Ranking the Most Important People in Sports Right Now
There are powerful and influential people in sports—like Roger Goodell and Bill Simmons—but it takes someone really unique to become important, proving to be more irreplaceable than anyone else.
To be important means to balance power, leadership, influence and creative innovation, going beyond what is expected. It's to build a legacy that impacts sports in ways others can't and taking on tasks that others refuse.
In the world of sports, plenty of people think they're important, but these are the ones who are the most valuable.
Scott Van Pelt
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What Scott Van Pelt is doing to late-night SportsCenter has been tried before, but never has it been as successful as SVP has made it since debuting his solo show last September.
Innovating sports news into more than just highlights, Van Pelt has become the Howard Stern of sports television, satisfying the needs of traditional fans, while also relating with a younger generation.
Incorporating live interviews following major events—like he did minutes following this year's NBA Finals result—to adding a gambling twist into his show, Van Pelt delivers the most honest sports show on TV right now.
Derek Jeter
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Nope, you didn't get into a time machine and fall back to the year 2000, because former New York Yankees great Derek Jeter really is still one of the most important figures in sports.
Following a Hall of Fame career in pinstripes, Jeter focused his talents on the media world, founding the Players' Tribune in 2014.
While some wondered the initial direction of the site—which is a platform for athletes to voice their stories and break their own news—the site has become a diary-like canvas for athletes.
From Kobe Bryant announcing his retirement to Kevin Durant telling the world his destination following free agency, Jeter's changing the way superstar athletes are communicating with fans and announcing life-changing decisions.
Jerry Jones
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The longtime owner, president and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones is a kingpin within the small fraternity of NFL owners—and his voice is often the loudest and most impactful.
Not only did Jones become the first to build a stadium worth over $1.3 billion when he opened AT&T Stadium in 2009, but he has been a leading figure in negotiating huge media contracts with various outlets to expand NFL coverage.
Rumored to be the influence on other owners to vote for pro football to return to Los Angeles this season, Jerry Jones has money, ego and has had success selling almost anything to anyone. And his relationship with power players has a heavy influence on the NFL.
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Maverick Carter
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Longtime friend of LeBron James, Maverick Carter of LRMR management group has suddenly become one of the hottest names in sports business.
Working with James' agent Rich Paul, Mav has helped turn LRMR and Klutch into a multisport business that boasts some of the best up-and-coming talent in all of sports and entertainment—including this year's No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons.
Influential on expanding James' brand to heights that only a few athletes before could even imagine—like acting and other media ventures—Carter is often the smartest person in any room he walks into. Thanks to his connections and representation of the world's biggest athlete, he's able to impact many different areas of business that go beyond just basketball.
Gianni Infantino
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The widespread corruption that has occurred in FIFA over the past decade under the guidance of former President Sepp Blatter is well-known. Want to know who's left with trying to clean up that mess? Gianni Infantino—who has, unfortunately, been linked to some of it himself.
Appointed the new president of the international soccer federation in February of this year, Infantino has a task that very few people would want to try to tackle—ending scandal, greed, racism and terrorism in soccer.
Soccer may be known as the beautiful game, but, all too often, acts of violence and corruption have left a stain on the sport that requires a a strong-voiced leader to try to straighten things out.
Can Gianni Infantino make strides in doing so? It'll be an interesting story to follow as he tries.
Becky Hammon
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Groundbreaking. Not too many people can claim to be described that way, but San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon is certainly one of them.
Plucked by longtime head coach Gregg Popovich to serve on the Spurs staff prior to the 2014-15 NBA season, Hammon not only became the first female to coach in one of the four major U.S. sports, but she also led the organization's summer-league team to a championship as the leading lady on the sideline.
While few kids strive to become the next great head coach, at the very least, Becky Hammon is showing that women can be just as successful and influential as men can. That hasn't always been the case, and Hammon is breaking down barriers in pro sports.
Sidney Crosby
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Go ahead and just admit it, Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby is your guilty pleasure in the hockey rink.
A phenom who was being touted as the next Wayne Gretzky from junior league until he was chosen No. 1 overall in 2005 by the Pens, Crosby has more than lived up to the hype, earning two league MVP awards and recently winning his second Stanley Cup title.
There are other superstars in the league—like Alex Ovechkin, Patrick Kane and other young guns—but there's no one who is as polarizing as Sidney Crosby, keeping him the most important player in the NHL for the foreseeable future.
Jordan Spieth
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For years, the question has been asked, "Who will be the next Michael Jordan?" In golf, though, it has always been, "Who will challenge Tiger Woods?" Well, with Tiger hampered by injuries and on the decline, how about finding the heir apparent to Woods?
If anyone's up to the task, it's Jordan Spieth, who captivated the golf world in 2015 by snagging two majors at the age of 21 and then returning to Augusta this year and losing in a dramatic collapse that he'll never forget.
Soft spoken and wise beyond his years, Spieth is the best of the best young golfers who are lightning up the PGA Tour—along with Jason Day, Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler, among others—and is primed to take over Tiger Woods' reign and carry the sport for the next 20-plus years.
Serena Williams
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It's sad to admit, but being completely candid here, there aren't many sports fans who would watch women's tennis if not for Serena Williams.
As dominant an athlete in any sport over the past two decades, Serena has overpowered the sport in a way never before seen, leading to 21 Grand Slam singles titles and an abundance of other records.
After nearly pulling off the calendar Grand Slam in 2015—losing in an enormous upset at the U.S. Open in September to Roberta Vinci—Williams showed that, even at 34 years old, she's still one of the best in the sport.
When Serena's at her best, that's when women's tennis is at its best.
Rob Manfred
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Taking over for longtime MLB Commissioner Bud Selig prior to the 2015 season—who had held the official position since 1998—Rob Manfred came in with the daunting task of not only cleaning up baseball from the ugly stain of numerous performance-enhancing drugs scandals, but also making it enjoyable for fans again.
While postseason baseball has always been one of America's favorite pastimes, fans are often turned off by the grueling 162-game MLB schedule, stretching from March to November.
Manfred has found a way to both improve steroid testing, implement rules for off-the-field issues and, more importantly, has restored the fun in the sport by changing up the All-Star Game Home Run Derby format, adding challenges and instant replay.
A clear leader with innovation and even expansion on his mind, Rob Manfred has already done a terrific job in his post as commish.
Conor McGregor
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There's a very good reason why Conor McGregor can threaten the UFC with retirement—because he knows his worth to the company.
That's exactly why the current Featherweight champ tossed the "R" word around earlier this year, hoping that it would lead to a bigger payout for future fights.
Initially scheduled to appear at UFC 200—which ended up not happening, after all—the upcoming event now lacks the starpower that both diehards and casual fans of UFC want, as McGregor is, without a doubt, the biggest star in MMA.
After making up with the head honchos of the company, McGregor's long-anticipated rematch with Nate Diaz will take place at UFC 202, which will probably become the most watched event the UFC will ever see.
Jeanie Buss
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Following the death of her father, longtime Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss in 2013, his kids, Jim and Jeanie, were in position to takeover the day-to-day ownership of the franchise.
Unfortunately for Lakers fans, though, its been Jim whose been the one doing most of the decision-making, leaving the savvy Jeanie as Robin to Jim's Batman and making many wonder if she'll fire her brother to take control herself.
With her relationship with Phil Jackson, who's her fiance, Jeanie is both well-connected, savvy and smart, making her the right person for the job to reload the Lakers.
Dana White
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There have been rumors for the past month or so about the ownership group of UFC selling for a ridiculous amount of money. While reports have been refuted, the biggest question if and when it does happen is what happens to President Dana White?
White—who has an ownership stake in the company—is set to cash-in with a hefty payout if a sale occurs, meaning his position becomes a difficult task for his predecessor.
A master promoter who has been a major influence on building MMA into the spectacle it is today, Dana White is the heart that makes the UFC beat, and it's unfathomable that anyone could do his job as well or better than him.
To put it bluntly, Dana White is the UFC.
Bryce Harper
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Brash and flashy with a serious mean streak, reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper is trying to change the sport of baseball right before our very eyes—and he's doing a damn good job of it.
Let's face it, there's no player in the game who draws more attention that Harper. He has become the leading ambassador in making baseball fun again.
Like LeBron James is to the NBA, Bryce Harper is becoming to MLB—a superstar who is bigger than the sport, evolving into a once-in-a-generation talent on the field and an even larger figure off of it.
From pushing the limits by customizing gloves and bats to being talked about as baseball's first $500 million man, MLB needs Harper to succeed more than anyone else in order to stay relevant over its long, 162-game season.
LeBron James
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Since the age of 15, Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James has always been told that he'd become an all-time great, but it wasn't until his return to Northeast Ohio in 2014 that he truly understood his importance to his hometown state.
Following four successful seasons with the Miami Heat—where he won two NBA championships in four attempts—James' decision to come back to the Cavs was, as he put it in his now famous letter, "bigger than basketball," as he understood the impact he had on his native land.
Delivering on his promise to win a title for the city of Cleveland—breaking a 52-year championship drought—LeBron James has never been more important to his city and franchise than right now.
Adam Silver
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Taking over for 30-year NBA Commissioner David Stern in 2014, Adam Silver is quickly learning what it takes to be in charge of the most superstar-driven league on the planet.
Learning to adapt on his toes, Silver has been influential in securing a record TV deal that just made every team spend monopoly money, so players should be thankful for this guy.
A new collective bargaining agreement in 2017 is looming, but, based off his track record thus far, Silver has done all the right moves in making the game as entertaining as possible and hopes that solving the age-limit question will only help improve the league more.
Will he ever be able to completely stop superteams from forming and questionable referee decisions? No. But Silver continues to make progress in keeping the league profitable and compelling, and that's his No. 1 priority as commish.
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