Super Bowl LX Radio Row Interviews: Day One

Summary

Bloomberg Business of Sports

Super Bowl LX Radio Row Interviews: Day One

Date: February 5, 2026
Host: Vanessa Perdomo (with Michael Barr, Damian Sassower)
Featured Guests: Michael Irvin, Terrell Owens, Ja’Marr Chase & T. Higgins, Kyle Rudolph

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Episode Overview

This special Super Bowl 60 (LX) episode brings real-time, in-depth conversations from San Francisco’s Radio Row. Host Vanessa Perdomo sits down with NFL legends and current stars to explore the intersection of sports, business, and personal growth. Key topics include player ventures off the field, the booming global footprint of football, the business and pitfalls of youth sports, and the unique paths players are carving in media and entrepreneurship.

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Key Segments & Takeaways

1. Michael Irvin – From GridIron to Storytelling & Betting Partnerships

Segment: [01:12] – [14:46]

Highlights & Discussion Points:

• Cowboys’ Path Forward ([02:35]):

  • Irvin emphasizes the team’s need to blend stronger defense with its offense, specifically with the new defensive coordinator and signing George Pickens.
  • Quote: “You got the tools now to put a defense together, and let’s see what happens.” (Michael Irvin, [03:00])

• Playmaker Productions – New Ventures in Storytelling ([04:05]):

  • Irvin’s production company aims to tell empowering and underrepresented stories—focusing on “real heroes” like single mothers and first responders.
  • Brings a deeply motivational and faith-tinged perspective:
    • Quote: “The more we tell stories and tell the things that are going on in our lives, the more we can recognize the God in our lives...the more we help each other. That’s the whole idea.” (Michael Irvin, [04:39])
  • Wants to use sports as a cultural connector, transcending politics and division.

• Netflix Show “The White House” ([06:53]):

  • Discusses reclaiming the controversial legacy of the Cowboys’ “White House,” once a symbol of scandal, now reframed for deeper storytelling.
  • Uses the “Situation Room” as a platform for athletes’ personal narratives.
  • Quote: “You share stories to help people. We watch games to help ourselves.” (Michael Irvin, [08:42])

• Hard Rock Bet Partnership ([09:38]):

  • First time endorsing a sports betting platform post-NFL career. Notes how this was previously off-limits for NFL personnel.
  • Cites personal connection with the Hard Rock brand and its roots in Florida.

• Super Bowl LX Preview: Narrative Focus ([11:15]):

  • Praises both QBs’ journeys—either for overcoming adversity or entering greatness early.

• NFL Global Expansion ([12:26]):

  • Expresses strong support for globalizing the sport, pointing to the unique energy of international fans.
  • “They don’t leave when the game’s over—everybody’s singing...That’s the kind of stuff that brings people together.” (Michael Irvin, [13:19])
  • Dream team location: Brazil (specifically: Rio).
  • Quote, on Rio for the Pro Bowl: “They were like, boy, there’s so much trouble we get into Rio. I said, yeah, you’re right.” (Michael Irvin, [13:50])

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2. Terrell Owens – Legacy Moments, Pickleball Entrepreneur, and Athlete Branding

Segment: [16:03] – [28:10]

Highlights & Discussion Points:

• San Francisco Nostalgia & ‘The Sharpie’ Moment ([16:07]):

  • Shares iconic memories from his 49ers tenure, including the impromptu Sharpie touchdown celebration.
  • Quote: “It was impromptu...I knew that on the confidence that I had in myself and my abilities, I knew that I was going to score on that on the next series going out, and surely enough I did.” (Terrell Owens, [18:00])
  • Now enjoys a partnership with Sharpie as a fun career full-circle.

• Pickleball Passion & Business ([20:27]):

  • Picked up pickleball just last year (“My own signature paddle”), now a brand ambassador and entrepreneur in the sport.
  • Provides practical advice on getting good at pickleball: “My three Ds...drives, drops and dinks.” (Terrell Owens, [23:49])
  • Reflects on camaraderie and lifestyle branding—Prototype 81’s Cross Court Essentials line.

• Youth NFL & Receiver Analysis ([25:04]):

  • Discusses current WR talent (DK Metcalf, A.J. Brown) and the need for consistency and playmaking to be a true “game changer.”
  • Quote: “There’s playmakers and there’s game changers. Right now, they’re on the cusp of being game changers.” (Terrell Owens, [26:12])

• Global Growth & Logistics ([27:11]):

  • Skeptical about team placement overseas due to travel strain—Canada feasible, Europe questionable logistically.

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3. Ja’Marr Chase & T. Higgins – New Podcast, Athlete Identities & Media Ownership

Segment: [28:12] – [37:22]

Highlights & Discussion Points:

• First Pro Bowl Reflections ([28:33]):

  • Both players share excitement about Pro Bowl experience and camaraderie:
    • “I definitely had a great time...I’m blessed to even say that. Hey, I’m a Pro Bowler.” (Ja’Marr Chase, [28:33])

• Olympic Flag Football Aspirations ([29:03]):

  • Jamar teases his “number one pick” status for the potential Olympic squad, referencing the chance to be “part of history.”

• “Chasing Number One” – The Talk Show/Podcast ([29:37]):

  • Launching a podcast to show lives off the field; move beyond “just football.”
  • Motivation: personal growth, relatability, showing the “more than an athlete” reality.
  • Quote: “People only see us with our helmets on...we want people to pick our brains, not just about football.” (Ja’Marr Chase, [30:06])
  • Choosing Overtime for reach and prior relationship.

• On Learning & Ownership ([33:20]):

  • Both express desire for longevity and family legacy—using the podcast to learn, connect, and build post-career identity.

• Offseason Training & Growth ([34:22]):

  • Ja’Marr: focuses on physical health, reducing injuries.
  • T.: Always looks for new skills or routines to elevate game; emphasizes mental toughness.

• Bengals & NFL Global Expansion ([36:24]):

  • Both want the chance to play internationally—name Paris as a dream destination.
  • If they could pick a location for a team: unanimous on Spain/Barcelona.

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4. Kyle Rudolph – Fixing Youth Sports, Financial Barriers, and Expanding Access

Segment: [38:05] – [50:22]

Highlights & Discussion Points:

• Youth Sports as Big Business ([38:39]):

  • Addresses how costs have soared—parents taking loans or working multiple jobs.
  • Quote: “It’s wild to think about: youth sports has become a business.” (Kyle Rudolph, [38:39])
  • Good Sports has donated $130M+ in resources to help level the field.

• Loss of Access Due to Cost ([40:31]):

  • 75% of parents have considered pulling kids out of sports due to expense.
  • Rudolph emphasizes non-pro aspects: “If none of my kids ever play pro sports, who cares? I want them to love sports as much as I did as a kid.” (Kyle Rudolph, [41:56])

• On Fixes & Education for Parents ([42:19]):

  • Acknowledges hyper-professionalization and says, realistically, it can't be reversed—but mitigation via organizations like Good Sports is vital.
  • Advocates for a parental focus on learning, fun, and growth—not chasing scholarships or contracts.

• Specialization & Injury Risks ([45:02]):

  • Warns about early sports specialization—encourages multi-sport participation to avoid injuries and burnout.

• Flag Football & Women’s Access ([46:24]):

  • Celebrates flag football’s rapid growth and inclusivity for girls, citing his own daughters’ participation.

• NFL’s International Ambitions ([47:48]):

  • Enthusiastic about global expansion—and shares personal stories about playing in the UK and Germany.
  • On international teams: “If the NFL can figure it out logistically, I wouldn’t put it past them...but the path is probably...[to] have every team play internationally at least once a year.” (Kyle Rudolph, [49:37])

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Michael Irvin on storytelling and redemption:

  “Why not take that same name that the devil meant for evil...and turn it into…a planting. You planted me and I grew something else out of it.” (on “The White House”, [07:38])

• Terrell Owens on legacy:

  “When you talk about Sharpie, you gotta think about T.O.” ([20:22])

• T. Higgins on using their podcast for authenticity:

  “It’s just more than an athlete, you know what I'm saying? You're just doing a lot.” ([30:29])

• Kyle Rudolph on the real value of youth sports:

  “The work ethic that sports instills in you is what really matters in life—not if you play for 12 years in the NFL.” ([42:09])

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Timestamps of Notable Segments

| Timestamp | Key Segment/Highlights | |-------------|--------------------------------------------------| | 01:12–14:46 | Michael Irvin interview (Cowboys, business, betting, global NFL) | | 16:03–28:10 | Terrell Owens interview (49ers, legacy moments, pickleball business)| | 28:12–37:22 | Ja’Marr Chase & T. Higgins (Pro Bowl, Olympics, new podcast) | | 38:05–50:22 | Kyle Rudolph (youth sports, financial barriers, flag football) |

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Tone & Style

The episode is energetic, candid, and motivational—balancing on-field bravado with off-field vulnerability. Guests openly discuss both challenges and opportunities, delivering insights in a relaxed, conversational style punctuated by humor and mutual respect. There is a strong focus on personal growth, giving back, and leveraging sports for positive change.

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This summary skips non-content sections (ads, sponsor reads) and intro/outro boilerplate.

Transcript

[Capital One Announcer]

This sports spotlight is brought to you by Capital One. Capital One offers no fees or minimums on checking accounts. Did you know that 1998 was the first year that the Olympics featured a women's ice hockey competition? Team USA, led by captain Cammy Granado, won a perfect 6.00 and took home the very first women's hockey gold, defeating Canada 3 to 1 in Nagano, Japan. Capital One, what's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capitalone.combank for details. Capital One NA Member FDIC.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Bloomberg Audio Studios Podcasts Radio News this is the business of sports.

[Kyle Rudolph]

The business of sports can be intimidating or hard for a starter to break into. We really appreciate when our owners are actually there, you know, with us through the journey.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Teams, ours especially, have been very intentional to diversify at all levels of the company.

[Kyle Rudolph]

I think we're in the golden years.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

For the NFL and college football.

[Kyle Rudolph]

Our demographic reach has continued to expand.

[Michael Irvin]

This is going to be really unlocking.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

The streaming platform for sports fans.

[Terrell Owens]

Sports valuations are rising.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

We'll see when they peak.

[Kyle Rudolph]

You don't have to be the best.

[T. Higgins]

In your sport to make a whole ton of money.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Bloomberg Business of Sports From Bloomberg Radio, welcome to the Bloomberg Business of Sports, where we discuss the big money in the world of sports. I'm Vanessa Perdomo and we're recording these special episodes on the ground of Super Bowl XX in San Francisco. We're going to be speaking with some current and former NFL players, Super bowl champions and hall of Famers about their adventures on and off the field. Now listen in to our conversation, starting with NFL hall of Famer Michael Irvin. Michael Irvin. Michael, thanks so much for joining the Bloomberg Business and Sports.

[Michael Irvin]

Thank you guys for having me. I appreciate you guys having me. And yeah, this is, this is pretty nice to be back out here in San Francisco. I'm with Hard Rock Bets and having a chance to be at another super bowl, especially here in San Francisco, where I've had so many encounters. You know what I mean? I went through this town to get to my Super Bowl. I had to go through the people in this town. So it's always interesting to be back in San Francisco.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Yeah, I mean, I did a different way right on this side.

[Michael Irvin]

On this side.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Yeah.

[Michael Irvin]

Right, right. More analysts, more being an analyst than being a player. You know, you can hate me less this way. It's the best way. Now when it was a playoff was coming to whoop your. Nothing you could do about that. But as an analyst, we're just coming to talk about the game I won't be catching touchdowns, so you could. You could hate me less.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

So let's talk about the Cowboys for a little bit. You know, we got to start there. They missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year. What are they. What do they need to turn it around right now?

[Michael Irvin]

Listen, I had dinner with. With Coach Schottenheimer the other day. I got a chance to see him at dinner, and we were talking, and I really feel comfortable, and I'm really excited about the direction. You know, what we talked about was tightening up the defense and the new defensive coordinator that we just hired and his approach towards the game and how symbiotic those two are working together, you know, with Coach Eidenhammer handling offense and him being able to provide a defense to supplement and compliment the offense. So I really like the direction. I really like the conversation I had with him and the things that they want to do. We got an offense. You just got to make it more consistent. You got the tools now to put a defense together, and let's see what happens. I think it's a good shot that they could be in the hunt for this thing next year.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Oh, interesting.

[Michael Irvin]

Yeah. Yeah. With George Peak. But number one thing is you got to get George Pickens signed, you know, and say we're going to play football with winning offenses, putting up 35 points a game, put defense together. That could try to just slow somebody down.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Yeah. So, Michael, I want to talk about the ventures that you have going on. You just launched a new podcast with Netflix and your own production company. Let's start with the production company, Playmaker Productions.

[Kyle Rudolph]

Right.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Tell us more about that and what people can expect, what kind of content.

[Michael Irvin]

Man, one thing I've always enjoyed is, for years and years of doing tv, is it's telling the stories. And now for the first chance, because of the way things have gone, you get a chance. Everybody gets a chance to do that. Before, it was just a few big networks. NBC, abc, cbs, Fog. So they could tell the story. Now everybody can tell stories. And the truth of the matter is, we're all supposed to be telling stories. The Bible says, confession, confess one to another, pray ye one for the other. In this we shall find healing. That means the more we tell stories and tell the things that are going on in our lives, the more we can recognize the God in our lives, the more. The more encouragement we get because we realize we're all going through the same things. And other people at some different spectrum of some different place in the spectrum or whatever you're going through. So the more we talk about it, the more we realize, the more we help each other. That's the whole idea. I want to tell stories to point to the real heroes. We get a chance to be heroes on the weekend when we catch a touchdown. So no matter how bad your week has gone, what you've gone, what you dealt with, you catch that winning touchdown, everybody loves you, and you get to pat people on the back. I want to shine a bright light on real heroes, like the first responder, you know, so it's not just gonna tell stories? God, no. God, no, no, no, no, no. I wanna shine highlights on, like, the mothers of players, single mothers, players would work so hard to watch, kids to get their kid to a place, things like that. People that we don't that are real heroes and we don't give that hero pat on the back to. Those are the stories I really want to tell.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Wow, that's definitely a different, you know, take for you and different, you know, venture for, you know, what you already are doing and obviously you've already done.

[Michael Irvin]

Right, right. I'm gonna still venture into sports and everything and put it around sports because let's be real here, sports is the greatest, I think, connector we have. We're all so drawn to sports. The only thing we're this drawn to is politics, and it's divisive. If we don't have sports, we're in trouble. It's the only thing that brings us together. It's the only time we'll get over those other games, the red and blue and Democrat, Republican, all of that stuff is when we start thinking football colors. So that's what I want to come in through sports, but bring the real life to the real people and give a pat on the back to the real heroes. Yeah.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

So you also have a Netflix show that just, you know, premiered the White House. For people who don't know where that name comes from, tell us a little bit about it.

[Michael Irvin]

Well, you can never know. You can never not know where that name comes from. The name comes from the White House, the top house. And I like to sell double entendre to the name. But even more than that, you know, first of all, it's probably the most recognizable name in the world. In the world. And think about it. And for what you're talking about is in the documentary, the Netflix documentary, we as a team, or I did with my team, I should say, we had an extra house that we called the White House. It was a little place that we could say we went to commingle at all the time and brought friends to co. Mingle with us and hang out. So, you know, I'm a spiritual man, and I like to not. I like to make sure I'm not running from the pain of my yesterday, but run into the promise of my tomorrow. So why not take that same name that the devil meant for evil and everybody tried to throw on me for evil. And so we're going to bury him with it, you know, and turn it into. Oh, that's not a burial. That was a planting. You planted me and I grew something else out of it. So now the White House becomes something great. And by the time we're all done with what we're doing, it'll be put in their minds as something great.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

That's going to be what they remember.

[Michael Irvin]

That's what it is. But I'm going to draw back. On your own, on your knowing you're going to tune in. What the hell he called it. What? Are you serious? And then you'll tune in and think about in the White House. In the White House. What do you have? You have rooms, right? You have a situation room. Me, Brandon Marshall, the Michael Beasley I had on the Charles Haley. We all have had situations. You gotta have a situation to come sit in the situation room at the White House to tell your story. We're gonna tell the story for the glory. You know what I mean? Everybody know. Let me tell you. You share stories to help people. We watch games to help ourselves. Why do we watch games? We watch games so we can get strength. We see a team that comes back from a deficit, then we feel like there's something. We're in a deficit in our lives and we can come back from it, too. That's what you're gleaming from those games, and that's what we're trying to do. We're going to glean good things and move it to good things in the White House. Yeah. That's a great name. That's a great name. So come on to the Situation Room and talk about your situation at the White House.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Yeah, absolutely. All right, well, so you're here with Hard Rock Bet. Tell us more about that. Obviously, you know, it's not something you could have done as a player having a partnership with a betting platform.

[Michael Irvin]

But it's so good that you asked me this. It's so good that you asked. It's perfect. Girl, you did your work, girl, give me some nap on that. You did your thing, girl. Because you're right. This is my first time working with any you know, anybody in this area, in this field, and it's so perfect. Cause Hard Rock bets. Hard Rock, that's where I had my hall of Fame, my hall of Fame party. And they've always been great. It's home, you know, it's Florida. It's where I'm from. Miami plays right there at the Hard Rock, you know, so the partnership for me was what was simple, it was easy and it was home, it was family. So I'm excited and it is my first time because I've been working with the NFL for years. I used to watch people out here every year come around and walk around with their shirts on, and I could never do it. I don't know why the NFL does that to you. I could never do it. But they were working with the gambling companies, but I couldn't do it. You know, they wouldn't let me do it. But right in the game, they were like, hard Rock, what about me? So now, now that I could do it. Yeah, I went right. You know, I partnered with family and that's what that is. But there's no better. There's no one better right now. And if you go right now to the game, four and a half point spread, Hard Rock bet.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Got this thing, you have some skin in the big game.

[Michael Irvin]

Well, it's going to be a great game. I'm so excited about it. Because when you look at these kinds of defense that don't give up much in each place is there's stuff they overcome. They're great stories to tell. Is it. Drake made this early, having this kind of year and this kind of career where he's jumping into the Tom Brady's and the Patrick Mahomes as early winners of Super Bowls. And you know what we project for those two guys? The kind of career they had or what a hell of a story about a Sam Donald who started in New York, who they shot so many holes in. Boom, boom, boom. You're not good over here. You're no good over there. You're no good over here. You're no good over here. And he holds on to who he believes himself to be and get his team to this super bowl, leaving a wake of stuff, a whole bunch of stuff in his wake. The jets still horrible. Minnesota fired their GM for letting them go. You know, so. So he just, like I just told you, he took all the dirt that people were trying to throw on him to bury him and he turned that into a planting. And now he's grown great things too. So this is great storylines in this game.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Michael, as we wrap up here, I want to get your take on something. A lot of us been. The NFL's been doing a lot with expansion into the global market.

[Michael Irvin]

Yes. I love it.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Would you ever have wanted to play for a team in another country?

[Michael Irvin]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Would I ever want to go to another country and play? Yeah, we went to Mexico, but it was preseason and everything like that. But absolutely. I love when we do this. I love that we're making this slowly, a more world game and not just our own thing. If it brings. If it's the. Hey, listen. If it brings us together in America and when you go globally and I've done those games, broadcasted them and everything, those people show up and they are out there and they love this game, man. And. And. And the difference when it's. They don't leave, like here when one team's winning, everybody else starts leaving over there. They don't leave the game over, and we're still in the stadium. Everybody's singing these songs and the game is over. And it's like, you know, so. So, you know, you even look at how they do that. That's the kind of stuff that brings people together. So everybody, either you vote for that team, you play for that team, you like this person, like that person. We're all singing together, and there's such a power.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

If you had to pick a country for a team, if you would have.

[Michael Irvin]

Wanted to play Brazil. Brazil. You ain't got to play with them. You ain't got to play with it.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Might be a couple reasons for that.

[Michael Irvin]

That's so funny you said that. You know, I got my mouth. I run it too much. But I'm gonna tell you the truth to her is years ago, we were trying to determine where we were going to move the Pro bowl, and I was helping them on the committee to talk about it, and I suggested Rio. My first suggestion, and I was like, rio, let's go to Rio. Let's go to Rio. And they were like, boy, there's so much trouble. We get into Rio. I said, yeah, you're right.

[Capital One Announcer]

Rio.

[Michael Irvin]

So. And they go to Brazil now. You know what I mean? They went last year. Blew my mind when they went last year. I was like, oh, my God. They fought me when I suggested Rio, and now they're in Rio. They went over there. So, yeah, that's one of my favorite places in the world.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Amazing. Well, Michael, thanks so much for joining the Bloomberg business of sports. We had a great time talking to you.

[Michael Irvin]

Thank you. And I like the drip. You look good.

[Capital One Announcer]

Thank you.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

I appreciate it.

[Michael Irvin]

I appreciate it. Thank you.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

That was our conversation with NFL hall of Famer and Super bowl champion Michael Irvin. There's more Bloomberg Business of Sports coming up after this.

[Capital One Announcer]

This sports spotlight is brought to you by Capital One. Capital One offers no fees or minimums on checking accounts. Did you know that 1998 was the first year that the Olympics featured a women's ice hockey competition? Team usa, led by captain Cammy Granado, won a perfect six zero zero and took home the very first women's hockey gold, defeating Canada 3 to 1 in Nagano, Japan. Capital One, what's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capitalone.com bank for details. Capital One NA Member FDIC.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

This is Bloomberg Business of Sports from Bloomberg Radio. Welcome to the Bloomberg Business of Sports where we discuss the big money in the world of sports. I'm Vanessa Perdomo and we're recording these special episodes on the ground of Super Bowl 60 in San Francisco. We're going to be speaking with some current and former NFL players, Super bowl champions and hall of Famers about their adventures on and off the field. Next, we have one of the greatest wide receivers of all time, Terrell Owens. Terrell, thanks so much for joining Bloomberg Business of Sports.

[Terrell Owens]

Man, thanks for pronouncing my name correctly. I appreciate that.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Yeah, you know, I tried, I tried to make sure I get it right. So we're in San Francisco. Like I mentioned, you started your career here. When you come back, you know, I imagine obviously you've been back since you, your playing days, but when you do come back, is there always a certain sense of nostalgia, certain emotions that come up for you?

[Terrell Owens]

Not, not a lot of emotions. I mean, I wish I would have won a Super bowl here. You know, I tried my best. You know, my damned is to do my part to get the team what's been so elusive over the years. And I know the Niners, they've been knocking at the door over the last few years and haven't been able to get over that. Humphrey. But they've been plagued by a number of injuries which obviously you play this game and you follow it, you know that it's kind of like not how you start, it's how you finish. And when you leave, when you lose key players and you have key players injured and playing through injuries throughout the course of the year and they're not playing, you know, to their, to their max, you're not, they're not playing to at 100% level as the beginning of the season. It's hard to win. And I think with them, they have some pieces I think they need to acquire at the receiver position. They have a nucleus of guys by committee. They're still developing Purcell, Juwan Jennings, he's been kind of like their most consistent receiver, but he's not the dynamic receiver, like, take the top off that they need at that position. But when I come here, man, obviously coming up the 101, you know, from the airport, I was telling someone, I'm like, man, I used to look off to the. To the right and see when I used to. We used to drive to the stadium. You used to see that stadium off to in the horizon, but now it's gone. There's no more. So, yeah, so just being here, obviously, like I said, I have some ties here, had some iconic moments and legendary moments. Moments here. Obviously, a lot of people remember the catch that I made against the Green Bay packers. And then also a lot of people remember, you know, obviously, the moment that I signed a shot. Signed. Signed the football with a Sharpie, obviously. You see my jacket here?

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Yeah.

[Terrell Owens]

So I partner with them just recently with that rook of the year campaign. So they got some. Some candidates, rookie the year, Roma, Douze with the Bears, and obviously T. Mac. So they're making their marks on the field, you know, trying to kind of replicate and do some of the things that I did on the field. I don't know if they're doing it as good, but I kind of set the standard. So everybody, like I said, remembers that game. Like I said, it's been replayed over and over. I don't know, particularly during the super bowl year, but throughout the course of the year, obviously, when you have different matchups and you talk about touchdown celebrations, that celebration always comes up and everybody goes, well, how did that happen? Honestly, it was impromptu, and there was nothing premeditated about it. Literally just on the sideline right before I went out in the next series, like, hey, Doc, that was one of the guys who's currently still on the staff with the Niners. Now. I asked him for a Sharpie, he gave it to me, and then I put it in my sock, and he was waiting for me to give it back to him. I guess he thought I was going to either black something out or write something on my, like, tape or something, which a lot of players do. And I'm like, no, I'm good. You can go ahead. So he left, and then I knew that on the confidence that I had in myself and my abilities, I knew That I was going to score on that on the next series going out, and surely enough I did. And, yeah, what was so ironic about it, we had a mutual friend, Sean and I, who Sean Springs, who I scored on. We have a mutual friend, Greg Eastman, who I think does some business work with Sean. He was actually at the game, and there are some lower seats in the back of that end zone where I scored. I end up giving him the football.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Oh, wow. So it came really full circle there.

[Terrell Owens]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Talking about full circle, it's like, so interesting that you have this moment within, then you have a partnership with them. Like, is it something it's like you don't even think about when you're a player because you use it all the time. And to have a partnership with them now, how crazy.

[Terrell Owens]

Yes. I mean, obviously, that's like a running joke. Sometimes when I go places, I mean, I do speaking engagement, and some people want to be creative and try to, like, get the cat crowd and engaged. And I'll randomly have people that come up to me and bring, like, ask me to sign something, and then I'll pull a Sharpie out of their sock. You know what I mean? So again, like I said, it's creative. Again, I didn't understand the magnitude and really kind of in which it's the splash that it's made thus far. I didn't think that it would make such a big deal, but again, like I said, it come full circle. Like I said, everybody always remember, like, Sharpie. When you talk about Sharpie, you got to think about to. You know what I mean?

[Vanessa Perdomo]

So obviously, we're here at the Super Bowl. We're talking about football, but I want to talk to you about a different sport that you're also really into. Really passionate about. Pickleball.

[Terrell Owens]

Oh, yeah, I love pickleball. I got my bag over there and my pickleball paddles are in there just in case they had this, this. This warehouse, this radio row here. I don't understand why they don't have a pickle ball court in here.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

You think there should be one, like, right in the center?

[Terrell Owens]

Absolutely. They should have a pickleball court in here somewhere. Just for, like, downtime of, you know, people are not doing anything.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Yeah.

[Terrell Owens]

You know what I mean?

[Vanessa Perdomo]

But that line would be crazy long, though. People love pickleball.

[Terrell Owens]

Hey, see, I'm giving them, you know, I'm giving them some ideas.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

You're giving ideas.

[Terrell Owens]

And it could be the To Ter Lawrence. Sponsored by Sharpie pickleball court. Are you guys hearing this, you hearing this? Yeah. I'm giving you guys some great ideas here. So. Yeah, but I love pickleball. I just picked it up last year. I've been playing consistently probably right around 10, 11 months. And so I've made some leaps and bounds since I picked it up last year. Shout out to Marcellus Wiley, who introduced me to the sport. You know Marcellus Wiley, he has his own show. He was on sports, something with Michelle Beadle and all them. So, yeah, he played with the San Diego Chargers. We both live in la. He converted his basketball court into a pickleball. And so he has this, this group thread that he sends out to mass, thread to everybody weekly, monthly. So for about three or four months he kept sending me this text to come play pickleball. And I'm like, Marcellus, I'm like, I don't even know how to play pickleball. I don't even have, have a paddle. Yeah. And he's a man. Just come out, learn it, blah, blah. So I went to, I went to a store, tried to find me some, some pickleball paddles and I saw there was different brands. There was Vulcan, Selkirk Head, Yola. I'm like, I didn't know, which, I didn't know what to pick up. And then I saw these high price, these $250 for a paddle. Ben John's name was on all these, these Yola paddles. So I knew him and then all these other guys. But now I'm very familiar with a lot of pickleball players, the brands and the equipment. And I just partnered with CPX Pickleball company out of Chicago.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

So I have your own paddle.

[Terrell Owens]

I have my own signature paddle. So, yeah, you guys watching pickleball enthusiasts go to CPX pickleball.com pick up my, my, my signature paddle and let's go hit.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

The Bloomberg audience loves them some pickleball.

[Michael Irvin]

Really?

[Vanessa Perdomo]

I'll tell you that.

[Terrell Owens]

Do you know the best player in Bloomberg on the set?

[Vanessa Perdomo]

It's me.

[Terrell Owens]

Of course. You wasn't selling yourself, so it's me.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

I didn't really think I had, you know, I played with Larry Fitz, Drew Breeze, stuff going on, you know, it was pretty good.

[Terrell Owens]

You cook, you, you in the kitchen.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

You like, you know, I, I, I like kitchen.

[Terrell Owens]

I would say I'm going somewhere.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

I like the back, I like the back. I'm running cross.

[Terrell Owens]

I was going somewhere with it. I'm like, yo, I'm like, you seem like a lady that like, likes to be in the kitchen a lot for, for Pickleball, that's not a program.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

You don't want to be in the kitchen. You can't be in the kitchen. You can't be in the kitchen. Now, dinking isn't for me. I don't like to be nowhere near.

[Terrell Owens]

So you haven't gotten your dink game down?

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Yeah, no.

[Terrell Owens]

So I have. So in my. I do a lot of speaking engagements and so I always talk about my three pillars of success and there are 3Ds with that. So I have a 3Ds of pickleball as well. So my 3Ds of like my pillars of success are desire, dedication and discipline, but my three Ds and discovery. Pickleball are drives, drops and dinks.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Okay.

[Terrell Owens]

In order to be a really true pickleball player, you gotta master those three to really get your game up.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Yeah.

[Terrell Owens]

So I don't know, you have one or two of those games. What's your. You got the drive? You got the drop?

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Yeah, the drive for sure.

[Terrell Owens]

So you got one thing, the drop.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

I'm not too bad at the drop, but the dink, the dinking.

[Terrell Owens]

So how's your finesse game? Are you, you nice with the hands?

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Yeah. You know what it is? I'm really decent at a backhand. You know, I could get cross court. It's like my thing.

[Terrell Owens]

Oh, I love. I like that. I like that. Cross court. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I like cross court.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

So I mean, obviously also with Your, your brand, prototype 81, you also have pickleball clothes.

[Terrell Owens]

Yeah, Cross court essentials. Yeah. So if you go to prototype81.com I have some performance wear which obviously like shorts, you know, your dry fit shirts, some, some, you know, your, your workout attire and then. But my elevated brand line is called, called Cross Court Essentials. That's, that's, it's going to be really fire.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

I can see that's like fashion.

[Michael Irvin]

Yes.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Pickleball. Is that the market do you feel like was missing?

[Terrell Owens]

Yeah, more of your social. It looks that social club vibe. Obviously your wide leg comfy with a little fashion to it.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Terrell Owens]

Yeah, yeah.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

All right, so let's talk about football a little bit right now. When you're looking at young receivers who are you excited about that you think gives a little bit of that to vibe? Maybe they're not there yet, but I.

[Terrell Owens]

Don'T, I don't really see. There are some, there are some that have the physical aesthetics, but I don't think on a consistent level they hadn't, they haven't been able to do and replicate what I did. Been showing some flashes. So you think of your DK Metcalfs, your AJ Browns, outside of those two, there's really not any big receivers that can obviously, obviously play at every level of the game. You got your short game, your middle of the game, you know, over the middle and then take the top off. I was able to really kind of, I think, perfect and craft a little bit of all of that. You know, playing in the slot, playing outside, being kind of like a Swiss army knife, being multi, multi purpose in a sense. You know, I played out of the backfield a little bit. You know what I mean? Even lined up at quarterback. So to be that type of athlete and then the offensive coordinator, offensive staff, to have the confidence to put you in those situations, to excel, that really kind of shows you what type of athletes you really are. Those guys that I just mentioned, they definitely have the skill set. They just got to be consistent and really just be game changers. There's playmakers and there's game changers. Right now, they're on the cusp of being game changers. But when you're with A.J. brown, I, I wouldn't say he's a game changer because if he was, the offensive coordinator would put him in position to be that. There shouldn't be a play or series where he shouldn't touch the ball. They have another receiver on the other side of him, devontae Smith. I think they should utilize him, him more. But obviously the lack of success that they had this year is due largely because of the offensive coordinator. And I didn't really, I didn't know that because everybody's like, why aren't they. Everybody wants to replicate, duplicate what they did the year prior, the success that they had. They figured that the Eagles would have gone back. I honestly felt like they would have gone back with the, with the crew that they had because they didn't have a lot of injuries, really, to be honest, I think they were playing with the same and not better players this year than they did last year. So they should have been a shoe in to get back to the Super Bowl. But some of the things that played them throughout the beginning of the season that, that A.J. brown alluded to kind of, you know, came back to haunt him in the playoffs.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

When we wrap up here, I want to get your take on this. The NFL has been doing a lot, you know, to expand globalization, play all these other different places around the world. What do you. How do you think about that? Do you think, you know, they're doing a great job with it. Would you like to see a team based in another country? Do you think that would be helpful?

[Terrell Owens]

I don't know how. I don't, honestly, logistically, I don't know how that would. How would, how that would work. How far, how far away? The only thing, only way I could see that is like having a team, like, in Canada, but to have a team, like overseas, that's a lot of travel.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

So as a player, you wouldn't want that.

[Terrell Owens]

I don't.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

You wouldn't want to.

[Terrell Owens]

I don't think. I don't. I don't know how feasible that that would be. I'm sure they could. They probably want to tinker and experience it, experiment with it, but. Yeah. I don't know how many voters, I mean, I don't know how many players would sign off on that.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Yeah. Tio, thanks so much for the time. We really appreciate, you know, you joining the Bloomberg business of sports.

[Terrell Owens]

Absolutely. Thank you for having me.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

That was hall of Famer Terrell Owens. Next up, we will hear from dynamic wide receiver duo for the Cincinnati Bengals, ja' Marr Chase and T. Higgins. So, guys, welcome to the Bloomberg business of sports. I'm so excited to have you here. I'm joined by Cincinnati Bengals stars T. Higgins, Jamar Chase. We're fresh off the Pro Bowl, T. You look like you guys were having so much fun out there last night. How'd it go?

[Ja'Marr Chase]

I definitely had a great time. You know, it was my first Pro Bowl. You know, I'm blessed to even say that. Hey, I'm a Pro Bowler. You know what I mean? But I had a great time. You know, him and Joe made it easy for me, so.

[Terrell Owens]

Yeah.

[Capital One Announcer]

Yeah.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

How was it like having everyone there together? Right? I mean, that's a special thing, right, Jamar?

[T. Higgins]

Yeah, I felt like it was the Bingles Pro bowl, if I'm being honest. You know, we had a lot of weapons over there, so why not?

[Vanessa Perdomo]

So, I mean, you ran a touchback. You ran back for a touchdown last night. Are you getting used to this flag football stuff, Jamar? You ready for the Olympics, you think?

[T. Higgins]

I've been hearing this so much lately. I must be number one pick for everybody on the Olympics team because I've been hearing this every day. If I'm being honest, I wouldn't mind playing. I think that'd be pretty cool just because I watched, you know, the USA Basketball team growing up my whole life. So just just being a part of that as history. I think that'll be the Coolest thing ever.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Right? Because it's a new thing, right, for football players to be able to be a part of that, represent Team USA in a different way, to have the.

[Ja'Marr Chase]

Opportunity to win a gold medal.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Yeah, right. For sure. So you guys came out this new announcement today, really exciting. Chasing number one, the talk show. Yeah, tell me about it, Jamar. Tell me about it.

[T. Higgins]

Yeah, yeah. Chasing no.

[Michael Irvin]

1.

[T. Higgins]

Chasing number one. It's like a, you know, run on, you know what I'm saying? So it's just a podcast for me, myself and to tea to explore and talk about any topic we can and just open ourselves to new things, you know what I'm saying? We trying to do a lot of stuff off the field and on the field. So off the field, we're gonna start a podcast called Chasing no.

[Michael Irvin]

1.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Tell me about why you guys want to use your voice in this way to talk about stuff off the field, everything like that.

[Michael Irvin]

Yeah.

[Ja'Marr Chase]

You know, people only see us with our helmets on and don't really. They hear us in the media. And in the media it's always about football. You know, we want people to pick our brains. Not just about football, you know what I'm saying? Give people a different perspective of what we do, you know, off the field, what we like to do for fun and things like that.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

So, so it's going to run the gambit of just, just all things, everything.

[T. Higgins]

It's just more than an athlete, you know what I'm saying? You're just doing a lot.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

So why do this platform? Why with overtime? Why was this the right move, Jamar?

[T. Higgins]

Well, overtime was, you know, one of the best people, people that helped us the most, also gave the most production for us and more, most of the viewers. So I think that's the biggest thing to help us reach worldwide, especially far as all age gaps. And it's just, it's just like, why not? I did, I did stuff for overtime when I was younger too. So, you know, it was a no brainer for me.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

So it was keeping that partnership going, that family already have.

[T. Higgins]

Yes.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Yeah. So tell me about who you're trying to reach, what stories you want to say. Because you said people only talk to you about football team. So what else are you really looking to get out there that you want to talk about? You haven't been able to.

[Ja'Marr Chase]

Yeah, like sometimes we're going to do like, you know, live, live shows on Twitch, his Twitch and which we're live right now. And you know, just, I might go fishing. I mean, we talking while we fishing you know what I'm saying things like that. You know what I'm saying things that we are into outside of football.

[Kyle Rudolph]

So.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

So it's not just locker room talk. It's not just stuff like that. It's on the mic, whatever you guys are talking about in the headset that you're talking about, like, when you're playing. Whatever. Yeah, yeah. Awesome. So people can expect. What would you say when you're trying to think of one characteristic that you're trying to get people to understand from this show? Jamar, what would you want them to walk away with?

[T. Higgins]

Well, really, I feel like the biggest thing from podcasts is learning from others. Examples. The only way I can relate this is from the POD show, the podcast show called the Pivot with Ryan Clark. And I've been on there, so I can understand the deep conversations that we've had and the other topics that we've been on that, you know, I never sat there and thought about and had a conversation with another person. Especially as an athlete, a lot of times we go through stuff and we don't talk. So I feel like this is another way for us to just talk and express ourselves and have, like, you know, let off steam without talking trash or anything, you know?

[Vanessa Perdomo]

So when you're sitting there having those come. How long are these episodes gonna be so you can really get into those sorts of conversations?

[T. Higgins]

Yeah, yeah, we're gonna. It's not gonna be too long. You know, I'm saying we want to keep everybody interested. You know what I'm saying? You can't drag it too long. But we're gonna have some episodes where it might be cut off leading into the next episode, so it might be like. Like series sometimes, you know what I'm saying? So it's definitely gonna be interesting.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Tell me about the role that media plays in your life t as you're trying to get your voice out there more and the way that it plays right now. Just being an athlete.

[Kyle Rudolph]

Yeah.

[Ja'Marr Chase]

I mean, if I'm trying to get my voice out there, you know, guys like, overtime people, like, overtime people, like Bloomberg Radio, you know what I mean? Just put us out there and, you know, try to get our show to more viewers and things like that, as that's for athletes, like, it's just football, you know what I mean? And things like that, and we just want to be different.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

When you guys started creating the idea for this show, what did other things start, like, turning in your head? Like, oh, I really like the idea of being in charge, owning something.

[T. Higgins]

I mean, Yeah, I mean, we go both say yeah on that, but I feel like a lot of things now that we're trying to get into is more off the field for longevity, you know what I'm saying? We have kids now. We got family got to worry about. So at what day and age are we gonna sit ourselves down and teach it to ourselves, you know what I'm saying? And put ourselves through situations instead of hearing it from somebody about how they did a situation, you know what I'm saying? Because everybody has different situations, and I feel like when we sit down and have these topics and have other guests on, we get to learn from them, they get to learn from us, and we get to hear different universal situations. I think that's the biggest thing.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

So you're excited to not just have these conversations, but to learn as well, doing it? Yeah, absolutely. So getting a little bit back to football here now. We're. We're looking into next season for you guys in your and yourself. Do you have the same routine every off season, or are there things that you do t. That you try to elevate every year?

[Ja'Marr Chase]

Well, for me, I kind of keep it the same. Obviously, you know, I elevated. Well, last year, I elevated, like on my. Know my. I'm gonna say my muscles and, you know, getting. Getting better because I have a history of, you know, soft tissue injuries and things like that. So that was my biggest thing was working on that, make sure I stay healthy all season, which. Which I did, you know, other than concussions. But for me, it's been the same thing that I was doing last year.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Tamar, what about you? Same thing every year in the offseason or try to add new elements.

[T. Higgins]

I would always say you. I try to add new things, you know what I'm saying? That's the biggest thing. Just expanding your game in so many ways. It's hard, but easy. And you only gonna know is if you try in it, you know what I'm saying? And I think the biggest thing is me every year trying to work on something new or work on more than something that I did last year so I could be better at it when the season comes. That's all.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Is there anything you've tried in the offseason that you were surprised about that really helped you elevate?

[T. Higgins]

I mean, no, not really. You know, I'm saying I. I don't know. My.

[Kyle Rudolph]

I don't know.

[T. Higgins]

My production has been good, so, like, it's not like my. It's not like I'm looking at a particular thing on my film. Well, I need to get better at, you know what I'm saying? It's stuff that I want to get better at, but I can't look at my film and say I'm not doing it the best, you know what I'm saying? So it's just about me remembering sometimes of the mentalness when I'm tired, that's the biggest thing. When you mentally tired, that's the biggest thing.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Yeah, absolutely. So what are you guys thinking about when you have to do to get back here next year? Obviously, you guys can do whatever you can, but as a team, when you go into the locker room in the start of the season, what are those things that you're going to be thinking about for your goals?

[Ja'Marr Chase]

Just really playing complimentary football, you know, starting fast. I think that's the main thing. Usually we start a little slow and put ourselves in a, you know, get behind a little bit. I think we start fast and play cop community football. I think we'll be all right.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

So one of the other things I want to get both your takes on as we wrap up here is the NFL is doing obviously this incredible job with trying to expand the game globally. And they just announced the game in Paris next year. They're going new places. Yeah, Paris. Paris is happening 20, 26.

[Michael Irvin]

Me, too.

[Ja'Marr Chase]

I feel like the Bengals like one of the only teams that haven't been overseas to play.

[Michael Irvin]

Yo.

[T. Higgins]

I really hope that's us.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

So they did announce the Saints so far? They did, yeah.

[Ja'Marr Chase]

I don't think we play. I don't think we play the same.

[Michael Irvin]

Yeah.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

So hopefully you guys will get a game. That's interesting. You guys want to be able to play overseas.

[Ja'Marr Chase]

I mean, I think it'll be dope.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

You know what I mean?

[Ja'Marr Chase]

For. Especially for me personally, I. I don't travel that much, which I need to start. You know what I'm saying? But I think it'll be dope.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Yeah. If you had to choose somewhere to go, go to have a team based out of in another country, what would you say? Where would you go?

[T. Higgins]

Barcelona.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Barcelona.

[T. Higgins]

Spain.

[Ja'Marr Chase]

Yeah, I was going to say Spain. I was going to say Spain.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Guys, thanks so much for joining Bloomberg Business Sports. I super appreciate it.

[T. Higgins]

Thank you.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

That was Pro Bowlers Jamar Chase and T. Higgins. There's more Bloomberg Business of sports coming up after this.

[Capital One Announcer]

This sports spotlight is brought to you by Capital One. Capital One offers no fees or minimums on checking accounts. Did you know that the Houston Comets won the first four WNBA championships from 1997 to 2000. The team was led by a big three of Cynthia Cooper, Cheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson, and in 98, they finished 27. 3, their.900 winning percentage, a WNBA record that still stands. Capital One, what's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capitalone.com bank for details. Capital One and a member FDIC.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

This is Bloomberg Business of Sports from Bloomberg Radio. Welcome to the Bloomberg Business of Sports, where we discuss the big money in the world of sports. I'm Vanessa Perdomo, and we're recording these special episodes on the ground of Super Bowl 60 in San Francisco. Now listen in for a conversation with retired NFL tight end Kyle Rudolph, who is working to make youth sports more accessible. Kyle, welcome to the Bloomberg Business of Sports. I'm so happy you're here and we're getting to talk to you this year.

[Kyle Rudolph]

Likewise. Thanks for having me.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

You're working with good sports and tell me about it. Tell me about why you work with them.

[Kyle Rudolph]

Well, I can't think of a better platform to have than Bloomberg Sports of Business because it's wild to think about. Like youth sports has become a business. We all know college sports has become a business. The term student athlete, like I was in college a long time ago and even then, like there was a business to college football. Now it's just insane. And it's worked its way all the way down to youth sports. So I've worked with good sports for about a year and a half now, understood their mission for the very first time at a panel I spoke on in New York City, and it just really resonated with me. And as someone who clearly played youth sports my whole life, learned so many lessons through youth sports. Yeah, I was fortunate enough to play 12 years in the NFL. And not every kid that plays youth sports is going to go on and play professionally. But that doesn't mean that they shouldn't play youth sports all the way through. And on this platform, talking about the business of sports, like money has become a huge issue for youth sports. These parents are, you know, refinancing homes and taking out loans and working multiple jobs because they just have to afford to give their child the equal resources that other kids have to play youth sports. And, you know, over the history of the organization and good Sports, they've donated 100 over $130 million and resources to kids. And it's not just, oh, well, you know, I have an older brother and I've got hand me down cleats that are three or four years old. And it's about providing These kids, not just the cleats themselves, but giving them a new pair of cleats.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Right.

[Kyle Rudolph]

So they can go out there and feel comfortable and be confident to perform to the best of their abilities. And ultimately it's like one of the staggering statistics that I learned getting involved with good sports is it's like 75% of parents consider taking their kids out of youth sports because of money because it's too expensive, just because of money. And you know, I get it, there's the business opportunity across all of youth sports. But it's such a shame when kids don't get that experience.

[Michael Irvin]

Experience.

[Kyle Rudolph]

Because you learn so much about yourself, you learn so much about, you know, working with people that come from different backgrounds. You learn so much about handling adversity. I have four kids, nine year old identical twin girls, seven year old boy, four year old boy. And it's like I love watching them in youth sports. I love seeing the passion that they have. It sounds crazy to say, like I love seeing them fail and how they handle that failure and then seeing them succeed.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Yeah.

[Kyle Rudolph]

And the journey that started with the failure and then they work really hard and then ultimately overcome.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

That's such a professional athlete way of thinking. Well, because like, because you have to.

[Kyle Rudolph]

Learn from people just always think like, oh yeah, you play sports because you're going to be a pro one day. Like if none of my kids ever play pro sports, sports, who cares?

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Right.

[Kyle Rudolph]

Like, I want them to love sports as much as I did as a kid. Because if you love something, like, you're ultimately going to work hard at it.

[Michael Irvin]

Right.

[Kyle Rudolph]

And the work ethic that sports instills in you is what really matters in life.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Yeah.

[Kyle Rudolph]

Not if you play for 12 years in the NFL.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Yeah. It's such an interesting thing. And the interesting point that you're making that it's become almost a professional professionalization at a young age. Right.

[Kyle Rudolph]

100%.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

So how do you fix that? How does the system get fixed, do you think?

[Kyle Rudolph]

Unfortunately, like we've opened this can of worms and it's, it'll be really difficult to fix. I think it's just, it's so incredible to have programs and resources like good sports, that youth sports are what they are at this point. So are we going to be able to put the cat in the back in the bag? No, no, probably not. But how do we make sure that a child who is deserving of all these opportunities has the means and resources to be able to take advantage of that? And I think that's what good sports does. You know, as well, if not better than anyone else.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Do you think there's an education piece for parents in it? Because I think some people don't know what they really need to be doing, what kind of sports are out there. And I feel like I've talked to some of my friends who are like, oh, I think I'm just going to put my kid in aau, not knowing. That's a very high level to be at, just. Just to start. And it costs a lot of money. So do you think there's an education piece there that you can be in sports and not have to spend that money?

[Kyle Rudolph]

Absolutely. And there's a huge education piece, too, on, like, what are you trying to get out of sports? Like, what is actually important for your kids? Again, I see it. I laugh about stories of my kids, you know, being at the rink for hockey. Lived in Minnesota for a long time. A lot of NHL guys, their kids are playing and we're all like, kind of sitting on the side, chatting up, laughing. And then you have a bunch of dads that are, like, expecting their kids to be in the NHL one day. And it's like, that's not. That's not what this is about. Like, this is. This is about the lessons that they learn, you know, teamwork, adversity, hard work. So I wish, you know, I wish there was an education piece because these parents just can't help themselves.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Yeah.

[Kyle Rudolph]

Like, they want little Tommy or Susie to, like, be a professional athlete at some point, and it's like, why don't you just let them be a kid?

[Vanessa Perdomo]

I think there's a statistic that I know it's either 1 out of 10 or 1 out of 11. Parents think their child under the age of 10 will become professional athletes.

[Kyle Rudolph]

So much changes From it's under 10, which is crazy. Like, so much changes from 10 to 14, 14 to 18. Physically, mentally, emotionally, you could be. We all knew that kid that was the best player in our. On our team or in our league or in our city when we were 10 or 12 or 14. And they may have. May not made it to play pro sports. Like, a lot has to go, right? You're very lucky to get to that, you know, top 1% of the 1% to be able to play pro sports.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

The other interesting thing that is a problem right now in youth sports that people say is kind of plaguing the system is specialization at a young age. What do you think about that?

[Kyle Rudolph]

Yeah, I mean, I grew up as a kid who played three sports.

[Michael Irvin]

Would.

[Kyle Rudolph]

Have played more if we had. But I grew up, you know, like we didn't have lacrosse where I grew up, up like it was baseball in the spring and then you have track in the spring. And you know, there's just so many opportunities now to play all these different. We encourage our kids to play everything. If you love it, you're going to work harder at it. You're going to fight through the tough times, the adversity. But we're not just going to play baseball. We live in Florida. You're not just going to play baseball all year round. You're not going to just play hockey all year round. Basketball year round, football. Now it's changed. Back in the day, it was, you know, 10 weeks in the fall, but now there's seven on seven leagues and all these different things. So I think it's incredibly important to play as many sports as you can. It's good physically, develop a wide range of skills, but also you're not overusing the same thing that if you just skate twice 12 months out of the year, play baseball all the time and you're constantly throwing the ball like your body at that age is not meant to do one thing all the time. And that's why I think we're seeing a lot more injuries in youth sports too.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Yeah, absolutely. One of the things that's blowing up in youth sports in a positive light, flag football.

[Kyle Rudolph]

Yeah.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

How do you know? Tell me about that. And about how that also able to introduce it to women as well and girls in football.

[Kyle Rudolph]

Yeah, I think it's awesome. I think, you know, what, what flag does is it ultimately broadens the reach of the game of football. You know, you mentioned it. Young girls, it's awesome seeing young girls, you know, go out there and either play against boys, kick the boys butts, compete with the boys, but have the opportunity to understand a game that was for the longest time predominantly male, understood by men. Men grow up in the game, so men are the ones becoming coaches, front office scouts. You know, you look at what Jim Ursay's daughter is doing in Indy, you know, takes over the team, and it's like she's invested, she understands it, she's in meetings. And it's so cool to see that as someone who has two daughters, they play flag football at school. Like I remember, they come home and like they're telling me about it. My daughters are talking about football. And it's certainly something that I never would have expected 10, 15 years ago.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Right now we're talking about, as we're talking about the Growing reach of football. I'd love to hear your take on this. NFL has done a lot of job about growing the reach globally.

[Kyle Rudolph]

Yeah.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Tell me, you know, what you think about that, about playing in different countries and how that's been able to grow the game in a different way as well.

[Kyle Rudolph]

I think it's cool. You're also talking to someone who played twice in London, once in Germany and was 3,0 abroad. So I never had to fly home after losing, which may change my perception on international games. But in terms of the league and reach and growth in fandom, it's like, we have such a great game and now they're educating others. I remember in 2013, I went to the UK for like a. An NFL roadshow where we were literally going from city to city. Dublin, Manchester, Leeds, London. Just talking about football.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

You ever heard of the sport?

[Kyle Rudolph]

When the ball gets kicked, it's usually not good. Like, that's a punt or a kick. That's a change of possession. Because for them, like, they just cheered when the ball gets kicked. That's what they're used to.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Yeah, yeah.

[Kyle Rudolph]

And so it's been really cool to see ultimately, like, again, we're here to talk about the business of sports. How much room, you know, unless another Taylor Swift phenomenon is going to hit the NFL and bring new viewers in America to the NFL, like, the NFL market is tapped.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

It's pretty.

[Kyle Rudolph]

So how do you grow big enough here? Yeah, global. So I think there's nine international games next year. Going to Australia, going to Paris, multiple, you know, new stop. I think they're in Brazil again, like, just really, really cool places. Yeah, I loved all my trips abroad. I thought they were a ton of fun.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

So you, as someone who's played in multiple and played in three and in different countries, do you think that there's a feasibility that a team could be based overseas?

[Kyle Rudolph]

Logistically, that's the hard one. I know there's been a ton of talk about a team in London and, you know, can you do it with, like, is there kind of a home base here where maybe they come over here for four weeks and they're not flying back and forth? And if the NFL can figure it out logistically, I wouldn't put it past them, but, you know, I think the path is probably going to be more. So do we add another game to the regular season? So now we're playing 18 games. Every team will play internationally at least once a year. So you're still bringing 17, 18 games internationally, but it's not just one team. Whose home base is there?

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Kyle, thanks so much for joining Bloomberg Business Sports. It was great to talk to you.

[Kyle Rudolph]

Thanks for having me.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

That was retired NFL player Kyle Rudolph. And that does it for the first first day here on Radio Row at Super Bowl 60. Keep checking in on the feed all week for all super bowl related content.