The Most Influential Sports Commissioners Around

The Most Influential Sports Commissioners Around

Sports commissioners are extremely important people. They are the chief executives of their sport, whether that is football, baseball, basketball or any others that you enjoy to watch. While commissioners are influential, some are more than others. Influence isn’t just about money. It could be the changes that they’ve brought into their respective sports or having the longest tenure.

Here are arguably the most influential sports commissioners around.

Roger Goodell—the NFL Commissioner

This commissioner is arguably the most influential. He has gained that through furnishing multiple TV programs, earning a large multimillion salary and pushing the boundaries of authority. During the Saints’ Bountygate Scandal, Goodell proved his influence by dispensing one of the harshest punishments the NFL has seen for a long time. That hasn’t stopped with players being suspended even when their wrongdoings are outside of the game and outside of the country!

Despite the majority of the players in the NFL disapproving of him, he remains to be the NFL commissioner and keeps his influence. Nobody wants to make a wrong step when he is watching.

David Stern—NBA Commissioner

He may be on the verge of retirement now but David Stern is undisputedly influential. He is known for having the longest tenure as the commissioner in any of the sports in the United States, which is an accomplishment in itself. He will retire in 2014 but it won’t stop his influence. Contracts that he made will still stand—he focused on contracts that would continue even after his tenure ended. He has also set it up for his successor, Adam Silver, to make big leaps in the future.

Stern has never been light on punishment. When the Spurs rested their top four players when they played against the Heats back in 2011, they were fined a quarter of a million dollars. He has also helped the revenue of the NBA grow over time, with a jump from $140 million to around $5 billion from the 2011-2012 season to the 2012-2013 season (that $5 is estimated at the time of writing).

Bud Selig—MLB Commissioner

Bud Selig is another man who has made a note to retire in 2014 and at the age of 78 it shouldn’t be surprising. During his time, he has managed to negotiate better deals with Turner Sports and Fox, which has resulted in an extra $800 million per year, and there are more regional channels showing the games.

Selig made a few changes in last year’s games. He introduced a second wild card, which could have gone either way. Luckily, it was highly accepted and fun to watch for many. The teams loved it as their value rose by around 16% just because of this decision. However, Selig was faced with a disappointing end to the last season with the final game being the lowest rated ever.

Mike Slive—SEC Commissioner

From judge to commissioner, Mike Slive has influence in many areas of the world. It was because of this man that college football gained a playoff and in 2011 he earned $1.6 million because of this. He has also managed to negotiate a new TV deal and a channel just for SEC, which is a major change in the games. These are expected to bring him in an extra $400 million, at least.

Adam Silver—The NBA Deputy Commissioner

He may only be the deputy commission but it hasn’t stopped him from being influential. His accomplishments, skills and abilities have earned him the title of NBA commissioner after David Stern retires in 2014. He has been the deputy commissioner for the past seven years, although been with the league for 21 years after leaving his law career.

It was part of Silver’s influence that the new TV deals and previous three CBA deals were negotiated. It sets him up perfectly for the future.

Tim Finchem—PGA Commissioner

The last most influential commissioner is Tim Finchem, who was the man to preside over the years of Tiger Woods. His influence has been global. When golf was taken out of the Olympics, Finchem wasn’t happy at all. He made it possible to get it back into the games and it definitely hasn’t been a disappointment for the viewers.

Commissioners are influential for all types of reasons. There are some who use their money while others use their networks. The six above have all used their influence to make their sport better; not just for their own financial gain. It has led to sports being added back into the Olympics, better deals with TV networks and even proving that athletes and sport players cannot get away with anti-social behavior.

Credit: Keith Allison  http://www.flickr.com/photos/keithallison/2310252963/sizes/m/in/photolist-4w9DHD-4wdTP3-4w9C3i-4wdT5h/