American businessman Ted Turner had several ventures, including founding CNN and owning the Atlanta Braves. The Brown University alum purchased the Braves in 1976, and the club won the World Series under his ownership in 1995.
The Braves were struggling when Turner bought the team, so much so that he stepped in as the manager. After going 70-92 in 1976, they started 8-21 in 1977 before the media mogul sent manager Dave Bristol home for 10 days.
Turner managed Atlanta's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 11 of that season. His presence didn't change the club's fortunes, as it lost its 17th straight contest.
Turner deferred almost all of the managerial decisions to third-base coach Vern Benson, but he did insert backup infielder Darrel Chaney as a pinch-hitter in the ninth. The Braves were down 2-1 with a runner on first, and the switch-hitter hit a ground-rule double. However, Hall of Fame closer Goose Gossage then came in to seal the Pirates' victory.
MLB then banned Turner from the dugout due to the rule that team owners couldn't manage.
“They must have put that rule in yesterday,” Turner told The Washington Post. “If I’m smart enough to save $11 million to buy the team, I ought to be smart enough to manage it.”
Ted Turner Revolutionized Atlanta Sports
Atlanta Hawks former team owner Ted Turner (center). © Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Turner, who passed away on Wednesday at 87, also bought the NBA's Atlanta Hawks the year after he bought the Braves. The team made the playoffs 15 times during his tenure and retired a jersey with his name on it in 2004.
Turner purchased the broadcasting rights to Braves games in 1972, and his acquisition of the Hawks allowed him to broadcast year-round sporting events on his WTCG station in Atlanta. WTCG then grew into a national "superstation" named WTBS, which made the Braves popular on cable television in the 1980s and 1990s. The club grew such a presence nationally that it became known as "America's Team."
Turner also founded TNT, TBS, Cartoon Network, and Turner Classic Movies. TNT and TBS have broadcast numerous sporting events and shows, including the hit "Inside the NBA" featuring Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny "The Jet" Smith, and Shaquille O'Neal. That show moved to ESPN after the 2024-25 NBA season.
Turner is partially responsible not only for today's popularity of Atlanta professional sports teams but also for the way sports are broadcast today.
