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In our continuing series, SportsBusiness Daily/SportsBusiness Journal asks top sports personalities for their thoughts, ideas, aspirations and likes. Today, Home Team Marketing President & Co-Founder
P
ETER FITZPATRICK
.
What I Like...
An insight: Hard work pays off -- really!
An influential person in my career: My wife has influenced it more than anyone by making it possible with our family. Professionally, I've worked with some great people who I learned lots from: My dad, DAN DONNELLY (heads Starcom MediaVest Group's Coke team), STEVE MARGOSIAN (NBC Sports Group), ROY SEINFELD (Big Ten Network), SCOTT MALAGA (Chicago Fire).
An out-of-the-box idea: Dallas Cowboys launching their own apparel brand.
A timeless idea: High school sports, football stadiums packed on Friday nights.
A business deal: Time Warner-L.A. Lakers deal, Office of National Drug Control Policy's campaign into high schools, getting the Browns back to Cleveland!
A sports facility: Pro -- Progressive Field; high school -- Warren G. Harding Mollenkopf Stadium, Warren, Ohio.
A sports event: The Kentucky Derby.
A strategy: Be relentless.
A hire: Our dad.
A brand: Coke, Ralph Lauren, the NFL.
A trend: Going more local.
An innovation: The airplane -- still don't get it! In sports, better headgear.
A pro league or team business initiative: Cleveland Cavaliers post-LeBron efforts.
A story that bears watching: Continuing lack of funding with high school sports.
An idea or invention I wish I had thought of: Putting water in a bottle and selling it.
A fantasy job: Rock star for a day, sold-out stadium.
What I Like About...
My job: It's our own creation. We're not the spin-off of a big media or sports marketing company.
Sports: Teaches teamwork, respect, camaraderie.
Sports business: How can't you like working in sports?
Sports media: Changing every day. No one is smart enough to know the future.
Sports technology: Ditto.
Competing: Teaches you a lot about yourself.
The future of sports business: That it's happening now, and we can affect it.
Sports fans: Create so much community/civic pride.
What I’d Like To...
Change: Rising costs everywhere in big-time sports.
Change in what I do: Eat healthier.
See: Italy with my wife.
See more of in sports: Telling it like it is, a la CHARLES BARKLEY.
See more of in sports business: Focus on youth sport funding.
See less of in sports: Hugging at half court, pay to play.
See less of in sports business: Self-important people.
See different: A better example set by professional athletes on and off the field. Whether they like it or not, kids emulate them and pay close attention to their actions.
Eliminate: The Yankees (but keep [DEREK] JETER around), half the TV timeouts in NFL games.
What I Don’t Like...
In general: Snakes, loose dogs (from my paperboy days).
Pet peeve: Rudeness, clueless drivers, politics getting in the way.
In sports: Strikes and lockouts. Are you kidding me? Isn't there more than enough to go around?
In business: Intimidation tactics, lip service with no action.
About sports fans: Drunken idiots. I'd like to bring my kids to the game!
What I Like...
In people: Family and co-workers. I spend my whole life with them!
That would surprise those who know me: Some “OPRAH” shows and paging through People to watch the movie star train wrecks (after my wife puts it down)!
Above all else: My wife and four kids, my entire family.
About myself: I try to live an honest life.
Heroes: Parents, and those many people who dedicate their lives to help the suffering.
Players: JOSH CRIBBS, JOE THOMAS, Derek Jeter.
Teams: Browns, Indians, Cavs, St. Ignatius High School, Glenville High School.
City: Cleveland.
Possession: Letters from my kids and wife.
Memento: Pictures from wedding, kids births, brothers and family growing up.
Time of year: Summer leading into fall, because weather is still good and high school football is coming.
Music: VAN MORRISON, Led Zeppelin.
Books: “Trinity” by LEON URIS, “The Gemini Contenders,” by ROBERT LUDLUM.
Authors: LEON URIS, JOHN GRISHAM, ROBERT LUDLUM.
Magazines: People, SBJ!
Web sites: ESPN.com, TwinSpires.com.
Gadgets: Huge commercial-powered leaf vacuum for the fall. My neighbors (guys) are envious.
IPad app: E-mail, Angry Birds, Cover Orange.
Chores: Yardwork.
Hobbies: Coaching kids, playing with them, my garden, golf when possible!
Trips: Myrtle Beach, S.C., with my wife and kids, Notre Dame football game with my grandfather and family years ago, 1984 family vacation to the USA Basketball Trials ([MICHAEL] JORDAN, [Charles] Barkley, [PATRICK] EWING, DANNY MANNING as a high schooler, etc.).
Movies: “The Hangover,” “Wedding Crashers,” “The Shawshank Redemption,” “Saving Private Ryan.”
TV: “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Modern Family.”
Concerts: The Who, ELTON JOHN, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN.
Artist: I have no interest in paintings, but am in awe of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel (never seen in person).
Food: Buffets, love the selection. Meat, seafood, breakfast, lunch and dinner!
Dessert: Vanilla ice cream on a steaming hot brownie.
Drink: Ice-cold Coke, Christmas Ale from Great Lakes Brewing Co.
Scent: Burning leaves on a crisp fall night.
Vacation spots: Jersey (Long Beach Island), western Ohio on the shore of Lake Erie.
Cars: American brands.
Aftershave: Never.
Singer: Van Morrison, EMINEM.
Quote: “Cheers.”
