First Down: Most dysfunctional sports franchises

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By Tim Lemke

The Washington Times

Friday, November 13, 2009

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Question of the Day

Pope Francis has urged Catholics to love their enemies — including terrorist bombers. Do you agree?

THE BEST OF THE WEEKEND IN SPORTS

No. 16 Utah at No. 4 TCU

The Horned Frogs present the best chance for a non-BCS school to snare a top-two ranking and earn a berth in the BCS title game. But no one knows more than the Utes what it's like to go undefeated and still be left out.

Patriots at Colts

New England ran the table in the regular season two years ago and would love nothing more than to hand the Colts their first loss of the season. Consider this a possible preview of the AFC championship game.

Bengals at Steelers

Hard to believe the Bengals would have sole possession of the AFC North lead with a win. They're for real, but the Steelers have a little more experience in these tough division games.

Capitals at Devils

There is a horde of teams battling for Eastern Conference supremacy, and New Jersey and Washington are in the middle of it. It will be a good battle featuring the league's highest-scoring team against the Devils, who kill penalties better than almost anyone.

TWT FIVE MOST DYSFUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN SPORTS

1. NHL Players' Association - Five directors in three years. Firings. Resignations. The hiring of former baseball union chief Donald Fehr as an adviser may help, but chaos runs deep in hockey's union.

2.U.S. Olympic Committee - A flurry of leadership changes, followed by the premature announcement of a new USOC cable network. And that was before Chicago finished a humiliating fourth in the voting for the 2016 Summer Games. Former NFL commish Paul Tagliabue will chair a committee in an effort to fix it.

3.Phoenix Coyotes - Now owned by the NHL after previous owners tried to sneak their way to Southern Ontario. Hockey and deserts don't mix.

4.Oakland Raiders - To call Oakland an "organization" suggests it is even remotely organized. Owner Al Davis calls all the shots, but coach Tom Cable throws all the punches (reportedly).

5. Washington Redskins - No explanation needed, is there?

HE SAID WHAT?

"We thought there was a new generation that could understand one of the key legends of the NFL and a story to be told."

- Former Anheuser-Busch sports marketing chief Tony Ponturo, who is producing a play about the life of Vince Lombardi

About the Author

Tim Lemke

Tim Lemke has been the sports business reporter for The Washington Times since 2005, writing on a wide variety of issues ranging from the construction of the Washington Nationals new ballpark to steroid hearings on Capitol Hill. He writes a weekly column titled “SportsBiz” and maintains a blog with the same name. Highlights of his career include playing some very ...