Joseph White of the Associated Press reports on what he calls a “rare, in-season interview” with Dan Snyder.

There’s only one quote from the media-hatin’ Redskins owner in White’s dispatch: “We’ve let everyone down, including ourselves,” Snyder said, “and we know that and we’re just apologetic.”

More to come?

The Washington Nationals took out a full-page advertisement in Sunday’s Washington Post.

Sure, the Nats season ended a while ago. But it makes sense that the Lerners would reach out while local sports fans are planning their sports ticket budgets and deleting Dan Snyder and Redskins.

But this Nationals ad is horrible.

After an all-glowing recap of the 2009 season — two of these three made the cut: Zimmerman/Dunn had big homer totals, Stephen Stasburg signed, and the Nats had THE WORST RECORD IN ALL OF BASEBALL — the ad copy climaxes with “[W]e can all see why Washington, DC is truly becoming the home of the National Pastime in the Nation’s Capital.”

Washington, DC is the home of baseball in the Nation’s Capital? Who knew?

And who wrote that?

***

WUSA is also kicking the Redskins when they’re down.  Advertisements for the local CBS affiliate that ran during the Ravens game yesterday urged Skins fans to “sound off ” about the team.

“We won’t throw away your signs!” said the voiceover.

Ouchie wouchie! Didn’t you WUSA guys used to be covert “partners” with Snyder and help him out with all his infomercials? Guess the contract’s up.

(AFTER THE JUMP: Reebok boasts of its butt-enhancement powers? Shannon Sharpe goes after the Redskins? Dan Marino goes after the Redskins? 66 percent of CBS viewers go after the Redskins? Dan Marino says Bill Cowher ain’t gonna go for the Redskins? Heath Shuler has MVP award taken away from him by Politico? Ethics panel still gunning for Shuler? Chest bumping on the sidelines can get you suspended?)

Read More “Cheap Seats Daily: Dan Marino Says the Redskins Won’t Land Anybody Like Bill Cowher?” »

Great Moments In Capitalism (Cont.)

I thought Dan Snyder couldn’t top himself after selling Sept. 11 Commemorative Hats for profit.

Note to self: Never overestimate Dan Snyder. Never. Ever ever. Never never.

Folks at FedExField for yesterday’s game reported that Snyder’s vendors were selling beer to fans IN THE RESTROOMS!

And this isn’t the first time.

(After the jump: New evidence of Snyder’s “revenue stream”?)

Read More “Cheap Seats Daily: Breaking News: Fans Say Redskins Selling Beer in FedExField Bathrooms!” »

As Jack Shafer observes in yesterday’s column, the Annie Le murder has received the sort of national coverage usually reserved for celebrity deaths and award-show gaffes. To wit, Shafer’s incomplete but telling catalog:

The New York Times…has already published five articles about Le’s disappearance and murder and the apprehension of suspect Raymond Clark III. The Boston Globe has published at least six stories about the case, and the Washington Post has run at least three briefs from the Associated Press. The Times of London, published five time zones away, can’t seem to sate its appetite for Annie Le news. Even the proletarian New York tabloids—the Post and the Daily News—have gone ape for the story.

…besides which, a slew of well-sourced and quick-response articles in the university’s paper of record, and, by my count, two cover spots in the Washington Post Express.

My problem with Shafer’s piece isn’t his gripe that crimes at Yale and Harvard receive undue attention. (They do; always have.) I went to Yale—graduated, even—and Shafer’s points are well taken. But what the media critic misses is that, when it comes to murder, the Ivy League’s disproportionate share of media attention is part of a larger, and more regrettable, trend.

Read More “The Annie Le Media Fest: It’s Not Just About the Ivies” »

On this anniversary weekend of the Dunbar/Fort Hill debacle, it’s about time to call for an investigation of Michelle Rhee for her handling of the racial slur allegations made by Dunbar coach Craig Jefferies a year ago.

DCPS, the agency she lords over, has impeded every attempt to find out what really happened on that Allegany County football field last Sept. 19, 2008.

At least, that’s what school officials in Allegany County and Maryland athletic overseers say about Rhee’s handling of the matter.

Rhee won’t say anything. So why not believe everybody else?

(AFTER THE JUMP: Why didn’t Michelle Rhee cooperate in the Dunbar/Fort Hill investigations? Why won’t Michelle Rhee explain why she didn’t cooperate in the Dunbar/Fort Hill investigations? How did we reach a point where Michelle Rhee feels she doesn’t have to explain why she didn’t cooperate in the Dunbar/Fort Hill investigations? Redskins fans are racist? Dinosaurs and Indiana and preseason hockey trump postseason Mystics? )

Read More “Cheap Seats Daily: What Does Michelle Rhee Know About Dunbar/Fort Hill, and When Did She Know It?” »

Today’s Washington Post has a special pro football insert headlined “NFL ‘09.”

The most interesting reading in the 14-page pullout comes in one of its few advertisements. Main Line Animal Rescue, a Philadelphia group that apparently specializes in saving “Bully Breeds” of dogs, bought space in the section.

The ad copy, placed alongside a photo of what I assume is a pit bull:

Attention Football Fans: Philadelphia is playing Washington on October 26.

Every time Michael Vick is tackled during the game, Main Line Animal Rescue will donate 5 bags of dog food to your local animal shelter.

“Because there are no second chances on an empty stomach.”

Consider volunteering at your local shelter on the day of the game. Spend some time walking, or brushing, or bathing, or hugging a homeless Pit Bull.

Not exactly the bounty on players’ heads that led to the famous “Body Bag Game” between the Skins and Eagles in 1990, but, still.

My sense is the outrage against Vick has waned so much and so fast that by the time the Eagles get to DC, there’ll be a lot more talk about the wildcat offense than dog killing.

(By the way: The other ads in the Post’s football section are: four small spots for imported car dealers, one for a job fair, and a half-pager, the biggest in the section) announcing a blowout chain saw sale. Men! Men! Men!)

***

(AFTER THE JUMP: Wilbon already blames Snyder for lousy season? Kornheiser speaks no Snyder? Unseld whupped Yao’s dad? The Asian Bias™ in golf affects White House visit? The Nats Countdown to 100 Losses starts now? Pedro Martinez already has more wins than most Nats?)

Read More “Cheap Seats Daily: And If You Break Michael Vick’s Leg, We’ll Throw in a Chew Toy!” »

Somebody should tell Sam Rogers that feuds are good for radio. He won’t take my word for it.

Rogers is Senior Vice President and Market Manager of CBS Radio for the DC cluster, which means he’s the boss at WJFK, the city’s new sportstalk station and rival to Dan Snyder’s WTEM.

Rogers’ station also tried to create a rivalry with Snyder in the parking realm. But Snyder crushed him right out of the gate.

Read More “FanZoneGate™ Update: WJFK Boss Wants No Part of Feud After Getting Schooled By Dan Snyder!” »

Nats de facto general manager Mike Rizzo just made a deal giving an unproven talent the biggest contract a player in his position has ever been given in the history of his sport.

In other words, a deal just like those Redskins de facto GM Vinny Cerrato makes every offseason.

And now it looks like Rizzo’s about to be kicked out of his job.

If it were Cerrato who was getting knocked off, Redskins fans would be celebrating his departure the way Italians rallied around Mussolini’s swinging carcass.

But in Rizzo’s case, Nats followers are upset.

Will that be enough to save his job?

Dan Snyder‘s Six Flags debacle has taken a turn toward the contentious.

We couldn’t be happier!

The bankrupt company’s creditors are asking the courts to hold up proceedings until they can investigate the relationship between Six Flags and Red Zone LLC, an investment group Snyder formed with a lot of Redskins Park, including team bigwigs Vincent “Vinny” Cerrato and Karl Swanson. Snyder used the group’s Six Flags stock holdings take over the amusement park chain via a stockholder coup in 2005. Snyder anointed Mark Shapiro, also a Red Zone member, as made CEO of Six Flags.

The Wall Street Journal is now reporting that in recent filings with the court, attorneys for the firms holding notes for Six Flags, which is now more than $2 billion-plus in debt, singled out as questionable several actions made under Snyder’s tenure that involve Red Zone.

Among the dubiousest: Red Zone’s sale of a chunk of Dick Clark Productions to Six Flags, a deal that took place shortly after Snyder acquired the production company.

Back to us: SIX Flagging pegged that sale as fishy long ago. In a July 2008 post in this space, we called it “a bizarre transaction that essentially amounted to one of Snyder’s private equity outfits (Red Zone) making a $40 million sale to one of Snyder’s public equity outfits (Six Flags).”

Think the Private Snyder, playing with his own money, would strike a fair bargain with the Public Snyder, who was spending stockholders’ loot?

Sure he would….IN OPPOSITE LAND!

Read More “Update: SIX Flagging” »

Former Redskins great Gary Clark has just issued another party promo:

A GRIDIRON AFFAIR

In a time when some doubt the DOMINANCE of the BURGUNDY and GOLD, we must remember where the fear and the Dominance of the Burgundy & Gold came… It has been 17years since our mighty Burgundy and Gold Donned the Phrase… “SUPERBOWLCHAMPION.“

Well, sometimes in Supporting the Present you first have to understand and Celebrate your Past, because in your past, you find the compos that guides your future.  Inspiration comes from Greatness and Greatness come from Inspiration… In December … Greatness is coming back to the Washington, DC metropolitan area… At the place where it all started…

This isn’t the first time Clark has put out a party invitation, or used the sort of punctuation generally found on ransom notes. One difference from previous Clark invites: There’s no specific date on this one. Or specific time. Or specific venue. Just “where it all started.”

Vagueness can be a virtue.

Last month, Clark started advertising and offering tickets for what was billed as “The Ultimate Tailgate” party and Super Bowl gala. There would be a battle of the bands, the invitation promised, plus a massive video-game tournament with Chris Cooley participating, Joe Gibbs and Dan Snyder speeches, a Monte Carlo Night extravaganza and appearances by every player on every Redskins Super Bowl team. The dreamy all-day event, according to the promos, was going to be held on August 29 at RFK Stadium.

One of the many problems here: Nobody told RFK Stadium.

(AFTER THE JUMP: Who’s on crack? LaVar Arrington goes deep? LaVar let you take a turn bashing Dan Snyder? Juwan Howard is still in the NBA? The Nats are still playing?)

Read More “Cheap Seats Daily: Gary Clark’s Party’s On AGAIN?” »

The Arena Football League ain’t ever coming to DC after all.

Sports leagues, like romantic relationships, can’t survive taking a break. Last year AFL owners thought they were different, announcing that while they’d be spending the 2009 season apart, they weren’t breaking up.

Again: Just need some space. Just taking some time off from each other before getting back together.

Well, this week, several AFL owners leaked to the press the date that they’ll be getting back together: The 12th….OF NEVER!

The AFL is dead.

The disbanding means, alas, Dan Snyder won’t ever bring us the AFL team he promised back in 1999.

(AFTER THE JUMP: MMA is the next arena football? How many Redskins blogs are out there? Dan Steinberg marvels at whose muscles? The Washington Times toasts Bruce Smith? Michael Vick is partying where? The Nats are still playing?)

Read More “Cheap Seats Daily: Washington Warriors Won’t Ever Play in the AFL?” »

This clip of Brett Erlich and Ellen Fox’s “Anyone Else but You” parody is about a month old, but I caught it on Current TV’s birthday special and was reminded how spot-on it is.

Especially satisfying after so much failed quirkiness this year:

I’m getting the feeling that maybe Six Flags HASN’T REALLY TURNED IT AROUND?

Team Snydiro – Chairman Dan Snyder and CEO Mark Shapiro — have now been telling the world for almost four years that Six Flags has gotten things together.

Today, more proof that Six Flags hasn’t gotten things together.

Read More “Update: SIX Flagging” »

The new owners of the Waco Tribune-Herald, a newspaper run for the last three and a half decades by Cox Enterprises, greeted their Central Texas readers with a note on Saturday to explain why in God’s name they would want to run a newspaper in this day and age, when, as we all know, newspapers are dying.

As it turns out, God may well be behind it: The paper, from here on out, will print the words “In God we trust” on its front page.

Here, in part, via Romenesko, is the introductory message from Clifton Robinson, chairman of Robinson Media Co.:

This is the first edition of the Trib under the ownership of the Clifton Robinson family. The new experience of newspaper ownership is exhilarating, exciting and entered into with certain trepidation, remembering quotes of “Stick with what you know” and “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.”

… The newspaper business is currently undergoing what can best be described as the perfect storm: The failing U.S. economic conditions coupled with the digital age have caused advertising revenues and subscriptions to decrease.

Change is the byword of our modern society, and such is the case of the Trib. It’s time for a change, and hopefully our values and opinions will be well received by our advertisers and readers. It will come about slowly but surely with the first change being printed on this paper’s front page, where it will remain during the tenure of our ownership: In God we trust.

Clearly, that’s the answer to all of journalism’s woes: Get God to back your enterprise.

But more importantly: What declaration might City Paper put on its front cover? In whom – in what – do we trust?

The Washington Post runs a Metro story about the fans who spend a day watching practice at Redskins Park. (Lemme quote Allen Iverson: “PRACTICE? We’re talking PRACTICE?”) One of the fans quoted in the piece is Peter Lalich. Though the story doesn’t go into it, Lalich was the Everybody’s-All-American kid from Springfield who was headed for stardom as a UVa quarterback before getting booted off the team for a string of teensy crimes that weren’t considered crimes a generation ago, before we went to war on the use of even low-level mind-altering substances.

Lalich transferred to Oregon as soon as his run in Charlottesville went to hell, and, because of some weird quirk having something to do with his new school being on a quarter system and not semesters, he’ll be eligible to play this season.

If the punishment schedule announced last year still holds, Lalich should get his drivers license back this week from Virginia authorities. It makes sense that Lalich would be on a practice field this time of year, but… Why isn’t he in Oregon?

***

Another formerly local athlete in some legal heat, and not dealing real well with it: Antonio Pierce, the ex-Redskins linebacker turned Giant person of interest in the Plaxico Burress thigh blast case, is making enemies with his tweets.

(AFTER THE JUMP: Examiner column calls out Duds? Godly folks are coming after the racist Redskins? Who says Cal Ripken and/or Eddie Murray were juiced? FedExField also sucks for things other than football games? Jeremy Mayfield called his stepmomma THAT? Van Pelt goes for big bucks, but Czarniak goes bid-less?)

Read More “Cheap Seats Daily: FedExField Still Blows?” »