WP: Washington Redskins Leafers Laughing While On Field Performance Remains A Joke

[Pedro]

Trent and Pierre were sharing a laugh, not the team.  Trent slapped Sherman's face in the past, this game Pierre was having a go every time he was covered by him, to the point of multiple uncalled face mask grabs.

 

I'd expect those two to share some amusing derogatory remarks after the game.  It's not a blaise attitude to losing, imo, more of a FU Sherman and the Seahawks.  Out of respect to DeSean they didn't include him when talking about his friend's momma or it would have been him in the firing line now for corrupting our LT and no.1 WR.

 

J Reid is a ****.

[carex]

Your rose colored glasses crap is seriously getting old.

 

Laughing or crying are not the only choices you know.  How about: taking the loss seriously, and resolving to improve.  You know, what winners do.  This is a professional sports team.  And if they don't care enough to care when they lose, then why should I?

 

 

Personally I'm capable of laughing and being serious in a relatively short time span

[Momma There Goes That Man]

People laugh and giggle at funerals. Sometimes that's just how people deal with stuff. You had to let them be human, it doesn't mean they don't care or don't have heart.

Sure wouldn't we all love to have a team full of Rudy Ruettigers but this isn't a Disney movie.

Again, be sure to make a note the next time you laugh or smile after a less than perfect day at the office.

Come on now.

[Cooleyfan1993]

Your rose colored glasses crap is seriously getting old.

 

Laughing or crying are not the only choices you know.  How about: taking the loss seriously, and resolving to improve.  You know, what winners do.  This is a professional sports team.  And if they don't care enough to care when they lose, then why should I?

its not "rose colored glasses" crap, ok? it is called my opinion. i wasnt trying to be all optimistic about this. nothing about last night makes me optimistic. this is just my take on this locker room situation. you dont have to accept it. you can have your own take on it and your own opinion, that is fine with me.  didnt mean to start **** about this. didnt mean to upset you or anger you man.

[Conn]

However any of us feel, Gruden apparently feels strongly about it, and allowed it to become a BIG topic in his teleconference. He's honest to a fault so far, but he still could have squashed the questions and moved on. "I'm not going to get into our locker room chatter, we'll deal with anything that did or didn't happen in-house. Next question". He didn't do that.

This is obviously a big deal to our HC regardless of how we feel about it.

[VinnyIsThatYou?]

i dont particularly have a problem with the team acting happy after the loss. what do we expect them to do, hang their heads down and cry? i sure wouldnt want a football player on my favorite team that cries after a loss and is all emotional. i want the players to know that they had a bad game but act as if they are confident that they can learn from it and turn the mess around. but thats just my opinion.

 

They don't have to cry, but I'd like to see a group of men have some respect for the importance of each and every game. This isn't baseball where there's a large sample of 162 games. Smokin' n' jokin' after a loss where they were dominated, and going to 1-4, after a week where the rest of the division won, is not a good look. There's a difference between having confidence and having a jovial attitude after a loss. You can have the confidence, you don't have to cry, but don't act like this isn't important and smile about it.

 

It's just unseemly. The problem is, there are too many players not really showing that they realize they just got their asses kicked. The standards are much too low for this team and that's not conducive to turning the team around.

[s0crates]

If anybody is interested in the story the OP meant to link:

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/washington-redskins-leaders-laughing-while-on-field-performance-remains-a-joke/2014/10/07/ce33906c-4e40-11e4-aa5e-7153e466a02d_story.html

 

 

 

Washington Redskins leaders laughing, while on-field performance remains a joke

 

By Jason Reid Columnist October 7 at 1:04 PM 

 

After watching the Washington Redskins yuck it up and hearing laughter rip through their locker room late Monday night, you couldn’t tell that, only minutes earlier, the Seattle Seahawks had completed a 27-17 victory at FedEx Field. Veteran wide receiver Pierre Garcon acted out something while sharing laughs with tackle and offensive team captain Trent Williams. Other players also clearly were amused while retelling stories. But few if any seemed bothered by the Redskins’ third consecutive loss.

 

For a 1-4 team that went 3-13 last season, Washington was much too upbeat, and that should scare Coach Jay Gruden. Although the Redskins have holes throughout their roster, their performance in the locker room revealed a problem even bigger than starting Brandon Meriweather at safety: Unless Gruden changes the team’s culture, he has no chance at succeeding.

 

In five of the past six seasons and seven of 10, the Redskins have finished last or tied for last in the NFC East. Their long run of failure has been marked by preposterous player-personnel decisions, poor management and coaching hires and too many on-field embarrassments to list. Along the way, the Redskins have become accustomed to losing. It’s as much a part of who they are as burgundy-and-gold uniforms.

 

That’s what Gruden, a smart first-year NFL head coach, must overcome to construct the type of consistent winner he wants. Judging from the party-like environment in the locker room following yet another double-digit defeat, it won’t be easy. You can’t build a winner on a foundation of clowns.

 

 . . .

 

 

 

I don't think Reid's idea lacks merit.

[VinnyIsThatYou?]

People laugh and giggle at funerals. Sometimes that's just how people deal with stuff. You had to let them be human, it doesn't mean they don't care or don't have heart.

Sure wouldn't we all love to have a team full of Rudy Ruettigers but this isn't a Disney movie.

Again, be sure to make a note the next time you laugh or smile after a less than perfect day at the office.

Come on now.

 

I'm not familiar with laughing at funerals but in any case it's not a comparable situation. It's also not comparable to a less than perfect day at the office. It wouldn't be a big issue if it was laughing or smiling after a less than perfect day of practice. It's after a game, and there are only 16 of them in a season. They got dominated, and are now 1-4 firmly at the bottom of the NFC East.

 

If we're talking about our own non-athlete lives - For me, this would be comparable to a very bad performance at a pitch or client presentation. After a series of poor pitches and client presentations where the fiscal year is trending to a very poor aggregate outcome. Kind of like how the Redskins season is trending toward a very poor outcome.

 

No, I would not be laughing and giggling around my co-workers immediately after another poor pitch where business was lost and the fiscal year seems doomed and many people will probably be fired at the end of year. And I suspect my boss would have a negative perception of me if I were to do that. That wouldn't take any particular effort on my part, it would be common sense. 

 

You can laugh it off later on your own time. Perceptions are important, and if you don't seem to grasp the magnitude of a situation, you come off as out of touch and not caring. Which is exactly how many people are perceiving this team.

[Redskin-All-In]

On the poor pitch metaphor--EXACTLY. And the reason I'm so pissed off is I'm an investor in that company, in that this March I'm going to be asked to pony up another $6500 for season tickets.

I'd feel a lot better about that if I knew that players were at least as unhappy about their loss as I am.

[Thinking Skins]

i dont particularly have a problem with the team acting happy after the loss. what do we expect them to do, hang their heads down and cry? i sure wouldnt want a football player on my favorite team that cries after a loss and is all emotional. i want the players to know that they had a bad game but act as if they are confident that they can learn from it and turn the mess around. but thats just my opinion.

 

 

Your rose colored glasses crap is seriously getting old.

 

Laughing or crying are not the only choices you know.  How about: taking the loss seriously, and resolving to improve.  You know, what winners do.  This is a professional sports team.  And if they don't care enough to care when they lose, then why should I?

Cooleyfan1993, just wanted to be on record as disagreeing with Redskin-All-In. This place has always had a diverse set of opinions and there's never a need for this place to become even more negative, so if you can find reasons to be optimistic in troubling times its generally worth the read.

[Thinking Skins]

If this report was broken by John Keim or Grand Paulsen or a number of other Skins beat reporters, I'd have taken it more seriously, but this is John Reid who does this kind of stuff all the time.

As far as the actual content to the story, He specifically names Garcon and Williams. Whether that was to point them out because they're leaders they're held to a higher standard, or that these were the only two that were doing this remains to be seen. He's also using subjective judgement on this which we (as readers) are supposed to take his word on as if he's earned that. So they told a story. Was the story about the game, like a funny moment? What kind of story was it? Was it about the amount of calls they weren't getting? Was there sarcasm involved? Was it a "yo momma" joke? Was it in reference to, say, Sherman's comments?

The rest of the article is purely irrelevant. He talks about Meriweather starting at S, which is a problem for us, but that's not related to the jovial locker room. He talks about finishing last in the division so many times, and tries to infer that its BECAUSE of the jovial locker room and the loser mentality, but where are his previous examples. I'm sure RG3's injury had nothing to do with that. And its nice that he mentions other things, but easily dismisses them and just concludes that its because the team has become "accustomed to losing".

I'm just not buying what Reid is selling. Call me a homer if you want but I take this as a guy just trying to create headlines based on things that are not going on on the field, and that's something that's plagued this team for a LONG time, maybe since Marion Barry's days in DC, or maybe even since Nixon - the press trying to make a name for themselves with "gotcha" stories claiming to find somebody doing something wrong.

[Kilmer17]

Darrell Green would often smile after a loss, graciously praising the other team

So I don't think you've thought it through. Talent is what we need. Who gives a **** what their emotional state is after a loss. Really

And Grimm Jacoby and Riggins would get hammered and break stuff in anger

You need Darrell greens on your team. But you need many more Hogs

[Thinking Skins]

These are a few more stories about players and coaches laughing after a loss.

http://www.silverandblackpride.com/2012/10/3/3451488/dennis-allen-explains-cheerful-handshake-after-oakland-raiders-loss-to-broncos

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Cards-Anderson-blows-up-at-reporter-after-MNF-l?urn=nfl-290226

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/511898-tony-romo-laughing-on-sidelines-during-loss-to-green-bay-packers

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/09/21/steve-smith-told-cam-newton-to-stop-sulking-on-sideline/

[zoony]

And Grimm Jacoby and Riggins would get hammered and break stuff in anger

You need Darrell greens on your team. But you need many more Hogs

Agreed the hogs were talented

[RonArtest15]

As long as they're trying ON the field and look like they actually care about what they're doing, I don't give a **** what happens in the locker room after the game. 

 

Also, Jason Reid sucks and is a hack. 

[Kilmer17]

Agreed the hogs were talented

Gibbs first year was marked with many losses. And a worse start than Gruden.

But you could SEE the team was better than its record. They played smart. They played with emotion. They played for their coach and we're taken to the woodshed (almost literally) if they weren't giving their all.

I don't see more than a few players on this team who would have made it on the team in the 80s. Not because of talent. But lack of desire

[Mark The Homer]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned Turner's teams. 

 

That was one of the things that went on along the sideline during the Turner era.  Players were telling jokes and laughing out loud on the sidelines while losing by three touchdowns in the third quarter.  To me, it was a clear sign that Turner needed to go. 

 

If this kind of thing is happening here, now, again - I don't like it.

[zoony]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned Turner's teams. 

 

That was one of the things that went on along the sideline during the Turner era.  Players were telling jokes and laughing out loud on the sidelines while losing by three touchdowns in the third quarter.  To me, it was a clear sign that Turner needed to go. 

 

If this kind of thing is happening here, now, again - I don't like it.

Does it matter, really? No. This team was 3-13 last year and is on pace for the same this year. They could come out of the locker room in a funeral procession and it wouldn't make a difference.

This roster is a steaming pile of **** assembled by a clueless front office and an idiot owner. Period. Trent Williams laughing after the game means nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Gibbs first year was marked with many losses. And a worse start than Gruden.

But you could SEE the team was better than its record. They played smart. They played with emotion. They played for their coach and we're taken to the woodshed (almost literally) if they weren't giving their all.

I don't see more than a few players on this team who would have made it on the team in the 80s. Not because of talent. But lack of desire

You are confusing talent and "heart". Probably the most ubiquitous and definitely the most damaging mindset among fans and team executives

[AlvinWaltonIsMyBoy]

This is what annoys me about sports now more than ever.  It's all about the soap opera before the game, after the game, during the week, etc.  Lists, power rankings, twitter, Mike & Mike, and other trash.  There's more news based off "if this is true, then..." than actual facts being discussed.  It's less about what happens on the field now than ever before.  And it sucks.

 

So now, we're really going to make news about what we assume a bunch of grown ass men's feelings were after a game?  And then decide if those assumed feelings are an issue or not?  Give me a ****ing break.  

 

It sounds like a teenage girl trying to decipher a guy's facial expressions on instagram.

[GoDeep81]

Does it matter, really? No. This team was 3-13 last year and is on pace for the same this year. They could come out of the locker room in a funeral procession and it wouldn't make a difference.

 

 

I have to disagree.. There are few things about this team that can be changed NOW, but demanding and enforcing a professional attitude, regardless of the situation or circumstance (while your in the building or in game gear) CAN be changed.. This giggling stuff is just the tip of the iceberg for me.. The ball spins on basic 1st downs, the sack dances and celebrations after a basic tackle are all examples of a team that has no idea what "acting like you've been there" means, even if they never have "been there".. The change needs to start somewhere and demanding a professional attitute on and around the field seems like as good a place to start as any, imo..

[skinsfan212689]

This is what annoys me about sports now more than ever.  It's all about the soap opera before the game, after the game, during the week, etc.  Lists, power rankings, twitter, Mike & Mike, and other trash.  There's more news based off "if this is true, then..." than actual facts being discussed.  It's less about what happens on the field now than ever before.  And it sucks.

 

So now, we're really going to make news about what we assume a bunch of grown ass men's feelings were after a game?  And then decide if those assumed feelings are an issue or not?  Give me a ****ing break.  

 

It sounds like a teenage girl trying to decipher a guy's facial expressions on instagram.

You are spot on buddy. I use to be a huge football, basketball and baseball. Somehow in the late 90's football surpassed the other 2 but as of late I have been losing interest due to the constant drama all the time and watered down product of the NFL as a whole. Too many rules regarding hit zones and all that crap. I'm jut losing interest which sucks because football use to b the best sport imo!

[BraveWarrior]

I'm pretty sure Bill Belichick hasn't had too many players in his years as head coach of the Patriots who laughed and joked around in the locker room right after a loss. But even if he did have a few, you could almost excuse it because losing for them was rare, and they weren't a bunch of overrated losers who were in the basement nearly every season. And there's the difference. Overrated losers have lower expectations of themselves, whereas winners with highly competitive, hate-to-lose attitudes hold themselves to higher standards and don't find much to laugh about when they get beat.

 

I forget which coach it was (maybe Parcells?) who said he hated to lose more than he enjoyed winning. I wish we had more guys who had that opinion. And maybe you guys who are shrugging your shoulders and calling this a non-issue are right, but after so many years of losing, this just seems like another byproduct of being crap, and is a sign (once again) that this team needs a lot of work, not only on the field, but in their personnel and management situations.

[NIKKI8]

My memory defenitly isn't what it used to be but I seem to remember a fight or an argument between Lavar Arrington and Champ Bailey years ago because Champ was a little to happy after a loss. I think they were on the team bus when it happened. Maybe somebody with a better mind than me can remember it better.

[Thinking Skins]

My memory defenitly isn't what it used to be but I seem to remember a fight or an argument between Lavar Arrington and Champ Bailey years ago because Champ was a little to happy after a loss. I think they were on the team bus when it happened. Maybe somebody with a better mind than me can remember it better.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1644221

"I don't think people take it lightly," Bailey said. "Everybody has a different way of dealing with things. Everybody not going to just sit around and mope. It's all in the personality. You've got to know your players. If you know your teammate, you'll know when a guy's upset about something."

"Talk is cheap, man. You can talk all you want to, results is what counts," Bailey said. "If you don't come out with a win, it doesn't matter. I think talking's overrated. I've had guys give speeches 30 minutes long before a game and get blown out. It gets some people motivated, but if you can't motivate yourself, you're in the wrong business."

[Thinking Skins]

I have to disagree.. There are few things about this team that can be changed NOW, but demanding and enforcing a professional attitude, regardless of the situation or circumstance (while your in the building or in game gear) CAN be changed.. This giggling stuff is just the tip of the iceberg for me.. The ball spins on basic 1st downs, the sack dances and celebrations after a basic tackle are all examples of a team that has no idea what "acting like you've been there" means, even if they never have "been there".. The change needs to start somewhere and demanding a professional attitute on and around the field seems like as good a place to start as any, imo..

This sounds like a "Get off my lawn" speech. Its a sad state of affairs when fans and media are upset that players are not sad enough. Like if you're not depressed you're not trying - is that the new logo. Your argument is basically that, not only can you not smile after losing, you don't even want our players to smile after winning. First down, not a call for a smile. Tackle, not a call for a smile. Sack, not a call for a smile.

Let me ask you, what do you do to keep yourself motivated at work? Are you the guy in the office who gets mad at the person in the cubical next to you for smiling too much? Are you the type who says, "why are you smiling, our stock is down 5 points today?".

Bringing a foozball table to the office is an unprofessional environment. Telling a joke, spinning the ball, or spiking the ball are not unprofessional, particularly in a locker room / sports environment. Some people are happy to be alive and give thanks to their God for just that. Is that enough of a reason to smile after a loss, or should they be cursing their God too for giving them the loss?