About Ross
Ross Bernstein
The best-selling author of nearly 50 sports books, Ross Bernstein is an
inspirational business speaker who helps companies and organizations think and act more like champions. Ross and his books have been featured on thousands of television and radio programs over his career, including CNN, MSNBC, FoxNews, ESPN, TSN, ABC, NBC, CBS, and the CBC, as well as in the pages of the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and USA Today.
Bio
The best-selling author of nearly 50 sports books, Ross Bernstein is an inspirational business speaker who helps companies and organizations think and act more like champions. Ross and his books have been featured on thousands of television and radio programs over his career, including CNN, MSNBC, FoxNews, ESPN, TSN, ABC, NBC, CBS, and the CBC, as well as in the pages of the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and USA Today. As a working member of the media in his home state of Minnesota, Ross has a unique behind the scenes access to all of the local sports franchises in the area, including the Vikings, Twins, Timberwolves, Wild and Gophers. As such, he spends lots of his time in dugouts, club houses, locker rooms, and press boxes — and it’s here where Ross has met and interviewed thousands of professional athletes over the past 20 years.
Ross grew up in the small southern Minnesota town of Fairmont and went on to attend the University of Minnesota. It was there where he first got into writing through some rather unique circumstances. You see, after a failed attempt to make it as a walk-on to the University’s top-ranked Golden Gopher hockey team, Ross opted for the next best thing — to become the team’s mascot, “Goldy the Gopher.” His humorous accounts as a mischievous rodent then inspired the 1992 regional best-seller “Gopher Hockey by the Hockey Gopher.” Talk about making lemonade out of lemons… the rest, as they say, is history!
After graduating from college, Ross spent the next five years living in Chicago and New York City, working as the vice president of marketing for a start-up children’s entertainment company that he co-founded along with several former executives from the Walt Disney Company. Feeling as though he was missing his calling, however, in 1997 Ross took a leap of faith and moved back to Minnesota to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time sports author. Between writing three new books a year and speaking from coast to coast, Ross feels as though he has created his “dream job” and is truly living his passion each and every day.
Author
Bernstein Books, LLC
As a best-selling sports author, Ross has written 50 books and writes three new titles every year. His award-winning books have reached No. 1 multiple times in the sports category on Amazon.com, and reached an all-time high world-wide sales ranking of No. 17 overall for his book “The Code.” Over the years, Ross has appeared on thousands of TV, radio, print and on-line media outlets as a guest and sports expert.
Publisher
Bernstein Books Publishing
As a publisher, Ross has self-published many different titles under his Bernstein Books Publishing umbrella. In addition, Ross also does private label publishing and ghost writing for various celebrity clients with whom he chooses to work with. Ross interviews hundreds of celebrity athletes and media personalities every year for his various book projects, and invariably he is asked to write and publish many of their books. As such, Ross will write and publish their books, turning their life stories into “motivational biographies” that are then used out on the speaking circuit.
MOTION PICTURE & DOCUMENTARY FILM PROJECTS
Ross has worked as a consultant, contributor and on-screen talent with several production companies over the years on a variety of motion picture, television and documentary film projects. Among them include: HBO (consultant: 2010 feature “Broad Street Bullies”), Disney (consultant: 2003 feature “Miracle”), History Channel (consultant: 2008 documentary about the “Miracle on Ice” for the “Our Generation” series), Northland Films (contributor and on-screen talent: 2008 documentary “Pond Hockey”). Ross has also optioned a couple of his books for movie projects, including “The Sheikh of Baghdad,” which was picked up by 3 Arts Entertainment, out of Los Angeles. This project is currently pending.
SCREEN-PLAYS
Ross has a handful of treatments for feature films that are based on his books. The one that he is most excited about and is currently shopping is entitled: “The Bullies.” The movie is based on the hilarious true life story of the 1978 Birmingham (Alabama) Bulls, of the now defunct World Hockey Association, which set a modern day professional hockey record for the most fighting penalty minutes... ever. Ross decided that this story had to be told after writing biographies with Glen Sonmor, the coach of the team, and Dave “Killer” Hanson (of the movie “Slap Shot” fame), who was one of the many enforcers on the team. “Glen’s Goons,” as they were known, fought their way to the top that year en route to changing the rules of the game. This story is about more than just hockey, however, it is also a poignant look at just how the rebel WHA took on the mighty NHL in a classic David vs. Goliath battle that ultimately changed antitrust laws in sports forever. An amalgam between “Slap Shot,” “Bull Durham” and “Miracle,” this movie simply has got to be made. Stay tuned!
On Screen
Ross worked as a producer and was featured extensively on-screen for the 2009 documentary about fighting in hockey called “Unspoken Rules,” which was based on his best-selling book “The Code.” Produced by award-winning Infinity Films, out of Vancouver, the movie was shown extensively on the SuperChannel throughout Canada in 2009-10. The film is presently making the rounds at various film festivals throughout the U.S. and Canada. Ross is currently working as a consultant/producer with Locomotion Pictures and Jigsaw Productions out of New York on their motion picture entitled “The Last Gladiators,” which is about the unwritten rules in hockey. The director of the film is Alex Gibney, who won an Oscar in 2008 for his critically acclaimed documentary “Taxi to the Dark Side.” The film debuted at the Toronto Film Festival in the Summer of 2011.
Personal
Ross and his wife Sara, who have been married for 17 years, have an nine year old daughter and presently reside in Eagan, Minn. A downright sports fanatic, Ross — despite the fact that he has broken more than 20 bones — continues to play hockey a couple times a week. He is also an avid golfer and skier, and has run six marathons to-date… still in hot pursuit of that elusive sub-four-hour finishing time. In addition, Ross currently serves as the President of the Board of Directors of the Herb Brooks Foundation, a cause that is truly near and dear to his heart.
Giving Back
Ross is extremely proud of the fact that he has worked closely with dozens of charitable, non-profit and philanthropic organizations and events over the past two decades, which have raised millions of dollars for various causes. Whether its playing in or serving as a corporate sponsor in celebrity golf or hockey tournaments; attending charity galas and balls; donating money or books to fundraising events; or setting up charitable foundations for his many book subjects and clients — Ross believes strongly in giving back. As an author and speaker, Ross has donated countless hours to a handful of non-profit charitable organizations, and participated in several strategic fundraising initiatives.
Ross has also written and published several books for charitable organizations in which he strongly believes. In the Fall of 2009, Ross proudly donated complimentary copies of his coffee table book “Maroon & Gold Forever: Celebrating 125 Years of Gopher Football” to every season ticket holder in conjunction with the grand opening of TCF Bank Stadium. In addition, Ross created a series of books for both the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame and the University of Minnesota “M” Club Hall of Fame. Both books, “The M” and “The Hall,” were given away as gifts at their respective organization’s annual gala induction dinners, with proceeds from sales going directly to the organizations.
