I have long said that we will rue the day we open the newspaper to see that our beloved Jaguars are no longer the Jacksonville Jaguars. I believe that to my core, and I have spent a large part of my professional time over the past few years doing what little bit I could to avoid that happening. That time has been dedicated to helping unbelievable organizations like Team Teal, the JAX Chamber and our very own The Jacksonville Bar Association reconnect to the Jaguars.
You see, on Nov. 30, 1993, the face of our city changed. That’s the day that the NFL announced that it would award a franchise to Wayne and Delores Weaver and that it would be located in Jacksonville, Florida. Notice I said Jacksonville, Florida. Back then, ESPN had to put Florida in there because no one knew where we were. Now they do.
We owe Wayne and Delores Weaver a debt of gratitude that we will never be able to repay. Over the past 18 years, the Weavers have been the face of a franchise that allowed us to drop the Florida. Put simply, they helped take us to a new level of relevancy.
Over the past 18 years, the Weavers directly and indirectly pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into our economy. That included delivering us a Super Bowl in 2005. Our business is better off because of the Weavers and the Jaguars, and yours is too. The Jacksonville Bar Association is better off because of the Weavers and the Jaguars.
Over the past 18 years, the Weavers directly and indirectly put tens of millions of dollars into local charities. Many of you reading this sit on the boards for local charities. My guess is that most of you have seen the benefit of the Weavers’ incredible generosity. I know I have.
Over the past 18 years, the Weavers also gave us something that none of us can put a price on. They gave us a feeling of civic pride that we never would have been able to achieve without the Jacksonville Jaguars. Having an NFL franchise is a privilege, not a right, and that’s what makes us feel special. And you know what? The Jacksonville community is special. The Weavers helped us realize just how special we are, but we sometimes forget it (or at least take it for granted). We need to always remember it, and we need to do whatever we can to never let that go.
So after doing all of that for our city, the Weavers could simply have sold the Jaguars and walked away feeling good about themselves for all that they have done. But they didn’t. In what has been a trademark of the Weavers since 1993, they again put our city first. Why? Because the Weavers love Jacksonville and we love them back.
We opened the newspaper Nov. 29, 2011, and we fortunately are not ruing the day. Instead, the Weavers gave us a second chance. They found an owner that believes Jacksonville deserves the privilege of continuing to be an NFL city. If you have not read Shahid Khan’s story, take a few minutes to Google him. Much like the Weavers, the Khans epitomize the chasing and catching of the American dream. And I believe that is what attracted the Weavers, and now the Khans, to Jacksonville. What do I mean? Since I moved here in 1989, this community has been chasing the dream of being a “big time” city. The Weavers helped get us most of the way there, and I believe the Khans (together with the Weavers) will help get us the rest of the way. We just need the Khans to love Jacksonville, and we need to love them back.
So, please take a minute to thank Wayne and Delores Weaver for everything they have done for us, including giving us a second chance. While we all deserve second chances, we don’t always get them. Let’s take advantage of this one, and make sure that 20 years from now, we are still saying “WE ARE JAGUARS!”
Wayne and Delores, we never will be able to repay you. But, at least we can say Thank You!! For everything!!
Shahid and Ann, welcome to Jacksonville (I know I don’t need to put Florida here). Please love us, and I promise we will love you back.