Bouncing Back After He ‘Had Hit a Wall’

Dream job? Tony Tavares thought about walking away from it.

As president of Disney’s Anaheim Sports division, his portfolio includes the Angels, the Mighty Ducks and Edison International Field of Anaheim. But Tavares, whom Disney Chairman Michael Eisner personally tapped to lead the company into the brave new world of professional sports, considered leaving his job six months ago.

The Angels needed pitchers. The Ducks needed help. The stadium renovation project needed more money, millions more, and he had no idea whether Eisner would approve.

“I felt like I had hit a wall,” Tavares said. “I was questioning why I was doing this. I didn’t know if it was all going to be worth it.

“A lot of things just put me into a funk. I usually don’t allow myself to get into a funk. It lasted about two to three weeks, where I just wondered what the hell I was doing.”

Tavares again reigns firmly as the baron of pro sports in Orange County. He may walk away one day, perhaps soon, but the recent hiring of Pierre Gauthier as president of the Mighty Ducks should minimize the controversy he generates as the rare sports executive who wears his heart on a corporate sleeve.

“You’re building two teams and a stadium all at the same time, and you’re a new organization in sports,” Eisner said. “I think Tony Tavares does a great job with something that difficult.”

Tavares said he signed a new, long-term contract last year.

“I’m one of those people that gets bored easily,” he said in a spring interview. “I like to get things started. I like to build them. When it becomes routine and sundry is when I start getting restless.

“Certainly, the addition of the Angels and the construction on the stadium has kept me interested. And now I’m more motivated than ever on the Ducks, because I can’t accept where we are right now.”

While the Angels look pretty good and their stadium looks very good, the Ducks look awful. One year after a stirring playoff debut, the Ducks finished with the worst record in their five seasons.

Eisner, who vowed last year to spurn quick-fix spending in favor of “the fundamental changes that make you a powerhouse year in and year out,” said he believes Tavares is building the consistently competitive teams Disney promised.

As an executive in the Disney kingdom, Tavares could transfer to any number of corporate jobs all over the world, in all areas of entertainment. Disney Cruise Line? EuroDisney? ESPN Zone?

“I can’t envision myself being in charge of the rides at Disneyland,” he said. “I certainly still have a lot of work to do here.”