Sunday, July 31, 2011

Worst Owner in Sports

So I just read an article on The Shutdown Corner  on Yahoo sports that said the Redskins offered the Bengals two first round draft picks for Chad Ochocinco a few years ago only to have Mike Brown turn them down. Since that offer, Ocho's play has regressed and he was recently traded for two late round picks. I can't believe the Bengals didn't make that deal. But with Carson Palmer sitting at home rather than at some team's training camp, what did I expect? This is also the NFL team that doesn't have an indoor practice facility. If you don't have an indoor practice facility and your team resides in a cold weather state, are you really trying? A local high school team that is down the street from Bengal's headquarters has one but the Bengal's don't. All this makes me wonder is Mike Brown the worst owner in professional sports?

Who would be the other contenders for this title? Al Davis? Donald Sterling? Peter Angelos?  Frank McCourt? James Dolan? Micheal Jordan surely deserves a mention. As does Dan Snyder.

I know many will say Al Davis but in his defense, Al's way worked for a long time. The Raiders have historically been good and have only recently become a laughing stock. Also, if the owner spends money but just spends its foolishly, I'll give them a pass. So Angelos and Snyder are out. I'll give Jordan a pass too since he hasn't been a owner for a long period of  time so he has time to grow into the role.  That leaves us with McCourt, Sterling, Dolan and Brown.

Dolan spends a ton of money so he almost got a pass. I would rather my owner tried as opposed to never doing anything (see Pittsburgh Pirates). However, I just can't overlook all the crazy things that have occurred during his watch. Plus his infatuation with Isaiah Thomas is unnerving. Lawsuits plus constant GM and coach turn-over equals bad ownership.

Next we have Frank McCourt. If you can't make payroll, you suck as an owner. That's really all you need to know.

Mike Brown - team regularly sucks. The organization is ran on the cheap. The owner hurts the team rather than helps them win.

And finally there is Donald Sterling. Sterling runs the show on the cheap. He has been sued for discrimination.  He's been known to heckle and demean his players. His team never wins. Ever.

I think we have a winner. Sterling by a nose hair over Mike Brown. But at least LA basketball fans can cheer for the Lakers. Alas, poor Cincinnati football fans are stuck with only the Bengals. Who do you think deserves the title of worst owner? 

1 comment:

  1. Yeah I think we are in agreement on this one with Sterling. Not only is he a terrible owner but he is just a down right terrible man. When Elgin Baylor describes you as a racist then I buy it because a man of his intergrity would not lie about something like that. And the way he treated Baron Davis was just sick. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that its Donald Sterling. Good post man

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