Panelists

Brian Burke

President and General Manager, Toronto Maple Leafs

Brian Burke was named the President and General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs on November 29, 2008. The 53-year-old Burke became the 13th General Manager in Maple Leafs history and brings over 20 years of National Hockey League experience in various roles to the franchise. Most recently, Burke served as Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Anaheim Ducks from 2005 to 2008. In just over three seasons in Anaheim, Burke guided the Ducks to their first Stanley Cup (2007), first Pacific Division title (2007), and first-two 100+ point seasons (2006-07 & 2007-08). The Ducks also qualified for post-season contention in all three seasons, winning six-of-eight playoff series over that span.

Burke received two outstanding honors in the summer of 2008. On June 6, he was chosen by USA Hockey as General Manager of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team, and was named a recipient of the 2008 Lester Patrick Award for outstanding service to hockey in the United States on August 7.

Burke was ranked No. 1 by The Hockey News in the magazine’s Annual GM Rankings in March of 2008, and was a finalist for The Hockey News Executive of the Year in 2006. He was named the Sporting News Executive of the Year in 2001, and was a runner-up for the same award following the 2005-06 season.

Burke joined the Ducks after a six-year stint (1998-2004) as President and General Manager of the Vancouver Canucks where he revitalized the team and the community en route to consecutive 100+ point seasons and the 2004 Northwest Division title. Under Burke’s leadership, the Canucks improved their point total in four consecutive years from 1999-2003.

Since the 2000-01 season, Burke’s teams have qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs all seven times, playing in 13 total postseason series. In addition, all seven of those clubs recorded at least 90+ points, including four 100-point seasons.

Born in Providence, Rhode Island and raised in Edina, Minnesota, Burke was named the Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations by the Vancouver Canucks in June of 1987. Burke left Vancouver to serve as General Manager of the Hartford Whalers for one season in 1992, before joining the NHL front office as Senior Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations in September of 1993. Some of his duties with the NHL included acting as chief disciplinarian by ruling on violations for on-ice player conduct, and working closely with Commissioner Gary Bettman on league direction and collective bargaining matters.

After earning his Bachelor of Arts in History from Providence College in 1977, Burke signed with the Philadelphia Flyers prior to the 1977-78 season and won a Calder Cup Championship with the Flyers’ American Hockey League affiliate the Maine Mariners. He then returned to school and graduated from Harvard Law in 1981. Burke practiced law in Boston for the next six years, representing professional hockey players until joining the Canucks in 1987. Brian resides with his wife Jennifer and has six children: Katie, Patrick, Brendan, Molly, Mairin and Gracie.

Jeff Van Gundy

ESPN Analyst and Former NBA Coach

Former NBA head coach Jeff Van Gundy joined ESPN in 2007 as part of the lead broadcast team, serving as an analyst alongside play-by-play commentator Mike Breen and analyst Mark Jackson. Van Gundy was the head coach of the Rockets for four seasons from 2004-07, leading the team to a 182-146 record. He previously was head coach of the New York Knicks from 1995-2001, when his the team won 248 games and made the playoffs six times (including an NBA Finals appearance in 1999). Prior to his NBA coaching experience, Van Gundy was an assistant coach at Rutgers and Providence.

Mark Donovan

Senior Vice President of Business Operations, Philadelphia Eagles

Entering his tenth year in the NFL and sixth season as the Senior Vice President of Business Operations, Mark Donovan is responsible for the business side of the team.

Working closely on a daily basis with President, Joe Banner and CFO Don Smolenski to direct all non football operations, Mark leads the club's efforts in television and radio production, retail operations, event acquisition and ticket sales, brand marketing, new media strategy, sponsorship sales and service, as well as premium sales and customer service.

Mark began his NFL career as a member of the league office serving as the senior director of marketing and sales.  He moved to NFL from the National Hockey League, where he held the position of director of corporate sales and marketing.

Recognized as one of the most aggressive and successful business operations in sports, the Eagles have earned several awards under Donovan's direction.  In 2007 Forbes Magazine calculated the brand value of the 122 professional sports teams by adding up revenues from sponsorships, naming rights, local media, tickets and merchandise and named the Philadelphia Eagles as the “fastest growing brand” in the NFL.  According to Forbes over the past three years the Eagles brand has grown 113 percent and is currently valued at $90 million.  In 2008 Sports Business Journal ranked the Eagles #3 among NFL Teams with the “most creative/innovative marketing efforts”.  In addition, PhiladelphiaEagles.com has been selected the best overall web site among NFL teams three times, Eagles Television Network has won 32 prestigious sports Emmy Awards and 53 Telly Awards, and Donovan and his marketing department earned 11 Philadelphia ADDY Awards for the “You Can’t Script This Stuff” campaign.

Donovan, himself, earned a prestigious national award in 2005 as a recipient of the Sports Business Journal's Forty under 40 awards, which honors the 40 most influential sports executives under the age of 40.

In addition to serving as the home of the Philadelphia Eagles, Lincoln Financial Field has quickly developed a reputation as a premier sports and entertainment facility.  Mark has led the effort to acquire, negotiate, sell and manage events ranging from Bruce Springsteen concerts, Manchester United and Chelsea FC soccer matches, the annual Army/Navy Game, Temple Football and Women's World Cup Soccer. In 2005 and 2006 the venue hosted the NCAA Lacrosse Championship over Memorial Day weekend.  Through the efforts of the Eagles organization and the local organizing committee the team shattered all previous ticket sales records making it the largest ticketed NCAA Championship event to date.  In 2007, 2008 and 2009 Lincoln Financial Field hosts the largest country music festival in the history of the Delaware Valley when Kenny Chesney and friends appear.  Primarily utilizing the Eagles database and season ticket waitlist over 50,000 tickets sold in record time each year.

Mark was selected by Commissioner Goodell as one of the eight Club Representatives to serve on the NFL Club Business Working Committee.  He also serves on the National Board of Directors of Pop Warner Football, The Police Athletic League of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Sports Congress and is a member of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
 
A native of Pittsburgh, Mark graduated from Brown University with a double major in political science and organizational behavior and management. He also played quarterback and was elected team captain of the Brown Football Team. Upon graduation he signed a free agent contract with the New York Giants.

Mark and his wife, Kathleen, have a son, Luke, and a daughter, Maeve.

Sean O'Brien

Producer of NBA LIVE, EA Sports

Sean O’Brien is lead producer for the EA SPORTS franchise NBA LIVE where he is responsible for the strategic and creative direction of the videogame. O’Brien was promoted to the flagship EA SPORTS basketball franchise in November 2008 after six years developing the EA SPORTS college basketball franchise NCAA Basketball into the No. 1 selling college basketball videogame of all-time. A native of Ottawa, Ontario, O’Brien started his career as EA’s first motion capture subject on the NBA LIVE franchise while starring on the varsity basketball team at his alma mater, Simon Fraser University. O’Brien was a power forward on the SFU Clan teams coached by current Toronto Raptors head coach Jay Triano. O’Brien also consulted with EA on product authenticity and quality control, and after graduating with a Bachelor's Degree from SFU, he began work full-time in the interactive game industry with Radical Entertainment, another Vancouver-based videogame maker. O’Brien returned to EA to work on NBA LIVE before moving to more senior positions on NCAA Basketball, which at the time was known as NCAA March Madness. He has returned to the LIVE franchise and has a vision in place to return it to its former glory.

Moderator

Bill Simmons

ESPN Columnist

Bill Simmons is a columnist for Page 2 and ESPN The Magazine.