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Sportonomics
Uncle Charlie
55 episodes
3 days ago
Two sports marketers (Jake Kranz and Tyler Webb) interview the most unique people in sports, business, marketing, and technology to learn about the ideas shaping the future of the sports industry.
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All content for Sportonomics is the property of Uncle Charlie and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Two sports marketers (Jake Kranz and Tyler Webb) interview the most unique people in sports, business, marketing, and technology to learn about the ideas shaping the future of the sports industry.
Show more...
Sports
Episodes (20/55)
Sportonomics
Meet the NFL QB with a $1M Side Hustle (Kurt Benkert)

Kurt Benkert and Matt Blakely are redefining what a football brand can be.
After Kurt’s NFL career, they launched DimeLab, a direct-to-consumer company making game-ready footballs that feel perfect right out of the box.

This week, Jake and I sat down with them to talk about building a product from scratch, growing without burning out an audience, and turning 40,000+ bootstrapped orders into a retail movement.


⏰ Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction
00:36 – The Problem with Traditional Footballs
01:39 – Why NFL Game Balls Aren’t Built for Real Life
03:25 – How Kurt and Matt Met
04:31 – Building the First Prototype
05:34 – From Idea to First Product Launch
06:45 – Turning Social Reach into a Physical Product
07:11 – Engineering and Testing the Material
08:26 – What Makes DimeLab’s Football Different
10:15 – Durability and Real-World Testing
10:52 – Why NFL Balls Require Hours of Prep
12:19 – Can Synthetic Replace Leather?
13:06 – When DimeLab Became a Real Business
14:05 – Using an Audience Without Burning It Out
16:42 – Bootstrapping and Warehouse Chaos
18:38 – Scaling from a Garage to Retail Distribution
19:30 – Understanding Their Core Customer
21:43 – Merchandising and the “Sneaker Model” for Footballs
23:48 – Converting Traditional Players into DimeLab Users
27:15 – How the Promotion Strategy Evolved
28:54 – Retail Growth and Expansion
30:03 – 40,000 Orders and Counting
31:27 – Why They Decided to Go into Retail
33:48 – Creating a Self-Sustaining Brand Beyond Social Media
35:30 – The Power of Partnership and Division of Roles
37:29 – What Each Co-Founder Learned from the Other
42:24 – Launching into Shields and Retail Strategy
45:22 – Leveraging Creator Marketing for Retail Success
48:13 – The Future of Football Design
49:44 – Closing Thoughts and Takeaways

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3 days ago
57 minutes 54 seconds

Sportonomics
The Man Behind the Titleist Pro V1 Is Disrupting Golf Again

Dean Snell has built golf balls for Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and thousands of weekend players, but his story is about craft, not fame.
After decades at Titleist and TaylorMade, he launched Snell Golf to deliver premium performance without the price tag or tour hype.

Jake and I sat down with Dean to unpack the creation of the Pro V1, why most golfers use the wrong ball, and how he’s quietly built one of the most trusted names in golf.


⏰ Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction
00:52 – Early Career: From Fighter Jets to Fairways
03:00 – Inventing the Modern Golf Ball
06:10 – What Golf Balls Were Like Before Pro V1
08:34 – The Science Behind Spin and Distance
10:55 – Testing with Tour Players
16:10 – Custom Designs for Tour Players
18:37 – How Golf Ball Options Evolved
21:30 – The Explosion of Golf-Ball Technology
23:18 – Price vs. Performance
24:44 – Do Tour Players Really Need Different Balls?
27:20 – The Marketing Illusion in Golf
29:25 – Declining Tour Sponsorships
31:14 – Building Snell Golf’s Brand Without the Tour
33:02 – Sound Engineering and “Feel”
35:16 – Listening to Customers, Not Pros
36:50 – What Snell Golf Allows Him to Do
37:32 – Snell’s Vision for the Future
40:06 – Starting from Scratch
43:06 – Why He Put His Name on the Ball
45:23 – COVID-19 Setbacks and Recovery
46:11 – Keeping Numbers Private
49:59 – Lean, Outsourced Operations
50:11 – Tech Innovations: Smart Balls & Tracking Chips
53:16 – Closing Thoughts
53:39 – Host Debrief: Lessons from Dean Snell

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1 week ago
1 hour 1 minute 21 seconds

Sportonomics
He Went From Making $11/Hour to a Nike Executive, Then He Quit (Brian Davison)

Brian Davison’s path into the sports industry wasn’t traditional—it was relentless.

After leaving a college coaching job, he started selling sneakers at a Nike outlet for $11/hour. Over the next decade, he networked his way into corporate Nike, became one of the company’s elite EKINs, and eventually landed on the Nike basketball team, helping re-sign Giannis Antetokounmpo on a $240 million deal.

This week, Jake and I sat down with Brian to unpack that entire journey—from cold-emailing executives to flying on private jets, and why he ultimately left it all to launch Sports Business Ventures, a company focused on mentorship and access in sports.

Whether you’re chasing your first job or thinking about your next one, this episode is full of practical lessons on career building, brand storytelling, and staying relentlessly visible.


⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Intro00:57 – Brian’s early dream to work in sports03:35 – Coaching at a small D2 school (and working 3 jobs)06:06 – The moment he realized coaching wasn’t sustainable08:23 – A trip to Salt Lake City changes everything10:24 – The dream to become a Nike EKIN is born12:10 – From retail store to Nike email address13:51 – Cold-emailing Nike execs from the manager’s office16:58 – Flying to Beaverton on his own dime to pitch himself20:19 – Turning down a pro basketball contract to keep chasing Nike22:15 – Winning EKIN of the Year and getting closer to sports marketing26:10 – How he converted 1,900 youth teams to Nike30:14 – Moving into product creation at Jordan Brand33:50 – Joining the Nike basketball team and working with Giannis35:07 – How Nike values signature athlete deals37:53 – Leaving Nike for the Milwaukee Bucks front office42:35 – Winning a championship and still feeling unfulfilled43:10 – Launching Sports Business Ventures45:43 – What SBV actually does47:13 – Advice for anyone trying to break into the sports industry51:46 – The importance of storytelling, perspective, and effort54:07 – Outro

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2 weeks ago
58 minutes 38 seconds

Sportonomics
How a JV Basketball Player Became the NBA's Youngest Broadcaster

Carlo Jiménez didn’t come from a broadcasting family. He didn’t play college ball. But at just 24, he’s already the radio voice of the LA Clippers—calling playoff games at Intuit Dome and growing a massive social media following along the way.

This week, Jake and I sat down with Carlo to talk about how he went from JV benchwarmer to NBA broadcaster, the role content played in getting the job, and how he's thinking about the future of broadcasting in the age of AI.

We also get into discoverability, career leverage, and why being interesting might be the best moat of all.


⏱️ TIMESTAMPS00:00 — Intro01:00 — From benchwarmer to broadcaster03:30 — Starting the grind in high school06:40 — Building reps in college and getting early breaks08:30 — Obsession, feedback, and constant improvement10:36 — Breaking into the Clippers' job13:27 — Launching a social strategy in college14:25 — Gatekeepers vs. content18:00 — Becoming a marketing asset for the Clippers21:22 — Can AI replace broadcasters?24:00 — Protecting the role of the human voice26:49 — Career progression and not rushing the next step29:07 — Advice for aspiring broadcasters31:19 — Quality over quantity and being a well-rounded person34:18 — Outro

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3 weeks ago
45 minutes 11 seconds

Sportonomics
How a Flashing Mouthguard is Solving Sports' Concussion Problem

This week, Jake and I sat down with Drew Goodger, co-founder of Prevent Biometrics — the company behind those flashing red mouthguards you’ve seen all over rugby pitches and football fields.

But Prevent isn’t just making gear — they’re building an infrastructure layer for head safety. Their tech tracks real-time head impacts with verified data, provides instant alerts, and is already shaping policies in global sports like rugby. And while the flashing light gets the media attention, it’s the backend data system that might be the most valuable dataset in sports.

In this episode, Drew breaks down how the mouthguards work, why they’re betting on youth sports, and how Prevent could eventually influence everything from rulebooks to player contracts.


TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 – Intro01:00 – What the flashing mouthguards actually do02:29 – From Frankenstein prototype to sleek tech04:09 – How Prevent’s data is being used today06:38 – The evolution from Bluetooth to instant LED alerts08:03 – Why World Rugby was first to adopt10:52 – How the tech gets verified and certified13:11 – Will head impact data encourage or discourage participation?16:06 – The types of hits Drew worries about most17:56 – Human error, latency, and simplifying sideline decisions19:16 – The biggest adoption challenge: getting athletes to wear it21:50 – Will parents soon be managing impact data on the sideline?23:50 – What actually happens when the red light flashes25:11 – Can tech outperform human spotters?28:11 – Hit rates and concussion thresholds30:08 – Prevent’s growing role in shaping sports policy31:00 – Why “hit counts” could be the next pitch counts33:09 – What excites Drew about the future of contact sports35:01 – From mouthguards to military and sleep: the roadmap ahead36:28 – Recap with Tyler & Jake

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1 month ago
43 minutes 14 seconds

Sportonomics
Meet the Company Solving Guardian Caps’ Biggest Problem

John Zeglinski was a two-sport athlete at Wake Forest back when concussions meant smelling salts and getting back in the game.

Now, he's the CEO of SAFR—a spring-loaded helmet cover shown to reduce concussions by up to 48% in live play and 77% in lab testing.

In this episode, Jake and Tyler talk to Ziggy about the business of head safety in football: how SAFR works, why aesthetics are critical for adoption, and what’s keeping it out of the NFL—for now.

They also dig into the broader culture around football safety, the helmet refurbishing industry, and the surprising reasons schools haven’t made these devices mandatory.

If you’ve ever wondered why more players don’t wear protective gear, this episode will change the way you look at the game.


⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Intro00:56 – What head safety was like when Ziggy played02:36 – How the concussion conversation evolved05:55 – New concussion data from Penn State & Mecklenburg County07:07 – How SAFR works and how it compares to Guardian Cap10:50 – Spring-loaded design and energy transfer explained13:32 – The physics and materials behind SAFR15:30 – Why aesthetics matter for player adoption17:15 – What it would take to get NFL approval20:18 – Helmet refurbishing and manufacturer incentives21:05 – Risk homeostasis and coaching culture23:13 – Technique vs. tech: what actually makes football safer24:03 – Buying the company and early momentum26:05 – Why Guardian Cap’s visibility helped everyone27:59 – Youth player demand and future adoption29:44 – Declining youth participation and the safety narrative30:39 – Can SAFR expand into other sports?31:21 – Recap with Jake and Tyler


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1 month ago
41 minutes 25 seconds

Sportonomics
Sports Content Is Getting Worse, Michael Gursha Is Trying to Fix It

This week, Jake and I sat down with Michael Gursha—co-founder of Rookie Road and CEO of Point Curve—to talk about what it means to own content in a world that’s being overtaken by AI.

Mike’s team has quietly built a network of 13 media brands across niche verticals, powered by custom-built infrastructure and original content. In this episode, we unpack how Rookie Road scaled from a football explainer to a sports encyclopedia, why Mike thinks original content will become even more valuable in the GenAI era, and how his team is monetizing everything from ad revenue to commerce to potential tech licensing.

Whether you’re a content creator, a media operator, or just curious about the future of publishing, this episode is for you.


⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 — Intro00:45 — How Rookie Road started at Michigan03:43 — Early traction and what made it work06:14 — Growth through replication and SEO08:26 — The mechanics of viral web traffic11:18 — How Point Curve is evolving in the AI era15:19 — Why original content still matters24:45 — The shift from Rookie Road to Point Curve29:54 — Building 13 digital brands from scratch31:01 — Monetization: ads, affiliate, commerce, licensing34:43 — The potential to license their CMS and infrastructure38:22 — Checklist for launching a new content brand41:33 — Where the biggest growth opportunity lies44:31 — Outro + Recap with Jake and Tyler

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1 month ago
55 minutes 42 seconds

Sportonomics
Why One Creator Just Turned Down a $100K+ Brand Deal to Bet on Himself

Frank Michael Smith has built one of the biggest audiences in sports content—over 3 million followers, 2 billion views, and major partnerships with brands like Underdog and PointsBet. But this fall, he’s betting on something entirely new: Solo Survivor, a live, elimination-style fantasy game that blends sports, trivia, and real-time payouts.

In this episode, Jake and Tyler sit down with Frank to unpack why he walked away from lucrative brand deals, how he’s using content to scale a real product, and what his leap into tech says about the next phase of the creator economy.

Whether you're building in sports, media, or tech, this conversation is a blueprint for what creator-led businesses can look like at scale.


00:00 – Intro00:39 – What is Solo Survivor?01:30 – Why Survivor Format?02:11 – Frank’s Fantasy Sports Start04:07 – Lessons from Brand Deals06:27 – Creator Value Gap07:05 – Launching Five Card Draw08:26 – Solo Survivor Business Model10:25 – Launch Surprises12:28 – Why Big Platforms Haven’t Done This14:47 – First-Mover Advantage17:30 – Content as Growth Engine18:50 – Viral Event Ideas20:51 – Balancing Brand and Business22:03 – Monetization as a Creator24:15 – Why Build Something Bigger25:28 – The 30K User Goal26:26 – What Has to Work27:37 – Exit Strategy28:55 – IP and Watch Parties31:51 – Recap

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1 month ago
43 minutes 29 seconds

Sportonomics
Glass Courts: A Peak Into the NBA's Next Big Experiment

Basketball hasn’t changed its playing surface in over 100 years. ASB GlassFloor wants to change that.

This week, Jake and Tyler talk with Chris Thornton, President of ASB GlassFloor Americas, about the rise of LED-powered glass courts and what they could mean for the future of the game.

Already used at the NBA All-Star Game and in professional leagues across Europe, ASB’s surface is softer on players' joints, unlocks new digital revenue, and allows for full court customization at the push of a button.

Chris explains how it works, why athletes are already preferring it over hardwood, and what it'll take to make glass floors the new standard in arenas across North America.


00:00 – Intro00:42 – What ASB GlassFloor actually is03:22 – How it’s made and why it was developed06:30 – Why players prefer it over hardwood09:17 – Installation, cost, and durability12:23 – How the floor generates new revenue14:43 – The challenge of pricing new inventory17:25 – Sensors, ShotTracker, and performance data20:03 – What’s holding adoption back21:46 – Targeting different markets (pro, college, high school)24:13 – Customization and usability for coaches26:55 – Selling to multiple stakeholders28:20 – Will fans reject more in-game advertising?30:39 – Fan engagement potential and personalized courts32:13 – Adjusting brightness and visual distraction concerns34:48 – Feedback and crazy designs from players35:26 – Education and experiential learning use cases38:18 – Jake & Tyler recap: Will this replace hardwood?41:26 – Cost comparison and long-term value43:09 – Final thoughts on adoption and monetization strategy46:57 – Outro + Bottom of the Ninth plug

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1 month ago
47 minutes 34 seconds

Sportonomics
The Truth Behind College Football's Latest $40K Viral Marketing Stunt

This week on Sportonomics, I sat down with Sam Berman, Head of Brand at Underdog, to unpack one of the boldest activations we’ve seen in the sports betting space.


As sportsbooks fight for market share, Underdog is going a different route—ditching promos in favor of personality. Their latest stunt? Two 8.5-foot “Portals” dropped into Norman and Ann Arbor ahead of Oklahoma–Michigan, letting rival fans talk smack in real-time.


We recorded this episode before the activation went live, so you'll hear us talk about it in future tense—but now that it’s happened, the strategy behind it is even more relevant.


Sam breaks down how Underdog approaches culture-first marketing, how they think about creators, and why they want to be more like Red Bull than FanDuel.


⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 – Intro01:05 – What the Portal is and why it matters02:25 – Building the installation and fan interaction03:33 – How long it took to pull off04:00 – Legal concerns and NSFW risks05:25 – Risk vs. reward: avoiding a flop06:41 – Why virality > conversion08:47 – How they’ll measure success09:39 – What other brands can learn from this11:47 – Defining Underdog’s target audience13:25 – Letting creators run with the idea14:42 – From CPA deals to brand lifts17:00 – Staying nimble as the company scales18:28 – Internal motto: “Give a sh*t”19:32 – The wildest ideas that didn’t get approved21:31 – Red Bull as a brand model22:41 – Planning for unplanned activations24:16 – The evolving focus: acquisition vs. retention26:17 – Brand awareness gaps and growth27:24 – Sam’s litmus test for good marketing ideas28:25 – Staying relevant as you age out29:46 – What happens if the Portal flops?31:44 – Why the activation had a high floor32:23 – Other stunts that worked33:08 – Final Portal pitch


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2 months ago
38 minutes 52 seconds

Sportonomics
Inside the Latest $325M Bet on Women’s Volleyball

Pro volleyball is booming—but the pro game hasn’t caught up.


College matches are drawing millions of viewers, participation is surging, and cities like Omaha are packing stadiums. But until recently, the pro side of the sport was fractured and underfunded.


That changed with the $325M merger between PVF and Major League Volleyball.


This week, Jake and Tyler called up Abby Benton—a volleyball content creator and one of the sport’s most trusted voices—to break down the merger, the business model behind each league, and what needs to happen for pro volleyball to finally break through.


⏱️ TIMESTAMPS00:00 – Intro01:02 – The 3-league pro volleyball landscape03:22 – Beach vs. indoor volleyball explained04:24 – Which league model has the most upside?06:07 – Why Omaha forced the merger09:36 – The truth about the PVF–MLV “merger”10:24 – Fan sentiment and why it’s a net positive12:39 – No men’s league = no direct comparison14:30 – Why pro hasn’t caught up with college15:32 – Which leagues are worth copying?17:06 – Building a fanbase around youth markets18:30 – Is expanding to 16 teams too fast?19:12 – What life is like for a pro volleyball player22:29 – Who’s funding the league?24:49 – Why volleyball has a media problem26:56 – How leagues can support creators28:08 – What has to happen by 202829:20 – Who’s volleyball’s Caitlin Clark?31:11 – What games to watch and where to follow Abby32:43 – Recap with Tyler and Jake

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2 months ago
46 minutes 8 seconds

Sportonomics
Meet the YouTuber Taking a $250,000 Risk on College Football

Jack Settleman isn’t just making content around college football—he’s investing in it.


This fall, he’s spending $250,000 to embed Snapback Sports into the college football season, with creator-led partnerships, game-day content, and a bold $100,000 jersey patch offer.


Jake and Tyler sat down with Jack to talk about the future of creator brands in sports, how schools are pricing attention, and what it takes to bet on yourself when there’s a deadline attached.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS00:00 – Intro00:02 – The $100K jersey patch pitch03:00 – Legal hurdles and NCAA approval04:10 – Valuing attention vs. media impressions06:00 – Alternate monetization ideas: helmet stickers, Player of the Game08:06 – Working with schools (and agencies) that “get it”10:12 – Why the jersey patch is just the start12:25 – Building relationships with schools and conferences14:45 – Why Snapback makes social-native content17:04 – DMing fans and listening without losing your vision19:27 – Snapback’s $250K fall content budget21:10 – No direct ROI, but a long-term vision24:48 – Why sustainable content matters26:45 – Building a team and letting go of control28:50 – The stress of staying in the game30:12 – Budgeting without guaranteed revenue32:34 – Runway pressure and April 2027 deadline35:18 – Creator identity, performance, and mental toll37:32 – YouTube monetization in real numbers39:19 – Why creators should be funded like startups40:26 – Snapback x Underdog: a long-term partnership44:11 – Understanding brand value and indirect ROI45:12 – Equity deals and what creators should know47:20 – Why transparency matters50:05 – The reality of creator equity: big upside, no liquidity51:04 – Recap with Jake and Tyler

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2 months ago
1 hour 1 minute 37 seconds

Sportonomics
Meet the Biomechanist Solving Baseball's Biggest Problem

Tommy John surgeries are up 170%. Pitchers are spending 2x more days on the IL than 15 years ago. And 50% of youth arms report pain during the season.


This week, Jake and Tyler sit down with Jason Colleran, biomechanics expert and founder of Kinetic Arm, to break down the root causes of baseball’s injury epidemic—and why the coaching ecosystem isn’t equipped to stop it.


Jason explains how his patented sleeve reduces elbow torque by ~30%, why most training programs are misguided, and how the next wave of performance gear can keep athletes healthy longer.


⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
00:00 — Intro
00:52 — Why Jason built a product instead of training athletes
03:50 — What Kinetic Arm is and how it works
07:09 — Youth injuries and the travel ball incentive problem
10:05 — Arm injury data and MLB’s negligence
14:36 — Why common coaching practices are making things worse
20:49 — Should Kinetic Arm be worn during games?
22:27 — Is it a performance tool or just protective?
26:54 — What Jason would change if he ran all of baseball
30:01 — Simple ideas that work don’t sell—why the market is broken
33:06 — How to win over old-school skeptics
37:53 — Which MLB players are already wearing Kinetic Arm
43:16 — Jason on proof, reviews, and public perception
49:19 — Expanding beyond baseball and into other sports
51:50 — Jason’s parting thoughts
52:10 — Recap with Jake and Tyler

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2 months ago
1 hour 3 minutes 47 seconds

Sportonomics
The NIL Bubble Is About to Pop - But What's Next?

Jack Adler is the founder of Out2Win, a data platform that ranks college athletes by their off-the-field marketability. With NIL projected to reach $2.55 billion by 2026 and 81% of payments still flowing through booster-led collectives, Jack joined us to explain why the current system is broken—and what’s coming next.


In this episode, we unpack how brands can stop wasting money, why true influencer-athletes are winning, and how upcoming regulations like the House v. NCAA settlement could reshape college sports forever. Jack also shares how his scoring platform works, why Arch Manning’s $6.8M valuation is misleading, and why the smartest brands are already shifting away from highlight-reel athletes in favor of content creators.


⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 — Intro
01:16 — Jack Adler's elevator pitch for Out2Win
02:33 — The Out2Win Score and influencer valuation methodology
04:41 — Why Arch Manning’s $6.8M valuation doesn’t add up
06:32 — How to find “hidden gem” athletes like Bryson Webb
08:49 — Is NIL broken? Jack’s take on the current landscape
10:02 — Real NIL vs. pay-for-play: The two-tiered system
13:31 — Why “fair market value” is a flawed concept
15:55 — Booster fatigue and the unsustainability of collectives
19:06 — Are athletic departments headed toward privatization?
21:19 — What happens to non-revenue sports under new rules?
23:26 — How athletes like Livvy Dunne complicate revenue sharing
30:29 — The marketing value of athletes for universities
31:36 — How influencer marketing survives the NIL reset
33:04 — Why smarter NIL dollars will beat bigger ones
35:14 — Jack’s playbook for fixing NIL as college sports commissioner
36:30 — Could the federal government regulate this?
39:25 — The future of pro athlete content and NIL crossover
40:52 — Jack’s advice to athletes and brands
42:27 — Outro
42:38 — Recap with Jake and Tyler

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3 months ago
47 minutes 28 seconds

Sportonomics
How a Fired Ref Solved the NBA's Biggest Problem

Jake and Tyler sit down with former NBA referee and inventor Mike Costabile, the founder of the Precision Time System—a game-changing piece of officiating tech that’s now used in every NBA and March Madness game.

In this episode, Mike walks through the controversial 1990 Bucks-Sixers game that cost him his job, the fallout that pushed him to invent a new way to keep time, and how he bootstrapped his garage-built prototype into a global product.

You’ll hear the full story behind the tech that changed how basketball is played—and how one bad call led to an idea the NBA couldn’t ignore.


⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 — Intro
01:50 — Getting into Officiating
04:30 — Politics of Refereeing
06:55 — Breaking into the NBA
09:20 — “Managing the Game”
12:15 — The 1990 Blown Call
15:00 — Fallout and Getting Fired
18:20 — Inventing Precision Time
21:10 — Early NBA Pushback
24:30 — How the System Works
27:10 — Bootstrapping the Business
30:05 — Landing the NBA Deal
33:00 — Lawsuits and Copycats
36:20 — Why Other Leagues Lag
38:40 — Human vs. Automated Refs
42:00 — When Tech Goes Too Far
45:00 — League Culture Differences
48:15 — Selling the Company
50:00 — Legacy and What’s Next
52:30 — Recap with Jake and Tyler

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3 months ago
1 hour 21 minutes 43 seconds

Sportonomics
The $5B Rise of Rec Sports and the 28-Year-Old Behind It

Jake and Tyler sit down with Brodie League founder Connor Renton to break down how he turned adult rec sports into a scalable business. At just 28 years old, Connor has built Brodie into a 34-market operation with a full-time team, hundreds of part-timers, a custom app, and a brand that feels more like a lifestyle company than a local league. The three talk about scaling community, building systems that last, and why rec sports are way more serious than they look from the outside.


⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

  • (00:00) Intro

  • (02:05) Connor’s background in rec sports

  • (06:00) Why adults still join leagues

  • (10:45) What makes Brodie feel different

  • (14:20) Early wins: stats and content

  • (18:30) Building a high-touch experience

  • (23:20) Why Brodie built its own tech

  • (30:45) Content as product

  • (35:10) Expansion strategy

  • (39:45) Ownership model and what’s next

  • (45:20) Final thoughts

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    3 months ago
    59 minutes 53 seconds

    Sportonomics
    The (Untold) Story of Derrick Brown - Full Interview

    Full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1-qKU1Ro_A&t=1s&ab_channel=TylerWebb


    Before the age of 21, Derrick Brown had already tried to quit football, he had his first child and had turned down over $10 million.So how did he become one of the NFL’s best young superstars, all while starting a $6M side hustle? Well, the answer lies in his working-class upbringing, a piece of advice from a veteran teammate, and a pandemic-era obsession with Zillow.

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    8 months ago
    42 minutes 37 seconds

    Sportonomics
    The (Untold) Story of Justin Pugh - Full Interview

    Full video: https://www.youtube.com/@tylermwebb/videos


    How did Justin Pugh go from receiving just one D1 offer (from one of the worst schools in the country) to earning $54M in the NFL… and why is he now contemplating leaving it all behind to become a YouTuber?


    The answer lies in a $250,000 mistake, a “secret society” business meeting, and a $70,000 NFL tour.

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    9 months ago
    1 hour 5 minutes 4 seconds

    Sportonomics
    The (Untold) Story of Hollywood Brown - Full Interview

    Full video: https://www.youtube.com/@tylermwebb/videos


    In this episode, I sit down with Chiefs WR Marquise "Hollywood" Brown to uncover his incredible journey from humble beginnings to becoming a savvy real estate investor.


    Hollywood shares how he went from racing kids for pocket change to co-founding a $57M luxury real estate fund. We discuss his early struggles, financial lessons learned in the NFL, and his bold vision to redefine athlete wealth and legacy.


    0:00 – Introduction
    0:27 – Early Life and Relationship with Money
    1:40 – Football as the Path Out
    4:14 – First NFL Paycheck
    5:14 – Navigating Financial Advisors
    7:19 – Regrets with Rookie Contract
    8:20 – Developing a Hustler’s Mentality
    10:30 – Money in the NFL Locker Room
    12:49 – Switching Financial Advisors
    14:17 – Transitioning into Real Estate
    16:52 – Importance of Building a Team
    19:02 – Challenges in Pitching Real Estate to NFL Players
    21:05 – Raising Funds for the Platinum Pro Fund
    23:08 – Real Estate as a Lifestyle Investment
    25:16 – Investment Portfolio and Advice for Athletes
    26:24 – Aspiring to Own an NBA Team
    27:47 – Long-Term Vision and Legacy
    29:01 – Closing Remarks


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    9 months ago
    29 minutes 25 seconds

    Sportonomics
    The Back-Up QB with a $1M+ Side Hustle: The (Untold) Story of Jordan Palmer

    Full video: https://www.youtube.com/@tylermwebb/videos


    How did Jordan Palmer go from receiving only one college offer and never starting a game in the NFL to becoming the league’s most popular quarterback coach?

    Well, the answer lies in a weekly tradition with the Chicago Bears, a blind date with Blake Bortles, and a few million-dollar business ideas from three old high school teammates.


    Chapters

    00:00 Early Football Beginnings

    02:45 High School Decisions and Transfers

    05:52 Involvement with Elite 11

    08:44 Lessons from Adversity and Success

    11:35 Navigating a Backup Quarterback Career

    14:37 Entrepreneurial Ventures in the NFL

    17:36 Transitioning from Football to Retirement

    28:33 Transitioning from Football to Business

    32:27 The Impact of Trevor Moad

    38:45 Choosing Entrepreneurship Over Coaching

    44:02 Building a Business in E-commerce

    50:00 Defining Success and Progress

    57:24 Prioritizing Family and Lifestyle

    Show more...
    11 months ago
    57 minutes 50 seconds

    Sportonomics
    Two sports marketers (Jake Kranz and Tyler Webb) interview the most unique people in sports, business, marketing, and technology to learn about the ideas shaping the future of the sports industry.