Move over LeBron. Your moment is over.

Today, the sudden and shocking death of Yankee owner George Steinbrenner has spawned a plethora of commentary, tribute films and interviews with the some of the greatest sports legends of our time.

I grew up in a little town in NJ that was the home of the Yankees in the 70s. Thurman Munson and Catfish Hunter lived in my town, ate in our pizzeria and came to our school plays. Don Gullet and Graig Nettles came to our little league games.

Everyone in Norwood had an opinion about Steinbrenner. He was controversial, to say the least.

George was the man that everyone loved to hate….he fired Billy Martin, repeatedly. He dished out tough love. And he took a struggling baseball franchise and with determination and force of will created what is perhaps the most iconic team of our times.

George Steinbrenner was a game changer, in the truest sense of the word. He transformed a team, a city, a sport and some would argue an entire industry. He wasn’t always popular. His critics were many. They accused him of buying championships. Micromanaging talent. And in general, bullying everyone around him.

Just hours after we learned of his death, the conversation about his legacy became the topic of the day.

But what about the legacy of the Yankees, who lost both their face and with the passing of Bob Sheppard, their voice this week?

I’ve often mused about the relationship between an organization’s reputation and that of its leaders. Can a leader be so iconic that his or her own “brand” overtakes that of the organization they represent? Did that happen to the Yankees…is the Steinbrenner brand so iconic that the Yankees will never be the same?

Only time will tell.

cwinters General Corporate George Steinbrenner, Legacy, Yankees