T.O. to World: Jerks Don’t Finish Last

In the world of human resources, the subject of jerks comes up a lot. Conventional wisdom seems to be that allowing a jerk, even a talented one, to become and remain part of the team is a bad idea. He’s a drain on too many resources, and the wreckage he leaves behind isn’t worth whatever the talent produces.

Not everyone subscribes to this point of view, of course, so jerks are hired and stick around in all kinds of businesses and workplaces — but perhaps nowhere like they do in the world of sports. Talent is king, and even when an athlete has worn out his welcome with several teams, another one is always ready to take a chance.

The latest jerk to be given another chance and to be paid a lot of money ($6.5 million for one year) is Terrell Owens, formerly with the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Dallas Cowboys. The long-suffering Buffalo Bills have taken the latest chance on the insufferable T.O.

At 35, he’s not as good as he once was, but he’s still quite talented at catching passes. He’d probably catch more if he weren’t so contentious with coaches and teammates, paranoid about his quarterbacks, and focused on himself instead of whatever team he happens to be playing with.

HR and management consultants can decry jerks all they want. The T.O.’s of the world will have a good laugh. Every employer has some kind of mission statement extolling the virtue of teamwork and advising those who don’t play along that they’ll be asked to go elsewhere. Every such mission statement is a crock, because there’s always someone, sometimes several, who wouldn’t know teamwork if it were blinking like a neon sign. The cost they exact far outweighs the overblown salaries they’re making.