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Who is/was the best commissioner in your lifetime? Any Sport

Big Blue '56 : 2/18/2019 6:08 pm
For Me, Pete Rozelle, albeit not perfect.
Agree  
arniefez : 2/18/2019 6:16 pm : link
Rozelle.
.  
arcarsenal : 2/18/2019 6:17 pm : link
I can't even think of a good choice, sadly... Rozelle was only there for like the first 5 years of my lifetime, so I wasn't watching football when he was still holding that position. Tags was the guy for most of my life until Goodell took over.

Gary Bettman... absolutely fucking not.

I like some of the things Manfred is doing in MLB as far as trying to speed up the game and pace of play. But he only took Selig's place a few years ago so he hasn't been there long enough to form an opinion on. I was never a Selig fan at all.

David Stern? Eh. I think Silver is better than Goodell.

Commissioners seem to just generally be disliked, so it's hard to find the "best of the worst" so to speak.

Even Manfred is probably going to have a strike happen on his watch in the near future.
I’m only in my 30s but from what I understand it has to be Stern  
Chris684 : 2/18/2019 6:17 pm : link
since in my lifetime the NBA Finals went from being taped to the league being a powerhouse just behind football.

Of course, Magic and Bird followed by MJ probably did most of the heavy lifting there, but no doubt Stern oversaw the NBA reach new heights while at the same time being a mostly likeable figure.
The only one  
pjcas18 : 2/18/2019 6:28 pm : link
who doesn't ever get booed is Silver (unless i missed something). Manfred hasn't done enough to get booed consistently yet either, but he doesn't seem beloved either and his sport is trending down.

not sure if that's a barometer or not, but all the others get booed or got booed regularly.

but, I think major sports commissioner is one of those jobs where at least during times of contention you need to be willing to play the heel/villain. You are a sort of an emissary of ownership, but not necessary unanimous emissary, but a majority emissary so even within ownership ranks sometimes franchises dislike you.

well compensated (especially in Goodell's case), but not a lollipops and rainbows job especially during times of contention.
Stern and it’s not even close  
The_Boss : 2/18/2019 6:50 pm : link
Of course he benefitted from having Magic, Bird, and Jordan help explode the league’s popularity in the 80’s.
Stern for awhile...  
SFGFNCGiantsFan : 2/18/2019 6:52 pm : link
Though he faded late in his tenure.

The worst? Roger. He's awful.
Worst IMO  
Chris684 : 2/18/2019 7:03 pm : link
that I’ve seen are Goodell and Selig.

Goodell with spygate, Ray Rice, etc.

Selig, steroids. Enough said. But also as a Mets fan, instead of getting the Wilpons out of there after Madoff, he forced Sandy on us. Thanks Bud!

Manfred and Silver too new although I don’t love them.

Don’t know as much about hockey overall but I don’t think Bettman has a good rep.
The best, Bert Bell.  
SterlingArcher : 2/18/2019 7:05 pm : link
.
.  
arcarsenal : 2/18/2019 7:28 pm : link
Pretty much all hockey fans hate Bettman universally. Penguins fans might be the only bunch who like him.

The NBA guys are probably the "safest" choices.
Pete Rozelle  
ij_reilly : 2/18/2019 7:39 pm : link
Easy question for me.
Did anyone really have an issue with tagliabue?  
bhill410 : 2/18/2019 7:46 pm : link
I mean you look at what roger did almost immediately you kind of have to appreciate tags no?
RE: Did anyone really have an issue with tagliabue?  
arcarsenal : 2/18/2019 7:50 pm : link
In comment 14299590 bhill410 said:
Quote:
I mean you look at what roger did almost immediately you kind of have to appreciate tags no?


I certainly do - but to be fair, Tags didn't have to deal with the CTE/concussion pushback the same way Goodell has to now. There's definitely a lot more pressure to handle player safety than there was during Tags' time.

I think Goodell fucking sucks and can't stand him - but I also understand that there are challenges unique to him as the NFL commish that the guys before him didn't really have to concern themselves with quite as much.
RE: RE: Did anyone really have an issue with tagliabue?  
BigBlueDownTheShore : 2/18/2019 7:57 pm : link
In comment 14299593 arcarsenal said:
Quote:
In comment 14299590 bhill410 said:


Quote:


I mean you look at what roger did almost immediately you kind of have to appreciate tags no?



I certainly do - but to be fair, Tags didn't have to deal with the CTE/concussion pushback the same way Goodell has to now. There's definitely a lot more pressure to handle player safety than there was during Tags' time.

I think Goodell fucking sucks and can't stand him - but I also understand that there are challenges unique to him as the NFL commish that the guys before him didn't really have to concern themselves with quite as much.


I really want to know why people hate Goodell. He is the only one to try to clean up the league and punish the people that shouldn’t be there. I think people are just holding on to that sentiment from the beginning. He had to make the league more safe. It sucks but it had to happen.
Pete Rozelle, no contest.  
Red Dog : 2/18/2019 8:00 pm : link
The NFL desperately needs someone like him again.
Commissioner James Gordon  
MTN-G-man : 2/18/2019 8:02 pm : link
:^)
RE: RE: RE: Did anyone really have an issue with tagliabue?  
arcarsenal : 2/18/2019 8:56 pm : link
In comment 14299597 BigBlueDownTheShore said:
Quote:
In comment 14299593 arcarsenal said:


Quote:


In comment 14299590 bhill410 said:


Quote:


I mean you look at what roger did almost immediately you kind of have to appreciate tags no?



I certainly do - but to be fair, Tags didn't have to deal with the CTE/concussion pushback the same way Goodell has to now. There's definitely a lot more pressure to handle player safety than there was during Tags' time.

I think Goodell fucking sucks and can't stand him - but I also understand that there are challenges unique to him as the NFL commish that the guys before him didn't really have to concern themselves with quite as much.



I really want to know why people hate Goodell. He is the only one to try to clean up the league and punish the people that shouldn’t be there. I think people are just holding on to that sentiment from the beginning. He had to make the league more safe. It sucks but it had to happen.


Greg Hardy beat the shit out of a woman and didn't have much of a problem getting back onto the football field. Kareem Hunt won't, either. I don't know if he's exactly doing the best job of punishing the people who shouldn't be there and the league's way of handling discipline seems entirely arbitrary and inconsistent.

The Breast Cancer awareness stuff in Octobers were nothing but an NFL money grab that ignored tons of other life threatening conditions and illnesses.

We have had several debacles with the officiating and it doesn't appear to be getting any better.

We have to sit through an hour of commercials for every 2 hours of football we get.

The quality of play has been greatly diminished from what it once was. The NFL now is nowhere near as good as it used to be - and that's not me just waxing poetic about the past. The product used to be far better.

All of the rule changes with what is a catch, what isn't a catch are doing nothing but creating MORE confusion.

The greed leading to having football played on Thursday nights every fucking week when everyone can see plain as day that the product is garbage and that it is not enough time for teams to adequately prepare for a football game.

The way "Deflategate" was handled was another complete joke.

No one is just holding onto nonexistent reasons to dislike him - he's provided us with more than enough on his own.
RE: Commissioner James Gordon  
madgiantscow009 : 2/18/2019 8:58 pm : link
In comment 14299601 MTN-G-man said:
Quote:
:^)


Tony Scali
David Stern  
FStubbs : 2/18/2019 9:15 pm : link
Took a nearly failed league and made it into a powerhouse. People are saying "Yeah, he had Bird, Magic, and Jordan", but other leagues have outstanding players too.
Rozelle  
Trainmaster : 2/18/2019 10:10 pm : link
Was my first thought.
RE: Pete Rozelle  
LauderdaleMatty : 2/18/2019 10:12 pm : link
In comment 14299588 ij_reilly said:
Quote:
Easy question for me.


By a mile. Especially compared to Goodell who is a mess but beloved by his bosses. Selig the worst
since you said  
Del Shofner : 2/18/2019 10:43 pm : link
"in your lifetime," I was going to say Kenesaw Mountain Landis, but I checked dates and he died 8 years before I was born. He might have been in your lifetime, BB56. :-) He still had the best name of any commissioner.

Left to other choices - Rozelle and Stern for the reasons people described above.
Being Commissioner is a losing proposition....  
BillKo : 2/18/2019 10:55 pm : link
......especially in today's world.

My vote would go to Stern.

I've become a big fan of the NHL, and I don't understand the hate for Bettman. What exactly is his biggest issue?

Rozelle is mentioned a lot on this thread, but he in no way had to deal with the layers involved in today's game.

Rozelle  
hassan : 2/18/2019 11:37 pm : link
but Vince Mcmahon in the 80s in wrestling was great as well😀
RE: Stern and it’s not even close  
bw in dc : 2/18/2019 11:40 pm : link
In comment 14299562 The_Boss said:
Quote:
Of course he benefitted from having Magic, Bird, and Jordan help explode the league’s popularity in the 80’s.


I agree - it's not even close. He marketed the game brilliantly and then took it global.

The commissioner works for the owners  
GiantsRage2007 : 2/19/2019 8:02 am : link
And since, collectively, the owners of every sport over the years have been pretty shady & shitty & every one of them would sell their mother for a $1, the commissioner has been directed to do shitty things. The answer is NA.
RE: since you said  
Big Blue '56 : 2/19/2019 8:20 am : link
In comment 14299640 Del Shofner said:
Quote:
"in your lifetime," I was going to say Kenesaw Mountain Landis, but I checked dates and he died 8 years before I was born. He might have been in your lifetime, BB56. :-) He still had the best name of any commissioner.

Left to other choices - Rozelle and Stern for the reasons people described above.


Sorry, Kenny was before my time..:)
RE: RE: RE: RE: Did anyone really have an issue with tagliabue?  
BigBlueDownTheShore : 2/19/2019 10:45 am : link
In comment 14299617 arcarsenal said:
Quote:
In comment 14299597 BigBlueDownTheShore said:


Quote:


In comment 14299593 arcarsenal said:


Quote:


In comment 14299590 bhill410 said:


Quote:


I mean you look at what roger did almost immediately you kind of have to appreciate tags no?



I certainly do - but to be fair, Tags didn't have to deal with the CTE/concussion pushback the same way Goodell has to now. There's definitely a lot more pressure to handle player safety than there was during Tags' time.

I think Goodell fucking sucks and can't stand him - but I also understand that there are challenges unique to him as the NFL commish that the guys before him didn't really have to concern themselves with quite as much.



I really want to know why people hate Goodell. He is the only one to try to clean up the league and punish the people that shouldn’t be there. I think people are just holding on to that sentiment from the beginning. He had to make the league more safe. It sucks but it had to happen.



Greg Hardy beat the shit out of a woman and didn't have much of a problem getting back onto the football field. Kareem Hunt won't, either. I don't know if he's exactly doing the best job of punishing the people who shouldn't be there and the league's way of handling discipline seems entirely arbitrary and inconsistent.

The Breast Cancer awareness stuff in Octobers were nothing but an NFL money grab that ignored tons of other life threatening conditions and illnesses.

We have had several debacles with the officiating and it doesn't appear to be getting any better.

We have to sit through an hour of commercials for every 2 hours of football we get.

The quality of play has been greatly diminished from what it once was. The NFL now is nowhere near as good as it used to be - and that's not me just waxing poetic about the past. The product used to be far better.

All of the rule changes with what is a catch, what isn't a catch are doing nothing but creating MORE confusion.

The greed leading to having football played on Thursday nights every fucking week when everyone can see plain as day that the product is garbage and that it is not enough time for teams to adequately prepare for a football game.

The way "Deflategate" was handled was another complete joke.

No one is just holding onto nonexistent reasons to dislike him - he's provided us with more than enough on his own.


There is a Competition Committee that heads up the majority of the issues you are discussing. They implement the new rules.

That's not on Roger, that's on the league as a whole.

Roger takes a beating for doing the Owners bidding. He's made them a ton of money, and that's all they care about.
Pete Rozelle  
Steve in ATL : 2/19/2019 10:47 am : link
.
FAY VINCENT !!!!!  
gmenrule-va : 2/19/2019 10:55 am : link
His suspension of George Steinbrenner helped turn around the Yankees who had floundered throughout the 80's under Steinbrenner's Jerry Jones/Daniel Snyder/James Dolan leadership style.

Thank you Fay!
.  
arcarsenal : 2/19/2019 10:56 am : link
LOL, okay - so Goodell doesn't oversee anything or have anything to do with anything that goes on - all he does is make everyone money and get unfairly criticized.

Got it.
RE: FAY VINCENT !!!!!  
02/03/2008 : 2/19/2019 1:37 pm : link
In comment 14299917 gmenrule-va said:
Quote:
His suspension of George Steinbrenner helped turn around the Yankees who had floundered throughout the 80's under Steinbrenner's Jerry Jones/Daniel Snyder/James Dolan leadership style.

Thank you Fay!


+100000
Was going to post the same thing.
Rozelle  
Bubba : 2/19/2019 2:33 pm : link
for making the Giants relevant again.
rozelle  
jurban : 2/19/2019 3:49 pm : link
hands down
Pete Rozelle and David Stern  
Essex : 2/19/2019 4:38 pm : link
were the most visionary commissioners of our time. Rozelle basically birthed NFL into America's game and Stern took a game that had basically had not had their championship games televised live not that long before he became commissioner and made it a huge sport. Yes, MJ (and Bird and Magic) helped, but Stern was a great commissioner.
Agree that Stern, in those beginning years  
Big Blue '56 : 2/20/2019 6:58 am : link
was terrific
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