Living in a Fantasy Land

Well I'm convinced. I had my doubts for some time but now I'm completely convinced that Dan Snyder and Vinny Cerrato are living in a fantasy world with tangerine trees and marmalade skies. In case you don't know, Snyder and Cerrato are two of the architects that have helped lead the Redskins from one of the perennial contenders for a spot in the Playoffs to a statistically and strategically unimportant team in the National Football League. They have been on the decline with the occasional spike in performance every so often but the downward spiral is not to be denied. After the debacle that was their game against Philadelphia this past Monday night, I'm convinced that until there is change at the top there won't be any change of significance on the field either.

But now, speaking for the first time since the loss on Monday, Cerrato stepped in front of reporters and stated that he's troubled by the comments he's received in the press and public regarding the decisions he's made with regards to the team's roster and player personnel. He feels that the roster is 'playoff material' and therein seems to be the problem that the Redskins have had for the last decade. Football is not fantasy football where we assemble our statistically perfect team. In that world of football all players work together well and play together even better because all they have to do is perform as an individual and the entire fantasy team does well. In reality it's a little different? Why? Well just because someone's an excellently rated player, it doesn't mean that they can work with their teammates.

Don't believe me? Recall Jeff George? The aging quarterback who was brought in during Marty Schottenheimer's reign a few years ago. He was good in his day but the ego and selfishness that he brought to the team was dettrimental and I had my doubts when similarly aging quarterback Mark Brunell was brought in but I'll say this for Brunell. He knew he was coming into a difficult situation and he made the best of it. It's too bad that not everyone Cerrato and Snyder choose to bring in play so well with others. That's a sad fact in the NFL however. That's because unlike in the past there's no guarantee now (due to salary caps and the like) that a player will remain with a franchise for his entire career. It happens but it's hard to see so often. So what do the Redskins do? They pick up the leftovers that no one else seems to want or can't afford. Let me tell you something that you probably already know, expensive doesn't always equate to quality.

The Redskins (and by this I mean Snyder and Cerrato as they always have the final say in such decisions) have a bad habit of getting players that look great on paper but fail to execute in person. What's the point then in paying someone so much if they aren't going to do well. I know there's no certainty as to whether a player will do well or not but still, if teams are not picking up these free agents who come with high price tags, there's likely a reason for it. Personally I was surprised the team didn't go after Michael Vick as soon as he was declared okay to play. I guess maybe Snyder figured he could do without more negative press and publicity.

And speaking of press and publicity, as if he wasn't already unpopular with fans at present, some of the recent announcements coming out of Redskins Park are sure to leave a very nasty taste in a lot of people's mouths. It seems that the Redskins are now banning signs of negativity (specifically towards Snyder I guess) from being brought to games. I guess no more signs that call for Snyder's scalp or his expulsion from DC. In addition, the press has also been told that they can no longer interview tailgaters before the game at FedEx Field. The team claims that it's been a long standing policy but many in the press contend that it hasn't been enforced in the past. Does that mean we'll be seeing more roving patrols cracking down on illicit interviews before game time?

Snyder already charges fans an arm and a leg to attend Redskins games or practice sessions in DC, does he really think that he's going to win over already angry fans by doing this? Redskins fans already shell out hundreds of dollars to attend the game, park, have some food and drinks while there so if Snyder thinks converting the park to a police state will be helpful or at least help keep things remaining in a fantasy world then I think he'll have another thing coming. Snyder knows that Washingtonians are very staunch supporters of the team. They have to be if they've managed to continue following the team for the last decade but by Snyder and Cerrato clinging to the belief that they have done everything right for the team and by denying the truth that the fans are trying to tell them, I think it will be a very long time before the team ever returns to its consistent winning ways.