Seattle Seahawks owner Vinod Khosla drew headlines last week after some confusing comments about moving the franchise, and Mike Sando of The Atheltic believes he needs to learn a lesson from head coach Mike Macdonald. The early returns of the Khosla ownership group have largely remained positive. However, the “never say never” conversation about the Seattle Seahawks was Khosla’s first blunder as owner.
We all do not know what will happen with the Seahawks in 500 years. Leaving that speculation open may work for discussion about a financial stock, but fans of their local sports team do not view their loyalty in such terms. Seattle has already been tortured with the departure of the Supersonics in the NBA to Oklahoma City. Khosla seems to have a limited understanding of the feelings of Seattle fans, and he stayed true to his style of communication when clarifying his desire to keep the team in Seattle.
In response, Khosla said, “Feel sad for the reporters looking for views and clicks who distort my answer out of context and sent (sic) an entire city into a spiral for no reason.”
The conversation that was released between Macdonald between Graham Bensinger showcased a rare mistake for the Seahawks head coach. Macdonald revealed that Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton almost accused the Seattle Seahawks of cheating during the 2024 season. The Seahawks found clips of the Broncos training sessions online, which they used to prepare for their matchup. It was a cold war between the two franchises with the Seahawks threatening to sue if Payton went through the accusations. Macdonald apologized for the leaked clip soon after, taking accountability for his error in judgement.
Macdonald said, “I’ve got to be better in that moment for understanding, look, I’m responsible for what I say, really, no matter the circumstance, whether you’re mic’d up, whether you’re not, whether you have some certain type of understanding.”
Seattle Seahawks Owner Vinod Khosla Should Learn From Macdonald’s Humility
When Khosla arrived to Seattle, he introduced himself as a Steelers fan, and he previously owned minority stake in the San Francisco 49ers. Seattle fans understand that this is an investment for the Khosla family, but the lack of true loyalty to the region and franchise has created some skepticism. Comments like “never say never” do not alleviate that tension.
One exec told Sando, “He’s a Steelers fan, and it’s like, hey, have you seen how they have run their franchise over the years? That’s why you are a fan, right? Don’t you feel like that’s a good way of doing it? Then to say the media is twisting your words? No, you said it.”
The Pittsburgh Steelers for years have limited their engagement with the media, leaving the focus of the franchise solely on winning championships. The Seattle Seahawks recently have developed a similar mode. The Allen family rarely interacted with the media. John Schneider and Macdonald do not want to be the center of attention. They are in the business of winning.
Sando wrote, “Khosla could have just as easily said: My bad, Seattle. Words matter. I’ll choose mine more carefully. Looking forward to keeping the Seahawks where they belong and winning more Super Bowls.”
Vinod Khosla Must Develop as an Owner Before Inevitable Team Struggles
While Khosla has been a fantastic business leader, he needs to learn that successful NFL owners are usually out of the spotlight. In the financial world, words carry a lot of power and can create speculation. Comparatively in the NFL, that is true as well, but fans do not like being viewed as investments. They want commitment and consistency. The Seattle Seahawks are already an amazingly well ran franchise, and there is no need to distract from that. They are not a stock that needs advertising or sway, especially after a Super Bowl winning season.
In response to the drama, Khosla said, “I don’t like the pretense of media training. I like to say it like it is. I don’t tolerate media getting away with bad reporting to get clicks. I will never say never on even supporting Trump, however unlikely, and most people know I am not a fan. And I cannot predict 500 years out! I stay true to my style.”
Sometimes it is better to not say anything at all, and even a statement like this can create more confusion. Being successful in the NFL sometimes involves sacrificing your own personal dialogue for the better of the city and the franchise.
The same exec from earlier told Sando, “This is while they’re winning. What’s it going to look like when they start losing? Also, when has drawing attention to yourself ever been a good strategy at the ownership level?”
Seattle Seahawks Owner Vinod Khosla Asked to Learn a Lesson