Speaker 1:
From the Library of the New York Stock Exchange at the corner of Wall and Broad streets in New York City, you're Inside The ICE House, our podcast from Intercontinental Exchange on markets, leadership and vision in global business, the dream drivers that have made the NYSE an indispensable institution of global growth for over 225 years.
Each week, we feature stories of those who hatch plans, create jobs, and harness the engine of capitalism right here, right now at the NYSE and at ICE's exchanges and clearing houses around the world. And now, welcome Inside The ICE House. Here's your host, Josh King of Intercontinental Exchange.
Josh King:
Now, follow along with me for a minute on this rags to riches story of sports entertainment and Wall Street.
Way back in 1978, this guy named Bill Rasmussen who left his job with the New England Whalers, my old hometown of Hartford came up with a novel idea in the brave new world of cable television called the Entertainment And Sports Programming Network or ESPN. ESPN got itself launched and made a name for itself, a really strong brand, but was sort of tapped out under the ownership of Rasmussen and his partner in the venture, Getty Oil.
That's when the American Broadcasting Company came in. ABC, home of Wide World Of Sports and Monday Night Football, bought ESPN, 1984, and a year later, 1986, a company called Capital Cities, which owned a lot of local television stations, bought ABC. And then finally, in 1996, the Walt Disney Company, NYSE took the symbol DIS, where ESPN has resided ever since.
Now fast forward to today. That little idea of bill Rasmussen's, its valuation would be a very tall order to calculate but it doesn't stop people from thinking about how much it would be worth spun out on its own. On the Disney earnings call on August 10th, CEO Bob Chapek said, as CEOs often do on these calls, now turning to sports, our industry-leading run of rights acquisitions positions us extremely well for the future. The results of this approach were fantastic last quarter as the Walt Disney Company was responsible for 47% of sports hours watched by the 18 to 49 demo in the fiscal third quarter.
So that, my friends, is a ton of hours spent watching by the younger free-spending folks in the demo, people who buy a lot of beer, cars, insurance, pizza, and everything else you see on commercial breaks when you're gathered on the sofa with a bowl of Tostitos to watch the Denver Broncos visit Seattle to take on the Seahawks in the 2022 debut of Monday Night Football on ESPN, one of those rights acquisitions that Mr. Chapek was talking about, which begins its 51st season on September 12th.
Now, I'm old enough to remember the very early days, sad to say, when Howard Cosell, "Dandy" Don Meredith, and Frank Gifford were calling the games in the booth but it's a new season and a new booth. It was announced back in March that Joe Buck and Hall Of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, who've called games together for 20 years including six Super Bowls on another network, would be bringing their talents to ESPN and the Walt Disney Company at long last.
Talking about that move, ESPN's chairman Jimmy Pitaro said when you have the opportunity to bring in the iconic, longest-running NFL broadcasting duo, you take it especially at a time when we are on the cusp of a new era of our expanding relationship with the NFL. A new era indeed. And in a minute, we're going to talk with half of that duo, Troy Aikman, on football, business, life, yes beer, and the span of a career that goes from Henryetta High school in Henryetta, Oklahoma to three Super Bowl wins to the booth above Lumen Field in a few days time. That's all coming up right after this.
Speaker 3:
And now a word from FVRR, NYSE ticker, F-V-R-R.
Speaker 4:
Hi. We're Fiverr, a global marketplace connecting individuals and businesses with freelancers offering thousands of digital services, graphic design, web development, video editing, Ecommerce marketing. You name it. There's a professional freelancer ready to make it happen. Filter your search by the service needed, budget, timeline, and boom. FVRR provides a list of talented freelancers to meet your specific needs. Always know what you'll pay upfront, no hourly rates, just project-based pricing and because payment isn't released until you approve the work, you can rest assured that you'll be satisfied with the quality and get exactly what you want. Our support team is always available to answer questions or offer assistance when you need it. With the whole world of freelance talent at your fingertips, what might you achieve? Join today and find out. Fiverr. It starts here.
Josh King:
He probably won't remember this but I first met Troy Aikman on March 5th, 1993, fresh off of Troy's 273 yards and four touchdowns in the Dallas Cowboys dominating 52-17 win over the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVII.
I was working in the White House at the time and we laid down a carpet of artificial turf over the parquet floor of the East Room to make Jerry Jones, Troy, and the team feel right at home. And 29 years later, Troy, there's no turf in podcasting but you should feel right at home. Once again, here Inside The Ice House.
Troy Aikman:
It's good to be on.
Josh King:
So first, congratulations. I saw you and Joe getting fitted for your yellow MNF blazers in Bristol a few weeks back. Will they be a staple of the Buck-Aikman booth?
Troy Aikman:
Yeah. ESPN, the jacket fitting and everything else that they've done has been first-class. It's really been a great experience. So when we went to Bristol, I'd never been to Bristol. First time to go and get a tour of the campus and all that. I really enjoyed hearing your intro on The History Of ESPN. There's some gaps there that I was unaware of. But yeah. So they brought out the jackets and it was incredible. It was a great moment because, like what you said, I grew up listening to Don Meredith and Howard Cosell and Frank Gifford and know how iconic the Monday Night Football brand is and what that booth means so to be a part of it and to have a yellow jacket of my own is pretty special.
Josh King:
Talking about iconic brands, Troy, have you ever been to the New York Stock Exchange? You've got a date in New York when the Cowboys play the Giants. Can we do a little toss on the trading floor when you're in town?
Troy Aikman:
I would love it. I've never been. I've never been. I would welcome that. Yeah. It would be an honor for me.
Josh King:
Consider the invitation issued and anytime you and Joe are in New York, you're always welcome to come by. Do you remember that day in the White House that I was talking about? Still one of the strangest events ever to go down at 1600 Pennsylvania avenue.
Troy Aikman:
Why do you say that? Why do you say strange?
Josh King:
Well, because one of my mentors who was in charge of setting up that event almost got fired for putting artificial turf down on Monton's perfect wooden floor and turning it into a practice facility.
Troy Aikman:
I remember the trip. I don't recall the AstroTurf. I don't recall the turf surface. I don't know that I went the third time we won the Super Bowl but I know the first two trips and it was awesome. Yeah. I mean you see it. It's like champagne in a locker room. You see it when you're a kid growing up after a team wins a championship so to be able to go and be at the White House and President Clinton was in office and it was amazing. It was a really great experience for everybody.
Josh King:
You must have been about, I guess, 27 around thereabouts at the time.
Troy Aikman:
That's right.
Josh King:
Your first Super Bowl win under your belt. President Clinton and Jerry Jones were old friends from their time in Arkansas.
Troy Aikman:
That's right. Yeah. They had a history together. Yeah. I think that probably made it a little bit, certainly made it more special, I'm sure, for Jerry Jones. I don't want to speak for him but I think it probably made for a better experience for all of us because you could definitely tell there was a history between the president and our owner.
Josh King:
We had Mr. Jones on the podcast, this one in 2019. He was here at the NYSE to promote his natural gas business, Comstock Resources, and also, the fortunes of his team which at that point had just resigned Zeke Elliot. Now, Jones was trying to win Super Bowls when he drafted you as the first overall pick in the 1989 draft and you did it for him. But what did Mr. Jones teach you about business?
Troy Aikman:
I learned a lot from him. I will say that my best conversations with Jerry Jones have not been around football. They've been around business. I remember, Josh, we had a trip. We were going to be playing in Toronto and so, Jerry Jones and I flew on his plane to Toronto before we kicked off the training camp in order to do a press conference and promote this game that we were going to be playing over there.
So I had quite a few hours of undivided attention from him and I asked him and I was pretty young then. I asked him. I said Jerry, if you were in my shoes, you know exactly how much I've made and you've written all those checks. I'm just curious what advice you would give for me. His advice would be to get involved in the banking business and he had a history of being in the banking business and he explained to me why that was and he just felt that there was a wealth of knowledge to learn, if you're in the banking industry, before you started handing out loans and what you have to know about various businesses, if you are going to give out a loan.
I always remembered that comment. I later, not immediately, but I later then did get involved in the banking business and it was a very profitable opportunity for me. That's just some of what he mentioned to me but a lot of really great conversations about how he views business and some of the things that I should look out for or pursue. And obviously, he's a tremendous business man. He's done a lot for the Cowboys. He's done a lot for the National Football League and it's all due to his business acumen.
Josh King:
So talking about your move into business, Troy, you hung up your cleats after the 2000 season. I think your team was 5-11 that year. I look back at last year, the Cowboys were 12-5, a lot of hope going into the playoffs but losing the Wild Card to the 49ers. Now, Jerry hasn't won a Super Bowl since your campaign under Barry Switzer in Super Bowl XXX in '96. What do you think their chances are to make it back to State Farm Stadium in Glendale on February 12th?
Troy Aikman:
Yeah. I think they're good. I thought they were good last year. I think there's been other seasons where there's been a lot of high expectations. I think the critics would say why should there be because they've yet to even get back to an NSC championship game but they've been one of the more successful regular season teams over the last 10, 15 years.
The problem, Josh, is just that once they've gotten into the post-season, they just haven't played their best football and there's no real answer to that. How do you then play your best football when you get into January? Nobody has that formula. Otherwise, the Cowboys certainly would be following it.
But last year was a big disappointment to have the year, like you said, that they had and then to lose at home to the 49ers. And unfortunately, they've had home field advantage a couple of times during that stretch and they've not been able to get out of the first round and this year I do believe they're another talented football team. I don't think they're as good as they were a year ago but that doesn't necessarily mean that they can't accomplish a whole lot more and win it all. They've got a tough stretch. They've got a good schedule. It'll be hard for them especially early opening up against Tampa Bay but at least they get them at home. It's all about being able to peak at the right time and unfortunately for them, that hasn't happened over the years.
Josh King:
Who do you see as the cream of the crop of the NFC and AFC this year? Where do you think the surprises are going to come from?
Troy Aikman:
I certainly like, in the NFC, the teams that we've seen recently. That being Green Bay. I do like San Francisco, a lot on Trey Lance's shoulders but I like the way that team is built. I like the coaching staff. I like Tampa Bay. Of course, when you've got Tom Brady and all the things that he's been able to do, they'll be in the post-season so can they pull it all together and then win another Super Bowl?
I think some of the surprises or maybe the strength is a better way of saying it is in the AFC. I definitely like Buffalo. If I picked a long shot or somewhat of a surprise team, when I look at the league, I'd say Indianapolis. I think the Matt Ryan acquisition at quarterback is going to really help them. I like Frank Reich and what they do. I like their ability to run the ball. Them and the 49ers. I think teams, the Rams, of course in the NFC, the defending world champs. I just think that the league is, not every team, but a lot of these teams are starting to shift back to the way that we played back in the 90s with more of a power running game, not relying totally on the spread and the shotgun formations and I like those teams. I like the balance they create. I like what they do to help out their defenses as well.
Josh King:
Matt Ryan had been a guest on this show as well. And just to take a little step back and talk about this principle industry that you're in as a whole, the National Football League as a product, both on and off the field, let's start with your impressions of the state of the game itself. As we roll into the 22-23 season, 103 seasons overall, 32 teams vying for that Lombardi trophy. How do you feel about the product that's on the field?
Troy Aikman:
The product has definitely captured the fan base. People can't get enough of it. We added Thursday night schedules to the NFL and people are tuned in and watching those games. We've got Saturday games late in the year. We've got Sunday games. We've got Monday night games. And yet, you wonder if there's ever going to be an oversaturation of the sport and that hasn't occurred up to this point.
So the fans like what they see. The games are compelling. There's a lot of scoring. There's a lot of star power in the league and the games come down to the last couple of minutes so there's a lot of drama that's involved as well. So it's really good. I think, sometimes, there's steps that are taken and you just wonder okay, what's the impact of that going to be with the long term viability of our game and it just doesn't seem like anything has yet to slow this down.
I read a book years ago on the missteps by Major League Baseball, as to why they went from America's pastime to then football overtaking it and one of the big reasons that was stated, in this book, is because of the oversaturation of the game, that it was no longer special to watch a baseball game and there's so many games. Well football, like I just said, there's four days of the week, at some points late in the year, where there's football and yet, that has not proven to be a misstep for the National Football League so it's a good time to be an owner. It has been for a long, long time. People are paying records amounts of money to cover the sport and there doesn't appear to be any end in sight. So it seems like it's very, very healthy, maybe as healthy as it's ever been.
Josh King:
Some of the dramatic narratives this year, Troy, as they are every year, are at your old position. Tom Brady was probably 16 when you came to the White House in '93. 45 now, back at camp in Tampa. Another ex-Patriot, Jacoby Brissett going to have to hold down the fort for 11 games in Cleveland during Deshaun Watson's suspension. What are you looking for from the NFL quarterbacks this year and has the position changed a lot since you played?
Troy Aikman:
Going back to when I was playing, for instance, there was a good run of quarterbacks with Elway and Marino and Steve Young and Jim Kelly, Warren Moon, Boomer Esiason, Bernie Kosar. There was a number of quarterbacks and there was conversations I would be asked. I was a little younger than those guys but I would be asked hey, what's going to happen when these great quarterbacks leave. I think that what's been proven out, over the history of the game, is that quarterbacks step in and there's always great players. There's always stars in our sport and that has definitely continued.
I think when we look at the league right now, it's in really good hands with young quarterbacks. I mean Josh Allen at the top and Kenny Pickett, he hasn't yet played a snap of regular season football and he looks like he's going to be the next one and Justin Herbert in San Diego or Los Angeles Chargers. I like Patrick Mahomes, of course, and all that he's been able to do. There's a flare to him. Dak Prescott in Dallas. I just think that Tom has certainly defied the odds and his ability to play at a high level for such a long time.
But I do believe, Josh, that the way that the rules have changed, most quarterbacks are going to play at least until they're 40 years old or into their early 40s. I don't know if they make 45, like Tom is right now, but when Brett Favre made it, you thought wow, we may not see this again but I think that's going to become more of the norm.
I think quarterbacks have higher expectations of being able to play a lot longer with their longevity and I think because of Tom, I think he deserves a lot of credit for it, quarterbacks are coming into the league and taking a lot better care of their bodies than what they once did. I know that I didn't really start paying attention to my diet and how I was training in the off-season until I was about 30 years old. These guys now come into the league at 22 years old. They've got nutritionist. They've got dieticians. They've got strength coaches and a whole slew of ... They've got a team. So I think that will become the norm. But yeah. We're in good hands when it comes to that position.
Josh King:
From the league as a whole, as a business, to the position you played, now focusing in on the two guys in the booth looking at the game, Troy. Joe Buck was on The Sportscasters podcast earlier this month. He said this. He said Troy leaves and goes to ESPN and I've never thought of myself as an ESPNer mainly because my wife is there and I kind of liked the idea of us being at competing networks so to speak. But then my mind changed once Troy was in that booth. So I got to ask. What were the business decisions that led you and Joe to sign up as Disney employees this year?
Troy Aikman:
Yeah. My situation, it's not an easy answer for me. I had been in a negotiation with Fox a year ago. In that negotiation, we couldn't really reach an agreement. I had made a proposal that I thought was fair and as it turned out, it was beyond fair but Fox didn't quite see it. I'm talking about as the landscape of the analyst compensation evolved but Fox didn't quite see it that way. And so, I agreed to their number but I, in return, asked to have an opt-out to where after one season, after one year, I had the ability to talk with any other network that had an interest in hiring me and as it turned out, Amazon and ESPN did. So Fox chose not to really dive in. I would've signed with them at any time during the season last year. They knew I was in conversations. It was mostly with Amazon. ESPN didn't jump in until the very end but I was having conversations with Amazon and Fox didn't engage.
And so, as things worked out, I think they anticipated that I would do a split schedule much like I had the last four years and I'd do the Sunday games on Fox. Then I'd do the Thursday games on Amazon if that's how it ended up. But then, right towards the very end, ESPN got involved and it was very compelling because of the playoff games that they have. Of course, the game schedule. They're an established network. They're already proven themselves on Monday Night Football and then the opportunity to do Super Bowls.
So that's how it happened for me. I never imagined because I knew that Joe had one more year left on his contract with Fox. I never imagined that he would be able to come with me at least this year. And so, I was curious as to who I was going to be working with. There were other names that were being mentioned and the next thing I know, Joe had said that he was going to ask Fox to be released from his contract, that he wanted to come to ESPN too, assuming that they had an interest in him and then they worked out a deal.
So what went from a really good situation for me, to come to Monday Night Football and work at ESPN, became an amazing situation for both of us because as you mentioned in the intro, Joe and I have worked together for 20 years and neither one of us didn't want to continue to do that. We wanted to keep being partners. We enjoy working together. We're very close friends and it was circumstances really beyond his control and my control that led me to leave and then he wanted to come be a part of that. So I couldn't be happier with the way that it all ended up. So I was already happy but then to get to continue with a partner going into my now 21st season together was the icing on the cake.
Josh King:
I mean I was talking to my friends at ESPN and they would go on about the real business decision to bring you on board, to really create that rare chemistry in the booth, that it's a business call, makes people tune in, fetches ratings, sells ads. I looked at your Instagram feed showing you reading the old book Monday Night Mayhem by MarC Gunther and Bill Carter. How much will you think, and you and Joe think of Cosell, Meredith and Gifford, when you're going to put that blazer on and that theme music kicks in?
Troy Aikman:
As soon as that music kicks in, every time I hear it, I think of my childhood. I think of Howard Cosell and Don Meredith and Frank Gifford. So we did a rehearsal game a couple weeks ago in Seattle that didn't air but we went about it as though it was on air and the theme song comes on. You're just like oh my gosh. We're actually doing this. This is great. Like I said, I'm truly honored. I know we have only a few games on ABC and those games were on network television, ABC, but still, it's still Monday Night Football. It's still the brand. It's still an iconic booth and I think that years from now, people will continue to talk about the teams that served in that booth. So to be one of those, hopefully for a long time, is really meaningful to me.
Josh King:
There's one little oddity, Troy. I mean, you got a little competition on your own networks this year on some of the same games you're broadcasting. The Manningcast is going to return again on ESPN2 and ESPN+, 10 games with Peyton and Eli in their pajamas on their easy chairs. How does that affect how you and Joe are going to call the games?
Troy Aikman:
It won't. I mean what they're doing is so different from what we're doing. I watched some of the Manningcasts last year. I'd pop over and catch a little bit. Peyton's been a long-time friend. I have great respect for him and love the guy and Eli as well. I covered Eli's games. I don't know him as well as I know Peyton but I thought what they did was great so it's an alternative option for these viewers.
I think people who really want to watch the game and follow the game, they'll obviously be watching our broadcast. But then, there are those people who just want to be entertained without really following the game as closely and see who the guests are that they have on and they have great guests so it'll be great.
And then you mention the other, week two for instance, there's two games on that Monday night so there'll be another game being played there as well. So those decisions. I know that it won't affect us, to answer your question. We're pretty fired up. What goes into those decisions at the executive level? I'm not educated enough to really figure it all out but I figure that the people that are making those decisions are a lot smarter than I am and they have a lot more at stake than I do so whatever they want to do, whatever game they want us to call, that's where I show up and that's what I do.
Josh King:
That's where you show up. That's what you do. And whether it's Manningcast, drone cams, augmented reality graphics inserted into the broadcast, what's the balance between the technology and innovation offered by the networks and the streamers versus the preparation and articulation that people like you and Tony Romo deliver through the very simple device called the microphone?
Troy Aikman:
I think that's obviously still the most important element. The television and sports broadcasts have definitely changed over the years. I mean you think back. Even when you watch a classic game now and they put up the graphics you're like holy cow. You think what are they doing? Everything has evolved and I think it's made for a really great experience for the viewer. I mean the viewer has been the one who has benefited from that.
But I think you do have to walk a line, a little bit, that you can't get so carried away in the graphics and the technology that you lose sight of what really matters. Forget that I'm broadcasting. But I think what is important is the broadcasters being able to have a conversation, so to speak, with the audience and with the viewer. And that interaction and how engaged that viewer feels, I think ultimately, is brought about by the broadcasters more so than any technology. And the game, I mean the great thing about what we do, especially in a world of reality television, is every week that's what football is. It's reality television. There's drama. There's a lot of emotion that's involved. It's what ABC Sports was built on, the thrill of victory and the agony to defeat. That's on display every Monday night so we try not to get in the way of that. But I do think that relationship between broadcaster and audience is very important.
Josh King:
The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. When we come back, the other side of Troy Aikman, the businessman, the family man, the citizen. That's all coming up right after this.
Speaker 6:
Connecting the opportunity is just part of the hustle.
Speaker 7:
Opportunity is using data to create a competitive advantage.
Speaker 8:
It's raising capital to help companies change the world.
Speaker 10:
It's making complicated financial concepts seems simple.
Speaker 11:
Opportunity is making the dream of home ownership a reality.
Speaker 12:
Writing new rules and redefining the game.
Speaker 13:
And driving the world forward to a greener energy future.
Speaker 14:
Opportunity is setting a goal.
Speaker 15:
And charging a course to get there.
Speaker 6:
Sometimes the only thing standing between you and opportunity is someone who can make the connection.
Speaker 18:
At ICE, we connect people to opportunity.
Josh King:
Welcome back. Before the break, we were talking to Hall Of Fame quarterback, Troy Aikman, on his career, his path through the broadcasting business, the state of the NFL today, and what he is looking forward to when he and Joe Buck take to the booth in Seattle on September 12th for the first game of the next chapter in their careers on ESPN and ABC. That's our New York Stock Exchange symbol, DIS.
So Troy, Disney, ESPN, the NFL announced their new 10-year agreement back in 2021, long before you came over, the Super Bowls in 2026, 2030, ESPN+, the exclusive streamer of one national game annually. They got the draft, Pro Bowl, a lot more enhancements. When I read the news release, Jimmy Pitaro said of the deal it's a wide-ranging agreement unlike anything we've reached with the NFL and we couldn't be more energized about what the future holds.
So then you read some of the reporting, Troy, $2.7 billion a year, Disney paying the league for all of those goodies. Help an average fan appreciate better how the scope of this deal is going to change what they see on the screen.
Troy Aikman:
I don't know that I can answer that, quite honestly, Josh, as to what is going to be different. I think though that when you have these TV contracts like ESPN and you laid out that it's a 10-year contract for them, that they then know they're going to be covering football. So I think they're able to, as a network, whether it's ESPN or Fox or CBS or any of the others, they're able to then make a real commitment knowing that they're going to build something around that, around the National Football League, and it only helps. It helps everyone. It helps the league. It helps TV partners as well.
So I do know that ESPN's commitment, which we've seen, which Joe and I were commenting on is that for us, we have been accustomed to being one of seven to eight games any given week. We are now with a network that has one game a week, for the most part, and they're able to throw a lot of resources at it. So for us, we're the beneficiaries of that. I say we, the broadcasters, but also the viewing audience. I think NBC has a similar situation and that they're able to throw a little bit more at their game because they just have the one broadcast each week as well. So that's exciting for me. There's a lot more cameras. Technology continues to evolve and we'll see where it all goes. But yeah. It's been awesome and I'm thrilled. I'm thrilled to be coming into ESPN at the start of this contract knowing that I have an opportunity to be a part of this for a long time.
Josh King:
The grind on the quarterback is one thing. The grind on the analyst is another thing entirely. Troy, you got to travel to Seattle for September 12th. Philadelphia or Buffalo. I assume, for the 19th. The Meadowlands on the 26th. To do your job, you got to know everything there is to know about the Broncos, Steelers, Seahawks, Titans, Bills, Vikings, Eagles, Giants, Cowboys. How do you do the study, the prep, and then get your mind in the right place for delivery each week?
Troy Aikman:
It is a lot. It's been a lot over the last four years. Joe and I were doing a Thursday night game and then a Sunday game so that really takes a toll. I don't know that a lot of viewers at home or a lot of people that are listening to this know the amount of work that goes in to getting ready to call a football game because there's obviously a wealth of information but you never know everything there is to know. I mean you never have it all.
So you lay there sometimes and you think man, I wonder about this kicker or this punter or whatever it might be and then you start looking up that information. So there's a lot to it. But then Joe, because we have worked together so long, I think what people recognize, I think they feel the chemistry that we have. You mentioned it earlier that you can't make that up. I think the viewers can feel that we're friends and so when we're in the booth, Joe, his approach is he would never want anyone to know how hard he works at his craft because his style is pretty loose and informal which is how he wants it. But the guy knows everything there is to know. I mean he's a workaholic.
So he comes into the booth and he helps set the tone as far as how our broadcast is going to go. As prepared as we are, we also understand that it goes beyond just spewing out a lot of information. You have to be able to relate with the audience and we hope that we do. You do it the best way you know how. But I remember David Hill, who started Fox Sports, and the NFL when they got those rights, he once said to me, he says I want you to call the game like you're talking to an eight-year-old boy on a couch who's never watched football before. I thought wow. Yeah. I can understand that. That's really helpful.
But then, when you get into this business and you start doing games, you realize that not every member of the audience is eight years old and not everyone has not watched football before but they want to hear about what the background is on this player. There may be some coaches that are watching and a whole gamut in between so our audience is a moving target. We try to present to where everyone who's watching the game gets something out of it. That's our hope. I think that's everybody's hope. But that's how we go about trying to do our jobs.
Josh King:
Another thing that average fans don't focus on a lot, Troy, is the long scroll of talent and the credits that's both along with you and Joe and the booth and also in the truck outside the stadium. Watching the seasons go past, I sort of remember that the platitudes to them is sort of saved until the last game of the year but this year you basically have to break in and work with a whole new team.
Troy Aikman:
The thing that I've enjoyed over the years in broadcasting is getting to know those people that you mentioned. The easy ones are the producer and the director and the people that are in the booth. But when you start developing relationships with people on the crew and I have amazing friendships and relationships with people that I had worked with for a number of years at Fox and then, all of a sudden to come to ESPN and not know really anyone outside of Joe, has created an urgency on our part to get to know those people.
So when we were in Seattle, it was great to be able to put a face with a name or to shake someone's hand, look them in the eye, and realize that hey, now you and I are teammates and I look forward to building those relationships because it's no different in broadcasting or as a player or in business. It's always about the team and without trying to sound cliche, team-building takes effort and you have to be around those people and there has to be a bond that's created. And so, that's what we're working on now. That will continue to develop as we move through the season but it's something that I'm excited about and something that I look forward to.
Josh King:
Active QBs study their films right after the game. How do you get, take, and analyze the feedback on your performance? Do you study the tweets that take you to task? Do you respond to them?
Troy Aikman:
I do read tweets. I don't know that I read them all. I just don't have time to do that. But I do read some tweets and what's interesting, Josh, is that I think that deep down you know if somebody tweets something that's a criticism, you know whether it's valid. I tend to read those with an open mind and will say you know what? That person may have a point. Maybe I need to be better in this or maybe I could have said this differently or whatever it might be.
But what I learned up to this point, over 21 years, is that we are in the communications business but there's not a lot of communication that goes on within our own profession. And so, what I do is I go back on my flight back to Dallas, I watch the game. I've been able to get a copy of the game as soon as it's ended and I watch it on the way home and I'm critical as to my own performance. I try to evaluate why wasn't this very good or why did I think it was good and I try to coach myself. If I'm using phrases a little redundantly, in the moment you don't pick up on that but when you go back and you watch a game or listen to it, you're able to hear those types of things. I'm very open to feedback which as players, we were used to. Every throw I ever made was judged, critiqued, analyzed and so I don't mind that. We don't get as much of it in our business but I'm certainly open to it.
Josh King:
Talking about the tweets and your social media feeds, Troy, a lot of it, as I look at what you're putting out recently involves you and a six-pack of Eight. We have talked about beer a couple of times on this show. We've had our friends from Anheuser-Busch, that's NYSE ticker symbol B-U-D, Bud, to talk about their Freedom Reserve Lager. I talked to Kelsey Grammer about his own brewery, making Faith American Lager in upstate New York. Tell me about your Eight.
Troy Aikman:
Yeah. So I've been loosely involved with the beer business for a good part of my life. When I was in college, I actually worked at a distributorship and then when I came to Dallas, became very close friends with one of the largest beer distributors in the country, Andrews Distributing, Barry and Lana Andrews and now his son-in-law Mike McGuire is the one who's running that. And so, I'd done a lot of things with the various distributorships. I'd done some national campaigns with some brands but never did I imagine that I'd be making my own beer.
But I met my now-partners through a mutual friend and we began talking about whether or not it was something that I might be interested in doing. One of the partners has had a career in the beer business and I said I like beer. I drink beer and I would do it but it would have to be a light beer, first of all, because that's all I drink and it would have to be consistent with my lifestyle because I do work out a lot. I'm very mindful of what I put in my body. I said if we can do that, in addition, just making a light beer for the sake of making a light beer wasn't appealing to me. But I thought if we can do it differently or do it better than what's out there, then let's do it.
So off we went and Eight was born and it was over two years of a lot of hard work, a lot of trial and error and coming up with the recipe. And Josh, what makes Eight different is that we are the only widely-available beer that I know of that can say this, but we have no adjuncts in our beers so we have no rice, corn syrup or added sugars. It's an all-malt light beer and yet, we're still at just 90 calories and 2.6 carbs so I'm really proud of what we came up with.
I refer to it as a better for you beer. I'm not suggesting that Eight is healthy. Beer, in general, is not healthy but if you're going to drink beer, there's nothing on the market that's better for you than what I have and people who have tried it, love it. It's tastes more like a full-bodied beer than it does a light beer and it's done really well. We're exclusive in Texas. The response has been overwhelming. It's surpassed our wildest expectations when we launched and it's been a lot of fun. It's been a lot of work but it's been a lot of fun too.
Josh King:
I mean when you come up to New York, if you can fill the plane with a bunch of cases...
Troy Aikman:
I'll bring it.
Josh King:
...we can give them to some of the guys on the floor and you can do a sample. It'd be awesome.
Troy Aikman:
Absolutely. I would love it. Yeah. I'll definitely bring some.
Josh King:
When you put your name and your Hall Of Fame number on a can, and in your case, on your Instagram feed or even one case I saw in one of the pictures an entire truck, I mean it has to uphold your personal brand and also your reputation. How much of your input goes not only into the recipe, but the packaging design, the marketing strategy, and getting into this whole industry?
Troy Aikman:
Everything. 100%. I've been fully invested in every step of the way. I mentioned the recipe and how proud I am of the beer. What's a close second is the packaging. We went through the naming exercise. People would think oh, well that was a no-brainer. You just said it's Eight because that was the number that I wore. That's not true. We looked at a lot of different names. Nothing resonated. Talked with a lot of people. But the packaging, Herman-Scheer was the company that we used. They did a terrific job because once we came up with the name, I wasn't too thrilled at all, initially, with what we were coming up with in terms of our branding. But when they showed us this one, I said that's genius. I just love it. People love it.
Yeah. We don't hire anybody, Josh, unless I interview them. That's the way I operated when I owned car dealerships. It's the way I operate now. So there's nothing that's happened within this company that I haven't had a hand in and that's as it should be. It is, I guess. I'm not trying to sound naive but I don't view Eight as a celebrity-founded brand just because I know the work that I'm putting into this and it wasn't so much dependent on me being a celebrity as much as we felt that there was a need in the market. The light beers that have been on the market have been out there for a long time. I felt that it was time for something new, something fresh, and that's why we did it. I think that naming it Eight was just more or less to let people know that I was fully invested in this company.
Josh King:
Listening to a bunch of your recent podcasts, Troy, scanning your feeds. I heard you talk a lot about meditation and exercise and as you mentioned, diet. One of the things you seem to keep nearby the weight room as a pack of Taste House Bakes. How can we all get a little healthier based on what we put in our bodies and when?
Troy Aikman:
I follow Dr. Mark Hyman on Instagram. I'm not even sure how I first got introduced to his feed but I've read a lot of his books, follow his diet. He calls it The Pegan Diet. So it's a whole food ... I don't even like diet because I don't feel like I diet. I think it's just a way of life. I intermittent fast. I eat from 12 to five. I eat a lot of vegetables, more vegetables than I ever have. I eat protein too and the source of that is important with grass-fed beef and pasture-raised chicken, wild fish and all those things. I make sure that I always carry this.
It's become a running joke. I drink at least a gallon, about a gallon and a half a day. I won't set an alarm unless I just absolutely think I might oversleep because sleep has become an absolute priority of mine. Fortunately, I'm a good sleeper. I exercise every day. I may take one day off a week but I'm pretty diligent on it. I always have been. So I've always taken care of myself. I've just kind of become even more disciplined here in the last couple of years with everything that I'm doing and I do believe there's a lot of people who don't get proper sleep. They don't drink enough water. They don't eat maybe as well as they should and they don't even know how great they can feel.
Their normal is not what someone else's normal may be. But to them, it is so they don't even know what they're missing out on. I will tell you that for myself, at 55 years old, this is the best I have ever felt. I know that when you say that, you are saying that you're old because young people don't say that but I feel amazing. So Dr. Hyman has talked about, on his podcast, he took a test. He's 62, 63 years old. After taking his test, he says he has the body of 47-year-old. I don't know what I have a body of but I know I feel a lot younger than what I actually am so I'll just keep with it. But that's why the beer, that's why Eight fits into that because I am so conscious of what I'm putting in my body.
Josh King:
As we begin to wrap up, Troy, talk a little bit about the stuff that you do to really give back. Your time hasn't allowed us to spend a whole lot of time on your playing career or your upbringing in Henryetta, Oklahoma but you have gone back via the highway to Henryetta with Blake Shelton, headlining your music festival. Why did you do that?
Troy Aikman:
I felt when I started evaluating the things that I've done, I've helped out on a lot of different organizations, a lot of different communities and such and I've done a lot for my hometown but I felt like I could do more especially following the pandemic. I just felt that maybe it was time to try to do something. It would've been easy just to write a check.
But in conversation, one thing led to another and why not have a music festival, an event that can kind of rally the city, maybe have an economic impact as well as just put a little pride back into a real small town. So I did it, reached out to some country music artists that are friends of mine. Headlining it was Blake Shelton and we had it this past June. We had 10,000 people in attendance. We raised for the school, the academic and athletic programs, we raised just under $200,000 that we just announced and is going to them. That's more money than they've seen in quite some time and then the economic impact that it had in the city was really big as well and we gave out over 300 computers to some needy families.
So there was a lot of good stuff that happened. AT&T was our title sponsor but that was the motivation behind it. Whether we continue to do that or not, I don't know. But man, it was awfully rewarding being there that day and seeing all the people that came and all the money that was raised and what it did for a town that has meant so much to me for so many years when I moved there at the age of 12.
Josh King:
Well Troy, the NFL season is long. Thankfully, it's not too long. It looks, when I checked out the schedule earlier, that the last night of work you have is going to be a Wild Card game on Monday night, January 16th, 2023 and I heard a lot of you talking about your family at a recent appearance at the Bush Presidential Center. How do you make every week count in the off-season when you don't have to show up for work on Mondays?
Troy Aikman:
Now, my girls, they're in college so off-season rolls around and I don't have the time with them like I'd like. I have the time but they don't have the time for me because they're off in college. But yeah. This has been a great profession for me as a single dad, raising two young girls, being home. I'd miss the weekends, of course, during the football season, but home during the week to be able to drive them to school and pick them up and attend all of their events and continue with that throughout the off-season. It was just ideal and it's why I continued to broadcast.
At one time, I actually thought that maybe I'd go into the front office and work for an NFL club. But yeah. So that's what I do. I think I speak for a lot of dads out there, all dads probably, that my greatest job in life is being a father and I hope that when it's all said and done, if my girls tell me I was a great dad, that's really all I need. It's not about being in the Pro Football Hall Of Fame or being a great broadcaster or anything like that. It's really being a great dad and they're the ones who are going to tell my legacy long after I'm gone. So that's really where my focus has been when I have free time.
Josh King:
You do have some more free time now because Central time or Eastern time, it's still between 12 and five so you can grab yourself a can of Eight and a bowl of carrots and go have a little snack. Thanks so much for joining us Inside The Ice House Troy. Best of luck with the season.
Troy Aikman:
Absolutely. Thanks for having me Josh.
Josh King:
And that's our conversation for this week. Our guest was Hall Of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman. As of this upcoming NFL season, half of the booth along with Joe Buck, the Monday Night Football team premiering September 12th on ESPN and ABC, all part of the Walt Disney Company, NYSE ticker symbol DIS.
If you like what you heard, please rate us on iTunes so other folks know where to find us. And if you've got a comment or question, you'd like one of our experts to tackle on a future show, email us at [email protected] or tweet at us @IceHousePodcast. Our show is produced by Pete Ash with engineering and assistance from Ken Abel. I'm Josh king, your host, signing off from the Library of the New York Stock Exchange. Thanks for listening. Talk to you next week.
Speaker 1:
Information contained in this podcast was obtained in part from publicly available sources and not independently verified. Neither ICE nor it's affiliates make any representations or warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the information and do not sponsor, approve, or endorse any of the content herein, all of which is presented solely for informational and educational purposes. Nothing herein constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any security or a recommendation of any security or trading practice. Some portions of the preceding conversation may have been edited for the clarity.
