This has been brought up several times over in the fanposts but I figured it deserved a quick mention here. Sports Illustrated ranked the 5 best and 5 worst owners in each of the four major sports. They used the following criteria.
- Team's success or failure on the field.
- Willingness to spend money to improve the team.
- Stability and capabilities of the front office and management.
- Amenities at the team's venue.
- Club's culture and interactivity with fans.
Eagles owner Jeff Lurie was the only local owner to make a list. He was ranked as the 4th best owner in the NFL.
Lurie has brought consistency to one of the more historically volatile franchises in the NFL (one of his predecessors nearly went bankrupt and another nearly moved the team to Phoenix). Under the Boston-born Lurie, the Eagles are financially secure and have a modern stadium that will guarantee the team continued self-reliance. The Eagles have also had the most success in franchise history, reaching five NFC Championship Games in eight years and appearing in their second Super Bowl.
There's no doubt that the Eagles have become better in every imaginable way since Lurie took over the team. The team is more successful, he spends more money than any other owner has, the front office and coaching staff has been more stable than any other time in franchise history, the team has a world class stadium and practice facility, and of course the team is as popular as ever.
For me, Lurie is the perfect owner of a sports franchise. I personally am not a fan of the Al Davis or Dan Snyder style hands on owner. I prefer an owner who trusts in his front office and football people and simply signs the checks. That's what Jeff Lurie does. He doesn't play GM like certain other owners and pick players he likes or treats his team like a fantasy football squad. He knows his role in the organization and he trusts people that know football better than him to make the decisions.
It's been proven time and time again that these type of owners are the ones who are ultimately successful. This is how the Steelers, Patriots, & Giants ownership operates. They are hands off owners. Ironically, that's who Jerry Jones used to be when Jimmy Johnson built him a dynasty in Dallas. Since he started to play GM, the Cowboys haven't won a playoff game in over a decade.
If Jeff Lurie wins a title here, he may very well stake a claim as the best owner of any franchise in Philadelphia sports history.