The Bruce Allen/GM Thread

[KDawg]

I'd be interested to see a fan poll with the title, "Are you happy with the job that Bruce Allen has done with the Washington Redskins?"

 

And then have it sent to the Redskins.

[Thinking Skins]

27 minutes ago, KDawg said:

I'd be interested to see a fan poll with the title, "Are you happy with the job that Bruce Allen has done with the Washington Redskins?"

 

And then have it sent to the Redskins.

Well, for my own practical purposes, I'd also be intrigued with the question of how fans would feel if no change took place. Its an NFL team with an active roster and injuries and stuff so we're going to see changes there, but if the elites of Snyder, Bruce, Doug, Smith, Schaffer, Gruden, Manusky all stay in place, how would fans feel there?

 

I can honestly say that I wouldn't be too motivated, but being the person that I am I wouldn't be too upset either. But I'd probably be doing like I am now - I'd be reading more books, commenting on here less (i.e. caring less about football), and the funny thing is that I'd be playing with my son more but those talks would probably be less and less about the Redskins. I'm trying to raise him as a Redskins fan and he gets excited when he sees me excited and we score a TD or have a big play, but I don't let the team get me down any more so when we're going through what Al Galdi and Chris Cooley talked about a bad movie sequel where we know the ending already and we just walk out, thats kinda how it is now. Its like I want my kid to like Batman but if every Batman movie that came out from now on was Batman and Robin with Schwarzenegger as Mr Freeze, then we're not going to those movies and he may say "I like Iron Man more than Batman". Crushing blow to my comic universe, but I'd blame DC for putting out bad movies. 

[Skinsinparadise]

3 hours ago, Thinking Skins said:

 

Its seeming like a battle between National Harbor and RFK. I'll be honest. I prefer National Harbor. RFK is doing too much of what Snyder does - hang on to old things he had no part of. He needs to be doing soemthing new. The Harbor is right off 295, 495 and 95. Its at the mix of MD, VA and DC, there's already an ecosystem there so it wouldn't be like the current stadium in trying to make an area a target. Problem is the metro access, but they've got to have some possibilities there right?

 

When I fly up to Redskins games typically I stay in the National Harbor area and have relatives in Alexandria so it would work for me personally.  Czaban and Sheehan seem to think its a disaster site and the stadium should be in DC or bust.

 

2 hours ago, BatteredFanSyndrome said:

There is so much wrong with this.  I cannot comprehend the level of willful ignorance it requires to pin this level of apathy on watching backup quarterbacks play.  Sounds like we’re right back to where we were again, where these guys truly believe they’ve put together a winner and unluckily have an injury problem again.  Sadly, I see a scenario where everyone in the building convinces Dan of this.  Dan needs to personally view twitter, this forum and the like, and all forms of social media to confirm what his stadium is already telling him.  There is more to it than just not wanting to watch Butt fumble live in action.  They didn’t want to watch you when you were at your very best.  Get a freaking clue!

 

Been listening to lots of people this week who cover the team most of whom have tapped into their sources about what Dan's thinking.   The challenge is Dan doesn't talk to too many people so it seems like they are all relying to second hand sources.   If I had to sum them all its something like this:

 

A.  Dan wasn't going to make a move on Bruce or Jay but the Giants game has opened things up.

B.  The last three games will be an X factor

C.  If the season ends poorly changes likely happen if it doesn't end poorly things will likely stay the same

D.  Dan is insulated and the spin he gets about things mostly comes from Bruce and Jay

 

As for whether Bruce is gone at the end of the season.  Seems like more think he's gone than not if the season ends up poorly but some think he will survive even that.  Seems like most but not all think Bruce and Jay survive if the season does end well.

 

As for the idea that Dan buys the spin about fan dissatisfaction being purely about them not winning -- If so that spin is probably served to him by Bruce himself.  He'd be the dude who would want to say hey Dan fans always scapegoat the GM and or coach when you have a bad season.  But heck you know we were 6-3 at one point, we had it all cooking well but the injury bug kicked in and everything went south.  And as for fan apathy earlier in the season, that was about our stadium, but don't you worry that will be fixed once we finally land a new one.

 

The most pessimistic of all the reporters has been Brewer who said he heard more potential buzz of Bruce being trouble last year than this year.  The most optimistic being Russell who thinks they are grooming Kyle Smith for the GM spot and Dan is indeed frustrated by Bruce but is hoping that he doesn't leave in infamy and in turn besmirch the Allen name so is concerned about the exit and how that comes across.

 

 

[Tsailand]

28 minutes ago, Skinsinparadise said:

As for the idea that Dan buys the spin about fan dissatisfaction being purely about them not winning -- If so that spin is probably served to him by Bruce himself.  He'd be the dude who would want to say hey Dan fans always scapegoat the GM and or coach when you have a bad season.  But heck you know we were 6-3 at one point, we had it all cooking well but the injury bug kicked in and everything went south.  And as for fan apathy earlier in the season, that was about our stadium, but don't you worry that will be fixed once we finally land a new one.

 

Ayup, this is about how it will go.  The horrible Alex Smith contract will be handwaved away thanks to his broken leg.  That fools most fans, so it will surely fool Dan.

[Skinsinparadise]

 

 

[Peregrine]

Anything less than both Allen and Gruden being fired, and I wont watch a single game next season.  And I think I am probably close to the majority on that, despite how extreme we would have all viewed it 2 years ago.

[Skinsinparadise]

Sheehan has really been hammering this topic in his recent podcasts, in the last one he goes that he and others in the media know other stories that haven't gone public that make the FO look even worse.  

[NickyJ]

1 minute ago, Skinsinparadise said:

Sheehan has really been hammering this topic in his recent podcasts, in the last one he goes that he and others in the media know other stories that haven't gone public that make the FO look even worse.   

 

[88Comrade2000]

2 hours ago, Skinsinparadise said:

 Dan is indeed frustrated by Bruce but is hoping that he doesn't leave in infamy and in turn besmirch the Allen name so is concerned about the exit and how that comes across.

 

 

 

There is nothing Bruce can do. He has forever besmirched the Allen name.  I still don't see who's going to be stupid enough to build Dan a new stadium. They are more likely to tell him to **** off and relocate to London than spend tax dollars on his losing franchise.

[Skinsinparadise]

 

 

 

Hopefully this is true

 

 

[Tsailand]

1 hour ago, Rdskns2000 said:

**** off and relocate to London

 

That would end my Redskins fandom. 

[Veryoldschool]

3 hours ago, Rdskns2000 said:

They are more likely to tell him to **** off and relocate to London than spend tax dollars on his losing franchise.

 

The London Redskins?  Why would Londoners want an NFL franchise much less Dan Snyder's team?  

[bh32]

I can't believe they are willing to play chicken with the fan base in regards to Allen not being fired..This could potentially end up real bad for them.

[Wildbunny]

Interesting stuff to discuss our FO and TP, but according to this article from 247 Sports:

 

https://247sports.com/nfl/washington-redskins/LongFormArticle/Ranking-NFL-teams-by-2018-attendance-through-Week-14-122086639/

 

Redskins are dead last in Home Capacity Percentage with 74%

Closest team are the Rams at 76 then the Bengals at 78%. Almost everyone else is above 90% and many are close to 100% or even a tad more.

 

Our total of 425 039 through 14 games put us at the 18th position in raw numbers throughout the league and a home average of 60 719.

 

Overall that's not great numbers at all, and those falls in BA's hand, and only him.

 

 

 

[Skinsinparadise]

 

 

[PigskinPhat]

The fact that there’s a quarter of the season left and the Skins are completely out of it speaks volumes of the work Bruce Allen has done personnel-wise.

 

Never mind the talent, there is also NO NEXT MAN UP MENTALITY, NO HEART on this team!

[BraveWarrior]

So many people hammer Snyder about the state of the team, and he deserves a lot of criticism. BUt it's Bruce Allen who's to blame for things during his tenure, as Dan has basically been much less intrusive, letting Allen do all this damage on his own. 

 

Bruce can't be blamed for bad luck with injuries, but just about everything else is on him. He needs to go. Harvest Fest won't be as good going forward, but at least he won't be trying to pretend he's a good talent evaluator. 

[FrFan]

1 hour ago, BraveWarrior said:

So many people hammer Snyder about the state of the team, and he deserves a lot of criticism. BUt it's Bruce Allen who's to blame for things during his tenure, as Dan has basically been much less intrusive, letting Allen do all this damage on his own. 

 

Bruce can't be blamed for bad luck with injuries, but just about everything else is on him. He needs to go. Harvest Fest won't be as good going forward, but at least he won't be trying to pretend he's a good talent evaluator. 

He shouldn't have hired him in the first place, he did it because he was riding off his father's good name, and therefore was some sort of promo tool. Finally he should have fired him a long time ago, he didn't.

[Skinsinparadise]

WP reporter on 980 yesterday said the Redskins are actually seriously behind schedule compared to most teams under similar time constraints.  That surprised me because I figured 8 years is plenty of time.  But they explained that's a long process typically to proceed from the juncture the Redskins are at now.  My point is as much as people would think well Bruce could at least do the stadium thing well -- at least one reporter was saying that's not the case and they really have to scramble because they are behind.  Who knows?

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/stadium-decision-is-the-one-the-redskins-cant-afford-to-get-wrong/2018/12/12/5d621470-fe14-11e8-ad40-cdfd0e0dd65a_story.html?utm_term=.154db0dfbd45

The lease at sorry FedEx Field is up in 2027. That might seem forever from now, but in the world of stadium negotiations and construction, it’s closer to tomorrow.

This is a Washington professional sports story, one that can only happen here, because only here could a stadium issue involve multiple jurisdictions, everyone from D.C. council members trying to protect the neighborhood that borders the site, to a mayor conscious of her legacy, to the highest levels of the federal government to a football team whose owner very well may have a lower approval rating than the politicians he’s trying to woo.

 

This is just the start of the story, because even if language pertaining to the RFK site sneaks into the massive spending bill — and that’s just what it would be: sneaky — it would only clear the way for the land to be used for a stadium and potential development around it. It doesn’t mean a stadium would be built there, or that the development will follow. Brace yourself for the wrangling and war of words to come.

Still, if there’s one element of the miserable loss to the Giants that matters here, it’s not only that the announced attendance was all of 57,437 — the fifth time in seven home games Washington has failed to draw even 63,000 fans to a stadium that once housed 90,000 seats — but that those fans fled at halftime like the place was on fire.

Of all the Redskins’ problems, and they are many, the current stadium is high on the list — third, perhaps, behind the owner (who isn’t changing) and the team president (who might). 

[Skinsinparadise]

https://thefandc.radio.com/articles/mike-jones-bruce-allen-master-finding-scapegoat

Don't be surprised if Bruce Allen remains in his job as team president because he is a master of "finding a scapegoat," USA Today NFL reporter Mike Jones said on 106.7 The Fan Friday.

"There should be moves, but talking to people in the last several days, I kinda feel like it's not gonna (happen)," Jones told The Sports Junkies. "They have all the excuses."

"Bruce (Allen) is the master of selling hope or pinpointing, finding a scapegoat," Jones said. "Dan (Snyder) trusts so few people in the league, if he fires Bruce who's he going to turn to?"

 

This year, Allen could sell owner Daniel Snyder on the fact that injuries derailed the Skins season after a 6-3 start had them contending for the NFC East crown, Jones said.

 

Eric Bickel doesn't think the Redskins fan base would not be too happy about the Redskins making no changes this offseason.

 

"OK, Bruce is one thing, but if they keep Bruce, keep Jay (Gruden), keep (defensive coordinator Greg) Manusky, keep everybody!" Bickel said. "I don't see how the fan base tolerates that."

Jones said there will be some type of firing by the Redskins, but based on the past Allen has always remained in place.

 

"Look at the history, Bruce has always had some type of scapegoat. It was (Mike) Shanahan, it was (Jim) Haslett, it was (Scot) McCloughan, it was the strength coach," Jones said. "They've always had something that they'll blame."

"Who knows who (Allen) will blame about the lack of attendance and everything," Jones said.

Jones continued to pour water on those calling for Allen to lose his job.

"Even though there should be a change, because nothing (Allen has done) has really worked out," Jones said. "But I wouldn't be surprised if they stick with it."

 

 

 

[Reaper Skins]

[Skinsinparadise]

 

 

[KDawg]

12 hours ago, BraveWarrior said:

 

Bruce can't be blamed for bad luck with injuries, but just about everything else is on him. He needs to go. H

 

Can't he, though? Maybe not the first time the same 8 guys were injured. And maybe give him the benefit of the doubt the second time. But it's been such a reoccuring theme with these guys that at some point you have to wonder why we've continued to lean on them. 

 

As far as the Bickel article @Skinsinparadise posted in regards to there not being moves or Bruce staying and someone else being fired... I'm not sure how I'll react if that happens. If Bruce finds a way to pin this on Jay and somehow skates free... I'll just say that won't be good.

[Warhead36]

When you assemble a roster of guys who get hurt often, you can't be surprised when those same guys get hurt again and again.

[BatteredFanSyndrome]

What Jones said is exactly what I’ve been feeling of late.  I’m not even sure getting steamrolled 3 more times will do the trick.  Jay has 2 years left on a deal Dan doesn’t want to pay off for nothing.  Dan talks to Bruce every day.  Just imagine the level of excuses and woe is me BS they talk about amongst themselves.  I don’t find it difficult to believe at all that Dan still buys whatever Bruce is selling.  

 

The only hope is guys like the minority owners and LaFemina have Dans ear and express their concern with proceeding as is and how that will impact the bottom line.