WT:Snyder is to blame for this nose dive

[TK]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/sports/20031231-121047-3609r.htm

Snyder is to blame for this nose dive

By Thom Loverro

Washington Redskins spokesman Karl Swanson said Steve Spurrier's resignation announcement yesterday was "totally unexpected."

After that, Swanson was rushed to a local hospital for an emergency nose job, so he would be able to fit it through the door at Redskin Park.

Unexpected? Are you kidding?

You want unexpected? A Redskins coach who lasts more than two years.

Am I being unfair? A little too hard on Dan Snyder? I'm sure his sycophants will say this time it wasn't the owner's fault. He was willing to stick with Spurrier. It was the Ball Coach who made this call.

Nose jobs for everyone, please.

Everything that has happened to this franchise — all the embarrassment, all the losing, all of the turmoil — is the responsibility of Snyder.

He created an atmosphere of failure. If Spurrier had any chance of succeeding as an NFL coach — and I doubt he did — it wasn't going to happen with the Redskins, a dysfunctional franchise whose owner pays a quarterback guru $25 million to coach the team but then decides himself who will be the backup quarterback.

We heard when Spurrier was hired that this time things would be different. Snyder inherited Norv Turner, so that wasn't his coach. He was forced into hiring Marty Schottenheimer to prove to his critics that he wasn't a meddling owner. Finally, Snyder was going to hire his coach.

Well, his coach was a lousy NFL coach.

Snyder wasn't alone in his belief Spurrier would be a prize catch. Other teams, like the Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, had long eyed Spurrier while he was running a winning program at the University of Florida. And there was no shortage of qualified football people, such as former Packers general manager Ron Wolf, to speak of Spurrier's brilliance and the likelihood of his success in the NFL.

If Spurrier is a genius, he must be a warm weather genius, because he looked like a fool many times during his two-year tenure as Redskins coach.

He failed to prepare, convinced that his Fun 'n' Gun system could handle anything a defense would throw at it. As a consequence, his teams played as if they were unprepared.

He showed no organizational abilities, and his own players spoke up after the season about a lack of discipline on the team — an atmosphere fostered by Spurrier's lackadaisical attitude.

"There has got to be discipline," said linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, who cited players showing up late for practice and other transgressions. "And it's not just on the football field. Our problem goes way beyond the field."

To which Spurrier replied, "We haven't had that problem. That's not true."

While we're at it, throw in a nose job for Spurrier, too.

And then there was this one from the coach in his statement of resignation: "I've enjoyed my time in Washington. Obviously, all of the losing can wear you down, but I believe that the franchise is headed in the right direction."

It's going to take a team of plastic surgeons to do that job.

Speaking of nose jobs, what spin will Snyder take in this latest search for a coach, who will be the fifth one since Snyder took over the team in 1999? He's done the nonmeddling thing, the "my coach" thing.

Is he ready to do a Jerry Jones and finally admit that a wise man is a man who knows he knows nothing — at least about football — and change the way the Redskins' football operation is run?

He will have to do that — promise a fundamental management change — if he hopes to entice a big-name coach like a Dennis Green or Jimmy Johnson. (Not that I see Johnson as a candidate, since he was a close friend and mentor of Norv Turner and, it turns out, a confidant of Spurrier. Jimmy heard firsthand all of the stories from those who have had to deal with Snyder).

A candidate like Green will demand power and control — and Green would make Schottenheimer look like an amateur when it comes to being a control freak, based on the stories that came out of the Vikings camp.

Or will Snyder go with the unproven assistant with potential — one, of course, who won't object when the owner and Vinny the Racquetball Boy decide to sign a star veteran player who is going for, let's say, the all-time NFL record for pass receptions of 10 yards or less from a backup quarterback?

There will be no shortage of people who want the job, despite the damaged reputation of the Redskins organization. Most coaches have big enough egos to believe they could be the ones to change things — or in this case, to get the owner under control. And Snyder certainly will pay enough money to make it an attractive job, particularly since he won't have to pay Spurrier the remaining $15 million on his contract.

Give the Ball Coach enough credit for that — for walking away from the money and not going through any more abuse. It was pretty embarrassing the last few weeks, and Spurrier had to see he was destroying his legacy every time the Redskins took the field.

He probably will take a year off now, play golf in Florida, and wind up back in college coaching, where he belongs, in 2005. And he probably will succeed. Spurrier has a proven record of success in college football.

Snyder, unfortunately for Redskins fans, won't take a year off. He will remain as Redskins owner, and he probably will continue to fail. He has a proven record of failure in the NFL.

[Sarge]

I'm always up for a little snyder bashing but ..WOW! This guy does it but good!:notworthy

[great28]

That has got to be the most ignorant post I have ever read.

[redblazer00]

Are you sure he works for the Post?

Well that is a pile of doodoo! I know I'm very happy Spurrier is gone and find alot of company. He had no control of his team due to the fact he couldn't remember most of there names? I mean what kind of coach are you if you don't know your players names! I feel so much better about next season now that he is gone. I say we would have been better with no head coach rather then having him! He is a college coach; that thought he could rule the NFL with his FUN-N-GUN! And was shown how wrong he was! I guess Haslett spending 16 hours a day at times makes since now! Haslett told Spurrier it wasn't a 9-5 job and Spurrier blew him off! EGO is what brought him down, not willing to make changes to become a winner.

[BG]

easy f*cking excuses and blame.........

[>>Spearhead>>]

Seriously, to hint that Danny Weurfell would have saved this season if Spurrier got to keep him is ridiculous. Anyone that watched this team play last year can justify wanting a legitimate NFL player to serve as the 2nd string QB. Spurrier was, is, and forever will be clueless on pro football. Your boy Snyder, and just about every other 'NFL executive' just didn't see it before paying him millions of dollars to decimate their franchise. If Snyder was on defense during any of the many fourth quarter meltdowns that the Redskins had this year I may join the Snyder bash, but all you can ask from your owner is that he wants Ws and will pay to get them.

[bubba9497]

Originally posted by redblazer00

Are you sure he works for the Post?

he works for the Times

[Sarge]

Times. You know they are loving life for the next few days

[Even Madder]

He's right about Wuerffel.

I always thought Wuerffel was a rag-armed girl who had no business on a football field, but a offensive-minded coach who's entire offense is based on the QB should have the ability to choose his QBs. Cutting him was unnecessary and undermined what little authority Spurrier had.

All the Snyder bashing -- and I'm one of the bashers -- is warranted. Win, and it goes away. That's the only cure.

[inmate running the asylum]

I really think all this Snyder bashing and meddling is overblown now. Sure Snyder may have been guilty of some of that the first couple of years, and he did make some mistakes. Who doesn't.

But give him some credit. Spurrier asked for speed this year and Vinny and Snyder provided it. No they couldn't fix every hole, but they sure tried. Spurrier wanted to keep Wuerfel, but what difference would it have really made. The team under SS was so incompetent and disorganized anyway. SS wanted Wuerfel and Vinny didn't. So what the hell is Snyder supposed to do in a stalemate? He sided with Vinny this time. But during the draft when SS wanted to draft Taylor Jacobs instead of the safety Doss, Synder sided with Spurrier.

Like I said what the hell was Snyder supposed to do?

Ultimately though, Spurrier was accountable for the mess on the practice field and in the games. Good riddance I say. :mad:

[Ernie5]

Inmate: 100% right. It's so easy to pile on Snyder, but all you can ask for is an owner who will do everything in his power to win. I don't agree with the way the front office goes about certain things, but this off-season they brought in some players who made a tremendous difference, namely Coles, Thomas & Hall. I think Morton will still pay dividends and Canidate, if he stays healthy, could certainly turn out to be well-worth a 4th round pick. In the meantime, they rolled the dice on restricted, role-playing free agents and, while the results are mixed, I applaud the creativity in trying it. Snyder hired Spurrier not because he was a BIG NAME, but because Snyder honestly thought Spurrier would bring winning & an exciting brand of football back to Washington. A lot of teams felt the same way. Had Tampa not been held up by Parcells, they very well might have hired Spurrier. Spurrier was the wrong choice, but that choice reflected the right impulse by ownership.

[Phat Hog]

I guess it’s always easier just to blame Snyder first. You wonder how some of these writers got their jobs… surely not by writing cohesive, much less, objective articles.

[panel]

scape goating gets you nowhere, please, it isn't Snyders fault.

[Ernie5]

Thanks, Panel.

[endzone_dave]

How can it not be Snyders fault. He's a hands-on owner and along with Vinny makes all the personel (including who the head coach is) decisions. He has the ultimate responsibility of the 5-11 record.

If this team starts winning, I'll be the first to praise Snyder.

[Ernie5]

It's not anyone's fault. They were not doing particularly well before Snyder signed on.

[flashback]

So Snyder picked Jacobs over Doss and Johnson over Weurffel, huh? Well, I don't see how you can blame him for a 5-11 season. :laugh:

[Ernie5]

Spurrier picked Jacobs over Doss and Synder backed him up. Picking R. Johnson over Wuerffel did not make us a 5-11 team.

Obviously.

[Brave]

Originally posted by endzone_dave

How can it not be Snyders fault. He's a hands-on owner and along with Vinny makes all the personel (including who the head coach is) decisions. He has the ultimate responsibility of the 5-11 record.

Snyder has to bear SOME responsibility, but you can't lump him with all of it, or even most of it in my view. His main problem, in hindsight, seems to be his thinking Spurrier was the guy to turn this program around.

If the coach doesn't coach well and the players don't play well ... what can you do? You can gripe about bringing them in in the first place, but who knew they wouldn't work out before they don't work out?

[xanathos19]

Originally posted by Sarge

Times. You know they are loving life for the next few days

So that explains the article...

I'm always up for some Snyder bashing, and it's hard to count on any type of team loyalty/cohesion when there are 5 coaches in 5 years...maybe Danny-Boy needs to be more patient.

[Ernie5]

Maybe he does need more patience, but we know that the Spurrier departure has much more to do withy Spurrier's patience than that of Snyder.

[bobzmuda]

According to the Washington Times Snyder is also responsible for AIDS, the cuban missle crisis, the national deficit, creation of original sin, overdone steaks, the rise of nazi germany, the spread of african killer bees, ring around the collar, and rabies.

While you can blame Snyder for the results, you can't blame him for the effort. He's trying, but he's done it in all the wrong ways. Hopefully, he's learned his lesson now. And since he's the owner, that's about as much as you can hope for.

[Dr. D]

truth hurts.