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Skin in the Game

Skin in the Game

Written by: BTPM NPR
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About this listen

 Get ready for a front-row seat to the business of sports with Skin in the Game, the weekly sports industry podcast hosted by sports marketing expert John Cimperman and veteran sports business journalist Tim O’Shei. If you follow sports news, sports business trends, or the fast-changing world of NIL, college athletics, pro leagues, and sports media, this show is your essential listen.Each episode goes beyond the headlines to explain why these developments matter. Skin in the Game breaks down how major sports business decisions ripple through teams, athletes, fans, and communities across North America. From the NFL, NHL, PWHL, WNBA, NBA, MLB, and MLS to college rivalries, high school sports, and the expanding youth sports economy, John and Tim reveal how industry shifts affect competitiveness, revenue, fan engagement, and the future of sports.Expect in-depth analysis, insider interviews, and expert commentary on the stories driving today’s sports economy—along with new perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else.New episodes air weekly on BTPM NPR Saturdays at 4 p.m., with rebroadcasts Tuesdays at 11 a.m.Stream Skin in the Game on-demand on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Politics & Government
Episodes
  • How Winning Teams Are Built: Craig Custance on Leadership, Culture, and Power in Sports

    How Winning Teams Are Built: Craig Custance on Leadership, Culture, and Power in Sports
    Jan 24 2026
    What does it really take to build a winning sports organization? In this episode of Skin In The Game, hosts John Cimperman and Tim O’Shei sit down with Craig Custance, author of The Franchise: The Business of Building Winning Teams and Head of Creative Development at The Athletic, for a deep dive into leadership behind the scenes of professional hockey. Custance draws on years of reporting and unprecedented access to NHL general managers, owners, and executives to explore how championship teams are actually built, far beyond what fans see on the ice. The conversation spans front-office decision-making, ownership dynamics, organizational culture, and the personal toll of leadership at the highest level of sport. While rooted in hockey, this conversation resonates far beyond sports. Custance shows how the principles that drive winning teams — trust, clarity, accountability, and long-term thinking — apply just as directly to business, media, and organizational leadership. Whether you’re a sports executive, a business leader, or simply fascinated by how high-performing teams operate, this episode offers rare insight into what happens where championships are truly won.
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    54 mins
  • Rick Westhead on Junior Hockey’s Reckoning and the Culture That “Breeds Lions”

    Rick Westhead on Junior Hockey’s Reckoning and the Culture That “Breeds Lions”
    Jan 10 2026
    In this episode of Skin in the Game, award-winning investigative journalist Rick Westhead joins John and Tim for a powerful and deeply reported conversation about his book “We Breed Lions” and the culture of junior hockey in Canada.
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    53 mins
  • The Psychology of Trash Talk: How Words Win Games with Rafi Kohan

    The Psychology of Trash Talk: How Words Win Games with Rafi Kohan
    Dec 27 2025
    In this episode of Skin in the Game, John and Tim dive into the psychology, history, and surprising power of trash talk with journalist and author Rafi Kohan, whose latest book explores how a few well-timed words can shape competition, performance, and culture. From Larry Bird and Michael Jordan to Tiger Woods and modern-day MMA, Kohan explains how trash talk isn’t just bravado — it’s a deeply human form of communication rooted in psychology, identity, and strategy. They explore why trash talk surged in the 1990s, how it intersects with race and cultural perception, why it can sharpen elite performance, or unravel it, and how the same lessons apply beyond sports to parenting, leadership, and everyday life. Along the way, Kohan shares stories from locker rooms, comedy stages, military training grounds, and global arenas, revealing why this “risky pleasure” remains one of the most fascinating elements of competition.
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    1 hr and 1 min
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