Allen's stranglehold on Redskins tightens with Lafemina's departure
You want to know how hard Brian Lafemina’s job was as the Washington Redskins president of business operations, chief operating officer and franchise savior? This is how hard it was. Lafemina and his newly imported business and marketing team, brought in by owner Dan Snyder to stop the bleeding at the box office and change the toxic narrative that had come to define the Redskins, had an idea for a marketing campaign — seemingly a simple campaign with a catchy phase. “We Hail.
Redskins' 'do the right thing' era was doomed from the start
I wrote the following in my Nov. 30 Washington Times column: “The Lafemina-Redskins goodwill era came to an end Tuesday afternoon with the news that the organization he was brought in, along with a team of other suits, to save had yet again committed a self-destructive crime by picking up Reuben Foster, the former first-round pick who had been cut by the San Francisco 49ers after spending Saturday night in jail in Tampa, Florida, following his third arrest in 12 months. “It’s
Tales from the Cigars & Curveballs podcast: Jean Fugett
Jean Fugett was a Pro Bowl tight end and one of those few unique NFL players who played both for the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins. Fugett was drafted by the Cowboys in the 13th round in 1972 and then, in that brief window of free agency in 1976, signed as a free agent by the Redskins. He was George Allen’s kind of player – smart (he played football at Amherst College) and a leader, a player representative during his time in Dallas. When he came to Washington, Fu
Joe Don Looney's place in history
The presence of Sonny Jurgensen and Billy Kilmer together at a Washington Nationals game last week caused quite a commotion — Washington sports royalty side by side, in, appropriately, the President’s Club seats. Two presidents at a Nationals game wouldn’t have gotten as much attention — especially two shown with cigars in their mouths. The one-time quarterback rivals here in Washington may be the most valued and treasured relationship in Washington sports history. Even thoug
When it comes to needing advice, athletes find the mirror never lies
Athletes, coaches and competitors look for answers in all kinds of places when they fail. They look at film, they look at playbooks, they look at practices, they look at Bible verses. But perhaps no where do they look for help more than the mirror. When things are bad, the go-to move for competitors is the mirror. What kind of mirror, I’m not sure — a rear-view mirror, bathroom mirrors, maybe a full-length mirror — but somewhere in there, they are convinced are the answers. L
No way picking up Robert Griffin III’s option was a no-brainer
I can't figure out if team president Bruce Allen is the good cop, coach Jay Gruden is the bad cop, or they are just all Keystone Cops at Redskins Park. Here's what Allen told reporters recently about the decision to pick up often-injured Robert Griffin III's fifth-year option on his contract. "We think Robert is a starting quarterback. We've seen him win. We've seen him win big games. We know his talent. It really was a no-brainer. I think if you asked us six months before, i
For Shanahans and Griffins, father-son dreams meet harsh reality
This Redskins melodrama comes down to fathers and sons, and the dreams that have turned into nightmares. Coach Mike Shanahan hired his son Kyle to be his offensive coordinator here in Washington, and you can be sure that was a dream come true for both. Kyle grew up on the football field around his father, and most likely as a young boy dreamed of the day he could work with Dad. Mike watched Kyle grow as a football coach from afar, from offensive quality coach in Tampa Bay to
For RG3, it’s not the heat, it’s the humility
It seems reasonable to conclude that Washington Redskins quarterback Robert “SuperBob” Griffin III missed some valuable growth time in the offseason while rehabilitating his reconstructed right knee. This was obvious in the early games of this 2013 season, and while he has played better of late, the missed development opportunities still show up, like on Sunday in Philadelphia in a 24-16 loss to the Eagles. We saw the RG3 learning curve in the first half Sunday when the Redsk
Call this what it is for Redskins: A quarterback controversy
Don't believe the hype. There's a quarterback controversy in Washington. It's Robert Griffin III vs. Kirk Cousins. I love RGIII. I love Kirk. No one is printing bumper stickers yet -- at least not that I know of. But to deny the existence of at least the roots of a Redskins quarterback controversy means you aren't paying attention. If many in the media are spending days saying there is no Redskins quarterback controversy, then there is a quarterback controversy. And I'm not e
Largent, Cerrato simply can't agree
Steve Largent is a Hall of Fame receiver. He was Jim Zorn's teammate in Seattle, and they remain close friends.
In 1982, Zorn and Largent crossed the line as the players' strike began to fall apart - a decision, it was reported, based on religious principle. Largent cited Matthew 5:36?37, saying "your word is your bond" and "all contracts shall be honored as with God."
In 1989, Largent became the first Seattle player to win the Steve Largent Award for "spirit, dedicatio
