When NFL owners are reeling from a long stretch of substandard performance, one of the tried and true moves from an optical standpoint is the offseason visit to championship franchises in other sports. It is, essentially, a crash course in how to not be Dan Snyder, or Dan Snyder Lite. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t.
But for owners of miserable NFL franchises at the moment, we have a recommendation that will save them the plane fare and the public embarrassment of having to attend competency school: Watch the Miami Heat.
The Heat, which continue a quest to become the first No. 8 seed in NBA history to win a championship with Game 1 of the Finals on Thursday night, have been, perpetually, one of the best franchises in the league, missing the playoffs just six times since 2000. But it has been their reinvention since the teardown of the LeBron James–Dwyane Wade–Chris Bosh superteam that is especially relevant for poorly performing NFL franchises at a time when true superstar talent is harder to come by (more on that in a second). This finals run in particular, as surprising as it’s been, has highlighted the true foundations of their organization.
