Beathard says No...

[All In]

According to Frank Herzog this morning on WUSA 9 news, he said that Beathard has no intentions of coming back to the NFL. He is happily retired. Herzog was bashing the report imlying that Beathard was kind of upset over the assumption of him coming to DC.

Don't know who started or leaked the rumor. Well that scenario got shot down real quick. I'll see if I can find a link on it. George Michael mentioned something about it last night along the same lines.

[@DCGoldPants]

do you blame him for not coming to town? When he was kick arse....FA wasn't around. He did alright in San Diego but no championships. If he likes being out west and the system isn't what he rules in....why would he?

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<IMG SRC="http://www.nba.com/media/wizards/kwame_bobble90.gif" border=0> <IMG SRC="http://a188.g.akamaitech.net/f/188/920/1d/www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/images/I44993-2001Sep05" border=0>

[Art]

Guys, this is the beginning of the Dan Snyder bash fest again. The media has determined a GM is a necessity here. They've determined Snyder likes big names. It will create all the big names it can and associate it with the Redskins, then, come back with stories that, "Beathard won't return." This way they can say, no one will work for Snyder and the only person who will is obviously lured back by money beyond what anyone else would possibly have paid, because Snyder, and only Snyder, overpays to get people. If we don't end up with a GM at all, the story won't be that Snyder never wanted one, and that Marty put a plan together that Snyder bought into, it will be that Snyder, desperate for a check on his coach and a massive desire to be involved, could not find a person to take the position because he's Dan Snyder.

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Doom is in the box.

[redman]

Art-

not so fast. Before we go defending Snyder too much, I have no reason to believe that these rumors of a desire to hire a GM come from anywhere other than the Redskins' inner circle. For example, we haven't even seen a perfunctory denial from Snyder. Indeed, this seems to fit his personality style, that of being very involved and impulsive.

Now, as to where the would-be candidates' names have come from, that may well be media generated in response to the initial report from the Redskins about their desire to hire a GM. You'll note that Wolf has flatly indicated that he has never been contacted; to my knowledge no one even claims that Beathard was contacted, just that he was being considered.

With respect to Beathard, I always found that rumor ironic, especially given the complaints about the team's historical (though fortunately not recent) failings in picking up productive first round talent. Beathard, to the extent he had any reputation for first rounders, had the reputation of either trading them away, or of reaching badly with them.

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<IMG SRC="http://www.thelocker-room.com/images/RedskinLogo.jpg" border=0> "Loosen up, Sandy baby. You're just too damn tight!" - John Riggins to Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

[Art]

Redman, again, who is Snyder's inner circle? He's got Pepper Rogers, Fred Draser and maybe three others. None of those three are involved with the team. Snyder's group is so tight nit, no information comes out of that group that Snyder doesn't calculate and do so knowingly.

Snyder's inner group isn't like Cooke's inner group where secretaries knew the everything about what was going on at Redskin Park and were the best media informants ever. This is why the Times was so outraged at the office terminations some time back. They got too much information from those people and now, they get very little.

For the record, why does Snyder have to deny anything? I'm not saying he's against the idea of a GM, as he may be, and the names mentioned certainly would interest me as well. But, why does he have to deny anything he's not said? Does Dan Snyder have to respond to everything the media writes as attributed to unnamed sources? Does he have to issue denials regarding every name mentioned, or can he just do one blanket denial?

If Dan Snyder had to respond to every story written about this team that isn't accurate -- not that this one is or isn't -- he'd have to quit working just to write up press releases. Again though, the media gets NOTHING out of Snyder's inner circle unless he releases it. And with the relationship with the Post, that could well be the case, since he does use the Post to funnel information out. Anything else they get is just speculation.

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Doom is in the box.

[Art]

Oh, and so you know how the media creates things, here's how it works. A writer gets in his head that the Redskins need a GM. So, he goes to Pepper Rogers and poses the question, "Do the Redskins need a GM." The answer is, "Oh, I don't know. The Redskins have full confidence in Marty and what he's doing. Certainly we are always looking at ways to improve the organization and that will always be the case."

The writer, "So, you're saying the Redskins are looking and have specific people in mind? Are those people Wolf, Beathard, Modrak, Bruce Allen, etc.?" Rogers, "Well, those are certainly qualified people that would interest any team. I'm not certain we have created a list or have any specific information leaning toward any of those people, or none of them."

Then the story is created .

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Doom is in the box.

[bulldog]

I really don't know what is going on in the organization, but I feel that Snyder would have to very foolish to believe that hiring a GM and attempting to keep Marty in place is a workable solution.

Hopefully, someone with sense would realize that if a change in direction is warranted it needs to come from the top in an executive move to dismiss Marty first.

Then we could go out and get a Ron Wolf and allow him to come in and hire a coach he is comfortable working with.

From his comments to the press in the offseason, Drasner seems to be a fire from the hip sort of person that WOULD make a move in a fit of pique.

I don't think after what happened last year that Snyder is going to do something like that.

Whatever happens will be more well-thought out than that and this time the Redskins WILL have a Plan B to go to if Marty is ousted.

[ by bulldog on January 04, 2002.]

[redman]

Originally posted by Art:

For the record, why does Snyder have to deny anything? I'm not saying he's against the idea of a GM, as he may be, and the names mentioned certainly would interest me as well. But, why does he have to deny anything he's not said? Does Dan Snyder have to respond to everything the media writes as attributed to unnamed sources? Does he have to issue denials regarding every name mentioned, or can he just do one blanket denial?

If Dan Snyder had to respond to every story written about this team that isn't accurate -- not that this one is or isn't -- he'd have to quit working just to write up press releases. Again though, the media gets NOTHING out of Snyder's inner circle unless he releases it. And with the relationship with the Post, that could well be the case, since he does use the Post to funnel information out. Anything else they get is just speculation.

Yours is a rhetorical question only. Of course he's not obligated to respond to media stories. However, prudence would seem to suggest that when someone is publicly attributing an unfounded administrative stance to you and those who assist you in running the organization, you issue a public denial.

The media coverage of him, to the extent it's been negative, has all centered around one theme: his micromanagement/meddling in the day-to-day operations of the organization. And such things would hardly occupy all of Snyder's time as he need not approach every media outlet separately. Certainly Snyder (whose professional background is in marketing) can issue a press release or do an interview with a major media outlet like ESPN that would allow him to deny these rumors if they're unfounded. To fail to do so and to allow that failure to erode his relationship with a coach he's hired for four years for $10M to "place his stamp on the team" seems ludicrous.

As for Rodgers and Drasner, I'm not sure what the basis is for your faith in them. I happen to believe that Rodgers is a boob who somehow got Snyder's ear, and who is in over his head. Rodgers strikes me as somebody who's aware of his shortcomings and who desperately wants to demonstrate his relevance to the organization. Drasner has his own agenda, and was reported to have been against Marty's hiring from the beginning. When the team was 0-5, Drasner was reported to have been in favor of firing Marty right then. Are these not potentially rich sources of rumors that might have the effect of undermining Marty's influence on the team? I think so.

Anyway, I'm not convinced that the media's making this stuff up. We'll likely find out if you're right during the next month, when a GM would presumably be hired.

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<IMG SRC="http://www.thelocker-room.com/images/RedskinLogo.jpg" border=0> "Loosen up, Sandy baby. You're just too damn tight!" - John Riggins to Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

[Art]

Again, Redman, Snyder isn't in a position to deny anything. He may well be interested in a GM. I'm not saying he isn't. I'm saying whether he is or isn't, and specifically, if he IS NOT, and he comes out with a denial, then the media will carve him up. Snyder IS a fan of the team. As I am. As many of us are. And when there's a drum beating in the press on a daily basis, as a fan, you tend to embrace the concepts.

If the media says every day we need a GM and here are the people that are out there, a lot of fans, perhaps Snyder include, will come to believe we need a GM and wow, look at all those names. I'm not saying this is the case, but, it is plausible just from looking at this board and the number of fans who feel a GM is an important step, DESPITE the fact that Marty did a fine job as the GM this offseason.

Hell, his BEST work was as a GM, paring down our salary, finding a number of pretty good free agent rookies and swinging deals for quality vets at limited prices. The George issue aside, which, I don't believe is a GM problem, but a coach problem, is not something all that damning against him, regardless, as a GM. He didn't sign the guy. He simply worked his contract and the coach put him in the lineup.

Where Marty has struggled is coaching the offense. And I'm not even speaking about the limited scheme and basic playcalling. I'm talking about the problems this team has lining up. It's the first quarter of the 15th game of the season and you have players unsure where they are supposed to be lining up and going in motion together on a play prompting the running back to blow a time out.

It's the FIRST QUARTER. I presume we ran the plays in the game plan during the week. As it's the FIRST QUARTER, we probably aren't digging too deep in the game plan. And we STILL can't figure things out. We blow time outs. We lead the league in PRE SNAP penalties. Even with the offense as bland and unimaginative as it is, if Marty simply did a better job at teaching and coaching with his staff to the players on that side of the ball and those stupid errors were eliminated or decreased, instead of INCREASING, then the offense would be a tad better.

Marty as a COACH was the problem. He had strengths, but, he had weakness as well. And hiring a GM, a concept I'm not necessarily against especially if a strong name is mentioned, is NOT going to help this team get better on the field tomorrow. It'll simply be a band aid over gun shot. The problem is where this team is on the offensive side of the football. And we're talking the basics here. Lining up correctly is a problem. Communication is a problem. Even if you can't figure out a way to do a little bit better in the play calling, you COULD be better if you simply weren't an offense that led the league in pre snap penalties.

I'm not saying we AREN'T for a GM. I'm saying whether we are or are not, the issue of a GM isn't what this team needs to address to improve. It's a secondary issue that was not one of our problems this year.

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Doom is in the box.

[NavyDave]

GM Marty only sucked in a few areas one was signing D Greer and then as Coach saying he was on par with DarrellGreen.

The other at the time wasnt a bad move as far as keeping J George and seeing if Husak a WCO QB in College could come around the injured arm threw a wrench into things.

Even us as fans and media thought Mookie could be the answer at guard after his one game performance last year vs the Cards.

But I say give the guy another year with more space under the cap to see what he can do.

But change the offensive philosophy of dink and dunk

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Take A Sip of the Marty KoolAid and Believe.

[bulldog]

of course if we had a quarterback who knew how to throw the slants and crosses properly and we had a wide receivers coach that could get the receivers to run the proper routes, this offense wouldn't be considered dink and dunk.

Montana routinely threw for 3,000 yards and 20+ td's in that system.

Banks is an on again, off again passer. Sometimes he guns the ball right on target off his back foot and you are shocked by his ability to deliver. On the next series he throws the same pass into the arms of a waiting safety and the play goes the other way.

As for the receivers, it is apparent that Gardner is green and needs an active coach to work with him. From what we are to understand Gardner is a smart guy and works hard so it should come in time. But he is not there yet in terms of breaking on the ball so as to take the pass and get RAC. Too often he stops or cuts off his route short and ends up diving for a pass for an 8 or 9 yard gain when the team needs 15 yards for a first down.

Lockett to me has been disappointing. As a guy with experience in this offense, I would have thought he would be more of a presence on third down and in the red zone. He has made a couple of big plays this season, but with the catches by the starting pair you would figure the #3 would get more chances to shine.

Westbrook is Westbrook. He loves to run straight down the field and battle defenders for the ball in the air.

Ask him to run a slant and he allows the defender to get inside of him or break up the pass with his outside arm.

You would think after a number of years that Michael with his size could learn how to shield the pass and get the advantage on a pass route that was made for a big receiver with speed to match.

[Cycleans]

All this talk about Snyder seeking A Gm is a boatload of crap that started during the 0-5 start IMHO. Someone I don't recall started a newsworthy story questioning the contract Snyder gave Marty. There were concerns as to how much control Marty had, what the repurcussions might be if Snyder terminated the contract? Did Snyder have a loophole? Evidently it comes out that for the first couple of years (maybe three I don't recall) Marty holds all of the aces. If he's fired he still gets paid. I think this was a solid move made by Snyder to distance himself from being a meddlesome owner reputation. It was also explained that Snyder could hire A GM. The keyword is could. From this several members of the media have played on this story all season long. This is the story for the offseason for many in the media reguarding the Skins. However that doesn't make it credible. They site unnamed sources and try to bait Snyder, Marty and the players into making an official statement. Thus far the media has been on the short end due to the fact that Wolf has publicly stated that he doesn't even know Snyder or talked with him. Bethard has just made it known he wasn't contacted or interested in the job. What does all this tell you? It tells me that the media is way out of control and I am reluctant to believe alot of what I read that is proposed as fact when it's more then likely assumption created by the writer to sell copy. I enjoy reading the sports related stories that are available but I'm disgusted with the blatent feeble attempts to sensationalise a non story like this for the writers own gain.

[redman]

Art, I think you and I are in agreement on the substantive issue here, that Marty as GM is not a situation that needs fixing. Frankly, that's what scares me as I can see Snyder deciding that it does need fixing, and thereby poisoning his relationship with Marty just when the team seems ready to turn a corner.

I'm ready to declare the offseason a success if we do three things:

1) get a good QB;

2) get a more aggressive offensive scheme (if that means we get a new offensive coordinator, so be it)

3) add young talent to the d-line.

If we do those things, we'll compete with everyone next year.

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<IMG SRC="http://www.thelocker-room.com/images/RedskinLogo.jpg" border=0> "Loosen up, Sandy baby. You're just too damn tight!" - John Riggins to Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

[Guest B&G]

Reagardless of who started the rumor and whether it is true or not, I'm glad Bobby will continue to wax his surfboard out in California.

As many have already pointed out, the game has changed significantly since Bobby's heyday and I don't think he could adjust and be as effective as he once was.