How lucky are we BOB got fired?

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by Keith

Probably have to be a billionaire to own an NFL team nowadays.

Forbes billionaires from Texas:
Rich Kinder (pipelines)
Tilman Fertitta (already owns Rockets)
Janice McNair (current owner)
One of the Duncans: Dannine Avare, Scott Duncan, Milane Frantz, Randa Williams (inherited from Dan Duncan, pipelines)
John Arnold (energy trader)
Dan Friedkin (Toyota distributor)
George Bishop (energy)
Jeffrey Hildebrand (energy)
Leslie Alexander (sold Rockets)
Leo Koguan (tech)
Jim Crane (already owns Astros)
Fayez Sarofim (finance)

Any football fans in there you want instead of the McNairs?

Ideally the owner would be a local, but of course not a requirement for NFL ownership, for example currently two Texas residents are absentee owners of NFL franchises in states beyond their own, the Chiefs and the Titans.

[Warren]

FWIW, Sarofim is a Texans limited partner. Fertitta used to be but he must've sold out when he bought the Rockets. There is a Charles Duncan who is a limited partner but he's apparently not one of the billionaire Duncans (neither is Curtis, to my disappointment. Or Sandy).

I like the idea of bringing in Daryl Morey as GM, surrounding him with experienced football people, and letting him find market inefficiencies to exploit in building a team with limited cap space and draft picks. But I would be shocked to see the Texans try something unconventional like that. They're much more likely to do something like bringing in Dan Reeves as a consultant again.

[chuck]

Originally Posted by Warren

I like the idea of bringing in Daryl Morey as GM, surrounding him with experienced football people, and letting him find market inefficiencies to exploit in building a team with limited cap space and draft picks. But I would be shocked to see the Texans try something unconventional like that. They're much more likely to do something like bringing in Dan Reeves as a consultant again.

Dude, they've already hired an international search firm, Korn Ferry, to lead the search. Which is the most Texans thing ever.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by Warren

FWIW, Sarofim is a Texans limited partner. Fertitta used to be but he must've sold out when he bought the Rockets. There is a Charles Duncan who is a limited partner but he's apparently not one of the billionaire Duncans (neither is Curtis, to my disappointment. Or Sandy).

I like the idea of bringing in Daryl Morey as GM, surrounding him with experienced football people, and letting him find market inefficiencies to exploit in building a team with limited cap space and draft picks. But I would be shocked to see the Texans try something unconventional like that. They're much more likely to do something like bringing in Dan Reeves as a consultant again.

I guess the hope is that after a long learning curve, Morey can come up with a creative way to lose in the NFL like he lost in the NBA?

[HPF Bob]

...But Morey will have all the stats to convince you he made the right move. That's what the Moneyball types are all about. Ivy Leaguers learn that if they spit enough statistics at you, they can convince you that idiot moves are statistically the right call every time.

[Keith]

I'm a huge fan of using stats to build rosters in baseball. The game is a series of one-on-one match-ups, and there seem to be an endless amount of predictive numbers.

I don't think this exists in football. Now maybe there is an analytical edge to be found - I kinda think Tex Schram was the Daryl Morey of his day - but since this edge is not strictly based on stats like it is in baseball, I really don't see a non-football guy being able to assume this role and being successful.

So count me out on Morey or somesuch on my NFL team. Find me the best, most organized scout around. I absolutely think there are market inefficiencies to be discovered in the NFL, but I think they are going to be far more varied and complex than in baseball. For example, in baseball, regardless of position, offensively the goals are the same - score runs: get on base, move runners, and maybe run fast. Same for 3B as it is for RF. In football, the positions have wildly different goals and skillsets needed to score points.