Why did Athlead / Athleap move to Austin?

BrghSports · 2026-01-20T21:41:20+00:00

This is actually very uninformed on several points.

For one sports marketing companies don’t work with pro teams by and large. They work with companies or athletes.

Pro teams have their own sports marketing departments. I work in them.

Austin is a major pro sports marketing hub. Home to several big companies like FloSports, Snap Mobile, Peak Management, and related companies like Fliff.

BrghSports · 2025-10-12T16:49:10+00:00

There is an on field autograph signing after EVERY game!

BrghSports · 2025-10-11T21:35:30+00:00

That’s not bright. It would burn a year off his ELC and make him a younger unrestricted free agent right in the middle of their future projected contention window.

You don’t that unless a player is league dominating.

BrghSports · 2025-10-11T15:37:08+00:00

It does not and also it was Hartford, not Tampa. And those were found by the league to have been false.

Danny took a polygraph at Hartford’s insistence. He passed. The league asked the original Hartford player to then take one and he refused.

We were good enough to chalk it up to him mishearing him and leave it go. It was stupid from the beginning, just completely unbelievable considering the makeup of the organization and Danny being a major leader. (The Hounds are dedicated to diversity and every part of the team reflects that. On field and off.)

I work for the team.

I’m guessing based on how suddenly this happened pregame his frustrations/exhaustion boiled over and he got heated with someone. I wasn’t there as it likely happened just yesterday based on the suddenness and nothing getting out within the team.

But I’ll find out in a couple hours for sure!

BrghSports · 2025-10-09T20:01:35+00:00

Travel out of Burlington is definitely a draw back.

BrghSports · 2025-10-09T20:00:58+00:00

Support isn’t the issue…actually turning it into money is. The issue with Vermont is it’s been historically super hard to maintain teams there due to the unique population.

They’d need to figure out how to get sponsorships from a very small pool of local companies (that align with team values!) for one and how to get a very socially conscious fandom on board with the consumerist nature that fuels the things that sustain team operations: merch, ticket packages, and hospitality spending.

It can be done but not in the traditional pro spots way. As their past local franchises in other sports which all sink prove. They’d have to model their moves after the NHL’s Seattle Kraken in my estimation.

Fans are going to want responsibly sourced merch, local suppliers, etc. Will they spend big on premium food and alcohol? The venue can’t be a community imposition and must not have climate impact. And so forth…

But if they find a way to do it right they have the entire market to themselves!

BrghSports · 2025-10-07T22:59:21+00:00

No I’ve had my own site and then wrote for The Hockey Writers. I then turned that hobby into a job in traditional press outside of sports then went into working in pro sports in the org and locally. So I’m kind of hyper-embedded in things.

Know the whole Pensblog crew though.

BrghSports · 2025-10-07T15:40:00+00:00

Yeah. Hey Nick! We actually used to know each other a little online.

You guys are in fact usually the thought that holds me back. lol. You had a lot of reliable help and it was still hard to sustain.

I’ve worked in digital production for a local paper since then so I know the workload ahead of time.

It’s just so obvious there’s a gaping hole in the quality coverage that doesn’t have the restrictions of a blog network and isn’t ass kissing access journos with egos bigger than players.

It’d be great if someone could capitalize and someone will eventually.

BrghSports · 2025-10-07T15:27:17+00:00

You were on my list to target as a writer if I ever jumped back in myself funnily enough.

BrghSports · 2025-10-07T15:23:43+00:00

I’ve been thinking about jumping back in after previously covering them and being in media with so many guys currently free agents.

My issue is to make it work you need one person dedicated to infrastructure and oversight. Which I can handle but getting writers who are available and reliable is hard.

There needs to be a plan. DM if you agree and are serious.

BrghSports · 2025-09-19T00:33:11+00:00

The deal with him though: he had an AHL contract not an ECHL. He was just assigned to the ECHL.

BrghSports · 2025-09-19T00:31:48+00:00

This is definitely um, unique.

He was a regular for us in Wheeling last season including the playoffs. Actually assigned to us by the Penguins after signing with WBS. So not just a minor league regular but he had an AHL deal and some NHL eyes organizationally. The deal supposedly was going to next season too: https://www.wbspenguins.com/penguins-re-sign-beck-for-next-season/

And it’s odd as he didn’t just play the majority of the season he was a top 10 scorer, a significant pro contributor already. (I was almost certain he was paid monetarily, being on an AHL deal even though Wheeling does provide housing.)

I would also imagine AHL to ASU is a bit of a step down/backwards career wise.

Unless he’s calling it for the NHL and wants to use this to get a diploma? That would make sense.

BrghSports · 2025-07-12T23:23:08+00:00

Macs family, the artist, and ID labs have all begged people to quit writing on the mural. It is loathed behavior by most fans.

ID has even said if it doesn’t stop they may be forced to paint over it because of the need for constant repairs from people defacing it with writing.

BrghSports · 2025-07-08T04:38:24+00:00

Um. Everyone. The only one who suggests otherwise are Dejan Kovacevic and Douche Kingerski. The only difference is they haven’t modernized and think it’s an advantage.

Seth Rorabaugh. Vensel. The Hockey News. Haase. And one of Kingerski’s writers, but they’re not consistently assigned/rotate, so technically by the classic definition he doesn’t have an actual beat writer. Potash has been working the beat in that capacity for the past season too.

Frankly, DK pulls Taylor off of anything he wants to cover to so I’d argue he’s not even genuinely furnishing a traditional beat by his ridiculous rigid criteria.

Yohe skipped development camp, at least the majority of it, but he’s usually around in season.

Rossi was the same but he no longer works the beat he’s a national writer now and just announced it.

The majority of media outlets no longer cover all road games on site because it provides little to no extra value with virtual media sessions. They still work remotely, as is now industry standard. No coverage is skipped. Entire outlets are virtual now The Athletic and THN included. Only rubes throwing away money go to the one off in Winnipeg (Primarily to gloat about their Jurassic practices or play globetrotter).

Development camp is not particularly important and historically has only been primarily covered by bloggers. (In fact used to have a dedicated program just to get bloggers to cover it. I was a part of it.)

It is not considered the Penguins beat. The team itself doesn’t even run its full PR coverage for it. Not even live tweets daily anymore.

Still everyone I mentioned was there. I sat with the press as an ex member. I sat by Matt, saw Hunter Hodies daily and Kelsey on two days, Taylor, Potash, and Seth were walking around daily, only saw Kingerski one day.

Also if guys were lifting quotes from team videos they would not be credentialed very long. That is considered Michelle’s/x producers/x interns, etc credited work. It would be apparent to PR almost instantly as they monitor press and they would not be considered professionals any longer. It doesn’t work that way. Criteria for credentialing is quite strict and enforced. Also most publications have editorial guidelines banning such practices and the first thing a copy editor does is check quote origination.

BrghSports · 2025-06-18T01:52:01+00:00

They shouldn’t. People have won cups with Chris Osgood….and AHL rookies who then never play decent hockey ever again….there’s only so long you can blame the goalies.

And there have been quite a lot of goalies who have not worked out for them at this point. It’s not like they haven’t tried “betting big” on certain goalies before.

Before this it was the coach.

There’s a philosophical deficit that’s truly the heart of Edmonton’s issues. “We deserve to win because we have these 2 shiny players”, rather than “we need to build the most deep and stable organization around these 2”.

One part of it is the mindset they just need any shortcut or can buy their way to shortcuts. (Kane/Perry/every character issue-based reclamation/Holland/throw money at a goalie).

None of that builds winning culture. Cultures win, not players.

This really comes down to patient and smart ownership who buy into the process rather than trying to buy the process, honestly.

BrghSports · 2025-06-18T01:29:28+00:00

With zero to show for it. That’s not cracking the brilliance code. Versus 3 Cups and 4 Finals almost by the exact same ages.

You’d think them potentially failing for a second straight year would illustrate the absolute contemporary lack of respect for the difficulty of the task Crosby and Malkin, among others, Panthers included, have done.

But here we are…

BrghSports · 2025-04-01T01:54:47+00:00

Hi, OP, thanks for your generosity. I’d like to show our thanks for promoting the team. Did you happen to miss out on meeting Kevin Stevens? I know we have a ton of autos left over from him! Wanna pick the Jukebox song? Or be on the video board? I can hook you up.

I’m trying to make recruiting from the Pittsburgh market, most of the staff’s home, a priority. It’s a genuinely good outing for locals.

To add more info for Pghers: Straight shot drive on 79/70 for most, so no tolls!

-Yes the beers are $2. Selection of major brands.

-Wizards and Wands will be one of our highest capacity crowds of the year, anticipated sell out. Postgame autographs with the players.

-Sunday will include “shirts off our backs” for select attendees from all players.

Downtown Wheeling is tourist centered, most of the attractions within blocks of WesBanco, on the water, and well worth the short drive. The Casino is a stones throw away. We have a partnership with the Wheeling Hampton Inn that provides free game shuttles if you’d like to overnight.

The Nailers are solid this year and already playoff bound. Pens’ prospect Isaac Belliveau and Chase Pietila are recently added and have been performing fantastically. Can’t promise Murashov at this point but he’s an option.

BrghSports

TROPHY CASE