Power Ranking of the Worst Commissioners in Sports
Every league has team power rankings now so how about rankings of the league's top decision makers?
Each day these guys deal with issues and egos and dollar amounts that most of us can't even fathom. But that doesn't mean they don't have to listen to our complaints.
For the most part they each do an outstanding job but some slip-ups are worse than others. From top to bottom here is how we rank them.
No. 13: Roger Goodell, NFL
1 of 13
In a very short time, Goodell has established himself as an almost ruthless dictator. And for the NFL, that’s a good thing.
Even before he took over for Paul Tagliabue in 2006, the NFL set the standard for all American sports leagues. Supreme leadership—first with Pete Rozelle and next with Paul Tagliabue, has paramount to the sports unquestioned place as our National Pastime.
The NFL has more than enough problems to fill the empty seats at Ever Bank Field in Jacksonville. The potential work-stoppage next year is of course the most pressing. As are an endless slew of “misconduct” by players and coaches.
But the NFL brand continues to be the most exciting in all of sports and for that reason, we are loyal to it. And, although it doesn’t seem to have happened yet, Goodell’s cracking of the whip should make players, coaches and owners think twice before doing something stupid off the field.
Still, much of the good credibility Goodell has built up would be undone if even a single 2011 NFL game is missed because of labor issues.
No. 12: Dana White, UFC
2 of 13
Because of his vision, White has brought mixed martial arts to countless Americans. And although the level of violence will probably keep the UFC from ever becoming mainstream, fans of the sport are well taken care of.
Spike, Versus and pay-per-view has created a new generation of fans and the league will continue to grow. But White is a great league Czar because he is not afraid to speak his mind. Back in April, he publically said he was “embarrassed” by the effort from one of the league’s stars, Anderson Silva.
None of the “big league” commissioner’s would ever dare challenge his players publically like that. Did Tagliabue blast Randy Moss when the receiver admitted to “taking plays off.” Even Czar Goodell might stay away from doing that.
No. 11: Jim Delany, Big 10 Conference
3 of 13
Say what you want to about the decline in Big 10 football over the past few years. Whether it’s been performance in bowl games or just the disparity between the top and bottom of the conference, the Big 11 isn’t the top banana any more.
But at least commissioner Jim Delany did something about it by adding Nebraska. And when push came to shove, Delany made the right decision in terms of division alignment.
Everyone knew that Ohio State and Michigan would be in opposing divisions in order to ensure, at least the possibility of, an epic Conference Title game each year.
Delany catered to the fans in regards to the “guaranteed” matchups, preserving at least one traditional rivalry game every year, including OSU-UM. This was a case of the commissioner doing what’s best for his league, independent of the quality of play.
.jpg?w=256 "NFL Draft Football")
.JPEG?w=256 "Super Bowl Football")
.jpg?w=256 "Texans Giants Football")
No. 10 David Stern, NBA
4 of 13
Stern used to be considered the finest commissioner in all of sports. And he still does a wonderful job at the top.
But even with Michael Jordan’s retirement from the Bulls more than a decade ago, the league has not really developed into a great LEAGUE.
With a few exceptions, the same teams seem to be there every year come playoff time. And with the consolidation of talent in certain places like Los Angeles, Boston and now Miami, that isn’t likely to change.
Perhaps that cannot be helped but the league suffers from other issues. In addition to the burden of salaries that team’s endure—I wonder if Knicks are still paying Latrell Sprewell’s contract—there remains the grueling post-season schedule. We all know that a 7-game series shouldn’t take more than two weeks.
No. 9: Michael Slive, SEC
5 of 13
Unlike the Big 10, there isn’t all that much to improve on in Slive’s conference. The SEC is the premier college football league. And mens college basketball is as competitive as any, even if the quality of play isn’t up to the ACC or Big East.
So this is a case where Slive has had the tools in place to succeed. But he’s got to get the bulk of the credit for the success taking place on his watch. If it was under his stewardship that the SEC fell apart, he’d certainly get the blame.
No. 8: Mike Helton, NASCAR
6 of 13
NASCAR has done an incredible job in terms of marketing and promotion. That’s a good way to gain fans and draw more people to the races. A Ricky Bobby sequel would help too.
The league doesn’t try to please everyone and that’s what matters. There is a particular audience they are after which they cultivate. The SPEED channel has helped expansion and more and more radio/TV talk shows are out there spreading the word.
Helton also nurtured the Chase for the Cup which provides an extra boost to the late season racing schedule, which is critical considering it appears at the height of the NFL and college football schedule.
No. 7: Larry Scott, PAC-10
7 of 13
Because of its great history, the PAC-10 will always be one of the classic conferences, right up there with the Big 10 and the SEC in terms of relevance every fall. And the additions of Utah and Colorado make the conference—top-to-bottom—second only to the SEC.
Although football is their flag-ship, the Pac-10 is probably the premier conference in terms of ALL sports. Nevertheless, USC’s recent player scandals weigh over the conference. Most people believe that such player-agent and player-money issues don’t discriminate by conference. And they are probably right.
But because of O.J. Mayo and the high profile Reggie Bush situation—a Heisman Trophy winner and a program that won the National Championship—the spotlight shone very bright on the conference that scandal.
No. 6: John Marinatto, Big East Conference
8 of 13
Although it’s borderline comical that the Big East receives an automatic BCS bowl bid, the Big East remains a great conference.
Marianatto’s predecessor, Mike Tranghese, retired in 2009 so he gets most of the credit. As an associate commissioner from 2002 until being promoted, Marianatto deserves a share as well.
We all know that the basketball is arguably tops in college. But the conference refused to roll over and die when they lost Boston College, Virginia Tech and Miami in 2004-2005.
Louisville, South Florida, Connecticut and Cincinnati have filled the void beyond expectation. The quality of play is not as high as the SEC or even the Big 10, but in terms of pure parity, the Big East might be the most competitive.
Since the major reconstruction in 2005, West Virginia, Pitt, Louisville, Cincinnati, Rutgers and South Florida have each been contenders for the conference title. No other major conference is that deep.
No. 5: Dan Beebe, Big XII Conference
9 of 13
To lose 1/6th of your teams in a single month would hurt any conference. But the Big XII suffered a terrible blow this summer when Colorado and Nebraska jumped ship; both programs were vital cogs.
Yes, it might have become much worse if—as was speculated—Texas and Oklahoma left too. But just because he kept the Longhorns and Sooners doesn’t mean Big XII fans should praise his name.
The conference remains very strong in basketball and with the Texas and Oklahoma powerhouses, they will remain a major factor in the National Championship picture. And the conference championship game will bring in loads of money.
Still, the claim from a few years ago, that the Big XII was the SEC’s equal, is now absurd.
No. 4: Bud Selig, MLB
10 of 13
After nearly 20 years of being in power a long list of achievements, beside a long list of mistakes would follow any commissioner.
But despite the excitement infused by the Wild Card and interleague play, the (controversial) stakes added to the All-Star Game, even the apprehension of many big-name steroid users, Selig can’t get out of his own way.
The crackdown on steroids was a case of closing the barn door wayyyyyy after the horse got out. Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Andy Petite: none of these players were “caught” in the prime of their career. Not even Manny Ramirez was. Alex Rodriguez seems the only exception.
The notion that we have to consider a “steroid era”—or worse yet, erect a “steroid wing” in the hall of fame—is nauseating to the game’s die hard traditionalists. If Selig had been on top of this 15 years ago, we could have avoided it.
There is no question, with the HGH problem not too far away, that the “is he juicing?” whispers will haunt the game for many years to come. And he should just let Pete Rose back in and be done with it.
No. 3: John Swofford, ACC
11 of 13
Regarding football and basketball—sorry but those are the big money makers and the most recognizable sports—the ACC is such a conundrum.
With Duke and North Carolina, along with Maryland and Wake Forrest, the ACC boasts an incredible collection of basketball teams and coaches. And they will be there for years to stay.
But when the conference expanded last decade, adding Boston College, Virginia Tech and Miami, everything was in place for a super football conference to rival the SEC. And in their own backyard to boot.
It just never happened. As if karma caught up to them, that expansion coincided with the two top dogs, Florida State and Miami, falling from the top of the BCS favorites list. Another should follow with the demise of Virginia Tech apparently on the horizon.
So chalk it up to bad luck for Swofford, who’s been in charge since 1997. His intentions were good.
No. 2: Tim Finchem, PGA Tour
12 of 13
Forget the fact that the Fed Ex Cup feels terribly manufactured, bizarrely structured and unbelievably anti-climactic. The PGA Tour—not professional golf--is on the brink of irrelevance.
Look at the three most important yearly events: the Masters is a private invitational, the U.S.G.A. runs the U.S. Open and the R & A runs the British Open.
The P.G.A. Championship is exciting but only because it is considered a major, and the last major. And the conclusion to this year’s edition, with Dustin Johnson grounding his club in “bunker” as deep as parking lot asphalt, proved that the P.G.A doesn’t have the pulse of the public: regardless of the rules.
In short, the non-majors are for the TRUE fans only. Because that limits the appeal to just 16 days a year, not nearly as many people tune it or even care.
But more so than any other reason, it all comes back to Tiger Woods. Phil Mickelson is a great player and just as much fun to watch as Tiger. But for the most part, an event without Woods has a muni-player feel to it. Regardless if he wins or loses or misses the cut, we all want to SEE Tiger play.
Hypnosis might be Finchem’s only hope to convince Tiger to play in more non-major tournaments. Still, anything is worth a try.
No. 1: Gary Bettman, NHL
13 of 13
Wasn’t he a lock to be let go when the league shut down operation for an entire season in 2004-05?
Missing an entire season of play is unprecedented for any league. Both major NFL work stoppages didn’t cost anywhere near a full year. Neither did the NBA lockout in 1999 or the MLB strikes in 1981 and 1994.
Although the NHL has rebounded to some degree it’s a telling sign that most of the televised games for a so-called “major sport” are broadcast on a network like Versus.
The relevance of the NHL has actually declined on Bettman’s watch. From deals with Fox to ESPN/ABC to NBC the networks playing hot potato with the pro hockey is a frightening sign of the game’s popularity in America.
.jpg?w=480 "NFL Draft Football")
.JPEG?w=480 "Super Bowl Football")
.jpg?w=480 "Texans Giants Football")
.jpg?w=480)
.jpg?w=480 "NFL Draft Football")
.jpg?w=600 "Mel Kiper's Lowest Draft Grades ❌")
