Snyder on 10 years as owner

[BRAVEONAWARPATH]

Click on the link to read the rest of the article.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=Au9gSpatan3XeEvkIx4__OKb2bYF?slug=txteny earsofsnyder&prov=st&type=lgns

Dan Snyder’s shirt was soaked and his appetite was voracious, both the result of watching his Washington Redskins go through an offseason practice in humid northern Virginia heat. A nice spread of Thai food awaited him in his stylish office on the second floor of Redskins Park, along with a chance to reflect on his 10 years as one of the most scrutinized owners in the NFL.

Inside the room were two other Redskins employees. Snyder nodded toward one of them.

“He’s 34 years old over here. He’s probably too young to own a team,” Snyder said. “Maybe I was originally, as well.”

Snyder himself was 34 when, a decade ago this month, he became the youngest majority owner in the league, purchasing the team from the estate of the late Jack Kent Cooke. He instantly became a lightning rod for controversy, the new guy trying to shake up things before thoroughly learning the business.


Buoyed by an NFC East title in his first season, Snyder overspent for players; turned training camp into a circus by charging admission; fired a coach who had a winning record with three games left; and became personified as a heavy-handed rich kid intent on playing fantasy football and making lots of money - all within his first two years at the helm.

So now, when asked in an interview with The Associated Press why people love to pick on him, he didn’t have to think hard to come up with a humbling answer.

“I think I fueled the fire with some of the things I did,” Snyder said. “I made some early, very silly mistakes, whether it be firing Norv Turner during a season, or training camp, trying to make it something special and grandiose when in reality it’s a family event. I think that I didn’t understand the game and the contracts and their lengths and the commitments. I learned an awful lot from Joe Gibbs in terms of the types of players we seek. … I did some of that to myself.

“On the other hand,” he added, “once that snowball started rolling, there’s a festering effect.”

Indeed, Snyder-bashing quickly took on a life of its own. Other teams have lost more over the last decade - Snyder’s overall record of 76-84 with three playoff appearances is mediocre but certainly not awful. There are plenty of other rich and demanding owners, many of whom have fired good coaches, signed bad players and made a ton of other mistakes.

But that doesn’t stop people from blaming Snyder for anything and everything, including the user-unfriendly location of the Redskins’ 12-year-old stadium. “I write back: ‘I swear I wasn’t here in ’97,”’ he said.

[shally]

i have zero sympathy for him... his learning curve has been steeper than it had to be because most of the time, the only counsel his listens to is his own..
he still hasnt changed much if any, and because of that, most of the wounds are self inflicted.

[redskin_rich]

Sucked then, sucks now. Only now I realize it.

[SpicyMcHaggis]

WONDERFUL job!!!




Ugh.

[hail2skins]

Sing it with me:

Say oops up side the head, say oops upside the head!
Say oops up side the head, say oops upside the head!

[Patrick]

Well the man is going to be around for awhile so I can only hope he's coming about and heading "toward" the right direction. As it's been pointed out so many times before .... WINNING resolves many issues.

[shally]

Well the man is going to be around for awhile so I can only hope he's coming about and heading "toward" the right direction. As it's been pointed out so many times before .... WINNING resolves many issues.

maybe... a definite, "maybe"...lol

the fact that Jerry Jones won 3 championships has been the single greatest factor in retarding Snyder's development as a owner..

[akhhorus]

This article reads like Snyder has changed. When did he change?

[BurgundyNGold]

This article reads like Snyder has changed. When did he change?
He changes every year.

[akhhorus]

He changes every year.

This quote cracked me up:

Vinny Cerrato? Well, the jury’s very much still out on Snyder’s personnel guy, and whether the Redskins would be better off with a traditional general manager.

“I feel like he’s done some real good things and a few bad things, like everyone,” Snyder said. “There’s no one in this business who doesn’t make mistakes.”

How fast do you think Vinny called Snyder to suck up after he read that? 10 seconds? 5?

[shally]

He changes every year.

sybil ?? is that you ??...oh, it is only Vinny

[shally]

This quote cracked me up:



How fast do you think Vinny called Snyder to suck up after he read that? 10 seconds? 5?

wait ??? who said we need a "traditional" GM ? was that Jerry's Custom Advice
blinking on line 2 ??

[BurgundyNGold]

This quote cracked me up:

How fast do you think Vinny called Snyder to suck up after he read that? 10 seconds? 5?
Typical Snyder delusion. He'll justify the status quo with his running the circus as long as he can. The worst part id that the monger he does it, the harder it will be to change direction and do the right thing by the franchise.

[akhhorus]

Typical Snyder delusion. He'll justify the status quo with his running the circus as long as he can. The worst part id that the monger he does it, the harder it will be to change direction and do the right thing by the franchise.

I don't know, even if Snyder really lawn darts the franchise, a real GM could come in and just slash and burn the roster & front office anytime.

[shally]

Typical Snyder delusion. He'll justify the status quo with his running the circus as long as he can. The worst part id that the monger he does it, the harder it will be to change direction and do the right thing by the franchise.

typo or REAL insight ? id ?? monger ?? lol

and i totally agree that if Snyder by chance stumbles into a year that leads to a deep run into the playoffs or SB appearance, we are sunk.. all restraints we be off of him...

[shally]

I don't know, even if Snyder really lawn darts the franchise, a real GM could come in and just slash and burn the roster & front office anytime.

as long as there is no cap (as far as the roster).. the front office could happen the way Marty did it.. and WOULD happen if Cowher were convinced to take over..

[akhhorus]

as long as there is no cap (as far as the roster).. the front office could happen the way Marty did it.. and WOULD happen if Cowher were convinced to take over..

I don't know if that would limit them except for guys like Portis, Hall and Haynesworth.

[shally]

I don't know if that would limit them except for guys like Portis, Hall and Haynesworth.

i dont think ANY new owner or coach would tolerate Portis, and the way things have evolved here.. this is just as bad as the Bruce Smith situation, only longer running..

by the way, before it ever got to the stage of lawsuit, i think Snyder would appeal the loss of a 1st rounder, and likely Goodell would reduce the penalty
to something more tolerable-- thereby even strengthening his powers as a "wise arbiter"...

[BurgundyNGold]

I don't know, even if Snyder really lawn darts the franchise, a real GM could come in and just slash and burn the roster & front office anytime.
That's true but that's not what I'm saying. Every year that goes by, Snyder gets more set in his maverick ways. And every year that goes by where he deludes himself into thinking that he is only a player or two away leads to that much more obstinate bitterness that will make it that much more difficult to make the right decision for the Redskins (getting a GM and staying hands off). Admitting that that you're wrong is easy up front. It's not so easy as time passes. And it's damned near impossible once you've crossed a certain threshold.

[akhhorus]

i dont think ANY new owner or coach would tolerate Portis, and the way things have evolved here.. this is just as bad as the Bruce Smith situation, only longer running..

I disagree with that. The only coach who might do that would be Shanny, but I can make an equally logical case that Shanny would keep Portis. Any coach is stuck with Portis for next year barring the cap disappearing.

That's true but that's not what I'm saying. Every year that goes by, Snyder gets more set in his maverick ways. And every year that goes by where he deludes himself into thinking that he is only a player or two away leads to that much more obstinate bitterness that will make it that much more difficult to make the right decision for the Redskins (getting a GM and staying hands off). Admitting that that you're wrong is easy up front. It's not so easy as time passes. And it's damned near impossible once you've crossed a certain threshold.

That proverbial knife cuts both ways. I agree with you as long as the skins always finish with between 7-10 wins each year. But as soon as they have a nightmare season that Snyder can't blame on injuries, all bets are off of what he could do.

[BostonSkins]

Make sure you listen to "Ten Years Gone" while reading the article to really drive home the point of the lost decade.

[shally]

I disagree with that. The only coach who might do that would be Shanny, but I can make an equally logical case that Shanny would keep Portis. Any coach is stuck with Portis for next year barring the cap disappearing.



That proverbial knife cuts both ways. I agree with you as long as the skins always finish with between 7-10 wins each year. But as soon as they have a nightmare season that Snyder can't blame on injuries, all bets are off of what he could do.


my comment was made on the assumption that there is NO cap.. if there is one,
i agree that whoever is hired is tied to portis for a while, until it become feasible to dump him without hamstringing the franchise.. i think his production is replaceable , even as good as he has been..

still, if you are going to make big changes, it is better to make them in Year 1, when you have everyone behind you

[shally]

I disagree with that. The only coach who might do that would be Shanny, but I can make an equally logical case that Shanny would keep Portis. Any coach is stuck with Portis for next year barring the cap disappearing.



That proverbial knife cuts both ways. I agree with you as long as the skins always finish with between 7-10 wins each year. But as soon as they have a nightmare season that Snyder can't blame on injuries, all bets are off of what he could do.

the problem is that as long as snyder is willing to spend huge chunks of money on people like Haynesworth, Hall and Dockery in one offseason, it mitigates the possibility of something epic on the scale of 3-13 or worse

[akhhorus]

my comment was made on the assumption that there is NO cap.. if there is one,
i agree that whoever is hired is tied to portis for a while, until it become feasible to dump him without hamstringing the franchise.. i think his production is replaceable , even as good as he has been..

still, if you are going to make big changes, it is better to make them in Year 1, when you have everyone behind you

Even then, because of Portis' value to the franchise, you make sure you have his replacement lined up before moving on him. You can't do to him what the skins did to Stephen Davis, and let him go without Plan B in plan.

the problem is that as long as snyder is willing to spend huge chunks of money on people like Haynesworth, Hall and Dockery in one offseason, it mitigates the possibility of something epic on the scale of 3-13 or worse

I don't know about that, even all 3 combined don't clog up the cap enough to prevent a slash and burning. The skins could just keep giving out the "get hell off the team next year" restructures.

[Hr fan]

Interesting article. A plea for patience from the fans by a man who is deluding himself that he has learned some. Right now we are poised to dump Zorn and JC, keep Blache, stick with Vinnie, etc. More change on top of change.

Why does he have no credibility with me? Look at the word "I" in the article. The world still revolves around Danny, who will never learn there is no "I" in "team", and no hint of patience ("I will do ANYTHING...", presumably as soon as possible).

[CarMike]

Sucked then, sucks now. Only now I realize it.

amen! +1

[bigcmr]

10 years as fans we wont get back.

[HanburgerBum]

Snyder is still only 44 years old. So, what is the answer, if Snyder isn't likely to turn this franchsie back into a consistent winner?

The Redskins are more than just a valuable property to Snyder--it's his favorite toy also. Therefore, it is unlikely he will want to sell the team any time soon. UNLESS, the franchise starts to lose its value dramatically and quickly. That won't happen if fans continue to buy season tickets and merchandise.

So, we fans are in the awkward position of having to stay away from our favorite team in order to try to compel the owner to sell. How many of us are willing to go "cold turkey" on the Skins in the hopes of forcing the owner out? Probably not many. So, if there is an easy solution in sight, it's not plain to me what that would be. And, I have been a fan since the '50s. So, time is running out for me.

[shally]

Snyder is still only 44 years old. So, what is the answer, if Snyder isn't likely to turn this franchsie back into a consistent winner?

The Redskins are more than just a valuable property to Snyder--it's his favorite toy also. Therefore, it is unlikely he will want to sell the team any time soon. UNLESS, the franchise starts to lose its value dramatically and quickly. That won't happen if fans continue to buy season tickets and merchandise.

So, we fans are in the awkward position of having to stay away from our favorite team in order to try to compel the owner to sell. How many of us are willing to go "cold turkey" on the Skins in the hopes of forcing the owner out? Probably not many. So, if there is an easy solution in sight, it's not plain to me what that would be. And, I have been a fan since the '50s. So, time is running out for me.


correct.. and furthermore, what are the chances of getting any "better" owner ?
you can say, it cant get any worse, but i guarantee you it can..

[shally]

[QUOTE=akhhorus;1232927]Even then, because of Portis' value to the franchise, you make sure you have his replacement lined up before moving on him. You can't do to him what the skins did to Stephen Davis, and let him go without Plan B in plan.



i think there are enough teams that have successfully used running back by committee, to predict that that model still works..

plus, most of the time (as long as Vinny is not picking) you can pick up quality RB's on the second day of the draft.. fix the O line, and all of a sudden you have large holes to run through

[akhhorus]

i think there are enough teams that have successfully used running back by committee, to predict that that model still works..

plus, most of the time (as long as Vinny is not picking) you can pick up quality RB's on the second day of the draft.. fix the O line, and all of a sudden you have large holes to run through

All those "rb by committee" teams still have good talent at RB and usually have one very good RB and matchup backs.

[shally]

All those "rb by committee" teams still have good talent at RB and usually have one very good RB and matchup backs.

true, but look where they got them. for example the giants had bradshaw, ward and jacobs.. jacobs was, what, a second rounder ?

Bmore traded for McGahee and rice was a 2, while mcclain was low...

pittsburgh ? parker was undrafted. the rest refuse..

the only high guy with the pats was maroney

so, i agree you need one primary back, but it doesnt always have to be a high first round pick to accomplish that

[akhhorus]

true, but look where they got them. for example the giants had bradshaw, ward and jacobs.. jacobs was, what, a second rounder ?

Bmore traded for McGahee and rice was a 2, while mcclain was low...

pittsburgh ? parker was undrafted. the rest refuse..

the only high guy with the pats was maroney

so, i agree you need one primary back, but it doesnt always have to be a high first round pick to accomplish that

Right, but Jacobs, McGahee, Parker, Marion Barber, Ronnie Brown, DeAngelo Williams etc etc etc are all very talented backs. You can't run a RB committee without as much talent(and monetary investment) as a one back system requires. If the skins wanted to run the supposed RB by committee system as a replacement to Portis, they'll still have to replace Portis with a quality RB and a couple good Rbs for matchups.

[shally]

Right, but Jacobs, McGahee, Parker, Marion Barber, Ronnie Brown, DeAngelo Williams etc etc etc are all very talented backs. You can't run a RB committee without as much talent(and monetary investment) as a one back system requires. If the skins wanted to run the supposed RB by committee system as a replacement to Portis, they'll still have to replace Portis with a quality RB and a couple good Rbs for matchups.

if Shanny were to come here, for example.. i fully believe it would look like
Betts, Alridge, Draft Pick, Mason
or some permutation of that.

Shanny took it too far, but for a long time he got major mileage out of the Samkon Gado's of the world..

and Cowher ? trading for Bettis was his key move..

[akhhorus]

if Shanny were to come here, for example.. i fully believe it would look like
Betts, Alridge, Draft Pick, Mason
or some permutation of that.

Shanny took it too far, but for a long time he got major mileage out of the Samkon Gado's of the world..

and Cowher ? trading for Bettis was his key move..

Nah, if Shanny's coming here, he'll keep Portis I bet. Cowher probably would also. They both like faster RBs(Cowher did have Bettis, but he also got Willie Parker, who's a burner), so Betts is gone for certain since he's neither big or fast.

[shally]

Nah, if Shanny's coming here, he'll keep Portis I bet. Cowher probably would also. And both like faster RBs(Cowher did have Bettis, but he also got Willie Parker, who's a burner), so Betts is gone for certain since he's neither big or fast.

betts is cheaper, a better receiver (portis is horrible) and runs equally tough.
both shanny and cowher would want a true scat back (if alridge or dorsey dont claim it this camp)..
either would supplement that duo with a second, 4th or 5th round pick in 2010

i think holmgren would be the most likely to retain portis

[akhhorus]

betts is cheaper, a better receiver (portis is horrible) and runs equally tough.
both shanny and cowher would want a true scat back (if alridge or dorsey dont claim it this camp)..
either would supplement that duo with a second, 4th or 5th round pick in 2010


Then it would make more sense that they find a real scat/burner type to team with Portis relatively early in the draft.

[shally]

Then it would make more sense that they find a real scat/burner type to team with Portis relatively early in the draft.

except it would cost them 10X to keep portis, as opposed to betts.. and it comes down to shaping the roster in their image.. no way Shanny is putting up with portis part deux

[akhhorus]

except it would cost them 10X to keep portis, as opposed to betts.. and it comes down to shaping the roster in their image.. no way Shanny is putting up with portis part deux

I don't think either Shanny or Cowher is going to purposefully destroy their running game, no matter how much they'll save. 2010 is a bad year for Rbs in the draft and free agency.

[shally]

I don't think either Shanny or Cowher is going to purposefully destroy their running game, no matter how much they'll save. 2010 is a bad year for Rbs in the draft and free agency.

shanny is so arrogant he believes he can do it with all free agents

you never know who will come out in 2010..there will be half a dozen guys coming out of the SEC alone..lol

[MDBluefinCrab]

He's a bad owner who has created a bad front office which in turn has created mediocre teams at best.
As much as I don't like Campbell as our QB, trying to trade him away twice in the off season and then proclaim him our starting QB for the upcoming season was pure idiocy. This is just one example of the Little Danny and his meddling ways.
As long as this midget is the owner of Redskins, that's how long the Redskins will remain a mediocre team.

[shally]

He's a bad owner who has created a bad front office which in turn has created mediocre teams at best.
As much as I don't like Campbell as our QB, trying to trade him away twice in the off season and then proclaim him our starting QB for the upcoming season was pure idiocy. This is just one example of the Little Danny and his meddling ways.
As long as this midget is the owner of Redskins, that's how long the Redskins will remain a mediocre team.

exactly my point.. his billions keep the team from hitting bottom/his ego keeps it from becoming great

[colkurtz]

Snyder is just a poor owner. With the amount of money he makes and has poured into the team - that's not the problem.

1. He refuses to get out of the personnel business, nor will he surround himself with real, quality NFL people. Viny Cerrato is a joke and has not proved himself at any level.

2. Danny uses the same strategy every off-season to buy one or more big name FA's. Usually a Big splash for mediocre results. WE DO have some talent on the team but many of these FA are now just 'good' and usually past their prime. Most come here to collect the payoff, not to risk injury or to really go for the big games.

3. He relies on FA more than any other team.

4. Half of his Head Coach hires have been untested in the big job. That gives Snyderrato more leverage over these inexperienced HC(s). Once again he's micro-managing in a field he doesn't understand.

10 years and considered one of the worst owners in the NFL. The only way that's going to change is a [negative] implosion season. But Snyder buys just FA talent to keep from losing less than five games. Nor more than 9.

This is pugatory.

[redskin_rich]

Snyder is a horrible owner, point blank. His focus is making money and this is his only venture left that can still achieve/maintain that goal. He doesn't care who is in his stadium, just that they are there, spending money.

It's hard to believe that he was once a fan, sitting in the seats at RFK, yet didn't understand the culture of the fans around him. Obviously, he never stood in a line for a preseason ticket or paid for a ticket on his own.

[NamVet4]

exactly my point.. his billions keep the team from hitting bottom/his ego keeps it from becoming great

Absolutely agree !
As long as Daniel Snyder is the majority owner of the Washington Redskins, our Beloved Team will languish in mediocrity. No matter who comes to coach; no matter who comes to be a real GM; no matter who comes as a talented draft pick, it all is meaningless with Daniel Snyder as the majority owner !
And the loyal fans (us) who suffer through the season will continue to do so with very little realistic hope for change!

[Hr fan]

correct.. and furthermore, what are the chances of getting any "better" owner ?
you can say, it cant get any worse, but i guarantee you it can..

How? IMO Snyderatto ranks right down there with Ford, and a very little above Bidwill and a dysfunctional Al Davis.

[MONK_in_HOF]

I commend him for his charitable efforts, but nothing else.

[shally]

How? IMO Snyderatto ranks right down there with Ford, and a very little above Bidwill and a dysfunctional Al Davis.

not even close.. compare him to howie milstein, who could have been our owner..
davis ? again, not even close

[Hr fan]

not even close.. compare him to howie milstein, who could have been our owner..
davis ? again, not even close

+1 on Davis as he is now. Would settle for some SB appearances and rings, which Al has in his past and IMO Snyder won't until he stops being the "i" in "team".

[shally]

+1 on Davis as he is now. Would settle for some SB appearances and rings, which Al has in his past and IMO Snyder won't until he stops being the "i" in "team".

i meant to qualify that point about davis, thanks... he was a visionary in his earlier years
definitely a man who should have retired a decade ago..

[Hr fan]

i meant to qualify that point about davis, thanks... he was a visionary in his earlier years
definitely a man who should have retired a decade ago..

I just hope that the last 10 years and the lawsuits don't obscure his impact back when, which was considerable. Hope he doesn't become a parriah to some voters and a "now is always better than the past" voters when the time comes. But as he is holding on he will probably be posthumous when the time comes, and that will cover a lot of sins.

[DaveKShape]

Make sure you listen to "Ten Years Gone" while reading the article to really drive home the point of the lost decade.

on a side note, this is by far my favorite (and arguably the best) zep song.

[HanburgerBum]

correct.. and furthermore, what are the chances of getting any "better" owner ?
you can say, it cant get any worse, but i guarantee you it can..


On that depressing note, I am getting ready to visit training camp.

[CNYSkinFan]

I swear i read this article just about every off season, right before we spend a ton on a worthless free agent or trade away next year's draft picks for backups at best.

it must be a boiler plate mail merge article they send out to a reporter willing to cash a check.

As long as Cerrato is employed, Snyder hasn't changed a damn thing.

[Dolla Bill]

http://praveensg.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/simon-cowell-thumbs-down.jpg

Simon says it well for me.

[DannySnyder]

as I look back I sometimes think, Danny, you have been everywhere and done everything. Way to go kid.