On the latest Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including a March Madness tournament light on upsets or dramatic moments.
This is the first men’s Sweet 16 in more than 45 years to feature only schools from the biggest football conferences. There are no non-football schools like Marquette or Gonzaga, and no lower-division football schools like Villanova or Dayton. Is that a statistical anomaly or an omen about the future of the tournament? The hosts debate.
They talk through a handful of other March Madness topics–the dominance of the SEC, John Calipari vs. Rick Pitino, and the fun three-day story that was McNeese. The Cowboys won their first-round game before losing to Purdue in the second round. Head coach Will Wade took a new job in the middle of the run–but was on the sideline vs. Purdue–and the team’s viral student manager had his 15 minutes of fame. Looking forward, is BYU the most interesting business story left?
Next they discuss the $6.1 billion sale of the Boston Celtics. The deal is not yet fully financed, and there are roll-over rights for a lot of the team’s current investors. To add to the intrigue, another bidder has publicly said he’d like to buy the team if the deal falls apart. The hosts talk about their initial reactions, and what’s likely to happen next.
They close by talking briefly about George Foreman. The heavyweight boxer, who died last week at age 76, had a very successful second career in business. His eponymous grill made him hundreds of millions.
(You can subscribe to Sporticast through Apple, Google, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever else you get your podcasts.)
