UPDATES: DOUG ELDRIDGE
SPORTS & FAITH
FEBRUARY 2017
After Super Bowl LI, several Patriots players (six and counting) said they would not be attending the traditional White House reception, designated for the NCAA, NFL, NBA, NHL & MLB Champions, along with the US Olympic Team.
The broader question circled back to the role of faith & religion in the daily lives of athletes, within the billion dollar industry of professional sports. I was happy to join my friends at EWTN for a lively discussion and I hope I represented the views and values of my clients in the best way possible.
As I said to the panel, "I'm privileged to represent Christian, Catholic, Muslim, and Jew along with White, Black, Asian, Hispanic, Straight and Gay. In the end, despite their seeming differences, each is united by a singular point of commonality: their unwavering faith in a higher power." //DE
CHAMP & GOAT
FEBRUARY 2017
In early February, I flew out to Houston for two days of meetings prior to Super Bowl LI. It was a fast, but super-productive trip and was punctuated with some memorable highlights: from reconnecting with Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, to seeing Commissioner Roger Goodell, to chatting with the Champ, Evander Holyfield (above) about delivering the knockout blow in business, to watching the GOAT, Tom Brady, engineer the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history and in so doing, solidify his place as the Greatest Of All Time.
Never a short day or a dull moment. //DE
BACK IN STUDIO
JANUARY 2017
In early January, I was back in the TV studio, discussing a variety of sports business topics ranging from the NFL playoffs, to the increasing political pressure being placed on professional athletes, as the Presidential Inauguration rapidly approached.
Over the last decade, I've done hundreds of TV interviews, but I've always been the first to say that TV is a privilege, not a right, and one that I always enjoy doing--both on behalf of the businesses I've created and the clients I represent. //DE
A NEW YEAR
JANUARY 2017
We closed out one year and started a new one with Hilary's brother, Michael, his bride Nicole, their son Boomer, and 500 guests at a Great Gatsby-themed wedding party, in Arizona. It was an elegant event, and a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with old friends and colleagues from around the country. It's hard to believe 2016 passed so quickly...as I get older, each year inevitably passes quicker, but none more so than 2016. One of my goals in the new year is to take time, take a breath, and appreciate each moment...we pass this way but once, and when we're gone, we're gone. I'm grateful for where we've been and I'm excited for where we're going from here... //DE