Our Advisory Board consists of some of the leading executives within the sports, media and entertainment business. In addition to providing valuable insights, our Advisory Board members are actively involved in providing services to the sports and entertainment industries.
Advisory Board
Our Advisory Board consists of some of the leading executives within the sports, media and entertainment business. In addition to providing valuable insights, our Advisory Board members are actively involved in providing services to the sports and entertainment industries.
Rick Furr
Rick Furr brings over 20+ years in sports marketing to the Sports Advisory Group. Rick has extensive background in professional baseball, collegiate athletics, and sports media. Working in professional baseball, Furr served as Broadcast Sales Manager for the Florida Marlins, General Manager of the Detroit Tigers Minor League Class A Affiliate, and Director of Broadcasting for the Baltimore Orioles Class AA Affiliate.
In addition to providing mergers and acquisitions services to the Sports Advisory group, Rick is also President of Rick Furr Sports Enterprises, where he works with professional & collegiate properties on developing Mobile Marketing Platforms. His agency provides complete mobile advertising services, from concept to execution, delivery and campaign management, to reporting and analysis.
The Company is also involved in executive searches for coaches, collegiate administrators, professional sports executives, and broadcasters.
Rick also previously served as National Sports Manager for both CBS Sports Radio & Clear Channel for six years. During this time, he worked in major markets in Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, and Atlanta. His primary task was selling sports media sponsorships to national & regional clients. He represented over 50+ sports play-by-play sports properties, list of teams included some of the best franchises in sports; Dodgers, Cardinals, Yankees, Mets, Cowboys, Redskins, Eagles, Patriots, Giants, Jets, Vikings, Bears, Ravens, Lakers, UCLA.
Rick is the author of “The Street Smart Way To A Career” published by Simon & Schuster. Rick’s offices are located in Alpharetta Georgia.
He can be reached at (770) 753-1477; rickfurr@rickfurrsports.com; www.mobilesportsgroup.com.
Ray Delia
Ray Delia is one of the leading general managers throughout all of minor league hockey. He also serves as a consultant to the Sports Advisory Group and our clients providing comprehensive due diligence review, analysis of team operations, marketing and sales.
Ray Delia brings 14 years of sports management experience to Florida in 2010-2011. Delia arrives in Florida after two years as President and General Manager of the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs (CHL), an organization he returned to after eight years as a General Manager in the ECHL and Canadian Hockey League. Delia previously served as President and GM with the Mudbugs from 1997-2000.
In his first stint with the Mudbugs during the franchise’s formative years, Delia helped build the organization into the most successful sports franchise in the region. His guidance was a crucial part of the team’s excellent attendance numbers, strong corporate partnerships and business operations during its first three seasons of play in the Western Professional Hockey League (WPHL). Delia won the WPHL’s Executive of the Year Award in 2000 and was a part of the Mudbugs’ first two President’s Cup Championships (in 1999 and 2000). In his most recent tour of duty with the Mudbugs, in 2009 he renegotiated their arena lease, successfully brokered the sale of the team alongside the Sports Advisory Group, and was recognized as the Central Hockey League's Executive of the Year for the Mudbugs' remarkable business makeover. The 2009-10 season saw the team return to prominence with a playoff run that ended with a Game 7 loss in the Northern Conference Finals to eventual CHL Champion, Rapid City.
Delia left the Mudbugs in 2000 to help launch the ECHL franchise in Reading, Pennsylvania. He spent five years with the Reading Royals, serving as the team’s General Manager and Governor until 2005. Delia was nominated for the ECHL’s Executive of the Year Award twice during his time with the Royals and helped the franchise win league awards for Ticket Department of the Year and Ticket Executive of the Year in 2003 and Merchandiser of the Year in 2004. He was also pivotal in the planning of the 2005 ECHL All-Star Game, which Reading hosted at the Sovereign Center.
What began as a rather limited collection of ballpark reviews, the Digests have since grown into something more vital to the average fan: a daily chronicle of the culture and business of professional sports. Professionals throughout the industry rely on the daily news updates for important information, while baseball fans use the reviews to plan their ballpark pilgrimages. Ballpark Digest is the most complete source of ballpark news and listings on the Internet. Arena Digest is your essential guide to pro and college arenas past and present. We also track changes in NHL and minor-league hockey. Football Stadium Digest covers the fast-changing world of college and professional football stadiums. Spring Training Online is the definitive source of information about baseball's spring-training season.. 212 3rd Av. N., Suite 354, Minneapolis, MN 55401; Editorial: 612/343-5207; kevinreichard@ballparkwatch.com.
