When the Game Is on the Line: From the Man Who Brought the Heat to Miami and the Browns Back to Cleveland: An Inside Look at the High-Stakes World of - Paperback

by Rick Horrow (Author), Lary Bloom (Author)

In an eye-opening lesson in high stakes politics, big business and civic responsibility, Horrow discusses the deals that create new stadiums and bring sports franchises to cities. In tracking his rise from first-year lawyer to multimillion-dollar deal broker, Horrow's narrative becomes at once a memoir, how-to business manual and self-help guide. Through a series of trial-and-error attempts to lure pro sports to his home city of Miami, Horrow takes readers through the crucial steps that helped him create his trademark public-private partnerships, which have satisfied billionaire investors, local politicians, league officials, inquisitive lawyers and skeptical taxpayers in cities like Boston, Cleveland and Oklahoma City. Horrow, though a cagey bargainer when it comes to his deal brokering, is refreshingly honest when portraying sports big shots like golfer Jack Nicklaus, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue and franchise owner Art Modell. Always the dreamer with an eye on the prize, Horrow (with help from journalist Bloom) makes a strong case for tying arts projects and infrastructure financing to team and stadium investment to create civic pride and rejuvenation. His infectious energy and positive spirit make this a must read for anyone interested in the sport of business and the business of sports.

Author Biography

As CEO of Horrow Sports Ventures (www.horrowsports.com), Rick Horrow has been the architect of 103 deals worth more than $13 billion in sports, performing arts, and other urban infrastructure projects. Horrow is also Sports Business Analyst for CNN, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Bloomberg TV, Fox Sports, and PBS' "Nightly Business Report." He is nicknamed "The Sports Professor" because he has served as Visiting Expert on sports law at The Harvard Law School. In May 2008, Horrow joined Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P. of counsel to enhance the firm's sports and entertainment law and facilities development practices. Founded in 1890, Squire Sanders has more than 850 lawyers in 32 offices and 15 countries around the world.
Lary Bloom is a long-time writer, journalist, and editor.