Carlie Irsay-Gordon -- the Indianapolis Colts owner who took over after the death of her father, Jim Irsay -- taking notes on the sideline and wearing a headset is nothing new. She's been doing that since last season.
She's also spoken about the reasoning behind the move, almost exactly a year ago, with reporters: "I need to be able to say, 'Is this person full of BS, do they even know what they're talking about?'" She spoke about the complexity of a football team and all the idiosyncrasies about play-calling, route-running and beyond. She came from a place of wanting to learn more to help her own decision making.
But the topic has come up again, with critics including The Ringer's Bill Simmons.
"I think the owner on the sidelines taking notes
is [expletive] nuts," he said on his podcast. "I think it's bonkers. I can't believe she does, and I can't believe people haven't talked her out of it."
"If a male owner was doing this, we would be ridiculing this guy 'til the cows came home," he added. "Even Jerry Jones wouldn't do that."
WARNING: NSFW language ahead.
Sometimes he can still reach back and fire the 100 MPH fastball pic.twitter.com/z4dbpEAcxX
— The r/BillSimmons Podcast (@rBillSimmonsPod) October 5, 2026
"Hey coach, our play sheet doesn't say anything about turning over the football, so why is Daniel Jones doing that?
— NFL Memes (@NFLMemes) October 4, 2026
- Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon pic.twitter.com/312pFzFf5e
Actually, for the record, NFL owners have been spotted on the sideline with some frequency. It may not be for the whole game with a notepad and headset, but Jones has been spotted on the Cowboys side plenty and has defended it. The Atlanta Falcons' Arthur Blank has also been there with his team late in games.
As for Irsay-Gordon? She responded to the criticism this week, via Front Office Sports:
“I like to say on a good day I have like a fifth-grade reading level understanding of the game and just the basic concepts of what we’re trying to do, depending on the week and depending on our opponent and depending on the situation. But I think, then, it just helps to understand and to ask questions because I think one of the things, in my opinion, like being a good leader is about listening, really to understand. And I think that’s what the best teams do.”
Here's the truth: Shouldn't more NFL owners take a page out of her book and try this? Think about the billions of dollars they pour in to purchase a team that they want to win a Super Bowl. It's their decision to hire the team of front office execs who will deliver that Vince Lombardi Trophy. Shouldn't they know more about the ins and outs of their teams instead of less?
We spend a lot of time as fans complaining when our teams fail to reach that goal or even come close. It's something I hear a lot when it comes to ownership: "It starts at the top."
I'd rather have an owner who's more invested to understand what's going right and wrong than one who doesn't get why a play failed or what decision led to an interception. That way, he or she can make a more educated call on the right move to make. Was the quarterback making the incorrect read? Was it the receiver who's struggled with the playbook or with conditioning who didn't get to the ball in time? Is the coach making those calls at fault? Without knowing the game itself, listening in and taking notes, Irsay-Gordon would be doing herself and the franchise a disservice.
Does it come off as micromanagement when owners put general managers in charge to serve a similar function? Sure. I'm imagining my bosses standing nearby, taking notes while I write, and yeah, it's a unnerving. Ultimately, it's her team, she can do what she wants, and maybe this helps with her being more accountable for the Colts' successes and failures.
To me, it's disruption -- a word we're fond of using these days in tech -- at the highest level. If it isn't working, try something new and trailblazing. The Colts haven't won a Super Bowl in nearly 20 years.
Maybe a few of the owners of perpetually struggling NFL franchises will take a page out of her book, because watching from the luxury box isn't working for them.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Actually, more NFL owners should be like Colts' Carlie Irsay-Gordon on sidelines | Opinion
