LA Responds to Critizism

When Lavar Arrington was at the height of his popularity in Washington, was he the most popular player by a wide margin?

Was he the fan favorite?

I get the feeling that he was very hurt by a perceived rejection by Gibbs and Williams

I can't speak for others. For me, he was certainly the most exciting player we had in those days. He could flash some speed, now. (Putting "now" at the end of sentences is a bad habit I have picked up from watching Parcells pressers.)

Those teams he played on were mostly bad, so I think a lot of fans did kind of hold on to his style of play as a consolation. And he was very good. He never took over games the way some of us had hoped. Like Reggie in Philly or L.T., but he was exciting. I'm trying to think of someone else who was also popular, but I think he was it. Maybe Champ. Smooty was popular.

I have to say, also, that the spectacle of an athlete who doesn't realize he's washed up is awfully pathetic. That media up there is not going to be polite, once the full realization sets in.

When Lavar Arrington was at the height of his popularity in Washington, was he the most popular player by a wide margin?

Was he the fan favorite?

I get the feeling that he was very hurt by a perceived rejection by Gibbs and Williams

You hit it on the head. Lavar was the most popular player here by a long shot, until Clinton Portis arrived into town. Unlike Lavar, Portis was a favorite of Gibbs. That also, unfortunately, coincided with Lavar's injury and he turned out to be a non-factor in games, which began his slide in popularity.

The perceived rejection of Lavar came from Williams and Lindsey, not from Gibbs. Lavar feels Gibbs' fault is that he didn't go out of his way to declare support for Lavar as he would've done for his hand-picked boys Brunell or Portis. He thinks Gibbs should've made it clear to the defensive coaching staff not to malign Lavar. Wasn't going to happen since Gibbs ceded control of the D to Greg Williams, who obviously has a tough-love style of player management. Lavar couldn't relate to tough-love given his prior superstar status.

You hit it on the head. Lavar was the most popular player here by a long shot, until Clinton Portis arrived into town. Unlike Lavar, Portis was a favorite of Gibbs. That also, unfortunately, coincided with Lavar's injury and he turned out to be a non-factor in games, which began his slide in popularity.

The perceived rejection of Lavar came from Williams and Lindsey, not from Gibbs. Lavar feels Gibbs' fault is that he didn't go out of his way to declare support for Lavar as he would've done for his hand-picked boys Brunell or Portis. He thinks Gibbs should've made it clear to the defensive coaching staff not to malign Lavar. Wasn't going to happen since Gibbs ceded control of the D to Greg Williams, who obviously has a tough-love style of player management. Lavar couldn't relate to tough-love given his prior superstar status.

Nice post.

Williams runs a tight ship on defense and a big name doesn't carry much weight with him. With LaVar, they just couldn't get him to buy in.

It was just a bad fit for both sides from the beginning. I think blame has to lie with both sides, and in the end parting ways was the only solution.

LaVar is not an impact player anymore and unfortunately for him he doesn't know it yet. His anger is conveniently pointed towards the Skins organization but watching him play now it is readily apparent that he is a shell of his former self. His lack of explosion is obviously due to his knee and watching him play the last few games up here in NYC--he runs more upright than I ever remember. He just can't get low anymore. Coupled with his lack of speed now--LaVar is rendered mediocre.

I always liked LaVar and he paid his dues during those lean years here but now I just feel sorry for him. He's almost irrelevant now. Is he still capable of a big game? Maybe. Will it happen this week? Who knows. I'm just glad it's LaVar that the Skins are facing as opposed to a playmaker like Shawn Merriman. Or Urlacher. Or Sean Taylor...


Becareful!

He knocked Cadillac Williams out the playoff game in Tampa last year.

Lavar can still bring it, once he figures out which way the play is going.

after watching that video, I honostly feel he is totally pissed off by not being a Redskin. I have watched other interviews of people playing their former teams and have not seen so much annimosity that LaVar carries. He does blame Gibbs for not being here, that is for sure. LaVar is a very emotional guy. he feels betrayed to an extent for putting everything he had into the Skins. But, once LaVar figures out that the NFL is a multi billion dollar business and things like that happen, he will feel a lot better. I dont think he really wanted to play with anyone but the Redskins. and unfortunately the people that make the decisions for the Redskins didn't feel the same way. I may get bashed for sort of taking up for LaVar, as I usually do, but hey I like the guy. Like I said before, I hope he stinks it up twice a year and the bug dirtbags up front and sellers knock that funny little face mast of his off. but, I also hope he doesnt get a clean shot on Brunell. As old and fragile as Brunell is, he may break in half.

Lavar keeps saying that Lindsey, Gibbs and Shawn Springs are just "showing themselves" to everyone. Well god help us, we wouldn't want a linebackers coach who takes less than stellar talent and makes them play well and disciplined as a unit, a head coach who already has his bust in the hall, and a DB who the defense is missing greatly because HE IS AN IMPACT PLAYER, to show themselves. These guys "show themselves" with their production. Lavar needs to shut up, he sounds stupid.

Even though some of the lines were funny, I wish we had stayed out of this Arrington nonsense...we got Springs popping off and he's not even playing. And Coach Lindsey of all people has to get in a shot. The redskins in Gibbs first tenure never gave a team one shred of buleton board material.

You hit it on the head. Lavar was the most popular player here by a long shot, until Clinton Portis arrived into town. Unlike Lavar, Portis was a favorite of Gibbs. That also, unfortunately, coincided with Lavar's injury and he turned out to be a non-factor in games, which began his slide in popularity.

The perceived rejection of Lavar came from Williams and Lindsey, not from Gibbs. Lavar feels Gibbs' fault is that he didn't go out of his way to declare support for Lavar as he would've done for his hand-picked boys Brunell or Portis. He thinks Gibbs should've made it clear to the defensive coaching staff not to malign Lavar. Wasn't going to happen since Gibbs ceded control of the D to Greg Williams, who obviously has a tough-love style of player management. Lavar couldn't relate to tough-love given his prior superstar status.

remember how skeptical he was when gibbs first arrived? how he said he rather have spurrier stay, about how, during his benching, he decried gibbs for not sticking up for him when he went out of his way to stick up for steve spurrier and marty (newflash, that doesn't carry over across regimes, lavar).

he's whiny, and he's not that good anymore.

That's correct. He only bad mouthed the Redskins while he was a Redskin.

So true, and I'm glad he is gone for that reason.

My favorite part of the whole interview was the beginning when he says he though about it for 2 seconds and decided not to comment about Springs' and Lindsay's comments, and then runs his mouth about it for a rather lengthy amount of time. It's funny how that always seems to happen in his interviews, Lavar will say he's not going to talk about the 'Skins, and then as the interview/press conference goes on, he gets more and more worked up about it. I could not agree more with the previous post about Gibbs stealing Lavar's thunder as the face of the franchise. Even with that, however, Lavar could have bought into the system and been a good productive player under Gibbs/Williams, and still been hugely popular here, instead he decided to pout when things did not go his way, and you saw the real Lavar.