ESPN Founder Bill Rasmussen Reveals the Inside Story of ESPN In His Bestselling Book “Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN” Now On Sale
Philadelphia, PA – May 18, 2010 – Bill Rasmussen, the founder of ESPN, one of the 100 most important people in American sports history and named by Sports Illustrated as one of 40 people who significantly affected the world of sports, has revealed the inside story of the birth of ESPN in his book, “Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN.”
A new paperback edition of the bestselling book is now on sale at ESPNFounder.com for $14.95. “Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN” makes a great gift for sports fans of all ages, and especially at this time of year, for graduates and for Father’s Day.
If you pride yourself on knowing everything there is to know about ESPN, you'll need to own this book to cover all the bases. Do you know about the $9,000 credit card advance, the first advertiser on ESPN, or the cost of ESPN's first satellite transponder? Or why ESPN is based in Bristol, Connecticut? All that and more about the early days is covered by Rasmussen in “Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN.”
“Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN” is Rasmussen’s personal account of the launch of the Total Sports Network that he founded over 30 years ago. On September 7, 1979, ESPN went on the air for the first time. Entrepreneurial daring, irrepressible enthusiasm and a dash of good luck gave the world the first 24-hour television network. Once unleashed upon sports fans, ESPN’s impact forever changed the way we watch television. Rasmussen is the man who had the dream, the founder of ESPN.
A life-long entrepreneur and sports fan, Rasmussen’s book reveals his pivotal innovations in advertising, sports and broadcasting , including the creation of “Sports Center,” wall-to-wall coverage of NCAA regular-season and “March Madness” college basketball, and coverage of the NFL Draft.
“Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN” gives sports fans the real insider’s account from the man who changed the landscape of television and sports forever. Imagine a world without ESPN, without 24-hour television channels, and a world of only three television networks. That was the way of the world before Rasmussen’s revolutionary brainstorm, born of adversity and launched despite the odds.
Readers of “Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN” will learn how Rasmussen came up with the idea for ESPN, how he persevered in spite of the naysayers, and how his ideas connected with America’s sports fans and eventually, fans around the world.
ESPN anchor and personality Chris Berman called Rasmussen “the George Washington of ESPN. His accomplishments, however, transcend the boundaries of the sports arena into areas beyond our wildest dreams.”
According to the National Books Critics Circle, “Rasmussen leaves no doubt about who are the good guys, and who are the bad. The hectic race to get ready for the first program and the countdown excitement should grip any reader.”
“Bill Rasmussen’s Sports Junkies Rejoice is a Horatio Alger story in space-age America,” said the Hartford Courant. “It’s a fascinating diary of his journey through uncharted (television) waters.”
Named “The Father of Cable Sports” by USA Today, Rasmussen was named to The Sports 100, honoring the 100 most important people in American Sports History. His place in sports history was further recognized by Sports Illustrated in 1994, when he was honored as one of the “Forty for the Ages,” one of forty individuals who has significantly altered and elevated the world of sport.
Rasmussen is a gifted raconteur and a popular public speaker discussing American entrepreneurship and the birth of ESPN. He is also a frequent guest on radio and television shows. Rasmussen recently returned to Bristol, Connecticut for ESPN’s 30th Anniversary celebrations, and in further recognition of his role as the father of ESPN, Rasmussen threw out the ceremonial first pitch during ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball coverage of the Phillies/Mets contest on September 13, 2009.
His recent tour of college campuses across America included speaking engagements at Princeton University, the University of Florida, the Center for Sports Leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University and the 2010 Maastricht Institute of Entrepreneurship at Missouri Valley College. Rasmussen also recently delivered the keynote address at the Centennial Celebration of Lambda Chi Alpha in Indianapolis. A United States Air Force veteran, Rasmussen received his bachelor’s degree in Economics from DePauw University and his MBA from Rutgers University.
The new paperback edition of Rasmussen’s best-selling book, “Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN,” is now available for $14.95 at http://www.ESPNFounder.com.
Media Contact:
Jim DeLorenzo
Phone: 215-564-1122
E-mail: jim@jhdenterprises.com
A new paperback edition of the bestselling book is now on sale at ESPNFounder.com for $14.95. “Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN” makes a great gift for sports fans of all ages, and especially at this time of year, for graduates and for Father’s Day.
If you pride yourself on knowing everything there is to know about ESPN, you'll need to own this book to cover all the bases. Do you know about the $9,000 credit card advance, the first advertiser on ESPN, or the cost of ESPN's first satellite transponder? Or why ESPN is based in Bristol, Connecticut? All that and more about the early days is covered by Rasmussen in “Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN.”
“Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN” is Rasmussen’s personal account of the launch of the Total Sports Network that he founded over 30 years ago. On September 7, 1979, ESPN went on the air for the first time. Entrepreneurial daring, irrepressible enthusiasm and a dash of good luck gave the world the first 24-hour television network. Once unleashed upon sports fans, ESPN’s impact forever changed the way we watch television. Rasmussen is the man who had the dream, the founder of ESPN.
A life-long entrepreneur and sports fan, Rasmussen’s book reveals his pivotal innovations in advertising, sports and broadcasting , including the creation of “Sports Center,” wall-to-wall coverage of NCAA regular-season and “March Madness” college basketball, and coverage of the NFL Draft.
“Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN” gives sports fans the real insider’s account from the man who changed the landscape of television and sports forever. Imagine a world without ESPN, without 24-hour television channels, and a world of only three television networks. That was the way of the world before Rasmussen’s revolutionary brainstorm, born of adversity and launched despite the odds.
Readers of “Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN” will learn how Rasmussen came up with the idea for ESPN, how he persevered in spite of the naysayers, and how his ideas connected with America’s sports fans and eventually, fans around the world.
ESPN anchor and personality Chris Berman called Rasmussen “the George Washington of ESPN. His accomplishments, however, transcend the boundaries of the sports arena into areas beyond our wildest dreams.”
According to the National Books Critics Circle, “Rasmussen leaves no doubt about who are the good guys, and who are the bad. The hectic race to get ready for the first program and the countdown excitement should grip any reader.”
“Bill Rasmussen’s Sports Junkies Rejoice is a Horatio Alger story in space-age America,” said the Hartford Courant. “It’s a fascinating diary of his journey through uncharted (television) waters.”
Named “The Father of Cable Sports” by USA Today, Rasmussen was named to The Sports 100, honoring the 100 most important people in American Sports History. His place in sports history was further recognized by Sports Illustrated in 1994, when he was honored as one of the “Forty for the Ages,” one of forty individuals who has significantly altered and elevated the world of sport.
Rasmussen is a gifted raconteur and a popular public speaker discussing American entrepreneurship and the birth of ESPN. He is also a frequent guest on radio and television shows. Rasmussen recently returned to Bristol, Connecticut for ESPN’s 30th Anniversary celebrations, and in further recognition of his role as the father of ESPN, Rasmussen threw out the ceremonial first pitch during ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball coverage of the Phillies/Mets contest on September 13, 2009.
His recent tour of college campuses across America included speaking engagements at Princeton University, the University of Florida, the Center for Sports Leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University and the 2010 Maastricht Institute of Entrepreneurship at Missouri Valley College. Rasmussen also recently delivered the keynote address at the Centennial Celebration of Lambda Chi Alpha in Indianapolis. A United States Air Force veteran, Rasmussen received his bachelor’s degree in Economics from DePauw University and his MBA from Rutgers University.
The new paperback edition of Rasmussen’s best-selling book, “Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN,” is now available for $14.95 at http://www.ESPNFounder.com.
Media Contact:
Jim DeLorenzo
Phone: 215-564-1122
E-mail: jim@jhdenterprises.com