Rick Snider » Franchise at the crossroads
By: Rick Snider
Examiner Sports Columnist
September 29, 2009
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| Jim Zorn and Jason Campbell enter a pivotal season regarding their careers in Washington. (ap images) |
The next year may decide whether the Washington Redskins' grip over local sports fans is ending.
An embarrassing loss to the Detroit Lions has returned the Redskins to rock bottom, where they have too often dwelled over the past decade under owner Dan Snyder. For many fans already upset with Snyder's stewardship, it threatens to be the breaking point of a generational love affair.
Snyder will hire his seventh coach in 11 seasons come January. He'll also go quarterback shopping -- again. There's a high draft pick, too. Snyder will promise change, a few die-hard fans will get excited and everyone will talk of rebuilding.
But the difference is the public no longer believes change will bring relief, whether it's on Pennsylvania Avenue or at FedEx Field. They've finally realized Snyder is an awful owner whose ego has ruined a once proud franchise. Unfortunately, Snyder doesn't want to sell. At age 44, he should have several decades remaining.
Here's the worst part: Snyder can't afford to do the right thing and slowly rebuild next season because 2011 promises to be a lockout - as in no football in a labor dispute. If this season finishes badly (as expected) and 2010 fares little better as the team regroups, then Snyder faces two years of bad teams plus an idle season.
Three years of nothing? Fans will learn to live without football during the lockout. They'll also no longer obsess over the Redskins.
That's the real challenge ahead. The Redskins must continue short-term fixes to become competitive in 2010 or that ensuing work stoppage could finally shift the public to another team. Most likely it's the Wizards. Washington is really a basketball town and if the Wiz also could learn to win, they'll own the region over the Redskins.
Don't think it can't happen. Nothing lasts forever. Boxing, horse racing and baseball once ruled American sports. Indeed, the Senators owned Washington over the Redskins until Vince Lombardi's 1969 arrival. Soon, baseball left town for a generation and the Redskins took over.
Also, don't forget this wild card -- if the Supreme Court sides with the American Indian's trademark dispute over the term Redskins being derogatory in coming months, Snyder will be financially forced to change the name or lose millions of dollars in royalties. However, a name change also would lose many fans.
Hail to the Wizards? It may become the sound of the town.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com or e-mail rsnider@washingtonexaminer.com.
