#98QBKiller Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Welcome to the circus Rick Snider, The Examiner http://www.examiner.com/a-1179283~Welcome_to_the_circus.html?cid= WASHINGTON - It seems Larry and Curly can’t find Moe. From the people who came a whisker from naming Pepper Rogers interim coach one late December night in 2000 comes the latest version of looking dumber than a fifth grader. Redskins owner Dan Snyder has been caught more flat-footed than a circus clown and looking much the same. While most of the media suspected coach Joe Gibbs might retire at season’s end, team sources say Snyder had no clue. Maybe Gibbs told the owner he wasn’t leaving and changed his mind, but either way the owner should have a short list prepared just for this scenario. Indeed, this is exactly why a good general manager is needed. Instead, Snyder and his executive vice president of whatever Vinny Cerrato have looked as scatterbrained as ever. Bill Cowher was always supposed to be the next big name as Gibbs’ successor, but the timing wasn’t right. Cowher isn’t a fan of Snyder anyway after the latter twice tried to hire away Steelers assistant coaches. Jim Mora Jr. might have been the choice, only Seattle seemed to give him a wink and a nod of a promotion when Mike Holmgren retires in 2009. Maybe Mora saw the madness that is the Redskins front office and decided to have no part of it. And we can’t forget Gregg Williams, the humiliated backup choice while the Redskins shop for someone better. It would serve Snyder right if Williams rejects the offer should it ever come to that. Williams isn’t a good fit for Snyder because he’d want some say and have sound reasoning for personnel moves, something the owner won’t abide in his renewed power grab. Essentially, Williams doesn’t have the Gibbs’ finesse to make Snyder and Cerrato feel important while shuffled off to a corner. Jim Fassel is the latest prime candidate after nearly being hired in 2004. Fassel wouldn’t be the worst choice. He has been to a Super Bowl and three playoffs. However, negative fan reaction to the proposed hire has been stronger than anything I’ve ever seen locally. Redskins backers flat out don’t want Fassel, seeing him as a failed relic. They’re a little harsh, as Internet haters tend to be, but when extremeskins.com posters turn on the team — you know the last bridge is about to be burned. Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is now a reported candidate. If the Redskins truly considered him earlier, they should have made contact instead of messing around with other long shots. Spagnuolo could have been interviewed again this week instead of waiting until after the Super Bowl. Once again, it shows lack of preparation. This isn’t an exhaustive search. It’s an exhausting search. Given the public scorn over this whole process, Snyder must get this one right or truly jeopardize the team’s fan base. Incompetence is no longer overlooked by those once charmed by Snyder overspending on players. Snyder should take as long as he likes since they’re no longer competing for candidates, but he better come back with something more than Option C. Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Contact him at rsnider@dcexaminer.com. Examiner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyansRangers Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 I think that the thought of seaons ticket holders turning in their tickets and drop in fan support really shook the house a little. A team is nothing without their fanbase Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sellyoursol Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 What a great article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kovachs Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 The fact that they know want to interview Spagnuolo is a pretty damning indictment of how unprepared they were. It seems like the Danny is just grasping at straws now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stwasm Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 The fact that they know want to interview Spagnuolo is a pretty damning indictment of how unprepared they were. It seems like the Danny is just grasping at straws now. Just another example of how dysfunctional this organization has been since he took over. Word on the street is that Seattle and Baltimore deliberately sweetened their deals with Zorn and Ryan, respectively, once they got wind that the Redskins were targeting them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#98QBKiller Posted January 25, 2008 Author Share Posted January 25, 2008 The fact that they know want to interview Spagnuolo is a pretty damning indictment of how unprepared they were. It seems like the Danny is just grasping at straws now. I don't know much about Spagnuolo, but looking at his track record I like him as a HC candidate. He's pretty much only worked for/with great defenses and he knows the NFC East like the back of his hand. Personally, I think it would be wise to interview him.:2cents: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COWBOY-KILLA- Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 The football world is watching Danny, the pressure is on. The article is awesome, shines the spotlight right on the little guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sellyoursol Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 I'm waiting for the announcement of Spag's contract extension and pay raise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoeRedskins Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Just hire Fassel already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sideshow24 Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 ESr's turning on the team? No way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renaissance Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Seriously, the number of articles that mention ES just shows how little the mediots really have to report on. Everything I've read has just been speculation based on speculation. Nobody really knows anything, and I think people would not be freaking out so much had we not all assumed for the past few years that Gregg Williams was the heir to Gibbs' throne. I think the combo of Joe leaving before his contract was up, and the Redskins having so much talent but not being able to quite capitalize over the past few years has put Dan in a tough spot. So let us take a step back and realize that we are not in the situation that the Dolphins, Ravens, or Falcons are/were in. This is a team that has been on the brink for a couple years now, and finding a coach that will potentially take them to the top is a decision that should not be rushed. No matter how frustrating it is to us fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lloyd Braun Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 I don't know much about Spagnuolo, but looking at his track record I like him as a HC candidate. He's pretty much only worked for/with great defenses and he knows the NFC East like the back of his hand.Personally, I think it would be wise to interview him.:2cents: It's because nobody was mentioning Sapgnuolo until Joe Buck and Aikman started gushing about him the last three weeks. I don't know what is so great about Spagnulo. He seems to be the flavor of the week because his defense playing better as of late. Similar to Jason Garrett earlier in the year. The media fixates on one guy and some owners buy into the hype. I don't see much difference in Spagnulo's defense than Williams defense with the exception of sacks. He inherited some nice pass rushers. I just don't think he has the resume to be a head coach after one year of being a defensive coordinator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#98QBKiller Posted January 25, 2008 Author Share Posted January 25, 2008 So let us take a step back and realize that we are not in the situation that the Dolphins, Ravens, or Falcons are/were in. This is a team that has been on the brink for a couple years now, and finding a coach that will potentially take them to the top is a decision that should not be rushed. No matter how frustrating it is to us fans. :applause: Can we sticky this quote and put it at the top of the stadium? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhubb1 Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Snyder needs to do the right thing in this search and it would have been to give the job to Williams, but now i wouldnt be surprised if Williams was offered if he didnt turn it down and go to Jacksonville to be there defensive coordinator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasRoane Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 I think that the thought of seaons ticket holders turning in their tickets and drop in fan support really shook the house a little. A team is nothing without their fanbase Amen!! Hit him in the pockets and then he'll pay attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stwasm Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 So let us take a step back and realize that we are not in the situation that the Dolphins, Ravens, or Falcons are/were in. This is a team that has been on the brink for a couple years now, and finding a coach that will potentially take them to the top is a decision that should not be rushed. No matter how frustrating it is to us fans. We may not be where the Dolphins, Ravens are Falcons are, but I don't think we're on the brink, either. We've gone 31-36 over the last four years with just one playoff win. We have holes and question marks up and down the roster. If anything, this team is mediocre and is going to need quite a bit of work before we can even be considered a "serious" contender. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonJeremy Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Nice article. He expresses my feelings on this subject. It two weeks to turn the Skins back into the front office mess they were from 1999 - 2003. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Always Remember 21 Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 It's because nobody was mentioning Sapgnuolo until Joe Buck and Aikman started gushing about him the last three weeks. I don't know what is so great about Spagnulo. He seems to be the flavor of the week because his defense playing better as of late. Similar to Jason Garrett earlier in the year. The media fixates on one guy and some owners buy into the hype. I don't see much difference in Spagnulo's defense than Williams defense with the exception of sacks. He inherited some nice pass rushers. I just don't think he has the resume to be a head coach after one year of being a defensive coordinator. Agree. Everyone was killing the guy when the Giants defense gave up 80 points in the first 2 games. Now that they have had nice run in the playoffs he's suddenly a hot commodity. Oh please. Why pass up the DC that has been with you for 4 years an has had a top-10 defense 3 out of those 4 years? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kleese Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Just wrote an email to Mr. Snider: I think this applies to JLC and many of you as well: Mr. Snider, Just read your latest article from the Examiner. I tend to agree with most of what you wrote, but I can't help questioning both your and the media's agenda in this matter. Let's face it, the media has disliked Snyder from day one. They ingored the fact that the Cooke family put the Redskins in a horrible position from 1993-1998 and chose to blame all of the failings on Snyder, when in reality, the Redskins have won a lot more than they did in the 5 years PRIOR to Snyder taking over. I realize that Snyder hasn't exactly made himself "available" to the media and I know that the deal with extremeskins really hacked off many of the local media folks as well--- almost to a man, they take shots at that partnership whenever they can. Funny thing is, that extremeskins has NEVER changed since the collaboration, at least not in terms of censoring differing opinions. Snyder has gotten raked over the coals for years on that message board, yet the media continues to paint the board with a broad brush. As far as the head coaching search goes, neither you, nor anyone else in the media has really provided us with any real information. Everything that you and others have reported has been hearsay and rumor. These reports then get filtered through the internet communities and people start running with them as if they are fact. Is this a circus? Maybe. But then again, we don't quite know what's been going on, and it doesn't appear that you or many of your fellow colleagues do either. Even though my GUESS would be that you are correct-- it is still a guess, and I find it a tad irresponsible that so many media folks are throwing dirt on this issue before it's even been resolved. As the process has dragged on, the local reporters have all become more and more jaded. No doubt there is frustration that no one has been able to "break" this story-- and I believe a lot of that frustration is being taken out on Snyder. It's as if many of you are saying, "well, we can't figure out what's going on, so it must be something really bad or messy." As I've said, as a fan, I have a bad feeling about things right now. I don't trust this process one bit. I fear the worst. But I just don't think the media is being responsible. Taking two weeks to fill the most important position in your business isn't lunacy-- perhaps it's smart? We should just all wait and see, and then when it's all said and done, you can pile on all you want. Thank you for your time, Ed Kleese PS> I will probably post this over on extremeskins to see what they think Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renaissance Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 But I just don't think the media is being responsible. Taking two weeks to fill the most important position in your business isn't lunacy-- perhaps it's smart? We should just all wait and see, and then when it's all said and done, you can pile on all you want. Amen. The media creates the circus, then the media reports on the circus. Sports media really is, in large part, no better than TMZ or any other trashy celebrity news site. They bite at any scrap they can find, or fabricate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Harris Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 ESr's turning on the team? No way. that writer must have never read a game thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Emrys Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Essentially, Williams doesn’t have the Gibbs’ finesse to make Snyder and Cerrato feel important while shuffled off to a corner. This was one of the skills I loved watching Gibbs display. He really is a great people manager. He knew how to handle Dan. When Gibbs left, I thought this would be one of the most interesting dynamics to watch with the new coach . . . whoever that may be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OWUeagleMD Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Seriously, the number of articles that mention ES just shows how little the mediots really have to report on. Everything I've read has just been speculation based on speculation. Nobody really knows anything, and I think people would not be freaking out so much had we not all assumed for the past few years that Gregg Williams was the heir to Gibbs' throne. I think the combo of Joe leaving before his contract was up, and the Redskins having so much talent but not being able to quite capitalize over the past few years has put Dan in a tough spot. So let us take a step back and realize that we are not in the situation that the Dolphins, Ravens, or Falcons are/were in. This is a team that has been on the brink for a couple years now, and finding a coach that will potentially take them to the top is a decision that should not be rushed. No matter how frustrating it is to us fans. The Ravens are one year removed from a 13-3 record; the Redskins are one year removed from a 5-11 record. What makes the current Redskins situation so much better than Baltimore's two weeks ago? Certainly not the Redskins triumphant 9-7 march to a first-round exit. Knocking on the door for a few years? Is that really what you think the Redskins have been doing lately? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carter23 Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 the redskins aren't giving the media anything to report on... it is snyder/cerrato's fault this circus has been created... the media is reporting on rumors because that is all there is to report... the writers gotta do their jobs, too the skins don't need to tell the media there every move, but they can give more than 'no comment' and 'we can't confirm' responses to every question Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herb mul-key Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 It's because nobody was mentioning Sapgnuolo until Joe Buck and Aikman started gushing about him the last three weeks. I don't know what is so great about Spagnulo. He seems to be the flavor of the week because his defense playing better as of late. Similar to Jason Garrett earlier in the year. The media fixates on one guy and some owners buy into the hype. I don't see much difference in Spagnulo's defense than Williams defense with the exception of sacks. He inherited some nice pass rushers. I just don't think he has the resume to be a head coach after one year of being a defensive coordinator. QFT...I just don't see how a new staff and inexperienced new HC w/ zero relationships and super deep ties now to our rival is a good move over GWand don't tell me Schwartz is a great move either...they hate him in where in TN and the fans there would LOVE us to take him off their hands...he is booooring. I think Danny wants GW to fire Al and he won't do it.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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