Brad Zibung Biography
Brad Zibung is an American real estate owner, well known as the founder of “The Heckler,” a monthly satirical sports newspaper established in 2003. He has worked at StubHub for ten years as a senior field operations manager. Zibung is the spouse of Sarah Spain, an ESPN SportsCenter Reporter, and ESPN Radio host.
Early Life & Career
Brad Zibung was born in 1976 in the United States of America. He went to the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and graduated with an Alumni pride in 1999. He started his career in corporate positions at Leo Burnett and latterly helped grow a well-known startup that was ultimately bought by one of the world’s largest Internet retailers.
Brad has a wealth of experience in journalism, marketing, and communications. Zibung has the experience of working at UW Oshkosh as a PR assistant for two years and a corporate communications associate in Leo Burnett Group for more than five years. He also worked at StubHub for ten years as a senior field operations manager.
Having a very good experience and links in operations management, he started into real estate business. Brad Zibung is a North River resident and a passionate sports fan. He has season tickets to the Cubs, Breas, Blackhawks and Bulls. Zibung’s full-time job is as a Bucktown-based Realtor who sells properties throughout Chicago.
The Heckler
In 2003, Zibung along with George Ellis created “The Heckler”. It is a paradoxical sports newspaper which is based in Chicago and records the pratfalls of the legendary Chicago Cubs baseball club as well as other major Chicago sports teams and athletes.
Brad Zibung, founder of The Heckler poses in 2003 with manager Dusty Baker (right) and Cubs coach Gary Matthews (left).
Source: Pinterest
The Heckler has gained recognition from the Chicago Reader, Chicago Tribune, The Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tonight on WTTW, WFLD’s Fox News in the AM, WGN-TV, ESPN Radio Chicago, WSCR, the Sporting News and Time Out Chicago.
In 2006 The Heckler growth behind the Chicago Cubs and started covering all major Chicago sports. In March 2007, The Heckler published its first book, The Cubs Fan’s Guide to Happiness. He said it’s “been an awesome side project.”
Personal Life: Brad Zibung Weds Sarah Spain
Brad Zibung grabbed the media attention when he married his longtime girlfriend, Sarah Spain, a columnist, ESPN Radio host and SportsCenter Reporter for ESPN. After dating around six years, they married on May 29, 2016, in front of more than 300 guests in Chicago, IL. They went on their honeymoon in November 2016 making the occasion of Zibung’s 40th birthday.
Brad Zibung and Sarah Spain Wedding Photo
Source: Modern Luxury
The couple met in 2008 at a charity bowling event, hosted by Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook. Their first date was at a Cubs game, meeting in the bleachers while the North Siders faced the Cardinals in 2009.
At that time, his wife, Spain was not known about him as he had a different Facebook identity. For her, he was just someone who worked at “The Heckler.” Since 2011, they started to live together as their relationship blossomed with time.
Sapin said, “It was a good opportunity to meet someone who worked at The Heckler, which I thought was a funny publication”. She added, “So I had to figure out a way to get out of work.”
That was fine with Zibung, who did not think of the game as a date either. He said, “And that’s how I was able to meet Sarah”.
Brad Zibung and Sarah Spain at a Wedding Party
Source: Instagram/Sarah Spain
Spain said, “Brad is just kind of cool with everything and picks his battles with what he truly cares about”. She added, “It works out really well.”
Zibung said, “The worst-case scenario is I would get to know this person who’s involved in a lot of cool stuff in the sports media landscape”.
They also regarded they don’t want to leave Chicago. They have season tickets to most of the local pro sports teams, are close to their families and love living in the city. The couple has a pair of dogs. Fletch is an Australian cattle dog mix from the Anti-Cruelty Society. Banks is a pitbull or bulldog mix. They revealed that “it’s unlikely they’ll have kids”. The couple is living happily in their home at North River along with their two dogs.
Net Worth and Charities
He is a supporter of a number of charities including Off the Street Club, Evans Org, and Peace for Pits and National Parks Conservation Association. Zibung has become such a fan of that organization that he sells shirts with their logo and donates proceeds to Peace for Pits on The Heckler’s website. His wife, Sarah Spain is reported to earn the annual salary of $150,000 and her net worth to be $900,000 dollars. Brad Zibung’s net worth is $1.5 billion.
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