May 29, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — "ESPN was founded by Bill Rasmussen in 1978 with $9,000 on his credit card," begins a Hollywood Reporter story. "Today, it encompasses six U.S. networks, 46 international ones, a radio network, websites, a magazine, even a restaurant chain. It is worth more than the entire NFL, or more than the NBA, the NHL and Major League Baseball combined. The subject of Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN by Tom Shales, the Pulitzer-winning former Washington Post TV critic, and James Miller, a former journalist and cable executive, is the 'mystery of ESPN's rise to stratospheric heights from subterranean depths.' "
In the book, which was released last Tuesday, "The authors' answer -- pulling out seven key moments in the network's history -- is less compelling than just 
enjoying the whole story," opines Andy Lewis. "And oh what a story: larger-than-life personalities, salacious gossip, backstabbing and corporate intrigue set against the backdrop of the rise of cable television as an economic and cultural force."
Read more here.
A 1954 graduate of DePauw University, Bill Rasmussen authored Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN and is among 39 business leaders interviewed in a recent book, Tough Calls From the Corner Office. He was recently recognized as one of the 2011 class of "The Champions: Pioneers & Innovators in Sports Business."