The 2007 ArmchairGM Fifty -- 41 through 50

#41: Aaron Schatz

Editor and founder of the insurmountable Football Outsiders, Schatz is to the NFL what Bill James is to baseball. He just doesn't receive full credit yet.

Schatz's ability to collect and unite the finest football minds under his umbrella is unmatched. The sphere of independent football reporting is virutally empty when you remove Schatz and his compatriots, such as Mike Tanier and Michael David Smith, from the fold. From a hobby, Schatz has build Football Outsiders into the football resource that NFL general managers and coaches alike make note of -- even if they're wont to admit to it.

#42: Stephon Marbury

It's gotta be the shoes!

In the 80s and 90s, American urban culture was sneaker-centric; an off-shoot of Jordan and Dr. J-centered marketing campaigns.

Enter Marbury. A product of Brookyln's Coney Island during the Jordan heyday, "Starbury" knows all too well the shoe-driven economy of urban schoolyards. To solve the problem, Marbury partnered with Steve & Barry's to promote a line of shoes called the "Starbury". This line of shoes will sell for just under $15, and Marbury wore the shoes during games for the 2006-07 season.

More incredibly, Marbury gets no up-front money for endorsing the shoes; rather,he acts as an investory, being compensated based solely on how well they sell. But for Marbury, it's not about the money; Stephon promised to give out a free pair of Starbury ones to every high school varsity basketball player in New York City.

#43: Al Michaels

Michaels has done it all, and is still going. He is sports broadcasting. Michaels is one of two sportscasters to be a play-by-play voice or host the five major American Championships, having called the Super Bowl several times, the 1989 World Series, the NBA Championship from 2003 through 2005. He also hosted a Stanley Cup Finals and called such boxing matchups like "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas "The Hitman" Hearns for the undisputed middleweight championship of the world. In addition, Michaels has served as host for all three Triple Crown races and the Indianapolis 500.

So while he might only be calling the Super Bowl now, he still is in the public eye. He called Monday Night football from 1986, till 2006 when it moved to ESPN, and he began to call Sunday Night football for NBC. On top of all of that, Al still has done one thing that can never be replicated. The Miracle on Ice. Yep, he called that to. You know the quote, "Do you believe in miracles? YES!" Well, that was him. He has done everything that he can do, and then some. Al Michaels is Sports broadcasting, and here's why. He was traded to NBC for the rights to Friday coverage of the next four Ryder Cups, allowed ESPN to uses more Olympic highlights, and gave Disney the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Think about that. He was TRADED. That's how much he's worth. ABC/ESPN wouldn't let Michaels go to NBC with a buyout. He had to be traded, and for a lot of things. Not one other broadcaster has that much worth.

#44: Roger Goodell

Goodell has only been the NFL's commissioner for a few months, but he's already made his mark. He would have made this list simply for his draconian-but-deserved punishments levied upon Pacman Jones and Chris Henry; and probably would have his push to internationalize the sport of American football. But his newest charge may be the most important: an insistence on ending the NFL's terrible lack of concussion-prevention measures.

Action speaks louder than words, and Goodell seems to get that. Last week, he said aloud what we all believe obvious: "At no time should competitive issues override medical issues. Safety comes first." The difference, of course, is that Goodell is actually paying lipservice to that credo: all players will be required to have a baseline brain-scan before the 2007 season, enabling the league, team, and player to determine the neurological effects of head injuries while playing in the NFL.

This is the first step toward a sport where players are respected as people, and not as playthings. It's a first step well overdue, and Goodell's ascension to the commissionership has allowed it to occur.

whenever we react with "the ref is crooked!" or allegations that an ump is "fixing a game."

#45: Dikembe Mutombo

The native of Congo and 8-time NBA All-Star donated $15 million in 2006 to finish the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital, the first modern medical facility to hit the Congolese capital in almost 40 years. Mutombo helps introduce basketball and improve infrastucture across Africa. His philanthropism earned Mutumbo a place as one of President George W. Bush's special guests at the 2007 State of the Union Address. In an era where basketball players are, rightfully or not, considered thugs and gangbangers, Mutumbo truly exemplifies the ideal of returning home to improve one's community.

#46: Yao Ming

The list of players 7'6" or taller in NBA history is short and filled with disappointment, as neither Manute Bol, Gheorghe Muresan, nor Shawn Bradley ever came close to being as dominant as you'd expect someone of their stature to be. The history of Chinese players in the NBA is equally discouraging, as Wang Zhi Zhi and Mengke Bateer never really panned out at the game's highest level.

These two unenviable histories converged when Yao Ming was selected 1st overall in the 2002 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets. Given those odds, you probably couldn't blame Yao if he turned out to be the worst of both worlds, an international bust of (literally and figuratively) huge proportions. But Yao hasn't been anything close to a bust; rather, he's been one of the best centers in the league from almost the first moment he laced up his shoes for an NBA game.

Beyond his on-court impact, though, Yao has had an enormous influence on the international sports scene. He has dramatically increased basketball's profile on the global scale, especially in Asia. In fact, he has proved that Asia can be a viable source of basketball talent to the rest of the world. He also proved that you don't have to defect (à la athletes of the USSR) to find success in the United States. Because of this, he's a folk hero in his homeland, where the Rockets have been adopted as a de facto national team. And, perhaps most importantly, Yao has done an outstanding job of extending goodwill between the United States and China.

Unlike his tall predecessors, Yao has made a difference on the court and off. As the NBA's first Asian superstar, he unquestionably belongs in the ArmchairGM Fifty.

#47: George Mitchell

When the former Senator and Ireland/UK peacemaker was tabbed by Bud Selig to be the John Dowd for baseball's PED scandal, he immediately became both the focal point and the magnifying lens for the word "steroids."

In an investigation perceived to be spawned by the book "Game of Shadows" and centered on Barry Bonds, we've yet to see if Mitchell can be successful. He does, in fact, lack both subpoena power and true independence from Selig. For the time being, Mitchell's glare is still enough to make others act, and the attention focused on Mitchell is enough to make him react. Those fans who want to see the game of baseball cleaned up hope this former Disney chairman is leading an investigation that is more than just for show.

Caveat druggist.

#48: Alex Rodriguez

Speaking of huge paydays...

We've all been through this routine a million times before: A-Rod wins MVP; New York loves A-Rod. A-Rod chokes in playoffs; New York hates A-Rod. A-Rod has a rift with Derek Jeter; New York boos A-Rod mercilessly. A-Rod really chokes in playoffs; New York threatens to throw A-Rod out of the city. But just when you think things couldn't get worse for A-Rod, he puts together another MVP-type year! Sometimes, you need a program just to keep up: this week, do they love him or hate him?

Such is the schizoid relationship between A-Rod, Yankee fans, and the media. One day, it seems like A-Rod is Public Enemy #1 in the Big Apple, but he'll go and hit a walk-off HR, and they support him again. It's an endless cycle. So why do we keep coming back for more? Because in any given game, A-Rod has the ability to do things that very few players can. He's one of those guys who can be "worth the price of admission". And as long as he keeps that ability, we'll keep watching. And we'll keep our love-hate relationship going.

#49: Mike Nifong

In a rush to judgment, this North Carolina district attorney showed that oftentimes, "boys being boys" is, well, just that. Student athletes with strippers and beer? Perish the thought!

Throughout the entire Duke Lacrosse scandal, the men's team was met with two stalwart allies -- the women's team, and the truth. Both stood with the Duke men's lacrosse team, even when neither politics nor fairness suggested they do so.

Nifong, through the lens of a sports controversy, gave America a lesson in prosecutorial misconduct and the tragic result when a public servant abuses his powers for political gain. For Reid Seligmann and his friends, life will never been the same, as the asterisk of rape accusations shall always follow their otherwise good names.

#50: Zinedine Zidane

The headbutt seen 'round the world.

In soccer, there are fewer times worse to be sent off with a red card than in the closing minutes of the World Cup final. Yet, in the 110th minute of the 2006 World Cup final against Italy, Zidane pulled off exactly that feat. Marco Materazzi then said something to Zidane -- something still unknown. ZZ turned around, ran at Materazzi, and head-butted the Italian in the chest, sending him to the ground.

See ya.

The headbutt not only helped Italy beat France, but also set off a slew of mini-private eyes, trying to lip-read what Materazzi could have said that would set off Zidane. And of course, the Photoshop brigade had their fun with it, too, creating images like the one on the right.