Money Games: Profiting from the Convergence of Sports and Entertainment

Margo Beth Crouppen is the Acquisitions Editor in Organizational Studies and Economics at Stanford University Press. Since 2006, she has overseen the publication of all SUP titles in Business and Economics, and has managed the strategic development of the press’ book programs in these areas. Prior to joining Stanford University Press, Ms. Crouppen was a member of the acquisitions team at SAGE Publication, Inc. She has worked on over 175 book projects.

Mr. Cypres is the founder and Chairman of the Board and President of Banner Holding Company and Hispanic Express Inc. Both companies serve the Hispanic population in the United States and are engaged in the finance and travel businesses. Mr. Cypres founded these companies in the 1990’s. Prior to that, Mr. Cypres was the General Partner of SC Partners, a private investment banking and consulting firm. From 1983 to 1985, Mr. Cypres was the Chief Financial Officer of The Signal Companies and from 1975 to 1983 was Vice President of Finance for Wheelbrator-Frye Inc, which was acquired by Signal in 1982. Prior to joining Wheelbrator, Mr. Cypres was an audit manager with Arthur Andersen & Company.

Mr. Cypres has been a member of the Board of Trustees and faculty member of the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. Mr. Cypres is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University his Alma Marta, and founder of the Sports Museum of Los Angeles, which contains Mr. Cypres’ collection of sports memorabilia which is considered to be the largest private collection of such items in the United States.

Anita L. DeFrantz
President/ Board Member, LA84 Foundation

Anita L. DeFrantz, an attorney and member of the International Olympic Committee and 1976 and 1980 Olympic teams, is the president and member of the Board of Directors of the LA84 Foundation, which is managing Southern California's endowment from the 1984 Olympic Games.

Born in Philadelphia, PA, DeFrantz grew up in Indianapolis, IN and began her formal involvement with sports at the age of 18 when she was introduced to rowing at Connecticut College. After graduating from Connecticut College with honors in 1974, she studied for her law degree at the University of Pennsylvania Law School while training at the prestigious Vesper Boat Club. She was admitted to the Pennsylvania State Bar in 1977. She competed on every national team from 1975 to 1980. During that period, DeFrantz served as a director of the Vesper Boat Club and as a member of the Board of Directors of the U.S. Olympic Committee and U.S. Rowing Association. She was a trustee of Connecticut College from 1974 to 1988 and from 1990 to 2000. She now serves as trustee emeritus of the College.

DeFrantz was elected to the IOC on October 17, 1986. On September 4, 1997, she became the first woman in the 103-year history of the IOC to be elected vice president. She was first elected to the IOC's Executive Board on July 23, 1992 and re-elected to a full four-year term in September 1993. DeFrantz is the chair of the IOC’s Women and Sport Commission and the IOC Athletes’ Commission Election Committee. She is a member of the IOC's Juridical Commission, the Finance Commission, the Coordination Commission for London 2012 Olympic Games and the Sport and Law Commission.

Since 1993, she has served as a vice president of the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d’Aviron (FISA), the international rowing federation. In April 2002, DeFrantz was appointed as arbitrator at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

In addition to her Olympic bronze medal performance in the 1976 Games, DeFrantz won a silver medal in the 1978 World Championships in rowing, was a finalist in the World Championships four times and won six National Championships. The IOC awarded her the Bronze Medal of the Olympic Order for her leadership role in fighting the U.S. government-led boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow.

As a vice president for the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee (LAOOC), she organized and managed the Olympic Village at the University of Southern California.

DeFrantz is a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee Board of Directors. She is president and member of the Board of Directors of Kids In Sports, Los Angeles. She has served as president of Southern California Olympians.

DeFrantz is a member of The Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, steward of the Women's Sports Foundation and serves on the Board of Directors for the Juvenile Law Center, Institute for International Sport, Santa Monica College Foundation, OBN Holdings, Los Angeles Sports Council and Western Asset Trust. She is a member of the NCAA Leadership Advisory Board, the Advisory Board Sports Business Institute and the U.S. Rowing Task Force on Access, Affordability and Diversity.

DeFrantz has received numerous honors and awards. She was inducted into the National Rowing Hall of Fame on March 20, 2010 and the Consortium for Academics and Sports Hall of Fame on October 27, 2009. She was honored by the Indiana Historical Society as one of the 2009 Living Legends on July 17, 2009 and inducted into the John McLendon Minority Athletics Administrators Hall of Fame on June 19, 2009. She was awarded the Africa Civic Responsibility Award by the African Diplomatic Corps in California and the editorial board of The African Times-USA on May 22, 2009. She received the 2008 Abby J. Leibman Pursuit of Justice Award on November 13, 2008 presented by the California Women’s Law Center. She was inducted into the International Women’s Forum Hall of Fame on October 17, 2008 and honored as Distinguished Woman of Los Angeles by Soroptimist International of Los Angeles in April 2008. She was inducted into the Indianapolis Public Schools Hall of Fame in October 2007 and the National Association for Sports and Physical Education Hall of Fame in March 2007. Maria Shriver, the First Lady of California, honored her with the Minerva Award in October 2005. In September 2005, she received the Bradley Unsung Hero Award from the Friends, the Foundation of the California African American Museum. The Law Alumni Society of the University of Pennsylvania Law School recognized her with The Alumni Award of Merit in 2002. She received the “Fair Play Gaio Cilnio Mecenate” in June 2001 presented by the Comitato Premio Internazionale, Arezzo, Italy. In 1998, she was awarded the prestigious Guirlande d’Honneur from the Federation Internationale Cinema Television Sportifs. In 1997, she became the 16th recipient of the Olympic Torch Award, the highest recognition the United States Olympic Committee bestows for service to the USOC. She also received the William May Garland Award from the Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games. In June 1995, DeFrantz was honored with the Medal of Honor from the International Softball Federation. In April 1994, she was awarded the prestigious Kiphuth Fellowship in memory of former Yale University swimming coach and Athletic Director Robert J.H. Kiphuth.

She is the recipient of an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Mills College (May 1998), Mount Holyoke College (May 1998), Haverford College (May 1997), California State University, Dominguez Hills (May 1996), Pomona College (May 1995) and the University of Rhode Island (May 1989). She received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Mt. St. Mary’s College (May 2008), The College of Wooster (May 2006), Connecticut College (May 2004) and Illinois Wesleyan University (September 1996) and an honorary Doctor of Philanthropy degree from Pepperdine University (January 1992).

In November 2009, SportsPro Magazine named DeFrantz one of “The 20 Most Powerful Women in Sport.” In October 2007, the Institute for International Sport named her one of “The 100 Most Influential Sports Educators in America.” In March 2006, the NCAA named her one of the “NCAA’s 100 Most Influential Student-Athletes.” She was named one of “L.A.’s Most Powerful Sports Executives” in April 2005 by the Los Angeles Business Journal and Sports Illustrated named her one of the “101 Most Influential Minorities in Sports” in May 2003. She has been named one of the “100 Most Powerful People in Sports” by The Sporting News nine times (1991-1999), one of “The 100 Most Powerful Women In The World” by The Australian Magazine, one of the “Top 25 Female Sports Executives” by Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal and one of the “Top 10 African-American Leaders In Sports” by Savoy magazine. She is the recipient of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund's Black Woman of Achievement Award, the NAACP Jackie Robinson Sports Achievement Award, the Essence magazine Award for Sports, the Trumpet Award from Turner Broadcasting System, the Sports Lawyers Association Award of Excellence and the Indiana Pathfinder Award.

In 1991, DeFrantz became the first non-French woman and second American (Avery Brundage was the first) to be elected an associate member of the Academie des Sports in France and was honored by the USOC with the IOC's "Woman of the Year" Award. Also in 1991, she was presented with the U.S. Rowing's Jack Kelly Award for superior achievements in rowing and service to amateur athletics. DeFrantz was inducted into the International Scholar-Athlete Hall of Fame in 1999 and is a charter member of the Connecticut College Hall of Fame.

Terry Denson
Vice President, Content Strategy & Acquisition
Verizon Communications

Terry Denson is vice president of content strategy & acquisition, a position he has held since February 2006.  He is responsible for content strategy and video-content acquisition and partnership management for FiOS TV, FiOS Internet and Verizon Wireless.

Denson previously was vice president of programming and marketing, a position he was named to in August 2004 when he joined Verizon.  In that position, he oversaw the creation and implementation of the company's video product packaging, pricing and marketing strategies and video content acquisitions.  He also was responsible for customer acquisition, retention and education, and planning.

Prior to joining Verizon, Denson served as vice president of programming for Insight Communications where he led the acquisition of programming, in addition to the development of analog, digital, video-on-demand, high definition TV, broadband and interactive content strategies. 

Previously, as director of business development for the affiliate sales and marketing department of MTV Networks, a division of Viacom International, he negotiated affiliation agreements, managed the sales and distribution of multiple video services, and directed analyses of trends in the market.

As general attorney for ABC, he managed numerous content rights and distribution issues.

A graduate of Harvard University, Denson holds a J.D. degree from Georgetown University.

John M. Dorger
CEO, Tournament of Roses (Retired)

John M. “Mitch” Dorger retired as CEO for The Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association on February 1, 2010. During his 10 years with the organization, Dorger was responsible for leading the Tournament’s 25-member professional staff and supporting the 935 volunteer members who plan and stage the world-renowned Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game as well as numerous smaller events.

Dorger has more than 25 years of leadership experience in both the private and public sectors. From 1994 to 2000, Dorger was the chief operating officer at the Claremont University Center, where he was responsible for a 350-person, 30 million dollar organization which provided support services to the seven colleges in the Claremont Colleges consortium.

Prior to his position at Claremont, Dorger served as chief of staff and later vice commander at the United States Air Force Academy; base commander at the Keesler Technical Training Center and deputy assistant to the Under Secretary of the Air Force.

Dorger graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He earned his master’s degree in international relations from Tufts University and an Executive MBA degree from Claremont Graduate University. He was also a research fellow at Harvard University.

James G. Ellis
Dean, USC Marshall School of Business

James G. Ellis was appointed dean of the USC Marshall School of Business and holder of the Robert R. Dockson Dean’s Chair in Business Administration in April 2007. He also has held a full-time appointment as a professor in the Department of Marketing since 1997, and continues to teach the school’s freshman leadership colloquium class.

Prior to being appointed dean, Ellis was USC’s vice provost for globalization, responsible for building the USC name worldwide. At the USC Marshall School, he previously served as vice dean for external relations and as associate dean for undergraduate programs. From 1998 to 2003, he directed the Family Business Program, running seminars for families in business.

Ellis worked in the corporate world from 1970 to 1997. He was president and CEO of Porsche Design from 1985 to 1990. From 1990 to 1997, he was chairman and CEO of Port O’Call Pasadena, an upscale home accessory retailer, as well as an owner/partner in six other companies.

Ellis was a member of the Young Presidents Organization for 14 years, during which time he served two terms as chairman of the San Gabriel Valley Chapter and one term as regional vice president, and for six years was a member of the International Board of Directors. He is also a past chairman of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce.

Ellis sits on numerous corporate and non-profit boards and has addressed organizations around the world on business topics.

At USC in 2003, Ellis was honored with both the Teaching Has No Boundaries Award, co-sponsored by the university’s Center for Excellence in Teaching, and the Golden Apple Award, given by USC Marshall School students. In 2004, he received the USC Parents’ Association’s Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring Award.

Ellis holds an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School and a B.B.A. from the University of New Mexico.

Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., is president and CEO of the American Gaming Association (AGA). In his role as the chief executive of the AGA, Fahrenkopf is the national advocate for the commercial casino industry and is responsible for positioning the association to address regulatory, political and educational issues affecting the industry.

A lawyer by profession, Fahrenkopf gained national prominence during the 1980s when he served as chairman of the Republican Party for six of President Ronald Reagan’s eight years in the White House.

Fahrenkopf continues to serve in a variety of political capacities. He presently is co-chairman of the Commission on Presidential Debates, which conducts the general election presidential and vice presidential debates in presidential election years. He co-founded the commission in 1986 with Democratic National Committee chairman Paul Kirk.

Prior to becoming the AGA’s first chief executive in 1995, Fahrenkopf was a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Hogan & Hartson, where he chaired the International Trade Practice Group.

He has been a frequent commentator on political and gaming issues on such network television programs as Crossfire, Inside Politics, Meet The Press, Hardball, Face the Nation, The Today Show, This Week and Good Morning America.

Brian Farrell is president and CEO of THQ Inc., one of the fastest growing interactive entertainment software publishers in the world, with annual revenues exceeding $800 million. Farrell has grown THQ’s global marketing and sales force to directly serve more than 75 countries worldwide with offices located throughout North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. His tenure at THQ also includes the expansion of the Company’s internal development network to approximately 1,000 people at 11 studios, both from organic growth and several strategic studio acquisitions. Farrell has guided THQ to market leadership in the popular mass-market gaming genres with some of the industry’s best-known franchises, including UFC, Disney-Pixar, Nickelodeon, and World Wrestling Entertainment™, and many more of the entertainment industry’s biggest brands. The Company is growing its portfolio of owned intellectual properties such as Company of Heroes™, MX vs ATV, and Saints Row™.

Farrell has served as chairman of the Entertainment Software Association, the industry’s trade association. He has also served as co-chairman of the industry’s charitable foundation, which has raised over $10 million for children’s charities in its first ten years. Farrell served as chairman of the Price Center for Entrepreneurial studies at the Anderson School of Management at UCLA. Farrell holds a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and an MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Frank J. Fertitta III
Chairman and CEO, Station Casinos, Inc.

Frank J. Fertitta III is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Station Casinos, Inc., one of the largest gaming companies in the United States and the premier provider of gaming and entertainment to residents of Southern Nevada.

Fertitta’s career has been devoted to growing what started as a small family business founded in 1976 by his father, Frank Fertitta Jr., who is credited as the creator of the Las Vegas locals gaming market. Fertitta III learned the business from his father, gaining hands-on experience across virtually all departments of the Bingo Palace, the predecessor to the Palace Station Hotel & Casino.

After graduating from USC in 1984, Fertitta began working full time in various management positions at Palace Station. He assumed his current position of chairman and chief executive officer in May 1993 when he led Station Casinos in becoming a publicly traded company. In late-2007 Fertitta, together with his brother Lorenzo and financing partner Colony Capital took Station Casinos private.

Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, Station Casinos is the leading provider of gaming and entertainment to Las Vegas area residents. Station Casinos’ properties are regional entertainment destinations that feature various amenities including restaurants, entertainment venues, movie theaters, bowling and convention/banquet space, as well as traditional casino gaming offerings such as video poker, slot machines, table games, bingo and race and sports book wagering. The Company owns and operates 18 properties in Southern Nevada including: Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa, Palace Station Hotel & Casino, Boulder Station Hotel & Casino, Santa Fe Station Hotel & Casino, Wildfire Casino- Rancho and Wild Wild West Gambling Hall & Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, Texas Station Gambling Hall & Hotel and Fiesta Rancho Casino Hotel in North Las Vegas, Nevada, and Sunset Station Hotel & Casino, Fiesta Henderson Casino Hotel, Wildfire Casino-Boulder, Lake Mead Lounge, Gold Rush Casino and The Greens in Henderson, Nevada.

The Company also owns a 50% interest in Aliante Station Casino & Hotel, Barley's Casino & Brewing Company, Green Valley Ranch resort and Wildfire Casino & Lanes in Henderson, Nevada and a 6.7% interest in the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. Additionally, Station Casinos manages the Thunder Valley Casino near Sacramento, California on behalf of the United Auburn Indian Community.

Station Casinos employs more than 13,000 team members and has been honored by FORTUNE Magazine four years in a row (2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008) among the “100 Best Companies To Work For.” Fertitta and his brother Lorenzo were named “Casino Executives of Year” in 2007 by Casino Journal magazine and were also named in 2007 and 2008 by FORBES magazine among the “400 Richest People in America”.

Fertitta is also the principal owner of Zuffa, LLC, the company that owns and operates the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the United States’ premier mixed martial arts association.

Fertitta, 48, is involved in numerous charitable activities in Southern Nevada, including Catholic Charities, and the Las Vegas Chapter of the I Have a Dream Foundation. Fertitta is a life-long resident of Las Vegas where he and his wife Jill, raise their three children.

Lorenzo Fertitta
Chairman and CEO, Zufa, LLC

Lorenzo J. Fertitta is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Zuffa, LLC, which owns the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®). As Chairman and CEO, Lorenzo oversees all company operations including marketing, production, legal and finance and also directs planning and operations for the ongoing global expansion of the UFC brand.

Lorenzo, along with his brother Frank Fertitta III and friend Dana White, Jr. formed Zuffa, LLC and acquired the assets relating to the UFC brand in January 2001. Since then, Lorenzo has been actively involved in company leadership, development and success.

Zuffa is widely credited with building the sport of mixed martial arts and several derivative niche industries.

Over the past eight years, Zuffa has led the regulatory effort for mixed martial arts, which is now sanctioned by the most prestigious regulatory bodies in the world including, the California, Nevada, New Jersey, and Illinois State Athletic Commissions. In 2005, the company launched the hit reality television series The Ultimate Fighter®, now in its eighth successful season on Spike TV. Anheuser-Busch, Inc. and Harley-Davidson Motor Company have forged core sponsorships of UFC events, which have a viewership base of millions. UFC can be seen on some form of television in over 120 countries and territories. UFC is the largest pay-per-view content provider in the world and is considered one of the fastest-growing sports in history.

From June 2000 to 2008, Lorenzo served as President of Station Casinos, Inc. one of the largest gaming companies in the United States. Station Casinos employs more than 12,000 team members and is the leading provider of gaming and entertainment to Las Vegas area residents. Station Casinos’ properties are regional entertainment destinations that feature various amenities including restaurants, entertainment venues, movie theaters, bowling and convention/banquet space, as well as traditional casino gaming offerings such as video poker, slot machines, table games, bingo and race and sports book wagering.

Before becoming President of Station in June 2000, Lorenzo was President and Chief Executive Officer of Fertitta Enterprises, Inc., a private investment firm that owns and manages securities, real estate and other business ventures. In 1995, he acquired controlling interest in the Gordon Biersch Brewing Company, Inc., and, in 1997, became its President and Chief Executive Officer.

From 1996 until July 2000, Lorenzo was a member of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, the sanctioning body responsible for the management and control of all combative sporting events held within the State of Nevada. In 1999, he was appointed Vice-Chair, becoming the youngest person in the Commission's history to hold this title.

Lorenzo retains his position as Vice Chairman of Station Casinos, Inc. with Frank Fertitta III operating as President. He is also a principal owner and member of the Board of Directors of Gordon Biersch Brewing Company, Inc. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of San Diego and a Masters of Business Administration degree from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University. Lorenzo is 41 and is a life-long resident of Las Vegas.