Among the lines on John Riggins’ resume are First-round Draft Pick, Super Bowl MVP and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
He can now add a new line—Attention Whore.
I don’t have a problem with his series of videos lambasting the Redskins in general and Dan Snyder in particular. I have to say that I found it odd that Riggo would shoot these rather amateurish videos. Such things should be the province of hack bloggers like yours truly. But they were sometimes amusing, they made some good points and a few of them were featured here at Real Redskins.
The videos began to take a nasty turn. In one, he said that Jim Zorn should be coaching in high school. In another, he displayed a cage and a small chair, suggesting that Snyder should be locked up. The tone of the videos gradually went from that of a former player who was concerned about the direction his former team had taken to one that was starting to get creepy, like that of someone with an ax to grind.
I say that he has an ax to grind because he said it himself. In response to a question by James Brown about his motivation for speaking out lately, Riggins said (helpfully transcribed by Dan Steinberg at the Sports Bog):
First of all, it’s what I do, JB. I have been in broadcasting for the last 15 to 20 years, so it is sort of my job. And the other part is, and I’ve been asked this question a lot, when they say do you have an ax to grind? And I think any time an older player criticizes or says anything about his former team, unless he’s throwing Bon Mots at them, that all of a sudden you get a, ‘What’s he griping at?’ type of thing. Maybe that’s the case. But truthfully, I do have an ax to grind and I just realized I have been a little bit disingenuous.
More about the ax in a minute. Riggins went on to say the following:
But this is a bad guy that owns this team. I’ll just tell you that upfront. Bad guy. And if the Commissioner is worried about potential new owners and saying some of these guys shouldn’t apply, he might want to police his own inside guys….”
He then went on to rehash some often-repeated points about how Snyder is in it for the money and to feed his ego and about how screwed up the football operation is. Then he and Cris Collinsworth had the following exchange:
Collinsworth: “There is a fine line between being a bad guy and a bad GM, if you will. Are you saying a bad guy as in the NFL needs to take a look at this?”
Riggins: “Let me put it to you this way, Cris, this person’s heart is dark.”
It’s here that Riggins jumped the shark. Look, I’m as frustrated as anyone else about the way that Snyder has run the team, both on the football side of things and on the stadium and public and press relations end of it. But saying that someone is evil because of the way he operates a football team is going too far.
By all accounts, Snyder is a good citizen. He gives generously to charity and when someone in the Redskins organization is in need he will do whatever he can to help.
Yes, Snyder has plenty of personality flaws. It not likely that it would be fun to sit down and have a beer with him. But that doesn’t mean that he has “a dark heart”. It just means that he’s a jerk.
And so is John Riggins. Not only that, he’s a jerk who, by his own admission, has an ax to grind.
Don’t forget that Snyder’s Red Zebra Broadcasting fired him from his afternoon radio show shortly after it took over what now is ESPN 980. A while after that Riggins appeared on Sirius NFL Radio for a while before being replaced there.
Currently, according to a tweet from @Riggo44 himself, he is looking for a regular radio gig. What better way to land a show of your own than to draw national attention to yourself with hyperbolic criticism of your former team?
When reasoned criticism of the owner doesn’t work, take some potshots at the beleaguered coach. Still don’t have a gig? Get on national TV and make an outrageous statement or two.
I sure hope that someone gives him regular work soon. I’m afraid to see what his next attention-whoring step will be.
Have to disagree. Snyder’s heart is dark. He is a vile person with virtually no redeeming characteristics. He’s a person that would creep me out if I were in his presence, and he’s shown his despicable character for the last 10+ years.
I could care less what he calls the little snot, Danny Snyder. If it gets national attention on what this moron has done to this franchise, the better.
The days of playing nice are over and you can also blame Danny for that too, with his suing of the fans, confiscation of signs, ejection of fans and outright lies to the media.
So yes, he is an evil little snot with a dark heart.
I’m not sure whether I agree with Riggins or not, or what his motivations are for saying that. Until I hear more I’m not rushing to the conclusions that he is just trying to land a media gig. One thing I do know – Snyder is the worst thing to happen to this franchise since I’ve been alive (41 years). Also, just because someone gives to charity doesn’t make them a good person. Anyways, it’s an interesting post, thanks.
Not sure if Riggo really “Jumped the shark” there, but I agree he did go over the line a bit with that “Dark Heart” comment. I have been, and still am very critical of Mr. Snyder and his approach to running the team, but I would never say he had a dark heart. Quite the opposite, I think he means well when it comes to wanting the team to win, and he certainly is a large giver to charitable causes. So while “Dark Heart” is well off the mark, some of Riggos other comments on how he is running the team are not. Having said all that, I would just add: Lighten up Riggo baby!
Ok I agree with The Analyst! I think Riggins is a little upset about being fired and half of what he said is right! Mr. Snyder NEEDS to fire Vinny Cerrato and hire a Real Football GM and stay out of his way! Let a GM come in and find a head coach and help turn this thing around! I think Mr. Snyder means well but has just gone about things the wrong way! I’m glad we’re getting all this negative attention! With it WILL come change! Who would want to put up with this ridicule from fans? Other than the Cardinals franchise! But Riggo baby…relax! The economy is making everyone crazy! Besides Mr. Snyder =)
Maybe the cell phone toting Napoleon wannabe doesn’t have a “dark heart.” But not ALL accounts say he is a “good citizen,” either, Rich. The infamous tree axing incident and some injured Six Flags people (and other things I can’t immediately recall) have to be factored in that citizen evaluation.
The bankrupt grandma Snyder’s minions sued agrees with Riggins (http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2009/09/03/PH2009090301843.jpg). The 20+-year employees Snyder fired without so much as a wave of farewell when he bought the team agree with Riggins. Norv Turner and Mike Nolan, each of whom were publicly degraded and humiliated, agree with Riggins. The lady who lost her chance to send her husband serving in Afghanistan a loving hello agrees with Riggins. It seem the vast majority of people who hold the opposite opinion (Greg Blache) are getting paid by Snyder.
Snyder is the worst kind of little man. He plays one way with his peers and superiors and another, very abusive and domineering way, with those below him. He may be the only man in history with diagnostic penis envy. Big dogs don’t bite because they don’t feel fear. Little dogs bite and snarl and snap because they are always insecure and afraid. Snyder is a bad little dog.
Does he have no redeeming characteristics? No person is unadmixed good or evil. Snyder has done praiseworthy things, but usually they are done publicly for the purpose of being SEEN to do praiseworthy things. Things that the Redskins PR department made sure wer widely reported. This does not impress me.
Last, Riggins has done far more for the Redskins dead drunk on Wednesdays than Snyder has done in 10 years. Riggins has a lot more leeway to say whatever he thinks about the team. Snyder is an impulsive, self-absorbed putz with an almost sociopathic disregard for others.
Every time Snyder polishes that Lombardi from 1982 he can directly thank #44. What has L’il Danny done for us that comes close? Has Snyder ever personally taken accountability for anything that has gone wrong with this team? The man is the root of the problem and not just from a football standpoint. Organizations take on the characteristics of their leader, which is why the Redskins organization is toxic
Wow. I guess I’m the only one that cooled out a little over the bye week. I think I agree with Rich: poor manager of people, yes; dark heart, no.
Interesting how many people only remember the past 10 years being bad. What about the 8 years before that? They were just as terrible. For as much as we villainize Snyder, John Cooke came out the other day and said if he had his way Norv would STILL be the coach!!!
Can you imagine what Riggins would be saying about the owner if that had happened?
I’d say Meatsnack has pretty well summed up how I feel. My answer to Joe in Raleigh is that I think people only remember the last 10 years and not the previous 8 is that the ownership was respected before Snyder. I have a hard time dismissing much of what Snyder has done as “poor people management”. Dark Heart may be too extreme though.