The Debauchery That IS the Washington Redskins

So.... the Washington Redskins have played hard the past two weeks. Last week it was a loss, but this week it is a win. Players are playing harder, selling out to make plays. There is a sense of one for all and all for one on the team. But it makes you start to question what is the real reason that the team has come together….

If you have been under a rock all season, let's do a brief rundown of everything that has happened over the past year. Donovan McNabb and Albert Haynesworth joined the team. By far their two best players and hoping to build on having two players that have made multiple pro bowl & who are at their best MVP candidates when they are on top of their game. Shanahan is hired as the coach, and immediately problems arise between he and Albert Haynesworth. Mid-season, Donovan McNabb is benched for Grossman. There is a questionable reason that is used, saying that McNabb did not have the cardiovascular endurance to finish the game. Then changing it to Rex knew the 2 minute offense better than McNabb. Then comes the suspension of Albert Haynesworth for the remainder of the season. Finally Donovan McNabb is demoted to 3rd string QB behind Beck and Grossman.

........ Weird to say the least... I think so....

Now let's start from the beginning. Albert Haynesworth has a bad reputation to begin with. He signed a 100 million dollar contract, largest EVER for a DT. The defense finished 10th in the league in total defense. The addition of a premiere defensive lineman was supposed to give the redskins a pass rush without having to blitz multiple defenders and give their linebackers a free run to the QBs and RBs because Haynesworth commands a double team. The entire defensive unit was looking forward having Haynesworth in this already stout unit.

But with Shanahan, he runs a 3-4 scheme.

And this is where the problems came in. The organization feels that since Haynesworth is making 100 million dollars, if they ask him to line up at safety he should. Haynesworth should be more open to trying the position if not for the coaches, but for his teammates. But at the same time, management should have done a better job bringing in a coach that would implement a system that would enhance the talents of existing as well as new players. The Redskins were thriving in the 4-3 system. There was no need to adjust the defense. The skins defense finished 10th in 2009 in total defense. In 2010 they are ranked 32nd. So much for justifying the change, right?

Then comes the issues with Donovan.

Donovan McNabb is the best QB in the NFL when you look at the talent that was around him in Philadelphia versus the numbers that the put up. He had Owens that one year, but he made it to a Super Bowl, 5 NFC championship games, 6 pro bowls. All with at best mediocre talent. He was bought into Washington to revitalize the offense. But during the season, Donovan McNabb was pulled from the game. First citing cardiovascular conditioning, then citing Rex Grossman’s “knowledge of the 2 minute offense”. Now I am not a head coach, but let’s look at this logically. McNabb has more comeback wins, more completions, more touchdowns, and brings more athletic ability than Grossman. Enough said. And Shanahan could not even be man enough to state the true reason that McNabb was removed from the game. Interesting slap in the face to the QB that you signed to a 5-year $78 million contract.

And adding insult to injury there is NO ONE to throw the ball to in Washington. They were worst than the Eagle's receivers when they had James Thrash, Todd Pinkston, and Freddie Mitchell as starting WR's. The only reliable target they have is Chris Cooley. And even he has been dropping pass more lately. Clinton Portis is hurt. There is no run game. Yet McNabb has thrown for 3377 yards this year, which ranks eleventh in the NFL. Yet McNabb has not played in 2 weeks. Eerie. I think so. Shanahan was expecting to get an Elway. D Mac is good, but not an Elway. He doesn't have an amazing offensive line, an Ed McCaffery, a Rod Smith, and a Terrell Davis either. Amazing how just two years ago, McNabb was throwing a 4th down pass, (that was dropped by the way by Kevin Curtis) to make it to the Super Bowl. Now he is just trying to get on the field. Amazing.

McNabb has since been benched because he hasn't shown anything in 13 games. He is going to use the last three games to "evaluate Rex" and John Beck. Now McNabb, a future Hall of Famer, is taking snaps with the practice squad and yawning on the sidelines.

So you expect fans to believe that the skins are playing inspired football? Not because Rex has them going, or that Rex has taken over the team. But because no feels their job is safe because Shanahan has benched and suspended his two BEST players by far. Shanahan wake up. You're the head coach, you inspire your players. Don't let your Hitler-Like mentality keep the Redskins in the downward spiral that this organization has been in over the past 6 years.

KRTS

The Dark Ages in Philly

Philly fans....

Pushing McNabb out the locker room to a division rival was one of the worst moves that could have been made. Kolb is NOT the answer to your woes. Lack of a running game as well as defensive calls were the problem this year. Donovan McNabb has been running the show in Philly with mediocre offensive talent since he came to Philly in 1999. 11 years 5 NFC Championships 1 Super Bowl 6 pro bowls... for Kolb.. unproven. had a great game against the chiefs... wow... is that even a comparison?

Donovan has put up more yardage without a pro bowl receiver than most. Most times the qbs fall flat on their face. Look @ Jason Campbell. Not flourishing at all! He has had wr's like Todd Pinkston, James Thrash, Todd Pinkston, Reggie Brown, Kevin Curtis, Donte' Stallworth. Just to name a few. Very forgetable names. He has also put up numbers in Andy Reid's pass first offense. There has not been a consistent running attack in Philly for years.

There are not too many qb's that you can put ahead of Donovan McNabb right now. He led the league in passes over 40 yrds this season. He turned DeSean Jackson into a star over the course of his short career. The ONE year that he had pro bowl wr that he didn't turn into a superstar, he was 64%. How many passes have wr's dropped over Donovan's career? Who knows WHERE he would be in terms of yardage if he had not have missed so many games due to injuries. Or if he had a Marvin Harrison or a Chad Ochocinco to throw the ball to. The possibilities would be endless.

The Eagles did NOTHING to help Donovan. The defense was upgraded throughout the tenure of of Mcnabb. He is the greatest qb in Eagles History.
Donovan McNabb's value has been long under appreciated. They have been calling for his head for years. All he has done was win. With MEDIOCRE talent. I guess once you see that Kolb ain't the answer and he beats you twice a year until he retires, you will have your foot in your mouth and say this guy is NOT that bad. He is still top 10 qb in the league. Eagle fans.. you got what you asked for all over again.. the dark ages...

Taking the Fun out of football

What if in the days of Coliseum the most popular gladiators were protected from certain slashes and kicks? What if they could not be hit while vulnerable? What if a defenseless gladiator could not have been touched, but that gladiator was TRAINED to be an assassin, taking advantage of any weak moment of another gladiator? And if the gladiators that violated these rules were fined the precious coin that they worked so hard to earn and/or suspend them. How about if the celebrations were removed from the arena as well? What if they were fined for that as well? How watered down would that have made the battles in the Coliseum?

And this, my fellow fans is what we are going through today.

The football field is our modern day Coliseum. The players are our modern day gladiators. Defenders live for that bone-jarring collision that they get the better of. Good blockers love to get the crack-back (term for peeling back on an unsuspecting defender running for a tackle) Defenders love free shots on quarterbacks. This is what they get scholarships for. This is what they get contracts for. This is a physical sport.

But new rules are being put into place that stop a lot of the collisions that we love to see. True. I will say that some rules are needed. Leading with the helmet, helmet to helmet contact, the horse collar, and going for the quarterback legs are all needed rules to protect players longevity in the game. Concussions are becoming an all too familiar injury on the television each week.

But some rules are protecting certain players on the field too much. The NFL running back takes more abuse than any other player on the field. They are hit almost every play. There are few rules to protect them. Get them down by any means necessary, except by horse-collar or facemask. But if you get the quarterback on a free run, you cannot drive him to the ground, you cannot hit his legs, you cannot hit him long after he releases the ball.You cannot crush a wr anymore, but you are supposed to break up plays.

Also the players have rules on how they can celebrate a td. I know I watched the NFL to see what Chad Johnson and Steve Smith had planned for the td they scored that week. You can't leave your feet, or you can cost your team 15yrds. I know this is about the NFL, but look at what happened to Jake Locker, This is translating into the college game as well. In case you are not familiar, Locker scored a td and just threw the ball up in the air and cost his team 15yrds and a game. A player should not be penalized for having a celebration that is not degrading another player. Again there are exceptions, because taunting should not be allowed. But come on guys...

Football is a game of emotion. Highs and lows, happiness and sadness. The field is where all your hard work shows. Protect all players. Quarterbacks are not the only players in the league. NFL... Please don't stand for the No Fun League. Give the players an identity and a chance to have one.

Loyalty or Royalties

Brian Dawkins was the ideal player to retire from your organization. He fought hard on every down, motivated teammates by not just talking the talk, but walking the walk. He was a leader on AND off the field. He is what EVERY owner and coach dreams of. He was a great player who also has great character and leadership ability. Jerry Rice is the G.O.A.T. No question in your heart and mind. When people say at the end of the day who is the GREATEST WR to play the game of football, his name is the first to populate thoughts. He gave San Francisco 15 pro seasons, numerous super bowl rings and made 2 quarterbacks hall of famers. What do they have in common? They were both released by the team that they led to glory. What owners, general managers, and coaches are doing is a disgrace. And it is not pledging an allegiance to the players as the players are pledging allegiance to what is the success of their organization and more importantly to them, their jobs…. Numerous players play with injuries, taking the numerous risks on every play going across the middle of the field where killers are lurking to knock them into next week. They carry the ball 300+ times a season, get abused 89% of the time they touch the ball. They sacrifice family time to train, many creating rifts in their marriage in order to be the BEST they can be at any given moment for that team. They give everything in them for that one sack to save the game, that one game saving tackle, that one 4^th down stance, that one completion between 4 defenders, that one catch on the tiptoes to stay in bounds. They give their undying loyalty to their teammates, the owners, the fans their organizations. They are the face of the franchise for numerous years. What are you rewarded with? A call to your agent telling you, “Thank You for the years, but your services are no longer needed.” Then are thrown to the wolves to play for ½ of what they FEEL they are worth. Sounds familiar? Sounds like what LT is going thru right now with San Diego, right? He was the best running back in the league, now people are evaluating his effectiveness because of his age and his mileage. Seriously NFL, are you really doing this to a future hall of famer?The NFL as well as its owners are profiting for these players giving everything they have for their team. They are the face of the NFL on billboards, posters, and community service initiatives. They are selling jerseys with that player name on the back of their TEAM’S jersey. Then when that player is traded, that jersey value goes down to practically nothing. They are forgotten and they are not relevant anymore until it is time for induction into the HOF. It practically shows just how expendable these players are to their teams and where loyalty lies. NFL General Managers and owners... Love your players as much as you love the royalties they bring in for you and the job security they create. As much as they love your organization and they love the game. From dedication grows passion. From passion grows allegiance. Allegiance forms loyalty. When will a passion for the players produce a loyalty to the players? When will loyalty become more important than royalties?

You be the judge....

Let me hit you with the facts:

There are 50.4% of African-American players at FBS schools in 2009.
There were 7 African American coaches out of 120 FBS schools in 2009.
Out of those 7, only 1 of those coaches was at a school that was BCS eligible. (Randy Shannon, University of Miami-ACC) .0083 of the coaches.

At the end of the 2009, 5 new black coaches were hired.

There are now 3 coaches at BCS eligible schools. (Turner Gill, Kansas-Big XII; Charlie Strong, Louisville-Big East; Randy Shannon, University of Miam-ACC) making it now .025% of coaches at BCS eligible schools.

In The FBS which consist of 120 teams...

100% of conference commissioners are white.
86% of Athletic Directors are white.
93.3% of FBS presidents are white.
92.6% of Faculty Athletic reps are white.



This brings up a very interesting point. African Americans are well represented on the field, but not represented in leadership roles.

There are now questions starting to loom over the head of the NCAA. Are they forcing the hand of universities to interview qualified African-American coaches, but already have their candidate that they want in mind? Are African-American coaches getting a fair chance in the NCAA? Are African Americans in general getting a fair chance PERIOD in the NCAA? Based on the numbers of above, I would say no.

Charlie Strong was the staple of a Florida defense that was consistently ranked in the top 10 in the country at the end of the season. National championships were on his resume'. But he was passed over job after job after job. Now after years of being a wonderful coach, he is rewarded with a job.

At Louisville...

How could the conference that he dominated for so many years turn their back on him when NUMEROUS job vacancies became available?

Turner Gill turned Buffalo, who before he got there was the cellar of the FBS, into a conference winner. Turner Gil was one of the hottest names in the profession. Yet he gets passed up on a job at Auburn for a coach with a 5-19 resume in the Big XII? Yet the coach that comes in after him is winning with the same players. It is scary to think what could have been with Turner Gil at Auburn....

Makes you wonder if the fact that they are in interracial marriage was too much for boosters to handle down in the SOUTHeastern Conference?

The numerous other job opportunities that were missed. It would have bought tears to numerous Alabama fans eyes that ARE African-American to see Sylvester Croom on the sideline as the first Black head coach at their beloved U of A. To know that George Wallace attempted to deny people of color passage into the university to say that we now have an African-American coach running the team would have been amazing. Yet he was passed up for Shula. We all know the ending to that story.

And to see the small representation of minorities in leadership roles such as presidents or athletic directors. There are NONE as conference commissioners. Some things just aren't adding up. African-Americans do NOT need affirmative action. They need a fair chance.

Someone needs to be held accountable. More spotlight needs to be bought upon college football and its racial practices. It seems that the boosters run the schools and make the decisions on what's best for the team... and not the people put into place to do what's best for the university.

(Info found from PDF file from TIDES (The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports)