Ernie Grunfeld must go. Before the Washington Wizards decide on Flip Saunders’ permanent replacement or make a pick in the upcoming draft, owner Ted Leonsis needs a new general manager.
Ted, if you really want to see how “wicked pixels” work, just keep going the way this franchise has for the past 30 years. Despite 30-cent tickets on StubHub, Verizon Center will turn into a ghost town.
Wizards fans are exactly where Redskins supporters were in December 2009 — ready to form an angry mob down to its last ounce of caring. Redskins owner Dan Snyder fired vice president Vinny Cerrato and coach Jim Zorn to appease the crowd. Hiring coach Mike Shanahan and GM Bruce Allen hasn’t produced a winning season or refilled FedEx Field, but at least the Redskins aren’t a joke.
The Wizards are a joke. In a town that loves basketball more than football — though the Redskins are the runaway favorite team — the Wizards have lost their fan base. The crowd is tired of seeing mismanagement produce players that simply don’t care. Saunders is just the fall guy.
Youth isn’t an excuse. Many U.S. soldiers fighting terrorists in Afghanistan aren’t old enough to drink beer legally, but Grunfeld argues his 20-somethings are too young to play a game with some effort?
The 2-15 Wizards don’t care. John Wall’s desire has been sucked into the black hole of a locker room filled with knuckleheads. Grunfeld defended Gilbert Arenas’ immaturity, a trait that led the point guard to a 50-game suspension. Grunfeld didn’t punish Arenas for repeated childish behavior, and now others think they can get away with acting stupidly, too. So far, they have.
Interim coach Randy Wittman looked like he wanted to punch a wall as he talked about the players’ effort. He seemed angry that his good friend and mentor Saunders was fired hours earlier Tuesday, a day after the Wizards faced a 30-point halftime deficit during a loss at Philadelphia.
Keep that passion, Randy. It’s the only way to survive the next four months before the organization reboots again. If the players wouldn’t respond to Saunders, they sure won’t listen to an interim coach past the first week, either.
Grunfeld argued that the team is improving even though it’s not winning. That’s nonsense. Winning is the only true indicator of improvement because it’s the only thing that matters.
Some of the blame now lies with Leonsis. He should have changed Wizards coaches during the offseason — just like the Capitals would have been better off releasing coach Bruce Boudreau earlier. Instead, Leonsis waited until a quarter of the way into the season for both teams before switching bosses. They were needless delays.
Leonsis could be “Uncle Teddy” with the Caps, but the Wizards are much more high profile. Leonsis must now make one more hard choice and hire a new general manager — someone without ties to underperforming players who will be willing to cut them loose.
Otherwise, no one will believe the Wizards ever will be good again.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more on Twitter @Snide_Remarks or email [email protected].
