I've been a Redskins fan my entire life. I was a young lad when Joe Gibbs took the Hogs and three different quarterbacks to three Super Bowl titles from 1982 to 1991. It is hard to believe now but Washington was an elite franchise at that time battling the 49ers and Giants for league supremacy.
Then came Gibbs' retirement. And FedEx Field. And Jack Kent Cooke's death. And Dan Snyder.
The Snyder Era has been an unmitigated disaster. As a fan, I've watched my beloved team mismanaged by a man who lacks self control. Coaches rotate in and out no matter if they are winners (Marty Schottenheimer, Mike Shanahan), confusing hires (Jim Zorn) or a shiny object (Steve Spurrier). I've watched RG3 rushed back from injury, Albert Haynesworth waste our time and money and Trent Williams' injury not treated serious. The front office has been filled with yes men, guys with checkered pasts and downright disappointments.
The product on the field hasn't been much better. Washington has been to five playoffs in Snyder's tenure and haven't won a postseason game in 15 years. NFC East rivals Dallas (three), New York (two) and Philadelphia (one) have won six Super Bowls since the Skins last reached an NFC title game. This team continuously loses prime time games (it is amazing we still get those) and the franchise's most iconic moment over the last 20 years (RG3's 2012 season) quickly turned into the team's biggest joke.
That was all before July. Since then, the team's name is supposedly changing ... but only after corporate pressure ... and now the Washington Post story of 15 former female employees' stories of rampant harassment and sexism that spans 13 years. In the mix of all that, Snyder has essentially sat on the sidelines and trotted out brand new head coach Ron Rivera to speak for an organization that he hasn't held a practice for. Even his announcement that the team was retiring the name was written with a Redskins letterhead.
I used to be one of the few apologists for Snyder. No, he wasn't likeable but once he figures out to let football people run his team then maybe the corner will turn. I live in the Cincinnati area now and have seen how a cheap and despised owner turned the franchise around once he let football people run his team. I though a rich one could do better. But this is Dan Snyder we're talking about.
I've spent two decades pretty much embarrassed about my favorite football team. It has been nearly three decades since they've done anything of note. Being bad on the field is one thing but when you see and hear these stories from that WaPo article and it takes you into a pit of disgust. It is hard to look at something you've loved so much for so long with that kind of sadness filling your heart.
With the name change, I'm ready for a Snyder change. Please sell. Snyder was a Redskins fan who reached the dream of owning his favorite team. In honor of all the other fans, please let it go. Let Jeff Bezos buy it. Let anyone buy it. You'll make a record amount in the sale. You can still be a fan. Just leave. You've hurt this team and us fans for far too long. And even if the strike of this scandal misses you, you haven't earned the benefit of the doubt to trust you can lift this franchise out of the sludge and place it back among the elite. You couldn't do it when people just thought you were a bad owner so why would I think you could clean house and get things right.
Hail To Whatever We Are.
