Manatt’s Sports Practice Chair Interviews Joe Montana
Manatt’s Sports Practice Chair, Ron Katz, conducted a so-called “fireside chat” with NFL Hall of Famer Joe Montana on March 20 at the West Coast M&A Conference of the Association for Corporate Growth, where Montana was the keynote speaker. Katz introduced him, conducted the fireside chat for 20 minutes and then opened the floor up for questions to the 500 attendees.
“I have always been a 49ers fan,” said Katz, “so obviously it was a great thrill to get to interview the player whom I consider to be the greatest 49er of all time. Plus, Joe is a genuinely nice person, who gives thoughtful, candid answers.”
The interview covered a number of subjects. Montana began by discussing the new 49ers stadium, which is scheduled to open this year. He was very enthusiastic about that, in part because he felt Candlestick Park had numerous problems, such as a field that was below sea level. He noted that the transition from San Francisco to Santa Clara would present some problems, but they would be overcome by the state-of-the-art facility.
On the subject of the potential $765 million settlement between the NFL and approximately 4,000 players regarding concussions, Montana expressed some doubt that the amount, though undeniably large, would be enough to cover a problem of this magnitude. He described some of the concussions and surgeries that he has gone through as a result of playing in the NFL.
Montana then discussed the salaries of Roger Goodell ($44 million) and Peyton Manning ($20 million), affirming that he did not make that amount of money in his entire career. He believes that the salaries of football players should be more on a par with the higher salaries paid to Major League Baseball players. He noted that, although baseball players play more games, the NFL is more profitable, and that it would be impossible for a football player to play 162 games.
When asked to compare his coach, Hall of Famer Bill Walsh, with the 49ers’ current coach, Jim Harbaugh, Montana said he thought Walsh was “more subtle.” He also compared Walsh to Seattle Seahawks coach, Pete Carroll, mentioning that Walsh exhibited far less emotion on the field than Carroll.
Finally, Montana addressed the issue of whether college athletes should be paid. He recalled the 60- to 70-hour workweeks he endured while he was a player at Notre Dame, and stated that change, in the form of compensation, was likely to come for players in the so-called “power conferences.”
To read a news report of the interview, click here.
