I wrote a different version of this article. I’ve torn it up and started again.
If you watch the video I’ve posted above, you’ll see me discussing the sale of the Seahawks with Brian Nemhauser and Jeff Simmons. At the start of the conversation, I suggested the best approach for Seattle’s new owners would be to change as little as possible and invest faith in the people already working for the franchise.
I still firmly believe that would be beneficial. The Seahawks are a roaring success — on and off the field. It’s a unique situation where the existing Super Bowl Champions are for sale.
There are so many positives within the organisation that this should be a fairly smooth transition to a new era.
However, Brian played some clips of Vinod Khosla discussing some of his philosophical approaches to business. It changed my opinion — and ultimately the article I wanted to promote today.
I would urge you to check out the stream to view the clips. Clearly Khosla, described by ESPN as the leader of the group, has far more to offer the Seahawks than mere delegation and support.
He talked about constantly seeking ways to improve, the correct way to challenge people in order to enable them to reach their maximum potential and other such topics. He did it in far more detailed and technical language that I’m offering here — but ultimately he sounded like a man with a lot to offer.
Khosla also comes across as an ideal fit to work alongside Mike Macdonald and John Schneider. I challenge anyone to listen to his words and not see what he’s saying as simply another form of ‘chasing edges’ — the mantra so successfully adopted by Macdonald over the last two-and-a-bit years.
There’s no sense of an ego. In one other clip I’ve seen, not featured by Brian, Khosla noted how he still feels he’s learning even at the age of 71. He speaks with great clarity and assurance.
The fear with any prospective buyer would be that they’d want to come in and reinvent things completely. That isn’t necessary in Seattle. Yet there’s always a new edge to chase. Always a way to find marginal gains. I was wrong to initially suggest they should simply offer unconditional support and trust. They should back the people so ably running this franchise but also keep them on their toes. It sounds like that will be the plan.
The hour spent with Brian and Jeff opened my eyes, even with just a few short clips, that this can be a positive move for the Seahawks. Added to this is their prior knowledge of the inner-workings of the NFL, given their minority owner status with the 49ers.
It would’ve been reassuring to some (most?) fans if the new owners were rooted in the Pacific North West with a long-standing fandom of the Seahawks. It should be remembered, however, that local-legend Paul Allen-type owners are rare. With a price-tag pushing eleven figures this was always going to be a very niche pool of potential buyers.
The speculation of a ‘local whale’ was unhelpful and seemingly based on no substance. No big-name local was ever connected and the speculation only served to raise hopes that a Seattleite champion would emerge. It didn’t materialise and feels like fans were led down a garden path. There may now be some harrumphing. I hope we avoid that.
The buyers deserve to be embraced and given an opportunity to reveal what type of ownership group they will be.
Watch the video above. I think you’ll find the clips insightful.
