The CUSP Show

As the 2016 NFL season gets underway we're joined this week by Hussain Naqi, SVP International Development for the Jacksonville Jaguars, to talk about his franchise's unique role in growing the game outside the United States.

With the Jaguars committed to an annual game at London's Wembley Stadium through 2020, Hussain explains some of the ways the franchise is cultivating a fanbase across the Atlantic.

He also talks about the challenges of growing the Jaguars franchise at home in Florida, and reveals the team’s rationale for installing two swimming pools at the team’s Everbank Field stadium.

And Hussain explains how the English soccer club owned by Shahid Khan, Fulham FC, ties into the future of the NFL franchise.

Follow Hussain on Twitter @cornellhkyfan

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 @CUSportsBiz.

Our presenters are Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson.

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

James Appell, who arrived in New York City a year ago after a career as a sportswriter in Europe, joins hosts Joe and Tom this week to give his perspectives on the Columbia University Sports Management program.

James talks about some of the tough lessons he learned about getting ahead in one of the most competitive job markets in the United States, and also about how taking a journalist's view of the world can be helpful in an academic setting.

And he gives his view on a range of subjects, from the pros and cons of athletes telling their own story on sites like The Players Tribune to the rise of China's domestic soccer league.

You can find James on Twitter @jamesappell

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 @CUSportsBiz.

Our presenters are Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson.

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

Kyra Barry, Team Leader for the USA Olympic Women’s Wrestling Team, came by the Columbia campus to talk about her summer with the team in Rio de Janeiro.

Kyra returns from Rio as part of a team which made history, with Helen Maroulis becoming the first US woman wrestler ever to win Olympic gold.

Kyra talks us through her rise to the top of women’s wrestling in the United States, including her role in Beat The Streets, where wrestlers compete in New York’s Times Square.

And she lifts the lid on life inside the Olympic Village - including why after a few days in Rio all she wanted was a Big Mac.

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 @CUSportsBiz.

Our presenters are Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson.

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

Joining the show this week is Scott Soshnick, sports business reporter for Bloomberg, who gives his perspective on how money and sports mix.

Scott explains Bloomberg’s interest in the business of sports, where he finds his information about the finances of sports teams, and why in doing his job he’s happy to never set foot in a locker room.

He gives his view on where the next wave of major sports deals - from media rights to franchise ownership - might come from.

And with the Olympics ongoing in Rio de Janeiro, Scott asks what the financial future holds for the IOC.

Follow Scott on Twitter @soshnick

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 @CUSportsBiz.

Our presenters are Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson.

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

Host Joe is flying solo this week, and joining him is former Arizona Cardinal turned entrepreneur Adrian Wilson.

Adrian tells us how he moved from a stellar NFL career into the cut-and-thrust of the retail trade, and his Arizona sneaker store High Point.

He lifts the lid on his parallel career as an NFL scout, and how keeping an eye on the next generation of football talent also informs how he manages his business.

And he reveals his long-term aspiration to be a GM, and how he plans to get there.

Follow @adrian_wilson24 on Twitter and on Instagram

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 @CUSportsBiz.

Our presenters are Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson.

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

Joining the show this week is Carla Varriale, attorney with Havkins Rosenfeld Ritzert & Varriale, to talk about some of the major legal issues facing the sports industry today.

In the wake of New York State finally legalising Mixed Martial Arts - the last state to do so in the US - Carla talks about the reasons for the delay, and the sport's future potential.

She also gives her view on the legality of sports betting, and opens up on the subject of fan injuries at baseball stadiums, and to what extent teams have an obligation to protect fans.

Follow Carla on Twitter @carlavarriale 

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 @CUSportsBiz.

Our presenters are Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson.

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

Joining The CUSP Show by phone this week is Donna Goldsmith, SVP Consumer Products, Partnership Marketing and International Event Licensing at Tough Mudder, to explain how running 12 miles through mud has become one of the most popular pastimes for thousands of people around the world.

Donna explains her plans for the continued growth of Tough Mudder, especially in the merchandising and licensing space, and reveals what sets the company apart from the competition.

And she reflects on her previous career as an executive at both the NBA and the WWE, lifting the lid on what it's like to work with a boss like Vince McMahon.

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 @CUSportsBiz.

Our presenters are Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson.

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

Neil Glat, President of the New York Jets, is our guest this week, as NFL pre-season kicks into gear.

Neil dives into the subject of the NFL's potential for international growth, after several years of successful staging of matches at London's Wembley Stadium. He picks out the growth markets to watch, both for the Jets and the NFL as a whole.

And Neil explains how an NFL team creates a healthy organizational culture, including how teams can set social media policy in an environment in which players are scrutinised more than ever before.

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 @CUSportsBiz.

Our presenters are Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson.

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

Kevin Monaghan, Senior VP of Strategic Alliances at NBC Sports Group, joins Joe and Tom by telephone to talk about a traditional TV network stays ahead of the game in digital media.

As the sports industry continues to respond to changing audience preferences and technologies, Kevin provides some insight into NBC’s strategy for reaching younger sports fans.

He explains how digital media has been instrumental in NBC's success in taking the English Premier League from the relative margins of the US sports landscape to the front and center of weekend televised sports.

And in this Olympic year, Kevin also gives his tip for the 'breakout' sports of the future.

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 @CUSportsBiz.

Our presenters are Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson.

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

Dan Mannix joins hosts Joe and Tom this week to tell the story of LeadDog Marketing, the company he founded and grew into one of the biggest industry players in North America.

Dan explains how the idea for LeadDog stemmed in part from a project in his twenties to try and bring 1994 FIFA World Cup matches to the Houston Astrodome.

He also explains why LeadDog has been proactive in the hiring of women - more than half of the company's partners are female - and gives his advice to graduates and newcomers to the sports industry on what skills and talents he looks for in his staff.

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 @CUSportsBiz.

Our presenters are Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson.

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