“The Horse’s Mouth with Tom McManus” is a unique talk show offering opinions and facts that come straight from the source. No gossip, no hearsay, no agendas; just topics straight from the Horse’s Mouth! His guests include top of the line, high profile figures in sports, news, entertainment, business and leaders in the community. He will tackle the hard subjects in society over a beer and laughs. Today our host, Tom McManus spoke with Major Harding and Marc Hassan
Transcript:
Speaker 1
From studio three of buzz TV. It’s the Horse’s Mouth with Tom McManus.
Tom McManus
Okay, it’s Vince Champion’s time here on the Horse’s Mouth, brought to our friends at Foodie Care and right here at the Daily News Network. What that means is Manger Harding is here. That’s what that means, because it’s this segment and it’s great to have him on board. And he’s got a friend with him, Marc Hassan, who’s taking over as the new chairman at the Players Championship.
Tom McManus
And we’re going to talk all about that because it’s right around the corner and it’s a fantastic event. So let’s say hi to major and to Mark. Major, how are you my friend? Good to see you Mark. Thanks for spending time, my friend. I know you’re business owner. Yeah, Realty spectrum Realty, but, you’re also the incoming, chairman at the Players Championship.
Tom McManus
And what a great honor.
Marc Hassan
Yeah, no. It’s fantastic.
Tom McManus
We talked it off here. And others like those. Some similar people that had the same role. It’s a big that’s a big thing, man.
Marc Hassan
It’s a big honor.
Tom McManus
Graduations. Thank you. Well in a big honor I know it’s a big undertaking but a really big honor man. That’s really.
Marc Hassan
It’s all.
Tom McManus
ABC can say. They’ve been there, right? Yeah.
Marc Hassan
Yeah, it’s it’s humbling. We, we do a lot, on our side with volunteers and for the community. Yeah, that’s really great.
Tom McManus
Well, you guys run a beautiful ship. I mean, there’s never a bad time with the players. I don’t care if it’s Tuesday with military appreciation. When Wednesday is unbelievable with the practice and then the tournament itself. I mean, it’s it’s always clean. It’s always well-run. There’s never any problems. You know, it’s it’s beautiful. But people don’t know that behind the scenes and all the work that it takes.
Tom McManus
And that’s where you guys come in.
Marc Hassan
That’s where we come in. Yeah. We’ve got, a little over 2000 volunteers that come out every year. And we’re like you say, behind the scenes, everything from parking to the runners on the practice range, standard bearers. There’s really something for everyone who wants to volunteer for all ages.
Tom McManus
It’s fantastic and nice community. It really is a great event. You guys raise a ton of money as well for charities each and every year into the millions. And that’s what you, the volunteers, you guys do a lot of, part of that, right?
Marc Hassan
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. I mean, if you think about it, over 2000 volunteers and the hours they put in, I mean, that’s dollars at the tournament. What other otherwise have to pay for. Yeah. And so I think since the inception, it’s something like $125 million have gone back just to northeast for.
Tom McManus
That is so awesome.
Marc Hassan
Yeah.
Tom McManus
Golf, such ice hockey, golf. But I like watch I like being out there live. Yeah, it’s always fun to hot. Major. How do you guys know each other? Through rotary. Oh, nice. Mark was a member of our club for many years. He was a club president.
Marc Hassan
Okay, like I was, and we just developed a friendship.
Tom McManus
Over the years. Yeah.
Marc Hassan
I said, hey.
Tom McManus
Come on. The show is just a four leader, Mark. Let’s be a born leader. And it’s what you’re doing. Absolutely. That’s absolutely that’s.
Marc Hassan
Florida raise a Jacksonville. Love the community. So if I can get back yeah you do absolutely awesome.
Tom McManus
Nothing better raise a family in these parts.
Marc Hassan
Absolutely.
Tom McManus
No doubt about that. All right. So it just got announced this morning. You want an answer. You the right here for the motor appreciation day.
Marc Hassan
Yeah. So for the concert this year it’s going to be ludicrous. Ludicrous a little outside the box for us. But we we think it’s going to be a great show.
Tom McManus
So we were sitting around the dinner table last night. My girls, one of them heard that. We hear it’s Ludacris. I’m like, really? Ludacris? Like, that’d be great. They’re like, yeah, and I’m glad it’s happening. You guys always have great acts, so country acts are phenomenal. Luke I remember Luke Combs when he big. Yeah, he was out there.
Tom McManus
It’s like he just gotten big. But the sun’s going down and was just beautiful. So now we got Ludacris.
Marc Hassan
That’s right.
Tom McManus
Is he going to be on the 17th tee.
Marc Hassan
Area out there on the boat. He’ll be on the stage at 17. Yeah. We’ll have the flyover and and national anthem sung by.
Tom McManus
So I’m glad you guys brought that down. I remember 20 up on the balcony once, right.
Marc Hassan
They used to do it at the clubhouse.
Tom McManus
For a couple years. Yeah, I forget who was up there. Really big act was up there once. And then, like the next year, you guys brought it down to the, the 17th, which was awesome.
Marc Hassan
I would say definitely more accessible. More people can see it. Yeah. You know, usually someone comes out and hits a ball on 17 beforehand and everything like that. So it’s a.
Tom McManus
Different time to say I’ve had many balls in that water over the years.
Marc Hassan
I hear it’s terrible. I’d be embarrassed to say my handicap.
Tom McManus
Yeah. No, I have one. I don’t think it’s in the 50s. One. So as far as you got 2000 volunteers?
Marc Hassan
Yes.
Tom McManus
Meeting, getting the mess out. We talk about it. I always talk about, like with football head coach down to the the trainer. Yeah. Got to be all on the same page.
Marc Hassan
That’s right. Right. That’s right.
Tom McManus
You talking 2000 people. That’s right. That’s like running a massive business.
Marc Hassan
Yeah.
Tom McManus
How do you guys do that?
Marc Hassan
So we, we work hand in hand with PGA staff. Okay. So they obviously help and they give us, you know, direction on what’s changing in the tournament and things like that. But on the leadership team, there’s the chairman, which is me this year. And then there’s five vice chairman, okay. And we each have a division, and those divisions have a total of 40 plus committees.
Marc Hassan
So it’s broken out in a pretty solid structure. And each one of those committee chairs is responsible for their team.
Tom McManus
Okay. And then they report up to the chairman.
Marc Hassan
Yeah, yeah.
Tom McManus
Chairman. That’s a great title.
Marc Hassan
It’s a good thing I.
Tom McManus
Think I’ll ever have that title. It’s a really nice one, man.
Marc Hassan
Congrats again. Thank you.
Tom McManus
What would be the most, fulfilling for you? Like when when you look back, you’re like, man, that was just awesome.
Marc Hassan
Well, so, you know, I started just kind of on a whim. I had an uncle who’s a past chairman. My wife’s uncle, actually, And so Damon’s Damon only got a little.
Tom McManus
Yeah.
Marc Hassan
Yep, yep.
Tom McManus
Yeah. True friend.
Marc Hassan
Yeah. That’s right. Yep. And so I started and just said, hey, you know, I’ve volunteered before and I believe in having a servant’s heart and giving back. So he stuck me out in general parking.
Tom McManus
Okay.
Marc Hassan
And, I think he was trying to get rid of me. Yeah. But I just love the people there. Yeah, and that’s why everyone comes back. So you work.
Tom McManus
Your way up? Yeah, right. Is that how you do?
Marc Hassan
Yeah. Well, there’s no direct path. You know, you just, I loved it. I kept coming back. They moved me around and then eventually I got interviewed for a vice chairman position. And from there.
Tom McManus
What do you guys do when, You know, like, Trevor Lawrence wants to come to the tournament, or is that something you guys would the volunteers make sure that he’s whatever taken care of?
Marc Hassan
Yeah. So a request like that would come through staff. Okay. But then they’d pull the volunteers in if we need to shuttle them around or get them into certain venues, things like that.
Tom McManus
Well, a lot of a lot of the players love coming, there’s no doubt. Absolutely not. The golf player. So football players. So all the other celebrity type.
Marc Hassan
Jaguars are good supporter. They have a venue every year. Yeah for sure.
Tom McManus
What a great year
Marc Hassan
Yeah I mean 13 wins. Come on I tell you. Well you know a lot of people were disappointed. I was like, look, if you started the season and told me that was going to be our record, oh no. Yeah, everyone would have been thrilled.
Tom McManus
Well, expectations change, you know, they start winning. You’re like, oh, I’m thinking I did. I was like this because they were that good. Absolutely. I felt really good about them. Against the bills. I had the score wrong. I was 27, 24. I thought the Jags would win, but still I thought it was going to be tight. I thought we match well.
Tom McManus
I think we match up well against Denver now. Denver without their QB, that’s I feel bad for that.
Marc Hassan
Kid that’s always there.
Tom McManus
And then New England I don’t know. I think it’d be a good matchup. I think Seattle would be a good 111 on one against the Rams. But what a great year. Just an awesome year. We were five and four and the bye week yeah right yeah yeah I mean ripped it off. Yeah yeah 880.
Marc Hassan
So who are you pulling for now.
Tom McManus
I’m not really pulling for anybody, but I think it’s going to be New England. And I want to say Seattle. But man, when you play a team three times and they won 2119, one of them, the Rams did it could be a tie game. I’m almost I’m almost feeling upset. Yeah I haven’t gotten there yet. And I got to make my picks tomorrow on the radio.
Tom McManus
But I’m almost feeling upset. So how about you who you think’s going to be in there?
Marc Hassan
I’m not sure who’s going to be in there, but, actually, I think we have a mutual friend. You remember Cobb Driggers.
Tom McManus
From the team? Yeah.
Marc Hassan
Of course. So he’s at the Rams now, and he’s so good friend. Oh, I.
Tom McManus
Didn’t know he was with the ranch. He’s with.
Marc Hassan
The ranch.
Tom McManus
Cubs, man. He was one of the original scouts back in the early days, right? Yeah. Man.
Marc Hassan
Right. He was there from the beginning.
Tom McManus
We still doing.
Marc Hassan
It. He’s still doing it.
Tom McManus
That’s great. That’s great. Well, it’s really great to have you, major. Thanks so much for hooking it up. And congratulations.
Marc Hassan
Thank you very.
Tom McManus
Much. And, all the best with the mark. Really appreciate it. Best man. And Ludacris go Ludacris.
Marc Hassan
That’s going to be awesome.
Tom McManus
Make sure you get your tickets for the TPC The Players Championship. I’m telling you, if you never bet, it’s the best event year in and year out right here in Northeast Florida. And I’ve been here 30 years, so I’m very confident in saying that. Make sure you check out Mark’s profile. You’ll see it right there. You see this conversation at the Daily News network.com website.
Tom McManus
Till next time, stay safe, be cool and get your TPC tickets, especially, get out there for the military Appreciation night with Ludacris as the teller. We’ll see you right here on the horse’s mouth. Cheers. Cheers.
