

Tom Cerny, the new Associate Director of Administration for the Sports Management Program at Columbia University, joins Joe to discuss his path from college, through the New York Jets and to Columbia University.

Starting with graduate school at Adelphi University on Long Island, Tom took a different approach to enter the sports world, working for a branding agency before becoming a marketing manager at the New York Jets and eventually working at Columbia University. Tom gives us his keys to success, what he looks for in students and how to build your personal brand.

The Facts

The CUSP Show is a production by the faculty of Sports Management at Columbia University. You can get in touch with the program on Twitter @CU_SPS_Sports. Our presenters are Joe Favorito (@Joefav) and Tom Richardson (@ConvergenceTR).

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecuspshow.substack.com

Matt Restivo, the Chief Product Officer at the Action Network, joins Tom to discuss his career from ESPN, NHL Digital and Bamtech Media to leading The Action Network as a pioneer app within the new world of legalized betting.

Matt’s story begins with his passion for computer science and building seamless applications for the likes of heavy hitters ESPN and Bamtech Media. Now, as the Chief Product Officer at The Action Network, Matt is revolutionizing the sports gambling app.

Be sure to download the app by searching The Action Network.

The Facts

The CUSP Show is a production by the faculty of Sports Management at Columbia University. You can get in touch with the program on Twitter @CU_SPS_Sports. Our presenters are Joe Favorito (@Joefav) and Tom Richardson (@ConvergenceTR).

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecuspshow.substack.com

Bill Squires, a longtime facility and event management leader and lecturer for the Sports Management Program at Columbia University, joins Joe and Tom to talk about his time at the United States Naval Academy to the future of facility management in stadia.

Bill Squires began his career in the sports facility and event management industry in 1987. During his career he has managed Yankee Stadium, Giants Stadium on two separate occasions, ESPN's Wide World of Sports and Cleveland Browns Stadium which is now called First Energy Stadium. Squires was hired as ESPN's Wide World of Sports first General Manager and was hired by the Cleveland Browns to open Cleveland Browns Stadium in 1999. Squires was responsible for all aspects of operations at all of these venues.

Squires is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and was an active duty naval aviator for 12 years before joining the New York Yankees. He served an additional 12 years in the Naval Reserves and retired as a Commander.

The Facts

The CUSP Show is a production by the faculty of Sports Management at Columbia University. You can get in touch with the program on Twitter @CU_SPS_Sports. Our presenters are Joe Favorito (@Joefav) and Tom Richardson (@ConvergenceTR).

 

Listen to Bill Squires as he walks you through what it takes to work in facility operations for some of the largest brands in the world.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecuspshow.substack.com

Scott Rosner, the Academic Director of the Master of Science in Sports Management program in the School of Professional Studies at Columbia University, joins Joe and Tom to talk about the implications of sports gambling.

As states begin to legalize sports betting, Delaware and New Jersey to name a few, listen to the discussion on how it will impact leagues, game presentation and more. Also discussed is the creation of new jobs that come along with the legalization of sports gambling.

The Facts

The CUSP Show is a production by the faculty of Sports Management at Columbia University. You can get in touch with the program on Twitter @CU_SPS_Sports Our presenters are Joe Favorito (@Joefav) and Tom Richardson (@ConvergenceTR).

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecuspshow.substack.com

Scott Rosner, the Academic Director of the Master of Science in Sports Management program in the School of Professional Studies at Columbia University, joins Joe and Tom to talk about his road to becoming the Academic Director and the future of Columbia’s Sports Management Program.

From selling soda at The Vet to a JD from the University of Pennsylvania, Scott brings a unique story of his past and the paths he’s crossed with high profile Sports Business Executive, You’ll also hear insights into the strategy of the program and key hot topics like sports gambling and e-sports.

The Facts

The CUSP Show is a production by the faculty of Sports Management at Columbia University. You can get in touch with the program on Twitter @CU_SPS_Sports Our presenters are Joe Favorito (@Joefav) and Tom Richardson (@ConvergenceTR).

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecuspshow.substack.com

Joe and Tom are joined by Blake Lawrence, CEO and co-founder of opendorse, for a conversation on athlete marketing. Blake is the CEO and co-founder of opendorse, an athlete endorsement company. opendorse powers the endorsement process for 3,000+ professional athletes, including all NFL Players and UFC Fighters, as part of their partnerships with the NFL Players Association and UFC. Prior to opendorse, Blake co-founded Hurrdat, a social media agency, in Lincoln, Nebraska. Over four years, Hurrdat grew from two to twenty-five employees, and was acquired in July 2014 by B2 Interactive. He now leads a growing team at opendorse, focused on building a smarter, better, faster solution for the athlete endorsement industry.

Blake talks about how Opendorse is mordernizing athlete marketing and endorsements, how he is revitalizing the tech industry in Nebraska, his personal story and much more! 

Be sure to follow Blake on twitter @Blake_Lawrence 

The Facts

 

The CUSP Show is a production by the faculty of Sports Management at Columbia University. You can get in touch with the program on Twitter @CU_SPS_Sports Our presenters are Joe Favorito (@Joefav) and Tom Richardson (@ConvergenceTR).

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecuspshow.substack.com