Buh-Bye Vinny

Buh-bye now

Yesterday brought strange and exciting news to Redskins fans: Vinny Cerrato was out as GM of the Redskins, replaced with Bruce Allen, son of George, brother of Macaca. I'll pause to let that steep. Yes, Snyder did actually fire his "friend" and "trusted confidant", Vinny Cerrato, and replace him with an actual General Manager with, presumably, the ability to run an NFL franchise.

Holy shit.*

* That's the type of analysis you just can't find in the Washington Post.

Snyder has been the man in charge of the Redskins since he bought the team. Snyder has been the 'decider', the one choosing players in the draft and in free agency. Vinny Cerrato and his thin football resume have been the front organization giving Snyder cover while he picks the coaches and assistants, often out of order.

Yet there is nothing in Daniel Snyder's background that qualifies him to run a football team. He is qualified to run the Redskins in the same way I'm qualified to run IBM: I've read about it. The difference between us is a couple billion dollars. That's it. The result of Snyder's rein has been predictable: years and years of losing despite repeatedly having the biggest payroll in football (salary cap, schmalry schmap).

I won't rehash the Redskins record in the last ten years under Snyder, but despite employing some very good coaches (Joe Gibbs, Marty Schottenheimer, Norv Turner...?) and paying out the nose for big name players, the Skins have lost more than they've won.

Now Vinny Cerrato is fired (and just when I learned how to spell his name properly). This means that one of two things. One: Snyder is ditching the front and is going to run the organization all by himself, just like a big boy. Two: Snyder is going to hire someone else who is *shudder* qualified to run the organization.

It seems the Owner has chosen option two. Well, paint my penis blue and call it "Harold", I'm shocked.

Bruce Allen isn't the most inspiring choice to run the Redskins and he wouldn't be my pick, but there is no way that he isn't better than Dan Snyder with Vinny the Toady. Allen is a big enough name in football, he has run two teams recently enough, that he doesn't need to take jobs from the Raiders (already done that) or Cowboys or Redskins unless he's going to be able to, in the words of the Fat Tuna, pick the groceries.

Allen is going to run the show, or he's going to leave and get job with an organization that will let him. Simple as that, and its what makes this hiring so great. It signals Snyder has finally concluded what he and Vinny have been doing wasn't going to work. That's a realization that I assumed would never come.

Lots of people don't like Daniel Snyder and most of them are Redskins fans, but the truth is Snyder isn't very far away from being a good owner. Sure he's kind of an egotistical jerk, but he spends money on the Redskins because he genuinely wants to win. Owners who reinvest in the team are perpetually one smart GM away from a winning organization. While I won't call Allen a smart GM, his record says he's not a dumb GM. However, he is a real GM and that's a huge step towards winning for the dysfunctional Redskins.
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