stood up and declared, "I think what we need here is some stability--and some civility." Drucker would serve out the final year of his term, and without knowing it Baker had made an indelible impression. He left the meeting early to fulfill a speaking commitment, only to learn later that his fellow owners had elected him chairman of the board. The next year, after Drucker chose not to accept a contract extension, the owners turned to Baker, a massive man with even bigger ideas.

Who says size doesn't matter? The Arena League may not approach the NFL in profits and popularity, but it does boast a commissioner who makes Paul Tagliabue look like a wet piece of tagliatelle. With his booming voice and mammoth frame--6'9" and, thanks to arecent diet, he says, "a few cupcakes shy of 400 pounds"--Baker had little trouble restoring order. Gazing up at Baker shortly after his ascent to the commissioner's post, a longtime corporate sponsor remarked, "Nobody's going to punch you out."

Six and a half years later, as the AFL continues its counterintuitive run of success in a depressed economy--average attendance for the recently completed regular season was 11,397, up 15% from 2002 and 25% from 2001--owners are more likely to drop to their knees and kiss Baker's hand. The 17-year-old league has credibility (no fewer than 10 owners of other major pro sports franchises own or hold interests in Arena teams), exposure (a TV deal with NBC and teams in eight of the top 10 U.S. markets) and stability (a