Which pro franchise is most in need of a new owner?

@Jake from State Farm's comment in the NFL draft thread about the Lions needing a new owner left me wondering, which pro franchise is most in need of a new check-writer?

I'd have to say the Knicks are the pick, as unlike some other crappy owners, players actively want to avoid the New York Franchise as a direct result of their not wanting to play for James Dolan.

What say you?

 

It's so clearly the Knicks. Look what new ownership did to the Warriors. Bad owners attract bad people. Good owners attract good people. The Lions is an interesting choice, I think their ownership is so old school. The family name and fortune isn't dependent on the team being good. I don't think the Fords are bad owners, I just don't think they care that much - which is better than being an a-hole like Dolan.

 

Ottawa Senators

 

It was the Bulls until Reinsdorf The Younger was able to convince his cheap-ass shitbag father to jettison GarPax. Now I’m cautiously optimistic.

 

Also, I would very much like it if the McCaskeys sold to some multi billionaire Bears fan.

 

There's an Aesop's Fable about the log and the stork that's relevant here. Snyder is one of the most horrendous owners in sports history, but there's no denying he's a wealthy superfan.

 

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I think William Clay Ford cared but he had no clue
He kept Russ Thomas as his GM for years even though he was a tightwad and alienated his players
Thomas’ main qualification was helping Ford quit drinking
The story was the Lions were a plaything for WC, who was kind of the black sheep of the Ford family
He was loyal to a fault, something that hurt him
Then Bill Jr. took over and hired Matt Millen
When Martha dies, the eldest daughter will be in charge
She can’t be worse than the rest of the family

 

The Pittsburgh Pirates. Sure, there are some terrible owners in the NFL and James Dolan is truly awful, but they all at least seem to care about their team succeeding on the field. They may make bad choices in trying to get there, but they are trying to win.

Bob Nutting does not care if the Pirates win. He only cares that they do just enough to keep the fans from abandoning the franchise entirely. He has constantly and consistently cut payroll whenever possible. When the team broke a streak of 20 seasons without a winning record and earned a wild card playoff berth in 2013, he responded by cutting payroll and raising ticket prices in the same offseason. They finally had a core to build around and a real opportunity to compete, but he restricted his general manager to rummaging through the scrap heap rather than adding one or two key guys to try to put the team over the top.

Dolan wants to win. So does Snyder. So do the other owners brought up on this thread. (I will leave the Ottawa Senators out of this because I just don't follow the NHL closely enough tmake that statement about them.) Nutting does not care. If he could be assured that the revenue would keep coming in while losing 100 games every season, he'd take that deal in a heartbeat.

 

Anyone looking for an interesting story idea during this downtime should do a deep dive in what makes a great owner. Obviously most of these people have money as a common denominator - but compare those who buy and those who inherit. What is the difference between the teams with good heirs and bad heirs? What are you looking for in a new owner? Someone who built their own company from the ground up? Inherited a bunch of money to aid their rise in business? Someone who has a strong history of managing people and risk? Someone who spent a good amount of time working for other people? Good people skills? Political connections? Long established local ties? A background in the sport?
After all the stories on the making of a "perfect" MLB pitcher, NFL qb or NBA star - you'd think this would have already been done.

 

I have to say the Knicks. They're just awful, have been, and nothing has made it any better - and they're in NY with all the advantages that gives them.