President and CEO of Rogers Media talks sports with students

For students in Durham College’s Sports Administration, Sport Management and Sports Business Management programs, it was a chance to meet one of Canada’s sports media titans. For Keith Pelley, it was a chance to dish about the Toronto Blue Jays.

The president and CEO of Rogers Media couldn’t contain his excitement about the upcoming baseball season, and shared his hopes with more than 60 students at the Oshawa campus on March 11.

Pelley, also the former president of Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium and former president of TSN, also divulged the four most important keys to achieving a job in the sports industry.

“The top four things you need to succeed at your job is work ethic, attitude, knowledge and intelligence,” said Pelley. “Since you’re already at college, you already have the knowledge and intelligence. So your work ethic and attitude is very important.”

“You have to be prepared to do anything – take the word ‘no’ out of your vocabulary.”

This advice especially rang true with Chase Hadden, a second-year Sports Administration student who knows that hard work can equal reward.

“What I took from it was that if you work harder than anybody else, they’ll look at you and notice that and consider you for a better position further down the road,” said Hadden.

Prior to joining Rogers in 2010, Pelley also served as president and CEO of the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts franchise with which he won a Grey Cup in 2004.

In addition to sharing stories about his passion for sports and his drive to succeed, he also answered a number of the students’ questions, ranging from resumé tips; sports broadcasting rights; and whether an NFL team would ever come to Toronto.

While stressing that the sports sector is highly competitive, he also told the audience that they should make sure it’s something they love to do.

“You’re going to spend more than 50 per cent of your life at your job so make sure you find something you’re passionate about. Do not live for the weekend.”