Clayton A. “Bud” Beardmore was an American lacrosse coach. As head coach at the University of Maryland, Beardmore led the Terrapins to two NCAA tournament championships in 1973 and 1975. He was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame (1980) and the UMD Athletic Hall of Fame (1988). Beardmore was a three time All-American and National Player of the Year.

Ernest E. Bearg was an American football and basketball coach. He served as the head football coach at Washburn University from 1918 to 1919 and again from 1929 to 1935. He coached the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from 1925 to 1928, compiling a career college football record of 69-40-7.

Bearg also spent one year as Nebraska’s men’s basketball coach (1925-1926) and posted an 8-10 mark. Before coming to Nebraska, he also served as an assistant coach at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Louis William “Bill” Bergesch was an American Major League Baseball executive for several teams.

In 1947, Bergesch joined the St. Louis Cardinals organization. He was sent to Albany, Georgia to serve as general manager of a local franchise team owned by the Cardinals. For the next decade, he served in similar roles with other St. Louis Cardinal minor league teams, including the Omaha Cardinals, one of two AAA teams in the Cardinals minor league system. While at Omaha, Bergesch signed future Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson from Creighton University. He was called to the St Louis head office in 1960.

In 1961, Bertgesch joined the Kansas City Athletics, which had recently been purchased by Charles O. Finley, as Assistant General Manager to Frank Lane.

In 1962, Bergesch joined the New York Mets prior to their first season, as Assistant General Manager and Director of Minor League Operations, where he was largely responsible for building a farm system for the new team.

Charles Francis Berry was an American athlete and sports official who enjoyed careers as a catcher and umpire in Major League Baseball and as an offensive end and official in the National Football League. His father, Charlie Sr., was a second baseman who played in the Union Association in 1884. He accomplished the rare feat of officiating in both the NFL Championship Game and the World Series in the same year. He was catcher for the Athletics, Red Sox, and the White Sox.

Berry is also remembered for a collision with Babe Ruth which sent the slugger flying into the air. In 1931, during a game between the New York Yankees and the Red Sox, Ruth collided with Berry at home plate while trying to score on a sacrifice fly. Ruth was carried off the field at Fenway Park and taken to a hospital, and missed two weeks of play.

Phi Delta Theta Sports Hall of Fame Inductee

After practicing law for six years as a federal prosecutor, Michael Bidwill joined the Cardinals organization in 1996 as Vice President/General Counsel and today serves as team President. In that time, his influence over the club has been undeniable.

Since taking over as team President in 2007, the Cardinals have gone .500 or better in five of seven seasons (just twice in previous 20 years) and posted two double-digit win seasons (none in previous 20).

The 2013 offseason was a busy but successful one for Bidwill, who spearheaded the searches that resulted in the hirings of General Manager Steve Keim and head coach Bruce Arians. Keim would earn NFL Executive of the Year while Arians merited Coach of the Year consideration after Arizona doubled its win total and matched the greatest one-year turnaround in team history in a 16-game season. Prior to the start of the season, the team also staged its first training camp at University of Phoenix Stadium which proved to be extremely popular and successful.

In addition to his prominent role with the Cardinals, Bidwill has established himself as an influential leader in the greater Phoenix business community where he has been a strong advocate for economic growth and development.

From 2008-10, Bidwill served back-to-back terms as Chairman of Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC). He is also a board member of Greater Phoenix Leadership (GPL), an organization composed of the region’s top business and civic leaders. In July of 2011, Bidwill and 16 business leaders in the state were appointed to the Arizona Commerce Authority Board of Directors.

This past June, Bidwill received the 2014 Transformational Leader Award from the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry. In November of 2013, he received the “West Valley Regional Advancement Award” from Western Maricopa Coalition, which cited continued positive impact in that community. Bidwill was selected by the Phoenix Business Journal as one of its 25 “Most Admired CEO’s” in 2010. The previous year, he also received the Leader for Tomorrow award from the Boy Scouts of America.

Within the National Football League, Michael chairs the Security and Fan Conduct Committee, a group of eight club executives that oversees and develops best security practices for NFL facilities. He has also been a member of the league’s Business Ventures Committee since 2007 when Commissioner Roger Goodell appointed him to it.

In December of 2012, Michael was appointed by Goodell to the board of the National Football League Foundation. With a focus on improving the health and safety of sports and youth football, the foundation has provided $35 million in funding to build nearly 400 youth fields in NFL team areas. So far in 2014, the NFL Foundation has announced a $45 million grant for youth football programs, a $1 million grant for youth and high school football equipment, and another $25 million in grants towards health and safety initiatives over the next three years. The foundation also partnered with the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee to distribute $2 million to nonprofits in Arizona in the run-up to Super Bowl XLIX.

In May of 2013, Bidwill was one of a select group of league executives who participated in the NFL Career Development Symposium at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. The three-day program for aspiring head coaches and GM candidates allowed them to prepare for future opportunities and engage with key league decision-makers.

Among his most significant accomplishments with the Cardinals was leading the effort that resulted in the creation of University of Phoenix Stadium. The venue has been a major factor in the transformation of the Cardinals and a catalyst for the franchise’s success. The team has sold out every game it has played since the iconic stadium’s opening and in 2013 eclipsed the five million fan mark for Cardinals games.

Without the stadium, Arizona would also have never hosted another Super Bowl. Instead, University of Phoenix Stadium successfully hosted Super Bowl XLII in 2008 and will again with Super Bowl XLIX this year. Thanks to Bidwill’s efforts, Arizona will also host the Pro Bowl this January a week before the Super Bowl, pushing the economic impact of the two games well past half a billion dollars. It will be a busy time for Arizona’s Super Bowl Host Committee, on which Michael also serves.

Strong community involvement has been a hallmark of Bidwill’s tenure with the Cardinals, with a particular emphasis on the value of youth sports. In 2011, Bidwill led the team’s support of state legislation implementing stronger concussion guidelines and increasing awareness among Arizona high school athletes. Past recognition includes the team’s selection as the NFC recipient of the “Pop Warner NFL Team of the Year (2005)” for commitment to the development of youth football. Two years earlier, that same organization presented Michael with the Glenn S. “Pop” Warner Award, for excellence in athletics, scholarship, and life’s endeavors with integrity and humanity.

From 1990–96, Bidwill was an Assistant U.S. Attorney with the Department of Justice in Phoenix where he specialized in homicide and other violent crime cases.

Bidwill earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from St. Louis University in 1987 and in 1990 earned a law degree from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. A licensed pilot and flying enthusiast, Bidwill also donates his time and resources as a volunteer for “Flying Samaritans,” a group of volunteers including doctors and other medical personnel who offer free medical clinics in Mexico. He is also a member of the Air Force Chief of Staff Civic Leader Program whose membership, according to the Air Force, “comprises respected community leaders (who) provide ideas and feedback to advise the secretary of the Air Force, the Air Force chief of staff and Air Force senior leaders about how missions can best be accomplished in their respective areas.” Michael additionally is a member of the board for the Pat Tillman Foundation, which carries on the legacy of the former Cardinals safety killed in Afghanistan in 2004.

Carson Lee “Skeeter” Bigbee was an American outfielder in Major League Baseball who played his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was born in Lebanon, Oregon, and attended the University of Oregon. He also managed the Muskegon (MI) Lassies all-American girls professional baseball league (1949-1950).

As president of the Buffalo Sabres, Theodore “Ted” N. Black oversaw all aspects of the day-to-day operations of the franchise, with specific focus on making the Buffalo Sabres the premier destination for NHL players and the Sabres’ current and future employees. In addition, Ted provided strategic and creative leadership in areas including corporate partnerships, advertising, NHL relations, team marketing, Sabres’ television broadcasts, fan relations and ticket sales.

Over the last decade, Ted has compiled a track record of success and experience that few sports executives can match. Ted is an accomplished leader who contributed to and presided over unprecedented growth with both the Pittsburgh Penguins and FSN Pittsburgh. He enjoys close relationships with top executives, corporate sponsors, professional sports teams, television networks and at the National Hockey League.

In late 2010, Terry Pegula enlisted Ted to undertake the task of assembling and leading the group of professionals to advise Mr. Pegula on the acquisition of the Buffalo Sabres. Ted’s responsibilities included guiding the transaction negotiations, due diligence and NHL approval process.

Previously, Ted served as the Senior Vice President and General Manager of FSN Pittsburgh, a regional sports television network that produced and telecast more than 220 live pro events and 1500 hours of programming per year. Under Ted’s executive leadership, FSN Pittsburgh grew advertising revenues every year and telecast a record number of live pro events. The station also generated record revenues, record earnings, record ratings and was widely recognized as the #1 rated US-based Regional Sports Network in the National Hockey League.

Prior to his tenure at FSN, Ted was a member of Mario Lemieux’s senior management team and served as Vice President of the Pittsburgh Penguins from 1999 to 2008. Ted was a member of the core group of executives that helped Lemieux execute one of the most successful franchise transformations in the history of professional sports. Ted was intimately involved in all senior executive-level decisions and strategic planning concerning the marketing, branding, sales and overall business operations and management of the team. In addition to being a key strategist during the Penguins’ efforts to get a new arena, Ted served as the day-to-day project leader for the new arena during the pre-construction phase of the project. He also interviewed and helped to recruit Ray Shero to become the club’s General Manager. Ted was active with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and served as the team’s Alternate Governor to the AHL.

In 2005, Ted was honored and recognized by Pittsburgh Magazine as a “Forty Under Forty” community leader.

Rob Boras has been with the Los Angeles Rams for four seasons (since 2012). He joined the team in 2012 as the tight end coach and has since been promoted to Offensive Assistant Head Coach. Prior to the Los Angeles Rams, Rob spent 5 years with the Chicago Bears and one year with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

James Goodwin Bowden IV is a baseball analyst and insider for ESPN. He writes a blog for ESPN.com titled The GM’s Office and is a co-host of SiriusXM’s Inside Pitch on MLB Network Radio. He used to be a host and co-host on Fox Sports Radio, a baseball analyst for FoxSports.com and a Baseball Insider for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels for Fox Sports West.

Bowden has held positions of Senior Vice President and General Manager for both the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals. On October 16, 1992 he became the youngest general manager in baseball history. He was named MLB Executive of the Year by Baseball America in 1999. Bowden’s teams finished in first place in 1994 and 1995. Bowden has also worked in television for ESPN and Fox Sports West as well as local television and radio stations in both Cincinnati and Washington, D.C..

Rich Brooks is a former American football player and coach. He was the head coach at the University of Oregon from 1977 to 1994, the NFL’s St. Louis Rams from 1995 to 1996 and the University of Kentucky from 2003 to 2009.

Brooks’ 1994 Oregon team won the Pac-10 title and played in the 1995 Rose Bowl. For his efforts that season, he won a number of national coaching awards. The University of Oregon named the field at Autzen Stadium Rich Brooks Field in honor of his 18 seasons as coach for the Ducks.