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Frank Pace is one of 13 HOFMAG.com Senior Staff to contribute a list of the Top Ten Most Influential People in Sports History. How does it compare with your own choices or the lists of the other HOFMAG.com writers in the box to the right? Find out all the results, from Who's #1 to "also ran" in HOFMAG.com's Top 10 Most Influential People in Sports History. 10. Marvin Miller – In 1967, future Hall of Famer Rod Carew was the American League Rookie of the Year. He made $6,500 that season. The next year he got a raise to $ 8,000. On Jan 21, Chase Utley signed an $85 million seven-year contract to play for the Phillies. Chase Utley owes a debt of gratitude to Marvin Miller along with a tip of the hat to Curt Flood. 9. Lamar Hunt – Brilliant heir to the Hunt fortune. As a founding father of the American Football League, Hunt made the NFL respect his upstarts and ultimately forged a merger between the two leagues. Not to stop there, Hunt later created World Team Tennis and possibly the most important figure in United States soccer. 8. Pete Rozelle – The former Rams PR man, took over a "healthy" NFL from Bert Bell and arguably seized the title of America's National Pastime from baseball. Of course, he had help from: 7. Knute Rockne – With apologies to Lesley Visser. Without Rock we probably would never have heard of Notre Dame, and without the legend of Notre Dame, college football is not the phenomenon it is today. Imagine the foresight in scheduling ND vs USC in the 1920s. Brilliant. 6. Roone Arledge – Changed the way American's watched TV. A bold programmer, he was not afraid to take chances. He gave America Howard Cosell, who easily could also be on this list of Top 10. 5. Arnold Palmer – Not only did he give golf swagger, but by having the foresight to hire Mark McCormack, he created the model for the sport as an entertainment business. 4. Jessie Owens/Joe Louis – With all due respect to Jackie Robinson, Owens & Louis united the country and exposed Hitler's hate mongering for what it was. They were the face of America when the world needed them most. 3. Billie Jean King – A pioneer in so many ways. The mother of Title IX. If something needed to be said, you could count on Billie Jean. 2. Muhammad Ali – A true legend stands the test of time. A brash and unpopular figure in his prime, he was ahead of his time. Ali today is one of our most revered treasures. 1. Babe Ruth – The quintessential American Sports Figure. He saved baseball, the quintessential American sport. He transcends all others. Jim Brown was the Babe Ruth of Football, Michael Jordan was the Babe Ruth of Basketball. You get my drift. Sixty years after his death, people are still writing books about him. Game, Set, Match...Babe Ruth. Frank Pace has produced nearly 500 episodes of network television, including Murphy Brown and Suddenly Susan. He is currently the Producer of the ABC Series George Lopez. He can be reached at
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