When Joe Gibbs racing was accused of cheating Sunday, longtime Redskins watchers were not surprised. Gibbs had a history of bending the rules when he coached in Washington, especially when it came to stashing players on injured reserve.
The Redskins used to routinely put players on IR, usually with illegitimate injuries.
“We had our own rules,” line coach Joe Bugel said earlier in camp. “People said we cheated; well, everyone had back injuries. … Before [the media] would be allowed on the field, we’d open the door and they’d be in practice and we’re like, ‘Hey, the press is coming, back in the locker room.’ [Owner Jack Kent Cooke] would say, ‘How much would that cost us?’ Ah, about $5,000. And he’d say, ‘Break the rules, I’ll take care of it.’”
And when Gibbs returned in 2004, the Redskins were caught illegally using players in practice. They would sign a player in the morning, but not cut anyone until after practice, which the league deemed illegal. They also lost two OTA practice days for violating rules regarding physical contact.
