Some are just plain unlikeable. There are no wrong answers here and, sadly, few owners who wouldnt make an appearance on somebodys list. Its over a decade since I left that job, but the stench of my abuse has stayed with me. Source: Julio Aguilar / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images, Source: Jason Miller / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images, Source: Christian Petersen / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images, Source: Stephen Maturen / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images, Source: Rob Carr / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images, Source: Michael Adamucci / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images, Source: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images, Source: Joe Robbins / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images, Source: Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images, Source: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images, Source: Adam Bettcher / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images, Source: Donald Miralle / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images, Source: Brett Carlsen / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images, Source: Al Messerschmidt / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images, Source: Quinn Harris / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images, Source: Rich Schultz / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images, Source: Wesley Hitt / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images, Source: Al Bello / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images, Source: Kyle Rivas / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images, Source: Michael Reaves / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images, Source: Stacy Revere / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images. He cant be blamed for the current situation with Miles Bridges, who the team rightly cut ties with. This is New York, for heavens sake, a city that high-profile free agents should be tripping over themselves to want to play in. Watson is facing civil lawsuits from almost two dozen women who have accused him of sexual misconduct during massages, and the details are damning. They sandbagged every deal put before them to stay and even tried to move the team to Virginia Beach, of all places. > Playoff appearances: 6 (2 Super Bowl wins) Worst owners in Sports Worst owners in Sports. Teams owned: Carolina Panthers (1995-2018). Reinsdorf and general manager Jerry Krause's treatment of superstar Michael Jordan at the end of his career scares off free agents to this day. You should know that your owners are a little crooked, if they're good friends with Bernie Madoff. Sure, Sarvers gone, but who remains on the shit list of horrible bosses? The Timbers were fined $25,000 in March for not reporting domestic abuse allegations against former player Andy Polo to the league before they became public. Though the New York Giants have a losing record under joint owners John Mara and Steve Tisch, they are one of just three current NFL ownership structures with multiple Super Bowl championships. > Record: 288-241-0 (.544 win pct.) And one could easily argue that the one big grand thing that August Anheuser Busch Jr. did as St. Louis Cardinals owner-buy the team in the first place, thus sparing the franchise from probable relocation to . Teams owned: Los Angeles Lakers (2013-present), Purchase price: $67.5 million (total price Dr. Jerry Buss paid for Lakers, L.A. Kings and Great Western Forum in 1979). These people live in the real world, too. Here are the 50 most hated people in sports right now. Mark Murphy is president and CEO of the organization and functions as Green Bays de facto owner. ESPN named the the team the worst franchise in pro sports in 2004, and he would not allow home games to be televised because it was "unfair to people who bought tickets.". > Coaches: 3. Hear me out. One former Thorns player said she filed a formal complaint against Riley with Portlands front office, Paulson included. He sold the team for a then-record $2 billion. In 17 years of overseeing selections in the NBA Draft the Hornets have had just two All-Stars, Kemba Walker and LaMelo Ball. The NBA has been my refuge during multiple breakdowns and bouts of depression over the years. Just three seasons into Halas McCaskeys tenure, coach Mike Ditka and the 1985 Chicago Bears won the Super Bowl as one of the most dominant and exciting teams in NFL history. Mike Zimmer, who was Minnesotas head coach for eight seasons, was the longest tenured coach under Wilf but was just fired after the 2021 season. Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. Fishers silence is only made worse by Oakland president Dave Kaval, who has (prematurely) mocked attendance at San Francisco Giants games to try and make the As look better. The team had only made the postseason six times in the 36 seasons before Blank took over and has made it eight times in the 20 years since. Jacksonvilles .261 win percentage under Khan is by far the lowest of any long-term owner. The recent firing of coach Brian Flores after the 2021 season shocked the football world. Jimmy Haslam III: Cleveland Browns He described the governments brutal crackdown on dissent as necessary to promote economic growth; defended a law used to imprison scores of pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong as necessary to squelch separatism; and, when questioned about human rights, asserted that most of Chinas 1.4 billion citizens are happy about where they are.. > Playoff appearances: 6 (0 Super Bowl wins) Hes fostered a culture of toxic misogyny at team headquarters, and is under investigation himself for sexual harassment. Perennial contenders, Baltimore has only finished four seasons with a losing record in Bisciottis 18 seasons in charge. Farhad Moshiri. Mark Walter (Gugglenheim Baseball Management) (2022-Present) Everton. All in all, Indianapolis has been a terrific franchise under James Irsay, winning nearly 60% of games and frequently making the postseason. Just horrid, when the Cleveland Cavs were run by former owner Ted Stepien from 1981-83, they had no chance at competing for world title. Championships: None. After missing the playoffs in Yorks first two seasons, the 49ers hired Jim Harbaugh in 2011 who turned the team into contenders, making three straight postseason appearances, including one that ended in a Super Bowl loss. The worst owners in sports / Peter Angelos, Baltimore Orioles. But there have been deeply troubling issues off the field with both franchises, and Paulson bears the ultimate responsibility for that. In fact, they are largely unpopular. Boycotts arent likely to change anything. Harold Ballard was convicted on 47 counts of fraud, tax evasion and theft shortly after taking control of the Maple Leafs. Teams owned: Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts (1972-97). Championships won as owner: None. New Englands .686 winning percentage under Kraft is by far the best of any owner. March 4, 2023, at 2:57 p.m. Oakland A's Calling Vegas Home, Only This Weekend for Now. 22. James Dolan, New York Knicks. Hes still trying to justify the sign-stealing scandal that should have cost the Houston Astros their World Series title. Here are the 20 worst uniforms in sports history. He built a fortune with a kitchen surfacing company but ran the Darlington Football Club into the ground by paying for a stadium that was too big by half. Snyders team is perennially awful. The 15 Worst Owners in Sports Frackers, racists and robbers - you don't need to be a bad person to own a pro franchise, but it certainly helps By Jeb Lund November 23, 2015 Daniel Snyder Jonathan. This is the franchise that 2004 No. Home Depot co-founder Arthur Blank bought the Atlanta Falcons in 2002. > Owner since: 1994 His other claims to infamy? By. > Record: 236-165-0 (.589 win pct.) He is just the worst human being, in so many ways. Haslam is also the CEO of truck stop company Pilot Flying J, which was founded by his father. Jerry Richardsons legacy, built over 60 years as an NFL player and owner, came undone in 2017 following a Sports Illustrated article that revealed long-term sexual harassment by Richardson against Panthers employees. CONGRATS! Send us a tip using our anonymous form. > Record: 104-104-1 (.498 win pct.) > Owner since: 2012 After firing Harbaugh, the 49ers had two one-and-done coaches before hiring Kyle Shanahan. Oakland traded away phenom infielders Matt Chapman and Matt Olson in the offseason, and is now last in the AL West, two games behind Seattle. First, he subjected the good people of San Diego to a godawful team. As a metro-area duo, though, Johnson and Fisher would whup any. The Tisch and Mara families have split control of the New York Giants since 1991, when Steves father John Tisch bought a 50% stake from John Maras uncle Tim. They seem cursed. > Owner since: 2014 He served less than three years of his nine-year sentence. His $230 million contract is the largest fully guaranteed deal in NFL history, and its structured so he has an absurdly low base salary this season to lessen the impact of a suspension. Some owners were notorious about treating people badly . . The team has played a home game in London nearly every season since he purchased the team. The defiance over their controversial name is what sets Snyder apart as the worst owner in sports. But it is the Deshaun Watson signing, and the stench it has cast on the Browns, that earns the Haslams the dubious title of worst owners in the NFL. > Record: 129-144-0 (.473 win pct.) When fans expressed outrage at the signing, the Browns defended their background check of Watson We feel good about the person. Cubans hand-wringing over the teams direction has made him the shadow GM. Teams owned: Washington Redskins/Washington Football Team/Washington Commanders (1999-present). Jed York was President of the 49ers before stepping down and becoming CEO but his genius move out of the gate was to fire head coach Jim Harbaugh in favor of defensive line coach Jim Tomsula following the 2014 season, which kicked off a 17-47 stretch for the franchise over the next three seasons. > Owner since: 2016 Other controversies involved racist and sexist comments. But its for the other team in New York, the Brooklyn Nets. > Playoff appearances: 1 (0 Super Bowl wins) The Mavs are a poverty franchise wrapped in 50-game winning seasons and first-round exits. I was originally going to try to rank the worst owners in professional sports history, but there's no point in doing so because the worst owner in sports is the one that owns a team you care about. Steve Bisciotti: Baltimore Ravens Not by a long shot. worst owners in sports right now. Scoundrels, cheapskates and spoiled brats have always found a way to rip defeat from the jaws of victory none worse than these 10 worst owners in sports history. The Haslam family is about to expand its reach in pro sports a report in February 2023 indicated they were trying to buy a 25 percent stake in the Milwaukee Bucks. 15. Among the worst errors: the Jay Cutler deal, Marc Trestman, bad drafting, and the rotating door of offensive coordinators are among the worst. James Irsay inherited the Indianapolis Colts from his father, Robert, in 1997, the season before they drafted Peyton Manning. He and superstar QB Patrick Mahomes have turned KC into one of the best offenses in the NFL. > Record: 52-108-1 (.323 win pct.) > Record: 164-156-1 (.511 win pct.) When you treat your players like Comiskey did grossly underpay them, make them wash their own jerseys, send them a case of flat champagne after winning a pennant you end up with problems. worst owners in sports right now. > Owner since: 2007 Davis also relocated the franchise to Las Vegas in 2020 after 25 seasons in Oakland. The Hall of Shame, if you will. The first was when the team decamped to Los Angeles in 1982. It took Jim Buss, one of famed owner Jerry Buss children, just a few years to run the team into the ground after he took over day-to-day operations in 2011. He is Lord High Asshole of His Asshole Realm. Complain! Between full-time head coaches and interim coaches, the team has also been through 10 coaches in his 23 seasons. The New York Jets were purchased in 2000 by Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical heir Woody Johnson. > Owner since: 1989 Moores family, among them John Moores and David Moores (1930s-2007) George Gillett, Tom Hicks (2007-2010) Fenway Sports Group (2010-present); LeBron James acquired a minority interest in April 2011. The worst contract in baseball history (for owners, at least) was all Tom Hicks, who inked Alex Rodriguez to a 10-year, $250 million deal in 2000. Putting an analytics guy in charge of football operations, an experiment that lasted all of two seasons. Wirtz has become a grumpy, out-of-touch old man with a bad team not much different than his father once was. Some are inept. When my anxiety and depression are at their worst, I cant get the taste of Hexane out of my mouth. > Owner since: 2002 Mark Davis has been the principal owner of the Las Vegas Raiders since 2011. Difference-making players, along with everyone else, know well whats going on with Dolan and his Knicks, and they want nothing to do with it. The team is worth an estimated $6.4 billion as of January 2023. On the other hand, bad owners are often out of their depth when it comes to running a football franchise. Dean Spanos. But the greatest talent in basketball history has fallen short of being able to spot talent himself. the deal fell through before he got control. The most powerful men and women in sports arent the ones you see on the field of play. Under Ross, the team has never finished with fewer than six wins in a season, but Miami has had just one playoff appearance in that time. To this day, nearly 20 years later, picking Kwame Brown as the number 1 overall pick in 2001 is still regarded as one of the worst moves they have ever made as a franchise. "I wish Id never bought the team," he told ESPN in 2009. The team has also been one of the most stable, with just three coaches during that time Super Bowl winner Mike McCarthy, interim replacement Joe Philbin, and Matt LaFleur, who has won 13 games all three of his seasons at the helm. Dominic Campbell. The Jags have made one playoff appearance in that time, after making the postseason six times in 17 seasons under previous owner Wayne Weaver. Under Haslam, the Browns have never finished above third in their division, though they did make the playoffs once in 2020 as a Wild Card. 19. It was bad enough it led to Congressional hearings. Teams owned: New York Islanders (2001-16). 1. Words like "honor" and "heritage," that Snyder has chosen to use as justification for the rightful use of their nickname, ring hollow. The victory, giving holders England valuable practice on spinning, low-bounce South Asian pitches before the 50-over World Cup in India later this year, meant that the visitors took the series 2-0 . Think about how bad Dan Snyder is. Though they often do not get the same attention as players or coaches, NFL owners can make all the difference in an organization. Current value: $3.8 billion. > Coaches: 6. Madoffs scheming helped Wilpon turn a profit with the Mets for years. > Coaches: 5. Was this the first ghosting? These are the cities that have lost the most teams. Steve Bisciotti, who co-founded staffing firm Allegis Group, bought the Baltimore Ravens in 2004. if. The team finally made the Super Bowl last season, but that was the first time the Cardinals won a division title since 1975. . Here are the ten worst owners the sports world has ever seen. Zygi Wilf: Minnesota Vikings The Tribune Company turned a tidy profit on the Cubs, buying the team for $21.5 million in 1981 and selling for $845 million in 2009 after the Tribune filed for bankruptcy. YOU HAD TO BE THERE: Breaking downlegendary fan experiences. Everyone that knows him, hates him. Steinbrenner's share (ten percent) of Da Bulls was included in Reinsdorf's majority purchase of the team--Jerry and his group only paid $9.2 million for 56.8 . Franchises are either purchased or inherited, but getting wealthy in business doesnt automatically make someone equipped to run a team, nor does inheriting a franchise. alternate jerseys in sports, Watson is facing civil lawsuits from almost two dozen women. (US Presswire) In light of the Marlins once again staging a pathetic fire sale, I figured the time was right to. Back in 2018, Sports Illustrated published their investigation into the Mavs corrosive workplace culture, which went on under Cubans purview. Team Record While Owner: 115-206-1. Snyder's ownership of the team has been controversial, with accusations of a toxic workplace culture leading to . A noted anti-Semite, she also expressed hate toward Japanese and African-Americans in her time as owner. That was on full display in February, when Wirtz snapped at a reporter who dared ask about the franchise badly mishandling sexual assault allegations against a former video coach during the 2010 Stanley Cup run. > Owner since: 1991 > Coaches: 7. It took days for me to reprogram my point of view to find empathy in the offenses Sarver committed against employees who trusted him and depended on his money and power for their livelihood. Unfortunately, pulling the ripcord here and floating out of the frame is not a practical response. The Timbers and Thorns are among the most successful teams in their leagues, winning a total of four league titles, so props to Paulson for that. And some are all those things -- yes, Dan Snyder, I am referring to you. We will never be permitted on the playing field, court or ice to change the outcome of the game and even if we were, wed be toast so we soothe our nerves by preemptively doubting the efficacy of a play, screaming at it as it happens and second-guessing the whole thing when its done. Teams owned: Cincinnati Bengals (1968-present), Purchase price: $7.5 million (father's original ownership stake). He and the NFL agreed to a $790 million settlement after St. Louis sued over the relocation, arguing Kroenke violated the NFLs relocation guidelines and did not operate in good faith in regards to the move. Bad owners show us as much, and theyve run the gamut when it comes to their transgressions. Charles Oakley! John Mara and Steve Tisch: New York Giants Well, you know what, the owner picked those assholes, or he picked the asshole who picked those assholes. One of the most outspoken and well-known NFL owners, Jones also serves as the teams de facto general manager. Before the 2021 season, the Bengals had never won a single playoff game during his tenure a drought of over three decades. After Ted Stepien traded away five consecutive first-round draft picks, the league instituted the "Stepien Rule," stating that teams cannot trade first-rounders in consecutive years. Owner Since: 1991. Teams owned: Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets (2010-present). He was long one . How is that even possible? > Playoff appearances: 8 (0 Super Bowl wins) Mike Brown: Cincinnati Bengals James Devaney/Getty. The best owners hire good coaches and front office personnel who help make the team successful. Brown was especially culpable for this stretch, as he also serves as the teams de facto general manager. First, a note on the methodology. Jimmy Haslam. 21. A fan favorite who was key to the Knicks run to the NBA Finals in 1994. His heart was in the right place, but he was out of touch with the game, as evidenced by his belief that sumo wrestlers would be better goalies than ones that were available. Dean Spanos He's somewhat of a sneaky addition to this list, over the likes of the Cincinnati Bengals' Mike Brown, or the Ford family who has owned the Detroit Lions for generations. Teams owned: San Francisco 49ers (1977-present), Purchase price: $13 million (purchased by grandfather, Ed DeBartolo Sr.). At least MJ still made money out of that shitty Bobcat team. His grandfather, Edward DeBartolo Sr., purchased the San Francisco 49ers in 1977 and gave the team to his children, Denise and Ed Jr., and Jed is the third generation of DeBartolos/Yorks to own the team. He was fined $2.75 million for workplace misconduct and sold the team for $2.2 billion in 2018. Brothers Joel, Bryan, and Edward Glazer took over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2014 from their father, Malcolm. Why Is He A Bad Owner: A lot of owners are criticized for . With White in charge of the program, Pitt was one of the worst teams in the Power 6 conferences over the past five seasons. Since taking charge, Bisciotti has guided the Ravens to 10 playoff appearances and one Super Bowl title. Teams owned: Los Angeles Dodgers (2004-12). Moving the Chargers from San Diego to Los Angeles will always come up first, but its not the worst thing Dean Spanos has done as owner hee once fired head coach Marty Schottenheimer after a 14-2 season. It's fair to say the Cleveland Browns' Jimmy Haslam is a worse owner than Dan Synder. > Coaches: 7. These fans have the honor of owning one of the most unintentionally hilarious moments in fan history. Burning through six coaches before finally finally! Teams owned: Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets (1987-2010). The team has struggled to find a long-term coaching option, parting ways with Matt Nagy after the 2021 season. The best player in franchise history once offered to help out the struggling O's by mentoring some of their younger players, and Angelos turned him down. 8. Owning a pro sports franchise doesnt make you a good person. Well, they are. But some are not. > Playoff appearances: 2 (1 Super Bowl win) Wang has shown a willingness to spend money, which is often a good thing. None of what Sarver did could compare to the incident that was his final undoing a wide-ranging workplace harassment case that forced him to sell the team to United Wholesale Mortgage CEO and former Michigan State basketball player Mat Ishbia and his brother Justin Ishbia for a record $4 billion in 2023. The 2022 Chiefs are a powerhouse with a bright future. Trump's plan all along was to leverage USFL ownership into NFL ownership. > Owner since: 1994 > Playoff appearances: 22 (6 Super Bowl wins) norwalk hour high school sports; sarpy county 911 dispatcher. To determine the NFLs best and worst owners, 24/7 Tempo created an index using data from Pro Football Reference. Jed York is the definition of being born on second and acting like you hit a double. Join Now. The NFL schedule is out. > Playoff appearances: 10 (1 Super Bowl win) The Packers have made the playoffs 11 of the 14 seasons Murphy has been CEO, tied for the highest rate of playoff appearances under current ownership with the New England Patriots. Burn your beloved jerseys in protest, and youre going to have to buy new clothes. The index consists of regular season win percentage, playoff frequency, head coaching stability, and Super Bowl victories during the tenure of an owner. > Coaches: 7. 16. The greatest player of all time is one of the worst owners in sports history. His son, Jim Irsay, has owned the team since 1997, and his father's initial investment of $13.5 million in 1972 has ballooned to an estimated $3.8 billion valuation of the Colts in 2023. She sold the team for $67 million in 1999 and died in 2004. As owners, it ran the team with complete apathy, as reflected in the record. Bad owners show us as much, and they've run the gamut when it comes to their transgressions. Jeffrey Loria is apparently celebrating the fact he's baseball's worst owner. Gussie Busch is revered, and "his" number 85, the age he was at the time it happened, is retired by the Cardinals. All you need to know is that Bill Wirtz was booed at a Blackhawks game honoring him after his death in 2007. Donald Sterling. The Bengals didn't win a playoff game from 1989 until 2022, with 21 seasons below .500. Clark Hunt serves as the chairman and CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs, the franchise his father founded in 1960. Maybe with a true spring training and reg season with Madden will make a difference. Joe Lacob, Bob Meyers, and Steve Ballmer are among the best owners in the NBA in 2022-23. Credit: Fadeaway World For any NBA organization to be successful, it must be what can be considered a winning culture within that organization. > Playoff appearances: 4 (0 Super Bowl wins) Kansas City has made the AFC Championship game four times in a row and snapped a 50-year Super Bowl drought, beating the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. When Robert Sarver announced he was selling the Phoenix Suns, the NBA team he had owned since 2006, after a lengthy investigation by the NBA for workplace malfeasance and offenses, I barely shrugged. Donald Sterling, Los Angeles Clippers: Don't let Lob City's recent success fool you; Sterling ranks among the worst owners in American sports based on an enormous body of work. > Owner since: 2011