President Bush may make pitch for commish job

[johngalt]

He's already been called out because of it. There's no need for you to go back and bring it back up.

Because he's obviously not getting the point.

[smith288]

I brought in Bush's history in a management capacity. How can you say whether he would be fit for another similar job without examining that history?

And both sides have faxed in talking points, bub.

Point mine out "bub" and ill give you a cookie.

[paintmered]

Smith, check your PMs.

johngalt, either bring your comments back on topic, or you are gone for a day.

No more bickering out of either of you.

[johngalt]

Point mine out "bub" and ill give you a cookie.

Saying what a great leader he's been for this country and how he stands for the "right morals" and the good of the United States.

[smith288]

Saying what a great leader he's been for this country and how he stands for the "right morals" and the good of the United States.

Never mentioned that in this thread... in any event, in the spirit of positive influence that a member such as myself should always display, I will refrain from further interacting on this, once-interesting topic.

[WVRed]

Second. Worst. Thread. Ever.

Can we please lock this?

[StillFunkyB]

Good luck, Fay was ousted for exactly that reason, the rules were then changed shifting the power back to the owners.

Yep, I just wish that wasn't the way things were.

[Sabo Fan]

Don't know if anyone remembers, but way back before the 2000 election ESPN.com did a story that talked about both W's and Gore's involvement in sports. It focused on Bush more because of his involvement with the Rangers, and mentioned that at one point he was approached by a small group of owners (think that's right, but not 100%) about possibly becoming a candidate for the commissioners job. In the end he told them no, though I can't remember if it was because he wanted to go into politics or if he just didn't want the job. I think I saved the article somewhere so I'll see if I can dig it up.

[registerthis]

Bob Costas should be the next baseball commissioner.

[Falls City Beer]

Bush loves sport, there's no doubting that.

So do I.

[RBA]

So do I.

Okay, it looks like you destroyed that argument.

[cincinnati chili]

I predict that the legal landscape of baseball is going to become a lot more complex. The antitrust exemption will probably get another challenge in my lifetime. That will lead to a doubling, tripling or more of minor league salaries, and countless other unintended consequences.

Let's assume for a second that George Bush had some good business acumen, since I know it's a debated point. He's not an attorney. Even Bowie Kuhn, who was an attorney, wasn't sharp enough to understand what was going on around him.

Sandy Alderson is my pick.

[RBA]

I'll take Bill Murray or Tom Hanks.

[RedsBaron]

I very much doubt the owners will ever select a former President, Democrat or Republican, as Commissioner. The last thing I suspect owners want is a Commissioner with an independent power base.
The owners already are assured that Bud Selig will support their agenda, but if he doesn't, Bud has no power base apart from ownership. If the owners decide that they want to imitate the labor negotiations of the NHL, it is unlikely Bud would stand in their way, nor would there be that much of a public outcry if Selig was removed.
However, if a Commssioner George W. Bush, or a Commissioner Bill Clinton or Commissioner Jimmy Carter for that matter, decided not to follow the owners' party line, he would have enormous public relations power to force his terms upon ownership, and firing a former President as Commissioner would be a PR nightmare for the owners. Appoint a former President as Commissioner and owners could find themselves with the second coming of Kennesaw Mountain Landis if the President then chose to follow his own course. I just can't see the owners taking that chance.

[gm]

George could search for WMDs in ballparks all across the country.

Starting with the "other" George's backyard?