Sidney Shlenker
Sidney L. Shlenker (August 14, 1936 - April 23, 2003) was an American businessman. He was the team president of the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball and the owner of the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association.
Early life and career
Shlenker was born in Monroe, Louisiana. His family moved to Houston two years later.[1] He graduated from St. John's School in Houston,[2] and attended Tulane University, but dropped out without graduating.[1]
Shlenker met Roy Hofheinz, the owner of the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball and the Astrodome. Shlenker began promoting non-sporting events held at the Astrodome.[2] In 1966, Shlenker and Allen Becker founded Pace Management Company, which focused on event promotion.[1][3] In 1975, the Astros hired Shlenker as their president. He fired Spec Richardson, the team's general manager, and hired Tal Smith.[4]
Shlenker became a part-owner of the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1982.[5] In May 1985, he bought the NBA's Denver Nuggets for $20 million. He reached an agreement with the city of Denver to renovate the McNichols Arena.[6] In June 1987, the Major Indoor Soccer League granted a conditional franchise to Shlenker, to begin play in the 1988-89 season.[7] The team, tentitively named the "Denver Desperados", attracted deposits for 400 season tickets within four months, short of the required 5,000; the franchise was revoked in November 1987.[8] Shlenker sold Nuggets in November 1989 for $65 million.[6]
Shlenker then moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where he managed the construction of the Memphis Pyramid. In 1991, he was removed from the project after failing to obtain financing.[1]
Personal life
Shlenker testified in the trial of Heidi Fleiss, the "Hollywood Madam", in 1995. As a former customer, he received immunity for his testimony.[9]
Shlenker suffered a spinal cord injury in a 1998 motor vehicle accident on U.S. Route 395 that left him paralyzed.[6][3]
Shlenker had a wife and three children.[1] He died of heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on April 23, 2003.[1][3]
References
- ^ a b c d e f http://articles.latimes.com/2003/apr/28/local/me-shlenker28
- ^ a b http://www.chron.com/news/houston-deaths/article/Deaths-Sidney-Shlenker-ex-Astros-executive-2127690.php
- ^ a b c http://www.myplainview.com/news/article/Former-Denver-Nuggets-owner-Sidney-Shlenker-dies-9087715.php
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ a b c http://extras.denverpost.com/scolumns/paige1102.htm
- ^ "MISL awards Denver expansion franchise". Eugene Register-Guard. June 26, 1987. p. 4C. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ^ "MISL team folds". Wilmington Morning Star. November 6, 1987. p. 2B. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ^ http://www.nwitimes.com/uncategorized/heidi-fleiss-convicted-of-money-laundering/article_460c58cf-245a-54d5-8984-aedf8685df8f.html