Dan T. Posted November 6, 2003 Share Posted November 6, 2003 Risky Business Paul Zimmerman - SI.com I am constantly amazed at the ineptitude of NFL owners -- especially the ones who made it big in other fields and bought a team as a kind of expensive toy. Well, if they had run their other business the way they run their football operation, they'd have been out of business and we never would have heard of them. The problem is that from a profit and loss sense, it doesn't really matter that much whether you win or not. The NFL is a steal. You simply can't lose money, given the upfront bonanza of TV revenue. Oh, I've seen teams claim a setback in some years when capital expenses were high, but even if there's a minor loss every season, the price of the franchise escalates at such a rate that it more than covers the deficit. It would be like someone owning a stock that keeps rising and then complaining that a yearly dividend was down. The story of Bum Bright is a good illustration of just how cushy life in the NFL can be. Bright and his group bought the Dallas Cowboys in 1984 for $86 million. And then he ran the club into the ground. The Cowboys were a perennial playoff team before Bright took over, but his five years saw the team sink to the bottom, with three straight losing years at the end of his reign, which ended with a 3-13 campaign. And what did this ineptitude earn him? Fifty-four million. The club was sold to Jerry Jones for $140 million five years after Bright bought it. Would we ever have heard of Daniel Snyder if he had run his Snyder Communications the way he has run the Redskins? He is no longer the NFL's new boy on the block. He's in his fifth year now, and you'd think he'd have learned something about the way a football team functions, but he still has absolutely no understanding of this unique business. He dug a tunnel under his first two coaches by going directly to the players without telling the staff. He has overruled his current coach, Steve Spurrier, on personnel decisions, making them a committee choice. It's like he hasn't learned what the game is all about. At times his decisions have been has been flat-out ridiculous. Shortly after Spurrier fired Charley Casserly as his GM and replaced him with Vinny Cerrato, Casserly received a call from one of his old Redskins scouts. "You're not gonna believe this," the scout said. "The owner decided that kicking field goals isn't so tough, so after practice he had Cerrato hold for him, and he tried kicking some -- in his street clothes and shoes." He quit after a few grass-skimmers. Casserly told the story to his wife, Beverley. "You see that?" she said. "If you were still there that would have been you holding for those kicks." [More of article at si.com] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan T. Posted November 6, 2003 Author Share Posted November 6, 2003 Vinnie holding while Danny Boy kicks worm-burner field goals? This is perfect fodder for a "Bang" cartoon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sippin2020 Posted November 6, 2003 Share Posted November 6, 2003 I would give anything to see a picture of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awesome Posted November 6, 2003 Share Posted November 6, 2003 Wow. Not that I really have any love for Casserly, the man who gave us Michael Westbrook, Heath Shuler, and what was that o-lineman's name, Andre Johnson? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROSTY28 Posted November 6, 2003 Share Posted November 6, 2003 What's the big deal? So the guy wanted to see what it was like to kick a field goal -- he probably thought it would be fun. Hell, if I owned the team I'd probably want to play scout quarterback. Snyder should buy SI and make Dr. Z cover the WNBA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted November 6, 2003 Share Posted November 6, 2003 Maybe danny was gonna try out for kicker. After the last several ones before Hall, he couldn' t have been much worse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Genius Posted November 6, 2003 Share Posted November 6, 2003 Appears that Snyders opinion of Kickers isnt (or should I say wasn't) much different than many PRO's who actually play the game. They don't think kicking is hard...until someone takes them out to the 25 or 35 yard line and asks them to kick. Not defending kickers per se...just noting that no one respects them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OaktonSkins/BushFan Posted November 6, 2003 Share Posted November 6, 2003 OMG. That is the funniest damn thing I've heard in a long time. :laugh: I wonder what else Cerrato holds for Snyder. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@DCGoldPants Posted November 6, 2003 Share Posted November 6, 2003 Its so funny, what's funnier that you know Dr. Z has tried this before but doesn't mention it......AND that a good chunk of the current NFL Players wouldn't talk to him if rolled into the lockerroom (in a wheelchair) after a game. They know the Sportscenter and Fox guys...not some guy who's using his knowledge from 20 years ago now....predicting mostly wrong every week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoDak Cowboy Posted November 7, 2003 Share Posted November 7, 2003 Maybe D. Snyder would like to try and juke a defender........ I'm sure Roy Williams would agree to let him see if he could run by him to the endzone. I'd be willing to bet Patrick Ramsey would get a big kick out of it. Maybe then the F.O. would know what kind of punishment this kid is taking and get him some help. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief skin Posted November 7, 2003 Share Posted November 7, 2003 Funny, Snyder out there in his suit, tie, and wingtips then u have Cerrato the a$$kisser holding. Priceless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljer Posted November 7, 2003 Share Posted November 7, 2003 Z doesn't have anything else to write about??? How sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skins26 Posted November 7, 2003 Share Posted November 7, 2003 The only thing that is sad about this is that someone took the time to write an article about it. Dr. Z sucks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ancalagon the Black Posted November 7, 2003 Share Posted November 7, 2003 Shortly after Spurrier fired Charley Casserly as his GM and replaced him with Vinny Cerrato, Casserly received a call from one of his old Redskins scouts. Wow. So STEVE SPURRIER fired Casserly! The plot thickens! On the bright side, maybe Snyder will decide "tackling isn't so hard" and use Cerrato as a tackling dummy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prosperity Posted November 7, 2003 Share Posted November 7, 2003 Originally posted by Ancalagon the Black Wow. So STEVE SPURRIER fired Casserly! The plot thickens! On the bright side, maybe Snyder will decide "tackling isn't so hard" and use Cerrato as a tackling dummy. :rotflmao: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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