Jim Fassel Blames the Bloggers
The reason Jim Fassel was not hired. (Leafblower photo stolen from Mr. Irrelevant)
I believe Jim Fassel to be a great guy, and I think he probably got treated poorly over the past month, and I would have been fine with him as head coach, but just today the real culprits behind his non-hiring emerged. Their names? Mister Irrelevant, Unsilent Majority, Hogs Haven, and the Curly R. From Fassel's interview with the John Thompson Show this afternoon:
When I got the New York Giants job I remember telling my family that, 'You know, you cannot hold the lead in these jobs in major markets.' Because you've got bloggers, and they're saying, 'No, this isn't the right guy, and that ain't the right guy,' and you can't hold the lead, because you are going to take the hit. I mean, when you're the lead dog, you're going to take the hit. And I think the longer it went, the longer it went, the longer it went....
Yeah, we know, the longer it went, the more people named "Nate in the PDX" had a chance to gripe about your potential hiring, thus inevitably sabotaging you as a candidate. Fassel spoke highly of Dan Snyder throughout this interview, as he has in other interviews, but bear in mind that he's basically accusing Mr. Snyder and his cousin, Vinny, of taking their cues from a pair of blogging brothers and a guy who spends all his time looking at Undrcrwn shirts on the Internet and coming up with jokes about private parts, plus RI commenters named PDiddy and dcsween and 4th Floor. I mean, at the very least have the courtesy to blame anonymous message board posters in addition to semi-anonymous bloggers.
Anyhow, more from Fassel after the jump, including the revelation that one of Dan Snyder's interview questions is how the prospective coach would arrange seating on the team plane during road trips. Sigh.
On not getting the job: "Well it's kind of hard to understand, really, to me, how it all played out....Every coach isn't geared for every job. I think that's a mistake coaches make: 'Well, any job is the right fit for me.' No, it's not. But I felt like it was the right fit. I get along with Dan Snyder. I mean, we've spent so much time talking football....This time I really felt good about it, but it didn't turn that way....It doesn't work out that way, and life moves on."
On what changed: "It's really hard to figure out. I'd like to tell you exactly what it was. I don't know. And I admire Dan Snyder for making his list and sticking with it, and I think that had the Giants lost in the playoffs and they could have interviewed Spagnuolo I think the decision would have been made a while ago.... And then I think Jim Zorn's a very impressive guy to talk to. He was a very impressive guy to talk to. 'Oh let's just talk to him about this thing,' and they must have gotten very impressed with him and decided that was the way they were gonna go. But I don't have any facts about that. It's just what people tell me."
On what the interviews were like: We spent quite a bit of time on staffing, we spent quite a bit of time on Jason Campbell the quarterback: What do I think of him? What do you think his chances are of becoming a great player? What has to happen? And then we get diverted, Dan wants to look at tape and what do I think, so we get tape, we look at tape for a while just on him.
Everything. From the standpoint of ok, When we travel, how do you want the plane to be? Who sits up front? Who sits here? How are you gonna do this? When we travel do you have bed checks? Do you put the team in a hotel Saturday night? Practice, what do you think about practicing and training camp and all that stuff? Sometimes one question leads to another. I will say this, they are very organized, VERY organized. Vinny basically asks the questions and he's got about five pages of questions.
By Dan Steinberg |
February 12, 2008; 3:45 PM ET
| Category:
Redskins
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Posted by: Unsilent Majority | February 12, 2008 03:55 PM
Fassel's downfall was his answer on how seating would be assigned on the team plane. Apparently, "boy, girl" wasn't the answer Vinny was looking for.
Posted by: | February 12, 2008 04:00 PM
So what are the team events like, seating-wise? Boy-girl, boy-girl?
At least the burgundy-pants-vs.-white-pants (or maroon, black, and yellow--whatever) debate has been solved.
That being said, I'm pulling for J-Zorn to exceed expectations.
Posted by: Arlington Pimp | February 12, 2008 04:04 PM
The post just before my previous post beat me by about 4 minutes. I'm just not that clever, or as fast a typist.
Posted by: Arlington Pimp | February 12, 2008 04:06 PM
I yearn for the good old days when it was Ken Beatrice's fault.
Posted by: WFY | February 12, 2008 04:14 PM
Considering that a recent report had Snyder asking beat reporters about personnel moves, combined with his burning desire to be accepted by the DTC, I would say this is pretty accurate.
Posted by: ScottVanPeltStyle.com | February 12, 2008 04:17 PM
If I'm so influential, how come I can't get NVCC into the Atlantic 11?
Posted by: Maroon & Black | February 12, 2008 04:24 PM
yo ChRiS lARRY gets no love?!?!?!
You didn't even get the most ant-Fassel cats on RI...
JM220 was threatening to take up Hockey!
Go Caps BTW!
Posted by: chrislarry | February 12, 2008 04:36 PM
Poor Fassel, he'll just have to go back to getting paid 6 figures to watch football games and talk about it.
If you want to report on Sports "Injustice" go talk to E. Byner
Posted by: Skinz | February 12, 2008 04:39 PM
Thanks for the shout-out, Steinbog.
Am I proud to have been one of the many, many, many voices raised against Fassel, even before he was proven to be unhinged? Yes, yes indeed, I am.
by the way, F chRIs Larry.
also, F Jim Fassel.
Posted by: Nate in the PDX | February 12, 2008 04:39 PM
Steinberg is my hero.
Posted by: rickyd | February 12, 2008 04:40 PM
In class at med school, DocSween sat behind Doc Savage and Doc Severinsen.
Posted by: Nate in the PDX | February 12, 2008 04:45 PM
Dang, I got dcsween confused with Doc Linkin, my bad to all offended parties.
Posted by: Dan Steinberg | February 12, 2008 04:59 PM
No one can withstand the intense scrutiny that comes with all 17 of my readers, mostly either personal friends or related by blood. I don't mean to brag, but I pretty much run the show at Redskins Park. My mom says I'm handsome, too.
Posted by: Skin Patrol | February 12, 2008 05:13 PM
Jim Fassel < Jim Harbough < Jim Zorn
Posted by: WaPoLiveFan16 | February 12, 2008 05:18 PM
I caught the tail end of that interview and had no idea who Smokin' Al was talking to. As I listened, formulating a guess, I narrowed it down to someone extremely old, washed up and bitter. "Thanks to Jim Fassel for joining us!"
Posted by: Jamie Mottram | February 12, 2008 05:36 PM
What an honor!
1st and foremost, I would like to thank GOD and Mom.
I would also like to thank my fellow RI Bloggers who also did not agree with the Fassel hiring:
Too many to name. (But a special shout out to JM220).......
Fassel wasn't a good hire. I remember Fassel vividly during the Norv years and I thought the Giants were just good during the 'down years' of the NFC East (Dallas/Wash?and Eagles sucked for the most part of Fassels' tenure). He BOMBED as the OC in Bmore and got whacked.
It just felt like another Norv Turner hiring. This guy has been out of Football for a reason. And he's desparately wanted to come back. No one gave him a chance but his BFF Billick. You saw what came from that!
Posted by: 4thFloor | February 12, 2008 05:42 PM
I think Dan Steinberg is Barno and Barno1. Makes perfect sense now!
That's why ChRis LaRry didn't get any props!
Posted by: 4thFloor | February 12, 2008 05:44 PM
Glad I could help Jim. :P
- Ray
Posted by: Ray | February 12, 2008 06:27 PM
As a Redskin fan I was sad that NY got rid of Fassel because he stunk! That's it in a nut shell. Bram I'm sorry but I didn't think Fassel was worth the time...I didn't want a NY reject! REDSKIN FAN BLOGGERS UNITE!
Posted by: RASSEL FASSEL | February 12, 2008 06:35 PM
Now I feel a little dirty.
Posted by: dcsween | February 12, 2008 07:57 PM
Remember everyone if the redskins go 1-15 its us bloggers fault.
Posted by: alex35332 | February 12, 2008 08:35 PM
Thanks Dan, I feel somehow important and powerful now. Or is that impotent and powder puff?
F Krissy Larry. Hehehehe. Didn't even get a mention!
Posted by: PDiddy | February 12, 2008 09:07 PM
"a guy who spends all his time looking at Undrcrwn shirts on the Internet and coming up with jokes about private parts"
Dick.
Posted by: Unsilent Majority | February 12, 2008 11:21 PM
Hi Steinberg,
Nice blog you have here - easy to read and doesn't take forever to catch up. It sure does seem quiet, though, especially late at night. Naturally, that's why we're here.
Thanks for giving major props to NateinthePDX, PDiddy, DCSween and 4th Floor today. In doing so, you have identified some of the key players in the real braintrust of the Redskins: The Fans! We know Snyder has lots of money, but if he was really intelligent, he would listen much more often to his best advisors in DC.
With regards to Fassel, there's an important point to remember: you can't take the "ass" out of assclown, and you can't take the "ass" out of Fassel. It's just the way it is. C'est la vie!
Oh, and F Chris Larry! (Because we all know how consistency is so important in DC.)
Ciao!
(By the way, how about an exclusive interview with Uno, the big winner at Westminster on Tuesday night? This would be the ideal place for it!)
Posted by: TheCrickets007 | February 13, 2008 04:58 AM
I don't know the context of this quote in particular, but I listened to the interview with John Riggins and he was asked a question specifically about internet rumors costing him the job and replied that he did not believe that to be the case. He went on to comment that being the front-runner for a job in a major market is not necessarily the best position to be in because the media, and yes bloggers, tend to pick you apart and find all your faults. His quotes were almost exactly the same as above and I'd love to see the context of his answer because it seems likely to me to me this is a case of pulling out one comment and using it out of context to incite people. He clearly respected the Redskins decision and process, but was disappointed and a bit surprised not to get the job.
Posted by: Jeff | February 13, 2008 09:55 AM
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