10 worst owners in N.Y. sports . . . ~ ~ ~

[kelly]

check out # 7 :

> http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/columns/story?columnist=powell_shaun&id=6080285

[T0mShane]

Gay.

IMO,

1. CBS: How you **** up the Yankee goldmine is beyond me.

2. Jim Dolan: Career psycho-loser and Isiah sycophant has fans so f'ed up they now have a raging hard-on because the team is back to .500.

3. Leon Hess: Guy treated the Jets like a hobby and tax write-off for decades.

4. The Wilpons: Self-explanatory

5. Net ownership, post-ABA, pre-Prokhorov: Couldn't be worse.

6. Woody: Winning masks all ills, but his persistent gouging of the fans and clownish public performances at every turn put him on this list. Next year, despite the recent team success, the Jets will be playing in front of a half-empty stadium.

Steinbrenner doesn't belong on that list, IMO. He's a douche who single-handedly elevated the costs of attending sporting events forever, but he was driven to win at any cost.

[Klecko73isGod]

Gay.

IMO,

1. CBS: How you **** up the Yankee goldmine is beyond me.

2. Jim Dolan: Career psycho-loser and Isiah sycophant has fans so f'ed up they now have a raging hard-on because the team is back to .500.

3. Leon Hess: Guy treated the Jets like a hobby and tax write-off for decades.

4. The Wilpons: Self-explanatory

5. Net ownership, post-ABA, pre-Prokhorov: Couldn't be worse.

6. Woody: Winning masks all ills, but his persistent gouging of the fans and clownish public performances at every turn put him on this list. Next year, despite the recent team success, the Jets will be playing in front of a half-empty stadium.

Steinbrenner doesn't belong on that list, IMO. He's a douche who single-handedly elevated the costs of attending sporting events forever, but he was driven to win at any cost.

Your Woody Johnson obsession is beyond insane. The guy is far from being a bad owner.

[T0mShane]

Your Woody Johnson obsession is beyond insane. The guy is far from being a bad owner.

So sayeth the Floridian.

[SMC]

Your Woody Johnson obsession is beyond insane. The guy is far from being a bad owner.

+1

To put Woody on the list, T0m, is ridiculous because the same things you mentioned against him can be said about Mara & Tisch but they're not on your list. The fact that you don't have Mara & Tisch on there shows you're woefully biased against Woody.

As to the linked list, it's spot on.

[Klecko73isGod]

So sayeth the Floridian.

What the hell does that have to do with anything? The guy puts a competitive product on the field.

[JOJOTOWNSELL]

Woody Johnson, THE OWNER, is a competant man who has brought success to this franchise.....ik salute him

Woody Johnson, THE MAN, is such a geek that i cant even look at him. He's like the kid in high school who is constantly lurking around in the shadows of the popular kids hoping they give him some "street cred" He is like Jery Jones, but UNCOOL... everything he says is soo awkward i cant stand it....anyone remember that shot of him, Rex, and Tanny on the treadmill in Hard Knocks??? It was almost like Rex and Tanny were embarrased to be photographed with him......this guy is succesfull in business, but sucks at giving off a flavorful persona!

[T0mShane]

+1

To put Woody on the list, T0m, is ridiculous because the same things you mentioned against him can be said about Mara & Tisch but they're not on your list. The fact that you don't have Mara & Tisch on there shows you're woefully biased against Woody.

As to the linked list, it's spot on.

I give Mara the same exemption I give Steinbrenner: they both charge you for championships. But, John Mara is easily #7 on my list, as he's complicit in building the sh*tbox at the Meadowlands, and for charging PSLs on every seat in the house. As for Woody, I think he'd steal the gold fillings out of your teeth if you died in your seat. I believe that will become more and more evident as time goes on.

[shawn306]

1) Dolan: The man with the help of his minions Sather and Isiah for a decade turned the Knicks and Rangers into embarassments after maybe one of their most succesful stretches in either franchise's history. Add to that his battles over not building the WSS and his cablevision battles with YES makes him number 1 on my death list.

2) Steinbrenner (1981-1992) basically the years he decided that he could make all the player moves himself. From Steve Kemp, to Ed Whitson, Dave Collins, Steve Trout, the list goes on and on. Best thing that ever happened to him and the Yankees was Howie Spira.

3) Mara's and Leon Hess: When both the Jets and Giants go an entire decade without making the post season (1970's) something is very wrong. Kind of ironic that they both got back in the post season the same year.

[Lil Bit Special]

The Wilpons arent even the worst ownership in the history of the Mets. M Donald Grant was worse.

[SMC]

I give Mara the same exemption I give Steinbrenner: they both charge you for championships. But, John Mara is easily #7 on my list, as he's complicit in building the sh*tbox at the Meadowlands, and for charging PSLs on every seat in the house. As for Woody, I think he'd steal the gold fillings out of your teeth if you died in your seat. I believe that will become more and more evident as time goes on.

All modern day owners are greedy. To put a particular owner on a "worst list" just because of that is dumb.

And the old time owners are simply living off their lottery-ticket-of-history in buying something that appreciated exponentially in value over the decades.

[shawn306]

The Wilpons arent even the worst ownership in the history of the Mets. M Donald Grant was worse.

and then some.

[T0mShane]

All modern day owners are greedy. To put a particular owner on a "worst list" just because of that is dumb.

And the old time owners are simply living off their lottery-ticket-of-history in buying something that appreciated exponentially in value over the decades.

The whole exercise is kind of dopey, especially confining it to NY ownership. The only thing that spares owners in any sport from such ignominy is producing prolonged periods of winning or charging below market for tickets. There is perhaps no bigger thief in pro sports than Robert Kraft, but he's beloved by fans and other owners alike. Woody, not so much. Let's wait ten years and see (pray) the Jets have a decade of dominance, then we'll revisit his super-awesomeness. As of right now, he's the guy who had to eat PSLs and sell them at cut rate, and still may have to take more of a beating on them in coming years. His fanbase has told him to go eat a dick. How is he a good owner exactly?

[Klecko73isGod]

The whole exercise is kind of dopey, especially confining it to NY ownership. The only thing that spares owners in any sport from such ignominy is producing prolonged periods of winning or charging below market for tickets. There is perhaps no bigger thief in pro sports than Robert Kraft, but he's beloved by fans and other owners alike. Woody, not so much. Let's wait ten years and see (pray) the Jets have a decade of dominance, then we'll revisit his super-awesomeness. As of right now, he's the guy who had to eat PSLs and sell them at cut rate, and still may have to take more of a beating on them in coming years. His fanbase has told him to go eat a dick. How is he a good owner exactly?

I don't know that you can blame Woody directly for that so much as you can blame a lousy economy and awful timing.

Had the Jets new stadium opened a year and a half earlier the PSLs would have been snapped up in a hurry.

[T0mShane]

I don't know that you can blame Woody directly for that so much as you can blame a lousy economy and awful timing.

Had the Jets new stadium opened a year and a half earlier the PSLs would have been snapped up in a hurry.

Probably, but how do you explain the Giants fans stepping up?

[Bugg]

I don't know that you can blame Woody directly for that so much as you can blame a lousy economy and awful timing.

Had the Jets new stadium opened a year and a half earlier the PSLs would have been snapped up in a hurry.

it's not only the PSLs; the stadium itself is a sh*tbox. It's really no better for fans than what it replaced. Where the frick did $1.5 billion go? The Cowboys' palace was about the same price, and it shows that kind of money. The new Meadowlands is a dump that resembles a prison.

[Klecko73isGod]

Probably, but how do you explain the Giants fans stepping up?

They didn't. The Giants have just kept their PSL issues quieter.

[T0mShane]

They didn't. The Giants have just kept their PSL issues quieter.

By not comparing them to taxi medallions, threatening blackouts and holding fire sales?

[Bugg]

Think Wang get a bad rap.He would write the check tomorrow to rebuild his arena and a huge beautiful complex next to it. But Nassau and Hempstead refuse to give him clearance.

[Warfish]

I preface this with the fact that I neither live in New York (havn't in 20 years), nor do I attend games.

As a fan of the team, I have trouble finding much to fault with Woody thus far. He spends freely, allows his professionals to make decisions, even risky ones, and has faith in the guys he hires. He doesn't seem to over-react, good or bad, has a solid level-keel, and is focussed on long-term competativeness, not the "win now at all costs" mentallity.

Perhaps it's because I watched the Hess product as long as I did, or because I live in Dan Snyder Country, but I quite like Woody thus far. Good, solid, speedy without being too meddly.

The complaints raised are, honestly, the same complains I hear about Snyder here in DC, regarding the Stadium Experience and "ripping off" the ticket holders. Seems that is a trend in the league, and not unique to Woody per se.

[Klecko73isGod]

By not comparing them to taxi medallions, threatening blackouts and holding fire sales?

The Jets didn't threaten blackouts Tom. In fact, quite the opposite happened. A sportswriter took it upon himself to write an article about a worst case scenario in which Jets and Giants games could be blacked out for the first time in more than 30 years.

The Jets responded within hours with Woody assuring that no Jets games would be blacked out under any circumstances and the Giants pretended that they planned on selling individual game tickets to non-PSL holders all along despite the fact that it was mid-August and the Giants had traditionally sold individual game tickets starting in June.

[RutgersJetFan]

******* clown shoes. Dolan's the worst owner in the history of the world. Worse than Sterling even.

[#27TheDominator]

Seems kind of stupid to mention Hess (or Woody T0m) when there were worse owners in franchise history. Something tells me that drunken Harry Wismer making players come to his apartment to get their checks, which would then bounce, was worse.

[JohnnyHector]

******* clown shoes. Dolan's the worst owner in the history of the world. Worse than Sterling even.

He's bad, but I think even Ted Stepien's kids would disagree that he's the worst ever.

[Aten]

lol @ Steinbrenner 'mid-80s through mid-90s.' Having to cherry-pick around championships kinda belies the notion that he belongs on the list at all.

Numbers 1 and 2 are both Dolan and there's no number 3.

[Boozer76]

The whole exercise is kind of dopey, especially confining it to NY ownership. The only thing that spares owners in any sport from such ignominy is producing prolonged periods of winning or charging below market for tickets. There is perhaps no bigger thief in pro sports than Robert Kraft, but he's beloved by fans and other owners alike. Woody, not so much. Let's wait ten years and see (pray) the Jets have a decade of dominance, then we'll revisit his super-awesomeness. As of right now, he's the guy who had to eat PSLs and sell them at cut rate, and still may have to take more of a beating on them in coming years. His fanbase has told him to go eat a dick. How is he a good owner exactly?

91-85 regular season record during his tenure over 11 years. A record severely slanted by 2 seasons without a starting QB thanks to the egg that resulted in two 12 loss seasons. During that time we have been to 2 AFC champ games and 6 playoff appearances. We were always right up against the cap in salary, an in the one uncapped season he clearly had no problem spending money on talent (Edwards, Holmes, Cromartie, Revis, LT, JT, etc..). He did this while putting up with a deal that required him to give half his parking profits and concessions profits made during games to stadium ownership. He spent millions of dollars trying to get the Jets the greatest stadium and stadium location in the league, only to be cock blocked by your boys the Dolans and Sheldon Silver. He spurned Shea as an option because it's a shthole of an area and sharing with a baseball team isn't necessarily a great option either. How was he supposed to lure FA's and their wives to Queens? Move them out to eastern Long Island where they'd have to drive hours in traffic just to get anywhere? Unfortunately if Mnahattan isn't in the mix for all the glamor it offers, then NJ offers more in the way of convenience and living for the players.

So now we want to kill him because we have a new stadium and he has to raise prices to offset the costs? Are you SHOCKED he's in it to make a buck? i mean, really!!?? You think he should punish his own wallet because of the ineptitude of the team back when he wasn't around? That's retarded. The guy spends every conceivable dollar on the team that he can spend. He was a noob of an owner who has quickly learned from mistakes as he's gone along and quite frankly handles running a NY team better than most right now. Just think, if it weren't Woody then it would have been the Dolans that own the Jets. You REALLY want to know what bad is???

[Aten]

He's bad, but I think even Ted Stepien's kids would disagree that he's the worst ever.

I knew about Stepien's rep but didn't know that he was the impetus for the consecutive first rounders rule. That puts him over the top. I don't know that there's anything worse than the league having to change the rules to stop you from screwing yourself over. Dude makes Mike Lynn look like a guy who just had one real bad day.

[#27TheDominator]

Numbers 1 and 2 are both Dolan and there's no number 3.

Not if you are Isiah Thomas.

[Scott Dierking]

The Wilpons arent even the worst ownership in the history of the Mets. M Donald Grant was worse.

Grant wasn't the owner but was given authority by Joan Payson's husband (Charles) after she died. Joan Payson loved the Mets-Her husband was an idiot. They had a daughter Linda, who was also a fool.

[JohnnyHector]

I knew about Stepien's rep but didn't know that he was the impetus for the consecutive first rounders rule. That puts him over the top. I don't know that there's anything worse than the league having to change the rules to stop you from screwing yourself over. Dude makes Mike Lynn look like a guy who just had one real bad day.

If not for Stepien being a trailblazer in Association incompetence, there would almost certainly have been a "Dolan Rule" created for the same purpose.

Neither one believed in stipulating that future picks be protected either, though in Stepien's defense, this practice wasn't commonplace back then. Regardless, LaMarcus Aldridge and Joakim Noah are going to have to put together some resumes for Dolan to lose out to Stepien, the guy who traded the picks that turned into these guys:

1982 - James Worthy, 1st overall

1983 - Derek Harper, 11th overall

1984 - Sam Perkins, 4th overall

1985 - Detlef Schrempf, 8th overall

1986 - Roy Tarpley, 7th overall (cocaine saved this one from being too bad, as it ruined almost the whole 1st Rd that year)

1986 - Dennis Rodman, 27th overall

[Scott Dierking]

In regard to the Jets, I believe that Woody and Hess both wanted to win equally bad.

With Hess though, he wanted to cozy up to the league office and make good with them, first (absent the Parcells courting). He ran the Jets the way the league wanted clubs to be run (see the hiring of Jim Kensil), and that was not the way to win.

Give Woody credit that he goes against the grain in his efforts to win. He is not afraid to ruffle feathers (a la Steinbrenner). Does he have vanity? Absolutely. But with the riches come the spoils.

I will not give someone grief for trying to make money with their product and market it. Most successful franchises do that.

[SMC]

lol @ Steinbrenner 'mid-80s through mid-90s.' Having to cherry-pick around championships kinda belies the notion that he belongs on the list at all.

Numbers 1 and 2 are both Dolan and there's no number 3.

I agree with you on Dolan, but it's hard to be No. 1 when Spano literally stole the Islanders through fraud.

As to Steinbrenner, he did have 3 distinct ownership eras and by the end of the 2nd, myself and many Yankee fans were thankful he was banned from baseball (his 2nd banning, actually). In fact, without that second banning the 3rd era would have been worse than the 2nd.

[Integrity28]

Woody Johnson, THE OWNER, is a competant man who has brought success to this franchise.....ik salute him

Woody Johnson, THE MAN, is such a geek that i cant even look at him. He's like the kid in high school who is constantly lurking around in the shadows of the popular kids hoping they give him some "street cred" He is like Jery Jones, but UNCOOL... everything he says is soo awkward i cant stand it....anyone remember that shot of him, Rex, and Tanny on the treadmill in Hard Knocks??? It was almost like Rex and Tanny were embarrased to be photographed with him......this guy is succesfull in business, but sucks at giving off a flavorful persona!

Spoken like the cool kid in high school that grew up and now mows the lawn at the geek's summer house in the Hamptons.

[JOJOTOWNSELL]

Spoken like the cool kid in high school that grew up and now mows the lawn at the geek's summer house in the Hamptons.

jeez man, u inferred so much from one lil comment....did i strike a nerve?? come down and see me in florida sometime, ill let you mow one of my lawns

[T0mShane]

The guy spends every conceivable dollar on the team that he can spend. He was a noob of an owner who has quickly learned from mistakes as he's gone along and quite frankly handles running a NY team better than most right now. Just think, if it weren't Woody then it would have been the Dolans that own the Jets. You REALLY want to know what bad is???

All great points, Booz, and that last part is, indeed, a horrifying scenario. Perhaps I'm grading Wood a little harshly for his noobness. I just haven't been overly impressed with the way he's handled the fans, as well as the consistently ham-fisted way he portrays himself in the media. It's exciting that the team has found recent success, but it's not like the guy has been a genius savant here. He got tooled by Silver on the WSS, he hired Herm and Bradway, then cried poverty to get financing for the New Giants Stadium, after which he initiated the whole Jets side of the PSL debacle which will continue for the foreseeable future. He's just kind of a dink. Thank God he's a dink with daddy's money.