WT: 'Absolutely' often means see you later

[bubba9497]

'Absolutely' often means see you later

By Thom Loverro

THE WASHINGTON TIMES

http://www.washtimes.com/sports/20031225-110920-5775r.htm

Back in December 2001, Minnesota Vikings owner Red McCombs was asked whether his coach, Dennis Green, would be returning the following season.

McCombs replied, "Absolutely."

Sound familiar?

That's the same one-word answer Dan Snyder gave recently when asked whether Washington Redskins coach Steve Spurrier would be back next year.

By the way, Green was fired a month later.

I guess we can surmise that "absolutely" is what they teach in NFL owners training school.

And if we wanted to stretch the lie, we could surmise Spurrier probably will be back next year — in the NFL but maybe at a new, warmer address.

Unlike the Nebraska rumors, the one that has Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga considering trying to make a deal to bring Spurrier — still a magical name in Florida with his legacy as the University of Florida coach — to Miami and taking over the final three years of his $25 million contract, seems to have more credibility. Like Snyder, Huizenga had his eye on Spurrier for quite some time, but the time was not right to make a change in Miami when the Ball Coach became available. The time may be right now.

I don't know which owner is crazier in this scenario — Huizenga for wanting Spurrier, the highest-paid coach in the NFL with a 12-19 record going into the final game of the season tomorrow against the Philadelphia Eagles, or Snyder if he doesn't take Huizenga up on the offer, reported last week by Chris Mortensen of ESPN.

If Snyder can get out of this mess without having to pay Spurrier a cent — and maybe even squeeze a draft choice or two out of the Dolphins in the process — then he would be a fool not to cut his losses and move on.

The Spurrier experiment is not working, and it is not going to work. It is amazing how much of a pass he is getting in this town. This is not a young coach who will develop over time. This guy was a star when he got here, with a system that made him a star. That is why he is making more money than any other coach in the league, and that is why he should be getting far less slack than he gets. Steve Spurrier is not suddenly going to "get it." The time for that is long gone.

At 58, he is an old dog and not in the sense that Dick Vermeil or Florida Marlins manager Jack McKeon or Memphis Grizzlies coach Hubie Brown is an old dog. They didn't change their fundamental beliefs; they just introduced them to a new generation of players.

The only thing more ridiculous than believing Spurrier will adapt are the many times in the past two years when he has called three pass plays from inside the 10-yard line on a first-and-goal situation.

It is as if Spurrier is purposely trying to sabotage himself both on and off the field. Certainly some of his responses in interviews lately have been bizarre — laughing at the lack of time the offense has been on the field and offering no words of encouragement for next season.

Unless Snyder has a coach in mind and has intended to try to get rid of Spurrier all along, he may not be willing to take the charity deal from Huizenga because of his pride and ego, which, based on my experiences, are usually the guiding factors in decisions by franchise owners. If, through some miracle, Spurrier went to Miami and succeeded, that would be yet another insult to the Redskins owner — not that one more should make a whole lot of difference.

It should be pointed out that the Dolphins already have a coach — Dave Wannstedt. But he is about to finish another disappointing season, and the assumption is he will be gone after this year.

Huizenga has not commented on Wannstedt's future. But if there is an "absolutely" coming out of his mouth anytime soon, the wheels may be in motion. And when Spurrier runs out of town as quickly as he can and heads back to Florida after this weekend, he may not be coming back.

Thom Loverro = Inmate? :rotflmao:

[88Comrade2000]

Yeah, why is Spurrier leaving town so quickly? If he was coming back; he would sit down with Synder and decide what to do to improve in the offseason. If coaching changes are to be made; then now is not the time to go on vacation. There will be plenty of time for vacation this offseason and even before the superbowl.

Considering the way the NFL is today; a real coach would stay in town and see what needs to be done, before taking a vacation.

So there's some hope that things may change.

[bulldog]

for once in his life I think Loverro has finally penned an article I can agree with.

I too don't think it will be that easy for a 58 year old coach to change his 'approach' as he has promised heading into next year and 'turn things around'.

Ballplayers get a feel for a coach's style and temperament and I don't think returning players are going to respond positively to a Spurrier acting out of character, in effect putting up a sham of being a junior disciplinarian.

It used to be that a coach needed four or five years to turn a franchise around because free agency was not an available avenue.

You had to slog it out improving incrementally over several drafts OR you had to take the gamble of trading draft picks for vets.

Most clubs outside of the Allen Skins and the Davis Raiders were loathe to take these gambles.

Today we see a John Fox or Bill Parcells take a sub .500 team and in a short time turn them into playoff teams.

Neither Carolina or Dallas may be a Super Bowl favorite in 2003, but they are quality teams their fans can be proud of.

Teams that are young enough to be considered as still 'building'.

You can also look to a guy like Tice in Minnesota that rode out the bad mojo of the Korey Stringer tragedy and a mid-season swoon (caused in part by a surprising tirade by owner Red McCombs after the team's first loss at 6-0!) to put the Vikings in position to win their division and get homefield for at least one playoff game.

Here in Washington we are also ending Year 2 of a program.

But unlike the Fox or Tice programs, the Redskins don't feature a team that is clearly on the rise.

In fact the record is worse, the relative statistics on both sides of the ball are worse.

With supposedly better talent, and certainly the Skins invested a lot more in the offseason and free agency to upgrade than the Cowboys, Panthers or Vikings did, the club has suffered through yet another season of hitting the skids, losing 9 of the past 11.

Losing 9 of 11 games is about more than fixing a spot or two on the roster in the next offseason.

Losing 9 of 11 is about more than finding a new special teams coach or linebackers coach.

It is most likely about more than finding a veteran DC to join the staff.

The sooner people get their heads out of the sand and start to look at the real odds of the leopard changing its spots here in DC in re the Skins, the less we will see predictions where guys are 'confident' that next year this club is looking at 11-5 or 12-4 and a contender after another wave of the wand and the return of a reinforced Spurrier with summer visor

If Snyder could actually sucker the Dolphins into taking a 12-19 (soon to be 12-20) coach, his contract AND get a draft pick out of the deal, he will have made one of his best trades.

[redblazer00]

I have always believed that Spurrier's first year record of 7-9 was only that good because of Marvin Lewis!

Spurrier isn't addapting well in the NFL and one reason is the fact he doesn't spend the time needed? He is a 9 to 5 kind of guy and has always made it a point that he wouldn't spend 15 hours a day building his schemes. In the NFL the harder you work the better the results. That is one reason why John Fox and Marvin Lewis have become good coaches and respected coaches.

I think we have to get a guy that can be a both a decipline type guy and still earn the respect of the players. Spurrier has neither of these and puts out a really WEAK vibe! Hard to win when a coach seems lost and confused. How do you expect the team to react to that.

[RF4L]

Originally posted by Rdskns2000

Yeah, why is Spurrier leaving town so quickly? If he was coming back; he would sit down with Synder and decide what to do to improve in the offseason. If coaching changes are to be made; then now is not the time to go on vacation. There will be plenty of time for vacation this offseason and even before the superbowl.

Considering the way the NFL is today; a real coach would stay in town and see what needs to be done, before taking a vacation.

So there's some hope that things may change.

Because the guy is a f'n tool.

If he left town and never came back it would be the greatest day in the history of the Washington Redskins.

He stains the team's history.

[Phat Hog]

Back in December 2001, Minnesota Vikings owner Red McCombs was asked whether his coach, Dennis Green, would be returning the following season.

McCombs replied, "Absolutely."

Sound familiar?

That's the same one-word answer Dan Snyder gave recently when asked whether Washington Redskins coach Steve Spurrier would be back next year.

By the way, Green was fired a month later.

I guess we can surmise that "absolutely" is what they teach in NFL owners training school.

And if we wanted to stretch the lie, we could surmise Spurrier probably will be back next year — in the NFL but maybe at a new, warmer address.

WTF kind of silly logic is this? You’ll forgive me, but the premise is so asinine, I barely got through the rest of the article.

SS will be here next year if he wants to be – I don’t believe Dan will pull the trigger yet.

[inmate running the asylum]

Originally posted by bubba9497

Thom Loverro = Inmate? :rotflmao:

My cover has now been blown. :laugh:

:pope: The pope is now praying to the football gods that the Dolphins take Spurrier off our hands. :laugh:

[NASMTrainer]

The pope is now praying to the football gods that the Dolphins take Spurrier off our hands.

As am I