We say they don't have an attitude problem?

[PennSkinsFan]

This is a disturbing article

Boswell (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49345-2003Oct5.html)

"But, if you listened, you could hear laugher, chuckles and wisecracks. If you looked around the players on the $86 million team, you saw smiles, grins, even outright jokes just 15 minutes after a two-point loss to a division rival in a hard-hitting battle. At one moment, several Redskins were laughing or had smiles on their faces.

I thought I had stumbled into the winners' locker room.

Was this nervous laughter, an attempt to be cool, a defensive gesture to hide disappointment? Was it just the manifestation of an immature team? Is this the way "modern" athletes act -- play hard, shrug it off, move on.

Or don't the Redskins lose hard enough?

"Write it if that's what you see," said Bruce Smith, not agreeing or disagreeing.

"I don't know what to say about that," said Jessie Armstead uneasily.

"Nobody laughed when we lost," said Sam Huff, the Hall of Famer linebacker from long ago. "No, that's not how it was," said Sonny Jurgensen, another Hall of Famer.

That's certainly not how it was on any of Joe Gibbs's three Super Bowl championship teams. They lost hard. Nobody smiled. Nobody told jokes. Nobody wanted to be seen as having a good time or taking a loss lightly by teammates. But that was a dozen years ago. Have times changed that much?"

[hail2skins]

I believe times have changed. With the money these guys are making, you're damn right the times have changed. Bruce Smith's comment is interesting. I wonder how many people fit into what he's writing. I agree though, it is disturbing.

[Spence]

The players want to win. Of course they do. But win or lose, they still get a nice, fat paycheck this week. Their houses are big. Their cars are shiny.

But before anyone gets too upset, remember that most of them play the game for about 4 years or so before the game has destroyed their bodies and chucked them on the trash pile.

[Emmanouel8]

I want to puke.

It's not how it is in KC, denver, NY, philly, etc. These players need to be exposed and sent packing. I just don't get how these guy's have such a lack of competitiveness. I'm disgusted for a week after we lose, grumpy as all hell.

I'm the same way when I fail(ed) a test, perform bad at work, etc. Even in H.S. football we were all miserable after a loss and to even crack a smile would have been suicide, our coaches would have physically and mentally driven us to the ground.

I'll bet my college education Smoot is one of those clowns too. He was padding the opponents on the back laughing and what not just a week or two ago on TV, I'm pretty sure it was the giants. R.Gardener is another one of those players who seems intent on making friends on the field of battle. Oh and don't get me started on Dallas games either. It seems to be a gala for us for crying out loud. Too many players seem to be best friends w/ the division enemy. Tampa bay is coming you think they want to make friends? Pathetic.

[Emmanouel8]

PS I hope those bad apples don't tarnish the good apples we have i.e Ramsey, Coles, LB's. Everybody else is suspect.

[hail2skins]

I'm sure Ramsey wasn't smiling or laughing. He was probably in an ice bath somewhere.

[Emmanouel8]

Oh and I feel for Spurrier. He's inherited a large group of pre-madonna's.

[JoeDaSchmoe]

Disturbing's an understatement.

[SkinsKY]

That's not good news. I wish I knew who exactly was smiling. A reporter calling them out would be suicide, but I hope it's not our starters. I know we have some competitive guys on this team, but that is a bit disturbing.

[jporterweb]

Guys, this is standard in the league. They lose, then you see them laughing and carrying on with the other team. The one that just beat you. It happens everywhere. You see it every week.

[Skins57]

It's not how it is in KC, denver, NY, philly, etc.

do we know that for sure???

This is where the leaders on the team need to stand up and rip some people a butt, maybe Bruce Smith should be hte one to start it too. I bet this just rips at him as the old school players would not allow this to happen. Come on Bruce get after them

[Skins57]

We can't seem to keep 'em playing within the rules. . . . Little things are not what we are about right now," said a visibly upset Spurrier. "Maybe we'll [start guard] Lennie Friedman. I wonder if he can stay onsides."

This says it all doesn't it.


Of an unnecessary after-the-whistle unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty against defensive end Regan Upshaw, Spurrier said: "To me, that's a very selfish act when players commit fouls when the ball is dead. . . . I wish our guys overall would be a lot more accountable for their actions. . . .

Make them more accountable. Fine his butt, make him run laps till he pukes, bench his butt. There are ways to get a players attention use them. Don't wanna hear.. I don't know what to do. DO SOMETHING

[PennSkinsFan]

Point i think Boswell was trying to protray is not the fact that they were laughing and joking after teh game with Eagle players, that shoudl be expected because it is good sportsmanship, but it was being done in a locker room. Boswell's pioint i believe was that the locker room portrayed a locker room typical of a team that just won, WE DID NOT. Where in fact, instead of cracking jokes, laughing back and forth, they should have been huddled around Ramsey's locker apologizing for there weak play.

[Skins57]

I agree Mark, they should have been geting more ice for Ramsey bath also. I have heard QBs that take thier linemen to lunch well I think Ramsey should never have to pay for a meal again. All the linemen take turns buying for him

[Emmanouel8]

I don't like the stuff that goes on the field after the game either. It should be personal when you lose close games like that.

[Emmanouel8]

Originally posted by Skins57
do we know that for sure???



Yes. Those teams are accustomed to winning. They win every week and when they lose you bet the farm they'll be playing like barbarians to win the next game.

We are accustomed to losing. Our locker-room character says so.

[Smiley]

I read the same article this morning and it upset me. Why do I get so emotional after a loss like that if players shrug it off. It's not like 15-20 years ago when a loss was like "dying" inside. Maybe coach should watch some film on Goerge Allen? Maybe the whole team should. Personal Fouls = fines.

[Smiley]

It breaks my heart to go through a game like last night. I know 99% of our players give evrything they have on every play (they ARE Redskins) but Regan, PLEASE stop hurting us!!! I know he pushed you but take it out on him during the play. You get to hit him as hard as you want between the whistle!!!

[Smiley]

This is no excuse but the refs are out of their minds!! Lavar did not hit McNabb, he pulled up. McNabb fumled the ball on the 1st down.

[LadyNRedskinsfan]

yeah that BS personal foul call on lavar was a joke that gave them 3 pts.....when are these guys going to realize that winning and losing hinges on how (smart) they play on the field....dont hit a guy after the play is over. hit him ,HARD, during the next play when it counts....

[hail2skins]

I mean, if they're going to throw the flag on that crap, then just pulverize his azz next time.

[PennSkinsFan]

Well, this has been a awful two years for protecting QBs. That call are getting ridiculous. You have to let the players play the game. There is a big difference in penalizing blatant shots at QBs and shots that can nto be stopped. Lately, if you are in mid-air, you have to stop immediately.

The QB roughing calls are some fo the worst i have seen.

[AGibbsGirl]

Jon Jansen was on with George and Sonny today and when asked about this, he said that he didn't hear or see any of this and that he didn't know where "he" got this impression that the players were laughing and joking.

You can you believe?

[JoeDaSchmoe]

Well, I'll tell you one thing about that locker room attitude right now. Yesterday was the second most painful loss I've ever watched. I couldn't eat for hours after the game was over. There was a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, because I knew how much it would have meant if we had won, and I knew that we could have done it so many times. I know for a fact that there were at least some players in that locker room who felt the same way. I know for a fact that Ramsey had trouble sleeping last night, and not just because his body hurt. I know he was watching that throw in his head over and over again, wishing he could have it back, agonizing over it. I know Coles, Gardner, Arrington, Jansen, Trotter, Armstead, Ohalete, Betts, Thomas, and probably at least a dozen more names felt like I did. The ones with a team attitude and a real passion for the game. Some of the others, well, I'm not so sure. I like to think that it was only a few, the few that I saw laughing on the sidelines when the game was in its final moments and the game was being won or lost. Far before any comments about the locker room, I saw a picture of John Hall and Rob Johnson laughing it up right after an incompletion on that final drive, and I couldn't believe it. Maybe it was only those who thought they had done their jobs and the rest didn't matter.

I sure hope so.

[Smiley]

I kept playing the last play over in my mind too. Poor kid, he had him open. I'm with you, JoeDaScmoe, that was one of the hardest losses I've felt as a Redskin fan. I hate life when the Skins lose, I'm not kidding. I don't want to look for next year yet, we are 3-2 and hopefully we can go out and take the pain out on some other team. I WANT THIS TEAM ANGRY!!!! I want to see Brad Johnson looking up all day this Sunday. They think Indy did a number on em', I want to see the Skins just flat out hammer that team!!! I'm getting myself worked up over here.

[PennSkinsFan]

You can say that again smilack. They need to be angry, they need to play angry, and they should be angry. If only this team could actually realize that if they foucs, concenrtrate, and minimize errors, they could be 5-0 right now. Seriously, look at teh losses to Philly and the NYG. These gusy are killing themselves qwith bonehead hits, and stupid penalties that happen because there is either ineffective communication ro lack of foucs.

Lets get it together dammit.

[Brokenstriker]

the thing that gets me is ... that when they lose it ruins my entire week ...

seems like the decent thing for them to do is at least have some respect for that instead of laughing it off on the way to the club

[Emmanouel8]

Brokenstriker you're not alone.

[jsarno]

It's a job to most athletes. This is why they fight for every damn penny regardless! It's no longer fun, or playing for the love of the game. Shit, as a FAN, I am pissed longer than the actual players, and that's not right.
Maybe all athletes should have a cap of no more than 1 mil. Who can't live off 1 mil a year? If they don't like it, go flip burgers for $6 an hour then remember just how good you have it!
(sorry...got on that soap box again!)

[jsarno]

I blame that on Spurrier! You didn't see it in the Gibbs era, because Gibbs would have benched or possibly cut his ass. Spurrier needs to get tough.

[Redskinmayhem]

Originally posted by Brokenstriker
the thing that gets me is ... that when they lose it ruins my entire week ...

seems like the decent thing for them to do is at least have some respect for that instead of laughing it off on the way to the club

I know!!! I feel like crap all week. Makes me wish I had played high school football so I could take it out on the other team. The only time i feel better is sunday right before the game starts. Then I'm in a state of anxiety for 3 hours. If we win...I feel great for a day then I start looking ahead to next week. If we lose, I'm depressed all week long.

[NCskinsfanatic]

I played sports from 7 years old in little league all the way through HS and i'll be damn, except maybe when i was playing little league,if anyone was happy after a loss.I've seen guys cry after losing.I dont know what to think. I betm It wouldnt happen in Bill Parcells locker room.I like Spurrier but he expects theses guys to have a fire inside and play like adults when IMO he needs to light a fire under their rear ends.This is why no one but Arrington liked Marty's discipline.Because they're a bunch of overpaid guys who's earnings are based more on negotiations than performance, this won't changed until we get a harder styance on these things from Snyder down to SS.

[dj_stouty]

As Steve Czban said on 980am this week,...Boswell is known to make mountains out of molehills.

Who knows what happened in that locker room?

Were there 40 players all smiles and laughter? Or was it 2 or 3 guys? Was it "smiles and laughter" for 30 continous minutes afterwards? Or did one small group of players joke it up for a minute or two?

[GolfFreak]

How soon after the game are reports allowed into the locker room?

Regardless, I don't think we can expect these guys to dwell on this loss for too long. Should Ramsey replay in his mind the INT that went for a TD all week, should the O-linemen be so scared to make false-start penalties that they are late off the ball .... I hope not. All we can hope for is they eventually learn from these mistakes.

I think it's different for the fans. Plus, while there are still rivalries, players have friends on other teams and we're going to have deal w/ players chatting it up with the opposition after the game.