It’s almost like a really bad film is being made on the self-destruction of Texans owner Bob McNair and we are all extras in it.
Bob McNair made his fortune in the city of Houston, became a member of the Texas Business Hall of Fame, and is a noted philanthropist who has founded the Robert & Janice McNair Foundation, and the Robert & Janice McNair Educational Foundation. McNair has been on the Board of Trustees of Rice University, Baylor College of Medicine, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Grand Opera, and more.
Bob McNair is also the man most responsible for the return of the NFL to Houston.
Unfortunately, it’s his involvement as owner of the NFL team that is causing him to come unraveled right before our eyes.
In his latest media faux pas, Bob McNair actually recanted his apology from October of last year.
“The main thing I regret is apologizing,” McNair told the Wall Street Journal. “I really didn’t have anything to apologize for.”
Clearly McNair just doesn’t get it. His apology to his own team fell flat on the players. Johnathan Joseph even said so. His insistence that he was really referring to the NFL league office and not the players with his comment about “inmates running the prison”is believed by no one but the man Bob McNair sees in the mirror each day, and that could be debatable.
After all, if McNair was really referring to the boys at 345 Park Ave., as the inmates, why give the man who would have to be considered the lead inmate — Roger Goodell – a new 5 year, $200 million contract extension 18 months early? Bob McNair was a member of the six man Compensation Committee that green lit the deal, and did so a week before the December owners’ meetings in Irving, Texas that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was supposed to get the floor at to discuss slowing down the process on that extension.
Does it make sense that a man would give a $200 million contract to someone he feels is an inmate trying to run his prison?
McNair also went out of his way to call Duane Brown a liar, and in the process only gave further evidence that the reason the team would not negotiate a new deal with Brown and so hastily shipped him off to Seattle last season was because Brown had previously protested racial injustice during an anthem by raising his fist.
McNair denied Brown’s contention that the owner addressed the team following the election of President Obama.
“I don’t go into meetings and express views like that,” said McNair. “I never said that. He (Brown) has no problem saying things that are not true.”
Here’s the problem: McNair absolutely had this meeting, and multiple players before and after Duane Brown have confirmed this. In fact, former Texans TE Owen Daniels appeared on ESPN Houston 97.5 with John Granato, Raheel Ramzanali, and Del Olaleye on April 5, and said he was surprised McNair would make such a statement because the meeting did happen, and McNair did address the team about his dismay over the election of President Obama in 2008.
McNair got caught calling Duane Brown a liar, with a lie.
McNair further tried to disparage Brown by blaming his former Pro Bowl left tackle for the team rejecting his apology for the inmates comment.
McNair claimed he “just tried to tell the truth” to his players to help them understand what he truly meant, but that he couldn’t crack the locker room because “all Duane was trying to do was be a troublemaker.” Brown was traded days later to the Seahawks for draft picks.
He further went on to compare players exercising their expression to a McDonald’s worker handing out burgers and telling people to be vegetarians, because clearly if players weren’t playing football, they’d be flipping burgers.
Professional sports are unlike any other business, but why the burger joint analogy? He could have chosen so many other businesses to compare but went for the lowest unskilled worker comparison. I don’t think that was completely by accident. It falls in line with the idea players should be seen and not heard. Players should obey and not think.
McNair continues to disservice himself, the team, and the league by continually putting his foot in his mouth to the media. He’s quickly destroying the good will he’s worked hard to earn in the city he’s made his fame and fortune in.
I really don’t want to see Bob McNair wind up in eternal disgrace, the way his pal Jerry Richardson will (you will recall McNair tried to explain away Richardson’s sexual harassment and racist comments by saying that the Panthers owner was probably just joking).
You’re a very rich man Bob; go enjoy the rest of your life away from the media, away from the scrutiny, on a beach somewhere with Janice being treated like royalty. Don’t continue to undo your legacy by being out of touch with modern times and social mores.
No one wants to continue to be a part of this film where you self-destruct, Bob. People want to remember the Bob McNair who returned the NFL to Houston, not the one who was responsible for increased racial tensions between players and owners.
Before it’s too late, Bob, turn the keys over to Cal and ride off into the sunset.
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This story originally appeared on SportsMap. Catch Patrick Creighton weekdays at 1 pm on SportsMap 94.1 FM.
