The amount of pressure placed upon the athletes, GM’s, and other personnel of any team is hard enough, but dealing with all of it from the position of authority that an owner must handle can be more than a little daunting. However a lot of owners seem happy to delegate those responsibilities in a way that allows them to enjoy their position and even slip into the background as they allow their chosen representatives to handle things. Owners aren’t always the most well-known part of a team but they are the final word when it comes down to what will happen and which direction the team needs to go in. Sometimes though even they have to bend to the needs of the team.
Here are five fictional team owners from films that you might remember.
5. The Benchwarmers – Mel Carmichael
It’s not often that you hear about the owner of a little league team, but Mel is about as much of an owner as anyone considering that he funded and helped to create the Benchwarmers. Plus, with the amount of funding he poured into the team and their new stadium it’s fair to say that he is without a doubt the unequivocal owner of the team. It’d be wise not to argue with a man that carries a billion dollars with him for emergencies.
4. The Replacements – Edward O’Neill
Sometimes owners don’t seem like the most stable people to run a team, which is why the role GM’s and other personnel are needed. The worst part about this at times is that the owner still has the final say over a lot of things and can throw a wrench into the works at any given moment. Bringing back Martell in favor of Falco for instance was one of the absolute worst mistakes that could have damaged the Sentinels. If there was any justice the team roster would have been set with the replacement players and left alone. They did make the playoffs after all and they were much more cohesive as a unit.
3. Any Given Sunday – Christina Pagniacci
&t=13s
Sometimes family shouldn’t inherit something as profound as a professional football team. While she might have the business acumen for the job Pagniacci did not have the temperament or the old school feel for the game that D’Amatto has. Unfortunately they both have flaws that needed to be fixed and strengths that compliment one another if they would only get past their obvious dislike for each other.
2. A League of Their Own – Walter Harvey
&t=47s
The clip doesn’t show him, but Walter Harvey is the kind of guy that loves something when it’s valuable and will jettison it when it’s not. Don’t get me wrong, sticking with a failing brand is not a wise business decision, but women’s baseball did in fact start drawing attention in the movie and was an idea that had a lot of merit. Unfortunately if the interest of the investors isn’t there then the funding issue for such a league will be a continual problem.
1. Major League – Rachel Phelps
You know what’s really interesting about this owner? There was a scene at the end of the movie, and original ending, that showed Rachel speaking to Lou regarding her real feelings for the team. She confessed to scouting everyone and actually wanting the team to win. Now considering how nasty she was throughout the film it would behoove Lou and the audience to not trust her, largely because that type of turnaround is unheard of in movies or reality. But it was an interesting switch from the cold-blooded woman shown in the clip above.
Owners have a lot on their minds most time, and much of it has to do with keeping a winning team operating as they should for maximum profit. It’s refreshing though when you find an owner that just loves the game and doesn’t worry about the dollar signs. They do exist right?
Follow Us
