Gibbs to Resign as HC/President

[dgack]

Originally Posted by GMScud

I thought his grandson was doing much better? Everything I saw said his leukemia was in the remission stage and the treatments are much easier than last year. And was Gibbs' health suffering? I mean I know he has diabetes, but he's dealt with that for years...

While this may be true (I don't know), I would think the death of Sean is a pretty stark reminder of the frailty of life to a man like Joe, and a reminder that you need to think about what's truly important in your life.

For everyone who's upset that Joe didn't finish the contract, or any of that stuff, ask yourself this question -- "What if Joe came back next season and keeled over from a heart attack and died?" Wouldn't we all pretty much feel like selfish bastards and wish he'd retired, the same way we'd wish for pretty much any outcome for Sean other than the one we got?

Having just lost my grandfather, a lifelong Redskins fan, and a man who was among the strongest and most positive people I've ever met, a man who also had an extraordinary amount of faith and was one of the most successful people I knew -- certainly a man who was always a "winner" -- I can say I understand why Joe would want to walk away now. My grandfather and Coach Joe probably would have gotten along very, very well. And if my grandfather were alive today I know he'd tell me to focus on all the good things Joe accomplished while he was here, not on his decision to retire (again).

Finally I just want to say that Joe is a true leader, and what that entails doesn't always show up on the stat sheet, but it does show up on the hearts and minds of the people he worked with, who will be forever changed as a result of being associated with him. A huge part of leadership is the task of building up other leaders and then passing the torch.

In his true brilliance of leadership, Joe has made Snyder a better owner, Williams and Saunders better coaches (to say nothing of all their assistants), and many players on the team better players and men. Most importantly, he has returned the confidence of the fans, and restored just a portion of the lost luster of this organization, enough to give people hope for the next 20 years.

And, if you think about it, the phrase "he doesn't have anything else to prove" is really key here. Joe didn't have anything else to prove when he came back four years ago. In fact, you could say he did it to give back to the organization that he loves so much. He did it at the cost of a lot of personal sacrifice: health, time with his family, and frankly an awful lot of second-guessing, mean-spirited commentary from analysts and fans, and at the expense of a coaching record that had been Legendary and now looks "only" Really, Really Good by comparison.

Our only regret should be that the timing couldn't have been better, but honestly, there's never a great time for things like this. We'll soon see if the right decisions have been made on selecting Joe's successor, but I would be shocked if continuity and camraderie in the locker room aren't made the highest priority.

[Redskins_P]

Originally Posted by SFREDSKIN

Laugh all you want about Cameron but that guy will be a winner

Whats up your lovefest w/ Cam Cameron. Are you related to him?

[jdlea]

This just sucks. I mean, I was really starting to believe that this team would be turned around by Joe and now he steps down. I don't know where they go from here, but I hope that it isn't to Gregg Williams. I don't trust him as a head coach.

Also, I hope that the new coach doesn't decide that since he didn't pick Jason, Jason isn't his QB. It would be another wasted first round QB.

I would like to see a young guy in the Mike Tomlin mold come in and give this team a jump start and a coach who could be here for 10 years.

[Paintrain]

Originally Posted by SFREDSKIN

Laugh all you want about Cameron but that guy will be a winner.

His record at Indiana and in Miami says otherwise. He's no Norv Turner, oh wait..

[Monkeydad]

Originally Posted by Redskins_P

Whats up your lovefest w/ Cam Cameron. Are you related to him?

Cam has free time now.

I bet this IS him.

He's probably registered on Ravens and Falcons forums too.

[SFREDSKIN]

Originally Posted by Redskins_P

Whats up your lovefest w/ Cam Cameron. Are you related to him?

No I'm not, I guess most of you all could have said the same thing about Gibbs when he was hired after being the OC of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in the 70's. Watch the offense of the team that hires him, if Garrett leaves the Cowboys and they hire him watch what he'll do.

[JoeRedskin]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

That's stretching for a silver lining.

Agreed. But, hey, any boat in a storm.

[mheisig]

Originally Posted by SFREDSKIN

Laugh all you want about Cameron but that guy will be a winner. On another subject I wouldn't be surprised if Bugel also steps down. How do Gregg Williams and Al Saunders get along? Wasn't there some kind of distance between the O and D? How about ego's, if Williams gets the job who's to say Saunders won't step down cause he didn't get it?

I guess some people are just immune to reality.

[SmootSmack]

I suspected something might be up when my call with Joe Gibbs Racing was cancelled today. And then one of my coworkers sent me an email early in the AM "What exactly is Gibbs going to advise the Redskins on?"

But...DAMN!! I really didn't see this coming. Resigning as HC doesn't completely surprise me but I thought for sure he'd be President still. The Wrong President Resigned (free sig, there for the taking)

Seriously though, I'm admittedly upset. Not with Gibbs, but just with the fact that he's gone sooner than expected. And for the second time we don't have the opportunity to prepare for it and give him a proper send off (farewell tour)? It's how he wants it I suppose, but it's a shame that we spent so much time dissecting every aspect of his performance (down to the most minute details), yet never really took the time-or had the opportunity to take the time-to appreciate that our team, our beloved Washington Redskins, were led by one of the true legends of all of sports. I think a lot of us have taken what we had in him for granted. And had he said "I'm back for one more year and that's it" then maybe we would have spent time thanking him. You can call for a change and an infusion of youth all you want, that's fine. But I don't think there is a single fan of the NFL who can deny or refuse to appreciate the impact he had on the team, the city, and the entire league.

At the same time, sometimes news like this just needs to hit you hard then you need to just rip it off like a band-aid instead of letting it linger.

Now, as to the future. I haven't heard much, all I know at this point is that he'll be a part owner/advisor. But the advisor part will be a bit more impactful than it sounds supposedly. Still he won't be in a day to day management capacity.

Now, why did he resign? Haven't heard much there either. A couple of things I have heard, he was tempted to resign last year after his grandson was diagnosed with leukemia. However, he was upset (angry?) at how the season went and how he and the team were perceived. So he wanted at least one more year to get them back to respectability. Then when Sean Taylor died, he started reevaluating things and wondering where his priorities were that he would pass up the chance to be with his real family to take care of the Redskins family. Something else I was told late last night some of his top assistants, not Saunders or Williams, but I did hear the name Bugel (don't know how true it is, my source on that one isn't reliable), weren't keen on coaching much longer and Gibbs wanted to leave with them. There's also another rumor that Snyder wasn't keen on giving some of those guys extensions like he supposedly was with Gibbs.

Anyhow, that's all I've heard so far...which is really not much. As always, if I hear anything I'll tell...some of you.

Honestly though, when the season began did anyone think if Gibbs resigned it would NOT be the biggest Redskins news of the year?

RIP Sean

[tatrave]

By Joe, you are forever a Redskin

[Twilbert07]

I am as deflated by the news today of Joe Gibbs' retirement as I was elated in 2004 when I read the first report that Joe Gibbs was coming back to coach the Skins. I'm glad we had him for four more years. Now we need to maintain the momentum he helped create late in the season. This is a sad day.

[freddyg12]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

I suspected something might be up when my call with Joe Gibbs Racing was cancelled today. And then one of my coworkers sent me an email early in the AM "What exactly is Gibbs going to advise the Redskins on?"

But...DAMN!! I really didn't see this coming. Resigning as HC doesn't completely surprise me but I thought for sure he'd be President still. The Wrong President Resigned (free sig, there for the taking)

Seriously though, I'm admittedly upset. Not with Gibbs, but just with the fact that he's gone sooner than expected. And for the second time we don't have the opportunity to prepare for it and give him a proper send off (farewell tour)? It's how he wants it I suppose, but it's a shame that we spent so much time dissecting every aspect of his performance (down to the most minute details), yet never really took the time-or had the opportunity to take the time-to appreciate that our team, our beloved Washington Redskins, were led by one of the true legends of all of sports. I think a lot of us have taken what we had in him for granted. And had he said "I'm back for one more year and that's it" then maybe we would have spent time thanking him. You can call for a change and an infusion of youth all you want, that's fine. But I don't think there is a single fan of the NFL who can deny or refuse to appreciate the impact he had on the team, the city, and the entire league.

At the same time, sometimes news like this just needs to hit you hard then you need to just rip it off like a band-aid instead of letting it linger.

Now, as to the future. I haven't heard much, all I know at this point is that he'll be a part owner/advisor. But the advisor part will be a bit more impactful than it sounds supposedly. Still he won't be in a day to day management capacity.

Now, why did he resign? Haven't heard much there either. A couple of things I have heard, he was tempted to resign last year after his grandson was diagnosed with leukemia. However, he was upset (angry?) at how the season went and how he and the team were perceived. So he wanted at least one more year to get them back to respectability. Then when Sean Taylor died, he started reevaluating things and wondering where his priorities were that he would pass up the chance to be with his real family to take care of the Redskins family. Something else I was told late last night some of his top assistants, not Saunders or Williams, but I did hear the name Bugel (don't know how true it is, my source on that one isn't reliable), weren't keen on coaching much longer and Gibbs wanted to leave with them. There's also another rumor that Snyder wasn't keen on giving some of those guys extensions like he supposedly was with Gibbs.

Anyhow, that's all I've heard so far...which is really not much. As always, if I hear anything I'll tell...some of you.

Honestly though, when the season began did anyone think if Gibbs resigned it would NOT be the biggest Redskins news of the year?

RIP Sean

Good info Smoot. all sounds realistic, especially the bit about Snyder not wanting to extend Bugel et al. If true, that may have given Joe the out he needed, or the final straw in making his decision. Not saying it all came down to that, but combined w/other factors, I can see how he would see it's his time to go if Buges and Breaux were leaving too.

[skinsnut]

Originally Posted by Buster

Cam has free time now.

I bet this IS him.

He's probably registered on Ravens and Falcons forums too.

Very Funny!!
Welcome to the forum Cam!
Sorry about your job

[jsarno]

Originally Posted by MonkFan4Life

My heart LITERALLY just sank !

This about says it all.

It was one of those tidbits of news that you read and suddenly it feels like someone threw a boulder on you or something. I guess I knew it was a possibility, but I really thought he would stick around.

[jsarno]

Just when you thought you couldn't get any lower.
First there was all those injuries, then the losing streak, then the loss of Taylor...finally the ship had turned and we went to playoffs only to lose to, what I feel, was an inferior team, and now this.
Excuse me while I go to the corner for a while and cry.