Quote:One huge difference between Khan and the previous regime has been the people hired. WW hired on the cheap and did not even have a role like Lamping's. He basically did that job himself and you saw the state of the club when he left. Lamping had a great resume when he got here and has been terrific.

 

It helps that the new owner has a vision that looks beyond the next year or two and is focused on 5-10 years from now, not just with his team, but with the city he's become an integral part of.  Lamping is the instrument that Khan uses to implement his vision, and to drive his agenda, and the two of them have had a significantly positive impact on the team and this city.  Lamping is much deserving of an extension for being the eyes, ears, and hands of Shad Khan on the ground here.

 

There was an interview Khan did with the Jacksonville Business Journal or one of the other local publications where he talked about how disappointing it was when he arrived on the scene to see the complete lack of vision from the power brokers in this town.  He talked about there being homeless guys with more vision than the millionaires he'd met with.  Over the past few years, his efforts have dragged these community luminaries into the future and shown them what this city can become if they'll simply get on board and ride the wave. 

 

As a skeptic when he bought the team, I feel like I've got a unique perspective here because I wasn't immediately sold on Khan or his intentions.  I felt he had to earn that, and over the course of his tenure here, he has done that in so many ways it's hard to keep track.  His commitment to this city is significant.  Not every move he makes is the right one, but overall, he's got things headed in the right direction.  He didn't get where he is in life by floundering or sitting on his hands. 

 

Looking at it now, I see Khan's vision for the city as something parallel to his own autobiography.  He was a guy who was the perennial underdog who used hard work, determination, and serious smarts to take himself from a poor immigrant to a billionaire.  I think he looks at the city in a similar light, and his goal is to take this underdog small market and drag it into the future to be a competitive force with the big boys on a global level. 

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