The Media and Albert Haynesworth

[herb mul-key]

We keep hearing everyday from reporters how there is a big rift between the coaches and Big Al and that they want to trade him and that he is totally pissed off and wants out of Washington...this is all reported by reporters from unnamed "sources"...everyday..ESPN, WASH POST, NFL NETWORK ETC.

The only direct quotes we have from Shanny are we are "not looking to trade AH" and the most recent (last week) quotes from Albert Haynesworth suggest clearly that he is FINE w Haslett and Shanny and ready to rock....

What the hell is going on?

[Califan007]

Business as usual, that's what's going on.

[MattFancy]

The media is trying to make a story out of nothing. There was an interview AH did on Sirius about a month or so back where he said he would play where ever the coaches told him to play. Not sure how that sounds like someone who doesn't want to play in a 3-4. And with all the reports of Shanny not wanting to trade him and Schefter saying we aren't going to trade him, the media has to talk about something.

[TK]

About 98% of the local Skins beat media is absolutely pathetic.

The other day J Reid was trying to finally back down from the ridiculous AH trade garbarge he & his BFF JLC have been harping on. Then yesterday on WP Live this clown brings it up again. And JLC is there on NFLN still jabbering about AH being traded. :stir:

[anar-k21]

much like everything else just believe it when ya see it!......just wait till we get our Haynes on you!!!!!!

[dfbovey]

The thing that really gets me is that they never, EVER have quotes from Haynesworth or anyone else on the record saying he's not content. They keep saying he wants a trade or is hoping for a trade, but they aren't basing it on anything tangible at all.

It's all very irresponsible.

League sources say this or that... it's all BS they hide behind so they can say whatever they want to and have a whole flock of people who just read stuff in passing, actually believe it.

[RabidFan]

Don't we also have quotes from Al saying he's fine with 3-4 and after talking to Haslett?

Let it rest media boys....i think they just want it to happen so they can bash Danny again for the 1yr/32mil hit....since they have nothing to bash him for now.

It's Danny bashing withdrawal it is.

[sideshow24]

About 98% of the local Skins beat media is absolutely pathetic.

The other day J Reid was trying to finally back down from the ridiculous AH trade garbarge he & his BFF JLC have been harping on. Then yesterday on WP Live this clown brings it up again. And JLC is there on NFLN still jabbering about AH being traded. :stir:

The Post has already lost all credibility and now the NFL Network is following the same path.

[kappaluvacee]

It's amusing. Larry Michael really needs to bring back the "Source Meter."

[Idaho fan]

It seems like more than any other team the Redskins make news based on purely speculation or very minor comments made by players/coaches. Maybe it seems that way since Im a fan of this team?

[Santana_89]

About 98% of the local Skins beat media is absolutely pathetic.
And JLC is there on NFLN still jabbering about AH being traded. :stir:

Tell me about it.:silly: Until after the draft (possibly for the forseeable future) my Redskins news and coverage from Redskins Nation,ES,Redskins.com and the Redskins blog.



It's amusing. Larry Michael really needs to bring back the "Source Meter."



Maybe we should email the show and ask him to do it.

[herb mul-key]

i can't believe how lazy Jreid, JLa Canfora, Peter King, Don Banks, Mosely etc...they all SUCK most of the time and I usually like MMQB! They speculate, opinionize and spout hearsay BS...

what a joke!

[MattFancy]

It seems like more than any other team the Redskins make news based on purely speculation or very minor comments made by players/coaches. Maybe it seems that way since Im a fan of this team?

Totally agree. I mean weren't we supposed to sign Peppers, Dansby, Rolle, Clifton, etc? Just because we had spent money on FAs in the past, the media figured we would do so again. They had no reason to believe that we would sign those guys, it was all speculation. There are very few in the media who actually research stories now.

[bulldog]

Well, because Haynesworth was offered to the Eagles it is not truthful to say that the team has not considered dealing him. And to think that the McNabb trade would be the ONLY time a potential swap of players or picks came up in which AH was mentioned I think is also stretching anyone's credulity.

What is PROBABLY true is that since the McNabb deal no SPECIFIC trade for AH has been authored by the Redskins for a return of players and/or picks.

But the precedent move is out there and that is why the national media is on the topic.

[tshile]

you guys are only furthering the media's opinion that we care at all about this.

the day we stop craving AH drama is the day it disapears.

[jimster]

what qualifies as a "league source"?

the fan league?

[addicted]

Media is complete garbage, nothing to see here

[dadirtbags]

Well, because Haynesworth was offered to the Eagles it is not truthful to say that the team has not considered dealing him. And to think that the McNabb trade would be the ONLY time a potential swap of players or picks came up in which AH was mentioned I think is also stretching anyone's credulity.

What is PROBABLY true is that since the McNabb deal no SPECIFIC trade for AH has been authored by the Redskins for a return of players and/or picks.

But the precedent move is out there and that is why the national media is on the topic.


I agree... I also find it odd that we have been picking up DL players ...I want to say 3 in the past week or so...JMHO

[Flycoach]

"just wait till we get our Haynes on you!!!!!!"


Nicley done! LOL!!!

[TheLongshot]

Well, because Haynesworth was offered to the Eagles it is not truthful to say that the team has not considered dealing him. And to think that the McNabb trade would be the ONLY time a potential swap of players or picks came up in which AH was mentioned I think is also stretching anyone's credulity.

The problem is that he's still reporting that the team is actively trying to trade him, which the team has flatly denied from multiple sources. (Allen, Shanahan and Haslett are all on the same page) While the possibility of trading him will always be out there (as it is for most players on this team), it doesn't mean that the team is actively trying to trade him.

Over the years, I've grown to distrust the press coverage for the team, since it is more often than not inaccurate when it comes to rumormongering like this.

[michiskin]

Jeebus.

Speculation and opinion is part of the game when it comes to sports journalism. Sports is not the same as hard news.

The bottom line is if all speculation and opinion were eliminated from the sports media world tomorrow, there wouldn't be a whole lot to read. And then you guys would be bitching that the reporters aren't doing their jobs.

This time of the year there isn't going to be a whole lot in the way of good solid facts, because the teams don't want a clear picture of what they are trying to accomplish revealed.

And I really don't get the crying about Redskins bashing. OF COURSE there has been Redskins bashing for the last decade. And rightfully deserved. Unless you consider two playoff berths, zero division championships, five head coaches and countless bad personnel moves in the last decade worth praising?

[jimster]

I agree... I also find it odd that we have been picking up DL players ...I want to say 3 in the past week or so...JMHO


camp bodies and possibley the desire to find other players in order to NOT put AH at NT?

[stevemcqueen1]

Tell me about it.:silly: Until after the draft (possibly for the forseeable future) my Redskins news and coverage from Redskins Nation,ES,Redskins.com and the Redskins blog.

It's a sad state of affairs we've reached when extremeskins is a better source of news (hard and soft) than the Washington Post. It's most definitely the case though. Frankly, I'm fed up with it. We should organize a boycott of the Post or send in some letters to let them know that the ridiculous level of speculation in their content is unacceptable. There has got to be some accountability for these clowns and we only perpetuate the problem when we give them readers. I personally will read nothing published by the Washington Post from now until the start of the season. Somehow, I don't think I'll be missing out on anything.

[bulldog]

I agree it is a sad state of affairs because I do believe that Haslett can be creative enough to get Haynesworth opportunities to put up numbers in his defense.

I think Haynesworth is using the 3-4 switch as an excuse not to kow-tow to Shanahan and do so in a way that in some ways deflects all the blame from him.

Haynesworth doesn't want to be dictated to and that was apparent in Tennessee where Jeff Fisher had his hands full at times with Albert.

Any team acquiring a guy like this needs to have STRONG leadership.

Haynesworth is testing Shanahan to see how firm Mike is in his commitment to make the team his own and how strongly Snyder will support him.

In the end I think Haynesworth will find out that Shanahan does own the keys to the executive washroom and that if he is not dealt he will have to play things Mike's way.

But it is a knock down, drag out fight and we are only in Round 5 or 6.

Knock out rounds to come :)

[dfbovey]

Jeebus.

Speculation and opinion is part of the game when it comes to sports journalism. Sports is not the same as hard news.

I'm all for columns that deal with opinion and speculation as long as they are labeled as such. My problem is with reporters who speculate and give their opinion as if it were an actual fact, even lying saying they have sources. Which is what's going on with all of the Haynesworth talk.

[michiskin]

I agree it is a sad state of affairs because I do believe that Haslett can be creative enough to get Haynesworth opportunities to put up numbers in his defense.

I think Haynesworth is using the 3-4 switch as an excuse not to kow-tow to Shanahan and do so in a way that in some ways deflects all the blame from him.

Haynesworth doesn't want to be dictated to and that was apparent in Tennessee where Jeff Fisher had his hands full at times with Albert.

Any team acquiring a guy like this needs to have STRONG leadership.

Haynesworth is testing Shanahan to see how firm Mike is in his commitment to make the team his own and how strongly Snyder will support him.

In the end I think Haynesworth will find out that Shanahan does own the keys to the executive washroom and that if he is not dealt he will have to play things Mike's way.

But it is a knock down, drag out fight and we are only in Round 5 or 6.

Knock out rounds to come :)

Excellent post Bulldog. I agree with everything you just wrote.

On a side note, can anyone explain to me the attraction to moving to a 3-4 defense? Seems like we have the personnel and aggressive coaching in place to run a hellacious 4-3.

[michiskin]

I'm all for columns that deal with opinion and speculation as long as they are labeled as such. My problem is with reporters who speculate and give their opinion as if it were an actual fact, even lying saying they have sources. Which is what's going on with all of the Haynesworth talk.

I don't believe the Skins denied that AH was offered in the McNabb deal. So I think it's obvious he actually has been shopped already.

Of course the Skins are saying he's not on the market right now. To say otherwise would lessen their trade leverage and lessen my opinion of the new management. You're supposed to play it close to the vest with such high stakes involved.

I guarantee you if another team makes a fair value offer, AH is going to be an ex-redskin. Because he isn't a perfect fit for the 3-4 and Shanahan would love to send a message that no one is untouchable.

Even with sources, everything is speculation until it actually happens. If you can't tell the difference, I'm not sure what to tell you.

If you just want the straight-up facts, you should limit yourself to the transactions section of your sports page.

[#98QBKiller]

It's BS pot-stirring because we're sitting in the calm before the storm of the draft and there's not much more than speculation out there for the ****ty media outlets to report on.

[stevemcqueen1]

On a side note, can anyone explain to me the attraction to moving to a 3-4 defense? Seems like we have the personnel and aggressive coaching in place to run a hellacious 4-3.

To put it short and overly-simple, when you compare the 3-4 side by side to the 4-3, it's a fundamentally superior and more modern scheme. That is, it's better suited to success in the landscape of today's NFL primarily because it lends itself to a dynamic playing style where the 4-3 does not. This is a passing league now and the 3-4 is better equipped to defend that because of it's dynamic pressure packages and coverages. Teams are willing to sell out against the run by getting a bit smaller in the front 7 in favor of speed, and if you notice, the 3-4 is also changing the way the secondary plays as well.

If you were to ask any NFL lineman, QB, or OL coach, he'll tell you that they probably spend about twice as much time preparing for a 3-4 defense than they do for a 4-3. Pretty much all of the best defensive minds in pro football have already or started to switch to the 3-4. This must be. I personally am thrilled that we are installing a modern, cutting edge defensive scheme. I'm sure Mike Shanahan picked up on this when he studied successful NFL teams in his year off to expand his knowledge of the game. Most of the personnel problems we'll experience in the transition are short term problems, not long term ones. We'll be a lot better off in the long run by going ahead and making the switch now while we're bad anyway.

[Dick Edds]

Most of the personnel problems we'll experience in the transition are short term problems, not long term ones. We'll be a lot better off in the long run by going ahead and making the switch now while we're bad anyway.

amen ... I feel like I have been trying to say this for the past 3 months. All of the debating about draft picks, giving up picks for FA, etc. ... Rome was not built in a day and neither will our championship roster be built in one season.

While we all know the deficiencies on OL and other areas of need, that doens't mean you ignore those other areas of need just because you might need more OL help.

You get the best players you can while you can, and you build on that each year. HAIL.

[Oldskool]

Albert Haynesworth-DL-Redskins Apr. 20 - 4:54 pm et

The Titans have been in discussions with the Redskins about Albert Haynesworth "leading up to" the draft.
The report is from the Nashville Tennessean, though it was tucked matter-of-factly into a Haynesworth blog post. Beat writer Jim Wyatt believes the chances of a Haynesworth trade are increasing, and Tuesday's Adam Carriker acquisition could be the impetus the Redskins need to pull the trigger. The Titans don't seem likely to overpay, so a third-rounder could be enough to get it done.
Source: Nashville Tennessean

[Main-Maine]

A 3rd for that talent would be stupid. I think these guys are being payed by teams like the titans to cause a rift between Shanny & AH. I think anything less then a 1st is a no, unless they want to give us their 2nd,3rd,4th,5th, and 6th then sure they could have him back.

[JoeKnowsBest]

About 98% of the local Skins beat media is absolutely pathetic.

I have to agree with this. I look at other sports markets and can't help but feel jealous. We always seem to get scrubs for our media. Just once I'd like someone who is well respected nation wide and has some influence, as well as some broadcasters who are actually enthusiastic and exciting instead of dull and boring. We need our own signature call like the IE like the guys who calls the Cheifs or Oakland games "Touchdooowwwn! Kan-sas City!!"

Also, this is one of the main reasons Art Monk didn't get into the Hall of Fame for so long. We have no one who's respected or has any legitimate influence nationaly. Which is kinda stupid when you take in the fact we are the Nation's Capital.

Instead, what we have are a bunch of outcasts from Chicago and other cities who could care less about the Redskins.

[Horatio]

Didn't see this posted yet, but it's a pretty scathing attack on Fat Albert and Snyder too:

http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/sp/ysp-mod/yahoo-print-logo.png

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Haynesworth deal doomed from the start

By Charles Robinson (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/expertsarchive;_ylt=AiN1N7gXI1V3IA6JDV4eewXhMMQF?a uthor=Charles+Robinson), Yahoo! Sports Apr 16, 2:55 pm EDT



The AFC executive could only roll his eyes when he got the call late last month. His cell phone rang, and the voice on the other end delivered some less than shocking news: The Washington Redskins (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/was/;_ylt=Ais3y5.xsq8GwvQpUdudUVXhMMQF) were putting feelers out on defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/5901/;_ylt=Apuss8CVWjjWcCymm6j6IO_hMMQF)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/5901/news;_ylt=AkwMIfJ_RxxoxiyH6JlSQAXhMMQF). One of the most staggering free agent signings in NFL history was imploding a little more than a year later.








“I wasn’t blown away by it,” the AFC personnel man said. “[Haynesworth] was pretty close to getting that [$21 million option] bonus (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=ApxwNniugC1pOaxpqge.Rd_hMMQF?slug=jc-directsnap040610) to kick in, and all of the sudden it’s ‘What do you think of this guy?’ I had to laugh. I’m sitting there thinking, ‘I don’t clean up someone else’s mess.’ ”


The Redskins opened their first voluntary minicamp of the offseason on Friday, and Haynesworth wasn’t there. And much to coach Mike Shanahan’s chagrin, the two-time All-Pro isn’t expected to show up for anything this offseason that isn’t deemed mandatory. This despite collecting $32 million in the first 13 months of his contract – a monumental upfront sum that has NFL front offices and coaching staffs shaking their heads at what they deem one of the most predictable free-agent blunders in recent memory.


So you want to know what other franchises are thinking about the Washington Redskins? Well, it’s not pretty. Yahoo! Sports reached out to six executives who did their diligence on Haynesworth heading into the 2009 free-agent period, and each blasted the Redskins on multiple fronts. From the absurdly front-loaded nature of Haynesworth’s deal, to the scouting reports which suggested he wasn’t a player who could be trusted with such a landscape-changing contract, there is very little sympathy in league circles for Washington’s self-inflicted problems.

The executives dissected the Haynesworth debacle on three fronts. Starting with …


The realities of Redskins owner Dan Snyder

The overriding belief amongst other teams is that Snyder was the driving force behind Haynesworth’s contract. The $41 million in guaranteed money is a sore spot amongst other executives, who are bitter the Redskins took the defensive tackle spot and pushed it into the realm of quarterbacks, left tackles, and elite defensive ends.

And executives blame Snyder’s impetuous nature for that. Many have spent years watching him mastermind moves from afar, whether it was repeatedly butchering his coaching staffs or pushing for nonsensical signings. The aforementioned AFC personnel man likened Snyder to a child who enters a room full of toys and immediately reaches for the biggest, shiniest one he can find, then quickly moves on to the next one that catches his eye.

“I don’t think he can help himself,” the AFC personnel man said. “And that’s his right. He’s the owner. But it swings both ways. Jerry [Jones] can justify his involvement [with the Dallas Cowboys (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/dal/;_ylt=AkOrAb_wkSwdChZFAztKGYHhMMQF)] and most of his decisions, because he’s had his success. Snyder has been around for almost [11 years], and they’ve won [two] playoff games. Jerry took over the Cowboys in 1989 and they were the best team in the NFL for basically the next 10 years. There is good involvement and not-so-good involvement – good decisions and not-so-good decisions.”

The AFC personnel man pointed to Haynesworth’s contract as the most recent example of “not-so-good decisions.”

“The structure of that contract – there is no way that ever happens if an owner isn’t pushing hard for a player,” he said. “You can’t blame anyone else who was in the building for that. But when an owner wants it and has to have it, that’s when you start making some uncomfortable concessions. … To me, personally, if any owner is going to be involved in something like that, where your team is changing the economics of free agency [at defensive tackle], then he should know that he can’t put all the money upfront. That structure [on Haynesworth’s deal] was ridiculous. You gave the player all the money and all the leverage. What does he care about authority when he has basically all his money right upfront? If anything, he’s more empowered than ever.”


The realities of defensive tackles

Whether it’s at the top of the NFL draft or in free agency, arguably no position is more precarious than defensive tackle when it comes to doling out massive sums of money. Some executives believe it’s why so many top-10 defensive tackles languish after receiving massive rookie deals. Johnathan Sullivan (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/6342/;_ylt=AmNntJfvvOWr0HH7uFzyUMPhMMQF)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/6342/news;_ylt=AkVPB4Y1ZWYjacMK0HiNswvhMMQF), Dewayne Robertson (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/6340/;_ylt=AqNPQETOa54HE_1hO2HmH6jhMMQF)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/6340/news;_ylt=AiYSeai3.FD4FSBM1X6wIJjhMMQF), Ryan Sims (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/5892/;_ylt=Arot_TwyxkezXz6dEeaxbVPhMMQF)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/5892/news;_ylt=Ah7lSRoF1Maidb3W1r1mJzjhMMQF), Gerard Warren (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/5450/;_ylt=AiP3s5V7N5HWuKicxfN1pTHhMMQF)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/5450/news;_ylt=AlKf2ss6BO5l6pVmrkblByThMMQF) – these are all cautionary tales that have left many franchises wary of spending top picks on defensive tackles.

Even the good defensive tackle draft classes – like 2001’s haul of Richard Seymour (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/5453/;_ylt=AuVj7kfWq9yVGXLnKU.sJGzhMMQF)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/5453/news;_ylt=AlzK29_YkRzL0ngu76.U1vXhMMQF), Marcus Stroud (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/5460/;_ylt=AhkX1FOB6DwQquLbLUvYbGThMMQF)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/5460/news;_ylt=AtfNkc9lQGrAj3TDNpZ2ylThMMQF), Casey Hampton (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/5466/;_ylt=AnlUs8MxbD586bPHC1SMyonhMMQF)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/5466/news;_ylt=Akdm36XqaxqVsJVzZFNQYXLhMMQF), Kris Jenkins (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/5491/;_ylt=AjKsCC5o7nPN43mdSD6PDVnhMMQF)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/5491/news;_ylt=ApOZstny_9TkmM1yP6RH9VrhMMQF) and Shaun Rogers (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/5508/;_ylt=AuTH.FlHU2g6RV45wyVHzZLhMMQF)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/5508/news;_ylt=AptwFDhFwVHwfAPDkAfHKfnhMMQF) – see the top-end players go through dicey periods in their career. Look hard enough, and you will find pockets of franchise discontent with all of those players. It’s simply a difficult spot to gauge motivation.

“More than any position, it’s always been an ongoing discussion [in front offices],” said one NFC general manager.

Another NFC personnel man said he has seen “maybe two” defensive tackles who earned vast sums of money and actually ended up being worth it in the long run: Warren Sapp (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/3140/;_ylt=AiL7eArknbkuAcDYzAKVa1HhMMQF)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/3140/news;_ylt=AmOgiueKvI68Ppo2H5ApQUDhMMQF) and Cortez Kennedy – two likely Hall of Famers.

Said the NFC personnel man: “You can make a blanket statement: Anybody that doesn’t have a high motor, don’t give any underachiever that kind of money. They’re only going to underachieve more.”


The realities of Albert Haynesworth

Ultimately, this boils down to a Haynesworth problem. Executives say that despite his top-shelf play in 2007 and 2008 – by far the two best years in his career – he was simply not the kind of player who could handle getting a massive guaranteed payday. Why? His career production and motivation were too uneven, peaking in the two years when he was up for free agency, which is a sure sign to most teams that money is a player’s first motivation. And the theory in turn is that once that money is gone, so is the player’s interest in pushing himself to the limit.

“[Haynesworth] is the last guy you want to make rich,” the NFC personnel man said. “If you have any chance with a guy like that, there has to be some sort of carrot. Otherwise, forget it. You have no chance.”





And that wasn’t something that is just now being realized. When Haynesworth was headed to free agency last year, the massive market expected for him simply never materialized. And that was because most executives didn’t believe Haynesworth was a good financial risk. There was too much film that showed laziness – particularly in the years before 2007 and 2008. And he had a penchant for opining loudly on moves made by the front office. So much so that head coach Jeff Fisher once sarcastically talked about getting him an office next to the general manager. Add it up and you had a talented player who appeared to be motivated by money and wasn’t afraid to sound off about the message or direction of the team that employed him.

“There’s no question that that was what was on most people’s minds,” said the aforementioned NFC general manager. “ … There were definite spots where you’re watching him and thinking ‘OK, $40 million [guaranteed], he better be disrupting every play, instead of just once in a while blowing something up and going wow, there you go.’ You weren’t in awe when you watched him. You weren’t thinking ‘I’m willing to look at the owner and organization and say, yes, this is the guy.’ ”

Asked if there was a defensive tackle in the league worth $41 million in guaranteed money, the NFC general manager replied, “No, I don’t believe so.”




And maybe that’s the lesson that Snyder and the Redskins are figuring out now. That they created a market for Haynesworth that he never truly deserved, and then removed the financial motivation that many believe led to the best performances of his career. Now they’re saddled with a player that doesn’t fit their new defensive scheme, doesn’t appear inclined to show up when the new regime expects him to, and whose tradability has to be balanced by the steep investment Washington has already made.

For a signing that had the franchise abuzz in optimism a year ago, the backslide couldn’t have come much more quickly. But there isn’t much sympathy from other corners of the NFL. With each new headache, and every day Haynesworth is absent from Washington’s practice facility, the evidence mounts that the skeptics of a year ago were right after all.
Charles Robinson is a national NFL writer for Yahoo! Sports. Send Charles a question or comment (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/feedback;_ylt=As6kH4w.5QORobcoY8.MwvrhMMQF?author= Charles+Robinson) for potential use in a future column or webcast.
Updated Apr 16, 2:55 pm EDT

[Farbod21]

The only local reporter I can stand is John Keim for the Examiner. He is not a homer at all, yet doesnt try to bash the skins or report garbage rumors. He seems pretty level headed and his analysis is usually pretty good. He seems like a really nice guy as well.

I cannot stand JReid or JLC. They are both garbage. How the **** are they even employed?!?

[herb mul-key]

we need AH to play well but Snyder is still a ****in idiot!

[Larry Brown #43]

I don't believe AH will be traded, and clearly the local and national media have stirred the pot with rampant speculation on the issue.

But having said that...

If you ignore everything spewed by the media on this topic, and focus only on what Shanny himself has said about Albert, I think it's pretty clear that Albert isn't at the top of Shanny's Christmas card list:

“What I want to talk about are the players who are here.” (in response to a question about AH at minicamp)

"I hope he proves me wrong."

"I hope he really wants to come into camp in shape and wants to do the things we want him to do to make us win."

Do any of the above comments (word-for-word from Shanny's lips) inspire confidence that he's happy with Albert?

About the most flattering thing Shanny has said about Albert over the last month is "he won't be traded."

Of course, none of the above excuses the recent behavior from the media on this front. But I think you can separate the media garbage from what your own eyes and ears see and hear, and still come to the conclusion that Shanny and Albert aren't exactly pals right now.

[Sanders 83]

About 98% of the local Skins beat media is absolutely pathetic.

The other day J Reid was trying to finally back down from the ridiculous AH trade garbarge he & his BFF JLC have been harping on. Then yesterday on WP Live this clown brings it up again. And JLC is there on NFLN still jabbering about AH being traded. :stir:

Wait... Your confusing me... I thought we were supposed to believe everything the media says??? :ols:

[NattyLight]

Come in motivated in June. That's all I will say about haynesworth until then.

[Superbowl Mohawk]

Albert never wanted to play nose tackle. He wants to play DT or DE.

I say when he plays on our D-Line and lines up as a Nose Tackle, we don't call it Nose Tackle.

We call it . . . tortada.

[TotalRecall]

Sorry, but I highly do think AH was on the trading block. I don't think teams were willing to risk much for him, because this draft was very deep in D-linemen and the JaMarcus Russell factor.

[Santana_89]

Haynesworth, Redskins could be stuck with each other


http://voices.washingtonpost.com/redskinsinsider/albert-haynesworth/haynesworth-redskins-could-be.html#comments

Is this the best J Reid could do coming back from vacation?I wanted to update everybody on the Haynesworth situation..there is no update:ols::ols: Seeing that JReid is posting this nonsense again,I fully expect his bff Just Lost & Confused (;) TK) to be on Total Access tonite citing his sources are telling him :blahblah:.

[Justsomeguy]

The hacks in the media just need something to get attention with and read posts at ES all too often.

[Boss_Hogg]

JLC posted this on April 23rd:

Haynesworth deal expected to come down Friday
http://blogs.nfl.com/2010/04/23/haynesworth-deal-expected-to-come-down-friday/

Talk about epic fail! I can't belive this moron has a job. If he worked for my company he would have been canned along time ago.

[MustangSteve]

Haynesworth needs to get his ass to minicamp and start acting like a dayum team mate.

[ibarramedia]

The worst thing that could happen to Albert at this point is getting a season ending injury during the first game of the season. He does not play at all and the team is kind of rid of him without trading, cutting , releasing, waiving him.

On thing is for sure. If that happened, there will be less distractions. I don't want that to happen to an impact player of ours, but just saying.....