So, there is delirium… rumors continue to swirl… it seems that most money is on Mike Shanahan to become the next HC… but, who would expect that to be announced before the end of the season?

Anyway, I’ve found the thought of Bruce Allen (whom everyone, by now, is aware is the son of Hall of Fame Redskins coaching legend George Allen) has provoked some very old memories…

really good, for the most part… but, some, bittersweet. One thing the George Allen era had plenty of was personalities. I’ve been surprised at the flood…

Sonny and Billy…

AKA “Hobble and Wobble”

Billy Kilmer glances at Sonny's ankle, as he comes in to replace him

Kilmer had come into the league in ‘60, and was tearing up the league as a tailback… a very serious car accident and a very improbable recovery turned him into a quarterback… behind the legendary John Brodie.  In high school and college, he was one of those athletes who could do anything he wanted.  He was offered a contract to play for the Pirates out of high school (a .525 batting average will get those kind of offers).  He loved, and excelled, at basketball.  He didn’t think of himself as much of a football player. Kilmer was one very tough son of a gun… who threw the ugliest pass in NFL history… and, therefore, Wobble.

Billy liked to party.

Hobble was Sonny Jurgensen… Where Kilmer made his mark as a quarterback primarily through grit and determination, Sonny was easily the best pure passer in football. NFL Records fell to his arm. No one’s release was quicker, and no one could thread a needle better than Sonny. Why “Hobble”? Ever see Sonny run? (Of course, in 1971, Kilmer wasn’t much of a runner either… but that is part of the greatness of Billy, that I’ll try to write about some other time.)

Sonny liked to party.

While Coach Allen appreciated Jurgensen’s skills, Sonny’s style of play caused him some concerns. Sonny was not above taking major risks… and was known to improvise. While that could result in some VERY exciting plays, it did not exactly jive with Allen’s conservative, ball control philosophy… That’s where Billy came in. When Archie Manning was drafted by the Saints, Kilmer (then their QB) became expendable. He was George Allen’s first player acquisition.
When Billy came to Washington, he wasn’t immediately happy, and, in fact, asked Allen to trade him. He wanted to play for a team where he had a shot at starting… but, he sucked it up. He met Sonny, and immediately asked “Where can a guy get a beer around here?” Sonny just happened to know a place. A friendship was started.

Both could be seen all over town… anyone who lived in DC during the 71 and 72 seasons remembers the bumper stickers… “I follow the Redskins, and I like SONNY”… “I follow the Redskins, and I like BILLY” There are stories of them being in a car together, and pulling up next to a car with one sticker or the other, and feigning offense toward the driver… Apparently, they found it most amusing. While the “controversy” was hot, the two, despite their very different games and skills, were very much alike.

Personal experience… I can remember driving home from class at Washington Technical Institute (now the University of DC). I was going a bit out of my way to drop off a friend. Driving along Nebraska Avenue, NW, we came upon an accident at the intersection with Military Road… there, directing traffic (and getting a lot more attention than he wanted) was Sonny Jurgensen. He had stopped to help… but, I’m pretty sure that his presence was causing a worse problem…

During the 1972 season, Sonny snapped his achilles tendon… an injury that effectively ended his career… while he did play a couple of games after healing, he was never the same. Following Sonny’s injury, Billy’s guts and leadership led to Washington’s first trip to the SuperBowl. The Miami Dolphin’s year of destiny.

Unfortunately, Billy’s guts could not overcome the very skilled Miami defense. Would the outcome have been different were Sonny availible to play? Obviously, we’ll never know…

At least we got to see Garo Yaprenian demonstrate why he was a kicker…

The memories are flooding back… more later.

BTW, my bumper sticker said “I like Sonny”

HTTR

No… it has nothing to do with the growing realization that this season needs to be spoken of in the past tense.

While painful, it is not about the likely loss of one of the best LT’s to the potential of a spinal injury.

Chris Cooley will be fine… so, no, not that either.

It’s the growing realization that Snyder REALLY doesn’t get it. That his minions have him so isolated that, not only is he not functioning as a competent owner, but he doesn’t even know that he has completely lost the fan base. Snyder is obviously willing to spend the money. He obviously wants to win so badly he can taste it. Yet, he remains prisoner to the simple fact that he is not a football man. He must depend upon “football men” for their insights and judgements. Sooo… what about his “football man”?

Snyder built his millions through his marketing skill. Who the hell thought that it would be a good idea to play petty games with the faithful’s ability to express themselves at FedEx? Is that the mark of a marketing mind, Mr Snyder? Do marketing geniuses truly make their millions by infuriating their customer base? Who knew???

Who is advising you that further insulting the fans with clearly suspect lines about concern for fan safety is an effective means of explaning your operation’s cynical effort to suppress fan expressions of anger? Ummm… did it work, Mr Snyder?

So, now you have the flames of fan dissent stoked up. People are angry, Mr Snyder, and it isn’t getting any better.

But it’s nothing compared to what will happen if there are no major changes in the front office at Redskins Park. There is a palpable sense that Dan Snyder doesn’t view Vinnie as part of the problem. We can see it in the way Cerrato continues to peddle his ludicrous “we gave Zorn a team that had playoff portential” pap. He remains confident… sure of himself… unconcerned. There are two possiblities, here… either he completely delusional, or he is feeling very secure, because you have given him reason.

Not good. Look, even if it were true that Cerrato is blameless (funny, huh?), he is still “fruit of the poisoned tree”… damaged goods.

If he doesn’t go, if there aren’t substantial changes, if Snyder doesn’t give us reason for real hope… not the superficial promises and flash in the pan expenditures of the past… REAL hope… there will be a fan revolt. Here’s the thing, Mr. Snyder… you may own the team…

But it belongs to us… are you worthy of being the caretaker of our team? Not looking good. We are officially a source of jokes. The sad fans of our NFC East rivals smile at our good fortune, and weep at the damage done to the rivalrys of old. The rich history of the Redskins cannot possibly absorb the insults being visited as a result of the buffoonery of this season’s collapse. No longer does the football world look at the Redskins, and feel respect. More often than not, they feel pity. They feel sadness. Some even feel contempt. They see a hole in the great legacy. You don’t have to look or listen hard to find it. It’s there. It’s all over.

We are fast approaching the point where the management is painting the team into a corner. This WILL have an effect on the team’s ability to recruit potential coaches… While Gruden sounded like he was auditioning for the job during the Monday night broadcast of the debacle against the Eagles, does anyone really believe that he would be happy working for another hands on owner? He is quite candid, and very emotional… Snyder would know exactly what he thinks… all the time. I don’t see Mr Snyder being happy with that, either. Mike Holmgren was astonishingly candid regarding his opinion of how Zorn has been treated by the team… and it does not bode well for his candidacy… Cower seemed to find suggestions that his name should be in the running to be laughable. I don’t see this situation getting any better anytime soon. Honestly… does the owner? What is he going to do about it? I haven’t seen a hint of damage control. It may not be possible to convince a solid GM or Coach to come here. Respect, once lost, is very difficult to regain.

There is a hole in my heart, Mr Snyder. Thousands of us, Redskins fans, share that pain. You broke it. You fix it. You, and your friends, have just really screwed this up. Stop sending out your messengers, seeking to blame the Post, reporters with an agenda, fans with an agenda… bloggers with an agenda… Dude… the Post’s agenda has been there for most of a decade. We saw that. You got the benefit of the doubt… for years. You didn’t loose most of the rest of us until this year. No one to blame but you.

Clean it up, and make it work again. Your ownership legacy is not beyond salvaging… yet. You must clean house on the football side. Find a competent General Manager (COUGH! Chris Polian COUGH!), with a solid NFL pedigree. Give that person the reins. Let them rebuild the football operation. Bring back the respect. It will hurt. There will be changes that some of us don’t want to see. There will be changes that some of us will celebrate. It must be that way. It’s just how it is.

I just don’t have any confidence that Mr Snyder will figure this out. None. He is, whether he knows it or not, poisoning the well.