Sports Offseason Trends: Coaching Continuity, Prolonged Free Agency, and Player Advocacy Shifts - Episode Hero Image

Sports Offseason Trends: Coaching Continuity, Prolonged Free Agency, and Player Advocacy Shifts

SBJ Morning Buzzcast · · Listen to Original Episode →
Original Title:

TL;DR

  • NFL ownership trends show a willingness to replace coaches more frequently than general managers, potentially driven by cost considerations and a belief that coaching hires are more challenging and prone to error.
  • Colts owner Irsay Gordon expressed strong frustration ("I'm pissed") with the team's performance, despite retaining GM Chris Ballard and coach Shane Steichen, highlighting owner accountability pressure.
  • Novak Djokovic's departure from the PTPA signals a potential shift in player advocacy in tennis, driven by concerns over transparency and governance, which could weaken the movement.
  • Baseball's offseason free agency has become a prolonged "Groundhog Day" phenomenon, with top players remaining unsigned into January, deviating from historical rapid signing periods.
  • The Milwaukee Bucks' executive transition from Peter Feigin to Josh Glessing signifies a new leadership era following a period of significant business growth and an NBA championship.

Deep Dive

NFL ownership is demonstrating a willingness to prioritize coaching continuity over full front-office overhauls, a trend driven by cost considerations and a perceived success in retaining general managers. This approach, however, places significant pressure on general managers who remain in their roles, as they are often tasked with hiring the right coach for a second chance. Simultaneously, the Indianapolis Colts' principal owner has voiced frustration with the team's performance, highlighting that business acumen does not automatically translate to success in sports ownership, particularly concerning the challenging decisions involved in hiring coaches.

The Milwaukee Bucks are undergoing a leadership transition as Peter Feigin departs as president, making way for Josh Glessing to assume the role under new ownership. Feigin's tenure was marked by significant community engagement and business growth, including the development of a new arena and an NBA championship. Glessing, with prior experience in sports management across the Haslem Sports Group portfolio, is expected to continue this trajectory. In professional tennis, Novak Djokovic's withdrawal from the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), a group he co-founded to empower players, signals internal governance and transparency concerns. Djokovic's departure creates a fissure within player advocacy, potentially benefiting established tennis organizations by weakening a unified player front.

Major League Baseball's offseason is characterized by a prolonged period of player signings, deviating from the traditional pre-holiday flurry of multi-million dollar deals. This "Groundhog Day" scenario, as described by one baseball writer, is not attributed to impending labor disputes or owner collusion but rather a strategic shift by teams, agents, and players to defer contract decisions until later in the winter. This extended free agency period creates uncertainty for many players and alters the typical offseason narrative, emphasizing patience over rapid deal-making.

Action Items

  • Audit NFL coaching changes: For 6 openings, analyze owner willingness to replace coaches versus GMs to identify systemic hiring biases.
  • Track MLB free agent trends: For 3-5 unsigned top players, measure time to signing compared to previous years to assess offseason market dynamics.
  • Evaluate tennis player association governance: For the PTPA, analyze Novak Djokovic's stated concerns regarding transparency and governance to identify potential structural improvements.
  • Measure NFL GM retention: For 2 GM openings, compare retention rates of GMs versus coaches across all teams to understand front office stability.

Related Episodes

Key Quotes

"there are six coaching openings in the nfl far fewer openings at the general manager or personnel level only two gm openings as of now one in miami one in atlanta let's go through some of the other changes first in arizona owner michael bidwell made a move on coach jonathan gannon firing him after a three and 14 season but gm monti ossenfort he seems to be safe for now"

The author notes a trend in the NFL where coaching positions are more frequently vacated than general manager roles. This indicates a potential ownership preference for retaining front-office stability while making changes at the head coaching level. The specific examples in Arizona, Miami, and Atlanta illustrate this pattern.

"many weren't surprised owner mike brown likes continuity and doesn't like consistent change and in miami we said the dolphins are looking for a gm it seems that coach mike mcdaniel could be safe as he said he expects to help picking the gm and that implies he is sticking around"

The author highlights that some NFL owners prioritize continuity, as exemplified by Mike Brown's approach with the Bengals. This preference for stability can extend to keeping coaches in place, even when the team is seeking a new general manager, suggesting a nuanced approach to organizational change. The situation in Miami, where the coach expects to be involved in the GM selection, further supports this idea.

"she said quote i'm pissed we're all pissed end quote irsay gordon took control of the team after her father jim irsay died in may she is not making major changes it's both the general manager chris ballard and the coach shane steichen are coming back and the colts have not made the playoffs in five seasons"

Colts owner Irsay Gordon expresses strong frustration with the team's performance, acknowledging fan sentiment. Despite this anger and a five-season playoff drought, Irsay Gordon is maintaining continuity by keeping both the general manager and coach. This demonstrates a decision to stick with the current leadership despite disappointing results.

"so why is this important well it's a significant move because peter feigin is a very well liked member of that milwaukee community remember they hired him in october of 2014 he was an advisor to mark lasry and wes edens when they bought the team for 550 million he came from the knicks he was at marquis jet and as soon as he got to milwaukee he became very involved in that community"

The author explains that Peter Feigin's departure from the Milwaukee Bucks is significant due to his strong community ties and positive reception since joining in 2014. His involvement extended beyond team operations to community engagement, making his exit a notable event for the organization and the city. This highlights the importance of an executive's connection to the local community.

"he said he had ongoing concerns regarding transparency and governance and remember this group was started by novak and others intended to give players more of a voice in governance and critical issues in tennis but he said it had become clear over time that his approach no longer aligned with the current direction of the organization"

Novak Djokovic's departure from the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) is attributed to concerns about transparency and governance within the organization. Djokovic stated that his approach diverged from the group's current direction, indicating a fundamental disagreement on how the players' association should operate and advocate for its members. This suggests a conflict between his vision and the PTPA's evolving strategy.

"usa today's who's one of the better baseball writers out there he's called baseball free agency groundhog day that has been going on for the past 64 days top free agent starters haven't signed and there are others many who are good players still looking for jobs"

The author references a baseball writer's characterization of free agency as "Groundhog Day" to illustrate the prolonged and stagnant nature of player signings. This description highlights that many top free agents remain unsigned well into the offseason, indicating a significant shift in the typical free agency timeline. This prolonged period suggests a lack of urgency from teams or a strategic waiting game by players and agents.

Resources

External Resources

Articles & Papers

  • "Groundhog Day" (USA Today) - Referenced as a description for baseball's slow offseason free agency period.

People

  • Michael Bidwell - Mentioned as the owner of the Arizona Cardinals who fired coach Jonathan Gannon.
  • Monti Ossenfort - Mentioned as the GM of the Arizona Cardinals who appears to be safe.
  • Terry Fontenot - Mentioned as the former GM of the Atlanta Falcons who was parted ways with.
  • Raheem Morris - Mentioned as the former coach of the Atlanta Falcons who was parted ways with.
  • Kevin Stefanski - Mentioned as the former coach of the Cleveland Browns who was fired.
  • Andrew Berry - Mentioned as the General Manager of the Cleveland Browns who is expected to remain.
  • Mark Davis - Mentioned as an owner involved in the firing of Pete Carroll and collaboration with Tom Brady for the Las Vegas Raiders.
  • Tom Brady - Mentioned in relation to the Las Vegas Raiders' football operations leadership.
  • Pete Carroll - Mentioned as the former coach of the Las Vegas Raiders who was fired after one season.
  • John Spaytech - Mentioned as leading all football operations for the Las Vegas Raiders in collaboration with Tom Brady.
  • John Mara - Mentioned as an owner of the New York Giants who is not firing their general manager.
  • Steve Tisch - Mentioned as an owner of the New York Giants who is not firing their general manager.
  • Joe Shane - Mentioned as the General Manager of the New York Giants who remains in his role.
  • Zac Taylor - Mentioned as the coach of the Cincinnati Bengals who is staying with the team.
  • Duke Tobin - Mentioned as the General Manager of the Cincinnati Bengals who is staying with the team.
  • Mike Brown - Mentioned as the owner of the Cincinnati Bengals who prefers continuity.
  • Mike McDaniel - Mentioned as the coach of the Miami Dolphins who expects to help pick the GM and is likely staying.
  • Todd Bowles - Mentioned in relation to the future of his position in Tampa.
  • John Harbaugh - Mentioned in relation to the future of his position in Baltimore.
  • Calley Irsay Gordon - Mentioned as the principal owner of the Colts who expressed frustration with the season.
  • Jim Irsay - Mentioned as the late father of Calley Irsay Gordon, former owner of the Colts.
  • Chris Ballard - Mentioned as the General Manager of the Colts who is returning.
  • Shane Steichen - Mentioned as the coach of the Colts who is returning.
  • Peter Feigin - Mentioned as the departing President of the Milwaukee Bucks.
  • Jimmy Haslem - Mentioned as a new co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks.
  • Dee Haslem - Mentioned as a new co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks.
  • Josh Glessing - Mentioned as the executive from Haslem Sports Group taking over as President of the Milwaukee Bucks.
  • Mark Lasry - Mentioned as a former advisor to Peter Feigin when he was hired by the Bucks.
  • Wes Edens - Mentioned as a former advisor to Peter Feigin when he was hired by the Bucks.
  • Novak Djokovic - Mentioned as stepping away from the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA).

Organizations & Institutions

  • NFL (National Football League) - Mentioned in relation to coaching and GM changes on "Black Monday."
  • Miami Dolphins - Mentioned as having a GM opening.
  • Atlanta Falcons - Mentioned as parting ways with both GM and coach.
  • Cleveland Browns - Mentioned in relation to firing their coach.
  • Las Vegas Raiders - Mentioned in relation to firing their coach and GM's role.
  • New York Giants - Mentioned as keeping their General Manager.
  • Tennessee Titans - Mentioned as looking for a new coach and restructuring their front office.
  • Cincinnati Bengals - Mentioned as staying with their current coach and general manager.
  • Tampa - Mentioned in relation to the future of Todd Bowles.
  • Baltimore - Mentioned in relation to the future of John Harbaugh.
  • Chicago - Mentioned as an example of general managers remaining in place last year.
  • New England - Mentioned as an example of general managers remaining in place last year.
  • Colts - Mentioned in relation to missing the playoffs after a strong start and retaining GM and coach.
  • Milwaukee Bucks - Mentioned in relation to an executive change and business growth.
  • Haslem Sports Group - Mentioned as the organization Josh Glessing is an executive with.
  • Knicks - Mentioned as Peter Feigin's previous organization.
  • Marquis Jet - Mentioned as Peter Feigin's previous organization.
  • Columbus Crew - Mentioned as a Major League Soccer team where Josh Glessing served as president of business.
  • Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) - Mentioned in relation to Novak Djokovic stepping away and its aggressive approach.
  • ATP Tour - Mentioned as having been sued by the PTPA.
  • WTA - Mentioned as having been sued by the PTPA.
  • Grand Slams - Mentioned as having been sued by the PTPA and being happy about a rift in the association.
  • MLB (Major League Baseball) - Implied through discussion of baseball's offseason.

Websites & Online Resources

  • ESPN - Mentioned as the platform to tune in to TGL matches.
  • Fiserv Forum - Mentioned as the new arena built under Peter Feigin's leadership for the Bucks.

Other Resources

  • TGL presented by Sofi - Mentioned as a golf league returning for its second season.
  • "Black Monday" - Mentioned as the day when NFL coaching changes occur.
  • "Home run derbies, overtime and playoffs" - Mentioned as elements of TGL.
  • "City versus city, squad versus squad" - Mentioned as the format of TGL.
  • "Golf tune in to every match" - Mentioned as the call to action for TGL.
  • "Prime time" - Mentioned in relation to TGL.
  • "Overtime and playoffs" - Mentioned as elements of TGL.
  • "Shot clocks, hammer drops, timeouts" - Mentioned as elements of TGL.
  • "Major League Soccer" - Mentioned in relation to Josh Glessing's previous role.
  • "NBA title in 2021" - Mentioned as a success during Peter Feigin's tenure with the Bucks.
  • "Goldman Sachs" - Mentioned as a previous employer of Josh Glessing.
  • "Tennis players have formed to try to have more of a say in their schedule and prize money and a lot of governance" - Mentioned as the intent behind player associations in tennis.
  • "Transparency and governance" - Mentioned as Novak Djokovic's ongoing concerns regarding the PTPA.
  • "Reforms related to governance and player rights" - Mentioned as the subject of lawsuits by the PTPA.
  • "Baseball's offseason has become boring" - Mentioned as a sentiment regarding the current state of MLB free agency.
  • "Big player signings between Thanksgiving and Christmas" - Mentioned as a past characteristic of MLB free agency.
  • "Multi million dollar deals around free agency" - Mentioned as a past characteristic of MLB free agency.
  • "Top free agent starters haven't signed" - Mentioned as a current issue in MLB free agency.
  • "Labor negotiations with a possible lockout" - Mentioned as a potential factor in MLB's slow offseason.
  • "Owner collusion" - Mentioned as a factor not believed to be causing MLB's slow offseason.
  • "February" and "early March" - Mentioned as times when MLB contracts are now being signed.
  • "Rapid fire free agency days" - Mentioned as a contrast to current MLB free agency trends.

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