ROSEMONT, Ill. _ As Jim Delany exited the Lucas Oil Stadium field with wife Kitty after the Dec. 7 Big Ten championship game, a fan decked in Ohio State gear near the tunnel hollered: "Hey! Best commissioner ever!"
Delany nodded to acknowledge the man known to Buckeyes fans as "Tennessee Jeff" Hamms. But he did not break stride.
"People have yelled good things and bad things," Delany told the Tribune, chuckling. "It depends oftentimes whether you win or lose. I appreciate fans, but I don't think commissioners are per se supposed to be popular."
During his 30 years at the helm of the Big Ten _ which officially ends Jan. 1 _ Delany's approval rating has ranged from roughly 0 to 100, depending on the timing and source of opinion.
Big Ten presidents and chancellors worship him for the wads of cash that flow to their campuses each year, allowing them to construct jaw-dropping facilities and offer top dollar to coaches.
Some Midwestern fans cursed him for rotating the Big Ten basketball tournament to Washington and New York.
Parents of Big Ten soccer and volleyball players should love him whenever they get to watch their kids appear on BTN telecasts.
Hordes of college football fans resented his loyalty to the Rose Bowl over his willingness to greenlight a college football playoff.
Most Penn State and Nebraska fans appreciate him for their inclusion in the conference.
SEC fans howled when he took a shot at the league's academic standards for football players.
Maryland and Rutgers officials should bow down for the financial lifeline provided.
Social media mocked him when the Big Ten split into "Legends" and "Leaders."
Ohio State and Michigan football fans must love having Maryland and Rutgers in the conference as the traditional powers deliver whuppings and raid those home bases for talent.
We haven't even gotten to some of Delany's other signature moves, such as pioneering instant replay and bowl tie-ins, helping to create the Big Ten-ACC Challenge and the Gavitt Tipoff Games, pushing and sometimes relenting on Friday night football games, adding Johns Hopkins for men's lacrosse and Notre Dame for men's hockey.
"No risk, no reward, no guts, no glory," Delany said during the opening stretch of an 80-minute interview at Big Ten headquarters in Rosemont.
Here are 10 takeaways from the interview:
