Colts Owner Defends Sideline Presence Amid Criticism
Colts Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon defends her presence on the sidelines, facing criticism and comparisons to male owners.
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Colts Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon has come under fire for her presence on the sidelines, where she monitors internal communications using a headset and clipboard. Despite the criticism, Irsay-Gordon maintains that her primary goal is to learn and better understand the game.
On Monday, Irsay-Gordon told Front Office Sports’ Bridget Condon that her presence on the sidelines is driven by a desire to gain knowledge. “I like to say on a good day I have like a fifth grade reading level understanding of the game and just the basic concepts of what we’re trying to do, depending on the week and depending on our opponent and depending on the situation,” she said.
“But I think, then, it just helps to understand and to ask questions because I think one of the things, in my opinion, like being a good leader is about listening, really to understand. And I think that’s what the best teams do,” Irsay-Gordon added.
Among her critics is podcaster Bill Simmons, who has publicly criticized her presence on the sidelines. “I’m not going to tiptoe around this anymore, right? And I know it’s been a topic the last couple of weeks. I think the owner on the sidelines taking notes is fucking nuts. I think it’s nuts. … I think it’s bonkers. I can’t believe she does this,” Simmons said.
“And I can’t believe people in her life haven’t talked her out of it. … If a male owner were doing this, we would be ridiculing this guy ’til the cows came home. … We would think it was so fucking funny if some, you know, rich guy male owner was on the sideline with a notebook, like, hovering over and giving advice to the coach. … Even Jerry Jones wouldn’t do that,” Simmons continued.
Jerry Jones, often criticized for his involvement in team decisions, has never been seen on the sidelines with a headset or notebook. While he has stood on the sidelines, it was typically only in the final moments of games and not for taking notes.
While Irsay-Gordon’s goal of learning about the game is commendable, the debate continues over whether she must be on the sidelines to achieve that. Many NFL coaches and staff members spend games in the booth, far from the players, and still maintain control over their strategies.
“Does Irsay-Gordon have to be on the sideline to learn about football? Or to learn about her coaches?” the article questions. “At least half of NFL coaching staffs spend the game in the booth, far away from their players. Vic Fangio, one of the best defensive minds in the game’s history, runs his defenses from the booth. Is he not in control of the game?” the piece asks.
“Irsay-Gordon could don a headset and hear everything she would hear on the sidelines from the comfort of the coach’s box upstairs. It would also be far less disruptive to question the coach or their assistants upstairs in the booth than on the sidelines,” the article adds.
The debate also centers on the fact that as the team owner, Irsay-Gordon has the right to be on the sidelines. However, the article suggests that just because she can be there doesn’t mean she should. “No one wants their boss standing over their shoulder while they work, and football coaches are no different, no matter what they say publicly,” the piece notes.
Source: Breitbart
