Stepping out of the shadow

Sporting News, The, March 16, 1998 by Paul Attner

The father was flamboyant and loud, a lover of things opulent and beautiful, a bully with the charm of an encyclopedia salesman, which is what he was long before he owned an NFL team.

The son is pleasant and quiet, a lover of things private and serene, a product of wealth and position, which is what he was long before he became the would-be owner-of his father's team.

You did not often have conversations with the, father. Rather, you had tests, in which every word, every punctuation mark was debated. You can talk to the son. He doesn't employ his voice as a sledgehammer, as his father frequently could; instead, the son can be funny and candid in a way that escaped his father. He can even joke about how, when he goes to restaurants now and he knows people are watching him as they once watched his father, he worries about his table manners "because they are liable to say to their wives, `See how that slob eats his soup?'"

The father was a known commodity, a man of extravagant tastes and brilliance who thirsted to be the best in whatever he did, whether it was to accumulate wealth, real estate or Super Bowl titles. In a city full of celebrities, you still knew everything about him because his ego demanded the attention.

The son is an unknown commodity, really, a mellow figure who would rather be sailing than serving as host in the owner's box. He labored long in the shadow of his illustrious father, working as the team's chief administrator since 1981 yet never getting or wanting an opportunity to forge his own identity.

But there always was that question surrounding the Redskins: When Jack Kent Cooke died, could the son, John, whom Jack called "Johnny Cakes," who seemed so subservient to his father's wishes, be good enough and smart enough to keep this proud franchise from falling apart?

Now, a $25 million investment by the son, spent over only a few short days, has brought shape and sharpness to his image and has blurred just slightly the lingering outline of his father. The Redskins have not quite yet made the transition from being Jack Kent Cooke's team to his son's, but there now are 25 million reasons to think the day of that transfer could be much, much closer.

Yet in one of life's expensive ironies, John Kent Cooke's decision to spend $25 million in bonuses to re-sign four veterans (linebacker Ken Harvey, offensive linemen Tre' Johnson and Joe Patton and kick returner Brian Mitchell) and acquire defensive tackles Dana Stubblefield and Dan Wilkinson might ultimately make it more difficult for him to become the permanent owner of the club.

Instead of passing on the team to his son, his father left the club to a foundation, which by law eventually will be required to sell the team, just as the father's two other prized trophies, the Los Angeles Daily News and the Chrysler Building, already have been unloaded.

The son wants to buy the franchise. However, although he is very wealthy, he might not be rich enough to work the deal, especially if he loses a court battle over the will with his father's fourth wife. Even if he prevails in that matter, the more successful the Redskins are on the field, the higher their price tag grows. And the bleaker the chances become of his realizing a dream: eventually giving the team to his two sons.

The son has every reason to hold back until the legal issues are resolved and the franchise's value is established. He could be like so many other owners who don't fervently attempt to fix what ails their team. But all those years of watching his father's obsession with winning made an impression. The son may be so different from his father, but they are linked inexorably by a desire to win. "It is something I inherited," the son says. "The Cookes hate to lose."

To the Cookes, not making the playoffs is losing, so their team hasn't been winners the last five years, including '97, the first under the son's direction. The big weakness has been run defense, ranking last in the category in '96 and, without holdout Sean Gilbert, 28th in '97. But Wilkinson and Stubblefield are good enough to make the defense one of the best. And to pull the club into the playoffs.

To the son, the decision to spend $25 million became a matter of priorities. The team can't win without improved run defense. He considers these bonuses an investment, not an expense, "because to succeed, you have to do what it takes, but with reason and careful thought."

In the process, he demonstrated decisiveness his father didn't always exhibit when dealing with the, complexities of free agency. He has sent a heads-up to the NFL, too. The son intends to be as aggressive as his father. He intends to do what he feels is necessary to get to the Super Bowl, which he realizes will be the true test of his stewardship of the franchise. The son knows all about the pressure that will result from spending $25 million. If the investment turns out to be a mistake, the Redskin legacy the Cookes, so want to protect and extend will take another huge hit, as will his administration of the team.