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00:00Nick Barlage joins us on the show. He's the CEO of the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Cleveland Monsters,
00:04Rock Entertainment. He's got a lot of hats, he has a lot of jobs, but CEO's at the beginning of
00:08it.
00:09Nick, thank you very much for joining us in studio here.
00:10Yeah, thank you for having me.
00:12Playoffs start on Saturday for us, 1pm, and there's been a lot of people who have gone after Anthony,
00:18to a lesser degree me, because this has been a season where Lyme has done a lot of challenging other
00:23hosts
00:23about their excitement for the season, but still, 187 consecutive sellouts over there at Rocket Arena
00:29for Cavaliers basketball. That's a hell of a number, Nick.
00:31It is, it is. We are, you know, we are in a great era of Cavaliers basketball, and we do
00:37feel like,
00:38you know, we are positioned to be able to really make some noise and make an impact in the postseason.
00:43That's what we've been building for. You know, last year, the regular season was so smooth,
00:47so elegant, was so beautiful, and then come playoffs, we ran into some turbulence.
00:51And this year, I think this year, the regular season's a little bit opposite.
00:54It's been a little bit of a scatterplot, but we are coming together at the right time.
00:58We're healthy, and we could not be more excited to have home court to get us going on Saturday.
01:03Well, there was a time, yeah, 33 games into the year, I think you guys were 17 and 16.
01:07We were, you're right.
01:08And I came on the air, sat in this chair, and said, most disappointing team in basketball.
01:12And think of how things have changed for this team.
01:15Now, unfortunately, the injuries didn't change.
01:17Like, you guys have been as banged up as any team in the NBA, I think, by salary.
01:22It's second most, just to kind of gauge the impact.
01:25But here you are, at the end of the year, like, I could not have dreamt up a better path.
01:30I know that means nothing to some fans until it's actually proven on the court.
01:34I couldn't have come up with a better runway for this team to be able to make a deep run
01:38as the weather gets nicer than what is set up right now for the Cavs.
01:42Yeah, look, I think as you look at it, that adversity early on, I mean, to be one game
01:46above 500, you're absolutely right, with a north of $400 million payroll.
01:50Trust me, we weren't happy either.
01:53And you were right for all the words that you said.
01:57We follow you, and I follow you, and I wasn't disagreeing with anything that you guys were
02:00making comments on.
02:01But I think when you look at that adversity, as you distill that out into what today is,
02:06it's created opportunity for us.
02:08It's created the ability for other guys to be able to play, other guys to get more run
02:13in.
02:13And now as you look at it, we have a depth, we have health, and we're well positioned to
02:19be able to really withstand any of the challenge that may come at us.
02:22We have this saying internally, don't look at things for the challenge that they create,
02:26but look at them for the opportunity that they present.
02:28And we firmly believe that that's what this regular season has built for us as we get ready
02:33for a postseason run.
02:36Obviously, Saturday at 1 o'clock, is it?
02:391 o'clock?
02:39That's right.
02:40You guys will kick off the NBA playoffs, and this place is going to be rocking like it always
02:46is.
02:46I know there's always some anxiety about an afternoon game, are guys going to come out
02:51slow?
02:51And we saw that at times this year, sometimes veteran teams.
02:54But I feel like given a week and everything this team has dealt with, and now they're finally
02:58healthy, I feel like in front of those fans, they're going to be able to lock in.
03:02Yeah, I couldn't agree more.
03:03You know, the atmosphere, we have the best home court in all of sports, and that's a
03:07tribute to our great fans here in Northeast Ohio.
03:09And we always have some wonderful surprises.
03:12You know, we have Dan, our chairman, we always sit down at the end of every regular season,
03:17we map out a bunch of new toys and tricks that we're going to have for the playoffs.
03:21And this year is going to be, it's going to be lit.
03:24It's going to be exciting, and the atmosphere is going to be raucous, and we can't wait to
03:28get started.
03:29How has the year been for both entities when it comes to the teams?
03:33I mean, Cleveland Monsters as well, obviously always at the top of the attendance as well.
03:37It seems that people have a real passion to go into the building and enjoy either one of
03:40the teams that you are in charge of.
03:42Yeah, I appreciate you calling that out.
03:44Look, this is the first year, and it's been 14 years, that the Charge, the Monsters, and
03:50the Cavs all made the playoffs.
03:51And so winning creates this kind of amplification or this momentum within our business.
03:57And, you know, the Charge, they should have won their first playoff game against the, I
04:01think it was the Go-Go City.
04:02And, you know, it was a close game.
04:05We actually were leaning the whole game, and we lost last minute.
04:08And then the Monsters are a couple days behind us, so they've got their fan salute on Sunday
04:11at Rocket Arena.
04:13And for us, you know, really, especially on the business side, it's about creating this
04:17experientially driven economy where we're just bringing people downtown every day of the
04:21week, every day of the year, in a way to pull for their different teams.
04:25And the great part about it, the Monsters fan base is a little bit different than the
04:28Cavs fan base.
04:29The WNBA fan base we're seeing is significantly different than those fan bases as well.
04:33And so for us, it's really about how do we continue to bring this great community together?
04:37Speaking of that, yeah, I mean, you saw Golden State, they started their franchise just last
04:41year.
04:42Portland, I believe, is starting this year, if I'm not mistaken.
04:46Are you taking anything from them about how the Cleveland franchise starts, what,
04:502028, if I'm not mistaken?
04:522028.
04:52Yeah, well, it'll be here before you know it.
04:54But we are.
04:55We're students of all of those things, Ken, and we really look at, you know, what they've
04:59done on the court, but also off the court.
05:01We have been building the business.
05:03Our group will continue to grow in scale as of July of this upcoming year.
05:07And we're really starting to focus on how we build out the basketball operations side
05:10of the house for us.
05:11We should have some announcements.
05:12Our goal is by the end of this calendar year to really be able to start to build that team
05:16out.
05:17That'll support the team on the court.
05:18And then, obviously, we've got expansion draft and all those things, which will come in
05:21January, you know, first quarter of 2028.
05:24So we are all over this thing.
05:26I will tell you the amazing thing about the WNBA right now is it is on such a trajectory
05:33that every time we put something out there, it goes viral.
05:36I mean, we cannot wait.
05:37We're going to launch our brand here later this summer.
05:40And it will be one of those moments that I think will really take Cleveland to the world
05:44in a very, very, very positive way.
05:45But we are all over it, and we continue to study it every single day.
05:49And we could not.
05:49We're thrilled to be in that business.
05:51Is it harder to find?
05:52And I know that we're still in the real early phases of this.
05:56But, like, finding the right basketball people for a sport that has 14 teams right now?
06:01Yeah.
06:0216 as it started this year.
06:0316.
06:04So, I mean, that's half of what the NBA has.
06:06And the NBA is looking like they're going to have 32 here pretty soon.
06:09And to me, it's like, well, that might be more difficult to find the talent for 32 teams
06:14as it would be to be 16.
06:16But it's like you have such a tight group that there's great college basketball players
06:22that we know about, and they're not WNBA worthy.
06:25And I'm thinking that job has to be so much more difficult than it is even in the NBA
06:28to find everything else with the system that the NBA has.
06:31Yeah, it's a great point.
06:32But the thing I would point to is, you know, think about when, like, the LeBrons and the KDs
06:37and that kind of genre and band of players came in, that's the exact type of elevation
06:42of talent you're seeing with the Pages and the Age of Fudges and soon to be the Juju Watkins.
06:48You know, that's kind of the Caitlin Clarks, obviously, in previous years.
06:51We're in that really that kind of golden era of unique unicorn-like talent in the WNBA.
06:56And so you've got to think that's also going to breed future generations of players
07:00and future pipeline of talent.
07:02And so, and by the way, we were just out in Phoenix for the Women's Final Four last weekend,
07:05Kobe and myself, and we spent a ton of time.
07:08And the international game on the women's side is growing at such a remarkable rate.
07:13And so you start looking at all of these things, there's going to be a pipeline of talent.
07:16And I think the great news is for us here in Cleveland, with a chairman like Dan,
07:21the people that are going to be running the basketball side for us,
07:24they're going to have all the resources in the world.
07:25They're going to have some of the best facilities in the world.
07:27It is an attractive job.
07:29People want this job.
07:30And that, to us, was so rewarding, but also so reinforcing that we're doing this
07:35at the right time for the right sport and for the right city and for the right region.
07:39So when somebody like Bill Simmons, who has his voice amplified to where it is,
07:45say he thinks the WNBA expansion is, quote, staggeringly stupid, how do you react to that?
07:51Because I couldn't believe that somebody as smart as Bill, with all the numbers that are out there,
07:56with the way the league is ascending and women's sports in general,
08:00and the way that there seems to be a mass of people that want this stuff,
08:05how is it that somebody could think that expansion doesn't make sense right now?
08:08Yeah, I think in that scenario, that falls in the bucket of ignore the noise for us.
08:13You know, to me, love Bill and love what he reports on.
08:17And look, he's a renowned journalist in a lot of ways.
08:20Look, these will be billion-dollar franchises within the next seven to eight years.
08:24And so anybody that doesn't think expansion works in the WNBA right now,
08:28I don't understand where they're getting it from.
08:30The other part of it is you need more critical mass, more teams to create more games,
08:35more opportunities, more jobs for athletes.
08:38Like, it doesn't happen without more volume, right?
08:40And so for us, we really think the growth of women's sports,
08:44and specifically the WNBA, is still in like the first or second inning,
08:47to use a baseball analogy.
08:48I mean, we think this thing's got a long way to go yet.
08:50And when you look at viewership, I mean, look, I'll give you one example.
08:54Last year, Sunday night, Sunday afternoon, the dream opened up against the Fever.
09:00Kaitlin Clark versus Angela Reese at four, I think it was four o'clock tip,
09:04did 1.8 million viewers on television.
09:06Yankees Red Sox followed it.
09:08Sunday night baseball did 1.4 million viewers.
09:12So you think about that.
09:13Like, that shows you the power of women's sports.
09:16Now, that is a pinnacle, peak-on-peak, home-opener, Kaitlin Clark versus Angela Reese type of thing.
09:21But five years ago, we were never talking about that.
09:24It was not even in the same zip code, you know?
09:26And so, like, to me, that's all growth, and that's all upside.
09:30And I do think sometimes people are entitled to their own opinions,
09:33but I just think you've got to ignore the noise in that situation
09:35because the growth of the game is real, it's sustainable,
09:38and it's going to be here for a long time.
09:40Nick Barlage joined us in studio with the Cavs.
09:42So you talked about growth.
09:44How about a lot of the development that's going on down here on the riverfront?
09:48It's something that, you know, Dan Gilbert has made it a big priority,
09:52and we've seen it.
09:54We've seen the cranes.
09:55We've seen stuff, you know, coming along,
09:57and now COSM, the groundbreaking, on Thursday.
10:00So tell us a little more about, you know, where we're at right now.
10:03Yeah, you know, look, we've been busy.
10:04We have been busy.
10:06Our focus is really how can we revitalize this urban core within the next,
10:10by the end of this decade.
10:11And so COSM, we break ground on Thursday.
10:14It'll open by football season of 2027, which we think is going to be just,
10:19it is a thrill and an honor for us to have the fifth location in the world
10:24right here in Cleveland, Ohio.
10:25The fourth will be in Detroit, Michigan,
10:27which for us it's really about how do we continue to shine a bright light
10:31and a spotlight onto these great American cities,
10:34and that's the work that we're focused on.
10:36But, you know, COSM's a world-class immersive experience
10:39that nobody's ever seen anything like it.
10:42And for us to be able to bring it to Cleveland,
10:44we are thrilled to be able to break ground.
10:45It'll shoot out of the ground.
10:46I mean, now that we've got all the work done underneath,
10:49it'll shoot out of the ground and be really only about an 18-month build process
10:51for us to get that thing up and running.
10:53We have a Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center,
10:56which we move into in February of next year.
10:58And then an amphitheater we just announced in partnership with Live Nation
11:00that we'll move into in May of 2028.
11:02So for us, we've got all these things hitting.
11:05And it's really about, once again, it's about how do we bring,
11:08our goal is to bring 5 million people to the Gateway District
11:12by the end of this decade on an annual basis.
11:15And the economic impact that comes from that is it creates so much growth for our city.
11:20And I think the other part that people underappreciate in this
11:22is it creates footfall, it creates volumes of people,
11:25and it creates more safety.
11:26And for us, that is so important to be able to really make sure
11:29we're pouring and breathing more life into this city
11:32because we need it right now.
11:34You know, we need it, and we're seeing our footfall numbers have dropped
11:37and they haven't totally recovered from COVID.
11:39And we think through these strategic investments,
11:41we'll be right back on track.
11:43How important?
11:44It's obviously very important,
11:45but what's been kind of the pushing values of being an event city?
11:50I mean, you're from the Midwest,
11:51and when people in the Midwest, they hear about change,
11:53it's usually not great change, so they're usually very skeptic of it.
11:56But, I mean, we're talking about COSM,
11:57which some people may not know.
11:59It's a giant immersive experience,
12:02unlike anything I think I've ever seen.
12:05200 and some odd thousand square feet
12:06when it comes to the training facility that you have,
12:09the amphitheater and everything.
12:10How important is it?
12:11I know you guys have worked very closely with the people downtown
12:14to make this an event hub for people throughout the Midwest
12:18as they go through whatever travels they may be going through.
12:21Yeah, look, it's a great question, Ken.
12:22I think, you know, when we studied this a couple years ago
12:24before we got ready to do all of this work,
12:26what you realize when you study, whether it's Cleveland or Detroit
12:30or these great cities,
12:31the people that live here in the region,
12:34they have a passion for entertainment.
12:37They have a passion for sports that's really unrivaled
12:40anywhere in the entire world.
12:41And so for us, it was how do we play to our strengths?
12:44You know, we could sit around and wait for the next big headquarters
12:47to move into downtown Cleveland,
12:48or we could create our own momentum.
12:50And for us, we know this space fairly well.
12:52We're not perfect in it at all times,
12:54but we work extremely hard at it.
12:56And it was like, how can we take and play strength on strength
12:59with the region we have here,
13:01the people, their affinity for not only their teams,
13:03but also for sports and entertainment in general.
13:06And you think about it,
13:07we're the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
13:08We're the home of the second largest arts and theater district
13:10in the country.
13:11And so you start putting these things together,
13:13it's not by chance.
13:15It's because people care, they invest,
13:17and they're willing to vote with their wallet.
13:19And that is something that we really want to harness
13:21and make the most of for the betterment of our community
13:23at the end of the day.
13:24You know, I do want to ask,
13:25because in some corners of the internet,
13:27you would think the NBA is at an all-time crisis level.
13:30I know we've been immune to it
13:31because we're not one of the 20 teams
13:34apparently tanking for this draft.
13:37But we've seen so many guys missing games
13:40and so many questionable lineups down the stretch.
13:44What is Dan's take on this?
13:47The Cavs, how do they feel about the NBA season
13:50at 82 games and just what we're seeing
13:52with so many teams, you know,
13:54the last month of the year not really trying to win?
13:56Yeah, I think, you know, look, for us,
13:57we want to put our best foot forward every night
14:00for our fans.
14:01We want the greatest chance to win every single night.
14:04And I think you see it reflected in that.
14:07For the most part, you know,
14:08I think our guys, they care,
14:09and they really care about making sure
14:11that they're out there for our fans in our city.
14:13Look, I wouldn't say this isn't as much of a Dan thing.
14:15This is much more of an Adam Silver thing.
14:17He was driving this at the league level.
14:19And I think Adam's right.
14:21I think Adam is really focused
14:22on protecting the integrity of the game
14:24for all the right reasons.
14:26And as you look at it,
14:27look, I say this all the time.
14:29A fan that pays for a ticket,
14:33their wallet doesn't get the night off.
14:34You know, and so as you think about it,
14:37those are the things that I think
14:38we have to just be very cognizant of.
14:39Now, there are real health things that are out there.
14:42And Max Struess had a broken foot.
14:44Max Struess wasn't able to play.
14:45Let's be real.
14:46That was not a tanking situation
14:47or a resting situation or any of those.
14:49So I think you always have to prioritize
14:52a player's health and wellness.
14:54That has to be at the very top
14:55of the pyramid decision.
14:56But I think Adam is spot on.
14:58When you look at some of these behavioral,
15:00you know, some of these behavioral things
15:02that have happened within teams,
15:03sitting players for fourth quarters,
15:05sitting players for second halves
15:06that are healthy, that have started the game,
15:08that isn't in the best interest of the game
15:12or the best interest of the fan.
15:13We are very fortunate here in Cleveland, Ohio,
15:15that we have a team that cares
15:17and is very focused on putting the best product
15:19on the court we can every single night.
15:21We've dealt with our rash of injuries.
15:22There is no doubt about that.
15:24But our guys come back
15:25and they really are focused on playing.
15:27But I think across the league,
15:28Adam is really, he's got his pulse on this.
15:30And he is, in my opinion,
15:32the best commissioner in professional sports
15:34because of how he's able to get into the weeds
15:36and get into the bowels of the business,
15:37as we say,
15:38and then still be able to pull out
15:39and make the right decision for the moment,
15:41but also make the right decision for the future.
15:43And I think that's what you're seeing
15:44in him focusing on fixing tanking.
15:46Nick Barlage, CEO, Cavs, Monsters, Charge,
15:49Rock Entertainment, everything.
15:51Nick, thank you so much for the time
15:52for coming in studio.
15:53Good luck to you guys
15:54as you start the postseason Saturday.
15:55We appreciate you guys.
15:57Appreciate you.
15:58Nick Barlage joining us in the studio.
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