Divided loyalties?

[Angus]

Do the Redskins have a problem?:

http://www.dailypress.com/sports/motorracing/dp-gibbsmay16,0,2302019.story?coll=dp-sports-a uto

[@DCGoldPants]

no, Gibbs isn't a guy who does ANYTHING half assed.

His Kid is running the racing team and Coach is well....coaching.

[OURYEAR#56]

There is no doubt that Gibbs will give some attention to his racing team. It's his baby from the ground up, and like every parent you have to check in with you kid from time to time to make sure evrything is alright. For the next five years Gibbs will try to maximize his time as the Redskins Coach. That way I feel he can reep the rewards of being part owner of a winning franchise, and total owner of a winning Nascar team. Bling bling baby

[Mr. S]

Gibbs cares about winning. He built up the redskins into a powerhouse in the 80s, and he certainly wants to do it again. He built up his racing team as well. He wants to win wherever he is.

[The X-Factor]

Gibbs: 'I know racing will always be there'

The Skins coach says the sport will be a major part of his life long after his tenure in Washington is over.

http://www.dailypress.com/sports/motorracing/dp-gibbsmay16,0,2302019.story?coll=dp-sports-a

RICHMOND -- Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs said he felt comfortable almost from the moment he entered the Richmond International Raceway grounds on Saturday and joined his drivers, Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte, in the garage area.

"I always feel at home in Richmond," Gibbs said. "I feel like this is Redskins country."

It is, but there was more to the feeling than just being in burgundy-and-gold territory. The Hall of Fame coach, who returned to the Redskins in January after spending the previous 12 years building Joe Gibbs Racing into a powerful team on the NASCAR circuit, was reaffirming ties with a sport that will be a part of his family long after his coaching days are over.

"Here's the deal," Gibbs said several hours before the start of the Chevy American Revolution 400. "We will always be in racing. The family will always - at least that's our goal - be in it forever. We have a lot invested in it, and there are almost 220 (family members and employees) we are responsible for.

"I know that my family and all of us will be in racing because it's something we love. Football, it's going to be a period in time for me. I know racing will always be there."

Gibbs said he returned to football only after he achieved the goals he had established of being closer to his family and starting the family racing business.

The final hurdle that had to be cleared, he said, was getting with the sponsors of his two racing teams and making sure they were comfortable with his move back to the NFL.

"Most of what I do as an owner is deal with sponsors," he said. "I was going to Washington, it was football, and in some ways we thought it might enhance what we do. If I had thought for a moment that I would be hurting the racing team, I wouldn't have done it."

Stewart and Labonte are having so-so seasons in 2004. Stewart is fifth in the drivers' standings, Labonte is seventh and neither has won a race in 2004. It's a far cry from 1999, when Labonte brought Gibbs his first Cup series title and from 2002 when Stewart won the points championship.

Gibbs said he doesn't believe his leaving has anything to do with the downturn in production. "It's sad about the racing team this season because not a lot seems to be going our way," he said. "We've had good cars, but something seems to happen to keep us from winning races."

Gibbs also downplayed his leaving as a possible reason Stewart has been involved in major on-track incidents in recent weeks. Gibbs said he was not the steadying influence on the volatile Stewart. The person who has that role is crew chief Greg Zipadelli.

"I watched on TV some of the things that happened, and it was a series of things that weren't good for him," Gibbs said. "The person Tony listens to the most, though, is Zippy. He has a tremendous respect for Zippy because Zippy races; I don't."

Stewart caused a major accident at Talladega on April 25 and knocked driver Rusty Wallace out of the race a week later.

Gibbs said Stewart and Wallace discussed the problem, and it appears the ill will is gone.

"In this sport, you're going to get hit, and sometimes it's the other guy's fault," Gibbs said. "People make mistakes. I take the approach that drivers kind of take care of it and work it out. Tony called Rusty, and it seems they worked it out."

Gibbs signed a five-year contract to coach the Redskins, a deal he says he intends to honor. But for a few hours Saturday, Gibbs was home again with his entire family.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

I cannot see Gibbs letting racing distract his attention from the Skins. But even if it did, Gibbs focusing on two things is better than most other focusing on just football.