ex-giant, ex-raven, son of ex-eagle.

no interview of ex-redskins grimm.

way to boost the fanbase.

Figures..

Fcuk that

its not fair La Ca! Its not fair!

I loathe Snyder! He lied....continuity my ass!

How can Gibbs allow this to happen? I thought he cared about the team????

cronyism at its finest.

SIgh

appreciate the hard work JLC, but this is quite possibly the worst outcome of them all.

if this becomes reality is there any way we can organize a protest?

Nothing that's happened so far makes any sense, so maybe this won't either.

But if J.La is right, this sucks beyond belief. I don't love Gregg, but continuity and not losing the team is huge. Fassel lost the Giants, which is why a disciplinarian like Coughlin was brought in. Now, you're going to piss off the bulk of the team and bring in a guy who couldn't keep a bunch of guys - who he took to the Super Bowl no less - together.

This is ridiculous, if it happens.

continuity is out the door, i can't believe all of this is happening. If it's true, Snyder is truley aimless and over his head. SELL THE TEAM!!! I realize we're just fans here with opinions, but i really don't think these moves are in the best interest of this franchise.

We are heading back into a downward spiral of 5 and 6 win seasons with little hope.

How many players are going to walk now, or refuse to renegotiate contracts to stay...i wouldn't. Pay me what you owe me or i walk, the front office has abandoned loyalty again for delusional hope...

very disappointed in all of this.

Lisa....WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?! I'm in shock....This just tops it ALL off....4 game losing streak, players hurt badly, Players private lives with sick relatives, Taylor is murdered, Two Timeouts, Winning streak to reach the playoffs, lose in dramatic callapse, Gibbs retires, and now THIS?

OMG!!!!!

Isn't Rex Ryan in the running for Falcons HC? I thought he really, really wanted that gig. Do these rumors make any kind of sense? My bs detector is starting to go off...

WORST...OUTCOME...EVER...I hate this ownership.

We should start pool on which week of the season the team quits on Fassel.

Peter Angelos, welcome to the NFL....good luck getting those top notch free agents....

This is ridiculous!

Dan Snyder is a twit if he hires Fassel. Sure, maybe he's right and I'll eat crow one day. Maybe he can't get along with G Williams. I don't care. This is a matter of respect and keeping continuity after a difficult year.

2008 Sucks!

Schefter with the NFL Network reported this earlier tonight (I posted on the previous thread). Schefter mentioned NOTHING about Ryan and ATL. He did say the Ravens were hoping to keep Ryan as DC BUT seeing the Ravens dissed Ryan and hired someone else...and Danny Boy has more $$$ than God, he will jump ship and
come here.

For all his moneymaking skills, Snyder is not intelligent with decisions such as this. How can he do this to his players???? To the fans???

Heartbreaking!

I HATE Snyder. Don't have Vinny (strongly dislike) but anybody in his position would take advantage of a fool like Snyder.

He's taking this franchise down with him. I can't believe I'll need to find another team to root for...This after 20 years of loyalty to the only football team I ever loved.

I want to puke! As long as Snyder is the owner we will never be a Championship quality team.

Let's see Joe Gibbs retires and during the press conference we hear several times about continuity being important...

Honestly, as I heard that I was uncomfortable feeling that Coach Joe was trying to tell Snyder something about the next hire.

It is Dan's call / responsibility to get whomever he feels is the right guy for the job. Personally I am ok, if it is Fassel, but I sure wanted to keep Gregg Williams here as DC.

Perhaps Gregg has told Snyder behind the closed door that he wants the head job, or it would be time for Gregg to move on.

We must be careful to not blame Danny for alal of this, if we are not privy to what has been said behind closed doors.

Players are making millions!
They need to suck it up w/ change.
We all have had to endure changes in our careers we don't appreciate.

Suck it up and stop pouting, babies!

A team official explained that the Ravens' coaching staff was "released" but not fired. That means the coaches could look for other jobs, but they could remain with the team if the new coach wants them. Because Ryan is under contract for another year, the Ravens could block him from taking another defensive coordinator job under NFL rules.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/rumors/post/Ravens-owner-wants-Rex-Ryan-back?urn=nfl,62617

I'm really upset about this. I know i don't have a choice; I'll always be a Redskins fan but why does Dan make it so hard? I was really amped about Double G taking this team to the next level with the killer instinct that he would bring to the offense and defense. Fassel is soft.

This feels like a hostage crisis, except it's we fans who are waiting by the phone to hear where to take the ransom money...

we need to go up to redskins park and protest

or get a total boycott together for at least the preseason games...but that would never happen

If this is true, the worst move was that Jason Campbell bought that Bentley!

I don't think that this is all that bad.

The current group under achieved under Gibbs, and it is time for a put up or shut up season for anyone that stays!

I like the idea of the players on the "current" roster being held accountable in the 08 season for their futures!

RedskinsRay, we are not babies. We have a right to complain. Snyder out and out lied and does not care at all about his players, the fans, or obviously the franchise.

This will mean starting over...yet again. Personally, I just can't deal with that anymore.

Mark my words, one year from now Danny boy will fire Fassel and be trying lure the now un-retired Cower to figure out this mess.

Oh, and Vinny will become team president and set the Johnny Rockets menu at the same time.

Quote from Dan Snyder

"I'm sure everyone at the press conference remembers when I said, if its not broke, don't fix it. But what i really meant to say was this. If its not broken and getting better, I intend to break into little pieces. Break it completely. The people that I worked so hard with and grieved with and regained our pride with are worthless to me. The coaches, players and even their tiny little dogs. I intend to destroy the only goodwill I've ever built in this community and remind people, that when everyone thought we were a more than a team, but a family, deep down inside, I was just being my crappy little self. I fooled everyone of of you. Tom Cruise taught me how to act and it worked. Its my team, and my philosophy and my money."

So the next time I say something and you stupid people believe it, its your own fault for being stupid. And for caring. Fools. Anyway, that is what I meant to say."

Why...why must every single playoff year be followed by drastic overhaul. 1999, now let's buy the Super Bowl

2005, now let's get a brand new offense

2007, let's tear down this entire foundation and start all over again.

I really, really, really hope that Gregg Williams does have that 1 million dollar clause in his contract, because Snyder needs to start to feel the pain now, Because unless Fassel turns into the next Gibbs - the fans will not accept him from day one.

Another year of rebuilding.
Another year of learning a new system.
Another year of a fresh start.
Another year of a coach bringing his guys in.
Another year of Snyder running the franchaise.

Is there anyone out there that supports this potential hiring outside of Synder and his lemming?

This is a dark day for the Redskins if it happens.

This is by far the worst news of all i hate this idea. Snyder is a damn liar, fassel sucks, it really shouldnt be this hard gregg gets the job we compete for a super bowl next year not competing for a top 5 pick in the 09 draft thanks alot snyder u have managed to ruin another good thing yet again, lets all give it up for the worst owner in sports

Lisa_R,
Please, please, I did not say any of the fans were babies. Many may actually be babies, but that was not what I said.

What I said was responding to the players being upset.
Look, in my career, and in everyone else on this blog, we are forced to adapt, to be flexible, and produce for the new authorities placed over us.

personally, I don't want to hear about players making 1-5 million dollars a year, telling me how horrible it is to come to work 9 months a year for a new staff, all their meals paid, all their travel and meals paid.

Truth is many of us plain ole' folk have had to endure much more difficult transitions in our life making less $$!

Lisa, Hope that calms your frustrations w/ what you thought I was saying.

You get players at a discount if they believe you and trust that you are loyal to them. You have to pay a premium if guys don't trust you.

If players trust you, they play for pride, if they don't trust, you, they play for themselves and their paycheck.

Danny appears to be setting in motion a plan in which the players will never trust him. That won't attract quality players to DC. The guys with winning attitudes will want to leave town ASAP.

My real question is this. Why would Fassel or Ryan trust Snyder? If he gives up on GG after what this team went through and accomplished, what kind of career move is it to go with Danny -- other than the $$$?

good there be a WORSE coach then hiring effin fassel? why dont we go after bilick. he's at least an offensive genius.

This team will be HURTING next year. Not saying GW is the answer, but WTF.

Good idea Snyder, you little rat! Lets rebuild for no reason. This move is wrong in so many ways. What Snyder and Ceratto are doing makes me sick. Redskins fans deserve better.

If players trust you, they play for pride, if they don't trust, you, they play for themselves and their paycheck.

Find me one NFL player who has ever donated his entire annual salary (net, even) to charity.

It's not just about pride. It's a job and they're employees-- very well paid employees but employees nonetheless.

I'm not saying Fassel and Ryan are the best hires but, damn, why does everybody think Williams is Lombardi...

Everybody wants continuity with Williams until he goes 0-1 and then you'd want his head too.

If Snyder goes with Fassel...he'd have some big balls...this town would freak...for what I don't know.

Wow,
If this is true, we will be in rebuilding phase until 2012. Rex was only good because he was around good players. We are fuct. I like Fassel but not as a head coach. He will be another norv. Wow, I truly hope that this does not happen. If it does, they may as well bring in Billick too. At least he is good for a couple of weekly sound bites

I want Gregg Williams too folks.

But come on, does anyone on this blog, know what GW has said to Danny behind closed doors? Of course not!

Danny kept interviewing GW: perhaps it was because he really didn't want the change, but is not liking what he hears from GW?

That is a possibility..

This would be beyond disappointing. This blow would knock the recent excitement that I have for the Redskins right out of me. I am absolutely dumbfounded. I just don't understand, we start moving in the right direction and then this? Does anyone out there understand this at all? I really and truly hope that Gregg Williams is the guy. Please, oh please, tell me that this is a bad dream.

DEBACLE! SNYDER AND VINNY ARE LOOKING FOR SOME PAWNS ......

Q: How do you know Dan Snyder is lying?

A: His lips move!

Although I was rooting for GG, I don't see where all the doomsday predictions are coming from. Fassel isn't a stiff. In 7 years as the giants HC he won the NFC east twice and came in second once. H was in the playoffs out of 7 years, going to the super bowl once. Not stellar, but no the second coming of the ball coach. Also Rex Ryan compares similarly to GG in defensive philosophy. I think it would be fair to say that Ryan's defenses have been very good the past three years. I going to believe that the players will be professionals and follow the HC's lead whoever it is.

I have no problems with them passing over GG (as I've said countless times, continuity is a sham. A new head coach was going to change everything anyway.)

But Fassel? Weird. Very, very weird.

(sigh)I miss Jack Kent Cooke more and more .... I am trying to decide which retread is worse, Fassel or Norv.

Let's all make ourselves feel better by naming a coach WORSE than this .. how about Barry Switzer?

Now when Peter King listed the ten leading candidates for head coaching positions he said of Fassel, "I'm a bit mystified why he never got a second head-coaching chance after taking over a bad team in New York and leading the Giants, unexpectedly, to the Super Bowl in 2000. He was five games over .500 in his seven New York seasons. The one thing so many teams are looking for is a coach who can work with young quarterbacks and fix slumping ones, and that's Fassel's forte. "Jim was the key to me coming back and playing well,'' said Kerry Collins, the battered QB who quarterbacked the Giants to the NFC title in 2000." I'm wondering, do the 'Skins need a head coach who can work with a young quarterback?

What did he say about Williams? Nothing. He didn't think Williams was one of the ten leading candidates.

This will be interesting if Snyder goes with Fassel, won't it? Should we cut him some slack? Keep an open mind? What if Fassel actually gets the team in the Super Bowl like he did with the Giants?

Leave it to Dan Snyder and Vinny Cerrato to screw up what for any other team in the league would be a no brainer. Sure, lets take a team with a good defense, and actual support for the roster.... and tear it apart by bringing in a couple of pawns so the owner can play fantasy football with the roster again.

My prediction... 3-13 next year and $35 million over the cap if Fassel is made the head coach.

One thing's for sure: expectations from Redskins Nation will be very, very low for this team next year.

VinnyDAN has to hire someone who understands fealty. GG does not seem the type to be polite and make polite noises and say "Without Mr. VinnyDAN none of this is possible" the way that Joe did, and make it believable. Without that, VinnyDAN is just not that comfortable with GG.

I am surprised that he does not give GG a year, just so he can fire him and say I told you so. I am not surprised about Cowher because Cowher would not have let VinnyDAN be the GM. Other than Joe, I guarantee there will never be a head coach on this team with more power then the Vinny part of VinnyDAN.

Why would Fassel take this job someone asked? Cause there are only 32 of them in the world, and this is still better then working for Al Davis and pays better then about 28 of the others.

Why would SexyRexy take the DC job? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and the chance to go get one of them there 31 head coaching jobs next year.

I am rambling and my wife is calling me to bed.

I hope for (but do not expect) better news in the AM.

I'm not saying Fassel and Ryan are the best hires but, damn, why does everybody think Williams is Lombardi...

Posted by: rickyroge | January 22, 2008 09:53 PM

ONE THOUSAND AMENS !! Let's not search out the tallest bridge. Do I want Williams...yes. BUT , maybe...just maybe...GW is a kcirp (flip it) behind closed doors. Maybe GW was asking for $4-5 million a year. Wouldn't we all be fuming if he got that number and started 2-3 ???

Sum it up....WE DO NOT KNOW what happened in this meeting(s).

But Fassel? Weird. Very, very weird.

Posted by: PDiddy | January 22, 2008 09:56 PM

I'm with the guys on "Around the Horn" tonight: This is the most valuable franchise in the NFL, and the list of candidates was not inspiring. I just don't think that this is a good year to be hiring a new head coach. Four simply dropped out of the market -- Cowher, Mora, Caldwell, Garrett.

NOTE TO CFO: Go figure out how Danny Boy really made his money. It is obvious to me he didn't earn it since he doesn't have the intelligence required to even lose a dime much less make one. Did he steal it from somebody's Grandmother?

Yeah, t_e, I think the doomsday predictions up here are a little bit over the top, even for 'Skins fans. But you have to admit, Fassel is a bit out there in terms of choices.

One thing's for sure: "Mr." Snyder's track record in NFL decision making is hardly cause for assurance.

Fassell the HC
Williams hits the road

I refuse to believe this because it makes no sense

TRACKING THE REDSKINS WITH THE BEAT REPORTER.

Below are updates on the Redskins coaching search from Washington Post's Redskins beat reporter Jason La Canfora. Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to the end of the search.

"I keep hearing that Jim Fassel is in a great position to get this job" -Beat Reporter, January 22

"Gregg Williams is by far the leading candidate for this job." -Beat Reporter, January 12

"Bill Cowher fits the bill for what Snyder would be attracted to" January 8

"former Baltimore DC Rex Ryan would replace Gregg Williams if it goes down this way" -Beat Reporter, January 22

"The Redskins have still said nothing to Williams and the rest of the coaches and all signs pointing to Fassel." -Beat Reporter, January 22

"This franchise went from 900 million to 1.5 billion since Gibbs came here in 2004. That's the bottom line here. Snyder is not gonna give the head coaching job to someone that doesn't have that big name, that sex appeal, who is not going to help him sell club level seats, and expensive suites." -Beat Reporter, January 8

"I Need A Job Where I Can Just Make Things Up And Create The News" -Beat Reporter, January 21

"In an era of rampant speculation I am being as careful as I can." -Beat Reporter, January 21

"For all of the yapping about continuity and stability, sure sounds like a blood-letting is upon us. Owner Dan Snyder was given multiple opportunities to endorse an in-house candidate, and specifically Gregg Williams, and declined to do so." -Beat Reporter, January 8

"Jim Fassel, former Giants coach and Baltimore assistant, could be getting a look." January 21

"Cowher fits the bill for what Snyder would be attracted to. Now, as I mentioned earlier Cowher would want full roster and personnel control and probably want to bring some of his own people in as well" -Beat Reporter, January 8

"Cowher is off the market...He knows the kind of $$$ Snyder spends and he is not wavering in his stance" -Beat Reporter, January 10

"I'd be stunned if the Skins don't reach out to Cowher soon" -Beat Reporter, January 8

"If it's Gregg Williams, the process will be over in 3-5 days" -Beat Reporter, January 8

"Several NFL sources said that they took the identification of Schwartz as a candidate as another sign that Williams, who the players strongly support, does not appear to be the front runner." -Beat Reporter, January 10

"It doesn't come off as a great sign that they bring in Williams's former assistant, obviously" -Beat Reporter, January 10

"We've just started this process. It's the first interview of many. We need to slow down. It's impossible to see the entire picture right now. It's a fluid situation and this isn't free agency - you don't hire every guy you bring into town." -Beat Reporter, January 10

"I thought he and Gibbs could have sent a much stronger message about the validity of their in house people as candidates at the press conference" -Beat Reporter, January 10

"Wouldn't it be an indictment of this entire Joe Gibbs 2.0 era if Snyder went through the process then handed it over to someone with little-to-no head coaching experience - without at least talking to the in-house guys first" -Beat Reporter, January 10

"Greg Williams will most definitely be a part of the process and, as I posted earlier, he is expected to interview at the end of the cycle, likely the final interview." -Beat Reporter, January 11

"But to this point I do not have anything firm enough to meet the Post's standards" -Beat Reporter, January 12

"It would really be something to have none of Gibbs's guys even get an interview" -Beat Reporter, January 12

"the consensus I keep coming to is Williams is the guy" -Beat Reporter, January 12

"Got an email from one of those on-line casinos with the odds for the next coach of the Skins. It's notable for what it doesn't say more than what it does:
Gregg Williams - 2/1
The Field - 2/1
Bill Cowher - 5/1
Al Saunders - 5/1
Brian Billick - 6/1
Jason Garrett - 9/1
Mike Singletary - 12/1
Rex Ryan - 12/1
Jim Caldwell - 15/1

So, basically, Vegas has no idea at this point" -Beat Reporter, January 9

Does that mean half the team will be sipping on Pina Coladas in Miami when OTA's begin.

There's ways you can piss of fans, and there's ways you can piss of players.

This will piss both off, and there is consequences. Don't expect many players to restructure their deals for the tenth time. The buck stops here.

Snyder really blew his chance to redeem himself with the fans. He handled Sean Taylor's tragedy great, but has blown it. And why? To keep Cerrato over Williams. They didn't get along...so keep the wannabee general manager and say bye bye to the coach the players, staff, and fans respect.

Snyder Experiment 6.0 has begun.

Change can be a good thing. Let's face it. The skins underachieved this season. They should have never been in a position to have to win their last 4 games to get in. They shouldn't have had to be the 6th seed in the nfc and had to travel to Seattle. We all know how many games they blew this year. Remember early in the year, we were all b*tch*ng about how the defense was sitting back and playing a prevent style, in addition to being a horrible D the previous season. There is some talent on this team, but getting some new blood in the coaching staff might not be a bad thing.

I am rambling and my wife is calling me to bed.

I hope for (but do not expect) better news in the AM.

Posted by: Levinems | January 22, 2008 10:01 PM

Are you refering to the Skins job...or your wife ???

It's hard to fault Fassel from a straight football perspective. He's been a decent HC, there's no reason he won't be again.

But if the job were going out of house, I'd like to have seen it go to someone who's never been bigger than an OC/DC or line coach.

Of course Fassel could end up being a good coaching decision, but are anyone of us fans ready to blow up the roster again (other than JC as QB)??

How much more can we as fans take? We need a Matt Millen-esque march to stop Snyder. How can anyone in their right mind hire Jim Fassel? Incredible.

My mistake, here is a cleaner version.

TRACKING THE REDSKINS WITH THE BEAT REPORTER.

Below are updates on the Redskins coaching search from Washington Post's Redskins beat reporter Jason La Canfora. Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to the end of the search.

"I keep hearing that Jim Fassel is in a great position to get this job" -Beat Reporter, January 22

"Gregg Williams is by far the leading candidate for this job." -Beat Reporter, January 12

"Bill Cowher fits the bill for what Snyder would be attracted to" -Beat Reporter, January 8

"former Baltimore DC Rex Ryan would replace Gregg Williams if it goes down this way" -Beat Reporter, January 22

"The Redskins have still said nothing to Williams and the rest of the coaches and all signs pointing to Fassel." -Beat Reporter, January 22

"This franchise went from 900 million to 1.5 billion since Gibbs came here in 2004. That's the bottom line here. Snyder is not gonna give the head coaching job to someone that doesn't have that big name, that sex appeal, who is not going to help him sell club level seats, and expensive suites." -Beat Reporter, January 8

"I Need A Job Where I Can Just Make Things Up And Create The News" -Beat Reporter, January 21

"In an era of rampant speculation I am being as careful as I can." -Beat Reporter, January 21

"For all of the yapping about continuity and stability, sure sounds like a blood-letting is upon us. Owner Dan Snyder was given multiple opportunities to endorse an in-house candidate, and specifically Gregg Williams, and declined to do so." -Beat Reporter, January 8

"Jim Fassel, former Giants coach and Baltimore assistant, could be getting a look." January 21

"Cowher fits the bill for what Snyder would be attracted to. Now, as I mentioned earlier Cowher would want full roster and personnel control and probably want to bring some of his own people in as well" -Beat Reporter, January 8

"Cowher is off the market...He knows the kind of $$$ Snyder spends and he is not wavering in his stance" -Beat Reporter, January 10

"I'd be stunned if the Skins don't reach out to Cowher soon" -Beat Reporter, January 8

"If it's Gregg Williams, the process will be over in 3-5 days" -Beat Reporter, January 8

"Several NFL sources said that they took the identification of Schwartz as a candidate as another sign that Williams, who the players strongly support, does not appear to be the front runner." -Beat Reporter, January 10

"It doesn't come off as a great sign that they bring in Williams's former assistant, obviously" -Beat Reporter, January 10

"We've just started this process. It's the first interview of many. We need to slow down. It's impossible to see the entire picture right now. It's a fluid situation and this isn't free agency - you don't hire every guy you bring into town." -Beat Reporter, January 10

"I thought he and Gibbs could have sent a much stronger message about the validity of their in house people as candidates at the press conference" -Beat Reporter, January 10

"Wouldn't it be an indictment of this entire Joe Gibbs 2.0 era if Snyder went through the process then handed it over to someone with little-to-no head coaching experience - without at least talking to the in-house guys first" -Beat Reporter, January 10

"Greg Williams will most definitely be a part of the process and, as I posted earlier, he is expected to interview at the end of the cycle, likely the final interview." -Beat Reporter, January 11

"But to this point I do not have anything firm enough to meet the Post's standards" -Beat Reporter, January 12

"It would really be something to have none of Gibbs's guys even get an interview" -Beat Reporter, January 12

"the consensus I keep coming to is Williams is the guy" -Beat Reporter, January 12

"Got an email from one of those on-line casinos with the odds for the next coach of the Skins. It's notable for what it doesn't say more than what it does:

Gregg Williams - 2/1
The Field - 2/1
Bill Cowher - 5/1
Al Saunders - 5/1
Brian Billick - 6/1
Jason Garrett - 9/1
Mike Singletary - 12/1
Rex Ryan - 12/1
Jim Caldwell - 15/1

So, basically, Vegas has no idea at this point" -Beat Reporter, January 9

If its Fassel and Ryan, then the real heart of the matter is this. Player after player went on record on behalf of GG. Danny and Vinny are saying, loud and clear, that they don't trust the players and don't trust the coaches Gibbs brought in.

Soon enough, Danny and Vinny are going to a bunch of players to renegotiate contracts for cap space. Everyone one of these guys is going to suck a bunch more $$$ out of Danny because he has no loyalty to them.

Who wants to work for that kind of a$$.

It'll get ugly really quickly. I'm guessing a lot of season ticket holders don't renew. Would not be shocked if FedEx doesn't sell out.

Oh yeah...and good luck Snyder with reconstructing the players contracts! We are well over the cap and fielding a team depends on the players being open to helping out contract wise. They all want Williams and many have said what happens coaching wise will be what helps them decide to help...or not. I'm guessing NOT.

This just sucks. I can handle them not giving it to GG even though I'm rooting for him to get it but where on earth has Fassel come from? If he was still the same coach that had moderate success at NY then why has he been out of the game the last 3 years? I've read nothing to suggest he was voluntarily out of the game so why has no-one gone for him in that time? Why did he lose out on the KC Off Co-Ordinator job a couple of weeks ago? Cos he's a stiff now, that's why.

I'm praying that tomorrow we hear that it's all been a big joke and that GG has the job.

"Mr." Snyder's track record in NFL decision making is hardly cause for assurance.

Posted by: PDiddy | January 22, 2008 10:02 PM

He's about average, isn't he? The Marty hire was good, the Marty fire was bad.

The Spurrier hire was good, it just worked out bad. Way bad.

The Gibbs hire was good.

Vinny? Hard to judge since we have no idea what he's really responsible for.

Fassel/Williams? Neither is a clear winner; neither is a clear loser.

The organization is so opaque, that we have no idea who's doing what or why. But the animosity towards the leadership is only stoked by all the secrecy. Doesn't really seem necessary to me, especially from the guy who made $2 billion or so off of a "communications" company.

One thing's for sure: expectations from Redskins Nation will be very, very low for this team next year.
_________

YEP! 8-8 at BEST. Realistically- 6-10 or 7-9.

Sometimes I wonder if Snyder even cares about the Skins or if he looks at this franchise like it's just another hobby.

Well, enough of this. I'm off to see Cloverfield.

Though I don't know what could be so scary about a sled.

Maybe some of those players should move on anyhow. Springs is 32, the entire offensive line is over 30, the defensive backfield is a mess with Rogers off an ACL/MCL, the linebackers are over 30 with the exception of a couple of role players and Rocky McIntosh who is coming off an ACL/MCL, etc.

There is a nucleus of under contract players who will certainly be here (Cooley, JC, Moss, ARE, possibly CP).

If GG were the head coach, you don't think he would be faced with the same tough decisions? Maybe he advocated blowing up the entire underachieving, undisciplined offense? Who knows what the heck was going on with those meetings?

This isn't the end of the world. Calm down folks. Breathe.

Sorry didn't mean to say that Fassel's been out the game for 3 years. I was meaning that he hadn't been a HC since the Giants binned him. My brain must be scrambled trying to take in what's happening to our team. Having said that, I bet Fassel wishes he had been out the game entirely during those 3 years cos the Baltimore episode didn't exactly enhance his CV.

Doesn't Rex Ryan run the 3-4?

So I guess we'd get Lance Briggs to go with Macintosh, Washington, and Fletcher (you know Carter hates being a LB and Briggs is not a pass rusher)...who all know GGG defense like the back of their hand.

Experiment sounds cool...but the results could backfire.

Rambling now, Just hurry up and make the damn decision. This is becoming a stinky poo poo PR disaster.

At that this time no one knows. I guess we see how this plays out. If it does happen this way I guess we get Cower in 09.

What if....WHAT "freakin" IF...We start off next year 3-1 ?? Then what if we make it to the first round of the play-offs?? What if we continue to make the same coaching mistakes and have sideline chaos??

Hmmmm, that sound like the previous administration that we so want to continue.

Boy I sure hope we have that continuity!!

My point is, there is no reason to believe that a Fassel/Ryan combo platter will come in here and suck. Just because they don't make the hair on our collective necks stand up, doesn't mean failure is on the horizon.

This gloom and doom of "I gotta find a new team"..." FedEx will not be sold - out " ... is a bunch of garbage. How many of us had were doing cartwheels when some guy named Joe Gibbs got the gig the first time??

Diddy - you are right, not the end of the world. Fear of the unknown is gripping the blog. I think we all assumed with GG at least one side of the ball would stay pat. Maybe GG did want to blow up the O (hell, I am still unconvinced CP is much more than a short term plan)

With Fassel, we have no clue. and none of us want to deal with the possibility of 1-3 more years of 6-9 through 8-8. especially with a lackluster NFC.

Players want to play for someone that believes in them and inspires them. They have gone on record and said that guy is GG.

Pass on GG and the idea of the 'Redskins family' and loyalty just goes out the window. Guys will play for themselves and their paychecks, not for the team.

Hire Fassel and Tom Brady wouldn't come to DC for $20million, twice what he makes now. Because he wants to win. No player is going to take less $$ at some point believing it will help the team. No free agent will look at the Redskins as a place to win, they will look at it as a place to make the most $$$.

I want guys who want to win first and know the $$ will turn out right if the team turns out right. Guys like Monk, Grimm and Green. But hire Fassel and you'll just attract more guys who only want to cash in, like Brandon Lloyd.

Fassell the HC
Williams hits the road

I refuse to believe this because it makes no sense

Posted by: cabraman | January 22, 2008 10:02 PM

Dec 2003

Spurrier the HC
Schottenheimer hits the road

Still don't believe it?

a coupla years ago I would have been right there on the ledge with you people, and I still love the skins and follow intensely but I just can't work up the outrage anymore...

Is this a clusterfart...of course....is Snyder the worst thing to the skins since Preston Marshal, of course...but its only football....and it will still give us some fun.

The frustrating part is that this stuff just doesn't seem that hard to get "right" yet we have one of the biggest meglomaniacs in the US running the team, at least we don't have one running the countr...oh right next subject!

Go check they archives...i had a plan mapped out or this day a year ago, but no one called me!

The KoolAide Bridage is already on the Fassell bandwagon - paraphrasing - it won't be so bad after all. He was so highly sought after that he has been on the radio for the last three years! I said it all season long and I'll say it again - the DYSFUNCTION in this organization is of epic proportion. And until the fans show some spine, Snyder will continue to throw them under the bus.

To look at the move objectively, the Skins are facing a steep cut in payroll in that they are 20 mil over the cap right now. While I love the players, I would be willing to support this move if the Skins were to commit themselves to rebuilding through the draft and of course, start picking better players. They have got to be more consistent in their picks in the rounds after number 2. Their draft record outside of the 2nd is pretty poor under Snyder. They had only 6 of 35 of their post 2nd round picks since 2000 on their roster at the end of 2007. That's 17% success. They do have 3 guys from 06 but only 1 from 07 and only one player, Cooley, has made the Pro Bowl. One player out of 35. 2% - That's terrible. If they are going to do this and stink for three years while they build the team up to be a powerhouse in 2012, I would be for that but nothing is ever guaranteed and by the way they drafted the past 8 years, nothing makes me believe that they will improve the way they evaluate talent. If that is the plan, to stink for three years, why would they bring in Fassell? I can't think that he would want to be the caretaker of a franchise that would be on the precipice of a major overhaul. An overhaul that would probably see the Skins winning maybe 14 games over the next three years as they emerge from cap hell with a group of younger talent. As much as it pains me to say it, if winning 14 games over the next 3 years means that in 2012,13 & 14 this team competes for the title and wins a couple, I'd take it. It sure beats the lets just be good enough and hope the breaks go our way approach they have been operating off of for the past three years.

Let's follow this puzzle....

Top Selling Country CD by Faith Hill??
BREATHE !!!

Popular title by the hip hop star Devin the Dude....???
WAITNG TO INHALE !!!!!

Movie from the Mid 90's staring Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett???
WAITING TO EXHALE

Folks....relax...relax...and BREATHE !!! Before anyone starts lining up to hop off the 14th st bridge....let's see what happens.

The most important thing accomplished under Gibbs 2.0? He restored the pride in the team.

GG was an important part of that. Kick GG to the curb, tell the players their opinions did not matter and the pride in the team just goes away.

That is what Danny appears to be doing.

Wilbon just posted some great stuff, check it out in the sports section.

Look myself along with all of the Nation is really just crying out and trying to hold on to Gibbs if you really think about it. It the fear of our mentle comfort zone going bye bye with somebody making the team in their own image ...We all know what that menas...So we are desperately holding on to Gibbs...If GW gets the job...we still feel Gibbs in some ways of comfort knowing the structure and what not is still intact with a coach WHO WAS THERE...during the soul wrenching year....so I ask again ...Are we really just simply trying to hold on to the comfort of Joe Gibbs gave us mentally?

Redskins fans have now been so beaten down they are willing to wait until 2012 for a winner with a well thought out argument. Fassel better turn JC into a pro bowler within 2 years.

Switching to a 3-4. The defense is gonna have huge roster turnover and cap hits all over the place. Sad state of affairs over there at the Park.

How about some context, joparks? What's the league-average percentage of draft picks since 2000 still playing on their draft teams?

I am growing more and more convinced that Dan will make the dumbest possible decision when hiring a head coach. I'm not sure what it will be, but it will be the dumbest one possible.

Posted by: Original_etrod | January 9, 2008 02:48 PM

Hate to say I told you so but...

wow I would really rather have GW as our next head coach. But when you look at it, he was a coach that failed and drew the ire of numerous fans and players. Then he came here and did a great job. So what happens if Facial comes here and does a great job (a big if)? Are we all gonna be singing his praises the same as we are singing GW's praises right now? And let's face it, if GW doesn't get the HC job he's not gonna stay. And if that is the case other than the fact that I grew up hating his dad, I really don't have much against rex ryan. And when it is all said and done Buddy Ryan's defenses were pretty darn good, so if he does as good a job as his dad then I'll be happy. I guess I'm just in shock and nothing seems to surprise me now.

The KoolAide Bridage is already on the Fassell bandwagon - paraphrasing - it won't be so bad after all. He was so highly sought after that he has been on the radio for the last three years! I said it all season long and I'll say it again - the DYSFUNCTION in this organization is of epic proportion. And until the fans show some spine, Snyder will continue to throw them under the bus.

Posted by: i155133 | January 22, 2008 10:20 PM

C'mon. Do you really think that we have all the information that management does? Reaching the playoffs 2 of the last 3, while not what we're all really hoping for, is not total dysfunction.
Show some spine? We're fans. We cheer for the skins, but should every coaching and player move should be a democracy with players and fans voting on the outcome? Not a chance. Let the players play, management manage, coaches coach and fans cheer their hearts out.

What if it ends up like this ???

HC - GW
OC - JF
DC - RR

won't we all look silly with this Cloverfield-esque disaster movie happening tonight?

Uh.. what's so great about Wilbon's column? Sounds like it was written by Fassel's PR agent. Wilbon clearly doesn't care about the Skins. He's a "celebrity" now. Did you see his online video with Kornheiser a couple weeks ago? They spent the first ten minutes talking about the chic department stores in Seattle where they like to buy their ties. Pathetic!

I don't know what to make of Fassel. That might be a good thing. He just seems so vanilla-like (echoes of Gibbs 1.0??). He's got a good reputation for working with young QB's. Hell he's taken a team to the SB. Saunders' apparently is not loved by the FO or many of the players and is likely gone anyway.

I'm actually kind of stoked about the possibility of getting Ryan. The Ravens players (defense anyway) reportedly wanted him to be the new HC. Should be an aggressive defense under him anyway.

I was and still am in the Williams camp but I don't think I'll be jumping off any bridges/cliffs/what-have-you over this. So for now Diddy, hold the popsicles (for me anyway). I'm reserving judgement.

People here in New Orleans think I am crazy because, even though I moved here from the DC area for work reasons 4 years ago, I still hang on every word in the Washington Post about the Redskins, and listen to Sonny and Sam every Sunday on my computer. If Snyder hires a bunch of outsiders and blows this team up tomorrow, no more. 30 years of living through the Pardee, Gibbs 1.0, and Gibbs 2.0, and the other pinheads in between are enough. Danny and Vinny can run their toy into the ground, but they will have to do it without me. And I am sure they could not care less.

worst possible scenario. someone basically said this on a previous post ... but why would any of the 8 or so playes they need to re-structure be willing to do so for an owner who completely disregared what has been essentially unanimous support for williams?

all that aside, if snyder doesn't see williams as the man for the job there has to be someone better than jim fassell. he is a loser. he accomplished NOTHING in baltimore, and his Giants were the worst (actually tied with 06-07 Bears) Super Bowl contestant ever.

rex ryan? i honestly can't believe these are the names at the top of the list. williams is a better defensive coach, and for the most part has not had the talent ryan had to work with. plus, the players WANT him and will play inspired ball for him.

i can not believe the influence cerato has been allowed to have on this franchise.

snyder made great strides, especially over the past couple months, as far as good will with the fans. that goes out window if he hires fassell.

this is just terrible.

Wilbon clearly doesn't care about the Skins

Posted by: busterkurosawa | January 22, 2008 10:35 PM

Ummmm....just a thought , but his job doesn't require him to "care" about the skins

snyder, take your little napoleonic complex and shove it where the sun don't shine. You are an absolute disgrace. You are a petty megalomaniac that is sabotaging a great franchise just so you and your little butt boy Vinny can get off by making the 10pm news with audacious coaching news. AWFUL! SCREW YOU SNYDER!

Ummmm....just a thought , but his job doesn't require him to "care" about the skins

Dude, he's a columnist, not a reporter. If he doesn't care why the hell should anybody read his columns? To find out the best places on the West Coast to buy neckwear? That's about all he's good for, in my opinion. (Especially after the cheap shot he made on Taylor right after his death.)

NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

This is probably the easiest "big" decision Danny has had to make ... and he blows it. All 4 years of Gibbs' hard work to bring a sense of loyalty by the players to the franchise, out the window. If they like Fassel so much, make him the OC and Gregg the head coach. After 37 years, I'm DONE with the Redskins if Fassel gets the job.

Jaypem -- have been a Skins fan since Sonny handed off to Charley Taylor. Yes, he was a RB before becoming a great split end -- which is now called a WR. And Sam Huff was on defense wearing #70. I have been thru all of it and loved being a Redskins fan for over 40 years. I've lived in the Bay Area for 25 years and only have been to Candlestick to see the Skins (its pretty easy to get tix now -- the Yorks are even worse than Danny)

You bond with a team, for whatever reasons.

But hire Fassel and I think I'm probably going to leave much of it behind. At some point, whatever it is that has bonded me to this team, a lot of it is just going away.

Isn't Gibbs providing input into the coaching search? If so, he must have expressed some reservations about GG.

In terms of the upside mentioned about Fassel mentoring young QBs well in the past, is this possible in today's NFL? How can a head coach find significant time to work with JC (as opposed to say the QB coach or the AHCO).

No players commenting yet on Fassel? What gives?

Hate to say it but this is not unexpected. It's snyder's team and he is gonna do what he wants. Fassel was good with the giants however he was fired half way through the 06 season as the ravens OC so obviously he has lost touch and wasn't that everyone's problem with Gibbs 2.0. As for Rex Ryan he is a good DC but he runs a 3-4 and we don't have the personel so this move would invovle us signing high priced free agents or trusting rookies to fill hole to facilitate this move. I still think snyder should have given Gregg Williams a shot and if he didn't show anything after the first year fire him and get the big fish (Cowher) that we all know snyder wants. Last thing I am as pissed as everyone but all of this is just talk let the announcement be made before we try having an uprising.

Any chance that Snyder is floating Fassel's name to see how it sit with the fans and team?

If there is enough of a stink, then he will pull back and hire Williams (or continue the search), if there is not too much backlash he will go with Fassel.

Even if it is not a purposeful effort by Danny, I am really hoping that Snyder's focus on PR and marketing will force him to back off Fassel when he realizes how poorly it will be received.

But hire Fassel and I think I'm probably going to leave much of it behind. At some point, whatever it is that has bonded me to this team, a lot of it is just going away.

Posted by: zcezcest1 | January 22, 2008 10:46 PM

I mean no disrespect, but I don't think its possible for a real lifelong fan to merely switch it off. It's like a monkey on your back.

He wants Fassell because he wants to go to the Super Bowl. Fassell has taken a team there. Greg Williams has never led a team to the playoffs.

Posted by: talent_evaluator | January 22, 2008 09:42 PM

Let's be fair... Fassel did coach 7 seasons, while Williams only coached 3 seasons. Hard to compare when one guy gets more than twice as long to prove himself. Both were fired.

Williams coached the Skins to top 10 defenses 3 out of 4 years. Fassel coached the Ravens offense (that offensive juggernaut) for 2 years before getting fired again. Fassel was fired twice in a 3 year span. Fassel's be unemployed since Oct 06.... how come nobody came calling for this Super Bowl coach since then? It's not like Super Bowl coaches are low-profile...

"and his Giants were the worst (actually tied with 06-07 Bears) Super Bowl contestant ever."

What does this mean? My gut reaction to Fassel is repulsion, but he did go to the Super Bowl. Skins haven't been there in 16 years. I'd like to see what Williams could do (he got a lot out of the defense--remember his first year here, the D was supposed to be the weakness of the team going in to the season and ended up #3?) But was he the cause of some of the personnel drama on the d side of ball (LaVar, Rock M last year, S. Springs this year, etc. etc.)? So, I don't know...

This is all so frustrating...my only hope is that the last time Jim Fassel was the leading candidate, Joe Gibbs came out of nowhere. Maybe he's Dan's favorite smokescreen candidate, before making a big name announcement. Bill Cowher?

If I didn't live in Phoenix, AZ I'd give up my lifelong following of the Skins and become a fan of our local team - sadly the Skins and Cardinals have been pretty much in the same boat ever since Snyder bought the team. There is no way he hires GG now or else an offer would have been made.

Honest question here. How can you have a change heart, and not be a fan of the team you've loved your whole life because the owner hires a coach that you don't approve of?

Let's face it.....Fassell interviewed for the position of OC at KC and was passed on for Chan Gailey......do we need to know any more????

The only good news about this thread is that it's not news... yet.

An amazing thing about having Fassel as a candidate is that it has made me reconsider Jim L. Mora, who I now see in a slightly more favorable light! Which is just fantastic. Poop.

I am prepared to be disappointed if GggW is not promoted to head coach and Saunders is not retained as AHC-O, because I steadfastly maintain that keeping those two dudes would be the BEST way to continue what I perceived to be the successes of this past season and Gibbs 2.0 as a whole.

But I promised at the outset that I will support the new guy, whoever he turns out to be, and wish him the very best as he takes the helm of our beloved team. Which is exactly what Dan Snyder will want for the dude, no matter how things look to us.

Honest question here. How can you have a change heart, and not be a fan of the team you've loved your whole life because the owner hires a coach that you don't approve of?

Because we are hopeless with this owner, and I refuse to support the idiot any longer. It's mismanagement to the nth degree.

Being a Skins fan these days feels like dating a bad boyfriend. At first he calls you, takes you out for a couple of nice dates, you have a great time... then a couple months later you find out he slept with your best friend. But you keep dating him anyway because you remember the good times, and he swore he'd never treat you that way again, and he even bought flowers and gave you gifts, so you believed him. He's changed, right? And then he cheats on you again. And you take him back again. Lather rinse repeat. You want to leave, but you hang on to the good memories, and you think it could be good again, if only...

Compared to some of you who talk about being Skins fans since the Sonny Jurgensen - Charley Taylor days, I'm but a whippersnapper (having started following them around 1983 or thereabouts - hey, I was only 7). But I have been following them long enough to remember the good years, and to have seen a lot more bad years. I'd like GW to be the coach. The possibility of Fassel coaching the Skins fills me with dread, of the release-Brad-Johnson-sign-Jeff-George variety. It just feels wrong. But I know better than to say that I'll quit rooting for the Redskins if it happens. Why? Because I bleed burgundy and gold. Because I think the team could be good again, if only...

Honest question here. How can you have a change heart, and not be a fan of the team you've loved your whole life because the owner hires a coach that you don't approve of?

Posted by: puttinforbird | January 22, 2008 11:04 PM

I was a Bullets fan when I was a kid. I met Mitch Kupchak, worked at Giant Food Store in Oxon Hill, where Greg Ballard shopped. Loved Elvin Hayes!

Then the organization changed. It's not just hiring one coach you don't approve of, it's takes a series of things. Obvious mistakes. I liked Wes Unseld, but not as a coach. Then I moved away from the area. The name changed from Bullets to Wizards. Suddenly, I found myself liking individual players (Barkley, Moses Malone, James Toney) more than a particular team. Now I don't pay any attention to the Wizards, although I noticed they beat the Celtics a couple of times this year.

So that's what happened to me, anyway. But I've managed to stay a Skins fan through it all.

Playoffs 2 of the last 3 years isn't hopeless. Did you feel we had a chance to go to the superbowl before the playoffs started? I sure did.

My dad and I have been Redskins season ticket holders since Griffith Stadium. I am now ready to dump my season tickets unless Snyder keeps faith with the players and the fans and hires Williams. We all know that Cerrato is a yes man and Fassel is a medocre retread. Snyder is so arrogant that he wants to prove he's smarter than the real football people. Unfortunately, he will once again prove that he is totally incapable of running a professional sports franchise. The Redskins are not his toy; they are our team.

So it looks like the Simple Sandwich Man's (ESPN Board) source was really wrong!

When and where do we start up the "We want Will-iams" chant, hopefully not at the draft "party" at RalJon in April!

Let's face it.....Fassell interviewed for the position of OC at KC and was passed on for Chan Gailey......do we need to know any more????

Posted by: Lisa_R | January 22, 2008 11:06 PM

Yes, we need to know he was the OC of the Ravens...the RAVENS... (did they even score any points between 2004-2006?) before he got fired.

So, are you "hearing" these Fassel rumors from the same people that were telling you that Williams was the guy for the past two weeks?

I keep thinking and thinking, and despite all this talk and JaLaC's story, I am not buying it...here is how it is going down:

GG - Head Coach
Fassell - Saunders replacement
Rex Ryan - GG replacement

This is the ONLY outcome that makes any sense!!! F***ing Fassell could not even get an OC job (KC Chiefs shot him down) -- he will take anything.

Otherwise, I am done rooting for this team after 24 years of doing so.

Tthis just might push me over the edge.
i might have to become a cowboy fan!!!

puttinfiorbird -- rooting for a team is based on emotions and emotional ties. Logic is never part of it. As someone once pointed out, you are essentially rooting for laundry. Because all the people change and the reality is that I've never met a single Redskin (though my Mom met Mike Bass for those who remember -- a classy CB who was involved in one of the most famous plays in Skins history).

We all go through emotional stuff in our lives and it is possible to severe or damage those ties. The one thing I guess I've always felt towards the Redskins is pride. I could forgive losing seasons and mediocre football. I could celebrate the great times. I could forgive a young and foolish Dan Snyder for being a poor quality owner. But I think it will be difficult to forgive him this. The 2007 Redskins had the toughest season that I have ever seen for a professional sports team. The mgmt, players and coaches had reason to be proud. To me, the players and coaches, for what they accomplished, deserve to have a say in their own future.

But when Danny takes that pride and respect, which is so hard to earn, and tosses it away, I find myself pulling away.

Nate, I told you and others many moons ago that unless a real football man was involved, the snyder/cerrato team would screw this up. They find new ways to shock us. This is not a happy 'told you so'. This is a devastated fan who has endured too much.

Billick fired Fassell. No defense of Fassell is possible. None. This is who replaces the 3rd greatest football coach of all time? Fassell led the league in the 'over-matched' look during his tenure. I hate him.

I hate this. We are the league punch line. I cannot believe it. Darkest day I can remember in Redskins history. I have long railed against Grilliams being counted on as a head guy, but nothing compares to this. This is the dude who called around the league about coordinator jobs and COULDN'T GET ONE! Grilliams went through the #21 tragedy with this group. They were all together which has got to count for something.

Snyder is running this team like its a Nokia store out at Tyson's II. I am too sad to be angry. Wow.

Let's permit Jason to find out what happened in those four interviews w/ GW...

We just don't know...

lastly, anyone recall how GW and Defensive players all turned against each other last year in tough times??

Just laying out the possibility...

On the heels of the most devastating season of football any team has ever been through...the horrible death of Sean Taylor, all those agonizingly close losses, that Buffalo debacle I had the misfortune to witness in person, the ugly denoument in Seattle, and the final knock-out punch JG retirement press conference two weeks ago...I'm just exhausted.

This is too much to contemplate. Too upsetting to try and make sense of.

Ugh. Jim Fassel. Can it be true?

"My role will be -- they will roll me into the corner," Gibbs joked during a media reception at team headquarters. "They don't miss me much, the way they have taken off the last four years. I felt like my role has always been to work with the sponsors -- because I am not the technical guy -- to keep the resources going and to pick the people, because you win with people."

That last comment is everything. Gibbs KNOWS you win with people. Whether its NASCAR, which is what this quote refers to, or football. Danny needs to care about his people. If he doesn't, I can't root for his team.

It all goes back to the start with 10 players incident when ST died. Williams went over Gibbs and Gibbs didnt like it..probably that stuck around and the reason Williams will not get the job.

Can you imagine going over your boss's head in making a big decision for the company and then expect to be promoted?

Chan Gaily...Chan Gaily...beat out Fassel for the OC position in Kansas City. A year after he was FIRED from BALTIMORE who haven't had an offense in 10 years. Would not have been hard to make a blip on that teams offensive production...you'd think.

New playbook (that doesn't work) for Jason Campbell to learn?

Super Bowl coaches are not discarded lightly. The fact that Fassel has not been able to get and hold onto an NFL job--not even an OC job--since getting fired by the Giants is telling.

Obviously, he interviewed well in 2004 before Snyder pulled the Gibbs surprise. After that he OC'd for 2 years with the low-scoring Ravens before getting fired again.

Now, he inteviews well with Snyder again in 2008 . That track record doesn't exactly inspire confidence in this former Super Bowl coach.

If this is true, the worst move was that Jason Campbell bought that Bentley!

I don't think that this is all that bad.

The current group under achieved under Gibbs, and it is time for a put up or shut up season for anyone that stays!

I like the idea of the players on the "current" roster being held accountable in the 08 season for their futures!

Perhaps we can chant "Danny Sucks" during the preseason to get the message through.

No matter what, I'm on board with whoever they get, but I *do* hope they promote GG. Fassel, in my view, would be a poor move. And while Rex Ryan isn't too bad, I'd rather see Jim Schwartz in there. Give GG a year with the continuity they speak the praises of and if he fails, snatch up Cowher for a ridiculous amount of money.

jim fassel is not a winner

I'll have to admit that I've been somewhat ambivalent about GggW. I haven't been sold on him being the answer (record at Buffalo, having lost the team there reportedly, seemed to let ego get in way of making the right change -- Rocky last year, Lavar a couple of years ago). If he had been made the coach, I'd have shrugged and so, well, hope it works out.

But I have been looking for something/someone who got me excited. The day Gibbs retired, I was EXCITED because I just KNEW that Cowher was on the way. And I thought that would have been perfect. But it's not to be. I'd have even loved and been excited for Marty Ball (does anyone really believe we wouldn't be better off today if he'd have stayed on???) or Jimmy Johnson. And as has been said, there just aren't any exciting or "surefire" picks out there this year. Gibbs just REALLY left us in the lurch by retiring this year and not next.

Which brings us to Fassell. I think he could be an OK pick. Not excited, but not apoplectic with fear and despair. Don't think we'll tank. But guys, lets be real. We have had two end of the year resurrections from HORRIBLE starts that ended with us in the playoffs. There are some good things going, but we're not just one or two moves away from winning it all.

I worry most about player selections in the draft and free agency. I am not sold on Vinny, needless to say. But wasn't sold on GggW either. He brought us Archibingus (not Vinny), let Pierce go, etc. Is that factoring into the Danny's thinking???

I think we'll be ok with either GggW or Fassell.

This is certainly not all that bad. For Jason Campbell it is.... I digress.

I like the possibility of a clean up from the experiment that failed.

If Snyder likes coaches that have been to the Super Bowl or former college coaches...well then presto:

Bill Callahan

He took the Raiders to The Show against Tampa and coached Nebraska...and got FIRED from both jobs and is available. SOUNDS PERFECT for Snyder and Cerrato wacked out world.

How come this cat hasn't interviewed yet?
Put his face on the WashPost Coach Tracker Chart.

Want to shock the NFL and Redskins Fans? Then interview Bill Callahan.

125,000 divided by 36 or 60 months Jason?

I wonder what Grilliams said during his interviews... did he indicate he would refuse to go along with some of Dan's personnel choices?

He must have shot himself in the foot, somehow. Because there should be no way in hell someone like Mora or Fassel gets to blow up the team.

Maybe Snyder wants to get rid of Saunders (seems obvious), and Grilliams (like Gibbs) suggested continuity.

It's hard not to see this as a big "F U" from Snyder to Gibbs.

If Snyder does this then he just disrespected everything that Gibbs built. And I pray to God that he loses his fortune and is forced to sell. What a freakin joke we have become.

I know that Ggggg lost the team in Buffalo, but were there weird personnel issues like there've been here (Lavar, Springs, etc) under Gggggg's watch?

after Cowher's comments about how Rivers should have been benched at halftime of the AFC championship, makes me wonder if his mind is going all mushy sitting there with the talking heads ...

GG brings the pride of what the Skins accomplished in 2008 and loyalty of the locker room. Those are two huge things that no other coach can touch.

Unless Snyder brings in a proven winner (ie Marty, Cowher), you really need to give GG a chance.

If GG and Cerrato don't get along, but GG has the respect of his players, you can figure that Cerrato won't have the respect of/for the players. Which is also a formula for disaster.

So how long before Billick comes in as OC ?
The scary thing is, it could actually happen.....

Do you guys think the ship is sinking? Fassel get 4 games before i start calling for his head!

I'll say it again, This is good news. As a season ticket holder, I feel as though I have a "vested" opinion on the matter...and my hat is off to Mr. Snyder.

Many people on this blog have a tendency to speculate and fill posts with nothing but hyperbole...this just goes to say that to the best of my knowledge none of us sat in on the meetings/interviews the staff has had with any of the candidates and to jump to conclusions about a very good defensive coordinator who happened to be a below average HC and a sparse record of evaluating talent...I could see how Mr Snyder continues to use due diligence in finding a HC.

Guys read other stories...I am not sure about Jason's reporting or his sources anymore...ESPN's story specifically says that it is possible that Fassell is in consideration for the OC job, although noone has confirmed anything...I gotta get some sleep tonight and this is the only thought that will let me do that...

The King is Dead, Long Live the KING

"a very good defensive coordinator who happened to be a below average HC"

You could have said the same thing about Bill Belichick before New England hired him. It's not like Buffalo has done anything after GW left. The togetherness of the team was a huge strength ... it all goes away with a new coaching regime.

Pride of what we accomplished this year....

Do you remember how awful things were in the middle of the season? How many coaching mistakes? How many games left on the field? The defensive collapses, compounded by offensive offensive play? The leads blown? How much we were blasting the coaching, calling for JG to step down, etc?

Did they pull together after an awful tragedy? Yes. And played great ball (was it because of a different QB? the OC finally opening the playbook for "his" QB?). We won 4 straight games when we had to, mostly convincingly. Speak to good coaching? Or bad coaching (what took so freaking long to get it going?).

dbussjd wrote:

"I'll say it again, This is good news. As a season ticket holder, I feel as though I have a "vested" opinion on the matter...and my hat is off to Mr. Snyder."

Mr. Snyder ???!!!

Jeez dude...I see that your JD degree is not helping you much, so go to Macy's tomorrow and buy some "Self Respect" - they sell it in the Men's department and you can get 15% off if you use your Macy's card.

RedskinRay1, I don't believe Williams said anything in the interview to screw things up and from all reports Gibbs threw his support behind Williams...

IMO, Williams is a strong personality and Danny's whipping boy, Cerrato, does not have a relationship with him....probably fears him in a working relationship. Fassell, on the other hands, appears to be a kiss up softie so Vinny (and Danny) will be comfortable with that....they will say jump....Fassel will ask "how high"? And the players, fans, other coaches be damned.

The BIG question is this: Gibbs has been at Redskins Park the last few weeks....think he may have returned to NC yesterday or today.....supposedly advising Snyder and this is the best we can do???? Under Gibbs guidance?

If Snyder has to blow up the team, destroy continuity, and say "F U" to Joe Gibbs, I think I'd feel better if Martin Edward Schottenheimer was his choice.

Marty has proven himself to be a winner time and again, the blown-to-smithereen Skins will need to re-learn how to walk before they can run.

As some have pointed out we haven't been privy to the interviews, but obviously Fassel interviews well. Unfortunately, his job won't be giving interviews, it will be coaching.

Clearly, Snyder like his interviwing skills in 2004, and so did the Ravens...of course, the Ravens fired him 2 years later because of his coaching.

But his interviewing skills are still intact!

I think we're jumping the gun here, but Fassel would be a very curious choice. Very curious.

What may have happened here is that Snyder realized he wants Cowher; and he'll get him next year. GW wasn't wiling to be a stopgap coach, which Fassel more than happily was. Rex Ryan will run the 3-4, which is perfect for Cowher. So, Snyder decides to blow it all up for Cowher and essentially give it up this year.

Of course, we could all be jumping the gun here and Fassel could be the OC instead...

What I'm trying to say is that while we had a good 4 game run, it's hard to call this season a real success. It had a successful ending, if the goal is a > 0.500 season with a playoff appearance.

It could have been so much more. Let's not get too revisionist about this season. We're sitting just "ok", not sitting really pretty for next year (bad salary cap situation, aging Oline, injured young stars on D).

OT, In GggW's defense, he did advocate for London Fletcher, I assume he was involved in both Sean (RIP) and Landry's picks as well as Rocky Mac.

From espn.com:

"He (Fassel) could be considered for the offensive coordinator's job, sources told ESPN's Chris Mortensen, although Snyder and Fassel did not discuss that possibility Tuesday."

Caro -- I do recall the whole season. I think Gibbs lost us some games. My guess is Williams or Saunders on the sidelines might have gotten 1-2 more wins.

The Skins went 9-8 overall with the 2nd toughest schedule in the NFL. Against division winners, on the road, they went 0-5. 4 of those 5 losses were very close (an obscure rule about not advancing a loose football on a kickoff was probably the difference vs Seattle). Their losses were to 5 playoff teams, the Eagles (8-8) and Bills the week after Sean was killed.

They were close against good teams. Not close against a great team. Clearly, 2007 was a step in a good direction, especially given all the issues.

So yes, I do remember 2007.

I have always thought that every move Snyder made was for the good of the Skins but this move (fassel)has something bad about it. Not so much about Fassel but what has happened during the Williams interviews.Very strange...

carocanesfan, you have to put the season in context. Every team has injuries, but the Skins lost half their starting offensive line in the first couple of weeks. Their best player was murdered. The secondary got wiped out. The starting QB went down. And they still made the playoffs!

If you want to look strictly at the numbers and disregard the circumstances, here's a stat to consider: Fassel fired twice in a 3 year span. Unemployed since Oct 06. Why are we wasting time with him?

I have always thought that every move Snyder made was for the good of the Skins but this move (fassel)has something bad about it. Not so much about Fassel but what has happened during the Williams interviews.Very strange...

Closing thought: Poor Gregg Williams - he had to spend 2 FULL days with Snyder at his "compound" and he's not even getting the job??? 48 hours of wasted time he will never get back..

I am growing more and more convinced that Dan will make the dumbest possible decision when hiring a head coach. I'm not sure what it will be, but it will be the dumbest one possible.

Posted by: Original_etrod | January 9, 2008 02:48 PM

Hate to say I told you so but...

Posted by: Original_etrod | January 22, 2008 10:30 PM

Hysterical that someone is already prematurely gloating about something that hasn't happened. Wow...just, wow.

One thing's for sure, Snyder doesn't really want Williams. Of course, he could be convinced that Williams is the guy and he could be the coach, but Snyder doesn't really *want* him.

Otherwise, why go through all the drama after satisfying the Rooney rule? Clearly, Williams is not Snyder's first choice.

This is teh first time in my life that I am considering becoming an Ex-Redskins Fan! Fassel? C'mon, give me a break. A guy who failed to be hired as an OC by some team as the Redskins coach? Williams is the best for this man.

How about we all change the karma and think good thoughts before beddy-bye? In another 10 days, Darrell Green will become a first ballot Hall of Famer. And maybe Art Monk or Russ Grimm will make it too.

I know... Snyder's using the passive-aggressive method trying to bait Gibbs back!!!

Threaten to make a bunch of f***ing team-destroying moves until Gibbs says, "Alright, alright!!! I'll take the damn team back!"

Guys, this is just $nyder f'ing with the fans so when he hires Williams, you'll be so relieved, you won't criticize him about anything.

You know he (or one of his minions) is monitoring this board. How else would he know to block the tracking of his jet--a post that was just put on here the other day?

I cannot believe the venom that's spewing on this site over a rumor. Let it play out, people. You work yourselves into a frenzy of hatred for the owner, and you have absolutely no idea how the process has unfolded so far.

For all you know, Williams was insufferable in his interviews and Fassel blew everyone away.

Tom Coughlin was one botched goal-line stand away from losing that Giants team THIS YEAR, and now he's in the Superbowl.

Snyder has made mistakes, and will make more, but he does what he thinks will make us winners, and that will forever put him way above any Angelos comparison.

I still think there's bad blood between Williams and Gibbs, as evidenced by the 10 man defense tribute that nobody told Gibbs about. And if there's bad blood, to any degree, there's bad blood between Snyder and Williams too. Snyder loves Gibbs. Maybe whatever fueled that rift between Gibbs and Williams is enough to make Snyder re-think hiring Williams.

And even if you kept Williams, you might well have lost Saunders, and what does that do for your continuity? Maybe Snyder decided that if they were starting over half-way, he'd rather just get GG out of the building, take the heat, and start over all the way with a guy he really likes.

Tell me you wouldn't do the same thing, if you owned the team? Continuity is not served if you hire a guy that's going to make life miserable and whom you know you're going to have to part ways with in a few years because of it.

So Fassel, if that is the guy, is he so bad? Let's cut Snyder a break for just a minute and see how things actually shake out.

jvwright,

I feel the same way about a possible rift between Gibbs and Williams; however, it seems that Gibbs has strongly endorsed Williams privately.

I agree that people here have gone way overboard before knowing reality. However, I think most people are afraid that Snyder is hiring based on interviews rather than actual potential job performance; that continuity with Williams on the defensive side of things is better than no continuity at all (for instance, with Williams as HC, most offensive players would stay as well probably)

Of course, the counter argument is that Snyder has obviously thought through this; however, his past judgements and decisions are not any to inspire any faith...

JVWRIGHT - man, don't know who you are but you sure sound like the owner. You are the only person whose logic makes sense. Still, I feel sad for GW since he hung in through the tough times with the team. He has been with us through thick and thin so far. I would like to see him go the distance.

As usual, jvwright is spot on. Dude you're like our Yoda covered in fur!

NO ONE on this blog knows what happened in those interviews. Except Barno, he knows everything. For all we know, GG came off as an arrogant ass and Fassel had some original and insightful ideas on how to use JC and Cooley. Bottom line: no one on here knows, yet we all have adopted this idea that continuity for a mediocre, underperforming, unfocused team is a good thing.

If Fassel goes 12-4 and wins the division because his team comes out to play in the 2nd half and doesn't fumble on simple end arounds, will you be happy?

Yeesh.

There is no chance Danny has somehow already moved on from the Taylor experience and aftermath. It affected everyone involved on that team - players, coaches, admins AND the owner. They all went through it together. There is no way he is ready to toss GG out. GG was part of that coaching staff that pulled everyone together to make it through those 5 games.

I think we're all falling for this rumor. GG will be named the HC, Fassel the OC.

I don't agree with the speculation which has now seen by many as truth that GggW's sending out ten defensive players for one play at the beginning of a game, as a tribute to their fallen comrade, caused some grievous rift between GggW and Gibbs because it wasn't discussed beforehand, a rift which seems to have swollen into a chasm in the six weeks since, to the extent that it could prevent GggW from becoming our head coach.

Many people have theorized on this point up here. I just don't buy it.

Everything we've heard indicates that Gibbs unequivocally endorsed GggW for head coach. And everything we've heard indicates that Snyder is undergoing a broad, thorough search.

We may never know the criteria in his hiring decision, but I will go ahead and suggest that GggW's failing to tell Gibbs that he was sending out ten men for that one play will not be a factor in the slightest.

The fact that Williams came out sounding arrogant in his interviews (spouted by some here) is pretty silly. Williams is a pretty smart guy by all accounts; he knew what he had to do to get the job. Being an arrogant ass is not on the short list.

Seems like Snyder wasn't set on Williams from the beginning. Seems like Williams was going to be the de facto choice unless he found someone better; if the rumours turn out to be true, still an if at this point, then that someone is Fassel.

Also, the idea that blowing things up is better than maintaining some continuity is ridiculous. Teamwork is a fragile concept. The Redskins had it for the past 5 games last season; some may call it lightning in a bottle.

You maintain the core pieces and add smartly around it and you have a chance to duplicate that effort all season long; you blow it up and you might as well flip a coin.

If you fans are serious, and you are season ticket holders, then don't go to the games.
I guarantee you the whole league, the whole football following country will DOG the 'skins if Fassell is the head coach.
I'm not a fan of Williams as a head coach, unless he's learned some things under Gibbs, but Snyder's stupidity is rearing its ugly head again.
Yet, you fans still go to the games and gobble up everything Burgundy and Gold, so it's your fault, too. Living out here in Cali, the 'Skins don't have a national following like Dallas, or Pittsburgh, yet as a franchise they make money like drug dealers. This means YOU DC PEOPLE ARE FEEDING THE SNYDER MONSTER, so you have NO RIGHT TO COMPLAIN about the dumb things he does.
Don't just talk it, people; walk it.
I'll say it here, right now; If they hire Fassell, next year I will ROOT FOR A 6-10 season or worse, and scenes of empty seats and bags on people's headz.
What a sight on TV when the guys dressed up as hogs have bags on their dresses 'cause the Skins stink so bad; If Snyder doesn't get that, this franchise will sink into the same depths that the once-proud Oriole franchise has (another stupid owner)

It sure feels like Fassel. Danny puts Vinny in charge. Gets clarity in the the mgmt structure. These days, it also means you know who the HC is going to be since different coaches demand different level of say in decisions.

So Danny did exactly what you do before you make the HC decision.

So Fassel interviewing on or about the day Vinny's announcement is made -- has to be the top candidate. Especially a 2nd interview. Especially since Rex Ryan, a defensive guy also came in to talk.

Up until today, I did not think a decision was imminent. But now I do. Wednesday, Thursday at the latest. If its GG, I'll be relieved and excited. If its Fassel, I'll be sad -- and less of a Redskins fan than I have been for the past 40 years.

All I can say is that I have been a Redskin fan all my life. If Jim Fassel is named Head Coach, and the expected purge happens and the results are not good.......I will vote with my feet........

Look, to be fair, I have met neither Williams nor Fassel, so Snyder would know more than me. However, I'd feel way better about this rumor if Ryan was HC and Fassel was OC. (Of course, Ryan shares the same problem w/ Cowher in that he runs a 3-4, so Williams makes more sense than either of them, one would think. But again, since we've never met any of them, and it's not our millions on the line, it's not like we have any credibility.

This is SOO depressing if it'