Bob: Hi, everyone.
Lance: Welcome to the hockey journey podcast. Episode number eight, the Bob Fallon hockey journey presented to you by online hockey training.com. I'm your host coach Lance peddler. If you're new here, please make sure you subscribe so you won't miss out on any future episodes before we get off. If you want to learn more about me, my hockey experiences, what I know, and most importantly, how I've been helping hockey players get really good with a stick and puck, just head on over to online hockey, training.com and gain instant access to my 10 part video series, where I'll show you everything.
Lance: Consider it my gift to you. When I think of a hockey journey, you may have a different perspective, but for me, it's talking about the journey as a hockey. I'm sure there are a lot of you out there listening and feel the same way, but there are so many hockey journeys that are behind the scenes that don't involve participated in games themselves, but where most of the energy is spent trying to make a difference.
Lance: And a lot of these efforts go undetected or recognized, but quietly the hockey experience for others improves on a massive scale. My next guest contributions to the game of hockey has nothing to do with games. Played levels reached, or how many points he got in a season. It's a hockey journey that very few have ever had access to.
Lance: And I'm excited to bring to the discussion to you. This individual straight out of college got a unique opportunity, and that was to work for tennis legend, Billie Jean. He also spent some time with TPG sports, Inc, which publishes the world's largest hockey magazine USA hockey magazine. He was also employed by CCM for a number of years.
Lance: And from there became the commissioner of the United States hockey league, the USA HL, ladies and gentlemen, please help me in welcoming Mr. Bob Fallon to the show. Bobby, welcome to the hockey journey package.
Bob: Hello Lance, Mr. Bob Fallen that's pretty formal brother.
Lance: We're trying to run a first-class operation here and gotta be respectful.
Lance: I understand let's get to it. As I was preparing for this episode looking at your body of work what you've been able to be a part of is quite amazing. Let's go back to the beginning, Bob before you jumped into corporate America. Where did you go to college? And what did you specialize in?
Bob: So this is way back in ancient history. Late seventies. Actually, I went to Northern Illinois university in DeKalb, Illinois, and my focus was on a degree in journalism, but I did a minor in business administration. The journalism thing, I never really wanted to be an on-air personality as much as I really wanted to learn how to write.
Bob: 'cause I just was, exposed to a lot of things on the business side where there's quite a few people that were really smart, but they didn't know how to communicate a right. So I just figured that might bode well for me in the future.
Lance: That's fantastic. What w when you're going through that college experience when I know y'all on the outside of it, where you, were you working in college or were you just
Bob: going to school?
Bob: Absolutely. So I actually worked pretty much full time in college when I was primarily a sophomore, junior and senior, I didn't work full time. And freshman year, oddly enough, my grades were worse freshman year when I wasn't working. But it all worked at a bar as both a bartender and spinning records and also had a.
Bob: A weekly radio show. It was a sports radio. So we covered Chicago and, sports for colleges in the Northern Illinois area. So it was fun. My friend, who I did the show with is now currently the voice of the Philadelphia, 76 years, he stuck on the broadcast, said that things were, I did not, he was way, way better than me anyway.
Lance: That, yeah that's hats off to ya. To have to work full time and still carry a full class load. I'm sure that the, there was some tough times around finals.
Bob: Oh yeah. I just, back then college was only like, this is, I was looking at some old bills, not too long ago.
Bob: And I think on a semester basis that it was like 1800 bucks plus, books and room and board. So it was never more than five, six grand a year. Now it's 10 times. It's insane. It's just a, it's a lot different now that you couldn't work full time and try to pay for this stuff that these days.
Lance: Yeah. So w when you started working, is that when you got really disciplined and learned a different process?
Bob: Yeah. It's interesting. It was very common for people to do on-air or that on-air on-campus interviews as a senior. So they'd set up these career days and companies would come up and set it up.
Bob: Whether it was like, companies selling cars or batteries or beer, insurance companies, financial institutions. And I was looking through these things and I literally had zero interest in anything that was coming on campus. And I was like, what the hell am I going to do? I knew I had an interest in the sports end of things.
Bob: So I. Reached out to some folks and to listen, I tried to do at night, and I think that didn't put them on the defensive right away. So listen, I'm not necessarily looking for a job. I'm looking for information about what it is you do. So the first guy I called was a guy by the name of Jim de Maria. Who's the director of communications and public relations for the Chicago Blackhawks.
Bob: Bottom lunch and just talked and, talk for 90 minutes. And we stayed in touch after that. And he hooked me up with a guy that ran a PR for the Chicago bears, Kenny baldisserri who went on to become the athletic director at Notre Dame. And just, literally it was just calling people say, I just want to learn more about your business.
Bob: And I made a phone call to an organization that was promoting women's tennis, professional women's tennis events all over the country. Back then the lamp, the title sponsor of the women's tennis tour was Virginia slim cigarettes, just the craziest thing. So anyway, I called the Virginia Slims office in Chicago.
Bob: And I, gave my spiel, Hey, listen, I'm not looking for work. I just like to talk to the people that run the business to understand what you do, how you do it. And so I'm talking to this woman over the phone and she goes, Hey, I kinda like your approach on this. Why don't you come in and talk to me?
Bob: And we're at 55 west Erie in Chicago and come to the door and ask for Billy does that. I'm like, it's fine. So went to the place and this woman comes out to the reception area and she goes, I'm Billy. Oh, my God, it's Billie Jean King. I had no idea. I wind up meeting a absolute sports legend who hired me on the spot.
Bob: And I started in group sales and worked my up through marketing and handling some of their broadcast stuff. And it was just super cool to work around somebody like that, who talking about a multi-tasker share or competitive stuff had pretty much come to a close. She was playing into exhibitions and a little bit of doubles and stuff, but.
Bob: She just had things going constantly. She was not only owning and operating these tournaments in Chicago, LA, and Florida, which I helped with, but she was also launching team tennis at the time. She was the president of the women's sports foundation and she did tennis Wimbledon and a us open for NBC sports.
Bob: So she was all over the place. It's one of those things where she just kept giving me more to do. I just kept taking it on. And I was fortunate enough to meet some of her people in her circle, including her agent international management group. And one thing led to another. And that's how I got to IMG is I left Billy's organization to go work for IMG that had, it was opening up an office in Chicago and it was just a great trip.
Bob: Yeah.
Lance: So I, I listened to what you took a different approach to, and really an initiative that a lot maybe want the thought of, or were brave enough to do. But the mentorship along the way by, by people that intersect into our lives is just so critical. And it sounds like you, you had some that touched a pretty early in your career.
Bob: Yep. A hundred percent. I I'm a big believer in mentorship and staying in contact with people of influence, and if you make it and you keep those connections in a way where you're not really asking for. You're just, communicating that they're not as defensive because they're not trying to have to deflect a request to get hired.
Bob: Things, I'm a big believer in connectivity. And if you look, I look back at my resume and I was like, everybody's oh, how'd you get there? How'd you get there? And it's it's connectivity. The people you meet and your day-to-day job now, or likely to play a role. And what you do next, right?
Bob: That, again, starting out with Billy, I got exposed to people with sports television, with both the NBC and a a broadcast network out of Chicago called WGN and, sitting there and exposed to production rooms and stuff like that at the age of 23 and 24, you're just like, wow, this is super cool.
Bob: And getting exposed to. Our, her partner with the LA event that we did in tennis was Jerry bus and Jeannie bus that owned the Lakers. So I got to hang with Jeannie bus, and really brilliant lady out in LA there during our tournament. And, she introduces me to people. And again, it's all about, staying, attentive and finding out who the people are.
Bob: They're going to help further your. It's not that different from being an athlete. You hang around with people that are going to tell you and show you the habits that make you a better athlete both on and off the playing field. So to me, it's, there's a lot of parallels between a career in business and a career in athletics.
Lance: Yeah. It's funny that you say that because I know, our Presley. I interviewed her a few weeks ago. And she said that everything that she used to get really good at hockey is exactly what she uses in her business world today is. That was kinda neat to hear.
Bob: Oh, that's, I'm a big believer for that reason in athletics for young kids, because it teaches you discipline.
Bob: It teaches you. It teaches you how to take direction. Coaches are much like bosses or teachers, and it's all about learning how to react and learn and those applied to business. So it's a great lesson for a lot of people.
Lance: Yeah. So your next stop I believe with was with Fix sports.
Lance: Well,
Bob: I went from Billy Jean to IMG. I actually, I think I screwed you up there when I sent you that note. But this I was with international management group and we worked on a whole bunch of crazy stuff. I did a international festival of thoroughbred racing, the Budweiser Miller. Bud light legends of hockey, which was super cool because they allowed me to create my own event.
Bob: And I said, Hey, it's fine. As we can make money on it, have at it. So I had some connections with Anheuser-Busch that again, that I had made through my relationship with Billy and in December their sports marketing people in St. Louis. And we came up with a concept of, entertaining some of their key accounts and key markets with the legends or hockey.
Bob: So I got a chance to. Work with a lot of former NHL, legends and hall of fame. Bobby Hall and Stan Mikita. And we put together these events called the legends of hockey and various markets and just had an absolute ball. The first one was a little difficult because we were in our planning stages and it turns out our event is on the same weekend as the bears for a super bowl.
Bob: So that's a little bit of an uphill climb, but we had an absolute riot and a lot of the relationships that I, created back then, I was my first introduction to Bobby Hall. Sitting down and having breakfast with him in LA at the hundredth anniversary, a party for the NHL in 2017, he still remembered it was just like, it's just crazy.
Lance: Oh, I was just going to say, I just want to let everyone know that Bob and I have known each other for quite some time now. And I don't know anyone in this world that knows more people in not only hockey, but anywhere, but has a backstory with each one. I could sit here and listen to you for hours.
Lance: That's crazy
Bob: stuff. Again, with IMG, these people represented. Top athletes in the world. So like when I was working on the festival racing, the guy who owned Arlington park was a guy by the name of Dick Duchess law, who was extremely, multi-millionaire, if not billionaire at the time, back in the eighties.
Bob: And he, we were doing some entertainment things and he wanted to do a golf event as part of the festival racing with these top thoroughbred owners from all over the world. And he insisted on, using one of our clients, Arnold, Paul. And so we fly in our old and, I get to know his agents and stuff like that.
Bob: It was just, again, it's just crazy stuff. And then I actually, they were like, okay. And we went to, we'll get to Cleveland. And and I was just in the process of becoming a father for the first time when I was like, yeah, I'm not so sure I want to move to Cleveland. And I was recruited by an agency called Kemper sports management, which is in the Chicago area in Northbrook and, primarily with golf and I actually got exposed.
Bob: I helped manage figure skating, which was a really interesting experience after being a hockey guy for so long. But we did the Canadian figure skating championships in the U S figure skating champion. And remember one event in Quebec. I was so burned out with figure skating and, watching guys and sequent outfits that I was just begging somebody to take me to a game in a Quebec major junior league.
Bob: So I wound up diverting for a day to go watch some junior hockey just to get back on my feet. But and then from there I, I wound up actually having combat a seminal moment in my life. Contractor pretty serious health condition. And one of my dreams was to have my own business.
Bob: So even though I was doing really well and, loved my employers and they were good friends of mine at Kemper sports, I said, I'm going to go out on my own just because I don't know if I made, I have a chance to do it. Did that and in the late eighties into the nineties and I had a great time with.
Bob: And again, it's all that connectivity. So I get a call one day, I think it was 1990. I get a call from one of my former IMG supervisors say, Hey we got some, this crazy thing coming in from Europe. It's a company out of Barcelona and they're making a presentation at Chicago state and for the bowls and the Blackhawks and their owners.
Bob: We want to invite you cause we don't have time to work on this, but it might be something that would fit for your little agency. And so lo and behold, my little agency got hired to introduce the rotational signage that you see now in the NBA and major league baseball and soccer and everything from a company called dourness sport out of Barcelona's.
Bob: I'll never forget it because bill Wirtz at the time who was thought to be this contactless, anti-marketing guy comes down and is, three piece Brooks brothers suit with, his, aides and assistants next to them all, with their clipboards and everything.
Bob: It built where it's coming in. He's got a cigarette in his mouth and he's looking at these rotational signs work in the basement of Chicago stadium and he texts a cigarette in his mouth. By the way, can I swear on this podcast or no? Yes. I'm going to quote him accurately. He looked at it and he looked around and he goes, I don't know about you guys, but this is like the best fucking thing since sliced bread for sports.
Bob: Like it was an amazing story because I thought to myself, bill works is a really smart guy in, in rotational. Signage became a huge business. We might end up getting the Chicago bulls as our first team, and I'll never forget going in. Major ad agencies all over the country and trying to sell courtside signage.
Bob: In the years previous, the static signage was like 50 grand, right? And we're selling it for $250,000 a year. And I got thrown out of more boardrooms people thought it was absolutely insane. I'm like guys, the visibility of your brand in the stadium is meaningless. 19,000 people at Chicago stadium doesn't mean a thing we're selling this as guaranteed broadcast time because instead of one, 10 foot sign out of 20.
Bob: You control all 250 feet of the court for a specific time of the year. So if it took off and it just, it dominates the NBA today. It's a major league baseball and we did very well. And then just, it was a crazy time. We were flying all over the country and doing some crazy events and making good money and having a lot of fun.
Lance: Yeah. It it sounds like it. So when you let's transition to your time at TPG sport sports was that, how did they lower you out of your own deal? Was that the whole you
Bob: know, getting back to this whole connectivity issue when I was at IMG my supervisor, there is still a very dear friend of mine by the name of David and he was running the Chicago.
Bob: And Dave at the time was the co-chair of the USA hockey marketing council, which helped market, not only Olympic team, but market amateur hockey and America. So we were, he invited me as a, Subordinate at IMG. So listen with your background and your love of the game. Would you mind coming on board, see USA hockey, Martin council.
Bob: So it's great. So I enjoyed that in the early, early nineties, I'm going to say 94 or something like that. And I'll never forget. My first meeting was in Chicago at the Marriott the next to the year. And I'm sitting on this council and I'm probably younger than anybody by 20 years.
Bob: So it was a little intimidating. I was just kinda sitting around this table and there's a lot of familiar faces from hockey, Walter Bush, who was the president who was overseeing the meeting. And I just sat there and just try to keep my mouth shut. And one of the orders of business at the meeting was the cancellation of at the time, the world's largest hockey magazine called American hockey.
Bob: And obviously I had a background in journalism and stuff like that. So they're going around and basically about to vote the cancellation of the magazine. And this was before the internet. So by and large, this was the only means they had to communicate what their membership of, nearly a half a million people in the United States.
Bob: So I'm like, you know what, I'm going to raise my hand and ask a question and I'll never forget the look on the guy's face. There was a guy presenting from USA hockey. His name was Daryl. This is a director of communications. And then he goes yeah, I don't know you, but you got a question. I said, yeah, help me understand this Daryl.
Bob: I said you're about to cancel what I believe to be your only means of communicating with the parents and the players in the United States. This is what Bobby got to understand. We're losing money on this publication. I said, all right, take me through the. Take me through the financials, it'd be good from a 30,000 foot view.
Bob: And he goes well, and he just, it was like dealing with me, like I was an insulin child and he says it costs us nearly half a million dollars and we only take in $300,000 in advertising. So we're losing a $200,000 a year. And everybody's yeah, man. I He's right. And they're about to literally bang the gavel though, to cancel the magazine.
Bob: And I said, okay, when I stood up a little bit and pulled out my. I took out my USA hockey membership card. And I read the back of the membership card that said of the $15 I pay to USA hockey on annual basis. A dollar 50 will go to my subscription of American hockey magazine. I said a dollar 50 times, almost a know, half a million people is $750,000.
Bob: Where does that show up on your revenue? And there was just silence in the room. So the chairman of the marketing council turns to me and goes, what's your name again, Bob? And he goes, congratulations. You just won a opportunity to put together a business plan for the magazine and we'll reconvene in six months to have another vote.
Bob: And so at the end of the meeting, I'm standing there and, guys are coming up and introducing themselves and this young man comes up and goes, hi I'm the publisher of the mass. And I was here to fight for my life. And you did it for me. My name is Dave Jensen and you and I both know Jen, I'm still fast friends with them.
Bob: Here we are nearly 30 years later, but crazy stuff, we basically decided to become business partners. I moved from Chicago to, Minneapolis with my little agency and took on his publishing company as. Along with a few others in Minnesota and wound up putting together a buying group of David, myself, and a couple of guys connected to hockey here in Minnesota.
Bob: And we actually bought the publishing company and turned it into TPG sports. So it was a great opportunity to not only combine my love for sports and hockey and sports mark. But also journalism, because now we were the publishers of the world's largest hockey magazine. And there's probably some of your listeners who remember the old American hockey was pretty much black and white newsprint and pretty much articles about risk management for arenas and just really boring stuff.
Bob: And we went to USA hockey. I said, you're aware of the fact that 88% of your readership is under eight. And they're like, yeah, what's your point. I said, we might want to maybe skew the editorial towards them and their parents. And so we literally overhaul the publication, rebranded it as USA hockey magazine made it glossy for color and with.
Bob: Two years, we went from a million, a million dollars a year in advertising to over $5 million a year in advertising. And the thing just absolutely took off. So the magazine that the kids get sent to their home to this very day is what we created at TBG sports.
Lance: Wow. That's a great story. Bob
Bob: Jensen is still one of my best friends.
Bob: Yeah. Former Olympian from Armstrong to the captain at a university of Minnesota and then on to. 84 Olympic team with guys like LeFon pain and Brett hall and Joel auto and a whole bunch of other guys Chelios and all those guys, they had a tough act to follow from the 80 team, but a good man and a great hockey guy.
Bob: Yeah,
Lance: this is great stuff. The next road you traveled, I believe was to this historic company, CCM. How did you end up there? And yeah. What were your marketing responsibilities for that group?
Bob: You know what it is, again, it's all this connectivity and the reason I got to TPG is because I was IMG working on, USA, hockey stuff, and also them at TPG.
Bob: And it's all this connectivity. So among the things that I was working on at TBG sports we decided that we wanted to branch out beyond just publishing into a marketing services agency as well, because a lot of our publishing clients really didn't have any marketing. Acumen. So for example, we took the Minnesota amateur hockey association at the time, Maha is a client and actually helped rebrand them to Minnesota hockey, which is what they're called today and brought in their first ever full-time employee and an executive director by the name of mark Jorgensen.
Bob: That position now is held by Glen Andreessen, really good guy, but it was all about managing. The sport is opposed to just depending on all, volunteers, we actually brought in this full-time guy that worked out. And we also worked on launching a publication for them called Minnesota hockey journal, which is still distributed today for four issues a year, I believe.
Bob: And we also did the marketing for the Hobey baker Memorial award, which is really fun because I was a huge fan and still am of college hockey. And getting involved with that award before we got involved, the award was pretty much invisible until you had. Dinner at the decathlon athletic club in Bloomington, which has long since been bulldozed.
Bob: But we took over, I want to say, I'm trying to think. I think our first winner was Brian Holsinger from bowling green, but I approached a guy by the name of Phil butterfly Loco, who is the director of the NCAA hockey championships. And I said, why don't we maybe work together on using that Friday?
Bob: Of the championship weekend, frozen forwards, is Thursday semifinals and Saturday finals. And they really had nothing for fans on Friday. And I said, why don't we work together to make the Holby a much more special thing? And we worked with ESPN to do a Hobey baker, top 10 video and all that stuff.
Bob: And know, it was grown into something right now where there are thousands of people who attend. The Hobey baker award on Friday that was created by little old TPG sports and Bob and Dave and Phil from the NCAA a hundred years ago. So it's fun to see it today and, get to know some of the guys like Brian Bonnin, who won it in 96.
Bob: Brendan Morrison from Minnesota or from Michigan. And I run into these guys at different events in the future, and they still remember us. And it was just, it's a special thing to me cause the Holby represents not only outstanding hockey players, but outstanding young men in the classroom and in their community.
Bob: And I'm a big believer in student athleticism and a big believer that athletes needed need to do more than just compete on the ice and need to try to help. Youth hockey and just different things in their community. And that's what the whole B's all about. So we did that. And, from there, we're working at TPG sports and, getting to know a lot of people in different leagues.
Bob: Cause we published all kinds of things on college, junior and pro and was approached by a guy that I'd sold advertising to from CC. It's listen we're looking for somebody to come in and run our Western sales division, which would be basically, the Mississippi out to California and working with our.
Bob: Retailers. And this is back when things were morphing, lances, you're a part of the sport at the time where, you had these mom and pop shops and all of a sudden, you've got hockey giant and hockey monkey and total hockey and pure hockey. These mega stores came on board and, just CCM just needed a little bit more of a sophisticated approach in terms of how to bundle these packages for retail.
Bob: And then that job morphed into. Beyond sales. I transitioned into a role as their director of us trade-marketing. So I was in charge of our branded relationships at retail. So working with these retailers to do displays and promote the sport in their given markets. And we also my position also manage our branded relationship with all the leagues, with the exception of the national hockey league.
Bob: Handled out of Montreal. So I had oversight of our branding with college hockey and junior hockey and youth hockey and things like that. So again, it gives you exposure to a number of different people and Y you know, staying with CCM for a number of years and a lot of the guys that I've worked with back then are still friends to this day.
Bob: Cause we really helped build the brand. As you remember, it was Reebok's ECM. And while we were there, we actually took the Reebok brand out of it simply because it wasn't as authentic as it needed to be. With the hockey community. And we threw all of our emphasis behind the CCM brand, the technology, they were owned by Adidas and we brought in TaylorMade golf to help work on the technology for the sticks and partnered with LaFave out of Montreal on the development of the goalie equipment.
Bob: We'd be currently number one in both goalie and sticks and the NHL. And it's a direct result of those partnerships before.
Lance: Wow. You have just a put a collection of just home runs. It seems but I know that none of these happen without an extremely discipline crew and a lot of ours go into and thought was into pulling something like that.
Bob: We had just a great team and worked very closely with the brand directors up there. One of my favorites of all time, actually just touch base with her a couple of weeks ago. Sonja DBRC the best hockey brand manager I've ever met in terms of her dedication to quality and research. And, here's a woman that never played hockey that just became an absolute rock star.
Bob: It became really good friends, in developing equipment for Carey price and a number of other folks. And she's an absolute legend in the game, but you're right. It was all about putting together a team that really knew what they were doing.
Lance: Yeah. So I want you to touch on the next story is how did you end up becoming the commissioner of the United States hockey league?
Lance: The USA.
Bob: So we were involved in negotiating or renegotiating an extension of our sponsorship. CCM had been a long-time partnership with the U S HL. There was that partnership was started through my supervisor at the time, a guy by the name of John. Really bright guy with a lot of background in sports, retail and sports alignments.
Bob: And we had talked internally saying, listen, we, we can't overspend with the USA gel because it's not moving the needle as much as we needed to in terms of selling product, because there's not a lot of hockey players in Dubuque or Sioux falls or Des Moines or wherever, the USA Joe was in.
Bob: And we were really doing it to get the future stars of college hockey and. Pro hockey into the brand so that they would hopefully adopt it and use it during their collegiate and pro careers. So we were having this meeting in our offices the CCM office here in Minnesota and maple Grove. And the meeting, honestly, Lance wasn't going very well because they were really pressing for a lot more money.
Bob: And I was just like trying to hold firm saying, listen, guys I have a finite budget. And if it gets to the point where. It's too expensive to do the U S HL. I'll spend it elsewhere. I'll go sponsor the university of Minnesota golden gophers, or I just have to use my money in a manner that helps me sell the equipment.
Bob: That's my job. Yeah. And anyway, we took a break from the meeting and I was standing out in the hallway and the chairman of the league, a guy I'm sure you've heard of Butch Johnson who at the time, I think on three teams in the USA, cello legend, he's a lumber Baron in Wisconsin, just an absolute legend in USA hockey.
Bob: And he came out and said, Hey Bobby, let's see when I have let's, let's break up the meeting today. Let's go watch a hockey. Let's go to the wild game tonight, have dinner. Okay. Brian, let me call my wife and change your plan because, obviously I had two young kids and just basically saying, I'm going to a hockey game, with no notice, wouldn't go over very well.
Bob: My wife who knows, I get involved a lot of crazy stuff. It's whatever, have fun. So I wind up going down to meet a Bush for dinner at the St. Paul grill. And we start talking, he says so are you aware of the fact that we're in the middle of a search for a new commissioner? I said, no. I said, Actually Butch.
Bob: I, there's some guys I could probably put you in touch with that might be great candidates for that. Cause I was not looking for work. I really enjoyed my position at the CCM and he goes, Hey, what about you? What about me? And he goes I think you'd be perfect. Your kid played in the league, you embrace and understand the junior hockey to college model, as good as anybody.
Bob: I know, the guys in our league because you call on them for CCM. So I knew that the guys running Waterloo and Cedar rapids and Sue videos, you could jump into this job and start tomorrow. What do you think? And I go, I don't know, let me make a phone call. I called my wife. I go, craziest thing came up over dinner and one thing led to another.
Bob: And before it. Named the commissioner in 2014. So it's just a crazy deal. I was again, out of nowhere, but it was that connectivity. If I'm not at CCM, dealing with the U S HL, I never even considered for that position. Wow. So again, you never know what happens and that's why it's pay attention to the people around you.
Bob: No matter where you're at, because you have no idea how they're going to influence your.
Lance: Yeah it's amazing how people intersect back and forth into our lives and how you get that connection. So I got to tell one story about the U S HL. So my oldest boy was playing for the Waterloo Blackhawks, and they had planned that a game Friday night there.
Lance: And I went to a lot of games that season and I, what was the new, it was at Sioux falls that had the new built. So I slept in Waterloo on that Friday and then drove all day. It was like four or five hours got there early. It's a brand new stadium. It's 12,000 people, I think. And so I was tired. I took a nap in the car and not thinking that I had to go get a ticket.
Lance: Cause it said big building. So I finally go get the ticket to go watch warmups and it's sold out and I'm like, holy crap, you can't believe this. So I go outside and I'm literally. Yelling tickets anyway, tickets, and then I, and no one had a ticket. And then all of a sudden they see a group of five or six guys in suits, walking up and who was one of the guys, but you,
Bob: Hey, who's this homeless guy, Stan it's landscape.
Bob: Oh, my God. That
Lance: was hilarious. You were with so I told you what was going on. And he said just happen that I'm with two of the owners here or whatever. So you got me a ticket. And then the worst part was, is I finally got to my seat had a little arena food to settle in and I get a text from Ramsey and that's easy, healthy scratch,
Bob: but that just shows you how.
Bob: Incredible that league is you gotta have guys like Ram and guys who were Mr. Hockey finalists in Minnesota, and they get, healthy scratch that league is so fricking deep. It's insane. It is. I
Lance: think it was you that told me that it's harder to get a roster spot in that league than it is to get a college scholarship.
Bob: It's a hundred percent and I. I, I use that as my information, but I actually got that from Gino Gasperini who used to, we were sitting down in a the bowels of a stadium. I don't even remember where, and it was Gino Bush and I believe a Jack Parker from Boston university was the head coach.
Bob: At the time we were talking about it and people are like, parents don't realize it's harder to get on a USA Chell franchise with 16 teams. Then it is with 60 and it's a mathematical equation, right? It's the only tier one league in the United States. And you have players from all over the world trying to get on those rosters.
Bob: So it's extremely difficult to make a USA HL team. And I think at the time there was a, I think people have been a little bit more educated over the years, back then you had kids that were playing high school hockey here in Minnesota going yeah. I was all conference. So I think I'm just going to go walk onto a USA team.
Bob: It's like good luck to ya. But again, great players and Ram obviously became our USA HL player of the year and at a fine career in our league before going on to the goats, like 95% of the other players in the USA gel go into one. So that's.
Lance: Yeah, it is a super league. Want to just touch base here.
Lance: You're currently running the Fallon consulting group, and this has gotta be exciting for you because one of your clients is competing in the Beijing Olympics on team USA is women's hockey team and her name is Danny Cameron. This is her second Dilip X. And I've worked with her and know that this is the last leg of the tour for as far as I know.
Lance: And she's retiring from hockey after the games. Have you already started working on opportunities for her when she returns?
Bob: Yeah. And actually we were working on some stuff over the last year or so here are the twin cities. We got her eight. A promotional relationship with the national humane society.
Bob: Cause she's such a dog lover, look at Instagram. If you want to know what she loves. Look at her Instagram account. Haven't been at a ladder dog and when she was at the UW she said that to relieve stress at all around hockey and finals, she would go to volunteer. At the humane society and golden valley, which I thought was a super cool story.
Bob: But it's funny. I was approached by an NHL, agent that represented a number of different NHL players. He was like, Bobby, I got this friend of mine that, she really needs some work or it needs some help. And I'm like, I have no interest in being an agent. Yeah, zero interest. I have no legal background, blah blah.
Bob: But he goes, what'd you just have a cup of coffee with her or Mike fine. And Danny is like the last, I meet her and I'm like, how can I not help her? She's such a sweet kid. And just, she just effuses energy and happiness. And I'm like, I will do anything I can to help her.
Bob: Fun stuff. And it's great looking at her representing the red, white, and blue. And one of her teammates is one of my neighbors when I lived in Plymouth, Kelly panic used to shoot pucks in our basement. So it's really fun to see, young women and young men that you know about and know of from back in the day, representing the red, white, and blue.
Bob: Actually, my son's two teammates from Yale, Brian O'Neill and Kenny Agastein are having a whale of a tournament over there so far, but great young guys and they. Really find it to be super special to represent their country much yeah.
Lance: What a awesome experience for those guys and gals really cool.
Bob: It's funny. I, I kinda got into this thing with my own agency thinking, you know what I've worked in and around the hockey business for 30 or 35 years, and maybe it's time to do something different because I don't want my gravestone to just say hockey guy, and oddly enough, here I am working on a number of different things, but I still have my tentacles in hockey.
Bob: It's just hard to get out of once, all the people. Beyond Danny, I did some consulting with athletic sports systems, which is the largest arena equipment. They do all the dashboards in glass for 31 of the 32 NHL teams, probably 90% of the college teams and junior teams that are phenomenal company that was started by Bob Nagley, former owner of the wild.
Bob: Yeah. And then got into some things here recently with a guy I had come across in Russia when I was representing the United States hockey league and bringing the. Sioux city Musketeers in Chicago steal over their own successive years for the world junior cup which was an amazing event run by the Russian Federation.
Bob: I got to know the commissioner of the Russian junior league. Dimitria FEMA, just a tremendous guy. And he and I have reconnected and we're working on some things on developing ice facilities in Eastern Europe, which is an underserved market for the development of young hockey player. So it just fun.
Bob: Trying different things. And the ability to do on a global basis is a lot of fun.
Lance: Oh, I bet. I bet. Speaking of Russia, you talk a little bit about Gabe Polsky's is the same movie red army, because that I saw it amazing movie that had to been pretty awesome to
Bob: be a part of. Yeah. And again, it's those things where you never know when you're going to call upon people using.
Bob: In any walk of life. And this is so funny, I was down in Chicago my first week, or maybe first two weeks of being the commissioner. I haven't even found a place to live yet. I was, most people don't know this, including many of the owners of the USA jealous fees at the time, but I was basically living and then USA gel office and sleeping on a inflatable mattress in a sleeping bag for the first two weeks.
Bob: Cause I couldn't find a place. And the hotels are just outrageously expensive. Little, bathroom and shower in there. So no problem. So anyway, as a Saturday morning and combing through the Chicago Tribune at six 30 in the morning, and they had the Chicago film festival and I see this red army and I had heard about the film, it won a award for documentaries at the con film festival.
Bob: And I was like, you know what? I got to get down there. It's like an early movie. Cause the film festival runs from 8:00 AM until, And it just so happens that this this this film is at 10:00 AM and I'm sitting there. It's now, seven, 15 I've got sweats on and I haven't even showered.
Bob: So I throw on some jeans, throw on the closest baseball cap I could find, and literally take a cab down to the Chicago film festival. And I get down there and there's this line around the block and Red army sold out. I'm like, no way you've gotta be kidding. Then I was like, okay, thank Bobby. Who do you know, what do you know?
Bob: Who do you know? And there was a guy that I'd come across through some USA hockey stuff who had done some consulting with the Russian Federation, the guy by the name of Scott Peterson, just an absolute beauty. And I call him up. I go, Scotty, do you know anybody that has any connections to this red army thing?
Bob: I'm dying to get into this movie. My friend Slava called him. I'm like slap a hook, slap at the TESOL. I D because yeah, here's his number? Call him. I'm like, I'm not calling it first ballot hall of Famer to weasel into a movie. He goes, Bobby, you call it. Cos lover or don't call cost. Love it. If you want to get in the movie called Slava.
Bob: So I'm like, alright, what the hell? I got nothing. So I literally, with my cell phone looking around, cause it, fly must the T-cells should not be hard to find in the lobby of this building. So I'm dialing and looking for this guy to pick up a phone. And also you hear this click and I'm like, oh, I knew what was happening.
Bob: It was connecting the overseas. This woman answers the phone. It's after midnight in Russia, hello, please go. I'm a friend of Scott Peterson and she goes, of course you are like waking me up in the middle of the night. What can I do for, I go I was trying to reach slop of T socks. He goes, he's laying right here.
Bob: And he grabbed the phone. He goes, so your friend has got these. I go, yeah, he goes, what can I do for you? I said I'm sorry for week. You and your. But I'm desperate to get into this film you're featured in and he goes, hold on a minute, what's your name? So he takes my name. He goes good. The ticket window in 20 minutes, I go to the ticket window.
Bob: There's a ticket waiting for me. So crazy. Woke up a first ballot hall of Famer, who at the time was, I believe the president of the Russian Federation. So I got to wake them up. But anyway, I get into the film and I'm now I'm feeling like, oh my God, this is just my day. Got in from one of my favorite players.
Bob: Cause I always followed the red army is a guy growing up and everything. And they were ushering out the public and only the media could stay, and they had to had a VIP pass to stay or immediate pass. And I looked down at my ticket and Slava, it can't be VIP pass. So I'm sitting there in sweat pants, in a hoodie shirt in a fricking Yale high.
Bob: Baseball cap over an unwashed head. And I looked like a complete homeless knucklehead. And gay Polsky is up on the stage talking to POM laying way back in the middle of the empty seats now. Cause it's only needy in the first two rows or three rows talking to him and he's talking to these people and he spots me and he points at me.
Bob: He goes, Hey. And I'm like, oh, I'm busted. I like, they know I'm not who I, they think I am, I'm not a media guy. Did you go to Yale? I'm like, excuse me. And I had forgotten that I was wearing a yellow hockey hat. It's no, my son goes there and he goes, what's his name? I go, Tommy Fallon and Gabe climbs down off the stage, goes right through the media and comes over and introduces themselves.
Bob: Unbeknownst to me, Gabe. The creator of the movie played hockey at Yale. Like, how does this kind of stuff happen? And he goes, you're Tommy's dad. I'm like, yeah. And we had just won the national championship in 13. So a lot of the Yale players were like rockstars amongst their alumni. So he introduces me to go, Hey, going to be done with this in about 10 minutes, stick around, let's talk.
Bob: And literally that's how he got introduced to me. And when I was with the U S HL, I went to USA hockey. I said, I got an idea of. Fundraiser and key mark. About the 1980 Olympic team. Cause the movie surrounds the, the shocking loss of the red army team to the U S team in 1980. So we wound up doing some things with the 1980 team.
Bob: So we went, for example, I booked the theater down in Minneapolis. I can't remember the name of, it was one of their famous theaters and we had guys like a nail Broughton and silver Coda. Boxy Erickson and a few other guys up on the stage was Slava. It was absolutely sold out a huge fundraiser for USA hockey.
Bob: So it was an absolute blast. Game, he and I are still in touch and he actually hired me to work on two additional movies he did in search of greatness, which I believe is still available on iTunes and was on Delta airlines for a number of years. And then he actually did the red penguins film, which is another incredible movie.
Bob: It just stayed in touch. But if it wasn't for me showing up with that stinky, Yale had Saturday morning in Chicago, I never get in the movie business. So a crazy.
Lance: Yeah, that is so cool. All oh, one more question. I just, I can't thank you enough for taking the time. This has been so fun and interesting.
Lance: So you, over the years, you've donated a lot of time over the years, volunteering, helping to grow the game. What I mean, it's part of your business too, but there's one that I know is special to your heart. You've been the executive director of the skate program going on 22 years. Tell us how that all came into being, and what's the mission
Bob: of it?
Bob: He, as I had stated before, I'm a huge believer in student athleticism and that goes all the way down to youth hockey. And it just so happens that the skate program was invented at Armstrong where I was the president of the youth association. And there were some mothers who were getting a little irritated with their kids, because all they thought about was hockey, and these mothers.
Bob: The mothers of Jordan Leopold, paddle Larry. And there was an O'Reilly. I can't remember the kid's name. This was a long time ago, but lo and behold, I went out and called Jordan, who I had known through some other stuff and introduce myself to, Pat's mom. And I said, you guys have any issue with me taking this to Minnesota hockey and making it a program for Minnesota hockey?
Bob: And they're like, no. So that was 22 years ago. So at our. Our peak when I was really spending a lot more time on it, we had probably 65 or 70% of the youth associations involved in over 20,000 qualifiers, but it's a program near and dear to my heart. And actually, I believe the program had a lot to do with my son matriculating to Yale as a student athlete, because his first year Peewee, he got an incomplete and or maybe it was squared.
Bob: I can't remember. He got an incomplete. Of all things. And I said, listen, you don't qualify for skate. And there was a bunch of people saying you're the president of the association. You can get them to qualify. I said no. There are knowing. And from that point forward, I can guarantee it. Tommy felon never got an incomplete from that point forward.
Bob: So it's all about, understanding what being a student athlete is all about. And I think the program is absolutely super special. And one of the things they may look to do in my early retirement is to reinvigorate that program and do it on a national basis. But that's something I got on the back burner.
Lance: So what does the scape program? Yeah. Tell us the full title of it.
Bob: It's essentially it's skaters. Keep achieving through education. Skate is the acronym and it basically rewards and recognizes hockey players for performing in the classroom. So if you get a 3.0 or above you qualify, so what's really cool is I've heard from different associations all over the state saying they saw a significant improvement and in class performance by hockey players, as a result of the program.
Bob: Because as you and I both note lamps, these kids are competitors and they don't like it when they lose. So you have, kids are like, eh, it was a 2.8, but if I just spend another half hour at night, I can be 3.0 and qualify with my buddies. So I think it's an absolute, unbelievable program. And I, credit the the three mothers at the time, they were trying to get their fine hockey players a little bit more attentive of the books.
Bob: And as pat and Jordan went. Starting with the U and won a national championship together in 2001. So happy, ending, great story. Yeah.
Lance: That is like I said a lot of the stuff that you've been involved with is behind the scenes and you don't maybe get recognized or it goes on notice, but I know that the hockey world.
Lance: Is a better place because of the things that you've been a part of. I can't thank you enough for being here, Bob, and sharing your hockey journey with us. It was a awesome interview. And thank you. Thank you for taking the time.
Bob: It was my true pleasure, my friend, and we'll be in touch and thanks for having.
Lance: Episode number eight, the Bob Fallon hockey journey is in the record books. What a bunch of interesting stories. And I love the messaging throughout the whole interview. My biggest takeaway was how important connections with people are, but more importantly, maintaining those connections. It's not always about what, sometimes the tipping point to move you to the next phase has to come down to who, I can't thank you enough for stopping by and listening.
Lance: I hope you enjoyed Mr. Fallon's hockey. And if do you think there's someone in your circle of family and friends that might enjoy this episode, please share with just one person. And we're really helped me in growing this hockey community. Again, I appreciate you being here. Don't forget to subscribe. I hope to see you back here soon and do me a favor.
Lance: Make someone close to you. Smile today. All the best of my friends.
