NFL - Are You Ready For Some Football?! - Off Season

[Donegeal]

Yep... one better than simply picking the favorite. Statistical anomolies abound.

[ColdWizard]

Dan Snyder is trying to get a newspaper reporter fired

By Chris Chase

Proving that a thin skin can be added to his list of many failings, Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder is trying to get a newspaper reporter fired for printing a critical article about him last November.

According to The Washington Post, Snyder's lawyers are seeking the dismissal of Dave McKenna, a writer for the Washington City Paper, who authored a lengthy piece on Snyder's countless debacles since taking over the Redskins in 1999. A lawsuit against City Paper's owners for defamation is being considered but has not been filed.

The City Paper published McKenna's "Cranky Redskins Fans Guide to Dan Snyder" in November. It was an encyclopedic A-Z look at Snyder's "many failings" and featured a picture of him with penciled on devil horns and goatee. McKenna chronicled most of Snyder's missteps, most of which already were on the public record. This piece wasn't reporting as much as it was collecting.

It's not the writer who coined the phrase "Dan-Jazeera" to refer to a Snyder-owned radio station or called Snyder the "sports jerk of the year" or paid excessive money to Jeff George, Jim Zorn, Deion Sanders and Donovan McNabb. Why is McKenna the target for rehashing past incidents? If Snyder really wants to channel his frustration, he should try standing in front of a mirror. A majority of the entries in the anti-Snyder encyclopedia are directly about decisions the owner himself has made (like the time he cut down trees on his estate to get a better view of the Potomac River.) The others are reactions to said decisions. (The "Dumb and Dumber" entry, for instance, which was a nickname given to Snyder and his right-hand man, Vinny Cerrato.)

It should go without saying that Snyder is in the wrong and comes across as an impotent fool in this situation. But you know what the saddest thing is? As a Redskins fan, this incident doesn't change my opinion of Dan Snyder one bit. We've known for years he's thin-skinned and can't take criticism. That's why he surrounds himself with yes men and once demanded that all negative signs be banned from FedEx Field. And we already know he can be petty and vindictive. Years of personnel decisions and stories about aggrieved season-ticket holders blew the lid off that well before McKenna's piece.

All this does is confirm that Snyder has learned next to nothing in his 12 years as Redskins owner. He still doesn't know how to work with the media (suing a journalist is sure to please all the other reporters at Redskins Park), he has no self awareness (a rich guy stomping on the little guy never looks good) and he never sees the big picture (now everybody is going to read that long-forgotten article).

The good news for McKenna and City Paper is that if Snyder's past is any indication, this lawsuit will fail. Dan Snyder is like the bizarro King Midas. Everything he touches falls to pieces.

What's almost funny is that I hadn't seen the Guide article and wouldn't have seen it without this (further) ludicrous behavior by Snyder. Also, is it ok to abandon one's favorite team because the previous owner died and an incipient lunatic managed to purchase the franchise?

[Donegeal]

Abandon... no. I little hiatus is possible; and if you support another team during that time, no merchandise from that team may be bought and it must be a mediorce teaem from the opposite conference (unless previous support for said team can be proven).

(Sloww, does this make me a slut even though I have never changed my loyalties?)

[ColdWizard]

Well, if I wanted crazy, the Raiders would be a clear choice but that's obviously not what I'm looking for. I liked Boomer Esiason but hated Icky Woods, so I can't choose the Bengals. The Ravens are the next "local" team but they don't meet the mediocre standard, even if they used to be the Browns. Some of my favorite players were discarded and played for the Eagles, but I can't in good conscience go within the division. I supposed I could try to jump on the Tim Tebow bandwagon, I did like the Broncos somewhat before they won their superbowls.

[Donegeal]

Acceptable.

[ColdWizard]

I reserve the right to abandon all interest in the sport and then come back to a new team 10 or more years later.

[-Jrabbit]

If you retain your rooting interest in the Redskins, you get carte blanche to criticize the owner.
If you abandon ship, you're just an observer.

[ColdWizard]

An excellent point. I suppose I will have to remain for another season or two before reevaluating. But if he puts an animal on the coaching staff or front office, I'm done.

[Donegeal]

If you retain your rooting interest in the Redskins, you get carte blanche to criticize the owner.
If you abandon ship, you're just an observer.

We need to be able to 'like' individual posts.

[Al B. Sure!]

Don't you love owners who even the fans are only vaguely aware of the existence of? When do you ever see anything about John Mara, Jeffrey Lurie, Alex Spanos? How many people honestly even know who they are?

Jim Irsay and Robert Kraft are bit better known but they get no bad publicity nor meddle with their teams.

Look at the ownership of this year's playoff teams:

Eagles: Lurie
Falcons: Arthur Blank
Seahawks: Paul Allen
Bears: Virginia Halas McCaskey
Packers: None
Saints: Tom Benson

Ravens: Steve Biscotti
Steelers: The Rooney family
Colts: Irsay
Patriots: Kraft
Jets: Woody Johnson
Chiefs: The Hunt family

I could be wrong but looks to me like the more hands off ownership is and the less they are in the papers, the better the team is.

I mean I didn't even know Paul Allen owns the Seahawks and I never even heard of Steve Biscotti, Woody Johnson, or Virginia Halas before looking them up.

[Donegeal]

Virginia owns the team as the only living child of Papa Bear, but her kids are well known in the area and 'hands off' isn't the way I'd describe the McCaskeys.

[SlowwHand]

An excellent point. I suppose I will have to remain for another season or two before reevaluating. But if he puts an animal on the coaching staff or front office, I'm done.

I hear of plans to have a dancing bear, complete with parasol and tutu.

[Al B. Sure!]

I hear of plans to have a dancing bear, complete with parasol and tutu.

Jerry Jones... Dan Snyder... what's the difference in terms of sucky owners?

[SlowwHand]

You become more like DaShi and MOBIUS daily. Congrats, dude.

[Lord Avalon]

Jerry Jones... Dan Snyder... what's the difference in terms of sucky owners?

Super Bowl rings?