There are no words to describe the anguish I feel about the condition of the Washington Redskins right now. My most beloved sports franchise is in serious disarray from the bottom-up and the top-down.
The symptoms are pretty obvious: Losses; little hope for franchise improvement; poor morale among fans, coaches and players.
Last night's game against the Eagles on Monday Night Football ended too late for this column, but going into that game, the Redskins had faced six winless teams and walked away with only two wins. Those two wins weren't exactly awe-inspiring, either: a 9-7 taming of the Lions and a 16-13 boarding of the Buccaneers.
The losses include difficult-to-stomach losses to the Lions, who were riding a 19-game losing streak, and the Chiefs, who sat near the bottom of most people's power rankings at the time.
What's the Redskins' problem? And how can it be fixed? If you read the interviews, inside sources and beat articles, the picture starts to become pretty clear.
So, let's take a look at this weeping willow of a problem. Using a tree as a metaphor for this ugly football disarray, let's trace it down to its very roots. Taking a step back and having a big-picture view will perhaps suggest a first few steps to push the franchise back in the winning direction.
The leaves: unhappy fans
Patience for the Redskins' antics is growing thin across the greater Washington area. Redskins fans, normally among the most passionate and patient, have had their fill of boneheadedness.
It's not just tribulations this year that they've faced. Aside from miraculous, winning streak-fueled playoff runs in 2005 and 2007, Washington has looked pretty pathetic this past decade.
The Skins haven't been the worst franchise of the 2000s but they've certainly been the most disappointing. Whereas teams like the Lions and the 49ers have made every year look like a rebuilding year, the Redskins - also known as "The Offseason Champions" - have the opposite problem. They build-up fan expectations every year with big patchwork moves like a flashy trade or free agent signing.
But what is it, exactly, that perennially disappoints the fans?
The branches: players and on-field performance
Any leaf will wilt and die if it's not connected to a healthy branch, and so Redskins fans can't be expected to be have patience for a decade of on-field disappointment.
And the play has been, without a doubt, disappointing for the most part. The team makes big additions each year, so intuition says progress should be made. A bad team should be made better with good players, right?
But what happens is that overpaid former Pro Bowlers - Adam Archuleta, Deion Sanders, Albert Haynesworth - look lethargic and confused once they hit the field. Even though they're supposed to be the big step forward, the (photo)synthesis never occurs.
Some of this is Paycheck Syndrome: once the player has a big payday secured, they lose the urgency on the field or in practice.
I truly believe, though, that most of the big name contracts genuinely want to win and that they work hard. Even known slackers during training camp, like Clinton Portis, give 100 percent out on the field.
Something is lacking in the chemistry and operation. Whose responsibility is it to make the team click?
The trunk: coaching
The Redskins' coaching has been, for the most part, lousy. That's pretty obvious from the limited playoff appearances.
Some of it isn't the coaches' fault: They've sometimes been forced to deal with putting in new systems many years in a row. Quarterback Jason Campbell, in his fifth year, has dealt with two completely different offensive schemes and a different variation each year. Even the best coach would have trouble getting a young quarterback to play well with such change constant shifting.
For the pedigree that recent coaches have brought with them, and the expectations that the franchise has had for them, every recent coach has disappointed in some ways. Marty Schottenheimer, hired in 2001, performed perhaps the best of them but was fired after one 8-8 season. College coach phenom Steve Spurrier tanked in 2002 and 2003.
Joe Gibbs performed admirably during 2004 to 2007, a period which saw Washington's two playoff appearances this decade. Still, with the astronomical excitement that Gibbs' hiring brought, two postseasons in four years was a bit of a letdown.
Now, the Redskins are stuck with Jim Zorn, who could be a good coach in a different time and place but isn't seasoned enough to deal with a team that so badly needs rebuilding and discipline. His team has trended steadily downwards since his remarkably good start to 2008.
But who is it that has brought these coaches in? Who has put the high expectations on them?
The root and soil: Vinny Cerrato and Daniel Snyder
Finally, we get to the core of the Redskins' problems. Although players and coaches need to be held accountable for what they do, how can anyone expect them to when the core of the franchise is so miserable?
Vice president Vinny Cerrato is, at this point, a key root of the problem because he is the one who officially makes the game plan for the franchise on the football end. His role is, in theory, a lot like that of a general manager; the reality is that he and owner Daniel Snyder collude to make every bad decision.
Cerrato serves as a yes-man for Snyder. Whatever Snyder wants, Cerrato will makes sure happens. Danny says it, Vinny does it.
In many ways, Snyder is a first-rate owner. He spends big because he wants to win big. He's helped develop the Redskins into one of the most financially successful teams in the NFL.\nBut he treats the Redskins like his toy or like a fantasy football team. He wants the final say in who the Redskins pick up and he almost always goes for the big names.
As much as Snyder loves the Redskins and the NFL, Washington will never win a Super Bowl as long as he is the guy making the big decisions. He doesn't know enough about the nuts and bolts of scouting talent, determining value of players, laying out a long term winning plan or the patience required to let people mature into their roles.
The solution: Chop down the tree and start over
Though the Redskins still have fans who want to have something to look forward to, they need something to legitimately cheer about. The key, good-value players can stay, too. Surely some coaches and training staff can remain, so there will be some carry-over from the franchise's current state.
But the Redskins, if they want to win down the road, need to start from scratch. This whole wretched tree is rotten. It's time to build something wonderful that fans everywhere can celebrate.
With the rich soil that Snyder brings to Washington, a most beautiful, glorious, Super Bowl-winning tree can grow here.
It starts with planting a sapling in, root-first. Get a good general manager, one who won't listen to Snyder's every whim, one who will lay out a long-term, draft-driven franchise plan.
From there, the tree will grow slowly but strongly. First, the Redskins will hire coaches who are here for the long haul and who have a vision that aligns with that of the new GM.
Next, the GM will get value players to play for these coaches and start winning games.
Then, the fans reap the rewards. The promised land - competing for a Lombardi Trophy, year-in year-out - will return.
Who should this new general manager be? There are lots of good options. Washington Post writer Michael Wilbon suggests Bill Polian of the Colts, who is a proven winner. That's a good starting point. Surely, Snyder can do his research and find someone who will take his money to run the Redskins the right way.
So, shovel and seeds are in your hand, Snyder. Fire Cerrato and hire a brilliant new GM who will make better decisions than you. Before you know it, the Redskins will have grown into the biggest and most beautiful tree around.
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