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NFL franchise owners are a huge part of the league's history. From the heartwarming community ownership of the Green Bay Packers to the story of "Mr. Everything" George Halas, there have been amazing owners that have elevated the game.
On the flipside, however, there have been NFL team owners who have besmirched the name of the game and dragged their teams through the mud.
Here, we look at five such owners throughout the history of the NFL who have ended up being hated.
#5 - Dan Snyder
Dan Snyder, the incumbent owner of the Washington Commanders football team, finds his name on this list of shame. He is widely hated because of the many missteps he has taken during his tenure with the franchise.
On the field, success has been elusive and they have a stadium that is falling apart.
Off the field, he is under investigation for financial impropriety, where it has been alleged that he withheld gate receipts.
But most damning of all is the culture he has fostered under his watch at the franchise. There have been widespread reports of misogyny where cheerleaders were allegedly improperly approached. Mails that were leaked showed people at the top using charged language with impunity. He even had to transfer operations to his wife Tanya to avoid further scrutiny. As an NFL team owner, he has done everything he can to be hated.
#4 - Stan Kroenke
Stan Kroenke was one of the driving forces to relocate the Los Angeles Rams initially to St. Louis. After taking full control of the franchise, he later broke St. Louis hearts by taking them back to Los Angeles.
During the process, it was alleged that Stan Kroenke operated in bad faith by giving the impression that they were still looking to explore the possibility of staying in St. Louis and giving serious thought to their stadium proposals.
However, it became clear that Stan Kroenke was set on becoming an NFL team owner in Los Angeles and not in St. Louis.
The saga ended with Kroenke settling a lawsuit for 790 million dollars with the city of St. Louis and he remains a deeply unpopular figure in the region.
#3 - George Preston Marshall
The Washington football franchise is the only team on this list to have two of the most hated NFL team owners. George Preston Marshall has to be one of the most historically reviled owners in sports history.
He first took the step of moving the team out of where it was founded in Boston and brought it to Washington DC, naming them Redskins, which is now widely considered vulgar.
He was one of the strongest proponents of racial segregation in the league. In fact, the Washington team were the last to integrate in the league.
Such was his commitment to racial segregation, he refused to even entertain the possibility of integration until he was threatened in 1962 by the federal government who owned the DC stadium.
He was originally responsible for the NFL not signing black players till 1946 since he led the opposition to black players playing football. His vehement opposition even extended to the formation of the Dallas Cowboys because he wanted to be the only Southern team in the league.
#2 - Bob Irsay
Bob Irsay, the former NFL team owner of the Baltimore Colts, is widely reviled for moving the team to its present-day home in Indianapolis.
He always had a bad relationship with the team and the players; one altercation leading to the resignation of coach Ted Marchibroda. Such dysfunction led to poor performances on the field for the Colts and attendances plummeted.
There was talk of the Baltimore Colts moving cities, which he denied in January 1984. But by March 1984, he had scooted to Indianapolis, taking the team with him. It was greeted with universal disdain in the city of Baltimore and most former fans now support the Baltimore Ravens instead of the Colts.
Former NFL great Jonny Unitas, who played for the Baltimore Colts, was honored by the Baltimore Ravens outside their stadium instead of the franchise for which he played.
#1 - Art Modell
Perhaps no other NFL team owner is as hated with the same passion as Art Modell is despised by Cleveland fans.
In 1995, while he was the owner of the Cleveland Browns, he announced his intention to move the team from Cleveland to Baltimore. Legal action by the city and its fans led to an unprecedented act that led to the Cleveland Browns franchise remaining in Cleveland but a new expansion franchise starting in Baltimore with the name Ravens.
The Ravens retained all the playing and coaching staff, but all intellectual property and records remained with the Browns until they were reactivated in 1999.
The depth of hatred engendered by this move saw the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns fans coming together to condemn Modell. The compromise also led to the establishment of a new framework in how the teams and their records and brands are treated when their owners want to relocate.
