Buccaneers and Manchester United Owner MALCOLM GLAZER died yesterday at the age of 85, and he is being remembered as an "icon in Tampa's sports history," according to Stroud, Auman & Baker of the TAMPA BAY TIMES. Former Buccaneers coach JON GRUDEN said, "He was responsible, I think, for the Buccaneers turning the corner. He improved everything about the organization, from their image to their colors to their reputation." Glazer "is best remembered as someone who shunned the spotlight so many NFL owners relish." Three of Glazer's sons -- BRYAN, ED and JOEL -- "have run the team's day-to-day operations, and the Bucs made clear Wednesday that the family's estate succession plans would assure that the team stays with the Glazers." Glazer's reputation "was well-earned in NFL circles, with tributes coming Wednesday from across the state and the country, and from the league's offices" in N.Y. NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL called Glazer "the guiding force behind the building of a Super Bowl champion organization" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 5/29).
A DEVOTED MAN: In Tampa, John Romano in a front-page piece notes Glazer bought the team after former Owner HUGH CULVERHOUSE died in '94, but his role as "savior was quickly in doubt as Mr. Glazer seemed to suggest the team could be moved to Orlando if a new stadium was not built." His "hardball tactics, which served him well in his business ventures, went a long way toward getting Raymond James Stadium built and solidifying the team's finances for years to come." His "run of success with the Bucs declined dramatically with the firing of Gruden" after the '08 season. The turn in fortunes "could even be traced back a few years earlier" when the family purchased ManU. Glazer "rarely appeared in public and granted interviews even less frequently." Associates said that he was "devoted to his wife, LINDA, and six children and did not often venture far from his Palm Beach home." After two strokes in '06, Glazer "became even more reclusive." Still, even as he "withdrew from the public eye, Mr. Glazer's influence in Tampa Bay has grown beyond the football field." The Glazer Family Foundation "has given millions to charities, including the children's museum in Tampa that bears the family's name" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 5/29). ESPN's Herm Edwards said, "First thing you understood about this man was he was about family. He was about his children. He was about trying to create an atmosphere in Tampa where it was going to be a winning organization” (“NFL Live,” ESPN, 5/28).
MALCOLM'S MARK: ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas wrote Glazer "might have been the best thing to ever happen to Tampa Bay sports." Glazer "was not beloved by the fan base" in Tampa," but he was still "a good owner." He "didn't know football, but he knew business -- and that's evident in his body of work since buying the Bucs" in '95 (ESPN.com, 5/28). In Orlando, David Whitley writes under the header, "Bucs Owner Malcolm Glazer Delivered Far More Than First Expected." Owners "have one main obligation to the paying customer -- produce a winner." For all his "image problems, Glazer delivered what mattered" when the team won Super Bowl XXXVII in '03 (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 5/29). YAHOO SPORTS' Eric Adelson wrote the Buccaneers under Glazer "went from laggards to leaders, both on the field and off." Glazer "turned a pro football wasteland into a community of champions" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 5/28). NFL Network’s Michael Silver said, “He changed the culture of a downtrodden organization. The biggest thing he did to do that was very progressive. At a time when the league was in a really bad spot with minority hiring, he went out and put Tony Dungy in charge of his organization. The results are still paying off” (“NFL Total Access,” NFL Network, 5/28). The TAMPA BAY TIMES' Romano writes under the header, "Glazer Was Best Thing To Happen To Sports In Tampa Bay." It was under Glazer's stewardship that the Buccaneers "rose in both prominence and value." When he bought the team in '95, he "turned this joke of a franchise into one of the most valuable commodities in sports." Along the way, he "helped prop up Tampa Bay's withering reputation as a sports market" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 5/29). In Florida, Alan Dell writes it "would be hard to argue that the reign" of Glazer "was a failure." However, how much his career "can be called a success is open to interpretation." Tampa "played host to two Super Bowls during his time, and he turned the franchise into a winner following nearly two decades of losing" (BRADENTON HERALD, 5/29).
THE LOCAL TAKE: In Florida, Rick Brown writes Glazer "was more than just an owner." He "was a businessman and a visionary." Glazer "was a devout family man" who "left an indelible mark on this community that won't be forgotten." With the Glazer Family Foundation, the family "has made an impact on thousands of people throughout the Tampa Bay community" (Lakeland LEDGER, 5/29). In Palm Beach, Shannon Donnelly writes, "Notoriously private, Glazer and his family were generous but low-key philanthropists, giving especially to causes relating to children or vision" (PALM BEACH DAILY NEWS, 5/29). In DC, Matt Schudel noted before "becoming a sports owner, Glazer built a fortune in real estate and other businesses." He was CEO of First Allied Corp., a holding company that "controls companies involved in everything from mobile-home parks to restaurants, food service equipment, television stations, real estate, shopping centers and petroleum" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 5/28).
MUTED REAX IN MANCHESTER: In London, Oliver Kay writes the reaction in Manchester to Glazer's death "was more muted" than it was in the U.S. ManU "initially issued a brief statement, saying that 'the thoughts of everyone at United are with the family tonight', before producing a slightly longer statement on their official website." The "low-key public response appeared to reflect the unease felt by many of their supporters towards an unpopular regime." The club has won five EPL titles and one Champions League since being bought by the Glazer family in '05, but the regime was "widely accused of exploiting United through a leveraged buyout." Glazer "had no real involvement after the initial takeover" and did not sit on the board; 90% of the club is owned jointly by his five sons -- co-Chairs AVI and Joel, and board members KEVIN, Bryan and Ed -- and his daughter, DARCIE. The club has effectively "been overseen by the Glazer family from Florida" while ManU Exec Vice Chair ED WOODWARD, who "was involved in the initial takeover as a financier for J. P. Morgan, runs the day-to-day operations in Manchester" after last year's departure of CEO DAVID GILL (LONDON TIMES, 5/29). In Manchester, Simon Bajkowski writes ManU remains as "one of the biggest brands in the world," but these "successes are unlikely to be how Malcolm Glazer's legacy is remembered" in light of the leveraged buyout (MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS, 5/29). In N.Y., Richard Goldstein notes Glazer "customarily shunned interviews, and he remained largely silent when he obtained" ManU (N.Y. TIMES, 5/29). In Manchester, James Robson notes Glazer "never once set foot inside Old Trafford following the completion of his protracted and controversial takeover." Perhaps the "most remarkable aspect of Glazer’s rule was the manner in which he carried on regardless of the antipathy towards him." He "was seemingly unmoved by the wealth of feeling against him" (MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS, 5/29).
