Sportonomics

Jack Settleman is nine years into building Snapback Sports — and it's starting to feel like a breakthrough moment.This week, Tyler and Jake sit down with the college football content creator to break down Season 2's numbers, unpack how he's approaching the newly-cleared NCAA jersey patch opportunity, and discuss what it looks like to scale a media brand while life gets more complicated. Plus, the guys debate whether legacy media and independent creators are actually competing — or just playing entirely different games.⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 – Intro1:07 – Did Snapback hit their $250K spend goal?1:33 – Season 2 cost breakdown2:33 – Content performance: views, watch time & impressions5:14 – Why YouTube impressions punch above their weight6:28 – How the 2026 title sponsorship came together8:08 – The creator brand affinity multiplier12:40 – Pricing & packaging sponsorships14:09 – Team logistics & building up talent16:39 – Balancing the brand with fatherhood18:29 – NCAA clears jersey patches — what's changed21:00 – Why Snapback needs to wait & reframe their pitch24:07 – Why access beats brand name for creators25:33 – What's next: hockey, baseball, basketball & World Cup27:45 – Legacy media vs. independent creators31:07 – Abundance vs. scarcity mindset in media rights33:16 – Perspective vs. scale: creators and media companies35:13 – Outro

Turnover chains started as a sideline celebration. Now they’re becoming a new category in sports merchandising.This week, Jake and Tyler sit down with James Helms, founder of PopChains, to unpack how a Houston startup is turning bold, customizable chains into marketing tools, fan collectibles, and digital engagement platforms. They talk about building U.S.-based manufacturing, landing partners like the Savannah Bananas, and why wearing a brand around your neck can spark conversations that traditional merch never will.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 — Intro to PopChains & Chain Trend00:53 — Why Chains Are Everywhere01:29 — Miami & Early Chain Origins02:12 — Brand Exposure & Conversation Starters03:05 — Company Origins & U.S. Manufacturing04:07 — Miami Hurricanes & Turnover Chains05:26 — When Chains Became a Business Idea06:03 — Gaming Background & Early Ventures06:54 — From Signage Idea to Chain Concept07:46 — Designing a More Durable Chain08:11 — Static vs. Dynamic Chain Designs09:10 — Customization & Accessories10:00 — NFC Tech & Digital Ownership10:59 — Fan Engagement & Future Rewards11:10 — Who the Product Is Sold To12:19 — Early Customers & Emerging Sports13:16 — Pitch Process & Unboxing Experience14:34 — Savannah Bananas Partnership15:15 — Manufacturing Challenges16:35 — Sizing, Weight & Fan Usability17:18 — Handling Sales Pushback18:13 — Case Studies & Social Proof19:30 — Convincing Skeptical Buyers21:11 — Are Chains a Fad?22:33 — Designing for Longevity & Custom Drops24:44 — One-Size & Collectibility Advantage25:08 — Product Category: Accessories?25:59 — Expanding Beyond Chains26:32 — How NFC Integration Works28:14 — Growth Plans & Brand Demand29:31 — NIL & Brand Exposure Opportunities30:05 — Psychology of Wearing Brands31:24 — Why Chains Work as Advertising32:58 — Working with the Costco Guys35:31 — Where to Follow PopChains35:54 — Jake & Tyler Reflection37:45 — Would Fans Actually Wear Them?39:09 — Novelty vs. Staying Power40:10 — Comparisons to Foam Fingers & Cheeseheads41:24 — Outro

Joe Doerrer and Nolan Newberg didn’t set out to build a company — they just couldn’t stop making basketball content.This week, Jake and Tyler sit down with the duo behind Strictly B-Ball to break down how a childhood friendship turned into a full-fledged sports media business. They talk about the Vine-era grind, finding their voice on TikTok, pioneering voiceover storytelling in high school basketball, and how they built a lean operation working with leagues, brands, and events across the country.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 — Intro & Childhood Friendship01:55 — Early Vine Experiments03:06 — Building Big Pages Young04:11 — No Monetization, Just Passion05:53 — First TikTok Breakthrough06:57 — The Viral Draft Series08:18 — Using Their Own Voices09:40 — Covering High School Basketball11:38 — Finding a Repeatable Lane12:57 — Why Voiceovers Worked14:01 — Story Structure & Hooks15:38 — Creative Influences17:09 — Betting on the Format18:51 — Choosing What Games to Cover20:09 — What Doesn’t Get Posted21:16 — The Content Filter Checklist22:22 — Tournaments & Volume Strategy22:58 — Making Local Games National24:48 — Rankings as a Hook25:54 — How Strictly Makes Money27:16 — Keeping the Team Lean28:28 — Finding Remote Filmers29:34 — Incentivizing Talent32:07 — Filming Games Explained34:33 — Storing Massive Footage Libraries36:06 — Camera & Zoom Choices37:42 — Brand Deals vs. League Deals38:50 — Expanding to New Sports39:55 — Closing Thoughts40:01 — Jake & Tyler Reflection41:13 — Legacy Media vs. Creators45:36 — Access, Scale & Formats49:19 — What Media Companies Miss50:20 — Outro

Max Browne is living in the overlap between two worlds that don’t fully trust each other yet: broadcasting and content creation.This week, Tyler sit down with the ACC Network analyst and former USC quarterback to talk about the “that’s cute” phase of being a creator, why digital fluency is becoming table stakes for on-air talent, and how owning your platform might be the most stable part of a notoriously unstable industry.⏱️ Timestamped Talking Points (Short Titles Only)00:00 — Intro01:05 — Broadcaster vs. Creator Identity02:29 — The Stigma Around “Content”03:45 — The “That’s Cute” Phase04:30 — Early Broadcasting Years05:13 — Pac-12 vs. ACC Travel Life06:25 — A Linear Career Path07:55 — Content as a Foot in the Door09:22 — The Missing “I Made It” Moment10:47 — Expectations vs. Reality11:52 — Chasing the Next Milestone13:31 — Broadcasting vs. Content Stability14:25 — Control and Platform Ownership15:13 — Why Most Broadcasters Avoid Content16:48 — Work Ethic and Digital Resistance17:29 — Game Prep vs. Content Overlap18:30 — Relevance vs. Depth19:28 — Mainstream Topics vs. Niche Fans21:28 — Perspective Over Speed23:00 — Choosing What Not to Cover25:10 — Topic Selection as a Skill27:26 — The Niche Debate28:05 — “You Are the Niche”30:41 — Would You Watch Your Own Content?32:40 — Measuring Quality Honestly33:07 — Preparing for Career Plateaus34:31 — Broadcaster Archetypes35:56 — Digital to Linear Pipelines36:31 — When Creation Started to Matter37:57 — ESPN’s Creator Blind Spot40:29 — Building for the Next Media Shift41:18 — What’s Next in Max’s Career42:10 — Adding Perspective Without Forcing It43:51 — Humanizing the Brand44:12 — Building a Content Team46:07 — Where the Time Actually Goes48:27 — In-Season vs. Off-Season Workflow49:45 — Turning the Brain Off50:50 — Batching as Survival51:08 — Off-Season Content Strategy52:26 — Closing Thoughts52:28 — Outro

A frustrating catch-and-release moment sparked an idea that turned into a full-fledged fishing tech company.This week, Jake and Tyler sit down with Lawrence, founder of Fishtechy and creator of the Proofball, to talk about measuring fish without harming them, turning a physical product into a data-driven platform, and why fishing might be the next sport to see a true social-tech revolution. They also dig into ethics, fair chase, and where technology should, and shouldn’t, go in outdoor sports.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 — Intro & Proofball Overview01:04 — Lawrence’s Entrepreneurial Background03:50 — The Fishing Moment That Started It All05:30 — Why Measuring Fish Is Hard07:18 — What the Proofball Is Made Of08:14 — Why a Reference Object Matters09:40 — Ice Fishing & Slot Limits10:51 — Pushback From Traditional Anglers12:45 — Technology Resistance in Fishing14:22 — When FishTechie Launched15:14 — Growth Curve & Seasonality16:10 — Going Viral Without Inventory17:28 — Why the Ball Markets Itself18:13 — Total Addressable Market19:18 — Does It Ruin Fishing Stories?21:18 — Policing Accuracy vs. Letting Stories Live22:21 — Fishing as a Social Platform24:36 — Comparisons to Strava & Golf Apps26:03 — Physical Product vs. Tech Company26:42 — Broader Fishing Tech Landscape28:27 — Fair Chase & Ethical Limits30:56 — Data Ownership & Privacy32:41 — Barriers to Entry in Fishing35:10 — Is Fishing Growing Too Fast?38:26 — The Next Wave of Fishing Tech39:24 — Closing Thoughts39:52 — Post-Episode Reflections45:16 — Outro

Jack Appleby has spent 15 years building brands on the internet, and then used that same playbook to build two of his own.This week, Jake and Tyler sit down with the creator behind How to Hoop Forever and Future Social to talk about treating content like a business, why perspective matters more than information, and how Jack turned rec league basketball, storytelling, and strategy into sustainable media companies across sports and marketing.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 — Intro & Jack’s Two Businesses01:20 — Explaining What You Do02:50 — Marketing vs. Basketball Content03:14 — Building a Public Career Online04:41 — Starting the Newsletter05:37 — Burnout & Creative Energy07:18 — Opinion Writing vs. Wholesome Sports08:04 — Topic Selection Frameworks09:13 — Making “Uninteresting” Things Interesting10:51 — Documenting Life vs. Ideas12:58 — Series-Based Storytelling14:42 — Hooks That Stand Alone16:21 — Story Over Short-Form Trends17:25 — Filming Without Forcing Outcomes18:15 — Owning the Edit19:37 — Scaling Without Losing Control22:01 — Monetizing Marketing vs. Sports23:23 — Brand Safety in Basketball Content24:19 — Crowdfunding a Pro Team26:32 — Audience Age & Community Buy-In28:46 — Content vs. Business Identity30:08 — Packaging Sponsorships31:08 — Creative Brand Integrations33:23 — Making Non-Obvious Partnerships Work35:19 — Long-Term Business Direction37:47 — Career Frameworks Without Ladders39:59 — Planning vs. Reacting41:45 — Turning Life Into Content42:52 — Where Sports Content Is Headed44:59 — Final Advice on Perspective45:13 — Post-Episode Reflections53:41 — Outro

Riley Martin doesn’t break news or argue hot takes — he explains sports so clearly that anyone can follow along.This week, Jake and Tyler sit down with the creator behind Sportsball to unpack how data visualization became his creative edge, why he designs content for casual fans first, and how focusing on a single fastball helped him build a durable, brand-friendly creator business without chasing trends or outrage.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 — Intro & Creative Background01:00 — Analytics vs. Creativity02:15 — Learning Data Visualization03:10 — Turning Work Skills Into Content04:20 — Starting Sportsball05:15 — Explaining Sports Simply06:40 — Designing for Casual Fans08:50 — Avoiding Hot Takes09:20 — Where Ideas Come From10:45 — Finding the Right Data12:00 — Topic Selection as a Skill13:35 — Speed vs. Depth in Content15:00 — Embracing Randomness16:20 — Being a Curator, Not a Newsfeed17:45 — Originality & Copycats19:10 — Confidence and Career Security21:00 — Quitting the Day Job23:00 — Explaining the Career to Family26:30 — The First “Legit” Brand Deal28:00 — How Sportsball Makes Money29:35 — Low-Cost Creator Economics31:15 — Visual Planning Process33:00 — Data Modules Explained35:05 — Newsletter Debate37:20 — Staying Focused on the Fastball39:30 — Building Trust With an Audience41:05 — Final Takeaways42:20 — Post-Episode Reflections49:50 — Outro & Newsletter Plug

Nathan Dorton started his football brand with a $65 loan, a Photoshop glove template, and a factory connection in Pakistan. Today, Phenom Elite is a $10M business redefining how football gear, culture, and IP intersect.This week, Jake and Tyler sat down with Nathan to talk about building an equipment brand without VC money, why licensing SpongeBob and Kool-Aid works better than superheroes, and how 7-on-7, flag football, and NIL are reshaping football culture from the ground up.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 — Intro & Phenom Origin Story00:47 — The $65 Loan01:55 — College Football Setbacks03:30 — The Gear Market Gap04:50 — First Glove Customers05:30 — Unit Economics & Early Margins06:11 — First Big College Break07:12 — Made-to-Order Limits07:46 — Holding Inventory08:55 — When the Model Had to Change09:42 — Walking Away from Playing10:57 — Finding an Underserved Niche12:21 — Who Buys Licensed Gear13:25 — Youth vs. Adult Buyers13:54 — Discovering Licensing15:03 — Why Big Brands Avoid IP16:19 — Licensing Economics Explained17:38 — The Joker Gloves Moment18:47 — Becoming the “IP Brand”19:21 — Food Brands & Culture21:26 — Bowl Games & Activations22:58 — IP vs. Brand Identity23:50 — Picking the Right Licenses25:01 — Challenger Brand Strategy26:51 — Why Big Sizes Are Hard28:06 — Adding Sizes Over Time29:37 — 7-on-7 & Flag Football Growth31:27 — A Second Sales Season32:17 — From $65 to $10M32:41 — The IP Checklist33:13 — Generational Relevance34:03 — Why SpongeBob Wins36:29 — Missed Licenses & Timing37:26 — The “White Whale” IP38:30 — Football’s Culture Shift39:44 — NIL as a Growth Lever40:25 — Phenom U Strategy41:11 — What Athletes Can Wear42:27 — Off-Field Culture Plays42:57 — Packaging as Marketing44:19 — Jake & Tyler Reflection45:43 — IP Brainstorming47:06 — When Gear Becomes Ads48:25 — Exclusivity vs. Scale50:11 — Where Football Culture Lives52:36 — Table Scraps & Opportunity53:05 — Outro

Most sports innovation focuses on what fans can see. Almost none of it considers what happens when you can’t.This week, Jake and Tyler sat down with the founding team behind OneCourt, a startup using real-time player and ball-tracking data to turn live sports into a tactile experience for blind and low-vision fans. They break down how the idea started in college, why accessibility has lagged behind fan experience design, and how inclusion can move from compliance to competitive advantage.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 — Intro & The Accessibility Gap00:44 — Where the OneCourt Idea Came From02:06 — Personal Connection to the Problem03:51 — Why Audio Isn’t Enough05:49 — What OneCourt Actually Is06:49 — Using League Tracking Data09:04 — Pitching Leagues Without a Product10:32 — Selling Impact vs. Business Value11:50 — Choosing the Right Teams First13:53 — Who Pays for OneCourt?14:45 — How It Works on Game Day15:46 — What the Experience Feels Like17:49 — Building a Multidisciplinary Team18:47 — College Origins & Hustle Culture20:16 — Addressing Market Size Concerns22:39 — From Tennis to Basketball24:12 — Why the NBA Moved First27:01 — In-Stadium vs. At-Home Use28:24 — Direct-to-Consumer Expansion29:10 — Beyond Pro Sports Use Cases30:08 — Funding & Investors30:35 — Measuring Success & ROI32:21 — The Future of Sports Data34:52 — Scaling Across Sports35:42 — Fan Requests & Hockey Demand37:34 — Marketing Without Visuals38:44 — What’s Next for OneCourt41:24 — Closing & Host Reflection43:10 — Accessibility vs. Economics44:33 — Why This Data Use Matters46:29 — Rethinking the Live Fan Experience48:07 — Outro

A lot of people dream about playing professional sports. Fewer think about the careers built behind the scenes that make those games possible.This week, Jake and Tyler sit down with longtime athletic trainer Lenny, whose 50-year career spans high schools, minor league baseball, the NBA, and the Philadelphia 76ers. They talk about breaking into pro sports, the importance of networking, life on the road, and the unexpected origin of one of basketball’s most iconic pieces of gear — the shooting sleeve.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 — Intro & Career Beginnings00:49 — From Athlete Dreams to Sports Careers01:55 — Athletic Training in the 1970s02:47 — Education, Certification & Early Jobs03:55 — First Break at Cal Berkeley04:36 — Mentorship and Career Influence05:16 — Old School vs. New School Training06:28 — Trainers vs. Doctors06:53 — Trusting the Medical Team07:06 — Getting Into Pro Sports08:07 — Minor League Baseball Life09:43 — Wearing Every Hat on Staff10:00 — NBA Expansion Opportunities10:24 — Joining the Orlando Magic10:46 — Winning (and Losing) in Orlando12:17 — Life with Shaquille O’Neal13:30 — Leaving Orlando14:35 — Joining the Philadelphia 76ers15:04 — Career Moves Without Regret15:38 — Chasing Jobs vs. Chasing Locations16:05 — Why Networking Matters17:26 — Job Chasing Philosophy18:10 — Long-Term Stability in Sports19:00 — Life on the Road19:27 — Work Ethic in Athletic Training20:01 — Treating Superstars the Same21:26 — Working with Allen Iverson22:12 — Origin of the Shooting Sleeve23:33 — Why the Sleeve Worked24:06 — Style Meets Function24:44 — Under Armour Enters the Picture25:29 — Sleeve Goes Mainstream26:35 — Cultural Impact of Iverson27:45 — Seeing the Product in Stores28:55 — Fashion vs. Function Today

Youth sports used to be simple — show up, play, go home. Today, it’s a fully developed industry with travel requirements, hotel contracts, massive tournaments, and real money flowing through every weekend on the calendar.This week, Jake and Tyler sat down with John D’Orsay, CEO of EventConnect, to break down how the youth sports economy actually works — from the rise of elite travel teams to the hidden logistics behind registration, scheduling, lodging, and economic impact. We talk about why costs keep climbing, how the industry professionalized so quickly, and what the next decade of youth sports will look like.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 — Intro: Youth Sports Has Changed00:54 — John’s Background & Coaching Origins02:21 — How Youth Sports Shifted Over 20 Years03:45 — The Specialization Problem06:47 — What’s Driving Youth Sports Toward a Business Model?08:32 — The Real Cost Pressures Behind Youth Sports08:57 — How EventConnect Was Born10:41 — From Musician to Software Builder12:00 — Early Digital Transformation Work14:31 — Why EventConnect Started with Lodging16:15 — Negotiating Rates & How Hotel Pricing Actually Works18:53 — Transient vs. Group Booking Explained19:38 — Scaling the Platform Beyond Housing21:29 — Leaving the Marketing Agency & Going All-In22:19 — Who EventConnect Actually Serves22:53 — Why Transparency Is the Core of the Platform23:47 — Understanding Economic Impact (and Its Limits)25:17 — The Rise of Hyper-Involved Sports Parents26:49 — How Tournaments Turn Into Family Travel28:17 — Facilities Becoming “Youth Sports Resorts”28:46 — Building Registration & Scheduling Tech30:37 — Why Scheduling Is a Loss Leader31:35 — The Model: Free Tools, Revenue Through Lodging32:54 — How the Tournament Director Role Has Evolved34:59 — Competition, Marketing, and Professionalization36:34 — Why Big Tournaments Feel Like Major Events Now37:22 — Will the Current Cost Structure Hit a Wall?38:26 — The Future: More Kids Playing, Tiered Pathways39:07 — The Private Equity Discussion: Good or Bad?41:18 — Why Bad Actors Won’t Survive in Youth Sports42:23 — What Tournament Directors Want Most: Transparency43:31 — Families Want Experiences, Not Just Games44:31 — Why Youth Sports Travel Is Replacing Family Vacations45:02 — Jake & Tyler Debrief the Business Model47:35 — Why EventConnect Works (The “Google” Comparison)49:20 — Discretionary Income & Sports as Education50:05 — The Economic Impact Debate52:15 — The AAU-ification of Youth Sports56:49 — The “Globalization” of Youth Sports57:37 — Outro

Stadiums track everything. Tickets, fans, sponsors, on-field performance, but one problem has quietly resisted innovation for decades: lines.This week, Jake and Tyler sat down with Sam Porta, founder of Queues, to break down how he went from hacking together queue data at Georgia Tech to helping the Atlanta Braves cut wait times, increase throughput, and uncover hidden inefficiencies using computer vision.From the true cost of bad data to what “occupancy as a service” could mean for every major venue, this episode digs into why lines still exist — and what it will take to finally fix them.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 — Intro: Why Sports Still Struggle With Lines00:46 — How Qs Started at Georgia Tech02:35 — Why Google Popular Times Doesn’t Work for Queues04:13 — Building the First Crowdsourced System05:06 — Winning Georgia Tech’s InVenture Prize & Hitting COVID06:41 — Why Sam Didn’t Quit When Lines Disappeared09:23 — AI, Computer Vision, and the Missing Data Problem10:57 — The ROI of Queue Data in Airports & Stadiums12:04 — Who Should Pay for Faster Lines?13:54 — Disney’s Long-Held Lead in Queue Tech15:33 — Moving from Dining Halls to Stadiums17:43 — How the Braves Found Qs19:30 — From Manual Reporting to Full Computer Vision22:46 — Testing Qs Across Cafes, Arenas, Waffle House & More23:31 — Building the First Real Hardware Version24:12 — How Qs Sensors Count Without Storing Video25:54 — How Queue Tracking Actually Works26:18 — Breaking Down the Braves Clubhouse Case Study29:24 — What Happened When They Eliminated a 25-Minute Line31:08 — Privacy, PII & Why Qs Doesn’t Store Images33:07 — Will Stadiums Want More Data on Individual Fans?36:10 — How Fans Will Eventually See Live Queue Times37:39 — Occupancy as a Service: How Qs Makes Money39:44 — Beyond Sports: Airports, Retail & Drive-Thrus41:43 — The Consulting Layer Hidden in Queue Data43:35 — Tech Sam Thinks Is Missing in Sports45:01 — Defensibility: What Stops Competitors?47:27 — Closing Thoughts & Next Episode Tease48:05 — Should Everything Be Maximally Convenient?49:37 — Why People Choose the Longest Line50:50 — Is Queue Data Part of a Bigger Fan Surveillance Trend?53:43 — Privacy, Stadium Data & the Slippery Slope57:34 — Do Speed Cameras Make Cities Safer?59:29 — Final Thoughts

Thanksgiving and football feel like they’ve always gone together...but the story behind that tradition is way stranger than most fans realize.This week, Jake and Tyler break down the full history of Thanksgiving football, from Yale vs. Princeton in the 1800s to the Detroit Lions’ radio-fueled rise, the Cowboys volunteering their way into a national spotlight, and how the NFL turned a quiet holiday into one of the biggest moments on its calendar.🕐 Timestamps00:00 – Intro00:20 – NFL Thanksgiving, Not Turkey Bowls00:49 – Early Thanksgiving Football Traditions01:19 – The First Thanksgiving Games in College Football02:01 – Michigan and Chicago Maroons Era02:31 – College Football’s Role in Shaping the Tradition03:00 – Yale & Princeton’s Historic Football Legacy04:22 – Ivy League Football Today05:09 – The Messy Early Days of Pro Football06:28 – Scandals, Collapses & Regional Leagues07:01 – Why the Ohio League Stopped Thanksgiving Games07:21 – Thanksgiving High School Football Culture08:29 – How Fragmented Early Pro Sports Really Were10:07 – Grassroots Growth vs. Top-Down Leagues11:29 – Detroit Lions Enter the Story12:50 – George A. Richards and the 1934 Breakthrough14:44 – “Franksgiving” and FDR Changing the Holiday16:32 – States Not Agreeing on a Thanksgiving Date17:10 – Post–WWII: Lions Cement the Tradition17:56 – The Almost-Packers Thanksgiving Tradition18:44 – Cowboys Volunteer for the Spotlight (1966)19:30 – Why the Cardinals Briefly Replaced Dallas21:00 – 2006: NFL Adds the Primetime Game21:55 – The NFL Expands Holiday Football23:06 – Should the NFL Take Over More Holidays?24:14 – Does More Football Dilute the Magic?25:46 – Why the NFL Will Only Keep Adding Games27:40 – Thanksgiving Food Talk28:47 – Charity & The Salvation Army Kettle Kickoff29:40 – The Madden Thanksgiving Games30:56 – John Madden’s Turkey Leg Legacy31:09 – Outro

Jordan Green isn’t your typical 22-year-old founder.He’s built meme pages with millions of followers, brokered NIL deals for brands like Fox Sports and Gymshark, and launched his own agency — Glacier — from a college dorm room.This week, Jake and I sat down with Jordan to talk about the evolution of NIL, how athletes and brands can actually build trust instead of hype, and what the future of college marketing looks like in an era driven by creators, not companies.Timestamps ⏰00:00 – Introduction00:46 – Early Hustles and Fidget Spinner Empire02:24 – Starting Meme Pages and the First Brand Deal05:05 – From Sports Dreams to Sports Marketing06:34 – How Meme Pages Led to Athlete Management08:22 – Entering College as NIL Was Legalized08:41 – What Brands Get Wrong About NIL10:25 – Creating Win-Win Partnerships Between Brands and Athletes12:32 – The Fox Sports Campus Activation Example14:20 – Working with Social-Savvy Athletes15:00 – Why Universities Still Don’t Get Social Media17:10 – Athlete Entitlement and Reality Checks19:54 – Why Gen Z Craves Real-World Experiences21:53 – Scaling Glacier While Staying Authentic24:43 – Growing Out of the “Young Guy in the Room” Phase29:21 – Managing a Massive Network and Staying Organized32:48 – What Happened to the Meme Pages34:30 – Building Glacier and Defining Growth36:55 – Building a Career from Alaska to New York39:14 – The Future of Creators and Authenticity42:01 – Post-Episode Reflections46:20 – Should Every Athlete Be a Creator?48:44 – The Reality of Agency Life52:00 – Redefining Career Progress Without a Ladder53:35 – Closing Thoughts

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.⏰ Timestamps00:00 – Introduction00:36 – The Problem with Traditional Footballs01:39 – Why NFL Game Balls Aren’t Built for Real Life03:25 – How Kurt and Matt Met04:31 – Building the First Prototype05:34 – From Idea to First Product Launch06:45 – Turning Social Reach into a Physical Product07:11 – Engineering and Testing the Material08:26 – What Makes DimeLab’s Football Different10:15 – Durability and Real-World Testing10:52 – Why NFL Balls Require Hours of Prep12:19 – Can Synthetic Replace Leather?13:06 – When DimeLab Became a Real Business14:05 – Using an Audience Without Burning It Out16:42 – Bootstrapping and Warehouse Chaos18:38 – Scaling from a Garage to Retail Distribution19:30 – Understanding Their Core Customer21:43 – Merchandising and the “Sneaker Model” for Footballs23:48 – Converting Traditional Players into DimeLab Users27:15 – How the Promotion Strategy Evolved28:54 – Retail Growth and Expansion30:03 – 40,000 Orders and Counting31:27 – Why They Decided to Go into Retail33:48 – Creating a Self-Sustaining Brand Beyond Social Media35:30 – The Power of Partnership and Division of Roles37:29 – What Each Co-Founder Learned from the Other42:24 – Launching into Shields and Retail Strategy45:22 – Leveraging Creator Marketing for Retail Success48:13 – The Future of Football Design49:44 – Closing Thoughts and Takeaways

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.⏰ Timestamps00:00 – Introduction00:52 – Early Career: From Fighter Jets to Fairways03:00 – Inventing the Modern Golf Ball06:10 – What Golf Balls Were Like Before Pro V108:34 – The Science Behind Spin and Distance10:55 – Testing with Tour Players16:10 – Custom Designs for Tour Players18:37 – How Golf Ball Options Evolved21:30 – The Explosion of Golf-Ball Technology23:18 – Price vs. Performance24:44 – Do Tour Players Really Need Different Balls?27:20 – The Marketing Illusion in Golf29:25 – Declining Tour Sponsorships31:14 – Building Snell Golf’s Brand Without the Tour33:02 – Sound Engineering and “Feel”35:16 – Listening to Customers, Not Pros36:50 – What Snell Golf Allows Him to Do37:32 – Snell’s Vision for the Future40:06 – Starting from Scratch43:06 – Why He Put His Name on the Ball45:23 – COVID-19 Setbacks and Recovery46:11 – Keeping Numbers Private49:59 – Lean, Outsourced Operations50:11 – Tech Innovations: Smart Balls & Tracking Chips53:16 – Closing Thoughts53:39 – Host Debrief: Lessons from Dean Snell

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.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS00:00 – 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

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

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

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