It's the 5th Anniversary of the original recording the Tao of Sports Podcast, with Ep. 1 guest Matt Harper, who returns for the third time to the show. Harper discusses his transition from college ticket sales to minor league baseball, as well as the founding of the college ticket association (NAATSO) and the first Sports Sales Boot Camp. Harper provides his thoughts on why he had originally agreed to be on the podcast in the first place, and some of the opportunities for connections that it gave him since that time. Twitter: @mattharper_tix

Dan Gale isn't shy about telling everyone that he finds the large sponsorship merger of Learfield-IMG College to be troubling for the landscape of collegiate athletics. Gale discusses some of the issues that arise from developing corporate sponsorship activation, especially with the lack of interest in signage and more interest in data. Gale discusses why he decided to move to an independent consultant model, along with the history behind his company's name. Twitter: @DanGaleJr

Brandon Steiner launched a sports marketing empire by using his life savings in 1987 and hasn't looked back since. Steiner discusses how sports collectibles have been resilient in their comeback potential with consumer demand, and what the sports trading card industry didn't do which has harmed that sector the most. Steiner talks about how the availability of athletes to understand their brand, engage with the marketplace and initiate it properly are the biggest challenges they face. Steiner shares why he's starting Project X on Facebook, in order to get entrepreneurs a chance to succeed in the marketplace. Twitter: @BrandonSteiner

Over two years ago, Michael Abramson came on the podcast (Ep. 520) to discuss how The Hartford Yard Goats would open up the 2016 season in their new ballpark. Almost 300 episodes and two years later, Abramson returns to the podcast to discuss why 2017, not 2016, was the opening year at home for The Hartford Yard Goats. In a story that covered the gamit from construction delays, FBI investigations and continual check-ins with sponsors, Abramson chats about how The Yard Goats kept everything focused and showed MiLB as well as the City of Hartford how well the franchise could succeed under pressure. Twitter: @YardGoatsAGM

Isabella Tamplin opens up the ticket world of Brazil for podcast listeners, sharing insight into her company, Grupo BWA, which oversees ticketing for over 30 professional soccer clubs. Tamplin discusses some of the issues facing the Brazillan soccer fan, especially in attendance and ticket buying consumption. Tamplin discusses how the area has handled venue operations since the Rio 2016 Games & FIFA World Cup of 2014.

John Katz returns for a third time to the podcast (Ep. 601 & Ep. 183), this time to discuss how Tim Tebow and a lunar eclipse, two marketing boons that helped the Columbia Fireflies achieve attendance metrics in 2017. Katz discusses Tebowmania, and how to handle the international press attention that came along with it. Katz shares how the team prepared for the lunar eclipse game in August 2017. Twitter: @JEKatz33

Jim Boone joins the podcast to chat about the volatility in the secondary ticket market for combat sports, especially considering the terrible pricing decisions of the Mayweather-McGregor bout in August. Boone discusses his insight into reselling tickets for MMA/UFC and boxing, as well as why the Klitschko brothers never yielded out a huge demand from American audiences despite their title reigns. Boone shares how his company caters to high-end clients, actually helping promoters move a lot of tickets, filling seats and generating revenue for the fighters. Twitter: @kotickets

Seth Shapiro joins the podcast to discuss the world of sports filmmaking, fresh off of a trip with the NFL in China. Shapiro talks not only about the air of filmmaking, but also the production angle, where there are time limitations with sports stars, as well as branding implications. Shapiro covers the several issues concerning how gauge evergreen content in a world of fast paced social media, along with building a quality production every time out. Twitter: @dieselfilms

Even with the legacy of UCLA, the Bruins face constant changes in how they operate. Assistant Athletic Director of Ticket Sales Evan Flagg explains that UCLA has had to make tough decisions when it comes to dynamic pricing, as well as avoiding dropping the ticket price if they feel it price was originally in error. Flagg shares his insight into dealing with group sales and ticket initiatives for promotions at UCLA, as well as how to enhance longer term commitments from fans. Flagg compares the difference between working in the pros and college. Twitter: @BlueGoldFlagg

Originally published in 1998, the book "Field of Schemes" has continued to be a hot topic for public stadium finance opponents in the 19 years since. Co-Author Neil DeMause talks about some of the issues surrounding the ability of teams to gain publicly financed stadiums, as well as the economic viability that each project actually presents to the community at large. DeMause shares insight into how large events may actually have a net-zero economic gain, and some of the misconceptions overall about team relocation. Twitter: @neildemause