There is nothing like, as they say in Hamilton, “Being in the room where it happened,” and for a good part of the Chicago Bulls run, Tom Smithburg was in the lockerrooms, hallways, and offices as manager of media services for the team. If you wanted to talk to Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman or Phil Jackson during the Bulls 1990s dynasty, you had to go through Tom. Yes, he has a million good stories.
Today Tom is the co-founder of TeamWorks Media in Chicago, running much of the day-to-day with co-founder Jay Sharman. Their clients have included the Bank of America Chicago Marathon and his alma mater Northwestern University, as well as The Big Ten Network and a number of stand alone platforms, including the highly successful La Vida Baseball.
For his part, Tom and two other media lifers, Mike Sear ( former Bulls Studio Producer for Fox Sports Chicago and winning producer for ESPN), and Chris Weber (a former Producer for NBA Entertainment) came together to launch their commentary every Monday following the ESPN airings of the documentary, called “Backstage at The Last Dance.” It runs every Monday at 2 p.m. EST live on Twitter . After all they were there when it all played out. You can watch the first show here
We went to Tom to get some of the scoop on his memories and his expectations for the series.
Of all your time with the Bulls, what was the one thing from a communications standpoint that stood out about those teams vs athletes today?
Today players and teams can virtually control their entire message via social media and their owned platforms. Simply put, they can communicate directly to their fans without any conduit or intermediary.
20 + years ago teams and players had little choice but to rely on traditional media – print and broadcast TV/radio – to reach their audience. That’s why the Bulls in 1997-98 often had 150+ media credentials issued on any given night.
There was a lot of talk about the access that NBA Entertainment got; how did it go from your perspective?
Nearly flawless. NBA Entertainment already had a solid relationship and built the trust of the players and coach Phil Jackson from the five previous Championships. So, when they approached the team with the “all access” concept for the 1997-98 season there was buy-in from all parties. From an execution standpoint, they were relentless in wanting to be everywhere with the team (training room/bus/plane/hotels etc.), but also respectful of boundaries when tempers flared. I give a lot of credit to Andy Thompson and his team. The documentary would not be possible without their tireless efforts over nine months.
Those teams had big name sand big personalities, what is the one thing you remember from those athletes and coaches that you don’t think people know?
Despite the huge range of personalities and egos, the players and coaches actually liked each other and enjoyed spending time together. The documentary correctly shows tension, but Phil Jackson as a leader really did a fantastic job of keeping the team together and on the same page toward the common goal of winning the championship.
What’s the one or two snapshots in your mind that you hope come our during “The Last Dance”?
I really hope to see the growing interpersonal relationships between teammates as the season progresses, knowing this is the end of something big. Much of the early episodes focus on the conflicts, which is accurate, but the real fascinating aspect to the story is how these disparate personalities find a way to come together as a single focused unit when the stakes were the highest. Imagine reading a science fiction novel with the strangest cast of characters – each at a different place in life and the universe – somehow coming together to do something special. Well, this real life story is what will ultimately be told.
Do you think with technology vs access such a long form film could be done easier or harder today, now that you are in the content business?
This long form film would be so much more difficult to create today because the concept of “behind the scenes access” no longer exists. Content created today becomes a story consumed by anyone on the planet before tomorrow. Remember, this film was shot 10 years before the first iPhone and exponential growth of social media.
Looking back, what are a few of the communications lessons learned then that you still apply to your work today?
When there is good news, own it, share it and be proud of it. When there is bad news, own it, take accountability, and show how you will improve the situation. Humility and authenticity is one of the most admirable and difficult traits to have, especially in today’s high speed social media-influenced news cycle.
