Bleeding Burgundy and Gold

On September 13, I wrote about the N.F.L. product. It was game one and an exciting time because I found the RedZone channel, which continues to be the bargain of the season for anyone who owns Verizon Fios.

As I mentioned, I did not want to bring in this sport to FinTruth, but it deserves to be in here, and so does a story from the Wall Street Journal about my favorite football team--the Washington Redskins. Yes--they are 3-7 in the middle of their worst season ever with an owner who is one of the worst owners ever (with the exception of the bigoted George Preston Marshall who founded the team).

Reed Albergotti's article, Are the Redskins Losing Washington?, describes how a once-proud franchise now stands demoralized under owner Daniel Snyder's rule. After reading it, I sent the following email to Reed.

Reed,

Nice article and mostly true. A little history you might know:

Edwin Bennett Williams brought in former L.A. Rams coach George Allen to coach the Washington Redskins in 1971. Allen brought the team to respectability with the “Over the Hill Gang,” some key Los Angeles Rams that Allen took with him to Washington. Vince Lombardi died the previous year, but the team was headed in the right direction before Allen. Williams was responsible for the beginning of Redskins lore.

Self-made millionaire Jack Kent Cooke, more than hiring Gibbs, hired General Manager Bobby Beathard when he took the team over in 1981. Beathard was the architect of the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins, and he told Cooke about an innovative offensive coordinator named Joe Gibbs, who would make a good head coach. That was the key move that Cooke made. He hired a great general manager.

That is the main criticism fans have with Daniel Snyder. This pseudo self-made millionaire—a college dropout funded by family friend Mort Zuckerman on a couple of ventures (one that failed)—has too much ego to understand that he knows nothing about the nuances of pro football. Fans are screaming for him to fire his buddy Vinny Cerrato—GM for post-Joe Montana, Steve Young S.F. 49ers—and hire a real GM. Then, he can stand back for that GM to hire a good head coach and set up a strategy for a winning team.

The only question is whether Snyder is astute enough to determine the difference between a good and bad GM, and if he can stand back and let management run the operation.

Frankly, Zuckerman funded Snyder $1 million for a college newspaper—it failed; Zuckerman funded Snyder $1million for Snyder Communications—not sure how, but it succeeded. Now, he owns Six Flags, which is in bankruptcy and Johnny Rockets—not sure how it’s doing. The Redskins have been successful because Snyder uses his marketing expertise to siphon money from an extremely strong fan base.

As you mentioned in the article, that is starting to dwindle.

It makes one Redskin fan think that Snyder is the wealthiest loser on the face of the earth.

Thanks again for the article.

A Die-Hard Redskin Fan

Indeed, I have been a die-hard Redskin fan since the early 1970s, and I watch every game because I bleed burgundy and gold. But now, fans like myself have been stabbed in the back by a facist owner more concerned about his own pocketbook and ego than perpetuating--now establishing--a winning tradition in Washington, D.C.

Like the Nation's Capital itself, the owner finds himself absorbed with money and power. Tradition, pride and success are secondary.

Let's hope it changes for all of its residents.