Recently, we have seen news of Adam Silver getting a contract extension as commissioner of the NBA, and Gary Bettman getting into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Usually, however, commissioners are in the news for bad things, such as making contentious rules in the league, or deciding to suspend players when they did not deserve it. Overall, commissioners are very controversial.
Roger Goodell is probably the most controversial when it comes to commissioners. Goodell just came out with the newest rule on the national anthem, requiring all players to stand or just stand in the locker room during the anthem. He also has cracked down on the marijuana policies that the NFL has for repeat offenders. The ratings have also dropped with the NFL as of late. But, Goodell’s crowning achievement is bringing football back to Los Angeles, with the Rams and Chargers. He has also tried to make the NFL a more international brand, rather than just a national brand.
Adam Silver got a six-year extension recently, meaning that he will be the face of the NBA front office for years to come. He is known for being the most player-friendly commissioner. He tries to make the league more fun for the players, and allow for player mobility. But, the one big criticism was allowing the Kevin Durant move to the Warriors, as the NBA has been overinflated with a lot of money from TV deals.
Rob Manfred, the MLB commissioner, has been able to improve the relationships between owners and players, along with expanding how people can see games all around the country. He is one of the quieter commissioners, but still is making moves with the league as a whole. The most controversial move he made was trying to speed up the pace of the game. He implemented a clock in between innings, and limited the amount of visits a manager can have on a specific game. They said if the average game length is not under three hours, they will implement a pitch clock for all major league games.
The NHL commissioner, Gary Bettman, was the first commissioner in the entire league after a long labor battle between the owners and players in 1993. He has grown the NHL into what we’ve seen it today and they have had a huge revenue growth. The franchises are worth way more than they used to be, and the NHL is not as unwatchable and boring as it used to be. However, his public perception is absolutely horrendous. You know Bettman is entering an arena just by the sound of the boo’s around the stadium. He has a bad relationship with players, and has botched many projects along the way that could have destroyed the NHL.
So, with all of this information, who do you think is the best commissioner in all of sports? Vote below!