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Who is the worst owner in professional sports? A tale of the tape

Who is the worst owner in professional sports? A tale of the tape
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Dan Snyder

Just before the turn of the century, two monsters of a new millennium were unleashed on the unsuspecting sporting communities of New York and Washington. Twenty years later, two franchises – the NBA Knicks and the NFL R*dsk*ns – have fallen from proud to pathetic, laying in waste in a rubble-filled puddle of dysfunction and defeat.

Today we bring you an overdue comparison of the presumptive worst owners in professional sports, the Knicks' James Dolan and the R*dsk*ns' Daniel Snyder:

Phoenix Suns v New York Knicks/James Dolan

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How They Got There. To his credit, the 55-year-old Snyder, a college dropout, is a self-made billionaire (perhaps forever tainting the terms "self-made" and "billionaire"), parlaying his Snyder Communications marketing company into buying the Redskins in 1999 for $800 million. Dolan, 64, climbed the ranks the old-fashioned way – he is the son of Cablevision founder Charles Dolan, and his dad handed him control of the Knicks in 1999.

Team Records. Under Dolan, the Knicks have the worst record in the NBA in the 21st century, winning exactly one playoff series (2013) and missing the postseason the past six years. Under Snyder, the R*dsk*ns are 142-190-1, with a grand total of two playoff victories (1999, 2005 seasons).

Coaches. Dolan has had 13 head coaches in 20 seasons, including Herb Williams twice; he fired David Fizdale this month. Snyder has only had nine coaches in 20 seasons; he fired Jay Gruden in October, asking him to report to the R*dsk*ns facility at 5 a.m. to be told of his dismissal. (At least he beat traffic.)

Front Office Boo-Boos. Dolan hired Isiah Thomas as team president and subsequently hired him as head coach. Snyder first had Vinny Cerrato running the team, followed by Bruce Allen. If Thomas, Cerrato and Allen ran Bed Bath & Beyond, there would be no bath or beyond.

Business Hiccups. Dolan reportedly lost $250 million for Cablevision when he bought the failing Wiz electronics chain, which ended up in liquidation. Snyder seized control of Six Flags, taking it into bankruptcy four years later. Apparently, integrated circuitry and theme parks ain't in these guys' wheelhouse.

Customer Relations: After a fan yelled at Dolan to "sell the team" following a home loss in March, Dolan banned him from Madison Square Garden for life; he has attempted to bar individuals several times from Knicks games. Snyder once banned fan signs from FedEx Field (largely to eliminate embarrassing, critical messages), once disallowed pedestrian traffic into FedEx Field (largely to prevent fans from parking at a nearby mall to avoid stadium parking fees) and sued season-ticket holders who back out of long-term contracts (largely to extract more money from the serfs).

Media Relations. Both virtually never grant interviews. As part of a long-running feud, Dolan barred the New York Daily News from a post-draft press conference in June, incurring a $50,000 NBA fine. Snyder once sued the Washington City Paper and writer Dave McKenna for the greatest Snyder article ever penned, "The Cranky R*dsk*ns Fan's Guide to Dan Snyder," before dropping the action in 2011.

Hobbies. Dolan is the frontman and guitarist for the blues-inspired rock band JD & The Straight Shot. Snyder is the owner of a $180 million superyacht that includes an IMAX theater, a basketball court and a helipad; it can accommodate several hundred passengers, coincidentally about the same number of people attending R*dsk*ns home games this season.

Temperament. They both have a bad temperament.

Conclusion: Who Is Worse? With cooperation from the Johns Hopkins Advanced Physics Laboratory and ESPN Stats & Info, we created a complex analytical model to deconstruct the two owners. And the results? Remarkably, the numbers indicate that, if Dolan and Snyder swapped franchises over the last two decades, the Knicks and the R*dsk*ns would still have the exact same records over that span.

Ask The Slouch

Q. Vanna White is currently pinch-hitting for the injured Pat Sajak. If you went on the D.L., who would peck away on the old Smith Corona? (Jack Drury; Cumberland, Md.)

A. Our one-month contingency calls for Toni to handle two columns, Shirley to handle one and Daisy – our 90-pound pit mix with a 25-word vocabulary – to handle the other.

Q. Does the Bureau of Engraving and Printing literally print money? (Dan Campos; Miami Beach, Fla.)

A. No. Scott Boras does.

Q. How can you explain the execrable Lane Kiffin getting his fifth head-coaching job? (Howard Freed; Mequon, Wis.)

A. I assume he interviews well.

Q. A la Le'Veon Bell, have you ever called in sick for work and then went bowling? (Tim Jones; Philadelphia)

A. No, but I opted to bowl on the second night of my second honeymoon, effectively ending the honeymoon.

Q. Are there any videos in the Patriots' "Do Your Job" series that AREN'T about cheating? (Mark Cohen; Gibsonia, Pa.)

A. Pay the man, Shirley.

You, too, can enter the $1.25 Ask The Slouch Cash Giveaway. Just email asktheslouch@aol.com and, if your question is used, you win $1.25 in cash!

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Carlos Correa is officially back! Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images.

Carlos Correa is returning to Houston, giving the Astros a needed jolt for their infield with a stunning trade from the Minnesota Twins ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline, according to a person with direct knowledge of the deal.

Correa spent his first seven years in Houston, where he became one of the most beloved players in franchise history, helping the team to six playoff appearances, three American League pennants and its first World Series title in 2017 — a championship tainted by a sign-stealing scandal. The top pick in the 2012 amateur draft and 2015 AL Rookie of the Year was part of the homegrown core that helped the Astros go from the league’s laughingstock to perennial contenders.

Correa, who waived his no-trade clause, has exclusively played shortstop in his 11-year major league career but will almost certainly move to third base for the AL West leaders with shortstop Jeremy Peña close to returning from the injured list. The Astros need help at third with All-Star Isaac Paredes out indefinitely with a hamstring injury.

Charismatic and an unquestioned leader in the clubhouse, Correa could help galvanize a team that has managed to remain atop the division standings despite dealing with multiple injuries to both its lineup and pitching staff.

Correa reunites with second baseman Jose Altuve, who is the Astros’ longest tenured player and one of his closest friends on the team. When asked about the possibility of Correa returning to Houston on Wednesday, Altuve raved about him before saying: “So I think — if anything (were) to happen, I hope it’s the best for him and for us.”

The 30-year-old Correa was named to two of his three All-Star Games while with the Astros and won a Gold Glove Award in 2021. He seemed to embrace the villain role when Houston became the league’s most hated team after it was revealed the Astros illegally stole signs in their run to the 2017 title and during the 2018 season.

He left when he became a free agent before the 2022 season when the Astros wouldn’t pay him what he believed he was worth, signing a three-year deal worth just over $105 million. Correa opted out of that contract after one year but re-signed with the Twins on a six-year, $200 million deal, of which just under $100 million is still owed. The contract also includes vesting options for the 2029-2032 seasons.

While Correa’s defense at shortstop has been impeccable and his leadership in the clubhouse strong, the investment for the Twins simply hasn’t panned out. He played the 2023 season through plantar fasciitis in his left foot, batting just .230 with 131 strikeouts in 135 games and a pedestrian .711 OPS.

He shined in the playoffs, helping the Twins end a record 18-game postseason losing streak and win a series for the first time in 21 years, and was enjoying an All-Star season in 2024 before plantar fasciitis popped up again – this time in his right foot. He had to withdraw from the All-Star Game and didn’t return until mid-September, after the Twins were already mired in a sharp swoon that pushed them out of playoff contention.

Correa has been much healthier this year, but not as productive. His .905 OPS in 2024 has fallen to .704 this year, with seven home runs in 93 games.

The contract he signed 2 1/2 years ago now constitutes a much larger percentage of the team’s payroll, after a sharp decline in regional television revenue in light of the bankruptcy of Diamond Sports Group prompted a spending reduction by Twins ownership. The Pohlad family has since put the club up for sale.

What this deal really means for Houston!

Don't miss the video below as we react to the Correa news and discuss how these additions impact Houston in the short and long term. Do these moves make the Astros favorites to win the World Series? We wouldn't rule it out!

Plus, we share our thoughts on what Ramon Urias and Jesus Sanchez will provide after being traded to Houston!

The MLB season is approaching the homestretch! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.

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