Mike Principe

Age: 38

Title: Managing director

Company: Blue Entertainment Sports Television (BEST)

Education: A.B., political science, Washington University in St. Louis; J.D., Washington University in St. Louis

Family: Wife, Jamie; children, Mira, 6, and Jesse, 4

Career: Associate counsel, The Sillerman Cos.; general counsel and EVP, SFX Sports Group; COO, Blue Equity LLC; managing director, BEST.

Last vacation: March 2008, the Bahamas

Favorite book: Bodyguard of Lies: The Extraordinary True Story Behind D-Day, by Anthony Cave Brown

Favorite movie: Young Frankenstein

Whats on your iPod? Neil Young, Ella Fitzgerald, Jimi Hendrix, Beastie Boys

Pet peeve: Tardiness

Greatest achievement: Brant Lake Camp 1985 Color War Captain

Greatest disappointment: Losing the 1985 Brant Lake Camp Color War

Fantasy job: Commissioner of Major League Baseball or Official Fly Shagger of the New York Yankees

Executive you most admire: Abraham Lincoln

Business advice: Think harder than the other guy.

Mike Principe was hired in 2006 by entrepreneur Jonathan Blue to start a new, multisport talent representation, media and events company.

Blue hired Principe after he worked for Bob Sillerman, rolling up a number of sports management and marketing firms to create the former SFX Sports. That firm had become one of the biggest agencies in sports but unraveled among a clash of egos after Clear Channel Corp. purchased it in 2000.

When Principe first met Blue, “He said,‘Build me a sports agency that works.’ ”

Principe appears to be doing just that.

Over the last 2 1/2 years, Principe identified and acquired 10 different sports and entertainment practices, including the former SFX tennis, television and events groups, and the practices of prominent NFL agent Joel Segal and top NBA agent Dan Fegan.

Today, Blue Entertainment Sports Television (BEST) represents more than 200 athletes, including NFL players Reggie Bush and Santonio Holmes, tennis’ Andy Roddick and retired great Justine Henin, and NBA players Shawn Marion, Rasheed Wallace and Yi Jianlian. Additionally, its television division represents the U.S. Tennis Association, Boston Marathon and French Open. BEST either produces the events or sells the rights for the properties, or both.

“I think that what went wrong with SFX was we were too big a company within an even larger company,” Principe conceded. “BEST is going to be different. We have installed a clear business plan and vision, and have an intense focus on inter-company communication and cooperation.”

Blue added, “From an age standpoint, Mike is young, yet has an unusually high level of experience for situations due to the fact that he has participated in this sector for so many years prior to joining us. ... He understands the requirements of each position’s critical role with respect to the success of the organization.”