After finally putting a merciful end to the often unwatchable Jim Zorn era, Redskins owner Dan Snyder released the following statement:
Dan Snyder, Bruce Allen Comment On Zorn Firing
”This has been an extremely difficult season for our organization and for the fans. Bruce Allen spent many hours examining the football operations, and we are both determined to do whatever it takes to build a championship team. That process begins today.
”No one in the organization is satisfied with our record over the last two years, and I am sure that Jim would concur with that statement. It has been painful for him too. I certainly accept responsibility for mistakes that I have made. I am hopeful that our fans will accept my commitment and pledge to deliver a franchise that can compete in the NFC East every season.
“Finally, I am mindful that this is a tough day for Jim and his family, and I do want to wish him success in his next endeavor.”
While Snyder is an easy and deserving target of derision among Skins faithful, perhaps he is at long last beginning to exhibit some self-awareness. Taking some -- any-- blame is a significant step for Snyder; whether he’s alluding to hiring Zorn in the first place or keeping an enabling yes-man like Vinny Cerrato nominally in charge as his “mistakes” is irrelevant. Indeed, the fact that Snyder has hired an actual general manager and seems to have vested the actual decision-making in his hands is a major step forward.
As for that general manager, newly hired Bruce Allen announced Zorn’s firing today, but was coy about the team’s plans going forward, despite rampant speculation that he will nab former Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan. Allen’s statement, as per the Washington Post:
As far as prospects and candidates for the job, I'm not going to get into that. I'm not going to discuss that. I'm not going to discuss that because of privacy issues for them. I will say this: It's real clear that we're going to be aggressive. And what we're looking for in a head coach is somebody who can lead these men that we had in our locker room this year to levels they haven't played to before. And what I asked from the players on the team is a commitment that they haven't given before. And we're going to try and find that type of person, who's a winner, who's passionate about the Redskins and passionate about football. We're not going to put a timetable on it. We're going to get the right person.
Of course, “not putting a timetable on it” might simply mean that Allen isn’t sure how long it will take to get Shanahan to fly back to Washington. We’ll keep you updated on this story as it develops.
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