ESPN: A thin line between love and hate (Snyder-McKenna)

My apologies if this has been posted, but didn't see it. Long but interesting read, and more about Snyder, with McKenna sprinkled in.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8449184/washington-redskins-obsession-owner-dan-snyder-writer-dave-mckenna-espn-magazine

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ES staff appended edit:

Here's a link to another thread discussing another article in this issue. The print issue might be worth picking up, as it's full of photos and articles about DC, Snyder, RGIII, and DC sports in general.

http://www.extremeskins.com/showthread.php?371410-ESPN-article-on-DC-sports-and-a-good-RG3-gallery-%28Cincy-game%29

Good read. It's nice to see the media softening up on Snyder. That's a good sign ... I think.

On a more (almost) personal note:

In 2005, McKenna investigated whether a Redskins PR flack was anonymously trashing beat writers on message boards. (He never proved it.)

That got pretty ugly and several of our own here got dragged through the mud. I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive McKenna for that. I for one am glad he's out of the Redskin business.

Dan still has a very long ways to go with me.

I could handle losing. But the entire organization was an utter joke.

Dan still has a very long ways to go with me.

I could handle losing. But the entire organization was an utter joke.

'Was' being the operative word. Thankfully all that changed that glorious Thursday back in December 2009 when he finally woke up, fired bug eyes (resigned my pasty white ass); and both hired and passed the football side over to a proper football GM.

Almost 3 full years of being a respectable football franchise. I get why the previous decade is hard to let go for many, but darn if he hasn't given us everything we've asked of him the past 3 years and become the consummate owner.

Not read the piece yet as I'm busy flitting around other things, but McKenna's still a piss poor excuse for a journalist and a Redskins hating jackwagon.

Hail.

Winning typically brings owners love from the media. Right now we have plenty if promise and look to be heading in the direction of the winning.

'Was' being the operative word. Thankfully all that changed that glorious Thursday back in December 2009 when he finally woke up, fired bug eyes (resigned my pasty white ass); and both hired and passed the football side over to a proper football GM.

This is the one thing I wish Wickersham had investigated more into. This is the single biggest defining moment of the Redskins Turnaround. I remember I was so pissed and sick and tired of the Redskins losing -- not just the losing -- but the total and utter chaos this organization as a whole seemed to perpetuate on a day-to-day basis. So pissed in fact that I was actively rooting for the Redskins to lose to finally be rid of Cerrato.

I would have loved to hear how exactly that went down.

Almost 3 full years of being a respectable football franchise. I get why the previous decade is hard to let go for many, but darn if he hasn't given us everything we've asked of him the past 3 years and become the consummate owner.

Not read the piece yet as I'm busy flitting around other things, but McKenna's still a piss poor excuse for a journalist and a Redskins hating jackwagon.

Hail.

I don't think that article did McKenna any favors. He really comes off as a jackass; a first rate hack.

I think McKenna came out ahead in all of this. His Q rating probably quadrupled after the lawsuit was filed. Most people in the DC area probably had no idea who he was, suddenly his name got national press during SB week in 2011.

Yes, wasn't ES member Andyman accused of being Redskins PR director... Karl something???

---------- Post added October-4th-2012 at 07:34 PM ----------

'Was' being the operative word. Thankfully all that changed that glorious Thursday back in December 2009 when he finally woke up, fired bug eyes (resigned my pasty white ass); and both hired and passed the football side over to a proper football GM.

Almost 3 full years of being a respectable football franchise. I get why the previous decade is hard to let go for many, but darn if he hasn't given us everything we've asked of him the past 3 years and become the consummate owner.

Not read the piece yet as I'm busy flitting around other things, but McKenna's still a piss poor excuse for a journalist and a Redskins hating jackwagon.

Hail.

I still remember driving to the airport and my brother calling me... telling me Vinny resigned! I was stunned in happiness. It was unbelievable... I knew right then we had a chance at winning... there was hope again...

GREAT READ!!!!! I know LIL' Dan has a bad rap but the guy is like us with money. I can honestly say that I would have made a lot of the same mistakes that Dan made when he purchased the team. I am 34 in January of 2013 and I cannot imagine owning the thing that I have loved the most and longest in my life at this age. I would like to think that I would not have been over bearing but I think I would have made just as many mistakes as he has. I couldn't be happier with Shanny and Bruce they are the perfect balance to keeping Dan happy and us moving towards a winning respectable franchise again. RG3-PO has given us the hope that all of us have longed for!!

HAIL!

Very interesting read. I moved here in late '95 when I was 7, and along with my brother, are the only diehard Redskins fans in my family, so I'm not old enough to any memories of the SB runs, and don't have any family members to rely on to share those memories with me, so by nature, I am probably more likely to be forgiving of Snyder and the way this franchise has been run for the most part of my lifetime as a 'Skins fan. I think he definitely has a lot of fences to mend, that go simply beyond winning or losing, and I'm sure some people will never forgive him as long as he's the owner.

Though I don't really share that way of thinking, I guess I can understand that. All I can say is that hopefully this franchise can move forward and start operating on a first class level, from top to bottom, and start winning consistently.

I still think this article is "kind of" still ragging on Dan Snyder. It's almost like he "drove" McKenna out of the writing business. What I found interesting is, he gets mad just like I do when I'm at home, during the game.

Good read. It's nice to see the media softening up on Snyder. That's a good sign ... I think.

On a more (almost) personal note:

That got pretty ugly and several of our own here got dragged through the mud. I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive McKenna for that. I for one am glad he's out of the Redskin business.

I have to admit, in a guilty sort of way, that that was one of the most exciting times to be on the board. Every day brought new, fascinating and very long tirades about the evils of the Mr. McKenna. We really had some outstanding insider access during the period. Probably not for the best interest of the team.

I'm not sorry about any of the changes indicated in this article and to be truthful I'm a whole lot happier about Mr. Snyder keeping his nose out of things than I am about McKenna off the beat. Both are good.

It's too bad that McKenna got stuck on this whole "Snyder is Evil" shtick, because he was REALLY good at finding and writing about other interesting, quirky, local sports stories. His Cheap Seats column was a good read when he wasn't bashing Snyder.

But he also greatly mischaracterized the nature of Extremeskins after it was purchased by Snyder. I think that was a function of him trying to fit Snyder's purchase of Extremeskins into his ongoing narrative of Snyder as a control-freak. The freedom to criticize didn't change a lick after the purchase was made, but you couldn't tell that from McKenna's comments about ES. Part of that came from people banned from ES contacting McKenna with their tales of moderator oppression, and him running with those stories unverified. Again, it fit the narrative, even if it wasn't true.

I think the tone of this article is pretty negative and anti-Snyder, and it doesn't really reflect the truth IMO. There is a lot Syder did wrong, this article missed on some of that and tried to smear him for silly things (getting dropped off at the front door is a sign of insecure status flaunting?).

I don't think Wickersham got it right.

---------- Post added October-5th-2012 at 11:12 AM ----------

Also, the RGIII trade certainly wasn't a Hail Mary. We knew well how good he was and there was a lot of planning involved in that decision. The analogies are bad and Wickersham's narrative is just off. Not his finest effort.

I liked the article, thought it painted Snyder in a more fan-like picture (as opposed to a ruthless dictator owner). I thought inviting people to the advance showing of Star Trek and showing up in Spock ears was an awesome gesture.

I keep saying this, and I stand by it. Everyone says to give rookies a few years to get used to playing in the NFL before we grade them a bust, a star, etc. But if you're a new owner those same people (wrongly) expect you to get everything right from day one. If players get a few years of leniency, owners should too.

I wonder if a lot of Dan's problems come from him not doing interviews. This article reads like Wickersham is peeved Snyder wouldn't give him an interview so he went negative on things that didn't really offer that interpretation.

Wickersham also makes McKenna seem like a big ******* in this too. I'm not really sure of the message in this article.

There's plenty of fault between both Snyder & McKenna. Snyder has been a D-bag owner for most of his tenure here, and McKenna has been an equally D-bag writer. McKenna seemed to go out of his way to bash Snyder, and Snyder wound up going out of his way to get revenge.

Hopefully everything will settle down now. McKenna no longer writes about Snyder or the Skins, and Snyder has finally released the reigns of the franchise to football people.

HTTR!

Yes, wasn't ES member Andyman accused of being Redskins PR director... Karl something???

McKenna stated that Andyman could have been pig Latin for Danny M.

I remember Andyman, the dude disappeared like a fart in the wind.

I wonder if a lot of Dan's problems come from him not doing interviews.

Snyder has always been media shy, he generally doesn't give interviews unless its in a controlled climate. This has not helped public perception of him.

Jerry Jones on the other hand loves the press and therefore gets a lot of breaks bc most people perceive him as a nice guy, simply bc people feel like they know him.

McKenna stated that Andyman could have been pig Latin for Danny M.

I remember Andyman, the dude disappeared like a fart in the wind.

Just another person in a long procession to do so around this place.

Speaks volumes.

'Was' being the operative word. Thankfully all that changed that glorious Thursday back in December 2009 when he finally woke up, fired bug eyes (resigned my pasty white ass); and both hired and passed the football side over to a proper football GM.

Hail.

Amen Brother!!!

but darn if he hasn't given us everything we've asked of him the past 3 years and become the consummate owner.

Everything we've asked?? Sorry, but is asking for a winning team too much. I'll not take the new regime to task yet, because they inherited a train wreck (of Snyder's doing.)

Excuse me if I hold my applause and adoration for Snyder until I can be sure he won't have another knee jerk reaction should this year's team falter. Leopards don't change their spots. If Snyder HAS truly changed, and stays the course, through this administration and into the next, then I may warm some to him, but the product I've been forced to swallow the past decade plus has left me unfulfilled, and with a sour taste in my mouth.

It will take 12 years of Synder not meddling and good PR in general for me to change my perception after 12 years of meddling and bad PR.

Right now were only a little more than one year removed from the lawsuit, which reset the reform clock on Danny. So I'll bump this thread in 11 years.

'Adoration' is tghe last thing I have for Snyder L n L. I've been as big and as loud a critic of the guy, more often then not justifiably. at many juncture's over the years.

I just can't question him these past almost three years when he's finally listened and given us what we asked from him for so long. I get why others are still reticent to do the same given his past. But to keep questioning him when he is doing right gets to the point when your sounding as tawdry and churlish as the man your slamming. (Not you in this instance. But many still in general.).

As regards a winning team, well, have a little more patience man. Rome wasn't built in a day, and we've only been at this two and a bit years being as Shanahan overestimated what he inherited at the start. And only now have added the most important piece. And even if it ultimately doesn't take us back to where we so crave to be, that's on Allen and Shanahan. Not Snyder. He's had nothing to do with this rebuild save for signing the checks.

Hail.

By my count - these are the Snyder years... lets judge by who is in charge...

1999 -playoffs from Casserlys offseason moves (DS Takes credit for CC moves)

2000 - a big mess (DS & Vinny)

2001 - half a big mess (Schottenheimer)

2002-2003: Gigantic mess (DS & Vinny)

2004-2007 - 1/2 Good, 1/2 Mess (Gibbs & CO.)

2008-2009: Gigantic, embarassing mess (DS & Vinny)

2010-2012: 2 embarassing years & RG3 (Shanny & CO)

So the Danny Vinny duo was at the helm for 5 years but boy were they were just bad but still better win percentages than Shanny has managed.