The Denver Broncos, as perceptions go, will lose a tug of war with one of the NFL’s most dysfunctional teams in recent years for the services of DeMeco Ryans. But if the Broncos really wanted Ryans, or any other candidate to coach the team, the Broncos could easily get him.
The Broncos could simply blow the financial curve, offering Ryans dramatically more than whatever the Texans will be paying.
Whatever the Texans are paying, the Broncos can afford more. Much more.
Primary owner Rob Walton has a net worth of $70 billion. His daughter, Carrie Walton Penner, and her husband, Greg Penner, surely have personal holdings that start with a “B,” too.
That allows them to get any “A” list coach they want. If they’re willing to spend so much that the coach won’t say no.
So why wouldn’t they throw money at Ryans or Jim Harbaugh or whoever they decide they want? Well, they’re the new kids on the block. The latest members of Club Oligarch. And it would be immediately frowned upon by the folks with resting rich face to overpay for coaches, since that will force the other multibillionaires to do the same.
That’s the dilemma for new ownership in Denver. Allowing the sense to be created that the job isn’t desirable vs. writing a check that will piss off their peers at a time when they’re trying to keep a low profile.
And so, as we mentioned last night on Twitter, the Wal-Mart moguls are learning that this new business is a lot tougher to navigate than the mega-chain of low-cost stores Rob’s father, Sam, founded in 1962.
In the latter, your competitors are mortal enemies to be vanquished. In the former, your competitors are business partners to be placated.
For now, that could be keeping the Broncos from breaking the bank to get whichever coach they may want. Even though they easily could.
