The NFL Draft Hits Pittsburgh, Boston Prepares for the World Cup

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Bloomberg Business of Sports

Episode: The NFL Draft Hits Pittsburgh, Boston Prepares for the World Cup
Date: April 25, 2026
Hosts: Michael Barr, Vanessa Perdomo, Randall Williams

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Episode Overview

This episode spotlights two major sports business events: the NFL Draft coming to Pittsburgh for the first time since 1947, and the escalating costs for fans attending the 2026 FIFA World Cup, focusing on Boston and New York. The hosts are joined by key guests Matt Smith (Allegheny Conference) and Greg Ryan (Bloomberg News), as well as legendary NFL coach Tom Coughlin discussing his J Fund foundation. The common thread: how cities, leagues, and stakeholders navigate the economic, logistical, and social impact of high-profile sporting events.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The NFL Draft Comes to Pittsburgh

Guest: Matt Smith, Chief Growth Officer, Allegheny Conference on Community Development

• Economic Impact and City Branding (04:02–10:31)

  • Pittsburgh expects a significant, immediate economic jolt from visitors, increased tax revenue, and long-term positive exposure.
    Quote:

    “You have an immediate economic jolt, tax revenue, economic impact from all of the visitors. And then from our perspective, the longer term, even greater enhancement is the attention that the draft is going to provide us as a platform… for us to tell the Pittsburgh story.”
    – Matt Smith (04:24)

  • Success goes beyond dollars: "turning the spotlight into a sales funnel" by courting investors and business site selectors.
  • The NFL Draft serves as a global billboard, helping the city connect with decision-makers.

• The Pittsburgh Brand and Community Partnerships (07:15–08:43)

  • The Pittsburgh Steelers’ global brand is leveraged to market the city.
    Quote:

    “When Pittsburgh is mentioned globally, you know, outside the United States, 50% of those mentions contain the Pittsburgh Steelers as a reference point.”
    – Matt Smith (07:15)

  • While fans bemoan not hosting a Super Bowl (due to stadium limitations), the Draft and other events are vital for the city’s tourism and business agenda.

• City Character and Sector Strengths (11:08–13:16)

  • Pittsburgh wants visitors to see a vibrant, evolving city with a unique industrial legacy and strengths in energy, manufacturing, robotics, AI, and life sciences.
  • Focus on experiential storytelling for visitors and investors:

    “We want people to take away that Pittsburgh is a place to build the next economy.”
    – Matt Smith (11:08)

  • Major events are used as springboards for economic development.

• Local Businesses Benefit (13:16–14:31)

  • Bars and restaurants are expected to see “hundreds of millions of dollars” in impact.
  • Family-owned local establishments are highlighted as part of Pittsburgh’s “character of life.”

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2. World Cup Spending and Accessibility

Guest: Greg Ryan, Boston Reporter, Bloomberg News

• Rising Costs for Fans (17:08–19:00, 23:55–25:16)

  • Tickets and transit for the 2026 World Cup are at all-time highs.

    • NYC: $150 round trip on NJ Transit to MetLife Stadium, limited parking, expensive alternatives (rideshares, even a $30k helicopter).
    • Boston: $80 round trip on commuter rail, with infrastructure and train capacity constraints.

  • Quote:

    “A bus trip isn’t much cheaper. And if you’re planning to drive there, first of all, there are no parking spots at MetLife Stadium … you’ll be paying a pretty penny to do that.”
    – Greg Ryan (17:42)

• Why Are Prices So High? (19:43–21:15, 25:48–26:38)

  • Political leaders like NJ Governor Mikie Sherrill are pushing FIFA to offset costs, but contractual terms favor FIFA and prohibit subsidies.
  • Initial host city contracts called for free transit for fans, later revised to at-cost, and fundraising has fallen short.
  • Cities are confronting late-stage logistical and political challenges.

• Federal Support and City Infrastructure (22:07–23:55)

  • Federal government provided $100M for World Cup infrastructure across 11 cities, but it is insufficient for large-scale upgrades, especially in places like Boston (which spent $35M expanding rail platforms).
  • Most stadiums have reduced parking to accommodate security, leading to higher rideshare prices and logistical bottlenecks.

• Impacts on Attendance and Hype (27:10–28:24)

  • Hotel bookings are lower than expected, with pricing and geopolitical factors (including U.S. presidency) affecting foreign visitor interest.

    “There is good reason to doubt that will be the case [of being the biggest sporting event...]. Hotel bookings... are behind where they had anticipated.”
    – Greg Ryan (27:10)

  • The uncertain field of teams may change demand toward the games.

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3. Tom Coughlin and the J Fund Foundation

Guest: Tom Coughlin, Two-time Super Bowl Champion Coach, Founder of The J Fund

• The Mission (31:53–36:51)

  • J Fund’s 31-year mission: “helping families who have a child with cancer,” through financial support (housing, transportation, food) and emotional support.

    “We’re going to make sure the roof stays over your head, put food on your table … help a family stay together when that terrible, terrible news comes that your child has cancer.”
    – Tom Coughlin (31:53)

• Ambassador Program (31:53–36:25)

  • Announcing the first four ambassadors; all have strong ties to sports and personal connection to the cause.
  • The program is designed to grow, recognizing outstanding community members, amplifying the mission via partnerships, and “fighting cancer takes a team.”

    “As this idea grows forth, we will continue to recognize outstanding individuals and to ask them to come on board the J Fund as an ambassador...”
    – Tom Coughlin (35:38)

• Origin Story (38:38–41:23)

  • Coughlin founded the J Fund after witnessing a Boston College player, Jay McGillis, succumb rapidly to leukemia.
  • The initial idea began as a grassroots effort, raising funds for Jay’s family, later formalized into the J Fund after Coughlin’s move to Jacksonville.

• Impact and Amplification (41:23–42:46)

  • Over 6,700 families supported, $39 million distributed.
  • Ambassadors are expected to use their platform for community impact:

    “The idea that you use that platform to help those who are less fortunate is what it’s all about.”
    – Tom Coughlin (41:42)

• Memorable Reflections (43:00):

  • On missing the NFL sidelines:

    “Sometimes I do. I miss the interaction with the players, with the other coaches, with the competition.”
    – Tom Coughlin (43:00)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On NFL Draft as Economic Engine:

  “We want to turn the spotlight into a sales funnel.”
  – Matt Smith (05:14)

• On World Cup Transportation Costs:

  “You might not even be able to have the privilege of paying $80 to get to the game if those train tickets are sold out.”
  – Greg Ryan (25:16)

• On J Fund’s Reason for Being:

  “Fighting cancer takes a team.”
  – Tom Coughlin (34:00)

• On Ambassadors’ Power:

  “The idea that you use that platform to help those who are less fortunate is what it’s all about.”
  – Tom Coughlin (41:42)

• On Missing Coaching:

  “I miss the interaction with the players, with the other coaches, with the competition. I miss that. That’s what I miss the most.”
  – Tom Coughlin (43:00)

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Segment Timestamps

• NFL Draft in Pittsburgh:
  [03:17]–[14:31]: Pittsburgh’s economic priorities and hosting strategy
  [05:14]: Pittsburgh’s approach to leveraging the Draft as long-term branding [08:43]: Steelers, stadium limitations, and economic impact [13:16]: The role of local bars/restaurants

• World Cup Cost Crisis:
  [17:08]–[29:05]: Breakdown of soaring transit and hotel costs, city struggles, and FIFA policies
  [19:43]: Governor’s political stance versus FIFA contract
  [21:15]: Shortfall in private fundraising
  [22:46]: Federal funding and infrastructure
  [27:10]: Hotel bookings and hype versus reality

• Tom Coughlin & The J Fund:
  [31:53]–[43:12]: The J Fund mission, ambassador program, and origin story
  [38:38]: Coughlin’s personal connection and J Fund beginnings
  [41:23]: Expansion through new ambassadors
  [43:00]: Reflections on life after coaching

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Tone and Language

• Informative, Engaged, and Human
• Personal anecdotes, business insights, and moments of humor (e.g., Pittsburgh’s leather helmet era, Michael Barr’s jokes).
• Commitment to both the headline-grabbing economics and the behind-the-scenes community impact of sports.

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A must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of sports, business, and civic impact—this episode gives fans, city leaders, and sports professionals the real stories behind the multi-billion dollar games.

Transcript

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Our aim is always to leverage the

[Tom Coughlin]

global appeal of football.

[Matt Smith]

Having representation in college sports is even

[Greg Ryan]

more important than pro. 10% of Americans now claim soccer to

[Tom Coughlin]

be their favorite sport.

[Bloomberg Business of Sports Announcer]

We estimate the youth sports audience has $3 trillion in spending power.

[Matt Smith]

The nature of baseball is it is

[Tom Coughlin]

worldwide and it is global.

[Michael Barr]

I'm very happy for the WNBA and how the NBA has embraced them.

[Greg Ryan]

Sportsbooks are not going anywhere and sports betting is only growing.

[Jamie Lynn Sigler]

We have a super team running this

[Vanessa Perdomo]

league and this league is here and it's here to stay.

[Bloomberg Business of Sports Announcer]

Bloomberg Business of Sports from Bloomberg Radio

[Michael Barr]

this is the Bloomberg Business of sp we explore the big money issues in the world of sports. I'm Mike Lavar.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

And I'm Vanessa Ponell.

[Michael Barr]

And we have some exciting news. Joining us in studio and officially joining the show as our co host is our friend. You know him, it's business of sports reporter Randall Williams. He just got back from Pittsburgh and you know what? He's tired, but he can't help by looking handsome. Randall, welcome.

[Randall Williams]

Man, that was one hell of an intro. Thank you for having me. And excited, excited to be on.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Well, you won't get any more intros like that from Michael. And that's it. Now you're part of the show and you're not a friend of the show anymore.

[Randall Williams]

Leave it to Vanessa to rain on my parade. Thank you, Michael.

[Michael Barr]

Coming up today, we're speaking with legendary head coach and super bowl champion Tom Coughlin. And we will also be checking in on the high prices of getting to the World Cup.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

But first, we're speaking about the NFL draft coming to Pittsburgh. This is the first time the city is hosting the draft since 1947, and they think it's going to be big business.

[Randall Williams]

Joining us now is Matt Smith. He is the chief growth officer for the Allegheny Conference of Community Development.

[Michael Barr]

Matt smith, welcome to the Bloomberg Business of sports. And you know, I'm speaking as a native Detroiter because we hosted the NFL draft and, man, it was something else. It was a big spike for the city financially. People were coming in and I'm assuming it's the same thing for Pittsburgh.

[Matt Smith]

It is the same thing. We're certainly going to try to match all of the drafts that have occurred before us and exceed them, but it really is the same thing. You have an immediate economic jolt, tax revenue, economic impact from all of the visitors. And then from our perspective, the longer term, even greater enhancement is the attention that the draft is going to provide us as a platform, global platform, actually, multiple platforms for us to tell the Pittsburgh story. And that's absolutely critical for our ability to attract business investment to this region.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

So tell us how you will measure success for when the draft's happening, how many visitors you get, what the economic impact is going to be. And like you said for afterwards, what does success look like for you?

[Matt Smith]

Yes, success for us looks like being able to turn this event, which is again, a global billboard, into attention and then into relationships and building those relationships into active projects. And ultimately, the way that we're going to measure success is have we been able to deliver economic development projects for this region based off of the attention and the Relationships that we've cultivated as part of the NFL draft. So for us, we want to turn the spotlight into a sales funnel. Bring decision makers here, show them our assets, which we're doing, connect them with our corporate leaders and create the relationships that ultimately are going to land a deal. Land to deals for the Pittsburgh market. Cool.

[Randall Williams]

And so now tell me who came up with the term Pittsburgh?

[Matt Smith]

That was the work of our tourism and promotion agency, Visit Pittsburgh, along with many of the partners. So they wanted to make sure there was a draft element and they wanted obviously tied into the Pittsburgh element as well.

[Michael Barr]

We're talking with Matt Smith, chief growth officer for the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. Keyword, Allegheny. Because I have some friends that are in Pittsburgh and yes, Allegheny, that is one of the colleges that is in that area. And I should add to the last time Pittsburgh hosted an NFL draft, they had leather helmets and I saw it personally. No, I'm kidding.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Did you?

[Greg Ryan]

Yeah.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

1947. Right.

[Matt Smith]

That was before the NFL was the current day NFL, right?

[Michael Barr]

Yeah, the hundred, the 100 yards was like only 50. But no, I'm going. I was babbling. But that is a long time and I'm amazed that here's a city that has won the super bowl numerous times and they have not had a chance to host a Super Bowl.

[Matt Smith]

Yeah, I mean, we, you know, it's super bowl is one thing. I mean, we're really grateful for the NFL draft. But you know, it's interesting talking about the Steelers and I'll give you one data point on the value that, that we attach to being able to attach ourselves to a brand, not only like the NFL, but the Steelers. When Pittsburgh is mentioned globally, you know, outside the United States, 50% of those mentions contain the Pittsburgh Steelers as a reference point. And so there's not only a value in us being able to host the NFL draft and with brands like the. A brand like the NFL, but. But to be able to work with the Pittsburgh Steelers on this, which we've done over the last couple of years, provides incredible impact for us in our ability to sell this region because everyone knows the Pittsburgh Steelers and they know the super bowl history and they know the player history with the Steelers. And so there's a tremendous value for us to be able to attach ourselves to a global brand like the Steelers.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

So obviously, like Michael's point, you know, it's a tragedy that's Pittsburgh hasn't been able to host a Super bowl, but there are limitations to, you know, every city, especially when we're talking about northeast cities, and you're talking about an outdoor stadium. So is there any world where you would see maybe the city coming together with the Rooney family to try and create and build a domed stadium so that one day you could host a Super Bowl? And do you think that would be worth it for the investment?

[Tom Coughlin]

Yeah.

[Matt Smith]

It's funny, that actually came up as a question to Mr. Rooney yesterday in his answer about a dome stadium was not while he's living. So I think, I think that kind of put, put a very hard underline on it. But, you know, I think for us, we look at it even even though we probably won't host a Super bowl, we look at these types of events. The NFL Draft, we hosted the US Open at Oakmont Country Club last year from our perspective in the differentiator, differentiating role that we play. You know, these are great tourism events, the great attention events. The differentiated role that we play is we want to activate these events. We want to host, as we've done for the draft, as we did for the US Open. We want to host site selectors. Who are the buyers that we want to appeal to with this region? So we're hosting a group of site selectors. They've been in town since Tuesday. They visited sites that we just left a roundtable with those site selectors and our corporate community and as well as Governor Shapiro, the lieutenant governor, the mayor. And we were able to paint a very vivid picture for them both in that roundtable as well as visiting the sites that they've hit here about what the new Pittsburgh looks like. And what we've learned is when we're able to bring in site selectors or corporate leaders to actually experience the city and the region and see it firsthand, they leave with a remarkably positive impression about the quality of life, the esthetics, the architecture, and also the vibrancy that's occurring in this market now. And that's a really, really important thing for us to leverage when we host a US Open or we host an NFL draft.

[Randall Williams]

It's really interesting to hear you talk about the super bowl because there are a bunch of teams that are putting domes on stadiums, and none of them have been awarded a Super bowl just yet because of the fact that it, outside of having a dome, it comes with so much more. You need hotel space, you need the convention center and all of those things. But going back to the draft, what is the signature thing did you want tourists to take away from this week? Every city sort of outlines and rebrands itself in a different way. And I mentioned Pittsburgh as well. But when people are coming in today and tomorrow and Saturday, what do you want them to leave with?

[Matt Smith]

Yeah, I want them to say a couple things. One is the vibrancy that we all know as Pittsburghers that this market provides our downtown area, the North Shore, which is where the draft is occurring, areas that are really unique, like our strip district in Lawrenceville. We want them to come away with the idea that this is a vibrant market. There's a lot going on here. We're a beautiful city. As we were talking earlier, you know, the fact that we have architecture and bridges that are really unique here and that it's not the Pittsburgh that maybe many people would have assumed, it was based on impressions from 50 and 60 years ago. So we want them to take away that this is a vibrant market. And I think, B, from a corporate site selector or business investment perspective, we want them to take away that Pittsburgh is a, is a market that solves big problems. And if you have an interdisciplinary issue that you want to solve or an opportunity that you want to leverage. Pittsburgh. Our economy right now is diverse. We have multiple sectors that are growing. They all tie into each other. So, for instance, energy, manufacturing, robotics and AI, health and life sciences. The very strength that our sector offers is really where the world is headed. And we want to make sure that people visiting understand that. But in particular, as I said, the groups that we're talking to, site selectors, CEOs, decision makers who are here during the NFL draft, we want to make sure that we're showing them that Pittsburgh is a place to build the next economy. And that's a really important message that we want people and organizations to take away from this experience.

[Michael Barr]

And speaking of the economy, as we're talking to Matt Smith, chief growth officer for the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, two words. When you have a big event like this that benefit bars and restaurants, tell us more about that, because that is huge for all those businesses.

[Matt Smith]

It's massive. You're going to have hundreds of millions of dollars in economic impact once it's all said and done. You've got visitors coming in and spending money, experiencing those bars and restaurants. And, you know, Pittsburgh is a city that has never been shy about our affinity for bars and restaurants, whether it's back in the day, steel worker coming off of their shift and doing a shot and a beer, or to today where you can experience bars and restaurants that literally are steps away from the NFL draft stage, that sit along one of our rivers. And that's a. You know that again, the quality and character of life. And I really prefer the term character of life in this region because it's not just one particular quality of life that we're selling. If, if you come to this region, whether you want to, you're living here, or whether you're visiting here, there's something for you, there's something for you to experience. And we really want people to take that away. And one of those things is visiting one of our many bars and restaurants here. And some cases those bars and restaurants have been passed down through generations of family ownership. And we think that's a really special part of the Pittsburgh story.

[Randall Williams]

That was Matt Smith. He is the chief growth officer for the Allegheny Conference.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Up next, you know, it's my favorite subject. We are talking about the World cup and why it's getting more and more expensive to attend a match.

[Michael Barr]

That's straight ahead on the Bloomberg Business of Sports Sports For Vanessa Perdomo and Randall Williams, I'm Michael Barr. You are listening to the Bloomberg Business of Sports, Bloomberg Radio around the world.

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[Bloomberg Business of Sports Announcer]

OF Sports from Bloomberg Radio.

[Michael Barr]

This is the Bloomberg Business of Sports where we explore the big money issues in the world of sports. I'm Michael Barr.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

I'm Vanessa Perdomo.

[Michael Barr]

And our friend, Bloomberg sports business reporter Randall Williams, not even a friend anymore. He is officially now just part of the show. He is a host.

[Randall Williams]

I really appreciate you carrying the energy on because Vanessa said this is the first and only time I'm ever gonna get this.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Only today, only this week.

[Randall Williams]

Well, I'm excited to be here with you guys every single week. And coming up now we are shifting to the other version of football and talking about the World Cup.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Not only are tickets to this year's World cup the highest ever, but now it's going to be impossible in certain cities to get to the game without spending hundreds of dollars just to get there.

[Michael Barr]

Joining us now to discuss a recent story he wrote is Bloomberg News Boston money and power reporter Greg Ryan. Welcome to the Bloomberg Business of sports. Man, the World cup is coming and I've checked my wallet and three months just flew out. I'm like, how am I going to afford trying to get around for the World Cup?

[Greg Ryan]

Yeah, you're going to have to put those months to use because it's going to be expensive, especially in New York. In Boston, the costs are really, really high. In New York, it's $150 for a round trip ticket out to the stadium, including where the final is going to be played. A bus trip isn't much cheaper. And if you're planning to drive there, first of all, there are no parking spots at MetLife Stadium, the site of the games. You might be able to park nearby, but you'll be paying a pretty penny to do that.

[Michael Barr]

And nearby, we mean Pittsburgh. And I mean, it's going to be difficult for.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

I mean, there's nothing over there.

[Michael Barr]

Well, yeah, I mean, and a $30,000 helicopter ride if you want to get to the World cup for eight people. Heck, man, I can't even afford $2. Man, this is really expensive.

[Greg Ryan]

The interest. Yeah, the interesting thing about that helicopter rise. So that's in Boston, there's an operator offering helicopter for eight people for $30,000 round trip. But that won't even get you to the game. That will get you to a tiny airport about nine miles from Gillette Stadium, at which point you'll have to get into black car service or Some sort of car and, and then get to the game by on the road and you'll be sitting in the same terrible traffic as everyone else.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

It's really crazy. I mean, obviously this is, this has been the conversation around the, the World cup this entire time is how expensive it's going to be, but it just keeps going up. And now with that high cost for the NJ Transit, the New Jersey governor Mikey Sherrill came out and she's trying to push back on FIFA saying that maybe they need to offset some of the costs, but FIFA saying that it's in the contract not to do that as, as per your reporting. Why is she coming out and saying this now? I mean, she obviously wasn't in office at the time that New Jersey was elect, you know, given these games. But is this just for show? Is she just trying to show people that she's trying to do something even though she, she knows she can't?

[Greg Ryan]

I think that largely is the reason. I think it's for political cover. She came out and made those comments. And shortly before the official announcement that train tickets would be $150 round trip compared to the usual $13. So. But yeah, if you look at that contract, actually the original version of the contract with host cities called for host cities to make public transportation free for, for World cup fans. That was modified a few years ago allowing enabling host cities to offer transportation at cost. So if you look at the contract, there's really little to no chance FIFA's going to move on this. FIFA's statement, since the governor's comments have indicated they're not going to move on this, this is going to be the cost for the games.

[Randall Williams]

It's really interesting because I'm holding a FIFA World cup soccer ball right now and the same cost that for the official ball is just like $30 more than transit to and from MetLife. And it makes me think like. And you sort of talked about it, but how did we get here? Like if this is years into planning and there are years that, you know, you could provide solutions. And we've seen different cities, of course, have different solutions and different things. We've heard what's going on in Philadelphia and other cities that you've mentioned and written about, but why did we get to a point where now we're in the middle, in the middle of a political showdown with FIFA in Jersey when in all reality the last in championship match is going to be here? And it feels like this is something that should have been resolved a long time ago.

[Greg Ryan]

I think Part of the reason is because host cities were hopeful that fundraising, corporate fundraising, would go better than it's gone. I know here in Boston, the host committee set an ambitious goal initially of raising $170 million to host the games here. And they've come nowhere close to that. They've only been able to line up three primary sponsors so far. So I think there may have been a hope that if we get enough corporate money that may defray some of the transportation costs. That hasn't materialized. And, you know, now we're at the point where, as you mentioned, we're, you know, it's a few months before the games and, you know, people are just finding out now after they purchase tickets, just how much is going to cost to actually get to the stadium. And in some cities, you know, like Miami, for instance, they still have to make announcements about transportation costs. So in some cases, fans are still in the dark.

[Randall Williams]

And where does federal funding stand with this? I know the Trump administration has said that they were going to allocate some funds to go to this, but I remember a story that you wrote months ago that said there were some cities who were still waiting on this funding. Where does that stand?

[Greg Ryan]

Yeah. So a few months ago, there was a big problem because the security funding that Congress had allocated was being held up because of the government shutdown. And so you have the situation where a few months from the games, these stadiums weren't able to get the security funding they needed. That money was ultimately released. But now on the, on the transportation side, the Federal Government allocated $100 million to help systems pay for World cup expenses.

[Randall Williams]

Doesn't seem like a lot.

[Greg Ryan]

No.

[Michael Barr]

When you.

[Greg Ryan]

Yeah. Split that across 11 cities, you know, consider that some cities, they had to build infrastructure to support, to support the level of service they're going to need for the games. Like here in Boston, the station at the stadium site, it's really very rarely used for Patriots games. It's only used once, or they only send one or two trains out there for World cup games, they're going to be sending 14 trains out there. So they had to build. They spent $35 million, you know, building new platforms and really improving that station so that $100 million does not go very far.

[Michael Barr]

We're talking with Greg Ryan, Bloomberg News Boston reporter, and I want to expand more on what you were talking about. Here in the New York area, they are providing for $150, there is transportation from New York's Penn Station to MetLife Stadium, and that's just to ride it and that's pretty much the only way you can get there. Can you expand more on the Boston side of it and how they're handling it and how much are tickets for? Just a ride.

[Greg Ryan]

That's right. So tickets for train tickets, they're actually the look to be the cheapest way to get there, but they're going to be $80 round trip compared to the usual $20. So four times the price. A bus is actually even more expensive. But as I mentioned, this train line out to, out to the stadium, it's, it's not, you know, it hasn't been used to carry anywhere near this capacity. So, you know, there could be some logistical hurdles These, these first few games for, for making sure everything's running okay. And even if things go perfectly, the MBTA is only going to have space for 20,000 people to get to the game by train. So that means the bulk of the people, you know, it's a 65,000 seat stadium. The bulk of the people are going to have to get there by some other way. But parking is also limited. There are only 5,000 parking spots compared to the usual 20,000. FIFA has a larger security perimeter. They have a lot of activities outside the stadium, so parking is way down. So I think you're going to see people using Ubers and Lyfts and this is going to be a problem not just in Boston, but in every host city. It looks like there'll be significant surge pricing for, for Ubers and Lyfts. So yeah, even, even if you're paying $80, you might not even be able to have the privilege of paying $80 to get to the game if those train tickets are sold out.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

One of the things that I think is interesting though, like with Boston, obviously like you kind of laid out, there's logistical things that they can't take everyone who's going to the, to the stadium by train. But it feels like in New Jersey, I don't really understand why they're, you know, changing the price of the tickets because this is a typical thing that we see at MetLife for Giants games, jets games, concerts, they're used to this. So that's the thing that's very confusing to me. Can you shed a little light on why they think they need to surge this price?

[Greg Ryan]

Yeah, so I think the, the, the reasons out there are, there are a few of them. One, because they're there, there won't be parking at MetLife Stadium. So the parking will be a lot harder to get to the game. A lot of people who go out to MetLife for a Giants or jets game or, or for, you know, a concert or driving out there. And the other reason is because there will be a lot more international visitors for, for an event out of the stadium than there typically are. So people who are relying on public transit, so there will be more people using the train to get out to the game than there typically are. So I think, you know, that's what officials have pointed to is, you know, this is a really unprecedented surge in demand here. So to make sure we meet it, to make sure we're running enough trains, make sure we have the staffing, we're going to have to increase the pricing.

[Randall Williams]

So now I want to get your opinion on something. When the FIFA World cup was announced that it was coming to North America, all everyone said was that it's going to be the biggest sporting event of all time. And as we inch closer, it seems like more drama is continuing to come up. Some of it is being resolved in other cities, but of course, New York, Boston, even you mentioned Miami has not unveiled the transportation plans. And so the question I want to pose to you is with all the hype surrounding this event, do you, do you think the FIFA World cup will live up to the hype and potentially be the biggest sporting event of all time?

[Greg Ryan]

There, there is good reason to doubt that will be the case. I know hotel bookings in, in certain cities, including New York and Boston, are behind where they had anticipated to, to be at this point.

[Randall Williams]

Is that because of pricing?

[Greg Ryan]

I think it's, I think pricing is a factor. I think, you know, the, the president's unpopularity abroad is a factor. You know, I think, yeah, there are a few reasons for that, but, but, but pricing is a big one. I'm sure these increased transit costs aren't, aren't helping things, but yeah, the hotel bookings, you know, they, I think they're, they're a big indication of, of where things stand now. And yeah, they're just not meeting expectations so far.

[Michael Barr]

Greg, I know we're running out of time here, but I want to expand more on that because you had mentioned about President Trump and the latest attitudes that are from foreign countries. In fact, President Trump just said, instead of Iran, how about substituting Italy for the World Cup?

[Randall Williams]

Who did not qualify, by the way?

[Michael Barr]

Who did not qualify and your thoughts on that?

[Greg Ryan]

You know, that's just one more variable here is what teams are actually going to be playing. You know, maybe, you know, if you have a team like Italy suddenly in the World cup, despite not qualifying for a few tournaments in a row. That's one of the more popular teams in the U.S. and so you know that that's one way to, to use demand is, is to bring in a team like that. And I, I could see, you know, I could see, you know, the Italy fans booking hotel rooms and willing to pay the transportation cost to get out to games. So and yeah, I, I wouldn't be surprised if there are, you know, if there are more major changes between between now and mid June when the games start.

[Randall Williams]

That was Bloomberg Boston money and power reporter Greg Ryan.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Up next, we are speaking with legendary head coach and two time super bowl champion with the New York Giants, Tom Coughlin.

[Michael Barr]

That's straight ahead on the Bloomberg Business of Sports for Vanessa Perdomo and our boo, Randall Williams. I'm Michael Barr. You are listening to the Bloomberg Business of Sports and Bloomberg Radio around the world.

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is Bloomberg Business of Sports from Bloomberg Radio.

[Michael Barr]

Thanks for joining us on the Bloomberg Business of Sports where we explore the big money issues in the world of sports. I'm Michael Barr.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

I'm Vanessa Perdomo.

[Randall Williams]

And I am your new co host, Randall Williams.

[Michael Barr]

We call him Pookie. We recently had the opportunity to speak with two time super bowl champion coach Tom Coughlin about a project he has been working on for 31 years.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Coach Coughlin started the J Fund to help families with children who are battling cancer.

[Randall Williams]

They recently brought on a group of ambassadors across the sports landscape who want to lend their profile to uplift the cause.

[Michael Barr]

Let's listen in to our conversation with Tom Coughlin. Coach, welcome to the Bloomberg Business of Sports and you have something that is very important and very proud to talk to you about it. It's called J Fund. Tell us all about that.

[Tom Coughlin]

Well, the J Fund foundation, we're in our 31st year helping families who have a child with cancer. And that's our mission. We want to be there for families who have a child with cancer. We're there in all the practical ways. We're going to make sure the roof stays over your head, put food on your table, transport you to where you have to go. We'll pay your mortgages, will pay your rent. We'll take care of your vehicle. So we're going to do all those things to help a family stay together when that terrible, terrible news comes that your child has cancer. As I said, we've been doing this for 31 years. And we're here today to announce the fact that we have our very first class called the Ambassador Group. The J Fund foundation has an ambassador program starting today. We have four people who are exceptional individuals who have created great opportunities in the community, who have helped the J Fund in many different ways. Coach Juan Logan Cook, Ross Maticek and Chris Snee, those are our four ambassadors and we're announcing that today. And what those people have done, we're acknowledging with gratitude the things that they've done for us over the years. If you take Chris Snee for an example, for over 20 years he's helped the J Fund Foundation. We're recognizing these people, we're saying that they are great contributors to their community. And we're saying that the J Fund is recognizing that, thanking them for being a part of, of our mission and for always being there. Okay? For always being there for the J Fund.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Coach, you know, obviously you started the J Fund from a really personal place. So when you're talking about bringing on These ambassadors, and you've said you've been working with them for a while, and they've done a lot for the J Fund already. What is their personal connection to the J Fund, and how did you get linked up with them?

[Tom Coughlin]

Well, simply by an ask, to be honest with you, in. In the very beginning, when I was the head coach of the New York Giants, we. I had introduced the J Fund foundation to the New York, New Jersey area. And many of our players. Chris was my right guard. Many of our players became involved in the J Fund, and their charitable contributions continue here in Jacksonville with, actually with Ross Matasek, with Logan Cook. They have been very, very instrumental in hospital visits and in bringing the name of the J Fund into the community. And then coach Juan from the Gotham Soccer Club, New Jersey, New York, a champion in his business, women's soccer. Juan has. When you ask Juan if he'll help in any way, he says, where do I show up? What time do you want me there? That's the kind of support that we've gotten from these young men, and we want to recognize them and we want to say that, you know, it takes a team. Fighting cancer takes a team. And these four men are very, very much involved in teams. They know what it is to win and lose on a team basis, and they have been there in support of the J Fund.

[Randall Williams]

Coach. This is obviously the first edition of this. Will there be more ambassadors in the future?

[Tom Coughlin]

Oh, certainly there will be. It will be ongoing as we build the Ambassador program, meaning that we recognize who these young men are in their communities and what they've done to support not only the J Fund, but their communities. And so as this idea grows forth, we will continue to recognize outstanding individuals and to ask them to come on board the J Fund as an ambassador, meaning they. They, whatever they do, they support the J Fund in the community, wherever that. Whatever institutions they're involved in, whether it be just their sport or whatever it might be, bring new people into the. Into the program, that type of thing as well.

[Michael Barr]

I know that when you hear the news that your child has cancer, and it is an extremely emotional moment, I think one of the things that you provide with the J Fund is simply the emotional support. Just talking about it, getting it out mentally, is something very important. Can you take us more through that?

[Tom Coughlin]

Yes. When a set of parents hears that your child has cancer, their world completely changes, and they are in a situation emotionally where they don't know where to turn. They are taken down the hall to someone who tells them how much it's going to cost. You know, all of these things hit them all at once and their lives change. For example, if they are a two breadwinner family, one of the bread winners has to stop work and be with the sick child. And it affects the other person as well. Because now that person may think that they can't do it alone. They need more than one job. They, they, they have to have somewhere to turn. That's where the J Fund comes in. We are there for them, okay, to settle them down and to make them realize that we will help them in all of these pragmatic ways so that they can devote all their time to their sick child, to help that child defeat cancer. So that's what's so important from an emotional standpoint for a family that has no idea how they're going to get through this. We are there to be with them. We say, all the way through the disease and the cure and beyond.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

We are speaking with Tom Coughlin, two time super bowl champion head coach and president and founder of the J Fund. Coach, can you take us all the way back to when you started the J Fund and why you started it and could you have imagined that it would still be going on 31 years strong?

[Tom Coughlin]

Well, if you can imagine, I was the head coach at Boston College and I had a strong safety by the name of Jay McGillis. Great kid, great student, loved by his teammates, great teammate, physical football player. All of those things, all those adjectives describe jay. We played 10 games, came home from the 10th game. The doctors and trainers came to me and said they didn't think Jay could play the following weekend because he was. I said, what's wrong? He said, well, he's sick, he's running a temperature, his glands are swollen, et cetera, et cetera. Well, it wasn't some type of disease such as a cold or whatever infectious. It was leukemia. And it was a, a drastic form of leukemia. And for Jay, it happened very fast. This is, this was 1991, January 3rd of 1992, he was gone. But I, my wife Judy and I, in going through this with the McGillis family, all right, felt that there was a spot where someday we might give back to the community. All right, by taking the mission of helping families who have a child with cancer to the fullest of our efforts. And that's what we did. When I came to Jacksonville, Florida as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, we started the J fund. Not the first year, not 95, but in 96. We started the J Fund. In the image in the likeness and of Jay McGillis, because at Boston College, our players had gone into the community and raised $50,000 to help the McGillis family pay their bills, which neither one of them. They'd stopped working. They ran to the bedside of Jays. They were going to, you know, problems were. Were coming to the surface. There was eviction problem. We raised $50,000 for the McGillis family, presented it at halftime of the spring game. That's where the idea came from. So when we came to Jacksonville, we put this all into being. We started at a very humble rate, which we still are. Very humble about it. But it's because of the mission. It's not because of my name. It's because once people discover what our theme is, what our mission is and how we help families, they're naturally, compassionately drawn to such a charity. And that's what we've been able to do for 31 years. Over 6,700 families to the tune of over $39 million.

[Randall Williams]

That's incredible. You supported over 6,700 families. I wonder with these ambassadors, what sort of impact do you think they have? I think that, you know, all of these people, of course, come with their own platforms, come with their own followers, and are professionals in their own regards. How do you think they're going to amplify this mission?

[Tom Coughlin]

They will do it because of who they are, because of their belief in our mission. And I've always said this. You know, it's great to be someone who the community is aware of, whether you're a player, a professional football player, whether you're a coach, and God willing, you have success. But the idea that you use that platform to help those who are less fortunate is what it's all about. And that's what these young men have done, is they've wrapped their arms around it. They don't do it for recognition. No, none of us do it for recognition. We do it because there's a need in the community to help people who, quite frankly, don't know how to help themselves. There's a need, and that's what these young men will do. That's what an ambassador will do. He'll be in his own community. He'll be there when someone is in need. He'll be at that door knocking to find a way that he can help.

[Michael Barr]

Coach, I know we're running out of time, but I want to ask you, you are one of the greatest NFL coaches to ever step on the field. I know you're retired now, and you're in that recliner but do you miss the sideline?

[Tom Coughlin]

Sometimes I do. I miss not. I miss the interaction with the players, with the other coaches, with the competition. I miss. I miss that. That's what I miss the most of.

[Randall Williams]

That was our conversation with two time super bowl champion coach Tom Coughlin.

[Michael Barr]

Oh my goodness. That's it for today. Thanks for joining us. Tune in again next week for the latest on the stories Moving big old money in the world of sports.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

And don't forget to catch our podcast on all your podcast platforms and go to bloomberg.com to subscribe to the Bloomberg Business of Sports newsletter to stay up to date on all our juicy insights.

[Michael Barr]

You're listening to the Bloomberg Business of Sports from Bloomberg Radio around the world.

[Randall Williams]

Stay with us. Today's top stories and global business headlines are coming up. Right now.

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