When the Washington Examiner writers chime in with their opinions, I listen. Rick Snider has been doing journalism for over 30 years with the Washington Times, and now, Washington Examiner. He is a regular in the media room at Redskins Park and has seen it all (unfortunately for him). Although it's not surprising the Examiner writers are taking a 'wait and see' approach, they're flat out not buying it.
Some highlights from Rick Snider's 'When it comes to Snyder backing down, don't believe the hype' post today:
Snyder will appear detached as long as the team wins. Given the Redskins are probably a 6-10 team in 2010, Snyder figures to huddle regularly with his new GM and coach...Bruce Allen may pick the players, but Snyder won't write eight-figure checks without looking at the stat sheet. And then there's the fourth pick in the April 22 draft. You'll see Snyder at the NFL Combine reviewing the rookies -- just as an innocent bystander, you understand...Only time will prove whether the owner is a caretaker or a taskmaster. But every loss moves him closer to micromanaging once again...Spurrier once watched the draft with reporters while Snyder ran the war room.
And Rick's colleague, John Keim, shared similar, but less harsh, sentiments:
"Usually people don't change," the source said. "Dan has learned some things, but there's not much difference between the guy now and the guy from 10 years ago." Shanahan spent 14 seasons in Denver having final authority. It's doubtful he would have come here with anything less than full control over the roster.
I sincerely think it's a mix of both. When Snyder is not running the show, the Skins ballpark a .500 club. That is playoff contenders, so in that sense, the Redskins at least have a chance now. Let the building begin.
As for the Revolution, it is clearly not over, though big steps have been taken. At the end of the day the Redskins are still a 4-12 team with desperate needs to repair a pee-wee offensive line. If the Redskins go QB with the 1st pick, the Revolution trucks on. Until the Redskins make the playoffs, the Revolution will be lying dormant.