Eddie Elias: PBA Founder, Merchandised Sports, Corporate, TV Worlds

Jane Richardson
Thistle Publishing (2006)
ISBN 187940317X
Reviewed by Cherie Burbach for Reader Views (2/06)

Who is Eddie Elias? That was certainly my question upon hearing the title of this book. But just wait readers... you are in for a treat. Because the life of Eddie Elias was anything but boring, and this seemingly little known individual had quite an influence on sports today.

To construct the life of Eddie Elias, author Jane Richardson did her homework. She talked to over 270 friends, business associates and family members (all indexed at the back of the book), to get an in-depth look at his formative years through adulthood. Early on in the book Eddie’s sister Jackie indicates, “Everyone helped each other. Life was sparse... We didn’t know we were poor; everyone lived as we did – loving, working, caring families.” It is this background that gives us the basis to understand Eddie’s generous nature and his tenacity in business.

Developing a love of sports from his father early on, Eddie went on to not only play sports, but become involved in nearly every aspect, including sports management, TV, and even radio. Perhaps his largest accomplishment was the creation of the Pro Bowlers Association (PBA). Eddie’s influence in getting this once blue-collar sport on television helped propel it to a popularity it had never seen before. As if that were not enough, I was surprised to learn that Eddie was also involved in representing golfers and basketball and football players as well. He also partnered with Marlo Thomas in getting “That Girl” on the air.

Perhaps the best way to sum up Eddie’s life is with a quote from TV announcer Chris Schenkel, who says in the book that Eddie was: “the first to merge the corporate, sports, and TV worlds. Before Eddie came up with it, no one thought of it.” Think of our sports world today and this quote is made all the more relevant.

The book is charmingly chatty, with anecdotes moving the details of Eddie’s life ahead while at the same time giving us a real-life glance at his personality and ultimate legacy. This is not a lackluster, dry biography, but rather a quaint glimpse into the life of an ordinary guy – whose insight into business and nice-guy charm helped him create an extraordinary life. Pictures of Eddie’s life are generously peppered throughout the work. The casual narrative will lure you in, giving you the feeling that you’re the fly on the wall in a room full of great story tellers and sincerely nice people who all have a connection to Eddie Elias.

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