Sven-Goran Eriksson can’t catch a break, fired after leading the England national team to a decent record but no silverware and now a top-10 finish with Premier League team Manchester City, improving them dramatically, is not enough.

Frank Rijkaard is in trouble in Barcelona after making it to the European Cup semi-final and losing by one golden goal over two tight matches whilst missing star player Ronaldinho and a third place La Liga finish have him in trouble. Avram Grant followed charismatic and controversial Jose Mourinho mid-season, gutted out a tough season leading his team to the European Cup Final and has a shot at the Premier title yet may be out of a job this summer.

The NBA’s underperforming past champion Pat Riley slides upstairs and maintains his front office Team President job after falling in two years from Champions to the 2nd worst season in team history (surpassing only the inaugural season’s replacement draft garbage line-up team in 1988), while again passing duties to a caretaker assistant coach. The last time he did that, the team started slowly and he was behind the bench again before Christmas.

The sport fantasy land of instant gratification or the coach is out continues this season with a vengeance. Why do some slip under the guillotine knife and others slip safely off to the sidelines?

One can argue that because they make so much money (£1-5 million pounds or more for the top performers) they must face a higher risk for that reward, but there is a new breed of entrepreneurial sport owner whose egos demand fealty and only championships will do or “off with their heads” is the cry.

Long gone are the days of family ownership with close ties to a community. Sport teams today are owned by entrepreneurs or conglomerates. Deeply rooted family name dynasties like Yawkey (Boston Red Sox), Frontiere (LA/St. Louis Rams) and Rooney (Pittsburgh Steelers) have been replaced by highly strung individuals who think that because they amassed huge sums of money, they and not opponents dictate results. Sports with balls can see then bounce badly and do not ever speak to the ruler about bad luck. They amassed and built enormous companies in a few short years so they bring the desire for instant change and will not settle for less.

In three years, ownership of England’s top 4 teams has changed from fan and family groups to foreign investors bringing truckloads of money and looking for huge returns. They will only settle for instant wins, brand value appreciation and even more money.

Liverpool FC has a storied tradition of winning European Championships. A few years back they hired the coach of championship side Valencia, Rafa Benitez. They won the European Cup in 2005 with a dramatic comeback (down 3-0 to tie and win on penalty kicks) and made it last year’s final game before bowing out to Milan. This year they will finish in fourth place in the Premiere League, good enough to make it back to challenge for a European cup they have won five times and yet Rafa is in danger because there is no trophy this year at Anfield Road. American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillet are not speaking to each other, the front office is in turmoil, the players have underperformed and it is Rafa in trouble!?!?

Baseball’s New York Yankees dynasty, the Steinbrenner family, has moved into a new act as the sons took over this season from their father and long-time manager Joe Torre thumbed his nose at a reduction in pay for a team that perennially makes the play-offs and is arguably the most valuable franchise in the game. The brothers are fighting amongst themselves and already making demands that replacement manager Joe Girardi use certain pitchers just as dear old dad did to Billy Martin and Joe Torre a few years back.

Mark Cuban, owner of the NBA Dallas Mavericks, a software entrepreneur, is repeatedly fined for outbursts in the media, a seeming inability to remain in his seat during games – preferring to argue directly from courtside with the referees during games and even created a controversial unofficial referee rating system he posted on the Web.

Money brings power and it is a sign of the times but at what point does ego give way to common sense? Instant gratification vs. building for the future? Sound business and personnel practices over-rule fits of pique and feudal lord practices when it comes to players and managers?

Fans want to win and are willing to invest time and loyalty if they see progress. Very few expect to see their team go from worst to first and their loyalty is to the team rather than the ownership group. It would be nice to see it reciprocated. Loyalty to fans rather than one’s ego would be a refreshing change of pace.

Now I’ve done it, my coffee just shot out of my cynical nose as I typed that one.