Remembering the Boss

Sports fans throw around the title "Greatest of All-Time" far to often.  We never really stop and think what that title means.  It means that the person you are discussing is the singular best person at that activity or action ever.  Lots of positions don't even have a greatest of all-time, or rather there is too much debate to settle on one.  There is no single "Greatest Quarterback of All-Time".  There is no single "Greatest Pitcher of All-Time".  And even though I wrote a column about it, there is no single "Greatest Basketball Player of All-Time".  Other positions do have one single "Greatest Player of All-Time".  No one will disagree that Jerry Rice is the "Greatest Wide Reciever of All-Time".  There is also a single choice for "Greatest Owner of All-Time".  His name is George Michael Steinbrenner and he passed away yesterday.

There are many, many reasons why George Steinbrenner (or as he is affectionately know in the Yankees' organization, the Boss) is the "Greatest Owner of All-Time".  George Steinbrenner bought the New York Yankees in 1973 for $8.8 million. Current estimates place the value of the franchise at $1.5 billion and steadily rising.  George Steinbrenner's Yankees won 7 World Series and 11 American League pennants.  Thee totals are more than all but 3 baseball franchises have earned in their histories.  As hard as it is to believe, George Steinbrenner was adamitly opposed to free agency in the beginning.  But like all great businessman, he put his personally feelings on the subject aside and his team dominated free agency like no other franchise in sports.  George Steinbrenner's Yankees were the first team to market their own TV rights and his YES Netword paved the way for making sports the multi-billion dollar industry it is today.

While all of these reason are good ones, the real reason the Boss is the "Greatest Owner of All-Time" is a lbit more abstract.  George Steinbrenner is the owner every fan should want and every player should want to play for.  There is one purpose to sports and it is winning.  The Boss's singular focus during his entire Yankees' tenure was winning the World Series every single year.  Any other result was deemed a failure.  The most common criticism of the Yankees is that they win because they have more money than every team and thus can buy their victories.  It is true that the Yankees earn more money than any other team in baseball.  However, the Steinbrenners are far from the richest owners in baseball.  Theodore Lener of the Washington Nationals is worth $3.2 billion, almost two and a half times as much as the Boss!  John Fisher of the small budget Oakland A's is worth the same amount as the Boss.  The difference is that George Steinbrenner, unlike most other owners, takes his money and invests it back into his franchise with the goal of winning.  Isn't that what we as fans should expect out of our teams?  Rather than watching the super-rich uses their sports franchises as cash cows, isn't it refreshing to see an owner run his team like we would if we had the opportunity?  George Steinbrenner's sole focus as owner of New York Yankees was to bring the greatest franchise on Earth more World Series titles, for himself, for the franchise, and most importantly, for the fans.  And that is why he is the "Greatest Owner of All-Time".

No article about George Steinbrenner would be complete with mentioning all the good he has brought to the world around him.  The Boss was by no means a saint.  He was twice suspended from baseball for two years each.  He hired and fired Billy Martin as manager five times!  He was well known around sports circles as the toughest owner in the business to work for.  While he demanded perfection and tolerated nothing less, the Boss was also one of the most compassionate and giving men in sports.  He expected his employees, from Derek Jeter all the way down to the night janitors, to give their all every day at work.  In return, he was their for them no matter what.  In the hours and days since he passed away, stories have appeared all over the Internet of former employees who the Boss took care of.  He was always willing to pay for expensive medical procedures or cover a child's college expenses.  And George Steinbrenner's generosity extended far beyond the Yankees organizartion.  His adopted home of Tampa, Florida has benefited tremendously from the countless millions he has donated in the area.  Stories of the Boss's generosity are alone starting to appear now because that is exactly the way he wanted it.  George Steinbrenner is quoted as saying, "If you do something for someone, and more than two people know about it, you didn't do it for the right reason."  Steinbrenner didn't help fallen soldier's families because he wanted publicity.  He did it because he wanted to use his wealth and sucess to make the world a better place.

Rest in Peace George Michael Steinbrenner, a great owner, a great Yankee, and a most importantly, a great man.