Courtesy: WTOP
It’s never a dull moment for Washington, DC sports! Always drama, always chaos, always controversy. Just a few month ago the sports world was transfixed on the Washington Nationals and how they DID NOT play their best player (Stephen Strasburg) for the post season. The team won the National League East but all anyone is going to remember is “Could they have beaten the Cardinals if Strasburg played?” Now the Washington Redskins are in the news because they DID play their best player (Robert Griffin III) in the post season. The team won the National Football Conference East and beat their hated rival Cowboys twice but all anyone is talking about is should they or shouldn’t they have played RGIII with his injured right knee. This story has so many tentacles but I just want to hit on one for right now.
I think both teams were right in their approach. Everything in baseball is “long” …seasons, careers, and investments, time to build a solid club, etc. Everything in football is short term. I think you have to manage each one from that perspective. Strasburg not being on the mound is not the reason why the Nationals did not advance. Their reliable closer had a bad game and that is why they did not move on. A healthy Robert Griffin III was going to have a hard time beating the Seattle Seahawks. Kirk Cousins for a full game was not going to fare much better. Seattle was just a better team. Because they play in the Pacific Northwest the Seahawks fly under the radar, no pun intended, but they are a good team and will be a force to reckon with for years to come.
Reconstructive knee surgery for RGIII with months of rehabilitation is what’s ahead. I do not fault Mike Shanahan for playing him in the playoffs. Even with a hobbled knee he did give the team the best chance to win and the player wanted to play. Hindsight is always 20/20 and yes he could have taken Griffin out earlier but if Leonard Hankerson catches that 3rd down pass we may not be having this discussion.
I’m more concern with once again how Shanahan handles himself in the press conference setting. There is a big cloud of mystery over weather RGIII was cleared to go back into the Ravens game when he got hurt and if RGIII was ever really healthy enough to play in the Eagles and Cowboy games. Shanahan is saying one thing and Dr. James Andrews is saying another which I don’t understand either. Isn’t there or shouldn’t there be some type of confidentiality agreement preventing Dr. Andrews from saying anything?
I do understand competitive advantage and I realize that a head coach telling the media the truth is not part of his job description but it sure does make our jobs easier and more purposeful when they do.
Not a sermon, just a thought.
