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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/26/AR2008012601596_pf.html

Snyder's Search Is Becoming More and More Baffling

By George Solomon

Sunday, January 27, 2008; D02

Watching the Redskins pound the Dallas Cowboys at FedEx Field on the last Sunday in December to reach the playoffs, you could almost feel the affection fans in that stadium felt toward their team that night.

No matter that I was watching that game about 1,000 miles way in a West Palm Beach, Fla., sports bar. You don't have to be a genius or political pollster to know that after the death of Sean Taylor and the gritty performance of the players and coaches, many fans put Joe Gibbs's 2007 squad among the most appreciated Redskins teams of all time.

But in the sports world of 2008, five weeks is an eternity.

And those warm, fuzzy feelings generated by the Redskins' playoff drive and the dignity displayed by the organization in the wake of the Taylor tragedy have been replaced by the anger and disillusionment many fans feel over the way team owner Daniel Snyder has conducted his search to replace Gibbs.

"I've never seen Redskins fans so mad," one friend involved in the sports radio business told me Friday. Several others echoed similar sentiments.

In the days following Gibbs's resignation on Jan. 8, the word most heard coming out of Redskins Park was "continuity."

Continuity among players who showed so much fortitude the past two months; continuity among the remaining coaches, led by defensive chief Gregg Williams, seemingly destined to replace Gibbs amid the warm feelings of that last Gibbs news conference.

But evidently those four interviews between Williams and Snyder -- on top of four years working under the same roof -- seemed to leave Williams on the outside looking in.

So much so that this past week Snyder seemed ready to hire former Giants coach Jim Fassel to replace Gibbs. Or until anti-Fassel sentiments began appearing on message boards and sports-talk radio put a hold on that expected news conference.

Talk about not believing in your own convictions. Snyder wheeled on a dime and apparently kept the job posting ("head coach for football team in most important city in world") alive, to the embarrassment of both candidates.

Then yesterday, Snyder went a step further, firing Williams and promoting assistant Greg Blache to the role of defensive coordinator. Snyder also made official the ouster of Al Saunders and the hiring of Jim Zorn, and said the team would not hire a new head coach until after next Sunday's Super Bowl.

Did Williams not find a common ground with Snyder and his newly promoted executive vice president Vinny Cerrato these past four years? Did Williams not play well with others in a higher pay scale? Did he anger the guys down the executive hallway with that "10-man, honor Sean" defensive scheme that no one, including Gibbs, knew about?

Beats me.

What did in Fassel, who has a rep as a smart, very smooth guy and molder of quarterbacks but had been fired from his last two jobs as coach of the Giants and offensive coordinator of the Ravens? Did someone say Fassel was too easy on his players, or would not be needing that cot in Gibbs's office for overnights? One sports-talk radio host told me the negative response to Fassel was "100 percent."

Snyder and Cerrato were working all week on Fassel's staff when some Redskins assistants (for sale: 700-page playbook) still were scouting at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., assessing players for who knows which team. That all blew up, because most of those potential Fassel assistants had contracts with other teams.

So is Snyder waiting until after the Super Bowl so he can interview Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo or New England's Boy Genius, Josh McDaniels?

Or will he turn to the Colts' Ron Meeks or Russ Grimm, the former Hog and well-respected NFL assistant for years in Pittsburgh and most recently Arizona? Grimm is a presence -- someone known and respected in the Washington area who is capable of salvaging some dignity from a process without any.

Click the link for full article

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/26/AR2008012601596_pf.html

Snyder's Search Is Becoming More and More Baffling

By George Solomon

Sunday, January 27, 2008; D02

Watching the Redskins pound the Dallas Cowboys at FedEx Field on the last Sunday in December to reach the playoffs, you could almost feel the affection fans in that stadium felt toward their team that night.

No matter that I was watching that game about 1,000 miles way in a West Palm Beach, Fla., sports bar. You don't have to be a genius or political pollster to know that after the death of Sean Taylor and the gritty performance of the players and coaches, many fans put Joe Gibbs's 2007 squad among the most appreciated Redskins teams of all time.

But in the sports world of 2008, five weeks is an eternity.

And those warm, fuzzy feelings generated by the Redskins' playoff drive and the dignity displayed by the organization in the wake of the Taylor tragedy have been replaced by the anger and disillusionment many fans feel over the way team owner Daniel Snyder has conducted his search to replace Gibbs.

"I've never seen Redskins fans so mad," one friend involved in the sports radio business told me Friday. Several others echoed similar sentiments.

In the days following Gibbs's resignation on Jan. 8, the word most heard coming out of Redskins Park was "continuity."

Continuity among players who showed so much fortitude the past two months; continuity among the remaining coaches, led by defensive chief Gregg Williams, seemingly destined to replace Gibbs amid the warm feelings of that last Gibbs news conference.

But evidently those four interviews between Williams and Snyder -- on top of four years working under the same roof -- seemed to leave Williams on the outside looking in.

So much so that this past week Snyder seemed ready to hire former Giants coach Jim Fassel to replace Gibbs. Or until anti-Fassel sentiments began appearing on message boards and sports-talk radio put a hold on that expected news conference.

Talk about not believing in your own convictions. Snyder wheeled on a dime and apparently kept the job posting ("head coach for football team in most important city in world") alive, to the embarrassment of both candidates.

Then yesterday, Snyder went a step further, firing Williams and promoting assistant Greg Blache to the role of defensive coordinator. Snyder also made official the ouster of Al Saunders and the hiring of Jim Zorn, and said the team would not hire a new head coach until after next Sunday's Super Bowl.

Did Williams not find a common ground with Snyder and his newly promoted executive vice president Vinny Cerrato these past four years? Did Williams not play well with others in a higher pay scale? Did he anger the guys down the executive hallway with that "10-man, honor Sean" defensive scheme that no one, including Gibbs, knew about?

Beats me.

What did in Fassel, who has a rep as a smart, very smooth guy and molder of quarterbacks but had been fired from his last two jobs as coach of the Giants and offensive coordinator of the Ravens? Did someone say Fassel was too easy on his players, or would not be needing that cot in Gibbs's office for overnights? One sports-talk radio host told me the negative response to Fassel was "100 percent."

Snyder and Cerrato were working all week on Fassel's staff when some Redskins assistants (for sale: 700-page playbook) still were scouting at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., assessing players for who knows which team. That all blew up, because most of those potential Fassel assistants had contracts with other teams.

So is Snyder waiting until after the Super Bowl so he can interview Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo or New England's Boy Genius, Josh McDaniels?

Or will he turn to the Colts' Ron Meeks or Russ Grimm, the former Hog and well-respected NFL assistant for years in Pittsburgh and most recently Arizona? Grimm is a presence -- someone known and respected in the Washington area who is capable of salvaging some dignity from a process without any.

Click the link for full article

From what I read GW ragged on Gibbs, We don't know if thats true or not,
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Snyder makes me want to vomit... I thought only jerry jones was stupid enough to hire an assistant before the HC. Now snyder thinks that he's smart enough to put a NFL coaching staff together.

I would have never thought he could have found a way to make a bigger joke out of this team than he already had....

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Snyder makes me want to vomit... I thought only jerry jones was stupid enough to hire an assistant before the HC. Now snyder thinks that he's smart enough to put a NFL coaching staff together.

I would have never thought he could have found a way to make a bigger joke out of this team than he already had....

Boy that sure didn't work out for Dallas, huh.

I'd hate to go 13-3 and win the division, wouldn't you?

~Bang

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The part about Russ Grimm is interesting. I think that's the only shot Snyder has left at respectability.

I agree totally. I have been pining for Grimm to get serious consideration for the job ever since talk of who would replace Gibbs started 2 years ago and now Grimm's hiring may take on even more meaning in that it will salve many of the wounds that Snyder has opened with the way he has conducted this coaching search.

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Snyder makes me want to vomit... I thought only jerry jones was stupid enough to hire an assistant before the HC. Now snyder thinks that he's smart enough to put a NFL coaching staff together.

I would have never thought he could have found a way to make a bigger joke out of this team than he already had....

Gibbs is advising Snyder
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Since he wants to wait until after SB to make his decision, I don't see Russ here. It will probably be Fassell, Spagnuolo, maybe Mc Daniels.

I have a heard time wrapping my mind around the idea of McDaniels as the HC. He is far to young to command respect of the older players and maybe even some of the coaches--yes, Im calling out reverse-agism. Plus he has only been an O-coordinator for what, one season? I believe most of the Pats' success this season has been due mostly to the players, not the genius mind of the OC. On top of all that, I dont think he wants to leave the Pats anyway, he knows he is too green.

As for Grimm, I think he might be second or third in Snyder's mind in terms of toys he most want to play with. So he will have to wait until after the SB to interview Spags, then Grimm so as not to appear in love with Spags over Grimm before either even interview. Of course these are just my ramblings and I dont pretend to know anything.

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Snyder makes me want to vomit... I thought only jerry jones was stupid enough to hire an assistant before the HC. Now snyder thinks that he's smart enough to put a NFL coaching staff together.

I would have never thought he could have found a way to make a bigger joke out of this team than he already had....

The funny thing is that I actually like the hiring of Zorn, and the team could do worse than Blache...its just that I would want a HC of this team to be able to pick his own coordinators, not the boy-in-a-sandbox owner!

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I guess I have to google McDaniels, don't know much about him other than he is 31. Pretty young for a head coach. I just don't know if he could bring the things down here that work in New England because what works in New England starts at the top and we certainly don't have that.

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The funny thing is that I actually like the hiring of Zorn, and the team could do worse than Blache...its just that I would want a HC of this team to be able to pick his own coordinators, not the boy-in-a-sandbox owner!

_______________________

Not stating that it is indeed fact but what if the HC has picked these Co-ordinators? Just because the media and the fans are in the dark on it does not mean it is not already planned.

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Boy that sure didn't work out for Dallas, huh.

I'd hate to go 13-3 and win the division, wouldn't you?

~Bang

that was All based on the team/strategy/skills of Bill Parcells. He built those guys up from the pathetic rag-a-muffins they were 4 years ago. JJ's lone significant contribution (other than being smart enough to sign BP!) was signing TO over the objections of Parcells.

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Look what I found:

FROM WTOP.COM MESSAGE BOARD:

You can call Redskin Park at 703-726-7000.

If you would like to write to Dan Snyder or anyone else, here is the address.

Redskin Park

21300 Redskin Park Drive

Ashburn, VA 20147

TRY CALLING HIM ON MONDAY AT 9AM.

HE SHOULD BE IN BY THEN :-)

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I think Grimm would be the right fit for us right now. He is a man that would be repected and the fact that his coordinators are already in place might actually help him. He really isnt a system kind of guy but more of a motivator and strategist. I think it would work great.

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The funny thing is that I actually like the hiring of Zorn, and the team could do worse than Blache...its just that I would want a HC of this team to be able to pick his own coordinators, not the boy-in-a-sandbox owner!

Im holding the same position, i dont think Mcadaniels or Spags would be a good fit here with the coaches already in place.....Looks like Fassel but i hope im wrong.

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Boy that sure didn't work out for Dallas, huh.

I'd hate to go 13-3 and win the division, wouldn't you?

~Bang

Problem is, Jones has football acumen and Synder doesn't. What works for Jones doesn't mean it will work for Synder.

And that aside, if you are hiring a coaches staff for him, you are getting a very weak coach. As I have said before, might as well have Synder coach the team himself. I am sure he thinks he can win us a Superbowl.

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