Some Optimism from a Pessimist - The Skins CAN Reclaim Greatness

[44Deezel]

Like some of you, I use this Message Board as a personal release valve. I come here to bitch, piss, moan, vent, gripe, bicker, complain and generally dump all of my negative feelings about my beloved Skins. As they say, Misery loves company and there's a lot of misery here and fortunately, a lot of company.

And this year has been particularly miserable and could get much worse in a hurry. HOWEVA (as Stephen A. Smith would say), I was at the gym this afternoon and the NFL Network's Top 10 show was counting down the 10 most dramatic single season team turnarounds. The more I watched, the better my mood became (and the treadmill became more tolerable). It was encouraging on 3 levels:

1 - the teams they highlighted were VERY bad for a VERY long time, and in much worse condition than the Skins. Think of the 1-15 Dolphins and 1-15 Cowboys (man, dems were the days). Some of them had bad ownership and management as well, but found a way to overcome despite no changes to either.

2 - the turnarounds were swift, stunning and unexpected (Kurt Warner and Tom Brady coming off the bench) ... usually involving a QB and/or coaching change (Manning, Walsh, Brady, Vermeil/Warner, Johnson/Aikman, Brees... Parcells made the list a couple of times as a coach and GM).

3 - Most of the teams that became good stayed good for a while (some are still really good today, like the Colts, Saints and Pats).

So even if the Skins can't right the ship this year, there is always HOPE that they can turn it around in the not so distant future and remain a good team for years to come. The catalyst could be a 4-12 season that serves as a wake-up call to Dan Snyder. It could be a first round QB next year that turns out to be a future Hall of Famer and the face of the Redskins for the next 15 years. It could be a guy like Gruden taking the job if, and only if, they re-sign Campbell, because he believes and proves he can win with him. Maybe Vinny gets replaced by a bonafied football guy.

Who knows? It could be anything and it COULD happen, because it has happened before and will happen again. Why not for the Skins?

HTTR!!!!!!!!!

[SFREDSKIN]

Things are not that bad, we draft and/or or FA sign a few OL, draft a RB and LB and this team is in the thick of things even with Campbell. We are not the Raiders, Rams or Lions.

[Skinny Tee]

If anything serves as optimism for this team it should be the quick turnaround of teams like the Falcons and Dolphins. The Falcons had to change their whole team around from their scrambling centric franchise QB and are now competitive on a consistent basis with a whole new team. They were able to turn things around with a new coach and GM and see immediate results.

That's promising at least.

[WaldSkins]

Originally Posted by SFREDSKIN

Things are not that bad, we draft and/or or FA sign a few OL, draft a RB and LB and this team is in the thick of things even with Campbell. We are not the Raiders, Rams or Lions.

The problem is we could use about 4 starters across the O-line, use one or two LB's(depending on where we play Orakpo and if we can resign Rocky), draft a speed back, and we might be in need of a CB depending on resigning Rogers.

[53Fan]

44Deezel.....is that really you? You're right man. I know I"m a little too optimistic sometimes but that's because I believe hurdles can be jumped, lemons make lemonaide, and problems are meant to be solved, not just bitched about. Find a way to win. I remember when Gibbs got here and went 0-5. I also remember thinking this guy is way in over his head and we're in some deep s**t. Things CAN turn around. Good thread man!

[Daseal]

Here's the problem with the Redskins. We're always trying to toss a band-aid on our problems rather than really getting dirty and doing a few unpopular things. Every year we sign a new FA or two to bolster a weak area. What this does is keeps us a mediocre team. One thing almost all the above mentioned teams did, was go through a rebuilding process. Get young guys, let them build some chemistry together, and continue on -- the Redskins have yet to ever rebuild, at least in the classical sense of rebuilding.

In my opinion, this group has been given a very fair shot -- it's time to decide who the building blocks of this team are, and start putting young talent around them. The Redskins, up to this point, have had the easiest schedule in the NFL hands down, and we've barely managed two wins. That's pathetic and shows deep deep problems. What on earth makes you think we'll all of a sudden get it against better competition.

Blow it up, rebuild for a few years, and come back stronger than ever.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by Daseal

Here's the problem with the Redskins. We're always trying to toss a band-aid on our problems rather than really getting dirty and doing a few unpopular things. Every year we sign a new FA or two to bolster a weak area. What this does is keeps us a mediocre team. One thing almost all the above mentioned teams did, was go through a rebuilding process. Get young guys, let them build some chemistry together, and continue on -- the Redskins have yet to ever rebuild, at least in the classical sense of rebuilding.

In my opinion, this group has been given a very fair shot -- it's time to decide who the building blocks of this team are, and start putting young talent around them. The Redskins, up to this point, have had the easiest schedule in the NFL hands down, and we've barely managed two wins. That's pathetic and shows deep deep problems. What on earth makes you think we'll all of a sudden get it against better competition.

Blow it up, rebuild for a few years, and come back stronger than ever.

True, but, if you figure the Redskins in as a truly bad team this year, then the Giants have played a softer schedule, because it includes us. If you're looking at the Redskins as a "typically mediocre, but currently underachieving" team, then we've probably had the softest schedule.

It's splitting hairs though. No one in the NFC East has done crap yet.

[jamf]

Originally Posted by Daseal

Here's the problem with the Redskins. We're always trying to toss a band-aid on our problems rather than really getting dirty and doing a few unpopular things. Every year we sign a new FA or two to bolster a weak area. What this does is keeps us a mediocre team. One thing almost all the above mentioned teams did, was go through a rebuilding process. Get young guys, let them build some chemistry together, and continue on -- the Redskins have yet to ever rebuild, at least in the classical sense of rebuilding.

In my opinion, this group has been given a very fair shot -- it's time to decide who the building blocks of this team are, and start putting young talent around them. The Redskins, up to this point, have had the easiest schedule in the NFL hands down, and we've barely managed two wins. That's pathetic and shows deep deep problems. What on earth makes you think we'll all of a sudden get it against better competition.

Blow it up, rebuild for a few years, and come back stronger than ever.

I agree!
We have to get young across the board. We need more team speed and quality athletes.

[53Fan]

Originally Posted by jamf

I agree!
We have to get young across the board. We need more team speed and quality athletes.

I haven't checked it out but I heard someone on WPL say that our 53 man roster at the beginning of the year was the oldest in the league.

[44Deezel]

Originally Posted by 53Fan

44Deezel.....is that really you? You're right man. I know I"m a little too optimistic sometimes but that's because I believe hurdles can be jumped, lemons make lemonaide, and problems are meant to be solved, not just bitched about. Find a way to win. I remember when Gibbs got here and went 0-5. I also remember thinking this guy is way in over his head and we're in some deep s**t. Things CAN turn around. Good thread man!

Damnit, my wife hijacked my laptop again. Someone close this thread. The Skins will always suck

Being reminded that teams were able to go from 1-15 to 11-5 or even onto win the Super Bowl (the Cowturds) gave me hope. The Saints were terrible FOREVER, and now they're a perennial contender. Maybe we turn things around this year, or maybe we hit rock bottom and only get better next year and beyond. Either way, things will turnaround. They have to!

[44Deezel]

Originally Posted by 53Fan

I haven't checked it out but I heard someone on WPL say that our 53 man roster at the beginning of the year was the oldest in the league.

I have heard that a number of times as well, but then Theisman goes on the air each week talking about how the Skins are a young team that needs patience. I think they are an old team. Maybe time for a youth movement.

[44Deezel]

Originally Posted by SFREDSKIN

Things are not that bad, we draft and/or or FA sign a few OL, draft a RB and LB and this team is in the thick of things even with Campbell. We are not the Raiders, Rams or Lions.

Exactly my point. Some of the shittiest teams of all time were able to turn things around in a hurry and go onto to do great things. The Rams were one of the teams that made the list. They were eternally crappy until the stars aligned under Vermeil and a grocery clerk named Kurt Warner. They were good for years, but obviously couldn't sustain it, because they're awful again

[Skinny Tee]

Originally Posted by 44Deezel

Damnit, my wife hijacked my laptop again. Someone close this thread. The Skins will always suck

Being reminded that teams were able to go from 1-15 to 11-5 or even onto win the Super Bowl (the Cowturds) gave me hope. The Saints were terrible FOREVER, and now they're a perennial contender. Maybe we turn things around this year, or maybe we hit rock bottom and only get better next year and beyond. Either way, things will turnaround. They have to!

Not really...if we keep building teams that are so fragile that they can't even get out of Week 5 without having their competition level shattered by one or two injuries then things don't necessarily have to change.

All of the turnaround teams have had good football people in place. I can say that because we wouldn't have heard of them if they didn't have those football people there. This team has no solution to their loss of Randy Thomas and Chris Samuels...


As long as the football people here are building teams with that much fragility then there is no reasonable possibility for things to turn around ever.

[44Deezel]

Originally Posted by Skinny Tee

Not really...if we keep building teams that are so fragile that they can't even get out of Week 5 without having their competition level shattered by one or two injuries then things don't necessarily have to change.

All of the turnaround teams have had good football people in place. I can say that because we wouldn't have heard of them if they didn't have those football people there. This team has no solution to their loss of Randy Thomas and Chris Samuels...


As long as the football people here are building teams with that much fragility then there is no reasonable possibility for things to turn around ever.

You're probably right, but the teams that made the list didn't make any drastic changes to management and/or ownership (with the exception of the Dolphins with Parcells). They just started doing things differently or, in some cases, just struck lightning. We either have to hope Snyderato has learned from this season OR that Snyder sees the light and fires Cerrato.

[Beemnseven]

Originally Posted by Daseal

Here's the problem with the Redskins. We're always trying to toss a band-aid on our problems rather than really getting dirty and doing a few unpopular things. Every year we sign a new FA or two to bolster a weak area. What this does is keeps us a mediocre team. One thing almost all the above mentioned teams did, was go through a rebuilding process. Get young guys, let them build some chemistry together, and continue on -- the Redskins have yet to ever rebuild, at least in the classical sense of rebuilding.

In my opinion, this group has been given a very fair shot -- it's time to decide who the building blocks of this team are, and start putting young talent around them. The Redskins, up to this point, have had the easiest schedule in the NFL hands down, and we've barely managed two wins. That's pathetic and shows deep deep problems. What on earth makes you think we'll all of a sudden get it against better competition.

Blow it up, rebuild for a few years, and come back stronger than ever.

Exactly. Each year we add a new piece to the puzzle hoping that this is the final combination that will take us to the next level. Instead of building a foundation, we just put on new additions. If it doesn't work, we'll try a new addition. If that doesn't work, just add another. Then another. Then another. On and on it goes.