Q1 2020 Texas CEO Magazine

BRINGING A
RENEGADE SPIRIT
TO XFL 2.0
Dallas Renegades president Grady Raskin on staffing an office, drafting a football team, and appreciating
all that North Texas has to offer.
Did you know you wanted a career in sports from an early
age? From an early age, sports were my life. Whether I was
watching with my father or playing with my friends, sports
was always the center point in my life. It wasn’t really until
college that I realized I could have a career in the area I
loved so much. Timing and opportunity came together in
several instances, and I like to think I took advantage of it.
How did you land the role as Renegades president? What was the
process like? As in many high-level sports opportunities, recruiters
played a huge role. Over my career, I made sure to connect with
as many recruiters as possible. When approached about the role,
the recruiter encouraged me to speak with the XFL league staff
and allow them to show me what XFL 2.0 would be all about. All
conversations with the XFL were direct and honest. Everyone from
the HR team to Oliver Luck and Jeffrey Pollack were amazingly
passionate and made me want to jump on board. I was humbled
to be considered for the role and excited to get the ball rolling.
How would you define your role as president of the Renegades?
What were your priorities going in? Initially, my role was
recruiting a front office staff. We are nothing without good
people. Since we are a lean staff, I had to make sure we had
strong directors in all areas and that they have the proper
support staff. I am happy to say that we staffed up pretty
quickly and each hire is proving to be a home run. Now, I
do all I can to provide support and relay information from
the league. Ticket sales and brand awareness are our top
priority, so all activity focuses on these two crucial areas.
As you put together that front office, what were you looking for in
people? My approach was to find genuine, selfless individuals who
truly understood what it might take to create a football team in a
new professional football league. I wanted confident, not cocky.
Since we have such a lean staff, everyone will need to focus on their
own particular areas but will also be called to collaborate in other
areas. We need to take advantage of the intelligence and experience
of the entire staff and everyone needs to be open to suggestions.
Lastly, with the short timetable and enormous amount of
work to be done, an electric energy and positive attitude
was a must. We may not always agree on a thought or
direction, but we will deal with each other positively
and respectfully. No time to be anything else.
What, to you, is the most exciting aspect of the new iteration
of the XFL? So many exciting aspects of XFL 2.0. In fact, the
only similarities between what was done in 2001 is the name and
ownership. This go-around, it is all “for the love of football.”
So much research has been done to find out what people would
want out of a new professional football league. We surveyed fans,
officials, coaches, and others. It was clear that the overriding
theme was to make the football fast, fun, and affordable. Less stall
and more ball. Low on gimmicks and high on genuine football.
It will look and feel like the current football that Americans love
to watch on Saturdays and/or Sundays but will have some subtle
tweaks to help speed up play and create amazing new experiences.
What was the draft process like? Over the summer, each
market conducted showcases where invited players came out to
show their skills. From those Summer Showcases, we created
a pool of players who were eligible for our draft. Each player
received a non-binding commissioner’s invite to participate
in the draft. Over two days, each team drafted 71 players.
94 Texas CEO Magazine Q1 2020