NFL Draft Day & Loosening the Reins: Lessons on Real Estate from the Washington Redskins
Remember the days before cable TV when all you had was an antenna on the roof or maybe bunny ears on the TV in your bedroom?
Some of you have no idea what I’m talking about and others are shaking their heads in agreement. Either way, it seems hard to imagine a time before 500 TV channels and 24-hour sports networks existed.
The NFL draft last week brought me back to my very first days as a football fan.
I remember sitting in my bedroom as a kid, switching back and forth between the Baltimore stations and the D.C. stations. I would adjust those bunny ears until the picture was just right.
The best day for football report shows was Saturday. The local network stations, not MASN or CSN, broadcast these shows.
Artie Donovan hosted a show on one of the Baltimore stations, talking about the Colts. Artie was a great guy and incredible player in his day but I couldn’t understand a word he said—between his crazy slur and the Bronx accent. So, I would switch to one of the D.C. stations where I could easily understand the hosts.
So now you know how a girl who grew up in a family of Colts fans became a die-hard Redskins fan.
Further fueling my Redskins obsession was Miss Helen Durding, owner of the the old-fashioned soda fountain and candy shop in town. She would bring me back Redskins memorabilia and souvenirs after every game. I have over 40 years of game day programs, glasses, flags, and posters from her.
That’s where it all began. But, as it goes with any sports fan, I’m frustrated with the Redskins from time to time. More often than not these days!
When you have a team you love, you want to see them play great and win. Unfortunately nowadays, some owners get so involved in the process that they get in the way of their team’s success. That’s exactly what has happened to the Redskins since Jack Kent Cooke, the former owner, passed away in 1997 and the Redskins were purchased by tech mogul, Daniel Snyder.
More on that later.
The days of Jack Kent Cooke were the glory days of Redskins football. What made Cooke so great? He didn’t know how to run an offense or how to draft players. Cooke was an expert at selecting coaches and general managers who were the best for the roles and standing back and letting them do their jobs well.
In the 80’s and early 90’s, Joe Gibbs was the Head Coach and Bobby Beathard was the General Manager. Beathard got to pick the players and Gibbs got to cut them. They worked together to manage the roster. Cooke only stepped in when asked.
The result? A football dynasty with 3 Super Bowls and 4 Super Bowl appearances in 10 years.
Since Snyder took over, nothing has been the same. The success of the Redskins has been inconsistent at best and disappointing at worst. There have been numerous personnel changes among coaches and general managers, money wasted in free agency, and good players all to happy to leave.
Looking back, I find a lot of similarities in the real estate world.
Our approach at Benson & Mangold Real Estate is similar to the Cooke approach to owning the Redskins. Our clients get maximum results from their home sale or purchase because they let the experts do what they do best.
We have identified top notch contractors, painters, landscapers, photographers and property stagers. We’ve vetted these folks and know exactly who you can trust to do good work for the money you are paying.
The same goes for lenders. We know who we can trust and who we would recommend to a buyer to ensure a smooth transaction. Clients who take our advice and follow our approach have a much smoother buying and selling process.
You have to trust the process and, more importantly, you have to trust your team.
If you take the reins without knowing what you’re looking for, it can derail the whole transaction. Choosing the wrong vendor could delay your inspection report or put your contract negotiations in danger. It could even cost you a buyer.
In the world of football, all you have to do is look at Dan Snyder to learn this lesson.
In the past 20 years, the Redskins have won 3 NFC East Championships, only making the playoffs 5 times. Pretty disappointing results compared to the success under Cooke.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a Redskins fan through and through. I’m hopeful again this year that the Redskins will bring in some good talent. They’ve already made some good moves in the off season and the 2018 draft class looks strong.
It’s better to have someone with a vision for the big picture—in both real estate and in football.
My clients choose me as their trusted advisor—someone who knows the best painter, best landscaper, best photographer and best carpet guy to call to get things done right. It’s better to have someone who does this on a day-to-day basis to get you through the transaction and leave victorious on the other side.
Think about it this way—Who would you rather be?
Dan Snyder: someone who doesn’t listen to his football advisors and, in turn, hasn’t had much success Or, Jack Kent Cooke? —a man who built a team to achieve 3 Super Bowl Wins in 10 years?
I know which way I would go. I’m still hopeful for Snyder to change his tune. Maybe I should add him to my newsletter mailing list?
Until next month,
Courtney
