Kevin Harlan

The rest is history.

They've had 20-plus years of success.

And that's really what it takes.

You need to give your general manager total football authority.

But finding that guy and trusting in what he's going to do becomes step one.

And then step two, everything falls into place.

Right?

Boy, getting that right, the general manager and the coach.

You know, when my dad was up in Green Bay and was looking around, he went around the league and he talked to Ernie Acorsi.

And he talked to George Young with the Giants.

He talked to guys he respected.

And he only had about four or five people that he really quizzed.

But he went to the power brokers in the league.

and asked, you know, in their mind, who were the right general manager types?

Because when you get the general manager, you give him the keys, and you say, here it is, you've got total authority, and go out and get the head coach that you want, and we will ask no questions.

You've got carte blanche.

So getting the general manager right is step one.

And then you get the coach, and in the case up in Green Bay,

They got Ron Wolfe, and then they got Mike Holmgren because Wolfe had total authority.

When Ron Wolfe wanted to trade for Brett Favre, he went to that executive committee and was met with a lot of, uh-uh, no way.