Blogger Roundtable: The Best Commissioner in Sports

For the first Blogger Roundtable event of the semester, we asked some of our newest Sports Business Society bloggers the big question.  Who do they think is the"best" commissioner in sports today.  It was up to them to decide what "best" meant, and they came up with a variety of choices and explanations (along with one notable omission).

Read what they had to say after the jump:


Kevin Cole (CALS '15)- Roger Goodell, NFL

It is hardly uncommon to hear a negative sentiment about one of the commissioners of the four major pro sports leagues in America. Whether it is a function of media portrayal, individual personalities, the nature of the position, or some combination of factors, David Stern, Gary Bettman, Bud Selig, and Roger Goodell descriptions more often touch on words like 'arrogant', 'out of touch', or 'despot', than they do 'likeable'. However, setting popularity aside, the success that each has experienced with their respective league varies quite a lot- And in terms of league popularity, it's hard to argue with the job that Goodell has done for the NFL. 



Courtesy of www.businessinsider.com.

When Goodell began his reign atop the NFL in 2006, the league had already long been the standard for American professional sports. During his tenure, the NFL has remained at the top in the U.S., while furthering it's brand internationally. The global success is reflected by the influx of non-American NFL players (Ziggy Ansah, Margus Hunt, and Bjoern Werner all were taken in the first two rounds of this year's draft), games played on foreign soil (London, Toronto), foreign fan clubs, and the international coverage of the Super Bowl. 

 Goodell's rule has not been controversy free, however. His practice of being judge and jury for NFL suspensions and fines, along with the crackdown on excessive celebrations have been instrumental in earning the "No Fun League" moniker and simultaneously paint Goodell as a dictator. Needless to say, the replacement referees were nothing short of a disaster. However, while he has displayed iron-fisted tendencies, Goodell's has been relatively even with his punishments. His strict penalties not only hit players, but have extended to front offices and owners who have attempted to skirt the league's salary cap rules (see Redskins, Washington and Cowboys, Dallas, 2010). In summation, Goodell has held organizations, players, and coaches accountable for their actions under rules that he considers to be fair and just.

Matthew Hakimian (ILR '17)- Roger Goodell, NFL

Since taking the reins from longtime commissioner Paul Tagliabue in 2006, Roger Goodell has stood head and shoulders above every major American sports commissioner in large part due to his steadfast ways and persistent actions.   Various issues have arisen thus far throughout Goodell’s tenure that he has handled fairly well. Prior to the 2011 season, against all odds, Goodell remained cool in the face of pressure and was able to help orchestrate a deal between the NFL team owners and the NFL Player’s Association which saw the establishment of a new collective bargaining agreement, and effectively avoided any missed regular season game in which each team would have certainly lost its fair share of revenue.

Moreover, Goodells has been a major supporter of player safety, which can be seen by the disciplinary actions he has handed down. Whether its through weekly fines to players such as Ndamukong Suh or James Harrison for illegal hits, or dropping down steep penalties on an entire organization such as the New Orleans Saints, Goodell has made a firm effort to protect the welfare of the players. More recently, the National Football League was able to strike a $765 million deal with a group of ex-players over concussion-related brain injuries. The agreement certainly could not have been made without the headship of Commissioner Goodell, and it was immediately seen as a big win for the NFL to have finally gotten this situation resolved. Whether it has been through his efforts to relocate an NFL franchise overseas or awarding New York/New Jersey with the first cold weather Super Bowl in 2014, Goodell has continuously sought to innovate his league. 

Sebastian Perez-Vargas (ILR '17)- David Stern, NBA

It's easy to find faults in every commissioner, but that's the benefit of hindsight analysis. Focusing on the positives, though, you have to marvel at what David Stern has done with the game of basketball since his appointment in the mid-1980s. 

Out of all of the American sports, basketball is the one that has globalized to the greatest extent --  to the point that it is the 2nd most popular sport globally. If any sport is going to challenge soccer internationally, it's going to be basketball, and that all started with Stern, MJ, and Nike in the 1980s. It's not just because of MJ, though. Other stars such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are enormous figures around the world. Stern has been at the center of all of this, pushing the game of basketball beyond American borders through marketing and outreach campaigns. 

The effect has been not just American basketball players penetrating international markets, but international players impacting the NBA -- from Yao Ming to Dirk Nowitzki to Manu Ginobili. More generally, the fluid and selfless European style of play has impacted the way basketball in the US is being played. The reigning two-time NBA champions, for example, follow a very European "smallball" style, with no real post presence. The globalization of the game of basketball that has occurred under David Stern has had an impact on the NBA both on and off the court.  

Jon Levitan (ILR '17)- Bud Selig, MLB

Major League Baseball’s Bud Selig is the best commissioner in America sports. Selig is not without his flaws, the 1994 strike, which cancelled the entire postseason and World Series, was disastrous, and he was late to realize the massive PED problem on his hands. Despite these flaws, Selig has done a remarkable job keeping his players happy while at the same time creating a system of incentives that maintains a level of parity, even as teams like the Yankees and Dodgers payrolls’ expand. Baseball’s wage system comes far closer to a true free market than any of the other American sports, and its few restrictions on unhinged capitalism, like the revenue sharing program and the luxury tax, make it possible for poorer teams like the Rays and Athletics to experience consistent success. 

This wage system, which guarantees all contracts and doesn’t restrict their length or cost, allowed MLB to be the only major sport to survive the most recent wave of CBA expirations without a lockout. While his sport doesn’t have the worldwide appeal that basketball does, Major League Baseball is beginning to grow the sport in non-traditional baseball countries like Brazil and Italy, which will allow the talent pool to grow, further increasing the levels of parity in the game. Selig should not be judged on mistakes like his handling of the steroid issue, which caused short-term problems for the game, but rather on his salary system, that simultaneously rewards players fully for their performance, yet also makes it possible for poorer teams to stay competitive with the financial powerhouses.

Well that's what our bloggers think. Do you agree? Did they miss somebody? Leave your comments below and answer the poll at the top of the blog to show us what you think.