Monday, July 27, 1998
Management all too often calls the shots in pro sports
COLUMN: 49ers, Bulls must face repercussions
of front office goings-on
The people who believe that players make or break a team will soon find out (if they haven't already) that management and ownership of a professional sports franchise is even more essential. Last week marked two major events in the breakdown of team managerial relationships that may play a role both on the field as well as off.
On Wednesday, San Francisco 49er team president Carmen Policy said farewell to the team he established as perhaps the most successful NFL franchise in modern history. "The Master of the Cap," as he was so commonly called, found every loophole imaginable to form a team that won the division title seven times, made the NFC playoffs eight times, and won two Super Bowl championships under his direction as the head of the 49er front office since 1989.
Policy's importance to the franchise has been displayed and will be missed, no matter how good of an executive the 49ers bring in to take his place. He was in charge of negotiations that signed legendary coach Bill Walsh aboard the 49ers in 1979.
On the other hand, Policy made the final decision to leave Ronnie Lott and Roger Craig as unprotected Plan B free agents, who eventually signed on with the Los Angeles Raiders, whom you all remember decided to pack up and return to Oakland later. He then put together the trade of Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Although these aforementioned decisions can be questioned, the transition the organization made from being the "Team of the 1980s" to the following decade was smooth, as San Francisco never lost a beat under Policy's watch.
Policy's crowning achievement was 1994. With new salary cap rules and other league mandates, he was able to sign an entire defense of perennial Pro Bowl players, such as Deion Sanders, Richard Dent, Ken Norton Jr., Rickey Jackson and Gary Plummer. The result was the 49ers' fifth Super Bowl title, and Policy being named Executive of the Year.
But, as time went on, Policy engaged himself more and more in the daily operations of the team, and eventual dealings that aimed to make himself owner of the team. This theorized takeover of the team was to be made from his practical twin brother Eddie DeBartolo Jr., who was and still is under investigation by the State of Louisiana for an under-the-table purchase of a license for a riverboat casino.
Well, the friendship of this lethal tandem ended, and only DeBartolo remains, with his sister in control of the team while he deals with the federal inquiry. Two men with the ability to lead an entire professional sports franchise to football immortality have now gone their separate ways. The Cleveland Browns should not be considered an expansion team with Policy calling the shots for them, should they acquire his services.
Secondly, on Thursday, the Chicago Bulls, the NBA's "Team of the 1990s" and a team etched in basketball's state of immortality, are trying to decide if rebuilding should occur, or should the 1998 NBA Champions have an opportunity to defend their title. With Phil Jackson publicly stating he does not wish to coach this year, the Bulls face a problem.
Michael Jordan has said he won't play for anyone but Jackson, who is the only man who could control Dennis Rodman's on and off court antics. And Scottie Pippen hates Chicago management, most especially Jerry Reinsdorf and Jerry Krause.
With the Bulls' hiring of Tim Floyd, formerly of Iowa State, made public at a news conference on Thursday on a "interim" basis, Chicago has placed their bet. Now it's Jordan's decision whether to call or continue to bluff, as many people think.
Sure, Jordan could retire and not play for "a college coach" that he has said for months he won't play for. But remember, he has retired before because he had supposedly proven all he could to the game of basketball. Sure, golf sounds good to him now, but he's no Mark O'Meara, and never will be.
With the labor dispute between the owners and the players' union still in full swing, the Bulls hired Floyd as director of basketball operations. The question is whether Jordan will cooperate to defend his title.
He still has much to prove. He is not the leading scorer in NBA history. He has not won as many rings as Boston Celtic great Bill Russell. Retiring would inspire a "Yeah, right," from fans and critics alike.
But, what if this time, he wasn't bluffing? All because of management disagreements, the world will be robbed of the greatest basketball player to ever play the game.
So, it's not just the players that affect the games we love, but the owners and managers as well. And as money becomes more of a factor in professional sports, relationships will die as if they meant nothing, and the game, whether it be football, basketball, baseball or whatever else, will deteriorate as we enter the 21st century.
Cadman is an assistant sports editor for the 1998-1999 school year. He is insulted at not being offered the Chicago head coaching job and still says he would rather take 20 units before taking the Clippers' head coaching duties. You can e-mail responses and comments to ajcbell@ucla.edu.
Ahrin Cadman