Year In Review
Year in Review: People
Newsmakers who were the talk of the industry
Whether their impact was regional or global, the actions of these individuals grabbed the attention of the sports world in 2019.
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Megan Rapinoe
Player, U.S. women’s national soccer team
Rapinoe led the U.S. to its fourth World Cup title in July, and recently was named 2019’s Ballon d’Or winner by FIFA, given to the world’s best female soccer player. Her arms-aloft goal celebration at the World Cup became an iconic image. But like her national team, Rapinoe’s social impact in 2019 should long outlast her playing contributions. She has been the figurehead of the U.S. women’s national team’s crusade against U.S. Soccer for equal pay and an outspoken voice for gender equality and LGBTQ rights.
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Jeff Schwartz
President and co-founder, Excel Sports Management
Schwartz has negotiated contracts of $100 million or more for 11 NBA players, the most of any agent in league history. Five of those deals — for Khris Middleton, Kemba Walker, CJ McCollum, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray— were done during a historically lucrative 2019 offseason for NBA players.
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Jim Crane
Owner, Houston Astros
No one has used analytics better than the Houston Astros, who have won 100 games three straight seasons. But a PR debacle clouded their 2019 World Series appearance, and Crane’s team faces potentially harsh penalties related to the MLB investigation into sign-stealing allegations.
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Kevin Warren
Incoming commissioner, Big Ten Conference
As Minnesota Vikings COO, Warren was the highest-ranking black executive on an NFL team when he was selected in June to succeed Jim Delany at the Big Ten. He will be the first African-American commissioner of a power five conference when he takes over on Jan. 2. Among the issues he’ll face are how to approach paying student athletes or compensating them for their name, image and likeness, and the possible expansion of the College Football Playoff.
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Chris Del Conte
Athletic director, University of Texas
Del Conte established himself as one of the true movers and shakers in college athletics because of his emphasis on providing the best game-day experience for the Longhorns’ fans. From Bevo Blvd. to Longhorn City Limits, he convinced donors, sponsors and his staff to buy in on the reimagining of the fan experience.
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Paul Rabil
Co-founder, Premier League Lacrosse
Starting a new league from scratch is not an easy accomplishment, but that’s exactly what lacrosse icon Paul Rabil did this year with the first season of the Premier Lacrosse League. Rabil and his brother, PLL co-founder Mike Rabil, felt that the sport of lacrosse could benefit from a new league that aimed to elevate both on-field play and off-field business for players and fans. The six-team, traveling league held its first season in 2019, had games shown on NBC Sports’ channels and landed several blue-chip partners including Gatorade and Capital One. Rabil recently announced that the league will expand to seven teams for 2020.
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Cathy Engelbert
Commissioner, WNBA
The former Deloitte CEO took the helm at a pivotal time in the WNBA’s 23-year history after players opted out of the collective-bargaining agreement in late 2018. Engelbert’s leadership skills will be tested in those labor negotiations and as the league looks to grow revenue, increase attendance and draw more viewers. The WNBA’s first commissioner — her predecessors all had the title of president — Engelbert has a basketball background, playing under Hall of Fame coach Muffet McGraw at Lehigh, and her father was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 1957.
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Jay-Z
Owner, Roc Nation Sports
When the NFL’s partnership with Jay-Z and Roc Nation was announced, public reaction was largely negative with many critics seeing only a crass business move on Jay-Z’s part, instead of any true concern for social justice initiatives. Motives aside, the partnership puts Jay-Z in an even more prominent position in American sports, especially as Roc Nation’s influence fans out across the various pro leagues.
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Mike Bohn
Athletic director, University of Southern California
The former Cincinnati AD went from a solid non-power five job to one of the most high-profile positions in college athletics. All eyes will be on Bohn in 2020 as he tries to restore Trojan pride in the aftermath of the Lynn Swann administration. His first big decision — to keep Clay Helton as head football coach — was met with skepticism from fans and pundits alike.
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Daryl Morey
General manager, Houston Rockets
Morey set off a geopolitical firestorm after he tweeted out support for the protests in Hong Kong, causing a massive controversy as the league found itself defending the right to free speech while operating a multibillion-dollar business in communist China. Media reports indicate that the team lost up to $20 million from canceled Chinese sponsorship deals.
