The Bruce Allen/GM Thread

[MisterPinstripe]

57 minutes ago, OVCChairman said:

 

 

People don't generally decide not to share when someone's job is safe..  Unless i'm reading this incorrectly

 

1 hour ago, profusion said:

I don't think you have to be an ace reporter to figure out that something big and splashy is in the works in Ashburn.

 

Wouldn't surprise me if there's already a handshake agreement with someone.

 

38 minutes ago, SkinFanInMinn said:

I read it that way as well but was thinking maybe it was just me trying to read something positive that I wanted to see into it.  Hopefully he knows Bruce is gone and doesn't want to reveal it yet for whatever reason.  Fingers crossed.  🤞

 

38 minutes ago, Wildbunny said:

Wasn't it a joke from Keim? Sounded off like that to me. But I might be wrong.

Its definitely a joke people, hes being very sarcastic that as a reporter he has some scoop and isnt telling anyone. He gets asked questions all of the time on if he has any information on something and his response is always sarcastically that he is keeping it a secret from everyone.

[boston skins fan]

All the comparisons to Dolan are truthful yet very confusing.

 

As a Ranger/Knick/Redskins fan odd combo yet its true i know Danny boy and Dolan very well.

 

I can say as the Owner of the Rangers Dolan is a dream.  He sits back and lets his staff do all the work.  First Sather then Gorton and he was completely on board when the went to him telling him it was time to rebuild.

 

As a Knicks owner hes the same as Snyder he cant seem to get the right person in charge from Isiah to Phil Jackson back to Isiah.  To interfering in personnel decisions.

 

It is the most Jekyll/Hyde in sports i think ive ever seen.

[OVCChairman]

10 minutes ago, MisterPinstripe said:

 

 

 

Its definitely a joke people, hes being very sarcastic that as a reporter he has some scoop and isnt telling anyone. He gets asked questions all of the time on if he has any information on something and his response is always sarcastically that he is keeping it a secret from everyone.

 

 

Figures, i admit i was probably reading that through tinted lenses like SkinFanInMinn said they were. 

[SkinFanInMinn]

I don't follow Keim (heck, I'm not even on twitter) so it's hard to get a feeling for whether or not someone's joking without context & history.  

[Burgold]

It could be either. When I was a reporter there were definitely stories that were embargoed, meaning that we were asked not to talk about it until a certain date. There's also info that you don't want to spill on social media, but want to keep for your paying job. On the other hand, sometimes you enjoy teasing or hinting about upcoming stories or the newsroom wants you to put it out there so you/they can get credit as the ones who break the story first.

[profusion]

41 minutes ago, MisterPinstripe said:

Its definitely a joke people, hes being very sarcastic that as a reporter he has some scoop and isnt telling anyone. He gets asked questions all of the time on if he has any information on something and his response is always sarcastically that he is keeping it a secret from everyone.

 

My comment was more general and not particularly aimed at Keim's tweet.

 

I'm "work adjacent" to a large news organization, and I know full well that if there was something to report that the news teams would be crawling over each other to get it out there first. It's their job. Obviously, beat guys have to keep their sources happy, but media relations people also know that they can't keep a lid on things forever and that it's in their interest to properly feed the trusted reporters (like Keim).

 

My guess is that there's a lot of back-channel conversation going on and something (or things) in the works, but nothing far enough along that the beat reporters would be able to spot. However, the comings and goings on game day and the leaks that have happened indicate that *something* is going on.

[MisterPinstripe]

55 minutes ago, OVCChairman said:

 

 

Figures, i admit i was probably reading that through tinted lenses like SkinFanInMinn said they were. 

Sure. I follow Keim so its super obvious to me, I can see how if someone doesnt follow him on Twitter that you might be unsure as to what he means/is saying.

[OVCChairman]

3 minutes ago, MisterPinstripe said:

Sure. I follow Keim so its super obvious to me, I can see how if someone doesnt follow him on Twitter that you might be unsure as to what he means/is saying.

 

 

I follow him on Twitter but i dont see enough of his stuff.... plus i fully admit i'm looking for ANY hope that he's gone.  Seeing tweets like that get me excited. 

[Burgold]

4 minutes ago, OVCChairman said:

 

 

I follow him on Twitter but i dont see enough of his stuff.... plus i fully admit i'm looking for ANY hope that he's gone.  Seeing tweets like that get me excited. 

I really do think the probability of Bruce being gone is well over 50%. It's got to be. The stadium is empty. The season's been a trainwreck and in his ten year tenure he's reached a hundred losses. Other than this year's rookie class, it's hard to think of anything that's argues for him to stay. I mean last I heard the Redskins are getting pretty bad pushback on their attempted stadium deal. After all, why would Maryland, DC, or Virginia pony up major tax dollars if the fanbase is shrinking, not attending games, and is defecting.

[Peregrine]

22 minutes ago, Burgold said:

I really do think the probability of Bruce being gone is well over 50%. It's got to be. The stadium is empty. The season's been a trainwreck and in his ten year tenure he's reached a hundred losses. Other than this year's rookie class, it's hard to think of anything that's argues for him to stay. I mean last I heard the Redskins are getting pretty bad pushback on their attempted stadium deal. After all, why would Maryland, DC, or Virginia pony up major tax dollars if the fanbase is shrinking, not attending games, and is defecting.

I would love to believe that, unfortunately, i dont think thats the case.  It was blindingly obvious Bruce needed to be canned 5 years ago, much less a couple of years ago, and yet that didnt happen.  If you didnt fire him then, when it was so obvious, why would you fire him now?  Its clear Dan does not have a rational or sane mind.

[Burgold]

3 minutes ago, Peregrine said:

I would love to believe that, unfortunately, i dont think thats the case.  It was blindingly obvious Bruce needed to be canned 5 years ago, much less a couple of years ago, and yet that didnt happen.  If you didnt fire him then, when it was so obvious, why would you fire him now?  Its clear Dan does not have a rational or sane mind.

Because this year, Bruce's effects are really being felt on the bottom line. Empty stadiums, merchandise, failures in stadium negotiations. It's very hard for Dan not to realize how much money Bruce is costing him.

[BringMetheHeadofBruceAllen]

4 minutes ago, Burgold said:

Because this year, Bruce's effects are really being felt on the bottom line. Empty stadiums, merchandise, failures in stadium negotiations. It's very hard for Dan not to realize how much money Bruce is costing him.

 

My fear is that Dan does not realize that it is Bruce who is the cause...it's those darned disloyal fans! Bruce whispers in his ear all the time: it was all Shanny's fault in 2013, it was all McCloughan's fault in 2016, it was all Lafemina's fault in 2018, it was all Gruden's fault in 2019, it was all Alex's fault for breaking his leg last year, and it's all the fans fault for not buying into our BS year after year.

[Conn]

11 minutes ago, Burgold said:

Because this year, Bruce's effects are really being felt on the bottom line. Empty stadiums, merchandise, failures in stadium negotiations. It's very hard for Dan not to realize how much money Bruce is costing him.

 

And the media and fan focus and pressure is so much more acute than in years past

[Voice_of_Reason]

6 minutes ago, BringMetheHeadofBruceAllen said:

 

My fear is that Dan does not realize that it is Bruce who is the cause...it's those darned disloyal fans! Bruce whispers in his ear all the time: it was all Shanny's fault in 2013, it was all McCloughan's fault in 2016, it was all Lafemina's fault in 2018, it was all Gruden's fault in 2019, it was all Alex's fault for breaking his leg last year, and it's all the fans fault for not buying into our BS year after year.

All of this is probably true. 

 

However, at some point Dan has to realize that fans aren’t comming, and watching, and they blame Bruce.  And for purely financial reasons , he has to make a change because his customers have spoke with their wallets.

 

Dan wants to make money.   He wants a new stadium in order to make more money.  

 

At some point Dan is going to realize Bruce is standing between him and money.  And while he might be a complete fool from a football perspective, I am convinced he can real a P/L, and he knows the finances of the league and, at least to some extent, the other franchises and he knows how much money he is losing. 

 

Thats what will force force the change.  And I think Dan probably has come to that realization.  He doesn’t want to make the change.  But I think he knows he has to. 

 

I also think he’d like to both try and save Bruce as much embarrassment as possible and send him out with s thank you. So maybe either after a win or during the holidays.  

 

 

[Burgold]

4 minutes ago, ConnSKINS26 said:

 

And the media and fan focus and pressure is so much more acute than in years past

Yeah, I think if it was just the media and fan griping then Dan could put up with it. He could say to himself, "they're just griping because it was a bad season. They'll be happy once we're winning again. Hell, Bruce says we were close and we almost beat the Packers and Eagles!"

 

The difference is that the complaints right now are being made in dollars and they are being made in ways that will hurt the bottom line now and going forward. In order to fix this, Dan will have to mend fences with fans and so even if he thinks they are wrong the first step is getting rid of Bruce. 

 

Besides, if you tally up all the reasons to keep Bruce and all the ones to fire him, there really isn't a good pro-Bruce argument.

[profusion]

Just as with the Shanahan hire, I suspect the coaching hire will dictate what happens with the FO. I'm leaning toward nothing being formalized until immediately after the season, if not until Super Bowl week when Dan can suck up all the publicity oxygen.

 

And yes, it is completely back-assward and stupid to hire the coach first and then the GM, but ladies and gentlemen, these are YOUR Washington Redskins!

[Skinsinparadise]

Just heard the 106.7 commercial for tomorrow's Bruce Allen anniversary show, hilarious. 

 

 

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

3 minutes ago, profusion said:

Just as with the Shanahan hire, I suspect the coaching hire will dictate what happens with the FO. I'm leaning toward nothing being formalized until immediately after the season, if not until Super Bowl week when Dan can suck up all the publicity oxygen.

 

And yes, it is completely back-assward and stupid to hire the coach first and then the GM, but ladies and gentlemen, these are YOUR Washington Redskins!

But you could theoretically catch lightening in a bottle.  If you actually get lucky and get one guy right, and he puts the rest of the folks in place and it works, and he can manage up and down, it works.  

 

Gibbs managed to get to 2 playoffs in 4 years working with Vinny and Dan as essentially co-GMs because Gibbs is a phenomenal leader and winner.  

 

If Gibbs had just demanded a better personnel person than Vinny, which he would have gotten, then they could have had even more success. 

 

If Dan goes this route, and I really think it’s most likely, and whoever is at the top delighted roster and scouting authority to somebody competent, then it can work.  If they don’t, it won’t.  It’s rhat simple. 

1 minute ago, Skinsinparadise said:

Just heard the 106.7 commercial for tomorrow's Bruce Allen anniversary show, hilarious. 

Those guys are the best Bruce hecklers out there. 

[OVCChairman]

58 minutes ago, Burgold said:

I really do think the probability of Bruce being gone is well over 50%. It's got to be. The stadium is empty. The season's been a trainwreck and in his ten year tenure he's reached a hundred losses. Other than this year's rookie class, it's hard to think of anything that's argues for him to stay. I mean last I heard the Redskins are getting pretty bad pushback on their attempted stadium deal. After all, why would Maryland, DC, or Virginia pony up major tax dollars if the fanbase is shrinking, not attending games, and is defecting.

 

 

I'm convinced he's gone, but it's like looking forward to Christmas... you assume something is coming but it's not reality til you're holding it in your hands. 

[Skinsinparadise]

17 minutes ago, Voice_of_Reason said:

But you could theoretically catch lightening in a bottle.  If you actually get lucky and get one guy right, and he puts the rest of the folks in place and it works, and he can manage up and down, it works.  

 

Gibbs managed to get to 2 playoffs in 4 years working with Vinny and Dan as essentially co-GMs because Gibbs is a phenomenal leader and winner.  

 

 

That's my hope, too.  I share most of the beliefs of Dan's more intense critics here  by agreeing that the dude is a train wreck level bad at his job and is a jerk. 

 

But I depart with some of them on the idea that Dan somehow either is fated to find the worst personnel guys in the league or these personnel guys aren't really bad at their job but it's just Dan that makes them so.  I don't believe in either point.  And not that I've seen either point made directly like that but some of the conclusions made by some imply one or both of those points.  I am not a mile away from either point though.  I do think Dan has oddly no idea how to find a top personnel guy or set up a winning culture-FO.  And I do believe he interferes to an extent.

 

But I also think its perfectly plausible for Dan to luck into a good personnel guy.  Just like I've been saying about the Qb position where every blind squirrel eventually finds a nut.  It could happen with the GM position, too.  And yeah I do think Dan will neuter any GM so no one will be at his best here.  But I do genuinely believe Bruce or Vinny would stink at their job anywhere.  Bruce was ridiculed for his work in Tampa.  It's a not a new thing in DC.  Lombardi is coming on the Bruce anniversary show tomorrow and that dude has relentlessly mocked Bruce for not even dealing with personnel in Oakland so he thinks it's comical that he's running personnel here.

 

17 minutes ago, Voice_of_Reason said:

 

Those guys are the best Bruce hecklers out there. 

 

Yeah according to the 106.7 radio guys, Bruce hates the Junkies (for calling him a loser) and Grant and Danny for the winning off the field segment and refuses to go on that station.

[88Comrade2000]

Bruce isn't going anywhere. At best, he will be reassigned but he will still be able to whisper sweet nothings; into Dan's ears.

 

If the new guys don't work out; Bruce will reassert his role.

[Dissident2]

The more I think about it, the more I think he'll end up retiring or exiting "gracefully" at the end of the season. I think Dan loves him too much. Which is sad in and of itself. But I also think Dan doesn't want to tarnish the Allen name (Bruce has already done a fine job of that on his own) because of the huge place George Allen occupies in the team's legacy. And that was the time period when little Danny became a fan. I think it's clear now that a firing is NOT going to happen. He's either going to stay where he is, get reassigned, or be allowed to leave "voluntarily" and preserve whatever illusion of "dignity" this imbecile still has about himself. 

 

In other words, two more weeks of this ****. 

 

Just lose, baby. 

[RabidFan]

 

It's odd how with all the recent swirl about his ouster, that yesterday of all days Bruce's brother was in the suite.  I was hoping Bruce needed another pair of hands to carry out his office yeti coolers full of Coors Light.  

[sknz45]

30 minutes ago, Dissident2 said:

The more I think about it, the more I think he'll end up retiring or exiting "gracefully" at the end of the season. I think Dan loves him too much. Which is sad in and of itself. But I also think Dan doesn't want to tarnish the Allen name (Bruce has already done a fine job of that on his own) because of the huge place George Allen occupies in the team's legacy. And that was the time period when little Danny became a fan. I think it's clear now that a firing is NOT going to happen. He's either going to stay where he is, get reassigned, or be allowed to leave "voluntarily" and preserve whatever illusion of "dignity" this imbecile still has about himself. 

 

In other words, two more weeks of this ****. 

 

Just lose, baby. 

I agree, seems Dan is going to let him leave "on his terms".  I still can't believe he has made it this long...how TF did Dan become a billionaire with his piss poor decision making and leadership abilities is also baffling.

[BatteredFanSyndrome]

There's one thing for certain, if we are lucky enough for Bruce to leave the team entirely, it will be done under the guise of 'retirement' or something of that nature.  Not for a second do I think Allen will be fired and sent away without a thank you, like we've seen done here in the past.  In fact, if they do pull a big name head coach like Meyer or someone like that, I'm sure Bruce will be provided some credit for spearheading that and leaving the team in 'good hands'.