Titans President & CEO Tommy Smith "ended his 17-month reign Friday when he announced he was stepping down, the biggest move in a very turbulent offseason" for the front office, according to Wyatt & Ammenheuser of the Nashville TENNESSEAN. Smith said, "It's a personal decision for me. I will be 64 in a few weeks and I want to spend my energy where it's needed most." Smith, son-in-law of late Owner Bud Adams, took the position following Adam's death in October '13. Meanwhile, the Titans announced that Senior Exec VP & General Counsel Steve Underwood "would serve as the team's interim President until a permanent replacement is named." Smith said, "We are in good shape. We have good people. I think the future is bright for the team. Everyone is proud of our ownership position. I think our team is headed in the right direction." Wyatt & Ammenheuser noted the timing "is unusual" because Smith a few weeks ago "vowed to turn the franchise around." Smith's departure "comes less than a month" after Exec VP/Administration & Facilities Don MacLachlan resigned. The team later named Bob Flynn Head of Facilities & Game Day Operations. Flynn "will be in charge of enhancing the game-day operation, which Smith stressed was important to him." Smith also said that he "has concerns about everything from concessions, to lines at the entrances, to traffic" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 3/21). Smith said that dividing his time between the Titans and Adams Resources & Energy, Inc. left by Adams "was not good for either company." He added that he "cannot serve two big roles as effectively as he had hoped" (AP, 3/20).
FAMILY MATTERS: In Nashville, Jim Wyatt cites sources as saying that Smith's decision was made in part because of an "apparent shift in thinking" within the team. Smith was named to the post "after other family members appointed Susie Adams Smith, his wife, as controlling owner." The NFL "signed off on the provisional agreement unless other owners withdrew their consent." But sources said that there was "no longer a consensus among ownership that Susie Adams Smith should be the controlling owner, which contributed to Tommy Smith stepping down" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 3/23). Also in Nashville, David Climer wrote Smith "might be only the first domino to fall." His exit "could be a hint" that Adams' heirs are "not as committed to maintaining ownership of the Titans over the long haul as previously stated." As long as Adams "was alive, the Titans were not for sale -- at any cost," but with a "divided ownership group that has no significant emotional link to the franchise, the game has changed." Climer: "We are entering a critical period for the Titans." The organization's 30-year lease at LP Field is "past the halfway point," and it is "not going to be so very long before we must confront the idea of a new stadium." That is "going to be a tough sell unless the team improves and the organization stabilizes" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 3/21).
PLEASE READ THE LETTER: In Nashville, Dave Ammenheuser penned an open letter to Smith, writing, "Thank you for stepping aside. ... It is clearly the best offseason move this franchise could make." Ammenheuser: "You may not deserve all of the criticism. ... But the 2-14 recent season did come on your watch. And during your tenure, little has been done to pump enthusiasm into a fan base that has become quite apathetic." The new President & CEO "should meet" with Predators CEO Jeff Cogen and "learn some lessons from him" and Predators President Sean Henry. The Predators "do a better job of connecting with their fan base than the Titans do with theirs." But the product "must improve on the field," and progress "must be made during the coming season." That is why the search "needs to go swiftly." If it "drags on, the euphoria gained from your resignation won’t last long" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 3/21).
