We have ironically many feuds or emotional drama in our lifetimes, from the Jon and Kate messy divorce to the McCourt’s dispute in court to the Paris Hilton troubling news.
Before the game on Monday night, the heavy talk circled the latest confrontation involving head coach Mike Shanahan and Donovan McNabb, a veteran fifteen days removed from spending time on the bench, replaced by backup Rex Grossman near the end of a disheartening loss to the Detroit Lions.
Either way, that is, the Washington Redskins manifests itself in a league of much enigma and still hasn’t rendered basic fundamentals under the brilliancy of Shanahan. If there is one perception that seems outlandish, from the inexcusable benching of McNabb, it’s dauntlessly given him a five-year, $78 million contract extension at a time when the Redskins are unproven and disoriented as far as fostering unity and protecting chemistry among the coach and quarterback.
And now, after the entire world witnessed a throbbing 59-28 loss at FedEx Field to the Philadelphia Eagles, it was the most humiliating loss the Redskins have endured in years while under an immense of scrutiny for owner Dan Snyder’s boneheaded decisions by wastefully signing high-profile stars to dismantle his underachieving franchise.
The bonanza is drawing much publicity, as usual, at the Redskins Circus, quickly becoming a laughable setting in sports for the Redskins foolish blunders and Snyder’s hellish 12-years in which he has dismantled his team.
Every year, he is blamed for the Redskins struggles and befuddles us with his mystic decisions in building a high-profile franchise by giving his players enormous paychecks.
As long as he is the chairman of a much-scrutinized team with overexposed talent, his Redskins will always expose its futility and sketchiness. Only if he realizes that, while his product continues to accumulate as a brand because of the fond supporters in the realm of D.C., his franchise is presenting the most dumbfounded tragicomedy in sports.
The Redskins, a team that seems more like a Simpson’s episode, are labeled as a dysfunctional franchise. And so, here in the late stages of his career, McNabb is tied to a poorly run business, a team that has already lacked gratitude, a team that has already embarrassed him for the faulty decision in benching McNabb in favor of Grossman.
Wait, who? Yes, the inconsistent Grossman.
What were Shanahan and the team executives thinking in allowing this to happen?
We may never know what took place or went wrong, but we cannot dismiss the mistreatment of McNabb. In the wake of his benching, maybe this was an inkling of bad karma for the Redskins Monday night when the Eagles basically manhandled them by jumping to a 35-0 lead in 15 minutes, nine seconds.
In the end, the Redskins somberly walked out, the crowd had made its way to the exits and no longer had the patience in witnessing one of the worst games in NFL history from the stands as the rain poured.
What happened Monday night added to the dismay on the day McNabb had signed a five-year contract extension. Snyder strongly believes in the aging veteran considering his underperforming achievements with the Redskins. Ordinarily, in recent memory, the Redskins have targeted players without valued marketability, and accepted the availability of players well past their primes or players who were bust.
Not too long ago, McNabb had been benched for his subpar performance, and as much as he continues to age, he is unlikely to be with the Redskins another five years. So why sign him to such a long-term deal?
If the Redskins keep playing like a JV team as if all their games are played in the schoolyard, expect a choosy Snyder to once again weigh his options and delude McNabb.
As the ever changeable owner, he has dismissed a legion of coaches and hired a multitude of new ones. As the confounded owner, he has given additional money to unproven players and has allowed them the benefit of the doubt. As the baddest owner ever, he has dismantled his own franchise, more concern with his egotism and finances, but has never been concerned of advancing to the brightest stage in football in embracing the noteworthy holiday in sports.
If the Redskins had the intentions of signing McNabb to a much richer deal, Snyder had ample time to extend his deal in their bye week. But unlike most organizations, he waited hours before kickoff of a nationally televised game and omitted that he played poorly in prior weeks. More stunning, though, he seems content with a franchise that wrongly sent him to the bench. He was infuriated over the benching, but never advertised his disillusionment publicly and stayed to himself for much of the week.
When he arrived to Washington, he was welcomed and adored by the cheerful population, but hastily fell as the centerpiece of the franchise and began committing blunders on the field. If Snyder assembles talent or works aggressively to subplot a deal, instead it normally backfires and sabotages his umbrage team.
There are some, Snyder, in particular, willing to endorse McNabb while the roasted fallout provoked ridiculous drama, and empowered the citizens to believe the benching of McNabb was dumb and badly mishandled.
The timing of McNabb’s contract extension couldn’t come at a worse time, on a night he gazed at his replacement of the Eagles, Michael Vick showcased his dynamic, six-touchdown theater. It’s never surprising when McNabb is criticized for a paltry performance, regularly humiliated by his critics and even his coaching staff.
The baffling thing is that he’s willing to finish his career with a team with poor management and misguidance.
Besides, he should be tired of being accused for demoralizing defeats, especially when his coach Shanahan bullies his star players. It’s clearly understandable that he doesn’t quite bond with offensive coordinator, Kyle Shanahan, Mike’s son. And lately, Shanahan has protected his son by foolishly benching McNabb because they felt he hadn’t adjusted to the play calling. He is a typical father who pampers his sensitive son.
Deemed as a brainless quarterback, McNabb really isn’t as stupid as people think he is. Mind you, he’s a very savvy pass thrower, if people are kind enough in reducing the criticism and giving him some time to dazzle in Shanahan’s tactics.
With Shanahan in control, he has had turbulent relationships with players in the past and bullied Albert Haynesworth in the offseason, when he tried to use him as an example in voluntary workouts and mandatory minicamps. The bottom line is, of course, Shanahan made a severe mistake in his handling of McNabb. As for his boss psyche, Snyder wastefully spent and destroyed his franchise.
It’s obvious that Snyder doesn’t know how to run his business.
