Episodes

  • The Real Impact of Golf: Jobs, Tourism & Policy in New York State

    The Real Impact of Golf: Jobs, Tourism & Policy in New York State
    Dec 6 2025
    Golf is more than a game. It’s an economic engine, a job creator, a tourism magnet, and a powerful steward of green space. In this episode, John and Tim unpack the findings of New York State’s new Golf Impact Study with guests Gina Rizzi and Tom Kaplan, revealing a side of the sport most people never think about. The conversation begins with the dollars-and-cents impact: how golf supports local economies, drives tourism in both Western New York and Southern Ontario, and sustains thousands of jobs across public and private courses. But the discussion quickly turns to a surprising and important theme, legislation. Gina and Tom break down how regulation, environmental policy, and rising operational costs are reshaping the golf industry, and why having a “seat at the table” in Albany is critical to protecting both courses and the golfers who rely on them. Golf may look simply like a walk in the grass with a bag of clubs. But as this conversation shows, its impact runs far deeper.
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    53 mins
  • How FloSports Built a Streaming Empire for Overlooked Sports

    How FloSports Built a Streaming Empire for Overlooked Sports
    Nov 29 2025
    What began in 2006 as two brothers with a van, a camera, and a belief that overlooked sports deserved real coverage has grown into a powerhouse that streams 50,000 events a year across more than 25 sports, from wrestling and track to cheer, motorsports, and elite global hockey. FloSports CEO and co-founder Mark Floreani and content producer Mark Bader join John and Tim for a deep dive into one of the most fascinating disruptors in sports media. Mark shares how FloSports identified the “long-tail” opportunity long before streaming was mainstream, building a direct-to-consumer model around the idea that passion, not size, defines a great sports audience. Bader takes listeners inside the culture that powers FloSports. It’s a staff made up of true athletes and insiders who live the sports they cover, telling stories from the inside out and elevating communities often ignored by traditional broadcasters. The conversation dives into the company’s meteoric rise in wrestling, the boom in women's wrestling and youth participation, the growing universe of dirt-track racing, and the massive expansion of FloHockey, including rights to the AHL, ECHL, USHL, OHL, and QMJHL.
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    52 mins
  • The Rise of Olympic Flag Football: Inside USA Football’s Game Plan for 2028

    The Rise of Olympic Flag Football: Inside USA Football’s Game Plan for 2028
    Nov 24 2025
    In 2028, flag football heads to the Olympics, and USA Football is steering the ship. In this episode, John and Tim talk with Scott Hallenbeck, CEO of USA Football, and Callie Brownson, former NFL coach and current head of high-performance for the U.S. national teams, about the rapid rise of the sport and what it means for athletes across the country. Scott walks us through USA Football’s evolution into the nation’s first governing body for the sport. He explains how the NFL’s investment, international momentum, and the IOC’s push toward smaller-team disciplines created the perfect pathway for Olympic inclusion. Callie shares a behind-the-scenes look at building elite men’s and women’s national teams from youth development pipelines to talent transfer athletes and the growing number of states sanctioning girls’ high school flag. The conversation dives into the global surge of participation, the economics fueling the sport, and which countries pose the biggest competition in Los Angeles. The world is embracing a new version of American football, and Team USA is racing toward gold in 2028.
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    52 mins
  • Reimagining the Coliseum: Inside Hamilton’s $300 Million Transformation

    Reimagining the Coliseum: Inside Hamilton’s $300 Million Transformation
    Nov 15 2025
    This week on Skin In The Game, John Cimperman and Tim O’Shei connect with Nick DeLuco, senior vice president and general manager of the newly transformed TD Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario.
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    53 mins
  • How the NFL Became America’s Religion & Why Every Day Is Sunday with Ken Belson

    How the NFL Became America’s Religion & Why Every Day Is Sunday with Ken Belson
    Nov 8 2025
    New York Times reporter Ken Belson, author of “Every Day Is Sunday,” joins John and Tim to unpack the business and culture behind America’s most powerful sports league, and to share why this story resonates even if you’re not a football fan.
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    53 mins
  • How General Sports’ Lou DePaoli Builds Winning Teams Off the Field

    How General Sports’ Lou DePaoli Builds Winning Teams Off the Field
    Nov 1 2025
    This week, John Cimperman and Tim O’Shei sit down with sports business veteran Lou DePaoli, President Executive Search and Team Consulting at General Sports Worldwide. From the AHL and MLB to the NBA and now global consulting, DePaoli’s career has spanned nearly every corner of professional sports.
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    53 mins
  • Inside M&T Bank’s Playbook: Sports Marketing, Brand Loyalty, and Community Impact

    Inside M&T Bank’s Playbook: Sports Marketing, Brand Loyalty, and Community Impact
    Oct 25 2025
    This week on Skin In The Game, John Cimperman and Tim O’Shei sit down with Jan Liebchen, Senior Vice President of Brand Marketing at M&T Bank, to explore how one of the region’s most recognizable brands uses sports and community partnerships to deepen its connection with customers.
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    53 mins
  • Danny Gare on Scoring, Grit and Building Hockey’s Future

    Danny Gare on Scoring, Grit and Building Hockey’s Future
    Oct 18 2025
    This week, John Cimperman and Tim O’Shei welcome Buffalo Sabres legend Danny Gare (No. 18). Gare reflects on a career defined by goal-scoring and old-school toughness, from his first NHL shift to living through the rough-and-tumble 1970s—and why those first five years are the ones you miss most.
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    53 mins