Alex G. Spanos - San Diego Chargers' Owner

Alexander Gus Spanos (born September 28, 1923) is an American real estate developer and self-made billionaire who founded the A. G. Spanos Companies and owns the San Diego Chargers.

Alex Spanos and his wife Faye are shining examples of how the American spirit of hard work and determination can pay off for those willing to follow their dreams.

In 1951 at the age of 27, Alex Spanos decided he could no longer support his growing family on $40 per week working in his father’s bakery. So he borrowed $800, purchased a used catering truck and set out on his own by providing catering and support services for the migrant farm workers in California’s Central Valley.

From those humble beginnings, Spanos’ tireless work ethic built one of the leading real estate and development companies in the industry, and today he is the patriarch of one of the most accomplished and philanthropic families in the United States.

A.G. Spanos Companies builds multi-family housing and master planned communities and is one of the nation’s largest family-owned builders. Alex Spanos’ personal commitment to quality and integrity is now carried on by his family in the daily operation and management of the San Diego Chargers as well as the companies that bear his name.

Spanos made family part of his formula for business success. The A.G. Spanos organization, including the Chargers, is a family-run operation. Spanos’ amazing journey and his passion for giving back is outlined in his autobiography, “Sharing the Wealth: My Story,” a compelling first-hand account of the events and decisions in his life that became his basic fundamentals for success.

His success in the construction and development industry allowed him to pursue many dreams, including purchasing the Chargers on Aug. 1, 1984. Alex turned over the day-to-day operations of the Chargers to his oldest son, Dean, in 1994. Today he enjoys retirement and watching sons, Dean and Michael, along with grandsons, A.G. and John, guide the Chargers’ organization to success.

Spanos’ community spirit and generosity are renowned. Few can match the benevolence and philanthropy that Alex and Faye have shown through their support of deserving institutions and community-service efforts. San Diegans have Spanos to thank for the huge economic windfall of two Super Bowls and a Republican National Convention to San Diego. In addition to the millions of dollars donated by Spanos and the Chargers Community Foundation, which he established, the Spanos family has delivered more than $11 million to help San Diego’s youth by supporting education as well as health and fitness programs.

In 2008 the President of the Republic of Greece, Mr. Karolos Papoulias, awarded Spanos the Medal of the Commander of the Order of Honor. The honor came in recognition of his many contributions to the birthplace of his parents.

These acts of caring demonstrate the commitment of a man whose rags-to-riches story has been an inspiring example for others. Though his life has taken him places he never dreamed possible, Spanos continues to reside in his hometown of Stockton, California.

Alex and Faye are celebrating 65 years of marriage in 2013. And they will celebrate with their four children – Dean, Dea, Alexis, Michael and their spouses – 15 grandchildren, and four great grandsons.

Early life and education
Spanos was born in Stockton, California to a Greek family, the son of Greek immigrants, Constantino and Evanthia Spanos. His father owned a bakery where the young Spanos started working at the age of eight. In 1942 he dropped out of college and joined the Army Air Force training as a pilot but left the program and instead serving as a tail gunner during World War II. Spanos earned varsity letters in running and diving at the University of the Pacific in Stockton and later distinguished himself as an amateur golfer.[citation needed]

Career
In 1951 he borrowed $800 from a local banker to buy a truck which he then used to sell sandwiches to migrant farm workers in the San Joaquin Valley. By 1955 he had made his first million dollars. He invested his earnings in real estate and at the suggestion of his tax accountants, and started to build apartments. In 1960 he founded A.G. Spanos Companies, which by 1977 had became the largest apartment builder in the United States. The corporation is based in Stockton and has 10 subsidiaries.

San Diego Chargers
In 1984, Spanos bought 60% of the San Diego Chargers from majority owner Eugene Klein for $48.3 million. Over the next 10 years, he bought out the shares of several small co-owners, bringing his control of the team to 97%. He remains partnered with retired San Diego restaurateur George Pernicano, an investor in the team since a few years after its inception. Since 1993, Spanos' son Dean has handled the daily operations of the franchise. According to Forbes, in 2007 the San Diego Chargers were worth $826 million.

Philanthropy and political contributions
Spanos donated $500,000 to renovate the historic Fox Theatre in downtown Stockton, and with the approval of the City of Stockton, renamed the facility the Fox California Bob Hope Theatre. The Alex G. Spanos Center in Stockton and the Alex G. Spanos Stadium in San Luis Obispo are named after him.

Spanos was one of the largest contributors to George W. Bush's reelection campaign in 2004. By contributing $5 million to 527 groups that supported the Bush campaign in 2004, Spanos ranked among the top five GOP donors. President Bush appointed Spanos to the Kennedy Center board in 2004. Spanos was inducted into the California Building Industry Hall of Fame in 2005. Spanos also received the AHEPA Award, an award that recognizes members of the community for their contributions and achievements in their chosen field of endeavor.

Personal life
In 1948, Spanos married Faye Papafaklis. They are the parents of four adult children: Dean Spanos, who serves as the Chargers' Team President; Micheal Spanos, who serves as the Charger's Executive Vice president; Alexis Spanos Ruhl, a vice president of A.G. Spanos Companies; and Dea Spanos Berberian, a vice president of A.G. Spanos Companies. The Spanos reside in Stockton, California. Spanos also owns property in Las Vegas, Nevada. Spanos had a seven-way heart bypass in 2000, and has had surgery and undergone chemotherapy for colon cancer. After his heart bypass at Sacramento Mercy General Hospital, Spanos donated $10 million to the hospital sponsoring the construction of its new state-of-the-art heart center.

He has written a book called Sharing the Wealth: My Story which details his rise from a moneyless man of 27 years to become a billionaire.[citation needed] Spanos was the first person ever to be on the winning teams in both the Bob Hope Desert Classic in Palm Desert (1977) and the Bob Hope British Pro-Am (1980).

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.

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.

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.

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.

William Clay Ford, Sr - Detroit Lions' Owner

AKA William Clay Ford

Born: 14-Mar-1925
Birthplace: Detroit, MI
Died: 9-Mar-2014
Location of death: Grosse Pointe Shores, MI
Cause of death: Pneumonia

Gender: Male
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Business

Nationality: United States
Executive summary: Ford exec and owner of the Detroit Lions

Military service: US Navy Air Corps (1945-48)

William Clay Ford, Sr. (March 14, 1925 – March 9, 2014) was the youngest child of Edsel Ford and was the last surviving grandchild of Henry Ford. Ford served on the boards of Ford Motor Company and the Edison Institute. Ford owned and served as chairman of the Detroit Lions football team.

Biography

Born on March 14, 1925, in Detroit, Michigan to Edsel Ford and Eleanor Lowthian Clay, Ford served in the U.S. Navy Air Corps during World War II. Following the war, Ford married Martha Parke Firestone, the granddaughter of Harvey Firestone and Idabelle Smith Firestone, on June 21, 1947. They had four children together: Martha Parke Morse (b. 1948); Sheila Firestone Hamp (b. 1951); William Clay Ford, Jr. (b. 1957); and Elizabeth Hudson Ford (b. 1961).

In 1948, a year after Henry Ford's death, William Clay Ford was appointed to the board of directors of the Ford Motor Company.Ford received a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Yale University in 1949,and was a member of the Psi Upsilon fraternity.

After graduating, Ford worked for the Ford Motor Company and was briefly head of the Continental Division.Continental was short-lived and merged with the Lincoln Motor Company shortly before Ford's public stock offering. Ford updated the Lincoln Continental that his father created and in 1955, the Continental Mark II was released. It is said there were only two pictures on his office wall, his father's Continental and his updated Mark II.

Ford was chairman of the board of trustees of the Henry Ford Museum from 1951 to 1983 and its largest donor.He was also involved in other historic properties, serving on the boards of the Wayside Inn and Seaboard Properties which managed the Dearborn Inn and Botsford Inn.

On April 10, 1952, an iron ore-hauling ship, the SS William Clay Ford, was named in honor of him.

On November 22, 1963, Ford purchased a controlling interest in the Detroit Lions of the National Football League from the previous owners, Edwin Anderson and Lyle Fife for $4.5 million. He was also chairman of the short-lived Detroit Cougars professional soccer team that played in the USA and NASL leagues.

Ford served as chairman of Ford Motor Company's design committee for 32 years, from 1957 to 1989.He was a member of the board of directors for 57 years, retiring on May 12, 2005, including being chairman of the important Finance Committee for a time.His son, William Clay Ford, Jr., was Ford Motor Company's CEO at the time.

According to the Forbes Magazine, Ford was the 371st richest person in the United States in 2013, with an approximate net worth of $1.4 billion.Ford reportedly owned 6.7 million shares of Class B stock and 26.3 million common shares; in other words, Ford was the largest single shareholder in the Ford Motor Company.

Ford died in his sleep from pneumonia at his home in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan, on March 9, 2014at the age of 88, less than a week before his 89th birthday.

Funeral services will be held privately, Ford Motor said in a statement. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent in the name of William Clay Ford to the Henry Ford Museum at 20900 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn, Mich. 48124 or to Dr. Scott Dulchavsky’s Innovation Institute at Henry Ford Health System at 2799 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit, Mich. 48045.

Last surviving grandchild of company founder Henry Ford, he was appointed to the company's Board of Directors while still attending Yale. Purchased the Detroit Lions in 1964. Worth an estimated $1B at the time of his 2005 retirement, according to Forbes magazine.

Jimmy Haslam - Cleveland Browns' Owner

 Jimmy Haslam --James Arthur "Jimmy" Haslam III (born March 1954) is the CEO of the Pilot Flying J truck stop chain and the current majority owner of the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League.On October 16, 2012, Haslam's $1 billion purchase of the Browns was unanimously approved by the 32 teams in the NFL; the sale itself closed on October 25, 2012.His father, fellow businessman Jim Haslam, founded the Pilot Flying J company in 1958 as the Pilot Oil Corporation.

Haslam, who lives in his native Knoxville, Tennessee, is brother to Bill Haslam, the Governor of Tennessee.

While attending the University of Tennessee Haslam was a roommate of Bob Corker, the current United States Senator from Tennessee. He is a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.

Haslam bought a minority interest in the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2008. In 2012, he reached an agreement with Browns owner Randy Lerner to purchase the franchise for $1 billion (USD). The Browns were valued at $977 million in 2011 by Forbes magazine, 20th in the NFL. Haslam's family also owns the Tennessee Smokies, a Class AA affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. NFL rules prohibit ownership in multiple teams and so Haslam sold his interest in the Steelers.

Haslam is married to Susan "Dee" Bagwell Haslam, CEO of RIVR Media. They have three adult children, Jim, Whitney and Cynthia.

Knoxville businessman Jimmy Haslam, CEO of family-run Pilot Flying J, is No. 831 on the 2013 Forbes list of the richest people in the world.

The owner of the Cleveland Browns, Haslam has a net worth of $1.8 billion, according to Forbes.

Pilot Flying J was started a one-gas station business by his father and has grown to one of the largest businesses in the country.

Jimmy Haslam is in his second stint as CEO after having left for a number of months upon buying the Browns.

Jimmy Haslam Net Worth: Jimmy Haslam is an American businessman, NFL team owner and philanthropist who has a net worth of $1.5 billion. Born James Arthur Haslam II on December 13, 1930, in Detroit, Michigan, he is the CEO of the truck stop chain, Pilot Flying J, and the owner of the NFL's Cleveland Browns. It was his father, fellow businessman Jim Haslam, that he established the company in 1958 as the Pilot Oil Corporation, which later merged with bankrupt Flying J in 2010 to become Pilot Flying J of today. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn, the truck stop chain is currently one of the largest companies in the USA, with 600 locations in 43 states and Canada that generate $31 billion in sales. When it comes to his acquisition of the Cleveland Browns, Haslam bought the team from Randy Learner for $1.05 billion in August 2012, and NFL authorized the sale in October the same year. What's more, he is also the brother of Bill Haslam, the Governor of Tennessee. Married with three children, Jimmy Haslam currently resides in Knoxville, TN.

Mike Brown -- Cincinnati Bengals' Owner

Mike Brown -- Cincinnati Bengals' Owner

Michael "Mike" Brown (born August 10, 1935) is the owner of the Cincinnati Bengals, an American football team in the National Football League. He is the son of former Cleveland Browns, Ohio State University and Cincinnati Bengals coach/co-founder, Paul Brown. Brown's ownership has been criticized for a lack of on-field success, his refusal to cede football operations to a general manager and the team's relationship with Hamilton County before and after a voter-approved tax increase to fund Paul Brown Stadium.

Before Bengals ownership

He is one of two living sons by Paul Brown (His brother, Pete, is currently the Senior Vice-President of Bengals' player personnel.His older brother, Robin, died of cancer in 1978.) He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1957, where he played quarterback for their football team, and from Harvard Law School in 1959.In an unusual meeting between future sports owners, eventual New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner hired him to a summer job as a deck hand for Kinsman Marine Transit Company.

Brown eventually followed his father into football management. Paul Brown founded the Bengals, then an American Football League team, in 1968. (This was several years after Paul Brown was dismissed as Cleveland Browns head coach in a well-publicized falling out with Art Modell). Mike Brown began his executive duties with the Bengals as assistant general manager. Along with personnel decisions, he was a spokesman for the team on issues of league rules and team policy.

Taking over the team

He assumed ownership responsibilities upon his father's death in August 1991 and has remained in the ownership position since. His first significant move as owner was to fire popular coach Sam Wyche after the 1991 season (although he originally claimed that Wyche resigned). Days later, Brown hired Dave Shula to be head coach, making Shula (at the time) the second youngest NFL head coach in history and making Dave and Don Shula the first father-son to lead different NFL teams in the same year. Going into 1993, Brown sought to negotiate a new lease with Cincinnati to keep the Bengals in the city.

Threats to move and a new stadium deal
Initially, Brown rejected advances from other cities to discuss moving the team. By 1995, he felt Riverfront Stadium's small seating capacity and lack of luxury boxes hindered the Bengals' success.

In 1995, he announced that Cincinnati had breached its lease agreement when it was late by one week in paying $167,000 in concession receipts. He threatened to move the team to Baltimore if Cincinnati or Hamilton County would not fund a new stadium. The leverage of this threat proved successful as Cincinnati’s City Council and the Hamilton County Commissioners opted to fund the new Paul Brown Stadium with a proposed county sales tax increase, which needed voter approval. In 1996, Hamilton County voters passed a one-half percent sales tax increase to fund the building of a new facility for the Bengals and a second new facility for the Major League Baseball Cincinnati Reds., the Bengals filed suit against the County for the right to manage it in 2000. County commissioners agreed to let a Bengals' subsidiary run the stadium and it opened later that year.



Todd Portune unseated future Bengals employee Bob Bedinghaus for the role of Hamilton County Commissoner
In 2007, Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune (a former Cincinnati City Council member, though not Commissioner at the time the parties executed the lease), filed a lawsuit in federal district court against the NFL, the Bengals and the other 31 NFL teams. Portune felt, among other things, that published revenues from 1995-1999  contradicted Brown's claims of financial distress. The Hamilton County Board of Commissioners eventually was substituted as the plaintiff in the case. Fans supporting Portune cite what they feel is the broken promise that the Bengals would "be more competitive" with a new stadium. The Bengals have had only three winning seasons out of 11 since the stadium opened.

Rick Eckstein, co-author of "Public Dollars, Private Stadiums," describes the Hamilton County arrangement as "the single most lopsided stadium deal since 1993" and questions Bob Bedinghaus' role with the team after having been County Commissioner when the deal was reached. A 2008 Forbes survey suggests the team's rankings in direct revenues have dropped since the stadium's construction (placing the team 21st in total value at $941 million).

The Bengals have requested that the County extend the lease for the stadium for 20 years, while Portune maintains his criticisms of the original agreement.

Lack of on-the-field success
Since Brown became owner, the team has had only 5 winning seasons out of 23 and has a winning percentage of .403 (151-224-1) in the regular season and .000 (0-5) in the playoffs. In 2008, the Bengals set a record for the most games needed under one specific owner to attain 100 wins (288). In 2010, the team set a record for the least games needed to lose 200 (both considering and not considering playoffs) under one specific owner (314).

The Bengals hold a number of distinctions for the time frame of Brown's ownership: It is the only team with three nine-game-or-more losing streaks. It also holds six of the twenty-five 0-6 starts (24%) and four of the thirteen 0-8 starts (31%) in that time. The Bengals have gone winless in October nine different times in twenty-two years under five different head coaches (Sam Wyche was originally hired by Paul Brown).

The most successful coach during Mike Brown's tenure is current coach Marvin Lewis with a .509 winning percentage (90-90-1). The Bengals won the AFC North Division in 2005, 2009 and 2013 (then losing to the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets and San Diego Chargers respectively) and earned a Wild Card spot in the playoffs in both 2011 and 2012, losing to the Houston Texans both times: 31-10 in the 2011 playoffs and 19-13 in the 2012 post-season. The team then earned a Wild Card (Due to insufficient regular season wins for a bye week in the AFC) match against San Diego in the playoffs of the 2013 season, but lost 10-27 in that 2013 post-season match.

In 2009 Yahoo sports ranked Mike Brown as the second worst owner in the NFL.

Philosophy
In addition to being majority owner, Brown is considered the Bengals' de facto general manager as well. He is one of two NFL owners who have either the title or powers of general manager, the other being Dallas' Jerry Jones.

In 2009, The Cincinnati Enquirer publicized details of testimony in a Hamilton County Probate Court trial over the $300 million estate of Austin Knowlton. Brown testified that he received a general manager bonus every year since he took over the team in 1991. Due to the team's record under his ownership, Brown has been subject to criticism for his approach to the running the football side of the Bengals' organization.

Tolerance of off field conduct
In the mid-to-late 2000s, the Bengals were involved in a series of disciplinary measures with a variety of players. In 2005, the Bengals drafted Chris Henry and Odell Thurman, each considered exceptionally talented but possible disciplinary hazards during their college careers. The following year, they were among nine Bengals players arrested for various offenses. Brown cut several "problem players" in 2008 including Henry and Thurman, but re-signed Henry later that year. This came after five arrests of Henry and Brown's statement earlier in the year that Henry's "conduct could no longer be tolerated." One fan protested by purchasing an electronic billboard along the Cincinnati interstate reading "CHRIS HENRY AGAIN? ARE YOU SERIOUS?" Henry died during a domestic dispute on December 17, 2009. Commenting on his death, Brown defended his decision to re-sign Henry, noting that "We knew him in a different way than his public persona.". Posthumously, it was discovered that Chris Henry was suffering from a progressive degenerative brain disease known as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE. According to a West Virginia University research study, the CTE may have contributed to Chris Henry's troubled behavior and, ultimately, his death.

Later in 2008, the Bengals signed running back Cedric Benson, whom the Chicago Bears had waived, in part, due to his off-field activities. In 2009, the team added Larry Johnson to provide depth for the position after the Kansas City Chiefs released him for "detrimental conduct." Johnson had also experienced recent legal difficulties. Benson was among 2009's leading NFL rushers, while Johnson saw limited action.

In recent years, Brown claims to have rethought this approach. Talking about the team's second appearance on Hard Knocks, Brown stated, "We have a different team now than we had a few years ago. We want the public to see them. We think they're good people. We think the public will be taken by them, will like them. It gives us a boost."

Brown has commented that the league's current attitude towards discipline is a change from a past "boys will be boys" attitude. Brown's father welcomed tailback Stanley Wilson back to the Bengals in 1988 after two drug suspensions. Wilson relapsed the night before Super Bowl XXIII and his absence in short-yardage situations affected the Bengals' efforts in one of the closest Super Bowl games in history.

Loyalty issues
Brown is historically reluctant to fire personnel after multiple losing seasons. His first hire as head coach, David Shula, lost fifty games faster than any NFL coach in history (69 games). Shula's successor, Bruce Coslet, resigned with a 21-39 record in 2000; Brown had yet to fire him. Current head coach Marvin Lewis has five winning seasons out of eleven in Cincinnati, five playoff appearances, a 90-85-1 regular season record and an 0-5 playoff record. Nevertheless, Brown agreed to extend Lewis' contract shortly after its expiration at the end of the 2010 season. Lewis received another contract extension prior to the beginning of the 2012 season.

Brown also values his family's connection with the franchise; evident in his choosing to name Paul Brown Stadium after his father rather than to sell corporate naming rights for it. Daughter Katie Blackburn is the executive president of the team and her husband Troy is an VP with additional family members among the front office staff. From 1994-2000, the Bengals paid out over $50 million to the Brown family members of Bengals staff in salaries.

Former Bengals receiver Cris Collinsworth argues Brown's loyalty played a role in decision to not persuade Boomer Esiason out of retiring despite a productive 1997 season. Esiason became a color analyst on ABC's Monday Night Football. Collinsworth suggested Brown "thought he was doing the right thing by Boomer" and did not want to cost him the MNF job. Collinsworth contrasted this attitude to other NFL owners, like the Dallas Cowboys' Jerry Jones, whom Collinsworth felt "would have flown Boomer down to the Bahamas on his personal jet, offered to kiss his ring and signed him right there."

Emphasis on the quarterback
Brown has publicized his belief that a "bell cow" quarterback is a necessity in turning a team into a winner. In a 1999 interview, he remarked "If you don't have a productive quarterback, you won't go anywhere...I know it doesn't seem that simple, but it is." Comparing quarterbacks to other positions on a football team, Brown has said "He's the hub of the wheel...like a queen on a chessboard. These other guys are like rooks or bishops or other pieces that are not quite as valuable. Some are more valuable than others. That's just a fact."

Brown turned down then-Saints coach Mike Ditka's offer of nine draft picks for one in the 1999 NFL draft against then-coach Coslet's advice. Coslet wanted as many draft picks as possible to help the Bengals' defense. Instead, Brown overruled Coslet and selected University of Oregon quarterback Akili Smith. Smith only played 22 games in his NFL career. Coslet later regretted that he "didn't insist hard enough" in trying to persuade Brown to accept the Saints' offer.

Before the 1992 Draft, press reports stressed the Bengals' need for either a cornerback or defensive lineman. Brown himself had been quoted the day before the draft as stating "we would dearly love to get a top defensive lineman, they're at a premium, and it's less true of other positions." Instead, the Bengals selected Houston quarterback David Klingler. Then Bengals quarterback Boomer Esiason and strong-safety David Fulcher both openly questioned the move the next day, arguing the team needed help on defense. Klingler became an eventual bust. Esiason has since revealed that he had actually demanded a trade at the end of the 1991 season, which may have influenced Brown to select Klingler (Esiason was traded to the New York Jets in 1993).

Brown placed a great deal of responsibility on Carson Palmer, calling him the Bengals' "lead dog" and stating "as he goes, we go." Palmer holds a number of team records and three Pro Bowl selections. The Bengals were 46-51 (.474) with Palmer as starter. Palmer threatened retirement from football if the Bengals did not trade him during the 2011 offseason. Brown insisted that he wouldn't "reward" Palmer's demands, arguing that Palmer made a commitment to the organization when he received a contract extension. Brown released Carson's younger brother, Jordan from the team on August 27, 2011. On October 18, 2011 the Bengals finally traded Carson Palmer to the Oakland Raiders for a 2012 first round draft pick and a conditional second round 2013 pick if Oakland made it to the AFC Championship game in 2011 or 2012 (which they did not).

Andy Dalton was taken in the 2011 NFL Draft and immediately became the first QB in franchise history to lead the team to the playoffs three years in a row.

"Carl Pickens Clause"
In 1998, the Bengals cut punter Lee Johnson. Brown attempted to fine Johnson after cutting him for "conduct detrimental to the team" in relation to comments Johnson had made about the organization and the 1998 season. A reporter asked Johnson after a Bengals loss "if you were a fan, would you have come here today?" to which Johnson replied "No, no way...why would you? You're saying (losing) is OK. I guess if you've got nothing else to do. I'd sell my tickets." This fine resulted in a dispute with the NFL players union, whose counsel remarked "A fine is a disciplinary measure, you discipline someone to try and make sure they're a better employee in the future. How can you do that if you've fired them?"

In 2000, the Bengals instituted a "loyalty clause," which allows the Bengals to deny various bonuses to players depending on the remarks they make about the Bengals. The ability to enact such a clause appears justified under the collective bargaining agreement which states an NFL team can fine a player one week's salary and suspend him without pay for up to four weeks for any action the club considers detrimental to the team. Brown responded that the clause would only be enacted under extreme circumstances. He wrote an editorial for the Cincinnati Enquirer, citing team cohesion as his main motivation for the clause.

It is often dubbed the "Carl Pickens Clause," stemming from the 2000 offseason. Brown renewed Bruce Coslet's contract despite his 21–36 Bengals record. Pickens responded, "I don't understand it. We're trying to win; we're trying to turn this thing around out there. And they bring (Coslet) back." Pickens finished his career with the Tennessee Titans.

Over the years since the clause, Bengals players have commented on a negative atmosphere within the organization, notably Takeo Spikes, Jeff Blake and Jon Kitna.

The most vocal critic of the Bengals since the clause was instituted was Corey Dillon. In 2001, after becoming the sixth player in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards or more in five consecutive seasons, he remarked "at the end of the season, what do I have to feel good about? Nothing at all. It's not cool." After a fifth losing season with the team in 2002, he remarked ""I'm tired of it, six years of this B.S. I ain't lying to you. I'm sick of this crap, period." Dillon demanded a trade at the end of the 2003 season after throwing most of his gear to the fans during the last home game of the season. He went on to win a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots in the following season.

Scouting
Brown employs a very small scouting staff. A 2008 comparison between the Bengals' scouting department and five AFC teams with a .540+ winning percentage since 1991 showed the winning teams employing five or more scouts whereas the Bengals employed only one. Since then, the Bengals have added two additional scouts (Marvin Lewis originally claimed when hired that Brown assured him of a retooled scouting staff).

Frugality

Warren Sapp went to the Oakland Raiders after the Bengals appeared to have signed him
In 1994, agent Leigh Steinberg described Brown as "in a lonely fight for economic rationality in the NFL" and "a Don Quixote-type figure pushing back the forces of salary madness." Over the years, Brown has proven reluctant to finish free agent signings or trades. Warren Sapp (in 2004), Shaun Rogers (in 2008), and Johnathan Joseph (in 2011) are notable recent examples.

Agent Drew Rosenhaus described it as a "matter of hours" before the Bengals would sign Sapp, only a day before the Raiders signed him. Sapp accused the Bengals of "playing with the money" on the original deal they offered him, deferring more money to incentives rather than in guarantees. The Associated Press reported a completed trade between Cincinnati and the Detroit Lions on February 29, 2008 for Rogers. However, the trade fell through and the next day, it was confirmed that the Lions instead traded Rogers to the Cleveland Browns.

Responses to criticism of Brown
Several people cast Mike Brown sympathetically in response to fan and media criticism. After a surprising upset of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2003, Marvin Lewis tearfully awarded the game ball to Brown and told his players "he has put up with so much for you guys." Former Bengals dismiss notions that Brown is unconcerned with winning. Boomer Esiason, now a CBS analyst, refers to Brown as a "nice man" who is simply over his head running the team. In 1998 interviews, Cris Collinsworth and Bengals radio analyst Dave Lapham also rejected notions that Brown did not care about winning. Collinsworth remarked "I don't think anybody could be suffering more over this than Mike is."

Fan response
Organizers from MikeBrownSucks organized a boycott of a December 2001 regular season game  and fans visiting this site as well as another site, SaveTheBengals.com, paid for planes to fly a banner in the Cincinnati area calling for Brown's resignation.

Who Dey Revolution (WDR) has staged "Project Mayhem" since 2008 in an effort to persuade Brown to make changes to the Bengals. These steps ranged from calling the Bengals "JERK line" to report Brown's behavior as abusive to purchasing billboards displaying a request for a General Manager to merchandise and ticket donations/boycotts and letter-writing campaigns. The website's purchase and distribution of 1000 urinal cakes at a Bengals' home game advertised Brown's lifetime regular season record of 98-186-1 to that point.

WDR publishes a comic strip titled "The Lost Generation", presenting Mike Brown in a Charlie Brownesque caricature, presumably to correlate Brown's track record to the famous cartoon character's history of hard luck and failure.

Despite these protests, the Bengals have remained popular within Cincinnati. A November 21, 2010 game vs. the Buffalo Bills marked the first time since November '03 that network affiliates and DirectTV were legally obliged to "black out" the Bengals game within a 75-mile radius of Paul Brown Stadium for lack of ticket sales. The remaining home games against the New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns, and San Diego Chargers were also blacked out. Prior to this, the team sold out 57 straight games, a club record.

Personal life
Brown is considered somewhat reclusive although he occasionally grants interviews, mostly to discuss offseason moves with the Bengals. In 2008, Brown and the Bengals donated $250,000 to assist the Cincinnati Park Board in paying for Cincinnati Riverfront Park.

Stephen J. Bisciotti -- Baltimore Ravens' Owner

 Stephen J. Bisciotti (born April 10, 1960 in Philadelphia) is the current majority owner of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League.He founded a family of technical staffing companies known as Allegis Group, which owns Aerotek and TEKsystems.

Under Steve Bisciotti, the Ravens have joined an elite group– they are now one of 12 NFL teams with multiple Super Bowl victories. Six franchises have won one title. Ten others have earned the game and lost, while four teams have never advanced to the Super Bowl. More importantly, with last season’s Super Bowl XLVII Championship, the Ravens (two)joined the Patriots (three) and the Giants and Steelers, with two each, as teams that have won more than one NFL title since the turn of the century in 2000.

"We’re proud of what we’re giving to Baltimore,” Bisciotti says. "You have to make the playoffs to have the opportunity to compete for championships, and championships are our goal. We want to be a consistent winner that avoids big lulls and dips."

Baltimore is the only NFL team to earn the playoffs each of the last five seasons (2008-12), and the Ravens won at least one postseason game each of those years.(The five-consecutive-season-playoff run is a franchise record.) Under Steve’s leadership, the Ravens, who have made the playoffs six of the last seven years, have recently advanced to three AFC Championship games, doing so in 2012, 2011 and 2008.

The passionate Bisciotti, who at 53 is the second-youngest owner in the NFL (to Washington’s Daniel Snyder - 48), bought a minority interest in the Ravens in 2000 from Art Modell and completed the purchase of the franchise on April 9, 2004. Steve’s initial investment to the team provided funds to secure free agents for the 2000 Super Bowl XXXV championship team.

Today, his influence in the NFL continues to rise – he currently is a member of two important ownership committees: Broadcasting and Digital Media.

When Bisciotti, now in his 14th year as an owner of the Ravens, hired John Harbaugh as the team’s head coach in January of 2008, some eyebrows were raised. Harbaugh had never been a head coach at any level. In fact, he had not been an offensive or defensive coordinator in the NFL. It was obviously the right choice. Baltimore advanced to the playoffs in its first five years with Harbaugh, who is the only modern day (since 1970) head coach to go to and win a playoff game in each of his first five seasons.

“I think leadership is difficult to define, but you can recognize leadership when you see it,” Bisciotti says. “We all saw something in John. And, you have to be willing to separate yourself from the masses – take some chances – to achieve great success. There’s probably a little bit more perception that we took a risk with John. We don’t think we did.”

(Since taking over as the Ravens' owner, Bisciotti's teams have earned the playoffs a total of six times, including the AFC's No. 2 seed in 2006 with a franchise-record 13-3 mark.His 2004 team finished with a 9-7 record, missing the playoffs by just one game.)

(Since taking over as the Ravens’ owner, Bisciotti’s teams have earned the playoffs a total of five times, including the AFC’s second seed in 2006 with a 13-3 mark. His 2004 team finished with a 9-7 record, missing the playoffs by one game.)

Born in Philadelphia on April 10, 1960, Bisciotti moved with his family to Baltimore (Severna Park) in March of 1961 when Steve, the youngest of three children, was 11 months old. His father, Bernard, took the children to Orioles and Colts games. Sadly, Bernard died of leukemia when Steve was 8. His mother, Patricia, a huge Ravens’ fan, then raised the children.

After graduating from Salisbury (MD) State University with a degree in liberal arts in 1982, Bisciotti worked in the temporary help industry. In 1983 (he was 23), he started Aerotek with his cousin, Jim Davis. They offered aerospace and technology companies access to skilled temporary employees. Starting with two employees and two clients, Bisciotti and Davis produced $1.5 million in sales in the first year.

Aerotek grew into the Allegis Group, which currently is the largest privately-held staffing firm in the United States. The company, which is based just outside Baltimore and has offices throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe, has over 8,000 internal employees and 90,000 high-end contract workers. Allegis Group, which, like Steve, does little self promotion or publicity, places employees in positions from engineers to cable installers, to computer programmers, to marketing specialists.

Until he bought the Ravens, Bisciotti’s business success was not well known to the general public on a national level. In fact, it wasn’t even notable in the Baltimore area, where he and his partners kept a low profile. “I’m okay if I’m one of the least known owners in pro sports,” Bisciotti says.

Steve, an energetic visionary, quietly is dedicated to a number of important causes and projects, some associated with his deep Catholic faith. He is a board member for Catholic Charities. Most of Bisciotti’s extensive charity work and generous giving are done without public notice.

Bisciotti enjoys golfing, boating and is devoted to University of Maryland athletics, especially the men’s basketball team. He and his wife, Renée (Foote), are the parents of two sons, Jason, who owns a master’s in business, and Jack, who earned a degree in sports and entertainment management. Renée helped design the interior and selected the furnishings at the Ravens’ training complex. The family lives in Millersville, MD.

Bisciotti is pronounced Bih-SHAH-tee.

Bisciotti is a board member for both Associated Catholic Charities and Mother Seton Academy. He and his wife Renée (Foote) have two sons, Jason and Jack. The family lives on the Severn River in Maryland.

Arthur Blank -- Atlanta Falcons' Owner

Arthur Blank is Owner & CEO of the Atlanta Falcons and Co-Founder of The Home Depot, the world’s largest home improvement retailer and second largest retailer in the United States.  When he retired as Co-Chairman of The Home Depot in 2001, the company was a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and one of Fortune magazine’s “Global Most Admired Companies.”

Since Blank purchased the Falcons in 2002, there have been significant changes that have created renewed excitement among Falcons fans across the region.  During Blank’s first year as owner, the Falcons generated a 100 percent increase in season ticket sales – the highest single-year increase in NFL history – began a streak of 56 consecutive sold-out games, and built the franchise’s first season ticket waiting list.  Now in his tenth season, Blank has distinguished himself as one of the most innovative and progressive owners in all of professional sports, allowing him to attract and retain some of the most talented executives, coaches and players in the NFL.

Blank’s Family of Businesses portfolio also includes The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation; Atlanta Falcons Physical Therapy Centers; PGA TOUR Superstores; and Mountain Sky Guest Ranch and the Pop Stand in Montana.  While diverse in nature, all of his businesses are run based on a common set of core values, which focus on developing customer relationships, treating associates with respect, and supporting communities.

Blank is also dedicated to serving communities personally.  Through his generosity, The Blank Family Foundation has granted more than $250 million to support early childhood development, education, the arts, and parks and greenspace.

Blank serves on the corporate boards of Cox Enterprises and Staples.  He also serves on the board of Outward Bound USA, and on the board of trustees of The Carter Center; Emory University; and The Cooper Institute.

Blank has six children and three grandchildren and lives in Atlanta.

Arthur Blank and his friend Bernie Marcus (see) co-founded Home Depot in 1978. The company is now the world's largest home improvement retailer with nearly $79 billion in sales. Blank retired in 2002 and bought the Atlanta Falcons football team that same year. In March 2013, he agreed to provide most of the financing for the new $1 billion stadium for the team, with the city of Atlanta pitching in $200 million. Through his Arthur Blank Foundation, he invests in early childhood development, education, green space, and the arts and in 2012 he joined the Giving Pledge. Blank and his wife of 17 years, Stephanie Blank, divorced in early 2013.

Biography

Early life

Arthur Blank was born to a Jewish family, in Flushing, New York, with his father, Max, his mother, Molly, and his older brother, Michael. Blank graduated from Stuyvesant High School in New York City and went on to attend Babson College, where he graduated in three years in 1963 with a B.S. degree in Business Administration and accounting. He also received an honorary degree from Furman University, where the Falcons held training camp until 2005.

Championship pedigrees in the National Football League are earned through hard work, attention to the smallest details, and a burning desire to continuously raise the bar.

Atlanta Falcons Owner & Chairman Arthur Blank not only understands these facts of life in today’s NFL, he embraces them.

Driven by the tireless pursuit of a Super Bowl championship for the city of Atlanta and his Falcons, Blank, now in his 12th season as an NFL owner, has shaped his club into one of the most successful organizations in professional sports both on and off the field.

Taking control of a franchise in 2002 that had made the playoffs just six times over 36 seasons (17 percent), the Falcons have now become perennial post-season contenders, earning playoff berths in 6 of his 11 years as owner (55 percent), including consecutive playoff appearances in the last three seasons. In addition, since 2008, the Falcons not only recorded its first back-to-back winning seasons, but have a streak of five consecutive winning seasons, leading the NFC in number of wins during the same period (56).

Atlanta’s 31-18 victory over the Detroit Lions in a nationally-televised game on FOX late in 2012 marked the 100th career victory for Blank as owner of the Falcons. His club would go on to post a 13-3 record en route to earning its first playoff victory since 2004 with a thrilling 30-28 come-from-behind win over the Seattle Seahawks in an NFC Divisional Playoff Game at the Georgia Dome.

Blank’s Falcons have enjoyed unprecedented success since the 2008 season when he hired the dynamic duo of General Manager Thomas Dimitroff and Head Coach Mike Smith. Dimitroff was a long-time scout and talent evaluator for the New England Patriots; Smith was a career assistant coach in the college and, more recently, professional ranks with Baltimore and Jacksonville.

Several NFL observers publicly wondered whether Blank had gambled on the rookie tandem. Five years later, Blank’s calculated gamble is a prototype for a number of other NFL clubs that have followed Atlanta’s model to recalibrate their football front offices.

Atlanta’s sound formula of drafting and acquiring skilled players who are then groomed by a veteran coaching staff has produced a Falcons team that will enter the 2013 season with high expectations.

“The currency of the NFL is winning,” Blank said. “We’ve won a lot of games, but they are steps toward our ultimate goal. Our ultimate goal is to have a parade down Peachtree Street with the Lombardi Trophy in hand.”

To accomplish this goal, Blank has empowered and supported Dimitroff and Smith, who have turned the Falcons into one of the NFL’s top teams. Since 2008, the Falcons hold a 32-15 record (.681 winning percentage) against teams on their 2013 schedule. Several national sports publications have predicted the Falcons will once again be one of the League’s most dominate teams in the 2013 season based on the club’s productive offseason, which included solid moves in the draft and free agency.

Dimitroff, who earned Executive of the Year honors from Sporting News in two of his first five seasons as Atlanta’s general manager, is the supremely talented personnel point man for an organization whose roster is filled with current Pro Bowl players and future All-Pro performers. Dimitroff and his astute personnel department have built Atlanta’s roster through the draft, bolstering it with a series of strategic player acquisitions in free agency and through trades.

As proof, franchise cornerstones selected through the draft since 2008 include QB Matt Ryan, WR Julio Jones, LB Sean Weatherspoon, LT Sam Baker, S Thomas DeCoud and S William Moore. Ryan, Jones, DeCoud, and Moore were all named to the NFC’s Pro Bowl team in 2012.

It’s a roster built to last. Of the 46 players selected in the draft from 2008 through 2012, a remarkable 34 draftees remain on the Falcons roster entering the 2013 season, and 39 – or 85 percent – remain active players in the NFL.

Whether it is selecting players in the draft or acquiring them through free agency, the Falcons believe in being collaborative.

“Thomas and Mike work very well together,” Blank said. “These two men may not always have the same opinions, but they share a common vision of success for our club. Combined with team President & CEO Rich McKay, who provides strong support to Thomas and Smitty and heads up our front office operations, we have a strong leadership team that is second to none in the League.”

Atlanta’s players are led by Coach Smith, the fiery head coach who in 2012 became the first coach in franchise history to reach 50 wins – and the third fastest since the NFL merger in 1970 to reach 50 wins – accomplishing the feat in 71 games. Smith is a three-time Coach of the Year winner from Sporting News (2008, 2010, and 2012) and a two-time Coach of the Year recipient from the prestigious KC 101 Club following the 2008 and 2010 seasons. His 56-24 regular season record is the fifth-best mark in the NFL since 2008.

Smith’s 56 wins in his first five seasons are also the second-most among any first time head coach in NFL history, behind only George Seifert (San Francisco, 62-18, 1989-1993). Aided by core principles built around playing fundamentally sound football in all three phases of the game, since 2008 the Falcons have posted a 44-2 record in games where they lead at halftime, and a 42-1 record in contests where they hold the lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

One of Smith’s key elements to being a relevant franchise year after year is winning at home. Since 2008, the Georgia Dome has become a “House of Horrors” for visiting NFL clubs as the Falcons have produced a dominating 33-7 home record (.825 winning percentage), the best home record in the NFC and tied with the Baltimore Ravens for the second-best record in the NFL.

The sustainability and relevance of the Falcons has provided numerous opportunities for the franchise and city of Atlanta to be showcased on national television. During the 2013 season, the Falcons will be spotlighted in five prime time national games, adding to the four national games played in each of the past two seasons.

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

A native of Flushing, N.Y., Blank attended Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, where he competed on the football, baseball, and track teams. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with Distinction from Babson College, where he was active in a variety of extracurricular activities. He co-founded The Home Depot in 1978 and retired from the company as Co-Chairman in 2001. At the time of his retirement, The Home Depot was a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and one of Fortune magazine’s “Global Most Admired Companies.” During Blank’s last year as CEO of the company, The Home Depot ranked first in social responsibility in an annual survey conducted by Harris Interactive, Inc.

Blank is recognized throughout the nation for his personal and professional achievements. In 2012, he received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Georgia. In 2011, he was the recipient of the Freeing Voices, Changing Lives Award from the American Institute for Stuttering. In 2010, he was recognized by the Council for Quality Growth for his philanthropic endeavors as well as his significant contributions to economic development and quality of life.

In 2008, Blank received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of South Carolina-Bluffton. In 2006, he was named a Distinguished American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, which annually recognizes an individual who has utilized his or her talents to attain great success in business, private life, or public service.

Also in 2006, Blank was inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame, and was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Humanities from Furman University. In 2005, he was named National Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young. In 2003, for the second time in three years, Blank was named Georgia’s Most Respected CEO by Georgia Trend magazine, and in 2002 he was inducted into Georgia State University’s Business Hall of Fame. Among other previous honors, Babson College inducted Blank into its Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs in 1995 and conferred on him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 1998.

Blank serves on a number of boards including the Board of Trustees of The Carter Center, Inc.; the Board of Trustees of The Cooper Institute; and the boards of Cox Enterprises, Inc., and Staples, Inc.

Blank has six children and three grandchildren. A strong believer in work-life balance, Blank still makes time daily for working out and spending time with his family.

BLANK'S NFL SUCCESS

Atlanta’s success under Blank isn’t all that surprising or unexpected. The Falcons have become a model franchise in the eyes of the national media based on winning games on the field and being good citizens in the community off the field. Both of those factors speak directly to Blank’s focus and leadership.

"I see the inner-workings of many NFL teams during my travels covering the League,” said ESPN National NFL Columnist Ashley Fox. “The Falcons are one of the best run franchises in the entire NFL and it all starts with Mr. Blank. He scored big when he hired Thomas Dimitroff and Mike Smith, who have turned the Falcons into consistent winners. The Falcons are among the NFL’s elite because Arthur Blank gets it.”

Blank understands that consistency is at the forefront of becoming a perennial winner in the ultra-competitive world of the NFL. He also knows that in spite of all of the success his club has enjoyed over the past five seasons, there sometimes will be setbacks.

“Nobody was happy with the result of our final game of the 2012 season,” Blank said. “We had a great season, but we came up short. The NFL isn’t easy. It’s a tough league, but our coaching staff and our players are up to it. We’ve had a very productive offseason, and I think we’ll be a better team in 2013 than we were in 2012.”

NEW ATLANTA STADIUM

Even as the Falcons prepare for the 2013 season, Blank and his front office leadership team are preparing for the long-term future of the club. Early in 2013, the Falcons reached an agreement with the Georgia World Congress Center Authority and the city of Atlanta for the construction of a new multi-purpose stadium that will be located in downtown Atlanta.

The state-of-the-art facility is being designed by 360 Architecture and its joint venture partners, and will be constructed by the Holder Hunt Russell Moody joint venture.

“Our goal for the new Falcons stadium is to re-imagine the entire game day experience and create a stadium that will become an iconic destination for sports fans and visitors from all over the world,” 360 Senior Principal Bill Johnson said.

Construction for the retractable roof stadium will begin in 2014, and the Falcons will begin playing in the new stadium in the 2017 season. In addition to Falcons games, the new stadium will host other events currently held in the Georgia Dome, as well as potentially host new marquee events such as the Super Bowl, FIFA World Cup, and the College Football National Championship Game – all of which are significant economic impact generators for the city and state.

“Governor Deal and Mayor Reed have a vision that provides for the long-term health and prosperity of our city and state,” Blank noted. “We appreciate the spirit of collaboration demonstrated by these two men, along with a host of other government and community leaders, in building a successful public-private partnership that will benefit the city, region, and state for many years to come.”

COMMITMENT TO FANS

Whether it’s The Home Depot – the company Blank co-founded and led until his retirement as co-chairman in 2001 – or the Atlanta Falcons, Blank has always subscribed to the idea of hiring the best and brightest people and providing an environment for collaboration, creativity, and continuous improvement.

Blank also understands people and he believes that listening is what matters most. Whether it is customers, fans, players, coaches, or associates, Blank listens, seeks to understand, and responds to all of them and expects all of his associates to do the same.

“Winning is a critical element of the game day experience for our fans,” Blank said. “However, it’s important that we offer everything our fans need from the time they leave their driveway to the time they arrive in ours. We want to make the total game day experience for our fans the best in the NFL.”

The Falcons’ “Rise Up” mantra provides a centerpiece. Four years ago, Blank challenged a team of his front office leadership staff to create a new standard and tradition for the Falcons brand and to put in place innovative brand policies designed to expand the club’s overall image both in Atlanta and nationally. What Blank’s team came up with is the successful “Rise Up” campaign that was introduced by A-list Hollywood actor Samuel L. Jackson.

The campaign, which focuses on a team, an organization, a fan base, and a community rising up together to try to win a championship, was unveiled in the spring of 2010. Jackson’s impassioned call for Atlanta and the Falcons to “Rise Up” together quickly became a rallying cry, as well as a show of solidarity inside and outside the Georgia Dome.

Since its introduction in 2010, the campaign elements have expanded to include local celebrities; government, civic and sports industry leaders; and Falcons fans. The 2013 season will bring a new and exciting twist to “Rise Up” as the Falcons respond to fans’ strong desire to continue the tradition.

COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY

One of the hallmarks of Blank’s philosophy is giving back to the community. The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and Atlanta Falcons have a long history of investing in projects that help others in need, enhance neighborhoods, and improve the quality of life throughout Atlanta.

Since its inception in 1995, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has granted nearly $300 million to non-profit organizations, with approximately $200 million of the total focused on metro Atlanta, including the Vine City and English Avenue neighborhoods near the Georgia Dome and the new stadium.

Blank has publicly committed to making further significant investments in these communities. Earlier this year, the Blank Foundation announced plans for the creation of the Blank Foundation Neighborhood Prosperity Fund for the purpose of igniting positive change and improving the quality of life in the neighborhoods surrounding the new stadium. This fund will seek to co-invest with an additional $15 million committed to the neighborhoods by Invest Atlanta, the economic development authority for the City of Atlanta.

The Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation invests in innovative approaches to improve youth fitness and reduce childhood obesity across Georgia. Since 2002, the foundation has awarded more than $20 million in grants to more than 900 non-profit organizations. In 2005, the Falcons Youth Foundation launched its Falcons Fitness Zones where, through grant partners, the Foundation engages more than 10,000 kids a year in more than one million hours of physical activity.

Additionally, Atlanta Falcons players, coaches, cheerleaders, and associates remain among the most active community citizens in the NFL, contributing an average of 3,000 hours of their collective personal time each season. Much of this time is spent participating in Atlanta Falcons community relations programs and initiatives, which support a variety of issues and activities, including health and fitness, the development of youth/prep football, breast cancer awareness, combating hunger, outreach in underserved communities, and salute to service.

"It’s important to the franchise and it’s important to me that everyone associated with our organization embraces our commitment to the community,” Blank said. “Not only do I want our players to perform on the field, I want everyone to be good citizens in the community, as well.”

One of the most important days of the year for Blank’s Family of Businesses is All Associates Day – a day when associates from across Blank’s various businesses come together to tackle designated community projects in the Metro Atlanta area.

Earlier this year, Blank and approximately 180 of his associates gathered at KIPP WAYS Academy in the Washington Park community of Atlanta for a day of painting and landscaping. In addition, they participated in Atlanta Habitat for Humanity’s “Brush With Kindness” program, repairing and painting the exteriors of five homes in the English Avenue neighborhood.

Blank’s other businesses, which include PGA TOUR Superstore and Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, also support the communities surrounding their locations through non-profit grants and community outreach.

Blank’s dedication and commitment to the community can also be traced back to his days at The Home Depot. During his tenure, the company donated more than $113 million to the communities it served. In addition, associates provided hundreds of thousands of hours of personal volunteer time on various charitable and community activities.