Flawed owner involvement is one of worst-kept secrets in sports

[MTK]

Interesting read

Owner involvement is one of worst-kept secrets in sports - Ross Tucker - SI.com

[SmootSmack]

Great read. I hear about various levels of involvement from owners all over the league. The only owner that I've heard is truly a 100% hands-off owner (unless absolutely necessary) is Paul Allen of the Seahawks.

[SkinFanatic]

I think Jones and Snyder are the 2 prime examples of overinvolved owners. The difference between them being that Jones actually played football and has an understanding of the game. But then you have examples like Kraft and Rooney, who know their place and allow those they hire to do the job they're paid to do. I don't think anyone is under the false hope that Snyder or any owner will stay out of all decisions. Like the writer said, it's their dime. But I'm not buying that an owner's heavy involvement in football ops is inevitable. There's plenty of evidence to the contrary.

[skinsfan69]

I think most owners in the NFL don't meddle. What I like about Jones is he at least doesn't hide behind anyone. I'd rather have him than Snyder.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by skinsfan69

I think most owners in the NFL don't meddle. What I like about Jones is he at least doesn't hide behind anyone. I'd rather have him than Snyder.

Depends on how you define meddle. Most owners have various levels of involvement.

Would you be ok with Snyder's involvement if he just comes out and says "Moving forward, I am taking the title of General Manager"

[Hog1]

I would think ALL owners meddle as that is part of the attraction of owning a team. As the article states....the ultimate fantasy football game? We just rarely hear about it. If the truth were known, who REALLY knows what DanFinger's involvement has been?

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Depends on how you define meddle. Most owners have various levels of involvement.

Would you be ok with Snyder's involvement if he just comes out and says "Moving forward, I am taking the title of General Manager"

Not sure how heavily involved Snyder is with personnel, but one reason I can respect Jerry Jones is because he has the stones to call himself the GM of the team. He may not be very good at it, but at least he's not hiding behind a curtain pulling strings with no accountability.

[BrunellMVP?]

Doesn't paint a bright picture for us...

I'd really just be happy if a football guy comes in that Dan respects (not one that he runs over like Vinny). I don't think that is asking too much

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Depends on how you define meddle. Most owners have various levels of involvement.

Would you be ok with Snyder's involvement if he just comes out and says "Moving forward, I am taking the title of General Manager"

I would appreciate the honesty of such an announcement. That would beat an owner who acts as GM in secret.

I disagree with Tucker when he says, "If you were the owner of an NFL team, would you take a backseat and decline to have significant input on all of the football decisions? I didn't think so." At my job I have hired others who have expertise in fields that I don't. Even though I could get involved with their work, I don't at all - I let them be free to do their jobs as they see fit. After all, the reason they were hired is that they know things that I don't and from this point of view my meddling with their jobs would erase the reason for hiring them to begin with. Then again, I don't have $1 billion of mine on the line and we are not playing a game at my work. But I still think that the idea that owners inevitably will meddle holds no merit. In fact, projecting from my experience, the more an owner gets involved, the dumber he or she is.

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

I realize that most owners are involved in matters affecting the teams. However, aren't many of the owners involved in an "advisory-only" role? I thought many GMs were granted, by the terms of their employment contracts, final authority on most decisions. The Danny hasn't ceded full control to someone else since 2001.

The Danny isn't the sole source of this team's struggles. However, he hired the coaches and is intimately involved in player acquisition matters. It's pretty hard not to blame him for a lot of our problems when he exercises that much power and has been around for the past 10 years.

[JoeRedskin]

The thing that gets me is that, after 10 years of mediocrity, you would think that Snyder would look at how things are being done and say... hmmmmm how are franchises that are consistently successful run? What are the models that acheive success? Generally, what is the level of owner involvement for successful teams?

Perhaps he has done this, I just don't know. I don't think he has. I remember an article where he was asked if he thinks the Ravens might be a good model (back around the time they were winning a SB and constantly restocking their team with young talent) and his response being something along the lines of "What could I possibly learn from them??

I really am not on the trash Dan bandwagon - I don't want the team sold (the devil you don't know is worse than the one you do).

I just want the dumb little jerk to wake up, swallow his pride, do some serious self examination and really look around to see how winners are built.

[SkinFanatic]

Originally Posted by JoeRedskin

The thing that gets me is that, after 10 years of mediocrity, you would think that Snyder would look at how things are being done and say... hmmmmm how are franchises that are consistently successful run? What are the models that acheive success? Generally, what is the level of owner involvement for successful teams?

Perhaps he has done this, I just don't know. I don't think he has. I remember an article where he was asked if he thinks the Ravens might be a good model (back around the time they were winning a SB and constantly restocking their team with young talent) and his response being something along the lines of "What could I possibly learn from them??

I really am not on the trash Dan bandwagon - I don't want the team sold (the devil you don't know is worse than the one you do).

I just want the dumb little jerk to wake up, swallow his pride, do some serious self examination and really look around to see how winners are built.

Honestly, I'm pretty sure Danny models himself after Jerry Jones. The problem here being that Jerry Jones played football at a pretty high level through college, so he knows the game. DS has only dreamed of playing football

[GhettoDogAllStars]

Originally Posted by Lotus

I disagree with Tucker when he says, "If you were the owner of an NFL team, would you take a backseat and decline to have significant input on all of the football decisions? I didn't think so." At my job I have hired others who have expertise in fields that I don't. Even though I could get involved with their work, I don't at all - I let them be free to do their jobs as they see fit. After all, the reason they were hired is that they know things that I don't and from this point of view my meddling with their jobs would erase the reason for hiring them to begin with. Then again, I don't have $1 billion of mine on the line and we are not playing a game at my work. But I still think that the idea that owners inevitably will meddle holds no merit. In fact, projecting from my experience, the more an owner gets involved, the dumber he or she is.

Yes. This is what most successful business owners throughout the entire world do. That's no secret. My boss would never dream of doing my job, because he is not qualified in any way whatsoever. That was a weak argument by Tucker.

[Mc2guy]

First, name one industry where the owner of a company (be it a private owner or a board of directors on a public company) didn't influence the operation of that company? Never.

Is this any different than Alan Mullaly, a Boeing executive hired to head up Ford in 2006, telling his "car guys" that they needed to re-engineer the Ford 500 and bring back the Taurus name? No.

I work for a mid-sized company that is privately owned, and the owner/ceo has his hands in EVERYTHING. Is it the best or most efficient way to do it, probably not, but it's his company and he can do as he pleases, even if it hurts our profitability. He is a great man in his own respects, but he meddles in things associated with product development where he has no experience or expertise. It is common and I have friends that work at other businesses with the same problem.

No one I can point to with a financial interest in the operation of a company is going to be completely "hands-off". Some might be able to stay out of the way most of the time, but their input will always be felt.

Dan is no different. The fact that you don't hear about it that much in the NFL is a testament to excellent media management on other clubs and how "bad" Dan is at it, not that he is the only one doing it.

[SolidSnake84]

It's in my business experience that 99% of businesses out there has an owner or owner/s that know absolutley Jack about how to keep the business going, and or profitable. The way people off-set that is to hire a competent staff. Snyder will never learn how to be a football guy, but he could at least start assembling a good staff. That is something Gibbs could help him with....