MUScoop
MUScoop => The Superbar => Topic started by: Pakuni on January 01, 2020, 03:16:24 PM
-
The GOAT of pro sports commissioners?
-
The GOAT of pro sports commissioners?
Pete Rozelle
RIP Mr Stern. His name was fitting. Stern, but fair.
-
The GOAT of pro sports commissioners?
A very good case could be made.
He took a league that was really struggling in the early 80's and, unlike commissioners in other sports who only looked at the U.S. market, turned it into a worldwide monster. He recognized what the brilliance of Jordan, and then Lebron could mean world-wide; how they transcended the NBA and could become international stars.
-
Rozelle and Stern were the best. They served in different eras and therefore had different goals and objectives. It's hard, and pretty unfair, to choose a GOAT between them.
-
A very good case could be made.
He took a league that was really struggling in the early 80's and, unlike commissioners in other sports who only looked at the U.S. market, turned it into a worldwide monster. He recognized what the brilliance of Jordan, and then Lebron could mean world-wide; how they transcended the NBA and could become international stars.
+1
I would add that he was wise to "allow" Jordan to pursue the MLB. He also was wise to make sure that Ewing went to New York. He was also a shrewd GM when he ensured that the Shaq + Kobe tandem's prime wasn't overlooked in 2002.
-
Rozelle and Stern were the best. They served in different eras and therefore had different goals and objectives. It's hard, and pretty unfair, to choose a GOAT between them.
What separates Stern, to me, is he made the NBA a worldwide phenomenon when just a decade prior the Finals were on tape delay and the league had a huge drug (mainly cocaine) problem plaguing it. He got teams to embrace international players and pounced as the Eastern Bloc started to open up in both bringing guys like Sabonis, Petrovic and Divac over marketing the league over there.
The NFL is the biggest league in the US, the NBA the biggest in the world.
-
What separates Stern, to me, is he made the NBA a worldwide phenomenon when just a decade prior the Finals were on tape delay and the league had a huge drug (mainly cocaine) problem plaguing it. He got teams to embrace international players and pounced as the Eastern Bloc started to open up in both bringing guys like Sabonis, Petrovic and Divac over marketing the league over there.
The NFL is the biggest league in the US, the NBA the biggest in the world.
I guess my point is that Rozelle is the one who masterminded the NFL becoming the biggest in the US. Until the very end of his tenure, I don't think expanding world wide was ever much of a thought by any of the sports leagues.
And Stern is the one who masterminded in NBA becoming one of the biggest in the world in an era where that could become a reality.
I just don't think you can downplay Rozelle for not turning the NFL into a worldwide league because in his era that wasn't really a thing.
-
Steve Novak was on the radio today and he made a comment about Stern and how he did things that weren't popular at the time, but they were always the right move and what made the league grow like it did. Players would get annoyed with him (specifically talked about seeing him as the enemy during the lockout), but they respected him and knew he had the league and their eventual best interests at his core. Drug testing, dress code, international focus all got pilloried at times, but they were spot on in terms of the long term health and growth of the league...which in turn lead to the players getting far richer than they could ever imagine
-
I guess my point is that Rozelle is the one who masterminded the NFL becoming the biggest in the US. Until the very end of his tenure, I don't think expanding world wide was ever much of a thought by any of the sports leagues.
And Stern is the one who masterminded in NBA becoming one of the biggest in the world in an era where that could become a reality.
I just don't think you can downplay Rozelle for not turning the NFL into a worldwide league because in his era that wasn't really a thing.
I'm definitely not downplaying Rozelle for that. Besides, American Football will never have the worldwide appeal that basketball does and there is nothing he could have done to change that.
And, one thing that Rozelle did that was so instrumental for creating an equal playing field that allowed to NFL to thrive. Revenue sharing and the salary cap have allowed every fan base (well, except us Lions fans) to legitimately think our teams can win a title. He was definitely a visionary beyond anyone else when it came to television. MNF was his vision and it continues today, 50 years later.
-
Basketball is played worldwide, football is not. Making basketball worldwide wasn't nearly the lift as nations have played basketball in the Olympics and other international tournaments for decades.
Football is cost prohibitive to ever become a world wide sport because of the venue costs, equipment and number of people needed to play.
-
Basketball is played worldwide, football is not. Making basketball worldwide wasn't nearly the lift as nations have played basketball in the Olympics and other international tournaments for decades.
Football is cost prohibitive to ever become a world wide sport because of the venue costs, equipment and number of people needed to play.
In the long run, Stern will be the commissioner with the better long term vision. Rozelle did his best to expand the game but not enough. NFL will have a hard time in generations to come as the number of players playing it in high school has dropped significantly due to injury concern. The product will become diluted over time and we see instances of that already with the brand trying to protect its players with a shoddy rules system. There simply is a smaller pool of talent on the horizon.
The NBA on the other hand, will explode due to the sheer number of players available worldwide. Once China catches up you'll start seeing the sport hit its prime with a huge surplus of talent. You'll literally have a billion people playing one sport all over the world which translates to thousands of professional caliber players. The pool of elite basketball talent will be like no other this Earth has ever seen in its history.
-
Rozelle also had the benefit of guys like Lamar Hunt and Al Davis pulling professional football in directions (and markets) that he initially resisted. Many of the practices and innovations that made the NFL the juggernaut it became originated in the AFL.
Rozelle was great and all, but I think he was less of a singular figure in the NFL's growth than Stern was for the NBA.
-
Rozelle also had the benefit of guys like Lamar Hunt and Al Davis pulling professional football in directions (and markets) that he initially resisted. Many of the practices and innovations that made the NFL the juggernaut it became originated in the AFL.
Rozelle was great and all, but I think he was less of a singular figure in the NFL's growth than Stern was for the NBA.
Some would put Selig in the conversation as well.
-
Some would put Selig in the conversation as well.
No one who isn't related to him.
-
Some would put Selig in the conversation as well.
Never.
He was a liar who foisted Bush upon this country - Bush had been promised the commissionership by Selig, who then decided he wanted it for himself instead.
He then turned a blind eye toward the rampant steroid use by MLB players because HRs were good for the bottom line.
If anything, Selig should be removed from the HoF - and I say all of this as someone who is grateful that he brought MLB back to Milwaukee.
-
I am a Red Sox fan, and three guys who have no business in the MLB HOF are Bowie Kuhn, Bud Selig and Tom Yawkey.
-
No one who isn't related to him.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/terencemoore/2020/01/02/david-stern-was-great-but-somebody-was-greater-as-a-commissioner/#335828297965
-
https://www.forbes.com/sites/terencemoore/2020/01/02/david-stern-was-great-but-somebody-was-greater-as-a-commissioner/#335828297965
Well increasing revenues when every major college conference and professional sport did the same thing at the same time isn't a good enough reason to put him in the same class as Stern and Rozelle. I don't think he was bad by any means. But I don't think he was nearly as great as that article suggests. If anything baseball decreased as part of the national conversation during his tenure - attendance flatlined and television ratings went down.