League Commissioner Debate

Based upon a few of the main themes from Chapter 14 of the Rader text on “The Setting of Organized Sports since 1950”, the following question was posed to the class by Dr. Spencer: Which commissioner do you consider to be the most effective in pro sports today?

In answering this question, I will present a list counting down from least to most effective and the reasons behind my choices.

Bud Selig – MLB

A unanimous decision as the worst commissioner in sports among those who offered their input during class, not to mention most of the sport-viewing society. Selig has a poor reputation with a large segment of the baseball fan-base because his inability to correct problems with the league’s salary cap structure (or lack thereof) and the dark cloud that still looms over the sport in the wake of the steroid-era, as challenges still lie ahead in dealing with the use of similar performance enhancing drugs.

David Stern – NBA

The man gets far too much credit for helping the popularity of the game on both a national and international level. I would give praise in that regard to the 80s duo of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, the phenomenal Michael Jordan, and 1992 Dream Team. (In case you were wondering, it was a rule change by the International Basketball Federation – or FIBA – that lead to the use of professional basketball players in Olympic competition). To his credit, Stern is an ace in terms of creating revenue through advertising. However, the NBA, like Major League Baseball, is faced with a great disparity between the “have” and “have-not” franchises of its league. Additionally, an officiating scandal helped to enforce the notion that the NBA has fixed the outcome of games and the annual draft lottery.

Gary Bettman – NHL

Often vilified for being a key figure in labor negotiations between the players and owners that led to the cancellation of the 2004-2005 season, Bettman has brought tremendous growth his league by adding six new franchises and increasing revenues from $400 million to over $2.2 billion since being named League Commissioner in 1993 (SportsBusiness Journal). A disciple of David Stern in the NBA offices, Commissioner Bettman administered the new NHL image by attracting new corporate sponsorships, increasing league attendance figures, establishing a sound internet presence, and approved slight adjustments to the rulebook to enhance the style of play following the 2005 Lockout. Despite his successes, one glaring omission remains, lack of a viable television deal. The current broadcast partner of the league is the Versus network. The NHL desperately needs to return to mainstream television (i.e. ESPN) in order to capture a greater audience in the U.S. market.

Roger Goodell – NFL

Following in the footsteps of Paul Tagliabue before him, Commissioner Goodell has done a good job of maintaining the status of the most popular sport in the United States. The NFL rose to prominence under the guidance of Commissioner Pete Rozelle thanks to his efforts to combine the AFL and NFL, and the progress made in televising sporting events – which lead to the creation of the Super Bowl and Monday Night Football. Next, Commissioner Tagliabue strengthened the NFL brand by establishing league revenue sharing and instituting a salary cap structure, thus making the NFL the ultimate parity league. From the outside looking in, Commissioner Goodell has basically only needed to keep this thing afloat. He has performed his job well, and is known for his no-nonsense attitude towards the players. The true test of his ability will be front and center next season, as the current NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement nears its end.

By default, he has landed at number one on my list ….. or has he?
Continue reading.

#1 - Brian France – NASCAR

It can be argued that no sport has undergone a greater surge in popularity than NASCAR has over the last 15 years. NASCAR Chairman/CEO Brian France has been at the forefront of this movement working as the Director of Marketing for NASCAR prior to being named to his current position in 2003. In a sport where sponsorships and advertisement dollars mean everything (Exhibit A and Exhibit B, the driving billboard/commercial), France turned the auto-racing sport into a marketing machine. He was able to successfully sell his sport to major national companies and a wide & captive audience. Growing up I did not see the excitement in watching cars circle a track for 200+ laps or 500 miles, but I can honestly say that I now have a mild interest in the sport and even watch NASCAR events on TV from time to time. When discussing the “major” sport leagues in our country, NASCAR can definitely be included to the group – which formerly consisted of only four members: MLB, NBA, NHL and the NFL.

What is your opinion? Feel free to make use of the comments section.

Good day.