Most sports team owners make their money elsewhere and purchase a team as an extravagant hobby—but that is not the story of Ed Snider. One of the few owners in history to get control of a franchise by mortgaging nearly everything to his name, the longtime Philadelphia Flyers chairman would go on to form the billion-dollar empire of Comcast-Spectacor and cement his standing as one of the most influential businessmen in the city’s history.
Snider was ambitious and entrepreneurial, though extraordinarily demanding of those who worked for him. He was affectionate with his loved ones, yet often showed a surprising lack of emotional intelligence. His staunch capitalist beliefs contrasted his progressive-minded views on the business of hockey and in sharing his wealth with those in need.
Ed Snider: The Last Sports Mogul embraces all sides of Snider to form a complex portrait of the unparalleled figure once named Philadelphia’s greatest mover and shaker of the millennium.
Thoroughly researched and reported, this is a fascinating business story encompassing humble beginnings, unprecedented success, and the values one chooses at the end of the day.
The book is now available in hardback, e-book, and audiobook formats. At 256 pages, it includes dozens of color photos from Snider’s life. The retail price of the hardback is $28.00 and of the e-book is $11.99. The audiobook available through Audible for $25.87. All formats are available for purchase here.
Book Excerpt:
if there was one thing that could be said about Ed Snider, it was that his life inspired a vast array of opinions about himself at all ends of the spectrum. And there is not a soul who knew him who didn’t shape one of these decisive, passionate opinions. There are those who loved him, who would spend their lives praising his work and when asked about him, still declare proudly, “Anything for Mr. Snider.” There are also those who spoke out loudly against some of the decisions he made in his career or his personal life. But whether he was viewed with contempt or admiration, there was no denying the magnitude of his influence on the sports world and the city of Philadelphia. Those he worked with held an enormous amount of respect for him. To these devoted members of his staff, he was always “Mr. Snider”—a man to be looked up to, esteemed, and made proud. But despite all of these opinions of a man many placed on a pedestal, deep down, he just wanted to be known as “Ed.”
The beauty of Ed’s life is the dichotomy between his simplicity and complexity. He was simple in the way he was open and uninhibited by a social mask. He wore his heart on his sleeve. As one former employee said to the Philadelphia Inquirer, “There was never any doubt whether the Flyers won or lost. All you had to do was look at Mr. Snider.” As a young Philadelphia Eagles executive in the 1960s, he was known to lead by example, rather than by demand. “The only contribution an owner makes is making sure there is good management,” he once said to the Philadelphia Daily News. When Ed was at work, he wanted solely to complete the task at hand, with no interruptions or disruptions. When he was with his family, he wanted nothing to do with work. Ed was always one to simply live in the present and love whatever he was doing at that instant.
But Ed had a deeper complexity that supplemented his otherwise straightforward nature. Those who knew him fell into one of two categories: those who thought he was passionate and loyal, and those who thought he was ruthless and would run over his own mother to get ahead. Even those closest to him acknowledged that he could be quite difficult at times—the two sides of Ed Snider. There are many people who excoriated him regularly and spoke of him quite terribly, while scores of people revered him. Those who knew him intimately understood that his life was not black and white—there was a lot of gray to Ed.
…
Like most of us, Ed had wonderful parts to his personality, yet also had a dark side that was often troubling. Far from presenting him as an angel or a devil, the best way to go about telling the story of his life is to show all sides of him, letting the reader develop their own conclusions and decide for themselves how to perceive him.
About the author:
Alan Bass is a published author and freelance writer who has covered topics ranging from psychology to sports to business. A New Jersey native, he received his B.A. in Psychology from Muhlenberg College, where he did in-depth scientific research on various topics, including athletic development in sports.
A small business owner, Alan enjoys writing as a side hobby and has contributed to multiple published works. His first book, The Great Expansion: The Ultimate Risk That Changed the NHL Forever, was published in 2010. His second book, Professional Hockey in Philadelphia: A History, was published in 2020. His most recent book, Ed Snider: The Last Sports Mogul, published in 2022. A contributor to The Hockey News since 2009, his work has been featured on various national outlets, from NHL.com to ESPN.com.
Snider was ambitious and entrepreneurial, though extraordinarily demanding of those who worked for him. He was affectionate with his loved ones, yet often showed a surprising lack of emotional intelligence. His staunch capitalist beliefs contrasted his progressive-minded views on the business of hockey and in sharing his wealth with those in need.
Ed Snider: The Last Sports Mogul embraces all sides of Snider to form a complex portrait of the unparalleled figure once named Philadelphia’s greatest mover and shaker of the millennium.
Thoroughly researched and reported, this is a fascinating business story encompassing humble beginnings, unprecedented success, and the values one chooses at the end of the day.
The book is now available in hardback, e-book, and audiobook formats. At 256 pages, it includes dozens of color photos from Snider’s life. The retail price of the hardback is $28.00 and of the e-book is $11.99. The audiobook available through Audible for $25.87. All formats are available for purchase here.
Book Excerpt:
if there was one thing that could be said about Ed Snider, it was that his life inspired a vast array of opinions about himself at all ends of the spectrum. And there is not a soul who knew him who didn’t shape one of these decisive, passionate opinions. There are those who loved him, who would spend their lives praising his work and when asked about him, still declare proudly, “Anything for Mr. Snider.” There are also those who spoke out loudly against some of the decisions he made in his career or his personal life. But whether he was viewed with contempt or admiration, there was no denying the magnitude of his influence on the sports world and the city of Philadelphia. Those he worked with held an enormous amount of respect for him. To these devoted members of his staff, he was always “Mr. Snider”—a man to be looked up to, esteemed, and made proud. But despite all of these opinions of a man many placed on a pedestal, deep down, he just wanted to be known as “Ed.”
The beauty of Ed’s life is the dichotomy between his simplicity and complexity. He was simple in the way he was open and uninhibited by a social mask. He wore his heart on his sleeve. As one former employee said to the Philadelphia Inquirer, “There was never any doubt whether the Flyers won or lost. All you had to do was look at Mr. Snider.” As a young Philadelphia Eagles executive in the 1960s, he was known to lead by example, rather than by demand. “The only contribution an owner makes is making sure there is good management,” he once said to the Philadelphia Daily News. When Ed was at work, he wanted solely to complete the task at hand, with no interruptions or disruptions. When he was with his family, he wanted nothing to do with work. Ed was always one to simply live in the present and love whatever he was doing at that instant.
But Ed had a deeper complexity that supplemented his otherwise straightforward nature. Those who knew him fell into one of two categories: those who thought he was passionate and loyal, and those who thought he was ruthless and would run over his own mother to get ahead. Even those closest to him acknowledged that he could be quite difficult at times—the two sides of Ed Snider. There are many people who excoriated him regularly and spoke of him quite terribly, while scores of people revered him. Those who knew him intimately understood that his life was not black and white—there was a lot of gray to Ed.
…
Like most of us, Ed had wonderful parts to his personality, yet also had a dark side that was often troubling. Far from presenting him as an angel or a devil, the best way to go about telling the story of his life is to show all sides of him, letting the reader develop their own conclusions and decide for themselves how to perceive him.
About the author:
Alan Bass is a published author and freelance writer who has covered topics ranging from psychology to sports to business. A New Jersey native, he received his B.A. in Psychology from Muhlenberg College, where he did in-depth scientific research on various topics, including athletic development in sports.
A small business owner, Alan enjoys writing as a side hobby and has contributed to multiple published works. His first book, The Great Expansion: The Ultimate Risk That Changed the NHL Forever, was published in 2010. His second book, Professional Hockey in Philadelphia: A History, was published in 2020. His most recent book, Ed Snider: The Last Sports Mogul, published in 2022. A contributor to The Hockey News since 2009, his work has been featured on various national outlets, from NHL.com to ESPN.com.
