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1. (tie) Dallas Cowboys – Jerry Jones (Stephen Jones): Jones isn’t just a charming powerbroker in real life; he also plays one on TV. When Jones told Ari Gold he was out as the head of L.A.’s proposed NFL venture on a recent “Entourage” episode, as part of a season-long series of cameos, how many viewers were hoping he’d go on an impromptu riff like the one featured in this far less-polished production? (Warning: Explicit language alert.) Jones’ team had a strong season in 2009, and his offseason was even more impressive. Think about it: Before the owners elected to opt out of the current CBA in ’08 and the threat of an uncapped year was broached, there was always the assumption that Jones, Snyder and other free-spending owners would go an unchecked rampage this offseason. When the uncapped year finally came to fruition, however, Jones went against the type and did virtually nothing in free agency, a development all the more remarkable given the obvious allure of going all out to get to the Super Bowl he’ll host next February in his unequaled stadium. Says one owner who admires Jones, “I think a lot of small-market teams feared what he would do in an uncapped year, but he sees the bigger picture and understands the importance of not doing crazy things, and he’s a businessman first.” Not that Jones is backing off on his ultra-competitive instincts. He simply thinks the team he has is good enough to win it all and has learned some hard lessons about being overly seduced by splashy acquisitions. “We’re still going to be the team that spends the most money, but we’re at a point in the cycle where we didn’t need to do a lot,” Jones says. “Football’s different now than it was when I first got in. I’m convinced you can’t buy it. If you’ve got a quarterback you think can get you there, then you can go all out to put the surrounding cast around him and spend more money than you otherwise would. But you can’t buy a championship in this league.” Of course, you can err on the side of spending aggressively, and it helps when you are No. 1 in revenue (which the Cowboys are, thanks largely to Jones’ entrepreneurial savvy and the impressive business instincts of his eldest son, Stephen, the team’s general manager who played a major role in getting the stadium built) and totally committed to the cause, two of Jones’ obvious attributes. He’s also compassionate, as evidenced by his recent settlement with two Cowboys employees who sustained severe injuries in the 2009 collapse of the indoor practice bubble at the team’s training facility. Frank Branson, the attorney for scout Rich Behm and special teams coach Joe DeCamillis, noted that “the Cowboys have been supportive of Rich and Joe from Day 1,” and both men still work for the organization. One other thing I love about Jones: You can bet he’ll put on the greatest, most grandiose Super Bowl that has ever been staged, and I look forward to a week’s worth of appreciating his showmanship. “This is the earliest possible you could ever host a Super Bowl,” Jones says. “You have to wait until you’ve played there two full seasons, and our stadium opened just before last season started. We literally haven’t even taken the newness off the stadium – there may be people living in there, and I haven’t found ‘em yet. So this Super Bowl is just like a grand opening.” Well, hopefully not just like a grand opening, at least as far as the stairwells are concerned.
1. (tie) New England Patriots – Robert Kraft (Jonathan Kraft) Of all the ill-advised things that NFL players have blurted out during contract disputes, the contention by Patriots guard Logan Mankins(notes) to ESPNBoston.com’s Mike Reiss that Kraft is a duplicitous owner who treats people poorly was one of the most regrettable. For one thing, Mankins is a little unclear on the concept. Even if Kraft had promised Mankins his contract would be reworked after the ’09 season – and Robert’s son Jonathan, the team president, told NECN’s Tom Curran earlier this week that Mankins “seriously misspoke” when he made that statement – it wouldn’t have ensured that the Patriots (who reportedly offered him a deal worth more than $7 million per season) would pay him at the rate of his choosing. It’s called a negotiation, which is something Kraft has done well during his 16-year run as the Patriots’ owner, though it remains to be seen whether he’ll successfully navigate his way through a tricky back-and-forth with franchise quarterback Tom Brady(notes) to secure a long-term extension in the days before the team’s regular season opener next Sunday. (I’d say there’s a 50-50 chance.) With an optimal organizational structure that allows Jonathan to make shrewd business decisions and unparalleled coach Bill Belichick to preside over football operations, the Pats are poised to remain an elite team for the foreseeable future, and if they ever slip you can bet that ownership will make proactive moves toward restoring the franchise to excellence. For now much of Kraft’s business acumen and firm but realistic approach to problem-solving will be devoted to the labor front, where he’ll play a highly influential role in trying to hammer out a new deal that keeps the NFL prosperous and popular.
The rest...http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ms-ownerrankingsparttwo090310&print=1
1. (tie) New England Patriots – Robert Kraft (Jonathan Kraft) Of all the ill-advised things that NFL players have blurted out during contract disputes, the contention by Patriots guard Logan Mankins(notes) to ESPNBoston.com’s Mike Reiss that Kraft is a duplicitous owner who treats people poorly was one of the most regrettable. For one thing, Mankins is a little unclear on the concept. Even if Kraft had promised Mankins his contract would be reworked after the ’09 season – and Robert’s son Jonathan, the team president, told NECN’s Tom Curran earlier this week that Mankins “seriously misspoke” when he made that statement – it wouldn’t have ensured that the Patriots (who reportedly offered him a deal worth more than $7 million per season) would pay him at the rate of his choosing. It’s called a negotiation, which is something Kraft has done well during his 16-year run as the Patriots’ owner, though it remains to be seen whether he’ll successfully navigate his way through a tricky back-and-forth with franchise quarterback Tom Brady(notes) to secure a long-term extension in the days before the team’s regular season opener next Sunday. (I’d say there’s a 50-50 chance.) With an optimal organizational structure that allows Jonathan to make shrewd business decisions and unparalleled coach Bill Belichick to preside over football operations, the Pats are poised to remain an elite team for the foreseeable future, and if they ever slip you can bet that ownership will make proactive moves toward restoring the franchise to excellence. For now much of Kraft’s business acumen and firm but realistic approach to problem-solving will be devoted to the labor front, where he’ll play a highly influential role in trying to hammer out a new deal that keeps the NFL prosperous and popular.
The rest...http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ms-ownerrankingsparttwo090310&print=1
