SPMT 489 with Trev Alberts: Sean Salisbury, Matt Vinnola speak to A&M students

In another installment of the SPMT 489 lecture series, Dr. Gregg Bennett was joined by former NFL player and Sportstalk 790 radio host Sean Salisbury and Matt Vinnola, the former Director of Baseball Operations for the Texas Rangers, to speak to Texas A&M students.

Topics from Sean Salisbury interview

• 00:00 - Introduction & how he is an Aggie
• 04:40 - Salisbury’s relationship with Trev Alberts from playing against each other and beyond
• 06:30 - On playing “everything” when he was a kid and dislike for “specializing”
• 12:20 - A story about the late USC coach John Robinson and his recruitment
• 16:35 - On his dad pushing him to play multiple sports
• 19:05 - Nature vs. nurture, allowing him to become a great athlete
• 23:55 - On the “power” of sports and why sports are important to our society
• 29:40 - Salisbury’s football career and beyond
• 37:15 - Relationship with Adam Sandler and the remake of “The Longest Yard”
• 47:25 - On not making it “personal” in his analysis and staying away from “hot takes”
• 50:45 - On politics and how it “mimics” sports
• 1:00:30 - On the camaraderie among the USC teams he played on
• 1:05:30 - His thoughts on “load management” in sports today and the difference between “hurt” vs. “injured”
• 1:10:05 - Navigating through pressure in life

Topics from Matt Vinnola interview

• 00:00 - Introduction, The Ballengee Group and past in baseball
• 03:25 - Why sports were important to him as a kid and getting into sports business
• 13:25 - On moving from the Colorado Rockies to the Texas Rangers to work for Jon Daniels
• 14:50 - On Evan Grant calling him after not being offered a new contract by the Rangers
• 16:40 - On an agency calling him on his last days with the Rangers and joining the “dark side”
• 19:20 - His roles and responsibilities with The Ballengee Group
• 21:12 - Players his agency is currently representing
• 22:50 - Opportunities in sports being hard to come by and his advice
• 29:30 - Nelson Cruz as the scapegoat of the 2011 World Series
• 33:00 - Explaining how the World Series shares work
• 34:30 - Lessons he learned during his first job despite it not being glorious or glamourous
• 38:10 - What his daily routine looked like while working with the Rangers
• 39:45 - One of his favorite baseball stories that has nothing to do with baseball

About SPMT 489

The Special Topics course “The Power of Sports” will explore the multifaceted impact of sports on society, culture, and business. Through a combination of guest speakers, class discussions and professional development events, students will gain insights into the various aspects of the sports industry.