Stock Picker Gets Ready To Rumble

The internet equity research analysts that became household names during the tech bubble emerged scattered around the industry after being dragged through the mud following its burst.

Henry Blodget of Merrill Lynch, after being barred from the securities industry, is now a journalist covering Silicon Alley in this Web 2.0 environment. Mary Meeker hunkered down below the radar for several years at Morgan Stanley, where she continues to follow Google, Yahoo, and other familiar names.

Goldman Sach's Anthony Noto shed his moniker "Anthony Don't Know" and regained respect by making smarter calls on the stocks in his universe, most notably the ones on Goldman's client list. In 2004, he was named partner, one of only three from the research team to receive the honor that year.

But now Noto is now ready to abandon his Buys and Holds for sacks, tackles, and first downs. The National Football League announced today that he is to become its chief financial officer, a position that has been vacant since 2003.

You're forgiven for asking the obvious question: how is an internet equity analyst qualified to be the C.F.O. of the biggest and arguably the most successful sports league?

For starters, Noto knows the game. He was an All-American linebacker for the U.S. Military Academy, from which he graduated with a degree in engineering in 1991. It's safe to say he picked up a thing or two about business from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned his M.B.A.

Perhaps more importantly, Noto did more at Goldman Sachs than maintain Hold ratings on 1-800-Flowers and WebMD. He also covered the cable and entertainment industries.

Much of the NFL's financial success is tied directly to its lucrative contracts with cable companies for television rights to its games. The league's revenue reportedly topped $5.8 billion in 2006, the same year it struck t.v. deals worth $24 billion through 2013.

The league has deals with the very companies Noto has followed for years, including Fox parent News Corp., ESPN's parent Walt Disney, Time Warner Cable, DirectTV, and Comcast.

Going from equity research to the cozy world of venture capital or hedge funds might be the most likely route to retirement. But going from being a star stock picker for one of Wall Street's finest to running the books for 32 NFL franchises sure sounds like a lot more fun.

by Megan Barnett