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Not Exactly Nostradamus

By Rick Karcher, Michael McCann, Geoffrey Rapp, Greg Skidmore, and Howard Wasserman

In December 2006, I predicted in this space that George W. Bush would be the next commissioner of baseball. Bud Selig had just signed a new contract but basically had promised to step down in 2009--right about when W would be out of his current job.

So much for accuracy. On Thursday, MLB owners extended Selig's contract another three years, until 2012. Bruce Reed at Slate says this development means Bush "just lost the job he has always wanted much more than the one he's in." Reed adds two considerations to the mix.

First, he relays a comment from 2000 by Doug Hannah, one of Bush's childhood friends, that Bush ran for president (the quotation was in a Vanity Fair article during the GOP primary) as a resume enhancer and that Bush really wanted (and still wants, perhaps?) to be commissioner.

Second, Reed suggests it is remotely possible that Selig and the owners do want Bush, but believe he would be too toxic to hire in 2009. The extra three years allows for a cooling off and makes for an easier transition.

Full post as published by Sports Law Blog on January 19, 2008 (boomark / email).