What Steve Czaben emailed me

[@DCGoldPants]

I sent him a email after reading that Danny staying in the warroom and Stevie was the one flying to the Stadium.....after they said on the radio that DANNY wasn't really running the draft. So I sent him that ESPN page 2 link. Here is what he wrote back.

Just because a writer "claims" that Spurrier "didn't miss much" doesn't make

it true. In reality, draft day is hectic for those actually working the

process. Picks are made, phone calls exchanged, teams moving up and down.

Fact is, Spurrier blew off the draft because it doesn't interest him. Well,

fine. We'll see if he becomes more interested when the players his lackeys

picked for him are no good, and writers like this guy start saying Spurrier

can't coach. Then, I bet, he'll get much more interested in a hurry.

It's fine to play the "aw shucks' routine for the media, but NFL coaches

MUST show a greater level of interest in players than the owner. Otherwise,

you have a disaster brewing.

You may save this email for my apology in November, or perhaps if it all

works out, to rag me with for being wrong.

Sincerely,

Steve

this guy is a trip! My apology?!?

[Barney B]

"..or perhaps if it all works out, to rag me with for being wrong."

That last bit sounds even-handed enough, but the rest of it, well, let's just say you might want to save that email to rag him with.

[RySkins]

You know, I like listening to WTEM, but between Czaban and Pollen there is so much negativitism in regards to the Redskins. Let's just say that Czaban has some work to do before he starts garnering comparisons to Ken Beattrice.

[Uptown Skins]

Ken B is the GODFATHER of sportstalk radio is DC. I am glad that I was able to catch his show on WMAL before he retired(or forced off the air).

Steze Czaben is cool. But he no where near Ken B!

[BCS:BraveCaringSoul]

Damn Bufford either you must have REALLy got under his skin with your email or you caught him just after he snorted a line of talcum powder. What an @sshole.

[MikeB]

Email him back and tell him what an @ss he is! Don't take that crap from some talk show host flunkie.

[Yomar]

Ken Beatrice was a weird dude, when he had time to get off his soapbox :soapbox: he had some good info, he knew his stuff and he wasn't shy about telling you...but he was the only show in town when I was growing up and there were times I wished he wasn't the only option, I can't believe there is 24 hour a day sports talk anywhere I go in the U.S. now...remember Jams? Crazy man, crazy... :tv:

[indyskinsfan]

Well that was most delicate "Reconcilable" as*-chewing I ever saw. :eek:

Not sure if he should go all the way by leaving a little wiggle room at the end. I guess he's feeling a bit uncomfortable, but then Spurrier does that to everybody. Free spirits think outside of the box. Let's see, oh here's an example, Hell's Angels, Andy Kaufmann, Hendrix, ya' know, unique, but good at what they do.

[Ernie5]

Beatrice was the king. He was, however, often hyper-critical of the Redskins. I guess the difference is that sports radio now supports the kind of halfassed casual cynicism you often hear on WTEM. They thought Norv was a joke. They just plain disliked Marty. Now they think Spurrier's clueless. They also can't stand Mike Martz. Who's a great coach? Dave Wannstadt? It's hip to be contrary and make provocative negative statements in sports radio today. The TEM people aren't half as bad as the morons on national ESPN radio, so I'm thankful for small miracles.

[@DCGoldPants]

whenever Ken B is wrong about the Skins he uses his "Only god really knows" excuse. I hated that about him. I'm holding onto that email so if the Skins are kicking ***, I'll demand they read it on the air.

[Reaganaut]

I'm not sure you guys who call Czaben an a**hole are reading this message correctly. He's being totally consistent with things he's said on air. What he means at the end is that if he's wrong and the team does great you can save the email and rag him with it. Czaben is pretty even handed that his opinions are merely opinions and he's accountable for them. He likes to brag when he's right and have fun in a self-deprecating way when he's wrong. That's the way to read this.

[@DCGoldPants]

My email to him said that he was slamming Danny when it was Steve that was flying back and forth....not the owner.

He ignored that part and comment I made about "what about after June 1st?"

[redman]

Before you go blasting Czaban, recall that his criticism is precisely the same one that bulldog leveled. Namely, there's a potential scenario that Spurrier might be criticized for his team underperforming, he can't blame the front office for letting him down even though "the draft doesn't interest him". As the head coach, the responsibility stops with him even if he chooses not to exercise it.

[bulldog]

I have some reservations about some of the Skins picks in this draft as you all know

However, there is NO coach in the NFL unless he doubles as the GM who is THAT knowledgeable about players available at spots in the 5-7 rounds.

The fact is the coach IS going to depend on the GM to select players at those spots for the team. And the GM is usually going to defer to the scouts that have seen them play.

That is the NFL.

Perhaps Czaban is confusing Spurrier with Jimmy Johnson and Mike Holmgren who are personnel guys AND coaches.

That is a misreading of the situation. I think that Bill Cowher, who has been very successful as an NFL head coach, deferred to Tom Donohoe on a LOT of the Steelers' mid to late picks in the drafts he ran.

That is the breakdown in a working team on draft day.

Usually the coach DOES get the courtesy of a predominant voice in the #1 pick unless there is strong disagreement from the front office.

That's why the GM or the owner is there. To break the tie.

That's what Cooke used to do all the time when it came to signing free agents or making trades or moving up in the draft to get higher profile, more expensive players.

How come Czaban is complaining about that arrangement now?

He didn't seem that worried about it when the Ravens won the Super Bowl and it was obvious that Billick deferred on draft day to Ozzie Newsome and the front office on many of the draft picks.

There is reason to be critical of some of the picks, but not the process.

[redman]

There is a good point of criticism to be made by someone. Spurrier is a hands-on "ball-coach" who prefers to chart plays and to coach players. He's more of an offensive coordinator and a QB coach than he is a head coach in many respects. Whether or not you accept that is virtually irrelevant at this point - it's the way he is, the team's accepted it, and is operating around it.

However, how a HC like Spurrier was not involved in the screening of Ramsey as a QB candidate beyond viewing some film on him boggles the mind given that this is the guy with whom Spurrier will work most closely on the roster, especially if he ends up as the starter!

Heck, it's even dubious to me to say that he shouldn't have been involved in the Betts pick, but Betts at least wasn't a QB.

[Atlanta Skins Fan]

Originally posted by redman

...how a HC like Spurrier was not involved in the screening of Ramsey as a QB candidate beyond viewing some film on him boggles the mind given that this is the guy with whom Spurrier will work most closely on the roster, especially if he ends up as the starter!

My read of this is pretty simple. Spurrier really does think he can win with Wuerffel, Matthews, and Rosenfels. He's actually *rather* win with Wuerffel or Matthews than anyone else breathing, because then he's 2-0 against the NFL. First win is showing he and his system can win in the NFL. Second win is showing that the NFL old school is so stupid, they don't even know a good QB (or WR) when they see one (given that Wuerffel and Matthews and the WRs are all close to washouts). He gets to kick sand in the face of the NFL old school on top of whipping up on other NFL teams.

(Yes, Spurrier really is that arrogant. But it's a kind of arrogance I like. It's the same arrogance that had him kick a long game-winning field goal for his college team in his last game as a senior ... when he was the QB, not the kicker, and the kicker wasn't injured. Spurrier really is an amazing story.)

So Spurrier really didn't want a QB. A #1 QB draft pick puts pressure on him to win with Wuerffel or Matthews immediately, or switch to Ramsey, which is pressure he doesn't need. Spurrier *knows* he will win in the NFL. He's more worried about how much he's going to run up the score on the old school, via players like Wuerffel.

Meanwhile, Snyder likes Spurrier a lot as a coach, but isn't willing to beach his team on a rookie coach's hunch and personal vendetta. So Snyder goes ahead and drafts the QB anyway, with the help of Mendes and Cerrato. End of story.

Geoff

[Atlanta Skins Fan]

The reason I'm fairly certain Ramsey wasn't Spurrier's pick is the Redskin interest in Stallworth. If Spurrier had any serious doubts about Wuerffel, Rosenfels and Matthews, he would have demanded a QB at #1. QBs take the longest to develop, and Spurrier is most focused on the QB position.

Spurrier personally scouted Stallworth at UT, and if anyone in the draft was a Spurrier pick, it was Stallworth. My guess is that Spurrier's recommendation was to get Stallworth if the Skins could get him, and otherwise get whoever Snyder and the front office wanted.

Geoff