Let the Games Begin
Let the Games Begin
Carver Messick
On the "Let the Games Begin" podcast, Carver Messick interviews a wide variety of accomplished guests in the seemingly infinite sports world. From sports marketers to analysts to filmmakers and more, "Let the Games Begin" has you covered. Each revered guest shares their story and provides priceless advice to those intrigued by a career in sports.
S3E6: Zack Jenis - Director of Sports Content Operations, FanDuel
In this episode, Carver interviews Zack Jenis, Director of Sports Content Operations at FanDuel about his career progression. Zack discusses how he rose in the ranks of FanDuel, what his day-to-day looks like, and the current state of the sports betting industry.
Oct 1, 2023
29 min
S3E5: Terése Whitehead - VP, Consumer Products & Strategy at NFL Players Association
In this episode, Carver talks with Terése Whitehead of the NFLPA. Terése has worked in the sport industry for around two decades and has much experience in the agency and marketing space. She discusses current and future trends in athlete marketing, her career progression, and more! 
Aug 18, 2023
31 min
S3E4: Jon Van Dam - Tight Ends Coach, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In this episode, Carver talks with John Van Dam, current Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tight Ends Coach and former college assistant coach. John discusses how to climb the coaching ladder, the differences between coaching at the college and professional level, and more!
Aug 4, 2023
31 min
S3E3: Bill Shumard - CEO, Southern California Special Olympics
In this episode, Carver interviews Bill Shumard, former CEO of the Southern California Special Olympics for over a decade and previous Athletic Director at Cal State Long Beach as well as Cal State Fullerton.  In the interview, Bill discusses his knowledge of the SoCal sports business scene and the biggest misconceptions surrounding the Special Olympics.
Mar 21, 2023
41 min
S3E2: Bess Barnes - VP of Programming, CBS Sports
In this episode, Carver interviews Bess Barnes, VP of Programming at CBS Sports. In the interview, Bess talks about what goes into the scheduling of games/seasons, CBS's involvement in March Madness, and much more! Enjoy!
Feb 20, 2023
26 min
S3E1: Dan Griffis - President of Global Partnerships, Oak View Group
In this episode, Carver interviews the President of Global Partnerships of the Oak View Group, Dan Griffis. Dan contributed to the founding of OVG and previously worked as the VP of Marketing for Target. In the chat, he goes over having the right motivations for working in sports, the similarities and differences between sports business and business, how to always keep marketing in mind, and more. Enjoy!
Feb 20, 2023
47 min
S2E11: Caroline Hendershot - Team Reporter, New York Jets
In this episode, Carver interviews Caroline Hendershot, Team Reporter for the New York Jets and Michigan alum. We talk the pressure of being behind camera, how to get over on-air mistakes, and her journey!
Oct 29, 2022
42 min
S2E10: Tracy Wolfson - CBS's Lead NFL Sideline Reporter
In this episode, Carver interviews CBS's lead NFL sideline reporter, Tracy Wolfson, who also spent time as the lead sideline reporter for SEC football on CBS and for March Madness. In the interview, Tracy discusses her career progression, providing avenues for women in sport, the perfection needed for live TV, and more! Enjoy
Oct 3, 2022
40 min
S2E9: Chip Smith - Athletic Performance Trainer
In this episode Carver interviews America's top performance trainer, Chip Smith.  Chip discusses how he fell in love with performance training... his journey to Russia to unlock some Soviet training secrets... and his rise to become the top performance trainer in the USA.  The roster of NFL greats trained by Chip include 70 players who made the NFL Pro Bowl including Brian Urlacher, Champ Bailey, Jared Allen and James Harrison...  and most important... we talk about his belief in treating the athletes he trains like family.  Enjoy! 
Sep 22, 2022
29 min
S2E8: Vashti Cunningham - Olympic High Jumper
In this episode Carver interviews Vashti Cunningham, America's number one ranked professional high jumper and Nike athlete who recently competed in the Tokyo Olympics. Vashti highlights the mental challenges of an individual sport, how to be more than just an athlete, and more! Enjoy.
Sep 3, 2022
26 min
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