Now Jerry Richardson Has His Own Statue, Which NFL Owners Are Next?
One sign you've succeeded at life? Not only is a statue raised in your honor but said statue is flanked by a pair of sculptures of bad-ass-looking panthers.
That's exactly how the Carolina Panthers organization honored owner Jerry Richardson recently. Richardson turned 80 on July 11, so the team celebrated the occasion by unveiling a 13-foot statue just steps from the entrance to Bank of America Stadium.
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Richardson isn't the first owner with a statue—in fact, a statue had already been raised in his honor at the Panthers' training camp at Wofford College in South Carolina, and statues have been raised in Denver for Pat Bowlen, in Buffalo for Ralph Wilson, in Pittsburgh for Art Rooney and in New Orleans for Tom Benson—but it is rare for living owners to be commemorated in such a way.
If Bowlen and Richardson are indeed setting a trend, here's a ranking of the rest of the owners of NFL teams from most to least likely to have a statue commissioned in their honor.
1. Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys
Because ego. And in Jerry Jones' defense, the Dallas Cowboys did win three Super Bowls early in his tenure. Still, if that's the rationale, fans would probably prefer to see statues honoring Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin and even Jimmy Johnson.
2. Dan Rooney, Pittsburgh Steelers
It might not happen overnight, but it's probably only a matter of time before the well-respected and accomplished Dan Rooney has a statue alongside the one honoring his late father, Art, outside Heinz Field. He's overseen three decades of team success as chairman of the Pittsburgh Steelers, immeasurable contributions off the field and don't forget about the Rooney Rule.
3. Bob McNair, Houston Texans
I think this happens because Bob McNair is in a similar position to that of Richardson. He brought professional football back to Houston and should one day be honored for it—preferably in statue form.
4. Robert Kraft, New England Patriots
He's had an incredible two decades running the New England Patriots and has become one of the league's most influential owners. There'll undoubtedly be a Bob Kraft statue one day, but it's not New England's style to rush that, and Kraft could have to wait for Bill Belichick's and Tom Brady's to be sculpted.
5. Bill Bidwill, Arizona Cardinals
He's served as principal owner both in St. Louis and Arizona over the course of the last 44 years. Sure, the Arizona Cardinals haven't experienced much success during that time, but Bidwill brought pro football to the Grand Canyon State, and he and his son, Michael, were in charge when the franchise experienced a rejuvenation at its new stadium a decade ago. One day, you could see a Bidwill statue landing outside the University of Phoenix Stadium.
6. Paul Allen, Seattle Seahawks
This might seem odd because Paul Allen has not been an overly active owner, and he didn't found the Seattle Seahawks, but he has overseen their best days. And there haven't been a whole lot of big stars on the field, so when they decide to raise a statue, Allen could be the guy immortalized.
7. The Davis family, Oakland Raiders
This is a bit complicated because controlling owner Mark Davis wouldn't dare allow a statue to be commissioned in his honor, but it's easy to see his late father, Al, getting that treatment. Still, this only happens if the Raiders strike a deal to stay in Oakland.
8. Alex Spanos, San Diego Chargers
If the San Diego Chargers stay where they are and build a new stadium, this isn't too far-fetched for the long-term future. But there just hasn't been much team success during Alex Spanos' 32 years as owner.
9. Jim Irsay, Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts have had a good run under Jim Irsay the last couple of decades, so you couldn't rule it out posthumously. Considering Irsay's wild nature, don't even rule it out in his lifetime.
10. The Glazer family, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The late Malcolm Glazer owned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during their heyday, but he didn't found the franchise and was in control for less than two decades. Still, his kids are running things now. You wouldn't fault them for deciding to honor their dad with a statue outside the Raymond James Stadium, which he helped come into being.
11. The Adams family, Tennessee Titans
The late Bud Adams died a legend in both Nashville and Houston, which complicates things. His daughters, Amy Adams Strunk and Susie Adams Smith, have indicated they plan on keeping the Tennessee Titans in the family, per Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. Raising a statue in honor of their late father would be a nice way to cement that, even if he spent under two decades in Tennessee. Don't rule it out.
12. The Ford family, Detroit Lions
If anyone gets a statue in Detroit, it'll be Barry Sanders. If anyone from the Ford family is honored with one, it'll be controlling owner Martha Ford's late husband, William Clay Ford Sr. But don't expect that to happen anytime soon.
13. Jeffrey Lurie, Philadelphia Eagles
It's been a nice run under Jeffrey Lurie—just not statuesque. If or when the Philadelphia Eagles finally win a Super Bowl, that could change.
14. Virginia Halas McCaskey, Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears recently unveiled a statue honoring Virginia Halas McCaskey's late father, George Halas, who owned the team for what seemed like a million years.
15. Stan Kroenke, Los Angeles Rams
He's only been in the job about half a decade, and the Rams have been terrible that entire time, but Stan Kroenke brought football back to Los Angeles!
16. Daniel Snyder, Washington Redskins
It was tempting to put Daniel Snyder in the top five because you can't rule out the chance he commissions a statue in his honor. Surely even the infamously smug Snyder wouldn't dare. Would he? Just last year, Sports Illustrated voted him the most hated owner in football last year (h/t Marina di Marzo of NBC Washington), and the Redskins have just two playoff wins during his 17 years in charge.
17. Arthur Blank, Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons have yet to make a Super Bowl 14 years into Arthur Blank's tenure as owner, although he is helping the team build a shiny new stadium.
18. Steve Bisciotti, Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens have been successful during Steve Bisciotti's 12 years as majority owner, but they were just as successful in the eight years prior to that.
19. Clark Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs
Clark Hunt's father, Lamar, founded the Kansas City Chiefs franchise and ran it for nearly half a century, which is why Hunt Sr. has a statue outside Arrowhead Stadium. Hunt Jr. has been in the job less than a decade, so he's got some work to do.
20. Mike Brown, Cincinnati Bengals
Mike Brown's father, Paul, who founded the Cincinnati Bengals in 1968, doesn't yet have a statue in Cincy. Mike Brown's 25-year run in charge has been all about underachievement and heavy criticism. Don't hold your breath.
21. Zygi Wilf, Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings have won just a single playoff game during Zygi Wilf's 11-year run as owner. He'll probably have to wait decades to be honored, if not longer.
22. Jed York, San Francisco 49ers
Jed York inherited the team from his parents, Denise DeBartolo York and John York, who inherited it from longtime owner and Hall of Famer Eddie DeBartolo Jr. (Denise's brother). DeBartolo Jr. is the real legend, which is why he was slated to have a statue outside the Levi's Stadium. Don't expect Denise or Jed to push for their own, especially considering the current football temperature there.
23. Woody Johnson, New York Jets
Five playoff appearances for the New York Jets in Woody Johnson's 16 years as owner. It would take a lot of nerve.
24. John Mara and Steve Tisch, New York Giants
The New York Giants have been controlled entirely or partially by the Mara family for 90 years. John Mara is longtime owner Wellington Mara's son and the grandson of founder Tim Mara. Steve Tisch's father, Bob, bought half of the team in 1991. As far as I can tell, there are no statues honoring Tim or Wellington Mara, so it's safe to assume John and Steve won't be honored with sculptures in the near future.
25. Stephen Ross, Miami Dolphins
Late owner Joe Robbie has a statue in Miami. Stephen Ross, meanwhile, has himself zero winning seasons in seven years as the Miami Dolphins' owner. It's not looking good.
26. Shahid Khan, Jacksonville Jaguars
Four lousy years into his tenure with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Shahid Khan probably has a better chance of having a statue raised to honor him in England than in Florida.
27. Jimmy Haslam, Cleveland Browns
This would be so bold and outrageous that part of me is hoping it somehow comes to fruition. During Jimmy Haslam's four years as owner, the Cleveland Browns have gone 19-45. Zero winning records. Zero playoff appearances. A statue honoring him in Cleveland? That's Onion-level satire. Please make this happen.
28. Kim and Terry Pegula, Buffalo Bills
They've owned the Buffalo Bills for two years, and the team has yet to get to the playoffs. Safe to say Kim and Terry Pegula will have to wait quite some time, especially considering Wilson owned the team for half a century and didn't get a statue until after he passed away in 2014.
29. 360,584 stockholders, Green Bay Packers
This would just be a really, really hard statue to make.
Brad Gagnon has covered the NFL for Bleacher Report since 2012.
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