Ed Snider

Edward M. Snider (born January 6, 1933, Washington, D.C.) is the Chairman of Comcast-Spectacor, an entity which oversees the operation of the Philadelphia Flyers NHL franchise, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA franchise, the Philadelphia Phantoms minor league hockey team, the Wachovia Center, the Wachovia Spectrum, the regional sports network Comcast SportsNet and Global Spectrum, an international facilities management company.

Biography

Snider, the son of a successful grocery-store chain owner, attended the University of Maryland and earned his bachelor's degree. He would become a partner in Edge Ltd., a record company. After selling the company, Snider joined Jerry Wolman (builder) and his brother-in-law Earl Foreman (attorney) to buy the Philadelphia Eagles in 1964. As Vice-President of the Eagles, he served as the team's treasurer and owned a 7 percent stake in the franchise.

File:Ed Snyder.jpg

Snider's plaque in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Upon learning that the NHL was planning to expand, Snider made plans for a new arena to house both a hockey team and the 76ers and made a proposal to the NHL. On February 8, 1966, the league awarded Philadelphia a conditional franchise, one which would eventually be named the Philadelphia Flyers and start playing in 1967. By 1971, Snider assumed control of the Spectrum and by 1974 created a management company to run the Flyers and the Spectrum, called Spectacor.

Spectacor would found or acquire several businesses under his direction, most notably a regional premium cable channel, PRISM, and the first all-sports radio station, WIP. Seeing that a new arena would keep the Flyers competitive with the rest of the league, Snider began planning for a new site in 1988. These plans would not come to fruition until 1996 when the Wachovia Center opened.

Prior to the Wachovia Center's opening that year, he entered into a merger agreement with Philadelphia-based Comcast Corporation to create Comcast-Spectacor. Snider gave up majority ownership of the Flyers as Comcast acquired 66 percent of the Flyers, 76ers, Phantoms, and the Wachovia Complex. However, Snider was to be chairman of the venture and retained 34 percent of the package. Soon after, Comcast-Spectacor along with the Philadelphia Phillies created Comcast SportsNet in 1996.

"In a 1999 Philadelphia Daily News poll, Snider was selected as the city’s greatest sports mover and shaker, beating out legends such as Connie Mack, Sonny Hill, Bert Bell, and Roger Penske." [1]

Snider and his trophy wife Christine reside in suburban Philadelphia. Snider's children include daughters Lindy, Tina, and Sarena and sons Craig, Jay, and Samuel. Snider has 15 grandchildren.[2] He was previously married to Myrna Snider.[3]

External links

• Comcast-Spectacor Corporate Bio
• Flyers Hall of Fame Bio
• Hockey Hall of Fame Profile