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

[TigerVols]

@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?

 

[DanOregon]

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.

 

[Moderator1]

Redskins

 

[JC]

Ottawa Senators

 

[Regan MacNeil]

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

 

[Regan MacNeil]

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

 

[Michael_ Gee]

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.

 

[DanielSimpsonDay]

J

E

T

S

JETS

JETS

JETS

 

[Jake from State Farm]

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.

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

 

[outofplace]

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.

 

[DanOregon]

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.

 

[Neutral Corner]

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.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

I'm not sure anyone's in a league with James Dolan. There are plenty of horrid owners in different sports, but he took what should rightfully be a marquee team in the NBA and turned it into an often-despicable laughingstock.

I mean, Snyder's bad in DC, but I can picture them becoming decent while he's there. The Knicks will not be a decent team while Dolan is there and it's entirely because he's the owner.

 

[expendable]

The Packers.

 

[DanOregon]

If there was a draft of owners - right now - for a generic franchise in a generic city. Who do you pick?

 

[bigpern23]

@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?

When I saw the thread title, the first franchise I thought of was the Knicks. Their owner literally threw out one of the most beloved players in franchise history from a game and exacerbated it into a full-blown feud, inexplicably barred the franchise's most famous fan from coming into MSG through the entrance he used for 28 years without telling him ahead of time, passed over the franchise's best player as head coach on numerous occasions, and hired the franchise's biggest rival coach to a massive contract as team president while allowing him to conduct much of the team business from Montana. Oh, and Isiah ****ing Thomas.

**** Dolan. That guy sucks.

 

[DanOregon]

I keep waiting for one of the idiot sons on Succession to buy a sports team.

 

[bigpern23]

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.

Pirates have a .467 winning percentage since 2000. Dolan took over the Knicks in 1999 and has a .407 winning percentage. Dolan does not care if the Knicks win anymore than Nutting cares about the Pirates. Dolan knows the money is in MSG, not in putting a successful basketball team on the court. For whatever effort he's put into competing on the court, he's been significantly less successful at it than Nutting has been.

Knicks had a conference finals loss in the holdover first year of Dolan's tenure and four first round exits and a conference semifinals loss to their credit since, compared to an LDS and two Wild Card losses for the Pirates. Of course, baseball gets fewer teams into the postseason than MLB.

I hate to say it as a Knicks fan, but the Pirates have been more successful than the Knicks since Dolan took over.

 

[Slacker]

Dolphins, too. I heard they used to be pretty good.

 

[DanOregon]

There are what, four or five basic types of team owners?
- the owner who inherited the team from parents, but has shown no particular acumen for running a team or business. (Raiders, Chargers, Bengals, Titans, Broncos..)
- the owner who inherited the team from parents, but has maintained the same structure that made it a successful franchise under their parents. (Chiefs, Steelers)
- the owner with family money who had nothing else occupying their time (Jets, Lions).
- the owner who was successful in business (with family money or not) and figures they can be just as great as a team owner.

The last group is the most fascinating because you see very successful owners of this type (Cowboys, Patriots) and real idiots who seem to be constantly taken to the cleaners by "football men" who are willing to do things they know are dumb, but will appease the owner and maybe give them enough time to latch on to another newbie owner with no clue. I'm thinking I'll put the Browns and Redskins in this camp.