Redskins tanked 2010 season and will tank 2011 season and I'm OK with it!

[TD_washingtonredskins]

Just a question out of curiousity... But...

If the Redskins were willingly throwing games, would you still cheer for them?

That's tough to answer...do you mean if the stated (or implied) goal of the season was to lose a bunch of games to get a top pick, would you still "support" the team or would you "cheer for wins" when they play?

I suppose if that was their strategy and it was somehow known by the fan base, I'd support it since I don't really know what else to do. I've supported years with horrible players (Spurrier in 2002), I've supported years with players I disliked (Haynesworth, McNabb, Stubblefield, Matt Stevens, etc.), I've supported coaches I didn't like (Zorn), and I've supported front offices I haven't believed in...so I guess if an established GM/coach like Shanahan leveled with us and said that playing all young players and losing now would equate to a successful run in the future, I'd support it.

I just don't ever see how that would realistically happen. What I mean by that is that I don't see how that would ever be communicated. You can only stack the deck against your team...you can't ever start playing to lose. You can play 22 rookies, but you can't call a draw play on every third-and-long or punt on second down or play a prevent with 8 minutes to go. NFL teams can't show their hands like that.

[KDawg]

That's tough to answer...do you mean if the stated (or implied) goal of the season was to lose a bunch of games to get a top pick, would you still "support" the team or would you "cheer for wins" when they play?

I suppose if that was their strategy and it was somehow known by the fan base, I'd support it since I don't really know what else to do. I've supported years with horrible players (Spurrier in 2002), I've supported years with players I disliked (Haynesworth, McNabb, Stubblefield, Matt Stevens, etc.), I've supported coaches I didn't like (Zorn), and I've supported front offices I haven't believed in...so I guess if an established GM/coach like Shanahan leveled with us and said that playing all young players and losing now would equate to a successful run in the future, I'd support it.

I just don't ever see how that would realistically happen. What I mean by that is that I don't see how that would ever be communicated. You can only stack the deck against your team...you can't ever start playing to lose. You can play 22 rookies, but you can't call a draw play on every third-and-long or punt on second down or play a prevent with 8 minutes to go. NFL teams can't show their hands like that.

It was more of a hypothetical.

I see people saying to throw games, but I think throwing a game is a blatant disrespect to a fanbase that only seems to ask that the team tries to win (I also think it would never happen in the NFL).

I would have an extremely rough time cheering for this team if we purposely threw games. I'd still be a fan, but it would be a back burner thing for me. Really. Going into a season with the goal of losing is such a blatant punch in the ballsac that I couldn't stomach cheering for these guys. I'd sit idly by, watch the games, observe, and not get caught up in it. I could never change teams...

[Toe Jam]

This thread screams "I'm an attention whore".

[Hitman21ST]

Here's where I stand on it. Do I want the Redskins to win? Definitely. Every game.

Will I be upset if we lose? Probably, but not as much as I normally would because with every loss we get one step closer to Luck, Jones, or Barkley.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Just a question out of curiousity... But...

If the Redskins were willingly throwing games, would you still cheer for them?

'Phew, that's a biggie KD.

I'd be inclined to say if I were fortunate to be a paying game day fan, it would be one of the few times I'd advocate concerted booing and abuse at the stadium.

But then if the organization were straight up about their intentions from the get go, before season tickets were renewed etc. so everyone knew what was happening and had the choice to go or not; I wouldn't be as pissed with the team. I'd still be pissed and not in agreement, but at least it would be out there.

I guess I'd be apathetic to it all for a season. I'd still hang here and chat **** with you guys, but the games would be neither here nor there to me in that scenario,

And if I were a fan of another ball club that were just rank bad, regardless of how hard they tried, I'd be ubber pissed at the Redskins for taking away a chance of the higher pick to improve. This sure does raise a whole host of questions, not least the morality of it going against the ethos of the game and sports in general.

Hail.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

It was more of a hypothetical.

I see people saying to throw games, but I think throwing a game is a blatant disrespect to a fanbase that only seems to ask that the team tries to win (I also think it would never happen in the NFL).

I would have an extremely rough time cheering for this team if we purposely threw games. I'd still be a fan, but it would be a back burner thing for me. Really. Going into a season with the goal of losing is such a blatant punch in the ballsac that I couldn't stomach cheering for these guys. I'd sit idly by, watch the games, observe, and not get caught up in it. I could never change teams...

But I guess that's the catch...if you understood the strategy, wouldn't you be hoping they'd lose in the short-term to win in the long run? So, I am not sure you're giving "fans" enough credit. Fans ask that teams try to win CONSISTENTLY, not just win a meaningless game here or there. So, if hypothetically, a 1-15 season would secure a decade of success, they are doing right by the fans.

[JPCreativelab]

i say hell no. if you try and lose, so be it, but losing on purpose just to get a good draft spot is weak and lame.

[polywog999]

I would never root for a coach who tried to lose on purpose. If it were found that someone lost on purpose, they would be banned for life from football, anyway. Seriously, what a lame proposition. I'm paying my hard earned money to watch a team lose be their own choice? It's like messing up my lottery ticket so that I have NO CHANCE of winning....

[TD_washingtonredskins]

I would never root for a coach who tried to lose on purpose. If it were found that someone lost on purpose, they would be banned for life from football, anyway. Seriously, what a lame proposition. I'm paying my hard earned money to watch a team lose be their own choice? It's like messing up my lottery ticket so that I have NO CHANCE of winning....

Well, to be clear, I was working within KDawg's hypothetical parameters that assumed tanking a season intentionally was a viable and transparent strategy a team could employ. In real life, I agree that you just can't do it.

[Dirt]

The thought process of some fans is mind boggling.

Basically you're saying not drafting Blaine Gabbert = we're tanking next season. Or, benching Donovan = tanking the end of last season. Benching him was a statement, and we were bad with Donovan anyway. With our record, you could argue we were ALREADY tanking the season with McNabb, and then you'd have to make sense of trading picks for him. You're thinking too deep. Watching Rex was actually better than Donovan (besides a couple early games of his)...why is it so crazy to expect to float around .500, if all you're going to consider is QB play? The defense is improved with Otagwe, Kerrigan, and we'll see how that big boy up front does. Not to mention a second year in the system is always helpful.

Even the 'experts' think the Skins will be worse in '11 than they were in '10. ?? Really? Why? I don't think they'll be that good, but all this talk of tanking and actually going something like 1-15 is just stupid. If you think that, you're purposefully ignoring all the facts around you, and thinking with a doomsday attitude, because you WANT Andrew freaking Luck so bad. That's all it comes down to. What if his legs fall off.

You're also setting yourself up for a year of boredom if you're actually rooting for losses in the back of your mind. This team can rebuild, get a little better every year, float around .500, flirt with a playoff birth, etc...and grow..WITHOUT some crazy made up ploy.

[endzone_dave]

If the Redskins end up with the worst record, draft a fanchise QB and bunch of good linemen, I'd be perfectly ok with that. We'd be building a great team for the future.

[Rpredskins]

nobody tanks seasons. getting tired of these posts

[Est.1974]

Did anyone tell OJ Atogwe this before he signed ? I'm sure its not the greatest selling point for potential FA signings..

[Mr. Sinister]

I don't think we tanked anything, I think we just simply weren't that good, period. There's no conspiracy theory here, seriously. It' would appear to be pretty obvious if you watched every game we played. In fact, the talent discrepancy was painfully obvious at times.

* And yes, you are crazy

[polywog999]

This would be known as "cheating." I won't root for anyone who cheats. Winning by cheating is an extremely empty feeling. When I was 10 I entered a pic that my brother drew into a contest. It won! I felt sick after that.

Why don't we just pay other teams to lay down? We could really buy a SB, then! :point2sky

[RedskinsInFebruary]

Would an attitude of deliberately tanking a season change the culture for the better? No.

Your aim should be to win the superbowl; every year. Fall short? Fine. Fall way short? Fine.

There are teams that are in a perennial rebuilding state with high picks every year that go nowhere; then there are those who many considered rebuilding who come from out of nowhere. Then there are those who seem to be in the mix every year--they're never all the same age--they just made great personnel decisions, manage a winning culture, and generally outmaneuver the competition re draft, vets, and FA.

Tanking a season is a miserably unprofessional and unwise strategy.

[polywog999]

Would an attitude of deliberately tanking a season change the culture for the better? No.

Your aim should be to win the superbowl; every year. Fall short? Fine. Fall way short? Fine.

There are teams that are in a perennial rebuilding state with high picks every year that go nowhere; then there are those who many considered rebuilding who come from out of nowhere. Then there are those who seem to be in the mix every year--they're never all the same age--they just made great personnel decisions, manage a winning culture, and generally outmaneuver the competition re draft, vets, and FA.

Tanking a season is a miserably unprofessional and unwise strategy.

Allow me to play devil's advocate here....

How could losing, if your not going to win the SB, be a bad thing? You get to pick early in the draft, which is PROVEN to catapult teams straight to the SB!

Oh, yea...I forgot the obligatory, "blah..blah..blah....head in the sand....blind homer..blah.

[Big Will]

I agree that when McNabb was benched in favor of Grossman that the Shannys knew full well he was not playing the QB that gave them the best chance to win. When a reporter asked Mike Shanny, "Does Grossman give you a better chance to win?" after Grossman was promoted to starting QB, his answer, "He gives us a great chance to win.", was very telling. What jumped out at me was that Mike did a little dance to avoid actually answering the question and I suspect he knew that McNabb gave us the best chance.

But, I believe that McNabb was benched for reasons that none of us in Redskins fandom can or will ever know. It might have been that McNabb was changing plays in the huddle or he came to blows with Kyle. But, I refuse to believe it was for the purpose of tanking the season.

I've followed Shanny's history and I know he is a competitor and wants to win. And I don't think that by not drafting a QB this year he is twisting his figurative mustache and implementing a Machiavellian scheme to tank the upcoming season either. Thats just insane. I think Shanny had a couple of QBs that he targeted in the draft (maybe Ponder, maybe Locker) but they were taken before us. And rather than appeasing the fanbase and the pundits by drafting a QB he didn't think would succeed, he let the draft play out and drafted guys that can help this team. Of course, how wise his decision and our scouting was remains to be seen.

I think our prospects for the upcoming season can be good if we can find a decent QB by trade or free agency. With the guys we know will be on the roster right now, it looks like we can succeed if we are a high percentage passing team that runs the hell out of the ball. And most importantly, have a defense that regains it's top ten status. I like the chances for the defense to do that this year but a lot of that depends on how Kerrigan transitions, our NT play, and the play we get out of the cornerback position opposite Hall.

[SkinsHokieFan]

I don't think anyone is thinking the team, or coaches will actually LOSE games on purpose.

These guys will go out every week looking to win.

HOWEVER, if you do what we are seeing, cut veteran fat, stock pile young players and more importantly PLAY young a bunch of 1st and 2nd year guys, you will struggle.

And you will really struggle if your QB solution for the season is Grossman/Beck behind this o-line. Casey Rabach is going to start at C in week 1. If he is, this offense will struggle mightily.

The simple fact is, even with maximum effort by the players and coaches, the talent on this team is no more then 3 to 4 wins.

[Mr. Sinister]

I don't think anyone is thinking the team, or coaches will actually LOSE games on purpose.

These guys will go out every week looking to win.

HOWEVER, if you do what we are seeing, cut veteran fat, stock pile young players and more importantly PLAY young a bunch of 1st and 2nd year guys, you will struggle.

And you will really struggle if your QB solution for the season is Grossman/Beck behind this o-line. Casey Rabach is going to start at C in week 1. If he is, this offense will struggle mightily.

The simple fact is, even with maximum effort by the players and coaches, the talent on this team is no more then 3 to 4 wins.

Couldn't have said it any better myself.

[Wildbunny]

I don't think anyone is thinking the team, or coaches will actually LOSE games on purpose.

These guys will go out every week looking to win.

HOWEVER, if you do what we are seeing, cut veteran fat, stock pile young players and more importantly PLAY young a bunch of 1st and 2nd year guys, you will struggle.

And you will really struggle if your QB solution for the season is Grossman/Beck behind this o-line. Casey Rabach is going to start at C in week 1. If he is, this offense will struggle mightily.

The simple fact is, even with maximum effort by the players and coaches, the talent on this team is no more then 3 to 4 wins.

Well, if they starts to play "youth", then obviously Rabach won't be back at center, and you'll have Monty or Lich at C, and Cook right behind.

[ChiefPowhatan17]

You are crazy. No need to tank any season. Everyone is 0-0 in August. Anyone can win it all.

[skinfan2k]

I don't think anyone is thinking the team, or coaches will actually LOSE games on purpose.

These guys will go out every week looking to win.

HOWEVER, if you do what we are seeing, cut veteran fat, stock pile young players and more importantly PLAY young a bunch of 1st and 2nd year guys, you will struggle.

And you will really struggle if your QB solution for the season is Grossman/Beck behind this o-line. Casey Rabach is going to start at C in week 1. If he is, this offense will struggle mightily.

The simple fact is, even with maximum effort by the players and coaches, the talent on this team is no more then 3 to 4 wins.

I kinda agree with you here SHF, but how do you figure we lose 4 wins from last year? Who are we losing to compensate for that 4 extra losses? In fact, i believe by playing more young guys we might have more wins. If we keep the same trash from last year playing then i would see 3-4 wins lol

[LadySkinsFan]

If the young guys step up and play over their potential/draft place. You can't consistently draft in the 6th and 7th rounds and expect to find that diamond in the rough each and every time. I was scratching my head during the draft this year, especially the trading down instead of getting a quality player that would fit a need. Yeah, we had a boatload of picks but down at the bottom, not near the top 3 rounds. I'm guessing that most of these players we drafted won't see the season, so what's the point of drafting tons of camp fodder and not a few quality players? I'm not expecting much this season. And a season could be tanked just by the roster even if the players are playing their heart out, they may not be able to do the job. I think 3-4 wins is a distinct possibility.

[polywog999]

3-4 wins? No love 4 Shanny and co.?