redskin news

[shawn555]

The Steve Spurrier era is starting to get some attention. GQ Magazine came by. So did several Japanese journalists and another national magazine. A steady tour of Florida writers will venture north soon along with most national writers.
Everyone wants to know if Spurrier will succeed or fail in his first season as the Washington Redskins coach. Can he make the conversion from Florida? Is he smart enough to make a college offense work against better pro athletes?

There's plenty riding on it. Spurrier has become an outsider in the NFL coaching fraternity, which is a very closed group. Spurrier is making more money than any coach who doesn't also work in the front office at $5 million annually. That rankles a few coaches who have Super Bowl rings given Spurrier has never coached in the NFL. He also professes not working 100 hours weekly and joking about those who do. Spurrier even likes to poke fun at opponents for the sake of fans.

Mostly, Spurrier is just having fun and shouldn't be taken seriously. However, NFL coaches are more than taking it seriously. They're watching film in the offseason of his college offense to find holes. They're sharing information. They're making jokes about beating Spurrier.

Really, what has Spurrier done so wrong other than forget the NFL stands for the "No Fun League." He has really gained $500,000 or more for other coaches by raising the pay scale. If the Redskins are successful, maybe coaches won't have to work 23 1/2 hours daily and can play golf like Spurrier does regularly.

Let's recap -- Spurrier is getting fellow coaches more money and more time off. Gee, let's string up this turkey.

Still, several coaches admit they flat out don't want to lose to the new guy. Jacksonville coach Tom Coughlin doesn't want to lose his home game against Spurrier that's also the latter's old stomping grounds. New Orleans coach Jim Hastlet is ticked about Spurrier joking "How's that working out" of his long work hours. Dallas coach Dave Campo is sore over Spurrier saying he wanted to make the Cowboys his college version of Georgia that was beaten nine straight by Florida. Campo countered Washington is the one that has lost nine straight to Dallas.

San Francisco coaches have been watching tape and not only open the preseason in Japan against Washington, but also meet in Week 3. The list goes on and on. The schedule is tough enough, but playing at Dallas on Thanksgiving and at Philadelphia for the last game of Veterans Stadium is among the traps of a demanding schedule.

Spurrier said he believes Washington can win the NFC East. After all, they only have to beat three teams. Yeah, but they're not Vanderbilt, Georgia and Tennessee.

Oh well, at least Spurrier has the designer shades routine down. They'll look good in GQ.

Copyright (C) 2002 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved

 

[shawn555]

Redskins Take Minicamp to Big 'House': FedEx Field
By Mark Maske
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 12, 2002; Page D05
Coach Steve Spurrier took the Washington Redskins on a field trip yesterday. Wanting his players and assistant coaches who -- like him -- are new to the Redskins to get a feel for FedEx Field, Spurrier put the team on four buses, braved Beltway traffic and conducted the second of the day's two practices at the club's stadium in Landover.
"We're trying to get a little comfortable with our house," Spurrier said. "We always pitched it around at the stadium at the colleges I worked at. At some point, you have to get off your practice field and play where you play your real games. . . . I'd been here before, but a lot of our assistants and a lot of our players hadn't been here."
The Redskins haven't had much of a home-field advantage in recent years, compiling an 8-8 record at FedEx Field over the past two seasons -- the same as their record on the road. Spurrier said he intends to change that. And holding an occasional practice at the stadium will continue to be part of the team's routine even into the season, he said.
"We'll get here as often as we can," Spurrier said. "We're going to try to make FedEx Field the loudest stadium in the NFL, and to do that, we have to put on a show. We have to do our part first."
The outing came on the second day of a three-day minicamp that is scheduled to wrap up with a morning practice today at Redskins Park. Between three minicamps and three weeks of voluntary coaching sessions, the Redskins will have 26 practices this offseason before they report to training camp in Carlisle, Pa., on July 22.
"I think it just broke up the monotony, period," linebacker LaVar Arrington said. "It took me back to college because that's what you do in college. I don't know if he's still acting as a college coach or it's just how he feels, but I think it's good for the younger guys. I was looking for that game-day smell. It wasn't quite the same."
The session was closed to the public, and the stands were empty as the Redskins ran through drills for slightly more than an hour on the steamy afternoon. The players hurried back onto buses afterward to try to beat rush-hour traffic back to the team's training facility in Ashburn, but the Redskins had one advantage over frustrated commuters -- a police escort.
Rookie quarterback Patrick Ramsey, the Redskins' first-round draft choice, said he imagined as he stepped on the field that a game-day atmosphere at FedEx Field would feel much like that when his school, Tulane, played LSU in front of a packed house at the Superdome in New Orleans.
"This place is awesome," Ramsey said. "You can't ask for a better place to play football."
Spurrier's offense has looked smoother on the practice field in recent weeks after a rugged beginning, with his players beginning to gain a better understanding of what they're supposed to be doing. But college football's most renowned offensive wizard during his tenure at the University of Florida acknowledged that the rest of the NFL probably isn't cowering at this point.
"Ain't nobody afraid of us yet," Spurrier said. "We need to do it on the field before anyone is afraid of the Redskin offense."
Redskins Notes: Agent Steve Zucker said he received a contract proposal from the Cincinnati Bengals for free agent wide receiver Michael Westbrook, and outlined the parameters of a counterproposal to the Bengals. Westbrook is discussing possible visits with other teams, Zucker said. Echoing sentiments expressed by Westbrook last week, the agent indicated that he does not expect Westbrook to re-sign with the Redskins. "I don't think there's much chance of anything going on with the Redskins," Zucker said. . . . The Redskins have remained in contact with agent Jack Reale this week about free agent defensive end Marco Coleman, and continue to hope to sign free agent defensive tackle Sam Adams.
? 2002 The Washington Post Company

 

[shawn555]

--As long expected, the Redskins cut defensive end Marco Coleman to save $3.5 million against the salary cap. Coleman's leadership will be missed as much as his steady play. Defensive end Renaldo Wynn will replace Coleman.
"Great teammate, great leader, great athlete. You can't ask much more from Marco," cornerback Champ Bailey said. "He's a plus everywhere so you know this was a business move."
--The Redskins made a couple modest moves when signing former Green Bay defensive tackle Santana Dotson and former Baltimore guard Kipp Vickers on June 4. Dotson might start while Vickers is a reserve. Vickers played for Washington in 1998-99 before spending two years with Baltimore.
--CB Champ Bailey missed two weeks of voluntary coaching sessions to get married. Seems Bailey and his wife Hanady were married last summer in a quickie ceremony, but renewed their nuptials in a large wedding before family and friends in Georgia.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"These guys are pretty good. These players just haven't had much opportunity, but if there's a player that can help us that would fit in our cap we'll certainly try to do it." -- Coach Steve Spurrier on signing a free-agent receiver.