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  • October 22, 2007 12:33 PM ET

Bud Selig is the most criticize commissioner in sports

YDT8523 (16-30-1) vs The Ram (152-17-4)
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Bud Selig is the most criticize commissioner in sports because he takes more criticism than A-Rod does.

All everbody talks about is all the negative things that he has done, including why he didn't get involve with cleaning up the sport from steroids in the 1990s which he trying to do right now with the Geroge Mitchell investigation.

One of the things that has hurt Selig is the fact that he has to deal with the Players Union that is more powerful than any union in the world. Heck if the NFL had Don Fehr running the players union, the NFL would have the same issues that baseball has right now.

So let's cut Bud Selig some slack here please beacuse he has a tougher job to deal with in baseball than in all the other sports.


Gary Bettman's tenure has been catastrophic. The popularity of the NHL has dropped to record lows. Hockey fans talk about Gary Bettman in one of two ways:

1. Like they are mournfully looking at hockey's grave while Gary Bettman piles on dirt.
2. While running their hands up and down the barrell of a shotgun.

Sometimes both.

The regular season games are on versus. Versus! He has overseen 2 work stoppages, including a lost season. Playoff hockey used to be a good draw. Now finals games draw a 1.1 rating. Less than Martha Stewart. He has changed the game of hockey to a finesse game which has angered traditional fans. He meddles in ownership changes and sales of teams while those teams go bankrupt. He is criticized endlessly.

But Selig is a more prominent figure. He probably receives more mainstream criticism, but that is because his leage has been successful enough to be prominent. I hear Bud Selig praised as often as criticized. He gets credit for starting the Wild-card format. Ratings are up, attendance is up. He is credited for those things.

Bettman has nothing to get credit for.


Gery Bettman doesn't have a Players Union that is that powerful.

The reasons nobody pays attention to hockey is because nobody cares about the sport, and when Bettman became the Commissioner nobody watches it on TV to begin with.

Why do you think hockey is on Versus? Because ESPN didn't want hockey anymore, and Bettman had no other choice but go put his games on Versus.

Now granted, Bettman has done somethings to try to market the sport, but has back fire on him. And all the things you metion were out of his control.

And bottom line is nobody pays attention to hockey is the reason Bettman is not being criticize more.


Hockey was on the rise when Bettman took over. Ratings were going up and hockey was still on Network TV. Interest has cratered thanks to his ineptitude.

You may not be aware of the criticism. But it is there. It is much louder and more fierce than any criticism aimed at Selig.

You hear about the criticism of Selig because it gets more airtime on Sportscenter. Not because there is more. Baseball is a more popular sport, so criticisms of baseball get more air time. Praise does as well. I've listed a few of Selig's accomplishments. He is not being hounded for doing an awful job. Ask an average baseball fan if Selig should be replaced and they'll probably be split.

The Baseball union is more powerful, but Selig is not under criticism because of that. If anything it's an excuse for why he can't clean up baseball like some would like.

Gary Bettman has no excuses. Against a less powerfull players union, Bettman was AWOL while the owners locked the players out and crushed a season of hockey, and numerous hockey fans. He is extremely unpopular. There is no split.


The criticism that Bettman is getting is fair, but no one is paying attention because nobody care about hockey.

Everybody cares about Football and Baseball in this country. Those 2 sports get more attention because people care about those sports especially the NFL. And because of it the NFL is the most popular sports, and Baseball is 2nd and that where my arugment of Bud Selig come in mind.

Fans are very split on how Selig has perform as commissioner. But he has done more good than bad.


The topic of the throwdown is "Bud Selig is the most criticized commissioner in sports" not "Bud Selig is the most criticized commissioner in sports that a lot of people care about." Bettman is in play and is taking a lot of heat. Far more than Selig.

Everyone who cares about hockey criticizes Bettman. Close to 100%
About half of people who care about baseball criticize Selig. Around 50%

That's exactly my point. Bettman is far more under fire, embattled, and criticized.

Selig actually has support.

Comments (33) Add A Comment

October 22, 2007  12:57 PM ET
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Selig oversees more teams, and more players, than any other commissioner. That's why he's the most criticized.

October 22, 2007  01:25 PM ET
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pretty sure goodell sees more players since nfl rosters are way more than the 25 man limit in the mlb and he doesnt oversee the minors they are indepentend farm teams in their own leagues owned by their major league affiliate

October 22, 2007  02:11 PM ET
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Actually there is oversight of minor league players by the MLB commissioner.

October 22, 2007  02:39 PM ET
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minor leagues have their own leagues run by their own personel

October 22, 2007  02:43 PM ET
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he is the commissioner of MAJOR LEAGUE baseball and thats where his powers start and end

October 22, 2007  02:44 PM ET
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My problem with Selig...him wanting to contract two teams...the (then) Expos and Twins. Now, hear me out...in quite a few states, the BREWERS (Selig's old team), become the home team for many of the Twins areas....hence a lot more revenue for the Brewers. Places like North Dakota and Minnesota for sure and parts of South Dakota...in South Dakota, it's the Rockies and Twins...

In other words, he tried to contract the Twins because it would help out his old team...that's abuse of office!

October 22, 2007  02:46 PM ET
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But is he criticized for that more than Bettman is?

October 22, 2007  02:46 PM ET
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huh? im pretty sure he contracted the twins because the twin cities has a biggr market than the places you mentioned...the only other viable plac for them was washington d.c. and they now have their own team

October 22, 2007  02:47 PM ET
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bettman turned a "who cares" sports into "oh hockey is on? i thought they were still locked out" sport

October 22, 2007  02:51 PM ET
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'huh? im pretty sure he contracted the twins because the twin cities has a biggr market than the places you mentioned...the only other viable plac for them was washington d.c. and they now have their own team'

What? Um, well, he didn't contract them...contract is to get rid o fthe team...he wanted to, but it didn't happen

October 22, 2007  02:58 PM ET
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ok i misunderstood your argument i was wondering what you were trying to say but i get it.

twins werent going to go the only team that really had a shot at gettin the boot was the expos because the leagueowned them and couldnt afford it they were losing money

the twins were safe they were only in the discussion because they dont make a profit ever because them and the vikings are signed to the worst stadium deal in all professional sports, once poeple looked at thats they understood the clubs turmoil

the twins were also safe because of the talent they had in their farm systems and on the major league squad (hunter, santana, mauer, mornau, etc.)

October 22, 2007  03:04 PM ET
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No...BOTH were gonna get the boot...they wanted to contract two teams and they were the ones tha twere gonna go...they were in the discussion cause Selig's team would have gotten a boatlad of money off new revenue wit hthe Brewers being the new home team to a lot of places. Also because Pohlad was willing to make a boatload of money on a MLB buyout...

Pohlad is the richest owner in baseball, they make money on that franchise...he puts 50% of revenue made each year back into baseball operations (players, and everyone else) and pockets the rest....

October 22, 2007  03:06 PM ET
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they were gonna do a supplemental draft with the players on the Expos' roster and the Twins' roster going to the other teams

October 22, 2007  03:07 PM ET
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ok no point in argueing with a person with false facts

October 22, 2007  03:07 PM ET
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that draft would have put more marquee players on alrady good teams...hmmm another bad idea

October 22, 2007  03:08 PM ET
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contraction was never going to happen...it was used as a tactict against the players union when the new collective barginning agreement was in process and to also stop a strike, contraction was never going to happen, if selig wanted t he would have done it

October 22, 2007  03:12 PM ET
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Here's an article I found...one man's opinion on the contraction issue

There were three reasons the Twins made the first contraction cut: 1) they were on a year-to-year stadium lease, 2) they were next-to-last in the sport in revenues last year and 3) their owner was willing to take the contraction jackpot and run.

But suppose any or all of these scenarios unfold this year: 1) they work out a deal to build a new ballpark, 2) they're sold to Donald Watkins or 3) they do something really crazy -- like get to the playoffs.'

So, in this article, they agree about the stadium and revenue like you mentioned. I agree the stadium is horrible and I agree partly with Revenue explanation only because Pohlad won't explore options to get more revenue...his wife wanted the team, he bought it for her, then she passed and now it's just a business to him...


Then they went and won the division 3 straight years and 4 out of 5...and now the County is fitting the 70 or so percent of the bill for a new stadium..

October 22, 2007  03:13 PM ET
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I'm a Twins' fan, believe me, I followed this thing VERY intently...

October 22, 2007  03:14 PM ET
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If you've been following Congressional reaction to contraction so far, you would detect the following trend:

Words Congress likes: "Relocation to Washington."

Word Congress doesn't like: "Contraction."

As long as Congress can wave that antitrust exemption in front of the commissioner's eyes and summon the commish to its chambers for target practice, our nation's legislators can always serve as an obstacle to contraction.

 
October 22, 2007  03:16 PM ET
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contraction was used to give the mlb a upper hand in the debateing of the collective barining agreement

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