First Down: Most controversial owners

THE BEST OF THE WEEKEND IN SPORTS

League championship series

Last year, the Phillies topped the Dodgers in the NLCS en route to a World Series title. In 2002, the Angels beat the Yankees in the AL Division Series on the way to their only championship.

Ravens at Vikings

Baltimore is looking to rebound after tough losses to the Patriots and Bengals. Minnesota hopes to remain undefeated.

Lions at Packers

If Green Bay is going to be relevant in the NFC, it needs to establish a ground game. This matchup will help.

Oklahoma at Texas

The Sooners have two losses, so the Red River Shootout doesn’t have its usual significance. But it’s still huge for the undefeated Longhorns.

TWT FIVE MOST CONTROVERSIAL OWNERS

1. Marge Schott - The former Cincinnati Reds owner drew the ire of Major League Baseball after making disparaging comments about Jews and blacks. It didn’t help that she let her St. Bernard, Schottzie, do his business on the field at Riverfront Stadium.

2. George Steinbrenner - His spending for the New York Yankees was blamed for the rapid rise in player salaries. But even before that, he was wreaking havoc by hiring and firing managers, publicly criticizing players and generally being meddlesome.

3. Mark Cuban - The Dallas Mavericks owner has racked up millions of dollars in fines, largely for criticizing officials. He’s a fan favorite because of his energy and creativity, but commissioner David Stern likely views him as a double-edged sword at best.

4. Bill Veeck - The former owner of the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Browns and Chicago White Sox once hired a little person to take an at-bat in a game. He held “Disco Demolition Night,” which backfired when a riot broke out at Comiskey Park.

5. James Dolan - From sexual harassment lawsuits to the hiring of Isiah Thomas to media policies reminiscent of Soviet Russia, Dolan has been a disaster for the once-proud New York Knicks.

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