Sunday, October 18, 2009
Welcome - this is a blog devoted to how Dan Snyder has single handedly ruined one of the most storied NFL franchises: The Washington Redskins
Let me start. One can say that it isn't the owner's fault, it's the players'. After all, the owner isn't on the field taking snaps, or running pass routes, or blitzing. But, I suggest that there's a direct connection between a player's desire to win, and thus the effort he puts out on the field, and the owner's business attitude. In our case, we have a snot-nosed, super-rich wunderkind, in the form of Dan Snyder, known for his business acumen - more accurately called ruthlessness. This guy would sue his own mother if she were behind on season tickets payments (I have no doubt that Snyder charges his mother full price). It was the story in the Post several weeks ago about Snyder suing Redskins' fans that really got to me. These people, some of whom were lifelong Redskins fans, had lost their jobs, were on disability, were on the verge of losing their homes, were mentally incapacitated - yet Snyder, in his infinite idiocy, saw fit to bring suit against them, and prosecute it to a judgment WHEN HE PURPORTEDLY HAS 50,000 FANS ON THE SEASON TICKET WAITING LIST!!!! Now, does that make any sense? Sure, he has the legal right to sue them, but so what? Does he NEED the money? Can he RESELL those tickets easily and quickly to the next fan on the list? Does he even stop to think about the public relations debacle that would ensue if this practice became known to the public? The guy is a ruthless, heartless asshole. And here's the important part: if you were a Redskins player, making a tidy six or seven figures a game, how much would you leave on the field for an owner who is an obvious ruthless, heartless asshole? How much extra effort would you put out, knowing that the guy who owns you and your team, who has 50,000 people on his season ticket waiting list, actually sues fans (who ultimately pay your salary) who are unable to keep their committments due to a major downturn in the economy? The answer is: none. It's not even a conscious decision; it's just a feeling they have deep down inside. And it's exactly that type of extra effort that can make the difference between a good team and bad one. There's always an external motivator. And in our case, we have an external DE-motivator. If we had a beloved owner, who was kind, generous, caring, giving, etc., I believe that the team would win many more games, because they WOULD leave it out on the field for such a man. But, we have the antithesis of that. Who cares about the owner? No one. And this is simply karma: who will care about the team? Eventually, no one. And, eventually, the fans will stop buying tickets, and POOF, it will be all gone, Danny Boy. Because that is the only language you will understand.
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I have to say that I completely agree. The way he's handled Zorn is instructive. If he wants to fire the guy, that's his perogative. That would be expected, actually, from an owner who never takes responsibility for any of his own patent incompetence. Blame it on someone else, find a scapegoat - KILL THE COACH! But does he do that? That is, does he say "I'm unhappy with the head coach, he must be replaced"? No. He instead chooses to humiliate Zorn in front of the team and his coaching staff by taking away the only thing that Zorn really does - playcalling. What does bimbo-brained Snyder think this will do to team morale (as if it's not low enough)? Snyder demotes Zorn, and humiliates him, and kills team morale, in the process. Last week the players asked management for a vote of confidence for Zorn (which is ridiculous in view of the fact that they just brought in Sherman), and the vote of confidence is a resounding NO. This is very similar, really, to Danny boy (and his hack Vinny) shopping for a QB earlier this year to replace Campbell. Did they expect Campbell to be overjoyed at this? Do they fathom at all that it MIGHT have an adverse psychological effect on Campbell? That it MIGHT hinder his performace? Oh, Jeez. Whoever expected Campbell to hold it together after the owner tried to replace him TWICE, is drinking too much whatever. The Redskins are a train wreck, and Snyder is solely responsible. The sad part is that I am in my 50s, and Snyder will likely outlive me, meaning the Skins are doomed to mediocrity. Sigh.
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