Sports Illustrated presents the “Top 50 Most Powerful People in Sports”

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.

1. Roger Goodell – NFL commissioner
2. David Stern – NBA commissioner
3. Philip Anschutz- AEG owner
4. John Skipper -ESPN president
5. Bud Selig – MLB commissioner
6. Stan Kroenke – Kroenke Sports Enterprises owner
7. Mark Lazarus – NBC Sports chairman
8. Jacques Rogge – IOC president
9. Phil Knight – Nike chairman
10. Hedge Fund Owners
11. Mark Walter – Guggenheim Partners CEO & Dodgers owner
12. Robert Kraft – Patriots owner
13. Sean McManus – CBS Sports chairman
14. Michael Dolan – IMG Worldwide CEO
15. Eric Shank – Fox Sports co-president
16. Sepp Blatter – FIFA president
17. Mike Slive – SEC commissioner
18. Adam Silver – NBA deputy commissioner
19. Jerry Jones – Cowboys owner
20. Larry Ellison – Oracle CEO
21. Richard Scudamore – Barclays Premier League CEO
22. Bernie Ecclestone – Formula One president and CEO
23. Scott Boras – Baseball agent
24. Kevin Plank – Under Armour CEO
25. Tim Finchem – PGA commissioner
26. Jm Delany – Big Ten commissioner
27. Gary Bettman – NHL commissioner
28. David Levy – Turner Broadcasting president of sales, distribution and sports
29. Glazer Family – Man U owners
30. Carlos Brito – Anheuser-Busch InBev CEO
31. Donald Fehr – NHLPA executive director
32. Herbert Hainer – Adidas Group CEO
33. Bob Bowman – MLB Advanced Media CEO
34. Casey Wasserman – Wasserman Media Group CEO
35. DeMaurice Smith – NFLPA executive director
36. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan – UAE Deputy Prime Minister & Man. City owner
37. Travis Tygart – USADA CEO
38. Mark Emmert – NCAA president
39. John Riccitiello – Electronic Arts CEO
40. Brian France – NASCAR CEO and chairman
41. Alison Lewis and Sharon Byers – Coca-Cola North America
42. Al Haymon – Boxing adviser and promoter
43. Ed O’Bannon – Retired basketball player
44. Barack Obama – U.S. President
45. Dana White – UFC president
46. Cindy Davis – Nike Golf president
47. Tom Condon – CAA Sports co-head of football division
48. Mark Cuban – Mavericks owner
49. Stephen Espinoza – Showtime executive VP of sports and event programming
50. Michael Jordan – Hall of Fame Player/Bobcats owner