Steve Young: Equity Value More Important to Yorks Than Winning Games

The 49ers are 1-12 and Steve Young is not happy about it

During a Wednesday radio interview with KNBR 680, the Hall of Fame quarterback discussed the state of the organization.

"You don't have to win to make money," Young started. "That’s (the York’s) A game. Their equity value in the team is their A game. It’s what drives them. It’s what drives most of the owners. It’s what matters. It’s what they think about. It’s what they talk about. And the B game, is whether we win some games. It doesn't mean that you don’t want to, or you don’t really want to, or it’s not really important. It’s just not the A game.

"And so when it’s not the A game, that’s the biggest issue with the NFL, is that success doesn’t track to success on the field. So that you’re not held accountable.

“So no matter what we (the 49ers) decide to do here, and my opinion is when you’re 1-12 or 1-13 of if we end up 1-15, to me by definition, everything in the parking lot. Everybody, every living thing out to the parking lot. And nobody gets back in unless you can prove you’re part of the solution. I mean everybody. That’s a tough thing to do because you might have to start over in all kinds of ways.

“But when you're looking like you’re gonna start a revolving door of coaches and general managers and everything else, and the owners can’t by definition feel that rigor -- they don’t feel that, even the people who love the team we're like, ‘This is everything, we’ve gotta, you know...' and the people who are actually calling the shots, it’s not their A game.

"And so it’s like you kind of have to wait 'till they decide how they want to play it. And the calculus is, should we start over? Should we wipe the place out? Should we leave Trent (Baalke) and then maybe do a coach? But that doesn’t look right because we can't have a coaching carousel, so let's let Chip (Kelly) come. Who’s going to be with Chip?

"Because it’s all this calculus that has to go on. And it really, as an ex-player who’s been around a long time, it’s frustrating to watch because it’s never true merit, true everyone in the parking lot and you literally are barred unless you can prove your value that makes this thing move forward.”

In September, Forbes valued the 49ers at an estimated $3 billion -- the fourth highest valuation in the NFL.

In 2010, the franchise was worth an estimated $925 million -- 22nd in the league.

When it comes to the on-field product, does Young see a lot of talent on the roster?

"No, especially leadership talent," Young answered. "You have to have guys -- talent is one thing but leadership is another thing. You gotta have the -- I don't know how many times we've talked about it -- the core group of guys, and they don't have (it). It becomes a revolving door, and very talented guys come through the revolving door ... so until the right combination gets into the locker room and the chemistry gets going ... you need an incentive to go play great football, and if you don't have it, then you don't have the talent.

"So anybody who says well it's coaching ... no ... it's a chemistry and a combination of things that you gotta get the right people in the right places to create that. And if it doesn't get created, by definition you don't have the talent ... leadership is built by the personalities you put in the locker room."
 

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