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The Worst Owners in American Professional Sports - Who Would Get Your Vote?


DonRocks

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On 7/4/2015 at 12:25 PM, Kibbee Nayee said:

Your Orioles, in 1966, had a team ERA of 0.50 against the Dodgers in the 1966 World Series, winning the first game 5-2 in L.A. and then shutting out the Dodgers for a record 33 consecutive innings. To me, that's more impressive than the unbreakable record of the 1905 Series....

....so, maybe we have another category? "Unbreakable Records That Are Less Impressive Than Comparable Achievements."

Add Max Scherzer's stretch of starts in June 2015, which are even more impressive than Johnny Vander Meer's two consecutive no-hitters.

You might be right; unfortunately, they weren't yet "my Orioles," as I was only 5 years old - the only reason I wish I was 5-10 years older than I am is so I could remember the 1966 World Series.

Orioles by decade:

1966: World Series Champions with Frank Robinson

1970: World Series Champions with Brooks Robinson

1983: World Series Champions with Cal Ripken, Jr.

1990s: Peter Angelos

2000s: Peter Angelos

2010s: Peter Angelos

I wish I could live to see a cage match fought to the death between Dan Snyder and Peter Angelos, the only rule being that both of them have to die before it's over.

Have any two people done more to damage the morale of their respective cities? Maybe Bob Irsay, but not too many others that I can think of.

Think about Jack Kent Cooke, Ted Leonsis, and the Lerner family and how much they're loved by Washingtonians. Hell, even Abe Pollin, despite being a terribly unsuccessful owner, was at least loved and respected (let's not forget he's largely responsible for Verizon Center). Sports-team owners have three functions:

1) Hire experts

2) Write checks

3) Stay out of the way

Snyder and Angelos are micro-managing control freaks, and don't have the strength of character to remove their personalities from their failed endeavors.

Sorry to hijack this thread; I just got immensely pissed off thinking about how these two *ruined* two of the greatest franchises in the history of American sports.

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I was privileged to be at Cal Ripken's record-breaking game, and I have the tickets and scorecard framed and on my wall to prove it -- after all, I've met over 500,000 people who claim to have been at the game....anyway, after the game, when it came time to celebrate Cal and his career and everything Ripken, Peter Angelos dominates the microphone for so long that he was actually getting booed. When someone (mayber Frank Robinson?) went up to him at the podium and said something like "They want Cal," he just said, "Oh, they'll get him in a minute but let me finish." To me, that was Angelos in a nutshell. What a pompous, overbearing, egocentric and detestable human being.

(Didn't he make his fortune during the tobacco and asbestos lawsuits, billing hundreds of dollars and hour for work that interns did at about $15 an hour?)

Dan Snyder is clearly out of his league, but too wealthy to care. One of his nicknames, "Boy George," recalls the younger George Steinbrenner, who might belong on your list. Steinbrenner, however, and despite his many flaws, was dedicated to winning. He also had a heart of gold, and did some charitable works that would qualify for sainthood. It's noteworthy that, after he was banned from the game for the Howie Spira scandal in the early '90s, the Yankee brain trust was able to pull together the championship teams of the late '90s by not trading away young talent for washed-up veterans, which wouldn't have been allowed if George was in control.

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On 7/4/2015 at 10:02 AM, Kibbee Nayee said:

I was privileged to be at Cal Ripken's record-breaking game, and I have the tickets and scorecard framed and on my wall to prove it -- after all, I've met over 500,000 people who claim to have been at the game....anyway, after the game, when it came time to celebrate Cal and his career and everything Ripken, Peter Angelos dominates the microphone for so long that he was actually getting booed. When someone (mayber Frank Robinson?) went up to him at the podium and said something like "They want Cal," he just said, "Oh, they'll get him in a minute but let me finish." To me, that was Angelos in a nutshell. What a pompous, overbearing, egocentric and detestable human being.

I saw that speech, and *could not believe what I was seeing* - Angelos made it all about himself.

And then he fired Jon Miller - the best announcer in all of baseball!

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Ha! I used to do this with the Orioles when Jon Miller was calling the games on the radio! Has there ever been a smoother announcer than Miller? I cannot believe Peter Angelos saw fit to get rid of this *Giant* of an announcer, pun intended, because I hope Angelos has suffered from his idiotic decision to release Miller, but Wangelos is so clueless that he probably doesn't even know Miller's in San Francisco now.

I just got my blood boiling thinking about that poison dwarf. When you hate a sports owner more than I hate Dan Snyder, that's saying something, but I hate Angelos more than I hate any sports owner, even Marge Schott (who was just a stupid racist) or George Steinbrenner (who was just Donald Trump's identical twin). There I go, violating my own rules about personal insults. I'll change the wording of this to something more appropriate. Damn it.

Hey:   Don't change the insults.  They are rich.  As an O's fan from the 70's I too think Angelos has been a miserable owner.  The O's have had an on the field uptick over the last few years relative to the first decade he owned them...   Its the baseball guys...can't be because of Angelos.   

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31 minutes ago, DaveO said:

Hey:   Don't change the insults.  They are rich.  As an O's fan from the 70's I too think Angelos has been a miserable owner.  The O's have had an on the field uptick over the last few years relative to the first decade he owned them...   Its the baseball guys...can't be because of Angelos.   

Sigh, if you insist. :ph34r:

Do you remember Angelos' long-winded speech at Cal Ripken's ceremony? 

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27 minutes ago, DonRocks said:

Sigh, if you insist. :ph34r:

Do you remember Angelos' long-winded speech at Cal Ripken's ceremony? 

Wasn't there, didn't watch it live.   Nice retrospective above via KN.  Didn't recall that Angelos' part was terrible.  hmmmmm

....there is something abt egotistical blowhards that get to exercise  a lot of control in their lives and their big mouths.  Uggghhh.  Certain industries do get a fair share of those type folks...but the general public doesn't see or experience them.  They exhibit ugly personality traits to the general public if and when the opportunity arises.  OTOH I respect Leonsis' public persona.  He comes across IMHO as a reasonable and good person.

Now the idea above of a cage match with Snyder and Angelos...and both end up ultimate losers.  Now that is a good idea!!!

 

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32 minutes ago, DonRocks said:

In all honesty Don, the O's did get around to honor the best of the O's; Brooks, Frank, Cal, Weaver, Eddie Murray, and Palmer.  and at the stadium and with a less loquacious Angelos as part of the ceremonies during 2012.  Maybe the above referenced 2011 article helped knock some sense into Angelos' egotistical love affair with himself.

(and by the way that pic is a "killer" for old Orioles fans....---geez those guys got old!!!!)

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57 minutes ago, DaveO said:

In all honesty Don, the O's did get around to honor the best of the O's; Brooks, Frank, Cal, Weaver, Eddie Murray, and Palmer.  and at the stadium and with a less loquacious Angelos as part of the ceremonies during 2012.  Maybe the above referenced 2011 article helped knock some sense into Angelos' egotistical love affair with himself.

(and by the way that pic is a "killer" for old Orioles fans....---geez those guys got old!!!!)

Granted, but 2012 was 35 years after one of the 2-3 most beloved athletes (along with Cal Ripken, Jr. and Johnny Unitas) in Baltimore history retired, when he was 75 years old, after a fall that nearly killed him, and Peter Angelos sends a "delegate from ownership" to attend the ceremony.

The only statue of Peter Angelos Baltimore will ever see will be whatever monument he erects over his grave. Emphasis on the word "erect," as it will no doubt be the tallest obelisk in the cemetery, which would be absolutely appropriate.

With his actions toward Ripken and Jon Miller, combined with all of his other greedy, self-centered behavior, I can be *somewhat* objective in calling Angelos a filthy little swine, but with Robinson, it's even more personal and I can't be objective at all. 

The little sphincter wins a $4.5 billion lawsuit, and can't even get the English on his webpage right. Read the first sentence in "A History of Success."

Screenshot 2016-06-08 at 15.36.12.png

I do apologize for crossing the line with this one - Angelos is the only person I've never met who I can honestly say I actively dislike, because he is solely responsible for ruining an entire childhood rooting for a sports team, including all the peripheral "hero stuff" that goes along with it. I mean, I guess I could say the same thing about Jihadi John, and a few other people, but he's the only one who comes to mind.

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1 hour ago, Al Dente said:

AngelosParents.jpg

That is rich!!!  Ha Ha

1 hour ago, DonRocks said:

Granted, but 2012 was 35 years after one of the 2-3 most beloved athletes (along with Cal Ripken, Jr. and Johnny Unitas) in Baltimore history retired, when he was 75 years old, after a fall that nearly killed him, and Peter Angelos sends a "delegate from ownership" to attend the ceremony.

The only statue of Peter Angelos Baltimore will ever see will be whatever monument he erects over his grave. Emphasis on the word "erect," as it will no doubt be the tallest obelisk in the cemetery, which would be absolutely appropriate.

With his actions toward Ripken and Jon Miller, combined with all of his other greedy, self-centered behavior, I can be *somewhat* objective in calling Angelos a filthy little swine, but with Robinson, it's even more personal and I can't be objective at all. 

The little sphincter wins a $4.5 billion lawsuit, and can't even get the English on his webpage right. Read the first sentence in "A History of Success."

Screenshot 2016-06-08 at 15.36.12.png

I do apologize for crossing the line with this one - Angelos is the only person I've never met who I can honestly say I actively dislike, because he is solely responsible for ruining an entire childhood rooting for a sports team, including all the peripheral "hero stuff" that goes along with it. I mean, I guess I could say the same thing about Jihadi John, and a few other people, but he's the only one who comes to mind.

Basically Angelos (Dickhead =DH) has been a remote egotistical meddling dictator during his ownership of the Orioles.  His meddling ruined the team.  He entirely divorced himself and the team from all the heroes of the past, especially and pointedly those who had become locals--> Brooks and Cal.  What a remote moron.   The town adores those two.  DH, what a mean spirited moron basically starting with the period when he bought the team and lasting ...well in many ways to this day.

Regardless, in 2012 the team did honor old heroes.  DH's son did partake in the ceremonies.  ....and we don't know...possibly between events such as being booed at Cal's remarkable achievement day...and that story from 2011 plus endless other comments on DH's' miserable personality....he thought it better not to be the team "front guy".  

I know if I saw him at one of those statue ceremonies in 2012 I would have booed him.  Dickheads don't deserve applause

 

 

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20 hours ago, DaveO said:

That is rich!!!  Ha Ha

Basically Angelos (Dickhead =DH) has been a remote egotistical meddling dictator during his ownership of the Orioles.  His meddling ruined the team.  He entirely divorced himself and the team from all the heroes of the past, especially and pointedly those who had become locals--> Brooks and Cal.  What a remote moron.   The town adores those two.  DH, what a mean spirited moron basically starting with the period when he bought the team and lasting ...well in many ways to this day.

Regardless, in 2012 the team did honor old heroes.  DH's son did partake in the ceremonies.  ....and we don't know...possibly between events such as being booed at Cal's remarkable achievement day...and that story from 2011 plus endless other comments on DH's' miserable personality....he thought it better not to be the team "front guy".  

I know if I saw him at one of those statue ceremonies in 2012 I would have booed him.  Dickheads don't deserve applause

And apparently has so alienated Cal that he publicly expressed interest in the Nats' manager opening last year.  Let that sink in: the public face of your franchise for the better part of two decades, a man who is synonymous with the team you own, letting it be known that he wants a leadership role in the hated rival that you personally tried to block for the duration of your ownership and with whom you are in a bitter, decade-long battle over broadcast rights.  How big of a "Fuck you!!" is that?!

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45 minutes ago, TedE said:

And apparently has so alienated Cal that he publicly expressed interest in the Nats' manager opening last year.  Let that sink in: the public face of your franchise for the better part of two decades, a man who is synonymous with the team you own, letting it be known that he wants a leadership role in the hated rival that you personally tried to block for the duration of your ownership and with whom you are in a bitter, decade-long battle over broadcast rights.  How big of a "Fuck you!!" is that?!

"No Mas" NoMas.jpg

"No Mass" NoMass.jpg

"Gnome Mass" GnomeMass.jpg

"Nome Mass" NomeMass.jpg

"Noam Mass" NoamMass.jpg

"Know Mass"KnowMass.jpg

"Gnome Ass" GnomeAss.jpg

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"Dan Snyder Buys $100M Yacht with Onboard IMAX Theater" by Drew Hansen on bizjhournals.com

Some people in this world are willing to sink to any depths in order to further their alcoves of personal pleasure, regardless of whether they own the Redskins, or win political elections.

They're willing to absorb public criticism like sponges, because they don't actually face the public except in pictures.

Sometimes I wonder if I chose the wrong path of honor, because nobody seems to care which path I chose.

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Has there ever been a more beloved, and less successful, owner than Abe Pollin?

(This is the thought that crosses peoples' minds, in passing, before being ushered out the other ear, because nobody wants to entertain negative ramblings about such a wonderful human being.)

God bless Abe Pollin, whose heart was in the right place, but I wish we were still the Bullets (and I'm the only person in the world who wanted us to be named the Sea Dogs, because it was so silly that it was awesome - like Washington state having "Louie, Louie" as its official State Song). This is back around the time when Juwan Howard was holding the team-name hostage, then left anyway.

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12 hours ago, DonRocks said:

Has there ever been a more beloved, and less successful, owner than Abe Pollin?

(This is the thought that crosses peoples' minds, in passing, before being ushered out the other ear, because nobody wants to entertain negative ramblings about such a wonderful human being.)

God bless Abe Pollin, whose heart was in the right place, but I wish we were still the Bullets (and I'm the only person in the world who wanted us to be named the Sea Dogs, because it was so silly that it was awesome - like Washington state having "Louie, Louie" as its official State Song). This is back around the time when Juwan Howard was holding the team-name hostage, then left anyway.

Abe Pollin might well be the “best friend” of restaurant owners and FOH staffers in the area around the CapOne Center.  Every year on average comfortably over 2 million people visit the facility and dine and drink nearby.  He put his own money into the Arena.  I know a couple of people who knew him very well while he lived. They adored him.  He also had some acrimonious disputes and law suits.

As a very long term fan of the Wizards and one who attended a healthy number of games in DC and  Landover the team accumulated a lousy DanSnyderish kind of record of mediocrity or worse it has been a large disappointment. But Pollin respected the fans and tried his best.  He purchased the expansion Caps which has been a far more successful franchise.

Gotta love him.

BTW:  Two little known factoids.  Pollin’s dad was the generous and beloved benefactor to a healthy number of builders and real estate developers in the region.  They loved him.  

Abe Pollin was an active generous anonymous philanthropist of significant generosity.  

Sounds like a very admirable family.

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