Sports Illustrated has released their “Top 50 most powerful people in sports” list. This isn’t a list about the athletes that participate on the field. This is about those behind the scenes movers and shakers who ensure the product is a profitable one. The list is made up of owners, CEO’s and media Chairmen. No surprise that the person occupying the top of the list has dominion over an annual TV revenue deal of $6 billion. Also not unexpected, the list is very white, and male dominated. The top 10 doesn’t feature one woman or person of color. All three major sports commissioners (NFL, NBA, MLB) are in the top 10. Even president Obama made the list. Check out the list and let me know if you feel they got it right or it might be missing.
- Roger Goodell – NFL commissioner
- David Stern – NBA commissioner
- Philip Anschutz- AEG owner
- John Skipper -ESPN president
- Bud Selig – MLB commissioner
- Stan Kroenke – Kroenke Sports Enterprises owner
- Mark Lazarus – NBC Sports chairman
- Jacques Rogge – IOC president
- Phil Knight – Nike chairman
- Hedge Fund Owners
- Mark Walter – Guggenheim Partners CEO & Dodgers owner
- Robert Kraft – Patriots owner
- Sean McManus – CBS Sports chairman
- Michael Dolan – IMG Worldwide CEO
- Eric Shank – Fox Sports co-president
- Sepp Blatter – FIFA president
- Mike Slive – SEC commissioner
- Adam Silver – NBA deputy commissioner
- Jerry Jones – Cowboys owner
- Larry Ellison – Oracle CEO
- Richard Scudamore – Barclays Premier League CEO
- Bernie Ecclestone – Formula One president and CEO
- Scott Boras – Baseball agent
- Kevin Plank – Under Armour CEO
- Tim Finchem – PGA commissioner
- Jm Delany – Big Ten commissioner
- Gary Bettman – NHL commissioner
- David Levy – Turner Broadcasting president of sales, distribution and sports
- Glazer Family – Man U owners
- Carlos Brito – Anheuser-Busch InBev CEO
- Donald Fehr – NHLPA executive director
- Herbert Hainer – Adidas Group CEO
- Bob Bowman – MLB Advanced Media CEO
- Casey Wasserman – Wasserman Media Group CEO
- DeMaurice Smith – NFLPA executive director
- Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan – UAE Deputy Prime Minister & Man. City owner
- Travis Tygart – USADA CEO
- Mark Emmert – NCAA president
- John Riccitiello – Electronic Arts CEO
- Brian France – NASCAR CEO and chairman
- Alison Lewis and Sharon Byers – Coca-Cola North America
- Al Haymon – Boxing adviser and promoter
- Ed O’Bannon – Retired basketball player
- Barack Obama – U.S. President
- Dana White – UFC president
- Cindy Davis – Nike Golf president
- Tom Condon – CAA Sports co-head of football division
- Mark Cuban – Mavericks owner
- Stephen Espinoza – Showtime executive VP of sports and event programming
- Michael Jordan – Hall of Fame Player/Bobcats owner
