"Here we go again.." says the Washington Post. Philadelphia Eagle fans delight in....well, I'm not certain that they delight in anything other than booing. I've not written this before, but I am a fan of the Washington Redskins football club. My grandfather was, and he brought me up to be one. This was not exactly a choice on my part. Nor was it easy - the Redskins from 1971 to 1982 were fair to lousy. They weren't the Steelers, or the Cowboys. They didn't win too many games and weren't a glamorous team. So - all of those 30-and-40-something Steeler, 49er, and Cowboy fans out there.................most of you are bandwagonneers and in your hearts you know it.
But the Skins? Nope. At least not until after 1982. That was their first Super Bowl year, Riggo's big run in the 3rd quarter that put 'em on top, 27-17. Game over. DC had a title. My grandfather, at last, saw his team win the big game.
He didn't live to see them win the 1988 Super Bowl against Denver, I found him dead on his kitchen floor about a month before the Skins somehow won that game. And the silly, superstitious part of my brain tried to trick me into believing that - from the grave - the old fella was willing the Redskins to win (or, more likely, heckling pretty John Elway and his blonde locks). That win was a small bit of sun in what was a really gloomy winter for me.
Thereafter, the Redskins treated us to a fantastic 1991-2 season, ending with a complete domination of the poor Buffalo Bills.
So, from 1992 to today...not much to talk about.
Sure, there've been blips on this sorry radar: Gibbs return, a new (and godforsaken) stadium, a couple playoff games, retro jerseys, Sean Taylor, Brad Johnson. But they've mostly sucked. Especially at the QB position.
In steps Donnie Mac.
I like McNabb. Seems like a nice fella and has always been a solid NFL signal-caller. He's not Peyton Manning or Tom Brady, but he's up there. He knows the NFC East, he can win there. So, in that sense, he's a good pickup. The downside, naturally, is his age and his new team. The Skins are Team Turmoil, not Team Shovel-Ready. I'm hopeful that a good coach/QB combo can change the culture (and Albert Butterworth), but healthy skepticism is warranted, Redskin True Believers. Realistically, the Redskins aren't as talented as Dallas, Philly, or the Giants. Their O-line is a mess. Their receivers are young, the backs are on the old side, and the defense can't stop anyone. McNabb might help get the offense on track and develop some of these young WRs (something he was not able to do in Philly) and the backs might have a season or two left in their legs. Butterworth might earn his cash - it's not like he's a lousy player.
Alot of fans hated this deal, as it evidenced a return to the "we can win now we're a mere player away" philosophy. I'm hoping that this deal is simply part of a larger plan, to grow a team through sustained success and slowly re-build the crumbled parts of the foundation with more focus than simply throwing up one's hands and saying "rebuilding season." Perhaps, with the QB position solidified for the first time since 1993, the Skins can patiently develop a receiver corps (there's talent there) and an O-line. Then, over the course of the next couple seasons, draft quality players to flesh out their defensive backfield and add depth. Once they've got depth, they'll challenge for the division.
Unless, of course, once Donnie Mac is done for, they trade their draft to get Jason Campbell back....
No comments:
Post a Comment