Panel Discussion at Salve Brings New Insight into Professional Sports

By: Anne B. Falcetano
Posted In: Sports

Last Fri., April 28, approximately 100 people spent a few hours of their afternoon in Bazarsky Hall for the panel discussion, “It’s More Than a Game: Exploring Opportunities in the Business of Sports”.

The event attracted students, faculty, local members of the community and prospective students. One attendee brought his son from New York to look at the school and to sit in on the event. At the end, of the day the two left with a free t-shirt, tickets to a Boston Red Sox game and an alternative look at the university that they would not have gotten from a simple campus tour.

WEEI Sports Radio started the day with music, games and giveaways. Afterward, the panel discussion which included four sports professionals from the New England area started. Mike Szostak, a Providence Journal writer, acted as moderator for the day. Tony Attanasio, former professional baseball and soccer player, started the discussion.

As a sports agent for the last 35 years, Attanasio has also managed players from baseball teams such as the Padres, Yankees, and Washington Nationals. Attanasio contributed to the panel in a unique way coming from both sides – as player and agent.

To his left sat Susan Byrne, director of Marketing and Community Relations for the Boston Bruins. Byrne began her career as a receptionist at the New England Sports Network (NESN), a fact that students found encouraging as they begin to go out into the working world in search of jobs, possibly in the field of sports.

“I think it proves that there are opportunities everywhere and you have to put yourself out there in order to succeed down the road,” senior Emily Dauenhauer said. “It is important to know that you may have to start at the bottom, but there is always potential in any job.”

Next to Byrne sat Lawrence “Larry” Cancro. After 20 years with the Boston Red Sox, Cancro, the senior vice president of Boston Red Sox/Fenway Affairs, spoke about his part with the world famous baseball franchise. Cancro shared a comical story with the audience about pitcher Roger Clemens.

Out for a run one afternoon, Clemens made a surprise stop at a children’s hospital to visit a few of the patients. Clemens found himself running back to the club house to get his jersey to prove to the kids that he was really the professional pitcher that he claimed.

Professional athletes as role models and their social responsibility was just one of the topics the panel discussed that Friday.

His right arm in a sling, NBC10 sports anchor Frank Carpano sat at the end of the table. Carpano recently returned from Torino where he was completing national coverage of the winter Olympic Games for NBC.

Carpano has been involved in media since high school when he could be found during his free time at a local radio station.

Carpano presented the audience with an interesting theory as to why the press tends to lean more towards the negative aspects of athletes in today’s news. He commented that long ago the press would travel with teams to their games. It was on these long train rides that the press and the athletes would bond and become friends, and in turn, the news would reflect that good relationship.

Nowadays, teams take planes and the media takes alternate transportation or do not attend the games causing distance between the players and the news media. This ‘behind the scenes’ insight was exactly what the faculty that planned the event was hoping for.

Topics ranged from community responsibility of athletes to the present and future role that women play in professional sports. Interaction between the audience and the panel encouraged thought provoking debate and made the event a victory. “This was such a wonderfully successful event!” Nadia Abgrab, Salve Regina professor said. “Students from all majors were given the chance to explore the business of sports and consider the option to minor in Sports Management.”

Another goal was for the Salve community to get a look into what career opportunities in the sports field, benefiting both graduating students and those looking to learn more about the business of sports in the future.

“I thought the panelists were extremely informative,” senior Ashley Merrick said. “They all have such different jobs, but their organizations pretty much run in the same fashion. There is so much to do in the world of sports, a lot more than I originally thought.”

“The panel discussion provided the Salve Regina community a rare opportunity to meet these senior executives,” Ron Atkins, business department chair and sponsor of the event said. “The format highlighted the new minor in Sports Management and employment opportunities linked to sports. The event provided a successful ending for the first year of the Sports Management program and paved the way for future sports based events.”

This event, along with the success of the current Sports Management minor courses, are creating buzz about the minor that can only have positive results for Salve Regina University in the future.