by Dan Rooney
Because there are only thirty-two NFL head coaching jobs on earth, would you have taken any job that was offered?
Tomlin: I would not have taken any NFL head coaching job just to get one. Some people might think that’s a ridiculous statement, but I’ve always been a guy who enjoyed whatever job I had. I didn’t have the mentality of taking any head coaching job, but to be the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, I would have walked here from Minneapolis.
Why?
Tomlin: The commitment to excellence, and the way they go about pursuing excellence. The tradition. The legacy. The high standards. If you’re a competitor, all of that is attractive to you. I love the responsibility that comes with being the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I’d rather have that responsibility than work at a place with low expectations. It’s really indescribable, when someone asks you why you feel that way, but being in this business, you know. It’s not something that requires a lot of conversation among people in the NFL. You just know.
WE ARE PARTNERS
The Teams and Owners of the NFL
Many people have misconceptions about the relationships that exist among individual owners. There are disagreements, but on the whole, owners are together for the big picture and realize we are partners.
Arizona Cardinals
When Charley Bidwill owned and operated the Cardinals, it was one of the league’s better-run teams. Originally the Racine Normals, since they played in Chicago’s Normal Park on Racine Avenue, this franchise is the oldest in the league. After Charley’s death, his wife, Violet, inherited the team, which she ran for fifteen years. Eventually, her sons Charles “Stormy” and Bill Bidwill took over operations. “Stormy” sold or somehow transferred his stake in the team to Bill. Unsuccessful in Chicago, the team moved to St. Louis and from there to Phoenix, where they play in a unique domed stadium. It’s now a successful franchise, and it looks like they’re there to stay. Bill’s son, Mike Bidwill, now operates the team. They have many former Steelers coaches, including Ken Whisenhunt, their new head coach. We’ll see how things go.
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons came into the NFL in 1965 after Pete Rozelle and I went to Atlanta to discuss with Governor Carl Sanders the notion of bringing professional football to Georgia. Believing the team would be good for the economy, Governor Sanders arranged a meeting with Rankin Smith, a successful businessman who was interested in buying the team. During the negotiating period, I made several trips to Atlanta and arranged for the Steelers to play two preseason games there (against the Vikings and the Colts). Smith purchased the team from the NFL, and Atlanta built a new stadium for the football Falcons and the baseball Braves and began play in 1966.
When Rankin died, the family asked if I would speak at the funeral. I was honored to be one of the people to eulogize Rankin, a good friend. His son, Taylor Smith, took over the operation of the Falcons, and today the team has good prospects for the future under its present owner, Arthur Blank.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens came into the League in 1996 when Art Modell moved the Browns from Cleveland. When the NFL completed its expansion to its present thirty-two teams, a realignment of the league established the AFC North Division, which joined the Ravens with Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. Steve Bisciotti now owns the Ravens, and he has an organization that includes team president, Dick Cass, a smart and capable lawyer; General Manager Ozzie Newsome, who has done a great job with the draft; and Coach Brian Billick, who has built a strong team that always plays tough football, especially on defense. The Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV.
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills started as an original AFL team in 1959, and Ralph Wilson has owned the team from the beginning. After appearing in three straight AFL championship games, from 1963 to 1965, and winning the final two of those, the Bills fielded another powerhouse that won four straight AFC championships from 1990 to 1993 under the direction of Coach Marv Levy. Jim Kelly was the quarterback on those teams and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2002. Ralph is Passionate about league rules and traditions and is not hesitant to speak up on either at league meetings. The Buffalo Bills are in the tough AFC East Division.
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers, an NFL expansion team, joined the NFL in 1994 as an expansion franchise and (along with Jacksonville) turned us into a thirty-team league. Owner Jerry Richardson, a special friend, and I have similar ideas, especially about the importance of the league and the value of the shield, the NFL logo. Jerry was a receiver who played for the Baltimore Colts when John Unitas quarterbacked there. Jerry, John, and I enjoyed some good conversations over the years. Clearly Jerry and John respected one another. Jerry and his wife, Roz, have a daughter, Ashley, and two sons, Mark and Jon. Mark is the general manager, and Jon handles stadium operations. Jerry and I co-chaired the search committee that elected Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears is one of the oldest teams in the league. Its founder, George Halas, was there at the Hupmobile car dealership in Canton, Ohio, the day the league was born in 1920. George did everything: he played, coached, operated the front office, sold tickets. He was a visionary and his team saw great success. Harold “Red” Grange, the “Galloping Ghost,” played for the Bears before his college days were over, even though the University of Illinois, Grange’s school, complained. The school asked Halas, also a graduate, to stop NFL raiding of college players. He and the Eagles’ Bert Bell responded by initiating the college draft that helped stop players from dropping out of school to join the pros. George’s son, George Jr., also called “Mugs,” died in 1979 before his parents. George Sr.’s daughter, Virginia McCaskey, owns the team now, and her sons Mike, Ed Jr., and Tim operate the club.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals was the last NFL expansion team before the merger with the AFL. Owner Mike Brown has been a friend for a long time. His father, Paul, an innovator, advanced the pro game most dramatically by introducing a pass-oriented offense not seen before. He brought these innovations from the AAFC when they merged with the NFL for the 1950 season, helping to make NFL football America’s favorite game. At league meetings, Mike Brown is often right about things, and he stubbornly sticks to his principles and values.
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns, one of the original teams in the AAFC, joined the NFL in 1950 along with the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Colts. Art Modell bought the club in 1961 and operated in Cleveland until 1995, when he moved the team to Baltimore. I was against moving a team out of Cleveland and away from a loyal fan base, because I believed it was bad for the NFL and bad for the Steelers; it took away our closest natural rival. Filling the void, the NFL built a new stadium near the site of the original Municipal Stadium. Al Lerner, a wonderful man, bought the new club. He was very bright and learned the football operation quickly. I worked on some projects with him, one of which kept the New England Patriots in the Boston area. Al died in 2002. His son, Randy, a smart young man learning the intricacies of football operations, now runs the team. He has brought in people who are trying to build a successful organization, including General Manager Phil Savage and Coach Romeo Crennel.
Dallas Cowboys
Clint Murchison Jr. was the founding owner of the Cowboys in 1960, and his first act was to name Tex Schramm as the president and CEO. Tex had complete authority and ran a first-class operation in every way. The successful Cowboys franchise has gone to eight Super Bowls and won five of them. Tex, another friend, and I worked on many projects: player limits, expansion, World League of American Football, and labor issues. Although we disagreed about the 1987 strike, because we were friends and protégés of Pete Rozelle, we spent much time together.
Murchison sold the team to H. R. “Bum” Bright, who then sold it to Jerry Jones. Jerry has succeeded in promotion and sponsorship, and the teams he built with Coach Jimmy Johnson won three of th
e franchise’s five Super Bowls. He wants to win and does so often. I have worked with Jerry a few times, and he always wanted to get the right results for the league. His plan to build a new state-of-the-art stadium will require considerable funding.
Denver Broncos
In 1961 Gerald Phipps, of the Pittsburgh Phipps family, started the Denver Broncos. The team was not greatly successful, either in the AFL or during its early seasons in the NFL. After renovating Mile High Stadium, Phipps sold the team to Edgar Kaiser, who then sold the team to Pat Bowlen in 1984. Pat, another friend, and I have worked closely together on league issues, and he’s been the chairman of the NFL television committee. With quarterback John Elway, his Broncos lost three Super Bowls over a four-year span before winning it back to back in Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII. They have a new football stadium, and their future looks bright.
Detroit Lions
The Ford family of automobile fame owns the Lions. Bill Ford Jr. and I have always gotten along especially well. Bill runs Ford Motor Company, and I stay in touch with him and try to let him know what is happening in the league. I think Ford does not deserve the criticism he receives. The Lions club has recently built a new stadium in downtown Detroit and showed it off to good advantage for Super Bowl XL. The Detroit Lions helped to develop Kevin Colbert in the personnel area, and Kevin is now the Steelers’ director of football operations.
Green Bay Packers
This club is unusual in the league in that the people of Green Bay own the franchise. Bob Harlan heads the organization as CEO. Green Bay is more like Pittsburgh than any other city in the league, starting with the fact both cities have great fans. Green Bay has been successful. They were the team of the 1960s. Under Vince Lombardi, the Packers won three NFL championships, plus the first two Super Bowls. In the mid-1990s, under Coach Mike Holmgren and with quarterback Brett Favre, the Packers played in two more Super Bowls and won one. The Packers are the best example of how the NFL’s revenue-sharing system allows every team—whether it plays in a big city or small—the opportunity to win. Green Bay’s future will be interesting to follow and will say a lot about the future of the NFL.
Houston Texans
Bob McNair owns the Houston Texans, the most recent team to join the league in 1999. Bob has been a good businessman whose influence and involvement have set the Texans’ direction in the league. I respect Bob even though we have many different opinions at times. Disagreement is okay and can be expected since Houston is one of the largest U.S. cities, and Pittsburgh a smaller market. League members operate differently than regular corporate affiliates. But we are still partners.
Revenue sharing is a contentious topic. Teams at the low end—small markets—believe they should be made whole or equal to the average. Teams at the top want limits on funds distributions to help the lower clubs. Teams in the middle are concerned they will be expected to pay the league a major part of their annual revenue. The concern here is that the league will lose its competitive balance, which is the foundation of the NFL.
Indianapolis Colts
Jim Irsay inherited the Indianapolis Colts from his father who moved the club from Baltimore. That move to Indianapolis helped create the situation that included the Browns moving from Cleveland, but now both of those established football towns have teams again. Jim runs a smooth operation. With General Manager Bill Polian, Coach Tony Dungy, and quarterback Peyton Manning, the Colts won Super Bowl XLI. Jim serves on many league committees and works hard on league issues. Indianapolis has been fair with the Colts, who moved to a new stadium in 2008. When I chaired the expansion committee, Mayor Richard Lugar told me truthfully that the only way Indianapolis could get a team was by importing one from another city. I told him he had to do what he needed to do and that the NFL would do what it had to do.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Because the Jacksonville market is small, Wayne Weaver, owner of the Jaguars, faces problems. Concerned about revenue, he is uncertain about a financial future without hefty revenue sharing. Wayne denies a rumor that the team is for sale. The team is playing well under Coach Jack Del Rio, but the stadium is too big for the market. It is a struggle to sell out, unless it’s Steelers vs. Jaguars, or the Florida-Georgia college football game. When the Jaguars began playing in Jacksonville, the city caught the attention of many new businesses that opened in the city. Development of additional league revenue sharing would give the Jaguars a chance.
Kansas City Chiefs
Lamar Hunt started the Kansas City Chiefs when he put together the American Football League. First the team was in Dallas with the Cowboys, but two teams there was one too many. Lamar and Clint Murchison flipped a coin, and the Cowboys won. So the Cowboys stayed in Dallas, and Lamar took his team to Kansas City. The city built a huge stadium complex there, which serves as a modern prototype, with one stadium for football and another for baseball. The football team is more competitive than the baseball. After Lamar Hunt died in 2006, his son, Clark, took over the team as president.
Miami Dolphins
Wayne Huizenga owns the Miami Dolphins. Having worked with Wayne on a few issues, I have found him to be a stand-up man. He does a thorough job and knows what is right for the Dolphins and the league. When Don Shula coached the Dolphins and Dan Marino was the quarterback, the team went to the Super Bowl only once, but I always knew Dan Marino was a good person and a great quarterback. After Miami beat the Steelers in the 1984 AFC championship game, I thought the Dolphins would go on to win Super Bowl XIX, but they lost to the 49ers. Wayne Huizenga has great ideas and his team should succeed with new coach Cam Cameron.
Minnesota Vikings
Zygi Wilf now owns the Minnesota Vikings. When the club came into the NFL, my father and George Halas were the expansion committee, and Max Winter was the owner and president of the team. Max was well liked by everyone. He and Art Modell entertained the owners during recesses at league meetings. When Bud Grant was the coach and Jim Finks the general manager, the team played well. Later Mike Lynn became the general manager, and the community built a stadium, but it wasn’t well thought out in terms of what was good for the football and baseball teams that use it. The Minnesota Vikings have the makings of a successful team and organization but need a new stadium of their own.
New England Patriots
In 1960 the Sullivan family owned the AFL team in Boston, but it was unsuccessful and later moved to Foxborough, Massachusetts. Bob Kraft now owns the New England Patriots. He once threatened to move the team to Connecticut where he could get a new stadium at no cost to him, but things worked out and the team stayed in Foxborough. Coach Bill Belichick was fired for not winning in Cleveland, but his Patriots teams have been extraordinarily successful, with three Super Bowl victories. Bob Kraft is on many NFL major committees, including finance and television. Bob is very intelligent and opinionated, which sometimes gets people upset. Off the field, Bob and his wife, Myra, are charitable people. Their son, Jonathan, is also very involved with the league. He does a good job on NFL issues. Bob and Jonathan let the coach handle the football operations, and with Tom Brady at quarterback the Patriots club should continue to do well.
New Orleans Saints
Tom Benson currently owns the New Orleans Saints. Tom is misunderstood sometimes, but he returned the team to his native New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. After the hurricane, Paul Tagliabue helped in every way to make New Orleans a viable market for the NFL. In the face of difficulties, the Saints played well and made the playoffs. The team’s future seems bright, and Tom wants to stay in New Orleans. But because the city lacks corporate support, the future may also be difficult. Tom knows and recognizes the Saints’ situation. Having others in the league come to understand Tom’s struggle has helped the team.
New York Giants
Tim Mara was a friend of my father before the Giants or the Steelers were part of the NFL. Jack Mara, Tim’s son, ran the business side of the team, and Wellington was the man on the field. All of them are gone now
. John Mara, Wellington’s son, now runs the team. Wellington and I were always close. I looked up to him as I would a big brother. He appointed me chairman of negotiations with the NFLPA, and we formed friendships with Gene Upshaw. Half of the interest in the Giants was sold in 1991 to Bob Tisch, who enjoyed his involvement with the team and participated in league matters, especially on the finance side. The club is building a new superclass stadium with the New York Jets in New Jersey.
New York Jets
Woody Johnson owns the New York Jets now after buying it from the estate of Leon Hess who was a tough but fair businessman. A member of the commissioner search committee, Woody was always helpful. The Jets are playing good football. The new stadium is going to be expensive, but the club received $300,000 under the G3 program from the league. A lot of debt is accruing throughout the NFL, and that’s definitely an issue for the league as it moves forward. Gaining more experience in the football business, Woody wants to become more involved with the league and the team.
Oakland Raiders
Al Davis runs the Oakland Raiders, and as many who have dealt with him have come to say, “Al is Al.” He likes to project a bravado image and wants everyone to think he is a tough guy. We have been on a few committees together; most recently the commissioner search committee. While Al was negative, his approach forced us to research and be prepared for his questions in the search. In the end, we worked well. I always appreciated the fact that Al came to my father’s funeral—he spent the whole day with our family and even watched the Steelers game with our kids, who really like him. But again, “Al is Al,” and he does things that are questionable, such as his lawsuit against the Steelers, the first time one league team ever sued another. As filed, the suit was Atkinson, a Raiders player, vs. Chuck Noll. The suit really was Raiders vs. Steelers. The trial was disruptive, which was also intentional. It happened right after we won our first two Super Bowls, but you must realize Al thought the trial was part of the game, part of the attack. However, we prevailed. Davis went on from there to sue the league numerous times, principally about his attempt to move the team to any place he wanted. The NFL won most of the cases but lost the suit that allowed Al to go to Los Angeles. He then returned the team to Oakland and sued that city. Al made life very difficult for Pete Rozelle, who always put the overall interest of the league ahead of any one owner’s self interest.
