After buying the Washington Redskins for $800 million 17 months ago, Daniel M. Snyder built the team into the NFL's most profitable franchise and generated tremendous national buzz about the high-priced all-star squad he assembled to make a run at this season's Super Bowl.
But when it came to the Redskins' core business--the football played on the field--Snyder's team fell short.
Instead of soaring into the NFL playoffs as Snyder and so many Redskins fans envisioned, the Redskins (7-8) won't even qualify for the postseason. The team closes its 2000 campaign today needing a victory over the Arizona Cardinals (3-12) to finish .500 and avoid what would be their first losing record at home since moving into FedEx Field in 1997.
In evaluating Snyder's role in one of the most disappointing teams in NFL history, not even his biggest detractors--and he has many--question his desire to win. But his aggressive style and hands-on approach (examples include his shaking up of the team's front office last summer days into his tenure and his late-season firing of coach Norv Turner) have turned Snyder into an easy target for media critics.
"A lot of people in the National Football League are just tickled the Redskins have finished the way they have," said former Redskin Joe Theismann, an ESPN analyst. "The only thing you hear is, 'You may be able to buy a team in baseball, but not in football.' "
An aggressive businessman, Snyder draws praise for his enthusiasm, risk-taking and willingness to spend big money in hopes of turning the Redskins into winners. He lured future Hall of Famers Deion Sanders and Bruce Smith, along with veterans Mark Carrier and Jeff George, to the team in the offseason. He also spent millions to improve four-year-old FedEx Field and improve access and parking, although the club's game-day production has been cited by some teams (and the NFL) as unsportsmanlike and being too loud.
With no previous background in sports, Snyder is also faulted by critics and some NFL coaches and executives for failing to grasp the subtleties involved in building a championship NFL squad. He has also been criticized for firing Turner, in his seventh season, with the team still in contention at 7-6.
"The season has obviously been a disappointment," Snyder said in a brief interview on Friday. "We've had a tremendous amount of injuries. We've had some obvious problems on our kicking and finishing. But no excuses. We hope to put together a much more cohesive season. I believe that the team is still going to be very, very strong in the future, and that's why you have another season. That's why you have next season."
Seeking Replacements
Now Snyder needs to replace Turner, evaluate the team and organization, and, according to observers, chart his own course.
"The key to Daniel Snyder is how he reflects back on this season," said former Pittsburgh Steelers executive Tom Donahoe. "Can he be self-critical and take the steps necessary to improve? He's a rookie owner. And it's just like a rookie player: You make mistakes."
Sanders, the owner's most handsomely compensated recruit who did not have his best season, said of his boss: "This guy is doing everything in his power to try to help us win. And the city doesn't appreciate it. Fans don't appreciate it. The NFL doesn't appreciate it. Reporters don't appreciate what he does."
Theismann admires Snyder's aggressive style but adds that trait also makes him a target for critics.
"Daniel is not afraid to step out front," Theismann said. "And when you lead a battalion into battle, you're either going to catch the first bullet or be the first guy to get to the top of the mountain. Right now, he's caught a lot of bullets."
Snyder, 36, was out front Dec. 4 when he fired Turner and replaced him with interim coach Terry Robiskie, saying the team needed a change and new leadership in hopes of jump-starting it to the playoffs. Sources said the owners believed Turner was burned out; Turner disagreed. But the Redskins were soundly defeated by Dallas and Pittsburgh in their first two games under Robiskie, getting outscored 56-16 and vanquishing their postseason hopes.
Special teams coach LeCharls McDaniel followed Turner out the door hours later that day. McDaniel's former unit continued to struggle in the wake of his departure. Former Redskin tight end Rick "Doc" Walker said the team has been reeling from "mental whiplash" since both coaches left.
"This was a team that three weeks ago had a chance to make the playoffs," Donahoe said. "Maybe [Snyder] had issues with the coach. Couldn't those issues have waited three weeks? The change obviously has not worked for the better."
Other moves of Snyder's that have also come under scrutiny were his free agent signings, which vastly improved the defense and sparked national interest but may have affected team chemistry, sources said; and by not hiring an experienced general manager to replace Charley Casserly, fired in July 1999.
Vinny Cerrato, director of player personnel, did not have Casserly's clout or experience. Had the Redskins signed a reliable kicker after letting Brett Conway go after he'd gotten hurt, for example, the team might have won at least three more games and been playoff-bound.
Still, as Ron Wolf, general manager of the Green Bay Packers said, "Anybody that owns anything has a right to run it anyway they want to run it."
Baltimore Ravens owner Art Modell agreed. "A man came along and paid $800 million for his franchise, and he's entitled to call the shots for himself. I give him high marks for daring and conviction. Only time will tell whether he's right or not."
'Showing Favoritism'
The results came relatively easy in Snyder's first season.
In his first meeting with players, Snyder made clear that winning was all important and the team responded to him and Turner, clinching its first NFC East championship under Turner and advancing to the second round of the playoffs.
The team's Achilles' heel in 1999 was its defense. And Snyder shored it up in the offseason, hiring Ray Rhodes as his defensive coordinator and signing veteran superstars such as Sanders and Smith.
But his key acquisition on offense was less successful. Instead of signing Pro Bowl quarterback Brad Johnson to a long-term deal, he brought in George with a four-year, $18.25 million contract. George had the more obvious gift: a strong throwing arm. But Johnson possessed sound judgment, patience and the willingness to run the offense.
Theismann believes the way Johnson was treated affected his play.
"It bothered Brad because he's a human being," Theismann said. "It would. Here are the facts: I went to the Pro Bowl. I got the team to the playoffs for the first time in however many years. And my reward is him signing another guy for $18 million. As the season went on, the pressure built on Brad to be more and more perfect. And you can't try to be so perfect at that position. It's counterproductive when you try to do too much."
According to former Redskin Brian Mitchell, Snyder's preference for George ultimately divided the team.
"That messed the team up," Mitchell told the Philadelphia Daily News last week. "As the owner, you can't start showing favoritism one way or the other. It's your team. Everybody's playing for you. You start showing favoritism, it makes some guys who truly believe in the owner go from his side [to the other] and other guys who don't like him have feelings where they'll start pulling against him just because."
Others say Snyder erred in moving training camp from Frostburg State University to Ashburn. Fans were charged $10 to attend--a move that was greeted with derision around the NFL. Moreover, the camp drew NFL scouts from Dallas, Detroit, Carolina and St. Louis (teams that played the Redskins early in the season), who dissected Redskins plays and players in an effort to gain a competitive edge.
"It didn't make enough money to fill a teacup," Theismann said. "And second, it gave access to every NFL team in the league who wanted to send a scout to chart everything they did in the preseason. I know for a fact that there were certain things they didn't run because of it. All you're doing is hurting the chances of your football team to win."
Said Donahoe: "Looking at it from afar, it has to hurt the team. There are certain things you don't work on. And if you do, you know every scout in the league is taking notes."
Ideally, NFL teams come together during training camp. But, according to Mitchell, that unity seemed to be missing from the Redskins this year. "That all starts from the owner," said Mitchell, who had been cut by the Redskins. Snyder "said that conflict makes people play better. Not in professional athletics. In professional athletics, if your team splits up, with one half liking one quarterback and the other half liking the other quarterback . . . that breaks the team up."
Turner said after camp he thought the move to Ashburn from Frostburg was not a factor or a distraction, and the Redskins did win six of their first eight games.
But Snyder's image as a micromanaging owner grew with reports that Johnson was liable to be benched and Turner was in danger of being fired after the Redskins lost two of their first three games, including their upset loss on Monday night to Dallas.
Players openly wondered who was calling the shots during games after taking note of a telephone that had appeared on the sideline with "Mr. Snyder" printed on it. According to team sources, the phone was installed simply so Snyder could be informed of injuries during games, and it was never used for anything else. But the perception was otherwise.
"Everybody was questioning why he got that telephone put on the sideline," said defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield. "Maybe a lot of guys thought, 'Well, maybe Norv is not the one calling the shots; maybe Mr. Snyder is calling the shots,' just because of that phone aspect."
On Dec. 5, when some NFL commentators suggested Snyder had interfered with Turner's coaching, Snyder said: "I do not get involved in coaching decisions. I leave that to the coaches."
Said Rick Walker: "I don't think Norv had a clear path to leadership. It's very difficult to be successful when those lines aren't clear, and everybody in that locker room understands that. Players are just like children: They know which parent you can get something away with, and what parent you don't mess with."
Creating Divisions
According to several players, few in the locker room resented the big money paid to star free agents because everyone believed those players would help the Redskins get to the Super Bowl. But as the season wore on, players started to wonder how many of them would be asked back in 2001, given the handsome salaries paid to a few.
"Everybody knows the amount of money [$100 million in salaries and bonuses] that was spent this year," Stubblefield said. "Everybody knows how much money they are against the cap and all that. The question is: Is this guy going to be able to be here? Are we going to be able to keep these guys we signed last year?"
From a marketing standpoint, Walker believes Snyder's free agent signings were brilliant. But in terms of team chemistry, he thought the moves were damaging.
It was reflected in subtle ways. The team-issued Redskins' 2000 Official Yearbook featured Sanders and Smith on the cover, along with veteran Darrell Green, instead of the 1999 Pro Bowl players (guard Tre Johnson, tailback Stephen Davis and quarterback Johnson) who had led the team to the NFC East championship.
It's the kind of slight that wounds players, Walker said. "The [1999] team was never allowed a chance to celebrate and marvel at its accomplishments because the offseason was marred by the additional excitement over bringing new people in--as if the team had no leaders," Walker said.
When Snyder fired Turner--admittedly with no plan for replacing him--criticism of Snyder grew.
The next day, minority owner Fred Drasner recounted the all-night decision-making process. The owners mulled several scenarios, including naming FedEx liaison and former college coach Pepper Rodgers as interim coach, before handing the reins to Robiskie. Rodgers was named vice president of football operations, charged with helping find a long-term successor to Turner. Charming and affable, Rodgers nonetheless had no NFL coaching experience and his overnight ascendancy was met with derision.
"Obviously, Daniel Snyder thought it was the right move," Donahoe said. "But I'd venture to say that if you asked 31 general managers in the NFL, they'd disagree. And your coaches and your players may resent the fact that this guy that's giving him advice has never been involved in the league."
While Snyder and Drasner hoped the players would rally around Robiskie and mount a push for the playoffs, the team collapsed instead.
"When the interim tag is there, people start dividing and developing little cliques," Walker said. "Some are mad that Norv is gone. Some may want change. Others are in a panic about what's going to happen, and they go home and their kids say, 'Daddy, are we gonna have to move?' You can't focus on the game because you're worried about your livelihood."
Nonetheless, Robiskie jumped at the chance to coach for Snyder.
"Mr. Dan Snyder is a fiery guy who has got one love, one heart, one wish, one desire: His love is the Washington Redskins," Robiskie said. "In his heart, he wants to win, and that's the only thing that's important to him. And to bash him for it, makes no sense."
And Hall of Fame linebacker Sam Huff, now a broadcaster for WJFK, said he only wishes he could have played for Snyder.
"This guy has done everything to win. That's his one goal: to win football games," Huff said. "When you move as fast as he moves, and as young as he is, there are going to be some things that don't fall in line. But, as somebody once told me, 'Show me a shortstop who covers no ground, and I'll show you one who makes no errors.' "