Houston Texans Owner Bob McNair DEAD @ 81

Credited with bringing the NFL back to Houston

He was one of the most powerful owners in the NFL.  In recent times McNair had been battling different cancers in recent years.

In 1999 McNair paid $700 million for the expansion franchise that would replace the Oilers.  They had moved to Tennessee in 1997 and eventually became the Titans. 

He sold his energy company, Cogen in 1999 for $1.5 billion and had enough money to start an NFL franchise from scratch — an undertaking that included a new stadium, new logo and all new players. His investment grew to an estimated $2.8 billion --a July 2018 analysis by Forbes magazine. The team's first season was 2002 and made the playoffs for the first time in 2011.

He wasn't without some controversy.  He contributed to a campaign to block a local ordinance designed to broaden anti-discrimination coverage to, among others, gay and transgender residents. The dust up became public and he withdrew the donation and backtracked.

During the 2017 Fall NFL League Meeting, he reportedly said as the owners discussed the kneeling for the national anthem, “We can’t have the inmates running the prison.” The quote went viral and the Texans players, among others, were angry.  He later said he regretted the comment.

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