Taking Ownership
10/22/09
"The fish stinks from the head." It's an age-old Turkish proverb that simply means when the fish's head is looking a little green around the gills, the rest is soon to follow.
One needs only look as far as Enron, Lehman Brothers, and the U.S. Auto makers to glean the meaning of the proverb. Oh, and then there's sports.
Put Richard Simmons in charge of the Los Angeles Lakers for instance and you've got a bunch of real tall guys in short striped pants and a too tight tee shirt, teaching little old ladies the fine art the tomahawk jam. That is to say just because you try and dress like the real guys, doesn't mean you can be in their club.
Are you listening Chris Cohan? Hey, over here Lew Wolff. Uh, Mr. Davis, Reynolds Aluminum says your new suit's ready.
You might notice I've left the names of the ownership of the Giants, 49ers, and Sharks off the list of "dress for success."
The Niners are being run now by someone who is by all accounts a very bright guy and who has just enough familial cache of his Uncle Eddie to give a glimmer of hope to the long-suffering fans of Candlestick Park. His mom and dad, who held the keys to the executive washroom (and still do, in reality), seemed like nice enough people but you always had that feeling they were given the title to the Queen Mary--really didn't like boats--and then hired the Captain of the Titanic to run it. At the very least, the ship is now on course and headed in a far more defined direction.
My knowledge of hockey does not reach far beyond knowing that the guys wear "sweaters" and not "jerseys" and that as a group of athletes they are the most approachable and media friendly people in sports. I always wish their sport was more universally appreciated because the guys really know how to sell it and their fan base is rabid and organized to the point that I know they all are sitting in a room somewhere in San Jose and writing "comments" on every website, like this one. in America. The Sharks have 20,000 fans and 150,000 "comments." Every Sharks fan I know (Ray Ratto and Ralph Barbieri) tells me that this is a very good organization. So, I'm sticking with them.
The Giants have changed dramatically since Bill Neukom took over the cravat concession. This is a guy who gets it. He's a fan but not a meddler. He knows how to run an organization (Microsoft did pretty well with him as legal counsel); He wants high character from the players to the peanut vendors. And he gets out of the way and lets people do the jobs they were hired to do. And yet, there is no question whose signature is on the paychecks. They will be players in that league of scoundrels and they'll do so because they're solid at the top.
And that brings us to the other three.
Lew Wolff seems like a nice enough guy and you sure can't blame him for trying to get out from under the shadow of Mt. Davis and find some cozier confines for his kids to play in. The problem is he can't. And while he scours the market for a suitable playground, 10,000 people are showing up for games at the Coliseum. And when little more than a minion turns up to watch your team play it has a tendency to lessen your income stream. Now I'm no economics whiz but I would imagine that if your biggest income comes from the network TV cash cow and your local broadcast package isn't enough to pay Robinson Cano's meal money it could have a negative effect on your team.
I like the A's and they always put a lot of young talent on the field. But as soon as that talent develops to the point of taking a team deep into the post season, it must be sold off to pay for the lighting. And until the A's find a community that loves them (read Sacramento), the only World Series they're headed for is in Williamsport, Pa.
I wrote about the Raiders in this space last week and the only things left to say would be construed as piling on. They are to pro football what the Ford Pinto was to a Rolls-Royce Corniche. And just as likely to explode when rear-ended.
And then there are the Golden State Warriors. I don't even really know where to begin.
I wouldn't know Chris Cohan if he got into the passenger seat of my car. I know he's a smart guy because he made piles of money--some say by walking on the heads of his friends and partners but hey, business is business right?
I used the expression "The fish stinks from the head" at the beginning of this yarn, but in the case of the Warriors it's just about time to get rid of the whole damn fish. In fact it may be time to become a vegan.
You've got an owner who it seems spends more time in the courts than on the court. If the league's General Managers were to be rated by military leadership qualities--the best being, say George Patton--the Warriors have Gomer Pyle. We've got a coach--soon to be the winningest ever--who seems to me that he'd sooner be having a colonoscopy than drawing up x's and o's for this group. And we've got last year's captain and star player who now says he'd rather be shooting lay ups in Guam than in Oakland.
Things are so bad in Oakland that the Clippers are starting to be talked about as a well-run organization.
So, here's my thought. Let's just have a yard sale. Who wouldn't want to have a JeMarcus Russell around the house? Cap'n Jack would probably much prefer playing in your driveway than where he is. And if Al Davis shows up, maybe he'll buy up Jackson's contract. And when all the riff-raff has been cleared from the yard -- Lew Wolff's team can play there.
I'm available for consultation.