To the fans, he was Mr. DeBartolo. To his players, he was Mr. D. And, to his friends, he was Eddie. For 25 years he owned the San Francisco 49ers and built them into the most successful NFL franchise, winning five Super Bowls. He’s among the 67 players, coaches and contributor nominees being considered for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and he deserves to be inducted.
Induction to the Hall is privileged and accomplished. It’s a reflection of a person’s football productivity and contributions to the game. For those players and coaches already in the Hall of Fame, and those hoping to get in, that productivity can be tangibly measured. For players it’s yards gained, passes caught, seasons played and championships won. For coaches, it’s games won and coached, championships garnered, years coaching, outstanding players produced and image. For those in the Hall of Fame for their contributions, or nominated, the criteria are more subjective. The list of inducted or nominated NFL contributors range from commissioners, to owners, to team front office personnel, to game officials. Their election to the hallowed halls of Canton is more subjective then objective.
Ed DeBartolo, Jr. came into football as an owner barely into his 30’s. The son of a hard working, successful Youngstown, Ohio businessman, the world of professional sports and football was foreign to him. He was unprepared and ill equipped to own a pro sports franchise, especially one in such a high profile city as San Francisco. He found out quickly that family, corporate ownership is quite different then sports franchise ownership. Unlike the decisions he made in his family’s business, the decisions he made with the 49ers were scrutinized, analyzed and criticized by the media and fans alike. Everything he would do was open to public debate, and good or bad, everyone had an opinion about his decisions.
The early, DeBartolo 49er ownership years were marked by frustration, confusion and futility, especially on the field. His on the job, NFL ownership education were hard lessons learned. A 2-14 season only added to his frustration and injury to his personal and family pride. His early NFL ownership years were probably his hardest personal and professional experiences. He found out quickly that capturing success in the business of sports and the NFL was quite different then finding it in the family business of building successful shopping malls. Location and brick and mortar was far different then finding the right coach, good players, dealing with key injuries and an ill thrown pass or untimely fumble. He could control the former, but had little influence on the latter.
After several tumultuous years, on the field and in the 49ers organization, DeBartolo made what would turn out to be his best football decision: the hiring of Bill Walsh to be his coach. Ironically, both found each other at a time of frustration in both their lives. DeBartolo wanted to field a competitive and successful team, and Walsh wanted a chance to finally show he could be a successful NFL coach. At 49 years old, Walsh’s window of opportunity to do so was quickly closing. It was an “odd couple” marriage. DeBartolo, the young, brash, emotional owner, and Walsh, the older, calculated, on the surface controlled, brilliant minded coach. While different in outward style and personality, what they shared was the single mindset to succeed and win. In essence, they were a perfect glove and hand fit.
In 1979, when DeBartolo hired Walsh, the NFL had no salary cap and player free agency was beginning. The ingredients for the 49ers to become the most successful franchise in NFL history were now in place. DeBartolo had the passion, resolve, determination and finances. Walsh had the vision, ego, brilliant football mind, talent evaluation and organizational skills. Together, DeBartolo and Walsh became the NFL’s “perfect storm.” The 49ers went from league doormats to the “Team of the Decade” in the 80’s as they won four Super Bowl Championships. They extended that success into the 90’s with a fifth Super Bowl title. For 15 years, they were professional sports winningest franchise.
With prolonged success comes criticism. DeBartolo’s commitment to paying whatever it took to get talented players and build a winning team went from admiration to disdain by those who competed week in and week out against the Niners in the NFL. The rich kid from Youngstown was beating the staid, old guard franchises and that didn’t sit well with them.
From the late 70’s and into the 80’s, the NFL, like other pro sports, was going thru a transition. Players went from looking at roster spots as a job to looking at them as an opportunity, and they wanted the opportunity to play with a team that gave them the best chance to win a championship. It didn’t take long for word to spread that if you wanted to play for an outstanding coach (Walsh), and in an outstanding organization (49ers), and for an owner (DeBartolo) who would reward you for your talent and playing well, then take a look at the team in the city by the Bay. DeBartolo also went back to his family and Italian heritage, and added an element that had previously been missing from the NFL-player experience. He changed the NFL working environment from just an employer-employee relationship to one of caring and making the player feel like they were a part of DeBartolo’s extended family. In a commodity business, making a player feel like someone cares, especially the owner, was different and unique.
Mr. D, as his players called him, put his money where his mouth was. He paid his players more then the norm, and he had well paid backups on the bench that could have started for other NFL teams. He simply believed “you pay for quality.” Also, it was all within the existing NFL rules. It didn’t hurt that Walsh was finding a future Hall of Fame quarterback, Joe Montana, that no one wanted until he took him in the 3rd round, and he was amassing other young talented players, like another Hall of Famer to be Ronnie Lott. The DeBartolo-Walsh combo left their mark on the NFL in a way not seen before, and not seen yet again.
In the debate and consideration for DeBartolo’s induction into the Hall of Fame, his personal conduct is sure to be mentioned. But, it has no relevance on his contributions, success and qualifications to be inducted. His emotionalism, loyalty and immaturity led him at times to make bad decisions, but his actions were not done with malice. Personal conduct is not a considered criteria for the NFL Hall of Fame. If so, then O.J Simpson, Paul Hornung, Lawrence Taylor and a host of others shouldn’t or wouldn’t be in Canton. DeBartolo’s career as an owner, and its accomplishments, should be the only criteria used in deciding his worthiness for induction. And, that record speaks for itself.
DeBartolo is guilty of one thing. Caring. He cared about turning around a struggling franchise. He cared about returning pride in a city’s football team. He cared about the fans. He cared about winning. He cared about his team. And, he cared about his players. His depth of caring for his players went far beyond giving them big paychecks. He was interested in their wives, kids and families, their well being off the field and after their careers are over. In 1989, defensive back Jeff Fuller was seriously hurt in a game. The injury was so serious that his career immediately ended. In the NFL, there are no guaranteed contracts. The best an injured player could hope for is some small type of injury settlement. Proving his players were a part of DeBartolo’s extended family, he set up an annuity for Fuller that provides for him and his family for the rest of his life. When defensive lineman Bryant Young suffered a serious knee injury during a game, it was DeBartolo who came to the lockeroom and rode in the ambulance with his injured player. And, there are many other instances of his caring.
DeBartolo’s caring and interest went beyond his team and players, and into the community. He established the 49ers Foundation that has donated millions of dollars to local charities and worthy causes. Not all NFL teams do this. He once was asked to come to the Bridge School, a school for severely handicapped kids to help celebrate a child’s birthday. Not only did he show up, but he also brought along Jerry Rice and Brent Jones and had the affair catered, and provided gifts and 49er jerseys for the kids. His only request? That the media not be told about it.
Inductees into the Hall of Fame are voted on at the Super Bowl and announced the day before the game. John Elway and Barry Sanders are deserving of that honor. They proved thru their play they should be in the hallowed halls of Canton. But so is Ed DeBartolo, Jr. He proved through his commitment to winning, the team’s long term success, his support of his team and players, and his giving back to the fans and community that he deserves to share that honor as well. He’s listed on the ballot as a “contributor”, there’s no doubt that his contributions are worthy of induction into the Hall of Fame.
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I'm Ron Barr.
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