Press Releases
July 27, 2009
For Immediate Release
Matt DeMargel
(919) 687-6516
STAFF PROFILE: ASSISTANT GM JON BISHOP
Before achieving the position of Assistant General Manager of the Durham Bulls, Jon Bishop was one of hundreds of hopeful college graduates just hoping to land a job with a professional baseball team.
Bishop sent resumes to about 80 teams and things didn't seem hopeful until Durham's then-Assistant GM Gillian Zucker told him she would talk to him if he was ever in the area.
"I was naïve enough to think they actually wanted to interview me!" Bishop said. "I called and said I'd be in the area on the Saturday the Bulls were in town."
So he and his wife Kelly drove from College Station, Texas to Durham for the weekend and he left with an internship offer. He was promoted to full time within two months and the rest is history. Bishop has even been Assistant General Manager twice, before and after he left the Bulls to become Director of Ticketing for Daytona International Speedway in 2005.
He grew up north of Austin in Round Rock and Pflugerville, Texas where he dreamed of being a 'sports anchor' so he could talk about sports every day.
Bishop's father coached his little league teams and frequently took him to Astros' games in the Astrodome, and if they weren't at the games they would listen to them on the radio.
As the Bulls Assistant GM, Bishop is responsible for sponsorship and ticket sales and has seen the effects of the current economy.
"It's an exciting part of my job to sit down with these business leaders, develop a game plan for a partnership, and activate it effectively," he said. "The slower economy has impacted areas of our business - some to the negative and some to the positive."
While the number of group events at the DBAP has decreased as companies have cut back on expenses, individual ticket sales are at an all-time high. Bishop thinks the individual ticket sales are a direct result of people looking for "more affordable entertainment options."
First off, you've been with the Bulls longer than any full-time front office employee, how does that feel?
I'm very blessed to have been here so long. It really wouldn't be possible for me to have this career without a supportive wife. Kelly and I married four months before I started with the Bulls and her unwavering support of me and my career have really made it a fun ride. Another big factor in me being here for twelve years is the support of Capitol Broadcasting Company. If you follow sports, you know some owners are pretty kooky. Capitol Broadcasting Company represents the best in sports team ownership. We have an owner that continues to add great features in and around the ballpark all while keeping ticket prices the lowest in Triple-A Baseball. This makes my job pretty easy.
What did you do before your job here?
As a student intern I worked in marketing and promotions for the Texas A&M Athletic Department. I worked football, basketball and baseball events. Simultaneously, I was working as an intern for KBTX-TV, a CBS affiliate in Bryan, Texas as a sports intern. I covered high school football and some Texas A&M events. These jobs were very influential in me setting my sights on a career in sports.
Did you play any sports when you were younger?
Sure, just about everything. My reality check came when as a junior at Texas A&M I tried out for the 12th Man Kickoff Team. Special Teams Coach, Shawn Slocum, addressed us at the tryout and said, "Some of you need to come to the realization that your athletic careers are over". That was a pretty good indication that if I wanted to work in sports, it would need to be behind a desk.
What's your favorite part of the job? And what's your least favorite?
My favorite part is helping pull off an event that our fans, sponsors and staff will all be raving about for months. That's when the culmination of 8, 9 10 months of work all comes together for a great night at the ballpark for everyone involved. That's what makes baseball great, we get to try to make that happen, day in and day out, for six months out of the year - it's really cool when it all comes together.
Least favorite - Rain outs. There's nothing good about them, it usually includes an exhausting day of pulling tarp and everyone's wet and grumpy - staff, players, coaches, umpires, fans, mascots - ok, maybe not the mascots, they're always in a good mood.
What's the most embarrassing moment you've had on the job?
Oh boy…tough one…the one I'm reminded about the most did not actually happen "on the job". About eight years ago, a few guys on staff were on an Arena Flag Football Team that played games at Dorton Arena in Raleigh. I'm playing QB…4th quarter…down by 6…driving for the winning TD. The other team alerts the referee that I have pockets on my athletic shorts which is against flag football rules. My choices are… 1) sit on the bench and let someone else QB or ummm "option 2". I went with "option 2" and removed my shorts. Tucked my shirt in (another flag football rule) to my underwear and called a play. I ran in for a Touchdown…our GM, Mike Birling, likes to say no one made an attempt to get my flags because of my "situation" but I just think it was a great touchdown.
