Sports activities usually feels extra like a ardour than a capitalist pursuit. Followers purchase jerseys of their favourite gamers and fake they’re children once more as they rejoice athletes and ask for his or her autographs. Nonetheless, when the company big-shots who personal knowledgeable sports activities franchise make a blunder, the rose-colored glasses come off. Followers are then reminded of how badly these enterprise professionals can mess up.
The worst sports activities homeowners in historical past vary from racists and harassers to scumbags who put revenue above success.
1. Donald Sterling – Los Angeles Clippers
Donald Sterling’s atrocities ranged from gawking at athletes within the locker room to racist rants towards Magic Johnson. Sterling stored the Clippers within the shadow of Los Angeles basketball for many years. Since Steve Ballmer purchased the group in 2014, the Clippers have been a contender nearly each season.
2. George Preston Marshall – Washington Commanders
George Preston Marshall based the Washington franchise within the NFL, however he deserves legendary mocking for his outdated stance on racial integration in soccer. Marshall tried as onerous as he might to stop different groups and his personal from signing Black gamers within the Forties-Sixties. The group’s racist nickname, the Redskins, additionally grew to become controversial within the 2010s and led to a reputation change.
3. James Dolan – New York Knicks
James Dolan can’t be referred to as a racist just like the earlier two homeowners on the checklist, however his lack of caring for the New York Knicks makes him an unpopular determine in America’s greatest metropolis. Dolan inherited the group from his dad, and regardless of having some of the profitable groups within the league, he usually fields one of many worst merchandise on the courtroom.
4. Robert Sarver – Phoenix Suns
Robert Sarver’s ode to horrible possession included racism and low cost spending. The Phoenix Suns usually didn’t have the money to compete with different contenders within the Western Convention with Sarver on the helm of the franchise. He bought the group in 2023, and followers can now wait and see if the group wins a title with out him.
5. Clayton Bennett – Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder
Clayton Bennett in all probability receives adulation in his hometown of Oklahoma Metropolis, however the way in which he dealt with relocating the Seattle SuperSonics to the Midwest will go down as one of many NBA’s worst group heists ever. Bennett by no means supposed to maintain the Sonics in Seattle, but he stored feeding the followers lies and deceit for over a 12 months after buying the basketball group.
6. Stan Kroenke – Los Angeles Rams
Stan Kroenke truly owns much more than simply the Los Angeles Rams, together with the Denver Nuggets and the Colorado Avalanche. His terrible possession principally resides in his therapy of the followers in St. Louis when he moved the Rams to Los Angeles. Like Bennett, Kroenke ruthlessly ripped the group from the individuals within the unique market.
7. Frank McCourt – Los Angeles Dodgers
Frank McCourt constructed a poor legacy in Los Angeles by not asserting his spending energy or efforts correctly with the Dodgers. Followers have been usually annoyed all through the 2000s when McCourt wouldn’t prioritize successful over cash with the Dodgers. The group has since change into among the best in baseball yearly after McCourt’s sale to Magic Johnson and others.
8. Marge Schott- Cincinnati Reds
Marge Schott separates herself from different homeowners in baseball historical past by exclaiming her racist views with vigor and an unforgivable nature. Schott owned the Cincinnati Reds however apparently didn’t need any Black gamers on her group. Schott always used slurs towards the athletes on the sphere and bought in hassle for utilizing Nazi symbols.
9. Artwork Modell – Cleveland Browns
One other untrue proprietor who moved his group from one metropolis to a different, Artwork Modell ingrained himself into the Cleveland neighborhood earlier than ripping the Browns from the town. The return of the group 4 years later helped soften the blow, however followers in Ohio nonetheless despise Modell for shifting a group he owned for many years to Baltimore.
10. Jack Kent Cooke – Los Angeles Lakers
Jack Kent Cooke did a variety of good issues for the Lakers, similar to shifting them into their iconic stadium, the Discussion board, and suggesting the purple and gold coloration scheme they’ve employed for many years. His vanity usually interfered with the group’s possibilities of enchancment, nevertheless. He famously hung balloons from the rafters earlier than Recreation Seven of the 1969 NBA Finals, a transfer that motivated Invoice Russell and the Celtics.
11. Nintendo of America – Seattle Mariners
Anytime a company owns a group, the possibilities of success fall off a cliff. Nintendo of America purchased the Seattle Mariners due to their geographical proximity to the group, however they put in zero effort within the two-plus a long time they owned the M’s from 1992 by way of 2016. Seattle has been one of many worst groups in baseball of their complete historical past, and the consequences of Nintendo’s possession are nonetheless seen in the present day.
12. Daniel Snyder – Washington Commanders
Daniel Snyder remodeled the Washington Commanders into one of many worst groups within the NFC throughout his twenty years proudly owning the group. He regularly botched the nickname scandal surrounding the earlier moniker, Redskins, and bought in hassle for harboring a poisonous work surroundings and harassment within the office.
13. Dan Gilbert – Cleveland Cavaliers
Dan Gilbert clearly cares concerning the Cleveland Cavaliers — perhaps even just a little bit an excessive amount of. His most important blunder was writing a nasty and inappropriate letter to the followers in Ohio after LeBron James left the Cavs on nationwide tv in 2010. Gilbert’s opinion of James felt tinged with private hatred and bitter grapes, however LeBron returned to the group in 2014 anyway.
14. Jerry Richardson – Carolina Panthers
Jerry Richardson achieved little or no in his 20-plus years proudly owning the Carolina Panthers. He bought in hassle for sexual misconduct within the office and set a normal of poor execution in Charlotte. The Panthers have endured as one of many worst groups in sports activities, even after his loss of life.
15. David Glass – Kansas Metropolis Royals
When a group can’t ever get above water, look to possession as one of many first explanation why. David Glass ran the Kansas Metropolis Royals throughout some of the unsuccessful durations of the franchise. The group missed the playoffs for the primary 13 seasons he owned the group earlier than lastly successful a World Collection in 2015. Glass at all times put his pockets above the success of the group.
16. Jimmy Haslam – Cleveland Browns
Any affiliation with the present Cleveland Browns brings ominous clouds to an individual’s resume, and Jimmy Haslam deserves the identical distinction. Haslam doesn’t do a lot to enhance the status of the Browns, and his determination to signal abuser Deshaun Watson ought to be criticized.
17. Jeffrey Loria – Miami Marlins
Jeffrey Loria by no means gave the Miami Marlins a lot of an opportunity to compete after their World Collection successes within the late Nineteen Nineties and early 2000s. Followers complained of his low cost administration and awful negotiations for brand new stadiums utilizing taxpayers’ cash as a substitute of personal funds.
18. Jerry Jones – Dallas Cowboys
Jerry Jones definitely cares concerning the Dallas Cowboys, perhaps an excessive amount of. Jones fields a aggressive group in Texas each season, however his over-involvement within the choices on and off the gridiron makes it unimaginable for the franchise to take one other step ahead and return to Tremendous Bowl glory.
19. George Steinbrenner – New York Yankees
George Steinbrenner makes the checklist for a similar causes as Jerry Jones. Steinbrenner usually believed he was the explanation the Yankees have been successful as a substitute of the gamers and administration. He fired his bench coaches on the drop of a hat and engaged in media and interviews like a film star.
20. Dean Spanos – Los Angeles Chargers
Taking possession from household nearly at all times spells hassle. Dean Spanos hails from his father’s enterprise ventures and took over the Chargers within the final decade. Spanos’ group lives within the shadow of the Rams and in addition left the loyal followers in San Diego after 56 years.
21. Michael Jordan – Charlotte Hornets
Michael Jordan made historical past as one of many solely Black homeowners in sports activities throughout his time with the Charlotte Hornets, however he didn’t deliver his signature aggressive edge to the town. Charlotte solely made the playoffs thrice throughout Jordan’s 13 years proudly owning the group.
22. Jerry Reinsdorf – Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox
Jerry Reinsdorf went from among the best homeowners in sports activities to one of many worst when he wouldn’t shell out sufficient cash to take care of legendary coach Phil Jackson in 1998. Reinsdorf’s groups have skilled little or no success for the reason that White Sox gained the World Collection in 2005.
