Most destructive team owners

[dixiehack]

If you are willing to be creative with definitions, Brian France.

 

[wicked]

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you...Victor Kiam.

The franchise was always a mess except for a couple brief blips, and it didn't change until Parcells.

Don't know how I forgot the Nuttings, but they're a prime example. The franchise is now irrelevant. They have one of the best ballparks in the majors. How often do they sell out the place?

 

[poindexter]

Bob or Jim, cause either could be in the discussion.

I couldn't figure out if he was talking about the drunk or the pill popper.

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

Howard Schultz

 

[MTM]

Georgia Frontiere.
She had her husband killed, er, Caroll Rosenbloom died, and she let the Rams become shirtty and irrelevant then blamed the fans for having to move the franchise for a buttload of cash.

 

[micropolitan guy]

Bud Adams destroyed the Houston Oilers.

Al Davis destroyed the Oakland Raiders twice and the Los Angeles Raiders once.

Horace Stoneham destroyed the New York Giants.

Walter O'Malley destroyed the Brooklyn Dodgers.

The franchises kept going, but if you lived in those cities, your team was destroyed. The LA Dodgers were not the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was not losing money. At some point, his stadium issue would have been resolved.

Sometimes franchise moves can be justified financially, if you are losing money. Anything beyond that is simple greed, IMHO, often couched as a "smart business decision" or some other narrative. Other's mileage will vary, obviously.

 

[mateen]

He probably deserves a special category since they won a Stanley Cup 6 years after the move, so it's not like the franchise was devastated, but Minnesotans will want to include Norm Green here. The North Stars had actually stabilized under Gainey and attendance was back up, but he moves the team because he can't get an arena deal and it's revealed he is sexually harassing an employee (who happens to be the daughter of a Mpls city council member).

 

[FileNotFound]

Does 2014-15 make up for all the years David Glass tried to run the Kansas City Royals like a Walmart?

 

[Liut]

Does 2014-15 make up for all the years David Glass tried to run the Kansas City Royals like a Walmart?

Barely. Good take, though.

 

[MisterCreosote]

Norman Braman, aka "That Guy in France."

I wouldn't call him "destructive," per se, but that Eagles team should've won at least one Super Bowl with Randall Cunningham and the Gang Green Defense.

And the only reason he owned the team was to keep Leonard Tose from gambling it away. He really didn't give much of a shirt.

 

[Liut]

Norman Braman, aka "That Guy in France."

I wouldn't call him "destructive," per se, but that Eagles team should've won at least one Super Bowl with Randall Cunningham and the Gang Green Defense.

And the only reason he owned the team was to keep Leonard Tose from gambling it away. He really didn't give much of a shirt.

Could not agree with you more about those Eagles teams. Mark Bowden's book was a very good read pertaining to that time.

I'll throw out Bill Bidwell's name, stealing your statement "I wouldn't call him 'destructive' per se." Having said that, the man was very tight when the franchise was in St. Louis. The recently-deceased Conrad Dobler once stated that Bidwell (allegedly) said winning a Super Bowl would be terrible for the Cardinals because it would result in higher salaries.

 

[goalmouth]

Fat Orange Hitler destroyed an entire league.