MLSE Chair Larry Tanenbaum was honored at the Sports Business Awards last night with SBJ's Lifetime Achievement Award, and he noted he had "mixed emotions: gratitude and concern." Tanenbaum: "As an industry and as a community, so many are facing hardship whether they have been impacted by the pandemic or are in emotional pain as we watch too many cases of racial injustice that, left unchecked, will tear our society apart." He added, "Because we all owe so much to the sports and entertainment industry, we must use sports to remind us all of the powerful platform we have to lead us forward. We witness and experience everyday the amazing impact of sports in our lives and in the world. It inspires millions of people everyday to reach for a goal. It creates opportunities for millions more, and, most of all, sport has the ability to unite us all. Sport can create the inclusion and equality we so desperately need right now.” Tanenbaum's tribute video was narrated by his longtime friend, Jon Bon Jovi.
HIGH PRAISE: Tanenbaum was introduced by three commissioners: MLS' Don Garber, NHL's Gary Bettman and NBA's Adam Silver. Garber said, “Larry had a great vision for what soccer in Canada could be and really believed that Major League Soccer could be one of the dominant Division I soccer leagues in all of the world. ... Without Toronto FC, without Larry Tanenbaum, without (MLSE), Major League Soccer simply would not be what it is today.” Bettman, pointing to large portrait images of Tanenbaum on the boards of Rogers Center in Edmonton, said, “I always think of you as being larger than life.” He also called Tanenbaum "probably the most incredible owner in all of sports.” Silver: "His calm presence and spirit of collaboration have made him such an effective chairman and his leadership in helping us plan the restart of our season in Orlando is just the latest example.”
Other outtakes from Tanenbaum's acceptance speech:
- "In major league professional sports, the sum of all teams working together to build a strong league outweighs any one teams singular success. I happen to be blessed in hockey, basketball and soccer in having the three best commissioners in all of sports."
- "My life has been full of bright stars. The brightest star is my wife and partner for 54 years. As I’ve often said, I make the money and Judy makes the difference."
- "Nelson Mandela used sport to lead and create positive change. He fought for equality and change using sport as an important tool. Twenty-five years ago, Mandela said, ‘Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers.’ That is the opportunity in front of us today as an industry and this entire world works to overcome the effects of the coronavirus pandemic but also, more importantly, the right for racial equality in our society. It is more than an opportunity. It is our responsibility."
