APEven though he said a day ago his team’s 1-7 record was “embarrassing,” Jaguars owner Shad Khan said Wednesday he was not going to make any changes during the season.
Khan met with a small group of reporters after his first volley of comments to a local television station, and insisted a sacrificial firing now is not part of his plan.
“That’s not something I would do,” Khan said, via Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. “That’s not me.”
Even though general manager Gene Smith seems a likely place to start, Khan said it would be “irresponsible” to address specific people in the organization, and said he wouldn’t make “knee-jerk” decisions.
“I’ve been here obviously half a season so this will be something for me to reflect on at the end of the season,” Khan said. “I want to see where we are as an organization. There are certain companies and organizations that win over time and certain companies and organizations that lose over time. It doesn’t matter if it’s auto parts or football.
“The most important thing for me is this becomes an organization that is going to win over time.”
Khan, who made his money in the auto parts business, said his model will carry over to the NFL.
“The key lesson I learned building organizations is you need to have the right people in the right spots,” he said. “You need to have the process of how you make decisions and then you need support and it’s not just ownership support, it’s sponsor support.”
Of course, there are some things he could not prepare for prior to buying an NFL team.
“You get approved in Dallas and you get a camera crew that follows you to the bathroom,” Khan said. “In football, everything is visible and has a high degree of emotion and media scrutiny.
“Nobody would show up [to interview me] if I shipped a bad set of bumpers. I did that early in my career, suffered the consequences and learned some life lessons, which at this time is very valuable.”
The Jags, as presently constructed, need more than a new bumper. But it looks like Khan’s prepared to let a few parts rust off before he starts in with the Bondo.
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I always think “cartoon” when I see this guy’s picture. Are we sure he’s actually real?
Khan is right in what he says, and his restraint and patience are doubly impressive in light of the fact that he didn’t hire Gene Smith. Smith came with the franchise, like a household pet left behind by the previous owners.
Bondo and duct tape–they’ve held millions of cars together, especially for the college-age set.
Khan is smart to recognize that it will take more than Bondo and duct tape to make this team functional.
He trusted a guy that was forced on him. Many probably don’t know the prior owner gave this guy (GM) an extension on the way out. Khan is realizing now that he made a mistake, what is the point of trying someone else he inherited at this point?
Lets just hope Lamping knew that Ross guy in NYC. You know, the guy that keeps looking for impact DE’s when he already has 3.
Dont worry, Khan is going to shake things up after the season. If not, he risks losing Lamping and all the amazing work he’s done.
I’ve often wondered what happened to Jambi.
Khan continues to impress me with his business acumen. We may have to wait another season or two but he’ll get this franchise turned around
Super Shad will have more money to invest in the team when his image rights lawsuit with Mario Brothers is settled.
Smart guy. Hope he knows to hire well and back off.
Where’s you guys get these Mario/khan/Ron Jeremy jokes? So original! Impressed!
Gnatt is a hater of the jags. Why?
When the team moves to London, will they keep the name Jaguars? Are the players bound by contract to have to move to another country? Will they get supplemental picks in the draft as they start in another land?
How about you start spending some money instead of just talking about it, Khan?