INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — I’ve interviewed a lot of people for my “UnPhilTered” segment on “News 8 at 11 p.m. with Phil Sanchez,” but Monday’s was a little different.

That’s because my guest and I had a lot in common; more on that in a moment.

Joey Graziano is the new executive vice president of strategy and new businesses for Pacers Sports & Entertainment and will be responsible for expanding its brands nationally and globally, as well as capitalizing on the rise of Indianapolis as a sports epicenter.

“I think one of the most exciting things I learned here was the trust that was built over the decades between the leaders of the Simon family, Rick Fuson and now the transition to Mel Raines. This are people that everyone trusts, and because of that trust, you now have an opportunity that comes with that. And so what we’re excited about is being able to provide more opportunities for our fans to be able to interact. with our brands, both inside Gainbridge Field House, but more importantly, outside of it And as we think about opportunities to bring that expression of Hoosier hospitality, an expression that I have. learned on my first day here, I want to be able to present it to the world. So we’re going to think about some of the net new activities that we can create.

Graziano, a former Georgetown University baseball player and attorney, took the job after spending six years in the NBA and falling in love with Indianapolis while spending time here for the NBA’s All-Star Weekend. This year.

“My father was a firefighter in New York. There’s probably nothing I’m more proud of than being the son of a New York firefighter, and on my first day here, when I got here before the All-Star Game, there was a note from an Indianapolis fire station welcoming me to town. and wanting to make sure everything would be okay, my first day here I ended up driving by and seeing ladder 13 in downtown Indy, it was my dad’s fire station number, I I felt like this was my home and these were the kind of people I was looking for to invest in. »

Hoosier hospitality at its best. It’s a feeling, I know it only too well. Turns out Joey and I are from the same neighborhood in Queens, play in the same little league, know some of the same people, and are unfortunately both die-hard Mets fans.

From New Yorker to New Yorker, welcome to Indy, Joey! You will love it here.