Open letter to Joe Gibbs from one of our readers

I received this letter from a fan a couple of weeks ago and have been waiting for a good time to post it. I think it summarizes what a lot of us are feeling as longtime fans, and while I sincerely doubt Snyder will ever sell the Redskins, maybe Joe Gibbs could lend him some advice to reign in his destructive meddling.

I think this letter also effectively states what this site is about. We're not Redskins "haters" (as Larry Michael used to say), but genuinely care enough about the future of our franchise to make our voices heard, while still standing by our team. Maybe we should just walk away like Mike Wise has suggested:

"I would tell fans this: remember those times, keep them in your heart always. But it's time to move on. You can't let memories from two decades ago rule your feelings today. It's like hanging onto a relationship that was over years ago."

For whatever reason though, we just cannot walk away. Here is the letter:

Dear Joe Gibbs,

Is there any chance that you would consider becoming the new owner of the Washington Redskins? You’ve always said that Washington is a great sports town, and as you know it is a football town above all else. As you also know, the team and its fans are hurting right now, and I think you could be the one to fix it.

I know that you are retired and that you need to spend time with your family. And certainly becoming the owner of a professional football franchise would take time and energy. But being an owner would require far less time than being a coach.

You have already demonstrated your ownership interests and skills in NASCAR, and we all know how much love and knowledge you have of football.

Plus, you are the kind of owner the team needs right now – someone who is loved and trusted in Washington and around the League, who can inspire and motivate the coaches, players, and fans. You would make the Redskins a desirable franchise to work for again, and as a result you could hire the kinds of gifted men who could rebuild the organization.

At this time, the Redskins desperately need an owner who can select expert football minds: a general manager like Bobby Beathard to evaluate players and manage field personnel; a top-flight head coach who will surround himself with wise assistants and motivate his team to strive and succeed. You would let your personnel use their expertise to manage the team, rather than the day-to-day and player-by-player meddling the team has known recently.

Throughout the NFL, people would be thrilled and excited to work for you in reviving the Redskins. Your leadership would help to build a roster of coaches and players committed to winning and, more important, committed to each other.

Of course, the current Redskins owner may have no interest in selling the team. But like so many of us, he was a Redskins fan in his youth, and Joe Gibbs was his hero. If anyone can convince him to act in the interest of the team, it is you. I hope he could take pleasure in selling the team to his boyhood idol and then watching it flourish.

I know that in the scheme of things, football is of limited importance – a lot less important than the needs of your family. Let me just say that when I grew up in the DC area in the 1980s and 1990s, the Redskins teams you led were a great source of joy. My father and I still enjoy watching the Redskins together as we did when I was young, although the team’s current state is frustrating. Your leadership and the hard work of the players you coached inspired pride across the Washington region.

I now hope to raise my own children to enjoy Redskins football with me as I did with my father. I would love for them to see your Redskins revived, not only so they can win games, but also so they can show what it means to be a good and well-led team.

Please consider doing one more service for your team and city.

Sincerely,

A fan