New Riggo Drill: DRILL SNYDER

I love John Riggins. I hate Dan Snyder.

Now that that’s out of the way, let me tell you why I love John Riggins. Anyone who’s read even one post from this blog knows why I hate Dan Snyder.

John Riggins is really smart. He cuts right to the heart of the matter, and speaks his mind. Unlike other commentators, he doesn’t do it to generate controversy, or attract listeners. He doesn’t really give a tinker’s damn about that. He says what he knows, and what he believes, and what his opinion is, damn the torpedoes. Ya’ gotta love a guy like that, a guy who doesn’t give a shit about what other people think.

And oh yes, did I mention that he’s the best running back who has ever worn the burgundy and gold? John was the guy who, in the Redskins’ great 1982 post season run, said to Coach Gibbs: “Give me the football”. And give it, he did. Riggo posted 100+ yards in each of those playoff games, spawning the infamous Riggo Drill. Everyone on defense KNEW he was getting the ball, and that did not stop John. By the sheer force of his talent, willpower, determination, guts, and professionalism, he pounded it out, for the team, for the coach, for the fans (who can forget that midfield bow?), and yes, for the owner, Jack Kent Cooke who, despite all his failings (the most serious of which may have been building a stadium in Godforsakenville), was an owner who knew how to get out of the way and let Gibbs coach, and let Beathard get players for Gibbs to coach. Oh, Jesus, let us only return to those thrilling days of yesteryear. But I digress.

I still have hanging on my wall (as many of you do, I am sure) the poster of John Riggins leaving that hapless Dolphin cornerback Don McNeal in the dust, trying desperately to separate John from his jersey, hanging on for dear life, fruitlessly, as John broke his grasp and lumbered towards the end zone. John Riggins turned a simple off-tackle play “70 chip” into a Super Bowl trophy. It is the Redskins’ Greatest Moment. I love John Riggins.

Along with the rest of us, John Riggins has been an outspoken critic of Dan Snyder and his acolytes. This past week, Riggo really lit into Snyder, saying he was “evil incarnate” and had a “black heart”, among other things. Personally, I thought it was a stretch to suggest that Danny Boy was even in possession of a body organ resembling a heart, much less a black one, in view of Snyder’s heartless lawsuits against disabled and unemployed season ticket holders when he had a purported 50,000 people on the season ticket waiting list (what’s that list down to now, Danny Boy?). Those money-grubbing lawsuits will someday be looked back upon as the beginning of the end for Danny Boy.

So what happened when Riggo said that Danny Boy has a black heart? One of Snyder’s highly paid employees, namely Coach Greg Blache, spoke out in Snyder’s defense, naming several attempts by Danny Boy to prove he was not heartless. If you read down the list of things Coach Blache said of his employer, and put after each of them the phrase [so I could make more money], it might put things into perspective. Everything Snyder does is geared towards making more money. Everything. And he does a lot of dark, heartless things that, weirdly, make him less money. Ask Lavar Arrington. Ask Greg Williams. Ask Marty Schottenheimer. Ask Jason Campbell (after he leaves). Ask Brian Mitchell. Ask Jim Zorn (again, after he’s fired). And I might mention that Zorn also came to Snyder’s defense, although you could not have scripted a more lukewarm defense than Zorn voiced.

What did Riggo do in response to these overwhelming voices (that would be 2 voices) that defended Danny Boy? He got on the radio and said, characteristically, “I stick by what I said. I say what I mean, and I mean what I say.” Gotta love a guy like that.

But here’s the rub: Riggo also said on the radio that he has anecdotal evidence of Snyder’s black heart, but he wasn’t willing to reveal it. Let me make it clear that I believe 100% that John has such evidence. There is simply no doubt in my mind. Why? John Riggins is no Joe McCarthy, prone to wild accusations. For John not to have this evidence would be so out of character that it’s simply not believable.

So, to my hero John Riggins: ya’ gotta say what it is. It’s not that I don’t believe you, but the other side is throwing out all this goody-two-shoes stuff about Snyder, and it’s time to fire back. For the integrity of the accusation. For your own integrity and good name, because Danny Boy will release his goon squad to discredit you. For the future of the Redskins organization.

SOMEONE HAS TO SAY THE EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES, AND WHY.

I don’t just say “Snyder Has Ruined the Redskins”, I say why. I cite evidence. Sure, I’m sarcastic and cynical, but hey, that’s the advantage of writing an anonymous blog. Riggo has much more courage than I do – he does it in his own name; remember, he doesn’t give a shit about what other people think.

So, John, come out of the closet with this evidence. The fans await. The world awaits. Danny Boy wants you to remain silent: 'Do not show the world who I really am, what I really do [to make more money].'

Riggo, do what ya’ gotta’ do to get permission from any other people in the story, and break it. It’s your own word at stake, since there are others out there who might not love you as much as I do. So, come out.

Please.

Snyder: Mea Culpa - NOT

OK, Danny Boy listened to Charlie Brotman (and everyone else having even a miniscule understanding of PR) and SPOKE TO THE PRESS! Glory, glory hallelujah! The millennium has arrived! Stop the presses! Dismiss those lawsuits! Take off the armbands! Give back the signs and T-shirts! Reignite those charcoal grilles! Tone down the bootjacks! Give Jason and Jim their testicles back! All is well! Danny Boy speaks!

Goodness, gracious, god almighty! What did he say? What has caused thousands of Redskins fans to take to the streets in an unprecedented demonstration of loyalty and support for the team, and yes, love for Danny Boy?

He said: KEEP ON SHOVELING YOUR MONEY MY WAY! I LOVE YOUR MONEY, I CARE ABOUT YOUR MONEY, PLEASE PLEASE KEEP SPENDING IT ON ME, I'VE MADE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, AND IF THINGS KEEP GOING DOWNHILL, I'LL LOSE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

OK, maybe I exaggerate just a tad. But, that's everyone's interpretation of what he actually did say, which is, as quoted from today's Washington Post, as follows [editorial comments inserted for clarity]:

"I feel bad for the fans [who have made me millions of dollars]. I feel sorry for the fans [who have made me millions of dollars]. And we're very, very appreciative of our great, loyal fan base [who have made me millions of dollars]. And I'm understanding [that I'm losing millions of dollars]. I mean, we just feel terrible [that I'm losing millions of dollars]. We're disappointed [that I'm losing millions of dollars], and we're embarrassed [that I'm losing millions of dollars]. And we hope to get it [the fan-based money machine] going soon. We're disappointed [that I'm losing millions of dollars]."

"It hurts [that I'm losing millions of dollars]. I mean, it really hurts [that I'm losing millions of dollars]. We are really trying very, very hard [not to lose millions of dollars]."

So, in the great Joe Gibbs tradition, Danny Boy then proceeded to take personal responsibility for the team's failure. After you get up off the floor from laughing, let me tell you what he actually did say (right after "We are really trying very, very hard."):

"Everyone at Redskins Park [but me] - the coaches, the players. The organization [that would be me] has held up really, quite frankly, held up well [since none of this, none, is my fault]."

It could not be more clear, to anyone with a first grade education or better, that Snyder thinks none of this is his fault. Snyder's thought process would be something like this:

>>It's the players' fault (especially Campbell who I tried mightily to replace, twice, in the off-season), it's Zorn's fault (who I stripped of play-calling, the only thing he really did), it's Vinny's fault (even though he's my hand-picked snychopant, one of my favoritists), it's Sherman's fault (nobody told me play-calling was any different from Bingo), it's the other Sherman's fault (he will soon be marching across Georgia), it's SOMEONE ELSE'S FAULT, DAMMIT. I'm brilliant, I'm smart, I'm rich, and I don't make mistakes. Even if I do (and I would only admit this to Nichole Kidman behind closed doors), I would never admit it publicly since I'm a macho-macho man (I used to be the Redskin Chief for the Village People just so I could wear that Indian headdress).<<

So, despite the fact that today is the first anniversary of perhaps the most significant change in American politics, nothing is going to change in the Redskins organization anytime soon because the owner (that would be Danny Boy) won't admit to himself (much less the fans who are making him millions of dollars) that his gross mismanagement and poor, bordering upon negligent judgment is what put the team in its current condition.

Sigh.

Charlie Brotman's Advice to Danny: Face the Music