The Washington Redskins are near and dear to my heart. They always have been, and always will be. That's why one of the worst forms of rhetoric in sports is the hype concerning this team every year. Like clockwork, the most exciting and best part of every season is...the off-season. While teams like the Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, and, most grudgingly, the New York Giants are all winning Division, Conference, and Super Bowl championships, my team's season always ends on or around New Year's Day. To be honest, the most exciting day on my football calendar is the NFL Draft in April, when for one day I don't have to worry about my team blowing millions of dollars on washed-up stars. Instead I get to see them pick a players who may or may not work out to be everyday starters. At the very least it makes me happy to think that my team is doing a little bit of what all those other, vastly more successful franchises have been doing and perfecting for years.
A little bit of hype around every team is to be expected. Even the 2008 Detroit Lions had commercials promoting them. But the unjustified hype around the Redskins, year after year, is just downright depressing. If they were telling fans that they could compete, then dismantling the roster and getting younger, I would at least know that they were only doing this for marketing reasons and were really going in the right direction. I don't mind it when teams give a wink and a nod they are going to suck. The Washington Nationals did that from 2006-2010. Granted, they still tried to sell seats. It's a business. I get it. Everyone knew they were not going to win titles for a while. Their roster consisted of Ryan Zimmerman and a bunch of dudes who should have been playing Single-A ball. But no, the Redskins roster decisions seem to revolve around their latest marketing campaign(See McNabb, Donovan "R You In?"). Sadly, the trend continues, with the talk of the Washington sports media being all about whether or not the Redskins can and will sign Peyton Manning, a great but aging quarterback who was injured for the entire 2011 season.
I blame the state of the Redskins on mismanagement at the top, although Dan Snyder, the owner of the team, seems to be staying out of things since Mike Shanahan took over the head coaching job. But the decade of mismanagement, compounded with Snyder's need for an instant Super Bowl contender, flat out ruined one of the most proud, storied, and traditional franchises in sports.
- Donovan McNabb FAIL
- Donovan McNabb FAIL pt. 2
A little bit of hype around every team is to be expected. Even the 2008 Detroit Lions had commercials promoting them. But the unjustified hype around the Redskins, year after year, is just downright depressing. If they were telling fans that they could compete, then dismantling the roster and getting younger, I would at least know that they were only doing this for marketing reasons and were really going in the right direction. I don't mind it when teams give a wink and a nod they are going to suck. The Washington Nationals did that from 2006-2010. Granted, they still tried to sell seats. It's a business. I get it. Everyone knew they were not going to win titles for a while. Their roster consisted of Ryan Zimmerman and a bunch of dudes who should have been playing Single-A ball. But no, the Redskins roster decisions seem to revolve around their latest marketing campaign(See McNabb, Donovan "R You In?"). Sadly, the trend continues, with the talk of the Washington sports media being all about whether or not the Redskins can and will sign Peyton Manning, a great but aging quarterback who was injured for the entire 2011 season.
I blame the state of the Redskins on mismanagement at the top, although Dan Snyder, the owner of the team, seems to be staying out of things since Mike Shanahan took over the head coaching job. But the decade of mismanagement, compounded with Snyder's need for an instant Super Bowl contender, flat out ruined one of the most proud, storied, and traditional franchises in sports.
- Donovan McNabb FAIL
- Donovan McNabb FAIL pt. 2
Speaking as a Washington Redskins fan myself, I can completely concur. I feel that Dan Snyder has done the Redskins a huge deal of disservice as the owner of the team. He has really no business being the owner if he is going to continue firing coaches and give the players huge salaries, which allow them to seek less motivation to play well. In recent years Mike Shanahan has been doing a good job. I think he can get the franchise back on track if he can get a few more players. However I feel these rumors of Peyton Manning coming to play will do no good. If he does come, which I doubt he will; it will end worse than it did for McNabb a couple seasons ago. I feel they can do well next season even if they start Rex Grossman at QB. I guess we must wait and see.
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