pbmax
11-19-2009, 09:53 PM
Bob Harlan was on the radio today as he is being inducted into the Wisconsin Sports Hall of Fame. He was asked why Ron Wolf retired.
He related the story that in the summer of 2000, Wolf had come to his office to say that he was thinking of retiring and that he wanted to forewarn Harlan. Wolf said something like he had hit the wall. Harlan thought it might have been age, pressure, health, family, Holmgren leaving, new coach, Rhodes, etc. But Wolf had not made up his mind and he wanted to tell no one and come back to it later that year. Harlan agreed and said he didn't even tell his wife about the conversation. As the season wears on, Harlan hears nothing about it and seeing how he spends as much time with Wolf as he did in previous years, and that Wolf is keeping his same routine, he starts to believe the retirement thought has passed.
Two days (or weeks) after the season Harlan sees Wolf at his door and from the look on his face, he knows what he is going to hear. Wolf tells him he is retiring, that he is no longer having any fun putting together a team in this day and age. Pressed, as this seems like an unusual answer from a man that had just built a team into a perennial playoff contender, Wolf gives his reason.
He does not enjoy the constraints of salary cap football. He tells Harlan that in the old days, when he needed a tackle, he made a bunch of phone calls and got himself a tackle. He could no longer do this without checking with someone first, usually the capologist. And the other team's capologist. And it was getting worse, not better. He doesn't enjoy this restraint and wants out. Harlan says he does not believe Wolf ever really wanted back in except if someone was offering huge money to consult or ownership. Neither developed long term and Harlan believes Wolf really enjoys retirement. Wolf told him on more than one occasion that he is glad he is not going through this grind anymore.
A couple of thoughts. It takes a wise man to know when to leave. Wolf apparently knew himself well. It took a bit of luck for the timing to work out like it did; that cap football got far more complicated as Wolf reached retirement age.
Second, Wolf benefited tremendously from other team's salary cap struggles in his early Packer years. He picked up several useful vets when they were cut for cap purposes in the Spring and after June 1. His retirement may mark the date when teams had finally wised up and had stopped making foolish mistakes.
But in a way, the Salary Cap era that eventually cost the team Wolf, probably made the Packers success possible. The sneaky fact that the Packers were a mid-level revenue team (or were close to being one even if everyone only thought 'smallest market'), the new CBA, the salary cap and FA, Wolf, Holmgren, and White were a perfect storm of opportunity arriving at the same door at the same time. I give Wolf individual credit for Favre, as his scouting revealed that talent to him.
Third and last. His 2000 draft would have been a great time to get out. That he stayed for the disaster of the 2001 draft might be an indication that his heart was not in it.
He related the story that in the summer of 2000, Wolf had come to his office to say that he was thinking of retiring and that he wanted to forewarn Harlan. Wolf said something like he had hit the wall. Harlan thought it might have been age, pressure, health, family, Holmgren leaving, new coach, Rhodes, etc. But Wolf had not made up his mind and he wanted to tell no one and come back to it later that year. Harlan agreed and said he didn't even tell his wife about the conversation. As the season wears on, Harlan hears nothing about it and seeing how he spends as much time with Wolf as he did in previous years, and that Wolf is keeping his same routine, he starts to believe the retirement thought has passed.
Two days (or weeks) after the season Harlan sees Wolf at his door and from the look on his face, he knows what he is going to hear. Wolf tells him he is retiring, that he is no longer having any fun putting together a team in this day and age. Pressed, as this seems like an unusual answer from a man that had just built a team into a perennial playoff contender, Wolf gives his reason.
He does not enjoy the constraints of salary cap football. He tells Harlan that in the old days, when he needed a tackle, he made a bunch of phone calls and got himself a tackle. He could no longer do this without checking with someone first, usually the capologist. And the other team's capologist. And it was getting worse, not better. He doesn't enjoy this restraint and wants out. Harlan says he does not believe Wolf ever really wanted back in except if someone was offering huge money to consult or ownership. Neither developed long term and Harlan believes Wolf really enjoys retirement. Wolf told him on more than one occasion that he is glad he is not going through this grind anymore.
A couple of thoughts. It takes a wise man to know when to leave. Wolf apparently knew himself well. It took a bit of luck for the timing to work out like it did; that cap football got far more complicated as Wolf reached retirement age.
Second, Wolf benefited tremendously from other team's salary cap struggles in his early Packer years. He picked up several useful vets when they were cut for cap purposes in the Spring and after June 1. His retirement may mark the date when teams had finally wised up and had stopped making foolish mistakes.
But in a way, the Salary Cap era that eventually cost the team Wolf, probably made the Packers success possible. The sneaky fact that the Packers were a mid-level revenue team (or were close to being one even if everyone only thought 'smallest market'), the new CBA, the salary cap and FA, Wolf, Holmgren, and White were a perfect storm of opportunity arriving at the same door at the same time. I give Wolf individual credit for Favre, as his scouting revealed that talent to him.
Third and last. His 2000 draft would have been a great time to get out. That he stayed for the disaster of the 2001 draft might be an indication that his heart was not in it.