PATIENCE!!!! Try to be a FAN!! History Lesson

[Hogskin]

There is an amazing amount of frustration coming out on this site. Guys, you need to be patient!!! But more that that you need to be SUPPORTIVE!!!! I sure don't see much of that around here. I see a LOT of FAIR-WEATHER fans that don't understand the game.

Here's a little history lesson for you guys that are having a hissy-fit:

Gibbs came to Washington in 1981. He started off by losing his first 5 games. Of those 5 games, the offense was terrible - scored 17 or LESS 4 out of the first 5 games. That year, the team ended up 8-8. The last two games were wins, and the team scored 30 and 38 points in them.

In 1982, the Redskins won the Super bowl. And that was the first of 4 Super Bowl trips for Joe Gibbs' teams. Missing the playoffs was rare.

To you guys that want Spurrier back, I sure wish there was an NFL owner dumb enough to hire him as head coach next year. Then you could go root for THAT team. It was not just the W-L record. He was completely over his head in the NFL and knew it.

If the team has not turned it around with a winning record by this time NEXT year, then come back and moan/groan, and maybe you will find some reasonable people who will listen to you. But you won't now.

If you want a MORE RECENT history lesson, look at New England's start under Belichick. He started 5-11 in 2000, averaging 17 points a game. Look what he has done since. The fans that were calling for HIS head must feel REAL bright. There are MANY more examples just like this. The top coaches turn a team around by the second season - not all go the the SB that fast (as Gibbs & Belichick did), but the team will definitely be turned around if the coach is among the elite. Joe Gibbs is an elite coach.

[Defensewins]

Great post Hogskin!
I posted on another thread that if people are frustrated and sudenly worried, their expectations for the early part of this season are a little too high. Gibbs inherited an underachieving, mistake prone, losing team. Did they think Gibbs would just walk in, snap his fingers and we would be a super bowl team? It takes a several games to iron out the kinks.
I expected the Redskins to be under .500 in the first half of the season. As you already stated, Gibbs started 0-5 in his first season with us. His system takes a little while to master.
I know many fans are frustrated, but maybe you just need to reevaluate your early season expectations and be a little more realistic.
It may not show up in the win-loss column, but this team is playing a much more sounder brand of football. The defense is 100% better, the offense is just taking longer. The offense will come around.

[MTK]

Great post Hogskin.

I know people don't want to hear it, but we have to stay patient and let things play out.

I know I'm here for the long haul, not sure about alot of people here though. When things turn around I sure as hell don't want to see these same people trying to climb on to the bandwagon.

[Drift Reality]

I agree completely with the two prior postings. Gibbs will turn this thing around and get this team on track, but its not going to happen overnight and it may not happen this season. Still, this is the team we're going to have for the next three years or so, so just sit back and try to enjoy them through their growing pains and know that we'll be killing teams before too long.

[Redskins_P]

Originally Posted by Hogskin

There is an amazing amount of frustration coming out on this site. Guys, you need to be patient!!! But more that that you need to be SUPPORTIVE!!!! I sure don't see much of that around here. I see a LOT of FAIR-WEATHER fans that don't understand the game.

Here's a little history lesson for you guys that are having a hissy-fit:

Gibbs came to Washington in 1981. He started off by losing his first 5 games. Of those 5 games, the offense was terrible - scored 17 or LESS 4 out of the first 5 games. That year, the team ended up 8-8. The last two games were wins, and the team scored 30 and 38 points in them.

In 1982, the Redskins won the Super bowl. And that was the first of 4 Super Bowl trips for Joe Gibbs' teams. Missing the playoffs was rare.

To you guys that want Spurrier back, I sure wish there was an NFL owner dumb enough to hire him as head coach next year. Then you could go root for THAT team. It was not just the W-L record. He was completely over his head in the NFL and knew it.

If the team has not turned it around with a winning record by this time NEXT year, then come back and moan/groan, and maybe you will find some reasonable people who will listen to you. But you won't now.

If you want a MORE RECENT history lesson, look at New England's start under Belichick. He started 5-11 in 2000, averaging 17 points a game. Look what he has done since. The fans that were calling for HIS head must feel REAL bright. There are MANY more examples just like this. The top coaches turn a team around by the second season - not all go the the SB that fast (as Gibbs & Belichick did), but the team will definitely be turned around if the coach is among the elite. Joe Gibbs is an elite coach.

Great post hogskin. I agree with everything you said.

And I want to know is who the hell said that we should bring back Spurrier?

[Redskins_P]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

I know I'm here for the long haul, not sure about alot of people here though. When things turn around I sure as hell don't want to see these same people trying to climb on to the bandwagon.

Me too. I know this is going to take some time. I remember saying before that the offense won't start to click until week 5 or 6. It's week 4 and all of a sudden the Portis trade was a bad decision, Brunell sucks, and Coles is overpaid. Once we get this turned around I would like to see how many hop back on the bandwagon.

[wbecker999]

I don't think bringing expectations down will solve anything from the fans or the players.
Also the coaching is doing fine. It's penalties and fumbles that have lost these games ( Plus Two Pass Interferance calls).

I am just from camp scrub but I say lets keep these expectations High.

[Redskins_P]

Originally Posted by wbecker999

I don't think bringing expectations down will solve anything from the fans or the players.
Also the coaching is doing fine. It's penalties and fumbles that have lost these games ( Plus Two Pass Interferance calls).

I am just from camp scrub but I say lets keep these expectations High.

Nothing wrong with having high expectations. Just don't go and give up on the team when they don't meet those expectations. That's all Hogskin is trying to say.

Whenever the name Gibbs is mentioned. Automatically expectations soar to the roof. Right now it's up to the players to live up to those expectations. Hopefully they'll come around sometime soon.

And if no one has welcomed you yet. Welcome to the board wbecker999.

[SUNRA]

History is best qualified to reward your research and Hogskin you've been rewarded. This is a great point to understand. If you look throughout the NFL there are coaches who have been with the same team for several years and still are 0-4. This is to be expected for a new team, new coach and new system. The difference right now between the Skins and the Giants is the running game. Tiki has taken the team's offense on his shoulders and carried the team. Come on Portis. Step up to the plate.

[Krills]

I agree completely with everything stated and it's is good to know that I'm not alone. I didn't have the highest expectations heading into the season, but I sure had alot of hope. The toughest part about the three losses is not that I expected them to destroy the opposition, but that we should have. It is so obvious to me that we were the better team in the last three weeks. But, I am along for the long haul as are all of you.

[Paintrain]

Gigantic Accolades Hogskins.. We all had high hopes for the return of Gibbs, many hopes were unfounded (13-3 predictions for example) but we do forget that we have new starters at 5 offensive positions (Brunell, Portis, Brown, Cooley/Rasby and Dockery) as well as new players at #3 WR, another key position. Offensively there just needs to be better execution.

Defensively I don't have any complaints.. Smoot has been beat a little bit this year, but Bryant and Morgan both made excellent plays on the ball.. Taylor has made a couple mistakes (Galloway almost beat him week one, the HB pass last week, one big catch by A. Davis yesterday) that he will learn from. Washington admitted he blew the assignment on the Shea TD pass yesterday so that's just execution again.

Bottom line, players need to make plays. Gibbs will make the adjustments to improve the game calling, but as Hogskin articulated, be patient 3 losses by 6, 3 and 4 points seem to indicate we aren't that far off..

[d151b]

Originally Posted by Hogskin

There is an amazing amount of frustration coming out on this site. Guys, you need to be patient!!! But more that that you need to be SUPPORTIVE!!!! I sure don't see much of that around here. I see a LOT of FAIR-WEATHER fans that don't understand the game.

Here's a little history lesson for you guys that are having a hissy-fit:

Gibbs came to Washington in 1981. He started off by losing his first 5 games. Of those 5 games, the offense was terrible - scored 17 or LESS 4 out of the first 5 games. That year, the team ended up 8-8. The last two games were wins, and the team scored 30 and 38 points in them.

In 1982, the Redskins won the Super bowl. And that was the first of 4 Super Bowl trips for Joe Gibbs' teams. Missing the playoffs was rare.

To you guys that want Spurrier back, I sure wish there was an NFL owner dumb enough to hire him as head coach next year. Then you could go root for THAT team. It was not just the W-L record. He was completely over his head in the NFL and knew it.

If the team has not turned it around with a winning record by this time NEXT year, then come back and moan/groan, and maybe you will find some reasonable people who will listen to you. But you won't now.

If you want a MORE RECENT history lesson, look at New England's start under Belichick. He started 5-11 in 2000, averaging 17 points a game. Look what he has done since. The fans that were calling for HIS head must feel REAL bright. There are MANY more examples just like this. The top coaches turn a team around by the second season - not all go the the SB that fast (as Gibbs & Belichick did), but the team will definitely be turned around if the coach is among the elite. Joe Gibbs is an elite coach.

Valid point and all, but.... year after year i hear be patient, we'll get this thing turned around.... yadda yadda yadda until we win on a regular basis or at least beat the friggin' cowboys once or twice, i feel we all reserve the right to bitch and moan till our hearts content. That is what "fans" do. If you aren't winning and haven't won in a long time and a hall of fame coach come's back out of retirement to lead us to the promiseland and we lose 3 in a row in heartbreaking fashion to start the season off, it's hard to subside your frustration! really.

having that said, I will from this day foward try to have a more patient and have a more positive outlook on things......

[JWsleep]

Good stuff, Hogskin. I completely agree about the time frame for this team getting good. Patience is hard, especially when we lose to our arch rivals in humiliating ways. But it's the right move here.

WE WILL BE GREAT AGAIN.

[Gmanc711]

I agree, hogskin. Thats a very good and well thought out post. I defintley understand why people post how they do, right after a loss. Obviously everyone is p*ssed off and frustrated, and people just right whatever to help vent and take out their frustrations without thinking it through. I'm 100% guilty of it as well, I do it all the time. I proboly wrote 30 posts yesterday that I take back. Good post though, hopefully this week we can end this streak with a W.

[Winskins]

Originally Posted by Redskins_P

Great post hogskin. I agree with everything you said.

And I want to know is who the hell said that we should bring back Spurrier?

haha...(could it be daseal) J/K