WP Toughens Redskins Coverage, Team Yanks Tickets

[Riggins Seventy Chip]

Control issues?

http://www.washingtonian.com/inwashington/buzz/2005/0304.html

Washington Post Toughens Redskins Coverage; Team Yanks Newspaper’s 267 Season Tickets

For many Washingtonians, a season ticket to Washington Redskins games is almost as valuable as a place at a White House dinner. This week the Redskins cut the number of season tickets held by the Washington Post from 279 to 12.

The team’s Los Angeles–based flack said the Post tickets were yanked because many recipients were scalping them.

The Post said most of the tickets were going to “newspaper delivery people—and their families.” Executive editor Len Downie said he had “no evidence” that any of the 51 tickets that went to newsroom staffers had been resold.

Here’s what really happened: Post sports columnist Sally Jenkins pushed Redskins owner Dan Snyder over the edge.

Last week Jenkins wrote a column asking if the wheels “are coming off this Redskins team, just as they have come off every Redskins team under the ownership of Snyder.”

She added, “If the Redskins have proven anything, it’s that the triumvirate structure of Snyder-Cerrato-name-the-head-coach doesn’t work.” Vinny Cerrato is the Redskins’ director of player personnel.

Snyder told associates that the Post was “persecuting” him.

Which fits into Sally Jenkins’s analysis of the inner Dan Snyder.

“I don’t pretend to understand the behavior of Dan Snyder,” she tells me. “It would take a Freudian analysis. But I do think that in the absence of any attention, he would take negative attention. He would rather be the central figure in a dysfunctional team than a peripheral figure in a successful team.”

Jenkins is the only Post columnist who has been pointed in her criticism of Snyder’s management of Washington’s beloved football team. Perhaps she has the perspective to question the team because she’s writing from New York, beyond the Redskins hometown spell, in contrast to fellow columnists Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon.

Snyder is probably also miffed because he grew up reading generally glowing coverage by the Post, and the Post covered the Redskins with kid gloves during his first years of ownership, even as he hired and fired coaches and players in what many saw as a too-impatient and mercurial desire to buy a winning team.

The Post has purchased a block of season tickets every year since the 1950s, a portion of which goes to the newsroom. Executive editor Downie is a fan, as are former managing editor Steve Coll and deputy managing editor Milton Coleman.

Could readers have expected unbiased coverage of the pro-football season when the Post gets to buy so many valuable season tickets—more seats than go to any other company?

Two new voices changed the tone of the Post’s coverage. Sportswriter Nunyo Demasio came from out of town and started to develop sources beneath the team’s management. He began to break stories about dissatisfied players and impending trades. Jenkins wrote columns that were openly critical of Snyder.

Now the Redskins have pulled the seats.

“I can’t imagine that my column had that much effect,” says Jenkins. “There have to be three or four more stories that have pissed them off more.”

Indeed, the Post first irritated the Redskins last year when it published several stories by Jason La Canfora and Thomas Heath about the addition of seats to FedEx Field, some of which put fans behind pillars.

In January the Redskins floated a plan to force season-ticket holders to use a Redskins charge card to buy tickets. A Post story broke the news; Kornheiser followed with a column critical of Snyder. The Redskins dropped the idea.

Last month Demasio broke stories about star receiver Laveranues Coles being unhappy with the Redskins and the way revered head coach Joe Gibbs has run the offense. Demasio also covered the contract dispute between Snyder and star linebacker LaVar Arrington, who claims Snyder owes him $6.5 million.

Says Jenkins, “It generally irks Snyder that he can’t control coverage of the Washington Redskins as he would like. He wants the friendly coverage that he thinks he’s owed.” Snyder’s temperament is “combative and unreasonable,” she says.

“This ticket thing is combative, silly, and vengeful—needlessly so,” she adds. “It has to do only with Dan Snyder’s mysterious temperament. He’s perpetually unhappy about something.”

Jenkins, an award-winning columnist who won the Associated Press Sports Editors’ top award last year and is up for the same this year, says her column was not the “tipping point” in the scrap over tickets.

But it could be a tipping point in the final separation of Washington’s dominant newspaper from the town’s dominant sports team.

In this round of Ticketgate, Post employees lose seats. Happily, the Post’s coverage probably benefits. The real winners could be the fans.

—HARRY JAFFE

[@DCGoldPants]

hahahaa, Nunyo broke the story that Coles was going to be RELEASED!

[iheartskins]

I think there's a lot of value in objective journalism, but you can't be surprised when the hand responds after you've bitten it.

[Commander Adama]

Wow, sounds like the post throwing a temper tantrum!

[Dirk Diggler]

Good for Danny. I love it. Sometimes a bit(h needs to be backhanded, so to speak.

[Warhead36]

Good. More for the REAL fans.

[jimster]

The Post said most of the tickets were going to “newspaper delivery people—and their families.”

yeah, right.

This Sally Jenkins is the one with an issue. - I've never read anything she's written about the 'Skins that didn't have a personal insult thrown in toward Snyder. - Then they print this piece where she talks like she 's the victim.

[SkinsNut73]

In January the Redskins floated a plan to force season-ticket holders to use a Redskins charge card to buy tickets. A Post story broke the news; Kornheiser followed with a column critical of Snyder. The Redskins dropped the idea.

Yea, but the Redskins dropped the idea because Visa asked them too...not because the Post "broke the news":puke:

[GangstaSkinz]

It would take a better man than I to have to put up with critism of some journalist (not all of it just) without some type of backlash.

[Joe Sick]

Said it before and I'll say it again. She needs to stick to the WNBA and Figure Skating.

The thing that stinks is that now I'll have to read more of the Moonie Washington Times for Redskins info.

[halter91]

“I don’t pretend to understand the behavior of Dan Snyder,” she tells me. “It would take a Freudian analysis. But I do think that in the absence of any attention, he would take negative attention. He would rather be the central figure in a dysfunctional team than a peripheral figure in a successful team.”

Good for Dan-O, screw the post. I'm sure he would rather be a quiet guy with a Vince Lombardi trophy any day over being the center of attention. See how the post like to pay for their tickets like the rest of us.

[Rikus]

Jenkins, an award-winning columnist who won the Associated Press Sports Editors’ top award last year and is up for the same this year, says her column was not the “tipping point” in the scrap over tickets.

Unbelievable, her useless drivel is biased, opinionated and usually just wrong. However the WP other then her i believe to have done a reasonably good job of reporting on the team. Does the post really need 279 season tickets to do their reporting? If Snyder is giving away these seats he should reasonably expect favourable reporting which he is obviously not getting. A dozen seats should be more then enough to adequately report on the team.

[DB44]

For years when I lived up in Philly I would read articles on washingtonpost.com. But since the first Spurrier year I have boycotted WP because of their ruthless attitude to try and rip down the skins, anyway possible.

I enjoyed reading WP about the skins growing up in the 80's, and I have always enjoyed Kornheiser's column. He's a very good writer, but even he has jumped on the pile.

Boy have they taken a turn for the worse.

That broad from New York should be fired.

[TODD]

Originally posted by Riggins Seventy Chip

Last month Demasio broke stories about star receiver Laveranues Coles being unhappy with the Redskins and the way revered head coach Joe Gibbs has run the offense. Demasio also covered the contract dispute between Snyder and star linebacker LaVar Arrington, who claims Snyder owes him $6.5 million.

and the story about Samari Rolle's impending signing... and about LC's release... whoops.

[gridironmike]

The Post acted in our best interests reporting on the obstructed view seats and the Extra Points MasterCard situation. Good for them. They also benefitted greatly from a lax season ticket policy that none of us could've ever hoped for. I'd love to have lower level seats in my name and I guess I'm a little closer now.

[Dexter's Better]

You all are being total homers.

The Washington Post has been reporting NEWS (wow imagine that) coming from Redskins park -- not just the fluff Snyder wants printed.

He has driven this team into the ground starting in 2000.

Does he spend money?

Yes.

Does he spend it wisely?

No.

Does he try?

Yes -- to the detriment of the organization. His "instant results" have left this team in shambles -- which no matter who we have coaching won't get fixed until we get our front office into shape.

[Dexter's Better]

Originally posted by gridironmike

The Post acted in our best interests reporting on the obstructed view seats and the Extra Points MasterCard situation. Good for them. They also benefitted greatly from a lax season ticket policy that none of us could've ever hoped for. I'd love to have lower level seats in my name and I guess I'm a little closer now.

Agreed.

[BIGGS_DADDY]

Don't F with my boy Danny, he will kick your candy a$$!!!

[GURU]

Well, to be fair, I've disagreed with the analysis and general tone of a lot of Demasio's stuff, and I think Jenkins' last column was overreactive and typical of a casual outsider's point of view.

But I think Jenkins is dead-on about Snyder's reaction. It's rather childish and petty to yank those tickets, especially when most of them go to non-newsroom employees.

And I think the truth is that a lot of what's going personnel and salary cap-wise is Joe Gibbs trying to clean up the messes that Snyder has made. That Snyder wants desperately to win and to be adored is obvious. That he doesn't have a mind for football operations and is insecure about his legacy is equally obvious.

What Gibbs is undertaking is monumental. I hope the true Redskins have the patience to endure the process of re-building the entire psyche of the franchise. As we've seen so far, there are some painful gaffs to be overcome.

[iheartskins]

Originally posted by Dexter's Better

You all are being total homers.

The Washington Post has been reporting NEWS (wow imagine that) coming from Redskins park -- not just the fluff Snyder wants printed.

He has driven this team into the ground starting in 2000.

Does he spend money?

Yes.

Does he spend it wisely?

No.

Does he try?

Yes -- to the detriment of the organization. His "instant results" have left this team in shambles -- which no matter who we have coaching won't get fixed until we get our front office into shape.

Even if what you are saying were true, I don't necessarily fault Snyder for pulling the plug on the tickets. You can report all the news you want, but when the Post prints scathing reviews of the Team's Owner--that's no longer news--and no longer should be protected. Thus, Snyder's move to reduce their ticket allocation is understandable and probably not all that unfair.

This is to to say nothing about the allegations about the scalping.

[TXREDSKINS44]

Hey Synder owns the team he can do what he wants!!

[Dexter's Better]

Originally posted by iheartskins

Even if what you are saying were true, I don't necessarily fault Snyder for pulling the plug on the tickets. You can report all the news you want, but when the Post prints scathing reviews of the Team's Owner--that's no longer news--and no longer should be protected. Thus, Snyder's move to reduce their ticket allocation is understandable and probably not all that unfair.

This is to to say nothing about the allegations about the scalping.

Ever think those ticket would not be scalped if we actually fielded a good team?

Can't field a good team if you don't have a good front office.

Snyder has every right to pull ticket but it doesn't change the truth.

The single best year since Snyder took total control over the team (Firing of Casserly) was when Marty took it over.

Facts are facts.

[GURU]

Of course he can do what he wants. He can make the franchise a laughing stock, which he has just about succeeded in doing. Hopefully, in time, Gibbs can reverse that perception.

[Dexter's Better]

Originally posted by GURU

Of course he can do what he wants. He can make the franchise a laughing stock, which he has just about succeeded in doing. Hopefully, in time, Gibbs can reverse that perception.

I would love for Gibbs to turn this around. But Danny has dug such a deep hole its going to be damn near impossible to climb out.

[iheartskins]

I don't think what he did was the best thing for Public Relations, ( in fact, it probably just gave the 'Skins a worse name in the Media), and I'm not convinced as others are (e.g., Art and his camp) that Snyder is a "great owner" by any means. I do, however, understand why he did this: He's totally human.