Who is the Best Commissioner?

Mets82

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Apr 5, 2008
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I was just watching Bud Selig on ESPNEWS and got to thinking. He's not perfect but seems to be an ok commissioner. My question is who do you think is the best commissioner in sports. Now, this could be past or present commissioner.
 
Easy question. Bettman. First, he has the hardest job to do. Being commissioner of the NHL is a hard job, like being president of some poor country or of some business in a slow growth market. Life has not dealt him the cards of the other 3. Second, look at his record. Successful expansion to make the sport continent-wide, prior to him, nobody south of I-70 had, or could have, any relationship with the sport. And he broke the union. In any sports strike, its everybody else vs. the players. In hockey, everybody else won.

Second, would be Goodell, but he really has not been tested yet. Stern is doing fine, but under him the NBA is truning into a sport that is found in random mid-major markets and the biggest cities, and really nobody living more than 50 miles from an arena cares. Selig is the worst, unless you include NASCAR, then Brian France is.

Historically, the gold standard is Rozelle, and if you include NASCAR, Big Bill France, Sr.
 
Easy question. Bettman. First, he has the hardest job to do. Being commissioner of the NHL is a hard job, like being president of some poor country or of some business in a slow growth market. Life has not dealt him the cards of the other 3. Second, look at his record. Successful expansion to make the sport continent-wide, prior to him, nobody south of I-70 had, or could have, any relationship with the sport. And he broke the union. In any sports strike, its everybody else vs. the players. In hockey, everybody else won.

Another reason- he took care of the salary cap, allowing for more teams to be competitive.
 
The worst IMO has to be Selig by a mile.

1) Players Union Strike in 1994
2) World Series Cancellation in 1994
3) Steroid-Gate
4) Contraction of Teams, Expansion in questionable markets
5) Ended 2002 All-Star Game prematurely after 11 innings
6) The implementation of home field advantage in World Series determined by All-Star winner, starting in 2003.
7) No firm decision on what to do with Pete Rose
 
Easy question. Bettman. First, he has the hardest job to do. Being commissioner of the NHL is a hard job, like being president of some poor country or of some business in a slow growth market. Life has not dealt him the cards of the other 3. Second, look at his record. Successful expansion to make the sport continent-wide, prior to him, nobody south of I-70 had, or could have, any relationship with the sport. And he broke the union. In any sports strike, its everybody else vs. the players. In hockey, everybody else won.

Second, would be Goodell, but he really has not been tested yet. Stern is doing fine, but under him the NBA is truning into a sport that is found in random mid-major markets and the biggest cities, and really nobody living more than 50 miles from an arena cares. Selig is the worst, unless you include NASCAR, then Brian France is.

Historically, the gold standard is Rozelle, and if you include NASCAR, Big Bill France, Sr.

Bettman is the Matt Millen of commissioners. You are correct about Rozelle and Goodell. I will add the NBA commissioner, Stern to the list. He raised the popularity of the NBA quite a bit. (Along with some help from Majic, Bird, and Michael).
 
The worst IMO has to be Selig by a mile.

1) Players Union Strike in 1994
2) World Series Cancellation in 1994
3) Steroid-Gate
4) Contraction of Teams, Expansion in questionable markets
5) Ended 2002 All-Star Game prematurely after 11 innings
6) The implementation of home field advantage in World Series determined by All-Star winner, starting in 2003.
7) No firm decision on what to do with Pete Rose

Agreed.
 
Bud Selig is an idiot.

I don't think Selig is an idiot, but I do think his speaking skills, at the very least, leave a lot to be desired.

Like when he talked about why the game was stopped last night...despite most people thinking it was the right decision, Selig just didn't sound good saying it.

'I think I'm on very solid ground here...actually I'm pretty sure of it'...when talking about why the game was suspended.

Goodness, just say the game was stopped in the best interest of all involved.

'The game will be played again when I feel the weather is appropriate'...

Leave the 'I' out...it makes you sound silly. Say the game will be played when field conditions allow...

Don't try to overthink it.


Sandra
 
The worst IMO has to be Selig by a mile.

1) Players Union Strike in 1994
2) World Series Cancellation in 1994
3) Steroid-Gate
4) Contraction of Teams, Expansion in questionable markets
5) Ended 2002 All-Star Game prematurely after 11 innings
6) The implementation of home field advantage in World Series determined by All-Star winner, starting in 2003.
7) No firm decision on what to do with Pete Rose

I agree with everything you've listed. :up
 
I don't think Selig is an idiot, but I do think his speaking skills, at the very least, leave a lot to be desired.

Like when he talked about why the game was stopped last night...despite most people thinking it was the right decision, Selig just didn't sound good saying it.

'I think I'm on very solid ground here...actually I'm pretty sure of it'...when talking about why the game was suspended.

Goodness, just say the game was stopped in the best interest of all involved.

'The game will be played again when I feel the weather is appropriate'...

Leave the 'I' out...it makes you sound silly. Say the game will be played when field conditions allow...

Don't try to overthink it.


Sandra

Interesting for a guy that I thought someone said was a Lawyer ...

I would put Goodall as the # 1 of current Commish's

Jimbo
 
btw, Why didn't Selig tell the FOX crew to let the National public know that the game would be played in it's conclusion regardless, instead of finding out that he's changing the rules mid stream...... reminds me of NASCAR.

Jimbo
 
best commish - easy! bettman.

Out of sight, out of mind for the NHL. A NHL player screws up, only 2 people in the U.S. care and Bettman takes no heat because of how he handles the situation - Bettman could majorly flub it and practically noone cares.

Selig, Goodell, Stern - a player screws up, the commish takes the heat because it's big national news in the U.S. and the actions are watched closely with news updates every 1.5 minutes on sports radio.
 
best commish - easy! bettman.

Out of sight, out of mind for the NHL. A NHL player screws up, only 2 people in the U.S. care and Bettman takes no heat because of how he handles the situation - Bettman could majorly flub it and practically noone cares.

Selig, Goodell, Stern - a player screws up, the commish takes the heat because it's big national news in the U.S. and the actions are watched closely with news updates every 1.5 minutes on sports radio.

So Bettman wins because he's the least VISIBLE ?
 
So Bettman wins because he's the least VISIBLE ?

ABSOLUTELY! He could bankrupt the league and only two people in the U.S. would give a ______! :D Only two people would think he's the worst commish and everyone else thinks he's the best since there are beefs with all the high profile sport league commish's.
 
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