5 high-end but dysfunctional NFL franchises
By John Buhler
With the Atlanta Falcons embarrassing themselves again with another public relations fiasco, here are the NFL’s five high-end dysfunctional franchises.
The Atlanta Falcons are an NFL franchise that tries it best to present itself to the rest of the league as a first-class organization. While fellow owners seem to have a great deal of respect for Arthur Blank and his NFC South football team, this franchise even before Blank bought the team back in 2001 from Rankin Smith never seems to be able to go too long without getting in its own way with another public relations nightmare.
Last week during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine, an unnamed assistant coach on head coach Dan Quinn’s staff reportedly asked Ohio State defensive back Eli Apple about his sexual orientation, in very confrontational manner. That put Quinn and his team again in another awkward situation that most NFL franchises don’t find themselves in.
While the Falcons organization seems to have found some semblance of continuity during Blank’s ownership, particularly with Matt Ryan at quarterback, it’s difficult to say that the Falcons don’t have any dysfunctional tendencies.
Surely, Atlanta isn’t looked at by the rest of the league in the same light as the Cleveland Browns, the Oakland Raiders, the Tennessee Titans, or the Washington Redskins as displaying that type of persistent dysfunctional behavior. At times, it isn’t that painfully obvious. Atlanta did boast the best overall record in the NFC for half a decade only a few years ago (2008-12).
That being said, what sort of franchise that is truly a first-class organization has its Pro Bowl safety get arrested in Miami the night before Super Bowl XXXIII, have to cut ties with its franchise quarterback because he had to go to jail for running an illegal dog fighting operation, lose a head coach Week 14 of the 2007 NFL season for more a lucrative gig with the Arkansas Razorbacks in the SEC, and then get caught by the league for pumping in crowd noise at home games?
While the Falcons certainly didn’t help themselves in the public relations department this week, they aren’t alone in high-end dysfunctionality. Here are the NFL’s five teams that are actually dysfunctional, but you probably had no idea that they are.
Next: 5. Philadelphia Eagles