Bud Adams Is A Dickhead

When I think of quality, NFL ownership, the Rooney family comes to mind. Of course there are many other great owners such as Ralph Wilson, Lamar Hunt, Pat Bolen, Robert Kraft, and others, but there’s one owner, in particular, who should be ashamed of himself, and that’s the Titans, Bud Adams, who recently traded one of his trademark players, Steve “Air” McNair, a 12 year veteran of the NFL.

Steve was not only one of the greatest black NFL QBs of all time, but he was a family man, who juggled a wife and 4 sons. He devoted so much time the Boys and Girls clubs and other charity events, a true ambassador of the sport in every respect.

Steve was a pioneer and he was instrumental in leading the way for other black QBs. Yes, we all remember players like Doug Williams and Warren Moon, and then there was Steve, a tough, hardnosed QB that no matter how much a defense kicked his ass, he would get right back up and huddle up and show his grit. He played injured, he was listed through out the week as “Questionable” and come gameday, he would suit up and start and I always laughed when I saw him on that list because I knew that he would start because we all know how tough Steve is.

Here are just a few tidbits of his remarkable career:

Amid the backdrop of the team’s move from Houston to its temporary home in Memphis and finally to Nashville, McNair’s ascension into the NFL’s elite mirrored that of the team’s. By 1999, the team had found a permanent home at the Coliseum, and McNair was poised to lead the Titans to their first Super Bowl appearance. He continued to win games and win over fans with his remarkable play. Many football historians too were convinced. There are five players in the history of the NFL who have passed for 20,000 yards and rushed for 3,000 yards – John Elway, Fran Tarkenton, Steve Young, Randall Cunningham and McNair.

In 2003, McNair’s individual career reached a new level. He successfully guided the Titans to the team’s fourth playoff appearance in five seasons. Along the way, he shared one of the most prestigious awards in sports with Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning, the Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player Award. He became only the second member of the Oilers/Titans to win the MVP award, joining Earl Campbell, who won it in 1979. Also voted to start the Pro Bowl for the AFC, McNair’s 100.4 passer rating in 2003 was the best in the league and the highest in team history.

So, it begs the question, why would a respectable, intelligent NFL owner trade away such an icon of his team? To describe Adams as intelligent is comical to say the least.

While in Houston, Adams was a disgrace to the city and to the NFL. He constantly micro-managed the team and didn’t hire the right front office personnel to run the team, and as a result, the franchise fell apart. “The House of Pain” eventually wasn’t painful for visiting teams except for Oilers fans and the team became the laughing stock of the league.

Adams also wanted the city to build him a brand new stadium equipped with luxury boxes and all the state of the art amenities without giving up a red cent, and after Houston told him to get fucked, he constantly threatened to move the team. In fact, former Houston Representative Tom DeLay introduced a Bill to Congress trying to block the move and it didn’t pass. Adams alienated the fans to the point where they eventually stopped going to the games. Houston grew tired of him sticking his ugly mug where it didn’t belong and decided enough was enough and in 1996 he left the city and moved the team to Tennessee.

If anyone paid attention to Adams’ antics, one could totally understand how he could treat Steve like he did. Adams banned Steve from the practice facility for no reason other than for financial reasons, in the event that he would get injured, the Titans would be liable. Mind you that Steve was under contract, which led to an investigation by the NFL Players Association. This type of behavior by Adams is unprecedented in the NFL, especially to a player like Steve’s caliber. Will Coach Fisher be the next person to be disgraced by Adams? If history has taught us anything about the way Adams operates his team, it's going to be tough for him to ever win a Super Bowl ring because this isn't the way a winning franchise handles it's star players.

Only one story comes to mind when attempting to draw a comparison to Steve’s situation and that’s with Marcus Allen, former Raider, who Al Davis treated in a similar fashion. We all remember when Marcus Allen made that incredible run against the Washington Redskins in leading them to victory in Super Bowl XXIII in what was dubbed as, “Black Sunday.” Raider fans never imagined that Marcus would ever be on any team other than the Silver and Black, but because of the treatment by Davis, lo and behold Marcus went to go work for Lamar Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs, one of the most respected owners in the league. Davis had to watch one of the greatest Raiders of all time play for the arch rival Chiefs and you better believe that Marcus circled those 2 divisional games against his former team each of his 5 seasons with the team. Marcus went into the Hall of Fame as a Chief, not a Raider, and that was a slap in Davis’ mug.

I have to give the Ravens owner, Stephen Biscotti and General Manager, Ozzie Newsome huge marks for obtaining Steve, particularly for a RD 4 draft pick. Steve automatically puts the Ravens in playoff contention. Yes, he has maybe 2-3 good years left, but at least he’s part of an organization that wants him. In fact, Steve will go into the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, as a Raven, not a Titan, and those fans in Tennessee are going to be angry about it, in particular, at Adams.

Will justice be served on Sunday, November 12, 2006, when Steve gets a chance to put the dick to Adams when he returns back to Tennessee in his new Ravens uniform to play against his former team? After the game is over and Steve throws for over 300 yards and 3 TDs, I hope he looks over towards Adams’ suite and smiles and gives him a big fuck you, but that’s not like Steve. And you thought that Terrell Owens returning back to Philadelphia was going to be the game of the year? Think again.

To be continued.