John Jones , is taking a leave.

[pbmax]

Re: Jones

If true about Moss, then he deserved this fate

I have considered asking MTP to demote Bretsky for this, from Grail Rat to Beer Cozy Rat, but as I have no authority over him, its been easy to live with inaction.

I wish I had a Packer organizational chart to help pinpoint where the friction could have been. I doubt it was the two he recently promoted. I also doubt they get the call.

But I wonder was it business side related or football side related?

And while Wolf was a PR genius compared to T2 and McCarthy, he doesn't have the business background that the last three choices have had.

My guess at this early stage is Brandt.

Did anyone else high up in the Packers org leave with Holmgren for Seattle? Thompson, Reinfeldt, Dorsey, coaches, anybody else?

The timing of this tells us Jones voiced his unhappiness about something to Harlan and it just happened. Nothing else explains the timing issue. Anything else such would have been discovered before this recent event.

You don't suppose Jones wanted Moss and voiced his disappointment in not getting him??? lol :P

[Joemailman]

Interesting article in which Harlan acknowledges that health was not an issue. He holds out the possibility that Jones could return in some capacity, although I find that hard to believe.


Harlan's change of heart leaves unanswered questions
By DON WALKER
dwalker@journalsentinel.com
Posted: May 27, 2007

Seven years ago, Bob Harlan was the face of the Green Bay Packers as he lobbied and argued passionately that Lambeau Field, the home of the organization he had devoted much of his life to, needed a major makeover.

At Harlan's side much of that time was John Jones, whom Harlan had brought to Green Bay in February 1999 as his successor.

As the two lobbied state legislators and local politicians, the two often worked out an effective good cop-bad cop routine. Harlan, always the public relations professional, tried to stay above the politics and the back-biting over the thorny issue of public financing of sports stadiums.

Jones, on the other hand, was the guy who made his points to the movers and shakers behind closed doors, often in a very up-front way.

The two different styles worked. The Legislature approved a bill giving Brown County voters an opportunity to vote on a sales tax that was a key part of the financing package. And Brown County voters ultimately approved the measure.

The renovation of Lambeau Field was the crowning moment of Harlan's career and helped ensure financial success for the Packers. At the same time, Harlan often credited Jones for his work and street smarts in getting the Packers to their goal.

But as Harlan was getting ready to retire this month and turn the Packers over to Jones after years of grooming him for the top job, something went awry. At a hastily called news conference Saturday, both Harlan and Peter Platten, secretary of the team's Executive Committee, used the cryptic phrases "management issues" or "management concerns" to describe what caused the Executive Committee to put the brakes on Jones' ascension to the top job.

The two provided few details but the result is that Jones, the team's president, won't be taking over as the team's chairman and chief executive officer, as he was scheduled to do on Wednesday. He is now on a mutually agreed upon leave of absence, a year after he became team president.

In his place stands Harlan, who has agreed at the age of 70 to remain in charge until the Executive Committee decides what to do next.

The stunning turn of events leaves the Packers looking like a franchise in disarray. At a time when fans have openly questioned the work general manager Ted Thompson has done to rebuild the football team, and the furor over quarterback Brett Favre's desire for the Packers to sign wide receiver Randy Moss put the team on the defensive, there are plenty of questions about the direction of the front office.

When will it be resolved? It could be a year, team officials said.

In a telephone interview Sunday afternoon, a glum-sounding Harlan chose his words carefully as he tried to explain why the shakeup had to happen.

He also dismissed any notion that Jones, 55, who had open-heart surgery in June 2006, had to step aside for health reasons. The franchise's refusal to discuss in any detail the circumstances surrounding Jones' illness had raised speculation about Jones' ability to handle the pressures of running a storied franchise.

"Health was not an issue," Harlan said.

According to Platten, the management issues came to light several months ago. Harlan said he was informed by staff at the Packers - he said it was more than one person - who raised "management issues' involving Jones.

"We started hearing about management issues," Harlan said. "In the last three weeks it became very prominent. More than one person brought this to my attention."

Harlan said the problems did not revolve around personal conduct or ethical issues, but declined to provide further detail.

However, an NFL source familiar with the situation said Harlan kept hearing concerns from employees who questioned Jones' ability to manage.

Harlan then went to members of the team's Executive Committee, to which he reports, and reported what people were saying, the NFL source said.

The committee, a powerful and influential body of CEOs and other professionals, met with Jones last week and discussed the problems. The committee then made the decision to put Jones on an indefinite leave of absence and study the matter further.

Jones agreed to the leave, team officials said.

"It's been very difficult," Harlan admitted Sunday. "Out of respect for John and his family, I don't want to say much more."

Asked about his own relationship with Jones, Harlan said he and Jones "worked well together.

"We agreed on most everything," Harlan added. "I felt comfortable with him."

In his new book, "Green and Golden Moments," written with former Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist Dale Hofmann, Harlan says very little about the man he groomed to take over the franchise.

"John is very capable, and I know he'll do a good job for us," Harlan writes. "He's surrounded by an excellent administrative staff and good football people. He just has to move forward and protect a very sacred franchise. And he'll do it."

Harlan, notes, however, that Jones "understands that the most important thing we do is on Sunday afternoons."

Meanwhile, the status of Jones' future with the franchise and in what capacity is not known. Platten made reference to the fact that Jones was on a leave of absence, and was not dismissed, which could be interpreted that he might return someday. Harlan said Sunday that it was possible Jones could return to the franchise and assume control.

"Yes, we could bring 'JJ' back at some point," Harlan said.

But until the matter is fully resolved, Jones will be on leave, and will have no decision-making responsibility with the club, Harlan said.

Jones did not return a phone call for comment.

Should Jones not return in the same capacity, other possibilities include Mike Reinfeldt, a former Packers employee and now general manager of the Tennessee Titans, and Andrew Brandt, the Packers' vice president of finance.

Paul Jadin, who was mayor of Green Bay during the debate over the stadium sales tax, said Sunday that Jones was as responsible for the success of the new Lambeau Field as Harlan was. But he said that, while he was shocked that the news that Jones was out came so fast, he was not shocked that it was going to happen.

"My perception is that there was a culture shock there," said Jadin, who is CEO of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. "The change from Bob to John was stark. I just don't think that anyone there was prepared to go from Bob to John in terms of personality. That was apparent to me."

Asked how the two differed in style and personality, Jadin said he would only speak about Harlan.

"Bob was nurturing," Jadin said. "He saw the Packers as an extension of his family. John, a little less so."

Jadin also gave credit to Harlan for acting over the weekend.

"I do believe that Bob saw that this was not heading in the direction he hoped," Jadin said. "He did what he felt was right."

Pat Richter, the former University of Wisconsin athletic director who sits on the Packers' board of directors, said the news events of the weekend came out of the blue for him. But Richter said that, whatever the reason for Jones stepping back, Harlan would right the Packers' ship.

"Bob has the capacity to stay on longer," Richter said. "I'm sure he was hoping to take a rest."

Harlan won't get one now. For years, Harlan has said he always tried to have a succession plan in place should the unforeseen happen. Harlan, in fact, had told Jones in the past year that Jones should start thinking about his successor.

Now that the unforeseen has happened, Harlan and the Executive Committee will have to go back to the drawing board.

Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.[/b]

[Scott Campbell]

Meanwhile, the status of Jones' future with the franchise and in what capacity is not known. Platten made reference to the fact that Jones was on a leave of absence, and was not dismissed, which could be interpreted that he might return someday. Harlan said Sunday that it was possible Jones could return to the franchise and assume control.

"Yes, we could bring 'JJ' back at some point," Harlan said.

Who is Bob trying to kid here?

[Tarlam!]

What the heck is this all about?

Is someone suggesting that within 8 years, no one recognized the issues with JJ going foward? It came down to the final 1/2 week?

There is a "something's rotten in Denmark" feeling about this.

[Patler]

The somewhat amazing thing to me is that several reporters have written articles from the perspective of "this doesn't surprise me." Even the former Mayor of Green Bay found it not surprising. Whatever surfaced was apparently significant.

I've seen it in the business world, just as someone else described it. Sometimes people ascend beyond their capabilities. Perhaps I shouldn't say capabilities, maybe the better word is "suitabilities". Not every great "right-hand man" is a capable leader himself. Until recently, Jones was simply Harlan's right-hand man, and apparently quite good at it. Since about a year ago, some duties and responsibilities were transferred to Jones. Perhaps his unsuitableness surfaced since then. They would naturally want to give him time to settle in, and for others to get accustomed to a new style. As the day of reckoning approached, it may have become clear that it would not work.

I give the Packers credit. I've seen businesses stick with a poor decision much too long. The Packers seemed to have dealt with a problem before it affected the health of their business.

[Patler]

What the heck is this all about?

Is someone suggesting that within 8 years, no one recognized the issues with JJ going foward? It came down to the final 1/2 week?

There is a "something's rotten in Denmark" feeling about this.

I could see it not really surfacing until recently, given some of the facts in this situation.

Many, many great assistant coaches, offensive and defensive coordinators and highly successful college head coaches have failed miserably as NFL head coaches. Jones could have been a great assistant, but perhaps not cut out for the Presidency.

Why would they have waited so long? They really didn't. Until about a year ago (really, a few months less, I think) nothing had changed, even though Jones was the successor in waiting, so to speak. Last summer/fall a partial transition was to occur, which ended up being delayed several months because of Jones' heart attack. For a while he was on a limited work schedule. When he finally did start exercising his new authority, initial problems would be attributed to him learning the new job, others getting accustomed to a new person in charge, etc. They would have to give everyone time to adjust.

As the final day approached, (and apparently Harlan brought it up several weeks ago already) they asked themselves, "Should we really go ahead with this?"

It's a bit unusually, I agree. But as someone has already noted, it isn't too far removed from Wolf's handling of the Ray Rhodes situation. Recognize a mistake and deal with it before it ruins you.