gridironmike Posted November 30, 2003 Share Posted November 30, 2003 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/cheap/cheap.html Token Achievement By Dave McKenna On Redskins chat sites, it's been rumored for weeks that Dan Snyder minted commemorative coins during the preseason to be sold as soon as Bruce Smith becomes the NFL's all-time sacks leader. Redskins spokesman Karl Swanson admitted last week that "there are several items" of record-related merchandise being considered for retail by both the team and Smith's agent. When asked specifically about the rumored coins, Swanson declined to confirm or deny their existence. "The decision is for superstitious reasons not to talk about them or get into that," Swanson said, "until Bruce has set a record that makes it possible to offer anything." But at the Springfield Mall's Redskins Store, a shop owned by the team, clerks aren't so superstitious. They say the coins have been stocked on the premises "for a while." "We're just waiting for him to get that last sack before we put them out," one tells me. A staffer at the Arlington Redskins Store, also a Snyder outlet, says they've got sack-record T-shirts in stock, too. Smith, however, hasn't done his part to get these products to market. The half-sack that scorekeepers bestowed upon Smith for helping Renaldo Wynn finish wrapping up Brian Griese during the Skins' Nov. 23 loss in Miami left Smith tied with Reggie White at 198 sacks. That means he hasn't yet met Swanson's criterion. So the biggest drama remaining in the Redskins season concerns whether the Smithcentric wares will hit shelves in time for the holiday season, if ever. There doesn't seem to be much demand for Smith memorabilia around here anymore, what with all the time he's spent offsides or on his backside this season. That ridiculous whining he did to the press after playing his way out of a starting job—"I have goals that I would like to achieve," Bruuuce Almighty said after the Skins loss in Dallas—didn't help the Buffalo transplant's standing in these parts, either. To judge from calls to sports radio and barroom banter, it seems a lot of Redskins fans just wish Smith would go away. Besides being the oldest deck chair on the Titanic that is the 2003 Skins, Smith is also the last remaining relic of perhaps the sorriest chapter in the franchise's recent history. Smith came to the Skins after the 1999 season, as a member of Snyder's first fantasy football class. In that offseason, Snyder splurged as no owner had splurged before, and in so doing he put a target on himself and his team that neither has been able to shake. "It used to be just Dallas and the Redskins were rivals," Dallas Cowboys defensive end Eric Ogbogu, who followed the Skins while growing up in Baltimore, recently told the hosts of the evening sports-talk show on WOL. "Now everybody and the Redskins are rivals." Snyder, remember, gained control of the team in the spring of 1999, too late to compete for that year's crop of big-name free agents. (Snyder was left talking Irving Fryar out of retirement during training camp.) But he jettisoned General Manager Charley Casserly, took over personnel matters, and put to use everything he'd learned during those years of watching football and eating chili in front of the family TV. A refresher of Snyder's $100 million shopping spree: There was, of course, Deion Sanders. Snyder used Darrell Green to woo the Dallas cornerback during a dinner at Olives, a downtown restaurant. To make room for Deion's seven-year, $55 million deal under the salary cap, the Redskins released Brian Mitchell and put the "franchise" tag on Stephen Davis, marking the beginning of the end of the big back's days in Washington. At Sanders' signing, Snyder said, "Nightmares of the last few years of Deion scoring touchdowns against us will no longer happen." Indeed, they were quickly replaced by nightmares of Deion being perhaps the costliest bust of the NFL's free-agent era. Sanders' run as a Redskin ended with him hiding out with a minor-league baseball team in the Cincinnati Reds organization, saying he wasn't playing football and he wasn't returning any of the $8 million signing bonus he'd copped from Snyder. That's still the team record for free money, if only until coach Steve Spurrier goes back to college. And there was Jeff George. Snyder gave George a four-year, $18.25 million contract with a $2 million signing bonus. Snyder wanted George, an exciting loser joining his fifth team in 10 years, to replace boring winner Brad Johnson. The only memorable play of George's Redskins tenure came when he was dragged across the Dallas turf like a rag doll near the end of the Skins' 8-8 season. Two games and two losses into the 2001 season, Marty Schottenheimer (George's third coach in 18 games as a Skin) cut the quarterback, who at the time had zero touchdown passes and a QB rating of 34.6—the worst in the league. George left with a 1-6 record as a starter with the Redskins. And there was Mark Carrier. Snyder gave the safety a five-year, $15.9 million deal with a $3 million signing bonus to leave the Detroit Lions. Snyder's sidekick Vinny Cerrato said Carrier would be "the quarterback of the defense." (Perhaps the QB Cerrato spoke of was Jeff George.) Carrier had been fined and/or suspended five times for illegal hits before coming to the Redskins. It was more of the same for Carrier once he put on a Redskins uniform. In his first game with Washington, Carrier was suspended for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Carolina's Wesley Walls. His run here ended just as it began: The Skins cut Carrier before the 2001 season, in large part because the league was threatening to suspend him again for a flagrant hit in the season finale against Arizona. And there was, and is, Bruce Smith. Snyder gave the Buffalo fixture a five-year, $23 million contract that included a $4.25 million signing bonus. Other than Smith, all of Snyder's free agents from 2000 have been sent packing. Smith has alleged that he was going to retire after last year, but was talked into playing again by Gerald Snyder, the father of the Redskins owner. (Conspiracy theorists could add up the Gerald Snyder connection and the memorabilia production to explain Smith's free pass back to the lineup after slurring Spurrier for benching him.) Smith certainly would be out of here if not for his pursuit of the sack record. But he's put up with four head coaches and four defensive coordinators in four seasons here, all in hopes of catching Reggie White. There is a bogusness to the chase and the record at issue. The NFL has been recording sacks only since 1982, leaving out generations of quarterback killers, most notably Deacon Jones. And White's official NFL total of 198 sacks came in 15 seasons, four fewer than Smith (and it doesn't include the 23 1/2 sacks White got in his two years with the Memphis Showboats of the USFL). Only 26 of Smith's sacks have come in his three-and-11/16 seasons with the Redskins. The team is 27-32, with no winning seasons and no playoff appearances, with Smith in uniform. But if Smith gets another half a sack, Snyder will sell you a coin to remember him by. According to the staff at the Springfield Mall Redskins Store, it'll cost $19.95. 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Pete Posted November 30, 2003 Share Posted November 30, 2003 I would go out and get a Dallas jersey before I would get anything with Bruce Smith's face or name on it.:puke: :puke: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddha Posted November 30, 2003 Share Posted November 30, 2003 I personally would pass. But I would wholeheartedly encourage everyone to purchase as many as possible as a contribution to Dan's "Feed the Hungry 2004 Free Agents" Fund. For the cost of a cup of coffee (well, more like 10 Triple Venti Mochas from Starbucks), you can help assure that starving orphans like Jevon, John, or Shaun can have a home for the next 5-7 years surrounded by caring, passionate fans that appreciate the value of double-digit sacks and playoff berths. It may pain you to pony up the dough for a cheesy trinket bearing the likeness of a self-centered mercenary. But the rewards of seeing Warren Sapp's satisfied grin as he rolls through Ashburn in a new pimped-out burgundy Hummer will make it all worthwhile. So after Bruce breaks the record today by tripping over Bernard Holsey's foot and tumbling with him in a tangled mess on top of Aaron Brooks, make plans to hit your nearest Redskins Store to load up on these once-in-a-lifetime collectables. You'll be glad you did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. D Posted November 30, 2003 Share Posted November 30, 2003 I just KNEW danny had an angle.... I can't wait to NOT buy any of this shyte. HEY Daniel Snyder ! I personally make this commitment to never help you line you pockets with green whilst tarnishing and destroying my team. eff you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljer Posted November 30, 2003 Share Posted November 30, 2003 Smith is one guy that just doesn't seem like a Redskin. I don't know why, but he stills seems like a Bill to me. You think during his Hall of Fame speech he is gonna talk about being a Redskin??? I think not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief skin Posted November 30, 2003 Share Posted November 30, 2003 Snyder is all about raping us the fans, I HATE PHUCKING SNYDER , do us all a favor and sell to someone who wants to win, then you can be like the rest of us and play fantast football in a legue that was made for fantasy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavyDave Posted November 30, 2003 Share Posted November 30, 2003 I'd buy it if he was a redskin but I can't Then again if there are B Smith kleenex (for all the sniveling he has been doing) I'd consider it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted November 30, 2003 Share Posted November 30, 2003 This has nothing to do with Snyder raping us. If Bruce was with any other team, their FO would do the same thing. In all fairness, the record is a big deal to the league. It's just Bruce and his ****in I can't deal with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCS Posted November 30, 2003 Share Posted November 30, 2003 Bingo Pete. Let's not forget that the Billions of dollars, ($3.2 last year), is shared by all the teams, (using some mystical formula mind you), so Dan isn't exactly lining his pockets as much as the NFL's. Pretty sure this type of thing is included. Sad part is there are fans who will buy this stuff. Frankly I'm not sure this is the best of merchandising ploys, ( he says while flipping through pages of the NFL Shop catalogue.......................fan face?.......touchdown bobbin head doll???? really?). BTW.......No. Least i don't think so anyway.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarhog Posted November 30, 2003 Share Posted November 30, 2003 Whatever market exists in the first place for this kind of commemorative item, Smith has pretty much destroyed the potential buyer pool among Redskins fans. Its a shame. You'd have thought he could muster the discipline to control his mouth and his own self-promoting instincts and try to achieve the recod and wrap up his NFL career with at least a modicum of respect. Had he put his energy into playing more effectively and picking his chances, and not into publicly berating his coaches, he'd already have that record and I'd be the first to cheer him. I think it would be poetic justice if he didn't break the record. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy, but I suspect someone somewhere will cave and give him his record ala Brett Favre. I'm willing to bet ANYBODY here that his first official action upon retiring will be to bash Snyder and the Redskins organization for not making him a bigger part of their efforts on the field. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayprils Posted November 30, 2003 Share Posted November 30, 2003 Fans, please don't be stupid to buy anything that has Smith's name on it. We need to show Danny Boy that his thinking does'nt work with the fans. He can not con us with this crap. PLEASE DON'T BUY ANYTHING OF BRUCE SMITH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddha Posted November 30, 2003 Share Posted November 30, 2003 Originally posted by rayprils Fans, please don't be stupid to buy anything that has Smith's name on it. We need to show Danny Boy that his thinking does'nt work with the fans. He can not con us with this crap. PLEASE DON'T BUY ANYTHING OF BRUCE SMITH. What about Bruce Smith commemorative toilet paper? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Brown #43 Posted November 30, 2003 Share Posted November 30, 2003 I could see some Bills fans buying this, but any Skins fan who buys it should be ashamed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayprils Posted November 30, 2003 Share Posted November 30, 2003 I am not going to let Danny boy con me into buying anything that say's Bruce Smith name on it. I hope you're in the same boat. We need to let Danny boy know that he can not use this team as a marketing tool to make money in his pocket. Are you going to be fooled? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muskrat Posted November 30, 2003 Share Posted November 30, 2003 WTF?! EDIT: I just saw the thread about the commemorative coins. No friggin' way I'm buying when Bruce is whining..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Symbol Posted November 30, 2003 Share Posted November 30, 2003 Yes, I'd buy something with Bruce Smith on it. The way I look at it, when he finally owns the sack record by himself, he would have broke it as a Redskin, not a Bill or any other team. Show pride in knowing that a Redskin will live in the record books for some time to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuji869 Posted November 30, 2003 Share Posted November 30, 2003 Originally posted by rayprils I am not going to let Danny boy con me into buying anything that say's Bruce Smith name on it. I hope you're in the same boat. We need to let Danny boy know that he can not use this team as a marketing tool to make money in his pocket. Are you going to be fooled? I was coned into buying that 70th Anniversary stuff, but won't be coned into buying any Bruce Smith Stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted November 30, 2003 Share Posted November 30, 2003 What would be funny is if Bruce didn't get the record afterall, then the danny will be stuck with all that stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Symbol Posted November 30, 2003 Share Posted November 30, 2003 I don't care about the complaining that he's done, we've had that with other players that most of us will say that we loved in the B & G, eg. Gary Clark. When he gets 1/2 sack and owns the record, he will have done it as a Redskin. I will buy it because he's a Redskin, he will retire a Redskin. Enough said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RySkins Posted November 30, 2003 Share Posted November 30, 2003 No way I'd buy anything. I won't even cheer if he gets the sack record today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljer Posted November 30, 2003 Share Posted November 30, 2003 Originally posted by Symbol I don't care about the complaining that he's done, we've had that with other players that most of us will say that we loved in the B & G, eg. Gary Clark. When he gets 1/2 sack and owns the record, he will have done it as a Redskin. I will buy it because he's a Redskin, he will retire a Redskin. Enough said. But when he gets inducted into the Hall of Fame, he mutters not a word about the Redskins. I guarantee you that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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