Best 5 Moves of Dan Snyder Era

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by Lotus

Jack Kent Cooke, as much as I admired him, screwed things up by not just leaving the team to his son, John. Instead he made John compete for the team. John needed time to raise the necessary cash. Into this brew leapt Snyder. Snyder could have respected the Skins as a family venture but instead exploited the fact that he could raise cash faster than John Kent Cooke. Further, Cooke, if given enough time, likely could have raised more money than Snyder and bought the team, but Snyder made a high bid and then began threatening lawsuits to force the issue early.

Years later I still see Snyder as a vulture intent on feasting on the difficulties of others. Again, he could have respected the Redskins as a family enterprise. He could have given John Kent Cooke the time to keep the team in the family. He always could have waited respectfully until it became clear that Cooke was not going to get his act together, should that have happened, and then bought the team. Instead Snyder showed the same "me, me, me, my money buys everything, I want it NOW" attitude that I still see him exhibit.

Feel free to disagree but I've thought this way for ten years now.

I don't think you have the story entirely accurate, for one thing it seems you're forgetting all about Howard Milstein.

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

I don't think you have the story entirely accurate, for one thing it seems you're forgetting all about Howard Milstein.

Milstein was Snyder's buying partner, no? When I talk about Snyder I'm also talking about Milstein.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by Lotus

Milstein was Snyder's buying partner, no? When I talk about Snyder I'm also talking about Milstein.

I don't remember Snyder starting any lawsuits to push the issue early, I could be mistaken though. And he was just a minority partner to Milstein. Plus, the bidding had already opened before Snyder became involved. Why should he have waited? Joe Gibbs was involved with another ownership group. Should we look down on him as well?

[tryfuhl]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

I don't remember Snyder starting any lawsuits to push the issue early, I could be mistaken though. And he was just a minority partner to Milstein. Plus, the bidding had already opened before Snyder became involved. Why should he have waited? Joe Gibbs was involved with another ownership group. Should we look down on him as well?

If we're going to blame it on anyone it should fall squarely on the shoulders of JKC. He wanted the money for his charity; why would he want the family to sell just to have them buy it back? The man knew that it was leaving the family.

[Beemnseven]

I thought the Estate (death) tax figured into the equation too.

[tryfuhl]

Originally Posted by Beemnseven

I thought the Estate (death) tax figured into the equation too.

It's a hell of a country when you get taxed on that. Not to mention the lawyer's cut.

[Beemnseven]

Originally Posted by tryfuhl

It's a hell of a country when you get taxed on that. Not to mention the lawyer's cut.

Oh man, don't get me started ... this thread will get transferred to the Parking Lot real quick.

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by tryfuhl

If we're going to blame it on anyone it should fall squarely on the shoulders of JKC. He wanted the money for his charity; why would he want the family to sell just to have them buy it back? The man knew that it was leaving the family.

In my account above I did blame Jack Kent Cooke. He created a huge mess.

However, it was John Kent Cooke's impression that his dad intended him to have the team. Apparently his father told him that much. Apparently the elder Cooke wanted to both raise money for charity and make sure that his son REALLY cared about the team. I've seen no evidence that the elder Cooke wanted or expected the team to leave the family.

Just to play what-if, what if your father wanted to leave you the family house, but he wanted you to put the financing together to buy it, so that he could be assured from beyond the grave that you really cared and that you had some financial savvy? And what if, while you were still getting the financing together, I leapt into the breach and bought your family house from under you, even though I knew you were trying to get the financing together? Would you not consider me to be a snake?

[tryfuhl]

Originally Posted by Lotus

In my account above I did blame Jack Kent Cooke. He created a huge mess.

However, it was John Kent Cooke's impression that his dad intended him to have the team. Apparently his father told him that much. Apparently the elder Cooke wanted to both raise money for charity and make sure that his son REALLY cared about the team. I've seen no evidence that the elder Cooke wanted or expected the team to leave the family.

Just to play what-if, what if your father wanted to leave you the family house, but he wanted you to put the financing together to buy it, so that he could be assured from beyond the grave that you really cared and that you had some financial savvy? And what if, while you were still getting the financing together, I leapt into the breach and bought your family house from under you, even though I knew you were trying to get the financing together? Would you not consider me to be a snake?

If it went to auction apparently that would be a risk that my father was willing to take and I'd question whether he truly wanted me to have it. It's not necessarily like John was guaranteed the team, it was a competition. John had been VP for what, almost 20 years? I'm sure he was decently trusted by then.

But all of that is speculation.

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

I don't remember Snyder starting any lawsuits to push the issue early, I could be mistaken though. And he was just a minority partner to Milstein. Plus, the bidding had already opened before Snyder became involved. Why should he have waited? Joe Gibbs was involved with another ownership group. Should we look down on him as well?

Joe Gibbs was trying to launch a bid. So was Peter Angelos of the Orioles. But neither of these groups got close. Perhaps they were intentionally moving slowly out of respect for the Cooke family legacy as I described. Whatever happened, they never showed the disrespect that I feel Snyder did. So, no, I do not feel the same way about them.

[tryfuhl]

Originally Posted by Lotus

Joe Gibbs was trying to launch a bid. So was Peter Angelos of the Orioles. But neither of these groups got close. Perhaps they were intentionally moving slowly out of respect for the Cooke family legacy as I described. Whatever happened, they never showed the disrespect that I feel Snyder did. So, no, I do not feel the same way about them.

Angelos, that makes me shudder