Voting Station

Bob McNair

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Sports Executive

The Resume

    (December 31, 1937-November 23, 2018)
    Born in Tampa, Florida
    Robert C. McNair
    Owner of the Houston Texans (1998 - )
    Founder of Cogen Technologies (sold in 1999)
    Founded the Robert and Janice McNair Educational Foundation (1989)
    Sparked national outrage by referring to protesting NFL players kneeling during the National Anthem as 'the inmates running the prison' at a private team owners meeting (Oct. 2017)
    Was publicly criticized by Jay-Z, Draymond Green, Richard Sherman, Shannon Sharpe, and the NAACP

Why he might be annoying:

    He's a Mr. Magoo lookalike.
    He is a campaign donor to the Bush family and Mitch McConnell.
    He also donated $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump's Inaugural committee.
    He has been criticized for prioritizing the Houston Texans' status as a local franchise over making decisions that would translate to long-term team winnings.
    He presided over the acquisitions of David Carr and Brock Osweiler - both of which proved to be disastrous.
    The backlash against his 'inmates' comments was so severe that it almost caused a walkout of players during practice, and led all but ten Houston Texans players to kneel during the National Anthem to protest.
    He issued a public apology attempting to clarify 'I was not referring to our players when I made a very regretful comment during the owners meetings last week. I was referring to the relationship between the league office and team owners and how they have been making significant strategic decisions affecting our league without adequate input from ownership over the past few years' (but no one believed him).
    It was revealed in leaked emails that officials had shelved plans for a statue in his likeness to stand outside of NRG Stadium, likely until the uproar over his remarks died down (2018).

Why he might not be annoying:

    He used his millions to 'bring football back to Houston.'
    He was an inductee into the Texas Business Hall of Fame.
    He received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree from the University of South Carolina (1999).
    He is a recipient of the Anti-Defamation League's Torch of Liberty Award.
    He donated $100 million to Baylor College of Medicine to recruit top scientists and physicians (2007).
    Through his and his wife's foundations, he has awarded approximately $2.6 million in financial aid.
    His foundation has donated funds necessary to establish entrepreneurship teaching centers at six major universities.
    Some defended him by saying that 'inmates running the prison' is a common figure of speech without any racial subtext.
    Despite his private comments, he did publicly admonish President Trump referring to kneeling athletes as 'sons of bitches,' calling the rhetoric 'divisive' and 'counterproductive.'
    He was one of the first to pledge $1 million to defensive end J.J. Watt's funding campaign to raise money for the recovery effort in Houston following Hurricane Harvey.

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 12 Votes: 58.33% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 12 Votes: 91.67% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 15 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 14 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 50 Votes: 52.00% Annoying