Own up: A look at a one man's bumpy ride in the NFL.

There's a certain reality that exists today in this corporate world of football that the middle of the road fan or bourgeious print writer ignored, or simply had no interest in, in seasons past.  Our beloved Washington Redskins started out as the Boston Braves, and were the brainchild of our original owner,  George Preston Marshall.  What he had was a vision, a dream to bring glory to our nation's capital.   In order to accomplish this most ambitious of goals for that period in time, took drive, heart and the biggest clincher of them all:  money.

Does this story sound familiar to anyone?  It should, because our current head skin in charge has been doing everything in his power to bring back championships to DC.  Every decision he makes, whether it be signing a big free agent, or raising the price of season tickets is scrutinized into submission.   Daniel Snyder has been the perennial peon of the media since his arrival, and has more critics than he does supporters.  And it all has to do with dollar signs.

He purchased the skins back in 1999, eager as ever to emulate his predecessors style of winning football.  He was green, and an admitted novice.  "My goal is to bring Super Bowls to Washington, and I want it to happen yesterday."  He fell in love with the great names of Super Bowls past like Deion Sanders and Bruce Smith.  Both players turned out to be expensive, has- beens that further appealed to the mass genocide of Snyder's early's jaunt into this new burgundy and gold outfit.  The suit simply had not fit.   Yet he did it in the best interests of the team.   These mistakes were made out of his love for the Redskins. So why beat him up for only doing what he thought would make us legends?

My opinion is one of the following:  He was rich, young and not Jack Kent Cooke.  We blamed him for not being Jacko.  And as we enter another season with Snyder at the helm, things appear to be looking up.   Gone are the awful memories of Norv Turner's seven-year disaster run, and the little two-year hiccup that was Coach Steve Spurrier.  A coaching decision that was wildly met with attaboy Dan pats on the back, and yet Snyder shouldered the blame, licked his wounds, and marched onward . 

But here we are in 2008, older and wiser.... and extremely excited.  Jim Zorn has just completed his first training camp as our coach, and lacks any head coach experience, and yet we cheer him with rigorous fervor. Much like the owner himself almost ten years ago, he's as fresh as a newborn baby.  Zorn wants to succeed and do it quickly. A 30-16 win is a good place to start the victory cries. Bottom line:  If he wins, so does Snyder. 

It is this author's sincere hope that Zorn can find that balance of team chemistry and individual play that will lead to winning that counts. My final question to the Snyder haters that will hang on to their mantra that he is a cancer more than the cure is this.  If Zorn becomes our guy for years to come, will Snyder get the credit for taking a chance on an unknown?  Or will the boo birds fly forever?