Bobby Mitchell mystery

[Larry Brown #43]

Boswell

I find this comment from Snyder very hard to believe: "Speaking for myself, we all feel apologetic," said Snyder. "I personally didn't notice it. If I had, I'd have pulled the number immediately. I've been a Redskin fan all my life. This is Bobby Mitchell we're talking about, a great Washingtonian and a hero to us all."

I'm merely a fan, and I remember the fuss Leonard Stephens' wearing #49 caused last year. The guys on Sports Talk 980 talked about it a lot. It was definitely talked about around town. It's impossible that the very involved owner of this team "didn't notice it." I assumed Mitchell was OK with Stephens wearing the number, because I didn't hear him fuss about it. Well now we know. Would have been nice if someone had asked Mitchell before giving the number to our 3rd-string tight end.

Redskins Fumbles

By Thomas Boswell

Tuesday, February 4, 2003; Page D01

If the Redskins under Dan Snyder are to be a long-term success -- on the field, in the community and in their relations with fans -- the team has to develop a less heavy-handed touch in many areas. Otherwise, it may remain an expensive disappointment.

Running roughshod, or even giving that appearance, wears thin in a hurry. Over time, the Redskins should enhance relationships, not erode them, mend fences, rather than tear down old ones. But that's not what's happening now.

Snyder knows this. Every time he attempts to hire someone for a top-level Redskins position, he presents himself the same way. He admits his past failures, swears he's learned from his mistakes and will grow as an owner. "When he interviewed me, I said to him, 'You are not the man I expected to meet,' " said one candidate for a top Redskins job. "He kept talking about how much he'd messed up and how it wouldn't happen again."

But, so far, good intentions haven't been enough to prevent the Redskins from ending up in the role of heavy on too many occasions. In just the past week, the Redskins have suffered two offseason embarrassments. Not huge ones, but hurtful and part of a pattern.

Last year, new coach Steve Spurrier let quarterbacks practice with the uniform numbers of Sonny Jurgensen (9) and Joe Theismann (7). There was a stink. Jurgensen even asked Snyder what was up. The Redskins backtracked, seeing their mistake. They'd keep those de facto retired numbers off the field.

And they did. Except for Bobby Mitchell's No. 49. His number was given to obscure tight end Leonard Stephens. How could the Redskins overlook Mitchell? He's only in the Hall of Fame, as well as the first African American star to play for the Redskins. Worst of all, Mitchell spent 41 years with the Redskins as player, scout and executive. He wasn't out-of-sight, out-of-mind. Mitchell was in the halls at Redskins Park every day. Yet the Redskins didn't "see" him, just as they never "saw" him as a serious candidate for general manager.

Yesterday, a former Redskins executive who asked not to be identified, recalled the one time he had mentioned Mitchell to then-owner Jack Kent Cooke as a possible future general manager. "There was no response," said the former executive. "So I did not bring up the subject again."

Last week, Mitchell retired and, as he left, said he was "deeply hurt" by the manner in which Cooke passed over him for Charley Casserly. It was the worst hurt of Mitchell's career -- that is, until his number 49 reappeared.

"People just missed it. They weren't thinking. It was an oversight," Mitchell said. "But my family and friends and I, we grieved about it all year. It's really close to what happened with Mr. Cooke, but this one might have been the worst one. It was tough for me to see the pain of my family and my close friends. That shakes you up."

It wasn't about the "49." It was about years of disrespect so casually ingrained as to be undetectable.

In the NFL, you seldom heard a buzz about "why isn't Bobby Mitchell a GM," the way baseball people said with disgust, "How could Joe Morgan not get a managing job?" But Mitchell might still have proved to be a fine GM.

"Until a guy gets a chance, how do you know," ex-Redskins general manager Bobby Beathard said yesterday. "When I was hired, I hadn't done everything that I would have to do as a general manager. Some of it you have to learn on the job."

Yesterday, Snyder showed an appealing side of himself, adding his own apology to Mitchell about the No. 49 flap, even though Spurrier had already said last week that the whole organization was sorry for its mistake.

"Speaking for myself, we all feel apologetic," said Snyder. "I personally didn't notice it. If I had, I'd have pulled the number immediately. I've been a Redskin fan all my life. This is Bobby Mitchell we're talking about, a great Washingtonian and a hero to us all."

Snyder is always sincerely stumped at how he and his franchise manage to end up in public relations disasters. Yet, twice in the last month, in addition to the Mitchell mess, the Redskins have gotten a black eye. And, to a degree, deserved it.

First, they notified some club-seat ticket holders, who'd signed 10-year leases at $1,995 a seat price through 2007, that they had a new option. When their lease expired, they could pay $4,254 a seat (a 113 per cent hike). Or, by signing now, they could pay $2,750 next season, then add 3 percent a year up to $3,588 in 2012.

At first glance, this looked a renegotiation in mid-contract. Actually, the Redskins were offering a choice. Such club-seat prices have skyrocketed in the NFL since 1997. A new buyer would pay as much as $3,400 for a seat like the ones the lease-holders now have for $1,995. Sure, the Redskins were saying "pay me now or pay me later." But they weren't reneging.

The question is: Why set yourself up for such grief?

Last week, the Redskins did it again. They've been paying about $2 million annually in workers' compensation to injured former Redskins. The NFL average is about $500,000. Why the difference? Various state laws differ. In Virginia, you pay more. Several states, including Florida and Texas, have changed their laws, thus helping lower payments by some teams.

So, the Redskins wanted to get that Virginia law changed and save some money. But they made a hash of it in the Virginia legislature. Snyder brought in high-powered legal talent and used savvy strategy for last-minute introduction of the Redskins' bill. But the whole thing got too cute and complicated. The NFL Players Association as well as lobbyists for the AFL-CIO and the Virginia Manufacturers Association testified against the Redskins' bill.

"I am not aware of any other piece of legislation in which nearly half of the original patrons formally withdrew their names," said one of the players' lawyers.

If Snyder and the Redskins hadn't played so many angles, tried to be so smart and, in essence, maximize their chances of winning rather than maximize their chance of simply playing fair, they probably never would have aroused such opposition, thereby resulting in a settlement between the players' union and team.

In coming years, the Redskins need to learn to tread more lightly and be more respectful of others -- whether it is a 41-year employee, a fan who pays $2,000 for a seat or an ex-player, now injured, who wants to claim as much insurance as he legally can.

Missteps like those in the last month merely reinforce the image of the Redskins as a franchise that is sensitive to its own image, and pained by criticism, yet considerably less concerned about the feelings of others.

"We all make mistakes. I've got things to learn," Snyder said yesterday. "But we will get it done."

He means it. He's trying. But he's also said it before. Eventually, actions will have to speak louder than words.

© 2003 The Washington Post Company

[bulldog]

I think this one has been talked to death already

[@DCGoldPants]

I heard the Sports Reports and Tony talking about it last night as a matter of fact. NOBODY noticed it. Boswell is wrong on this one. The kid never got on the field in a normal game. Who noticed him?

[dchogs]

The kid never got on the field in a normal game.

yet, it was the deepest "hurt" of his career. please. :puke: as great as he was, he needs to do a reality check. it's silly to let a number thing become such a big issue. quit cryin' bobby.

[@DCGoldPants]

Say in the beginning of training camp you have 100 players trying to make the team. So, you give out numbers 0 through 99.

Well, somebody I guess will be offended. How dare they give you Sammy's number in camp? or Riggo's?

It happens and it slipped by. There are more important things in life to get all pissy about.

hasn't anyone heard? The Ravens are better than Washington even though their majority owner can't turn a profit in his 2nd city and is about to sell the rest to a local guy.

[gridironmike]

Originally posted by Bandit

Say in the beginning of training camp you have 100 players trying to make the team. So, you give out numbers 0 through 99.

Well, somebody I guess will be offended. How dare they give you Sammy's number in camp? or Riggo's?

It happens and it slipped by. There are more important things in life to get all pissy about.

hasn't anyone heard? The Ravens are better than Washington even though their majority owner can't turn a profit in his 2nd city and is about to sell the rest to a local guy.

Someone should have politely mentioned it (even if it was a media member) directly to Snyder, and asked Bobby, and dealt with it. I feel he is being slightly unfair by not mentioning it earlier rather than after the fact. Sonny and Theismann didn't really publicly cry about it. Maybe Bobby should have mentioned it to Mr. Snyder personally (or Sonny could've brought it up..he seems to have the respect of Snyder).

[Kilmer17]

The bottom line is that the number is NOT retired and is available regardless of any unspoken rule.

Bobby Mitchell should have mentioned it to Snyder if he was that pissed about it.

I notice that teams arent lining up to hire him either. He had a token position as a gesture of goodwill and milked it for years. He's a classless jackoff for bashing the team now.

[Posse81]

Sorry if this has already been discussed, but why doesn't the team just permanently and officially retire the numbers? That way we can avoid all this...

[Kilmer17]

It would create a worse situation.

Who get's retired? And at some point you would run out of numbers.

But say we could retire them. We should limit it to players who spent their entire careers with the team and had a significant role in winning titles.

That would eliminate just about everyone except. Baugh, Darrell, and Charlie Taylor. And I'm not sure Taylor makes the grade.

A better thing to do would be to retire their jersey in a ceremony and then immediately give that number to a rookie or young player.

[Skins24]

Bobby Mitchell should have mentioned it to Snyder if he was that pissed about it.

Exactly. That's what I don't get, why didn't he say something!?

And how did he find out that Leonard Stephens had his number? If Stephens number was #389 I'm not sure anyone would have noticed. Who tipped him off?

[codeorama]

Originally posted by Kilmer17

The bottom line is that the number is NOT retired and is available regardless of any unspoken rule.

Bobby Mitchell should have mentioned it to Snyder if he was that pissed about it.

I notice that teams arent lining up to hire him either. He had a token position as a gesture of goodwill and milked it for years. He's a classless jackoff for bashing the team now.

I agree 100%. After reading the WP article, I feld the same way.:puke:

I honestly don't think any numbers should be retired. Put the greatest players on a plaque, or give them a statue, but there are only 99 numbers, that would suck to run out. I think the majority of players choose a number to honor someone they look up to regardless. Just because we see Wuerffel wearing #7, does that mean Joe Theisman is any less good? No way. It just means that DW is not as good a number 7 as Joey T was.

[GB81]

People need to accept the fact that you cannot retire numbers in football. Art Monk is my favorite all-time Redskin, and he stands for everything you could ever want in a football player, or a person for that matter. Still, I do not think it reasonable or necessary to retire his number (and I bet he feels that way too). the ring of fame is sufficient for any great player. Football is just not condusive to the retiring of numbers.

[gridironmike]

Originally posted by GGB81

People need to accept the fact that you cannot retire numbers in football. Art Monk is my favorite all-time Redskin, and he stands for everything you could ever want in a football player, or a person for that matter. Still, I do not think it reasonable or necessary to retire his number (and I bet he feels that way too). the ring of fame is sufficient for any great player. Football is just not condusive to the retiring of numbers.

Which sport is condusive to retiring numbers? Basketball becasue there may be 15 on a roster at a time? Baseball? Arena football? What about NASCAR? I'm a Dale Earnhardt fan and I don't want to see another #3 on the track. Race fans argue that Richard Petty is no longer driving but his #43 is. I would counter with he owns the car and the number. I not all for it and I'm not all against it. Circumstances dictate different situations. If the Redskins would open their own Hall of Fame (something I've been beating a drum for on here a lot), these situations could be rectified. You could retire the players jersey in the Hall and issue the number to another player. The ring of honor is not enough. You'd think marketing-savvy Snyder would realize the bonaza a Redskins Hall could be. More revenue! Good publicity! Historical signifigance. to the Redskins greats!

[Larry Brown #43]

Originally posted by Bandit

I heard the Sports Reports and Tony talking about it last night as a matter of fact. NOBODY noticed it. Boswell is wrong on this one. The kid never got on the field in a normal game. Who noticed him?

Just because YOU didn't notice it, that doesn't mean NOBODY noticed it. Leonard Stephens scored at least one touchdown in the preseason and played in the regular season when Rasby went down. The folks on Sportstalk 980 here in DC discussed it a LOT, particularly during the preseason, and I personally discussed it with friends who ALSO noticed it. There's no way Snyder didn't notice it. Impossible. I thought he was a lifelong fan of this team? I could see Abe Pollin or some other oblivious owner not noticing something like this, but come on, we're talking about Snyder here.

The reason this is an issue is because the Redskins chose not to give out other unofficially retired numbers (Thiesmann, Jurgensen, etc.), but they had no problem giving Mitchell's number to the 3rd-string tight end. It would have been classy to at least ask Mitchell if he was OK with it, as they did with Theismann and Jurgensen. Mitchell is every bit as important to Redskin history as Theismann was (not to take anything away from Joey T.).

[bulldog]

look, the WASHINGTON REDSKINS can send out a memo declaring which jerseys will be retired, it's as simple as that.

Snyder owns the team, it is a private company and there are no public shareholders to address in a proxy :laugh:

There are teams with more players in the HOF than the Redskins and yet these teams seem to avoid these kinds of issues from coming up.

Nobody in Pittsburgh is going to wear #12 or #32 or #88. Nobody at MLB is going to wear #58.

If the team feels that arbitrarily retiring a jersey for certain players and not others may be unfair, set a public criteria like HOF admission and stick to that.

You would get how many numbers?

Guys that were REALLY Redskins, not merely guys like Deacon Jones and Paul Krause that were here for short periods of their careers

Baugh, Battles, Turk Edwards, Millner, Sonny, Mitchell, Taylor, Huff, Kenny Houston, Riggins, etc.............

that is not going to eat up ALL the extra roster jerseys folks............

and if the club is expanded to Redskins Lifetime Achievers but not yet HOFers than we can include the Larry Browns and Art Monks and Russ Grimms................

[Charlie Murphaaay]

Originally posted by rskin24

Exactly. That's what I don't get, why didn't he say something!?

And how did he find out that Leonard Stephens had his number? If Stephens number was #389 I'm not sure anyone would have noticed. Who tipped him off?

A Hall of Fame player shouldn't have to mention it. Snyder didn't have a problem remembering any other numbers he kept off of the field.

[@DCGoldPants]

Snyder doesn't look at every number all the time. He should of said something.

Bobby wasn't working it seems. He could of take time out of practicing his putting in his office to tell somebody. What? 5 steps to the phone?

[Charlie Murphaaay]

Originally posted by Bandit

Snyder doesn't look at every number all the time. He should of said something.

Bobby wasn't working it seems. He could of take time out of practicing his putting in his office to tell somebody. What? 5 steps to the phone?

Bobby Mitchell is one of the most significant players in Redskin history.

I believe that Dan Snyder knew about the number, he just didn't give two sh*t's about it.

[@DCGoldPants]

You must be on crack if you think that is in the front of Snyder's mind. If it were, we'd never win anything.

Why is this such a big deal now and not in the summer when it actually happened.

crying over spilled milk from last offseason?

I'm still pissed about Larry Centers.....can I ***** about that now also?

[Skins24]

I think I may have found out where Bobby found out his number was being used.

Stephens had 1 catch last season.

That 1 (13 yard) catch happened during the Colts game.

The Colts game was the game in which we honored the 70 greatest Redskins.

So the one time we decided to pass it to him, Bobby Mitchell was watching. If we hadn't thrown it too him, all this probably would have never have happened.

Of course...this is all theory.

[Larry Brown #43]

Originally posted by Bandit

Snyder doesn't look at every number all the time. He should of said something.

Bobby wasn't working it seems. He could of take time out of practicing his putting in his office to tell somebody. What? 5 steps to the phone?

Snyder is involved in every damn thing that goes on with this organization, and if you don't know that, you haven't been paying attention. Mitchell didn't want to create a distraction or be a prick by moaning about it during the season or pre-season. If the Skins had the foresight to call Sonny and Thiesmann to talk to them about their jersey numbers, why couldn't they have discussed it with Bobby Mitchell? He was an employee...it's not like he'd be hard to locate. He's a Hall of Famer and the first African-American to ever suit up for the burgundy and gold. He's a legend. It's not Bobby's place to b!tch about the jersey number. That's like inviting yourself to a party. You don't do that. It's up to the organization to approach the player about it, not the other way around. It's a simple courtesy they chose to extend to OTHER players, so why not Bobby?

[@DCGoldPants]

Are you kidding? Every aspect? I'm sure he was paying the same amount of attention to the 2 QB's fighting for the starting job and a 3rd string rookie TE at the other end of the field. This mistake starts with the Equipment manager, then the TE's Coach, then Spurrier, then Danny. You might as well blame Danny for the amount of parking at FedEx because he's basically being blamed also for not giving Mitchell more GM responsibilities. Well, FedEx was built by Cooke and he also decided when Danny was a little boy that Mitchell wasn't right for the GM spot. He turned out to be right. We got some nice wins in those years. Everybody from top to bottom at Redskins Park apologized about the Jersey issue and its even on the website. I don't know what else can be done but people complaining. He retired, he's gone and if he wanted to be a GM so bad, he should of put himself out there in the NFL to see if there were any takers.....maybe he did....and nobody was biting.

[Larry Brown #43]

Originally posted by Bandit

Are you kidding? Every aspect? I'm sure he was paying the same amount of attention to the 2 QB's fighting for the starting job and a 3rd string rookie TE at the other end of the field. This mistake starts with the Equipment manager, then the TE's Coach, then Spurrier, then Danny. You might as well blame Danny for the amount of parking at FedEx because he's basically being blamed also for not giving Mitchell more GM responsibilities. Well, FedEx was built by Cooke and he also decided when Danny was a little boy that Mitchell wasn't right for the GM spot. He turned out to be right. We got some nice wins in those years. Everybody from top to bottom at Redskins Park apologized about the Jersey issue and its even on the website. I don't know what else can be done but people complaining. He retired, he's gone and if he wanted to be a GM so bad, he should of put himself out there in the NFL to see if there were any takers.....maybe he did....and nobody was biting.

I could care less about the GM thing. I never said that Mitchell should have been GM. All I'm saying is that anyone who doesn't know that Bobby Mitchell wore #49 isn't much of a Redskin fan. You originally claimed that nobody noticed it, and you are wrong about that. I even remember thinking, "Wow, Bobby Mitchell is a class act for letting the 3rd-string TE wear his number." I thought maybe it had something to do with Stephens being a local Howard University product. Well, turns out no one even broached the subject with Mitchell in the first place. I'm simply saying it was wrong, especially considering other former players were extended that courtesy. And if I knew that Stephens was wearing #49, you can be sure that someone brought it to Snyder's attention along the way.

The Redskins are all about history and tradition, and burns me up when they do something to get away from that.

[@DCGoldPants]

it got till the end of the season before it became a big issue. You tell me how many people noticed it and I dare you to call most of the people that packed the Stadium for that Indy game....Not fans.

side note: Why wasn't it brought up where when it was happening? How many people went to camp? Watched games with TiVo and we talked about it for months. Did I miss the weeks we ****ed about this when it 1st happened?

[Larry Brown #43]

Originally posted by Bandit

it got till the end of the season before it became a big issue. You tell me how many people noticed it and I dare you to call most of the people that packed the Stadium for that Indy game....Not fans.

Perhaps you don't listen to SportsTalk 980...or at least you weren't listening when they discussed it. Bobby Mitchell was still an employee when they discussed it on the air. It's irrelevant WHEN it became a "big issue." As a fan, it was an issue with me the moment I saw Stephens wearing the jersey, as it was certainly an issue then with Mitchell. He just didn't raise a fuss or create a distraction, for which he is to be commended. Whether it was a "big" issue or not -- by your standards -- I do believe that enough people were talking about it for Snyder to catch wind of it. I even recall it being discussed here on Extremeskins, albeit briefly, but I don't have the patience or the inclination to spend several hours trying to find it.

But to answer your question about why it wasn't discussed when it was happening, the answer is it WAS discussed, as I've mentioned now several times. Again, see SportsTalk 980. And if Mitchell had been a prick and mouthed off about it during the season, it would have been an even BIGGER issue.