Billy Joe “Red” McCombs, former owner of the Vikings and multiple other sports teams, has died. He was 95.
He made his money originally in car sales. He owned the San Antonio Spurs and the Denver Nuggets before buying the Vikings in 1998 for $250 million.
Under his ownership, the Vikings went to two NFC Championship games. McCombs fired Green during the 2001 season, replacing him with Mike Tice -- and then later giving Tice the permanent position.
McCombs eventually became exasperated by the inability to get a new stadium built in Minnesota. He sold the Vikings to Zygi and Mark Wilf in 2005, for $600 million.
During the McCombs tenure, Vikings tackle Korey Stringer died of heat exhaustion, after a training-camp practice in oppressive heat. It’s one of the very rare occasions of an NFL player losing his life due to on-the-job hazards.