SEC Football Media Days Goes Beyond the Banners

 

Before the SEC Football Kickoff Media Days began Monday morning, the Tampa Bay Sports Commission staged an event at Jackson’s Bistro for the Tampa Bay area’s women leaders in business, education and sports.

 

It was called “Beyond the Banners,’’ a peek inside the inner workings of the Southeastern Conference through the eyes of two women who have worked tirelessly to ensure its success.

* Tiffany Daniels, the SEC’s associate commissioner and senior women’s administrator who played basketball at the University of Georgia.

 

* Alyssa Lang, an SEC Network studio host, broadcaster and sideline reporter who has been one of the network’s primary voices for eight years.

 

Two distinct backgrounds. Two different skill sets. Two diverse job titles.

 

But essentially, the same message for success.

 

It’s about relationships.

 

“I don’t care what you do and what industry you’re in or what level you’re at … relationships are the most important thing,’’ Daniels said. “I’ll tell that to anyone who will listen, and that’s probably the thing I talk the most about with my children, (the importance) of building quality relationships with people. You make yourself available to those relationships. The business will come. It will. The relationships will sustain. It transcends any business, any industry. It’s really a common thread in everything we do.’’

 

Lang echoed that sentiment.

 

“The relationships you build always come back to you (beneficially),’’ Lang said. “When you build a relationship with someone, when you see them multiple times a year, and you don’t approach them as a vehicle to a broadcast, that’s so important. To make someone feel like they’re not just there to serve a purpose for you.

 

“I know when someone comes up to me and starts asking questions about how they can make it in the (broadcasting) business, it’s like, ‘OK, it’s nice to meet you. What’s your name?’ You know, try to approach the person first. If that leads to a more vanilla interview after the first time, that’s OK because I’m in it for the long game and the relationship in the long run. I want to make sure that person is comfortable with me for a bigger moment one day.’’

 

Relationships are also a key theme for the Tampa Bay Sports Commission.

 

Eleven years ago, in accord with all the NCAA events coming to Tampa Bay, TBSC senior vice president of events Claire Lessinger invented the concept of tying in a program that celebrated women leaders, women in sports, women of influence and “women who just flat out win,’’ she said.

 

The “Beyond Series’’ caught on quickly, and it was adopted by the NCAA for its events around the country.

 

“We need to have these conversations, learn from each other and make each other better,’’ said Lessinger as she addressed a room that included Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and Tampa City Councilwoman Naya Young. “That’s the purpose of this. And from these ladies (Daniels and Lang), we’re all going to learn a few things.’’

 

Such as the benefit of hard work and versatility.

 

Daniels began with the NBA’s Orlando Magic in ticket sales. She learned the value of making 100 phone calls a day.

 

“And hoping you don’t get hung up on 99 times,’’ Daniels said.

 

As a young administrator at Georgia State University, Daniels said she benefited from “learning things that were beyond my job description.’’

 

She helped to oversee ticket sales, marketing and communications. But she also worked with the event management team and the facilities team, so she learned new perspectives.

 

“As I look for people to hire today at the SEC, I’m always looking to find people who are smarter than me in areas where I’m weak,’’ Daniels said. “I love it when people are curious and have experience in a lot of areas. They know what’s behind a lot of areas. And I like people who have done things at a high level in other industries because they have the tendency to question what we’re doing and make sure we’re operating in the best, most efficient manner.’’

 

Lang spoke about her local television background in Columbia, S.C., and Jacksonville.

 

“In local TV, you’re a one-man-band,’’ Lang said. “You’re carrying 150 pounds of equipment. You’re sweating all day long. Then it’s, ‘Now go do your television show and do a good job and don’t mess up. And oh, edit it, write it, cut all the video.’ You learn to do everything.

 

“I have a different role now, and you learn about how many more sets of eyeballs are on you (at the SEC Network). Maybe I’m not doing as much of the work necessary for the bones of the show, but I’m responsible for more information and the relationships with the 16 different schools and coaches and athletes. I like to be involved in the diversity of a lot of sports. I feel like the background (of doing everything) prepares you for that.’’

 

Both Daniels and Lang agreed that they rely on their love of sports and people, which is what steered them into their careers from the beginning.

 

Daniels is often dubbed the “Queen of the Confetti’’ because she oversees the conference championships. Those are the moments of glory. But she’s attracted by the benefits to all student-athletes.

 

“What we do on a day-to-day basis, it’s really for those young people who compete in our conference every day,’’ Daniels said. “Everything I do on a day-to-day basis is for them (student-athletes) because I was one of them. With all the changes in college athletics, the primary mission hasn’t changed. And that’s serving and supporting the student-athletes.’’

 

Lang said she often thinks about being a young fan — and she still considers herself primarily a fan — and often has to pinch herself when thinking about her view of things now.

 

“Having a front-row seat to help these athletes market themselves and introduce them to the world, it’s a really cool thing,’’ Lang said. “We’re supposed to be entertaining. Fans are tuning in for an escape, for relationship-building in their own communities. At the end of the day, you want human connection.

 

“If I turn on the TV and feel like I’m watching someone who just doesn’t care or isn't excited to tell you a story, you don’t want that. I want my sports from other sports fans. I do this because I was 10 years old at a college football stadium, yelling, ‘Get him!’ And I know that’s what everybody else is doing at home. The questions I ask, the conversations that I have, I think it’s important for people at home to feel like, ‘Hey, she’s one of us.’ ’’