Looking Back and Ahead; Enjoying The Madness From Afar…

This time of year as we move quickly closer to March Madness I like to look around the celebrations on TV or in person and notice those young people around the bench getting to experience the thrill of victory or the agony of defat for the first time. While the larger schools, and usually the older, more season veterans, take everything with their accustomed professionalism usually on the bright stage, the ones who are first-timers, young people starting in an industry, where this is their “One Shining Moment” are usually the ones to see how things play out in their minds and actions.

While they used to be head down looking at a scorebook…or praying…today most seem to be staring at a laptop screen scrolling social media posts…and praying…as an outcome they have no control over but will have impact on them plays out.

Many times it is a grand exposure to a word in the Field of 68, men or women, from what used to be known as Mid-Major schools, that they have only dreamt about, and that ride no matter how short or long, is one they remember forever, even as they are starting out.

The reason I look for those next gen communications folks is because I was one of them myself back in the day, not once but twice.

At the way too young age of 22, in the fall of 1985, I became the head sports information at what was Iona College after their SID at the time, Tom Didato, left just weeks before the basketball season.

Then at the slightly older but still a lot to learn age of 28, I became the head of communications at the Philadelphia 76ers, making me at the time the youngest team PR head in the league.

While neither led to a one shining moment experience, it was a down year for Iona in Pt Kennedy’s last year there, and the three year Sixers run were tough on the court, what shined for me were the golden experience, the people and the places which were otherworldly at the time for someone so young, and involved a great deal of cringeworthy learning experiences, but many more friendships and business relationships that exist to this day.

For both jobs, I was thrust ahead through my trepidation by great mentors and family friends who had more confidence in me than I had in myself…the late Mike Cohen, the true godfather of the sports communications industry,  almost literally drove me from his office in Manhattan to meet with Athletic Director Rick Mazzutto and convinced me to take the job despite not knowing all the in’s and out’s of what it entailed (side note, I didn’t have a car so I reverse commuted from Brooklyn…subway, Metro North and then walked almost a mile and a half from the train station to Iona every day and on some late nights I slept on the couch of the basketball managers and the team mascot, Kevin Chandlee and John McCarthy) but I tried as best as a young guy from Brooklyn could, to listen, learn and apply some early communications learnings to what the Gaels had in store. I was also lucky enough that Iona played a killer schedule that year that brought me in contact with many legends of the industry…Rick Brewer at North Carolina, Kenny Klein at Louisville, Chris Cameron and Joel Glass at Florida, Joyce Aschenbrunner at UNLV and people close to home like Jay Williams at Fairfield and John Paquette at the MAAC) so I was able to overcome my youthful ignorance with a master class in basketball and storytelling that I still carry with me.

When we made the Sixers jump I was at Fordham and did NOT want to leave. However two key people pushed me out…my new wife Laura, who figured out the family “how” and my boss Frank McLaughlin, who one day turned to me and said this was the thing I was destined to try and to not wait. The job also came through the connections of some friends, most notably Mike Breen, who gave my name to NBA head of communications Brian McIntyre who then passed it on the Sixers head of business Gerry Ryan.  Again there was really no playbook for success…the small organization (there were 35 total people in the front office at the time, today the Sixers analytics department is more than 35 people) had LOTS of young people building an NBA plane while it was flying, and the bumps were pretty rough as I learned people skills, humility and even more listening skills, and while it didn’t end well for the short term for me after three seasons with an ownership change and being shown the door, those experiences were life altering, because of the people I got to learn from along the way.

Now not as I look back, but as I look forward…literally…to watching the emotion of joy from the folks around the bench as the final horn goes off I do think back on what I know now that I didn’t know then.

First, absorb everything. In in a world of mobile devices, the being there in the moment is so important and irreplaceable.

Second, ask for help and learn from those who have been there before. I thought I knew EVERYTHING when I was at Iona travelling around the country. I knew NOTHING, and got to spend just a little time with some giants in the industry who took the time to talk to me and impart a little wisdom. It was invaluable.

Third, have the awareness to know who you are around and what they have done. The older man or woman sitting next to you might be your portal to a new opportunity down the road, you may have a fleeting few minutes or an hour, ask then who they are and what they do. You will be surprised at what you learn and the relationships that you build.

Fourth, your job doesn’t define you, so don’t act like it does, or that your job gives you great power in some way. I continue to see to this day how someone at some school, or team or brand, looks at their phone, or acts disinterested in a simple conversation that they may benefit from. Give people of any age a few minutes and some curious listening. It comes back around, no matter how busy you are.

Fifth. Listen and have empathy. Those golden impactful moments for you can be shattered ones for others. Take the time to do the work, meet the people, and build the friendships personally and professionally. They will be your path going forward.

It’s not that hard, we are not always that busy, and most importantly you don’t get the time back. It should be a wonderful ride for those about to take, but make it an impactful one as well.

We will be watching, and enjoying the memories yet to come.