For the second year running, a panel of CBC Sports executives, producers, writers and broadcasters has come up with a list of 25 people they consider the most influential on the Canadian sports scene in the past year.
We dropped last year's requirement that one had to be a Canadian citizen or a resident of this country to get on the list, so come on down, Gary Bettman.
The panel came up with 81 names that we've pared down to 25, and it's certain you're going to take umbrage with at least some of the choices. So pile on at the bottom and have your say.
Fifteen points were given to a first-place pick, 14 for second, 13 for third, and so on.
Sidney Crosby's presence, his ability with the press and his skill on the ice will be key factors as the National Hockey League looks toward a new television deal in 2011. (Rick Stewart/Getty Images) 1. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins captain: 248 points
Sid the Growing Young Man has been under the microscope since he was a Timbit, and it never seems to have fazed him at all.
"I don't think there's ever a time where I step back and say I wish I was something different," he has said. "I'm doing what I love to do."
When he speaks, people listen. If he has an opinion, people nod their heads.
The Olympic hockey hero finished second in the voting last season. This time, six of the 23 on the panel had him first overall and 10 put Crosby somewhere in the top three.
His presence, his ability with the press and his skill on the ice will be key factors as the National Hockey League looks toward a new television deal in 2011.
The New Year's Day outdoor game on NBC this season sees Crosby's Penguins against Alex Ovechkin's Washington Capitals. For a reason.
Sid the Kid sells. Even to Americans.
Among young hockey fans, if Crosby were to, say, stop using composite sticks and go back to wood, most would do it too. That's influence.
Keith Pelley, seen here in 2003, could be at the helm of an even bigger juggernaut if Rogers buys Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. (Aaron Harris/Canadian Press) 2. Keith Pelley, president of Rogers Media: 214 points
This may be the most influential voice on how Canadians will watch, and get their information about, sports over the coming decade.
Pelley, still in his mid-40s, is a man whose mind works in multiples — judging public interest in print, television, radio, online and wireless. Considering how these tie together in packages and how can each make the other work better, produce higher ratings and thus make more money for his employer.
He was named to his new post in August after the former TSN vice-president had overseen the most ambitious multimedia coverage in Olympics history (4,800 hours) while running the broadcast consortium.
In the fall came word that Rogers was sniffing around the assets of the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, majority owner of the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs, the NBA's Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC of Major League Soccer and the Air Canada Centre.
The potential media power in taking over Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd. is stunning. Pelley could be at the helm of an immense super-carrier, one that will grow into ever-more platforms and multimedia.
Gary Bettman's control over the NHL remains almost absolute. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) 3. Gary Bettman, commissioner, National Hockey League: 169 points
Stop any fans of "Canada's Game" (trademark registered by Mr. Donald Stewart Cherry), and ask them what they think of Gary Bettman and most of the answers will be unprintable.
Generally known throughout the land as "That ##$$%&@ guy in New York," the NHL commissioner is the most powerful figure at hockey's professional level.
Bettman's control on the league remains almost absolute, and that means if there is going to be expansion, or, Gary Forbid, a franchise transfer to Winnipeg or Quebec City, it has to go through the little guy's desk.
The Commish has done everything in his control to keep the Phoenix Coyotes in the desert and out of southern Ontario. But he also worked tirelessly a decade ago to make sure the NHL stayed in Calgary and Edmonton, and many conveniently forget that.
Now, with Don Fehr taking over the players' union, Bettman's power and prestige is going to be challenged. Already can't wait for next year's list.
Mark Cohon has had another good year as the boss of the CFL, seeing sponsorships rise again, increased attendance and, finally, a gleam of hope in the formerly non-competitive Hamilton and Toronto markets. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press) 4. Mark Cohon, commissioner, Canadian Football League: 149 points
The 12th boss of the CFL has had another good year, seeing sponsorships rise again, still on the rise, increased attendance and, finally, a gleam of hope in the formerly non-competitive Hamilton and Toronto markets.
Television ratings are outstanding and, compared with what the CFL was going through even five years ago, things are going great.
He's also overseeing the return of the league to Ottawa and a hoped-for expansion into Atlantic Canada, spurred by hosting the first-ever regular season game out east this past season in Moncton.
Other than some questions about why Quebec City isn't being considered for a franchise and why the Montreal Alouettes' hotel was inadequate for the club's needs, this year's state of the league presser at the Grey Cup was a pushover, compared with a year ago.
Many jokes are made about Cohon's family ties to McDonald's Restaurants (his dad owned the chain in Canada), but this is a man who got his sports training at the NBA head office and at Major League Baseball International. He knows his stuff and it's showing.
Easy winner of the Best Non-answer Answer at a Press Conference award.
Don Cherry's influence on Canadian hockey, politics and fashion can't be denied. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) 5. Don Cherry, commentator, Hockey Night in Canada: 123 points
Seven voters didn't even put Cherry on their list at all. When did they reopen the bar at the CBC?
Love him or loathe him — and nothing said here is going to change anyone's mind, one way or the other — the HNIC personality's continued support for the men and women of Canada's Armed Forces, his charitable work and constant boosting of Canadian hockey are strong check marks in the plus column.
And he can certainly stir things up.
In December, Cherry went to the ceremonial opening day of the new Toronto city council, showed up in pink and took the mickey out of the "pinkos" in the building.
That instantly put Cherry on the front page of local newspapers and on television and radio programs all across the country.
A significant number of Canadians believe Donald Cherry to be the wise man on the mountain. And if those left-wing pinkos don't like it, they can stuff it in their pipes and smoke it.
6. Marcel Aubut, president, Canadian Olympic Committee: 113 points
Last year, Aubut slotted in at 23 and we suggested a rocket up the list if his work on getting the NHL back to Quebec City started to pay some dividends.
He is, of course, the former owner of the old Quebec Nordiques, and any conversations around their return seem to focus around the businessman.
Aubut, a corporate lawyer by training, has been with the COC since 2000 and in 2009 became the first francophone, and the first person not directly related to the Olympics as a former athlete or official, to be the committee's president since its founding in 1904.
Took a hit late in December when the International Ski Federation said the Quebec City region could not properly host an Olympic downhill — a blow to Aubut's dream of bringing the Winter Games to la belle province.
7. Brian Burke, president/GM, Toronto Maple Leafs: 108 points
The man many call Burkie, including reporters who should darn well know better, is the most quoted hockey executive in Canada on an almost daily basis.
Imagine how that will be if he can get the Good Ship Maple Leafs turned around?
As importantly, however, is Burke's influence behind the scenes in the NHL — when he has an opinion, people listen to it closely. They may not agree with it, but they listen.
On a more personal note, when Burke showed up at the Pride parade in Toronto during the summer to honour the memory of his son, it surely changed a lot of attitudes among the public toward those with an alternative sexuality. If Burkie says it's OK, it must be OK.
8. David Braley, owner of B.C. Lions, Toronto Argonauts: 106 points
There's nothing closer to the fabric of this country than the Canadian Football League and no one has more influence in it than the quiet, media-shy guy who owns 25 per cent of the teams.
Those would be the B.C. Lions and then, just this year, the Toronto Argonauts — a club the Hamilton-based businessman had actually been propping up for a few seasons behind the scenes.
Braley, who has quietly given millions to charitable causes, still pays for season tickets to see his beloved Tiger-Cats every season. Yes, you heard that right. He owns the Lions and Argos, and the Cats are his lifetime love. He once owned them, too.
9. Bob Nicholson, president of Hockey Canada: 103 points
If you hold the reins of the group that oversees amateur and international hockey in this country, you are naturally going to be in the top 10 of this list every year.
Nicholson has run amateur and Olympic hockey north of the 49th parallel for 12 years as head of an organization whose roots spread through all non-professional aspects of the sport from coast to coast.
He's also the face of our game in the international community.
Steve Nash, Canada's best basketball player ever, is head of his own foundation, assisting "underserved children in their health, personal development, education and enjoyment of life." (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) 10. Steve Nash, guard, Phoenix Suns: 88 points.
This was a contentiously high pick last year and it is again this time.
Nash is a two-time NBA most valuable player who has spent his career south of the border and no longer plays for Canada's national team.
Quietly, however, the best basketball player this country has ever turned out is head of his own Steve Nash Foundation, one that assists "underserved children in their health, personal development, education and enjoyment of life."
The focus is on children in British Columbia, Arizona and Paraguay. Saying you want to help is always easy. Getting involved is another. Nash is involved.
11. Larry Tanenbaum, minority shareholder, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd.: 84 points
The construction magnate is the head of Kilmer Capital Partners and KVN, and owns 20.5 per cent of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.
He is also said to have first right of refusal to acquire the majority shares owned by the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, and has made it clear any path to those shares followed by Rogers, or anyone else, goes through him.
That makes him highly, perhaps crucially, influential to the future of the Leafs and the firm that owns them. Especially if he can put together a group of his own to pick up controlling interest.
12. John Furlong, CEO, Vancouver (Olympic) Organizing Committee: 79 points.
Furlong took to the podium in mid-December to announce the Vancouver Games had broken even, putting the final exclamation point on one of the best-run Olympic celebrations ever.
An Irishman who grew up in the rough-and-tumble of Gaelic sports, Furlong spent six years sailing the VANOC ship through waters turbulent, stormy and, ultimately, sun-dappled and calm.
He's now rediscovering his family but is expected back in the rat race sometime soon.
13. Georges St-Pierre, UFC world welterweight champion: 69 points.
My wife and I were out visiting family the other day and the man of the house — an intelligent, thoughtful guy in his 30s — announced he hadn't watched the NHL for some years and was now very much a mixed martial arts fan.
That's the effect athletes like Georges St-Pierre have had on people. Having arms longer than your legs, and bloody knuckles from dragging them behind you, is not required to be an MMA fan.
St-Pierre, a well-spoken chap, is a triple black belt with a record of 21-2, and is considering a switch to Olympic wrestling in an attempt to make the national team.
Olympian Clara Hughes used sports as an escape from a teenage lifestyle that might have eventually killed her, and spends much of her time as an ambassador for Right to Play. (Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images) 14. Clara Hughes, Olympian: 62 points
A gold, silver and two bronze in Olympic speedskating. Two bronze in Olympic cycling.
An inspiration for young people wherever she goes, the Winnipeg native used sports as an escape from a teenage lifestyle that might have eventually killed her, and spends much of her time as an ambassador for Right to Play, the worldwide charity.
Now 38, this most remarkable of women wants to find where athletic limits lie by restarting her cycling career in an attempt to make the 2012 Summer Olympics team on both the road and the track.
Hands up if you think she can't do it. What do you know?
15. Jim Leech, president and CEO, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan: 61 points
A man with an immense background in finance, he's at the head of the group with majority control of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd.
Investing in the Leafs and all of the club's attached revenue sources has been an excellent decision for the OTPP, but word now is it might be looking to get out if the right offer comes along.
That rumour hit the media a month ago, setting off much speculation about Rogers Communications being interested in grabbing all of it.
OTPP — "the Teachers" — has been blamed for much of what has happened with the Leafs, Raptors and Toronto FC over the last seasons, but whatever you may personally think, the fact is the organization has done what it is supposed to do, and that is to ensure retired educators continue to get their full pensions.
Leech, by the way, is a founding director of Right to Play International and a good friend of CEO Johan Olav Koss, the legendary Norwegian speedskater.
16. Phil King, president of sports and executive VP of programming, CTV: 53 points
Everything that happens at the Olympic Broadcast Consortium for 2012 goes through King, and then directly on to CTV head Ivan Fecan. That's powerful enough.
At the same time, there is a war brewing in Canada involving sports broadcasting, the rapidly growing influence of multimedia applications, ownership of sports properties and what companies will control it all. King is the general who will lead CTV through that fight.
He controls TSN, RDS, TSN2, RIS Info Sports, NHL Network and ESPN Classic. Should have been much higher on this list.
17. Wayne Gretzky, Hockey Hall of Famer: 50 points
We said last year he could jump up the list by getting back into coaching or perhaps buying into another NHL team. The Great One has done neither, and good for him for wanting to spend some time with his family.
But right now, his place as an influence in Canadian sports is somewhat dormant. Was on only six of the 23 ballots.
18. Johann Olav Koss, CEO of Right to Play. 42 points.
Norway's most famous Olympian chose Toronto as his new home and operates the worldwide charity that brings sports and games to those most in need of them.
Athletes tend to want to give back as a natural instinct, but often don't know how. Koss and his group give them an organization to do it with.
He's also now coaching with Norway's speedskating team.
19. Scott Moore, president, Rogers Broadcasting: 38 points.
Moore left as head of CBC Sports in November and one day later was with Rogers Broadcasting, leading Sportsnet, Citytv, OMNI TV, plus all of the radio properties.
Speculation is rife about what the team of Keith Pelley and Moore is going to do, especially when it comes to the next Olympics contract (expected to take in the 2014 Winter Games at Sochi, 2016 Summer Games at Rio and, possibly, 2018 Winter Games at a place to be named in 2012).
Do they go with TSN/CTV again, though that joint is now owned by Bell, rival of Rogers in the telecommunications biz?
Or do they match with the CBC, using Moore's familiarity with that organization? Stay tuned.
Seen here in 2007, Alex Baumann is CEO of the Own the Podium program. (Andrew Vaughan/Canadian Press) 20. Alex Baumann, CEO, Own the Podium: 35 points.
After the immense success of OTP at the Vancouver Olympics, where the money carefully spent on developing high-performance athletes with a chance to win a medal turned out to be one of the best investments the country made in recent times, much is hoped for 2012 in London.
A two-time Olympic gold medallist in the pool, Baumann came home from 15 years in Australia back in 2006 to take over the task of getting Canadians back on the podium.
This isn't exactly a summer sports mecca and there are already concerns Canada might not do much at London, but Baumann is not in the habit of losing and he says a top 12 finish is possible.
Anyone want to bet against him?
21. Geoff Molson, chairman, Montreal Canadiens: 33 points
The Molson brothers bought 80 per cent of the Montreal Canadiens from George Gillett a couple of summers ago and put Geoff to work learning the trade under Pierre Boivin.
This coming summer, he takes over the reins full time, putting a Molson back where many felt they never should have left — running the world's most famous hockey team.
Critics say the $575-million US paid for the club — most ever for a hockey team and its assets (until the Leafs are potentially sold, that is) — was far more than it's worth, but time will tell.
Gillett/Boivin did a nice job with the Habs, and there's going to be a lot of pressure on Molson to keep les Habitants running smoothly.
22. Richard Peddie, CEO and president, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd.: 31 points
Only made it onto four voting cards, but three picked him very high.
Probably the most despised sports management figure in Toronto since the late Harold Ballard, but he's done exactly what the owners of MLSE have wanted him to do — expand the company, grow the brand and make lots of money.
Funny thing: Peddie is a really nice guy who gives a lot to charities, etc. But when the teams you are in charge of are awful, nobody notices much else.
Peddie says he will retire at the end of next year.
23. Steve Yzerman, GM of Tampa Bay Lightning, NHL: 31 points
One of the most promising and influential young executives in the National Hockey League, the former captain of the Detroit Red Wings learned how to run a hockey organization under Wings owner Mike Ilitch and Bob Nicholson of Hockey Canada.
Ran the 2010 Canadian Olympic team and saw it take the gold medal. His steady hand is already being seen in Tampa.
24. Chris Rudge, former CEO, Canadian Olympic Committee: 30 points
After seven years running the COC, Rudge saw the group through the Vancouver Games and then passed the baton to Marcel Aubut.
Own the Podium came out of his fertile mind, and that worked awfully well.
The next job for the former media executive is running the 100th Grey Cup game, set for Toronto in 2012.
Tom Wright is a big reason why the UFC is coming to Toronto in 2011. (Neil Davidson/Canadian Press) 25. (tie) Tom Wright, director of operations, UFC Canada: 28 points.
UFC head Dana White (who finished 27th in this voting) wanted to find someone who could persuade the Ontario government to allow mixed martial arts events in Toronto.
He picked Tom Wright, the former commissioner of the Canadian Football League who had been a president of Adidas Canada and tried to help Jim Balsillie bring the Phoenix Coyotes to southern Ontario.
How did White's choice work out? UFC is coming to Toronto in 2011. That's how.
25. (tie) Alex Anthopoulos, GM of Toronto Blue Jays: 28 points
Everybody wants to chat with Alex Anthopoulos, the boy GM of the Toronto Blue Jays. Just 33, he's charged with returning the former back-to-back World Series winners to Pat Gillick-era success.
So far, he's shown himself to be the hardest worker in the class, knows how to deal with the other students, plays well in the sandbox and never, ever forgets anything he saw, read or heard that might help him maximize his marks.
If the Jays challenge for a surprise wild-card berth in baseball this year, AA moves up this list, lightning quick.
