Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
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| Byron Hetzler/US PRESSWIRE |
NFL coaches weren't necessarily voting for the best overall team owners when approached for
our recent survey. Instead we asked them to name the owner other than their own with the best reputation among head coaches. I think the phrasing helped Denver's Pat Bowlen rank among the top three with Pittsburgh's Dan Rooney, arguably the most respected owner, and Dallas' Jerry Jones, who stops at nothing in acquiring talent.
In addition to opening his wallet over the years, Bowlen has stood by coach Mike Shanahan when others might have chipped away at the coach's power.
Shanahan has retained control of football operations despite some well-publicized personnel blunders and scarce playoff success in recent seasons.
Other coaches with Super Bowl pedigrees or winning records have lost their powers over personnel during lean years, such as Mike Holmgren and Mike Sherman. Other established coaches have lost their jobs when ownership sided with other members of the organization. Marty Schottenheimer's demise in San Diego comes to mind.
Through it all, Bowlen has stood by Shanahan the way every coach would want his owner to stand by him. This may or may not be a good thing for an organization, but it's a very good thing for a head coach. Shanahan hasn't had to worry about the owner second-guessing him in the media or revoking his control over football operations.
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