[skinsfan69]

Originally Posted by BringBackJoeT

We could probably do without another rehashing of the Norv drama, but my reaction is always knee-jerk when I see Snyder criticized for it. The fact is that Norv accomplished the not-so-common feat of keeping his job after failing to make the playoffs for five consecutive seasons (Jeff Fisher did too, but Norv hasn't accomplished anything in his post-Redskins days that would indicate that he was a Fisher in the making before getting axed). His teams consistently lost close games, and the environment at Redskins Park during his reign was, as Sonny consistently said, of the Club Med variety. He brought the team to the playoffs in year six, but only after Snyder told him that he was finally going to be accountable for the team's success (or lack thereof)--Norv did not have this fear during the two-plus years the ownership was in question after JKC's death. In year 7, the team was, yet again, underachieving, despite the chance it still had at a playoff berth. Most notably, during the game after which he was fired (the Giants game at FedEx), Pam Oliver reported on the sidelines the stark contrast in the Giants v. Redskins benches. She reported in the SECOND HALF that the Redskins bench was dead, while the Giants' bench was fired up. Blame the players if you will for their own failure to get fired up about a late season home game against a division rival with playoff implications, but there was nothing surprising about it given the team's head coach. For me, the most memorable incident in the Norv years was Marvcus Patton bitching out Gus on the sidelines in season opener against the Giants in the Meadowlands in 1998. Patton was tired of the failure of the coaching staff to get in a player's grill for stupid mistakes, and the guy had to take matters into his own hands.

I could go on, but as I said, this is really a very old story that could probably do without a rehashing. Simply put, the one thing I refuse to blame Snyder for is the firing of Norv. To me, that was the one brash/rash move he's made that I thought was completely justified.

Norv is a good coach and I think he's proven that over the years. He just needs a team that is mostly filled with vets and self starters/motivators. If he doesn't have that then he's useless. SD seems to be a good fit for him.