It is a week after maybe the classiest owner in professional sports passed away, and those who knew him well are still talking about late New York Giants owner Wellington Mara. Twenty-three owners and many distinguished coaches attended his funeral. Some might consider it overkill, but the reason that so many of us stop what we are doing on Sundays and watch the NFL is at least partly due to Mara's legacy.
Mara was firmly behind revenue-sharing among teams and spreading all the TV revenue throughout the league. If Mara was anything like New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, football would be like baseball today - a few teams would have all the money and the rest would be akin to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Instead, teams in small markets still have the same chance as the Giants every year. Only in a league like the NFL, and with a visionary like Mara, could a team like the Pittsburgh Steelers win four SuperBowls and be competitive year in and year out. In baseball, the Pirates are a disaster, in part because teams like the Yankees and Red Sox have nearly ten times the revenue.
It still remains to be seen how long the owners will honor Mara's legacy, as the NFL's collective bargaining agreement expires in three years and there is heavy debate about how revenue sharing will continue. Currently, most revenue is shared, with the exception of things like stadium-naming rights and luxury boxes.
With Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft turning their teams into cash cows, the difference between the haves and the have- not's is growing. Team such as the Buffalo Bills and Steelers don't pull in nearly the revenue of the Redskins or Cowboys. To complicate matters further, Kraft, Jones, Snyder and others among the elite argue that they should not be punished for their entrepreneurship. (The Cowboys receive millions of dollars every year because they play on Fedex field. Cleveland's Paul Brown Stadium and New York's Giants Stadium just don't pull in the same big bucks.)
It was an emotional day at Giants stadium, as Tiki Barber, Mara's favorite player, rushed for over 100 yards and New York trounced the Redskins 36-0. Barber was at Mara's bedside when he died and called it a true honor. Mara was supposedly awake just long enough to see Eli Manning's coming of age last week in a 24-23 win over the Denver Broncos. And this week, Manning continued his stellar play, making the Giants look like the best team in NFC.
The surging Giants, though, will have a big test this week in the San Francisco 49ers. Don't laugh yet. The Giants lost to the Chicago Bears after posting the same record in their first seven games last year. And this is a hungry 49ers team, one that defeated a good Tampa Bay Buccaneers side last week.
Moving on to the Mile High City...When a team blows out the Philadelphia Eagles and defending champion Patriots, it's fair to say that it is for real. The Broncos have done just that behind the leadership of quarterback Jake Plummer. Scouts often refer to "Jake the Snake" as a player that can be great on one play and terrible on the next, but the great side has shone through this year. The real reason for the Broncos 6-2 record, however, has been their ability to run the ball.
Denver's offensive line has had success regardless of the running back burning through the holes it creates. This year it has been the duo of Tatum Bell and Mike Anderson leading the Broncos' hopeful charge back towards the playoffs.
Denver also has a much-improved defense. Coach Mike Shanahan decided to transport Cleveland's defensive line to the Mile High City and it has paid off. Linemen such as Courtney Brown had a bad reputation when they arrived in Denver, but Shanahan has worked to changed that, and has given his team a solid D-line in the process.
It should be interesting to see if the Broncos, Redskins and Giants can keep up with Indianapolis, but that's why we tune in every Sunday.
