Ask the GM: Four burning questions for the Eagles’ ‘Broadway’ Howie Roseman

We used to know better the people who ran our teams, but both trust and access have diminished. The men and women behind the moves — people like Phillies legend Paul Owens, Sixers personality Pat Williams, or Harry Gamble, who touched every corner of football in the region, including the Eagles — have become dehumanized.

In an effort at humanizing the most polarizing men in Philly, we posed the same four questions to the people who run the Phillies, Union, Sixers, Eagles, and Flyers. Even though Dave Dombrowski took the Phillies to the World Series and Howie Roseman has assembled the best team in the NFL after 14 weeks of the season, none of the questions deals with their teams, their leagues, or their careers. Rather, we wanted glimpses into their personalities.

» READ MORE: After Howie Roseman’s excellent offseason, one question remains for the Eagles

Here’s our Q&A with Roseman:

What would your career be if you were not running a pro sports team? An engineer? A truck driver? Heaven forbid, a sportswriter?

I would be trying to build something: teams, houses, companies.

You have to disassociate yourself from your job for a calendar year, but you are completely anonymous. How would you spend that year? As a campaign volunteer? In Florence, immersed in culture? Learning standup comedy?

I think we’ve answered this question! I tried this in 2015 [Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie demoted Roseman for one year, during which he spent time observing and researching sports management. Lurie reinstated him in 2016]. I’m glad I got the opportunity to come back.

All of you have been athletes. Which athlete’s career, regardless of sport, would you like to have experienced? Bill Russell? Babe Ruth? Udonis Haslem?

I would have loved to experienced Joe Namath’s career. Love the swagger and career success in college and the pros. Nothing better than winning a championship for your city for the first time. [Which, of course, Roseman did for Philadelphia: Super Bowl LII.]

» READ MORE: Union sporting director Ernst Tanner: Beyond the pitch

You have the chance to be a two-term president of the United States. Do you take it? Why, or why not?

That’s a tough job. You start already knowing half the people in the country didn’t want you to be in the job. Probably similar to being a GM. I think being the head of the free world probably requires a little more preparation than running a draft room!