Last week was our second to last planned trip of the year, to Washington for SBJ Dealmakers. Great to listen and learn not just from those on the stage but those randomly roaming the hallways. Some things to think about on the first Monday in December.
“Are You Willing to Cross The Street?” That question came not from Dealmakers but from our friend and colleague Ray Negron, who has worked for the Yankees for over 50 years and always brings a different point of view to our students at Columbia. The rhetorical question came not from him, but from his longtime mentor the late George Steinbrenner, and it is as valuable today as any time.
Steinbrenner, Negron said, was always willing to go across the literal street near Yankee Stadium to listen, to see what the community was actually caring about and doing. Despite all his bluster and his management style, he had tremendous empathy for those in The Bronx who supported his organization, and he gave tirelessly and often times anonymously, to those who needed help. “The Boss” was not always a great listener for his insiders, but he looked at the bigger picture and found ways to subtly lift those who needed more. Although he usually had a follow up of what they did with the help he gave, he was willing to give those a chance, even if it seemed to some in his inner circle a waste.
The willingness of all of us to cross the street and see what’s going on, physically, emotionally, mentally, is so important given where we are today. Sports can provide that dramatic salve for divergent cultures, but only if the effort is made and it is not a box check. Take a walk across the street this month. Listen and see what’s there, you can help brighten a day with a little step.
The Identity of The Athlete: One of the day one speakers in DC was former NFL star Malcolm Jenkins, and while it was nice to hear about his business portfolio, one of the biggest takeaways I had was how he was fueled to form a sense of identity of WHO he was beyond “an athlete” while still playing. Jenkins, co-founder of The Players Coalition, talked about being able to stand back and identify that he is “A leader, a Problem solver, and A storyteller” at his core. Those three prongs have motivated him through his post-NFL career and have kept him focused through many distractions. That sense of self is more important today than ever for young people, who as student-athletes are dealing with everything from Name, Image and Likeness to the whispers of the transfer portal. I raise this as we had a parallel conversation about building of identity, something that Jenkins has but many college athletes seem to be losing? Case in point. I was at a Rutgers-St. peter’s men’s hoops game last Monday with my friend Dave Siroty. I noticed on the lineup card that a prominent player had FOUR colleges listed as where he has played. Four. So, when he is done with this stage of his life, this vital stage of growth OFF the court, what does he identify as? His time at Rutgers? Another school? A Junior College? Who has helped him find out who he is as a person, without any consistent leadership to guide him? I don’t know the answer, but I believe it is troubling. As we see college football and all its “Fandom” play out in Bowl season, do we try, and do the institutions try, to make sure these young people…men and women…have a sense of purpose and a north star as to who they are for years beyond competing? Hard to see how that’s possible amidst chasing the shiny ring.
Mental Wellness and Gambling: Another offshoot of our time in DC were side conversations about the dual growing storm of mental wellness tied to the growth of gambling. Some NBA and NFL friends pointed out the growing concern of incidences involving players and fans where the taunting has been tied to the points spread and gets really personal. This issue has also arisen in every level of college athletics, from volleyball to tennis to college football, where miscellaneous trolls are taunting and threatening college athletes because of a missed shot or serve. Now while some can say it “comes with the territory,” it doesn’t mean that those in power have to find better ways to assist with the mental toll gambling is taking on athletes from the highest level to the fringe. Also, along those lines, several colleagues in and around high level college sports pointed to what is being called “The Al Capone Effect” sitting out there tied to NIL. Namely, while college athletes are taking cash, there are many that may not be paying taxes or have not been advised clearly on implications. The strong rumor is that the IRS and other groups are sitting there monitoring and waiting for the prominent athlete to be it with tax evasion charges, and the follow up of that will be massive NIL reform and regulation. It is sad to see both points being acknowledged but little being done…mental wellness and the education of taxes…but that’s what happens in big business with short plans and a push towards win at all costs…the costs become human, and the humans become the victims.
Lastly, Let’s Eat Up the Award: Bowl season is officially here, and you have to continue to admire the way second tier bowls are using creativity to drive interest and engagement. We have touched on a few, but last week the buzzworthy one was The Pop Tarts Bowl, which will now have Wildcats and Wolfpacks battling, Kansas State and NC State playing. Their point of differentiation? The edible trophy. Who doesn’t want to see what victory tastes like?
