Garcia Media Life

The Redskins remind me of a 3-year old with a shiny new toy who plays with it so obsessively, the thing is broken and doesn’t work anymore after a few weeks.

It could be worst, though.  If they could figure out how to do it, RGIII would also catch passes, block and play in the secondary.

Unfortunately for the kid, he ended up with the Washington Redskins; a team that is proof that no matter what apparent good fortune has landed in their laps, crap still travels downhill, directly from owner, Daniel Snyder and the Father-Son Shanahan coaching duo.   The Rebuilding Century continues.   Except, of course, these are the Redskins.  They have nothing to rebuild with til the year after next with no 1^st round draft picks next season (traded for RGIII).  They will continue to be in the 2^nd year of an $18 million reduction in their salary cap for violating the NFL’s rules on signing free agents during the lock-out last year.

Last week, receiver, Josh Morgan, drew a personal foul to end the Skins chances at a comeback in St. Louis.   And this past Sunday…a late personal foul cost them again…this one apparently incurred by Redskins offensive coordinator, Kyle Shanahan.   Unlike Morgan who at least faced the music after the game and talked to reporters, the Redskins did not make Kyle Shanahan available to the press after the contest.  Here’s the message this sends to the team.  The players are accountable.  The coaching staff is not.

Starting at his own 2-yard line, RGIII had driven the Skins to the  Bengals 19 yard line with enough time left for several shots at the end zone.  They ended up losing 36 yards.  How do you accomplish such a thing?  Here’s how:  a 15-yard sack, a 5-yard off-sides penalty and young Kyle’s personal foul.  On their last play of the game, RG faced a 3rd and 45.

Contemplate that for a moment.  3^rd and 45.

“Daddy, please don’t make me go out there and talk to those mean reporters.”

There is no doubt the Redskins picked up a franchise player in RGIII.  If he physically survives the beatings he will be taking week after week, he will have been worth every one of those #1 draft picks.   The Skins are now averaging over 30 points on offense every game.   At quarterback- mission accomplished.

I do find it striking how differently the Redskins treat their star player than, say, how the Washington Nationals protect Stephen Strasburg.  The Nationals are guarding their investment by ending his season early, convinced their long-range planning will yield a bounty of future stellar seasons from Strasburg.  The Redskins?  With the Shanahan family clinging to dear life for their jobs if they have another abysmal season- Sunday showed how much they care about RGIII.   They will keep running him out there until he ends up in the ER.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the difference between long range and short range planning, between Ted Lerner and Daniel Snyder- between class and crass.