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Every Town Is a Sports Town: Business Leadership at ESPN, from the Mailroom to the Boardroom
ESPN's rise is one of the most remarkable stories about business and sports in our time, and nobody can tell it better than George Bodenheimer.
It may be hard to believe, but not long ago, getting sports updates was difficult and frustrating. ESPN changed everything. George Bodenheimer knows. Initially hired to work in the mailroom, one of Bodenheimer's first jobs was to pick up sportscaster Dick Vitale at the Hartford airport and drive him to ESPN's main campus--a couple of trailers in a dirt parking lot. But as ESPN grew, so did George's status in the company. In fact, Bodenheimer played a major part in making ESPN a daily presence not just here, but all over the world. In this business leadership memoir--written with bestselling author Donald T. Phillips--Bodenheimer lays out ESPN's meteoric rise. This is a book for business readers and sports fans alike. A Best Business Book of 2015, Strategy Business
It may be hard to believe, but not long ago, getting sports updates was difficult and frustrating. ESPN changed everything. George Bodenheimer knows. Initially hired to work in the mailroom, one of Bodenheimer's first jobs was to pick up sportscaster Dick Vitale at the Hartford airport and drive him to ESPN's main campus--a couple of trailers in a dirt parking lot. But as ESPN grew, so did George's status in the company. In fact, Bodenheimer played a major part in making ESPN a daily presence not just here, but all over the world. In this business leadership memoir--written with bestselling author Donald T. Phillips--Bodenheimer lays out ESPN's meteoric rise. This is a book for business readers and sports fans alike. A Best Business Book of 2015, Strategy Business
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First published May 5, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 29, 2024
2024 Review
I challenged myself to re-read the books that impacted me most in my 20s.
And I'm going to be honest...I'm not really sure how this one landed on that list. I watch the Super Bowl for the commercials. I'm about as far from the ESPN target audience as you can get. But after reading this book the first time, I seriously wanted to pay for ESPN.
Now I'm mostly just confused, but sort of in the same way I was confused by my re-read of Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration.
I enjoyed reading about the origin of ESPN and truly there are some memorable stories. But I think this one will appeal more to sports fans than this enthusiastic but happily ignorant Packers fan.
2015 Review
Conversations at my house over the past few days have looked like this,
Me: "Dad! There was this guy...Jim V?"
My Dad: "Jim Valvano?"
Me: "Yeah! Well, he was dying of cancer..."
My Dad: "No, he died of it."
Me: "Oh. But...well, while he was dying of it he won this ESPN award thing? The Arthur Ashe Award for Courage. And he had this great quote..."
My Dad: *interrupts to reminisce about a meaningful underdog game that means nothing to me but everything to a football fan*
In some ways, I am exactly the "wrong" reader for this book. I've never watched ESPN, I don't watch sports outside of the occasional NFL game, and am an enthusiastic but happily ignorant Packers fan. Every town may be a sports town, but I am hardly the sports fan audience ESPN attracts.
Which makes it very funny and delightful to me how much I enjoyed Every Town Is A Sports Town. I filled my quote book with stories and paragraphs from its pages. The story of ESPN is inspiring and interesting though often un-meaningful if you don't know any of the key players (and which meaningful underdog game they participated in).
What really made me appreciate this book, however, was how often I recognized the business principles laid out in Good Profit: How Creating Value for Others Built One of the World's Most Successful Companies. ESPN basically used the same principles that built Koch Industries; the difference is that ESPN didn't specifically categorize them into something like MBM. The focus on culture, hiring right, finding fulfillment, embracing change, and creating a vision everyone can understand, live, and articulate are as relevant to a "broad" organization as Koch as much as a "niche" market like ESPN.
The connection with Disney and leadership reminded me of Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration, another book I really enjoyed.
Totally recommended, for the sports fan and the businessman alike. There is a lot of insight and wisdom involved. Of course, I also recommend reading Good Profit first so you can geek out and interrupt your family with...
"MOM! He's totally talking about Change! That's one of the Guiding Principles. It is like he doesn't realize it though. But that is totally MBM!"
I challenged myself to re-read the books that impacted me most in my 20s.
And I'm going to be honest...I'm not really sure how this one landed on that list. I watch the Super Bowl for the commercials. I'm about as far from the ESPN target audience as you can get. But after reading this book the first time, I seriously wanted to pay for ESPN.
Now I'm mostly just confused, but sort of in the same way I was confused by my re-read of Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration.
I enjoyed reading about the origin of ESPN and truly there are some memorable stories. But I think this one will appeal more to sports fans than this enthusiastic but happily ignorant Packers fan.
2015 Review
Conversations at my house over the past few days have looked like this,
Me: "Dad! There was this guy...Jim V?"
My Dad: "Jim Valvano?"
Me: "Yeah! Well, he was dying of cancer..."
My Dad: "No, he died of it."
Me: "Oh. But...well, while he was dying of it he won this ESPN award thing? The Arthur Ashe Award for Courage. And he had this great quote..."
My Dad: *interrupts to reminisce about a meaningful underdog game that means nothing to me but everything to a football fan*
In some ways, I am exactly the "wrong" reader for this book. I've never watched ESPN, I don't watch sports outside of the occasional NFL game, and am an enthusiastic but happily ignorant Packers fan. Every town may be a sports town, but I am hardly the sports fan audience ESPN attracts.
Which makes it very funny and delightful to me how much I enjoyed Every Town Is A Sports Town. I filled my quote book with stories and paragraphs from its pages. The story of ESPN is inspiring and interesting though often un-meaningful if you don't know any of the key players (and which meaningful underdog game they participated in).
What really made me appreciate this book, however, was how often I recognized the business principles laid out in Good Profit: How Creating Value for Others Built One of the World's Most Successful Companies. ESPN basically used the same principles that built Koch Industries; the difference is that ESPN didn't specifically categorize them into something like MBM. The focus on culture, hiring right, finding fulfillment, embracing change, and creating a vision everyone can understand, live, and articulate are as relevant to a "broad" organization as Koch as much as a "niche" market like ESPN.
The connection with Disney and leadership reminded me of Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration, another book I really enjoyed.
Totally recommended, for the sports fan and the businessman alike. There is a lot of insight and wisdom involved. Of course, I also recommend reading Good Profit first so you can geek out and interrupt your family with...
"MOM! He's totally talking about Change! That's one of the Guiding Principles. It is like he doesn't realize it though. But that is totally MBM!"
October 5, 2020
This rating is not a critical reflection of the book, it’s the fact that it ticked so many of my personal interests. Sports, business, sports business, sports history, leadership... I really enjoyed the storytelling and travel through a changing sporting landscape. I can’t say I’m the biggest fan of American sports (other than hockey), but I was able to connect and understand the relevance of the stories told. Because, like the author says, sports are social currency, and if you are a fan of any sport, you get it.
Enjoyed and wouldn’t be opposed to purchasing for future reference (as got out of library).
Enjoyed and wouldn’t be opposed to purchasing for future reference (as got out of library).
October 14, 2023
Great book
I had listened to the ESPN book those guys have all the fun, but the first person interview style didn't work as a book and maybe too much detail for someone who didn't know the American sports and presenters
This is perfect mix of history, career growth, business deals, leadership, branding, and content programming decisions. Right length too. Very inspiring.
I had listened to the ESPN book those guys have all the fun, but the first person interview style didn't work as a book and maybe too much detail for someone who didn't know the American sports and presenters
This is perfect mix of history, career growth, business deals, leadership, branding, and content programming decisions. Right length too. Very inspiring.
June 12, 2017
Abandoned. I heard it was a good book, but I just couldn't get into it. I'm sure the author's story is inspiring, but I just am not too interested in sports broadcasting or anything like that. But I hope others do enjoy.
November 30, 2021
可以当作一部管理学的教材，但是我更愿意认为是一部给每一个美国体育产业内人士的一封信，从传达室的Mailman到世界最大的媒体品牌主席，Bodenheimer的经历是ESPN的成长史，也是美国体育转播的第二纪元（有线电视）到第三纪元（网络平台）的记录，更是激励每一个同行奋进的传奇。即使是在过去一年订阅用户数大幅下滑，但是就如同本书最后一章的标题“The Best Is Yet to Come”一样，能够亲眼见证ESPN的传奇是一件无比幸福的事。
August 13, 2018
I bought this book in the hope of having a good business biography.
Unfortunately, it was more a book for public relations purposes. The book is a “good news show” about the author himself and ESPN. A significant part of the story focusses on supporting the good causes, which confirm in my opinion this book is all about spin.
Unfortunately, it was more a book for public relations purposes. The book is a “good news show” about the author himself and ESPN. A significant part of the story focusses on supporting the good causes, which confirm in my opinion this book is all about spin.
July 15, 2015
"Every Town is a Sports Town" is billed as appealing to sports fans, business readers, and corporate executives alike. That's a rather diverse group, even for allowing for the fact that the business types have been known to read the sports page first at times. So let's take a look at what we've got here, and see where it fits.
George Bodenheimer wasn't an original at ESPN, but he could more or less see or at least learn about the creation first-hand. He joined the company in 1981, less than two years after it had started. Bodenheimer was employee no. 150, for the record.
ESPN had grown a bit from the first days when no one was too sure what they were doing and where they were going. They were the first to start a 24-hour cable channel dedicated to sports, offering a modest challenge to the status quo in broadcasting. The big three networks, ABC, CBS and NBC, were still in charge, but this at least was an interesting gamble.
Bodenheimer arrived on the scene, doing whatever his boss at the moment thought necessary. One of his first responsibilities was to drive from Bristol, Conn., the corporate headquarters, to the Hartford/Springfield airport to pick up Dick Vitale. You might think that driving Vitale somewhere would be an exercise in silence in the car for everyone but Vitale, but they actually struck up a good relationship in those drives.
Eventually, Bodenheimer moved up from driver to a variety of positions of the business world. The company was small enough at the beginning so that young talent was rewarded pretty quickly, and new ideas were accepted readily. After all, on some level they were making it up as they went along. After some time out in the field, working with affiliates, etc., Bodenheimer eventually came back to Bristol.
It turns out he had a pretty good seat for the development of the company there. The author goes through the highlights, including such events as the addition of Sunday (and later Monday) Night Football, ESPN2, College GameDay, the X Games, the merger with Disney, SportsCentury, 30 for 30, and so on. Viewers - come to think of it, maybe customers would be a better word with all the platforms ESPN uses these days - will remember those developments.
Eventually, Bodenheimer became the president of ESPN. He certainly comes across here as a good boss, taking pride in a personal relationship with all employees and accepting ideas no matter what the source. It's probably not a coincidence that ESPN had a long run of success under his tenure. And when things went a little bad, he rolled up his sleeves and figured out a way to fix them.
Now to the difficult part - what sort of book is it? I'm not so sure sports fans will love this effort. Many of the developments in ESPN mentioned above have been covered in other places, so there's not much new in that sense. Besides, Bodenheimer doesn't have that many stories about the on-air personalities that can draw a sports fan in.
Business types might be able to take a bit more out of this. This is a success story, after all, and it's instructive to see how ESPN reacted to situations over the years. Business books sometimes can get bogged down in anagrams and four-point plans for success. Luckily, Bodenheimer avoids that for the most part. Yes, there are sections devoted to how ESPN came up with a mission statement - my eyes gloss over when I see such things - but mostly it's how he dealt with real-world situations. It's fair to say this is a mostly positive look at the ride at the network. Even the failures seem to be handled properly. The people Bodenheimer encountered along the way come off well here.
"Every Town is a Sports Town," then will work for those seeking the details of an impressive business achievement - how ESPN conquered the sports world. If you are in that narrow classification, you'll enjoy it and maybe get a few good tips along the way.
George Bodenheimer wasn't an original at ESPN, but he could more or less see or at least learn about the creation first-hand. He joined the company in 1981, less than two years after it had started. Bodenheimer was employee no. 150, for the record.
ESPN had grown a bit from the first days when no one was too sure what they were doing and where they were going. They were the first to start a 24-hour cable channel dedicated to sports, offering a modest challenge to the status quo in broadcasting. The big three networks, ABC, CBS and NBC, were still in charge, but this at least was an interesting gamble.
Bodenheimer arrived on the scene, doing whatever his boss at the moment thought necessary. One of his first responsibilities was to drive from Bristol, Conn., the corporate headquarters, to the Hartford/Springfield airport to pick up Dick Vitale. You might think that driving Vitale somewhere would be an exercise in silence in the car for everyone but Vitale, but they actually struck up a good relationship in those drives.
Eventually, Bodenheimer moved up from driver to a variety of positions of the business world. The company was small enough at the beginning so that young talent was rewarded pretty quickly, and new ideas were accepted readily. After all, on some level they were making it up as they went along. After some time out in the field, working with affiliates, etc., Bodenheimer eventually came back to Bristol.
It turns out he had a pretty good seat for the development of the company there. The author goes through the highlights, including such events as the addition of Sunday (and later Monday) Night Football, ESPN2, College GameDay, the X Games, the merger with Disney, SportsCentury, 30 for 30, and so on. Viewers - come to think of it, maybe customers would be a better word with all the platforms ESPN uses these days - will remember those developments.
Eventually, Bodenheimer became the president of ESPN. He certainly comes across here as a good boss, taking pride in a personal relationship with all employees and accepting ideas no matter what the source. It's probably not a coincidence that ESPN had a long run of success under his tenure. And when things went a little bad, he rolled up his sleeves and figured out a way to fix them.
Now to the difficult part - what sort of book is it? I'm not so sure sports fans will love this effort. Many of the developments in ESPN mentioned above have been covered in other places, so there's not much new in that sense. Besides, Bodenheimer doesn't have that many stories about the on-air personalities that can draw a sports fan in.
Business types might be able to take a bit more out of this. This is a success story, after all, and it's instructive to see how ESPN reacted to situations over the years. Business books sometimes can get bogged down in anagrams and four-point plans for success. Luckily, Bodenheimer avoids that for the most part. Yes, there are sections devoted to how ESPN came up with a mission statement - my eyes gloss over when I see such things - but mostly it's how he dealt with real-world situations. It's fair to say this is a mostly positive look at the ride at the network. Even the failures seem to be handled properly. The people Bodenheimer encountered along the way come off well here.
"Every Town is a Sports Town," then will work for those seeking the details of an impressive business achievement - how ESPN conquered the sports world. If you are in that narrow classification, you'll enjoy it and maybe get a few good tips along the way.
June 17, 2015
George Bodenheimer's autobiographical account of his history at ESPN offers many poignant pieces of advice on leadership. However much of the advice is buried in later chapters of the book. If you are familiar with the history of ESPN, or have ever read a book like "Those Guys Have all the Fun," this will at times feel repetitive as Bodenheimer repeats familiar tales of the old days in Bristol. In the end however, the dense chapters full of leadership advice are enlightening. I already have copied many of his thoughts into notepads to employ in the future with my projects and groups. In the end, this is a great read if you are not familiar with the history of ESPN. If you are familiar, the book is worthwhile for its later chapters, but is a chore to get through.
July 12, 2015
However, the title misleads readers into believing it's a book about leadership when in fact the book orients around ESPN's history from Bodenheimer's perspective. While there were leadership tidbits, I hoped for more depth.
My lessons learned: (1) openness and forthrightness can be very successful business traits; (2) creating a corporate identity can be a huge motivating factor for employees (in ESPN's case, entrepreneurship and teamwork were key); (3) set and communicate tangible and clear organizational priorities; (4) make an effort to eat with, exercise with and meet with staff; and (5) enable employees to pursue their ideas.
My lessons learned: (1) openness and forthrightness can be very successful business traits; (2) creating a corporate identity can be a huge motivating factor for employees (in ESPN's case, entrepreneurship and teamwork were key); (3) set and communicate tangible and clear organizational priorities; (4) make an effort to eat with, exercise with and meet with staff; and (5) enable employees to pursue their ideas.
July 5, 2016
Dull bio of ESPN leader and ESPN itself. Covered better in Those Guys Have All the Fun. Extended review here.
November 13, 2016
Recommended reading for sports fans and start ups. The leadership lessons from the ultimate sports start up ESPN. Bill Rasmussen's vision for 24 hour sports coverage broke all the rules and changed the game completely.
May 4, 2016
The book provides a history of ESPN along with a tutorial on corporate management. If you remember the early days of ESPN, it brings back a lot of memories as well as what was going on behind the cameras.
June 17, 2015
George started at ESPN four months after me. We grew up together but he was a little more successful. The book was like reliving twenty years of my life.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews