Erigion Posted September 14, 2004 Share Posted September 14, 2004 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A18996-2004Sep13.html Bandwagon? No, but Gibbs Is Driving By Tony Kornheiser Tuesday, September 14, 2004; Page D01 Not that I'm writing a Bandwagon column, mind you, because I'm not. But if I were writing a Bandwagon column (which I'm not), I would begin with Joe Gibbs. Because Gibbs is the story. And I would continue with Joe Gibbs. And continue some more with Joe Gibbs. And then end with Joe Gibbs. Oh, sure, I would mention Clinton Portis. And I would mention Matt Bowen. Naturally, I would mention Joe Bugel and Gregg Williams, and some of those other graybeards Gibbs keeps around him like guard dogs. And somewhere in there I would mention Mark Brunell and the comic relief (and I can say that now because of the final score) that was provided by his faulty exchanges with whoever was at center. But I would concentrate on Joe Gibbs. Because if there is a Bandwagon this season -- and believe me you have to get four or five games down the road, and play better every game for me to even think about it -- but if there is a Bandwagon this season, it'll be because of Joe Gibbs. He is The Story. I watched with some amusement after the game as Gibbs said, "Maybe now the focus can be on the players where it belongs." Hahaha! That Gibbs. He's such a kidder. Who's writing his material, Morty Gunty? Coach "Joe" (oops, there I go slipping into Bandwagon-speak already!) may actually believe that nonsense. But the rest of us know it is foolishness. The focus is on where it belongs. The focus is on Joe Gibbs. Let me tell you something, my friends: Half the people in this town don't even know Mark Brunell is the starting quarterback; they think Patrick Ramsey is. And half the people in this town don't know who Clinton Portis is; they wouldn't know him if he walked into their homes wearing a "Portis" jersey. Half the people in this town think Champ Bailey is still starting at cornerback, and half the people in this town wouldn't know Antonio Pierce from Franklin K. Pierce. But everybody in this town knows Joe Gibbs. Not that I'm writing a Bandwagon column, because I'm not. But if I were, I'd get one of those caricatures drawn where Gibbs isn't just leaning over the prow, guiding the path of The Bandwagon. Nope, I'd get one of those caricatures where Joe Gibbs is The Bandwagon -- and all the players and coaches are up on his shoulders, and he's carrying them. Because that's how everybody in this town is looking at this team right now. Clinton Portis would have to run for 300 yards, and Antonio Pierce would have to make five interceptions to change that. Last week I told you that ever since Gibbs announced he was coming back to coach, not a single day went by when somebody didn't ask me if I was going to bring back The Bandwagon. Well, the question always went like this: "Now that Coach Gibbs is back, are you gonna bring back The Bandwagon?" You'll notice nobody said, "Now that Ledell Betts is back . . . " Or, "Now that Renaldo Wynn is back . . ." Or, "Now that Trung Canidate is gone . . . " No, the question was always dependent on Gibbs. He is the one people believe in. He is the way up and out. We saw it last year in Dallas with Bill Parcells. Parcells showed up with his new Billy Idol bleached hairdo and his old résumé, and the people went wild. Because when you get Parcells, here's what you know you're not getting: Chan Gailey or Dave Campo. And immediately Parcells delivered. He took a team that went 5-11 two years running and turned them into a playoff team. That's what a Hall of Fame coach can do. Now you take the excitement that bubbled up in Dallas when The Tuna arrived, and you have to double it here. Because Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs isn't going to a new city -- Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs is coming home! In Dallas, some folks were skeptical of Parcells. And they had someone really good and fairly recent to compare him to, Jimmy Johnson. In Washington, nobody is skeptical of Joe Gibbs. And nobody since Gibbs left did anything to remember fondly. This town has been longing for Joe Gibbs for over a decade. Gibbs coming back overshadows every player and every coach. If Gibbs wins 10 games, The Danny won't have to worry about selling his new obstructed view seats, he'll be able to build 25,000 new additional seats outside the ballpark, with no view at all, and sell them. Now, Listen Up (starting next Monday at 8:30 on CBS; gotcha!): nobody should get carried away with beating Tampa Bay in a home opener. The Bucs aren't a good team. They have cratered, like that Genesis thing, since the Super Bowl. Many of their best defensive players have left, and they never were very good on offense. Washington should have won that game. All the emotional factors were on Washington's side. Next week the Redskins go to the Meadowlands, where the emotional factors should be on the Giants' side -- provided Crazy Tom Coughlin doesn't put his entire defense on waivers and torch the locker room. (Did you see Coughlin raving on the sideline against the Eagles? He looked like he belonged in a rubber suit.) Not that I'm writing a Bandwagon column, because I'm not. But if I were, I'd point out that the Redskins have a pretty fair chance to win that game. The Giants aren't very good (if the Giants had left Terrell Owens any more uncovered he could have violated public decency laws), and Giants fans will unload on Kurt Warner the moment he fumbles -- which he always does. Giants fans don't want Warner. They think he's a fossil. (As opposed to Jim Fassel, who already has been unloaded.) They're willing to throw away this season right now, and they would eagerly throw in Eli Manning and get him lumped up to get ready for next season. The Giants were a road game Gibbs always had trouble with when Parcells was on the opposite sideline. But Parcells is in Dallas. So it's a road game that a good team, a prepared team, a disciplined team, a smart team, a Gibbs team, a Bandwagon team, would win. Not that I'm writing a Bandwagon column, because I'm not. Not yet anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG Posted September 14, 2004 Share Posted September 14, 2004 Pretty good TK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiefhogskin48 Posted September 14, 2004 Share Posted September 14, 2004 Great article. A rare gem from Korny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SkinsHokie Fan Posted September 14, 2004 Share Posted September 14, 2004 I still loving going back and reading his bandwagon articles from 1991. I wish I could remember that preseason (all I remember was Rypien having 44 yards passing in a scrimmage against the Jets) and try and see if the media was so hyped on the Skins that year. I do remember Dr. Z picking Washington and Buffalo in the Super Bowl. And Tony K starting up the bandwagon after the 45-0 blowout win on Sunday night to start the season Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckydevil Posted September 14, 2004 Share Posted September 14, 2004 nice TK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny_Blaze Posted September 14, 2004 Share Posted September 14, 2004 even though he bashed the skins on PTI today, this was a good article from the well informed kornheiser. :gaintsuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erigion Posted September 14, 2004 Author Share Posted September 14, 2004 I don't think he was bashing the Skins at all. TK has always liked the Skins more than Wilbon and those two love arguing about everything and anything. If anything, I think TK doesn't want to get his hopes really high with this season after years of backing the new coaches. Especially because this is Joe Gibbs. Go back and read the columns everyone wrote after Gibbs came back, TK was gushing over Gibbs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funNgun4eva Posted September 14, 2004 Share Posted September 14, 2004 another great article by Tony. when he wants to he can be one of the best writers out there. i really liked the "Coughlin doesn't put his entire defense on waivers and torch the locker room" because that man looked insane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funNgun4eva Posted September 14, 2004 Share Posted September 14, 2004 Originally posted by SkinsHokie Fan I still loving going back and reading his bandwagon articles from 1991. I wish I could remember that preseason (all I remember was Rypien having 44 yards passing in a scrimmage against the Jets) and try and see if the media was so hyped on the Skins that year. I do remember Dr. Z picking Washington and Buffalo in the Super Bowl. And Tony K starting up the bandwagon after the 45-0 blowout win on Sunday night to start the season did you happen to buy the articles off the archives on washingtonpost.com? i wanted to go back and look at those but i wanted another option then paying for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyZeb Posted September 14, 2004 Share Posted September 14, 2004 Bandwagon Articles: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/redskins/history/timeline/wagon/wagnfrnt.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funNgun4eva Posted September 14, 2004 Share Posted September 14, 2004 thanks zeb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aluadan Posted September 14, 2004 Share Posted September 14, 2004 Only downside is there's no pics of the bandwagon unless i'm missing them :cry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ancalagon the Black Posted September 14, 2004 Share Posted September 14, 2004 Much better than his previous article. My friend at college had all the Bandwagon articles taped up on his dorm door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mondak Posted September 14, 2004 Share Posted September 14, 2004 Ah - I love Tony K. Thanks for the article Erigion and thanks for the Bandwagon collection CrazyZeb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soliloquy Posted September 14, 2004 Share Posted September 14, 2004 Originally posted by Erigion Not that I'm writing a Bandwagon column, mind you, because I'm not... Bandwagon... Bandwagon... Bandwagon... Bandwagon... Bandwagon... The Bandwagon... The Bandwagon... The Bandwagon... The Bandwagon... Bandwagon... Bandwagon... Not that I'm writing a Bandwagon column, because I'm not. Not yet anyway. Tease. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WallyG3 Posted September 14, 2004 Share Posted September 14, 2004 I KNEW IT!!! He's right on schedule http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=839825#post839825 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ancalagon the Black Posted September 14, 2004 Share Posted September 14, 2004 Originally posted by WallyG3 I KNEW IT!!! He's right on schedule http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=839825#post839825 Wow! Nice prediction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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