Rick Snider

Will NFL labor problems curtail Snyder's spending?

New Orleans Saints fans may be celebrating, but now is the Washington Redskins' time of year. Champions of the offseason, the Redskins are planning their big moves. They're guaranteed at least one blockbuster acquisition with the fourth pick of the April 22 draft. Maybe a quarterback, perhaps an offensive tackle. Whether Washington once again can dominate free agency may be more about NFL labor problems than whether owner Dan Snyder truly has changed his overspending ways. The NFL and Players Association spent Super Bowl week posturing over what we've long seen coming -- a 2011 lockout. Frankly, there will be no labor agreement extension, creating an uncapped season for 2010 and...

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After all those years of suffering, Dat's all, folks

It was supposed to be a duel between the NFL's two best quarterbacks. Instead, Super Bowl XLIV was about kickers, trick plays and defensive stuffs. While Indianapolis' Peyton Manning and New Orleans' Drew Brees sparkled, they were outshined by the stars around them. SUPER BOWL XLIV » Who Dat? Saints march to first Super Bowl victory, 31-17 » Super Bowl XLIV: Analysis by quarter » Rick Snider: After all those years of suffering, Dat's all, folks » Cheers & Jeers blog: Hype machine in gear Oh, the game was a duel between Manning and Brees. And New Orleans coach Sean Payton and Indianapolis counterpart Jim Caldwell. And Saints kicker Garrett Hartley kicking...

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Manning, Colts will get it done

It's all about matchups. Picking the Super Bowl XLIV winner is easy -- Indianapolis 31, New Orleans 24. Go under 56 1/2 combined points. The real intrigue is individual matchups. It always starts with quarterbacks. Indianapolis' Peyton Manning and New Orleans' Drew Brees are the NFL's top two passers. Everyone says the NFL is a passing league. Sure, until a great runner comes along again. Manning is the ultimate counterpuncher. Brees has great accuracy, but Manning controls the game. He grasps a defense at the line and adjusts. Which brings the second matchup -- Manning vs. New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, the former Washington assistant head coach who was passed over...

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Grimm should be in Canton

Russ Grimm deserves to be elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. The Washington Redskins guard won three Super Bowl rings, exiting his career after beating Buffalo in Super Bowl XXVI. He was the best of the Hogs, one of the NFL's dominant offensive lines. Grimm was named to the All-80s team. But, it's a numbers game as always. Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith are locks for the first two of five slots when 44 media members vote. Charles Haley, John Randle and Richard Dent will be favored for the remaining three openings while Dick LeBeau should earn the seniors category selection. That leaves Grimm on the outside -- maybe. Rice and Smith easily will receive the needed 80...

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Slingin' Sammy's Super bowl debut

The greatest player in Washington Redskins history finally is part of the Super Bowl. A jersey literally torn off the late Sammy Baugh in the 1940s is part of a massive football memorabilia auction on Sunday. Ripped while playing the Boston Yanks in 1947 or '48, it's expected to draw top dollar among 280 items by Hunt Auctions during Super Bowl pregame activities in Miami. The only other known Baugh jersey is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This jersey was taken from the Redskins locker room by a team employee and given to a fan, whose family now is selling it. It was framed in the 1970s with the tears remaining and some sun damage to the fabric. Hunt Auctions president David Hunt's...

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For Freeney, media day not so limp

It was the most discussed ankle injury since Barbaro. The NFL Network showed Dwight Freeney's swollen right ankle a dozen times Tuesday. A floorcam documented his exit, step by step, looking for a limp. Whether the Indianapolis end will play in Sunday's Super Bowl became the day's great debate. Deion Sanders said yes. Warren Sapp said no. Freeney called it a "coach's decision." Jim Caldwell said Freeney is a tough guy. New Orleans tight end Jeremy Shockey suggested Freeney take medication to play. Welcome to media day, when no detail is too stupid to explore -- down to whether Freeney recently underwent a pedicure. They almost discussed whether the first little piggy will go to the...

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For Skins, it's Okung vs. Bradford

Russell Okung or Sam Bradford? Sam Bradford or Jimmy Clausen? Fourth overall or a late first- and second-rounder? Washington Redskins coaches and scouts spent the past week gawking at the top college prospects at the Senior Bowl, a precursor to the coming NFL Scouting Combine. No longer are Vinny Cerrato and Dan Snyder running the draft, replaced by coach Mike Shanahan and GM Bruce Allen. The needs are many after a 4-12 season, especially with a new coach's different schemes. Offensive linemen, running back, quarterback, safety, linebacker and cornerback are the primary holes. They'll likely only get one, maybe two contributors in the April 22-24 draft. Does Washington go offensive...

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ACC is up for grabs this season

The ACC must stand for Anyone Can Conquer, because the league's traditional pyramid of powerhouses is being toppled. Virginia's 3-1 conference start is just one win short of last year's total. North Carolina already has matched its three losses from last season when it won the regular-season title. The conference is more upside-down than many home mortgages at the one-third mark. Maryland coach Gary Williams loves to talk parity, but most years North Carolina and Duke dominate the conference. The Terps last took the regular season title in 2002 when they won the national crown. Two more weeks are needed before the ACC race can be fairly judged. Teams with favorable first-half schedules...

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Fire up the hype machine

Let the Super Bowl hype begin. Why wait until the actual week? Americans want everything two seconds ago so let's move right to the...

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Peyton carves Jets to pieces

Peyton Manning may act the rube in those never-ending commercials, but the Indianapolis Colts quarterback made the New York Jets look foolish. For the second time in four years, the Colts delivered a double-digit comeback in the AFC Championship. This time, Manning turned a 17-6 deficit into a 30-17 victory on Sunday to advance to Super Bowl XLIV. "We talked about being patient against these guys. We didn't panic," said Manning during the CBS trophy ceremony. "We got a bead on them." Manning looked so fluid -- 26 of 39 for 377 yards and three touchdowns. The sterling 123.6 rating still undervalued his greatness. Manning regularly found receivers in full stride, the ball always...

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Favre's quest to NFC title game has been costly

Brett Favre continues to call audibles in his life. The Minnesota Vikings quarterback says beating New Orleans in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday to reach his third Super Bowl isn't about exiting a storied NFL career with the perfect ending. And it's not about redemption after faltering late the last two seasons with Green Bay and the New York Jets. Favre says it's about living in the moment -- enjoying the game for as long as he can. Maybe, but there's a lot of redemption and polishing of a career that will one day make him a sure first-ballot Hall of Famer. "After I had the [offseason] surgery and felt a little bit better, I don't think there was ever a time in my mind when I...

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Friends bid farewell to a broadcasting legend

Jim Vance revealed the secret of George Michael's success. It wasn't technology the late NBC-4 broadcaster pioneered to create a national show. Nor was the unrelenting dedication to excellence. Not even the ambition and competitiveness that once left Michael inches from a fistfight with another sportscaster during a Redskins practice despite being 60 years old. "George lived the days of his life in terror of failure and rejection," said Vance, Michael's co-anchor for 28 years before the latter's 2007 retirement. Indeed, Michael feared being second best even when he was by far Washington's leading sportscaster for a quarter century. It fueled a career in radio and television that made...

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Fearless Davidson never left racing

Racing finally claimed jockey Jesse Davidson. Fearless on half-mile bullrings dotting small towns from Charles Town to Marlboro, Davidson suffered too many spills over a 31-year career. The final came on the last turn of a getaway race at Laurel when the grandstand doubled as an echo chamber for the few remaining railbirds looking to get even. Davidson never quite overcame the 1988 fall that sent him into the rail. It caused him to lose a kidney and undergo four years of dialysis before receiving a transplant. He couldn't return to racing, so Davidson raised two grandsons into jockeys, both on the same tracks where their ancestor led the nation with 319 victories in 1965 and won more...

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As Wiz move on, Jamison and Butler show some heart

Life after Gilbert Arenas may be good after all. Well, at least tolerable. "Through every crisis is an opportunity," coach Flip Saunders said. The Wizards won their second straight game on Monday, outlasting the Portland Trail Blazers, 97-92. The Wiz are 3-5 since Agent Zero's suspension. It doesn't sound like much, but Washington was 11-21 beforehand. The Wizards, again, are pulling together without their best player. It's not a knee injury that sidelines Arenas for the third straight season, but a felony gun conviction stemming from a Dec. 21 locker room standoff with teammate Javaris Crittenton. Suspended indefinitely by the NBA and with a March 26 sentencing, Arenas likely won't...

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Wizards need to move on without Arenas

It's time for the Washington Wizards to move on to next season. The Gilbert Arenas era appears over. The guard pleaded guilty to a felony count of carrying a gun without a license on Friday in D.C. Superior Court. The plea bargain, down from four such counts, comes with prosecutors asking for little or no jail time on a charge that carries a maximum five years. Sentencing is March 26. It's a fair deal. Arenas isn't a bad person, just someone who took a bad joke to its worst degree. Society benefits not from imprisoning Arenas, but by his spending many hours talking with children on why guns are not the answer to disputes. Maybe he'll save someone's life. Meanwhile, the Wiz have clearly...

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Skins and Eagles as trading partners?

Would the Washington Redskins trade quarterback Jason Campbell for one year of Donovan McNabb? More importantly, would the Eagles swap passers with the Redskins? They might still be smarting from the 1964 fleecing of Sonny Jurgensen for Norm Snead and Claude Crabb. The Redskins might consider the Eagles as trading partners despite being NFC East rivals. Each has something the other needs. McNabb has never been appreciated in Philadelphia despite five NFC Championship Game appearances. At 33, he still has several good years left and enough mobility to survive a rebuilding line while the Redskins draft a passer. Campbell is a restricted free agent if the collective bargaining agreement...

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Burgundy Revolution's full effects may not show until spring

The Burgundy Revolution won, but is the struggle still ongoing? The fan revolt wanted change from the Washington Redskins. The empty seats, angry T-shirts and snarky signs were the largest revolt by die-hard supporters since the team's resurgence in 1969. It wasn't the years of mediocrity, soaring prices and clueless player acquisitions that broke the fan base. It was arrogance from the owner's box that finally drove many fans to quit attending games and buying team merchandise. Dan Snyder finally heard them. The owner forced out vice president Vinny Cerrato and fired coach Jim Zorn. Snyder then hired a two-time Super Bowl winning coach Mike Shanahan and installed a real general...

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Arenas, Wiz self-destruct

Gilbert Arenas has played his final game as a Washington Wizard. And maybe as an NBA player. The NBA suspended the Washington guard indefinitely while awaiting a criminal investigation over bringing four guns into Verizon Center that escalated an argument with teammate Javaris Crittenton. Depending on who's telling the story, it's either a prank or the O.K. Corral. The sanction is only a start, and a late one at that. Obviously, we haven't heard the whole truth yet over what happen on Dec. 21. It keeps raising a notch to the latest report that Crittenton chambered a round in his own gun. Uh, that's a breath away from a murder charge, which is the whole point of this debacle's...

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Snyder makes another classic bad move by hiring Shanahan

Mike Shanahan is a classic move by Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder. And, a typically bad one. Snyder once more grabbed the biggest name on the board, mistaking past reputation for current performance. It's like buying IBM in the age of Microsoft. MIKE SHANAHAN ERA BEGINS Redskins introduce Shanahan Rick Snider: Snyder makes another classic bad move by hiring Shanahan Personnel moves not Shanahan's strength More from Redskins Confidential blog: Shanahan talks Campbell; other notes Portis on notice Redskins could train elsewhere Shanahan faces decisions Shanahan nuggets A headline-grabbing hire is great for selling season tickets, corporate sponsorships and jerseys. A $35...

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When it comes to Snyder backing down, don't believe the hype

Is Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder a changed man? Snyder finally hired a real general manager and has reached a deal with a marquee coach -- moves that could leave the meddlesome owner to worry about increasing prices and choosing halftime entertainment. Football decisions will be made by football men, Snyder will say. More Redskins Will Snyder's old habits resurface? Rick Snider: When it comes to Snyder backing down, don't believe the hype Redskins Confidential Sure, and the recession is over now that Wall Street is healthy. Don't believe the hype. Nothing has changed. It's just a little less obvious. Snyder will appear detached as long as the team wins. Given the Redskins...

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Shanahan a perfect fit

Bruce Allen was trying not to reveal who will be the Washington Redskins next coach. The general manager wasn't having much luck, though. Hours after firing coach Jim Zorn on Monday, Allen spoke of needing a leader, someone who embraces the franchise's history and knows that "last place is not Redskins football." But did the newcomer need, say, Super Bowl trophies on his resume? "Does it have to have certain initials?" countered Allen with a chuckle. "Is that the next question?" Well, M.S. would be a good start. Mike Shanahan is expected to be named Redskins coach as soon as Tuesday. This rumor started in June, strengthened in October and seemed a done deal in recent weeks. Add that...

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The madness, mercifully, is over

Finally, the madness has ended. Can I hear an Amen? The longest ill-fated march since Napoleon encountered the Russian winter of 1812 saw the Washington Redskins fall, 23-20, at San Diego on Sunday. It was a nice preseason game, essentially. The game wasn't half over before reports appeared concerning coach Jim Zorn's dismissal on Monday. That hardly qualifies as news given Zorn's firing nearly came at 2-4, but at least this circus finally moves from a two-month funeral dirge to kings-of-offseason mode. Indeed, the office pool centered on what state would the Redskins be flying over when Zorn was dismissed. Honk if you had Nevada. MORE REDSKINS For more on the Redskins, check out...

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Campbell's fate is complicated

Jason Campbell's fate will dominate the Washington Redskins' offseason, and maybe years to come. Critics want the 2005 first-rounder out after Sunday's season-ender at San Diego. Owner Dan Snyder tried twice to replace the quarterback last offseason and didn't offer him a contract extension. Backers claim Campbell showed more moxie in recent weeks despite constant pass pressure. Given no clear successor, Campbell's return wouldn't be the worst alternative. Ironically, no decision can be made until free agency begins and the collective bargaining talks conclude on March 1. Even then, the Redskins may lose Campbell. It's going to be complicated. If CBA talks fail, which appears...

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For local teams, a decade of hoping for better days

Was it all for naught, this first decade of the new millennium? When deciding the decade's top five stories, it was largely about hope of better days rather than titles. Joe Gibbs returning to the Redskins. Baseball back in Washington. Tiger Woods starting a golf tournament. But the dominant story of the '00s was the murder of Redskins safety Sean Taylor. Indeed, it trails only Len Bias' 1986 overdose death in my 31 years of covering local sports. That Taylor wasn't a local and didn't die locally, where Bias' story was both, is the only reason for not calling it the biggest event of the last quarter century. Taylor was killed in an alleged burglary attempt on Nov. 27, 2007 in Miami...

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Pivotal offseason looms for Skins

The sneak peak has become a horror show for the Washington Redskins' new GM Bruce Allen. Consecutive home routs by NFC East foes New York and Dallas on prime time TV proves Washington needs a complete teardown over the offseason. Forget tweaking the roster, that there's enough talent to win. This franchise is in shambles. Coach Jim Zorn will be gone within hours of Sunday's season-finale at San Diego. Mike Shanahan either comes within days or the Redskins face Plan B with a Brian Billick, Russ Grimm or who knows -- Bill Cowher? Next, expect a 50 percent roster turnover if a new collective bargaining agreement isn't reached by March 1 -- 40 percent if it is. If there's no CBA, free...

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Bye Skins fans

The Washington Redskins said goodbye to their fans and it wasn't quick enough. It was another ugly, plodding game in an ugly 4-11 season with only a season-ending cross-country trip to San Diego remaining. Anyone who stayed awake for the end either drank too many Red Bulls or worked the graveyard shift. The Dallas Cowboys ended the Redskins' home season on Sunday with a methodical thumping. There were nearly as many Cowboys fans as Redskins backers, creating cheers for every big play from one side. FedEx Field's upper deck once again resembled an August preseason game as the Burgundy Revolution now moves to offseason season ticket non-renewals to pester owner Dan Snyder into making...

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The Redskins Decade of the Oh Nos

The past decade almost made Washingtonians yearn for the ’60s. The Redskins managed only two wild card seasons. There were six coaches with another likely coming a few days into January. Worst of all, the team’s best player was murdered. It wasn’t the Decade of the Ohs. It was the Decade of the Oh Nos. Couldn’t anybody play this game? Actually, there were some good individual efforts over the past 10 years. After consulting with two other longtime Redskins writers, here’s my abbreviated All-Redskins Decade Team: QB » Mark Brunell RB » Clinton Portis FB » Mike Sellers TE » Chris Cooley WR » Santana Moss OL » Chris...

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Time for these Redskins to meet the wrecking ball

In two weeks, Jim Zorn will hopefully be as gone as the two feet of snow in the backyard. When you run a Pop Warner formation on national TV after already faking it instead of kicking a field goal, you deserve banishment. Toss in lighting up like a Christmas tree when discussing it afterward -- despite forgetting the play was intercepted -- and your next job as the Cleveland Browns quarterbacks coach is a worthy exile. New GM Bruce Allen just learned all he needs to know -- the Redskins also require a new coach. And not just a new coach, but also many new players because they're just as culpable for the 45-12 loss to the New York Giants on Monday. Players were supposed to impress the...

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Skins played for pink slips

It was the worst game of the Jim Zorn era. The Washington Redskins were flat out awful. They were embarrassed by the New York Giants before a sparse FedEx Field crowd and national Monday Night Football audience. By the final quarter, the crowd largely departed and viewers gained some extra sleep. It has been an ugly year and an ugly decade under owner Dan Snyder, but rarely have the Redskins looked so amateurish. Ending the first half on a fake field goal using some Mickey Mouse play that nearly cost a pick-six should have merited Zorn's dismissal at intermission. It's one thing to stink, it's another to look stupid. Fortunately, this fabled story of Forrest Gump coaching a football...

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The real Redskins Way

First the Joe Gibbs era returned. Now Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder reaches back to the Over the Hill Gang. What's next -- Sammy Baugh's grandson gets drafted? Maybe it's coincidental Bruce Allen returns to the team his father George Allen made relevant once again in the 1970s. Regardless, it's sure nice to have someone with a deserving pedigree run the team. Someone the fans can respect. Whenever ousted vice president Vinny Cerrato talked about "The Redskins Way" I wanted to wretch. It was like the French trying to tell Americans how to grill hot dogs. The Redskins Way under Cerrato was black clouds, ugly losses and bad seasons. When Allen says he can recite most of the media...

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