Ten Most Influential People In Sports

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GEORGE BODENHEIMER

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I figured I would limit this group to those who are more or less based in the United States, or whose influence is most felt in the United States. Around the world, you could no doubt add many to this list, including Roman Abramovich, the owner of the Chelsea Football Club, Lalit Modi, chairman of the Twenty20 Champions League in cricket, and Bernie Ecclestone, head of Formula One racing.

Here we go:

GEORGE BODENHEIMER, President, ESPN -- For better or worse, there is no institution that has created the sports culture in America to the extent that ESPN has. Its tentacles are everywhere, and the network is partners with almost every organization that means anything in American sports. With the expansion of the brand to all forms of media, there is no stopping this powerhouse, and Bodenheimer is the man at the trigger.

PHIL KNIGHT, Founder, Nike -- Knight has ceded the day-to-day control of his company to other people, but there is no disputing his stamp on the American sporting culture. Knight has changed the whole template of product endorsement, by changing the way athletes are marketed, often times creating the star so that he/she can be important enough to promote his product. As far as sports-related product is concerned, this brand is as ubiquitous as any on earth.

DAVID HILL, CEO, Fox Sports -- Fox is in a position where it can broadcast a Super Bowl, World Series and Daytona 500 within a year's time. How much more influential can it get?

DICK EBERSOL, Chairman, NBC Sports -- As they say, television often pulls the strings, and Ebersol pulled off a coup with his network's success in the Olympics, which became a multi-media triumph. NBC got back to the business of telling a story and creating megastars, which drive ratings, and few in recent times have been as big a story as Michael Phelps. This only happened because Ebersol was able to have the hours for the swimming competition changed so they could go live primetime in the U.S.

ROGER GOODELL, NFL Commissioner -- I would say that if this was Pete Rozelle's era, the NFL commissioner would be no lower than #2. That's because Rozelle was a visionary, a negotiator and a great salesman for the NFL. He was also a tremendous diplomat who was able to take over the job in his early 30s and exhibit the kind of control that would be expected out of someone with much less experience. Goodell, when he is not trying to be a cop, is a tool. The idea that something like Al Sharpton could have had any effect whatsoever on Pete Rozelle's decision-making process would have been a joke.

DAVID STERN, NBA Commissioner -- Stern has elevated the importance of the NBA in the sports marketplace, even as the imagery of the players in the league has, for the most part, taken a dive, and betting by referees has been exposed. However, the NBA was able to skate past that "rogue" officiating problem, and is still able to sell those stars who are the most marketable (e.g., LeBron James, Kobe Bryant). The worldwide expansion of the brand is well underway.

MALCOLM GLAZER, Sports owner -- I don't know if you can make a list like this up and not include Glazer. First of all, he is the owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and thus, is a member of an exclusive club in the most profitable league in this country. On top of that, though, he is the owner of Manchester United, which at $1.87 billion is reportedly the most valuable sports franchise in the world. His influence was something of a burden at first, as ManU fans rebelled against him, but they've been winning, so like George Steinbrenner, he is the man you love to hate but have to live because he delivers. It's important to America because Glazer has plans to take the ManU brand and do something stateside with it, which, if successful, will instantly make him the most influential figure in American soccer.

BRIAN FRANCE, Chairman and CEO, NASCAR -- To those who are paying dutiful attention, NASCAR has done the most innovative job of marrying sponsor, sport and fan. This has changed the way other sports and teams are looking at their marketing partnerships. Sure, the sagging auto industry has taken its bite out of the business, but NASCAR does march on.

BUD SELIG, MLB Commissioner -- He's here by virtue of being the commissioner of a popular sport, but baseball could really use a more dynamic personality with a greater vision; somebody like Peter Ueberroth, chairman of the U.S. Olympic Committee, who barely misses this list.

GEORGE PYNE, President, IMG Sports & Entertainment -- Ted Forstmann is the CEO at IMG, but that's an investment. Pyne, who was one of the leaders of the NASCAR explosion during his time as COO there, is the mover and shaker who runs the day-to-day for the world's biggest sports marketing agency. Obviously if Mark McCormick were alive, he would occupy this space, as he is one of the most influential sports figures of all time.

Non-mention category:

DANA WHITE, President, UFC -- I say "non-mention" because I'm not altogether sure a lot of establishment-types really want to recognize his impact. White has managed to identify, corral and service a loyal demographic that all other sporting ventures wished they had, and came along to produce the right product at the right time in the right way to keep that demographic group around.

And a dishonorable mention goes to.....

AL SHARPTON, Agitator -- If you not only are able to scare the National Football League into rejecting people of opposing political beliefs as prospective owners, but can preclude the process of approval from even taking place, you are indeed influential. As conservative talk show host Mark Levin sarcastically says, "Sharpton is the real commissioner of the NFL."