It's story time on the #sportsbiz chat. DP & McGhee are joined by sports PR expert and industry insider, Joe Favorito, to talk about sports communications. Joe shares some great tales from his storied career across college and professional sports. Trust us, these are stories you want to hear. Before getting into the most recent upheaval in collegiate sports, with an eye toward even more realignment and movements, your hosts pay tribute to one of the country's greatest events, the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, and the legendary Joey Chestnut.  Sadly, David and Tim felt compelled to talk about just the most recent mass shooting, coming on our nation’s Independence Day.

DP & McGhee open their 25th episode talking about MLB’s recent decision to allow clubs to sell sponsorships to CBD companies and whether we’ll see cannabis sponsors at any time in the future. They also talk about Naomi Osaka’s most recent success as a sports agent, and the PGA TOUR’s most recent response to LIV Golf (spoiler alert, a reconciliation doesn’t seem to be in the cards anytime soon). The hosts are then joined by long-time NBA executive and current Drone Racing League president, Rachel Jacobson. Rachel flies across a number of topics, speaking in detail about how she thought she could make a difference when she joined the upstart league, and boy has she ever.

WNBA Commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, joins DP & McGhee to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of Title IX, its impact on her personally and professionally, the state of the league as it continues to grow, and the latest on the Brittney Griner situation. The hosts also discuss recent developments around LIV Golf and the spate of new sponsors across several leagues. They even work in a random reference to Miley Cyrus.  All in a day’s work for your intrepid podcasters.

The sport of Lacrosse gets headline billing in our latest episode as USA Lacrosse CEO Marc Riccio joins DP & McGhee to talk about the growth of the sport, the upcoming Women’s World Championships and the chances we’ll see lacrosse in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Once again, the show takes up the biggest story in golf since the development of the mashie niblick, LIV Golf. It has roiled the golf world, with geopolitical implications and ongoing impact on players, broadcasters, sponsors and fans. Additional topics include the NBA Finals, Apple TV+ and MLS’s blockbuster announcement, and more.

With just two weeks before NASCAR makes the leap from Fox Sports to NBC, DP & McGhee are joined by NASCAR on NBC commentator, Jeff Burton.  A 21-time winner in the NASCAR Cup Series, Burton talks about the differences between when he raced and the experience his son Harrison is having as a Cup Series Driver today. He also talks in great depth about the importance of sponsors and how the drivers, fans and sponsors all benefit from each other. Also discussed on episode 22: the crazy money being thrown around by LIV Golf, the disappointing NBA Finals ratings (to date), Jersey Mike’s at Roland Garros, and Dan Snyder’s continued troubles.  

At the opening of every episode of "Wait...What?," it is stated that the podcast takes a “sometimes serious” look at the business of sports.  That was definitely the case this week as DP & McGhee discuss the sports world’s response to the horrible tragedy in Uvalde, TX.  As the show continues, your co-hosts talk about this past weekend's Indy 500 (raced in front of a capacity crowd at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway) and also lobby for media credentials, shuttle tickets and housing for the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar. As we enter the conference finals stage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the NHL’s Chief Business Officer, Keith Wachtel, joins the #sportsbiz chat to talk about how sponsors, betting opportunities, and the new broadcast partners have created more and deeper fan engagement opportunities.

DP & McGhee cover a lot of ground in their 20th episode.  They start by discussing the upcoming NCAA Lacrosse Championships and segue into the historic agreement that guarantees pay equity in US Soccer.  They then discuss the recently completed PGA Championship and the sponsorship fallout for players choosing to play in the upcoming LIV Golf events.

Seasoned sponsorship marketer, Mike McCann then joins the program to talk about Amazon’s approach to sponsorships, including the strategy behind their unique naming rights deal of Seattle's Climate Pledge Arena.

DP & McGhee are joined on this episode by Donald Dell, the legendary sports marketer who was one of the industry’s true pioneers.  Dell talks about the evolution of the sports marketing industry from its beginnings over 50 years ago to the global business it has become, and drops a lot of knowledge about persistence, relationships and, yes, tennis. The hosts also talk about the latest news in the LIV Golf/PGA TOUR saga, the “sportswashing” being done by the Saudi government to attract top athletes and events, and then transition to a discussion about the prospects for continued growth in women’s sports.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we seek to shine a light on this important topic by welcoming Suraj Batheja, co-founder and COO of The Manifest Company. Suraj provides some excellent advice on how to practice mindfulness and the importance of taking care of your mental health. DP & McGhee open the chat on F1's continued success, including the success of the inaugural Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix, Liberty Media's Q1 earnings and the upcoming media rights deal. David continues to be skeptical about Tom Brady's transition from the field to the broadcast booth following Fox Sports' big investment in the GOAT. Other topics touched on include a few old standbys, cricket and NIL, and the incredible finish in the Kentucky Derby.

DP & McGhee open the show talking about the future of the NCAA as it seeks to find its next leader following the recent announcement that current president, Mark Emmert, will be stepping down. The pair also discuss the size and scope of the sport of cricket as it continues to make inroads in the US, and after talking about the recently completed NFL draft and the success seen by the NHL's new media partners, your co-hosts introduce this week’s guest, Kelly Flatow of the NBA. Kelly has had a long and storied career in sports and entertainment, and she provides great insight into how the NBA managed through “The Bubble," its plans for growth, and the league's commitment to social justice issues, among other topics.