A relatively unknown Texas businessman is making headlines with bold moves that have produced varying results
Carolina Hurricanes owner and CEO Tom Dundon takes questions after investing $250 million in the Alliance of American Football. The league has since been shut down after just eight weeks of games.
But Dundon’s soaring Q rating in the sports world is largely due to his association with the Alliance of American Football, a minor league operation that had garnered attention for its heady ambitions and quick demise. As his Hurricanes take the ice against the Washington Capitals in the opening round this week, Dundon is still picking up the pieces from his short-lived, high-priced foray into professional football.
The recent hockey turnaround and the football flop are among the most high-profile business dealings of Dundon’s wildly successful career. He has a net worth that has been estimated around $1 billion, built largely from working in financial services and auto lending after a failed foray into the food industry. His financial firm is based in Dallas, where he attended Southern Methodist University.
“The truth is, we have a small group of very passionate fans. The job was to grow that number,” Dundon said. “So there wasn’t a lot of risk when you're on the lower end. We only had upside.” Perhaps the most visible change came following home wins this season, when the Hurricanes received considerable attention for their elaborately choreographed postgame celebrations. Players did a limbo line under a hockey stick and played duck-duck-goose on the ice. Williams used his helmet as a bowling ball, knocking down teammates lined up like pins, and a pair of players fished from the bench, reeling in a teammate flopping on the ice.
While some bristled when the team opted to wear Hartford Whalers jerseys for a pair of games, many more started taking notice of what the Hurricanes were doing. Attendance increased more than 15 percent on the season, and according to a team official, new season ticket sales are up 260 percent from this time a year ago.
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