Sawyer Business School Amplification Avenue Podcast presented by Suffolk University

Jayan Gandhi and Jai Malhotra, cofounders of the National High School Sports Analytics Association discuss their first-ever conference and why data in sports rocks.

As evidenced by the millions of people who are watching women's sports on TV, the record-breaking attendance figures at live events, and the increasing franchise valuations, women's sports has serious momentum. What has keyed the growth and what will keep it going? This special conversation with the Sports Innovation Lab's Angela Ruggiero; Bauer Hockey's Mary-Kay Messier; and the Boston Red Sox Foundation's Rebekah Splaine Salwasser digs deeper into the growth of women's sports.

Can the National Football League grow tackle football into a truly global game - played and viewed in countries where other sports dominate? I am betting no. But does the NFL have a strategy that can put American football on par with basketball and international football? Andy Fuller, managing director of the International Federation of American Football, and Shigeo Iwamiya, Commissioner of the National Gay Flag Football League join the Sawyer Business School Amplification Avenue podcast presented by Suffolk University to talk about flag football's importance to growing the game that Americans love so much.

Firearms are a polarizing topic in the U.S. What is the role of the sportsman and hunter in educating others about the responsibilities that come with gun ownership? Matt Light, former New England Patriots left tackle, co-founder of the Light Foundation, and lifelong sportsman shares his perspective and insight on teaching responsibility, accountability, ethics, and leadership.

Host Skip Perham of the Suffolk University Sawyer Business School discusses the Concussion Legacy Foundation's recent findings that validate the research linking repetitive head injury and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy., commonly known as CTE. CLF Director of Programs, Samantha Bureau, PhD, communicates a call to action for global sports organizations like the NHL, FIFA, and the IOC to acknowledge the link and communicate the dangers to participants of all ages.

Despite a plus .670 winning percentage, six straight playoff appearances, and a near Stanley Cup Final win, the Boston Bruins gave Coach Bruce Cassidy the gate this summer. Dr. Lauren Hajjar, Assistant Professor in the Sawyer Business School Institute for Public Service at Suffolk University argues that Bruin's GM Don Sweeney made the right call. The answer goes much deeper than a difference between generations or players who didn't respond positively to his criticism. Dr. Hajjar argues that Cassidy failed to establish a psychologically safe environment and that with a new coach and a focus on relational coordination the Bruins' front office can ensure that every member of the organization is performing at a high level. 

Defund the police! Arm every teacher! Both the left and right have their talking points to gaslight their bases on the topic of public safety. In this conversation, host Skip Perham of the Suffolk University Sawyer Business School talks with Jeff Hood, CEO of National Police Athletic Activities Leagues (PAL) Inc, which began servicing communities across the nation in 1914. In this conversation, Hood talks about PAL's mission; how the organization makes a difference one kid at a time; how marketing can help further the mission; a few of PAL's most famous alumnus; and just a little bit about NBA legend Steph Curry.

In this episode, host Skip Perham of the Suffolk University Sawyer Business School marketing department talks about the future of baseball with a true lover of the game - Jared Carrabis of Draft Kings. Carrabis hosts the “Baseball is Dead” podcast which “laughs in the face” of those who have prematurely called baseball dead. While no one should consider baseball dead, to love the game is to ask if it is doing all it can to satisfy the needs and wants of the next generation of fans. That is the essence of marketing. Carrabis began his career as a blogger in the early 2000s, is a champion of the game and he resonates with hard to reach younger demos with his unique baseball centric content on multiple Draft Kings platforms.

The most interesting conversations can often be about the topics you find the most difficult to discuss or the hardest in which to wrap your head around. In this conversation, host Skip Perham of the Suffolk University Sawyer Business School Marketing Department talks with Dr. Brianna Newland from New York University about the issue of transgender athletes. Dr. Newland is the academic director of undergraduate programs and an associate professor at the Tisch Institute for Global Sport. Her research explores the long-term sustainability of sports participation. The subject of transgender athletes has exploded into her field of study and she helps us go beyond the political fault lines to understand what we know, what we don't know and what needs to be studied on the issue.

March is Women's History Month and it is also the month that features equal payday, the date in which women close the pay gap with their male counterparts from the previous calendar year. In February, just ahead of the month long celebration, we saw the final resolution of the US Women's National Soccer Team's lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation regarding inequities between the men's and women's soccer teams. As part of the final settlement, US Soccer agreed to pay the men's and women's teams equally. Amplification Avenue Podcast host and Suffolk University Sawyer Business School marketing instructor Skip Perham talks with April Heinrichs the World Cup winning player, Olympic Gold Medal coach and US Soccer Hall of Famer about her insight on the significance of the USWNST's achievement and what it means for women in all sports and US society as a whole.

The year 2021 was another in which sports seemed to be at the tip of the spear on issues relating to abuse. Over the past year, we have seen new allegations of abuse in the NHL, NWSL and the NFL. The Larry Nassar-USA Gymnastics sex abuse case also continued to make news. In this conversation, former NHL player Sheldon Kennedy, himself a victim of abuse, and his fellow Respect Group Inc. founder Wayne McNeil discuss their work helping sports organizations and businesses of all kinds combat abuse, discrimination, bullying, and harassment.

The Beijing 22 Olympics are underway. In the run up to these games, the US State Department accused China of committing genocide in its treatment of Uyghur Muslim, and the US, Canada, the UK and Australia led a diplomatic boycott of the games. Long after the games end, issues surrounding China's treatment of Tibetans, its crackdown on freedoms in Hong Kong and its relationship with Taiwan will continue to make news. In the first episode of Season 2 of the Sawyer Business School Amplification Avenue Podcast, host Skip Perham of Suffolk University talks with Mujde Yuskel, Suffolk University Associate Marketing Professor, and the Sports Business Journal's Chris Smith discuss the dilemma that at the current crop of Olympics sponsors are facing in activating their partnership during this cycle.

In episode 5 of the Sawyer Business School Amplification Ave Podcast, host Skip Perham of Suffolk University hosts a roundtable discussion with three members of the Boston Athletic Association's (BAA) Boston Running Collaborative which is working to make running more inclusive. As the organizer of the legendary Boston Marathon, the BAA is one of the biggest names in the sport of running. Intro to the podcast: 0:00:44 - Skip talks about his interest in running and how, in the wake of the Ahmaud Arbery killing, he has started to consider the things that he takes for granted as a runner. The Agenda 0:03:12 - Three members of the BAA's Boston Running Collaborative Steering Committee, Adrienne Benton, Jeff Davis and Suzanne Jones Walmsley, discuss their efforts to grow the sport. Outro - 0:29:40 - Where to find future episodes, credits and thanks.

In episode 4 of the Sawyer Business School Amplification Ave Podcast, host Skip Perham of Suffolk University hosts a roundtable discussion with Kristen Kuliga of Vanguard Sports Group, Kim Miale of Roc Nation Sports, and David-Ross Williamson of Williamson and Melendez to talk about the voice of today's athletes. Intro to the podcast: 0:00:25 - Skip introduces the podcast and the topics to be covered in this episode. Beyond the Pitch: 0:01:00 - Skip, producer Alex Caruso and Sawyer Business School Associate Dean Catherine McCabe share their opinion on whether the NBA should cease doing business in China and how the NHL can take leadership on the issue of sexual abuse in sports. The Agenda: 0:16:16 - Perham, Kuliga, Miale and Williamson talk about the increasingly powerful voice of today's athletes. The advent of social media and technology have given them new and powerful ways to build their own brands, support their brand partners, advocate for the values they care about, and increasingly monetize their careers outside their event. Sub/Start/Cut - 0:50:58 - Caruso and McCabe return to share their insight on the people and issues they are following. Outro: - 1:01:40 - Where to find future episodes and thanks.

In episode 3 of the Sawyer Business School Amplification Avenue Podcast, host Skip Perham of Suffolk University goes one-on-one with Dave Hoffman, vice president of community engagement for the Boston Celtics and the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation to talk about the first year of the club's United for Social Justice initiative. Intro to the podcast - 0:00:37 Skip introduces the podcast, what it is about, and the topics to be covered on this episode. The Agenda - 0:01:20 In the height of the National Basketball League (NBA) bubble, the winningest franchise in the league, the Boston Celtics, launched a 10-year, $25 million campaign called Boston Celtics United for Social Justice. The campaign builds on the Celtics' rich heritage of promoting equity on and off the court. Dave Hoffman of the Boston Celtics shares an update on where the initiative stands one year plus in. Outro: 0:37:00 Where to find future episodes, thanking Dave Hoffman, Alex Caruso, Pyramid Thieves, closing.

In the second episode of the Amplification Avenue Podcast, host Skip Perham and producer Alex Caruso break down a variety of topics including: Intro to the Podcast - 0:00:03 Skip introduces the podcast, what it is about, and the topics to be covered on this episode. Beyond the Pitch - 0:01:35 Skip and Alex talk about the top headlines that highlight where sports and society intersect including: -The NCAA announced that the Women's Basketball Tournament would be branded as “March Madness”. This would appear to be an effort to increase equity in the women's tournament. Is this window dressing? Should the NCAA consider playing the Men's and Women's Final Four on the same weekend in the same city and build a co-ed mega event? -MLB created a postseason branding campaign “Make It Major”. The campaign featured music from Lil' Nas X and highlights the game's youth. The creative is the league's most recent attempt to attract younger audiences. The branding is great but is it enough to save the game? What would be your ideas to improve baseball's appeal with younger fans? The Agenda - 0:11:24 Skip talks with Bryant McBride, a veteran of the hockey industry, a former VP at the NHL and producer of the acclaimed documentary Willie which chronicles the first black hockey player to skate in the NHL. Start/Sub/Cut - 0:38:24 We talk winners and losers off the field of play: -Brooklyn Nets telling Kyrie you are either all in or out -Owner Dan Snyder said in a press release that while he took ownership of the problem, he “didn't realize the extent of the problem.” perhaps he was referring the extend of the problem in the league -NWSL Commissioner sitting on abuse crisis issues -John Gruden getting fired for racist emails -Dak Prescott's return from severe injury -Red Sox Playoff run Outro: 0:44:12 Where to find future episodes, thanking Bryant McBride, Pyramid Thieves, closing

In the debut episode of the Amplification Avenue Podcast, host Skip Perham and producer Alex Caruso break down a variety of topics including: Intro to the Podcast - 0:00:03 Skip introduces the podcast, what it is about, and the topics to be covered on this episode. Beyond the Pitch - 0:04:18 Skip and Alex talk about the top headlines that highlight where sports and society intersect including: - LSU signed a marketing deal with a sports book (Caesars) and a number of schools have turned on the taps to serve alcohol -An unvaccinated Chris Sale was unavailable for the Red Sox during the hunt for a playoff spot and a number of players have missed games because of COVID issues. The Agenda - 0:17:02 Skip talks with Tyler Maland the chief impact officer at the Concussion Legacy Foundation about their recently launched “Favre 4 Flag” public service campaign, their work to educate athletes, coaches and parents about CTE and their impact on promoting an understanding of mental health for athletes. Start/Sub/Cut - 0:42:10 We talk winners and losers off the field of play: -Fanatics' takeover of the trading card industry. -The US Soccer Federation just can't seem to get things right. -The Premier League and where the US rights will end up -Naomi Osaka stepping away from tennis for mental health reasons -Urban Meyer's poor handling of the Jaguars -NBA over 90% vaccination rate before the season starts Outro: 0:46:49 Where to find future episodes, thanking Tyler Maland, Pyramid Thieves, closing