Dan Snyder says Washington Redskins are “the fans’ team”
Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder spoke at a summit for Washington area sports team owners on Tuesday. He said that he has matured as an owner and has made some mistakes in terms of personnel. He also said that although he
is the one paying the players, the ‘Skins are “the fans’ team.”
Snyder bought the team 12 years ago when he was 34 years old. Now 46, he had learned to trust the right people.
"I think that you come in - and I'm sure all of us originally - you come in as a pure fan," he said, according to a major newspaper. "And you don't appreciate the nuances of coaching or scouting or all of what's involved in
the particular sport. And it takes some time to understand what that's all about, and how you have to have patience."
He added, "The Redskins hadn't gone to the playoffs in the eight years before I bought the team, and we were frustrated, so that frustration rubs off pretty quick. But I've learned to get the right people, and we did that with
Joe Gibbs, we're doing that with Mike Shanahan, and I'm excited about where we're going."
He was also asked to explain his biggest personnel regret. Snyder said that fans and followers of the ‘Skins already know about the biggest bust during his ownership. He said, "You know. I don't need to answer this. You
all know."
Although he didn’t explicitly say who he was talking about, it is almost certainly Albert Haynesworth.
Haynesworth was signed to a $100 million contract two years ago, and was then suspended for the last four games of 2010 because of conduct deemed detrimental to the franchise. If owners and players are able to work out a collective
bargaining agreement, Haynesworth is expected to be released or traded some time during this off-season.
"One of the things you try to do is, you're trying to make the right decision," Snyder said. "You're trying to be supportive. You end up taking the entire blame in response and I understand that. That's fine. But the reality
is the intentions are in the right place."
Snyder didn’t say anything about quarterback Donovan McNabb either. The Redskins traded for him last year, but he was benched near the end of the season and is also likely to be released or traded. However, the fans have
other problems with the ‘Skins as well. They haven’t seen much success under Snyder, considering the team has gotten to the playoffs only twice in Snyder’s 11 seasons as owner.
"It may be our money, but it's the fans' teams," he said, according to the newspaper. "And that goes across the board up here [for all the owners on the panel]. It's the fans' team. We have the responsibility to try to do the
right thing. And from my perspective, obviously, people have known I'm aggressive in seeking free agents ... but we're trying to do the right thing."
The Redskins ended the season in last place in their division for the third straight season; the first time in team history. They showed only a slight improvement from the 4-12 record under Jim Zorn, before Mike Shanahan took
over. They finished with a 6-10 record this year.
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