AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2006 > May > 03 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USKasten deserves more credit
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Schultz
Stan Kasten has just been given the keys to another sports franchise.
I know what you’re thinking: Brick wall, dead ahead, and you want to watch the crash. Because while Kasten was the most powerful sports executive this city ever had or ever will have, I have never met a greater lightning rod for criticism.
It’s the simple math for sports fans and media: Take a loudmouth New York attorney, mix with equal parts Jon Koncak and Pete Babcock, heavily season with playoff flops and Turner Field food prices, then bake until smug to the touch, and you get: “Kiss my butt you obnoxious jerk!”
But you know what? The Washington Nationals are a better franchise today because Stan Kasten is running them. (Oh look, somebody just threw a nice rock through my window.)
“Sure, it’s important to me what people think of me,” Kasten said Wednesday, when he officially became president and minority owner of the Nationals. “But I know what we did in my time in Atlanta. If you take a step back, I think I can be very proud of my résumé there. I never got 100 percent acclaim. But I understand that. I also know that even if you are wildly popular, eight percent of the population still hates you.”
Don’t delude yourself, Stanley. You were never close to a 92-percent approval rating.
But the question is: Why was he so close to 8?
Kasten never got the credit he deserved here. He has long been far more respected outside Atlanta than in it.
He isn’t cuddly. But he is smart. There is a reason the Ted Lerner group became commissioner Bud Selig’s favorite among the bidding owners when Kasten’s group merged with them. There is a reason Kasten is close friends with both NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and the NBA’s David Stern.
There is a reason agents alternately hate him and respect him.
Ask yourself this: Would any of the off-court, off-ice goofiness involving Hawks and Thrashers owners have occurred if Kasten was directing traffic?
John Schuerholz and Bobby Cox have received a bulk of the credit for Braves’ success since 1991. Deservedly so. But nobody mentions that it was Kasten who told owner Ted Turner that his plan to sign free agents as relative runway models for TBS stunk. Or that it was Kasten who convinced Schuerholz to come here from Kansas City as general manager, and asked Cox to move downstairs from the GM’s office to the dugout.
The Hawks represent the biggest wart on his tenure. The irony of that: For as emotional and opinionated as Kasten is, he couldn’t bring himself to tell Babcock, “You’re fired.” Big mistake.
No, he didn’t do everything right. He shares the blame for this city’s dearth of championships. He orchestrated a sweetheart deal with plans to turn the Olympic stadium into Turner Field — but then went splat with the team’s original stadium food policies and prices. (Who can forget the moment when even Ted Turner blasted the cost of a hot dog, as Kasten slowly sank into his chair?)
When he retired as president of the Braves, Thrashers and Hawks in November 2003, Kasten said, “I won’t be an agent, sell cigarettes or be a hit man.” We know the first two. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt on the third.
Shortly after stepping down, he got a phone call from Lerner, who had missed out on buying the Redskins and wanted to own a sports franchise. The two spoke, but the Nationals weren’t even on the radar. They were still in Montreal.
Kasten told Lerner what he told others: He wanted to run a team again. He has since claimed to being inundated with offers. But the Nationals represented everything he wanted: a chance to build from the ground up, with blueprints for a new stadium in a vibrant and politically charged city. Also, he gets richer. (Kasten wouldn’t provide details but admitted: “It’s a cool thing economically.”)
But this isn’t all sweetness and light. It’s a lousy team with sinking attendance and a general manager, Jim Bowden, who has become at one with breathalyzers.
“We understand we have a lot of work in front of us,” Kasten said. “The franchise won’t be all it can be, at least until we’re in a new stadium. But I wanted this challenge. I didn’t want to take over a successful team. I said two years ago that I wanted to build something. This was the biggest and brightest thing out there.”
And as for the political buzzsaw he is stepping into: “It’s exhilarating. It’s what I want to do. It’s overcoming hurdles. It’s solving problems to get to a solution that works for everyone.”
I’ll translate: It’s fighting and winning.
A few weeks ago, Kasten met with Turner, who asked his former counsel if he was going to buy the Braves. Kasten said no and informed Turner of his plans. Instead, he’s now in the same division as the Braves.
“Hopefully it’ll inject some fun into the rivalry,” Kasten said.
But if you’re wondering about the reception upon his return, think more Tom Glavine than Julio Franco.
Permalink | Comments (27) | Categories: Braves / MLB, Jeff Schultz
Comments
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By Private Snowball
May 3, 2006 09:00 PM | Link to this
Congratulations Washington!
You just acquired the most despicable figure in Atlanta sports history.
By Donald Sucks
May 3, 2006 10:21 PM | Link to this
Stan Kasten:
3 teams, 1 title over 15 years.
Horrendous.
By Hugh G. Rection
May 3, 2006 10:42 PM | Link to this
Whatever … .
By Jamie
May 3, 2006 11:12 PM | Link to this
To his credit.. he was over 3 professional sports teams. No easy task!
By p
May 4, 2006 07:09 AM | Link to this
Stan was worth every penny of the doller a year salary he made back then.
Luckilly, Shuerholtz rescued the braves, but the Hawks are still reeling from his mismanagement.
Glad he’s headed out of town.
By BirdDawg
May 4, 2006 07:52 AM | Link to this
I like Stan the guy. Listening to him on Buck and Kincaid is usually hilarious and insightful.
But yeah, he destroyed the Hawks. He should have fired Babcock the minute he requested to ship ‘Nique out of town or the minute he traded Steve Smith for that punk JR Ryder.
The Hawks and the Thrashers (not firing Waddell with Fraser) falls on his shoulders.
Just think, if he had fired Waddell and gotten a GM who knows what the hell he’s doing, the Thrashers might have made the playoffs already, and Waddell would have never been give the chance to destroy USA Hockey the way he’s done.
So, Stan Kasten is not only responsable for his GM’s destroying their former teams, but he’s also responsable for the demise of USA Hockey via Don Waddell.
I change my mind… you suck Kasten!
By Mart
May 4, 2006 08:13 AM | Link to this
Tell me again why we should be thankful for Kasten? He was on the Atlanta sports scene for 20+ years and his claim to fame is hiring Schuerholz and Cox back in 1990. Just because a guy’s unpopular doesn’t mean he’s right.
By Joe Roman
May 4, 2006 09:03 AM | Link to this
I agree, Jeff. Kasten may have gotten his gig with the Braves through dumb luck, but he made the most of the opportunity and contributed greatly to the management style that made the Braves such a success. He hired really good people, let them do their jobs with minimal interference. He signed the checks and stayed in the background. I live in Baltimore, but I like National League style baseball much better. I’m glad Stan is on board with the Nationals. I want them to finish a close second to the Braves every year from here on out.
By Vinnie
May 4, 2006 09:11 AM | Link to this
Kasten told Nique to hit the bricks from the Hawks, but Atlanta just couldn’t do without JR Ryder. Total Kunclehead.
By Big Bree
May 4, 2006 09:35 AM | Link to this
What is a Kunclehead??
Whatever the case, someone pointed out that Stan hired people to run the business and stayed out their way. 1) He must have done more right than wrong if Ted had him aboard for all those years, 2) If he isn’t worthwhile then we should be happy we groomed such a loser for one of our division rivals. With no need to worry about the Marlins then now all we gotta do is keep focus on the other two teams.
By Rutuger
May 4, 2006 09:43 AM | Link to this
Tell me again why we should be thankful for Kasten? He was on the Atlanta sports scene for 20+ years and his claim to fame is hiring Schuerholz and Cox back in 1990. Just because a guy’s unpopular doesn’t mean he’s right.
Damn skippy, Mart! How about a little appreciation for all that Kasten did for the Braves? And let’s not forget that the Hawks were once perennial playoff contenders in the 80s and 90s, even reaching the Eastern Finals in ‘99(?). Yes, Babcock was the worst GM in NBA history, but give Stan a mulligan on that one; after all, he DID bring two sure-fire HOFers in to run this team (Schuerholz and Cox), and brought the city it’s ONLY pro sports championship.
I for one wish Kasten the best, and I’m sure he’ll have success in D.C.
GO BRAVOS!!!!
By Rutuger
May 4, 2006 09:46 AM | Link to this
I read Mart’s post way too fast. I actually meant to DISagree with you.
Brain is a little slow this a.m….
By Jeff Schultz
May 4, 2006 12:08 PM | Link to this
I’ve always been fascinated by the revisionist history by Dominique fans. I lived here at that time. I remember that the team was sliding — and so was the player. I remember that many fans were pushing for the Hawks to trade him. Yes, obviously, there were people in town who didn’t want him to go. But they definitely were the quiet ones at that time. The only reason people became upset with the trade after the fact is Danny Manning blew up and the Hawks continued to stink. But, people, please. It’s not like ‘Nique went somewhere else and haunted this franchise. Thanks for the comments JS
By Jeff Schultz
May 4, 2006 12:10 PM | Link to this
I’ve always been fascinated by the revisionist history by Dominique fans. I lived here at that time. I remember that the team was sliding — and so was the player. I remember that many fans were pushing for the Hawks to trade him. Yes, obviously, there were people in town who didn’t want him to go. But they definitely were the quiet ones at that time. The only reason people became upset with the trade after the fact is Danny Manning blew up and the Hawks continued to stink. But, people, please. It’s not like ‘Nique went somewhere else and haunted this franchise. Thanks for the comments JS
By BirdDawg
May 4, 2006 12:18 PM | Link to this
Hahaha! Even the columnists are made to wait if they want to write into their own blogs and then double post.
Glad to know it’s not only us poor schmoes getting worked over by AJC.com.
And Jeff, I still hold that Stand Kasten is directy responsable for destroying USA Hockey for refusing to fire Waddell when he fired Fraser. If he fires Waddell, then that incompetant so and so doesn’t become Lord of USA Hockey and sink us for the next couple of Olympics.
By p
May 4, 2006 12:25 PM | Link to this
Revisionist history?
what were you 12 when ‘nique retired? nothing like someone from another town, and in second grade when Dominique started for UGA telling us what we really saw.
By Jeff Schultz
May 4, 2006 01:10 PM | Link to this
P … Nice name. Actually, I’m about to turn 47, but thanks for the compliment. I was covering the Lakers in Los Angeles when Wilkins was a rookie. JS
By braves fan
May 4, 2006 01:27 PM | Link to this
I actually think Stan Kasten does deserve some credit. As bad as the Hawks franchise has been, they made it into the playoffs while Kasten was President, but not since. It was too early in the Thrashers history to make any judgements on that franchise. And the Braves were successful. I just always thought he was stretched too thin, runnning three major sports franchises. The Nationals will be run well.
By Lady Dawg
May 4, 2006 01:46 PM | Link to this
I’ve always wondered where Kasten’s upkeep came from.
By Matthew
May 4, 2006 02:05 PM | Link to this
Great article Jeff, pay no attention to the haters. Yeah Kasten brought Atlanta just 1 championship, but how many championships has this miserable city actually recieved before or after Kasten? None, so he must have done something right. According to one idiot blogger on here, it isn’t the numbers that matter anyway just the champiomships.
Considering the lack of attendance by Atlanta fans, maybe it is more the fault of Atlanta’s fickle fan base than it is Kasten’s fault.
Hell the Falcons sold out the season yet you could see many empty seats in the GA Dome once the Falcons started to faulter.
The Braves can’t sell out unless real fans from places like Boston and Chicago fly in to see their teams. Maybe if the fans actually showed up they could win a playoff series again. It is hard when the visiting fans outnumber the home fans in the home stadium.
Do people even buy Hawks tickets or just tourists who want to see the NBA for the ske of seeing the NBA? When teh fans show it is to see the visiting team.
Maybe if the Atlanta fans would show up they could help inspire their teams. Instead they just sit at home and complain on here.
There are a handful of fans who buy tickets, attend the events, and support the teams; I am not talking to you. Those of you who don’t support the teams though should just STFU.
Atlanta was lucky to have Kasten but they sure didn’t deserve him.
By get rid of Nique?
May 4, 2006 05:18 PM | Link to this
Did Jeff really say that people wanted to get rid of Dominique? That couldn’t be further from the truth. For those of you who want the real story, you remember the Hawks being in first place and holding a top seed when Nique was traded. It came down to Lenny “I do not want to coach a star” Wilkens, wanting to get rid of Nique to push his team full of role players ideas. And if your memory is good, you will know that he traded Nique to the same team he traded Ron Harper…the Clippers. You will also remember that the Hawks ended up being bounced from the playoffs in the first round. Now why would anyone want to trade the centerpiece of a first place team? That just doesn’t make sense…
By Ryder
May 4, 2006 05:38 PM | Link to this
Preach on Matthew! Kasten gets way too much blame and not nearly enough credit. I’m not saying that he didn’t make his fare share of mistakes (Babcock and Waddell come to mind) but it’s funny how well respected he, Scheurholz and Cox are respected outside of Atlanta, and are treated worse than General Sherman inside Atlanta. The fickle “fan” base, a term used very loosely for most people in Atlanta as they will never appreciate the Braves for their run of success (would you rather be the Pirates or the Brewers?) or any other team in the city for that matter. It’s no wonder outside of any trades many big time free agents don’t even bother to come this way (JJ was leaving Phoenix anyway so that doesn’t count), who would?
Anyway, I’m glad Kasten is in DC, an environment that supports all their teams. He will build the Nationals the same way the Braves were built, scouting the farm system for top pitching. The only difference is that he won’t have to deal with such a p** group of “fans” who don’t even like their city’s star QB because he’s black. I wish nothing but the best for Kasten and the Nationals, may their rivalry with the Braves be a great one!
By Ryder
May 4, 2006 05:41 PM | Link to this
Actually they were bounced in the second round, but you make a great point. I gave up on the franchise after that boneheaded move.
By Michael
May 4, 2006 06:10 PM | Link to this
I always liked Stan, and the Nique trade had no bearing on it. Like you said, Nique was on coming to the end of his career at that point, and the Hawks were right to try and get something for him while they still could. Unfortunately the Hawks still pulled their usual playoff fold that year, and it’s been downhill ever since. But that’s not Kasten’s fault. He was one of the main reasons the Hawks had their best years in the mid to late 80’s, and why the Braves became what they are today. He’ll do well in Washington, but hopefully not well enough to top the Braves.
By Dejay
May 4, 2006 06:16 PM | Link to this
Aw man, do we have to go through this thing with buying tickets AGAIN?! Hey Matt, if you don’t like the city, there’s an airport, AmTrak station, Greyhound station, and multiple highways to travel elsewhere. I’m sure the next town would welcome you with open arms. Tell me, why would ANYONE feel remotely obligated to spend hard-earned $$$ on a bad product? The Hawks, as young and entertaining as they might be at times, is still a BAD PRODUCT (indicated by their 188-386 record over the last seven years). This isn’t Salt Lake, Portland, or San Antonio where pro basketball is the only game in town and folks show up because there is nothing else to do. This is Atlanta, where there is a premium on the entertainment dollar because of the 10.5 months of good weather year round; if you’re not exciting, let alone winning big (and nope, getting slapped around by ‘insert playoff team here’ 13 out of 14 times in October doesn’t qualify), we’re not interested. This isn’t Kansas City or Milwaukee; we’ve been there and done that.
Atlanta is one of the largest transient cities in the country where everyone seems to be from somewhere else. Many of them don’t bother showing up unless their hometown team comes in or if the team here is WINNING BIG. Since this city has seen so little of that over the last, oh, 40 YEARS, along with the remaining long-time residents who know better, you get what you get. Sorry if we have more to do other than watch the Hawks and Warriors get it on in mid-season with nothing to play for other than an NBA mandate and a paycheck. When these teams do something other than roll over when it MATTERS, then we’ll start to pay attention.
As for Kasten, yes he can get credit for hiring Schoerholz, the Braves run of success, the Hawks’ success in the mid-late ’80s, along with the construction of Turner Field and Philips Arena. But that’s where it stops. Where was he the previous DECADE when the Braves were losing 90-100+ games every season? Just like the playoff runs of today, the misery of watching Brad Komminsk swing with 3rd base power and Rick Mahler try to get outs with his 74-mph fastball counts just the same. Did he get an epiphany all of the sudden when his bosses (Turner and Terry McGuirk) cornerned him and Cox in a Cincinnati hotel in 1990 and told him to make changes or else?
And then the most damning indictment of all, his run with the Hawks. Yeah, he helped the Hawks become winners in the ’80s but unlike their baseball counterparts, they never could get over the hump. He had a lot to do with that. Exactly how many teams passed the Hawks by in the mid-late ’80s when he whined about the salary cap and stood pat while the Celtics, Bulls, Pistons, and Knicks made their runs? How many times did Nique have to carry the entire team on his back just to compete because Kasten allowed the team to get stale and waited two years too late with moves (see ‘88-89 season) while Jordan, Olajuwon, Barkley, and Ewing had All-Stars to ride shotgun with? It’s no small wonder why he began to break down in his early-30’s as opposed to the others mentioned. And please don’t tell me how great he was when he enabled the most incompetent GM east of Elgin Baylor’s office to detonate an entire franchise while keeping his job for a dozen years without worry. Where was his venerable leadership when Nique was getting trade for a guy who didn’t want to spend 0.0005 seconds in Hawk gear? Where was he when Babcock was running the team into the ground with those draft picks of his? Where WAS he when Babs brought J.R. Rider and pain in the a$$ Jim Jackson (there’s a reason he’s been on over a half-dozen teams in his career) in for Steve Smith and set the team back 3 years with his antics? All of this was done UNDER HIS WATCH.
Good luck to him in D.C.; then again, considering what he did to this NBA team over the years (if you can call it that), not really.
By larry
May 4, 2006 11:03 PM | Link to this
Kasten is one of the biggest egomaniacs on the face of the earth. After the Braves went to the WS in ‘91 (thanks in no small part to the scouting dept. and a decision to build around pitching by then general mangager Bobby Cox. Talk about someone who has never received the credit he deserved in that role) Kasten made the decision to market Braves games as a corporate perk, abolishing 20 game packages and any decent ticket package that the average fan could acquire. The result, a lot of corporate elite baby boomers in attendance which I’m sure warmed Stan’s heart. He managed to turn Brave’s games into a “trendy” event. Whether you loved baseball didn’t mean as much as “being there” for the big games. The ushers were surly and polite customer service at the stadium vanished. His first move at Turner Field to deny fans the right to bring in their own food went over like a turd in a punchbowl and, thankfully, public disagreement led to a reversal of that policy. I believe you can give him the credit for attendance declining over the years as he left a legacy of doing nothing to market the team to long time fans. One of the great days in Atlanta sports history was when he left town. I’m sure it won’t be long before patrons of the Nationals get the feeling that the team and its employees are doing them a favor for bringing baseball to Washington, D.C.
By James
May 5, 2006 12:13 AM | Link to this
Jeff ‘Sgt.’ Schultz, you UGA hating, liberal, panty wearing moron. People wanted Dominique Wilkins out of town? To quote Kyle’s mom on South Park, “WHA, WHA, WHAT?!?!?!!?”. The Hawks were not ‘sliding’ as you say either. They were battling the Knicks and Bulls that year for the number one seed in the Eastern Conference. Lenny Wilkens never liked having a superstar on his team, ask Ron Harper. Im not exactly sure what would have happened against the Knicks, but I sure know that the Pacers wouldn’t have had their run in the Playoffs that year had ‘Nique not been traded. I can’t stand people who put Dominique down, and in the same column praise Stan Kasten. How dare you Schultz!! To anyone who watches Curb Your Enthusiasm, you will be familiar with this quote. Jeff….you’re a LOUSY Jew!!!! Please, no one respond to that last quote unless you’ve seen the episode in question. Why do I have the feeling that if Wilkins had not went to UGA, Jeff Schultz wouldn’t be knocking him??? Go back to trying to find something on Mark Richt, like maybe he forgot to floss one night and how that should lead to NCAA sanctions. You are a UGA-biggoted moron. Mark Bradley reads like Hemingway compared to you, you Mike Lupica wannabe. One more quote on Mr. Wilkins, am I the only one who misses the slightly annoying signiture phrase of John Sterling, “Dominique…MONUFIQUE!!!!”
P.S. DX is coming back