🔥Upside Chat: Dr Ron Dick, Duquesne University, Ex NBA/NCAA Exec on the Luka Dončić / Anthony Davis trade, the Super Bowl LIX, NCAA Tournament, the NIL/Title IX, the LA Dodgers' New Japanese Pitcher

This week we had the honor to interview again Dr. Ron Dick, associate professor of sports marketing at Duquesne University in the school of business. Ron also worked for 20 years in sports, including 15 years in the NBA with the Sixers and the Nets, and then five years in the NCAA.

You can read the full transcript of the podcast interview with Ron located at the top of this blog post.

Here are some of the best quotes of our conversation with Ron:

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Q1. What are your thoughts on the Luka Dončić / Anthony Davis (AD) trade between the Dallas Mavericks and LA Lakers?

• “It is difficult to understand why the Mavs would make this trade. Sure AD is a Hall of Fame (HOF) player, but he is aging and often injured. Doncic is also HOF, but in his prime. I expect the Lakers to go deep in the playoffs. If they don’t there will be a coaching change.”

• “The Utah Jazz are 11-36, they are getting young prospects while shuffling chairs on the Titanic”.

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Q2. Can you tell us about the TV Commercials at the Super Bowl?

• "The trend with Super Bowl commercials this year is shifting. Traditionally, we’ve seen a heavy presence of car ads, but this time, there will be noticeably fewer of those. Instead, we’re going to see a lot more commercials for snacks, beverages, and the ever-popular ‘cute animal’ approach. And of course, celebrities will play a major role in many of these ads."

• "One commercial that’s already creating buzz is from Hellman’s Mayo, featuring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan in a remake of the famous ‘I’ll have what she’s having’ scene from When Harry Met Sally. That nostalgia factor is huge for advertisers. We’ll also see David Beckham and Willem Dafoe appear in another ad, and a new trailer for Bend It Like Beckham is expected to make an impact."

• "The cost of a 30-second ad has now reached $8 million, up from $7 million last year. That’s a staggering number, but it just shows how valuable this event is for brands. Super Bowl commercials aren’t just ads; they become part of pop culture. Companies are willing to invest massive amounts because they know people will be talking about these ads for weeks after the game."

• "What’s interesting is that some people who don’t even like football will tune in just for the commercials. Advertisers are aware of this and are already leaking some of their commercials online to build anticipation. At this point, the Super Bowl is as much about entertainment and marketing as it is about the game itself."

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Q3. Who is the favorite to win the Super Bowl this year?

• "Right now, the Kansas City Chiefs are 1.5-point favorites over the Philadelphia Eagles, which makes sense given their track record. But this could very well be the Eagles' year."

• "Offensively, the Eagles are stacked. They have an incredible offensive line—five human bulldozers protecting their quarterback. They have elite receivers, a solid tight end, and a balanced offensive system that has put up some huge numbers this season. I mean, they dropped 55 points on a very strong Commanders defense, so it’s hard to believe they won’t score on the Chiefs."

• "Of course, Patrick Mahomes is magical. He always finds a way to make things happen, no matter the situation. But historically speaking, no team has ever three-peated in the NFL. The last time we saw a three-peat in any of the four major sports was the Lakers in 2000, 2001, and 2002. That tells you just how hard it is to sustain dominance for that long."

• "If I had to bet, my heart and my head say this might be the Eagles’ time. They have all the pieces in place, and if they execute, they could end the Chiefs’ run. Either way, it’s shaping up to be a fantastic game."

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Q4. Can you give us an update on the NCAA Tournament?

• "The NCAA Tournament is always a spectacle, and this year is no different. We have 68 teams competing, with the first four playing in Dayton, Ohio. That city does an incredible job hosting—15,000 fans show up just to watch those play-in games. Then we get down to the real action with 64 teams in the main tournament, playing in the Thursday-Saturday or Friday-Sunday format."

• "One of the biggest issues right now is how much power is concentrated in just a few conferences. The Big Ten, SEC, and Big 12 are dominating the at-large bids. If you’re in the ACC, Big East, or any of the mid-major conferences, you’re finding it much harder to get multiple teams into the tournament."

• "What’s really concerning is how difficult it has become for the smaller programs to make a deep run. In 2006, George Mason shocked the world by making it to the Final Four with four seniors and a junior—none of whom played in the NBA. That kind of Cinderella story is becoming nearly impossible. We may have to consider expanding the tournament to 96 teams just to give more conferences a fair shot."

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Q5. Can you give us an update on NIL and Title IX?

• "The big news on NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) and Title IX is the U.S. Department of Education stepping in to clarify how universities can pay athletes. Essentially, it’s a Title IX violation for any school to use internal funds to pay male athletes—primarily football and basketball—without offering the same opportunity to female athletes. That creates a major complication for schools looking to compensate their players directly."

• "For example, VCU, which doesn’t have a football team, wanted to start paying its men’s basketball players without worrying about what other schools in their conference were doing. But legally, they can’t do that. The Department of Education has made it clear that if a school uses its own money to pay male athletes, it must also pay female athletes. That’s a major roadblock for schools considering direct compensation models."

• "Now, this doesn’t affect NIL deals where athletes get money from external sources, like sponsorships. Those remain completely legal and are considered personal income for the players. But any direct payments from universities could lead to major legal battles and complications."

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Q6. The LA Dodgers (MLB) have signed 3 Japanese pitchers. What are your thoughts on that?

• "The Dodgers are playing smart baseball within the current rules. They’re using deferred money agreements with players and capitalizing on international free agency in ways that smaller-market teams simply can’t match."

• "The latest addition, Hiroki Suzaki, is just 23 years old and is being hyped as possibly the best of the three Japanese pitchers they’ve signed. He came through the posting system with Nippon Professional Baseball and signed for $6.5 million. The Dodgers also had to pay a posting fee to his former team in Japan, which is part of the agreement for bringing over international players."

• "What makes the Dodgers particularly dangerous is their pitching depth. They now have 10 legitimate starters in their rotation, which is a luxury few teams have. But they’ve also had a lot of injuries in recent seasons, which is why they’re signing young pitchers who haven’t been overworked. Suzaki only pitched 110 innings last season, which makes him a great long-term investment."

• "The problem is that this kind of spending power makes the playing field even more unbalanced. Smaller-market teams simply don’t have the financial flexibility to make these kinds of deals. Baseball might need to revisit some of its rules if they want to create more parity in the league."

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