Worst Owner in Sports History?

What really sucks is that whomever ends up purchasing the remains will be punished for what the previous owners did. He/they will be the Cleveland State of professional soccer.

 

Hugh Culverhouse deserves mention.

 

Isiah Thomas would like a word. He not only ruined a team (he did that coaching), he destroyed an ENTIRE LEAGUE, the CBA...forcing into bankruptcy before heading off to be the head coach of the Indiana Pacers.

The NBDL had something to do with it, but still...

 

And he would make media members pay for their media guides. The Cardinals have taken an upturn in recent seasons, but that not-so-coincidentally happened to come after he turned the running of the team over to his kid, who seems to have a damn good idea what he's doing.

While we're on the St. Louis sports scene, I'd nominate Harry Ornest from the mid-1980s Blues. He gets credit for keeping the franchise in town and not letting them move to Saskatchewan, but beyond that he was a train wreck. I remember one year the home opener comes, and the visiting team realized their bench wasn't long enough. He left the Blues bench the full length but had the visiting bench cut down so he could sell a couple more season tickets in the first two rows. The visiting team's backup goalie had to watch from the tunnel until the league stepped in and ordered it fixed.

 

Good point regarding Michael Bidwell.

Yeah, Ornest was tight. Traded me to Hartford because I would cost too much ;D. However, the fact the Blues didn't end up in Saskatoon keeps Harry from among the worst owners in sports history.

 

Rangers are Kentucky. But it sucks to be you, Motherwell.

 

Is your screen name for one of the best, most under-appreciated goalies in NHL history? I'm instantly a big fan.

You're right, Ornest does get credit for that. He did get crucified for trading away so much talent from St. Louis to purely dump salary, but I think he was hemorraghing (sp) money throughout his ownership period.

 

And to your point, He let Demers get away after the 1986 Campbell finals. Was quoted as saying something along the lines of "I've got the best coach in the league and I'm paying him the least."

 

Lonnie is running a back-country ski area in my coverage area. Several of the local HS football teams were donated Shreveport Pirates equipment a while back.

 

This could be turning into Stl SJ. I love it.

I remember the Arena being in such horrible condition during the Ornest years that the wood in the boards was so warped and uneven that there were players injured from skating along the boards and having their sticks get caught in the wood sticking out. I saw a story once where a referee or linesman said they would be willing to come to the rink on an off-day with some hammers and nails and do some carpentry work to get the boards to playable condition.

 

That's why I was happy to be in Hartford at the time.

BTW, Elliotte, what's the latest on my attempts to get Tarasenko signed with the ink dry? This new St. Louis regime may end up as tight as Harry.