Dan the Man

In case you missed it. Dan Snyder sat down with ESPN and did an interview.

Thanks to Hogs Haven and YouTube for access to this really fascinating owner of the Redskins.

It does give a very different impression of Dan than many folks may or may not have.

But if one thing does come across in the interview is that he is media shy, loves the skins, and is always, as happens to be a common trait of entrepreneurs and successful business owners, trying something new.

And if they see something wrong or an opportunity to improve; jump right in and take care of it or as I believe Dan say "fix that".

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In Jeopardy

So this week we had the French Soccer team self destructing, embarrassing not only themselves but their coaches and their country, being sent home 3rd class and becoming the laughing stock of the World Cup.

Then we had a certain General dis his Commander and Chief in a Rolling Stone Magazine interview (who does that anyway? Oh yeah the likes of Lady Gaga and maybe the Dixie Chicks) but anyway, he gets put on a plane too to talk to the Pres and to hear the White House Press Secretary put it, "have the undivided attention of the President".

Gee, and I thought it was bad when any sports owner says a particular coach has his complete support and confidence in his ability to lead the team....

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Holy QB Pass Batman...

Wow, with opening day for MLB and the Nationals, the NCAA championship game tonight, even Tiger Woods playing at the Masters, and the Pope involved with one of the biggest conspiracies; one would have thought these would be the top stories.

But noooooo! The Redskins, ever the media making hounds, trumped all of them. Even Tiger and the Pope!

I just can’t figure out why?

My first thought ... No not Philly and McNabb! What were they thinking ...

My second thought ... If you can’t beat them, steal their starting QB… AKA Sonny Jurgensen ...

My third thought ... Is McNabb really value added? Could they have done better with a 2nd and 3rd round pick in the draft?

My fourth thought… It’s all about the system, personnel and coaching staff.

And, it was probably worth a shot. But only time will tell.

First the stats.

Campbell:
Career: 61.2% completion rate, 6.63 yards per attempt, 82.3 QB Rating, pass attempt/TD ratio 18/1.

McNabb:
Career: 59.0% completion rate, 6.93 yards per attempt, 86.5% QB rating, pass attempt/TD ratio 12/1.

Don’t get me wrong, I think McNabb is a proven winner and leader.
Though he does appear to be a bit rusty with some of the NFL rules… ;-)

So what is the difference?

McNabb has had the benefit of a stable system and coach and in recent years good supporting players around him.

Campbell has not.

Shanahan likes the proven veterans . Yes there have been countless blogs and articles about him and Elway and that Elway was an established veteran, etc, etc.

And we all know that the old guys can still play… AKA Favre, Warner, etc, etc ...

But they need good and young personnel around them to help out.
And now the Redskins have two less opportunities to add good young talent.
This is one of the biggest and toughest decisions for any and every NFL organization.
Build around veterans or build with draft picks.

The old guys also need a good system.

Jurgensen was quoted as saying “some people never learn”. I think he was talking about Philly trading their QB.

I’m not so sure it couldn’t be applied to the Redskins organization. The only difference now is that I honestly, truly, believe Snyder is not calling the shots.

So, where does this leave the Redskins, Fans and the rest of us following the team?
Trust in leadership and “their plan”.

Shanahan took a .500 team (Denver) with a veteran QB and turned the organization around to be a .734 Superbowl winner!

During that time, Denver added 4 – 5 wins per year and Elway added 5 – 6 TD’s per season under Shanahan. Shanahan was also pretty good with the running backs too.

The big question is, would these turn around numbers be more likely with Campbell or McNabb?

The world will never know.

I think, as most seem to especially now, that Campbell is going to be traded for draft picks and or needed positions. Hopefully we can pick up a couple extra picks or move up to grab somebody good in a much needed position.

In order for any organization to be successful, you need good leadership, a plan, and personnel to execute the plan.

Over the past few years the Redskins have not had any of this. And they still have a ton of holes to fill. Especially along the front line.

But now, for the moment, they seem to have found a franchise QB.

Perhaps Mcnabb is the better leader and mentor and better at handling controversy and would be an excellent roll model.

I just hope he survives that long.

Only time will tell.

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I believe in aliens

And I believe that when they come and visit they "inhabit" one of us.

Trouble is, I can't decide if, when they "inhabit" somebody, that person becomes irrational or incredible smart. And when they leave that body the person reverts back to the other condition.

This is the only way I can explain Dan Snyder's behavior over the past 6 months.

Either an alien left Dan Snyder, or one came for a visit.

Either way, I say THANK YOU!

Over the past 6 months, he has not only hired two great football minds to run the Redskins organization, but he is actually stepping back, at least out of the spot light, and allowing them to do so.

And these two minds, Bruce Allen and Mike Shanahan, are showing remarkable poise and reason in this crazy free agency market.

Maybe they are all aliens?

But so far they have cleaned house of players who a couple years from now will be either past their prime and/or too old and expensive to keep on the roster.

They have placed agency tags on those they need to have while setting a price tag not too high so as not to scare away any and all potential offers.

Case in point, Jason Campbell. They tendered an offer of 3.1 million dollars and a first round pick. A worthy salary for a decent QB, which should keep him happy, yet at the same time just low enough to say, hey, maybe we might negotiate for the right opportunity.

Oh, and speaking of QB's and opportunities, and organizations I am beginning to like more and more.

The Baltimore Ravens and Joe Flacco just got a whole lot better with a good bold move acquiring Anquan Boldin. This too is an organization which is really really smart with the draft and free agency. They tend to be able to find the gems in the draft, know which key players to acquire and keep, while not loosing sight on their goals and sanity.

So far, I am actually liking and enjoying this free agency period and still look forward to the upcoming draft.

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Punter Proof...

In an attempt to out do Mr. Jones, win back fans, and improve game day experience the Washington Redskins are upgrading their stadium boards.

The new HD boards will be 100 feet wide!

Perhaps if they made the Goal Posts 100 feet wide, we would win a couple more games!

That would improve game day experience too...

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A good Sports Day for Washington

Shanahan agrees to coach Redskins:

And... Snyder was not on the stage. In fact, he was in the audience at Redskin Park. Bruce Allen handled all the ceremonies and introductions. A first for Danny.

Capitals name Alex Ovechkin team captain:

NBA Suspends Gilbert Arenas Indefinitely After Gun Incident:

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The Plane ! The Plane !

Redskins plane headed home from Rockies (updated)
(Updated at 1:15 p.m.)

As one coach leaves, the search for another officially commences -- even if it unofficially started months ago. And there appears to be movement.
The airplane of Redskins owner Daniel Snyder left out of Dulles International this morning and landed in Centennial Airport in Englewood, Colo., at approximately 10:45 a.m., according to sites that track flight plans.
The team will not comment before today's news conference, but it's worth pointing out that Mike Shanahan lives in the Denver area. We'll keep following the plane and let you know of any developments. It would seem that Snyder's plane would have to leave Denver at some point, right?
And that plane now is back in the air. It was headed east over Kansas, as of 1 p.m.

(updated at 3:45 p.m.)

Snyder's jet was spotted on the runway by Post reporter Zach Berman before quickly disappearing into a private hangar. NBC4's Dan Hellie found Shanahan at the airport, but the former Denver coach declined to comment. Hellie said he asked Shanahan if he'd like to talk. "No, not right now," Shanahan responded to Hellie.

Shanahan went from plane to car to short order and was whisked away to an unknown destination.

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Snyder introduces Allen

Here is the out take from the Washington Post and the Insider Blog.

Allen on Coach Jim Zorn: "I met today with Jim Zorn. Told him what we're going to try to do in the next few weeks. We're going to have some more meetings and discuss the future."

Good DC PC Answer! You'll fit in just fine and handle the press!!!

Allen's impressions about the Redskins: "From afar, I like their talent. They have a nice core of talent here. That's attractive. They have some young players whose futures are extremely bright."

Why do I immediately think of Timbuk 3?

I hope this is not like the JD Power award for "initial quality"? First impression is good but once you get right down to it your Porsche is just another VW...

But I like the shades and bright future reference...

And he is right, there is good talent... What we need is a plan. And some chemistry.

On having the title of general manager, something that hasn't happened with the Redskins under Snyder: "I really cant speak for what's occurred in the past. I'm very comfortable with it. The Redskins will have a common goal," which is bringing in good players and winning.

BINGO! A solid 10 for an answer... To bad Snyder is still living in the Past and plucked another Redskin Family Name to squander...

Snyder interjected that this is something he's been thinking about for a while.

Thinking and doing are not the same thing Danny Boy...

On the team's record: "I've seen the games, but I obviously haven't felt the pain that's been associated with 4-9. Starting today, I feel the pain."

Hmmm, starting today which I take it means from here on out. I definitely get the impression that he will not be trying to pass off what he inherited as an excuse.

On why he came in now, Allen said he wants to begin to build a plan and get ready for 2010. That's why coming in now, with three weeks left, was appealing to him, Allen said.

Yeah I know all the conspiracy theory people. These are the same people who said Lewis was only Shanahan's scout and now they are saying the same thing about Gruden...

Did he mention having a plan? Good.

Snyder: "Obviously this has been a very disappointing season. We disappointed everybody. Ourselves, fans." With everything that happened, it was time for change.

WE?

On Jon Gruden and replacing Jim Zorn: "We don't have an opening at that position...Jim Zorn is our coach...give us some time to see our relationship develop."

God I just love the press. They love to spin the namesake and the conspiracy!

Hey, there is that "chemistry" reference from Mr. Allen himself ... You know I think he gets it.

Snyder: Bruce has the authority. When Bruce makes the decision, it's a Redskins decision.

What? OK I'm glad I was sitting down for this one and on this side of the screen! (helps conceal the laughter and smirks)

Mr. Allen, I hope you are as good at deflecting Dan and his suggestions as you are at handling the press.

If so, then everyone's future will be bright! Now, where did I put those sunglasses...

Snyder on Vinny Cerrato and whether he was offered a lesser position in the organization: "The best way to put it is it was time for a change."

No argument there.

Snyder and Allen would not directly address reports about Mike Shanahan being the leading candidate for the head-coaching job; Snyder indicated that a decision about Zorn's future will be made by Allen. Snyder indicated that the Redskins interviewed several candidates for the GM job.

Two references in the same conference that Mr. Allen is in charge?
Wow, maybe change really has come.

But I reserve judgement until this time next year...

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Scouting...

Two words that should never be said in the same sentence as Scouting NFL Draft Prospects...

Vinni and Dan.

McCoy, Clausen draw Redskins' attention

NEWFLASH: (queue Jeff Foxworthy voiceover)

If your name is "Colt"...
You could be an NFL QB...

I have a much better idea.

They should start an online poll for everyone (Fans) to vote for who should be drafted for each position. You could even do it live while the draft is happening. So as names are taken off the board, fans can adjust their picks.

And we could even spin this so that Dan would like it.

"For just 99 cents, you can text your vote in as the action takes place"

It could be their version of "Star Search", or "You've got Talent".

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Hoping for a Recovery

So, I’m still home with a sore back playing Mr. Mom trying to help get everyone healthy, or at least healthier.



All the while hoping that I do not come down with whatever they had.



I say this because my wife and I are convinced we have a couple different illnesses going around.
















She and my oldest definitely had the flu. (probably swine flu) but without a proper test there is no way of telling for sure.


The other two kids had high fevers and very stuffy snuffled noses.

















Me, I just had a bad back and a grumpy attitude.




















So, this week we are hoping for a recovery.

Because we are way behind with Halloween preparations, work, and other daily duties already.

Well, enough about all that stuff already, and more about things related to this blog.

The Good News: I finally went 2 for 3 in my FF leagues. Even though Santas Little Helpers decided to under achieve, I still managed to defeat the former top dawg in the league.
My other win was a result of some other people being a bit stupid with trades which ended up giving me a half way decent team. I am no longer bottom feeder of the league. Watch out guys, here I come!

Bad News: Stocks are taking a beating this week.

Couple things I learned last night

I need a new TE in two of my fantasy leagues. Chris Cooley broke his ankle and is probably out for the rest of the year.

The Redskins didn’t look any better in HD.


















Actually, statistically, on paper, they did not look all that bad. Just got killed with 6 sacks and 4 turn overs. Duh, that will kill your chances of winning most everytime.

It is looking like Snyder is, once again, managing to stay in the news and excel at what ever he does.

The bad news is that he is currently excelling at loosing.
Trouble is he is doing it at the expense of an entire organization.

And to top it all off, first there was all the bit about suing fans, now there is this about trying to silence the opposition on national TV.

UNBELIEVABLE!!!

But there is good news. Even though national sales of Redskin merchandise is down nearly 47% from last year; I have it on excellent authority that folks as far away as Michigan are still buying Redskin Merchandise! Imagine that! What are the odds?

Well, until next time

Be Good. Do Well. Have fun.

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Vinni and Dan . . .

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Truth or Dare

OK, so I have a slight apology to make to Jim Zorn.

Yes he is over his head.
Yes he is all but fired.
Yes he is getting screwed by management.

I really wish for him a quick and painless separation. But alas, Dan and Vinni seem to want to do as much damage as possible.

Which brings me to one of my new favorite sports writers.

Tracee Hamilton.

I have found that she brings a fresh outlook to the same old stories and often reflects opinions 100 times better than I ever could.

Here is here latest article.






What burns worse than fire?

Oh, and while your are out surfing around, stop by here to register your due complaint to MANAGEMENT at Fanexodus.com






Here is my entry...

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Who would I hire?

OK, So lets jump ahead a bit from my last post...

The money has been raised, a coalition of power hungry politicians and corporate personnel have banded together in my grass roots campaign and bought controlling interest in the Redskins.

Now, who would I hire?...

That is easy, I would look to some young innovative subject matter experts who knows how to build winning football teams. I'd search for a GM/VP/God of football operations to take the reigns of the organization.

Here, imitation is the best form of flattery. And no, I am not necessarily talking about past historical success stories of the west coast offense.

I look towards current success stories.

Like ...

Chris Polian of the Colts...
or
Eric DeCosta of the Ravens...
or
Mark Ross of the Giants...
or
Rick Spielman of the Vikings...

One of those would sign up for the role once it was guaranteed that Snyder would not have controlling, meddling interest is day to day and personnel decisions.

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The Future is Now !!!

Pardon me while I bang my head!

Dan Snyder owns the Washington Redskins.
BANG
He is younger than me...
BANG
He owns a NFL Franchise worth over 1 Billion Dollars.
BANG
The last owner lived into his 80's and owned the Redskins for 30 years.
DOUBLE BANG Ouch!

I don't have a Billion Dollars, and Danny Boy is probably going to live a LONG LONG time.

I know how long 30 - 40 years is.

Just how long is a Billion?

About a billion minutes ago, the Roman Empire was in full swing. (One billion minutes is about 1,900 years.)

About a billion hours ago, we were living in the Stone Age. (One billion hours is about 114,000 years.)

About a billion months ago, dinosaurs walked the earth. (One billion months is about 82 million years.)

My head is beginning to hurt again...

When is Washington ever going to get relief from this ownership?

RELIEF?

Did I say Relief?

Hey, I seem to remember something about economic relief...

Now I know where to get a Billion plus dollars!

We need another Bail-Out !!!

A Redskin Bail-Out!

After all, it is just a drop in the bucket for the Feds.

Don't believe me?

Check this out...

Here is the Socialist plan...


























There is also a great capitalistic opportunity! Think of the marketing ploys, commercial possibilities and such from the corporate free enterprise market too!


























I sense a grass roots campaign starting...

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Offensieve...

Yes, everything about the Redskins is OFFENSIVE.

But I chose sieve for a reason.

We need to separate the good from the bad.

To quote Thomas Boswell from the Washington Post

Snyder and Gibbs had dinner here in Charlotte on Saturday night, according to a Redskins source. Since this is Gibbs's home, is that irony, intrigue or just appropriate? The day he left Redskins Park, Gibbs said he'd always be available if the owner ever wanted to talk. Okay, don't all scream at once: "Sell the team to Joe for a dollar." What Snyder ought to consider is offering Gibbs a piece of the Redskins if he'd just come back, not as a 100-hour-a-week coach but as some form of team president. Here's the job description: Do whatever it is that Dan and Vinny do. But better.

But there are two problems with this.

1) Vinni and Dan are not going to pony up to this.

2) Which of the currently available multi millionare, egomaniac, hall of fame or future hall of fame coaches would want to inherit this mess?

And to top it all off, it looks like I am going to go 1 for 3 again with my fantasy leagues.

I just had too many injured players or bye week players (in one case BOTH) to adequately cover my team.

Kinda like the Redskins...

:-(

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Just a couple thoughts...

Sheeesh!

What a terrible week fantasy wise for me.

I almost went 2 - 1 but a couple purple people eaters played a good game of toss and catch and bumped me into the loosing category...









I have to admit, the old man looked good. Let's here it for the old guys!!! ;-)

On another note...

By now you all have heard that Coach Zorn has received the "I'm from corporate and I'm here to help" call.

Here's an idea... actually two...

Sherman is brought in to be an extra set of eyes...
He looks over the plays, players, and overall schemes...
Zorn ends up going .500 again or less for the second quarter and the Skins end up at best 4 -4 half way through the season...
By now Sherman knows the team, the play book, etc... etc...
Zorn gets the boot...
Blache is promoted to be filler and add some emotion and motivation for eight games...
Sherman takes over play calling...

Then in January... All Hell Breaks Loose...

I actually feel sorry for Zorn. He is a decent guy who is in over his head, trying too hard, too much, with not enough resources or backing from higher ups...

Maybe it will all work out in the end... Maybe...

Meanwhile, maybe Snyder should take a clue from another Sports Leader. Someone who does not sell hype, lies, or chases headlines. Someone who has always had a plan, lets everyone know what it is and the painful truth of how to get there, and shares in the success with his fans along with the wonderful rewards at the end.

You can always find him here. Online and in touch.

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News Flash !

BREAKING NEWS:
Washington -The Washington Redskins football practice was delayed nearly two hours today after a player reported finding an unknown white, powdery substance on the practice field. Head coach Jim Zorn immediately suspended practice and ...called the police and federal investigators. After a complete analysis, FBI forensic experts determined that the white substance unknown to the players was the GOAL LINE.

And this just in...

Sherman Smith has been hired by the Washington Redskins to scout for Mike Holmgren.










Says Mike: "This will help everyone involved with the Redskins organization. Sherman will provide an extra set of eyes, be able to determine where the breakdowns are and give valuable advice to those who both want and need it. I have known Sherman for years and definitely would trust him to make the right decisions."

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Red on the Redskins...

OK, so we all know the Redskins spotted the Bucs 10 points and a whole first half of a football game and still came back to win! Congratulations!

You all get to keep your jobs for one more week...

What I find most interesting about the game is not necessarily how the Redskins discovered some fire and came back to actually play some football; but rather all the Fan Activity.

There were those who showed their true opinions and practiced freedom of speech...



















There were those who also showed their support for other quality Washington Teams...


















And there were members of the CAPS on hand to ... Well, maybe they were there to help with emotions, and maybe share some INTENSITY with those who need it most....or even kick some field goals...



















And then there were those who just did not think a plan through, like these guys...

Local Radio Station Holds a FAN BAG Give-away to wear at the GAME!

The great Paper Bag giveaway was a total flop!

Turns out, bags are prohibited inside the stadium, and there were multiple reports of the bags being confiscated by security.

And it seems we still have a few stragglers in the lost and confused category...























I'm almost hoping that the Redskins continue to spawn controversy, because I am beginning to really love all the local fans and their reactions! It's actually more fun and entertaining than some of their games...

ALMOST

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Analysis of a Rumor...

First there was this article:
Redskins plane not in Colorado for football reasons

Then this one:
Holmgren eyeballing D.C.?

So there you have it. The rumors and conspiracy theorists are at it already...

So lets analyze both.

Michael George Holmgren

Michael Edward Shanahan

OMG !!!

They both have the same first name and have the exact same number of letters!!!

Not only that, all 3 parts of each name have the exact same number of letters !

Could this be a coincidence?
Perhaps a cosmic tie, or trait, within the cosmic force of great coaches?

No wonder Jim Zorn is having so much trouble... ;-)

So to find out more, I took a quick trip out to SimplyNumbers.com to do a highly accurate and scientific analysis of this cosmic rumor.

Here are the results:

Reading for: Michael George Holmgren

SimplyNumbers.com - Personality Portrait

The Name Section of your Personality Portrait allows you to see the Numbers, and Tarot cards that are behind each letter of your name, and gives a brief explanation of the meaning of each letter.






















Yes, this is a direct cut and paste from their site and yes they did spell courageous wrong...

But lets not get caught up in the nitty gritty details and continue shall we...

Personality Section
A brief Numerological description for Michael George Holmgren 's personality is explained in this section.

The Two Person: Cooperative, Mediator, Balanced, Gregarious

As a two individual you enjoy sharing your life with others, and feel lonely when you do not have someone to share your experiences with.

Even though you enjoy being with people you may at times hold parts of yourself back, and not let everyone see the true creative, and caring parts of yourself.

You can flourish at activities, and pursuits which enable you to bring out the best in others.

Life for you can be very pleasant if it centers in and around the home, with lots of people you enjoy being with. Although wandering with a friend may be exciting for you as well.

OK, so Mike Holgren sounds like a really good, outgoing, successful kind of guy.

Lets see what they say about the other Mike...

Reading for: Michael Edward Shanahan

SimplyNumbers.com - Personality Portrait

The Name Section of your Personality Portrait allows you to see the Numbers, and Tarot cards that are behind each letter of your name, and gives a brief explanation of the meaning of each letter.






















There's that courageous word again and persistent as well !

WOW, These guys at SimnplyNumbers are Good! ;-)

But lets not digress...

Personality Section
A brief Numerological description for Michael Edward Shanahan 's personality is explained in this section.

The One Person: Independent, Determined, Individual, Brash

We all know people like this! They are the headstrong, determined individuals who constantly strive for more. It is okay, although difficult, for them if everything does not go their way. They usually have a set course of action, and will follow it to completion, and you should follow their instructions.

These people do well in roles where they have relative autonomy, with good reliable friends and associates in the background. Their secret is that they really need support although they rarely will ask for it.

These people have a magical flare about them, and it may seem like they have the knack for manifesting their needs at a whim. However they tend to blend this magical side of themselves, with an air of practicality. Their motto is (Get the job done, and then we can celebrate..).

So there you have it.

Mike vs. Mike

Who would you want as a coach?

Who do you think Snyder would want?

Who do you think will want to work for Snyder?

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Take me off the list

Yet another reason two more reasons to not want season tickets and hate Snyder!!!

Selling tickets eligible for season ticket holders to brokers.







Screwing the fans and double dipping.









And here is a short interactive page detailing the money mongering events.

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