Don't know much about the other two, but I'll vote for Selig based on the fact that, under his watch, the steroid issue completely overtook the sport in a way that will linger for another decade or two at a minimum--let's say until Ryan Braun comes up for HOF consideration, unless it never goes away. The sport seems to be in good shape financially right now, and there haven't been major labour-relations issues for a while, and those are significant points in Selig's favour. But for me, his initial slowness in dealing with steroids--just sort of hoping it went away, I think--dwarfs all. (Also didn't like the way he eased himself into the position.)
― clemenza, Saturday, 14 April 2012 14:55 (twelve years ago) link
I detest Selig, but he has presided over booming business. And I don't give a shit about steroids.
Not voting bcz I don't watch the other sports (I'd rather the NFL didn't exist).
― World Congress of Itch (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 14 April 2012 15:06 (twelve years ago) link
I know you personally don't care about them, but you must at least get tired of the issue automatically coming up when Bonds or the HOF or records or so much else is discussed. Seems to me that that could have been prevented.
― clemenza, Saturday, 14 April 2012 15:10 (twelve years ago) link
Selig following the Marlins line re: Guillen this past week makes me hate him, but no, it's gotta be Stern. Tho I don't like the NBA so...
― stay in school if you want to kiw (Gukbe), Saturday, 14 April 2012 15:16 (twelve years ago) link
I'm only a casual basketball fan, but is this year's delayed season the reason people are so down on Stern, or is that just one of many issues? I know the NBA was viewed as the ideal business model for all sports if you go back to the Jordan era...which was quite a while ago, I realize.
― clemenza, Saturday, 14 April 2012 15:22 (twelve years ago) link
yeah clemenza: kill sportswriters
― World Congress of Itch (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 14 April 2012 16:04 (twelve years ago) link
He vetoed a major trade.
― Matt Armstrong, Saturday, 14 April 2012 16:08 (twelve years ago) link
And did a lot of lying about the reasons for it/how he did it
― Matt Armstrong, Saturday, 14 April 2012 16:09 (twelve years ago) link
For years he's shown little interest in reforming terrible officiating, his dress code for players was kind of absurd, a lot of people seem to think he plays favorites.
― Kiarostami bag (milo z), Saturday, 14 April 2012 16:10 (twelve years ago) link
I think it's wishful thinking to blame sportswriters for keeping the steroids issue alive--it's obviously a lightning rod for fans, and players hold court on it too.
Selig has points for and against, and it just depends how you weigh them. Kenesaw Mountain Landis acted swiftly and drastically after the 1919 World Series, and gambling was no longer an issue. At the same time, had the good luck of having Ruth come along. And he also largely did nothing to desegregate the sport, and often actively worked against it.
― clemenza, Saturday, 14 April 2012 16:27 (twelve years ago) link
Basketball is still pretty much the same game it was 20 years ago. NFL is just a powerhouse organization that only gets bigger and better, no matter what problems it faces.
MLB though, from 1994 to now, has been an abandoned sandcastle. The wild card. The strike. The expansion teams. The disparity between the have's and the have-not's. Tying the All-Star game into the postseason. Rearranging the leagues and still having the NL West being what it is. THE GODDAM INTERLEAGUE PLAY FUCKING EVERYTHING UP. The steroids. The late starts. The season not concluding until after Election Day. I honestly could keep going.
Fuck Bud Selig. Fuck him in that wrinkled-up old vadge he calls a mouth.
― pplains, Saturday, 14 April 2012 16:45 (twelve years ago) link
^^ would agree, if ML baseball mattered any more.
― Aimless, Saturday, 14 April 2012 16:50 (twelve years ago) link
See there? It once did!
― pplains, Saturday, 14 April 2012 16:51 (twelve years ago) link
Yeah, this is Bud Selig by MILES.
― Johnny Fever, Saturday, 14 April 2012 16:52 (twelve years ago) link
the vast majority of nhl teams are in america so i will vote gary bettman
― polyphonic, Saturday, 14 April 2012 16:54 (twelve years ago) link
There will be kids drafted over the next couple of years who weren't even born when MLB had a labor stoppage and every sport has had a more recent labor issue than baseball, sometimes two. Interleague and the wild card are unquestionable successes.
― Kiarostami bag (milo z), Saturday, 14 April 2012 17:03 (twelve years ago) link
Selig's a bastard but so are all sports commissioners. Baseball is healthier than any other point my lifetime, so I'm not that bothered by him anymore.
― Kiarostami bag (milo z), Saturday, 14 April 2012 17:05 (twelve years ago) link
I dunno, the nfl is facing some pretty fundamental problems these days - people aren't talking about whether baseball or basketball should even be played - and it hasn't made inroads overseas
― iatee, Saturday, 14 April 2012 17:20 (twelve years ago) link
people aren't talking about whether baseball...should even be played
I'm talking about it, because it's boring as all fuck.
I dunno, the nfl is facing some pretty fundamental problems these days...and it hasn't made inroads overseas
Not necessarily true. NFL has a healthy following in the UK and when NFL Europe existed as sort of an expo/farm league, it drew crowds.
― Johnny Fever, Saturday, 14 April 2012 17:26 (twelve years ago) link
not the kinda crowds that create a sustainable business
― iatee, Saturday, 14 April 2012 17:32 (twelve years ago) link
outside of the steroid thing I don't really think any of these are problems - is interleague play really that bad an idea?
― you can expect punches, kicks and even worse (frogbs), Saturday, 14 April 2012 17:33 (twelve years ago) link
would agree, if ML baseball mattered any more.
what exactly are your criteria for what matters? it's still a big deal
wtf else did the baseball people expect when they sold their souls to a tawdry Milwaukee used-car salesman?!?
― kurwa mać (Polish for "long life") (Eisbaer), Saturday, 14 April 2012 17:35 (twelve years ago) link
The disparity between the have's and the have-not's.
This issue in baseball bothers me, but yes I know Yankees and Red Sox fans differ, and others may too
― curmudgeon, Saturday, 14 April 2012 17:45 (twelve years ago) link
competitive inbalance is not as much of an issue in baseball - regardless of payroll or talent levels, there's so much variance in the game that even the best teams only win about 65%, and the WS is almost never won by the best team
― you can expect punches, kicks and even worse (frogbs), Saturday, 14 April 2012 17:50 (twelve years ago) link
That problem exists in all three leagues fwiw.
― Johnny Fever, Saturday, 14 April 2012 17:50 (twelve years ago) link
i do miss the days when the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Kansas City Royals were successful and competitive franchises.
― kurwa mać (Polish for "long life") (Eisbaer), Saturday, 14 April 2012 18:00 (twelve years ago) link
not much Selig can do about incompetant management
― you can expect punches, kicks and even worse (frogbs), Saturday, 14 April 2012 18:03 (twelve years ago) link
The steroid scandal has wounded MLB very badly. Selig was instrumental in trying to sweep it under the rug and pretend it never happened.
― Aimless, Saturday, 14 April 2012 18:09 (twelve years ago) link
competitive imbalance has been a part of baseball since day oneHow did PEDs really wound MLB? Revenues, attendance and fantasy participation are higher than ever. It wounded baseball with useless sportswriters.
― Kiarostami bag (milo z), Saturday, 14 April 2012 18:11 (twelve years ago) link
Seems like people always point to NFL ratings as proof of baseball's irrelevance and demise.
Well, yeah, there are 240 regular season NFL games every year. There are 2400 regular season MLB games.
― Kiarostami bag (milo z), Saturday, 14 April 2012 18:13 (twelve years ago) link
The majority of the former on Sundays, making for perfect TV events.
There are 2400 regular season MLB games.
Part of the reason it's hard to give a fuck about the regular season. With the NFL, each week the tv audience congregates to watch a slate of games that have immediate implications toward division rankings. Nobody watches baseball on tv until the post-season because hardly any game during the regular season ever matters. Baseball (at least in the regular season) has become a sport you see played live rather than watch on tv.
― Johnny Fever, Saturday, 14 April 2012 18:16 (twelve years ago) link
Lots of people watch baseball on TV. That's why the Dodgers recently became the most valuable franchise in all of sports.
― Kiarostami bag (milo z), Saturday, 14 April 2012 18:17 (twelve years ago) link
generally, the only times i pay attention during the baseball season are the 1st and last months, and when favored teams play hated rivals (phillies v. mutts, yankees v. red suxx).
― onibaba o'reilly (Eisbaer), Saturday, 14 April 2012 18:19 (twelve years ago) link
bettman really deserves this
― High powered Texas lawyer (symsymsym), Saturday, 14 April 2012 18:20 (twelve years ago) link
I'd rather listen to baseball on the radio than watch it (in part because my local team's radio crew has always been 1000x better than its TV crew), but I find football almost unwatchable on TV. It's boring as fuck, five seconds of action followed by 40 seconds of nothing followed by 2 minutes of commercials.
― Kiarostami bag (milo z), Saturday, 14 April 2012 18:20 (twelve years ago) link
Bettman wins by default, given that it's his fault hockey is only barely a 'major' sport
― Kiarostami bag (milo z), Saturday, 14 April 2012 18:21 (twelve years ago) link
The Dodgers just got bought for $2 bil, and the woeful Padres are about to get purchased for something like 700mil. Just because you dudes don't enjoy watching regular season baseball doesn't mean people aren't watching. The Giants fans in SF are like a virus. They're everywhere! GO AWAY
― polyphonic, Saturday, 14 April 2012 18:22 (twelve years ago) link
Nobody watches baseball on tv until the post-season
Well, nobody watches every game but tons of people watch on TV. You also have to consider radio listeners, as MLB is the only sport that really works on the radio
― you can expect punches, kicks and even worse (frogbs), Saturday, 14 April 2012 18:22 (twelve years ago) link
yes yes yes
― polyphonic, Saturday, 14 April 2012 18:24 (twelve years ago) link
The Giants fans in SF are like a virus. They're everywhere! GO AWAY
lol. how dare there be fans of the hometown team?
― heated debate over derpy hooves (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Saturday, 14 April 2012 18:25 (twelve years ago) link
selig with a bullet. mlb's flourished as a business but he's a repulsive old toad who consistently makes infuriating decisions
i like stern because of his cool gangster ass 'tude.
― these pretzels are makeing me horney (Hungry4Ass), Saturday, 14 April 2012 18:26 (twelve years ago) link
I will say MLB's technology/blackout policies drive me up a fuckin' wall, I really fail to understand how blocking Youtube videos and preventing mlb.tv customers from watching their OWN TEAMS could possibly increase revenue
― you can expect punches, kicks and even worse (frogbs), Saturday, 14 April 2012 18:28 (twelve years ago) link
I find football almost unwatchable on TV. It's boring as fuck, five seconds of action followed by 40 seconds of nothing followed by 2 minutes of commercials.
― Kiarostami bag (milo z), Saturday, April 14, 2012 2:20 PM (9 minutes ago) Bookmark
go back to russia motherfucker
― these pretzels are makeing me horney (Hungry4Ass), Saturday, 14 April 2012 18:30 (twelve years ago) link
The latter seems to be hostility from decrepit old owners and the people they have TV contracts with. Regional television is where all the money comes from for now.
― Kiarostami bag (milo z), Saturday, 14 April 2012 18:30 (twelve years ago) link
the existence of mlb.tv and being able to stream it via Boxee/etc. is still miles ahead of the NFL and NBA
― Kiarostami bag (milo z), Saturday, 14 April 2012 18:31 (twelve years ago) link
I don't think Goodell is getting enough run here. The NFL would be number 1 in America with or without him. The players despise him. I guess he managed to avoid missing games this season but that lockout was ridiculous to begin with given that the league is awash in money.
― polyphonic, Saturday, 14 April 2012 18:32 (twelve years ago) link
football is the best tv sport because w/ so much going on at once you pretty much need replays
― iatee, Saturday, 14 April 2012 18:32 (twelve years ago) link
im cool with goodell after he came down hard on those cheating god damn saints. teach those animals a lesson rodge!!!!
― these pretzels are makeing me horney (Hungry4Ass), Saturday, 14 April 2012 18:34 (twelve years ago) link
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7881228/players-nfl-commissioner-roger-goodell-toughest-critics
― mookieproof, Tuesday, 8 May 2012 18:16 (eleven years ago) link
http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1085526/Animation15.gif
― pplains, Tuesday, 8 May 2012 18:17 (eleven years ago) link
the fact that Goodell got only 3 votes in this makes me want to puke
― One Way Ticket on the 1277 Express (Bill Magill), Tuesday, 8 May 2012 18:49 (eleven years ago) link
give him time, bill
― call all destroyer, Tuesday, 8 May 2012 18:54 (eleven years ago) link
Goodell is Mussolini; Selig and Stern are Hitler and Stalin. all three are contemptible assholes who never should be allowed to hold any responsible office, but it's a question of degree of assholery.
― Nu Metal is the best music there is, the rest is pussy shit. (Eisbaer), Tuesday, 8 May 2012 18:54 (eleven years ago) link
or to be less inflammatory -- Goodell is Mitt Romney; Selig and Stern are Gingrich and Santorum.
― Nu Metal is the best music there is, the rest is pussy shit. (Eisbaer), Tuesday, 8 May 2012 18:55 (eleven years ago) link
goodell is doing a pretty bang up job imo. new cba was solid work.
― Roberto Spiralli, Tuesday, 8 May 2012 18:58 (eleven years ago) link
I loathe the man. I am happy they got a deal done so we didnt miss a season (that would have been a nitemare) but he really sucks. Making one guy judge, jury and executioner is a total joke.
― One Way Ticket on the 1277 Express (Bill Magill), Tuesday, 8 May 2012 19:04 (eleven years ago) link
I may have to change my vote.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGIr3i2Unu4
― pplains, Thursday, 14 June 2012 15:11 (eleven years ago) link
And if you hate Jim Rome, fine. But ask yourself who you hate worse at the end of this clip?
RE-DO THIS FUCKING POLL
― frogbs, Tuesday, 25 September 2012 04:18 (eleven years ago) link
at least some instant replay
― Mordy, Tuesday, 25 September 2012 04:25 (eleven years ago) link
Hahaha, it would probably come out the exact same way, if we have any replacement mods running this joint.
― pplains, Tuesday, 25 September 2012 04:53 (eleven years ago) link
― One Way Ticket on the 1277 Express (Bill Magill), Tuesday, May 8, 2012 2:49 PM (4 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― call all destroyer, Tuesday, May 8, 2012 2:54 PM (4 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Can I take my bow now? If this poll was taken now, it should be a shutout and Goddell should win. The guy is utterly incompetent. Also a Nazi
― One Way Ticket on the 1277 Express (Bill Magill), Tuesday, 25 September 2012 13:31 (eleven years ago) link
This ref thing is fucking amazing to me. As a Bears fan I want to do nothing but chuckle hardily at the Packers throwing away a game in the final seconds, but not like this.
― heated debate over derpy hooves (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Tuesday, 25 September 2012 13:58 (eleven years ago) link
lol bill i just came here to copy/paste that exchange
― call all destroyer, Tuesday, 25 September 2012 14:00 (eleven years ago) link
who knew it would take Roger Goddell ruining football to get me to start watching it regularly again? I am spending every game waiting for the exasperated, crestfallen cries of discontent from the announcers about how the replacement refs are destroying America and I don't think I've ever had so much delight watching ie the Jets come from behind to win (although Tebow getting beaned in the head with the ball was a factor there as much as the terrible refs)
also this is totally against the spirit of the sport but anything that screws over the Packers is automatically awesome to me
at the end of the day I think I just like carnivals, which is what the NFL currently is
― cake-like Lady Gaga (DJP), Tuesday, 25 September 2012 14:03 (eleven years ago) link
http://gif.mocksession.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/REPLACEMENT-REF.gif
― pplains, Tuesday, 25 September 2012 14:14 (eleven years ago) link
http://www.pigskinbuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/replacement-ref-kevin-ogletree-trips-hat.gif
― pplains, Tuesday, 25 September 2012 14:15 (eleven years ago) link
looooooool
― heated debate over derpy hooves (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Tuesday, 25 September 2012 14:16 (eleven years ago) link
^^^^^^ obv terrible, but also the funniest fucking thing
― cake-like Lady Gaga (DJP), Tuesday, 25 September 2012 14:16 (eleven years ago) link
I mean why did that even happen
― cake-like Lady Gaga (DJP), Tuesday, 25 September 2012 14:17 (eleven years ago) link
fuck wearing a hat
― barthes simpson, Tuesday, 25 September 2012 14:18 (eleven years ago) link
fear of a black hat
― pandemic, Tuesday, 25 September 2012 14:19 (eleven years ago) link
What does he slip on? A cap?
― The windiest militant trash (Michael White), Tuesday, 25 September 2012 14:20 (eleven years ago) link
yes
― cake-like Lady Gaga (DJP), Tuesday, 25 September 2012 14:21 (eleven years ago) link
apparently refs will throw their hat if a receiver steps out of bounds and is ineligible, but dude never really got close to the sideline and clearly stayed in bounds, so it really looks like the ref was just all "fuck it, gonna throw my hat under his feet *fling*"
― cake-like Lady Gaga (DJP), Tuesday, 25 September 2012 14:22 (eleven years ago) link
COMEDY FOR EVERYONE
― cake-like Lady Gaga (DJP), Tuesday, 25 September 2012 14:23 (eleven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK6TXMsvgQg
― barthes simpson, Tuesday, 25 September 2012 14:24 (eleven years ago) link
the refs havent screwed my team yet so im still enjoying it all. would happily vote for selig again
― Hungry4Ass, Tuesday, 25 September 2012 14:25 (eleven years ago) link
I know it's football and all but that gif is kind of worrisome; his slip comes out of nowhere, he puts a lot pressure on his left knee and ankle and lands awkwardly on his left leg with a lot of opportunity to screw that ankle, too.
― The windiest militant trash (Michael White), Tuesday, 25 September 2012 14:40 (eleven years ago) link
http://data.whicdn.com/images/35360075/283_large.gif
― pplains, Tuesday, 25 September 2012 14:41 (eleven years ago) link
Occupy Wall Street has a Facebook post today about how the NFL debacle shows "all our issues are connected" through the hiring of scabs.
anyway, best football season ever
― kizz my hairy irish azz (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 25 September 2012 14:46 (eleven years ago) link
Haha, yeah, this happened: As NFL Referees Lockout Continues, Gov. Scott Walker Calls For Return Of Unionized Refs
― a shark with a rippling six pack (Phil D.), Tuesday, 25 September 2012 14:51 (eleven years ago) link
― The windiest militant trash (Michael White), Tuesday, September 25, 2012 10:40 AM (6 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Agree. If that guy had gotten hurt, the players probably would have seriously considering walking out until the real refs were back due to unsafe working conditions. This is a disaster waiting to happen.
― One Way Ticket on the 1277 Express (Bill Magill), Tuesday, 25 September 2012 20:49 (eleven years ago) link
I'm still kinda hoping for a players walk-out.
― heated debate over derpy hooves (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Tuesday, 25 September 2012 21:00 (eleven years ago) link
Pretty sure I wound up a Goodell voter.
― Kiarostami bag (milo z), Tuesday, 25 September 2012 21:05 (eleven years ago) link
Players should just start calling the game themselves like pick-up basketball.
― Kiarostami bag (milo z), Tuesday, 25 September 2012 21:06 (eleven years ago) link
At the commissioner's press conference today, he appeared caught off guard by a question from 49ers tight end Vernon Davis: Why doesn't the league take care of its former players?Goodell's scattershot answer included the notion that the healthcare benefits for current NFL players are "the best in the world." Past players? Not so much. Every NBA player who played from 2000-01 on receives some post-career benefits, and in MLB, all it takes is one day on an active roster to get lifetime coverage. But in the sport where they need it the most, NFL players (if they played three seasons) receive five years of healthcare after retirement, and then they're cut off.
Goodell's scattershot answer included the notion that the healthcare benefits for current NFL players are "the best in the world." Past players? Not so much. Every NBA player who played from 2000-01 on receives some post-career benefits, and in MLB, all it takes is one day on an active roster to get lifetime coverage. But in the sport where they need it the most, NFL players (if they played three seasons) receive five years of healthcare after retirement, and then they're cut off.
the nfl players union deserves a lot of blame for this state of affairs, but man roger goodell is a prick
― mookieproof, Saturday, 1 February 2014 19:15 (ten years ago) link
yeah i hate him way more than i hate selig
― polyphonic, Saturday, 1 February 2014 19:29 (ten years ago) link
yeah seeing goodell finish a very distant third up there just looks ridiculous now. just a complete joke of a man, almost wonder if tagliabue set goodell up to provide a long term argument to the 'he was no pete rozelle' talk he got when he retired. the problems baseball has - loss of viewers, relevance, aging of market - are things you can't really blame him for. cancelling the world series hurt the sport's popularity more than steroids but its effects were shaken off pretty quickly. stern's obv the most important historically to his sport and deserves alot of credit but should've retired years ago, there are alot of black marks on that record and most of them came in the past ten years or so.
― balls, Saturday, 1 February 2014 19:42 (ten years ago) link
Selig is a putz
― Prince Kajuku (Bill Magill), Saturday, 1 February 2014 22:05 (ten years ago) link
“If you look at the numbers, including in the Native American community, in a Native American community poll nine out of 10 supported the name. Eight out of 10 Americans in the general population would not like us to change the name. So we’re listening and being respectful for people who disagree, but let’s not forget this is the name of a football team.”
― een, Saturday, 1 February 2014 22:12 (ten years ago) link
lmao
― christmas candy bar (al leong), Saturday, 1 February 2014 22:19 (ten years ago) link
i watched the goodell thing and there was this amazing cringe comedy moment where he goes 'i can't control the weather--' and then fake snow starts coming down around him while hes giving this aint i a stinker grin
― Hungry4Ass, Saturday, 1 February 2014 22:37 (ten years ago) link
"Native American" community? Why not just say R</I>edskins community?
― pplains, Sunday, 2 February 2014 00:01 (ten years ago) link
Whoops, almost gave away the secret to that.
― pplains, Sunday, 2 February 2014 00:02 (ten years ago) link