Dirty Dozen: Redskins Keep Sinking

The Washington Redskins aren't the worst team in the NFL, but they're certainly the most chaotic. And the most disdainful of their paying customers.

They flounder on the field and they flounder off it -- especially off it, where owner Daniel Snyder, a self-absorbed billionaire who views his employees as pawns to be manipulated and eventually discarded, is loathed now by fans who are among the most loyal in sports.

Consider this tweet Tuesday night from a fan who calls himself @kn0nothing: "Had to sneak in our Sean Taylor memorial banner last 3 games.''

Why? Because Snyder and his minions have banned banners, many of which were uncomplimentary to them and their 2-5 team.

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Redskins general counsel David Donahue then went on the radio show of Washington Post columnist Mike Wise and said the reason was not the critical comments, but complaints from fans that the signs blocked their view or that they got hit in the head by same.

Oh.

"Over the past 24 hours, I've gotten dozens and dozens of e-mails and other messages expressing outrage about this new policy,'' wrote Dan Steinberg on the Post's DC Sports Bog. "In the past four years, I believe I've gotten zero messages from fans of any local team complaining about obstructed views due to signs and zero messages from any fans of any local team complaining about being poked in the head by signs.''

Nor presumably any messages about NOT honoring the memory of Sean Taylor.

It's one thing to put a bad product on the field or court. Plenty of teams in all sports do that -- in most cases because the owner/front office don't get it. I've rooted all my life for the New York Knicks, but I'm apathetic now, made that way by embarrassing behavior off the court and a front office whose forlorn hope is that LeBron James, Dwyane Wade or some other superstar will take its money and come running next season to play in the big city and turn around the franchise.

Snyderesque..

But this is about football.

In a year in which there are a plethora of bad teams, the Dirty Dozen this week goes from the bottom up. The Skins are at the bottom for their combination of on-field ineptitude and off-field callousness. Unfortunately, it will remain that way until Snyder either withdraws into the background or goes away.

32. Washington (2-5): The defense actually is pretty good, fifth in the NFL in yards allowed at 283 a game. But the offense is a mess, compounded by the demotion of coach Jim Zorn while Sherman Lewis, brought in from calling Michigan bingo games, calls the plays. Actually, I respect Lewis. Fifteen years ago, he was a legitimate head-coaching candidate, a respected coordinator for Mike Holmgren's Packers, whose skin color in those pre-Rooney rule days might have cost him a better job.

And here's a head scratcher: Vinny Cerrato, Snyder's lackey and nominal GM, said this week that the Skins actually expected to be 3-3 going into Monday night's game with the Eagles. That presupposes that he expected them to lose either to Kansas City or Detroit, two games that Redskins fans had tallied as wins when the season began -- conventional wisdom was they'd be 5-1, losing to the Giants on opening day, then beating the Rams, Lions, Bucs, Panthers and Chiefs.

Solve it? Hire a real football person Dan and go back to firing "nonessential" personnel.

31. St. Louis (0-7): Probably the least talent in the NFL. Since we're on the Redskins theme, their closest game was at FedEx Field, a 9-7 loss in Week 2. Zorn almost gave them that one.

30. Tampa Bay (0-7): Jon Gruden and Bruce Allen left the cupboard pretty bare for Raheem Morris. He cleaned it out even more.

29. Cleveland (1-6): Cleveland fans might want to blame Art Modell. The old Browns in Baltimore are 117-108-1 since opening shop as the Ravens. The new Browns are 54-113 since returning in 1999.

28. Detroit (1-5): After 0-16, fans in Detroit are just grateful for the "1" -- courtesy of Washington, of course.

27. Oakland (2-5): How did the Raiders beat the Eagles between losses to both New York teams by a combined 82-7? Sure has Richard Seymour confused.

26. Kansas City (1-6): The Chiefs should have told Larry Johnson to go away before the season. He's been trouble off the field and no longer much good on it. They might even have gotten something for him.

25. Tennessee (0-6): This has to be a one-year aberration doesn't it? The organization and coaching has been solid for 15 years. Although Chuck Cecil as the replacement for Jim Schwartz as defensive coordinator hasn't exactly worked out.

24. Carolina (2-4): Maybe things would be better if the Panthers hadn't taken Dwayne Jarrett in the second round of the 2007 draft instead of his Southern Cal teammate, Steve Smith. Maybe someone thought it would confuse the fans. Jarrett has 19 career catches for 218 yards; the "other'' Steve Smith has 110 for 1,231 with the Giants and would be the perfect compliment for his complaining Carolina namesake.

23. Chicago (3-3): Kyle Orton AND high draft picks for Jay Cutler?

22. Jacksonville (3-3): Maybe the Jags shouldn't have fired Tom Coughlin way back when. Except Tom was no good at being a ticket salesman.

21. Buffalo (3-4): Two straight wins with Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback? Probably not a trend that will last.