Jim Williams: Former Skins star Riggins goes viral on Snyder on 'Inside the NFL'
By: Jim Williams
Examiner Sports Columnist
November 6, 2009
This week's edition "Inside the NFL" on Showtime was nothing less than jaw dropping as host James Brown and analyst Cris Collinsworth sat down with former Redskin Hall of Fame running back John Riggins.
By now, fans no doubt know that Riggins went after Redskins owner Dan Snyder and the interview quickly made its way around the Web. Here is a short sample. (For a full look at the transcript check my blog).
Collinsworth » "We are talking about Daniel Snyder. Are you saying in some way he is unethical? Because I have dealt with him in the past and I have never sensed anything close to that. Or are you saying he has made bad decisions on the football side as an owner? Or what is specifically the issue?"
Riggins » "I am saying that I don't think that this franchise can be successful where you have people saying, 'Oh this person Dan Snyder wants to win. He wants to win.' It's all about priorities: What's my priorities? The priority is 'It's all about me. I have to have my needs met then I want to make money, and or those are one and two, and then I want to win.' You can see by the decisions that are made ... I don't know if you have agreed with anything I am saying so far, but at this point, I would think you would say, 'Yeah I'll go along with that.' This person knows nothing about football, absolutely nothing. I don't think they have a clue how a football team comes together, how it works. And yet they are the ones that are basically calling all the shots through a puppet, which is Vinny Cerrato. That is my take on it ... I speak for the fans because these are the people that paid my salary for all these years. They are the ones that need to know that this is a bad guy."
What caused Riggo to go off?
When Snyder's Red Zebra Broadcasting was launched in 2006, the first major talent hired was Riggins to host an afternoon drive-time show that was simulcast throughout the Mid-Atlantic region on MASN. While Riggins was critical of Snyder and the team, it did not seem to be personal. Later, when Red Zebra took over ESPN 980 AM Riggins again was part of the broadcast team doing the postgame programs and the "Monday Morning Quarterback Show."
Riggo said in his interview on "Inside the NFL" that he had an "ax to grind with Snyder." Fair enough. I know Riggins to be a bright and articulate man. But such a personal attack begs the question of whether this more about Riggo or about the Redskins fans.
My guess is that it is likely a little of both.
Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Check out his blog, Watch this! on washingtonexaminer.com.
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