The Washington Post: RFK Stadium- Past, Present, Future?

Source: The New Democrat- Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium-

Source: The Daily Review

I’m not an architect obviously, but one of the great things about RFK Stadium is that it wouldn’t have to be torn down. It is on a great property and piece of land and what the Redskins are flirting with right now is simply renovating it, or rebuilding it. But knocking out the skyboxes and press box level and the upper deck. Leaving in the lower bowl with those flexible seats that go up and down and then adding new decks of seats on top of the lower bowl and building a much larger stadium. Somewhere ninety-thousand seats or so, because Washington is big wealthy city in a huge wealthy market that loves their Redskins even when they’re losing. The future of the Redskins is not in Landover, or North Virginia, but in downtown Washington at the new RFK which would be right at where the current RFK is.

Worst case scenario, the city knocks down the current RFK, but rebuilds a new one on the same site, but that has about twice as many seats and perhaps a retractable roof on top and bring the Super Bowl to the nation’s capital for the first time ever. Which is long overdue considering how great a city market this is. Which the new RFK hosting college football and even bowl games, perhaps even bowl playoff games, perhaps the Maryland Terrapins would play Navy and Virginia every year. Maybe Penn State every other year. As well as a lot of other events during the NFL offseason to keep the money coming into this new huge stadium. That could become the best downtown big city football stadium in America and give Washington something New York doesn’t have. Which is a downtown NFL stadium to call its own.

I’m lucky being born and growing up watching football when I did. Because I remember all three Super Bowl Championships the Redskins won, plus the one they lost to the Los Angeles Raiders. So I know RFK Stadium very well and how much it has meant to this great franchise. Where it was probably the toughest place to win a road game at least in the NFC East in the 1980s, if not the NFC and NFL as well. Because Washington sports fans are so loyal to their winners and so crazy when the Redskins win to the point that opposing head coach has to ask the referee to tell the fans to shut up so his team can hear the plays and be able to talk to his team. That has been missing ever since the Redskins left RFK for Landover, but is something that the Redskins and should bring back. And be used to return the Redskins back to being an annual winner and championship contender. Which is where Washington expects the Redskins to be.
Jose Umana: RFK Stadium Past, Present, Future?

Hail To The Redskins For Life: Phillip Hughes: Lets Get Redskins Legend Joe Jacoby in The Pro Football Hall of Fame

Source:The New Democrat

If you look at the Redskins of the 1980s and early 1990s, great teams with their share of great players, but not teams that had Hall of Fame players at every position. These were really good, if not great teams, that won three Super Bowls and four Conference Championships and played in five Conference Final’s, from 1982-91. You have to have great players to do that and the Redskins did in their leadership. But similar to the Green Bay Packers of the 1960s, Miami Dolphins of the 1970s, New England Patriots of the 2000s, they had some great players, but with a lot of very good players behind their stars. And great coaches on both sides of the ball.

Offensive tackle Joe Jacoby, was one of the Redskins great players. If you look at how the Redskins dominated the 1982 NFC Playoffs and then won that Super Bowl and manhandled the Dolphins up front on both sides of the ball, especially in the second half, Joe Jacoby, was dominating in that game and leading those charges. But go to the NFC Championship, before the Super Bowl and how the Redskins OL dominated Ed Jones and Randy White and the rest of the Dallas Cowboys defensive line, Big Jac, was consistently clearing his man out-of-the-way. And he and offensive guard Russ Grimm, who is already in the Hall of Fame, were leading those charges in that game. John Riggins and The Hogs, ran the ball down the throat of the Cowboys defense in that game.

Go to Super Bowl 22 against the Denver Broncos, again Timmy Smith, great game running the ball and Doug Williams with a career game throwing the ball. But the Broncos defense in a lot of those plays were barely in the picture, because Big Jac and The Hogs were consistently clearing them out-of-the-way. And opening up huge holes for Tim Smith and giving Doug Williams, five minutes each play to decide who to throw the ball to. And the 1991 Hogs, might be the Redskins best offensive line of all-time. I mean, when you’re towards the top of the league in scoring, passing and running and your quarterback is only sacked eight times all year, its hard to argue with that. Joe Jacoby, now playing guard for the Redskins next to Jim Lachey, was a big part of that as well.

Joe Jacoby, is one of the leaders of a team that wins two Super Bowls and three conference championships in the 1980s and is on the 1980s NFL All Decade team and plays in four Pro Bowls and arguably the anchor of the best offensive line of at least the 1980s. If that is not evidence that this great big offensive tackle, one of the first great big OT in the NFL, should be in the Hall of Fame, then a lot of great o-lineman, who are already in the Hall of Fame, perhaps shouldn’t be there. The Hall of Fame, was late on Art Monk, perhaps one of the top five all around receivers of all-time. They were late on Russ Grimm, perhaps the best guard of his era, who could also play tackle and center. They’re even later on Joe Jacoby, but his time will come, if not next year, certainly soon after that. Too great of a player to leave out.

WUSA-TV: Sports: Rick Snider: Will United Stadium Deal Lure Redskins to RFK?

Source:The New Democrat

The Redskins, are coming back home, so to speak. Back to Washington and back downtown in the nation’s capital where they belong. Getting United out of RFK Stadium with the new United stadium deal, is one of the keys to doing that. So they can either renovate RFK, or knock it down and build a new one. The City, wants the Redskins back, even if they are still called the Redskins, or not. The name, is simply about Far-Left political correctness politics, more than anything else. The Redskins, want to come home. Dan Snyder, wants the Redskins home. The City Government, wants the Redskins home. Now, it’s just a matter in how that happens. New RFK, or renovate the old one.

Me personally, I would like to see the Redskins come back to RFK. And knock the two upper decks, but leave in the lower bowl. And build the new stadium with the skyboxes and everything else the stadium needs, on top of the lower bowl. So you keep in the fan atmosphere un the stadium as far as the noise, with seats moving up and down. And the fans being on top of the action. But with the skyboxes and seating capacity and every other modern feature that NFL stadiums need to be profitable. And even add a retractable roof, to make it a very attractive spot for the Super Bowl and other events at the stadium.

The Redskins are coming home. The City of Washington, had finally figured out economic development and what you need to be a financially prosperous city. And has even become a fairly safe big city of six-hundred and fifty-thousand people or so and still growing. I think the only questions are about when and how. New RFK, or renovate the old one and when. 2020, or after that, because the Redskins want to come home. Their fans, certainly want them back in the city. And I think Washington wants their NFL team back in the city as well. And negotiating the final stadium deal in the city is the last hurdle to get over to make it happen.

CBS Sports: Video: Pete Prisco & Pat Kirwan: Jacksonville Jaguars at Redskins Preview

Look for the Redskins to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday not because they are a good team. But because they aren't as bad as the Jaguars. And no kidding, this doesn't qualify as high praise, but the Redskins last week showed they are suffering from similar issues that they had last year. With an inability or want to stretch the field offensively and give up plays on defense that they shouldn't especially to a mediocre quarterback like Ryan Fitzpatrick of the Houston Texans.

The good news for the Redskins is that they are playing the Jaguars, who might be the worst team in the AFC if not NFL all together this year. With a journeyman QB in Chad Henne, a very young and not very good offensive line and rookie wide receivers. And practically no running game. Not exactly ingredients for success, but perhaps what the Jaguars may have going for them is that they are playing the Redskins. Who last year and last week have a habit of making mediocre and sub par teams and talent look pretty solid.

Redskins head coach Jay Gruden got his first NFL game out of the way last week and now has a pretty good idea of how is club looks both on offense and defense. And I expect him to open it up offensively and have his defensive coaches attacking a very inexperienced Jaguars offense and defense. At least this is what should happen when you are the Redskins playing the Jaguars. Playing a team that is very young, inexperienced, with probably very little to no confidence right now.

Hail to the Redskins For Life: News: Daniel Snyder: "Redskins Organization Has Started the Process of Designing a New Stadium"

Source: Curbed DC- RFK Memorial Stadium-

Source:Hail To The Redskins

This is something that should've been done twenty years ago. But back then Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke was dealing with Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly and her administration in Washington. And even though Mr. Cooke had offered to build the stadium himself and pay for the whole thing, which is something he and the Redskins can afford to do because of the value of the franchise, he couldn't get an agreement with the Kelly Administration in Washington to build the stadium there. There was also a factor with RFK Stadium because Washington was still looking for a new MLB franchise.

Times are much different now and not only is the City of Washington run much better and no longer dealing with runaway crime, or runaway deficits, or runaway debt, or runaway poverty. The education system is getting better and the city is no longer losing people, but actually adding people and has become one of the safest big cities to live in America. As well as having one of the best economies. And has Mayor's and a government as well as City Council that knows how to govern and to make deals.

The point is because of all of these factors not only does Washington want the Redskins back in the city. But the Redskins also want to back in the city they represent and Washington is still the best location for them in the Washington metro area. Because it is a great big beautiful city where a stadium there would be easy to for everyone to get to and where fans will no longer have to worry about getting stuck in Maryland traffic because they could either drive downtown, or take the train.

For just the simple reason that Washington now has MLB again and has it's downtown at Nationals Parks with the Nationals, RFK Stadium not in it's current form, but either though renovation and expanding it with two or three additional decks and perhaps a retractable roof dome for a Super Bowl and other indoor events. Or simply tearing the stadium down and replacing it with a hundred-thousand seat stadium, that spot becomes a perfect location for the Redskins in Washington where the Redskins now and always have belong.
WJLA-TV News: Daniel Snyder- Wants New Retro Stadium For Redskins

Real Redskins: Rick Tandler- 'Should Mike Shanahan Stay or Go'

Source:SD Sportzz- Mike Shanahan: head coach of the Washington Redskins.

"Apparently there has been some issues with Dan Snyder, Mike Shanahan, and RG3. Lets talk about it."  

From SD Sportzz

"Should Mike Shanahan Stay or Go" 

From Real Redskins 

Should Mike Shanahan stay or go as the Redskins Head Coach/Head of Football Operations: that will be the number one question and decision that Dan Snyder will have to deal with in the 2014 Redskins offseason, when their season is officially over after playing the New York Giants tomorrow.

Reasons for letting Coach Shanahan go outnumber the reasons for keeping him. In four seasons with the Redskins the Redskins have lost ten or more games three times. And if they do not beat the Giants at New Jersey tomorrow a team that has a better record than the Redskins, won twice as many games 6-9 than the 3-12 Redskins and have already beaten the Redskins on the road this year, the Redskins after already having the worst season of the Shanahan era at 3-12, will fall to 3-13.

And you can’t make the case that Coach Shanahan doesn’t have the players. For one he’s also in charge of personal and two they picked by most of the so-called experts people who understand the NFL to win the NFC East probably the worst division in football this year with the Redskins actually having the worst team. 

You can say that Coach Shanahan doesn’t have a very good coaching staff especially at the top with his offensive coordinator who also happens to be his son in Kyle Shanahan and defensive coordinator Jim Haslett. But again Coach Shanahan picks his own coaching staff.

The reasons to fire Coach Shanahan are pretty sound and clear and a big reason why it would be a pretty popular decision in Washington. A city that hates to lose and hates losers. But some of the issues with the Redskins management even though Coach Shanahan doesn’t have complete control of the organization, isn’t all of Coach Shanahan’s fault and responsibility. He doesn’t have a solid football person like a team president that he can report too. Who can also supervise and advise him on things like how to sign players and manage the salary cap, negotiate trades, manage the facilities and so-forth. Not so much a general manager but someone at the top besides the owner that Coach Shanahan can report to that the coach can get advise from sort of like a partner. But someone who outranks the head coach, like a head of football operations.

Bruce Allen is the team’s official general manager, but he reports and works for the head coach and not the other way around. It is not that Coach Shanahan shouldn’t have the final say in personal, but he shouldn’t be running the entire football operations department either. Someone besides Dan Snyder needs to be there and be able to say: “I like what you are doing here.” But when the coach makes a bad decision be able to step in and say: “We shouldn’t do that.” And even be able to veto things that do not make sense. Someone with a football background.

One of the reasons why the San Francisco 49ers were so successful in the 1980s was because of how their management was structured. Ed Debartalo didn’t try to be the owner of the franchise as well as the team president. 

Bill Walsh was the head coach/general manager of the 49ers, but he had a team president to report to in Carmen Policy. Instead of Eddie Debartalo trying to fill both roles as owner and president. Well right now Dan Snyder is trying to fill both roles as owner and president of the Redskins. He’s simply not qualified as a businessman and not a professional football man to fill both roles as owner and president. And for the Redskins to succeed in the future with either Mike Shanahan or a new head coach, they need a new management structure.

Their management structure is going to have to change or they are going to remain in between mediocrity and a consistent, to a losing team without much of a future. And another thing that Dan Snyder needs to consider is who out there would be better than Mike Shanahan. To be their head coach/head of football operations who would also be willing to work for Dan Snyder. To make this a little personal.

I’ve made the case for both firing Mike Shanahan and keeping him on board with a new team president. And a new offensive and defensive coordinator and giving Coach Shanahan one more season. And reevaluating him at the end of 2014. Because I haven’t completely made up my mind. But if I’m Dan Snyder I’m leaning towards keeping Coach Shanahan under this new proposed management and coaching arrangement. Instead of firing Coach Shanahan and starting over.

But I would also tell the head coach that: “Look, our defense was horrible this year and that has to change. You need a defensive coordinator that is going to run the defense based on the personal that he has to work with. We are going back to the 4-3 and you are going to move either Ryan Kerrigan or Brian Orakbo to defensive end. And get an outside linebacker whose a very good pass defender and tackler as well. So you can blitz less and get more of a pass rush with just four or five pass rushers. Instead so you leave more help for your secondary. And give up fewer big plays in the passing and running games.”

This should be a tough decision for Dan Snyder and I hope he hasn’t made up his mind yet. And that postseason meeting with both he and the head coach happens with minds haven’t been made up yet. Because again a very good case for dumping the head coach, but there is also a good case for bringing Mike Shanahan back under the right circumstances.

Hail To The Redskins: 'Redskins OT Joe Jacoby Named Semifinalist For 2014 Hall of Fame Class'

Source:Hail To The Redskins- Redskins OT Joe Jacoby, I believe during Super Bowl 26 in 1992.

"Former Washington Redskins tackle Joe Jacoby is a semi-finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the second straight year. 

Jacoby made the cut when the initial list of 126 nominees was trimmed to 25 modern-era semifinalists announced Wednesday. Jacoby played for the Redskins from 1981 to 1993 and was one of the beloved “Hogs”. If elected, he would join guard Russ Grimm in representing the Hogs in the Hall of Fame. 

The 25 semifinalists include Marvin Harrison, Tony Dungy, Walter Jones and Derrick Brooks, who made the cut in their first year of Hall of Fame eligibility. Jimmy Johnson, Joe Jacoby, Steve Wisniewski, Morten Andersen, Steve Atwater, Jerome Bettis, Tim Brown, Don Coryell, Roger Craig, Terrell Davis, Edward DeBartolo Jr., Kevin Greene, Charles Haley, John Lynch, Karl Mecklenburg, Andre Reed, Will Shields, Michael Strahan, Paul Tagliabue, Aeneas Williams and George Young. 

The list of modern-era semifinalists will be cut to 15 on Jan. 8. They’ll be joined by seniors committee nominees Ray Guy and Claude Humphrey. The select media members who serve as Hall of Fame voters will elect four to seven candidates during a meeting scheduled for Feb. 1, the day before the Super Bowl." 

From Hail To The Redskins 

To be blunt about this: it is about damn time that former Redskins offensive tackle Joe Jacoby went into the Hall of Fame. He should’ve went in with former Redskins offensive guard Russ Grimm together back in 2010. But both of them should’ve been in the Hall of Fame ten-years ago if not sooner. 

Joe Jacoby was one of the top three offensive tackles of the 1980s and his era. And Bengals offensive tackle Tony Munoz and Vikings/Broncos OT Gary Zimmerman are both already in the Hall of Fame. And Big Jac (as he was called) is right there with the top OT’s of this era. 

Jacoby was both a dominant run blocker and pass blocker and a Pro Bowler who was a big part of three Super Bowl champions and four NFC Conference champions. Who without he and Russ Grimm and I would add OT Jim Lachey to this, the Redskins offense wouldn’t of been as dominant as it was. Being able to control the ball on the ground and giving three Super Bowl champion quarterbacks the time They needed to throw the ball down the field to those great Redskins receivers. 

You can also see this post at Real Life Journal, on Blogger. 

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You can also see this post at FreeState Now, on Blogger.   

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