Blast from the Past: Gibbs Takes Over in D.C.

Yahoo Sports ^ | 1/7/04

[leadpenny]

According to Sid Rosenburg, the Sports guy on the Imus in the Morning program, the Redskins are set to make an announcement today that the former Redskins Coach will be returning to be the new head coach.

Update:

Just a week after Steve Spurrier called it quits, the Washington Redskins have a new coach – their old one. Joe Gibbs agreed Wednesday to take charge of the struggling franchise. Gibbs coached the team from 1981-92, winning three Super Bowls along the way before resigning to pursue a career with his own NASCAR team. [link to source]

[Hammerhead]

amen brother.

definetly the most hated man this area.

can't stand the little metro-sexual pr!ck.

[jgrubbs]

Wednesday, January 7, 2004

By Tom Friend
ESPN The Magazine

I can't wait for Redskins-Cowboys again.

I can't wait for Joe Gibbs' rematch with Bill Parcells -- without Lawrence Taylor!

What, this isn't big news to you? The Redskins rehiring Joe Gibbs? If it's not, the hell with you then. This would be the equivalent of Casey Stengel returning to mange the Yankees. Or Vince Lombardi returning to coach the Packers. This is a Hall of Fame coach coming back to where he belongs. This isn't Parcells selling his soul to Jerry Jones. Joe Gibbs turned down NFL jobs for 11 years, and I'll tell you why -- because he's a better man than Parcells. You think Gibbs would've come out of retirement to coach the Panthers? Or the Falcons? Or the, gulp, Cowboys? Never. Never in a million years. He's no Parcells. He's no sell-out. He was a Redskin in '81, and it looks like he's a Redskin again. And I promise you'll never hear another peep out of Dan Snyder.

With the Redskins on the brink of becoming the Arizona Cardinals, Snyder has done what he had to do: he's gone retro. Dan Snyder is conniving, and Dan Snyder is impatient, but the one person he'll never interfere with is Joseph Gibbs.

Do you know who Dan Snyder is? He's a kid from Charles W. Woodward High School in Rockville, Md. who grew up during the Redskin golden years. He grew up at a time Edward Bennett Williams was hiring Vince Lombardi and then George Allen to save the franchise. You think Steve Spurrier was a big name? Hah! Lombardi, now that's a name. Allen, that's a name. Dan Snyder grew up in an era where, from 1971-92, the Redskins had exactly two losing seasons, a 6-10 in 1980 and a 7-9 in '88. Other than that, it was five Super Bowl appearances and three titles, all courtesy of Joe Gibbs. It was Sonny and Billy and Hanburger in the 70s, and it was Gibbs and Riggo and Joey T. and Monk in the 80s. It was Sunday night celebrations at Duke Zieberts, it was Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan in the owner's box and it was RFK Stadium throbbing, throbbing.

Did little Dan Snyder get spoiled by it all? Of course he did. I went to a high school down the street from Snyder's, Wootton, and I got spoiled, too. From 1969-92, the team had three Hall of Fame head coaches. From 1971-85, they had just three celebrity quarterbacks -- Sonny Jurgensen, Bill Kilmer and Joe Theismann. And after that, you could've handed Gibbs anybody (even someone named Danny Wuerffel), and he'd have won with him. I mean, Gibbs won Super Bowls with Theismann, Doug Williams and Mark Rypien. He made the last two guys Super Bowl MVPs. It was football nirvana, and a young Dan Snyder even sat in the stands for the last game Gibbs ever coached, a playoff game in San Francisco in 1992. He sat in the stands and cheered. Lost his voice.

So there you have it. Now you know why Dan Snyder is nuts for the Redskins. Now you know why he overpaid Spurrier and why, after that mistake, he's reaching out to Gibbs. Now you know why he wants a celebrity coach, why he wishes he could walk into ol' Duke Zieberts and get standing ovations, the way Edward Bennett Williams used to, the way George Allen used to, the way every Redskin used to.

He could've hired Jim Fassel -- and if Gibbs falls through, he still might. But getting Joe Gibbs is bigger than big. I don't care if he's 63, and I don't care if he can only hold up until he's 65. This franchise needed credibility and it needed an old friend. And when Dan Snyder reintroduces Joe Gibbs as head coach, he will be able to just put his feet up and watch.

You think the game's passed him by? Please. Take a look at Dick Vermeil, Parcells. They're just as ancient, and look what they did this year. I'm guessing Gibbs will bring old buddy Joe Bugel back as his assistant head coach, and I bet he'll bring Russ Grimm back from Pittsburgh and groom him to be his successor. He'll also probably hire former Bills coach Gregg Williams as his defensive coordinator, and I bet he'll work smoothly with Snyder's personnel director, Vinny Cerrato (Vinny's mentor is Lou Holtz; he's been around legends before).

He'll have to get used to free agency and instant replay, but don't think for a minute he'll tolerate the cell phones and the eccentricities of today's young players. When I covered the Redskins for the Washington Post in the 80s, Joe Gibbs had his hand in everything. He was a control freak who slept at the office and who wanted lunch pail, work ethic players. At the same time, he knows how to deal with egos. He had Riggins and Theismann and Dexter Manley eating out of the palm of his hand. He's a people person.

And now the rivalries will fire up again. Back then, Giant Week was as bad as Cowboy Week. He was always afraid L.T. would kill his quarterback, so sometimes he'd only send one receiver out in a pattern and use everyone else to block. You think Patrick Ramsey's gonna get killed this year? Forget it.

He's more of disciplinarian than you'll ever know. He'll run three-hour practices in pads. Free agent Champ Bailey will want to stay now. LaVar Arrington will stop freelancing. If Ramsey thought Steve Spurrier knew quarterbacking, wait until he gets a load of Gibbs.

Gibbs is also the master of adjustment. At halftime, he'd always come up with some new wrinkle, and he'll adjust to the new NFL, too. I found it amusing how people say that Spurrier came to the NFL to see if his Fun 'N Gun would work and then quit when he realized it wouldn't. What a loser! Gibbs came to the Redskins in 1981 with the same reputation as a gun-slinging coach, straight from the Air Coryell Chargers. But after an 0-5 start, he looked at his roster and adjusted, became a run-first offense behind Riggins. He didn't quit, he didn't run off to play golf. It took guts to do what change everything, but Joe Gibbs is no dummy.

And he'll do it again. It won't be easy to win, not without a defensive line, but I bet they make a run at free agent defensive end Darren Howard or Jevon Kearse. And I bet Gibbs won't quit until he has his Redskins, his one and only Redskins, back in contention. The only coach who seemed to have his number in the old days was Parcells, but now he'll get another shot at the Tuna -- twice a year! I only wish Spurrier hadn't gutted his backfield, hadn't run Stephen Davis out of town. Because that would've been something to see … Stephen Davis running 50-gut.

But that's okay. Joe Gibbs won with a scat back named Joe Washington, and he'll win with a scatback named Trung Canidate.

Can we play at RFK?

Tom Friend writes for ESPN The Magazine

[MizzouTigerRepublican]

I will take the Cowboys 8 Superbowl appearances and 5 Superbowl championships to the minimal 3 the Redskins have :-)

Speaking of Dexter Manley whatever happened to that guy? I know he couldn't read or write and had a drug problem but I haven't heard him mentioned other than the butt of a joke on the Jim Rome show lately.

[ken5050]

Good article..however, the Cowboys only returned to their winning ways when Jones hired Parcells, and agreed to shut up....hopefully Gibbs can do the same..

[MizzouTigerRepublican]

Your right Parcells finally got Jerry Jones to get in the backseat. I am thankful for that. If Gibbs can make Snyder do that then you have something there. Still it doesn't matter who Jerry has coaching the Cowboys. They will beat the Redskins like a baby seal.

[Hatteras]

"Ya know I'd almost believe it's in NFL contracts now - you make a tackle you get to 'dance', a sack & you do two 'dances' and if you make a touchdown - WOW, you get to call in the Radio City Rockettes and put on and end zone show."

It's funny you should say that, afterall, it was Gibbs' "Fun Bunch" that brought about the excessive celebration rules...

[b4its2late]

From SprortsTerminal.com

Mr. Gibbs returns to Washington

Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs is expected to be named the Washington Redskins' head football coach on Wednesday afternoon.

Attorneys for both Gibbs and the Redskins are working out the details that will contain provisions keeping Gibbs in the organization after he is through with coaching.

The Redskins have been in search of a coach since Steve Spurrier resigned last week after two unsuccessful seasons. Spurrier was only 12-20 in Washington.

Washington owner Daniel Snyder had indicated that he wanted a proven NFL coach to lead his team after Spurrier's resignation. Washington has made the playoffs only once since the glory days under Gibbs, late owner Jack Kent Cooke and former general manager Bobby Beathard.

Snyder interviewed three other candidates -- former New York Giants coach Jim Fassel, former Minnesota coach Dennis Green and Seattle defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes before he elected to hire Gibbs.

Gibbs coached the Redskins from 1981-92 and led the club to titles in Super Bowls XVII, XXII and XXVI. He also reached the Super Bowl following the 1983 season, but lost. After Gibbs resigned from his coaching position after the 1992 campaign, he entered the world of NASCAR as a team owner and was adamant about not returning to coaching, despite maintaining several NFL contacts.

While working in NASCAR, Gibbs' racing teams have captured two Winston Cup Championships in the last four seasons, with Bobby Labonte winning in 2000 and Tony Stewart claming NASCAR's top achievement two years later. Dale Jarrett, who drove for Gibbs, also won the sport's most lucrative race, the Daytona 500, in 1993.

The 63-year-old Gibbs, who was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996, has a career record of 124-60, including a 16-5 mark in the postseason.

Gibbs is currently a minority owner with the Atlanta Falcons, but he would have to sell his shares in the organization to return to the sidelines.

Gibbs' return to coaching by is similar to the path's taken by Dick Vermeil and Bill Parcells. Vermeil returned to the NFL in 1997 following a 14-year absence, led the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl championship following the 1999 season, and has the Kansas City Chiefs in the postseason this year. Parcells, who used to be the coach of the New York Giants, returned to Dallas this season after a three-year hiatus and led the Cowboys to the playoffs. Both Vermeil, a former Philadelphia Eagles head coach, and Parcells faced Gibbs as NFC East rivals during Gibbs' first run in Washington.

Gibbs marks the fifth coach under Snyder since the Bethesda marketing executive bought the team in 1999.

[Dixiekraut]

Can't dispute the Cowboys franchise legacy....5 Superbowl wins spread out over how many years? But you must admit...Gibbs gave the Redskins franchise credibility...his bust in Canton is testimonial to that.And many of his asst. coaches went onto success....the man has personnel management skills.

[ken5050]

I hope so..after all, the Washington "jets", er..Redskins...finished with a worse record than my Jets, after shellign out big bucks to lure away a bunch of players.....to further reinforce our points about ownership...it's often forgotten that Parcell's success with the Giants began when George Young got the Giants ownership to stop fighting and shut up...and Young was the perfect GM.quiet, and stayed OUT of the media.... to Snyder, the Skins are like you and I owniing a Ferrari..it'd be impossible for us to put in the the garage, NOt drive it, and NOT tell anyone that we have it...

[Taxman]

You, jgrubbs, have a firm grasp of the obvious.

Dan Snyder will become a successful NFL owner when, and only when, he learns to keep his checkbook open and his mouth closed!

Snyder is an accountant, for Criminey's sake! What the Hell does he know about football?

Snyder is the premier example of the know-it-all condescending super-rich kid every Real Person hates. He is the kid we used to throw out of the sandbox, toy trucks and all, when his "my toys, my rules" mentality got too much to stomach, generally withing minutes of the whole gang ariving at the sandbox.

As long as he keeps polluting the atmosphere with his rich little boy tantrums and incessant meddling in matters about which he knows nothing, the Redskins will be losers, mega-million dollar coaches and players notwithstanding.

Damn shame the Cooke family could not keep control of the 'Skins. We are all much worse off for it, and much poorer to boot (DC area tax dollars down the Snyder rathole)!

I hope Joe Gibbs tells Snyder to stuff his toy trucks where the sun don't shine!

And I hope Coach Spurrier negotiated a big bux (megamillions!) golden parachute taken directly FRom Dan Snyder's personal money supply!

[Ed. comment: I don't much care for Dan Snyder. He, personally, has destroyed my life-long love affair with the Washington Redskins. They are the first professional football team I rooted for -- around one of the old fashioned HUGE upright radios -- with my dad in the late 40s and early 50s.]

[HenryLeeII]

It will be real interesting to see how he coaches (i.e. sleeping in his office, 100 hour workloads, etc.) when he comes back. Now that his sons are grown that is one burden lifted for him; and the traveling will be less (son J.D. was at Stanford, I believe) by just going between D.C. and N.C. to keep up with the racing team. Vermeil seems to have found a new lease on life, and I believe Joe Gibbs, being the good, Christian man he is, can do the same. He's inheriting some good offensive talent to work with (QB Patrick Ramsey, WR Laveraneus Coles, etc.), so this will be real interesting.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

You can put this under the heading of Desperation in DC.

[js1138]

Slightly off topic, but the news in Jacksonville is that former Jaguars coach, Tom Coughlin, is headed to the Giants.

[HenryLeeII]

No, actually the Redskins are more valuable than the Cowboys franchise, because they own their own stadium. Forbes or Fortune magazine did a survey recently, and if I remember correctly, the Skins were the top NFL franchise, and maybe even in sports overall.

[MizzouTigerRepublican]

I am not saying he isn't a great coach. He is a HOF coach. I am glad the Redskins are finally getting someone that might have a chance in putting Dan Snyder in the back seat. The rivalry with the Cowboys had died since Gibbs left and I want it back. I personally like it when we hammer the piss out of the Redskins every year. I want to enjoy the rivalry much more than knowing that we have 2 for sure wins on our schedule. Redskins fans should be happy just as I was when the Tuna was brought to Dallas.

I am only saying that the fans shouldn't be going overboard declaring that they will start beating the Cowboys again. Gibbs was under .500 to them during his tenure as the coach and 4 of those years the Cowboys were just horrible. The last 2 years of Landry and the first 2 years of Jimmy Johnson era.

Redskin fans enjoy your happiness for today. Come this fall of 2004 you will be just like baby seals for the Cowboys to beat on again :-)

[Hatteras]

"Speaking of Dexter Manley whatever happened to that guy? I know he couldn't read or write and had a drug problem but I haven't heard him mentioned other than the butt of a joke on the Jim Rome show lately."

Probably hanging with Leon Lett and Michael Irvin. Who else? No, let's see, Bob Hayes is dead, how about Hollywood Henderson?

[jimkress]

Won't they have to exhume him to do this?

[HenryLeeII]

Here we go, I found the article I was looking for (Washington Times, August 29, 2003):

The Washington Redskins' economic march into the record books continued yesterday as Forbes Magazine estimated the team's value at $952 million, 13 percent higher than a year ago and another all-time high for American sports.

Expectations were heavy last week for Forbes to assign a value of about $1 billion to the Redskins. Fueling those projections was owner Dan Snyder's recent sale of about a fifth of the team's equity to three investors for $200 million. And industry magazine SportsBusiness Journal, quoting financial sources, recently pegged the Redskins' total holdings, including FedEx Field, at $1.3 billion to $1.5 billion.

The article goes on to say that the N.Y. Yankees were valued at $849M, and the NFL's least valuable franchise, the Arizona Cardinals, were still more valuable than the then-reigning World Series champion Anaheim Angels.

[ushr435]

No, it was probably due to the fact that Heath baby didn't report for training camp his NFL rookie year until he held out for more money...and then he STUNK on the field!

[Mudboy Slim]

"...fans shouldn't be going overboard declaring that they will start beating the Cowboys again."

But that's what us fan[atic]s do, my FRiend, and that's what makes the Redskins/Plowboyz rivalry so special.

FReegards...MUD