Any thoughts out there on this? The writer, Michael Silver, gave Jerry Richardson lots of props for how he ran the search committee for a new NFL commish, which is great and all, but doesn’t do much for the Panthers’ Super Bowl hopes.
Still, though, I think Richardson does belong near the top. I recently read an article about Los Angeles Angels (that’s baseball, folks) owner Arturo Moreno. He’s turned the Angels into a regular contender, and one source in the article said Moreno was one of four owners in MLB that desperately want to win, all the time. That’s what it takes, sports fans. If you don’t believe me, look at the Red Sox and the Cubs. The Red Sox struggled for decades until John Henry bought the team and made it into a winner. The Cubs have been owned by corporations. Or look at the New England Patriots. Owner Bob Kraft has transformed that team into a mini-dynasty.
That’s the way Richardson works, too, despite being in a small market. (At least it seems that way to me. I’ve only met him once, over lunch at Belle Acres. But that’s a story for another day.) Every decision he makes is predicated on winning. Those decisions haven’t always worked out, of course, and he’s had some bad luck with player injuries, but that’s what he’s after. —R.T.
