# Would you ever want to work in a sports franchise's front office? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 11, 2020, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-want-to-work-in-a-sports-franchises-front-office/853596 "2020-05-11T19:37:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yankees_1996_Champs)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-want-to-work-in-a-sports-franchises-front-office/853596/1 "2020-05-11T19:37:15Z")
Would you ever want to work for Jerry Jones, Mark Cuban, James Dolan, Jeannie Buss? In the front office? As a scout? As a general managing partner? Sitting in meetings with the owners? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-want-to-work-in-a-sports-franchises-front-office/853596/2 "2020-05-11T20:15:46Z")
First of all, if I were to want to work for any team, I’d be looking to avoid teams that are run by overblown egos like Jones, Dolan, or Cuban. Secondly, even though I like sports, I also like having some semblance of a work/life balance, and my understanding is that most, if not all, front office jobs with pro teams entail extremely long hours, and many of them (particularly those which involve scouting, or traveling directly with the team) put you on the road a _lot_. So, no thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-want-to-work-in-a-sports-franchises-front-office/853596/3 "2020-05-11T20:32:32Z")
Sure, I’ll be a managing partner. Where do I apply? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-want-to-work-in-a-sports-franchises-front-office/853596/4 "2020-05-11T20:44:29Z")
Any team but the Yankees and I would want a guaranteed contract for at least $500k per year for 3 years. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-want-to-work-in-a-sports-franchises-front-office/853596/5 "2020-05-11T20:45:59Z")
Sure, I’d be glad to. As long as it’s not the Steelers, 49ers, Angels, Saints, Patriots or Warriors. ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-want-to-work-in-a-sports-franchises-front-office/853596/6 "2020-05-11T23:33:23Z")
Want to? Sure. But from my understanding, front office jobs are demanding, high-stress, and long hours, with underwhelming pay. So I’ll pass in the interest of keeping my family on a first name basis. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-want-to-work-in-a-sports-franchises-front-office/853596/7 "2020-05-12T00:37:38Z")
> [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](#): > > Would you ever want to work for Jerry Jones, Mark Cuban, James Dolan, Jeannie Buss? In the front office? As a scout? As a general managing partner? Sitting in meetings with the owners? The money would have to be right, but of course. and of course I’d work for any team, even ones I don’t currently like as a fan. Especially in baseball. I love baseball FAR more than I dislike any team. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-want-to-work-in-a-sports-franchises-front-office/853596/8 "2020-05-12T02:56:39Z")
I’d take a job in the Dodgers front office in a heartbeat. I love the way they are run as an organization not to mention being a bit fan. I’d work for any of the analytics teams especially those who’s ownership isn’t insane. As much as I like the 49ers I’d end up killing management but I’d take a job with the Astros as long as I made enough that I’d be retired in 5 years since Houston blows. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-want-to-work-in-a-sports-franchises-front-office/853596/9 "2020-05-12T12:34:32Z")
I wouldn’t because I wouldn’t want any job in an office that is dominated by one person. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2020, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-want-to-work-in-a-sports-franchises-front-office/853596/10 "2020-05-13T10:44:21Z")
All the people I ever knew who worked for sport franchises were assholes. Their jobs very quickly went to their heads. I was in the media, so I got to deal with quite a few of them. Media people who were assigned to a big-league sport beat quickly became jerks, too. All prima donnas. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2020, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-want-to-work-in-a-sports-franchises-front-office/853596/11 "2020-05-13T15:44:14Z")
I think I would not want to work for a sports team. I wouldn’t be able to get around the fundamental frivolity of the venture, and take it seriously enough to have it as a job. I mean, how could I sit in a meeting with a bunch of deadly serious people talking about… basketball? (or hockey, or football, or whatever) Regardless of the scale, it’s just not _important_ in the sense that working for a health care company, or food company, or even a government is. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2020, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-want-to-work-in-a-sports-franchises-front-office/853596/12 "2020-05-13T15:49:56Z")
Absolutely! I’d prefer to work for the Yankees, Steelers or Nets, but pay me enough and I can make exceptions. Just no Red Sox, Astros or Patriots. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2020, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-want-to-work-in-a-sports-franchises-front-office/853596/13 "2020-05-13T16:00:28Z")
Only if I could work like George Costanza did for the Yankees. ---
**Author:** ![Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yankees_1996_Champs)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2020, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-want-to-work-in-a-sports-franchises-front-office/853596/14 "2020-05-13T18:55:26Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I think I would not want to work for a sports team. I wouldn’t be able to get around the fundamental frivolity of the venture, and take it seriously enough to have it as a job. > > I mean, how could I sit in a meeting with a bunch of deadly serious people talking about… basketball? (or hockey, or football, or whatever) Regardless of the scale, it’s just not _important_ in the sense that working for a health care company, or food company, or even a government is. Sports is a business, yes it is entertainment, but it generates billions of dollars. Yes, athletes making millions playing a ball and the coach’s strategy and playbook are important in the sports industry. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2020, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-want-to-work-in-a-sports-franchises-front-office/853596/15 "2020-05-13T18:57:22Z")
It strikes me, Yankees, that you ask these questions in the topics you start, but you often don’t share your own opinion. Would _you_ want to work in a team’s front office? Why or why not? ---
**Author:** ![Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yankees_1996_Champs)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2020, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-want-to-work-in-a-sports-franchises-front-office/853596/16 "2020-05-13T19:16:23Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > Absolutely! I’d prefer to work for the Yankees, Steelers or Nets, but pay me enough and I can make exceptions. Just no Red Sox, Astros or Patriots. You won’t want to work for Patriots head coach Bill Belichick? ---
**Author:** ![Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yankees_1996_Champs)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2020, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-want-to-work-in-a-sports-franchises-front-office/853596/17 "2020-05-13T19:44:20Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > It strikes me, Yankees, that you ask these questions in the topics you start, but you often don’t share your own opinion. Would _you_ want to work in a team’s front office? Why or why not? I would not mind working in the public relations department or some other branch. If I were a COO, or in the inner circle of the owner/CEO, general manager, maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2020, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-want-to-work-in-a-sports-franchises-front-office/853596/18 "2020-05-13T19:56:51Z")
> [@Yankees\_1996\_Champs](#): > > You won’t want to work for Patriots head coach Bill Belichick? Not on the up-and-up. If I had the means to sabotage them, then sign me up! ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2020, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-want-to-work-in-a-sports-franchises-front-office/853596/19 "2020-05-13T23:24:59Z")
I would only want to work in a sports front office if I had influence. It would be pretty maddening to see all my input getting heard, then shot down. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2020, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-want-to-work-in-a-sports-franchises-front-office/853596/20 "2020-05-14T19:53:25Z")
Working in the sports entertainment business sounds like general good fun but those are highly competitive people running highly competitive businesses and as such are overly prone to rampant and intolerable assholery. Pass. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-want-to-work-in-a-sports-franchises-front-office/853596.md?page=2)