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Worst Team Owners of All Time
The worst team owners of all time are the rich and powerful men and women who were the most hated by fans, the least successful or even the most scandalous of their time. These football, basketball, hockey and baseball team owners are some of the worst ever, so much so that decades after these entrepreneurs have left these teams, fans still talk of the damage that these awful owners did.
Many of these owners were involved with professional sports teams for several years but unfortunately many of these years were some of the worst ever for the teams. In more than 20 years owning the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL, Mike Brown's team only reached the playoffs twice. Michael Jordan's Charlotte Bobcats tallied the worst record in the history of the NBA in the shortened 2011-12 season, winning just seven games and putting him up for the worst NBA executive of all time award.
But it's not just having a losing team that makes an owner one of the worst ever. Some owners were notorious about treating people badly or making unpopular decisions. Arnold Johnson, who moved the MLB Athletics franchise from Philadelphia to Kansas City, sold all of his good players out of greed. Marge Schott, owner of the Cincinnati Reds from 1984 to 1999, famously once said "Hitler wasn't so bad." No one will ever forgive Harry Frazee, owner of the Boston Red Sox from 1916 to 1923, for selling Babe Ruth so he could finance more Broadway plays.
If that isn't bad enough, some owners were straight up criminal in their actions. Harold Ballard, involved with the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1961 to 1990, was convicted on 47 charges including fraud, theft and tax evasion leading to a three-year stay in prison.
Whether these terrible team owners just didn't have a clue and the franchise suffered because of it or if the owners were more scandalous, each of these team owners did something or another to earn them the distinction of being one of the worst team owners of all time. Have an owner you despise that we missed? Add it and vote for which owners you think are the best below!
Many of these owners were involved with professional sports teams for several years but unfortunately many of these years were some of the worst ever for the teams. In more than 20 years owning the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL, Mike Brown's team only reached the playoffs twice. Michael Jordan's Charlotte Bobcats tallied the worst record in the history of the NBA in the shortened 2011-12 season, winning just seven games and putting him up for the worst NBA executive of all time award.
But it's not just having a losing team that makes an owner one of the worst ever. Some owners were notorious about treating people badly or making unpopular decisions. Arnold Johnson, who moved the MLB Athletics franchise from Philadelphia to Kansas City, sold all of his good players out of greed. Marge Schott, owner of the Cincinnati Reds from 1984 to 1999, famously once said "Hitler wasn't so bad." No one will ever forgive Harry Frazee, owner of the Boston Red Sox from 1916 to 1923, for selling Babe Ruth so he could finance more Broadway plays.
If that isn't bad enough, some owners were straight up criminal in their actions. Harold Ballard, involved with the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1961 to 1990, was convicted on 47 charges including fraud, theft and tax evasion leading to a three-year stay in prison.
Whether these terrible team owners just didn't have a clue and the franchise suffered because of it or if the owners were more scandalous, each of these team owners did something or another to earn them the distinction of being one of the worst team owners of all time. Have an owner you despise that we missed? Add it and vote for which owners you think are the best below!
113 voters +
6 reranks
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- 1Up 26Down 5
Donald Sterling
1933added by: SportsYeah“ Los Angeles Clippers „ - 2Up 25Down 71953added by: SportsYeah“ Los Angeles Dodgers „
- 3Up 25Down 9
Marge Schott
added by: SportsYeah“ Cincinnati Reds „ - 4Up 24Down 12
Art Modell
added by: SportsYeah“ Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens „ - 5Up 20Down 7
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd.
added by: SportsYeah“ Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, Toronto Marlies and Toronto FC „ - 6Up 15Down 6
Bill Bidwill
1931added by: SportsYeah“ Arizona Cardinals „ - 7Up 18Down 4
Peter Angelos
1929added by: SportsYeah“ Baltimore Orioles „ - 8Up 21Down 3
Daniel Snyder
1965 - 9Up 11Down 1
Arnold Johnson
added by: SportsYeah“ Kansas City Athletics „ - 10Up 13Down 5
William Clay Ford, Sr.
1925added by: SportsYeah“ Detroit Lions „ - 11Up 11Down 5
Fred Wilpon
1936added by: SportsYeah“ New York Mets „ - 12Up 8Down 2
David Glass
added by: SportsYeah“ Kansas City Royals „ - 13Up 18Down 61963added by: SportsYeah“ Charlotte Bobcats „
- 14Up 13Down 101929added by: SportsYeah“ Oakland Raiders „
- 15Up 17Down 7
Maloof family
added by: SportsYeah“ Sacramento Kings „ - 16Up 12Down 9
Charles Comisky
added by: SportsYeah“ Chicago White Sox „ - 17Up 13Down 4added by: SportsYeah“ Chicago Cubs „
- 18Up 15Down 41940added by: SportsYeah“ Montreal Expos and Miami Marlins „
- 19Up 8Down 5
Harold Ballard
1903added by: SportsYeah“ Toronto Maple Leafs „ - 20Up 9Down 4
Bill Wirtz
added by: SportsYeah“ Chicago Blackhawks „ - 21Up 10Down 4
Harry Frazee
added by: SportsYeah“ Boston Red Sox „ - 22Up 10Down 7
Mike Brown
1935added by: SportsYeah“ Cincinnati Bengals „ - 23Up 4Down 8
Charles Wang
1944added by: SportsYeah“ New York Islanders „ - 24Up 1Down 01947added by: thebapper
- 25Up 1Down 01940added by: BostonBruins
- 26Up 5Down 8
Ted Lerner
1925added by: SportsYeah“ Washington Nationals „ - 27Up 3Down 7
Phil Wrigley
added by: SportsYeah“ Chicago Cubs „ - 28Up 5Down 2
Lewis Wolff
added by: SportsYeah“ Oakland Athletics „ -
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