The 50 most influential people in sports in 2016

Samatha Lee/Business Insider

2016 was a banner year for sports.

From LeBron James’ Game 7 block, to the Cubs’ Game 7 victory in the World Series, it is hard to think back on a year in sports that was quite so memorable.

Of course, so much of the way we watch and enjoy sports these days is determined by people who have never participated in a professional athletic event in their lives.

That’s why we decided to compile a list of the 50 most influential people behind the scenes in sports — the managers, coaches, agents, reporters, and owners who are responsible for what we watch when we watch sports.

These are the commentators who break important news, and the agents who help player sign massive deals, and the owners who have the power to build franchises from scratch, or move them from one city to another.

All in all, these are the people who helped shape the year in sports — even if we didn’t see them swing a bat or catch a touchdown.

This list was compiled by Emmett Knowlton, Cork Gaines, Scott Davis, and Brett LoGuriato.