Tough decisions in the Bahamas

[Stymietee]

Contrary to popular belief, I'm convinced that the Dan Snyder trip to the Bahamas is much more than a planned or spur of the moment vacation. His franchise in freefall, a rapidly deteriorating fan base, falling local TV ratings, a source for amusement among his fellow NFL owners and a stadium that's among the worse in fan experience in the league, topping a long list of issues, how can there be much else on the mind of our beleaguered team owner?

If, as I suspect, he realizes that the current formula is garnering no better returns than any of the previous ones then big changes are going to come upon his return. It is one of the most difficult things that a human being can do and that's to face him/herself and course correct a troubled business because there's a conflict between Snyder the businessman and Snyder the fan.

It's time for Snyder the businessman to overrule the fan, who, thus far, has bought us all a nostalgic connection between himself and the son of a former coach, Bruce Allen. At 54 years of age there's still a future to consider concerning this franchise and that means making very tough decisions relating to who those future fans can be with respect to his insistence on keeping a name that future paying customers simply won't support. Angry or worse, disinterested voters who at the moment aren't in a very approving mood regarding a new stadium and all of the infrastructural tax dollars that will be required to build it. A political and ring of fame sports name, Allen, that has become poisonous in its second attachment to the franchise. When there are reports coming from owners and high ranking officials around the league who all say that both he and Allen are seen as "jokes" in that 32 member club, it's time for some introspection.

The Bahama escape is exactly where Snyder is having that conversation with himself, I don't believe that there's any room for a status quo stance and as previously stated there are going to be big changes in Ashburn Va. coming soon. If I'm right, I'll give a before the fact round of applause to Dan Snyder for taking the time to thoughtfully consider what's next for this organization!

 

[Sportster 72]

Contrary to popular belief, I'm convinced that the Dan Snyder trip to the Bahamas is much more than a planned or spur of the moment vacation. His franchise in freefall, a rapidly deteriorating fan base, falling local TV ratings, a source for amusement among his fellow NFL owners and a stadium that's among the worse in fan experience in the league, topping a long list of issues, how can there be much else on the mind of our beleaguered team owner?

If, as I suspect, he realizes that the current formula is garnering no better returns than any of the previous ones then big changes are going to come upon his return. It is one of the most difficult things that a human being can do and that's to face him/herself and course correct a troubled business because there's a conflict between Snyder the businessman and Snyder the fan.

It's time for Snyder the businessman to overrule the fan, who, thus far, has bought us all a nostalgic connection between himself and the son of a former coach, Bruce Allen. At 54 years of age there's still a future to consider concerning this franchise and that means making very tough decisions relating to who those future fans can be with respect to his insistence on keeping a name that future paying customers simply won't support. Angry or worse, disinterested voters who at the moment aren't in a very approving mood regarding a new stadium and all of the infrastructural tax dollars that will be required to build it. A political and ring of fame sports name, Allen, that has become poisonous in its second attachment to the franchise. When there are reports coming from owners and high ranking officials around the league who all say that both he and Allen are seen as "jokes" in that 32 member club, it's time for some introspection.

The Bahama escape is exactly where Snyder is having that conversation with himself, I don't believe that there's any room for a status quo stance and as previously stated there are going to be big changes in Ashburn Va. coming soon. If I'm right, I'll give a before the fact round of applause to Dan Snyder for taking the time to thoughtfully consider what's next for this organization!

Actually you are probably right. I hope he is taking time to reflect. I am not expecting a lot out of it after 20 years I think he is who he is and we think he is.

Take a look at Snyder's past. His 1st crowning achievement was Snyder Communications which is where he made the money he used to help buy the Redskins. He was originally going to be a minority owner. He sold that business when he bought the Redskins. The business failed after a year. Since he bought the Redskins he has dabbled in radio. Six Flags, Tom Cruise and several other ventures. None did well or flat out failed. The ONE business that he bought into, the Redskins, was a lock not to fail financially. He is giving it a damn good run at failing this one too. There isn't much to suggest he will get this right either.

Maybe your grandkids will see the Redskins succeed again Sty.

 

[j_y19]

Contrary to popular belief, I'm convinced that the Dan Snyder trip to the Bahamas is much more than a planned or spur of the moment vacation. His franchise in freefall, a rapidly deteriorating fan base, falling local TV ratings, a source for amusement among his fellow NFL owners and a stadium that's among the worse in fan experience in the league, topping a long list of issues, how can there be much else on the mind of our beleaguered team owner?

If, as I suspect, he realizes that the current formula is garnering no better returns than any of the previous ones then big changes are going to come upon his return. It is one of the most difficult things that a human being can do and that's to face him/herself and course correct a troubled business because there's a conflict between Snyder the businessman and Snyder the fan.

It's time for Snyder the businessman to overrule the fan, who, thus far, has bought us all a nostalgic connection between himself and the son of a former coach, Bruce Allen. At 54 years of age there's still a future to consider concerning this franchise and that means making very tough decisions relating to who those future fans can be with respect to his insistence on keeping a name that future paying customers simply won't support. Angry or worse, disinterested voters who at the moment aren't in a very approving mood regarding a new stadium and all of the infrastructural tax dollars that will be required to build it. A political and ring of fame sports name, Allen, that has become poisonous in its second attachment to the franchise. When there are reports coming from owners and high ranking officials around the league who all say that both he and Allen are seen as "jokes" in that 32 member club, it's time for some introspection.

The Bahama escape is exactly where Snyder is having that conversation with himself, I don't believe that there's any room for a status quo stance and as previously stated there are going to be big changes in Ashburn Va. coming soon. If I'm right, I'll give a before the fact round of applause to Dan Snyder for taking the time to thoughtfully consider what's next for this organization!

Or he could just like Dark and Stormys???

As Sportster pointed out, Snyder had one hit, albeit a big one, Snyder communications. Also as Sportster alluded to, that business was failing when he sold it. It appears that the success of that business was being in the right place at the right time and riding the Internet wave (up and down). So one has to question if Snyder is the "business man" that many thought he was.

As far as introspection, I don't think the guy has that capability. He surrounds himself with yes men and puppets so that he is never told no or that he is wrong. Kinda hard to be introspective when then world around you holds you up as the all knowing. Any problems that arise is someone else's fault. Didn't we just see that with the Lafeminia firing?

 

[skinsdad62]

The skins aren’t losing because of their name , they are losing because of FO and ownership .

 

[Sportster 72]

Or he could just like Dark and Stormys???

As Sportster pointed out, Snyder had one hit, albeit a big one, Snyder communications. Also as Sportster alluded to, that business was failing when he sold it. It appears that the success of that business was being in the right place at the right time and riding the Internet wave (up and down). So one has to question if Snyder is the "business man" that many thought he was.

As far as introspection, I don't think the guy has that capability. He surrounds himself with yes men and puppets so that he is never told no or that he is wrong. Kinda hard to be introspective when then world around you holds you up as the all knowing. Any problems that arise is someone else's fault. Didn't we just see that with the Lafeminia firing?

j_y is spot on here. I know (including my brother) people that have worked for Snyder. He surrounds himself with people that are yes men. He does not take criticism well at all. I know people that have done work for him or sold things to him and he was not a very honest or decent man to do business with.

In a way it is a shame. Again as j_y mentioned Snyder hit on the exact right formula at the exact right time and with Jerrah's help he was able to buy the Redskins. It is very clear that except for that one time he is not a good businessman and clearly has no clue as an owner of an NFL football team. Sadly I don't believe he has the capability, again as mentioned by j_y to see where he has gone wrong. Without being able to recognize that he can never fix it.

 

[skinsdad62]

The Redskins fix is clear: Become offseason champions again

Here is NBC ‘s solution , win the off season !

 

[Sportster 72]

I got a big kick out of this line and no truer words were spoken: "The roster headliners went from spicy showmen like Deion Sanders, Steve Spurrier, Clinton Portis, and Griffin to vanilla standards with Kirk Cousins, Ryan Kerrigan, and Alex Smith." Not so much Smith but the first two guys performed well for the most part and yet continuously I see people looking to get rid of them. Not flashy enough, can't carry a team, can't win the big games, not dynamic enough. Meanwhile Griffin comes here for half a team in trade has one good year and people love him or AP comes in and rushes for a 1,000 yards and he is the greatest. Alf did more than that in his first three seasons.

I am not so sure the get rich quick idea would work but who knows. The key to being a good team is to be vanilla many times. Nothing makes you better than a good Dline and Oline. Maybe there is hope is those shiny objects.

 

[gkekoa]

The skins aren’t losing because of their name , they are losing because of FO and ownership .

I will say definitively, the reason the Redskins are losing is they do not score as many points as their opponents.

 

[gkekoa]

The skins aren’t losing because of their name , they are losing because of FO and ownership .

I will say definitively, the reason the Redskins are losing is they do not score as many points as their opponents.

 

[dcrising]

watching empire strikes back.

dan so reminds me of the emperor and bruce darth vader.

 

[Stymietee]

Here's the move guys and lady...

Dan has a choice, he can remain the butt of all jokes about his franchise or find an scapegoat. That said he's comfortable with Bruce around him and the arrogance enhancement that comes with that, but he also must do something that provides some relief against the insults from fellow owners and league front office personnel.

That scapegoat will be Bruce Allen. Unfortunately, Bruce will remain in the building albeit without the responsibilities that come with player personnel. He will get moved to the business office and someone else named to man the GM, player personnel department. Now I ask you, will this be enough for the fan base? I suspect not, however, for Dan Snyder, it buys time and gives a little bit of hope in the form of a step towards his evolution as a team owner. In the end Bruce will be out of the more public picture, yet remain as poisonous as ever in the ear of a guy who just can't free himself of his own bad impulses.

 

[SoCalWizFan]

I got a big kick out of this line and no truer words were spoken: "The roster headliners went from spicy showmen like Deion Sanders, Steve Spurrier, Clinton Portis, and Griffin to vanilla standards with Kirk Cousins, Ryan Kerrigan, and Alex Smith." Not so much Smith but the first two guys performed well for the most part and yet continuously I see people looking to get rid of them. Not flashy enough, can't carry a team, can't win the big games, not dynamic enough. Meanwhile Griffin comes here for half a team in trade has one good year and people love him or AP comes in and rushes for a 1,000 yards and he is the greatest. Alf did more than that in his first three seasons.

I am not so sure the get rich quick idea would work but who knows. The key to being a good team is to be vanilla many times. Nothing makes you better than a good Dline and Oline. Maybe there is hope is those shiny objects.

Fans like a lot of those folks - RG3, AP, etc - while they are doing very well - as they should. When RG3 started to decline lots of folks - myself included - were not so crazy about the guy. If AP were to resign w/ Skins trust me lots of folks would badmouth him if/when he doesn't do as well. If he goes to another team lots of folks - myself included - won't really care about him much (d\won't wish him bad - just won't care).

Lots of fans - myself included - were behind Cousins during his time w/ the Skins (sure we badmouthed him at times but that happens for every player). Just like w/ AP example - once Cousins went elsewhere I didn't really care about him. It is not that I like the subsequent trade for Smith or even Smith - I just supported him since he was the QB this season. Moving fwd it will be tough to endure whatever they have, but I am powerless to change it (except perhaps to not watch the product which I might do somewhat next season).

I don't think that there are many fans who don't appreciate & support Kerrigan (may be some here but again this place doesn't represent the entire fanbase). Also - I love Kerrigan, but if moving fwd his age & injuries take their toll I won't totally fight a move to go in another direction. Good organizations like the Pats & Eagles constantly move on in these type of situations. However I believe that Kerrigan should be solid here for several more years & I am glad about that.

In any case it doesn't really matter what we believe as fans - Snyder doesn't really care & will develop a plan that totally disregards the feelings of the fans (totally the opposite of how someone Leonsis operates). Oh well - you make some great pts.

 

[j_y19]

Fans like a lot of those folks - RG3, AP, etc - while they are doing very well - as they should. When RG3 started to decline lots of folks - myself included - were not so crazy about the guy. If AP were to resign w/ Skins trust me lots of folks would badmouth him if/when he doesn't do as well. If he goes to another team lots of folks - myself included - won't really care about him much (d\won't wish him bad - just won't care).

Lots of fans - myself included - were behind Cousins during his time w/ the Skins (sure we badmouthed him at times but that happens for every player). Just like w/ AP example - once Cousins went elsewhere I didn't really care about him. It is not that I like the subsequent trade for Smith or even Smith - I just supported him since he was the QB this season. Moving fwd it will be tough to endure whatever they have, but I am powerless to change it (except perhaps to not watch the product which I might do somewhat next season).

I don't think that there are many fans who don't appreciate & support Kerrigan (may be some here but again this place doesn't represent the entire fanbase). Also - I love Kerrigan, but if moving fwd his age & injuries take their toll I won't totally fight a move to go in another direction. Good organizations like the Pats & Eagles constantly move on in these type of situations. However I believe that Kerrigan should be solid here for several more years & I am glad about that.

In any case it doesn't really matter what we believe as fans - Snyder doesn't really care & will develop a plan that totally disregards the feelings of the fans (totally the opposite of how someone Leonsis operates). Oh well - you make some great pts.

I dont think Snyder has a plan or ever has had a plan for this team. I think he just reacts. His latest firings a perfect example of this. Your customer base is falling off a cliff and you fire the one guy you hired only 8 months ago to develop a marketing plan to re-invigorate the customer base. The problems are that your marketing guy probably told you things, real things that might make a difference, that you didn't want to hear. Other than making money, Snyder shows no other priorities to the fan base. Where is the commitment to winning? I hear the words, but don't see the actions.

As for Kerrigan, and we can add Trent and Reed to this discussion, there is no doubt they all still play at a high level, but they are all reaching the end of their careers. It is this point that a good franchise would determine if there is inflated value out there for these kind of guys. Would some good team looking for those last few pieces be willing to pay a premium for Kerrigan? If so, a guy like Belicheck would absolutely consider trading his fading stars. We should, also. Would someone give us a 1st for a pro bowl OLB that has double digit sacks every year? If so, you would have to consider hard dealing him. The same holds true for Trent, Jordan and Morgan.

 

[Sportster 72]

Fans like a lot of those folks - RG3, AP, etc - while they are doing very well - as they should. When RG3 started to decline lots of folks - myself included - were not so crazy about the guy. If AP were to resign w/ Skins trust me lots of folks would badmouth him if/when he doesn't do as well. If he goes to another team lots of folks - myself included - won't really care about him much (d\won't wish him bad - just won't care).

Lots of fans - myself included - were behind Cousins during his time w/ the Skins (sure we badmouthed him at times but that happens for every player). Just like w/ AP example - once Cousins went elsewhere I didn't really care about him. It is not that I like the subsequent trade for Smith or even Smith - I just supported him since he was the QB this season. Moving fwd it will be tough to endure whatever they have, but I am powerless to change it (except perhaps to not watch the product which I might do somewhat next season).

I don't think that there are many fans who don't appreciate & support Kerrigan (may be some here but again this place doesn't represent the entire fanbase). Also - I love Kerrigan, but if moving fwd his age & injuries take their toll I won't totally fight a move to go in another direction. Good organizations like the Pats & Eagles constantly move on in these type of situations. However I believe that Kerrigan should be solid here for several more years & I am glad about that.

In any case it doesn't really matter what we believe as fans - Snyder doesn't really care & will develop a plan that totally disregards the feelings of the fans (totally the opposite of how someone Leonsis operates). Oh well - you make some great pts.

I don't use the forum as a sole barometer, there really aren't that many people here. When speaking in generalities you need to sample lots of places.

 

[SoCalWizFan]

I don't use the forum as a sole barometer, there really aren't that many people here. When speaking in generalities you need to sample lots of places.

NP. I guess I get a little sensitive when things are portrayed as issues being the fault of the Redskins fans thinking or acting in a certain manner. As Redskins fans we have to put up with more shit than for just about any team in any sport. We should be commended for this for the most part (or given sanity checks). Again I feel that as fans we are Charlie Brown & Snyder is Lucy always pulling that football away from us at the last minute (by providing false hope that rarely translates into actual success).

HTTR