The Sports Rumors

Washington Politics…The Football Kind

It’s fascinating how the human mind works when it faces disappointment, or the need to place blame. No, this isn’t a science report you’re about to read. You’ll see where I’m going with this as you continue. When Bill Clinton was President and everyone’s pockets were filling up with more and more cash, national security budgets weren’t an issue. I didn’t hear anyone say loudly, “Hey, I don’t want to keep making money off of the economy and the stock market. Instead, I want you to take this money and invest it in the defense of the country in case of a worst case scenario!” Fast forward ten years, and the same people who loved Clinton are now saying, “9/11 is all Clinton’s fault. That administration didn’t have its priorities right. What idiots.”

Monday afternoon. My phone beeps consecutively which means I have someone texting me feverishly. I see it’s a friend of mine.

“8-8”.

8-8? At this point, I have no idea what he’s talking about as I’m getting out of my car with more grocery bags in each hand than anyone should attempt to carry.

“I told you. Skins are so overrated. They suck. Joe Gibbs sucks. He’s washed up.”

Now I am starting to understand what the text messages are about. Over time, I have come to realize that there are certain people who like to place blame on someone or something else when they face disappointment or are let down. This friend of mine who is texting me is a Redskins fan. He was upset that the Skins blew another NFC east game in the fourth quarter so to make himself feel better, he felt the need to trash the Redskins and their hall of fame coach in a text message to me. Saying things like, “I knew they were terrible. I said it all along” only makes the person feel less disappointed. It’s similar to when you tell a nine year old girl that she can’t have a $150 Barbie. She responds with “I didn’t want it anyway”. Yeah, sure you didn’t. Just like my friend; I’m sure you thought Gibbs was washed up all along. Funny how I didn’t hear about them being washed up in the third quarter when the Skins were on their way to being 6-3.

It’s not a bad thing and I’m not knocking people who have this reaction to disappointment. I did it with Virginia Tech. I immediately went on a rant about how Frank Beamer is the worst coach on earth and how Virginia Tech will never win anything of significance after their loss to Boston College. It made me feel better. Psychologically, I felt like it lessened my disappointment in a team because I already “expected it” or “knew this was going to happen”. It’s how the mind works. Now that I’m done with my psychoanalysis, let me get to the nitty gritty and talk football, as well as respond to my friend’s ludicrous conclusions about the Washington Redskins.

“The Redskins are so overrated. They were overrated to begin with.”

Really? That’s interesting. See I was under the impression that you had to be rated, before you could be overrated. Last I checked, there wasn’t a credible magazine or sports website that had the Redskins as preseason favorites to make the playoffs, let alone win the division. There wasn’t any publication that I read that said the Redskins would win 5 out of their first 9 games. In order for a team to be overrated, it has to have a lot of hype and enthusiasm going into the season. The San Diego Chargers? They were overrated. The Oakland Raiders? They were not overrated. Do you get it?

It is clear that the Redskins were surpassing expectations and had they not had a collapse of epic proportions against Philadelphia this past weekend, they would have been sitting pretty at 6-3. Maybe it’s just me, but when a team surpasses expectations and is in a playoff race that they really had no business being in to begin with, they are considered “underrated”. However, the Skins are not 6-3. They are 5-4. They are an average, mediocre team and their record reflects it. They are not over or underrated. They are what they are; a nice team with a chance for making the wild card round in the playoffs. Nothing more, nothing less.

“Joe Gibbs is washed up. He lost it. We need a crunk coach.”

First thing I had to do was find out what “crunk coach” means. I’m not some old geezer who’s not up to date with the current slang but I had never before heard the words crunk and coach go together. Apparently, it means a coach that is “tight”. My friend was actually referring to coaches like, as he mentioned, Bill Cowher. He went on to say how we need someone who’ll be tough on the players and keep them in their place.

First thing I’ll address is this. Joe Gibbs may not be what he was in 1991, but he has by no means “lost it”. What was the turning point in the Philly-Washington game? Sean Taylor going out with a knee sprain. While he was in the game, the Skins gave up 13 points through 3 quarters. He goes out, they give up 20 points. That’s no coincidence. The first touchdown was a prayer thrown up by Donovan McNabb into double coverage. The safety replacing Taylor, Pierson Prioleau, was step for step with Reggie Brown. Had the ball gone where it was intended to, it would have been batted down or intercepted. Lucky for the Eagles, the ball was underthrown and was to the backside of the receiver. Reggie Brown made an exceptional adjustment and caught it for a touchdown. A short while later, Brian Westbrook broke a big play on a screen and took it to the house; again, something he did not do when Taylor was in the game.

Last I checked, Joe Gibbs doesn’t run the defense. Furthermore, if the players are in the position to make the plays and they don’t, that’s on them as professional athletes. That’s not on the coach. The coach’s job is to put the players in the best possible position to make plays. If they don’t execute, that’s their own responsibility. The Redskins offense put up 25 points. If your offense scores more than 20 points and you lose, it’s the defense’s fault. That’s what Hall of Famer George Allen lived and died by.

I will grant you that the Skins have blown two huge divisional games at home in the second half, and that the coaches should have done a better job of keeping the focus and intensity of the team. However, that’s not enough to say that a coach has “lost it”.

To say that the Skins need a coach who will be a disciplinarian doesn’t make that much sense. They are not getting into trouble or committing foolish penalties. And do we really want to talk about “tough guy” coaches? How’d Marty Schottenheimer work out in DC? What about Bill Parcells in Dallas? My friend actually used Parcells as an example of a “crunk coach”. Yeah, he won 0 playoff games in his stay in Dallas and lost the team quicker than a rookie coach would. How’s the tough guy approach worked out for Jon Gruden the past few years. And please, don’t bring up the Super Bowl he won. That was with Tony Dungy’s players just like Kentucky’s Tubby Smith won the men’s college basketball championship with Rick Pitino’s players. Another tough guy coach? How’s Eric Mangini working out in New York. What about Tom Coughlin? Coughlin’s job has been in jeopardy every year he’s been in New York! Walking around with a stick isn’t always the answer.

And this whole Bill Cowher thing. Let me address this once and for all. Yes, I think that in time, he would be a good fit for Washington. However, let’s not start to pretend that he’s the greatest coach to ever step onto a field. Let me remind you that he has won 1 Superbowl in 15 seasons. Joe Gibbs, the “washed up” coach, has won 3 titles in 16 seasons. So ease up on the, “We need Cowher now!” talks.

“The Redskins don’t know how to build a team. Let’s go out and get all the high priced-over the hill- free agents that we can find.”

That was true a few years ago when Dan Snyder first took over the Redskins. He famously made a mistake in signing the likes of Deion Sanders, Mark Carrier, and many others. However, don’t sit here and tell me that the Redskins have not made major strides in the personnel department. Look at the roster that they have assembled through the draft.

1. Jason Campbell
2. Laron Landry
3. Sean Taylor
4. Jon Jansen
5. Chris Samuels
6. Rocky McIntosh

That’s 3 pro bowlers, an up and coming quarterback, and two solid young defensive starters. It’s clear as day that Laron Landry is a stud safety and don’t forget that the reason the Lance Briggs-to-Washington deal fell through was because they wanted Rocky McIntosh and we weren’t willing to part with him. There is a REASON the Bears wanted McIntosh. The recent free agents that we’ve signed?

1. Shawn Springs
2. Andre Carter
3. Randy Thomas
4. London Fletcher
5. Cornilius Griffin
6. Santana Moss

Springs has been a mainstay at corner, Carter is having a solid season, Randy Thomas has been great since he’s been here (except this year due to injury), Fletcher is in the top 3 in tackles, and Griffin has been the consistent factor on the defensive line. Santana Moss has not had a good season, but injury is to blame for that. Don’t forget that he caught 84 balls and almost 10 touchdowns a couple of seasons ago when healthy.

So I don’t want to hear about how the Redskins sign every big name without thinking because that’s just being uninformed. That’s a weak and lame argument.

Basically what I’m getting at is this. Yes, the Redskins have had some very disappointing losses so far this season and it stings. It bothers me for days when we blow big leads in the fourth quarter, as it does thousands of others. But it’s not intelligent to go on a rant about how a team is overrated, lacks good management, and has a washed up coach when in reality, they were two bad quarters away from being 7-2. It’s an easy thing to jump on the bandwagon of a team when they’re playing great, but it’s even easier to jump on the bandwagon full of naysayers when the team falters slightly. Winning 5 out of the first 9 and being in a position to make a wild card push is what I had hoped from the Redskins, and that’s what we’ve got. Don’t be greedy. Be a good, well informed fan and resist being a jackass.