The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay men’s basketball team recently hosted the “Fly With the Phoenix NFL Draft Primer,” a fundraiser held at the Legacy Hotel last Tuesday night to benefit the players.
Head coach Doug Gottlieb, who doubles as a sports talk radio host, organized the event, featuring special guest sportscaster Dan Patrick and Frank Caliendo, a comedian, former general manager with the San Diego Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders, Tom Telesco, and former Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph.
The Draft Primer officially started with an exclusive, behind-the-scenes opening video presented by Coach Gottlieb. This video featured footage of his coaching, speaking to players, and clips of game highlights.
Attendees at the event were given a first look at a reality show covering the men’s basketball team, which Gottlieb hinted at for the upcoming school year.
Guests were able to attend the event for $625 per person, or at a discounted price of $5,000 for a group of eight people. Attendees included live auction prize sponsors, donors, sports analysts, UWGB men’s basketball players, and keynote speakers.
Telesco and Rudolph engaged in a question-and-answer session with Gottlieb, mainly regarding the upcoming NFL Draft and their past experiences. The trio also touched on the topic of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), the recent change that allows college athletes to monetize their personal brand and profit from their name and image. Telesco, Rudolph, and Gottlieb were then joined by NFL media analyst Daniel Jeremiah.
Tom Telesco remarked that the NIL revision helped both student-athletes and the NFL, because “so many kids stay in school longer because they’re getting paid…and just more experience in college as far as becoming better NFL players.”
Jeremiah added that “the realignment of the conferences has made scouting a lot easier.”
In contrast, Rudolph mentioned the success of players such as Joe Burrow in transferring between schools but also pointed out the downsides of the NIL adjustments. “The guys that are just jumping around chasing a check year after year. I don’t want them anywhere near my lines,” he said.
Jeremiah shared his insight on his top prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. According to his top 150 prospects list featured on the NFL website, he said, “The big move at the top Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter, vaulting Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter for the number one slot.
Following the discussions with Gottlieb and the others, sports commentator and radio personality Dan Patrick and stand-up comedian and impressionist Caliendo were welcomed onto the stage. Alongside playful banter, the pair hosted a live auction for an exclusive experience at Patrick’s “Man Cave.” Located in Connecticut, the studio is where he broadcasts the “Dan Patrick Show.” daily national sports talk program. The experience ultimately sold for more than $10,000, with all proceeds going to the basketball team.
As a conclusion of the event, Patrick said, “Donating is important to success.”
UW-Green Bay Chancellor Michael Alexander was also present at the event. In an interview, he commented on the university’s exposure with the NFL Draft being hosted in Green Bay, saying that it “highlights the University’s connection to the Packers… and brings a lot of people who wouldn’t otherwise know about UW-Green Bay.”
When asked for prospects or teams he expressed support for this year, Alexander responded that as a former University of Georgia undergraduate student, he expected to see players recruited from there.
During the after-party, guests had the opportunity to engage with several of the keynote speakers, including Gottlieb.
