DALLAS BIKE RIDE
Dallas Wings President and CEO Greg Bibb is one of the forces behind the inaugural Dallas Bike Ride, a 20-mile closed ride on Nov. 4. It will begin at City Hall Plaza and go through neighborhoods.
Dallas Bike Ride is a non-competitive scenic bike ride that culminates with a Finish Festival at City Hall Plaza and works to make biking in the area safer and more accessible.
“The idea was born out of a similar event [in D.C.]. It takes folks past major monuments and ends in the shadow of the nation’s capitol,” he said. “Our thinking was there’s certainly as much to enjoy in Dallas as D.C.”
It is not, however, a race, Bibb emphasizes.
“It is a ride. You won’t see a clock,” he said. “Enjoy the ride. Take in the scenery.”
“You’ll have children as young as 3, and in D.C. a rider as old as 88 took part.”
To register for the event, visit dallasbikeride.com.
Somehow it seems appropriate that Greg Bibb would be the president and CEO of a team named the Dallas Wings.
Bibb is in the air a lot himself running the local WNBA team and traveling to Washington, D.C., for his Capital Sports Ventures (CSV) business, where he is also the CEO.
And, through it all, he remains a devoted family man to his wife of 13 years, Tara, 9-year-old daughter Adelyn and 7-year-old son Caden.
“The demand and grind of travel between DFW and Washington is the biggest challenge,” Bibb said. “The demands right now business-wise are more in Dallas than D.C.
“But today, with mobile devices, while it’s more ideal to be in person, it can certainly be done one way or another. Sometimes you just have to be creative.”
Bibb has plenty of reason to be flying high for the Wings, too. On Aug. 30, the Dallas Wings secured a playoff spot with a 99-96 victory over the Chicago Sky. It’s the first playoff appearance for the franchise since moving to Dallas in 2016.
Ironically, Bibb doesn’t leave Arlington to go to work despite traveling from one part of the United States to another. His home is in Arlington, Virginia, and the Wings play at the College Park Center on the campus of the University of Texas at Arlington.
“The joke is I commute 1,100 miles to go from Arlington to Arlington,” Bibb said. “And they are two great Arlingtons. Arlington, Virginia, has been a great home to me and my business, and Arlington, Texas, is a fantastic facility in which to play.”
There is no joke when it comes to Bibb and his passion for hard work and sports, however.
After graduating Magna Cum Laude from Marist College with a degree in communications, he has spent his career working in the sports world in a variety of capacities.
His first job was director of public relations/media relationships with the Harrisburg Heat of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) from 1997-2003.
“It (indoor soccer) is a terrific sport, and it certainly had its heyday,” he said.
Bibb then spent time as president of Hantz Group Sports & Entertainment, where he was instrumental in launching the Detroit Ignition and was executive vice president and general manager of the Philadelphia KiXX, both of the MISL, from 2003-2007.
The experience gained from those jobs enabled him to jump to the WNBA and the Washington Mystics in 2007. Two years later, when long-time Washington Wizards owner (and owner of the Mystics) Abe Pollin passed away, Bibb found himself running both clubs.
“It’s a fortunate resume,” he continued. “But I’ve had a lot of people help me along the way.”
In 2010 Bibb was named a member of the “Washington Business Journal 40 Under 40” class. He has also served as a board member for various nonprofit organizations, including Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, The Greater Washington Sports Alliance and Most Valuable Kids.
Bibb joined the Tulsa Shock in 2015 and stayed with the team as it moved to Dallas prior to the 2016 season. He was the general manager until April 1 of this year when, you guessed it, he took on multiple roles.
“It’s important to have good people around you if you’re going to tackle these opportunities. It doesn’t matter how big or how small a business is, if you don’t have good people around you it simply won’t work,” Bibb said.
“Greg has been instrumental in building the team, shaping the organization’s culture and developing world-class athletes to compete at the highest level of professional women’s basketball,” said Wings owner Bill Cameron.
Bibb keeps an apartment in Euless for when he is Texas. His family, however, is in Arlington, Virginia, and he loves spending time with them – sometimes quality more than quantity – more than anything else.
“The new role forces me to focus on quality time with them. We really focus on one another when we’re together,” he said. “When we spend time together, it’s a good time.”
Bibb, in certain circumstances, has tied his sports experience into his family life.
“There’s no better positive role models for your daughter than WNBA players,” he said. “After I had a son, I realized they are great role models for him also.”
Bibb, having spent more than a decade working in the game of women’s professional basketball, said he loves the discipline of the game. He scoffs at those who say the game is not as exciting as the men because it doesn’t have as many dunks, for example.
He uses his own son as an example of someone who has learned to appreciate good basketball, no matter who is playing.
“He grew up seeing both, and to him, it’s all basketball, whether it’s women or men, and I think that’s the upside of this league,” Bibb said. “The future of this league is great.”
Though other women’s sports have not enjoyed the same professional success as the WNBA, Bibb does not want to give up on them. He thinks sports such as softball, for example, have their place in the world of professionalism.
“Why not? Why shouldn’t we celebrate women’s sports like men’s sports?” he said.
As for the Wings, Bibb believes the move to Dallas was a great one.
“We need to continue to trend upward with our product, make sure it’s good so people will come out,” he said. “Basically, we need to make sure 7 million people in the region are pleased so they will want to come back.
“This is a tremendous sports marketplace, it’s in the talk for the best in the country. You look at what Mark Cuban and his team [the Dallas Mavericks] have done and how great it is for the community. Then, you look at the college scene with TCU and SMU. And you have some of the best girls high school teams in the nation, starting with Duncanville.”
Bibb noted the Dallas Wings have five rookies.
“We’re only going to get better,” he said. “We have an exciting team.”
Cameron said Bibb’s family and parental experience is a plus when working with such a young squad.
“In addition to his deep understanding of basketball and business operations, what continues to impress me is his love and commitment to his family,” Cameron said. “I’ve known Greg for several years and during that time, I’ve seen the strong emphasis he places on his family life and the way he seamlessly integrates his role as president and GM with his responsibilities as a father.
“The Wings boast the youngest roster in the league, so having someone like Greg has been vital in developing the athletes and creating an authentic, close-knit atmosphere within the organization.”