Bodenheimer Named Most Influential Person In Sports Business

Bodenheimer Tops Most Influential List

ESPN/ABC Sports President GEORGE BODENHEIMER has been named the most influential person in sports business by SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, which notes Bodenheimer "literally is changing the way people view sports, whether it's on TV, broadband or mobile." ESPN's deals to bring the BCS and British Open "exclusively to cable mark a sea change in televised sports" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 12/15 issue). Meanwhile, SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Bill King writes these are the "sort of economic times that move movers and shake shakers," and all business conversations "begin and end with the economy." President-elect BARACK OBAMA will "have the most to say" about the direction of U.S. economic policy in the coming year, and there is "no single person, or force, that will hold more sway." Never have the influencers "felt so influenced." IMG Sports & Entertainment President GEORGE PYNE, who ranks No. 21 on the most influential list, said, "The economy and what impact it will have on sports and on this business is without question the No. 1 issue out there for everybody" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 12/15 issue).

RANK	EXECUTIVE
1	ESPN/ABC Sports President George Bodenheimer
2	Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones
3	NBA Commissioner David Stern
4	NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell
5	NBC Sports & Olympics Chair Dick Ebersol
6	MLB Commissioner Bud Selig
7	Fox Sports Chair & CEO David Hill
8	CBS News and Sports President Sean McManus
9	NASCAR Chair & CEO Brian France
10	Comcast Exec VP/Content Acquisition David Cohen
11	AEG President & CEO Tim Leiweke
12	Patriots Owner Robert Kraft
13	NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman
14	Nike Brand President Charlie Denson
15	adidas Chair & CEO Herbert Hainer
16	Turner Sports President David Levy
17	PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem
18	MLB President & COO Bob DuPuy
19	DirecTV President & CEO Chase Carey
20	Red Sox Owner John Henry
21	IMG Sports & Entertainment President George Pyne
22	MLB Exec VP/Business Tim Brosnan
23	NFLPA outside counsel Jeffrey Kessler
24	NBA Deputy Commissioner & COO Adam Silver
25	NCAA President Myles Brand
26	ESPN Exec VP/Content John Skipper
27	WMG Chair & CEO Casey Wasserman
28	Yankees co-Chair Hal Steinbrenner
29	MLBAM President & CEO Bob Bowman
30	IOC President Jacques Rogge
31	Comcast Programming Group President Jeff Shell
32	MLS Commissioner Don Garber
33	CAA Sports co-Head of Football Tom Condon
34	Under Armour Chair & CEO Kevin Plank
35	Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban
36	ESPN Exec VP/Sales & Marketing Sean Bratches
37	A-B InBev CEO Carlos Brito
38	EA Sports President Peter Moore
39	NFL Panthers Owner Jerry Richardson
40	OMD Dir of Sports Marketing Tom McGovern
41	MLBPA Exec Dir Don Fehr
42	Scott Boras Corp. CEO Scott Boras
43	Bruins Owner Jeremy Jacobs Sr.
44	NBPA Exec Dir Billy Hunter
45	Broncos Owner Pat Bowlen
46	Octagon President & CEO Rick Dudley
47	FSN Networks President Randy Freer
48	CAA Sports co-Head Michael Levine
49	Former USOC Chair Peter Ueberroth
50	Google Chair & CEO Eric Schmidt

HOOP IT UP: In DC, Tim Lemke wrote he is a "little surprised to see" DAVID STERN ahead of ROGER GOODELL, but he noted the list "rightly gives a lot of credit to Stern for his expansion of the NBA globally." And the addition of DAVID COHEN is a "great choice, though I'm not sure he belongs as high" as No. 10. Lemke: "I do have one quibble with SBJ, and that's the failure to list a single athlete. I understand SBJ is a publication geared toward sports executives, but the failure to include either TIGER WOODS or [Cavaliers F] LEBRON JAMES seems like an oversight" (WASHINGTONTIMES.com, 12/15). In San Antonio, Mike Monroe writes in the current economic climate, there is "nothing more vital to every professional league than potential new revenue streams," and SBJ "contends the NBA-AEG China arena deal 'stands to pay off at some point.'" Monroe: "Of course, 'some point' wasn't soon enough to save the jobs of 88 NBA employees laid off this fall, but Stern always sees the long view" (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 12/16).

JOLLY ROGER: Fox Business’ David Asman said of Goodell ranking No. 4 on the list, “Everybody seems to like him. He’s a likeable person.” SportsBusiness Journal's Dan Kaplan said, “You compare him to his predecessor (PAUL TAGLIABUE), who always came into the room thinking he was the smartest man in the room -- and he was -- but he let you know it. Roger, the son of a senator, knows how to play the room” ("America’s Nightly Scoreboard,” Fox Business, 12/15).

OWNING UP: On Long Island, Neil Best wrote of JERRY JONES ranking No. 2, "Ick. Pretty good for a guy whose team last won a playoff game before CLINTON's second inauguration" (NEWSDAY.com, 12/15)....In N.Y., Mark Feinsand notes HAL STEINBRENNER debuts on the list at No. 28, the same spot his brother HANK had last year. Feinsand: “For the past two years, the 40-year-old Hal has been heavily involved with every aspect of the organization, from business to baseball, the new joint hospitality venture between the Yankees and Cowboys, and, of course, the new Yankee Stadium" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 12/16). 

LACKING DIVERSITY: In L.A., Diane Pucin noted of the 50 people on the list there are "no women and only one nonwhite male," BILLY HUNTER (LATIMES.com, 12/15). THE BIG LEAD wrote the list is "lilly white" (THEBIGLEAD.com, 12/15).