There seems to be different schools of thought for what a professional sports owner (or majority owner) should be. Should he/she simply see the team as another financial asset and should be only fiscally managed as much? Or is it a passionate advocacy for a fan willing to write a blank check to win championships for your team?

Should he stroke his ego and become the team's face, or lurk in the shadows, let the players/owners take up air-time for him? Should he get involved directly, or let others who know what they're doing do it instead? So yes, yet another Best/Worst column, this time on sports owners. Let's start off with...

Best: Mark Cuban, Dallas Mavericks

Yes he can be a fucking annoying git, but can't that be said of most fanatics? Like a certain guy in NYC, he isn't ashamed to say he'll spend anything and everything to win rings for his beloved team. Except unlike that certain guy, Cuban doesn't sulk in the luxury box, he's is down in the front rows, willing to come off as an ass in openly heckling opposing players and refs. And let's admit it, it's nice there is someone who is willing to call out on Commissioner David Stern's bullshit without giving a fuck of the consequences. Which is why he's got a NBA owner record for league fines.

You certainly can't trash his track record. In the 20 years before Cuban bought the team, the Mavs had a winning percentage of 40%, and playoff record of 21–32. In the ten years following, the team won 69% of their regular season games and reached the playoffs in each of those seasons. The Mavs playoff record with Cuban is 49 wins and 57 losses, including their first trip to the NBA Finals in 2006.

No titles yet, but he's turned a dog of a franchise into a consistent winner built around a future Hall of Famer in Dirk Nowitzki. Also remember the Dairy Queen thing? I respect that he was willing to put money where his mouth is over that flap.


Worst: Donald Sterling, Los Angeles Clippers

He's got to be the most hated owner by a fanbase in the league. He makes Art Modell come off as Elvis. Sterling bought the San Diego Clippers when they were sucking (what else is new?) and has run them as a business, and it's shown. He doesn't care about winning or losing, as long as he penny pinches and makes even more money. The creep has been indicted by the Federal government over being a landlord of slum tennements and other such wonderful achievements.

To say the least, Clipper fans would hold a parade if Sterlin croaked tomorrow. It would be well-attended by Clipper Nation, all 10 of them.