{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Your Dark Companion Podcast","title":"The Business of Sports: From SMU’s Death Penalty to Pickleball’s Boom | George Killebrew","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":4107,"description":"What does the business side of sports really look like when you’re in the room where it happens?\nIn this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner and the crew sit down with longtime sports executive George Killebrew, a key figure behind the scenes of some of the biggest moments in Dallas sports.\nKillebrew’s career spans decades — from working at SMU during the infamous “death penalty” era, to helping build the Dallas Mavericks into a top-tier NBA business alongside Mark Cuban, to serving as commissioner of Major League Rugby, and now helping lead the explosive growth of professional pickleball.\nAlong the way, he shares stories you don’t usually hear:\nWhat it was like selling tickets when SMU football was at rock bottom\nHow the American Airlines Center came together and changed Dallas sports forever\nThe reality of working with high-level owners like Mark Cuban, Ross Perot Jr., and Tom Dundon\nWhy attention to detail (even a spilled drink in section 115) can define a franchise\nAnd how pickleball became one of the fastest-growing sports in America\nThis episode pulls back the curtain on the decisions, risks, and personalities that shape the sports world — and shows why the business side might be just as fascinating as the games themselves.\nIf you love sports, business, Dallas history, or behind-the-scenes stories, this is one of those conversations you don’t want to miss.\nChapters\n0:00 — SMU in the ’80s and What Was Actually “Cool”\n1:19 — From Hawaii to the Sports Business World\n7:56 — Selling SMU Football During the Death Penalty Era\n11:33 — Why Dallas Became a Sports Business Hub\n14:30 — The Game That Changed Everything (Moody Coliseum)\n16:24 — Breaking Into the Mavericks Organization\n20:30 — Lessons from Billionaire Owners\n23:53 — Building the American Airlines Center\n31:33 — The Future of the Mavericks and Arena Debate\n33:49 — Sponsor Break: CBD House of Healing\n35:44 — Eric Nadel Benefit and Mental Health Awareness\n37:54 — Becoming Commissioner of Major League...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/MY5pcsVq0QCXSElEJXNsUEiC8gyrgEoWfpnhiVr9GdU/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9hZTA1/ZjBmZGFkOTk5ZDdi/YWRmMDQ3NGZjY2Ex/ZjgxYS5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}