Tony Petitti named Big Ten Commissioner

#52      

The Galloping Ghost

Washington, DC
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#57      

ChiefGritty

Chicago, IL
Let there be no mistake, the Big Ten Conference isn’t anything except a sports entertainment media property moving forward. The decisions as to its governance will be driven by where the money wants to flow. Ensuring fairness on the field will not be a priority.
Fairness on the field is critical to ensuring the durable fan interest that provides 100% of the dollars to a sports entertainment media property.

But your first sentence is correct.
 
#60      
Apparently a decision has been made, at least according to this ESPN article.
 
#61      
Fairness on the field is critical to ensuring the durable fan interest that provides 100% of the dollars to a sports entertainment media property.

But your first sentence is correct.
I’d really like to believe that, but look at Pro Wrestling and WWE. Every fan knows it’s scripted, much like the 4th quarter of last year’s Michigan game. We’re still here too.
 
#62      
The most important job a conference commissioner has is to negotiate the TV deal for Football and Mens Basketball. Thats where all the revenue is. So hiring an insider makes sense.
 
#63      
Former president of sports and entertainment for Activision Blizzard...

For a short time, but that does not enthuse me... Activision Blizzard should have a much better esports profile than it does, between all of their great games and huge fan following you really don't hear much about their competitive leagues. The OWL is nothing but a empty husk. This just reeks of nothing but pure, empty, push the brand but not much else.

Going to guess that means there's more expansion expected otherwise why would we just hire a mostly media guy.
 
#65      

ChiefGritty

Chicago, IL
Going to guess that means there's more expansion expected otherwise why would we just hire a mostly media guy.
Lol, you guys are like people that see the Virgin Mary in their coffee foam or whatever. You want more schools so bad you see it on the back of your eyelids.

The Presidents are scared that they don't understand the media landscape the sports business is entering, so they are putting the conference, which as was said above is basically just a media package at this point, in the hands of someone who does understand that landscape and has been an innovative thinker before.

I will say though, innovation-brain is no match for Kevin Warren's scorching insight of "just put the games on network television".
 
#67      
Petitti emerged from a group of finalists who interviewed in the past 48 hours and was selected Tuesday after a vote of the league's presidents and chancellors, sources said. Petitti brings a diverse background in both sports and media. He is the former COO of Major League Baseball, where he succeeded current MLB commissioner Rob Manfred in that role in 2015.

His media experience comes from working for ABC Sports, CBS and the MLB Network. His work with college sports includes helping create the Bowl Championship Series back when he was with ABC and working with the NCAA tournament while at CBS. He also worked extensively with the NFL while at CBS.

The current landscape of major college sports is trending more pro every day. A guy with Petitti seems to check a lot of boxes for where we are going.
 
#68      
Lol, you guys are like people that see the Virgin Mary in their coffee foam or whatever. You want more schools so bad you see it on the back of your eyelids.

The Presidents are scared that they don't understand the media landscape the sports business is entering, so they are putting the conference, which as was said above is basically just a media package at this point, in the hands of someone who does understand that landscape and has been an innovative thinker before.

I will say though, innovation-brain is no match for Kevin Warren's scorching insight of "just put the games on network television".

Eh I'm not really for or against expansion it's just where my gut goes. And it is large and in charge.
 
#69      
I've heard the commissioner might have a change in job description. It would not surprise me if the commissioner doesn't take the lead on academic or rules-based conference business and another of his underlings will handle suspensions, legal issues, rules, etc., for the commissioner to sign off on between phone calls with media moguls.
 
#70      

ChiefGritty

Chicago, IL
I've heard the commissioner might have a change in job description. It would not surprise me if the commissioner doesn't take the lead on academic or rules-based conference business and another of his underlings will handle suspensions, legal issues, rules, etc., for the commissioner to sign off on between phone calls with media moguls.
The pro leagues increasingly operate that way, it makes some sense.