In their respective sports they stand alone. Three professional franchises have ushered in a new era marked by efficiency and innovation that have personnel departments across the country scrambling to keep up. Success has eluded them in the past, but the wins and titles keep coming in … and they show no signs of slowing.
The New England Patriots have led the charge, becoming the NFL’s poster child for successful operations. In case you haven’t heard (and, if you haven’t, ESPN would like to know how they missed you), the Patriots haven’t done much … just winning every game they’ve played in the past year except one (the AFC Championship Game against the Super Bowl XLI champion Colts). They’ve joined the 1972 Miami Dolphins as the only teams with a perfect regular season record, and they’re a mere two wins away from their fourth Super Bowl championship.
On and off the field, the Patriots are the proverbial well-oiled machine. Team owner Robert Kraft and Vice President of Player Personnel Scott Pioli have had exemplary success in the NFL draft and the free agency market. Over the last five NFL drafts, 22 of the Patriots’ 44 picks remain on the roster, including nine starters – an impressive number for an NFL team. Star quarterback Tom Brady was drafted not first, not second, but 199th overall in the 2000 draft. A fourth-round pick this past April, used on Cincinnati cornerback John Bowie, was traded to Oakland for some wide receiver from Marshall University. (His name escapes me.)
The Patriots’ draft days usually garner most of the off-the-field attention, as Pioli and coach Bill Belichick notoriously defy conventional (read: armchair) wisdom when making draft selections. Still, they achieve balance with savvy free agent hires: Adalius Thomas, Mike Vrabel, and Rodney Harrison now anchor one of the NFL’s toughest defenses. Role players such as Kyle Brady, Sammy Morris and Donte’ Stallworth have stepped up when needed on offense. Belichick and Co. have been single-minded, driven, and, yes, disciplined, leaving the other 31 teams in the dust as the Patriots seek their fourth Super Bowl victory in seven years.
The San Antonio Spurs, meanwhile, look to exert dominance in the form of four NBA championships in eight years. While the Phoenix Suns dazzle NBA fans with their breakneck-paced play and the Boston Celtics’ collection of stars dominates the East, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili have the Spurs sitting pretty at 25-11, good for third in the Western Conference and first in the Southwest Division. They’re on pace to make the playoffs for the 28th time in their 32 years in the NBA, with a 19-3 home record and a 6-3 divisional record.
The Spurs are perhaps most notorious (outside of last year’s Western Conference finals) for setting the bar high in the NBA draft. In 1999, San Antonio had the 57th overall pick, unlikely to acquire anyone or anything of value. They settled for some Argentinian kid named Ginobili – arguably one of the best draft picks in NBA history.
A scouting department headed by general manager R.C. Buford (with Portland general manager Kevin Pritchard and Seattle general manager Sam Presti as former members) that’s considered the class of the NBA has found players like Parker, Leandro Barbosa and Luis Scola. You may not recognize their names (Ian Mahinmi? Tiago Splitter?), but the Spurs complement their star players with enough talent through drafts and free agent signings (Francisco Elson, Michael Finley, Argentina’s Fabricio Oberto) to remain on top in a tough conference and league.
Last, but not least, I present to you the Boston Red Sox. Eighty-six years of curses were lifted in one dynamic playoff performance in 2004, and the Sox have never looked back. Wunderkind general manager Theo Epstein, who has fought valiantly in spending wars with the New York Yankees, has added a new wrinkle to the Red Sox organization – prospect development. Developing a farm system is obviously not a new concept, but Epstein has used Red Sox owner John Henry’s deep pockets to build a system that creates more than trade fodder for superstars. Former Oregon State Beaver Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Buchholz, and Jonathan Papelbon are three early success stories of Boston’s farm system, which has given them a leg up on the Yankees – and a talent pool envied by baseball executives across the country.
When it comes down to it, the most efficient organizations have built themselves up with the tools most readily available. Scouting departments and general managers everywhere are feeling the strain as these teams set themselves apart. Unless drastic events occur, expect the Patriots, Spurs, and Red Sox to be named the preeminent organizations in their leagues for a few years to come.
[email protected]