Inside ESPN: Ben Cafardo Talks NBA, MLB & Sports Media Evolution

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Dope.

Speaker 2 (00:00):
It's worth closing this PAMs DNA. Dope, It's worth closing
this PAMs DNA.

Speaker 3 (00:08):
We's good, everybody.

Speaker 4 (00:09):
Welcome to Dope Interviews, brought to you by the Mighty
nineteen Meeting Group. I'm your host, Worrenshaw and then the
virtual and today I have a good friend of mine
who I've known for a long time but haven't actually
had a real in depth conversation with before. I'm so
excited to have here the senior director of communications for
ESPN where he focuses on MLB and NBA coverage, Ben Carfardo. Ben,
it's been a long time coming, my brother. Welcome to

(00:29):
Dope Interviews, Man.

Speaker 5 (00:31):
Warren, thank you for reaching out.

Speaker 1 (00:32):
I'm happy to be here, happy to have a conversation
with you today, knowing you for a long time, and
I'm looking forward to it.

Speaker 4 (00:38):
Yeah. Right, And we were talking off fairs like kind
of tangentially related. You've done a lot for me in
my career, giving me some access to you know, ESPN,
NBA insiders, a lot of those meetings that they did,
you know, preseason, in the middle of the season and
stuff like that too. I've gotten to get some great
coverage from that, and you know, I'm just excited that,
you know, to expand our relationship and our level of
communication past kind of like that business side, but get

(01:01):
to really know a little bit more about you as
an individual. So it brings me to the first question
that would be kind of always kind of ask your interviews,
but in general, with your sports background, what sparked your
interest in sports communication and how did that ultimately lead
you to ESPN.

Speaker 5 (01:17):
Sure?

Speaker 1 (01:18):
Well, I was very close to the sports industry growing up.
My father was a sports writer, Nick Cafardo, mainly covered
Major League Baseball for the Boston Globe, but the National
Football League and some other areas too, So I was
always interested in sports and sports media for starters, and

(01:41):
I didn't want to go the writer route. I wanted
to be involved in the industry and work in a
behind the scenes capacity. You know what that meant to
me in college or I didn't really know just yet.
I hadn't thought about public relations specifically, But then once

(02:02):
you start doing internships and you know, you get the
ball rolling in your career, you know, I just feel
like it's important to you know, to walk through doors
that are opened for you. And I had an opportunity
to go to pr route and I was hooked, you know,
from day one, and here we are.

Speaker 3 (02:24):
So that's scinct. So and I definitely appreciate that.

Speaker 4 (02:27):
So did you play sports growing up as well, like,
you know, kind of had all those those those dreams
that many of us had.

Speaker 5 (02:33):
I did.

Speaker 1 (02:35):
I feel like I had some level of awareness that
I was most likely not going to be Michael Jordan though,
So I even I didn't even really think I could
play anything at a college level.

Speaker 5 (02:49):
So I was gonna I was gonna peter.

Speaker 1 (02:52):
Out in high school, I think. But uh, but yeah, no,
I love to play sports. It's all I thought about sports,
video game playing, you know, sports video games, talking sports.

Speaker 5 (03:02):
With friends and family. That was definitely, you know, my
number one hobby.

Speaker 4 (03:08):
Well, I mean we we all life comes at you fast, right,
I think that you know, you realize what the situation is,
but doesn't stop like the passion and I have similar
you know, goals and aspirations where the same thing. Hey,
high school's probably going to be it for me. But
how do I you know, kind of go into this
path of where I can still be adjacent one way
another to the sports industry. So tell us a little
bit about that first big break that you had in general,

(03:31):
As you said, you walked in like some doors opened
up for you. What was that first big break that
was like, oh man, I'm kind of arriving here in
the sports sports landscape.

Speaker 1 (03:39):
Well, the first important step was a gentleman by the
name of Ken London hired me for an internship at
a production company in Massachusetts called Kramer Productions, and I
worked in a production capacity on a variety of different

(04:01):
video projects, Boston College football highlight videos and Boston's Greatest
Sports Story videos.

Speaker 5 (04:10):
In conjunction with the Boston Globe.

Speaker 1 (04:13):
And I realized at that point, Okay, I don't know
if it's a production capacity or marketing or what have you,
but this feels right. I'm now working in the in
a sports capacity behind the scenes. So let's see where this, uh,
where this takes me. And then I'd say the second

(04:35):
important break was great gentleman as well by the name
of Bob Hildeberg was working on a new England Patriots
encyclopedia called Total Patriots. And he's now, you know, historian
with the Patriots, and and.

Speaker 5 (04:55):
That's you know, become his in a lot of ways.

Speaker 1 (04:58):
His life's work, highly respected, and he gave me an
opportunity to write a few chapters in that book and
you know, help him piece it together and photos and
photo captioning, and just I would do anything I could
to be involved with it. And then I would say

(05:19):
that the next step kind of I wouldn't say the
final step, but the third really important step was a
good friend of mine for a long time, Tony Morielli
Turner PR who you may know are. He was working
at the ESPN Wide World of Sports at Disney World

(05:41):
and offered me a role as a like a contract
role as a public relations you know, consultant or assistant.
And so I moved down to Disney out of that
area and I worked, you know in Celebration Florida and
the Wide World of Sports and they had so many
incredible events. That was a time where they had Atlanta

(06:04):
Braves spring training, Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp.

Speaker 5 (06:08):
All kinds of stuff. And so that one was sort
of my first real public relations job.

Speaker 1 (06:16):
And I knew at that point, Okay, this is going
to be the path for me because I can tell stories,
I can work in trially with media. I can I
can you know, be present and make an impact with
you know, at high profile events with high profile executives,
and it was just very exciting.

Speaker 5 (06:37):
So I always lay those three out in.

Speaker 1 (06:39):
A row because I think one thing always leads to another.
And that's kind of what I mean by okay, here
a door just open, seems interesting. It might not be
exactly what you want, but you know, plow through and yeah.

Speaker 5 (06:51):
So it was great.

Speaker 4 (06:53):
Yeah, I think great life advice there, Ben, you know,
and I trust me. I actually there's a lot of
similarities to find out. I wanted to work at Disney Wildlife.
I thought the facility was so amazing, right, and I
actually kind of wanted to work like in the basketball
side of it, putting together like those Aau turnaments and
things of that nature as well too.

Speaker 3 (07:09):
Man, so amazing, amazing that.

Speaker 4 (07:11):
Again, I live in Fort Lauderdale currently, so you know,
just a couple of miles you know, south if you
actually went to school at UCF, but just kind of
in general, like I know, that facility is also really
interesting to kind of hear that.

Speaker 3 (07:21):
Man, that's amazing really surely.

Speaker 4 (07:23):
Yeah, So, so Ben, that kind of puts you on
the path if you will, you know, Disney ABC ESPN
kind of so forth and so forth. So what was
your first day at ESPN? How did you land that
job and the role that you're in currently.

Speaker 1 (07:39):
Once that year and change was up in Florida, you know,
I was toying with you know, reupping and doing it
again there, or you know, exploring what else was was
available to me, and you know, with the intention that
you know, I'd like to stay within that Disney company

(08:01):
in some capacity.

Speaker 5 (08:02):
I just found it to.

Speaker 1 (08:03):
Be, you know, great all around, met great people, and
so I ended up going to Major League Baseball after
that and working in New York at their headquarters briefly
before eventually landing a role with ESPN.

Speaker 5 (08:21):
So I started at ESPN.

Speaker 1 (08:22):
I mean this takes me to right at the beginning
of twenty eleven, so I'm at about fourteen years here now.

Speaker 4 (08:29):
Man, you are in vested in you are you are
a veteran. You've seen a lot of things kind of
coming and go, you know, in that space and even
specifically at ESPN, you know, the worldwide leader. So let's
talk a little bit about that right now, if you
wouldn't mind, Just since you started, right you know, some
of those first jobs, if you will in the New
England Boston area. It's kind of where you are now

(08:51):
working at. What are some of the major changes you've
seen in the sports media and communications landscape?

Speaker 1 (08:59):
Wow, I mean you're uniquely you're uniquely qualified to answer
this as well.

Speaker 5 (09:06):
I mean, it's I just feel like.

Speaker 1 (09:09):
It's constantly evolving. But perhaps the last few years is
the most substantial amount of change. With streaming and direct
to consumer and the way that audiences are consuming their
news and information, I would say that's probably the most substantial.
I mean, you know up until and social media of

(09:32):
course shape the landscape early twenty teens. Maybe maybe I
have that timeframe right, but just little you know, things
from a tactical standpoint, you know, from a pr end,
you could suddenly make a lot of news by tweeting
out an NBA Finals rating, as opposed to you know,

(09:55):
writing a two page press release about it, right, right,
And so that that was an interesting transitional period and
a lot of I think that people gravitate towards visuals now,
So you know, it's not like it's not modern enough
to fire off a tweet about news anymore. It's going

(10:17):
to have to be a nicely concocted social graphic and
that thing. So just little tangible things, but I think
bigger picture, it's the streaming universe has caused incredible disruption
but also endless opportunity to Yeah.

Speaker 4 (10:35):
I think great points like you are like you are, You're, you're,
you're embedded in this, and I think you know, to
even drilled down maybe a little bit more is how
how have you had to change your own approach you know,
to this as it is shifting and changing because you
know understanding that the analytics are are for some crowd
but not for others, right, but player empowerment is also

(10:58):
taking taking apart in kind of what we do and
how we consume, you know, content social media as allude
to in streaming. How have you, I guess, cultivated your
own approach to the team that you lead to make
sure ESPN kind of stays at the top of its coverage.

Speaker 1 (11:12):
Sure, I think that you always have to be willing
to learn and listen, evolve, get better. I think if
you go to work every day with that approach, you're
going to be successful and you're going to have more
wins than you do losses.

Speaker 5 (11:30):
So I rely a lot on my.

Speaker 1 (11:32):
Team because they come in with incredible ideas, They view
the world differently, They are more I think they just
have their ear to the grindstone, so to speak, in
terms of, you know, consumption habits of younger people. So

(11:53):
figuring out what those are and how to tailor pr
strategies to that, I think is really important. That's what
we're all aiming for our younger audiences and expanding our audience, you.

Speaker 5 (12:08):
Know, you want.

Speaker 1 (12:09):
I think that's the primary goal of anybody in sports
and in the sports business right now, is making sure
that young people are still interested in sports the way
that like all of our generations were prior, and there's
never been more competition for eyeballs. Mean, I have a
ten year old son who is interested in sports to

(12:30):
a degree, but he and his friend group and cousins.
I mean, it's it is challenging to break through the
video game era there, so you have to just get
in front of people in ways that you probably didn't
before and think outside the box.

Speaker 5 (12:50):
I know that's cliched, but it's.

Speaker 1 (12:53):
Ultimately we have to cultivate another generation of avid sports fans.

Speaker 4 (12:58):
Yeah, I think that's extremely extremely well said. You know,
having a son myself, understanding a little bit of that,
and there's a lot of discourse around how sports is
covered in general, which kind of want to get your
thoughts on, you know, on the other side of this too.
But before we get to that, you know, you've talked,
you talked a little bit about their kind of empowering
your team and your staff. And in my full time

(13:19):
role that I have when I'm not a podcasting I
often up to do that actually working at a university,
and it's just like, listen, hey, these these these younger folks,
we need to empower them. We don't need to we
need to manage per se, but not you know, like oversea.
And I don't want to feel like, you know, I'm
like a task master, like I want to empower you
to tell hey, and I always tell them what would
bring your butt out out of your housing dorm to

(13:40):
come to this program or event. I think in that
standpoint because I can tell you from my lens. But
it's not the same thing that it was ten, fifteen,
even five years ago. It's different, especially since COVID. So
I guess my my larger question is how do you
professionally develop? How do you get professional development at this
stage when you've had so much experience, but the world
and the way that we cover things that.

Speaker 3 (13:59):
Has changed so much. Do you just have to live it?

Speaker 1 (14:02):
Well?

Speaker 4 (14:02):
Is there something that you can actually do to professionally
develop yourself.

Speaker 1 (14:06):
That's a great question. I do think you have to
live it to a certain degree. Fortunately, at ESPN there's
opportunities for development and growth and they're built into the
employee experience, so there is an advantage to that degree.
But I really think it's day in and day out

(14:29):
being curious, having conversations with people like you are, and
expanding your network and just listening to others learning, you know.
I think that management element of it for me was
more challenging than anything at first, just when I started

(14:49):
to manage people. Just I look back at like my
early days of managing and wish I just wish I
had the person effective that I do now. People want
to feel important, people want to feel like their work matters.

(15:10):
They want ownership of projects and certain areas. So to
your point, it's I think once a level of trust
is established and you know, with the employee and the manager,
then it's time to just guide them, you know, keep
the car going straight.

Speaker 5 (15:30):
But like let them drive.

Speaker 1 (15:32):
And I was probably a little bit more like, you know,
my way or the highway at first, just just because
it was that's what I knew. So it was, well,
this is the way to do it, because I, you know,
maybe I was even nervous about accepting other ways at first.
And then you have to realize that not hello, not

(15:53):
everyone thinks the way you do. So let's lean into
other people's strengths and ideas. And I think I've gotten
to a decent place at this point.

Speaker 4 (16:04):
Yeah, well, I would say from you know, some of
the folks that I've worked with have been under your charge.
You know, they said nothing but good things about you,
So I think you've definitely accomplished that.

Speaker 3 (16:13):
So kudos to you. But it does to sometimes you.

Speaker 4 (16:15):
You got to go through it to learn and figure
out your your cadence and how you want to do things.
And sometimes sometimes it's forced upon you. Sometimes you're forced
to learn as well too. But it seems like, yeah,
but you've you've definitely you know, managed the way. That's
that's making a lot of sense. Hey, and you have
a stable job for the last almost fifteen years, right,
so you must be doing something right. We're chatting with

(16:37):
with bankafaro here, Senior Community Senior Director of Communications at
ESPN here on Dope Interviews.

Speaker 3 (16:41):
Let's take a quick break, y'all be right back.

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Speaker 3 (18:00):
I'm my guy, Ben Ben.

Speaker 4 (18:02):
Thanks so much for sharing the stories that you've had
share with us here in the first half of the episode,
I want to get into a little bit more, not
nen say controversial and fun stuff, but just kind of
just your overall thoughts kind of in general. Right, So
obviously ESPN and other sports networks get a lot of
attention for the way they cover things. In the role
that you that you have, do you have to take
any of that air quote heat, you know what I

(18:24):
mean when people are saying something they said, We're not
going to get into all that whatever. We want to
keep possit different dope interviews, But how do you manage
I guess some of the negative publicity that sometimes your
network and others get when it when it comes to sports.

Speaker 1 (18:35):
Coverage, that's uh, it's it's a situation where you you
can't you know, paint any situation that comes in with
with just one brush.

Speaker 5 (18:48):
I mean every situation is different.

Speaker 3 (18:53):
Ye, good point.

Speaker 1 (18:55):
I think that you have to consider the source at times.

Speaker 5 (18:59):
I think you have to.

Speaker 1 (19:02):
Think about where this how impactful this criticism is. You know,
it's because for me in my role, you'll get you'll
deal with press who are criticizing your talent. You know,
you're on air personalities. It could be you know, the
coverage in general, it could be you know, certain segments

(19:24):
may perhaps there was a mistake or whatever.

Speaker 5 (19:28):
Being made.

Speaker 1 (19:29):
But for the most part, I think you do it
like you do anything, take it with a grain of salt,
and it's about your relationships.

Speaker 5 (19:38):
So you know, your.

Speaker 1 (19:39):
Job is too, it's twofold, it's too serve the media
but also represent your brand. And of course where the
negativity comes in there those two jobs don't align all
the time. I think it's more serious and more urgent

(20:01):
to address negative press when it's personal in nature with people,
whether it be an executive or a talent, or it's
you know, broad claims about just the state of the
company and state of the business. I think that those

(20:22):
things need to be addressed. I don't want to fight
every battle that's out there, because we be fighting every
day and that takes you away from telling your story
and keeping control of your narrative. So yeah, it's I
don't know if that was the best answer, but there's
just so many different issues that pop up and ways

(20:45):
to handle things, and so like very very little do
you kind of handle something the same way as you
did the last issue?

Speaker 4 (20:53):
I guess no, that makes perfect sense, right, I mean
it is you know, even that kind of as an
open ended question, right, But I'm understanding that each she
does have its own brush.

Speaker 3 (21:01):
In essence, I think that you have to utilize. Right,
So how have you though.

Speaker 4 (21:06):
Managed, especially like from the beginning point of your career
to kind of where you are now, like not take
things personal, like even if it's not about cheat, right,
but like in some ways, like they're criticizing the work,
and you know, Eric Abadou had a famous line, and
I always say, all in one of our songs. Hey,
I'm an artist and I'm sensitive about my shit, and
I think at some point we all are artists in
our own way, and you know, we don't want to

(21:28):
be criticized. We can understand constructive, but when people are
just doing it for the sake of doing it, you know,
that can be you know, just so deflating. How have
you managed kind of really just like, hey, this is business,
this isn't personal.

Speaker 1 (21:39):
The only way to manage that, in my opinion, is
through maturity and personal growth, because early on I was
I took everything more personally, and I'm not necessarily in
a position where I'm being directly criticized. I mean, you
get some of that on social media, you know, but

(22:02):
it's more in the context of, you know, this guy's
representing ESPN and you know whatever, I'm going to give
you my.

Speaker 5 (22:10):
Take on ESPN or something.

Speaker 1 (22:14):
But even then, I do if people would criticize, you know,
on air, folks that I represent, I would take it personally.
I still do to a certain extent if it's cheap
and unfair and personal in nature. But I think it
does come with growth and restraint and realizing what's important

(22:36):
and what's not, and especially in the early days of
social it was just new to everybody. Yeah, so I
don't know if we were all prepared for just the
onslaught of just toxicity.

Speaker 3 (22:49):
That we weren't. We weren't. We're still not prepared, but
exactly right, right.

Speaker 1 (22:55):
So yeah, I mean, and I think some of the
writers who cover us, you know, have probably heard from
me at times several years ago in more aggressive.

Speaker 5 (23:07):
Ways than they do now.

Speaker 1 (23:08):
I mean, it's just you know, you learn the balance,
and you learn what's important and what's not. And I
mean the phrase pick your battles definitely comes into into
play here, and I just think in life in general,
you learn that over time.

Speaker 4 (23:24):
Yeah, I'm I can say that there's times where I've
wanted to shake my fist that many things, and you
just realize sometimes the juices and worth a proverbial squeeze,
you know, right, think you're right, And yeah, picking the battles,
I think is a great way to phrase that.

Speaker 3 (23:38):
Ben.

Speaker 4 (23:39):
Let's talk a little bit about MLB coverage, you know, specifically,
and some of the highlights that you've had in your career. Right, So,
obviously you've had an opportunity to work with so many
amazing people, many talented and guests. Just pick out one
or two moments where just like, man, this was such
an a dope and amazing project that I got to
be a part of and just you know, give the
the our fans listens a little bit of inside behind

(23:59):
that experience.

Speaker 5 (24:01):
Absolutely. So.

Speaker 1 (24:02):
Yeah. So I've been here fourteen years. This will actually
be my fifteenth Major League Baseball.

Speaker 5 (24:07):
Season upon us here.

Speaker 1 (24:09):
So I've always felt a deep connection to the sport.
I mean, having worked at the league office as I
mentioned as well, and just through my father's sports writing career.
I love sports in general. Baseball has always been right
at the top of the list for me, and you know,
growing up in the in Massachusetts where at the time

(24:31):
the Boston Red Sox were everything in the region. So
I've always you know, cared deeply about it. And I
just have so much respect for the producers and journalists
and commentators on the baseball property at ESPN. I see
how hard they work every day. I just love being

(24:53):
a part of it. I mean it feels like you're
in the trenches together and these folks live and breathe baseball.
So I've just had so many wonderful opportunities and met
so many great people that you know, hopefully I always
have relationships with I think, you know, there's been a

(25:14):
lot of projects over the years.

Speaker 5 (25:17):
You know. I was right in the thick of.

Speaker 1 (25:23):
The Jessica Mendoza rise in twenty fifteen, where she made
history as the first woman to serve as an analyst
on Major League Baseball televised games, and that was a
monumental moment for ESPN and just to make that much

(25:46):
history and to get to know her and.

Speaker 5 (25:51):
Understand just like.

Speaker 1 (25:52):
What a fantastic human being she is and family person.
She just always had great perspective during that time. Uh,
so that that rised me. There was so much demand
for her from a press perspective, so we were able
to be creative. We were able to tell our story.

(26:15):
She has always been, you know, a loyal company advocate,
and it's you know, all of these things. And then, oh,
by the way, she's one of the greatest softball players
who ever lived, So that part was great. I think
that the Alex Rodriguez years were unbelievable. I got to

(26:36):
know Alex very well. We have a terrific relationship. You know,
he was a star at a level that I hadn't
dealt with before. Just his presence and you know, everywhere
he goes, he's recognizable. So that was a challenge for

(26:58):
me because you know, he's also he was also so
laser focused on the public relations element of it, and
he's you know, he's been been in the spotlight his
entire life and deeply understands the importance of communications and
public relations. So I had to really be on my

(27:20):
game and buttoned up. And I think during the years
dealing with him, I got better and and then just
I think the other the other element is during the
pandemic that when we when we launched the KBO League,

(27:41):
the Korean Baseball Organization League, that was the first live
event that we televised, you know, after the pandemic hit.
I think the pandemic hit you know, second week of March,
and then we're televising KBO League in early May, and

(28:01):
that was the first you know, real live sports events
that we brought back. So that was just an incredible
time of innovation and the companies developing new technologies and
telling all those stories and suddenly it became a thing
for a while that oh you can wake up at
five and watch KBO League and made SNL at one point.

(28:24):
So that was just like a really fun time where
everybody was nervous wondering what was going on in the world,
but also like, hey, we still need to run an
organization and we need some content, so here it is,
and uh it was it was fun.

Speaker 5 (28:41):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (28:42):
Wow.

Speaker 4 (28:42):
So those are those are amazing stories from the baseball
lens Jessica and those Oxford regas on the KBO, Right, So, uh,
I got to switch it over to the land. I
know a little bit more, you know, a little bit
more about I actually big fan. I'm a big fan
of baseball as well, but obviously you know me from
the NBA side, So the same same question, you know,
some of your your favorite moments covering the NBA, and
you're nearly fifteen years here at ESPN.

Speaker 5 (29:07):
The NBA is just so.

Speaker 1 (29:12):
Vibrant, dynamic, it's it's global, it's it's so popular on
social media and amongst young people, and it's just exciting
to be a part of it. And you know, we've

(29:33):
had the NBA Finals since two thousand.

Speaker 5 (29:37):
And three, so you know, it's the only.

Speaker 1 (29:42):
Championship event out of the you know, traditional major four
sports leagues where annually we have the championship events, so
it's always just felt big. I mean, I think my
favorite time working on it was during the Cleveland versus
Golden State years. That felt like such a high point

(30:05):
in the league's history. And you know, Lebron versus Steph
two of the best ever, and just the viewership was
through the roof. It felt I mean to a certain extent,
it was. It was easy from the viewership side because
you constantly had records and you constantly were up and
up and up, and it's like, well, that's an easy

(30:26):
press release to write. And you know, working with partners
over there Mike Wade and John Atcouto and Tim Frank
and Mike Bass and you know now with Amanda Thorne
and just send or a tease, and like, there's just
so many just great people over there that understand the business.

(30:49):
They are like minded in terms of owning their narrative,
telling their story. And I said the same for the
great contacts at MLB and our friends Matt Bourne and
Pat Courtney and Ileana Payna and everyone. I mean, that's
I've just been It's an embarrassment of riches, the people
that the professionals that I've gotten to work with who

(31:12):
have maybe better. I remember the launch of the Jump
with Rachel Nichols felt just special and different, kind of different.

Speaker 5 (31:22):
Than what we've done over the on our NBA.

Speaker 1 (31:26):
Coverage and what we had done prior, you know, And
then that segued into Malika Andrews, who's phenomenal and just
another person that I mean, I would say the same
for people like Malika and people like Rachel Sage Steele,

(31:50):
you know, Doris Burke, certainly, Cassidy Hubbard, certainly, people that
understand communications and public relations and you have to beyond
your A game, you have to be buttoned up. And
so I think that I do better in those situations
because I I feel like there's a challenge to be

(32:13):
my best when I'm dealing with those people.

Speaker 5 (32:15):
Yeah, it's just it's so fun all the time.

Speaker 4 (32:19):
Yeah, I mean, but I mean, if you're talking about
like the stuff and Curry, I'm sorry, Steph Curry and
Lebron James Era, you know what I mean that that
you know, I think four seasons in a row of
those NBA finals, if you will, Yeah, I mean that
is a kind of a special moment in time.

Speaker 3 (32:32):
You know what I mean that, you.

Speaker 4 (32:33):
Know, as consumers of sports content in general, we're just like, wow,
you know, this world, we're actually living something that we
may not see again in terms of like they were saying,
matchup in some ways, and while some people did get
tired of it, so to speak, it's history. It's history
that that could even happen, and you guys were at
the forefront of that in many ways.

Speaker 3 (32:49):
And I think also launching a daily NBA show, and
I love NBA TV and.

Speaker 4 (32:54):
I just love NBA content, right, but I'm always looking
for how can I get more?

Speaker 3 (32:57):
How can I get more?

Speaker 4 (32:59):
So knowing that you know, he's been took it upon
themselves and that says like, hey, we're going to have
a daily show, I was like, oh, thank you.

Speaker 3 (33:04):
You know what I mean.

Speaker 4 (33:05):
I don't have to just wait for the highlights on
NBA TV anymore. Like there's a daily show in the
middle of the afternoon that I can be able to
catch on if you know, if even if in my
work and I have it on my phone or were
a case of be that that.

Speaker 3 (33:15):
Meant a lot to me as a consumer of NBA content.

Speaker 4 (33:17):
So I mean, I appreciate you know, ESPN and your leadership,
you know, and trying to make some of those things
happen for diehards if you will.

Speaker 1 (33:23):
Well, I mean, and you are to contribute greatly to
NBA and the content that fans consume, and you're part
of the fabric of the NBA as well. And I
think it's just for anybody who loves the NBA. Like
I'm I was a nineties Jordan ere A kid. I mean,
there was nothing more important to me than Michael Jordan.

Speaker 5 (33:44):
I was obsessed. I mean, I'm a Boston Celtics fan,
but nothing was.

Speaker 3 (33:48):
Oh let's go, Ben, I knew I loved you.

Speaker 5 (33:53):
So Jordan. I mean I obsessively watched Jordan brow it.

Speaker 1 (33:57):
I mean it was if he lost a game, could
be a regular season game, you know, NBA, NBC Bafter
the day, I was just like that was hurt for
the rest of the day. So so yeah, So to
come from that obsession and then basketball is always my
favorite sport to play, and then to be able to
be a part of it in some way here is

(34:20):
I mean, it's cool, man, it's cool.

Speaker 5 (34:23):
Ben.

Speaker 4 (34:23):
Ben You you you we are a Kindrick Spirits brother,
Like you know what I mean, I say I'm Jordan.
Era definitely was a big Jordan fan, but I've you know, migrated.

Speaker 3 (34:31):
To the Celtics.

Speaker 4 (34:32):
You know, Aura, if you will to so great year
for me, you know in terms of last year and
then winning the championship, but not being biased in my
own coverage, which brings me to my you know, one
of my final questions here for you.

Speaker 3 (34:42):
So we know, like Stephen A, he's a big Knicks fan.
Order the case TV.

Speaker 4 (34:46):
But it's being like you. You are representing kind of
all sports and you specifically an MLB and and obviously
the NBA. How do you are you able to kind
of contain your own fandom for things that you again
you really grew up you know in certain eras, in
regions rooting for the certain teams.

Speaker 3 (35:00):
You know, how do you keep that bias.

Speaker 5 (35:02):
Out of what you do?

Speaker 3 (35:02):
From a professional standpoint.

Speaker 1 (35:05):
Sure, the fandom will always be there. I think that
that that's a good thing. I think everybody, all of us,
should be fans and maintain that fandom. You know, there's
certain moments where you have to catch yourself, like a
Leah Mike promoting the Celtics a little more than the Calves. Here,
I got to be careful. But no, I mean I

(35:27):
think you just learn to check yourself there. And it's
good to have friends who you can who aren't in
the industry where you can communicate, just like get all.

Speaker 5 (35:36):
That out on the side, take it to the workplace.

Speaker 1 (35:39):
But well, how do you I mean you being in
a content more journalism role, how do you do it?

Speaker 4 (35:47):
It's been tough, And so I find like my coast
is also a Celtics fan, and so like even if
we mention it, then all of a sudden I see him,
I see him like his I and all of a
sudden he's more passionate, and I'm like, all right, I
gotta like resteer the conversation so that we don't go
too far and like lean into the green if you will.
So it is really really interesting, Like we almost don't
talk about the Celtics on our bas on the baseline

(36:08):
only like if something really really major kind of came up.
I'm not saying we just avoid it, but I know
anytime it comes up, we both want to like lean
into it.

Speaker 3 (36:15):
I'm like, no, it's not a Celtics podcast. I had
a Celtics podcast, so I can do that.

Speaker 4 (36:18):
I would do that with Gary Washburn for a little
while and now I'm all right. The baseline is is
all NBA. So you're right, it is the checks and balances.
And I think as you're doing your like doing your
show notes and understanding, but also being able to flip
on the script you like, hey in the moment, like, hey,
you know what, we're going too far here, Let's let's
let's bring it back to the middle.

Speaker 3 (36:34):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (36:34):
Shout out to Gary Washburn, by the way, one of.

Speaker 3 (36:36):
The best, great dude, great great individual. I had a
lot of fun work with him on that show.

Speaker 4 (36:40):
You know, sad I had i'd step away. You know,
he's still doing great things. Obviously he didn't need me,
but you know it was fun, you know, running run
on the Celtics podcast with him for Buffly two and
a half seasons. Man, great stuff there, last couple of
ones here, Ben before I let you get out of here.
So things are changing, you know, in the in the
in the tea right space or would the case it be.

(37:02):
Do you think and I don't know, you may not
be able to talk about it, but do you think.

Speaker 3 (37:05):
You'll have the ability? Will you work well?

Speaker 4 (37:07):
Like the T and T crew once you know the
whole the TV stuff kind of changes over and you know,
they have the ability and being on TT is going
to continue to retain some sumlans of their rights to broadcast,
So integrating kind of with what's going on with you know,
Amazon and NBC and which you all have going on
as well too. Are looking forward to that like that,
that new mix of coverage and you know, even new

(37:28):
personalities are going to be coming into the space.

Speaker 1 (37:30):
Absolutely, anything new I gravitate towards because I feel like
that's you know, as a storyteller, which ultimately is what
a PR or communications professional is, you want new stories
to tell about your business, about the content that you're promoting.
So you know, I just I view that inside the

(37:53):
NBA partnership as a win win for all involved and
sell offishly. I hope that you know, that will mean
working with Tony Morielli Nate Smelt who originally hired me
at ESPN. Hopefully that comes into full because they're they're great,

(38:14):
and I mean, it's it would just be such a
natural partnership, So I'm looking forward to that. I think
that you know that that show is legendary. Of course,
it's one of the best sports shows of all time.
Everyone knows that, and those talent are all like unicorns.
We'll never kind of see that again. And the NBA

(38:37):
has just gotten so the demand for NBA content, as
you were mentioning, is enormous, and it's year round and
there's no off season, so there's so much to go around.
I mean, if you pair just the talent lineup that
I mentioned in house right now with that crew, it's

(38:59):
I just think it's going to be We're like where
the place that NBA fans want to go already, but
it'll be.

Speaker 5 (39:07):
Even tenfold with inside the NBA.

Speaker 4 (39:11):
Expertly said, and for those who are looking to be
the next band Cavardo, what what advice do you have
for you young professionals who want to get into this space,
especially with how it has changed and emerged since you
started X amount of years ago. You know what, what
advice would you give to them now? You know, as
they want to into sports sports communication.

Speaker 5 (39:32):
Well, first of all, it's competitive. We all know that.

Speaker 1 (39:36):
The the entire media industry, you know, everyone wants to
be a part of it. Everyone wants to work at
these you know, major sports entities and work in sports.
So think about how you differentiate yourself. But also I've
just found show up, demonstrate that you care about the

(39:58):
work you're doing and you care about doing a good job,
and you'll get opportunities. That part is invaluable. People leaders
need teams and personnel that they can trust and they
feel like they're in the fox hole with them. So
I know that a lot of it is intangible. A

(40:19):
lot of it is you know, realizing when you're being
presented an opportunity and taking it. Meet as many people
as you know, and don't get discouraged that you're not
getting your dream gig right out of college or I
mean sometimes, especially in this profession, you have to go
through slower times, but you're building and it might take

(40:44):
a few years before you really get a good gig.

Speaker 5 (40:48):
After school or what have you.

Speaker 1 (40:50):
So be patient and like I said, meet as many
people as you can and make sure that the work
is first.

Speaker 5 (41:00):
Know it.

Speaker 1 (41:00):
You know, there's different ways to advance and get ahead,
but if you're doing good work, then that's the perfect
foundation for your career and you'll get opportunities.

Speaker 4 (41:12):
Wise words from an even wiser man here, Ben Cafardo's
senior director of Communications for ESPN. Thank you so much
for sharing your story, some of the great opportunities that
you've come across in your life, but also now some
of that wisdom for people who might come in here
after you. I am Warren Shaw. Make sure you follow
me at Shaw Sports NBA or Dope Underscorts Interview. You

(41:34):
know he is Ben Kofardo Man. Make sure you follow
him at Ben Underscore at ESPN. And this has been
another Dope Interviews. Y'all.

Speaker 1 (41:41):
We're out.

Speaker 5 (41:42):
Thank you.

Speaker 2 (41:44):
Together we stand the vio we never the vision is
one striving for the better. Working as a team, working
toward a dream is not even work.

Speaker 3 (41:53):
When a team is the dream.

Speaker 2 (41:54):
When a united front, we got a home back, a
band of brothers, the counts wrapped in the attack, one
heart in fact, forget what the blood say, Dope, it's
worth flows in his FAM's DNA.

Speaker 6 (42:05):
So it's doing for.

Speaker 2 (42:05):
The love, give to the max. Listen to an opinion,
but react to facts and remember that together with a ship,
but separate just pieces of it. Shooting dope, it's worth
closing his Stam's DNA. Dope, it's worth closing his Stam's DNA.

Speaker 6 (42:30):
Family represent like a tree with names on it. We're free,
no chains on it. Relieve the pain's gone out, and
see we come together like questions on the quiz Mota
flowing viz man, you know what it is and if
ignorance is blisity, gonna hate this lesson organize them the
like a tropical depression. My simpol list across some mic
and ghost peppers because I'm just a black shoe growing
up to be a shepherd, moon lightened as a weapon

(42:52):
to protect the children. Every brother is a father. Dynasties
we're building Max J and k Babay and Isai next
level of the family. I don't think she'd understand me.

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