TSN Power 100, #25 Yao Ming

Yao ranked the FIRST among all athelets! Having 1.4 billion people behind you really helps, I guess.


1. Meet ESPN president George Bodenheimer, the most powerful person in the room, the building and, by the Sporting News' measure, in all of sports for 2003: No. 1 in the Power 100, our annual ranking of sports industry heavyweights.

2. Paul Tagliabue (2002: 2), Commissioner, NFL. Revenue is up, TV ratings are strong and the NFL Network is launched. IBM and FedEx signed on as sponsors in 2003, and the league is as competitive as it ever has been.

It could be argued that little in sports TV, marketing and licensing happens without the NFL having an effect. Sure, L.A. remains unresolved, financial disparity is a growing concern and there are the ongoing, on-field distractions of officiating mistakes and look-at-me celebrations, but, overall, it definitely is no bad thing to be Paul.


3. Phil Knight (2002: 6), Chairman, CEO, Nike. The Swoosh increased sports endorsement money by a third to an eye-popping $1.44 billion in fiscal 2003, with more than a few shoeboxes of cash going to LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Freddy Adu and Chuck Taylor (Nike bought Converse in '03). Record revenue ($10.3 billion) and the end of Nike's feud with key retailer Foot Locker were pluses. On the down side, Nike lost Yao Ming, not to mention a fight to prevent its NFL endorsers from wearing Reebok hats on sidelines. For the most part, though, it was a huge year for Nike.


4. Bud Selig (2002: 3), Commissioner, Major League Baseball. Labor peace focused things on (gasp!) the games, and attendance and TV ratings rose. Buoyed by an All-Star Game that counted and an electrifying postseason, baseball recaptured some of its glory.

Equally impressive are MLB's lucrative new deals for global licensing and TV rights fees, and savvy plans for a World Cup-style event enable Selig to dis the Olympics. But Bud still stumbles into more embarrassments than other chieftains -- among them, the Expos' continuing Bingo Long existence, a widely mocked drug-testing system, the game's best player testifying before a grand jury in a steroids investigation, the lingering Pete Rose shadow and the Clemens-Zito All-Star Game roster fiasco. And, oh yes, how 'bout those Brewers? (Sure, he doesn't run them, but his daughter does.)


5. John Swofford (2002: tie 19), Commissioner, Atlantic Coast Conference. No one shook up the sports world more than Swofford. The domino effect of reshaping the ACC, Big East and beyond is ongoing, but there's no arguing that by adding Miami, Boston College and Virginia Tech, the ACC was strengthened and the Big East was threatened. Tens of millions of dollars shifted southward thanks to his power play, and repercussions will be felt for years as conference shifts continue.


6. David Stern (2002: 5), Commissioner, NBA. Is this actually erosion of his league or merely a down cycle preceding yet another surge, foreshadowed by the popularity of LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony? TV ratings for The Finals hit a 30-year low last season, and Stern got the cold shoulder not only from cable operators regarding NBA TV but also from Bucks owner Herb Kohl, who walked away from a deal to make Michael Jordan an owner, embarrassing Stern and M.J. in the process. Given his track record, Stern will act -- decisively.


7. Bob Kain (2002: 22), Co-CEO, IMG. In the wake of the death of IMG founder Mark McCormack, Kain shares the CEO title with Alistair Johnston (No. 21). But by virtue of heading U.S. operations, Kain is first among equals. He asserts his control with attention to the bottom line, which likely will mean scaling back the company's scope. Still, IMG has launched an X Sports division, which means Kain is looking for new opportunities, just as McCormack did for so many years.


8. Mark Schweitzer (2002: not rated), Senior V.P. of marketing, and Michael Robichaud (2002: not rated), Senior director of sports and event marketing, Nextel. Their 10-year title sponsorship of NASCAR's top series, at $750 million the largest sponsorship deal in sports history, turned Nextel, which had ranked fifth among wireless providers with 7.5 percent of the market, into a major sports player. Schweitzer's vision behind the Nextel Cup deal made it happen; Robichaud has the power in dealing with NASCAR and the TV networks.


9. George Steinbrenner (2002: 1), Owner, New York Yankees. He's still the most powerful owner in sports, and The Boss does things his way, pushing for deals for Javier Vazquez, Kevin Brown and Gary Sheffield to offset departures and counter the rival Red Sox. But the Yankees' World Series loss to the upstart Marlins left him without a crown for the third straight year. Elsewhere, Cablevision was forced to carry his YES Network, although Time Warner allowed everyone to opt out, and YankeeNets, the holding company that owns the Nets and Devils, was unraveling. For a man who considers finishing second a loss, it was a year of disappointments.


10. David Hill (2002: 8), Chairman, CEO, FOX Sports Television Group. In the 10 years since FOX jumped into sports, it has -- by virtue of the money it spends and impact it has on the NFL, Major League Baseball and NASCAR -- become the most important broadcast network. Still, Hill faces challenges by teams and other cable providers on the regional sports network front. His approach (think: the freewheeling FOX NFL Sunday and Best Damn Sports Show Period) continues to be the signature for the company's sports presence across all media platforms. (Note: FOX and the Sporting News are content partners on FOXSports.com.)


11. August Busch IV (2002: 9), President, and Tony Ponturo (2002: 9), V.P., global media and sports marketing, Anheuser-Busch Inc. Despite a relatively quiet year, the behemoth of beers still is the most important spender of sports marketing money.



12. Roger Goodell (2002: 13), Executive V.P., COO, NFL. In addition to all of his other responsibilities, he helped make the NFL Network a reality.


13. Gary Bettman (2002: 10), Commissioner, NHL. He settled the Senators' and Sabres' financial situations, but his cash-strapped league is getting less TV time in the United States, lenders are skeptical, and a work stoppage next season appears imminent.


14. Paul Fireman (2002: not rated), Chairman, Reebok International. His company nabbed Yao Ming, making up for losing LeBron James, and then plucked hoops matchmaker Sonny Vaccaro from Adidas. Stocks and revenue are soaring, proof that Reebok's NBA and NFL apparel deals are paying dividends. (Note: David Baxter, Reebok's representative in the 2002 Power 100, was ranked No. 15.)


15. Mark Shapiro (2002: 14), Executive V.P. of programming and production, ESPN. For better and worse, he's pushing the ESPN brand in new directions. Playmakers generated ill will from the NFL and ratings from viewers; Cold Pizza is an attempt to rev up ESPN2. But he botched the Rush Limbaugh controversy, looking weak and indecisive.


16. Bill France Jr. (2002: 11), Vice chairman, NASCAR; Chairman, International Speedway Corporation. NASCAR is still a sports phenomenon, as Nextel's multimillion-dollar naming rights deal proves. France has lost power since health problems caused him to hand over the keys to the car -- day-to-day operation of NASCAR -- to his son, Brian. Still, Dad retains final say.


17. Brian France (2002: Sports Executives, 6), Chairman, CEO, NASCAR. He was promoted to take the wheel from his father, bumping Mike Helton as he passed by. He helped make the Nextel deal happen, but still must prove in the garages that he is more than a "suit" and that he's ready to be the ultimate boss.


18. Ed Goren (2002: 18), President, Executive producer, FOX Sports. He pushed Bud Selig to make baseball's All-Star Game count by giving the winning league home-field advantage in the World Series, because FOX wanted something at stake.


19. Bob DuPuy (2002: 20), President, COO, MLB. He's hands-on with licensing, international issues and baseball's cutting-edge website. He also runs the MLB-owned Expos, but has failed to unload the burden above the border.


20. Bruce McMillan (2002: 16), Executive V.P., Group studio general manager, Electronic Arts. EA Sports is spending big on Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 and saw Madden NFL 2004 sell 2 million units in one three-week span. Advertising expansion has driven EA's stock to an all-time high.


21. Alistair Johnston (2002: not rated), Co-CEO, IMG. Equal to Bob Kain in title, he oversees all non-American IMG business, which includes Wimbledon and the British Open.


22. Jerry Jones (2002: Behind the Scenes, 3), Owner, President, G.M., Dallas Cowboys. He hired Bill Parcells when others couldn't and has managed to leave Tuna alone. With renewed success on the field, Jones leverages the team's popularity off it, expanding product sales into Mexico and possibly seeking funding for a new sports complex.


23. Charles Fruit (2002: 27), Senior V.P. for worldwide media and alliances, The Coca-Cola Co. Coke remains a major spender in sports programming. The latest addition: Fruit poured $15 million into College Sports Television Network.


24. Dick Ebersol (2002: 33), Chairman, NBC Sports. He outbid rivals for the 2010 and 2012 Olympics and got his bosses at General Electric to add $160 million to $200 million as sponsors. Also, presumably at his prodding, G.E. is looking at other rights bidding, quietly reaching out to the leagues.


25. Yao Ming (2002: not rated), Houston Rockets center. Got "LeBron money" from Reebok, plus royalties in China, where he is royalty. With the NBA pushing to expand in China, Yao could become a Jordanesque figure (earning Jordanesque figures) in the world's largest country with its white-hot economy.


26. Tiger Woods (2002: 25), Golfer. Shut out in the four majors, he still was PGA Player of the Year and remains one of sports' most marketable athletes. His stance on equipment testing helped make changes happen.


27. Mike Pearl (2002: not rated), Executive producer, ABC Sports. His top-flight NBA productions at Turner led ABC to woo him away. He got Al Michaels to come off the bench to handle hoops play-by-play.


28. LeBron James (2002: 10 to Watch, 10), Cleveland Cavaliers guard. The most-hyped rookie ever brought high school hoops to ESPN and signed nine figures' worth of marketing deals before playing a pro game. The next "next Jordan" injected much-needed excitement into the NBA but now faces his most difficult task: lifting the Cavaliers to legitimacy.


29. Tony Hawk (2002: 37), Action sports entrepreneur. He made the transition from X sports icon to one-man industry. His Boom Boom Huckjam tour rolls on, boosting sales of clothing, skateboards, video games and action figures. Perhaps the truest sign of hip status: He got a gig skateboarding against Homer in the 300th episode of The Simpsons.


30. Jim Delany (2002: tie 19), Commissioner, Big Ten. He has replaced former SEC commissioner Roy Kramer as the real mover and shaker in college sports, driving much of the BCS policy. But this year he was outshone by the ACC's John Swofford, and his BCS is increasingly beleaguered.


31. Russ Granik (2002: 31), Deputy commissioner, NBA. As the heir to the throne, he stays in David Stern's shadow but is involved in myriad facets of the league's operation.


32. Tim Finchem (2002: 30), Commissioner, PGA Tour. Like his tour's top player, he didn't insert himself into -- or, in turn, have a powerful impact on -- the Martha-vs.-Hootie controversy at Augusta. Yet he was effective behind the scenes.


33. Jacques Rogge (2002: not rated), President, International Olympic Committee. He scored the year's only big rights deal, forcing NBC to go for broke with its $2 billion winning bid. He also made his presence felt in USOC reform and in the ongoing drug-testing controversy in America. One strike against him: the losing battle to get major leaguers into Olympic baseball.


34. William Daly (2002: 38), Executive V.P., Chief legal officer, NHL. As labor negotiations loom large, he plays a crucial role in public and in the boardroom.


35. Serena Williams (2002: 28), Tennis player. Indomitable until an injury, she was voted Sports Business Daily's most marketable female athlete. She scored a $40 million to $60 million deal with Nike -- what could become the largest endorsement deal ever for a woman.


36. Bill Parcells (2002: not rated), Coach, Dallas Cowboys. He made America's team his team on his terms to re-establish himself as the modern-day Lombardi.


37. Sean McManus (2002: 26), President, CBS Sports. Despite no cable outlet, he retains some clout because of his network's NFL and NCAA basketball deals. But he had to pay to air the Masters without commercials because of the Hootie Johnson controversy.


38. Donna Shalala (2002: not rated), President, University of Miami. John Swofford put the ball in play but couldn't have scored his college-conference coup without her.


39. Johnnie Cochran (2002: Ten to Watch, 3), Cyrus Mehri (2002: not rated) and Kellen Winslow Sr. (2002: not rated), Founders, Fritz Pollard Alliance. They ran a power play on Paul Tagliabue and the NFL, gaining significant minority-hiring yardage with their alliance for coaches. They helped inspire the hiring of Marvin Lewis, the fining of Lions general manager Matt Millen and new hiring rules.


40. Abe Pollin (2002: not rated), Owner, Chairman, Washington Wizards. In the power move of the year, he knocked (gasp!) Michael Jordan off his NBA pedestal, a justifiable decision considering 1) Jordan's performance in the Wizards' front office and 2) the fact only 20 season-ticket holders took him up on his refund offer in wake of Jordan firing.

 

Now if Yao could influence some refs to give him some shaq space around the basket...

 

Heh isn't it true Yao could of made double Lebron's money if he decided to stay with Nike instead of Reebok? But he opted to go to Reebok on account that his contract was handled better with them?

 

I think Cuttino is the only Rocket to have a contract with Nike right?

 

Looks like he is the first player on the list, not too bad.

 

This was on PTI this afternoon......i dont agree that Yao should be the first professional athlete on this list....wonder how they came up with this list....is it global or just america? cant see how yao would be higher than like soccer play beckham or tiger or jordan yet.....

 

It's subjective.