Best & Worst Owners in Pro Sports

**HoustonRaven** · 05-19-2009, 05:26 PM

Not if this had been posted since I have been away, but I found it pretty interesting and accurate.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...ers/index.html

Baltimore gets two mentions, one good and one bad. Im sure you can guess which owner gets good scores and which gets bad ones.

**Dade** · 05-19-2009, 05:42 PM

No biggie.

http://www.ravens24x7.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38248

**RAVENOUS52** · 05-20-2009, 09:40 PM

One look at the difference in the stands between The Vault and Camden Yards on gameday tells you all you need to know about the owners of said franchises.

**Jeremiah W** · 05-21-2009, 11:07 AM

I do not think Angelos is really that bad an owner. What was he going to do? The Skankees were buying the pennant in the pre seson with steroid freaks up and down the roster. They had almost all the balco boys other than Bonds and the Roid rocket, pill poppoing Pettit and thier slimy rat trainer providing a link to the premium juice. They also had the money. two hundred million plus in payroll.

What were the Sorryoles going to do other than scrape the bttom of the free agent barrel and pull out a b-12 breifcase cartel of caddy rim rockin gangsta shizzle suspects and bad farm hands juiced up enough to be Segui sucky and servicable or super slimy like Mygyie, Raffy and shrinking Sammy Sosa.

So now they seem to be purging the game of the named users Big Poppies with no more power, and all of a sudden the Skanks stink like the East river and the Devil is out of the Rays way to contention. Not because they changed thier name, but because the commish and union finally gnaged the game on the hghush.

The O's never used to out spend NY to contend, but with the ability to buy 8 30 hr hitters and 5 vet starters that still had 95mph stuff was just unstoppable. It looks like any team with a lot of young talent can now contend again, at least until the giant contracts of the A Frauds of the game expire and retire and they are replced with the best, mostly steriod free free agents.

**HoustonRaven** · 05-21-2009, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by Jeremiah W

I do not think Angelos is really that bad an owner. What was he going to do? The Skankees were buying the pennant in the pre seson with steroid freaks up and down the roster. They had almost all the balco boys other than Bonds and the Roid rocket, pill poppoing Pettit and thier slimy rat trainer providing a link to the premium juice. They also had the money. two hundred million plus in payroll.

What were the Sorryoles going to do other than scrape the bttom of the free agent barrel and pull out a b-12 breifcase cartel of caddy rim rockin gangsta shizzle suspects and bad farm hands juiced up enough to be Segui sucky and servicable or super slimy like Mygyie, Raffy and shrinking Sammy Sosa.

So now they seem to be purging the game of the named users Big Poppies with no more power, and all of a sudden the Skanks stink like the East river and the Devil is out of the Rays way to contention. Not because they changed thier name, but because the commish and union finally gnaged the game on the hghush.

The O's never used to out spend NY to contend, but with the ability to buy 8 30 hr hitters and 5 vet starters that still had 95mph stuff was just unstoppable. It looks like any team with a lot of young talent can now contend again, at least until the giant contracts of the A Frauds of the game expire and retire and they are replced with the best, mostly steriod free free agents.

.... and absolutely nothing of what you wrote has anything to do with Angelos or why he is a horrible owner.

To quote again from the SI piece "When the Baltimore lawyer took control of the team in 1993, it was a year removed from its Camden Yards debut with a stacked roster Angelos allowed former GM Pat Gillick to build. The O's went on to make the first of two consecutive ALCS appearances just three years later. Then Angelos began his notorious meddling, firing popular manager Davey Johnson, burning through another five managers, killing trades proposed by his GMs and stripping down one of baseball's proudest franchises. The O's haven't finished above .500 in 11 seasons since their last playoff appearance."

You truly are a multifaceted homer. Pretty sad.

**Jeremiah W** · 05-21-2009, 11:34 AM

Originally Posted by HoustonRaven

.... and absolutely nothing of what you wrote has anything to do with Angelos or why he is a horrible owner.

To quote again from the SI piece "When the Baltimore lawyer took control of the team in 1993, it was a year removed from its Camden Yards debut with a stacked roster Angelos allowed former GM Pat Gillick to build. The O's went on to make the first of two consecutive ALCS appearances just three years later. Then Angelos began his notorious meddling, firing popular manager Davey Johnson, burning through another five managers, killing trades proposed by his GMs and stripping down one of baseball's proudest franchises. The O's haven't finished above .500 in 11 seasons since their last playoff appearance."

You truly are a multifaceted homer. Pretty sad.

Angelos is not that bad an owner because he had no chance at finishing better than 3rd anyway so why waste the money on juiced up players when you never know how long they will play well.
I am a Harm City Homer and I am not at all sad about it or oblivious to the mistakes made by my local teams that I do not hide my rooting interest in.

The O's made mistakes but Tornto and tampa were just as hopless as the O's over the last decade. No other division had the 2 best teams in the sport, that really did have better rosters than the all star game lineups. Unless the O's were going to spend 160 to 180 mil a year, they were not going to contend period. Firing managers, "meddling" and whatever else really had little to no impact that the fact that Bostan and NY would have better teams, and at the end of 162, better records.

If it was my money, I would be "meddling" as well. If no insurance company is going to gaurantee those huge gauranteed contracts, why should I, he or any one not likley to be in contention?

On the plus side for Angelos, he got his own network, worked out some deals to keep the O's at least in position finacially to rebuild, and eventually did hire a respectable GM and just gave him a budget.

11 years is not that long anyway. Boston was never good when we used to be and some sort of 86 year curse or something. The Cubs may always contend but have gone over 100 years without winning it all and along with the White Sox have enough bad years out of the last 200 combined seasons to make the O's decalde long skid mark look like a drop in the bucket.

**psuasskicker** · 05-21-2009, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by Jeremiah W

Angelos is not that bad an owner because he had no chance at finishing better than 3rd anyway so why waste the money on juiced up players when you never know how long they will play well.

Tampa Bay FTW!!!

This is moronic. I can't believe your argument is "He's not bad cause we had no shot so why should he even try?"

- C -

**purplepoe** · 05-21-2009, 01:17 PM

The list of things Angelos has done to run this franchise into the ground is too long to list.

Just for starters, take a look at the Spring Training Facility debacle that is STILL going on.

This article says it all.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/b...,4767134.story

Flat out embarrassing.

PP

**psuasskicker** · 05-21-2009, 02:51 PM

Yeah, you know what I don't get? I don't get why we know we've got Angelos as an owner, and yet we boo guys like Teixeira for leaving this club as soon as the opportunity comes...

Teixeira's working for a third class organization. Then he's a free agent, and gets a huge dollar offer from a first class organization. He'd be an IDIOT not to take that!

The Mussina thing was the last straw for me. I was a HUGE O's fan. My dad's family owned five seats less than a dozen rows right behind home plate (now only four...had to cut back cause of reduced demand in the conglomerate, and may cut back to three or two soon), every game of the year. I used to go to no less than five games a season with him. I've been to 2,130 and 2,131...have a fantastic picture/poster I took from those seats of Ripken in the on-deck circle directly underneath the 2,131 sign on the warehouse. I consider that game to be the greatest sporting event/moment of my life...a 22 minute standing O for Cal...just an amazing experience!

Then Moose entered the last year of his deal. They had a contract worked out and ready to go. And Angelos pulls it last minute; says "He'll take a home-town discount."...even though he was basically giving them one already. I said right there that if Mussina wasn't an Oriole that following season, I would never spend another dollar to support the Orioles organization - including attending a game, since that ticket would have been bought in my name - for as long as Angelos was the owner.

Since Mussina left, I've been true to my word. It's sad. And in the grand scheme of things, I make very little actual difference. But I'm standing by my convictions on this. The man is disgusting. If I were walking down the street and saw him, I would spit in his face. I cannot bring myself to financially support him.

- C -

**Losac** · 05-21-2009, 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by psuasskicker

Yeah, you know what I don't get? I don't get why we know we've got Angelos as an owner, and yet we boo guys like Teixeira for leaving this club as soon as the opportunity comes...

Teixeira's working for a third class organization. Then he's a free agent, and gets a huge dollar offer from a first class organization. He'd be an IDIOT not to take that!

The Mussina thing was the last straw for me. I was a HUGE O's fan. My dad's family owned five seats less than a dozen rows right behind home plate (now only four...had to cut back cause of reduced demand in the conglomerate, and may cut back to three or two soon), every game of the year. I used to go to no less than five games a season with him. I've been to 2,130 and 2,131...have a fantastic picture/poster I took from those seats of Ripken in the on-deck circle directly underneath the 2,131 sign on the warehouse. I consider that game to be the greatest sporting event/moment of my life...a 22 minute standing O for Cal...just an amazing experience!

Then Moose entered the last year of his deal. They had a contract worked out and ready to go. And Angelos pulls it last minute; says "He'll take a home-town discount."...even though he was basically giving them one already. I said right there that if Mussina wasn't an Oriole that following season, I would never spend another dollar to support the Orioles organization - including attending a game, since that ticket would have been bought in my name - for as long as Angelos was the owner.

Since Mussina left, I've been true to my word. It's sad. And in the grand scheme of things, I make very little actual difference. But I'm standing by my convictions on this. The man is disgusting. If I were walking down the street and saw him, I would spit in his face. I cannot bring myself to financially support him.

- C -

Yankees are a first class organization? PLEASE! Charging fans $2000 a seat in this economy at their new wind-tunnel failure of a stadium? And an owner who cries and bitches to the press about it being "unacceptable" every year they don't win the World Series.

Tex was booed because he's a hypocritical little bitch. He always talked about how he grew up an Oriole fan and idolized Cal Ripken and Eddie Murray. The suddenly he signs with the Yankee$ and talks how he grew up rooting for them and Don Mattingly (unless they were playing the Orioles). What a bunch of shit. No one liked or likes both teams. He's trying to appease both fan bases when he should just admit he's only out for the most money. Tex is a piece of shit and deserves to be on that team. Hopefully they'll keep getting ever so close but no more rings just like happened to Mussina.

Go ahead and boycott the team. Maybe the Orioles will leave town due to lack of fan support just like the Colts did and you can have your wish.

**HoustonRaven** · 05-21-2009, 03:08 PM

+1 PSU

According to Losac's argument, you have to maintain loyalty to a team if the owner of said team has created a shell of that former teams self. Running into the ground be damned and we're the fools for speaking with our wallets.

Nonsense.

The black and orange I see are not the O's I grew up with and loved. It makes ZERO sense to keep supporting a team (with emotion and money) if that owner doesnt give two shits about you are me as fans.

I WISH we had an owner who does not settle for anything less than a world championship. Wait, we do ... his name is Steve Bisciotti.

**Jeremiah W** · 05-21-2009, 03:17 PM

Originally Posted by HoustonRaven

+1 PSU

According to Losac's argument, you have to maintain loyalty to a team if the owner of said team has created a shell of that former teams self. Running into the ground be damned and we're the fools for speaking with our wallets.

Nonsense.

The black and orange I see are not the O's I grew up with and loved. It makes ZERO sense to keep supporting a team (with emotion and money) if that owner doesnt give two shits about you are me as fans.

I WISH we had an owner who does not settle for anything less than a world championship. Wait, we do ... his name is Steve Bisciotti.

If that is your take it is fair, but the rules of baseball from a finacial perspective made it almost impossible to compete with NY and Boston during the steriod era.
The Ravens never had to deal with NY and Boston type teams. The Steelers are good every year, but only because they are smart, not because they spend 3 times as much money.