Going Deep

Sports in the 21st Century

A show that goes beyond sound bites and highlight reels

Going Deep is a smart, lively, substantive conversation about some of the most important and pressing issues of our time. It is a radio show about sports and so much more. Coach Shoop, a 26 year veteran of football coaching at the highest level, and Dr. Shoop, a theologian, minister, and author, host engaging and high profile guests on each show in a round table setting.

The Shoops engage the toughest topics with intellect, humor, and years of first hand experience in big-time sports. No issue is too complicated for Going Deep.

Episode Five: Going Deep with Sonny Vaccaro on the Commercialization of Sports

  Listen on iTunes

Sonny Vaccaro is a fascinating man.  He is a living legend in the world of sports and puts players interests first.  Sonny grew up in Western Pennsylvania and started the Dapper Dan Roundball Classic with boyhood friend Pat DiCesare in Pittsburgh.  His hope was to get local basketball players in front of college coaches to enhance their chances for recruitment.  That All Star game led to camps, which led to shoe contracts, which led to Sonny becoming the most prominent marketer of basketball shoes in the world.

It was Sonny who signed Michael Jordan to his first Nike contract and Kobe Bryant to his first shoe contract with Adidas.
It was Sonny who signed the first college coach to a shoe contract when he wrote Jerry Tarkanian a personal check.
It was Sonny who signed the University of Miami, FL to the first ever all sports apparel contract.
And it remains Sonny who seeks justice and fairness for the collegiate athletes making billions of dollars for universities throughout the country.
We hope you enjoy this podcast and learn a lot about the world of big-time sports from one of the most interesting men we’ve ever met.

"The Business of Amateurs" - NCAA Documentary Trailer

About the Hosts

John and Marcia Mount Shoop have a lifetime of experience in sports as former athletes, coaches, and as a football family for over two decades.

John spent twenty-six years coaching in the NFL and Division I College Football. Coach Shoop has coached for some of the most storied franchises in the League: Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Oakland Raiders. He was also the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of North Carolina and Purdue University. Marcia has a PhD from Emory University and is ordained to the ministry in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Dr. Shoop is the author of several books including Touchdowns for Jesus and Other Signs of Apocalypse: Lifting the Veil on Big-Time Sports. They are coaches, former athletes, and parents of athletes.

Going Deep: Sports in the 21st Century brings it all to the table along with expert guests that you’ll want to get to know. You’re invited to join the Shoops, along with many from the sports world who have stories to tell, questions to ask, and answers that may surprise you about some of the most important issues of our time.

The Shoops engage the toughest topics with intellect, humor, and years of first hand experience in big-time sports. No issue is out of bounds on Going Deep, it’s a radio show about sports and so much more.

Subscribe Now on iTunes

Going Deep on Twitter


 Follow us on Twitter

Engage with Going Deep

Contact the show

Have questions? Want to suggest future topics or suggestions? Let us know!

Get in touch