episode 83 of the dsmsports podcast w/ diamond leung of sporttechie

Best Of...Diamond Leung on theDigital and Social Media Sports Podcast

Diamond Leung, Managing Editor of SportTechie, was the featured guest on episode 83 of the DSMSports Podcast.

What follows are some snippets from the interview. Hear the full episode on www.DSMSports.net or download it on from iTunes Store podcasts or on Stitcher and other podcast apps.

Enjoy...

@njh287DSMSports.net


Diamond's career path

Attended UCLA and covered football + basketball there, and also served as a newspaper editor

→ Began his career covering high school sports for the Riverside Press Enterprise (newspaper) for 2 years and then switched to the Los Angeles Dodgers beat

→ Then moved to ESPN.com blogging about college basketball on a national basis → Then went to MLive.com on the Michigan State beat, covering mostly basketball and football, including NCAA Basketball Tournament and Rose Bowl



→ Then went to San Jose Mercury News (Bay Area News Group) covering the Golden State Warriors, including their championship season and 73-win season –> Recently moved to New York to become Managing Editor at SportTechie



On skills that have helped him in his career:

“What's really helped me is...the versatility. I've been kind of thrown onto different sports. You think you know a sport wen you watch it on TV and follow it a little bit, but you really don't know much until you get on the beat. See the team every day, interact with the coaches, make phone calls, get to know everything there is about the industry. I've been fortunate enough...to have a chance to do that in multiple sports...Learning a lot of different things on an intimate basis.



“And I think, since coming into the tech field, that has really helped me. Because, for tech, I'm new to this, as well. The same rules apply, in terms of getting to know the major players, getting to find out where you can get all the latest updates, building up sources...I think all those things apply...'”



On the future of beat writers

“They're the people on the ground, they're the foot soldiers for the information getting out. Without beat writers, a lot of times, there are no bloggers. They're not getting that information...columnists find it more difficult to really have an inside look at what's going on; they're talking to their beat writers...



“While it might be in a case, with all the demands (that) it gets younger and younger. I think, ultimately, that is where a lot of the information is going to come out of. Now in this new era of fake news and rumors and bad sourcing, I think it becomes heightened to where you have to be able to rely on a certain amount of information that is accurate and true. I think if the beat writer can't do it then you're in big trouble. It's going to be a position that only grows and will continue to have a major impact going forward.”



His role as Managing Editor at SportTechie

“It's my job to craft that editorial direction and make sure that our staff is in sync and locked in and ready to produce that content that drives our site every day...In terms of the mindset, it's not really a whole lot different than what I did...as a beat writer. You find out what are the major stories are of the day. You find out how to attack them, you find out who to talk to. Only now, I'm just doing more of the assigning than the actual writing.



“For me, it's kind of a fresh take...[and] a really intriguing time to take on this topic that has really grabbed a hold of a lot of different people in a lot of different ways...Teams are doing it, players are doing it, the average person dealing in fitness is doing it, the average television viewer is considering how to figure out cable TV...I think there's a lot of different people that our site appeals to and it's my job to make sure all those audiences are catered to.”



Building the topics, editorial direction, and stories for SportTechie

“Your inbox is full, you've got people pitching you, PR firms coming in, you're doing your own research in terms of what's going on out there that people ant to see covered. A lot of times, you really consider the ideas that those who aggregate the best are going to win. I don't mean that in terms of aggregating content, I mean that in terms of aggregating ideas and seeing what's really appealing to people..., what people want to learn more about. I think that if you put your resources toward covering those things, I tend to think that the site will be successful...



“For me, it's about finding out, in a beat writer sense, where all those sprained ankles of coming from. Where are the little updates? Where are the new developments/ What is the news that people should be hearing about?...


Best Of...Diamond Leung on theDigital and Social Media Sports PodcastOn what stood out in the sports and tech space in 2016

“I think you're seeing a lot of conversation about e-sports...Everybody in that industry gets asked 'Are you going to invest in e-sports?'...because there are so many eyeballs attracted to it, when you look at the streaming services that draw millions...the young eyeballs that are attached to what's going on there...

“I think...the underrated topic that I've really paid attention to is augmented reality. When you think about the popularity of Pokemon GO...that's just scratching the surface of what it can do for data overlay, for how sports broadcasts of the future are done. For how viewing sports through a different lens going forward. I think that's only something that will grow as TV, as teams figure out ho to be unique in that area...”@njh287

DSMSports.net

Best Of...Diamond Leung on theDigital and Social Media Sports PodcastWhat will drive more mass adoption or growth of emerging

technologies

“I think it's when...the average person that reay doesn't know too much about it has access to it...We're starting to see that right now with virtual reality, but I still think the average person doesn't own a headset...In terms of accessibility, what does everybody have right now? It's a smart phone. I think it was proven with Pokemon Go how much you could do with that phone for AR and now you're to the point (for wider adoption)...

As teams start to capitalize on that...[Diamond mentions the New England Patriots at exploring AR for the in-game experience]...is where something can find success. When it starts getting into the Average Joe's world view...it can be successful.”@njh287

DSMSports.net


“When you put it on TV, that's when it gets mainstream. I think as some of these next-level analytical stats get measured (with wearables or other trackers)...I think if you can provide that information to broadcasters and that information becomes something valuable to a fan and be looking at it through AR...I think that's where it really takes off; easily accessible. Something that gives you that next-level access to what's going on on the field – I think that works for both players and fans.”



Making sense of the data coming quickly w/ sports tech & players

“The teams are going to want to keep the technologies they use as privately as they can, a lot of times. If they've got the secret weapon...why tell anybody else?...[Diamond talks about a few teams starting to use Catapult to track player data during training]...Now, you see this having taken on in the mainstream for a lot of different sports teams to the point that leagues are tracking it, people want to know this data. It's being collectively bargained how this data should be used and owned. A lot of different things come into play and, for that topic alone, you've seen it (grow quickly)...how are teams not just doing it, but how are they gaining the best insights with it from big data?...

“It's important that it can be easily explained to the mainstream. Not just the users, but to everybody else involved, as well.”



Leagues that stand out in sports tech adoption

“I think every league has its teams that are doing (a lot in tech)...but from a league standpoint, I think one of the standouts in the NBA. Not only from what they've been able to do in terms of doing deals, adding a Second Spectrum to replace SportVU. Being at the forefront and making sure those kind of stats are available to fans and maybe in the future, in a gambling sense.



“But also, what they do for the fan experience. As far as League Pass goes, as far as, building off that, creating this zoomed in shot or mobile viewers...they can now watch games in virtual reality...they launched this game, where you can compete with others as part of a mobile game based on, in real-time, what the action going on on the court says. You can pick one player, and hope that player does really well. Not just a daily fantasy sense, but a real-time fantasy sense.

“It's a league that has always been open, we've known, as far as social media, different kinds of video to make the game more accessible to fans. And now we're just seeing that, with the glut of technology coming in, (they're) really embracing things at such a fast pace...” @njh287

DSMSports.net


Helpful Tool: Pocket app, to save links for reading later (and get recommended reading)


Best Of...Diamond Leung on theDigital and Social Media Sports PodcastWhat drives the NBA being progressive with tech

“If you look at the history of the league...The league wasn't as big as the NFL, coming up. It wasn't a big, certainly, as Major League Baseball. It had to fight for viewers...They did that by doing things a little bit differently – catering to young people. Throwing their doors open to different segments of the population and making it mainstream. And now you've kind of seen it take off. It's a popular sport. It's not just a popular sport, it's iconic in a lot of ways. In terms o what the players do, what the teams do, in establishing themselves as these worldwide images. The world's greatest athletes going at it...

“That's not to say the NFL is not an absolute monster..., but it has helped basketball that they have been in that underdog role...”



“Right now, they're kind of at the forefront of doing what it takes to push things forward. They've still got a ways to go. They've got to figure out how to get wearables into the game, when other sports are doing the same thing. But, inside those offices, I think there's an energy there, in terms of helping establish how the fan of the future is going to watch the game and how the players, going forward, are able to train and get better.”



Sports teams and athletes getting involved in investing in sports tech and whether there's a bubble

“I don't think it's so much a bubble that's going to burst because I think teams are always, and why they're interested in accelerators, is they've always been interested in new ideas. It ultimately comes back to 'how do you make the owner look good?' And, I think, when you're an owner...it's not just a cool thing to be (involved with startups), but this stuff could really help us out...I think that's going to help a lot of teams. It is a good situation for a lot of teams to put themselves (out) as this beacon of light for startups to gravitate toward (to work with them)...I think it's a win-win for everybody...It's a great way to share ideas and learn how different industries exchange ideas...”



How sport is helping to accelerate tech startups

“So many people want to work into the sports industry...It's kind of where it's at...That's a mainstream concept – you want to be where the fun is, where the action is, where all the eyeball are on. I think people gravitate toward that; companies do, rich people do...Lately, we've seen the new gold rush has created the wealthy tech investor-type (among team owners)...In some ways, [the tech-background team owners] taking on leadership roles with this infusion of tech into the sports industry.”



The Warriors and the 'Silicon Valley infusion' into the NBA

“When you have Warriors owner Joe Lacob comes from a venture capital background. Yo have Peter Guber, the co-owner, this Hollywood, veteran insider that everybody seems to know. And now he's getting deeply involved into sports tech – investing in everything from virtual reality with NextVR to e-sports. It's this team that is run like a startup, in a lot of ways...they're run like a well-run tech company...



“When I was covering them, it seemed like players 1-7 on the roster were all interested in tech...making their own investments, taking on a casual interest in apps, and all sorts of things...It's a program that's set up for a lot of people to be successful. The part that I found pretty funny is the front office always downplayed how much analytics they were really using, how it's only kind of a portion of their decision making process; which I believe is true. But this team got named Analytics Team of the Year, by Sports Business Journal...they're knee-deep in being known not just as a sports team, but as a sports tech team...”


Best Of...Diamond Leung on theDigital and Social Media Sports PodcastHow Warriors players' mindset and interest is driving the growth of sports tech

“Just by them accepting a lot of the stuff...I don't think they're saying 'I don't want this' (from Diamond's experience with Golden State)...Not too long ago, you saw one of the last players on their roster, James Michael McAdoo – he straps on a Halo Neuroscience headset and says 'Hey, we're testing some of these,' and everyone goes crazy over it...I think these guys are open to trying new things and being out there...and wanting to be positioned as somebody that wants to get better. They find it valuable to be in this tech mecca, Silicon Valley...It is really all set up for the players, but it's ultimately going to be dependent on them to see how far some of this mainstream is able to go. Are they going to be able to go along with this stuff...?


Best Of...Diamond Leung on theDigital and Social Media Sports PodcastPlayer data and how it may affect player values and contract negotiation

“I think, ultimately, everybody knows it's going to be an inevitable thing that there's going to be all this information out there. That's how you're seeing agreements being written up..it allows for future innovation to take hold. And for teams and organizations to understand there will be (stuff they cannot foresee)...I think, for the current technologies, a lot of that stuff is going to be haggled out in how they address wearable devices, in how they address data. Who owns it, who can use it, who has access to it. Everybody understands that these things are going to be a factor moving forward, it's just a matter of how they hash it out, how they regulate, and how they embrace it, to the point where it can be useful for both parties.”@njh287

DSMSports.net


Shareable Stat: 12% → Increase in average viewing time for Facebook video ads that included captions over ones that did not



Your favorite piece of content you've been part of for SportTechie so far

“One I recently did, I sat down with a company called Iceberg, that deals with hockey player tracking. It was fun to get to know the people behind it, they're a startup coming out of Russia...The person that owns it is an industry veteran, creating mobile phones in Russia. They're now moving in on this industry...and hockey is a little behind in a sense, because it's so difficult to track...



“I mention that story because I think it' represents type of story that SportTechie is really interested in. A company that has an idea, that has the knowledge, and that applies it and gets a taste of the mainstream. They've got deals with at least one NHL team and other pro hockey teams. It's fun for me...to understand what goes into it. To explore all aspects of a certain story. To get the human interest story behind it...A lot of times we deal so much on information and the tech side of things. But I think for us to really understand how crazy it is or an idea to come from something and then get to the point where you're able to see...pro teams find use in it. That's the ultimate for me, the human side, as well...”


Best Of...Diamond Leung on theDigital and Social Media Sports PodcastThe most underappreciated tech that has affected sports in the last decade or so and why

“Probably something along the lines of League Pass or Sunday NFL Ticket. Red Zone. Those kind of things you take for granted, because it's so easy to access...But in terms of the amount o work to actually pull that off and not have it be all buggy. It's like airplane WiFi. I'm not going to complain it's not working, because - have you ever thought what a miracle it takes just to get a plane in the air? That's the kind of stuff that is under-appreciated. It's pretty magical to be go from game to game, down to when the next scoring opportunity is. I think that has really changed a lot of the way television viewers have seen the sport...The incredible access fans have to watch any sport, with any kind of options...”@njh287

DSMSports.net

Best Of...Diamond Leung on theDigital and Social Media Sports PodcastDiamond's favorite player to interview during his time covering the NBA

Draymond Green. When you really think about it. When you can kind of rif off on a topic. For me, Steve Kerr was great to deal with. In terms of him being self-deprecating, and being able to speak intelligently on so many different topics. Whether that is gun control and now you see him raising stuff about marijuana use. I thought he was very thought-provoking. And when he didn't want to talk about something, he'd just respond with a joke...

“Draymond was up there...you never know what he was going to say. When you expected one thing, you got the other.”

[Diamond also covered Draymond Green his senior year at Michigan State]



The most memorable game Diamond covered when working at MLive

“I have to say the Rose Bowl that Michigan State played against Stanford. Not so much the game...I just remembered how Michigan State hadn't been to the Rose Bowl in so long. I went to UCLA. I in some ways started my career covering games at the Rose Bowl...just because of the school I was attending covering (and). Maybe you take it for granted a little bit. And to later on...see this team from the snowy Midwest achieve its dream in getting there...It's something you really don't forget what it means to a Big Ten school like that...”



The best pro sports venue Diamond has been to, and why

“I was blown away by Wrigley Field. I wouldn't consider it the most comfortable place to cover a game. Just the history there. When you walk into the visitors clubhouse, it's really small...And then you gotta walk through the tunnels to get out to the dugout. It's not a really nice place to be, but I think that is what makes it cool. When you're just walking the field and the Ivy's out there, it's pretty cool..

“In terms of best venue – as a sports writer, just any place where the WiFi works...[Diamond talks about the dramatic improvement in the new Sacramento arena from the old one]...Any place that a sports writer is not feeling comfortable in, it's not often going to feel comfortable for a fan either.”@njh287

DSMSports.net


Diamond's #1 tip for an aspiring sports journalist

“Go where nobody else is at. In terms of a general sense. A lot of times, people think sportswriting is the group interview and everyone's got their mic and is shouting questions. That's kind of the vision of journalism...That's all part of it. But I think a lot of is ultimately finding those stories that nobody else has heard of. Making sure you're unique and coming up with ideas, and going where nobody else is. Attending that media session that nobody else bothered to go to, making sure that you got all your bases covered. There's obviously an element of hard work and perseverance that goes into that, but I think, there is so much group-think right now, that a lot of people don't do that...”


Best Of...Diamond Leung on theDigital and Social Media Sports PodcastThe top few metrics that Diamond pays attention to in his work

with SportTechie

“I mean I look at metrics, but as we know, metrics isn't everything. I think one thing to pay attention to is who's reading your site, and we get a good report on that every day. Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I take a general feel with things. I like to see who's sharing our stuff, how many people are doing it. It's fun to look at that. But I think if we're doing a solid job overall, and I know that can be subjective. I think if we try to serve as many different readers as possible in the best way, and providing them with quality stuff, whatever the metrics are, that's going to work itself out. I think it's more important to establish yourself as a site to be relied upon for great journalism. I think as that takes shape and we continue to build that up, I think that's where the metrics are going to pay off in the future.”@njh287

DSMSports.net

Best Of...Diamond Leung on theDigital and Social Media Sports PodcastThe best food Diamond has gotten in the Bay Area and the best

food to get (so far) in NYC

“The best food to get in the Bay Area that I've found is actually Burmese food, because I don't seem to be able to really get it really good places anywhere else...People always ask me my favorite restaurant there and I just say 'Burmese food...'

“It's kind of like Thai food, but it's not Thai food. It's kind of like Chinese food, but it's not Chinese food. Get the Tea Leaf salad, and tell me how it goes...”



In NYC → “I actually haven't [had a chance to sample much]. I'd be curious to (hear from others)...I haven't found my spot yet...I can't tell you one place. But there has been enough great places that I can tell you that this might be the food capital in my mind...Everything is really really good.”



Diamond's pick for the NBA champion

“I've gotta think the Warriors are going to get their act together. They do have Kevin Durant. They still have Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green. I think they'll end up working themselves out...They've had some other not too pretty looking performances on defense. But ultimately I think they will get there. I think, over time, talent wins out...”



Diamond's Social Media All-Star to Follow

Mark Burns (@markjburns88) → “Mark is quite a guy, in terms of the amount o contacts he has. Not enough people, I think are following him...He's all over social media, in terms of the contacts he has, the topics he's covering, promoting these wild stats that you can't get anywhere else...I learn from the guy every day. I'm new, in some ways, to this field. Mark has been there. He's on par with a Darren Rovell in terms of that kind of information that he can crank out. I think he's a guy that people should watch...Mark is going to be doing big things. He's a guy that people should definitely be following.”



Where to find Diamond and SportTechie on digital/social media

Diamond is @diamond83 on Twitter

@SportTechie on Twitter (and their newsletter) are musts!



Thanks so much to Diamond Leung for joining the Digital & Social Media Sports podcast!

For more info on the podcast, check out http://www.DSMSports.net and follow me @njh287


http://www.DSMSports.net/