Daniel M. Rooney - Pittsburgh Steelers' Chairman

Daniel Milton "Dan" Rooney, (born July 20, 1932) was the United States Ambassador to Ireland from July 3, 2009 until his resignation in 2012. He is chairman of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team in the National Football League (NFL), which was founded by his father, Art Rooney. Rooney was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000 for his contributions to the game. He is credited with spearheading a requirement that NFL teams with head coach and general manager vacancies interview at least one minority candidate, which has become known as the "Rooney Rule".

Ambassador Rooney is well-known in Ireland as one of the founders of the American Ireland Funds which are dedicated to building bridges of peace, culture, and charity in Ireland and Northern Ireland.  Ambassador Rooney has also funded the annual Rooney Prize for Irish Literature to highlight the work of Irish writers under the age of 40.  He has also been actively involved in charities in the U.S.  Among his community activities, Ambassador Rooney was a board member for The United Way of America, The American Diabetes Association, The Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.  In February 2000, Ambassador Rooney was recognized by the prestigious Maxwell Football Club in Philadelphia by presenting with the Francis "Reds" Bagnell Award for "contributions to the game of football."

Rooney is also co-founder of the Ireland-related fundraising organization The Ireland Funds.

Life and career

Rooney was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Kathleen (née McNulty) and Pittsburgh Steelers' owner Art Rooney. In the Steelers organization, Rooney has been involved in every aspect[citation needed] of the franchise since he was a young boy, often assisting his father at Pitt Stadium and Forbes Field. He grew up in the North Side neighborhood of Pittsburgh and attended North Catholic High School where he excelled as the team's quarterback. He was also the coach for the St. Peter's Elementary school football team, which was quarterbacked by future CIA Director and lifelong friend Michael Hayden. Rooney was mentored by Fran Fogerty, Joe Carr, and Ed Kiely. These men assisted in teaching Dan the business of football. After being mentored and graduating from Duquesne University he knew football was what he wanted to pursue. He then met his future wife in the office of the Steelers where she was currently working. The couple got married soon after. By early 1969 Rooney was managing the day-to-day operations of the team and personally selected the coaching hire of Chuck Noll. He was appointed team president in 1975 and was officially given full operational control of the franchise by his father who remained Chairman and President Emeritus, as well as the public face of the franchise until his death in 1988. During his tenure, he has implemented a philosophy and management style that emphasizes open, practical and efficient management. The results have been obvious: since 1972, the Steelers have won 15 division championships, 8 AFC Championships, and an NFL record 6 Super Bowl Championships. Rooney became the patriarch and controlling owner of the team in 1988, following the death of his father. In 2003, Rooney followed in his father's footsteps by slowly ceding day-to-day operations of the franchise to the next generation of the family. Although still chairman and to many fans the public face of the team, his son Art Rooney II has now assumed full operational control of the Steelers.

Dan Rooney is a graduate of Duquesne University, majoring in accounting. He has been involved with the Steelers since 1960, originally working as director of personnel. While Rooney has generally avoided the spotlight, he has been a very active owner behind the scenes. Rooney helped lead the negotiations of the collective bargaining agreement of 1982, and is largely credited both by owners and players of having ended a strike that lasted half of the season. He is also one of the main architects of the salary cap, which was implemented in 1993. He surprised many with his public endorsement of Barack Obama for president. The family had traditionally been very private on politics, even being rumored to have a Republican bent. Rooney responded to his public endorsement with: "When I think of Barack Obama’s America I have great hope. I support his candidacy and look forward to his Presidency." Rooney is the benefactor of the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature and Vice-Chairman of The American Ireland Fund. He is also a Founding Chairman of The Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern Pennsylvania. In 2008, Rooney became an honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. In 2009 he won the 2009 Jack Horrigan Memorial Award, presented by the Professional Football Writers of America to a professional football official or player "for his or her professionalism in helping football writers do their job".

He was named to the PoliticsPA list of "Sy Snyder's Power 50" list of influential individuals in Pennsylvania politics in 2002.

Sale of the Steelers

On July 7, 2008, Dan and his son, team president Art Rooney II, announced that they were seeking to buy out Dan Rooney's brothers' shares in the team. The team initially said that some of Rooney's four brothers want to "get out of the NFL and focus their business efforts on their racetracks and other interests." This was report in The Wall Street Journal's Web site that the Steelers have "been secretly shopped to potential buyers amid continuing divisions among the five sons of the team's founder, Art Rooney Sr." This forced the Steelers to announce that prolonged, ongoing negotiations were under way concerning the "restructuring" of ownership, which could result in the sale of the franchise or a consolidation of control within the Rooney family. Discussions have supposedly been taking place for two years. The team said that chairman Dan Rooney and his son, president Art Rooney II, are trying to buy Dan's brothers' shares in order to "ensure compliance with NFL ownership policies." Dan and Art Rooney II, reportedly control 16 percent of the Steelers' shares but conduct most of the team's operations. Together, the Rooneys hold 80 percent of the company. The other 20 percent is owned by the McGinley Family, who are first cousins of the Rooneys.

The policies refer to The Rooney family's gambling operation. The family owns racetracks in New York and Florida, and the team said "these facilities have added forms of gaming that are inconsistent with NFL gambling policy." The racetracks that were owned by the Rooney's recently received slot machines. According to league policy, no NFL owner may own, directly or indirectly, any interests in a gambling casino. The NFL defines any facility with slot machines as a casino.

One of the Rooneys' interests called into question are the Yonkers Raceway, a harness racing track outside of New York City, which was purchased by the five Rooney brothers in 1972. The facility recently added video gaming machines, slot machines, and now has 5,300 such games, according to its Web site. The other interest is the Palm Beach Kennel Club, a Greyhound racetrack in West Palm Beach, Fla. The track was purchased by Art Rooney Sr. and his five sons in 1970. The facility advertises poker rooms on its Web site.

The Steelers' statement said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has asked former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue to "serve as a league representative in discussions with the family in order to reach an agreement on the separation of the gambling interests and on a restructuring of ownership if the team is sold." Any sale involving an NFL team is subject to a league review and must be approved by 75 percent of member clubs. The Steelers were valued at $929 million by Forbes Magazine in September 2007. However Rooney's brothers: Art Rooney Jr., Timothy Rooney, Patrick Rooney and John Rooney released a statement confirming that they retained Goldman, Sachs & Co. to put a price tag on the franchise, and analysts in New York placed its value between $800 million and $1.2 billion. Their shares are likely worth more than Dan Rooney and son Art II have offered in the initial buyout could raise even higher and still remain under the NFL's ceiling of $150 million in ownership debt. Each Rooney brother's stake is worth about $160 million, or less than Dan Rooney is believed to be offering. Also the brother who may determine if the majority of the team remains in the Rooney family is Art Rooney Jr., a Pro Football Hall of Fame nominee for his drafting skills who was fired by Dan Rooney in 1987.

The brothers likely would not have retained Goldman, Sachs if they felt they could soon work out a deal with Dan Rooney. The move also reflected on their fears that selling to Dan Rooney, coupled with the ensuing taxes, could leave their children and grandchildren with far less money than their shares are worth.

If any of the brothers were to die in the near future without a change in ownership, their heirs would face estate taxes of up to 45 percent of the shares' value. Dan has been working with Morgan Stanley and PNC Financial Services to attempt to bring in additional investors who might prop up his buyout attempt.

However Duquesne Capital Management chairman Stanley Druckenmiller apparently is interested in acquiring the team, according to the Wall Street Journal story. The Associated Press reported on July 8, 2008 that a deal could be reached within days to sell a majority interest in the Steelers to Druckenmiller, taking control of the franchise away from the Rooney family. However Dan Rooney, stopped short of guaranteeing that he and his son, would be able to stay at the helm of a team. He hinted that "many people," not just Druckenmiller, might be interested in the NFL franchise.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello stated that the NFL will continue to support the Rooneys in their efforts to retain control of the Steelers. The only thing that is known at this time is that the franchise will not relocate to another city, only that the ownership will either change or be consolidated.

On November 21, 2008, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that,

Tim and Pat Rooney plan to sell each of their 16 percent stake in the Steelers so they can remain involved in racetracks and casinos in Yonkers, N.Y., and West Palm Beach, Fla., family sources told the Post-Gazette. But John and Art Rooney Jr. each plan to keep a little less than half of their 16 percent stake...Dan Rooney and his son, Art, are trying to acquire 30 percent of the team to abide by NFL policy and have compiled a list of investors who, in essence, will become their new partners in the franchise.

Controversies

James Harrison vs. Cedrick Wilson
On March 19, 2008; Rooney released wide receiver Cedrick Wilson from the Steelers, after he was arrested for punching his former girlfriend. However earlier that month, on March 8, Rooney failed to offer any type of discipline to linebacker James Harrison for slapping his girlfriend. When asked about the incident involving Wilson, Rooney stated that "the Steelers do not condone violence of any kind, especially against women,". However he was then confronted about this by Ed Bouchette and Michael A. Fuoco of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who asked why Harrison was not punished for committing the same crime.

Rooney said that the cases were different and stated that "I know many are asking the question of [why] we released Wilson and Harrison we kept. The circumstances—I know of the incidents, they are completely different. In fact, when I say we don't condone these things, we don't, but we do have to look at the circumstances that are involved with other players and things like that, so they're not all the same. What Jimmy Harrison was doing and how the incident occurred, what he was trying to do was really well worth it. He was doing something that was good, wanted to take his son to get baptized where he lived and things like that. She said she didn't want to do it."

Rooney later said that Harrison had no intention of harming his girlfriend when he went to her house to pick up his son. "The situation angered him. He didn't go there with intent." Meanwhile Rooney stated that the Wilson case was different. According to Rooney "[Wilson] knew what he was doing. He knew where his [former] girlfriend was and went to the bar looking for her. When he got there he punched her. That's different and I understand he expressed no regret.

Afterwards Rooney was criticized by the Women's Center and Shelter of Pittsburgh as a result of his comments. ESPN's Matt Mosley later wrote that Rooney's attempt to "explain that Harrison's heart was in the right place ... had to be one of the worst Public Relations moments in club history."

Steelers taxes and taxpayer funding
In August 2004, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writer Bill Steigerwald reported that Rooney's team received $5 million in state funds for a new, $12 million amphitheater. This was in addition to the $158 million in public subsidies the organization received to build Heinz Field. Steigerwald wrote that: Since the Steelers don't own any taxable property, the Rooneys dodge city and county real estate taxes. Heinz Field, which the Steelers operate and profit from in myriad ways, is owned by taxpayers through the Sports and Exhibition Authority. The team offices, practice field and workout facilities are leased from UPMC's tax-exempt Sports Performance Complex. Steelers players pay payroll and occupation taxes like everyone else. Fans pay the 5 percent city amusement tax on each ticket. But the Steelers - like a few other profit-making corporations - aren't exempt from paying both a city mercantile tax (3 mills on concessions, etc.) and a city business privilege tax (6 mills on gross receipts). Tax officials say these taxes are highly complicated to compute - and the final amounts the Steelers pay are top secret.

Ambassador to Ireland and politics

On March 17, 2009, President Obama announced he had nominated Rooney to become the next US ambassador to Ireland, citing the owner's longstanding support for Irish-American charitable causes. However a March 18, 2009 story in the USA Today, stated that Rooney was awarded the position of ambassador, by Obama, for being "a loyal supporter who campaigned on his behalf in a key battleground state." In 2008, Rooney gave $30,000 to a Democratic Party committee that aided Obama's campaign, according to CQ MoneyLine, a non-partisan group that tracks political contributions. According to David Lewis, a Vanderbilt University political scientist and the author of The Politics of Presidential Appointments, "giving coveted ambassadorships to political supporters is a relatively low-risk way for presidents to repay campaign debts."

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton swore him in as the new ambassador to Ireland on July 1, 2009. Ambassador Rooney presented his credentials to Irish President Mary McAleese on July 3, before making his first official speaking engagement at lunch hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland.

In an interview with The Irish Times in April 2011 Rooney mentioned that he would consider resigning his ambassadorship in order to campaign for Obama's re-election. However, in a prepared statement released after that interview was published Rooney stated, "I was asked what I could do to help [Obama] in the next election and I responded that the best thing I could do would be to help him campaign. Were I to do so, it would require my resignation as ambassador to Ireland. However, I am very pleased with my accomplishments to date and I intend to continue to carry out my duties." On December 14, 2012, he resigned as US Ambassador to Ireland and returned to Pittsburgh. He would eventually be replaced in June 2014 by Kevin O'Malley.

Jeffrey Lurie - Philadelphia Eagles' Chairman

 Jeffrey Lurie (b. September 8, 1951, Boston, Massachusetts) is a former Hollywood producer turned NFL team owner. Lurie bought the Philadelphia Eagles on May 6, 1994 from then owner Norman Braman for $195 million. The club is now estimated to be worth $1.024 billion, as valuated in 2006 by Forbes.

Since becoming owner of the Eagles, Lurie has been named NFL “Owner of the Year” by The Sporting News in 1995 and by Pro Football Insider in 2000. He is also responsible for helping push through the deal to build a new, $512 million, 68,500-seat football stadium, now called Lincoln Financial Field. Lurie currently is a member of eight different NFL committees, making him one of the most active owners.

Before purchasing the Eagles, Lurie served as the president and chief executive officer of Chestnut Hill Productions, a Los Angeles-based film company, which he founded in 1985. His corporation did not make any blockbuster hits, but became successful supervising production of films made by much larger companies. The company also produces television commercials.

Prior to entering business, Lurie served as an adjunct assistant professor of social policy at Boston University. Lurie earned a B.A. from Clark University, a Master’s degree in psychology from Boston University and a Ph.D in social policy from Brandeis University.

Early life and education
Lurie was born into wealth in Boston; His grandfather Philip Smith founded the General Cinema movie theater chain. His father Morris John Lurie married Nancy Smith, the daughter of entrepreneur Philip Smith. Morris and Nancy Lurie had three children: Jeffrey, Peter, and Cathy. Morris John Lurie died on April 14, 1961 at the age of 44. In July his grandfather Philip Smith died. Jeffrey was nine years old.

In the late 1960s General Cinema began acquiring bottling franchises, including a Pepsi bottling operation. General Cinema evolved over the years into Harcourt General Inc., a $3.7 billion conglomerate based in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, with 23,700 employees worldwide. In its heyday it was the nation's fourth largest chain of movie theaters, owned several publishing houses, three insurance companies and a leading global consulting firm. In 1984 Carter Hawley Hale was acquired, which was at the time the tenth largest clothing retailer in the United States, including Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman-Marcus.

Lurie earned a B.A. from Clark University, a Master's degree in psychology from Boston University and a PhD in social policy from Brandeis University, where he wrote his thesis on the depiction of women in Hollywood movies. He was born to Jewish parents but has spent his adult life as a non-practicing Jew. Prior to entering business, Lurie served as an adjunct assistant professor of social policy at Boston University.

Career
In 1983 he left academia to join General Cinema Corporation, a major film company founded by his grandfather, Philip Smith, and now headed by his uncle, Richard Smith. He worked as an executive in the company as a liaison between General Cinema Corporation and the production community in Hollywood. He was also an advisor in The General Cinema national film buying office.

He then founded Chestnut Hill Productions in 1985, which produced a string of Hollywood movie and TV "bombs".

1988 Sweet Hearts Dance (producer) $3,790,493
1990 I Love You to Death (producer) $16,186,793
1991 V.I. Warshawski (producer) $11,128,309
1993 Blind Side (TV movie) (executive producer)
1994 State of Emergency (TV movie) (executive producer)
1996 Malibu Shores (TV series) (co-executive producer) (co-producer) 10 episodes
1996 Foxfire (producer) $269,300
2009 Sergio (documentary) (executive producer)
2010 Inside Job (documentary) (executive producer) $4,312,735
On February 27, 2011, the Lurie-produced movie Inside Job won an Academy Award for best documentary film. The company also produced television commercials.

Philadelphia Eagles ownership

Lurie loved all the Boston teams. He went to games and put himself to sleep listening to the Boston Red Sox on his transistor radio. The Luries had been season-ticket holders since the New England Patriots franchise was born in 1960, the year the American Football League was founded. Lurie cheered for Gino Cappelletti, Houston Antwine and Babe Parilli. This was the team of his dreams. In 1993 Lurie tried to buy the New England Patriots but he dropped out of the bidding at $150 million when his uncle Richard Smith nixed the purchase based on the financials.

Lurie's name also had surfaced in sale talks regarding the Los Angeles Rams, and he was a potential investor in a bid for a Baltimore expansion team with Robert Tisch, who subsequently bought 50 percent of the Giants. Five months later, Smith agreed to let his nephew buy the Eagles. Lurie contacted Norman Braman, then-owner of the Eagles. Lurie bought the Philadelphia Eagles on May 6, 1994 from Braman for $195 million. Lurie and his mother, Nancy Lurie Marks of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts—Philip Smith's only daughter—borrowed an estimated $190 million from the Bank of Boston to buy the Eagles. To back the Bank of Boston loan, Lurie put up millions of dollars' worth of personal stock in Harcourt General and GC Companies Inc., as equity capital. Additionally, he and his mother pledged their stock in the family trust as collateral so Lurie could borrow the rest.

"I am very excited at the prospect of acquiring the franchise and becoming a Philadelphian," Lurie said in a statement. "Philadelphia is one of the great sports cities in America, and I look forward to a long and successful relationship with the city, its team and its loyal fans."

The club is now estimated to be worth $1.164 billion, as valued in 2011 by Forbes.

Personal life
In a pre-production meeting for I Love You To Death, Lurie met Lori Christina Weiss, a former actress who was working for his production company. In 1992, Lurie married Weiss in Gstaad, Switzerland. They had two children: a son and a daughter. Weiss was born in Mexico City and has dual citizenship in Mexico and the United States. She speaks three languages fluently: Spanish, French (her mother's native tongue), and English; she also speaks passable German and Italian. She is ethnically Jewish but was raised non-religious. She feels closest to Buddhism. The Luries celebrate Passover and exchange presents with their children on Christmas. She was instrumental in changing the Eagles' colors from the traditional kelly green and recreating the logo. In 2012, the couple announced that they were divorcing. In August 2012, Lurie and his wife of 20 years quietly settled their divorce. On May 4, 2013, he married Tina Lai.

Mark Davis - Oakland Raiders' Owner

Mark Davis (born 1954/1955) is principal owner and managing general partner of the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League (NFL).Davis inherited the team after the death of his father, Al, in 2011.Davis with his mother, Carol, own a 47 percent share of the Raiders, which is contractually structured to give them controlling interest. However, Mark has day-to-day control of the team.Davis is a graduate of California State University, Chico.

In 2013, Davis fired the Raiders public relations director after a Sports Illustrated article that was critical of Davis' father. Davis stated that the director's replacement needed to understand the importance of his father's legacy and actively protect it.


Kawakami, Tim (January 11, 2012). "Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis makes good first impression". San Jose Mercury News. Archived from the original on January 11, 2012.

Woody Johnson - New York Jets' CEO

Robert Wood "Woody" Johnson IV (born April 12, 1947) is an American businessman and philanthropist. He is a great-grandson of Robert Wood Johnson I (co-founder of Johnson & Johnson), and the owner of the New York Jets of the National Football League.

Early life

Johnson was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. His father was Robert Wood Johnson III, president of Johnson & Johnson for four years, and his mother was Betty Wold Johnson. Johnson grew up with four siblings: Keith Johnson, Billy Johnson, Elizabeth "Libet" Johnson, and Christopher Wold Johnson. He grew up in affluent areas of North New Jersey, and attended the Millbrook School. He graduated from the University of Arizona. Johnson then worked menial summer jobs at Johnson & Johnson with the expectation of ascending to the top of the family business.

Career

Johnson became involved in charitable organizations full-time in the 1980s. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. His family has been affected by both lupus and juvenile diabetes, which motivated Johnson to take a role in raising funds to prevent, treat, and cure autoimmune diseases. He has led efforts on Capitol Hill and at the National Institutes of Health to increase research funding for lupus, diabetes, and other autoimmune diseases. and personally contributed to causes related to diabetes, after his daughter Casey was diagnosed with the disease. He also started a research foundation, the Alliance for Lupus Research, after his daughter Jaime was found to have lupus.

On January 18, 2000, Johnson purchased the Jets for $635 million, the third-highest price for a professional sports team and the highest for one in New York. Johnson, who also owns courtside seats to the New York Knicks, outbid the $612 million offered by Charles Dolan, chairman of Cablevision, which owns Madison Square Garden, the Knicks and the Rangers. The team sold for more than $100 million above what some sports finance analysts had expected. Based on the Jets' recent[when?] financial performance and the team's low-revenue lease at Giants Stadium, the analysts said the team was really worth about $250 million.

After buying the Jets, Johnson announced plans to move them to the proposed West Side Stadium in Manhattan. However, after the project's defeat in 2005, Johnson announced the Jets would move to a new Meadowlands Stadium (opening day 10 April 2010) co-owned with the Giants. Johnson served on the NFL Commissioner search committee in which a list of 185 candidates to succeed Paul Tagliabue was narrowed down to the final choice of Roger Goodell.

Johnson is the chairman and chief executive of the Johnson Company, Inc., a private investment firm founded in 1978. In August 2006, Johnson was asked to testify before a Senate panel about his participation in a sham tax shelter. A Senate report said that Johnson, along with others, were able to buy, for relatively small fees, roughly $2 billion in capital losses that they used to erase taxable gains they garnered from stock sales. The U.S. Treasury lost an estimated $300 million in revenue as a result. In a statement, Johnson said he had been advised by his lawyers in 2000 that the transaction "was consistent with the Tax Code." But after the Internal Revenue Service challenged that view in 2003, Johnson this year "settled with the IRS and agreed to pay 100 percent of the tax due plus interest."

Johnson was the committee president for Pre-Commissioning Unit for the USS New York (LPD-21).

Politics

Johnson has personally given more than $1 million to various Republican candidates and committees. In May 2008, he orchestrated a fundraiser in New York City that brought in $7 million in a single evening for John McCain, by far the largest amount collected up to that point by a campaign that had been struggling to raise money. Johnson also provided significant funding to the Republican National Convention of 2008 in Minneapolis-St. Paul convention host committee; from a $10 million shortfall, Johnson contributed personally and solicited friends to assist in covering the convention deficit. In 2011, Woody Johnson announced that he would endorse former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney for the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election.

On September 23, 2013, Johnson hosted a fundraiser for the Republican National Committee at his home in New York City.

Personal life

In 1977, Johnson married former fashion model Nancy Sale Johnson. They had three children: Casey, Jaime, and Daisy, before divorcing in 2001. In early 2010, Casey died of diabetic ketoacidosis.

In 2009, Johnson married Suzanne Ircha Johnson, a former actress and Equities Managing Director at Sandler O'Neill & Partners. They have two children: Robert Wood Johnson V and Jack Wood Johnson.

Johnson has homes in Bedminster Township, New Jersey and New York.

John Mara - New York Giants' CEO

John Kevin Mara (born December 1, 1954) is the president, CEO, and co-owner of the New York Giants.

Early life

Born in New York City on Dec. 1, 1954, Mara grew up in Westchester County in White Plains and graduated from Iona Prep High School in New Rochelle. He attended Boston College where he received a B.S. degree in marketing, graduating with Cum Laude honors in 1976. Mara earned his law degree from Fordham University in 1979 and then began his career as an attorney with the New York law firm of Vedder, Price, Kaufman, Kammholz and Day, specializing in labor and employment law and litigation. Two years later he moved to the Manhattan firm of Shea & Gould, where he practiced until joining the Giants.

Mara is the chairman of the NFL Management Council Executive Committee and he played an important role in negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with the NFLPA. He also has served for 13 years on the influential NFL Competition Committee, which studies all aspects of the game and recommends rules and policy changes to NFL clubs, as well as the league’s Health and Safety Committee and the Committee on Workplace Diversity.

Mara has been affiliated with the Giants his entire life. The franchise was founded in 1925 by his grandfather, Tim Mara. Wellington Mara was one of the most influential, respected and beloved executives in NFL history. Since John Mara joined the organization in an official capacity, the Giants have reached the playoffs nine times, won five NFC East titles and played in three Super Bowls, winning two.

Mara serves on the Board of Directors of Saint Vincent’s Hospital in Harrison, N.Y. and Boys Hope Girls Hope of New York.


New York Giants

John K. Mara is in his 23rd season with the Giants. The franchise’s President and Chief Executive Officer, he assumed the team presidency upon the passing of his father, Wellington Mara, in 2005. John Mara is the oldest of Wellington Mara’s 11 children. He had been the team’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. In his present position, Mara, who joined the Giants in 1991, is responsible for all administrative, legal and financial aspects of the organization.

With team Chairman Steve Tisch, Mara was at the forefront of the planning and negotiations for MetLife Stadium, where the Giants began playing their home games in 2010 after 34 seasons in Giants Stadium. In addition, Mara, Steve Tisch and Jonathan Tisch, as well as Jets owner Woody Johnson, headlined the bid committee that helped convince the NFL owners to award Super Bowl XLVIII to the new stadium. The game, the first Super Bowl to be held in a cold-weather outdoor venue, will be played on Feb. 2, 2014.

After working as an attorney, John Mara joined the Giants in 1991, serving as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer until his father's death in 2005, when he assumed the team's presidency. Under John Mara and Steve Tisch, the Giants have won Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI.

Personal life

Mara is the third generation of his family to own the Giants. His grandfather, Tim, founded the team in 1925. Tim's sons, Wellington and Jack (John Mara's uncle), inherited the team in 1959, when Tim Mara died. Among NFL franchises, only the Chicago Bears (controlled by the Halas-McCaskey family since 1921) have been in the hands of one family longer than the Giants.

John and his wife, the former Denise Walter, are the parents of five children: Lauren, Courtney, John Jr., Christine and Erin. They also have four grandchildren, Christopher, Jack, Hailey and Thomas. The Mara family resides in Harrison, N.Y

Tom Benson - New Orleans Saints' Owner

Thomas "Tom" Benson (born July 12, 1927 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is the owner of the New Orleans Saints. He is currently the owner of several automobile dealerships in the Greater New Orleans and San Antonio areas. Benson became wealthy by investing profits from his automobile dealerships in local banks. He eventually purchased several small Southern banks and formed Benson Financial, which he sold to Wells Fargo in 1996.

Biography

Benson purchased the Saints from John Mecom in 1985 after he learned from Governor Edwin W. Edwards that the team was on the verge of being sold to parties interested in moving the team to Jacksonville, Florida. As a successful businessman, he recognized the economic implications of such a move not only for the city of New Orleans, but for the state of Louisiana as well, which was in the midst of a deep economic recession caused by plummeting crude oil prices. Ownership of the team was officially transferred to him on May 31, 1985.

Shortly after acquiring the Saints, he gained a reputation as one of the more popular and colorful owners in the league. He hired general manager Jim Finks and head coach Jim Mora, who led the Saints to their first winning season and playoff appearance.

His popularity later declined, however, after numerous attempts to persuade the state of Louisiana to construct a new stadium for the Saints to replace the aging Superdome, suggesting that he might move the team elsewhere if said stadium were not built. His popularity hit an all-time low in late 2005 after it appeared he was trying to move the team to San Antonio after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans. (See Relocation controversy below for more details.) He later stated that the Saints would return to New Orleans for the 2006 season, which they did.

In 1998, he was granted a license for a team in the Arena Football League, which began play in 2004 as the New Orleans VooDoo.

On February 7, 2010, the Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts 31 - 17 to win Super Bowl XLIV. After purchasing a home in the exclusive Audubon Place neighborhood in New Orleans, Benson is now a resident of his hometown again. His brother, Larry Benson, has also been in sports ownership and owned the San Antonio Riders of the World League.

Benson is well known for doing the "Benson Boogie" after Saints home victories. Benson, in true New Orleans fashion, would second line dance down the field of the Superdome in the closing minutes of the game while carrying an umbrella decorated in black and gold. He is often called "Boogie Benson" by Michael Wilbon on ESPN's Pardon the Interruption.

The Benson family established an endowment fund at Central Catholic High School, in San Antonio, Texas dedicated to the memory of their son Robert Carter Benson, who graduated from the school in 1962. Tom Benson also donated the Benson Memorial Library at Central Catholic. Robert Carter Benson died of cancer in 1985, at the age of 37.

Also in San Antonio, Texas at St. Anthony Catholic School there is a Library named after Benson's son who died of cancer.

September 23, 2010, Benson donated $8 million to Loyola University New Orleans in what will be called the Benson Jesuit Center.
New Orleans Saints

He purchased the Saints from John Mecom in 1985 after he learned from Governor Edwin W. Edwards that the team was on the verge of being sold to parties interested in moving the team to Jacksonville, Florida. As a successful businessman, he recognized the economic implications of such a move not only for the city of New Orleans, but for the state of Louisiana as well, which was in the midst of a deep economic recession caused by plummeting crude oil prices. Ownership of the team was officially transferred to him on May 31, 1985.

Shortly after acquiring the Saints, he gained a reputation as one of the more popular and colorful owners in the league. He hired general manager Jim Finks and head coach Jim Mora, who led the Saints to their first winning season and playoff appearance.

His popularity later declined, however, after numerous attempts to persuade the state of Louisiana to construct a new stadium for the Saints to replace the aging Superdome, suggesting that he might move the team elsewhere if said stadium were not built. His popularity hit an all-time low in late 2005 after it appeared he was trying to move the team to San Antonio after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans. (See Relocation controversy below for more details.) He later stated that the Saints would return to New Orleans for the 2006 season, which they did. The team's fortunes improved dramatically in the years after their return, including a 31–17 defeat of the Indianapolis Colts on February 7, 2010 to win Super Bowl XLIV, and Benson recovered much of his popularity as well.

On July 18, 2008, the Benson-led Louisiana Media Company consummated their purchase of WVUE-DT, the Fox affiliate for the New Orleans area and by virtue of their affiliation, the major carrier of Saints games as part of the NFL on Fox contract. Since the sale, the station has also become the de facto home of the Saints, including coach's shows and preseason games.

Benson is well known for doing the "Benson Boogie" after Saints home victories. Benson, in true New Orleans fashion, would second line dance down the field of the Superdome in the closing minutes of the game while carrying an umbrella decorated in black and gold. He is often called "Boogie Benson" by Michael Wilbon on ESPN's Pardon the Interruption.

Saints relocation controversy

During the Saints' 2001 negotiations with the state of Louisiana, rumors circulated that Benson would seek relocation if his requests — which included renovations to the Superdome, a new practice facility in suburban Metairie, and escalating annual payments from the state to the team — could not be met. Though he never made public statements to this effect, Benson's business ties to the city — and the availability of the Alamodome as a playing facility — made San Antonio the most common subject of speculation.

When it became clear that Hurricane Katrina's extensive damage to New Orleans and the Superdome would make it impossible for the Saints to play there in 2005, the team temporarily relocated its operations to San Antonio and began negotiations to play home games at the Alamodome. (The Saints, after discussions with the NFL and Louisiana State University, eventually agreed to play one "home" game at Giants Stadium against the Giants, three games at the Alamodome and four games at LSU's Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge).

At the Saints-Falcons game on October 16, the second of two warm receptions of the Saints by the San Antonio community, mayor Phil Hardberger stated that Benson had agreed to schedule negotiations for permanent relocation once the 2005 season is over. In reference to Benson, Hardberger said, "I'm pretty comfortable in saying he wants to be here."

On Monday, October 17, Benson dismissed executive vice president Arnie Fielkow, who had been a public advocate of the Saints' importance to the state of Louisiana, and who had advocated the playing of home games in Baton Rouge. According to Fielkow, Benson told him that if he'd tender his resignation and sign a confidentiality agreement, he'd be paid the remainder of his contract; when he refused, he was fired outright.

Benson's actions quickly drew outrage from Saints fans as well as local and state officials. On Wednesday, October 19, New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin sharply criticized Benson for acts he deemed heartless and opportunistic. Said Nagin: "For them to be openly talking to other cities about moving is disrespectful to the citizens of New Orleans, disrespectful to the Saints fans who have hung in with this franchise through 30-something years under very trying times."

Two days later, Benson publicly stated that he has made no plans to move the Saints to San Antonio. "There are many factors that will affect the future location of our team," Benson said. "That is also true of many other New Orleans-based companies that are faced with deciding their future homes." He said he would make no decisions about the team's future until the 2005 season was over.

On Wednesday, October 26, Benson reiterated his commitment to the New Orleans area in the form of a full-page ad in newspapers around the region. The ad, a letter entitled "Tom Benson Wants to Return to New Orleans," acknowledged the negative reaction surrounding the team's recent actions, but promised that no decision has been made regarding the team's future. Said Benson in the letter, "It is too early to determine, but my desire is to return to New Orleans."

Benson's firm but noncommittal stance compared unfavorably to the statements of the New Orleans Hornets, the city's displaced NBA team. Though the Hornets played all but a handful of games during the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 seasons in Oklahoma City — and even temporarily changed the team's name to the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets, the basketball team's ownership insisted they would return to the recovering city as soon as possible. The Hornets also announced a community relations initiative to keep the team involved in the New Orleans area.

NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue met with Benson and Louisiana governor Kathleen Blanco at the Saints' first home game in Baton Rouge on October 30. After the meeting, he stopped just short of making a formal commitment to keep the Saints in New Orleans. Said Tagliabue: "The Saints are Louisiana's team and have been since the late '60s when my predecessor Pete Rozelle welcomed them to the league as New Orleans' team and Louisiana's team. Our focus continues to be on having the Saints in Louisiana." He dispelled rumors that have the Saints relocating to Los Angeles. He also suggested that the Saints may need to focus on becoming more of a regional team, possibly implying a name change to the Louisiana Saints or the Gulf Coast Saints. Tagliabue will form an eight-owner advisory committee to help decide the team's future.

That same day, Benson charged a cameraman with a raised hand while leaving Tiger Stadium following a Saints loss to the Miami Dolphins and lunged at the television news crew grabbing a camera and wrenching it down before being eased away by Saints security. A video also appeared to show Benson angrily responding to a heckling fan. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league would likely take no action against Benson. On November 11, 2005, an e-mail sent to Commissioner Paul Tagliabue from Benson was leaked to the press. Benson stated in the e-mail that he feared for his life, and his family's safety upon his exit from Tiger Stadium, and would not be returning to any future games in Baton Rouge. Benson declared in the email that security in the stadium was "inadequate" and claimed that his family "could all have been severely injured or killed." However, LSU officials were quick to point out that they had no negative comments from the Saints or the NFL concerning Tiger Stadium security. In addition, the videotape of Benson from October 30 showed him being escorted by at least one security guard, belying his e-mail claim that security was "non-existent." A day later, Saints spokesman Greg Bensel stated that Benson's e-mail was sent in frustration, and that Benson was undecided on whether he would attend any future games in Baton Rouge. Benson did not attend the following week's game at Tiger Stadium on November 6 against the Chicago Bears.

On 2005-11-04 Benson made a deal with Louisiana governor Kathleen Blanco that would postpone two important termination deadlines in the team's Super dome lease until after the 2006 season. Benson extended his force majeure clause period until January 2007. Presumably this will keep the Saints in New Orleans until January 2007; however, Benson can still invoke the clause any time between now and then. This buys the Saints time to explore future options with state officials without having to make a decision on the future of the franchise now. This would also allow the state to focus on more pressing needs in the recovery efforts from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, while allowing the Saints more time to determine whether the region's economy could rebound enough to continue supporting the franchise.

In the midst of this controversy, several groups of investors have approached Benson with offers to buy the team and keep them in Louisiana, the most publicized group being one led by Fox Sports analyst and former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw, who is a Louisiana native. However, Benson has expressed that he has no intentions of selling the team and plans to eventually hand down ownership to his granddaughter, Saints owner/executive Rita Benson LeBlanc. Benson spoke to press following an NFL owners' meeting on November 15, at which he reiterated that the team is not for sale, but also stated that other NFL owners, along with Tagliabue, were working with him to keep the team in New Orleans.

On December 17, ESPN reported that Benson had told Saints players that he planned to keep the Saints in San Antonio for the 2006 season and possibly beyond, and that he was willing to sue the NFL for the right to stay there. This was days after NFL Players Association director Gene Upshaw advised the Saints players not to renew their leases on their homes in San Antonio because the league planned to order them to return to their home facilities in Metairie. This was also a few days after Benson had reportedly told his staff that they could not return to their Metairie facilities because it was still being occupied by FEMA and National Guard officials and that the New Orleans area had become "unlivable." The State of Louisiana responded by sending Benson a formal letter asking him and the Saints organization to return to the facility at the end of the 2005 season. Included with the letter were statements from FEMA and the National Guard stating that they were no longer using the facility.

On December 30, two days before the Saints' final game of the 2005 season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Benson announced at a press conference that the Saints will return to their Metairie facility at the end of the 2005 season, and that the team would play as many of their home games as possible during the 2006 season in the Louisiana Superdome, which he said could be ready as early as mid-September, 2006. On 2006-01-11 Benson and Tagliabue announced plans to play all of their 2006 home games in the Superdome. Tagliabue also stated that the NFL was committed to keeping the Saints in New Orleans beyond 2006, calling it a "multiyear effort" and not just a one-year deal. He also stated that the NFL was talking with city officials about possibly hosting another Super Bowl there in the near future, which would be the city's 10th. Benson stated that he was committed to New Orleans "forever, as long as the community commits to me".

Other

In 1992, Benson made a deal to acquire the Charlotte Knights AA minor league baseball team and bring them to New Orleans for the 1993 season, renaming them the "Pelicans" after New Orleans' old minor league team, but the transaction was thwarted when the Denver Zephyrs AAA team relocated to New Orleans to make way for the major league Colorado Rockies.

In 1998, he was granted a license for a team in the Arena Football League, which began play in 2004 as the New Orleans VooDoo.

On April 13, 2012, Benson bought the New Orleans Hornets from the NBA for $338 million.

Philanthropy

The Benson family established an endowment fund at Central Catholic High School, in San Antonio, Texas dedicated to the memory of their son Robert Carter Benson, who graduated from the school in 1966. Tom Benson also donated the Benson Memorial Library at Central Catholic. Robert Carter Benson died of cancer in 1985, at the age of 37.

Benson and his family long have been ardent supporters of University of The Incarnate Word in San Antonio.The Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium officially opened on campus September 1, 2008, when the Bensons joined with more than 2,000 Cardinals fans and athletes to declare the facility ready for action.The stadium is wide enough and long enough that the Cardinals soccer teams, men's and women's, have begun playing their games here.

Also in San Antonio, Texas at St. Anthony Catholic School there is a Library named after Benson's son who died of cancer.

September 23, 2010, Benson donated $8 million to Loyola University New Orleans in what will be called the Benson Jesuit Center.

In January 2012, Benson and hs wife were awarded the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice for their generosity to Catholic Church, the highest papal honor that Catholic laypeople can receive.

In November 2012 Tom Benson and his wife, Gayle, donated $7.5 million towards the construction of Tulane University's Yulman Stadium. The stadium will bring the Green Wave back to campus for the first time since the demolition of Tulane Stadium in 1980. The playing surface will be known as Benson Field.

Personal life

Benson has been married three times. His first wife was Shirley Landry who is deceased. In 2003, his second wife, Grace Marie Trudeau Benson (born March 1, 1927), died of Parkinson's disease. In October 2004, he remarried to Gayle Marie LaJaunie Bird. Benson has seven children, two of whom are deceased.

After purchasing a home in the exclusive Audubon Place neighborhood in New Orleans, Benson is now a resident of his hometown again. His brother, Larry Benson, has also been in sports ownership and owned the San Antonio Riders of the World League.

Robert Kraft - New England Patriots' Chairman

Robert K. Kraft (born June 5, 1941) is an American business magnate. He is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Kraft Group, a diversified holding company with assets in paper and packaging, sports and entertainment, real estate development and a private equity portfolio. His sports holdings include the National Football League's New England Patriots and Major League Soccer's New England Revolution, and Gillette Stadium.

Since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994, the Patriots have experienced one of the most dramatic turnarounds in the history of sports. Now in his 20th season of ownership, Kraft has transformed one of the league's least successful clubs into what many observers view as a model NFL franchise. In its first 34 seasons of existence, the Patriots won a total of 225 games. Under Kraft's guidance, the franchise equaled that win total in just 19 years. In the five seasons immediately preceding his purchase (1989-93), the Patriots were a moribund team, winning just 19 of 80 games (.238 pct.) and recording the worst record in the NFL over that span.

When he bought the franchise on Jan. 21, 1994, Kraft announced his intention to bring a championship to New England, a tall order considering the team's previous success rate. But since then, under Kraft's leadership, the Patriots have won more division titles (12), conference crowns (6) and Super Bowl championships (3) than any other NFL team. In 2011, the Patriots claimed their sixth AFC Championship during Kraft's tenure, earning him the distinction as the first principal owner in NFL history to earn six trips to the Super Bowl. Since 1994, no other NFL team has appeared in more than four Super Bowls. In Kraft's 19 seasons, the Patriots have qualified for the playoffs 14 times, more than doubling the franchise's playoff appearances in their first 34 seasons.

Early life and career
Kraft was raised in an observant Jewish family. His father was a dressmaker in Boston's Chinatown. Kraft attended Brookline High School in his hometown, graduating in 1959; He is a 1963 graduate of Columbia University, which he attended on scholarship, and received an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1965. While at Columbia, Kraft joined Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity  and played on the school's lightweight football team.

He began his professional career with the Rand-Whitney Group, a Worcester-based packaging company owned by his father-in-law Jacob Hiatt. He still serves as this company's chairman. In 1972, he founded International Forest Products, a trader of physical paper commodities. The two combined companies make up the largest privately held paper and packaging companies in the United States. International Forest Products is consistently among the top 100 US exporters/importers and in 2011 was No. 27 on the Journal of Commerce's list in that category.

In 1986, Kraft helped a minority business group acquire WNEV-TV, a CBS affiliate in Boston (now NBC affiliate WHDH-TV). He continued his investment in the entertainment field by buying several Boston radio stations. He is a member of a private equity group, which funded film, theatre, and television producer Scott Sanders' company, "Scott Sanders Productions."

Ownership of the Patriots
A Patriots fan since their American Football League days, Kraft has been a season ticket holder since 1971, when the team moved to the then-Schaefer Stadium.

In 1985, Kraft bought an option on the parcel adjacent to the stadium. The option would be the first in a series of steps which would culminate nearly a decade later in his eventual ownership of the team. Later, in 1988, Kraft outbid several competitors to buy the stadium out of bankruptcy court from Billy Sullivan for $25 million. The purchase included the stadium's lease to the Patriots – which would later provide Kraft leverage in purchasing the team.

In 1992, St. Louis businessman, James Orthwein, purchased the Patriots from Victor Kiam, who was facing bankruptcy and owed Orthwein several million dollars. For the next two years, rumors of a Patriots move to St. Louis were rampant, based on the fact that Orthwein wanted to return the NFL to his hometown, which had lost the Cardinals to Arizona in 1988.

In 1994, Orthwein offered Kraft $75 million to buy out the remainder of the team's lease at the Foxboro Stadium, which, if Kraft agreed, would free Orthwein to move the Patriots to St. Louis. However, Kraft rejected the offer and made a counter-bid—a then NFL-record $175 million for the outright purchase of the Patriots (a surprising move in that the Patriots were, at the time, among the least valuable franchises in the NFL), an offer Orthwein accepted.

The day after the NFL approved the sale in February 1994, Patriots fans showed their appreciation by purchasing almost 6,000 season tickets en route to selling out every game for the first time in the team's 34-year history. Every home game—regular season, postseason, and even preseason—has been sold out since. The Patriots responded by putting together a seven-game winning streak to end the 1994 season, making the playoffs for the first time since 1986. In 1996 Kraft founded the New England Revolution, a charter member of Major League Soccer which began playing alongside the Patriots at Foxboro.

After the failure of a number of stadium plans that included either revamping the area in Foxboro or relocating to Boston or a town near Boston, the Patriots nearly moved to Hartford, Connecticut, in 1999. Plans were also discussed about moving the team to Providence, Rhode Island (where the Providence Place Mall now stands). They reached an agreement with then–Connecticut Governor John Rowland to move to a new stadium intended to be the cornerstone of downtown redevelopment. After Rowland lobbied the Connecticut legislature to approve state funds for the stadium the Patriots were given another opportunity to resume negotiations with the Massachusetts legislators who had initially balked on paying for site improvements for a new stadium in Foxboro. At the last minute the Massachusetts legislature approved the subsidies and hurdles were cleared for what became Gillette Stadium in the Patriots' longtime home of Foxboro. The $350 million stadium, privately financed by Kraft, opened in 2002 as CMGI Field, before financial difficulties for CMGI resulted in Gillette taking over naming rights.

In 2007, Kraft announced plans to develop the land around Gillette Stadium, creating a $375 million open-air shopping and entertainment center called Patriot Place. The development opened in stages through 2007, 2008, and 2009 and included "The Hall at Patriot Place", a multi-story museum attached to the stadium, and the "CBS Scene", a CBS-themed restaurant.

The Patriots appeared in Super Bowl XX under their original owners, the Sullivans. Yet, this was one of only six playoff appearances in 33 years. However, since Kraft bought the team, they have made the playoffs 15 times in 20 years. They have also appeared in more playoff games (27) than in the team's first 34 seasons combined (10). The team won AFC East titles in 1996, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013; they represented the AFC in the Super Bowl in 1996 (lost), 2001 (won) 2003 (won) 2004 (won) 2007 (lost) and 2011 (lost). The Patriots finished the 2003, 2004, and 2010 seasons with identical 14–2 regular-season records, and also finished the 2007 regular season undefeated before losing to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII.

Kraft was principally involved in the 2011 NFL labor negotiations. He was credited for being a bridge-builder who brought the two sides closer together and a catalyst in negotiating a historic 10-year agreement. The deal was announced on Monday, July 25, 2011, while Kraft was still mourning the death of his "sweetheart", Myra Kraft, his wife of 48 years, who had died only five days before. In what became an iconic image of the CBA resolution, NFLPA representative and Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday praised Kraft for his role in the negotiations, stating, "without him, this deal does not get done ... He is a man who helped us save football."

In Kraft's first 18 seasons as team owner the Patriots have won 193 regular season games and 19 playoff games (including Super Bowls XXXVI, XXXVIII and XXXIX). The team reached a milestone 200th win (encompassing regular season and playoffs) under Kraft ownership with their third win of 2011, a 30–19 win against the Oakland Raiders.

In 2005, a minor international incident was caused when it was reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin had taken one of Kraft's three Super Bowl rings. Kraft quickly issued a statement saying that he had given Putin the ring out of "respect and admiration" he had for the Russian people and Putin's leadership. Kraft later said his earlier statement was not true, and had been issued under pressure from the White House. The ring is on display with state gifts at the Kremlin.

Soccer
After selling $3.5 million tickets for the 1994 World Cup, the Kraft family saw a business opportunity to invest in the new professional soccer league Major League Soccer. In 1995, Kraft became the investor / operator of the New England Revolution from Major League Soccer. The team had a successful run from 2002 to 2007, with four MLS Cup appearances in six years. Kraft attended in person for three of the four appearances, opting for a regular season New England Patriots game instead of attending the 2006 MLS Cup between his Revolution and the Houston Dynamo.

In November 2005, Kraft met with Rick Parry, the Chief Executive of English Premier League team Liverpool. Kraft was rumored to be interested in investing money into the 2004–05 European Champions. Kraft told BBC Radio 5 Live: "Liverpool is a great brand and it's something our family respects a lot. We're always interested in opportunities and growing, so you never know what can happen." Eventually, however, the club was sold to American duo George Gillett and Tom Hicks. Liverpool was eventually sold to another local sports ownership in 2010, New England Sports Ventures, owners of the Boston Red Sox.

Philanthropy
The Krafts have donated over $100 million to a variety of philanthropic causes including education, child and women issues, healthcare, youth sports and American and Israeli causes. In 2011, the Krafts pledged $20 million to Partners HealthCare to launch the Kraft Family National Center for Leadership and Training in Community Health, an initiative designed to improve access to quality healthcare at community health centers throughout New England. Among the many institutions the Krafts have supported are Columbia University, Harvard Business School, Brandeis University, The College of the Holy Cross, Boston College, Tufts University, the Belmont Hill School, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. One of their most distinctive projects is supporting American Football Israel, including Kraft Family Stadium in Jerusalem and the Kraft Family Israel Football League. In 2007, in recognition of a gift of $5 million in support of Columbia's intercollegiate athletics program, the playing field at Columbia's Lawrence A. Wien Stadium at the Baker Field Athletics Complex was named Robert K. Kraft Field.

He has received numerous honorary degrees from several colleges and universities and was awarded the NCAA's highest honor when he received the Theodore Roosevelt Award, "presented annually to a distinguished citizen of national reputation and outstanding accomplishments."

In 2011 Kraft was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

In 2012, he became the first NFL owner in the 43-year history of the honor to be selected for the George Halas Award by the Pro Football Writers of America. The award is presented annually to the NFL player, coach or staff member who overcomes the most adversity to succeed.

Following the April 15, 2013, Boston Marathon bombings, Kraft announced he would match up to $100,000 in donations made for the victims through the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation.

Personal life
A native of Brookline, Mass., Kraft attended local public schools before entering Columbia University on an academic scholarship. Upon graduation, he received a fellowship to attend Harvard Business School, where he earned a master's degree in business administration.

Kraft's love affair with football and the Patriots began decades ago. A Patriots fan since their AFL days in the 1960s, Kraft attended games at each of the team's Boston venues: Boston University Field, Fenway Park, Boston College Alumni Stadium and Harvard Stadium. When the team moved to then Schaefer Stadium in 1971, Kraft invested in season tickets for his family. He credits the memories and experiences shared with his family and other Patriots fans during those years for his passionate pursuit of ownership of the franchise.

Kraft serves on the board of directors for Viacom. He is also on the executive committee for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where he established the Robert K. Kraft Family Blood Donor Center. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership. He is a trustee emeritus at Columbia and is a trustee at Boston College. He has received honorary degrees from several colleges and universities and was awarded the NCAA's highest honor when he received the Theodore Roosevelt Award, "presented annually to a distinguished citizen of national reputation and outstanding accomplishments." In 2011, Kraft received the Harvard Business School Alumni Achievement Award and received the prestigious honor of being inducted into the 231st class of American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation's oldest and most learned societies. With his induction, he joined the likes of many other patriots, including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and John Hancock. In 2012, he became the first NFL owner in the 43-year history of the honor to ever be selected to receive the George Halas Award, which is presented annually to the NFL player, coach or staff member who overcomes the most adversity to succeed. He was also inducted into Columbia's athletic hall of fame in 2012. In 2013, he received the Carnegie Hall Medal of Excellence.

Over the past four decades, the Kraft family has been one of New England's most philanthropic families, donating over $100 million in support of local charities and civic affairs. In 2011, the Krafts pledged $20 million to Partners HealthCare to launch the Kraft Center for Community Health, an initiative designed to improve the leadership of and access to quality health care at community centers in Massachusetts. With success, the model used will expand nationally. 

Zygi Wilf - Minnesota Vikings' Owner

 Zygmunt "Zygi" Wilf (born April 22, 1950) is the principal owner of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.

Zygi Wilf’s 10 seasons leading the ownership group that has stewardship of the Vikings franchise has been highlighted by commitment to core values and building a strong foundation for the future.

The Vikings have made 3 playoff appearances and won 2 NFC North titles in the past 6 seasons behind the Wilf family leadership. The club enters 2014 as a franchise poised on the future. The team is under the direction of first-year Head Coach Mike Zimmer and will be playing at TCF Bank Stadium on the campus of the University of Minnesota for 2014 and 2015 as the new home of the Vikings is being built in downtown Minneapolis.

Early life
Zygi Wilf was born in Germany on April 22, 1950. His parents, Joseph and Elizabeth Wilf, are both Holocaust survivors from Nazi occupied Poland. The Wilf family immigrated to the United States from Europe in the early 1950s and settled in Hillside, New Jersey. After a brief stint as used car salesmen, Joseph and his brother Harry Wilf began purchasing apartment buildings and renting units. Eventually, the brothers began building single-family homes and founded Garden Homes. A successful real estate developer, his two main family-run businesses, Garden Homes and Garden Commercial Properties, have constructed some 25,000 homes in 39 states across the country since their initial ventures; the two entities and their affiliates own and manage 25,000,000 square feet (2,300,000 m2) in retail and business property.

Education
Zygi Wilf attended Fairleigh Dickinson University, earning a bachelor's degree in economics in 1971, and later graduated from New York Law School in Manhattan. He also received an honorary degree at Fairleigh Dickinson's 69th Commencement Ceremony in May 2012.

Zygi attended nearby Fairleigh Dickinson University, earning a bachelor’s degree in economics and later graduated from New York Law School in Manhattan.  Wilf, and wife, Audrey, have four children. Wilf was recognized in 2013 with the Fritz Pollard Alliance’s Tank Younger Award in honor of his commitment to hiring and promoting minority candidates on the football and business side of the Vikings franchise.

Career
After working as an attorney, Wilf joined the family business and became head of one of the company's affiliates, Garden Commercial Properties. Wilf has grown the company from four shopping centers in Northern New Jersey to over a hundred properties, including several large malls. In addition to the commercial properties, the Garden companies also own and manage 90,000 apartment units around the country.

Minnesota Vikings
Wilf and five partners purchased the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League from Red McCombs in 2005 for a reported US$600 million. Forbes estimates the 2012 value of the franchise at US$975 million, or 22nd of the 32 NFL teams.

For several years the Vikings and Wilf have stated that their current home, the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome is inadequate and have lobbied for a new stadium. In May 2012, the Minnesota Vikings moved closer to getting a new $975 million stadium after the state Senate approved a plan that relies heavily on public financing. Later that month the deal was signed by Gov. Mark Dayton and narrowly approved by the Minneapolis City Council, ending any speculation of relocation.

Trial for fraud and racketeering
On August 6, 2013, Wilf, along with his brother and cousin, were found liable by a New Jersey court for breaking civil state racketeering laws and keeping separate accounting books to fleece former business partners of shared revenue. The presiding judge noted that Wilf had used organized crime like tactics to commit fraud against his business partners.

Stephen M. Ross - Miami Dolphins' Owner

Stephen M. Ross (born May 10, 1940, in Detroit, Michigan) is an American real estate developer, philanthropist and sports team owner. Ross is the chairman and majority owner of The Related Companies, a global real estate development firm he founded in 1972. Related is best known for developing the Time Warner Center, where Ross currently lives and works, as well as its new Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project. According to Forbes magazine, Ross has a net worth of $4.8 billion. Ross is also the principal owner of the Miami Dolphins and Sun Life Stadium.

Stephen M. Ross is an American real estate developer who lives in New York City. He is the founder, chairman and CEO of The Related Companies, L.P. , a global real estate development firm. Related is best known for developing the Time Warner Center, where Ross lives and works.

Ross is a major benefactor of his alma mater, the University of Michigan; with lifetime contributions of $313 million to the university, he is the largest donor in university history. According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Ross's higher education gifts rank behind only billionaire New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, whose recent $350 million contribution to Johns Hopkins University increased his lifetime total to $1.1 billion. The University of Michigan renamed its business school, the Ross School of Business, in Ross's honor in 2004, after Ross made a $100 million gift to fund a new business-school building. In September 2013, Ross donated $200 million to the University ($100 million to the Business School and $100 million to Michigan athletics), the largest single gift in the history of the university; the University of Michigan announced plans to rename the university's athletics campus in his honor. Ross also gave $5 million to the athletic department's academic center and $1 million to endow a professorship in real estate at the Ross School of Business.

Early life and education
Ross was raised in a Jewish family in Detroit and later graduated from Miami Beach Senior High School. He attended the University of Florida and then transferred to the University of Michigan Business School, where he earned his bachelor's degree in accounting in 1962. He later received a Juris Doctor from the Wayne State School of Law in 1965 and an LL.M. degree in Taxation from the New York University School of Law in 1966.

Career
Ross began his career as a tax attorney at Coopers & Lybrand in Detroit. In 1968, he moved to New York City and accepted a position as an assistant vice president in the real estate subsidiary of Laird Inc. and then worked in the corporate finance department of Bear Stearns. In 1972, he left employment and living off $10,000 lent to him by his mother, he utilized his federal tax law knowledge to organize deals for wealthy investors allowing them to shelter income with the generous incentives granted by the federal government to promote the construction of federally subsidized affordable housing. He was very successful, earning $150,000 in his first year, and he was soon arranging more complicated transactions. Using his earnings along with his newfound experience, he started to develop real estate on his own and with an emphasis on high-quality architecture and engineering, he quickly earned a solid reputation in the American real estate arena. With a focus on the northeastern United States and Florida, he developed apartments, condominiums, retail, office parks and mixed-use developments. In 1972, he founded The Related Companies, a real estate development company.

The Related Companies

Related is a fully integrated and diversified real estate development company. Its business includes development, acquisitions, management, finance, marketing and sales. Headquartered in New York City, Related has offices and real estate developments in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco, South Florida, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai. The company directly employs approximately 2,000 people. The company's existing portfolio of real estate assets, valued at over $15 billion, is made up of mixed-use, residential, retail, office, trade show and affordable properties in what the company calls "premier high-barrier-to-entry markets." Related is the largest owner of luxury residential rental properties in New York with over 5,000 units in its portfolio and has developed mixed-use projects such as Time Warner Center in New York and CityPlace in West Palm Beach and is currently developing the 26-acre Hudson Yards project on Manhattan's west side. Related also manages approximately $1.5 billion of equity capital on behalf of sovereign wealth funds, public pension plans, multi-managers, endowments, Taft Hartley plans and family offices.

Related also owns Equinox Fitness Clubs and a partnership interest in Union Square Events, the catering, culture, sports, and events business of Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group.

Miami Dolphins
In February 2008, Ross bought 50 percent of the Miami Dolphin franchise, Dolphin Stadium and surrounding land from then-owner Wayne Huizenga for $550 million, with an agreement to later become the Dolphins' managing general partner. On January 20, 2009, Ross closed on the purchase of an additional 45 percent of the team from Wayne Huizenga. The total value of the deal was $1.1 billion. This means Ross is now the owner of 95% of both the franchise and the stadium. Ross announced his intention to keep Bill Parcells as the director of football operations. Parcells later stepped down from his position shortly before the 2010 NFL season. Since buying the Dolphins, Ross has brought in Gloria Estefan, Marc Anthony, Venus Williams, and Serena Williams, as minority owners of the team. In 2013, Ross made a push to obtain multimillion dollar public funding from the state of Florida and Miami-Dade taxpayers to help renovate Sun Life Stadium, the Dolphins' home field. After this effort failed in the Florida legislature, a team spokesman said that Ross does not intend to move the team but that under an eventual future owner the Dolphins' future in the Miami area is bleak. Although Ross said he intends to keep the Dolphins "in town", there has been speculation that the team may seek to move out of Miami to a nearby locale such as Palm Beach.

RSE Ventures
In 2012, Ross and Matt Higgins formed RSE Ventures, a sports marketing, technology and entertainment holding company. RSE Ventures specializes in accelerating innovation and adoption around the live experience, leveraging its network of companies to create or acquire new content and technology.

Kangaroo Media/FanVision
Ross and Carl Peterson own Kangaroo Media, producer of FanVision.

Civic and philanthropic leadership
Ross was co-chair of the University of Michigan's fund raising campaign, which was completed May 2007. He is currently serving on President Mary Sue Coleman's Advisory Group and the Director's Cabinet in the University's Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.

In 2004, Ross made the single largest contribution (at the time) to the University of Michigan by donating $100 million to the school. The University renamed its business school, Ross School of Business in his honor. On September 12, 2013, it was announced Ross had committed an additional $200 million gift to the University, to be distributed equally among the Ross School of Business and the University's athletic department. It replaced Charlie Munger's 2013 contribution of $115 million as the largest single gift in the University's history.

He was on the executive committee of NYC2012, New York's initiative to bring the summer Olympic Games to New York City in 2012, which failed when London won instead. Ross is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Equinox Holdings, Inc. and chairperson emeritus of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), the city's leading real estate trade association. As a member of the Board of Trustees of the Guggenheim Foundation, Ross was involved in the planning of a major renovation of the Frank Lloyd Wright iconic building in New York and other new museums. He is a trustee of New York Presbyterian Hospital, the Urban Land Institute, the NY Chapter of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International, the Levin Institute and is a director of the Jackie Robinson Foundation and the World Resources Institute. He also serves on the Executive Committee and is a trustee of Lincoln Center.

Honors and awards
Over the years, Ross has received numerous honors for his business, civic, and philanthropic activities. Most recently, he was named the third Most Powerful Person in New York Real Estate by the New York Observer, Multi-Family Property Executive of the Year by Commercial Property News, and Housing Person of the Year by the National Housing Conference. He also received The National Building Museum Honor Award, REBNY's Harry B. Helmsley Distinguished New Yorker Award and the Jack D. Weiler Award from UJA. Crain's New York named Ross one of the 100 Most Influential Leaders in Business and he was recognized by NYC & Company with their Leadership in Tourism Award.

Political views
Ross was a major supporter and contributor to the 2012 presidential campaign of Mitt Romney.

Personal life
Ross and his wife Kara Ross (née Gaffney), an entrepreneur and jewelry designer, reside in New York with her two daughters from a previous marriage. Ross has two of his own children from his first marriage. The Rosses also own an 11,000 sq ft oceanfront mansion in Palm Beach.

Ross's uncle Max M. Fisher was a successful financier and philanthropist from Detroit, Michigan.

Clark Hunt - Kansas City Chiefs' CEO

Clark Knobel Hunt (born February 19, 1965) is Chairman and CEO of the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs and a founding investor-owner in Major League Soccer. Hunt also serves as Chairman of Hunt Sports Group, where he oversees the operations of FC Dallas and, formerly, the Columbus Crew of MLS.

Clark Hunt has been involved in the leadership of the Kansas City Chiefs for more than a decade and currently serves as the club's chairman and CEO.
In January 2013, Hunt ushered in a new era of Chiefs leadership, hiring Head Coach Andy Reid on Jan. 7 and General Manager John Dorsey a week later on Jan. 14. Hunt also introduced a structure change within the organization, announcing that for the first time in club history, the head coach, the general manager and the team president would all report directly to the chairman and CEO.
"We are thrilled to welcome both Andy and John to the Chiefs family. Each of them is well-respected across the league and brings a great amount of experience to the team. I am very excited for the future of Chiefs football under Andy, John and President Mark Donovan," Hunt said. "I truly believe we have the best leaders in place to guide this franchise to many successful seasons."
In 2012, the Hunts and the Chiefs celebrated 50 years of Chiefs football in Kansas City, paying tribute to Chiefs fans, the Kansas City community, and throughout the entire Chiefs Kingdom.
As part of the year-long anniversary of his father, Lamar Hunt, relocating the team to Kansas City, Hunt initiated a number of fan and game day elements to honor five decades of Chiefs football. As part of the celebration, the Chiefs became the first team in NFL history to reward each season ticket account holder with a personalized Chiefs Nike jersey. In addition to the free jersey, the club introduced a "STH" patch for the jersey that is available exclusively to Chiefs Season Ticket Holders.
Other highlights of the 50-year celebration included a Chiefs fan celebration tour to locations in Missouri and Kansas, as well as the announcement of the Kansas City Chiefs Art Program. Working in conjunction with leading members of the Kansas City business and arts communities, the Hunt family and the Chiefs are assembling a world-class collection of artwork in select spaces at Arrowhead Stadium produced by artists from the surrounding region, including Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma and Arkansas. The program is designed to help promote regional culture, provide educational opportunities for the youth of Kansas City and engage the community in a way that touches individuals of all ages and walks of life.
Hunt's proven business acumen, coupled with two decades of experience working side-by-side with his father, one of America's sports pioneers, helped shape his vision for the storied franchise.
Background
After graduating from St. Mark's School of Texas, he finished first in his class at Southern Methodist University in 1987, where he was a captain of SMU's nationally ranked soccer team and a two-time Academic All-American. Hunt earned a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance. He was a two-time recipient of the university's highest academic honor, the Provost Award for Outstanding Scholar.

Hunt began his business career as an analyst with Goldman Sachs. He is married to Tavia Shackles, a former Miss Missouri Teen USA and Miss Kansas USA. The couple have three children.[citation needed]

Involvement in professional sports
One of the driving forces behind the creation of Major League Soccer, Hunt helped his father run the Kansas City Wizards until the team was sold in 2006. Hunt remains a member of the league's Board of Governors and owns the MLS club FC Dallas.[citation needed] He previously owned the Columbus Crew until 2013.

Kansas City Chiefs
Hunt was named Chairman of the Board of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2005.[citation needed]

After the Chiefs' loss to the New York Jets in the 2007 season finale, Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson announced that both he and head coach Herm Edwards would return to the Chiefs in 2008. However, Hunt declined to immediately comment on Peterson's status. Hunt spoke out weeks later and stated that the Chiefs were his "No. 1 priority" and that "to have the best chance of success in 2008, having Carl here makes a lot of sense.” Hunt wanted to avoid having a new general manager come in with a new head coach, and starting from scratch again.

On December 15, Hunt announced the resignation of Carl Peterson from his positions as general manager, president, and CEO of the franchise effective the end of the season. Prior the decision, the Chiefs had a combined record of 9-24 under Hunt's leadership since December 23, 2006.

The official press release stated that Peterson resigned, but Hunt had said the conversation had been on-going throughout the season. Hunt said his decision to relieve Peterson of duties was not based on what happened the previous day, when the Chiefs lost an 11-point lead in the final 73 seconds and were beaten 22–21 by San Diego, dropping their record to 2-12 on the season. Hunt also said that the fate of head coach Herm Edwards would be settled after the season when a new general manager would be hired. Hunt said he would split the duties previously held by Peterson and have someone in charge of the business side and someone else in charge of football for the franchise.

Hunt had kept his search for a new general manager almost entirely leak-proof, instructing subordinates that only he is to speak to the situation. On January 13, 2009 Hunt hired New England Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli as the new Chiefs general manager. On January 23 the Chiefs fired head coach Herman Edwards, and Todd Haley was hired as his replacement on February 6.

2012 Season
Hunt fired Todd Haley on December 12, 2011, after the Chiefs had compiled a 5-8 record during the 2011 NFL season. Haley was replaced by defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel. Crennel finished his stint as interim head coach with a 2-1 record. On January 9, 2012, Hunt named Crennel the team's permanent head coach.

The return of star players Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry led many to believe that the Chiefs would contend for a playoff spot. Instead, the Chiefs were historically bad through the first seven games of the season, failing to lead a game during regulation (worst since 1940), and holding a tie at the end of only two of twenty-eight possible quarters. Through seven games, the Chiefs were on pace to break the 1965 Pittsburgh Steelers record for worst turnover ratio by 11 turnovers.

On October 28, 2012, the Chiefs lost to rival Oakland Raiders for the sixth consecutive time at home. To date, the only public comment Hunt has made during the season has been in defense of Chiefs fans, who were accused by new right tackle Eric Winston of cheering Matt Cassell's head injury during a game on October 7, 2012. Local and national media outlets have referred to the 1-6 Chiefs' start as "rock bottom" and "competing against history".

Hunt has yet to comment publicly on the Chiefs' season, though it is reported that he has spoken with several fans, and that the Chiefs have refunded tickets to holders who have complained. The Kansas City Star has referred to the season as among the worst in the history of professional sports.

On January 4, 2013, The Kansas City Chiefs officially hired Andy Reid to be the next Head Coach.

Columbus Crew
Under Hunt, the Columbus Crew won their first MLS Cup championship on November 23, 2008.

West Ham United FC
Hunt was linked to the £120M purchase of West Ham United on August 6, 2009. However on 19 January 2010, David Sullivan and David Gold bought the east London club.

Crystal Palace FC
By February 2010, rumours started to abound that Clark Hunt was one of the interested parties looking at buying Crystal Palace FC from the administrators P&A Partnership.

Shahid Khan - Jacksonville Jaguars' Owner

Shahid "Shad" Khan (born July 18, 1952) is a Pakistani-born American billionaire businessman. He is the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL), the English Football League Championship team Fulham F.C., and automobile parts manufacturer Flex-N-Gate in Urbana, Illinois.

As of September 2013, Khan's net worth is over $3.8 billion. He is ranked 122nd in the Forbes 400 list of richest Americans and is overall the 490th wealthiest person in the world. He is also the richest person of Pakistani origin.

Khan was featured on the front cover of Forbes Magazine in 2012, associating him as the face of the American Dream.

Early life

Khan was born in Lahore, Pakistan to a middle-class family who were involved in the construction industry. His mother (now retired) was a professor of mathematics. He moved to the United States in 1968 at age 16 to study at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. When he came to the United States, he spent his first night in a $2/night room at the University Y-YMCA, and his first job was washing dishes for $1.20 an hour. He joined the Beta Theta Pi fraternity at the school. He graduated from the UIUC College of Engineering with a BSc in Industrial Engineering in 1971. Khan acquired US citizenship in 1991. He is a Muslim.

Flex-N-Gate

Khan worked at the automotive manufacturing company Flex-N-Gate while attending the University of Illinois. When he graduated he was hired as the engineering director for the company. In 1978, he started Bumper Works, which made car bumpers for customized pickup trucks and body shop repairs. The transaction involved a $50,000 loan from the Small Business Loan Corporation and $16,000 in his savings.

In 1980 he bought Flex-N-Gate from his former employer Charles Gleason Butzow, bringing Bumper Works into the fold. Khan grew the company so that it supplied bumpers for the Big Three automakers. In 1984 he began supplying a small number of bumpers for Toyota pickups. By 1987 it was the sole supplier for Toyota pickups and by 1989 it was the sole supplier for the entire Toyota line in the United States. Adopting The Toyota Way increased company efficiency and ability to change its manufacturing process within a few minutes. Since then the company has grown from $17 million in sales to an estimated $2 billion in 2010.

Since early 2012 Shad and Ann Khan have focused their philanthropic giving in the Jacksonville community through the Jaguars Foundation.  Through the Foundation they provided more than $1 million in grants in 2012 and $1.6 million in 2013 to children’s and family programs, as well as other NFL and team-related initiatives. The Foundation also donates more than 11,000 charitable tickets with an in-kind value of nearly $500,000 annually. The Khans’ charitable initiatives include a $1 million commitment to the City of Jacksonville’s Veterans Resource and Reintegration Center, as a partner in the mayor’s initiative to military service members transitioning back to civilian life.  The Khans also made a six-figure challenge matching grant to the North Florida Boy Scouts, contributions to fund the NFL/Jaguars Play 60 program in partnership with Baptist Health, and grants to support community improvements. Khan also supported the One Spark event in Jacksonville in April 2014 with his second consecutive $1 million pledge to support creativity and innovation.

By 2011, Flex-N-Gate had 12,450 employees and 48 manufacturing plants in the United States and several other countries, and took in $3 billion in revenue.

In May 2012, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Flex-N-Gate $57,000 for health violations at its Urbana plant.

Jacksonville Jaguars
Khan's first attempt to purchase a National Football League team came in February 11, 2010, when he entered into an agreement to acquire 60 percent of the St. Louis Rams from Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez, subject to approval by other NFL owners. However, Stan Kroenke, the minority shareholder of the Rams, ultimately exercised a clause in his ownership agreement to match any proposed bid.

On November 29, 2011, Khan agreed to purchase the Jacksonville Jaguars from Wayne Weaver and his ownership group subject to NFL approval. Weaver announced his sale of the team to Khan later that same day. The terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed, other than a verbal commitment to keep the team in Jacksonville, Florida. The sale was finalized on January 4, 2012. The purchase price for 100% share in the Jaguars was estimated to have been $760 million. The NFL owners unanimously approved the purchase on December 14, 2011. The sale made Khan the first member of an ethnic minority ever to own an NFL team.

Fulham F.C.

In 2013, Khan complemented his sports club portfolio with his purchase of the London-based Fulham Football Club.  As chairman of Fulham, Khan became the only person in the world to own 100 percent of both an NFL club and a Barclays Premier League team. Fulham will play in the Sky Bet Championship division of The Football League in 2014-2015.
In July 2013 Khan negotiated the purchase of the London soccer club Fulham of the Premier League from its previous owner, Mohamed Al Fayed. The deal was finalized on July 12, 2013 with the amount estimated between £150–200 million. An official purchase price for the club was not announced with Khan stating that it was "highly confidential".

Recognition
Khan has received a number of awards from the University of Illinois, including a Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1999 from the Department of Mechanical Science and Industrial Engineering, the Alumni Award for Distinguished Service in 2006 from the College of Engineering, and (with his wife, Ann) the Distinguished Service Award in 2005 from the University of Illinois Alumni Association.

Shahid Khan net worth: Shahid Khan is a Pakistani-born entrepreneur who has a net worth of $4.2 billion dollars. Born in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, Shahid Khan came to the United States in his late teens to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's School of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. After graduating in 1971, he became the engineering director for Flex-N-Gate, an automobile manufacturing company. He subsequently started his own company, Bumper Works, in 1978. His company specialized in car bumpers and became so successful, that he was able to purchase Flex-N-Gate. The larger company became the primary supplier of bumpers to the major car manufacturers in the United States, and then became the sole supplier for Toyota. It has since grown to 48 plants, employing over 12,000 people, and pulls in $3 billion per year. Shahid Khan recently became the majority owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars NFL team. The sale was finalized in mid-December 2011 and his ownership will go into effect in 2012.

Along with his wife, fellow University of Illinois alum Ann Carlson Khan, the Khans’ gifts to the University of Illinois have enriched the university and community through donations to the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, the University Library; the College of Business; and the College of Applied Health Sciences, where they have funded five endowed Khan Professorships and the Khan Annex—a 24,000 square foot facility with state-of-the-art laboratories, instructional, and professional collaboration spaces. The Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex on the University of Illinois campus will hosted the 2013 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships.

In 2007 the Khan Foundation was formed to expand research in the Applied Health Sciences, with Mrs. Khan serving as the foundation’s president. Since its inception, the Foundation has given out more than five million dollars in grants nationwide—to libraries; organizations such as Crisis Nursery and the YMCA; and to UCLA for pediatric non-embryonic stem cell research.  In 2011 Mr. Khan became a Lincoln Laureate, the state’s highest award for achievement given by the Lincoln Academy of Illinois, for his philanthropic work in the state.

Personal

Mr. Khan shares his passion for the American dream with his family.  The Khans have passed on their commitment to work and service to their two grown children, Shanna and Tony Khan. Tony is the Jaguars’ senior vice president, football technology and analytics.

Jim Irsay - Indianapolis Colts' Owner

James "Jim" Irsay (born June 13, 1959) is the owner and CEO of the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League.

As the Colts approach their 30th season in Indianapolis, fans around the globe will be focused on “what’s next” for one of the top teams in the NFL. It’s a team that has flourished under the leadership of Jim Irsay, As the Colts approach their 30th season in Indianapolis, fans around the globe will be focused on “what’s next” for one of the top teams in the NFL. It’s a team that has flourished under the leadership of Jim Irsay, a second generation owner whose roots are steadfastly planted in NFL traditions.

Irsay was 12 years old when his father, Robert Irsay, purchased the Baltimore Colts. After graduating from SMU in 1982 he joined the Colts' professional staff. He was named Vice President and General Manager in 1984, one month after the Colts relocated from Baltimore, to Indianapolis. After his father suffered a stroke in 1995 Jim assumed day-to-day management with the role of Senior Executive Vice President, General Manager and Chief Operating Officer in April 1996. When his father died in 1997 Jim engaged in a legal battle with his stepmother over ownership of the team, but later became the youngest NFL team owner at that time at 37. He controls 100% of the franchise.

Jim Irsay grew up with the Colts. His father, Robert, acquired the team when Jim was 13 years old. There’s sincere sentiment when Irsay talks about those years of living with the team during summer camp, watching every game and riding the team bus. After he graduated from SMU with a degree in broadcast journalism, he joined the franchise and worked in virtually every area, from ticket sales to public relations to football operations. When the Colts arrived in 1984, Irsay was named general manager, the youngest to ever hold that job at age 24.

Irsay was born in Lincolnwood, Illinois, the son of Harriet (née Pogorzelski) and Chicago businessman Robert Irsay.[2] His father was from a Hungarian Jewish[3] family and his mother was the daughter of Polish Catholic immigrants. Irsay was raised Catholic, and did not know about his father's Jewish heritage until he was fourteen.[4][5] Jim's brother, Robert, was born with a mental disability and died in 1999, and his sister, Roberta, died in a car accident in 1971. Irsay attended high school at Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Illinois a suburb just north of Chicago, Illinois and at Mercersburg Academy '78, Mercersburg, Pennsylvania. After high school he attended, and graduated from, Southern Methodist University in 1982 with a degree in broadcast journalism.[6] Irsay played linebacker for the SMU Mustangs football team as a walk-on, but an ankle injury ended his playing career.

“Those years were tough and I took a lot of criticism, but I wouldn’t change it for anything,” said Irsay. “I learned early that working your way through adversity can be the best way to become a better manager, leader and owner.”

When Irsay took over as owner in 1997, he began to implement his plan to build a winning team. To Colts fans around the world, the celebration was spectacular when, to Indiana’s great delight, that plan worked. Just 10 years later, the Indianapolis Colts brought home the team’s fourth world championship and the Lombardi Trophy with a Super Bowl XLI victory.

As other NFL teams have learned, it’s not easy to sustain a winning franchise. Despite the fact that the Colts made it to a second Super Bowl during the 2009 season, Irsay knew it was time to make a change following a disappointing 2-14 year in 2011. He hired Ryan Grigson as the team’s general manager and Chuck Pagano as the head coach. The chemistry of this duo, matched by the dynamic coaching staff they assembled and the players they recruited were just what was needed for a turnaround.

As the Colts approached the 2012 campaign, Grigson and Pagano built a team led by the No. 1 overall draft pick, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. With new talent from the draft and free agency, combined with record-setting veterans, the Colts were ready to show fans a new level of play and energy.

What no one expected was the news that broke just three games into the regular season. Coach Pagano had been diagnosed with leukemia and was undergoing treatment at the IU Simon Cancer Center. The team, community and country rallied behind Coach Pagano and his eventual return to the field in the regular season finale. The Colts recorded an 11-5 record and reached the AFC Playoffs. The nine-win improvement from the 2011 season is tied for the third-largest in NFL history.

The 2013 campaign promises to be another exciting season. While the 2012 draft produced skill position players, this year’s draft for the Colts focused on what Ryan Grigson calls the “trench players.” But it wasn’t just the draft that filled out the roster. The Colts were incredibly active in the free agency and added 10 players who bring a wealth of veteran leadership. With that in mind, Irsay and the Colts always keep one goal in mind: Give Colts fans the best possible season.

This year also marks the team’s sixth season at Lucas Oil Stadium, one of America's finest sports venues. All eyes were focused on the City of Indianapolis and the stadium when Super Bowl XLVI came to town. Largely regarded as one of the most successful Super Bowls ever, the event also generated hundreds of millions of dollars in economic impact, not to mention the worldwide exposure for the City and State.

A hallmark of Jim Irsay's tenure of stewardship was the 2006 season, when the Indianapolis Colts won Super Bowl XLI, with a 29-17 victory over Chicago. Following its triumphant title return, the team was welcomed by a raucous crowd lining downtown streets and filling the RCA Dome. Irsay responded by sending the Lombardi Trophy on a tour throughout Indiana. The 50-stop, 3,130-mile tour gave fans an opportunity to see, touch and have pictures taken with the trophy. That fall, he created a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for fans to compete for one of five authentic Super Bowl rings. The effort raised more than $225,000 for charity and entertained thousands who witnessed the 10 finalists take their chance to pick one of five treasure chests that contained a ring inscribed with, 'Colts Fan.'

An active and participating owner, Irsay chairs the league's Legislative Committee and serves on both the Finance Committee and the Super Bowl Advisory Committee. He also has served on the Executive Committee of the Management Council and the Pro-College Relations Committee. Additionally, Irsay was a member of the Realignment Working Group and the Working Club Executive Committee that authored the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement in 1993.

Irsay and his wife, Meg, oversee the team’s extensive contributions program. In their home city and state, the Irsays are active supporters for programs that address health and wellness, community development, cancer research and the arts.

Although football has been the focus of Irsay’s professional life, he is a music aficionado who collects rare guitars (including Jerry Garcia's Tiger and one of George Harrison's guitars) and an Americana fan who collects rare historical documents, including Jack Kerouac's original manuscript of On the Road.

Jim and Meg have three daughters, Carlie Irsay Gordon, Casey Foyt and Kalen Irsay, as well as five grandchildren. All three daughters represent the next generation of ownership for the Indianapolis Colts as each was promoted to the position of vice chair/owner in March of 2012.

In reflecting on the organization at this point in time, Jim Irsay says, “I could not be prouder of our franchise. Both the football side and the front office have never worked better together. Our fans, far and near, will witness and enjoy many years of success on and off the field. We have the best fans in the NFL and our goal is to resume our position as one of the most consistently “best” teams in the league.”

Irsay married Meg Coyle in 1980, and the couple have three daughters, Carlie, Casey and Kalen.

Irsay has a habit of quoting rock music. It is rumored that he brings his guitar on Colts road trips and plays until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning.In 2001 Irsay purchased the original manuscript of On The Road, or "the scroll": a continuous, one hundred twenty-foot scroll of tracing paper sheets that Jack Kerouac cut to size and taped together, for $2.43 million.Irsay is a big fan of British rock band The Who. Irsay also has purchased guitars originally owned by Elvis Presley, George Harrison, and Jerry Garcia.

In 2009 Irsay was vocal about preventing a group that included talk-show host Rush Limbaugh from purchasing the St. Louis Rams. "I, myself, couldn't even consider voting for him," Irsay said at an NFL owners meeting. "When there are comments that have been made that are inappropriate, incendiary and insensitive... our words do damage, and it's something we don't need."Irsay has made political contributions to John Edwards and Harry Reid.

On March 16, 2014, Irsay was arrested under suspicion of DUI and drug possession in Carmel, Indiana.According to Indianapolis Star sports columnist, Bob Kravitz, he has had an ongoing drug problem.Irsay's daughter, Carlie, will take over the day-to-day operations of the Colts while he is in rehab.