Is Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder really talking to Bill Cowher over succeeding coach Joe Gibbs? The Redskins say no, but past performance says … maybe.
Snyder and Co. are known for bending the truth. My favorite response came in 1999 after writing the team wouldn’t return to Frostburg for training camp in 2000 despite another five years on the contract. One prominent Redskins official en route to a press conference confirmed the story, but said they had to deny it “for political purposes.” Nothing personal, he said. Just business. Sure enough, the Redskins denied the story, politicians denounced me and seven months later a press release declared training camp would move to Redskins Park.
The Redskins are the second most popular sport in town following politics and both share double talk as a common language. For instance, the Redskins recently made a rare public comment on a blogger’s report of a supposed meeting between “Coach Chin” and Snyder by saying the two hadn’t met nor did anyone in the Redskins organization talk to Cowher. But … and this is where the big-money consultants get paid … did Snyder have someone outside the team’s payroll take Cowher’s temperature?
That’s how it works — a little on the gray side. Sports officials everywhere sometimes flat-out lie and admit later they were trying to protect their team. Sure, people with weak character always blame breaking a commandment on the benefit of others.
How about Nick Saban saying he wasn’t going to Alabama while the moving van was outside his Miami home? Marty Schottenheimer swearing he’d never work for Snyder only to accept the job weeks later. And you have to love Sammy Sosa pretending to be Chico Escuela when telling Congress he couldn’t speak English well enough to comment on his past steroid use.
So are we to accept the Redskins statement that they haven’t talked to Cowher? Sorry, I’m not drinking that Kool-Aid just yet.
If the Redskins make the playoffs, Gibbs likely stays. If the team finishes 5-11 again, Gibbs probably returns to NASCAR and Snyder pays Cowher $10 million to come to Washington and no one will remember the day the Redskins denied interest. Oh, they weren’t back then, they’ll say. Whatever.
Snyder would be smart to plan ahead given Gibbs has only two years on his deal remaining. There’s nothing wrong with gauging Cowher’s interest — knowing that other teams will want him. But Snyder needs to be secretive in his approach to respect Gibbs’ importance in town.
Personally, I think Cowher is a bad fit with Snyder just like Schottenheimer, but that’s a fight for another day. For now, just know anything is possible … no matter who swears otherwise.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Contact him at [email protected].
