NFL Owners, Homers And Beastly Men

We’re all such wanna-bes. Some of us more than others. The difference? You stick a group of millionaires and billionaires in a room with some of the world’s best and biggest athletes and the situation gets — well — freaky!

Like never before, NFL owners are flexing their texting — or bleating through tweeting — to expose their inner childishness for their own well paid personnel. It’s akin to turning “star” gazing into navel gazing.

On Sunday afternoon — a few short minutes after Andrew Luck threw a dump-off pass for 3 yards behind the line of scrimmage — which happened to turn into a 63 yard TD pass because of a great run by the RB — Colts owner Jim Irsay tweeted the following:

Legend? You mean like: “He’s a legend in his own mind?” That’s exactly what it’s like.

Many a sage of the sod claim Luck is the best QB prospect to enter the NFL since Peyton Manning came out in 1998 or even as far back as John Elway in 1983.

I say, rein it in Jim Bob, rein it in. You really think one safety valve-ish pass is supposed to confirm Luck as “legendary?”

Or is something else going on here?

It’s unnecessary to rehash-n-mash all of the events of the Manning exodus from Indianapolis earlier this year to know that Jim Irsay was the man caught in the middle. A nationwide public, is not blind to this fact so, Irsay’s response to Luck’s 63 yard TD pass on his first play is clearly all about motivating forces.

It’s pathetic more than prophetic — undeserving and more self-serving.

However, the blunders-by-owners phenomena was hardly invented by Irsay.

In a news conference on July 29th Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones proclaimed, “I want me some Gloryhole.” Now, if you haven’t seen or heard that clip — if you enjoy a “good” one — you might want to check it out. You see, owners can say anything they want. They’re rich. Not too smart sometimes but, the attitude is remarkable — “take this boner and choke on it.”

Some owners behave in ways that are — how do you say –outside the norm. New England Patriots billionaire owner Robert Kraft has become a bit of a YouTube sensation. Here’s Kraft’s audition for a “friend” with a narrative by Jimmy Kimmel.

While owners are exercising their Paleolithic prerogative — the rest of us lift a literal, and figurative, eyebrow and then shake our proverbial heads.

Deceased owner Al Davis, of Oakland Raiders fame, may have been the first caveman of NFL owners when it comes to doing and saying the outrageous. Yes, Davis was responsible for, “I’d like my next head coach to be winning-oriented” and “I have never forgiven myself … that I might have made a mistake” but, Davis has long been the standard bearer when it comes to being — off the wall.

As with many NFL owners, after years of entitlement, they become comfortable and settled in their preemptive declarations and super-human self-perception. Davis once said, “A myth is a story told in a historical context. You think of that name, Al Davis, and you think of an old, rich, white guy who owns the Raiders.” In Davis’ mind — he was so much more than that or perhaps he didn’t see himself as any of that.

So, are we talking about a bit of delusion here? Sure, but, it’s delusion on steroids and speed while free-falling without a parachute… which many owners don’t believe they need to survive.

You know that owners like Daniel Snyder, Jerry Jones and Woody Johnson don’t see their franchise as a football teams. It’s about the notoriety more than anything. At least it comes across that way.

Johnson said of the media attention Tim Tebow is receiving, “I knew there would be coverage. Even by our standards, this is pretty amazing.” As if he didn’t know his trading for Tebow would be the manic-media-cash-cow that it is.

Is what’s really happening there — jealousy? Seems as if there’s a high likelihood of that. Maybe Tebow will continue to get traded to every franchise in the league so that each team can get their share of the media juice he provides. He just won’t be able to stay any place too long because there’s no such thing as upstaging an owner in the NFL.

While some owners prefer the quiet life of non-involvement — others run their organizations with — not so much an iron fist — but, an iron head. It’s their way or the highway. Just ask Jimmy Johnson or any other of the countless carousel of coaches Daniel Snyder has signed in his circus.

With almost every owner — sooner or later they slip up verbally — and give away the fact that they live in a different — hubris filled — world than the rest of us. The Baltimore Ravens haven’t won a Super Bowl since 2001 and came within a whisker of getting to another one last season. Since 2000 the Ravens overall record has been 116-76. So, any common fan would completely understand Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti when he says, “I am extremely disappointed in this year. I hated it; it made my life miserable.”

He’s right of course. Just ask him, he’ll tell you.