Jack & Tim Live: The SPORTS Episode

For the first time on Lead Human with Jack Myers and Tim Spengler there was no guest No interview No formal setup Just Jack and Tim doing what listeners have apparently been asking for since the beginning extending their opening banter into a full episodeAnd what better subject than sportsAs Tim put it right at the top sports today have become something much bigger than entertainment amp8220The power of sports today is at a new high Itamp8217s almost communal I think in a way that hasnamp8217t been before in this technologydriven fragmented worldamp8221 he said amp8220I could argue this is about the only times and places where we all show up togetheramp8221That idea became the center of the conversation In a world of ondemand streaming binge watching and endless scrolling live sports may be one of the last truly shared experiences leftamp8220Live sports itamp8217s live sports itamp8217s on demand binging and itamp8217s creator scrollingamp8221 Tim said amp8220Those are the three And the live sports one is so powerful across all demographicsamp8221Jack agreed adding that sports still creates something increasingly rare emotional connection and even productive disagreement amp8220Itamp8217s creating passion and polarization evenamp8221 Jack said amp8220New York Boston where you can still come together and have a conversation thatamp8217s meaningful purposeful and where everyone walks away feeling goodamp8221But if sports is one of the last great communal spaces what happens when money starts driving every decision That led naturally to college athletics and NILJack raised the nowfamous imbalance amp8220A quarterback making 3 million when a professor is making 140000 Whereamp8217s the balance in terms of what is a university todayamp8221 Timamp8217s response was thoughtful and surprisingly practical amp8220The toothpaste is certainly out of the tube with college sports and NILamp8221 he said amp8220I do struggle a little with the 3 million for the quarterbackamp8230 but the productamp8217s never been betteramp8221Rather than taking a moral position Tim pointed to something he learned from legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski amp8220This is what it is So this is what I have to doamp8221 Tim recalled Coach K saying amp8220He was so unbelievably current and evolved without an opinion He wanted to win He liked his kids He was happy to see them get paidamp8221Tim admitted that perspective changed him amp8220I was so impressed by no comment about is it a good or bad state Heamp8217s in the state trying to win with what it wasamp8230 and I was like I canamp8217t argue with thatamp8221From college sports the conversation widened to sports as business Tim argued that sports now occupies the cultural role it has long held in Europe and South America amp8220Sports is now in this country more like what sports has been in Europe and South America around football I mean soccer Thatamp8217s religionamp8221What has changed is not just passion but how aggressively that passion is being monetized amp8220Advertisers are running to sportsamp8221 Tim said amp8220Because of the leanin of the consumers because of this passion because itamp8217s this momentamp8221 And once advertisers show up everyone else followsTim pointed to the economics of the upcoming FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics as proof amp8220The tickets for the final game are over 10000 a ticketamp8221 he said of the World Cup amp8220Roughly 10X what it was four years agoamp8221 For the Olympics Tim had his own painful example amp8220I bought track and field for over 1000 a ticketamp8230 Itamp8217s like a vacation I spent for two tickets and itamp8217s two years in advanceamp8221 His conclusion was blunt amp8220I think itamp8217s not greatamp8221Jack connected that to the broader rights marketplace where leagues owners and streamers are all pushing for maximum extractionamp8220Are executives destroying the emotional infrastructure that makes sports so valuable in the first placeamp8221 he askedTim believes that may be exactly what is happening amp8220The owners and the league can make more money by selling more of the rights to the streamersamp8221 he said amp8220The streamers can pay more because they can turn around and charge us an extra ten bucks a monthamp8221His bigger concern is simple amp8220Thereamp8217s so much power and everyone who has the power is trying to maximize the value But itamp8217s interesting that I donamp8217t know if some of this is good for the consumeramp8221That may be the entire thesis of the episode Sports is no longer just competition It is a case study in capitalism access identity and belongingThe episode ended appropriately with fandomamp8212favorite teams best rivalries greatest sports moments and legendary announcer calls It was lighter funnier and full of personality from Jackamp8217s lifelong Yankees loyalty to Timamp8217s defense of the Chicago Blackhawks jersey and the famous amp8220band is on the fieldamp8221 callBut even there the bigger theme remained As Tim closed the episode he reminded listeners that sports and leadership are not separate conversationsJack put it even more directly amp8220I agree Sports is where the human spirit is unleashed in every single game And thatamp8217s what sports is all aboutamp8221amp160 That may be the best definition of Lead Human yetWatch or listen at Lead Human with Jack Myers and Tim Spengler

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Jack & Tim Live: The SPORTS Episode

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