JimBob
01-17-2008, 07:30 AM
Bobik intent on learning
By GLENN HIBDON World Sports Writer
1/17/2008
Last Modified: 1/17/2008 3:14 AM
IF ANYONE INTENDED to take full advantage of what the NBA Development League has to offer, it's former Oklahoma State player Daniel Bobik.
Bobik is director of ticket sales for the Tulsa 66ers with a goal toward becoming a general manager in the professional game or a college athletic director. "Bo" knows the basketball side. Now he's concentrating on the business aspect.
"We have such a small office staff, that I pretty much do a little of everything. I'm learning how to run a team," said the 28-year-old Bobik, a native of Newbury Park, Calif. "It's an awesome experience because there are great leaders here teaching me how to do this right. Most people stay on the business side and don't understand basketball. Or they stay on the basketball side and don't understand business. This allows me to open doors I wouldn't otherwise."
Bobik has been with the 66ers since last March and his plan is to become proficient enough with the business that he can concentrate on administration. In the future he wants to put teams together and evaluate talent. Before that can happen, he must learn how to size up potential D-League fans and discover ways to reach into their pockets to sell tickets.
"There was a story in the paper (Wednesday) about (Tulsa athletic director) Bubba Cunningham wanting to know where all the (TU) tickets were. He seems to think winning and ticket sales go hand in hand," Bobik said. "The 66ers do not have a passionate following and this is a great opportunity for me to run a team from the business side and learn how to get people passionate . . .
"We're not like ORU or OU or TU or OSU where students and fans are passionate about their schools. We have to get them passionate about something else so they will come to the games. On Saturday night we're having a Christian-based fan and family night and it's my project from cradle to grave. I've had to book the bands, work with KXOJ to promote it, meet with pastors and churches and mail the fliers. We will have people who are passionate about their faith. They don't care about the 66ers, but if you can get them excited about other things, they will come and see the games. And maybe they will want to come back."
As a player, all Bobik had to do was show up at practice and suit up for games. He played two years at Brigham Young, then transferred to OSU for two years, including the 2004 Final Four season and the 2005 Sweet Sixteen campaign. Then it was on to Germany to play professionally for one season. Bobik then decided he was finished with traveling. He wanted to stay home and raise his family.
"Playing basketball was not the lifestyle for me. I like my family more," he said. "Traveling on the road all the time, I would miss out on a lot of things I wish I wasn't. I'm keeping my doors wide open now. I had to have an understanding of the way the game works and I've learned which people are the movers and the shakers in the community and who gets stuff done."
Through Bobik's endeavors, his wife Natalie and her sister Kristi also learned something about how to make money. They often appeared at OSU games sporting T-shirts bearing the slogan "Cool Chicks Wear Orange" and attracted television attention. They were seen cavorting and dancing and parlayed the antics into a business complete with a Web site.
While his wife becomes an entrepreneur, Bobik has discovered that his venture into offcourt hoops stability will take a little more time.
"It hasn't been as easy as I thought it would be and it's been frustrating at times, but I know if you can make a D-League team successful, you can do just about anything," Bobik said. "I thought we would have more success in terms of ticket sales, but it's one step at a time. It's a learning experience and I can learn from what I do wrong. I'm not making a ton of money and this is not my dream job, but you can't put a price on experience. You can't learn it in a book."
By GLENN HIBDON World Sports Writer
1/17/2008
Last Modified: 1/17/2008 3:14 AM
IF ANYONE INTENDED to take full advantage of what the NBA Development League has to offer, it's former Oklahoma State player Daniel Bobik.
Bobik is director of ticket sales for the Tulsa 66ers with a goal toward becoming a general manager in the professional game or a college athletic director. "Bo" knows the basketball side. Now he's concentrating on the business aspect.
"We have such a small office staff, that I pretty much do a little of everything. I'm learning how to run a team," said the 28-year-old Bobik, a native of Newbury Park, Calif. "It's an awesome experience because there are great leaders here teaching me how to do this right. Most people stay on the business side and don't understand basketball. Or they stay on the basketball side and don't understand business. This allows me to open doors I wouldn't otherwise."
Bobik has been with the 66ers since last March and his plan is to become proficient enough with the business that he can concentrate on administration. In the future he wants to put teams together and evaluate talent. Before that can happen, he must learn how to size up potential D-League fans and discover ways to reach into their pockets to sell tickets.
"There was a story in the paper (Wednesday) about (Tulsa athletic director) Bubba Cunningham wanting to know where all the (TU) tickets were. He seems to think winning and ticket sales go hand in hand," Bobik said. "The 66ers do not have a passionate following and this is a great opportunity for me to run a team from the business side and learn how to get people passionate . . .
"We're not like ORU or OU or TU or OSU where students and fans are passionate about their schools. We have to get them passionate about something else so they will come to the games. On Saturday night we're having a Christian-based fan and family night and it's my project from cradle to grave. I've had to book the bands, work with KXOJ to promote it, meet with pastors and churches and mail the fliers. We will have people who are passionate about their faith. They don't care about the 66ers, but if you can get them excited about other things, they will come and see the games. And maybe they will want to come back."
As a player, all Bobik had to do was show up at practice and suit up for games. He played two years at Brigham Young, then transferred to OSU for two years, including the 2004 Final Four season and the 2005 Sweet Sixteen campaign. Then it was on to Germany to play professionally for one season. Bobik then decided he was finished with traveling. He wanted to stay home and raise his family.
"Playing basketball was not the lifestyle for me. I like my family more," he said. "Traveling on the road all the time, I would miss out on a lot of things I wish I wasn't. I'm keeping my doors wide open now. I had to have an understanding of the way the game works and I've learned which people are the movers and the shakers in the community and who gets stuff done."
Through Bobik's endeavors, his wife Natalie and her sister Kristi also learned something about how to make money. They often appeared at OSU games sporting T-shirts bearing the slogan "Cool Chicks Wear Orange" and attracted television attention. They were seen cavorting and dancing and parlayed the antics into a business complete with a Web site.
While his wife becomes an entrepreneur, Bobik has discovered that his venture into offcourt hoops stability will take a little more time.
"It hasn't been as easy as I thought it would be and it's been frustrating at times, but I know if you can make a D-League team successful, you can do just about anything," Bobik said. "I thought we would have more success in terms of ticket sales, but it's one step at a time. It's a learning experience and I can learn from what I do wrong. I'm not making a ton of money and this is not my dream job, but you can't put a price on experience. You can't learn it in a book."