Bergman14
08-04-2004, 09:20 PM
Here is Pasquerelli's take on the redskins, it is harsh but may present a valid point:
Worst Case
Last spring, when Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder was in the midst of his annual free-agency spending spree, he announced to anyone naive enough to listen that the team's roster was set for the next three seasons.
Snyder
His rationale was that, from a competitive and salary-cap perspective, he could not afford to tear down his team so quickly, and to rebuild again.
A year later, though, Snyder has basically done just what he promised not to do. And as was the case in 2003, he is telling people that he has created a three-year window for the roster as currently configured. And therein, folks, lies the Redskins' worst-case scenario for the 2004 campaign.
Snyder is an instant-coffee kind of guy. For him, long-term planning pretty much consists of what might transpire during the next commercial break. And so, if you are a 'Skins fan, you're living in mortal fear that the owner too impatient to allow for development will deconstruct the product again.
Certainly it is the prerogative of any owner to run the team in the manner he sees fit. Given what the Redskins cost Snyder to buy, and the money he keeps sinking into his team, he has earned that right even more so than many of his NFL fraternity brothers. But at some juncture, you've got to provide time for the seeds of progress to take root, and that is a lesson totally foreign to Snyder's psyche.
Best Case
The best-case scenario is that coach Joe Gibbs, returning after an 11-season hiatus from the league, either wins quickly or convinces his boss that success isn't far off. What the club most needs is for Gibbs to restore a semblance of order, dignity and professionalism, and he seems well on the way to accomplishing some of those pursuits.
The Redskins run their camp as if it is Stalag Snyder, with more security than you might expect to encounter at some government facility, but there is no denying that the team is better run than at any time in the failed Steve Spurrier experiment.
Washington fans will disagree, and adamantly, we're sure, with the best-case bottom line. But in the ever-competitive NFC East, garnering a playoff spot will be difficult, even for Gibbs. Progress would be an 8-8 or 9-7 record, and Gibbs convincing the owner that such an accomplishment should be viewed as a springboard for future success and not just the latest excuse to start over again.
Worst Case
Last spring, when Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder was in the midst of his annual free-agency spending spree, he announced to anyone naive enough to listen that the team's roster was set for the next three seasons.
Snyder
His rationale was that, from a competitive and salary-cap perspective, he could not afford to tear down his team so quickly, and to rebuild again.
A year later, though, Snyder has basically done just what he promised not to do. And as was the case in 2003, he is telling people that he has created a three-year window for the roster as currently configured. And therein, folks, lies the Redskins' worst-case scenario for the 2004 campaign.
Snyder is an instant-coffee kind of guy. For him, long-term planning pretty much consists of what might transpire during the next commercial break. And so, if you are a 'Skins fan, you're living in mortal fear that the owner too impatient to allow for development will deconstruct the product again.
Certainly it is the prerogative of any owner to run the team in the manner he sees fit. Given what the Redskins cost Snyder to buy, and the money he keeps sinking into his team, he has earned that right even more so than many of his NFL fraternity brothers. But at some juncture, you've got to provide time for the seeds of progress to take root, and that is a lesson totally foreign to Snyder's psyche.
Best Case
The best-case scenario is that coach Joe Gibbs, returning after an 11-season hiatus from the league, either wins quickly or convinces his boss that success isn't far off. What the club most needs is for Gibbs to restore a semblance of order, dignity and professionalism, and he seems well on the way to accomplishing some of those pursuits.
The Redskins run their camp as if it is Stalag Snyder, with more security than you might expect to encounter at some government facility, but there is no denying that the team is better run than at any time in the failed Steve Spurrier experiment.
Washington fans will disagree, and adamantly, we're sure, with the best-case bottom line. But in the ever-competitive NFC East, garnering a playoff spot will be difficult, even for Gibbs. Progress would be an 8-8 or 9-7 record, and Gibbs convincing the owner that such an accomplishment should be viewed as a springboard for future success and not just the latest excuse to start over again.