100 Most Powerful People in Sports

[Tchocky]

The current issue of Business Week magazine has NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on the cover. Tiger came in at #2 and Federer came in at #30, while Masha came in at #73. Here is the complete list:

1. Roger Goodell Commissioner, NFL
2. Tiger Woods Golfer
3. David Stern Commissioner, NBA
4. George Bodenheimer President, ESPN, ABC Sports; co-chairman, Disney Media Networks
5. Bud Selig Commissioner, MLB
6. Brian France Chairman, CEO NASCAR
7. Dick Ebersol Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics
8. Phil Knight Chairman, Nike
9. Sean McManus President, CBS News and Sports
10. Rupert Murdoch Chairman, CEO, News Corp.
11. Michael Jordan Managing Member of Basketball Operations, Charlotte Bobcats
12. Scott Boras President, Boras Corp.
13. Peyton Manning Quarterback, Indianapolis Colts
14. David Hill Chairman, CEO, Fox Sports
15. Donald Fehr Union boss, MLB
16. Myles Brand President, CEO, NCAA
17. David Beckham Soccer star
18. Jacques Rogge President, IOC
19. LeBron James Forward, Cleveland Cavaliers
20. Tony Ponturo VP, Global Media and Sports Marketing, Anheuser-Busch
21. Phil Anschutz Founder, Anschutz Entertainment Group
22. Herbert Hainer Chairman, CEO, Adidas
23. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. NASCAR driver
24. Brian Roberts Chairman, CEO, Comcast
25. George Steinbrenner Principal Owner, New York Yankees
26. Theodore Forstmann Chairman, CEO, IMG
27. Gary Bettman Commissioner, NHL
28. Alex Rodriguez Third baseman, New York Yankees
29. Joseph S. Blatter President, FIFA
30. Roger Federer Tennis player
31. Jim Delany Commissioner, Big Ten Conference
32. Dick Pound Chairman, World Anti-Doping Agency
33. Gene Upshaw Chairman, NFLPA
34. Tim Finchem Commissioner, PGA
35. Lance Armstrong Cyclist
36. John Skipper EVP, content, ESPN
37. Mark Parker CEO, President, Nike
38. David Levy President, Turner Sports, Inc.
39. Barry Bonds Outfielder, San Francisco Giants
40. Daniel Snyder Owner, Washington Redskins
41. Derek Jeter Shortstop, New York Yankees
42. Tim Leiweke President, CEO, Anschutz Entertainment Group
43. Paul Allen Owner, Seattle Seahawks, Portland TrailBlazers
44. Robert DuPuy President, COO, MLB
45. LaDainian Tomlinson Running back, San Diego Chargers
46. Tim Brosnan EVP for business, MLB
47. Jerry Reinsdorf Owner, Chicago Bulls, Chicago White Sox
48. Larry Lucchino President, CEO, Boston Red Sox
49. Ed Goren President, FOX Sports
50. Mark Cuban Owner, Dallas Mavericks
51. Mark Ford President, Sports Illustrated Group
52. Bob Bowman President, CEO, MLB Advanced Media
53. Jerry Jones Owner, Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Desperados
54. Roger Penske Owner, Penske Racing
55. Chase Carey CEO, president, DirecTV
56. Jeff Gordon NASCAR driver
57. Bernie Ecclestone Head of Formula 1
58. Jeff Urban SVP, sports marketing, Gatorade/PepsiCo.
59. George Pyne President, IMG Sports and Entertainment
60. Omar Minaya EVP of Baseball Operations, General Manager, NY Mets
61. Sidney Crosby Center, Pittsburgh Penguins
62. Jack Roush Founder, CEO, Roush Fenway Racing
63. Ross Greenburg CEO, HBO Sports
64. Robert Kraft Owner, Chairman, CEO New England Patriots
65. John Henry Principal Owner, Boston Red Sox; Roush Fenway Racing
66. John Walsh SVP, executive editor, ESPN Internet Group
67. Katie Bayne Chief Marketing Officer, Coca-Cola North America
68. Eric Grubman EVP, finance and strategic acquisitions, NFL
69. John Galloway VP, sports and media, Pepsi North America
70. Tom Brady Quarterback, New England Patriots
71. Tony Hawk Skateboarding tycoon
72. Mark Steinberg SVP and global managing director of golf, IMG
73. Maria Sharapova Tennis player
74. Tony Stewart NASCAR driver
75. The Maloof Family Owners, Sacramento Kings, Sacramento Monarchs
76. Arnold Palmer PGA legend
77. Randy Levine President, New York Yankees
78. Shaquille O'Neal Center, Miami Heat
79. Casey Wasserman Chairman, CEO, Wasserman Media Group
80. James Dolan Chairman, MSG; President, CEO Cablevision Systems
81. John Madden NFL commentator
82. John Kosner SVP, General Manager, ESPN New Media
83. Arn Tellem President, WMG Management
84. Bruton Smith Chairman, CEO, Speedway Motorsports
85. Adam Silver Deputy commissioner, COO, NBA
86. Charlie Denson President, Nike Brand
87. Tony Petitti EVP, executive producer, CBS Sports
88. Kobe Bryant Point guard, Los Angeles Lakers
89. Yao Ming Center, Houston Rockets
90. Tom Condon NFL Agent, CAA
91. Arte Moreno Owner, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
92. Brian Cashman General manager, New York Yankees
93. Joe Gibbs Head Coach, Washington Redskins; NASCAR team owner
94. Heidi Ueberroth President, Global Marketing Partnerships and International Business Operations, NBA
95. Earvin "Magic" Johnson NBA legend
96. Billy Beane Vice-president, general manager, Oakland Athletics
97. Micky Arison Owner, Miami Heat; chairman of NBA board of governors
98. Lesa France-Kennedy President International Speedway
99. David Berson EVP, program planning and strategy, ESPN
100. Donna Orender President, WNBA

 

[thefederman]

what is the criteria to be number one on the list. i don't really see how an NFL commissioner is at the top when you have the head of the most popular sport in the world at number 29 below Gary Bettman

 

[punch]

Gary Bettman at #27, hahaha.

I like how they list Kobe Bryant as 'Point Guard', what jokes.

This is what you get when you have Business week come up with the most powerful people in sports.

 

[dima]

what is the criteria to be number one on the list. i don't really see how an NFL commissioner is at the top when you have the head of the most popular sport in the world at number 29 below Gary Bettman

I know, I laughed at that, the list lost all its credibility.

 

[masha4ever#1]

Maria just #73. What's going out there???:sad:

 

[hoosierbr]

I'm surprised Agassi isn't on the list.

 

[AlpineCadet]

The current issue of Business Week magazine has NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on the cover. Tiger came in at #2 and Federer came in at #30, while Masha came in at #73. Here is the complete list:

1. Roger Goodell Commissioner, NFL
2. Tiger Woods Golfer
3. David Stern Commissioner, NBA
4. George Bodenheimer President, ESPN, ABC Sports; co-chairman, Disney Media Networks
5. Bud Selig Commissioner, MLB
6. Brian France Chairman, CEO NASCAR
7. Dick Ebersol Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics
8. Phil Knight Chairman, Nike
9. Sean McManus President, CBS News and Sports
10. Rupert Murdoch Chairman, CEO, News Corp.
11. Michael Jordan Managing Member of Basketball Operations, Charlotte Bobcats
12. Scott Boras President, Boras Corp.
13. Peyton Manning Quarterback, Indianapolis Colts
14. David Hill Chairman, CEO, Fox Sports
15. Donald Fehr Union boss, MLB
16. Myles Brand President, CEO, NCAA
17. David Beckham Soccer star
18. Jacques Rogge President, IOC
19. LeBron James Forward, Cleveland Cavaliers
20. Tony Ponturo VP, Global Media and Sports Marketing, Anheuser-Busch
21. Phil Anschutz Founder, Anschutz Entertainment Group
22. Herbert Hainer Chairman, CEO, Adidas
23. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. NASCAR driver
24. Brian Roberts Chairman, CEO, Comcast
25. George Steinbrenner Principal Owner, New York Yankees
26. Theodore Forstmann Chairman, CEO, IMG
27. Gary Bettman Commissioner, NHL
28. Alex Rodriguez Third baseman, New York Yankees
29. Joseph S. Blatter President, FIFA
30. Roger Federer Tennis player
31. Jim Delany Commissioner, Big Ten Conference
32. Dick Pound Chairman, World Anti-Doping Agency
33. Gene Upshaw Chairman, NFLPA
34. Tim Finchem Commissioner, PGA
35. Lance Armstrong Cyclist
36. John Skipper EVP, content, ESPN
37. Mark Parker CEO, President, Nike
38. David Levy President, Turner Sports, Inc.
39. Barry Bonds Outfielder, San Francisco Giants
40. Daniel Snyder Owner, Washington Redskins
41. Derek Jeter Shortstop, New York Yankees
42. Tim Leiweke President, CEO, Anschutz Entertainment Group
43. Paul Allen Owner, Seattle Seahawks, Portland TrailBlazers
44. Robert DuPuy President, COO, MLB
45. LaDainian Tomlinson Running back, San Diego Chargers
46. Tim Brosnan EVP for business, MLB
47. Jerry Reinsdorf Owner, Chicago Bulls, Chicago White Sox
48. Larry Lucchino President, CEO, Boston Red Sox
49. Ed Goren President, FOX Sports
50. Mark Cuban Owner, Dallas Mavericks
51. Mark Ford President, Sports Illustrated Group
52. Bob Bowman President, CEO, MLB Advanced Media
53. Jerry Jones Owner, Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Desperados
54. Roger Penske Owner, Penske Racing
55. Chase Carey CEO, president, DirecTV
56. Jeff Gordon NASCAR driver
57. Bernie Ecclestone Head of Formula 1
58. Jeff Urban SVP, sports marketing, Gatorade/PepsiCo.
59. George Pyne President, IMG Sports and Entertainment
60. Omar Minaya EVP of Baseball Operations, General Manager, NY Mets
61. Sidney Crosby Center, Pittsburgh Penguins
62. Jack Roush Founder, CEO, Roush Fenway Racing
63. Ross Greenburg CEO, HBO Sports
64. Robert Kraft Owner, Chairman, CEO New England Patriots
65. John Henry Principal Owner, Boston Red Sox; Roush Fenway Racing
66. John Walsh SVP, executive editor, ESPN Internet Group
67. Katie Bayne Chief Marketing Officer, Coca-Cola North America
68. Eric Grubman EVP, finance and strategic acquisitions, NFL
69. John Galloway VP, sports and media, Pepsi North America
70. Tom Brady Quarterback, New England Patriots
71. Tony Hawk Skateboarding tycoon
72. Mark Steinberg SVP and global managing director of golf, IMG
73. Maria Sharapova Tennis player
74. Tony Stewart NASCAR driver
75. The Maloof Family Owners, Sacramento Kings, Sacramento Monarchs
76. Arnold Palmer PGA legend
77. Randy Levine President, New York Yankees
78. Shaquille O'Neal Center, Miami Heat
79. Casey Wasserman Chairman, CEO, Wasserman Media Group
80. James Dolan Chairman, MSG; President, CEO Cablevision Systems
81. John Madden NFL commentator
82. John Kosner SVP, General Manager, ESPN New Media
83. Arn Tellem President, WMG Management
84. Bruton Smith Chairman, CEO, Speedway Motorsports
85. Adam Silver Deputy commissioner, COO, NBA
86. Charlie Denson President, Nike Brand
87. Tony Petitti EVP, executive producer, CBS Sports
88. Kobe Bryant Point guard, Los Angeles Lakers
89. Yao Ming Center, Houston Rockets
90. Tom Condon NFL Agent, CAA
91. Arte Moreno Owner, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
92. Brian Cashman General manager, New York Yankees
93. Joe Gibbs Head Coach, Washington Redskins; NASCAR team owner
94. Heidi Ueberroth President, Global Marketing Partnerships and International Business Operations, NBA
95. Earvin "Magic" Johnson NBA legend
96. Billy Beane Vice-president, general manager, Oakland Athletics
97. Micky Arison Owner, Miami Heat; chairman of NBA board of governors
98. Lesa France-Kennedy President International Speedway
99. David Berson EVP, program planning and strategy, ESPN
100. Donna Orender President, WNBA

You failed to include/mention the criteria they used for compiling this list.

"How do you pick the most powerful people in sports? Is it the super talented athlete who never seems to fail—especially when the game is on the line; the hard-nosed commissioner keeping owners and players in line, or the savvy entrepreneur whose visionary endorsements changed the sports-branding landscape? BusinessWeek undertook a mammoth and challenging project to rank the 100 most powerful people in sports. (ESPN the Magazine, collaborated with BusinessWeek on the stories in this package, but did not participate in the ranking that follows.) To help us figure out which sports figures ranked where, BusinessWeek asked 20 distinguished people from the sports and media world. Of course, the world of sports is charged with hometown biases and strong opinions. In that vein, we fully expect readers to debate the final The Power 100."

 

[Fedexeon]

In the Forbes list, Federer is the 4th most powerful athlete in terms of marketing. He worth 13 million USD (his name).

 

[mcpon]

^ Who are the rest?

 

[Feña14]

That list should be "100 Most Powerful People in Sports in America"

For example, where's Mahendra Singh Dhoni the Indian ODI cricket captain?

He is treated like a God at home in India (population 1.12 billion) where everyone is cricket mad. He had literally thousands of people following him down the road when he went for a hair cut! Cricket is like a religion to the people of India and he is their pin up who they all idolise. The marketablility of him is huge.

If that's not as powerful as say, an NFL commentator (John Madden) or a NASCAR driver then I must be missing something.

 

[malakas]

This list is a joke if it lists Fifa president at only no.29 and doesnt' include at all Uefa president.

 

[vkartikv]

Footballers who command millions of dollars are not in the top. Nor are cricketers like fena pointed out. Just the same old ignorant crap from people who think there is no life outside the US.

 

[Feña14]

Footballers who command millions of dollars are not in the top. Nor are cricketers like fena pointed out. Just the same old ignorant crap from people who think there is no life outside the US.

I believe they say that the position of Indian cricket captain is second only to the Prime Minister! Now that's a powerful position.

 

[vkartikv]

I believe they say that the position of Indian cricket captain is second only to the Prime Minister! Now that's a powerful position.

Just wait till we lose, which we will to Australia. And the players' houses will get stoned and they'll be reduced to laughing stocks. It's the constant cycle of ups and downs so common in Indian cricket.

 

[Feña14]

Just wait till we lose, which we will to Australia. And the players' houses will get stoned and they'll be reduced to laughing stocks. It's the constant cycle of ups and downs so common in Indian cricket.

Lol yeah. To go from beating England in a test series in England (not been done since 2001) to then losing to England in a one day series (we are really bad ODI's! How did that happen? lol) to then going on and winning the Twenty20 World Cup.

It's never dull with India.

 

[Bhagi Katbamna]

What the hell is anyone associated with women's pro basketball(WNBA) doing on the list.

 

[AndrewD]

To help us figure out which sports figures ranked where, BusinessWeek asked 20 distinguished people from the sports and media world. Of course, the world of sports is charged with hometown biases and strong opinions.

The 'World' of sports? Is that why the most powerful person on their list is in charge of a game that no-one outside of North and South America plays?

Perhaps BusinessWeek should have consulted some distinguished people who have some grasp of geography.

 

[vkartikv]

The 'World' of sports? Is that why the most powerful person on their list is in charge of a game that no-one outside of North and South America plays?

Perhaps BusinessWeek should have consulted some distinguished people who have some grasp of geography.

Geography? They have a show here in the states called 'Are you smarter than a 5th grader' and most contestants need GPS assistance to drive to their neighbour's, let alone point out Germany or Malaysia on a map....

 

[AlpineCadet]

Footballers who command millions of dollars are not in the top. Nor are cricketers like fena pointed out. Just the same old ignorant crap from people who think there is no life outside the US.

Isn't this article based only on American opinions, and not from the rest of the world? It doesn't seem like it, even though they may claim it to be.

 

[TheShaun]

That list should be "100 Most Powerful People in Sports in America"

exactly. very few non-americans considered.

 

[a_6m]

Its a time pass list.

See where Eccelstone of Formula1 is.....he controls other races then F1 too.

May be all american list.

 

[a_6m]

and People like MSC though retired, are still considered to be the ambassadors of F1.

 

[Rhino]

That list should be "100 Most Powerful People in Sports in America"

Well as usual many posters forget that America is only 5% of the world.

What about Bernie Ecclestone? he has to be more powerful than half these guys? He owns Formula One Holdings, which controls almost every part of the motor sport.
Or Russian billionaires Roman Abramovich (who owns Chelsea football club) and Alisher Usmanov (Arsenal shareholder)?

Also 43. Paul Allen should be no1, he's got so much more money than the others.