they're crazy to let him go, but was their #1 goal to win games? Or to get the new stadium then save $?
Deadspin laid out a very good case for it... looks like the 49ers are happy to sign a weak coach and be a weak coach for a decade, they're laughing all the way to the bank.
Sports is a very weird thing, unlike most other businesses... it has two goals which are very different at times. "To win" and "to make money", and often, they're not the same thing. Sometimes the goal of an owner is to have a highly profitable team, even if they're average at times. Paying a coach $10 mil a year is nice, and it might mean you get more wins or a ring... but paying a weak coach $2 mil a year.... that's $8 million you're not spending each year.
In ten years, you're a team that still sells tickets, still enjoys the NFL profit sharing, still has the TV and city stadium deals... and you have $80 mil more in the bank. Cut costs all over the place, and profits are way higher. If you're an old man with many generations after you to provide for, you don't give a shit if the team has 10 wins or 7 wins in 2006.... You do care that you made $5 or $10 mil extra that year.
