11/1/10

Smiling Faces


Shanny Ball, oh that Shanny, is he a rascal? Who knew McNabb was on such thin ice? How do we contemplate the depth and breadth of the Decision. Forget Labron, this was the blockbuster.  It’s almost comical Shanny thinks Rex gives him any chance to win anything at anytime, anywhere, on any day. That Rex’s first play turned into a game, set, match should have come as a surprise to no one. There are all kinds of possibilities as to why the Decision was made, but “Rex gave us a better chance to win the game” was not one of  them. This will play out behind closed doors and we’ll not be privy to the real reason. However.........
If this was Shanny’s rookie head coaching year, what would everybody be thinking right now? Even with Shanny’s two Lombardis, if you think about the Decision long enough, it doesn’t take much to get queazy. The Decision makes Shanny’s body of work so far at Ashburn murky; it had that feel of desperation and panic. Is he as overwound as he appears to be at times?
Everyone has wanted to believe in the changes. They’ve wanted to believe in the new leadership. It appears with one fell swoop, Shanny has cast a cloud of doubt over the entire operation. It’s abundantly clear he’s in charge, but his presence -- is it one of a figurative “sound mind”? What is his real agenda? Most importantly, how has the Decision impacted the team and McNabb? He was the player with the leadership that was so desperately needed on offense. In the big moment of the game and the season yesterday; it was ignored and had zero gravitas.
The outlying question, of course is, can the Decision be shaped into something positive? It’s probably a good thing there are two weeks before the next game, time does indeed heal wounds. I’d hate to have to put money on the side of the bet that says everything is going to be okay, and that it will be better than before. From the time we take our first breath our lives are built on trust. It will take some very special people to overcome yesterday’s breach. Shanny cooly told the world, when he made the Decision, “I don’t trust Donavan McNabb in the big spot.” It seems only human nature for McNabb to have difficulty trusting Shanny from this point going forward. If I recall from a couple of years ago in Philly with Andy at the helm, hell hath no fury like a quarterback scorned. When Philly shows up in two weeks at The Warehouse, Donovan won’t know which way to turn. He’ll be playing that song in his mind, “Smiling faces, smiling faces, sometimes they don’t tell the truth, smiling faces, smiling faces......”

20 comments:

  1. Best yet, Mr. Diesel. You left me without a comment.....and that alone says a bunch.

    Steve in Frederick

    ReplyDelete
  2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wKyXA_nMVQ

    ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great comments on the Decision John...During the course of his news conference, Shanahan implied McNabb was STUPID, because he hadn't mastered the two minute offense. He said McNabb was OUT OF SHAPE, because he wouldn't be able to keep up with the speed of the quickened offense. He said he trusted Grossman to snatch victory in the last 1:50 more than McNabb, implying McNabb was NOT CAPABLE to play the position as well as Grossman. It's clear from his words and actions Shanahan will throw anyone under the bus to save himself. Not only should McNabb feel shaky about his ability to trust his coach, the whole team should feel wary about the trust issue. This hole is getting deeper and deeper as Shanahan keeps digging and digging. My God, what could be next with this team?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ask Brian Griese, Jake Plummer, and coaches who worked under Shany in Denver. He looks for fall guys and scapegoats when he gets out coached. There is the difference between Shanahan and Gibbs. It's not that Shanahan is not a great coach -- he just doesn't own up when he was the problem. It's not that McNabb (or the offensive line) not knowing 'the system' -- It's the inability to affect a game plan that exploits the other team weaknesses with your strengths.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Being a long-time Redskins fan, I gave Shanahan and staff the benefit of the doubt, even as the Haynesworth situation was mishandled. But benching McNabb during the two-minute drill with the game on the line is utterly ridiculous, especially with the explanation Shanahan has given. King Mike "My-Way-or-the-Highway" Shanahan has, I would guess, lost some respect among his players and definitely has lost respect among many of the Skins' fans.
    We need a rally to restore sanity!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wait a minute....Andy Reid benched McNabb at least 4 times in Philly and more often than not, he came back better, stronger and more focused. That's "the book" on McNabb. Shanny is simply pushing one of the McNabb buttons. Let's see if it still works and McNabb quits playing like Betty White out there!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Like the article and the comments. Big departure from the immature blog at other pages.

    I have to say it is obvious to me that Mcnabb cannot run the 2 minute offense here yet. I hate the move by Shanny for all the reasons discussed here, but did you notice in other 4 minute situations that the team plodded along and huddled up? I thought that was strange, but maybe now we know why they don't use hurry up offense as a tool. But Rex? No way is he better than McNabb at anything.

    ReplyDelete
  8. 1. Grossman stinks. He's not a viable no.2. Yet I suspected his ass kissing and subtle undermining would result in something like this.

    2. Kyle Shanahan: God damn it daddy he's not running my offense! I won 9 games with this offense last year!!

    3. Mike Shanahan: Rex warm up!
    Coach: What'l you tell the press?

    M. Shanahan: I'll tell them he's too stupid to grasp our terminoligy. If I get alot of sh_t for that release his wonderlick score.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Looks like Donovan McNabb will be under center for the Minnesota Vikings in 2011, after watching yesterday's debacle directed by Mike Shanahan.
    In other developments look for Bill Cowher to resume coaching in Carolina....Norv Turner going back home to Dallas....Daniel Snyder working a deal to return Redskins to DC, vacating Fed Ex field....Robert L Huff getting kicked to the curb....Sonny Jurgensen retiring to Florida...Mark May and Bobby Beathard brought in for a serious role with the team.... and finally the hiring of Jon Gruden to return our beloved Burgundy and Gold to the promised land.... In the radio booth Larry Michael, Doc Walker, and Joe T..... How in the name of Christine Brennan could Frank Herzog been replaced anyhow? Rick Hunt providing insight from his sources....Returning back to the Alpine Restaurant .... Happy Birthday Mark May.....

    ReplyDelete
  10. I think it would've been hard to run the two minute offense too, if I spent the whole game running from my life. But that's just me.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Kyle Shanahan doesn't know if the football is stuffed or if it has air....What do you call 53 millionares watching the Super Bowl? ....The Dallas Cowboys....hehehehe.....The first black ball player to sign with Redskins was Ron Hatcher....The first player was John Nisby....Forget the garbage jammed down our throats all these years about Bobby Mitchell...He took the field after Nisby on that September afternoon.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Fourth and twenty six:
    Perhaps too often many people who call themselves Christians..and I include myself are not very Christian at all. The German philosopher Nietzche once said, "If Christians expect us to believe in their Redeemer, then they ought to look a little more redeemed."

    Now,if we really call ourselves Christian, how can we demonstrate this in Donovan McNabb's regard? Oh I know, its a risk to reinstate Donovan as the quarterback in the two-minute drill. After all, what would people (Christians) think? Well, Christ Himself was the first Christian, and I think that he would forgive and forget about what Donovan McNabb did. Can we do any less, Mike Shanahan?

    I could go on and on about this but then again I don't think a lot of pious words should have to be necessary. Donovan has always been very professional to us fans of the NFL. I think its time we did something for him--not because we need him, but because we love him in spite of what he did. We love Donovanas he is--with his strengths(and he has many), and his weaknesses too (and he has many)--just as we all do.

    Dinally, in closing, please remember our Lord's words, "hatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, you do to Me." Please help Donovan, Redskins Nation grow in the Christian way of life, and see that he is reinstated with a full direct and truthful apology before the next game November 15. Try to realize we need Donovanbecauuse the fans love him. If the latter is what Christianity is all about Mike Shanahan, then we must confess we don't know who Christ is. If the former is what Christianity is all about, then Christ still lives, and so does Donovan McNabb.
    This is Warner Wolf.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Mike Shanahan is a head case he sucked in Denver as well. Oh you youngsters probably thinking about when he won two superbowls WITH DAN REEVES TEAM. What did he do with his own talent...cmon keep looking...thats right ZERO. Im a skins fans but im a realist. My friends thought i was crazy when i said Shanahan was crazy now they r starting to see the writing on the wall...cmon JaMarcus Russell, wow r the Shanahan's sipping on some syrup with the Ex-TombRaider. Unless Shanahan checks himself the Redskins will only be as good as their Jeckyl and Hyde coach...cmon Joey Galloway, Roydell Williams, Larry Johnson and on and on and on.

    ReplyDelete
  14. When Rex Grossman was put in the game the Redskins biggest problem was exposed...

    how many sacks could Rex Grossman have avoided?

    Bringing in JaMarcus Russell will prove what exactly?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Breaking News..... The Washington Redskins are in serious negotiations with quarterback Jeff George according to a well placed source in the organization.

    George hasn't played since 2000 when coach Marty Schotenheimer placed him on waivers.

    Also, a shuttle was waiting for the arrival of
    George Izo at Dulles Airport near the team facility.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Can we imagine a reunion of some of the former players during this bye week? Ray McDonald, Norman Snead, Roy "Sweet Pea" Jefferson, Dave Kopay, in memory of the late Jerry Smith.

    Smith blossomed in the Redskins offense as a 'tight end' after drafted by Bill McPeak. Imagine Clinton Portis driving the caravan to town, joined by Craig Morton and Roman Gabriel.

    Imagine Clarence Carter singing "Strokin" on the CD, and Ray McDonald taking a bow in East Potomac Park.

    Joe Don Looney wouldn't be happy.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Chris Simms could lite things up around Redskin Park. Perhaps he could wow Norman Bates Shanahan with a toke or two!!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Right on Riggo . . . I almost burned my hat after the game . . . how embarrassing was that. While watching the game I truly believed that when we got the ball back that Donovan could lead us to a victory . . . that's why we got him . . . now we will never know . . . they at least should have given him the opportunity to do it . . . What seems to have been lost in light of the DECISION was the earlier "decision" by Shanny Jr. to throw the ball with 4:00 left in the game and the lead ! WTF . . . As Vince Lombardi once said, "What the hell is going on out there?"

    ReplyDelete
  19. Yes, McNabb can be an erratic player but he is a leader, something the Redskins need on the field. If the Shanahans, rather than constantly changing their stories about McNabb's benching, would admit that the major problem is with the offensive line and if they would actually do something to improve it, then any QB back there would be more effective. Also, the Shanahans are making a mistake trying to change the way McNabb steps up and throws. After all his successful years in the NFL, McNabb should be allowed to be himself rather than try to fit him into some concept for which he's not suited. Shanahan finally is beginning to understand that with Haynesworth.
    Utilize the talents of the people you have and build on those rather than try to make them fit into some neat scheme that looks good on paper.

    ReplyDelete
  20. You need to start blogging regularly or people are going to stop comming here Riggo.

    ReplyDelete