Former Vikings owner Red McCombs dies at 95

[BleedGopher]

per NBC Sports:

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.

Former Vikings owner Red McCombs dies at 95 - ProFootballTalk

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...

profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

Skol Vikes!!

 

[short ornery norwegian]

whenever I think of Red, the first thing that comes to mind is a promotional spot he made for the Vikings where he talked about "the Noisiest Stadium in the N-F-L. The Vikings' players respond to the noise!"

that and yelling "Purple Pride, Purple Pride!"

dude was a character - and a real tightwad. compared to him the Pohlads were spendthrifts.

 

[Iceland12]

per NBC Sports:

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.

Former Vikings owner Red McCombs dies at 95 - ProFootballTalk

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...

profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

Skol Vikes!!

By most accounts McCombs bought the Vikings in the hopes of moving them down to San Antonio. When he found out the NFL wouldn't allow it, he lost a lot of interest in the team. His attempt to get a new stadium in cooperation with the Gophers stopped pretty early when he found out the particulars.

 

[GophersInIowa]

Two NFC championship games is pretty good under a guy that only cared about making money.

 

[howeda7]

I always thought Tice did a pretty good job considering he lost coordinators simply because Red wouldn't pay them. And the practice facility was a dump making getting FA's a challenge.

 

[howeda7]

In a 2015 interview, McCombs said, "If [then-Gov. Tim] Pawlenty would have helped me get a stadium, I never would have sold. But he just told me straight out, 'I didn't intend to mislead you, but you're doing very well [financially] and we have a lot of problems in Minnesota. I'm not going to participate in that stadium.'

"Of course, I lost four years with [former Gov.] Jesse [Ventura]. Jesse was a unique and different kind of guy, but he was straight up with me. He told me right straight, 'I know you need a new stadium. I got a short term. I was lucky to get elected this time. I probably won't get elected again. I got three or four things on my agenda and I'm not going to get involved with this fight for a stadium, even though eventually you'll win the fight.' He said, 'Don't even ask me, Red.' Straight up."

Former Vikings owner Red McCombs dies at age 95

McCombs made millions as owner and founder of McCombs Automotive Group in Texas. He also owned the NBA's San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets for brief periods of time.

www.startribune.com

 

[2nd Degree Gopher]

Guy had a hell of a run. Not a big fan of his ownership philosophy with the Vikings, but the couple of times that I dealt with him personally he was engaging, polite and charismatic. I could see why he was a great salesman.

 

[Spaulding!No!]

PA loved him. PA loved all the different bosses.

 

[#2Gopher]

I always thought Tice did a pretty good job considering he lost coordinators simply because Red wouldn't pay them. And the practice facility was a dump making getting FA's a challenge.

Along with the fact that the administrative offices as I understand it didn't have air conditioning that worked. The Viking ship was in total disrepair as well. They always say first impressions matter. Didn't help to have ship be the Vikings first impression.

 

[Bfan]

I like this story.

McCombs was a well known Dallas Cowboys fans.

When he bought the team. a reporter asked him, "What happens when you play the Cowboys this seasons?" McCombs replied, "We're going to kick their a**."

 

[short ornery norwegian]

hey - call for help.

Was listening to Reusse's podcast. they were talking about Red dying. someone brought up the time some Greek businessman was supposedly talking about trying to buy the Vikings and build his own stadium north of the Twin Cities. no one on the podcast could remember the name of the Greek guy - but Reusse remembered that he was a colorful character.

I couldn't find the guy's name on-line. anyone have any ideas?

 

[Frink]

hey - call for help.

Was listening to Reusse's podcast. they were talking about Red dying. someone brought up the time some Greek businessman was supposedly talking about trying to buy the Vikings and build his own stadium north of the Twin Cities. no one on the podcast could remember the name of the Greek guy - but Reusse remembered that he was a colorful character.

I couldn't find the guy's name on-line. anyone have any ideas?

Oh wow... that is barely ring bells and now I want to know...

 

[jamiche]

Red was trying to move the team from the day he bought the franchise. I had no use for him.

 

[JimmyJamesMD]

Red was trying to move the team from the day he bought the franchise. I had no use for him.

San Antonio Vikings has a great ring to it. What a dipshit for thinking you could move a franchise like the vikings

 

[Ope3]

San Antonio Vikings has a great ring to it. What a dipshit for thinking you could move a franchise like the vikings

How was moving the Vikings not a possibility considering both the Houston Oilers and Cleveland Browns both relocated less than 2 years before McCombs purchased the franchise?