Description:

This episode of On Stage takes us deeper into the SBJ archives than ever before, revisiting a keynote interview from the 2016 Intercollegiate Athletics Forum with Paul Tagliabue, the longtime former commissioner of the National Football League.

Tagliabue, who led the NFL from 1989 to 2006, oversaw one of the league’s most transformative eras: four expansion franchises, high-profile franchise relocations, and landmark decisions that reflected the NFL’s influence on culture and society—from postponing games after 9/11 to moving a Super Bowl over Arizona’s refusal to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020, his impact continues to shape the sports landscape today.

In conversation with SBJ’s Publisher and Executive Editor Abe Madkour, Tagliabue reflects on leadership, governance, social responsibility, and the business of sports during his time at the helm. Listening now, nearly a decade later, provides unique perspective: a reminder of how far the industry has come and how timeless lessons in integrity, vision, and adaptability remain.

This is the beauty of On Stage: giving important conversations from SBJ’s archives new life, showing how they continue to inform the issues and debates of today.

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In this episode of On Stage, Laura Ricketts—co-owner of the Chicago Cubs and Chicago Sky—sits down with Abe Madkour, Publisher & Executive Editor of Sports Business Journal. Recorded on October 30, 2024, at SBJ’s Dealmakers Conference in Washington, D.C., the conversation highlights Ricketts’ unique position as one of the few women to hold a majority stake in a U.S. professional sports team. Ricketts reflects on her journey across MLB, WNBA, and NWSL ownership, and how her philanthropic and activist commitments shape the way she approaches sports as a business and cultural platform.

Key themes include:

• Trailblazing Ownership: What it means to be a female majority owner in a male-dominated space.
• Investing in Women’s Sports: Lessons from her time with the Red Stars and her ongoing role with the Chicago Sky.
• Philanthropy & Activism: How values-driven leadership influences business decisions and community engagement.
• Building Sustainable Franchises: Insights into long-term vision, governance, and fan connection across teams.

It’s a candid, wide-ranging conversation from a leader redefining what it means to win on and off the field.

In this special episode of On Stage, actor, comedian, and LAFC co-owner Will Ferrell joins Larry Freedman, the club’s co-president, for a fireside chat moderated by SBJ’s Abe Madkour.

Recorded on February 27, 2023, at the National Sports Forum in Los Angeles, this session offers a rare glimpse into how one of Hollywood’s most recognizable figures became a driving force behind one of Major League Soccer’s most dynamic franchises.

Ferrell shares his origin story with LAFC—from being recruited as an owner to embracing the culture of the club—while Freedman pulls back the curtain on how the team has built one of the most passionate fan bases in American sports. Together, they discuss:

• Why Will joined the ownership group and what he’s learned about sports business.
• The rise of LAFC as both a soccer powerhouse and a cultural brand.
• The mix of humor and humility that Ferrell brings to the boardroom and the locker room.
• What other franchises can learn from LAFC’s community-driven growth model.

As Abe Madkour later noted in his SBJ column, the session blended humor with real insight—a conversation that was equal parts entertaining and illuminating.