They're Just As Dysfunctional

A couple days ago Major League Baseball was stunned by the announcement that Commissioner Bug Selig was invoking his "for the good of the game" clause and taking control of the Los Angeles Dodgers. [Sidebar: How does David Stern, the most controlling Commissioner of them all, not have this weapon in his arsenal?] The Dodgers have been in financial turmoil for the past couple of years as their owners, Frank and Jamie McCourt, work through the details of a bitter and contentious divorce. According to court documents the McCourts had to leverage themselves just to buy the Dodgers and with their money tied up in legal fees the Dodgers had to borrow $30 million from Fox, who are part owners of the team, just to make payroll. (Count your blessings, Red Sox fans, because McCourt is from Boston and was a finalist to get the Sox before they were awarded to the Henry/Lerner group. Talk about dodging a bullet.)

Anyway, there is a big stink going up right now because people are questioning if Selig had the right to do this. After all, the Dodgers have ultimately been making their payments, they have made the playoffs several times in the last few years so it's not like the baseball operations are a mess and at the end of the day all the McCourts really did was borrow money from a part-owner of the team. Meanwhile the Mets are in just as much of a financially mess due to their owners business ties to Bernie Madoff and they are terrible on the field, yet the Commissioner has shown no signs of stepping in and taking control. Personally, I go the other way with this, because I think some franchises would be better off if they were seized by their sport's respective commissioners. Here are five that spring to mind:

5. Timberwolves: Look, I love the Wolves, but this clearly isn't working right now. They can't bring in any free agents and every decision they make regarding the look of the uniforms and the court are incorrect. They just need someone to step in and make a correct hire, then give it back. At least take over long enough to stop them from drafting yet another point guard who can't play.

4. Raiders: They keep making weird draft choices, they hire and fire coaches like most people go through Kleenex and they can't decide if they want to stay in Oakland or keep playing footsie with Los Angeles. Plus, I think Al Davis is a vampire. This should be one of the flagship franchises in football and they've been an also-ran for a decade. I know Davis won't go down without a fight, but at some point the league needs this team to get its act together.

3. Thrashers: Can you tell me where this team is located? How about what sport they play? No on both questions? Well, there is your answer. Take them over and move them.

2. Clippers: Another team that should be so much better than they are. They play in a major city with great weather, but their owners is such a repulsive human being that no one wants to go there, so they are non-factors in free agency unless they are being used as leverage against the team the player actually wants to go to. Not only is Donald Sterling cheap and a racist, but he's also perfectly content to play second fiddle to the Lakers. You can almost forgive a guy for being a creep if he's at least trying to win. (Relax, I said almost.)

1. Pirates: They haven't had a winning season in 20 years, which is a shame because they have an awesome stadium in a town that is passionate about their teams. It's one thing to have a plan that ultimately ended up failing, but I don't even think they are trying anymore. At least other teams that rebuild can claim to being building through their deep farm system, but they don't even have that. No good major leaguers, no good prospects, lousy attendance ratings and even worse TV ratings. I mean, if they don't sound ripe for a takeover, I don't know who does.