In light of Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert’s emotional plead with NBA commissioner David Stern via email to put a halt to the 3 team Chris Paul trade last week, it got me thinking of who would top the dubious list of professional sports worst owners.
Dan last summer in an angry, rebellious rant, lambasted Lebron James for not only leaving his hometown Cavs, but in the fashion in which he did it. While it galvanized the Cleveland metropolitan area from Shaker Heights to Berea, outside of the Lake Erie region it did little to help his team or his image. In fact the way he handled the entire situation will not help him going forward when pursuing free agents to come to Cleveland.
What agent in their right mind will send a player to Cleveland? And do not get it twisted, there are 5-7 super agents, just like the major banks in our country, that dictate where star players play. And with his bitter comments towards Lebron that reeked of entitlement, now on the heels of him shutting a down a trade that involved several high profile players, Cleveland, a city that has never been known as a destination anyway, will surely drift into NBA abyss.
At least he has those compound loans and fatheads to get him through the dark days that surely are ahead.
Remember they are numbered but not ranked. Each one of these owners has made catastrophic errors in judgment that defy ranking.
To the list:
1. Donald Sterling – Los Angeles Clippers
He is the single worst owner in all of sports. He is Khadafi in a turtleneck. He makes Bengals owner Mike Brown look like Steve Jobs (RIP). The worst teams in every other sport are always compared to the Clippers.
He is the only owner I have seen listen to the fans less than Bob Arum. Is there any doubt the Donald’s entire film library is made up of snuff films and the directors cut of all the Saw movies. He is a mean, mean man.
But not only has he struggled on the court as the embodiment of futility, he has publicly berated his own players, once shouting at Baron Davis how fat he was, and allegedly bringing people into the locker room after games to have friends stare and admire at “the black players athletic bodies.” Not only is he incompetent, he is creep. A combination that will not lead to much success no matter how talented Blake Griffin is.
Sidebar:
Dear Clipper fans, you are a different bunch. Your thirst for pain is astonishing. You are the type of people that make Jackass movies at home for free. Holocaust survivors are amazed with your perseverance. They hold telethons in Cambodia raising money for you! Why? That is all I want to know. All these years of putrid seasons followed up by incompetent decision after decision.
I used to pity you, but now I just look at my television and laugh and point at you like a rare zoo animal. Look there go Clipper fans getting ready to be heart broken again. I get the whole argument of Laker games are too expensive yada yada, but If you have season tickets to the should be Orange County Clippers, guess what? You reap what you sew Clipper fans, and the fact any of you pay hard earned American currency for that product, well you deserve it.
2. Dan Gilbert – Cleveland Cavaliers
His passion and fortitude have served him very well in the private sector. But his emotional outburst will do him no favors with prospective free agents in the future. Relax Dan; you are a billionaire, one of an elite fraternity of people wealthy enough to own a sports franchise. Smile and enjoy it a little.
3. Art Modell – Baltimore Ravens
What a snake. He is the only man more hated in Cleveland than Lebron James. He’s the type of guy that divorces his wife over a text. How do you move an entire franchise to another city in the middle of the night? I don’t care what he ever accomplishes in Baltimore, he will never have the respect he craves (not that he cares apparently) and he will never be Avon Barksdale.
4. William Clay Ford – Detroit Lions
This guy is literally one the biggest losers in all of professional sports. In the nearly 60 years he has owned the Detroit Lions they have been stuck in a morass of mediocrity. They have never sniffed a Super Bowl and employed the worst General Manager in NFL history, Matt Millen for 6 years. Under his watch the Lions completed the first 0-16 season. And worst of all he almost ran one of America’s greatest companies, that bears his last name, into the ground.
I organized an exorcism for my nephew when he was five years old to get all the Lions fan out of his spirit so he wouldn’t be stuck spending 16 Sundays a year, the rest of his life starring at his television in utter disbelief as the Lions snatched victory from the jaws of defeat yet again.
Team Record While Owner: 289-414
5. Daniel Snyder – Washington Redskins
A poor mans Jerry Jones. He is every bit as annoying, yet he doesn’t have the Super Bowl rings to justify his meddling. He has foolishly thrown more money around than Pacman Jones at stripper Bar Mitzvah. Every off-season is filled the Redskins overpaying for other teams malcontent veterans, yet yielding the same disappointing results on the field. He simply doesn’t understand how to build a successful sports franchise is not by out bidding himself (in many cases) for past their prime players.
He could be the worst decision maker in the entire metropolitan DC area. Let that sink in for a second. His hiring and firing of coaches is nothing short of amazing. He could be the worst owner since G. W. Bush bankrupted the Texas Rangers. The only difference being of course is Snyder owns a brand in the Redskins that is borderline unbreakable. He is however putting that to the test with each passing season.
6. Mike Brown – Cincinnati Bengals
He owns the Bengals. He refuses to hire a general manager. He owns the Bengals.
7. Jerry Reinsdorf -Chicago Bulls
When you hit the megaball lottery and spend it all on bottle caps and dungeons and dragon figurines well…. this guy had Michael Jordan in his prime. The greatest of all time, shoe selling, tongue wagging, pre Hitler mustache having, shooting guard to ever live and because he couldn’t get along with Phil Jackson he broke the team up.
Look I realize everyone has an ego, and his general manager at the time Jerry Krause was making infamous statements like “Front offices build championships…” ask yourself this, how close have they come since they let Phil and company go? And Phil won how many more rings again in Los Angeles?
Yes there are times that ownership has to put their foot down, but if you do not make concessions for MJ, then who in the hell will you ever make them for? I would have held that team together with scotch tape if I had to, and ridden MJ and Phil’s curtails to a couple more rings if possible.
I do realize that Jerry still has 6 NBA trophies (and one MLB title) but just let me ask you this: how many times to get the greatest player in league history on on your team? You never realize how good it is till it’s gone.
8. Jerry Jones – Dallas Cowboys
Face lifts aside, I was torn whether or not to have him on this list. Because on one hand he provides his franchise with all the money and facilities they need to compete at the highest level. And lets not forget the Cowboys have won 3 Super Bowls under his watch, with two different coaches I might add.
But how many more rings did his ego cost him? Who in the hell fires Jimmy Johnson after he builds a dynasty? Ever since he wanted the credit he so eagerly thought he deserved, his franchise has been stuck in 9-7 ville, because no one worth a damn will want to coach his team with Jerry constantly looking over their shoulder.
9. Frank McCourt — Los Angeles Dodgers
What a disaster this guy has been. Who said Aaron Spelling is dead? This entire fiasco is straight out of Falcons crest. Frank McCourt has been going through one of the worst break ups in Hollywood history, and that obviously is one hell of a statement.
Not only did he completely inflate his personal wealth, he broke the cardinal Man Law and allowed his messy divorce to spill over into his team’s affairs so much that Major League Baseball had to take them over so the team wouldn’t become insolvent. If for some reason you have not followed this closely please click here and laugh.
10. Jeffrey Loria – Florida Marlins
This guy basically killed baseball (and one of the best hats in the MLB history) in Montreal, only to be rewarded with the Florida Marlins. He runs his team like Donald Trump runs a start up businesses. He milks them dry, to mixed results, then files bankruptcy.
This off-season he is back on a spending spree but give him a couple of seasons all of the assets he acquires will be future Yankees and Red Sox when he has roster fire sale in 2014.
How can fans in Miami ever grow attached to players or the team when you have an owner that is complete devoid loyalty?
11. James Dolan – New York Knicks
There is no bigger Isiah Thomas fan on earth than yours truly. Hell, I do top 11 lists instead of top tens in his Zekeness honor. But what in the holy hell was James Dolan doing letting Isiah spend millions on players like a washed up Steve Francis, A pregnant Eddie Curry and a never relevant Jerome James, coming off a season in which he averaged 5 points and 3 rebounds. Zeke the player is an all time great. Zeke the GM is all time failure. And Dolan was an enabler to it all.
He makes the mistake many of these billionaire owners do and think that the more they pay the better results they will get. If you overpay a person that is out of shape and doesn’t get back on defense a lot of money, what in the hell makes you think they suddenly develop a Charles Oakley type work ethic? The Knicks franchise alone is one reason why owners and many fans have come to hate guaranteed contracts.
Whatever success the Knicks have going forward will be completely in spite of their moronic owner.
Marge Schott (Lifetime member)
When you google white trash her photo appears. She is the epitome of classless. Trailer park West Virginians look down their noses at her. But some of that she simply couldn’t help. The fact that she made horrific racist comments about African American and Latino players shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone that has been to her hometown of Norwood, Ohio. And I am sure other owners in the past and even currently share similar perspectives as she does. But the fact she uttered those hideous statements and was confused about the uproar speaks to a totally different alarming level of ignorance and racism. She will forever have a place in the worst sports owners Hall of Fame.
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Michael Jordan just missed the list, only due to lack of time on the job. But give him a couple of years and at the rate he is going I am sure MJ will be here. Also it was tough to leave off Bob Nutting (should be nothing), for holding the wonderful fans of Pittsburgh hostage with his rudderless reign as the Pirates owner.
It is hard to narrow down such a dubious list just to 11, so tell me whom did I miss?
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God I could not agree more about your having Dan Snyder on this list. Ever since he purchased the poor Washington Redskins they have been stuck in a world of sub .500 football. As a die hard “skins” fan it is really hard to watch a game or go to the stadium it is almost as if you know the outcome of the game before it has even began.If Snyder truly (loves) the Redskin Organization he should sell it to someone who has a clue what they are doing or sit up in the owners box and let the people with experience coaches, co-ordinaters etc. run the team and tell him what they need financially and why then write them the check and shut the h#%* up and watch his team rise from rock bottom to a team similar to the Redskins of old that were actually fun to watch. GO AWAY DAN SNYDER YOUR KILLING MY TEAM. I have never given up on my Redskins nor will I ever BUT I sure do not like the ownership of my beloved team. A Redskins fan forever and always T.R.M.
Fred Wilpon — installed his dopey son as head of the Mets. And that was one of his better moves. The Madoff thing hits and he has the ***** to say it won’t affect the Mets’ finances. He spent millions of other people’s (and his opwn) money to build a ball park when what he needed to do was build a farm system. Shea was a dump — but it was OUR dump — now we’ve got a shrine to the Brooklyn Dodgers and limited history of the team that is still in New York. He is in debt up to his eyeballs, can’t get his relatives to give him money and refuses to sell the team. the only difference between him and McCourt is he’s still married to his wife and Bud Selig’s his buddy not his enemy. Definitely should be on this list.
Putting Dan Gilbert ahead of William Clay Ford is being a prisoner of the moment. You have to consider the move LBJ made, this is a free country but can you blame anyone in Ohio for there reaction, im from Detroit and im still pissed. Dan’s comment was wrong cause he is not ‘just a fan’ but it don’t compare to 1 playoff win in the 40 yr. Super Bowl era, and WCF has been owner of the whole time!
They are numbered but not ranked…
FYI, I live in Norwood,Ohio and not everyone behaves like Marge did. By the way, she resided in the ” well to do ” community of Montgomery, Ohio not Norwood. Her car dealership was in Norwood. You need to get all the facts before writing.
When I attended Xavier, I got that information from the Cincinnati Enquirer. It goes without saying no newspaper, or sports website for that matter, is correct 100% of the time, but if my source was wrong then I stand corrected.
You should RAISE Jerry Jones to number two as he destroyed a dynasty firing Jimmy Johnson for country club buddy Barry S and we know how that turned out a super Bowl Off Of Johnsons final year players to a definite loser in Chan Gailey to a no nothing a– kisser in Wade Phillips .Jason i8s a young coach doing real well even though Bill Cowher would be a super coach but Jerry Jones would screw that up too.I* have52 years as a Cowboy fan and trust me Jones sucks.
Am I missing something or was George Steinbrenner a
good owner. I don’t think so. He was an a__hole……
as an owner. I couldn’t have played for him.
You might want to look at Paul Allen’s record as owner of the Trailblazers, and more recently, the Seahawks. This guy is a freaking idiot. Neither will ever be real winners until he’s gone.
People Art Modell has about a 1 percent stake in the Baltimore Ravens he no longer owns that team. Current owners should be on this list.
How could you leave off the alltime list the ever drunk, ever lying Robert Irsay? All he did was destroy the greatest tradition and most rabid fan base, the largest outdoor insane asylum on 33rd Street, in the NFL the BALTIMORE COLTS AND move them in the middle of the night. He did not even have the decency to leave the records, championships or team name of the franchise that brought the NFL into the TV age.
Model is a honest businessman/owner who tried to keep the team in Cleveland, but was rebuffed at every turn.
Peter Angelos took his millions in fees from asbestos victims and bought and destroyed the Oriole franchise. He has chased 30,000 fans a game from the stands by insisting they sign malcontents and has-beens and in turn chasing good baseball men out of town.
No Sarver of the Phoenix Suns? No Peter Angelos of the Baltimore Orioles? Seriously? At least Snyder (Redskins) & Jones (Cowboys) spend money!
I’m Steelers fan and even I am completely flabbergasted that you would put Modell on this list. He gave Cleveland all the opportunity in the world to keep the Browns there and the city repeatedly gave him the finger. Baltimore offered his team the world, so he did what was in the teams best interest.
How the hell did Angelos not make this list? He refuses to take the steps necessary to make the Orioles competitive and apparently is happy settling for mediocrity. Oriole Park at Camden Yards is empty most of the time and when it’s not empty, it’s because Red Sox or Yankee fans traveled to Baltimore.
How is Art Modell even on this list??? He gave the city of Cleveland multiple chances to build the Browns a new stadium back in the early 90′s. They refused to, until the last minute, after Modell had reached agreement with Baltimore. Hey Cleveland…at least you got to keep your team name, stats, and uh – “legacy.” Better treatment than Baltimore got when “Drunk” Bob Irsay stole the Colts to Indianapolis. On top of it all, Modell sold the team to Steve Bischotti, and the Baltimore Ravens are one of the best run teams in the NFL. I will say this, you got the city right, but the wrong team. Peter Angelos of the Baltimore Orioles has made the team one of the laughing stocks of baseball, and after losing since Bill Clinton was in office, in a sport that has no salary cap, Baltimore sports fans will tell you that he is one of the worst owners in sports.
Considering their recent success, this nomination will come as a shock but well worth considering. William Yale Giles took ownership of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1982 by putting up what is reported as around $100,000 (I didn’t leave off any zeroes) of his own money and several million of the money of a billionaire group that remained anonamous for almost two-decades. Giles instantly made himself functioning GM over Paul Owens (Gave him a figure head role as part of what he called the “gang of six”), let Dallas Green go owing to a personal dispute, Let almost two-thirds of his scouts, including the entire Latin American region go, and threw Ryne Sandburg in a trade of Larry Bowa (again traded because of a personal dispute. The team went from a pennant to low .400 in about 18-months. During a 17-season out of 18 losing skein, he declared that Philadelphia was a small market. Once he got kicked-out of all baseball operations, the new stadium got built, and the faceless billionaires were identified and started to spend like billionaires should, things finally turned around. Ruben Amaro is doing his best to turn it back however.
Al Davis?
George Bush was long gone as Rangers owner by the time they went bankrupt. And Modell had NO excuse- he announced the move the night before the vote for a new stadium.
You missed on one, should have included WAYNE WEAVER of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Just plane dumb is his best description, hires very poor people and this alone has turned what was once a valuable franchise into a joke. The only team in the league to have to cover up 10,000 seats to avoid blackouts. He hired Jack Del Reo as his head coach, a guy who had never been a head coach on any level and it took WEAVER 9 years to figure out he was worthless. To show how dumb he is, 2 years ago he signs him to a 3 year deal @ 5 Million a year when he should have fired him. He promotes a scout to be his GM, the scout passes on hometown hero Tim Tebow & takes a defensive lineman Tyso Alualu. In allmost 2 years he has 1.5 sacks. A real star!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But WEAVER is just DUMB.
Gotta agree with two previous posters. Peter Angelos personifies the concept of bumbling micromanagement by a self-important egotist who bases a large part of his sense of self-worth on being a sports franchise owner. And Ralph Wilson will consign the Bills to a lifetime (his) of mediocrity (at best) through senility-based incompetence.
Totally agree with you regarding Ralph Wilson. The team hasn’t looked good since 1996, which is when he really stopped caring about fielding a contender, after four straight Super Bowl losses. Winning became secondary to making money. And the fans continue to suffer…
Good list Scott. A note to “A Casual Observer”.. You’re correct.. Modell didn’t leave in the middle of the night. News of the move “leaked” a couple days before the taxpayers were due to vote on a new stadium. Call me cynical but I’m guessing the “leak” was designed to get the stadium voted down, thereby justifying the move. Didn’t work, Art. It got built without you. And something I never hear mentioned, even in the Cleveland media, was that when the baseball stadium was being designed Art was asked on TV if he was interested in designing it so that he could move the Browns in and he replied that he was happy were he was. Not too happy, I guess.
And Scott.. the only reason I question Mike Brown’s presence on your list is that he was offered the Baltimore deal before Modell but said he wouldn’t commit to moving until AFTER the vote for a new stadium. For that reason alone I hate to see him on any list with Modell.
I was happy to see Jerry Jones in the list but I think he should be #1! Idon’t know of any other owner that thinks they are Mr. Wonderful as much as he does. And none have the huge overblown, undeserved ego he does. Just like his billion $ stadium, he does everything for show, bragging rights and his ego than get the right talent for the position. As the owner, president and GM, his job is to recruit the right people. So what does he do? He hand picks Jason Garrett as the head coach when he has never been a head coach before. And he hand picks the defensive co-ordinater that gives away games because the Cowboys can’t hold a lead in the 4th qtr. because he can’t call the right defensive plays. What has happened only twice (losing by 12 points or more in the 4th qtr.) in 52 years has happened 3 times this year. That doesn’t sound like a good defensive co-ordinater to me. So how good is JJ at recruiting when he pulls such bonehead moves. Even his HC has cost the Boy’s a game when he iced his own kicker on a game winning FG. Yep, JJ should be #1 on your list!
Scott it appears you combined stories here. Modell did not move to Baltimore in the middle of the night. Bob Irsay did that on the way out of Baltimore. Irsay should definitely be on this list. He took the Colts team that was always among the leaders in attendance and ran it so far in the ground that attendance dropped to one of the lowest. He did so in just a few short years.
Further, I know it’s not popular sentiment in Cleveland, but as has since been discussed on ESPN, by author Dan Coughlin, and elsewhere, the Cleveland area politicians especially former Mayor Mike White as well as the economics of pro football were as responsible for the move as Art Modell. Note I’m not letting Modell off the hook completely as he could have gone public to get the support he needed. Clearly it was not his way and he paid for it with his reputation in Cleveland.
Good call, I think I may have confused the two franchise moves.
I did know about the city issues in Cleveland at the time of the move, I just think it is inexcusable to treat the fans like that.
The fact that you missed Angelos, included Schott – who’s been dead for almost 8 years, missed that drunken a-hole Irsay (admittedly also dead – but hey – Schott), conflated the Colts to Indianapolis with the Browns to Baltimore, included Modell (who doesn’t own the team anymore) without realizing how the NFL totally screwed expansion (Jacksonville over Baltimore?), and in light of Schott and Modell – didn’t mention Jack Kent Cook (who was the real reason the NFL didn’t expand back into Baltimore, setting up the move from Cleveland), all show how much of a bumbling dolt you are. Wonder where you would be on a list of 11 worst blog owners?
You left out Orioles owner Peter Angelos, who took a proud, successful franchise and ran it into the ground. 15 straight losing seasons.
Dan,
Very good point.
what a joke .peter angelo is the worse owner ever…how can you not put him in there
How could you overlook the Atlanta Spirit??? Tied up in court with owner infighting for the better part of FIVE years, they conducted media and fan relations via press releases. And they tell Atlanta Thrasher fans for over that same period the team was never for sale until about 2 months left in the season, and then literally sell the team for a song.
F*** them.
Wayne,
Great call on the Atlanta ownership group. They are nit as high profile, but as you point out every bit as deplorable.
William Clay Ford didn’t have much to do with the running of Ford Motor Company. His son, Bill Ford, was the Ford CEO for a while, but the old man hasn’t had anything other than a token seat on the Board of Directors for decades.
I don’t want to even think about where Ford would have been with him in charge. He is Edsel’s kid, after all.
Good point on the Ford motor company part. I stand corrected.
Be raid…hahaha.
Mike Brown should be higher. All you had to say is that he owns the Bengals? He is the reason the Bengals have been laughed at. Do a little research. At least guys like Snyder spend money, and seem committed. He is dumb and cheap. The total package. He has the smallest scouting department in the land and his daughter is a right hand man. Neither of them seem to no anything about football.
Sidebar:
Marge Schott was a horrible person. She was not a horrible owner if you are judging based on success. The Reds won under her ownership, and she was committed to the team.
*know
YOU CAN NOW OFFICIALLY ADD THE BUFFALO BILLS OWNER WILSON HE DOESNT DESERVE TO BE CALLED MR.WE THE PEOPLE OUT IN THE BLIZZARD WEATHER AND GIVEN OUR HARD EARNED MONEY TO A OWNER WHO CANT GIVE OUR CITY THE PLAYERS WHO WE FILL THAT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THIS CITY.PEOPLE ITS TIME TO BOYCOTT.
No doubt Donald Sterling is number one on here. How can you have the record for most lottery picks and have had so much talent these past few years and still not be a decent franchise. I think any franchise in los angeles should be at least have an average one. It’s tough to have a franchise under the Laker’s shadow, but at least have a decent product. I have to hand it to clippers fans,they are the least spoiled fans in sports when compared to the laker fans in town. You go from having one good playoff run in 25 years than back to the lottery. The story of the franchise.