Slowly but surely people are starting to see the light. WOODY, IMITATE SNYDER NOT KRAFT!!! http://www.realfootball365.com Don't blame Redskins' Snyder for trying to win By Connor J. Byrne on May 26, 2006 12:45 AM Ever since Daniel Snyder purchased the Washington Redskins in 1999, critics have piled on the billionaire, accusing him of being greedy and trying to form an NFL monopoly by throwing huge money at free agents. However, it's not Snyder's greed that's annoying his detractors, it's the fact that the owners of the teams they root for don't go the extra mile. Like the New York Yankees' infamous chairman, George Steinbrenner, all Snyder wants to do is win, and he'll stop at nothing to accomplish his ultimate goal. And obviously, there's nothing wrong with that. When Snyder took over the Redskins, the team was making about $10 million less than their archrival, the Dallas Cowboys . Now that Snyder has grabbed the reins, the Redskins have exceeded the Cowboys' revenues by a whopping $40 million. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was supposed to be the most money-wise owner in the league, but Snyder has grossly upstaged him as a businessman. Snyder's first few years in Washington were accompanied by excruciating struggles, but he made it all better in 2004 when he hired the legendary Joe Gibbs, who head coached the Redskins to three Super Bowl victories in the '80s and '90s. Nobody ever expected Gibbs to return from his decade-plus coaching retirement, but Snyder successfully pried him from his NASCAR-obsessed stupor, and achieved what seemed like an impossibility. Now that Gibbs has returned, the Redskins are knocking on the door of another Super Bowl title. Perhaps most importantly, Gibbs' Redskins defeated the Cowboys twice last season by a combined score of 49-20. Prior to the 65-year-old's return, the Redskins had lost 11 of 12 contests against Dallas since Snyder took over. Snyder, who is essentially the GM of the Redskins, has done a magnificent job over the past couple of seasons of finding top-flight talent. He's taken some of the pressure off himself by trading away draft picks for talent that has already been groomed; for example, this offseason he dealt third and fourth-round draft selections to the San Francisco 49ers for valuable wideout Brandon Lloyd, who was underrated and underutilized in the Bay Area. To go along with the Lloyd acquisition, Snyder brought in former Steelers receiver Antwaan Randle El for $31 million, ex-Patriots tight end Christian Fauria for nearly $2 million, as well as former 49ers defensive end Andre Carter and former Rams safety Adam Archuleta for $30 million each. The common denominator between four of the five big-name acquisitions? Playoff experience. Other than Lloyd, of course, Randle El (Super Bowl win), Fauria (two Super Bowl wins), Carter (two playoff appearances) and Archuleta (two playoff appearances and a Super Bowl appearance) have all been to the January jamboree known as the postseason. Thus, Snyder isn't just paying veterans to prove his riches, but making calculated moves to bring much-needed big-game experience to the Redskins' roster. For Lloyd, the Redskins are hoping he finds the playoffs in D.C., which he was never able to do on three ulcer-inducing 49er teams. To be fair, all the credit shouldn't go to Snyder. He's had plenty of help from the Washington Redskins ' vice president of football operations, Vinny Cerrato. Along with Snyder, Cerrato has done a solid job of finding good veterans with the ability to contribute. The owner/VP tandem went against the grain and brought in former Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell for big money in 2004. That move paid off last season, as Brunell flung 23 touchdown passes en route to the Redskins' first postseason appearance since the '99 season. The bottom line is, the NFL is nothing if not a business, and Snyder, the ultimate businessman, has brought a win-first, big-money mentality to Washington. It may not be politically correct among the average football fan, but it's starting to prove effective for the Redskins. After all, the most important thing in today's league is to put a solid, watchable product on the field for the fans, and Snyder's done just that. Who wouldn't want to go watch the likes of Clinton Portis and Randle El every week? If I were a Redskin fan I certainly would; now pass me the nachos and beer.
Why would he want to imitate a guy who has made 1 PO appearance in a weak conference instead of the owner who has 3 SBs? Snyder will find a way to screw things up again. Last year they didn't have a "Championship" offseason and they finally made the playoffs, this year they were back to their free spending ways. Let's see what happens.
I actually think they will be decent. Most under rated move was getting Saunders, making their coaching staff Gibbs-Saunders-WIlliams which is the best in the East. I think they will be better than people give them credit for. But I am just waiting for the day they get in cap hell. :deadskins:
I didn't say they'll be bad but to say you'd rather imitate a guy who has been to the playoffs once over a guy who has 3 SBs is crazy. Spending a ton on FAs has proven not to work, NE's way has proven to work. I think Wash will be good but I'm not sure they'll be as good as last year. I just don't see brunell having another year like that and Moss has never been healthy 2 years in a row.
Yeah, I dont see brunell having another good year especially because of his age. I am not too familiar with Moss like you Jets fans, but I guess thats why they got lloyd and Randel El. It will be interesting to see how they do with their coaching staff. I think that will be key.
I think they'll be better than "decent". Maybe I went a little overboard but I do think Snyder is a much better owner than you give him credit for.
Yes, I think it would be a great idea to imitate an owner who makes and spends a pile of money but wins nothing. Think that fanbase may have a few frustrations?
10 years, one trip to the post-season. And he still hasn't learned how to use the draft. But like it our not he's finally on to something here. This year the Redskins look very good in a weak conference.
Without Joe Gibbs the Redskins would still be mopping the basement of the NFCE. Snyder is a horrible owner who has no idea how to utilize the NFL draft; his only saving grace in the entire tenure of his ownership is the hiring of Gibbs. Maybe we should make some second-rate safety the highest-paid player at his position to emulate that little dwarf in D.C.
Just a few corrections: 1. Snyder has owned the Redskins since the 1999 season - he has not been in the league for 10 years. 2. The Redskins have gone to the playoffs twice since he has owned the team - the team has come close on at least two other occasions, and this wasn't due to Snyder that the team didn't make it on those occasions. Snyder has been providing the team with the tools to win, but he can only do so much. And while he has not been perfect, he does not play on the field. The players and coaches have to take responsibility for not winning. Also, anyone that has followed Snyder knows that he is not the same owner from even a few years ago. He has the football guys in place, and the only part where he may get involved is with the "personal" touches, such as sending his plane to pickup a player - he has no decision making process when it comes to choosing players. That is the job of team President Joe Gibbs and his defensive cohort, Gregg Williams. As this thread indicates, folks, first of all, have basic inaccuracies about Snyder, such as how long he has owned the team. Second, most folks seem to have the same "hands-on Snyder" attitude without even adjusting their thinking to the reality that he has changed, and quite a bit, over the last few years. It's like the skit with the Bears fans, "Da Bears," who insist that the Bears are the World Champions: Things change, and we have to be aware of these changes. And that includes Snyder - let's not get stuck in cliches about the man without looking uninformed out and out of touch with the current reality: Snyder is not the same owner as six years ago, Gibbs runs the team, and the Reskins are a much better team for that. Oh, as another note: The Patriots make good use of Free Agency, so let's not act as if the team is doing anything different than other teams that acquire talent via FA. You do not need the draft if you can find players using other methods. After all, how many of us realize that Gibbs, the first time around, rarely had a first round pick due to trading them away? And he won three SBs using that method - we conveniently forget that fact. If trading picks leads to good players, then so be it.
Which thing changed? Would it be the spending money outside the ordinary pay-scale for mediocre coaches and players, or the limited success thingy? I like Daniel Snyder, because he has been brilliant in his non-football business ventures. And, although he's certainly cut down on the glitzy personnel moves of just a few years ago, he's still spending much the same. I suspect that he suffered enough egg on his face to know NOW to walk quietly, but still carry a big checkbook.
Correct me if i'm wrong but the first time the skins made the playoffs under Snyder was his first year.He took over in the end of may so he couldn't do his buy everything that moves approach.Basicly he made no impact on the team that made the playoffs.
Any decisions for spending in the past would have been perhaps a bit more based upon Snyder's desire for a player, though he always put more football decisions on the personnel men and the head coach. These days, ALL decisions for acquiring a player is up to Gibbs and his personnel men. This is much different then the (usually non-Skins) football fan who still claim to this day that Snyder is making the personnel decisions, even though this is completely untrue. Snyder, who idolizes Gibbs, wouldn't dare to think that he knows more than his coaching staff, who is probably one of the most experienced coaching staffs in football. Also, the Redskins have spent money on good players, and while every acquisition has not worked out well for the team, I would venture that many teams have had some issues at one time or another with their free agents. In addition, there have been some past years where the 'Skins were lean on their spending, in particular the 2001 Schotty year, and even Gibbs' first year was a bit on the conservative side. This year, though, with recent NFPLA discussions, this freed up the Redskins to pursue the players they wanted. And keep in mind that, considering that some fans have been waiting for the 'Skins "cap hell" since 2000, the team management must be doing something right. Unfortunately, the team hasn't always performed as well on the field, but there is so much that management can do in that regards. You are correc, though - in interviews over the last couple of years, Snyder has admitted that he has made mistakes, perhaps was a bit too pushy in his desire for success, and feels more comfortable putting together the management team that will work for the team and letting the football guys make the decisions and deals. In essence, he is learning, and last year's improved success is perhaps an indication of this success. I do want to add this extra note, since the 2000 year seems to have been the year that defined Daniel Snyder for football fans: The Ravens team that won the Super Bowl had mor free agents on that team then the Redskins of that year, and they spent $3 million less. So, before folks start saying the cliched "You can't buy the SB," then you may want to investigate the matter a bit, since the 'Skins became the focus of this thought, while the Ravens used a similiar strategy and did indeed win the Big Game. You are correct in this assertion, though it was still under his ownership. I would more so credit the previous regime for this win since they basically built that team in the offseason leading up to the '99 season (with the trade for Brad Johnson, the improvement of Westbrook, Davis as the starting RB, etc...)
i live near DC and I hate every off season listening to these retarded 'skins fans and their overpaid players
'99 doesn't count as I think he took over midseason or just before the season so he didn't make any moves to screw things up. What 2 other years were you close? You weren't over .500 in any other year, are you coutning the '00 and '01 8-8 teams as close? In '00 the last WC team was 10-6 and 2 games out isn't considered close while in '01 you finihsed a game back of the final WC spot but yopu were eliminated w/ a few weeks to go which means you weren't close. Close is being eliminated in Week 17.
