Toronto FC (Major League Soccer) and Toronto Argonauts (Canadian Football League) president discusses what it's like running two pro sports teams in two different leagues, hanging signs in the minors and fan engagement.
Toronto FC (Major League Soccer) and Toronto Argonauts (Canadian Football League) president discusses what it's like running two pro sports teams in two different leagues, hanging signs in the minors and fan engagement.
spk_0: 0:01
Hi, all my guest today is Bill Manning, who is CEO of the Toronto Football Club. Of course, soccer, not football. Um, and he also happens to be president of the Toronto Argonauts, which is the professional football team in the Canadian Football League. So he's running two teams simultaneously, and, of course, we're gonna dive into that. Ah, he joined Toronto FC after spending the previous eight seasons as president of both Ray All Salt Lake and Rio Tinto Stadium in the course Riel. Salt Lake is the Major League Soccer team in Salt Lake. During his time with RSL, Manning transformed the club into a winner, leading the organization to a 2009 Major League Soccer Cup championship as well as a model franchise off the pitch where both season tickets and sponsorships more than tripled. The club also won the Eastern Conference title in 2009 Western Conference title in 2013 and we're Major League Soccer Cup runners up in 2013 as well. Manning was the recipient of the Major League Soccer Doug Hamilton Executive of the Year Award in both 2012 and 2014 and in addition, he helped establish and open as well a sold naming rights to Rio Tinto Stadium. Home to realign Salt Lake. Manning brings a wealth of sports management experience to the folks at M L S E. Having previously served in executive positions with the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles, the National Basketball Association's Houston Rockets and Royale. Salt Lake of Major League Soccer. Meaning is a native of Massapequa, and it was a nationally recognized collegiate soccer player at the University of Bridgeport. Where's a sophomore? He helped the Purple Knights to a N C. A quarterfinal birth and a senior in 1986. He led his team toe Final Four appearance while earning first team All American honors Man and continued his playing career after college and one A U S Open Cup with the Brooklyn Italians in 1991 and played professionally in the United Soccer League. USL, with the Pen Jersey, Spirit Valley, Golden Eagles and New York Fever meaning also holds a U. S Soccer National, A coaching license meeting, began his career in sports management with Continental Indoor Soccer League during its inaugural season 1993 after his last season with the fever. He went on to leadership roles in the United Soccer League with the Long Island Rough Riders and then the Minnesota Thunder, where he was named USL Executive of the Year in 1999. Following their championship season, Manning got his start in Major League Soccer in 2000 with the Tampa Bay Mutiny as president and GM, and was named 2000 Major League Soccer Executive of the Year by The Washington Post. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Bridgeport, of course, and was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 2006. Please enjoy my conversation with Bill Manning. Thanks for joining us, Bill. Let's jump right in. You are running two different sports franchises in two distinct in separate leagues there under the same umbrella, obviously with MLS, See? But what
spk_1: 3:34
have you
spk_0: 3:34
learned? It seems to me that it requires to be very entrepreneurial toe to kind of get into that kind of head space where you're running two distinct operations like that. What have you learned from various others that that have done this in the past, such as Stan Kasten, who is now the CEO of the Dodgers and various others. What have you done? What have you learned?
spk_1: 3:54
A key thing. And I'm sure Stan would say the same thing. Executives who have long tenure really make the same mistakes over and over again. You learn from your mistakes, but you know, for me that the principles are pretty simple. Um, one is hard work that you do have to get after it. You have to commit yourself and you know, the to be successful in any walk of life. Um, you have to you have to work out. I rarely met anyone who's been very successful that that doesn't work hard and, uh, put their all into what they're doing, you know? Secondly, I would say relationships. You know, I had the good fortune of working in a number of different leagues than a number of different cities, and it's really expanded my network of people that many of them helped me along the way. And I'm I'm helping a number of people along the way, and it's how deals get done. It's how you know you get jobs or you're for people for jobs. It's how you you build alliances and just sometimes just checking in with people on best practices and, um, relationships. So, so critical, I think, to our business, especially in sports. Um, you know, third, I would say integrity. I you know, those without integrity and high character generally get found out. And, um, you know, I've tried to work very hard building, um, you know, a network of people, but people that can trust me and people that know that. Goodbye, my word. And I and I value that in my staff, I value that the people that I deal with and work with and just having the integrity of being a good person, you make a mistake going in, admitting it and moving on. And, uh um, valuing those around you. So it's I really, really Integrity is a big a big component of success by Baker for people in last. You have to. You can't be afraid to make a decision. You have to be decisive at times and not every decision. You have to be comfortable. Not every decision you make is gonna be correct. Um, And you learn from those. Um but but you do as a leader, you are tasked with making decisions and you need to, whether you like to lead by getting a lot of input the end of the day. You know, as a leader, you are making the final decision. I think it's important to be decisive. And thio make those decisions as a leader. And that's what your task force. So you know, I always look hard work, relationships, integrity and the decisive
spk_0: 6:52
Thank you for that Bill. How
spk_1: 6:54
do you
spk_0: 6:54
think about making a decision without 100% of the information in front of you? And I guess it's really a question of mitigating risk, I suppose.
spk_1: 7:06
Course right with yeah, you know, it's it's hard, You know, Sometimes no decision is the best decision, right? Like like like I would say right now. And we had a no similar case in the CFL where well goes owning our training camp and number off of people around. The league wanted us to set a set date on when training camp would start. And I'm glad, and a number of us felt that that would be a mistake, right? And because we don't know the answer of when it's gonna be safe, toe train again and practice again you know, there was others that felt it was important to let the public know that we're on top of this. We have a date, but, uh, I'm at the end of the day, we all came together that we really don't know, and so we don't have all the information. So that flying, say not making that decision? What's a good decision, Um, to, you know, not set a date? Um, I guess it's his decision, right. But, um, you know, I think it's important to have information, you know, information allows you to make decisions, and the more information you could get, the better. Um, and an experience is also such a great teacher. Because many times, you know, you you feel like I've been there and done that before. I know how this is gonna gonna turn out, You know, the old city thing. I've seen this play before, Um, and that allows you to maybe be ahead of things, but certainly whenever you're gonna make any kind of decision, information is critical to it. But at times, you just again as a leader. Sometimes you're tasked with making a decision, and you try to make the best most informed decision you can, and certainly ethically, at all times
spk_0: 9:01
you mentioned the importance of relationships in your career. When you go back to the beginning of your career, are there folks you think about that probably have helped your trajectory more than others were. In fact, you might save yourself. Jeez, my career may have gone left versus right. Had I not met so and so or had you know, the good fortune of having a friendship with such and such a person?
spk_1: 9:26
Oh, for sure. I mean, this man there's too many, too many, even even point out. Um, you know, I remember I the last team I played for, you know, again, a good good friend of mine recommended me two to the owner, and he signed me as a player, and I wanted to earn more money. And this is kind of how my career really started. Um, and he said to me, Why don't you come help out in the front office and I'll pay an extra $1000 a month So I would go in every day with a tie on, and, you know, I was helping out with group sales sponsorships and whatever they needed. And I started to learn what it was like. Um, it was a minor league team now the big staff. But what it was like and pro sports, and I'd go out and practice with the team at three o'clock every day. But that was through a friend of mine, Mickey Coyotes. To this day is one of my very good friends. Um, when I was in, um, Minnesota. When I was in Long Island, I had a relationship with Peter Well, Tombs, the president of Minnesota, and hit and then moved on to Major League Soccer. And he called me up and he said, I want you to take my job. So, you know, a few months later, my wife and I were en route to Minnesota. Um, in there I had a childhood friend and Chris Bevilaqua who, uh, happened to be friends with Don Garber. And when Don took over his commissioner, Chris had said, Hey, you need to meet a friend of mine, um, Bill Manning. And he's doing great things in Minnesota. And sure enough, a few months later, Don hired me to run his temp or franchise. And then, when I moved on to the N b a and I worked for Tad Brown. Still the CEO there, um, Don actually gave me a great reference to go work in the N B. A. So Don Don has been very, very influential my career Um you know, he's the one that spoke to Larry Tannenbaum as well. Larry immediately called the office when the hey heard that I was available Come over here and give him a strong endorsement. Um, but from, you know, from Houston and I then went toe Philadelphia on Buffy Philipp Hell is someone is still no runs a company called Teamwork and Spell thing and has placed a lot of executives of sports. She helped me land that gig. And then when I was with the Eagles, um, again, Chris Bevilaqua, who is Ah, childhood friend, um was working with Dave Checketts and they've checked its own real salt lake and a guy named when Purna had, uh, put me in touch with days and then, uh, Chris Bevilaqua said, you know, they have You don't need to interview anyone else. This is your guy. They've hired me and really good career. Riaz. It'll make and then, uh, you know, here again it came back with Dave Checketts, who's my own real salt. Like I asked if he would put in a call to Toronto for May, and, uh, he spoke to Larry Tantamount and Larry immediately called Don and Don gave ah strong endorsement. And, you know, these relationships over the years, um, have have, you know, people have really helped me, and it helped me along the way which way My career is gone, I hope I've always made them proud that they've given me a reference and it and I've done well and I tried. I always trying to get back to it had a lot of people that worked for me, and I'm very proud of. A lot of people have worked for me who are in very, very good positions now, not only just in Major League Soccer, but across the sports world. Um, you know, hopefully I've helped them along the way as well.
spk_0: 13:20
So with Minnesota, was it the case that they basically said, Bill's our guy? We're not gonna look at any other candidates.
spk_1: 13:27
So it was. It's actually the Minnesota United right now to make the League soccer team. Back then, it was called the Minnesota Thunder were playing in the U. S. Cell on, and Peter had recommended me to, uh they're at a board of directors made up of some very influential CEOs in town, none more than Bill George, who was my mentor when I was there. He was at that point. He was the CEO of a company vehicle, Megatron icky, then laughed and spent more than a decade the hard business school. Um, then he's a well known author. Um, And he, um he interviewed me and they invited my wife out. And, uh, after I spent a weekend with them, they offered me the job and, you know, it was Peter's recommendation to them, and then I made it. And guess enough of, ah, favorable impression. They didn't need to interview. Ah, anybody else. That was Ah, great opportunity from a cost basically was thrown into it. And that group of owners were not very hands on at all. And I think I was 32 years old or so, and, um just kind of had to had to run with it. And there's a first time team president that team was very successful. Roundup. Going to two championships, winning it in 1999. And I had the opportunity to work for Bill George, who was, um you know, just one of the one of the best executives in the United States, and, um has made such an impact in the leadership world and the business world's and and still to this day, we've kept in touch and he's someone have cold on over the years just for some advice or Ah, um, you know, just just a little note here and there. And, uh, that was such a great opportunity for me.
spk_0: 15:23
What was it that he saw in you? You were 32 years old at the time. You know, clearly this Ah, this isn't an enormous franchise, but it has all the moving parts of any other franchise. So you're 32 he says himself, This guy's all right, guy. I'm gonna bring him in and just be able to manage all those moving parts again, regardless of the size of an organization. It doesn't really matter, because you have to be good with the with the management team, with the players with the press with sponsors, right? There's a lot of different constituencies that you have to deal with.
spk_1: 15:58
You know, I you know one thing. Anyone that knows me knows me well. Eyes my kind of dogged determination to succeed. And I always I say this about myself. It's actually not to succeed. I have a huge fear of failure. Mom, Even as a player, I expected success. I was always afraid of failure. Um, you know, at this point, this was a look. This was a minor league soccer club. A $1,000,000 budget, Not this was not an n f l o a N b a team or, you know, now, days, animal esteem. This was a small little office, I think about six of us. Um and I guess I just had the chops that they felt I had a good soccer background, and, um, I had done some good things in Long Island is a general manager for a couple of years. They, uh, they felt I had I guess, what it took. And we were very, very successful. We kind of losing money at the time. About half a $1,000,000. We cut that. Think about $150,000 loss. And we won the winning a championship, going to to finals and you know, just society. And what a person's character, Bill George Waas. He 1999? We made the U. S. L. A league final and we hosted it. Minnesota. And he was such a big supporter of the team. And he actually missed the championship because a woman who had helped them, I think she was a housekeeper for them. At one point I was getting married and they'll attended her wedding. And you know those personal relationships for him. We're really important. And you just told me somebody, even though I missed him being at the championship game, which we won, the fact that he actually attended someone in his life that was important in their wedding. You know, precedent. Just those relationships are really important. But that was just a small little team, but in a lot of ways no different than what I'm doing today. Just locker, right? You still had the deal with expenses. You still have to develop players. You still had to try to attract fans. You still have the manager budget. You had to deal with personalities. He had the man in the jump manage down. It's a lot of the same stuff. It's just much more amplified now, working with two teams, in fact, larger budgets and write a memo animal last now and so on. But I always say this. My minor league experience in the early years, I think, really set the stage for May um, two. I know what it's like to do everything in an organization that I used to end science, you know, for for game days. Just you just you do everything when you're working at the minor league level. It was, Ah, it was a good experience from it.
spk_0: 19:01
Yeah, it's a microcosm. And all the moving parts of the same regardless of besides the franchise.
spk_1: 19:07
Yeah, one of the She was young, just out of college. Um, woman by Emma Katie Mattis. I hired her, and in 1998 she was an internship for a intern for us, and I hired her right out of college. You know, we didn't have a lot of money, and so she didn't have a lot of money, but she was a superstar right from the start, and then Chris Wright, who actually runs the Minnesota United, now hired her at the minister of the Timber Falls. And when I went to Rie, also Lake all those years later, a decade later, I hired Kate to come work for me and so make. And now she is back in Minnesota working for Chris, right? As their senior vice president of revenue. So Chris is great, and in fact, we had him on
spk_0: 19:53
a
spk_1: 19:54
while back. That's excellent. Yeah, I know. Chris is a Kristen, Kristen, good man. I'm happy to see him in Major League Soccer. Now. Soccer has always been a passion of Daisy. Uh, he was actually the executive director of the National Sports Center, where we played, and then he had moved over to the temples before I got to Minnesota. He was a soccer fan, so it was all really supportive of arty, and he and I have worked locating for many years. And so, uh, I was really happy he brought him back to Minnesota, and she's doing amazing things in Minnesota right now that it's been a really successful expansion.
spk_0: 20:31
How do you look at and think about fan engagement in football versus soccer are their loyalties that are different. Ah, level of passion. You know, tricks and tactics to kind of tease out fan engagement in one spur sports versus another. I'd love to hear your thoughts on that.
spk_1: 20:53
I say that less so. The difference is the commonalities, commonalities of passion, like just the Eagles fan and just so passionate about the Eagles TFC fans. It's still passionate about TFC, and, you know, the Argonauts here in Toronto. Oh, not a whole lot of fanfare around that franchise once you really do care about that team, really care. Have a great passion for it. Uh, so I always find that's the biggest commonality on sports with our fan base. You know, when I was in Philadelphia with the Eagles and I used to joke, we could have had a 200,000 seat stadium, but we were sold out every game that the No Green is in the blood in Philadelphia. And I remember, um, I remember going to church one Sunday and I think we were playing the Dallas caliber weighs on Monday night for or something our monsignor War and Eagles yours. It's just it's just part of the D A. In Philadelphia, and now you know that that's a team that date back. Think want state to the 19 thirties or forties because we had the 75th anniversary when I was there. Um, And so it's this. It's part of the D N A. A similar to the Maple Leafs here in Toronto, on the DNA of this town. And, um, that's something that, you know the soccer team here has not achieved yet. But what? The soccer team here is part of this community now. It is very much people know the team. They accept the team. Lee. Hey, it's part of the fabric of Toronto now, which is which is really cool. The Argonauts are. It's a really old historic franchise, actually, older than the papal Easy. Um, but, ah, you know, they they went through Ah Siri's of ownership changes over the years that that kind of hurt the brand. So we're trying to work on that. To bring that back, I would say, you know, that's the one where trying to re engage with the community and you know, when you talk about tactics, it's it's It's difficult because I always find you can't fans won't care because you tell them to care. They will care if they want to care. And when I would. I try to stay and this is both on the soccer side football size. Let's let's try to make them care. Let's let's be successful on the field. That's the first thing in sports on guy. Always disagree with people that say the results on the field don't matter. They do. They matter a whole lot because people want to support a winner and they want to support success. And it's what I always say. Let's give them something to feel good about and then when they when we can get them to a game, give them a reason to come. Sometimes it's superstar players. Sometimes it's rivalries. Sometimes it's a game day promotion to running. But when they do cop a mixture that great time, you know having a winning team on the field is gonna help with that and having a good game day entertainment, great customer service so that they want to come back. And so I think there's a lot off similarities between the fans of all teams. But I think in general you know Fan wants to go to a game and support their team to win, and they won't have a good time. And they generally want to do it with their families, their their buddies, more friends. And that's something unfortunately, we can't do right now. And I think that when when we do get through this pandemic, um, I think sports is actually gonna be the great unifier to bring people back together again because there's nothing greater than then Then what sports can do in a community to bring people together. I mean, you know, we're three million people at a Raptor championship parade. We have 6.5 1,000,000 people in the G t A. You know, go figure. No kidding. The interrupting. Yeah, right. Just and, you know, even TFC due in 2017. So I I think the one thing I never, ever diminishes that the care and the passion that some people have for our teams and how deep it is, Especially in in a place like Philadelphia with the Eagles. You here with the Maple Leafs, saw
spk_0: 25:30
for the benefit of folks that are listening. What are the other sports properties in venues that Aaron the Maple Leaf sports and entertainment portfolio, if you will.
spk_1: 25:43
So we have the four major league teams you have. The mate believes. Raptors to Ana, left see in the triangle Argonauts. And then each of the three of the teams will have minor league teams. So we have a team that plays in the U. S. L, um, the Marley's, um of the Maple Leafs second team and then 905 plays in the D League. There, the Raptor finally team and, uh, the Maple leaves even have another team. That's that's another mile a team out of market. Um, and so we all run, you know, a number of different teams, and then we we also one of the one of the top venues in North America for live entertainment. So we have a ton of concerts and you know, different W W E events, and so on and so forth. And so we have a very, very busy building at Scotiabank Arena between the Raptors, the Leafs and all the life that's we do. So we break up company down, essentially between, you know, the Leafs Raptor, the football division for lack of better words CFC in yorgos and then live events. So that's how we break down and l s e And then we have a foundational very proud of call the MLS a foundation that goes to good. Uh, you know, there's a lot of good work here in this market
spk_0: 27:11
you mentioned prior to taping that you've had 13 calls today That doesn't even include our call. Um, is that a typical day for you? Or is it that because there's so much going on with covert that you're perhaps fielding more calls and you normally might?
spk_1: 27:30
Yes, a little bit of both say was a little bit more had, uh, we did. Cem. We've been shifting on and off between Brendan and Messiah and myself. Thio communicate with the media. So today was my this week was my turn. So have you recovering like a cross? So So, yes, we had, like, um, there's there's a radio show TSN on at Sports nets, Another radio show. I did them in the afternoon and then the Toronto Sun and the Canadian Press and suggests you give my love to know what's going on with TFC and the Argos right now. in MLS E. So this was my turn. Messiah did it last week, Brendan the week before. And then And then I always Every day I tried thio well, mid calls. And so, uh, a planner I spoke to earlier today I had four members of my staff from TFC to from the Argos Just tow catch up with him and see how they're doing and how their families to do. And, you know, luckily within both teams, very healthy. And luckily, I have not the exception of one player who had in a uncle passed away because the cove in 19 we've all we've all been within the TFC family and Yorgos family. Very healthy, especially the immediate families. Everyone is safe. But, uh, yeah, that's been my phone calls we have. Like I said, we about Morning Cole amongst the animal s ng leadership team. And then I did. My player calls my staff calls, and then the media calls. Today I've been trying to do I've been trying to catch up on some projects select. I've had a long cleaning up my computer that's been deleting some old files, just like I was going through my contact lists and clean that up. Just tryingto sometimes all the little projects that just over time you've put off from get them all done now. So I tried out for the most part, I have a full day. Um, I do try to still get in a run every day. You know, I always make sure I got a workout in, And, uh, the nice part is I get to have breakfast, lunch with my wife or my kids, and I have a home office and get down here and I try to make sure I get everything done. Uh, stand top picks. That's great. Yeah. Had a leak. All with the U. S. L, which is actually our final team. So there's a lead call tonight.
spk_0: 30:01
Now, these calls with the league just regularly scheduled calls. Or are there Maur league calls happening over the past a handful of weeks or so?
spk_1: 30:11
No, it's a little bit more of ah frequency now, um, you know, in an M a lesson. And the CFL generally we had ah, monthly call sometimes was a bimonthly call monk City president's, um you know, we're having a call weekly down just so that we could stay aligned. I think the biggest thing is to be aligned. Any information that you know we were gonna receive from the league comes through any questions. Two teams have I. I took the opportunity to speak to all 25 on their team presidency, that by phone or text, just to see what they're doing with their staffing. And you know how they're doing things in market. And I've participated in some CEO calls with with other team presidents and not just sports that have been invited to. And, uh was on the other day with two colleagues marked out of its president achieves for Tim McDermitt, the president of Philadelphia Union. And the three of us will work together. It's Philadelphia Eagles. So we we were on a coal and then got together afterwards. Mark was actually my bosses was for Tim, uh, happy with his success in Kansas City. So just, um, no state staying on top of things. But the league calls are are important. Andi. It's important just to know what is going on so that we're all alive.
spk_0: 31:31
What's the general sentiment?
spk_1: 31:34
You know, I think there's a There's a sense of realism right of of that, this is uncharted territory. Certainly when it comes to sports, I mean, never before in history likely has every sports league and world closed down. Eso certainly uncharted territory. But there's also a a sense of optimism that we can get through this and we can get through this together and then come out of this and try to bring people together again on Try to, um you know, the one thing I've you know. I know sports is not the end old deal. This is a lot, a lot of things more important than sports. But one thing that sports does is it brings a lot of happiness to people, and it brings a lot of pride and frankly, a lot of togetherness. People come together and they gather to watch sports into talk about sports. And so I think when we can bring that back to the world again, the world's gonna be in a much better place.
spk_0: 32:42
You know, you're absolutely right. Sports sports is a unifier, just as you mentioned earlier. Uh, you know, we are humans, and we were meant to gather face to face and and of course Ah, we all are learning the technology as well.
spk_1: 32:55
Some are important. No, I never knew Zoom existed until this, uh, you know, like their stock is doing bulls. And I even doing right, my elfin and, uh, president of Portland Michaela been 10 inches with the USA swimming. We're actually gonna have ah, zoom call Friday. What's mine? Which is pathetic, proficient wanted. And Jatin paternity. What we're doing with our staffs. And, um, you know, during these thes these times, um, the communication and I can't continue to talk. Um, any little bit of advice are what's to some experiences that you could get from others to share with others is is ah is really a good thing.
spk_0: 33:44
Where do you get your learnings from our their daily newspapers reading or or their books or types of books that have had an influence on you that you love?
spk_1: 33:53
Um, you know, I certainly liked ah, lot of just I think my own learnings have just been on the job just experiencing You know what it was like trying to make payroll every two weeks in Minnesota, Just just trying to, um, push full and always into to get better too. Um, win more games, sell more sponsorships and just just it's just, you know, it's not the school of hard knocks, but it's. But I feel my career has always been about learning on job and, um, trying to do that. I do enjoy. Um, you know, I've certainly read Bill George's books cause because obviously, my affection for him is one of my mentors. Um, another friend of mine. I was introduced to buy guy Scotty O'Neill. Let's up the Sixers and the Devils. Um, he introduced me to down in Chester Elton, who wrote a book with Adrian Gossipy called The Carrot Principal, and they sense of Rid written four or five. Now New York Times best seller is the Orange Revolution, and it's about leadership and motivation and and you know, the carrot principles all about. You know, not that sort of hitting people with the whip but providing them the carrots thio to move forward. And, uh, so I enjoyed his stuff. I do, um, no. The certain people in my career my life appreciated their advice. Dave Checketts. Certainly one of them. Don Garber. When Lula Morello is here with the Maple Leafs, I really enjoyed chat with him. That renowned. And he always said, Very good advice. Um, so, you know, it's a lot of it is just through my own experience. Yeah, one foot in front of the other. Yeah, And then look them. I'm always and I will always stay this. You know, I've made mistakes in my career. Um, but I never make the same mistake twice. And that's something that that, I think is a big part of learning that, you know, you look at a lot of very famous and successful people. You can you can look at their careers, and I'll say, Oh, I I screwed up here. But that never happened again. And, uh, they make really good decisions going forward. And so I I, uh you know, through trial and exercise, you, you you wind up figuring out, uh, best practices and can make really good decisions.
spk_0: 36:33
That is well said. And I think a lot of people don't learn enough from their mistakes, or they keep making the same mistakes over and over again. And I'm sure we are. We're all guilty of that in part, obviously.
spk_1: 36:45
Yeah. I mean, you know, it's the biggest sign of failure is, you know, sometimes you you have to learn and you can't be afraid to make a mistake. You know, sometimes even when we make Larry decisions and so sometimes you take risks and with risks, Sometimes failure comes with that. But you gotta learn from and say, OK, maybe I won't take that same risk this time. Here. You know the balance. You know, next time, or maybe next time I'll work a little bit harder. You know, whatever it is, um, I think it's the learning from, you know, where you fail that that will help you.
spk_0: 37:23
Yeah, I think the ability to mitigate risk Ah, and getting smarter with your decision making and making more decisions over time is is probably the right combination here, of course.
spk_1: 37:36
Course. And then what was it? Abraham Lincoln ran for office like now, in her 10 times, right. Lost every time that eventually run, the president states he learned he learned eventually how to get through to the American people.
spk_0: 37:51
Yeah, maybe he was the first master of PR,
spk_1: 37:57
but it was someone who never gave up. Right? That's tenacity. You know, the greatest. You look at the greatest athletes. It's the ones that don't give up on Day one a second, you know, get up off the floor when they get beaten. That's the one thing about sports is most of us at the end of every single year, actually felt because you, for the most part, lose your last game. And it's only one team for league that actually wins their last game. And I've been fortunate to be with, you know, some championship team that won three championships. But that means I've lost 2020 something times in my career at the last game, right? So I always say in sports is is it's a very humbling experience because you lose that last game and then you always try to figure out How do I get better so that my my finest hours have always been, you know, after winning the championship game, because then you're like, OK, this is a really good feeling. Then the next day, like Okay, how do I How do I keep this going?
spk_0: 39:10
What, you think the rationale is air? Are they just exhausted after a long seasons?
spk_1: 39:15
Yeah. No, I mean you look you So you have you know 30 Let's say, in the NFL yet 32 teams. And he only had one winner at the end, right? Kansas City Chiefs and even to 40 Niners who went to the Super Bowl. They lost, and I think that's going to drive them and it's gonna drive, you know, they're ordered to York and the General Nguyen choose their g m t be better. And that's what I mean. It's more sports is such a business where you you define success many different ways, um, but it But at the end of the day, they remember the champions. And so I think, what drives the best of them when the best of us and and, uh um, you know, fooling to succeed, like to, like, stand cast. And he's won championships. And but he'll probably tell you just like I do. He's you know, I've won three championships to a major league soccer and one in the U. S. L. And you know, I've been in the league now I think 15 years. So, like this 12 years, I haven't yeah, must have been to the championship game a number of times. I've lost a number of times in championship, but for me, it and I think for the best executives and coaches it drives you toe be better, cause again you learn. Hey, this year in 2016 with Toronto FC, when we lost in the final, um, we felt we needed ah, kind of, Ah, better playmaker. We brought in a guy named Victor Vasquez. We wanted actually winning the whole thing in 2000 cents. So you learn, and then you learn what you Well, it is amazing, right? I mean, sometimes you can look at a play. You can say that's literally what made the difference in winning this season or not. I know for sure is Yeah, you know what? Maybe it's a player that you bring in, just like you didn't you know that person they all of a sudden can make all the difference. Anybody's rallying around the individual, you know where they get better. And, uh, yeah, unfortunately, sometimes you bring in the wrong player or the wrong staff member, and those are the mistakes you gotta learn from, and sometimes it's character issues. Sometimes it's work ethic issues, Alan issues, and that's where you gotta learn and not make those same mistakes again because this is a very unforgiving business. Those those that make those mistakes too often find themselves on the unemployment line. So yeah, higher. So fire fast. I guess that's, you know, this is a tough business. And so I've tried to always be very humble enough to know that I don't know all the answers and tryto surround myself with the best people I can that can help me, um, again, at the end of the day to make that final decision and then, uh, not be afraid to make mistakes. And if we d'oh make a mistake, we don't make it twice and learn from it. Well, this is probably a good place to wrap up. Where can people find you in the team's online Twitter handles or socials? Oh, yeah. TFC is on Twitter. I think it's TFC live on, obviously the Instagram Facebook and we have our own website. Toronto FC got see a the Argonauts. The are the Argonauts dot com and certainly the CFL anomalous websites. You know what's really cool is I've had an opportunity to go back and watch a lot of games and me and the boys the other night, my 20 year old and 70 year old we bought the 2016 Eastern Conference championship, and it was it was great to relive that. So it's a nice that's been nice to catch up on some old games, and we're gonna watch the two facts and 17 MLS Cup final. That's weak. And, um, I've been also just tryingto catch up on. I've actually watched the number of games of my you know, the other teams in MLS. Justo, you know, part of our business is the player personnel side as well. So just kind of see other other teams and other players, you know? So it's been Ah, it's been good from that way to really brush up my thing. And I told this tow my GM and our scouts and their coaches is let's be more knowledgeable about the players in our league and players abroad that were interested in than ever before because we have the team the time now watch so much video and, uh, a number of them of dove into that.
spk_0: 43:59
Yeah, this is really a great time to sort of take take a look at your talent. Take a deeper look right across your entire business, all of the segments of your business in sports. It's quite interesting, because in sports, perhaps this is finally, you know, an opportunity. Thio. See if there's there's any undiscovered talents that has been sitting out there that you'd maybe just haven't noticed in a course. You know, in the business world, it's an existential moment as well, where I think a lot of businesses are gonna figure out, Hey, why do we exist? What's the value that were truly bringing? And, ah, do we need a tweaker? Change up our products or the service's? And perhaps the ones that are doing this deep thought will come out of this whole thing stronger than others that are perhaps the the resting on the laurels Or simply still don't have time. Thio really look and do that kind of deep thinking and work.
spk_1: 45:00
I saw a video the other day. Someone forwarded it to me. It was a guy named Simon cynic, and, uh, he actually was talking about how those companies who redefined themselves right now will be the ones that the most successful when they come out of this because, um, you know, you have to constantly evolve, right? And I talk about this sports teams all the time. You know, eventually your team gets old and you have to evolve with mixing in younger players. And he was saying that basically, companies need to evolve. So he said, there's a five star restaurant close to him that is now in the delivery business, and they never delivered before. They never delivered food, but now they are, and their owner is evolved to what's going on in the world right now. So I thought that was really brilliant that and he was saying even his own company, people who their current job may not be their current job. A month from now or two weeks from now, they may have to find something different, right? I mean, even just just a little bit from Toronto FC side we are. Our chef is preparing. So the players still get two meals a day, and we enlisted half a dozen of our staff to deliver. And so the number of folks have become delivery service for the players evolving and what they can, and to a man, every single one of them was What can I do? And how can I do more? I thought that was great. And that's what I think we're all trying to do is find out what we can do And maybe how we can be a little bit better when we come back.
spk_0: 46:50
Absolutely. And those companies that are doing the hard work now will likely come out of the end of this. Uh, all the better for it. Thanks again, Bill.