Railroaders place to shoot the shit.

Ed Snider took a risk in 1966 that would come to characterize his career for the next five decades. He pledged his home as collateral for a loan to create the Philadelphia Flyers, and then used that foundation to build one of the preeminent sports and entertainment organizations in the world - Comcast-Spectacor. His role as Philadelphia's leading architect of the current sports scene was recognized by Philly's fans in 1999, when readers of the Philadelphia Daily News voted Snider as the City's greatest mover and shaker of the millennium.

When the National Hockey League decided to expand in l966, Philadelphia was not on the radar of cities expected to receive an expansion team. Snider waged a one-man campaign to convince the League and succeeded. He had to promise the new team would have a home, and convinced City officials that, if they would provide him five acres of land on what was supposed to be part of the parking lot for the new Veterans Stadium, he would build an arena. Snider oversaw the construction of the Spectrum and eventually took control of it.

In 1974, Snider created Spectacor to oversee the Flyers and the Spectrum. This new company quickly became a major player in the national sports and entertainment scene. Nearly a dozen successful enterprises flourished under the Spectacor banner.

In 1996, Snider merged Spectacor with Comcast Corporation to form Comcast-Spectacor. That same year, he saw another dream come to fruition with the opening of the Wachovia Center, a $210 million state-of-the-art sports/entertainment complex. Today, the Wachovia Center and the Wachovia Spectrum comprise the most active sports and entertainment complex in the world.

Comcast-Spectacor quickly changed the sports world's national landscape by creating Comcast SportsNet, the first regional sports network to operate on a 24-hour basis with its own original programming. Today, there are Comcast SportsNet stations operating in major markets throughout the country, including Chicago, IL, and New York, NY.

Comcast-Spectacor now encompasses Global Spectrum, a facilities management company with clients throughout the world; Ovations Food Services, a national food concession company; New Era Tickets, an innovative provider of technological solutions for box office management, event management and customer communications; and the Flyers Skate Zone, a network of regional ice skating rinks.

While Comcast-Spectacor's success stands as testimony to Snider's vision and entrepreneurial skills, the creation of the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation is Snider's true legacy. The Foundation was started by Snider in 2005 to provide a means to reach inner city children by giving them the chance to learn to play hockey. Hockey, however, is only the "hook" - the program will teach the children necessary life skills, and provide them with educational assistance to help them stay in school. The program has already touched the lives of over 1,000 children, and reflects Snider's strong commitment to give back to the community that has supported him.

Snider's achievements and his philanthropy have earned numerous awards and recognition. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988 and serves on the NHL's Executive Committee. He is a recipient of the Lester Patrick Award for outstanding service to hockey in the United States and has been elected to the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame, the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, the Greater Washington DC Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and the Flyers Hall of Fame. In 2005, Snider received the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce's William Penn Award, the most prestigious business honor in the region, and the Ellis Island Medal of Honor awarded to Americans of all ethnic backgrounds who have made significant contributions to our society.

In February of 2001, Snider received Temple University's First Annual Sports Leadership Award. In December 1999, he received the Anti-Defamation League's prestigious Americanism Award. In 1985, Snider received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from MCP Hahnemann University and in May of 1999, he received the same from Thomas Jefferson Hospital. He is also a Benefactor of the Sol C. Snider Entrepreneurial Center of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Other Board memberships include the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, The Atlas Society, the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Middle East Forum.

Snider and his wife Christine reside in suburban Philadelphia. His children include daughters Lindy, Tina, and Sarena and sons Craig, Jay, and Samuel. With all his accomplishments, one of his greatest joys is spending time with his 15 grandchildren.