Experience

PlayBetter.com

• United States
• Retail
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Founder/CEO

  • Dec 2009 - Present

  I've combined my love of sports with the experience gained from working with the world's leading golf instructor (David Leadbetter) over 5 years to launch PlayBetter.com. PlayBetter.com strives to offer properly vetted golf training aids with world-class customer service to provide a unique online brand experience for golfers of all playing levels. Future projects include a golf and fitness content portal powered by the staff and the addition of more sports categories. I've combined my love of sports with the experience gained from working with the world's leading golf instructor (David Leadbetter) over 5 years to launch PlayBetter.com. PlayBetter.com strives to offer properly vetted golf training aids with world-class customer service to provide a unique online brand experience for golfers of all playing levels. Future projects include a golf and fitness content portal powered by the staff and the addition of more sports categories.



The Spiro Group

• President

  • Oct 2006 - Present

  TheSpiroGroup, is a full service marketing, strategy and branding agency that specializes in consulting sports and entertainment properties in the areas of business development, emerging technology, and brand growth. TSG also creates and manages private label interactive content, develops and manages online products/destinations and provides strategy and venture marketing for start-ups. Among our clients are best-in-class sports properties, athletes and entertainment based start-up ventures. In our short time in business, we have had the honor of working with some of the world's leading sports properties including David Leadbetter Golf, the Baltimore Orioles, and MASN (The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network).



Baltimore Orioles

• United States
• Spectator Sports
• 400 - 500 Employee

• Executive Director, Communications

  • Feb 1992 - Oct 2006

  After a brief hiatus away from baseball (1999-2001), I returned to the front office in 2001 as Executive Director of Communications for the Baltimore Orioles. Most recently at the Orioles, I managed all public relations, advertising, marketing, broadcasting, ballpark entertainment, publishing, community outreach and special events for the club. During my time with the Orioles, I served as Executive Producer for all special events including Cal Ripken's record breaking run at 2131 consecutive games. I launched the Orioles first website back in 1996 and worked with Mark Cuban's AudioNet (later known as Broadcast.com) to make the Orioles one of the first teams to offer radio broadcasts over the internet.



Freewire Networks (Lucent Technologies)

• VP Content / Creative Director

  • 2000 - 2001

  This Lucent spinoff company set out to deploy full service wi-fi applications in sports arenas and stadiums. Streaming audio & video, live stats, direct to seat ordering of food and merchandise all through a pervasive wireless network. It all worked beautifully, however, not too many people were carrying wi-fi capable pda's and laptops at the time. Even the idea of a wireless enabled coffee shop was a stretch back then. An idea ahead of its time that is now very commonplace. Unfortunately, Lucent was not in a position to fund this business at the time.



American Cities Studios

• Co-Founder / VP Content & Creative Director

  • 1999 - 2000

  Co-Founder of internet studio that specialized in acquisition, development and management of professional sports team's internet rights. During my time with ACS, I managed the development of first generation websites for sports properties such as the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos and Minor League Baseball (overall approx. 30 professional sports franchises). I consulted front office staff and ownership groups on emerging technologies and how those technologies would affect their business in the future. Back then we spoke of a time when fans would serve as reporters and post images, stories and commentary - thus generating a broad base of compelling user generated content that would bring fans closer to the team and to one another. (Sound familiar?)