OT: Being a GM

Pugsley_2491 · Post #1 » by **Pugsley_2491** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 12:20 am

Ok here's a question for all you. How does one go about becoming a GM of a team. Like how do people actually pursue that kind of a career. I've always wondered that.

Jitpal · Post #2 » by **Jitpal** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 12:39 am

I figure there would be 3 ways of being a GM of a team.

1. Be a player in the sport and then look for a GM or front office job after retirement.

2. Get an internship with the team's front office or just get a job anywhere in the front office and work your way from there.

3. Be really close or related to the owner and get lucky. -Jitpal

Edit: I thought of another way.

4. Buy the team. -Jitpal

34Celtic · Post #3 » by **34Celtic** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 12:48 am

Its all about relationships, if a team's owner and president will trust you to make good business decisions for his franchise you will be a lot better off. I don't think the average fan realizes how hard it really is and how smart you really have to be to work in a front office.

What also pisses me off is when fans get on GM's 5 years down the road for a trade that didn't work out. In Steve Phillips' case (and i'm in no way supporting him) he was pressure to win in the moment, and got away from worrying about the future because if he couldn't win at that moment, there would be no future. Which is why I think we should all respect Cash for what he has done the last two years with this team.

tdownwa · Post #4 » by **tdownwa** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 12:53 am

while there are a number of avenues one make take to become a GM. The main way is to start as a member of a teams front office. Whether one might intern for a team, work sales, or hire on for any number of jobs that an organization might have. Of course like most things in this world, it doesn't hurt to know someone. Other ways we've seen seen GMs get there start is if they're former coaches or players.

I worked for the telecom side of the Utah Jazz organization a few years back. It was during the time the they let Scott Layden go and hired Kevin O'Conner . I became very good friends with a few interns the Jazz had in there F.O. during that time. One of the two gentleman actually still work for Larry Miller (owner of the Jazz) but he went from a intern with the Jazz to a Assistant Marketing Director for Larry Millers triple a baseball team. I know his ultimate goal is to work his way up the food chain with Miller or some other teams front office. Who knows maybe one day he just might be making moves of a big league team.

Knicks 316 · Post #5 » by **Knicks 316** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 6:32 am

I am going for the exact thing you want to become but you must take business classes.

Here is my outline:

Majoring at Pace University in Management (Business).
Planning on applying for an internship with the New York Knicks next year(sophomore year). I pray that I get it.
After I graduate from Pace, I can go for my masters in Sports Management at St. John's University while working as an intern(or hopefully more by then).

I mean it's a plan that makes sense but it requires a lot of luck for it to happen. A lot of people go for what I want to do but I am really passionate about it. I love the business side of sports.