Cobranding links Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, NFL Jaguars

The 2015 Jacksonville Mayoral campaign is just a memory now. And the alliance between former Mayor Alvin Brown and Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan has a newsreel quality.

It almost seems quaint.

In 2014, when it seemed like Brown was a slam dunk for re-election, the city signed off on an ambitious capital investment: $43 million into EverBank Field upgrades, highlighted by the so-called world’s largest scoreboards.

There was criticism from what passes for the left in Jacksonville, but the gambit paid off. The big-ticket spend cleared City Council with ease, and Khan was among the biggest supporters of Brown for re-election.

Was it personal affection? Not necessarily. It was business.

Lenny Curry won the election, of course, and within months of that win, Khan became Curry’s leading supporter.

And Curry, who prioritized building a relationship with Khan, has done so. They align politically and professionally, with a shared vision for Jacksonville.

Since 2015, Khan has dumped $200,000+ into Curry’s “Build Something That Lasts” political committee.

Sources familiar with the dynamic describe Curry and Khan as close, and even when Khan and Curry are forced to deviate on issues — such as the decision of Jaguars to kneel during the National Anthem at a game this year, when Khan stood up for free speech and Curry served up red meat, saying the decision to kneel was “stupid” — the attitude can be summed up as “see you on the other side.”

During Curry’s era, money has been poured into the stadium complex also.

A $90 million capital investment paid for a covered practice field, an amphitheater, and stadium renovations, which were in place for this NFL season; the city of Jacksonville paid for half of that, and no one dared vote against it on the pliant City Council.

That amphitheater will be featured on Friday, as Curry will host a “Bills Bustin’ Bash,” a pep rally before the first home playoff game in years.

Skeptics point out that between the Curry and Brown eras, almost $90 million of city money went into stadium renovations. The city’s bed tax will be used to pay off the financing on that over a course of decades, meaning that maintenance costs for other city facilities will be paid for out of the general fund.

Curry, by the standards of Jacksonville Mayors, is more enthusiastic about NFL football than any of his predecessors.

Jaguars’ quarterback Blake Bortles is a personal friend, and Curry has predicted double digit wins for the team each of the three seasons he has been Mayor.

The NFL Network is often on in Curry’s office, the deep dive into sports a reprieve from the pressures of dealing with Jacksonville stakeholders.

But on this Friday, Curry himself was on the NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football,” where the Mayor talked up his team and his town.

“This is the show that I wake up to almost every morning,” Curry said.

Curry went on to discuss the city’s excitement about the game — and owner Shad Khan.

“Jacksonville is on fire. The fans are excited,” Curry asserted.

“When Shad bought the team, there was a new energy,” Curry said, describing “economic development” as one of the benefits.

“Our downtown and working with him and investing there is going to look very different in the next five or ten years,” Curry added, a potential allusion to an “entertainment zone” concept Curry has floated with friendly media in recent weeks.

Curry also addressed Bortles on the program.

“He’s my QB 1. He’s the team’s QB 1. The fan’s QB 1,” Curry said. “Blake can get the job done when he needs to.”

“I know Blake personally … he is mentally tough. All this noise doesn’t get to him,” Curry added.

Curry also discussed Jaguars’ all-world cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

“He’s just a competitor,” Curry said, describing Ramsey “locked in” during pregame warmups.

“A good person … but a competitor,” Curry added, floating a description that some might use to describe the Mayor himself.

After the TV hit, Curry went on to set up a wager with the Mayor of Buffalo.

If the Jaguars win, Buffalo sends wings. If the Bills win, Jacksonville sends Firehouse subs and craft beer.