Bud Selig Gets Three Year Extension (1 Viewer)

[Limp Ditka]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-s...p&type=lgns

Selig given 3-year contract extension through 2012

By ANDREW BAGNATO, AP Sports Writer

January 17, 2008

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- Bud Selig was given a three-year extension as baseball commissioner through the 2012 season.

The unanimous decision made at Thursday's owners' meeting came two days after Selig and union head Donald Fehr testified before a congressional committee that both criticized baseball for its steroids problem and praised the sport for strides made during the past three years.

Selig will become baseball's second-longest-serving leader behind Kenesaw Mountain Landis, who was the first commissioner from 1920-44. Selig had said repeatedly since December 2006 that he intended to retire after the 2009 season, but many in baseball didn't believe him.

He became acting commissioner in September 1992, when clubs forced out Fay Vincent. After saying he wouldn't take the job, Selig was elected to a five-year term as permanent commissioner in 1998 and gave up running the Milwaukee Brewers, the team he bought in 1970 and his family sold in 2005.

Owners voted in November 2001 to extend his term through 2006, then voted in August 2004 to extend it through 2009. He will be 78 by the end of the latest extension.

Selig received $14.5 million in the 12-month period ending Oct. 31, 2005, according to Major League Baseball's last available tax return.

Baseball's labor contract runs through the 2011 season and its national television deals with Fox, Turner Broadcasting and ESPN run through 2013. Revenue, which was $1.66 billion when Selig became acting commissioner, topped $6 billion last year.

When the Mitchell Report on drug in baseball was released last month, Rep. Cliff Stearns called on Selig to resign.

"Certainly, a lack of leadership and oversight in MLB enabled these abuses to continue," the Florida Republican said then. "After 15 years of slow action, a new commissioner is needed to guide the league out of this era of drug abuse."

 

[Sammy3469]

 

[Leroy Hoard]

A real contest between him & the NHL's Gary Bettman for who's worse.

 

[shadyridr]

A real contest between him & the NHL's Gary Bettman for who's worse.

Im not saying Selig is great or anything but I never understand alot of the hate for him. He bought the Wild Card to baseball, interleague play, greater revenue sharing, and the luxury tax. He definitely did some good things for the game as well.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

A real contest between him & the NHL's Gary Bettman for who's worse.

Im not saying Selig is great or anything but I never understand alot of the hate for him. He bought the Wild Card to baseball, interleague play, greater revenue sharing, and the luxury tax. He definitely did some good things for the game as well.

I guess he just doesn't convey the right image thru baseball's worst times. I'd vote Bettman being worse for his game.

 

[Sammy3469]

A real contest between him & the NHL's Gary Bettman for who's worse.

Im not saying Selig is great or anything but I never understand alot of the hate for him. He bought the Wild Card to baseball, interleague play, greater revenue sharing, and the luxury tax. He definitely did some good things for the game as well.

They needed a clean break from the steriod era. The guy should have ridden into the sunset with his precious Mitchell report.

 

[shadyridr]

BTW who is Big Selig?

 

[RedRaiders]

A real contest between him & the NHL's Gary Bettman for who's worse.

Im not saying Selig is great or anything but I never understand alot of the hate for him. He bought the Wild Card to baseball, interleague play, greater revenue sharing, and the luxury tax. He definitely did some good things for the game as well.

I'm in your camp - i don't think its a bad thing that he wants to see the steriod issue through and try and fix it.People get all #####y about a meaningless allstar game from years ago. I never understood how anyone could care so much about that.

 

[RedRaiders]

A real contest between him & the NHL's Gary Bettman for who's worse.

MLB attendance has set records 4 straight years. People talk about ratings but with more mediums for entertainment (and more channels on top), its down across the board in sports. Hard to compare to past ratings when there were only a handful of channels anyway.I think Bettman is far worse for overextending his league and then having an entire season cancelled. Woof. (FWIW I do like the new NHL cap setup - just look at the standings - everyone is competitive now).

 

[Tackling Dummies]

He's still an owner disguised as the commissioner, so he's behind Bettman.