Rate Your Team's Owner

[albionmoonlight]

Right now, the New Orleans Saints are in the process of trying to get a new stadium deal from Louisiana. Fans and citizens are, of course, taking sides, though one of the things on which most people can agree is that the Saint's owner (Tom Benson) is "cheap," "greedy," "cheap," "penny pinching," "not dedicated to winning," "cares more about money than wins," "a bad owner," "a bad penny pinching cheap owner," "not a good owner," etc.

This got me thinking. Almost every public figure associated with our teams tends to want to win over anything else: players (Vince Carter aside), coaches, GMs, etc. Owners, however, have to balance their bottom lines with their desire to win. And they have way, way, way more money than almost any fan will ever see. And, to the extent that an owner is willing to spend what it takes to win, some seem to feel that their fiscal contributions give them a right to meddle (Dan Snyder comes to mind). Very few owners seem willing to spend recklessly, but also take a backseat in running the team. Finally, an owner can never be fired, no matter how badly his team is doing.

The result, I suspect, is that most fans think that their favorite team(s) have crappy ownership. They look at the success of a Bob Kraft or the passion of a Mark Cuban and think "if only we had a guy like that." Is my perception right?

Rate the owner(s) of your team(s) on a scale of one to five (if you have multiple teams in mind, just average them. This is not too scientific.)

[gstelmack]

As a Patriots fan, I've already got a Bob Kraft in my corner ;-)

[VPI97]

Arthur Blank is awesome.

[Sidhe]

Benson stinks.

[Raiders Army]

Al Davis rules. Just win baby.

[korme]

The Bengals are .500 2 years running, and in absolutely no way do I attribute that to the owner.

Mr. Mike Brown, you get a 1.

[JeeberD]

Jerry does what it takes to make the team a winner, only problem is that he meddles too much in the coaches affairs.

I give him a four.

[Masked]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

Right now, the New Orleans Saints are in the process of trying to get a new stadium deal from Louisiana. Fans and citizens are, of course, taking sides, though one of the things on which most people can agree is that the Saint's owner (Tom Benson) is "cheap," "greedy," "cheap," "penny pinching," "not dedicated to winning," "cares more about money than wins," "a bad owner," "a bad penny pinching cheap owner," "not a good owner," etc.

I gave Benson a 4 for a couple of reasons. Most importantly, if it wasn't for him the San Antonio Saints (or insert favorite city) would have just celebrated their 20th anniversary. IMO, he is giving the state every opportunity to keep the team in New Orleans. The state is the one trying to get out of the deal to which the two agreed. Benson is not insisting on a new stadium, but at least wants the 30 year-old state-owned Superdome to be renovated. These days that is a pretty reasonable demand. His football decisions can be questioned (Ditka?!?), but I find most of the complaints about him being cheap to be baseless. Benson pays the coaches and the staff well and the team's payroll is typically near max. If all he cared about was money, he would have accepted the reported 1 billion dollar offer from the group in L.A. and sailed off on his yacht. But instead he tries to deal with Louisiana politicians.

Of course maybe my problem is that only other owner I am familiar with is Meekom.

[Dutch]

Malcolm Glazer has pulled the Buccaneers from the depths of the NFL and just bought the biggest share of any ownership in Manchester United. And the Bucs have about 25 years left on their lease with the city of Tampa.

I am very impressed with MG.

FWIW, I pray that the Saints don't leave. I don't know what the fan support is like in NO, but it's got to be about a million times better than Los Angeles fan support.

[judicial clerk]

As a Radier fan, I am conflicted about Al Davis. But at least I can say that he always tries to field a winner.

Overall I might put the Steelers ownership at the top currently, and maybe put DeBartolo as the best ever.

[Karlifornia]

John York sucks.

[KevinNU7]

Bob Kraft - 5

[Raiders Army]

Originally Posted by judicial clerk

As a Radier fan, I am conflicted about Al Davis. But at least I can say that he always tries to field a winner.

Very true. Everyone makes mistakes, and Al's biggest mistake was letting Gruden walk to the Buccanneers...who won the Superbowl that same year...over the Raiders. Had he held on one more year, history would've been different.

[FrogMan]

Originally Posted by KevinNU7

Bob Kraft - 5

what the man said.

FM

[Philliesfan980]

Phillies : Bill Giles & Co - 2
Eagles : Jeffrey Laurie - 4.5
Sixers : Comcast - 3.5
Flyers (When they play) : Comcast - 4

[KevinNU7]

Originally Posted by FrogMan

what the man said.

FM

Really is a nom brainer. Man saves team from moving to St. Louis. Then attempts to work a deal with Boston/Hartford/Providence for a stadium. Eventually sees F' it and pays for his own.

[Swaggs]

Steelers -- 5+
Pirates -- 1
Penguins -- Incomplete (saved the franchise from moving, then the NHL pretty much folded)

[mckerney]

I'd give Red McCombs a 2, though it looks like Ziggy will be buying the team in the coming weeks so it's kind of an unknown. The one thing that looks positive is that his main interest is said to be a realestate deal involving development around a new statdium, which could be a very good thing.

As for other sports
Carl Polad - 4 - After seasons of not spending throughout most of the 90's, he's given a team a payroll to be competitive, aided by one of the best GMs in sports.
Glen Taylor - 4
Wild Ownership Group - 4.5

[sooner333]

Originally Posted by RadioFriendlyUnitShifter

John York sucks.

ditto.

[Castlerock]

Originally Posted by KevinNU7

Really is a no brainer. Man saves team from moving to St. Louis. Then attempts to work a deal with Boston/Hartford/Providence for a stadium. Eventually sees F' it and pays for his own.

This poll needs a 6.

[Surtt]

The Lafayette Fighting Carp's owner is a saint.

[Scarecrow]

Do you really want me to give a score to David 'Mr. Wal-Mart' Glass, owner of the Kansas City Royals????

Giving him the same 1 score as Mike Brown would be a compliment to David.

[Scarecrow]

Originally Posted by Sidhe

Benson stinks.

DOLA: I'm offended by this!


Signed,
Michael J Benson, aka Scarecrow

[kcchief19]

David Glass gets a 2 from me for the Royals. He's not horrible, but he doesn't set a strong direction for the team -- he lets it drift aimlessly.

I'll give Lamar Hunt a 2.5. He has never held Carl Peterson remotely accountable for his mistakes, but glorifies him for his successes. I have no doubt that turning a profit has been more important to the Chiefs than winning football games the last few seasons. This offseason has been an improvement, but it could have been a lot better. The Chiefs had Samari Rolle signed until King Carl went to the media and tried to drive his price down by saying he had a "narrow spinal column."

[FrogMan]

Originally Posted by Castlerock

This poll needs a 6.

sorry Kevin, gotta change man... What the man said, period

FM

[Coffee Warlord]

McCaskey is worthless.

[Eaglesfan27]

Jeffrey Laurie - 5
Tom Benson - 1

It's really quite the dichotomy of owners for the two NFL Teams I cheer for.

[JasonC23]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

McCaskey is worthless.

You beat me to it.

[Pyser]

if the ny giants new stadium sells season tickets with a personal seat license, 1. if mara stays alive and keeps the fans in mind, as he always has, 5.

[dixieflatline]

Originally Posted by mckerney

I'd give Red McCombs a 2, though it looks like Ziggy will be buying the team in the coming weeks so it's kind of an unknown. The one thing that looks positive is that his main interest is said to be a realestate deal involving development around a new statdium, which could be a very good thing.

As for other sports
Carl Polad - 4 - After seasons of not spending throughout most of the 90's, he's given a team a payroll to be competitive, aided by one of the best GMs in sports.
Glen Taylor - 4
Wild Ownership Group - 4.5

That's pretty crazy. I am not a fan of these teams but I would rate them:

McCombs: 2
Polad: 2
Taylor: 5

McCombs and Polad just seem to be milking well managed teams to me. It seems like a little more money spent on the field would do wonders for these teams. The Vikings were well under the salary cap last year and the Twins were drawing really well and still in the bottom 3rd or payrolls in MLB. On the other hand, I'm not really sure what else you could ask for from Taylor. The Wolves have been losing tons of money from what I understand but that was ok to Taylor as they were trying to win it all. Sadly, it appears that Taylor's team window has closed where the other two teams window is opening or already open.

Originally Posted by kcchief19

David Glass gets a 2 from me for the Royals. He's not horrible, but he doesn't set a strong direction for the team -- he lets it drift aimlessly.

Again, not a fan of this team but I am not sure what more Glass needs to do to deserve a 1. Maybe this will change your opinion.

From Baseball America chat on the Royals pick, 2nd overall:

Tom L. from Manhattan, KS asks:
If Upton is gone, do you see the royals taking anyone buy Gordon with the 2nd overall? Thanks.
A: John Manuel: This probably won't make Royals fans happy . . . our understanding from other clubs is, the Royals are not going to spend a lot for that pick. Unless Alex Gordon is willing to sign for slot, and I mean just a straight bonus, he won't be the guy there. We've heard some wild rumors at the No. 2 spot, such as Texas A&M's Cliff Pennington and Rancho Bernardo HS outfielder John Drennan, as well as Oregon State outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury. Those are all good players, I'd say consensus first 50 talents, but not anywhere near the No. 2 pick. I understand David Glass is saying otherwise, but everything we hear is, the Royals are thinking budget first, talent second, and that's a shame.

[Cuckoo]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

Jerry does what it takes to make the team a winner, only problem is that he meddles too much in the coaches affairs.

I give him a four.

Agreed, although it does look like he's getting better with that, thanks to Parcells.

[albionmoonlight]

I stand corrected. Over half the answers are 4s and 5s. I guess Clippers fans just don't hang out at this board.

[Easy Mac]

AOL/TW(Braves): Done everything they possibly can to try and ruin the franchise, but having smart people in the front office has stopped them. 2

[Surtt]

Originally Posted by mckerney

Carl Polad - 4 - After seasons of not spending throughout most of the 90's, he's given a team a payroll to be competitive, aided by one of the best GMs in sports.

Considering Carl Polad volunteered to contract(fold) the team a couple of years ago, I would have to give him a 1.

[TroyF]

Broncos - Pat Bowlen - 4.5 He has always did what it took to win. Even with the struggles the last few years, it's never been because he hasn't tried to open up his wallet.

Avalanche/Nuggets - Stan Kroencke - 5+ Avs have two Cups and the Nuggets are a fun team to watch again. Great owner.

Rockies - Jerry McNorris - .5 - Horrible. Simply horrible. This has nothing to do with wins and losses. This has everything to do with not even trying to win. He made two poor FA signing and when they didn't work out, he decided to never do it again.



Overall, we're pretty lucky in Denver. Three of the four teams at least make an effort to win. You can't complain about that.

[Fastcat]

Lions- The Fords come on 1
Redwings- 5+
Tigers- 3
Cubs- 2
Pistons- 4

[Ryan S]

I would give Steinbrenner a 4.5.

He can meddle a little too much and make some ill advised signings over the heads of his staff, but everything he does is in an effort to win the World Series, and you can't ask for much more than that.

[clintl]

Peter Magowan - 4 - Signed Barry Bonds personally, built one of the greatest ballparks ever almost completely with private funds, and has kept the Giants a perennial contender without being one of baseball's outlandish spenders. The peepholes in the RF fence that allow fans to watch the game for free from outside the park is perhaps the coolest fan-friendly feature in any sporting venue in the country. Does a great job of honoring the legacy of Giants greats of the past, like Mays, McCovey, and Cepeda, and the teams history (including its NY history), as well as a few things honoring the San Francisco Seals, the PCL team before the Giants moved to SF.

What keeps him from being a 5: Maybe should have taken one high payroll shot at a World Championship before Bonds turned 40. The feud with Dusty Baker at the end of the 2002 season.

[Chubby]

Bills - 4
Sabres - 4

Golisano is an example of what albion may have been talking about. I think he's done a great job. I don't expect him to open the vault and blow $70 mil on the team just because he's a billionaire and can take the losses. He has set a budget and sticks to it (even goes over a little) since it IS a business. He does try to win and not nickel and dime everyone like the Rigas' did so I think the general feeling towards Golisano is very good.

[GreenMonster]

Wayne Huizenga - 4

Dolphins, Marlins, Panthers I think..

As far as the Dolphins go this guy spends the money and is pretty hands off and lets the guys he paid do the work... I like that if you pick the right guys (no more Wanny) and you get quality guys like Saban.

[weinstein7]

Can I give Cablevision a negative score? Although I do give them bonus points for running the Knicks into the ground. Well done there!

[FBPro]

Originally Posted by VPI97

Arthur Blank is awesome.

Concur!!!

[Sharpieman]

Originally Posted by RadioFriendlyUnitShifter

John York sucks.

Damn right.

[Schmidty]

As much as I am disappointed in the Lions yearly failings, I am extremely proud of the way the Ford Family runs the team. You NEVER see a Lion who is a cancer or a bad citizen. Mr. Ford is also always free with his money to sign free agents, GMs, and such. He is the most loyal owner I have ever seen, although his judgment seems to leave a lot to be desired. I'm sure HB will come on here with a Chief Rum-sized post that backs me up (or disagrees), but that's my take.

[Ragone]

you needed a -158715239875318793158970153 for david glASS

[tabucko]

My best friend in Wisconsin is one of the many owners of the Packers, so naturally I had to give him a 5.

[TargetPractice6]

Ping: damnMikeBrown.

[Tigercat]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

Right now, the New Orleans Saints are in the process of trying to get a new stadium deal from Louisiana. Fans and citizens are, of course, taking sides, though one of the things on which most people can agree is that the Saint's owner (Tom Benson) is "cheap," "greedy," "cheap," "penny pinching," "not dedicated to winning," "cares more about money than wins," "a bad owner," "a bad penny pinching cheap owner," "not a good owner," etc.

I just saw you post on SR.com these days, weird to see another FOFCer over there.

For Benson, I would give him a 2.5 for on the field success, I think hes done a average job for what he had going in for putting a winning team on the field. I give him a 1.5 for community relations, however. The New Orleans community made him what he is, and he uses Saints fans as bargaining chips without hardly any acknowledgement of us. He only gets that extra half of a point for giving New Orleans the Voodoo and helping to get the city Super Bowls.

[SackAttack]

Frank McCourt gets a three, but that's because basically everything he's done has been either a 5 or a 1. Too many 1's, though. Dude needs to turn it around this offseason.

[Abe Sargent]

I like Wayne Weaver.

-Anxiety