Mark Cuban joined Mike and Mike on ESPN Radio to talk about the NBA season right around the corner and discuss issues from his viewpoint.
On the patience that an owner needs to show:
“It really comes down to who do you trust in the organization? If you have a general manager that has proven themselves and you really trust, he’s probably telling you, ‘Hey we just got off to a bad start, just bear with us.’ If you trust him that’s what you have to do. Realize the Mavs got off to an 0-4 start and ending up winning 67 games. We got off to a terrible start and ended up going to the Finals. Getting off to a slow start is not necessarily the big problem, it’s who do you trust. One of the hardest things to do as an owner is hire a head coach and hire a general manager because if they’re out there looking for a job, chances are they’ve done something wrong or they haven’t had the experience, so it’s hard to say that they have a perfect track record. And then when you’re talking to them, they put on the date face. No one goes on their first date and starts picking their nose. You don’t see the warts till after it’s too late. It’s really, really difficult as an owner to pick the right coach and know you’ve got the one that lasts forever.”
Yes, it does come down to patience, but patience only works if the team is headed down the right road. Patience down the wrong road is like the expression, “Lost but making good time.” In the NBA, it’s easy to be patient with 82 games, and in baseball it’s even easier with 162, but with football, so much is invested into each game that the reactions run quick and the patience levels are very short.
Texans coach Gary Kubiak is on the hot seat, but he’s had four years -- and I’m sure, if you ask him off the record, he would say that he knows he has to deliver a playoff team in Houston. Entering his fourth year, with a 6-10 first year followed by two 8-8 seasons, Gary clearly has had enough time to make a statement to his owner and the fans about his ability to lead the team. He has not been able to get the right blend of defensive players on the team, and for me, when I watch the Texans behave as an organization, I don’t feel they have an infrastructure that can adequately procure players. They operate under the old Denver system of randomly picking players. This method might work for offensive players, but it doesn’t produce the kind of defensive talent needed to win in the NFL.
Owner Bob McNair has been very patient. He initially hired Charley Casserly as general manager and gave him all the power. When that went downhill, he hired the coach and gave him all the power. So what does he do now? He’s done A and he’s done B. What’s next?
Next is to hire someone who can bring a plan and an infrastructure to the team, someone who can find players and develop them and who knows what it takes to win in the NFL. Hire someone who can interview a coach, who can talk football on an intellectual basis with the head coach, and split their powers — much like the New York Giants successfully do. Give the coach the power to be the coach and give the general manager the power to be the general manager, and make sure both of them are smart, experienced and well-versed in what it takes to win -- but might not be best friends.
As Mark Cuban said, it comes down to whom you trust. And that’s the key problem in the NFL. Some of the people the owners go to for advice, in and out of their own building, just don’t know the game, the coaches or what it takes to build an organizational infrastructure. Owners rely on getting information from people with agendas — good or bad. No other business in the world calls its competitors for advice on whom to hire, but in the NFL they do it all the time.
McNair is smart and patient, and he just might win the next 10 games in a row to put the Texans in the playoffs -- which would make Matt “I Love Me Some Texans” Bowen very happy and not induce McNair to make any changes. But that won’t happen — because I’m going to Amsterdam when Bowen has to pay off our bet. And when it doesn’t happen, McNair will have to take a step back and find the right people to talk to, people who don’t have an agenda, who won’t to tell him what he wants to hear but what he needs to hear.
The problems in Houston don’t all rest at Kubiak’s feet. This is a structural organizational problem that stems from having too many friends of friends and not enough quality. And McNair has allowed this to happen. He needs to spend time away from the team and rely on the resources and business practices that made him millions, which allowed him to buy the team.
I’m recommending Bowen. He loves the Texans.
Follow me on Twitter: michaelombardi
If the Texans' front is "randomly picking players," what does the alternative look like? Is it assigning a numerical value to players and letting that dictate decisions? It's hard to believe that, as bad as Kubiak's instincts for defensive talent have been, he'd just pick a player based on whose tattoos he likes most. So where in organization's practice does it all go wrong?
Also, did it really not work with Casserley? He had the guts to draft Mario Williams ahead of Reggie Bush, which seems to me a pretty significant achievement, though of course it didn't come to light until after McNair had given up on Casserley's plan. Can we call Casserley's long term plan that problematic if he didn't get a chance to see it through?
When I read this article, the first name that popped into my head was "Bill Cowher". He's from a successful franchise, has had a lot of success, and can really inspire his players. However, the question looms- can be become an effective GM? Mike Holmgren tried (after leading the Packers to two consecutive SB's), but failed as a GM in Seattle. Would Cowher do any better? Probably not. The job of coach/GM is simply too time consuming. Perhaps Andrew Brandt would be available? This, by the bye, is a serious suggestion.
Mike, I enjoy your writing, especially the Jon "Love you, Bro" Gruden anecdotes and stories about the times you spent with The Maestro, Bill Walsh (hey, I'm from the Bay Area).
Seriously, as you accurately describe the lack of knowledge and experience of about half of the NFL's GM's (just look at the records of some teams over the last 3 years or so), why aren't you back in the game as a GM somewhere? You have the perfect venues to showcase your stuff here at NFP and at nfl.com...why do you think nobody's buying?
You mean the old randomly picked Denver defense that was top ten in the league from 1996-2004 or a different one?
Anyone who thinks McNair would let Casserly make the final decision on the 1st overall pick in '06 when he had already decided to let him 'resign' a few weeks after the draft doesn't have their ear tight enough to the tracks.
Anyone who thinks Casserly made that pick knows nothing about what happened in Houston. Casserly was terrrible with the draft every year. Of his time on the job only Chester Pitts and Dunta Robinson are still on the team.
The Texans are about image. One reason they didn't take Bush was they didn't want to deal with the hold out and the money he was looking for. The other reason is Kubiak's arrogance. He comes from Denver where you can make anyone a 1,200 yard rusher.
The biggest problem with this team is identity. Who are the leaders? Schaub? Don't think so. Above average QB but not someone who inspires. Who leads on defense? Dunta Robinson? Mr. Pay Me Rick on his shoes. Someone needs take charge and hold the players accountable. If Okoye is getting blown off the line every play, put his @ss on the bench. I don't care where he was drafted. Super Mario, one sack in three games. He just went against two rookie tackles for Jacksonville and was a no show. Someone must stand up and lead.
It's tuff being a Houston sports fan right now.
He's from a successful franchise, has had a lot of success, and can really inspire his players.
He's from a successful franchise, has had a lot of success, and can really inspire his players.
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Oct 01, 2009
06:04 PM
The Texans are plagued with the same problem that got Shanahan fired in Denver. No defensive identity. What do they do, or want to do as a defense? In Denver you knew year in and year out what the offensive identity was. The defense had no system. The Steelers, Ravens, Eagles, Bears all know exactly what type of players they want for their defensive philosophy. Shanahan and Kubiak use the spaghetti against the wall method for defensive personnel.