The Burgundy Bruisers: A Redskins Tale

[trekfan]

The Vitals:

Game -- Madden 18, Xbox One

Difficulty -- All-Pro, custom sliders (based off Flazco's sliders)

9 minute quarters, 20 second run off -- just the right amount for me. Tried 10 minutes but the scores got crazy and it dragged on forever with my pace.

UPDATE: After Week 14, I switched this to 11 minutes with 20 second runoff -- I wanted more time for the CPU to get an opportunity to score and also allow myself a bit more room to pass more often.

XP Sliders -- TDawgs final set, as of 1/04/18


Mostly solo team control (owners of select teams set to user, but the bulk are CPU to allow me to switch uniforms of teams, keep the league active with trades, etc).

CPU set to auto for all the other user controlled teams.

Salary Cap OFF -- I don't like the way Madden has implemented it and, frankly, I feel it's inaccurate in enough places that it becomes cumbersome. However, I won't be making crazy signings to bolster my roster via free agency. There will be a set of house rules to keep things in check.

****

Welcome to my newest dynasty and my first one on the football forums since 2009 (I was still in college ... jeez!). It's been so long that OS doesn't even have that thread anymore, lost to the abyss of the internet (but I still have all those files and my Tim Tebow led 49ers, coached by Brian Billick, was awesome and will remain so for all time ).

It's been a long, long time since I've had an itch to tell a football story, but the itch is back. For the first time in many years, I jumped into Madden and was pleasantly surprised at how far the game has come. True, I haven't played a Madden game since Brett Favre was on the cover, but even compared to NCAA 14 (RIP), this latest iteration has done enough to catch my attention.

Since 2009, I've mostly puttered about the basketball forums, starting multiple dynasties in that time. I've taken a number of different styles in the intervening years, but for this story -- a football story -- I decided to focus on the traditional 3rd person POV, past tense.

This will not be a dynasty strictly focused on stats, results, and awards -- this will be a story, complete with ups, downs, narrative arcs, and a few surprises along the way. Since this is being written with what the game gives me, there's no telling when a major injury might strike or a player decides he's had enough (either leaving in free agency or outright retiring).

For this thread, we'll be following three people, each with their own unique view of the sports:

The owner, the quarterback, and the team beat writer.

Each will have their own view on things as characters of their own, and don't think they'll be cookie cutter characters ... expect some tough topics and truths to be addressed.

As always, any and all comments are welcome. Hope you folks enjoy.

[trekfan]

Ch. 1

Outside, it was frigidly cold. Temperatures had dipped into the single digits, not counting wind chill, but however cold it was outside didn’t compare to how chilly it was inside. Standing in a conference room, adorned with memorabilia from years past, he was at the end of a long table being given the glare of the century.



And he didn’t give a damn.



“I came here, in person, to deliver my final offer,” Takuma stated calmly. “You know as well as I that the sooner you sign, the better off you’ll be. Your investors are suffering with every passing second.”



“Spare me,” spat the owner of the Washington Redskins. Daniel Snyder pushed the frames of his glasses up his nose, took a deep breath, and stood from the table. “You’re forcing my hand.”



“Actually, the minority owners of the team and your declining portfolio are,” Takuma corrected. And your years of mismanagement and embarrassing results, he added silently.



Snyder tapped his fingers against the table, over and over. The man’s thoughts were as loud as his tapping — could he really afford to pass on this offer? Takuma knew he couldn’t; it was just good business sense. Snyder wasn’t just being compensated for selling his majority stake, he was being overcompensated, and that’s exactly what he needed with the way the markets had gutted his investments.



If Daniel Snyder didn’t sell now, from a position of strength, he’d be forced to sell from a position of weakness. No leverage and a significantly less likelihood that someone would pay him too much for his team.



“Well?” Takuma asked, his voice almost booming in the near-empty room. “Time is money, after all.”



Snyder narrowed his eyes, looked back down at the final offer on the table, and grimaced. “Someday, you’ll regret this. I certainly never thought I would … but I was wrong. It’s been a headache from day one and has gotten worse each passing day.” He picked up the pen, signed the paper, and dropped the pen back onto the table without a care.



“I suppose we’ll see, won’t we?”



Snyder flashed a grim smirk at Takuma. “Enjoy your headache, Mr. Payne.” With that, he briskly walked out of the conference room, not even offering a handshake.



And that’s why he’s not very well-liked. Takuma walked to the other side of the conference room, picking up both the paper and the pen, and looked out onto FedEx Field. Like it had been for most of Snyder’s term as owner, it was empty … no playoffs. No postseason. A dreary, concrete circle with less life in it than what came before.



RFK was something special. This place … well, it was special for all the wrong reasons. It represented failure, years of futility, and disappointment. As a fan, he wasn’t thrilled with it; as the soon-to-be owner of the team, he was locked into this place via a lease. Improvements would have to be done everywhere to get the stadium up to his standards.



The same thing was going to happen at all levels of this organization.



The door to the conference room opened and he turned around to see his lawyer, Herb Roe, enter in. Herb glanced around the room and let out a low whistle. “Tak, this is yours now.



Takuma smiled at his old friend. Herb had always had his back … he was Takuma’s blindside protection back in high school. It came naturally to him, Takuma supposed. “Snyder’s lawyer signed off?”



Herb patted his jacket pocket. “Got the documents signed here, scanned and ready to send to the league office. Just need yours and we’ll be ready to go.”



Takuma nodded. “Let’s get to it, then. We have a lot of work to do.”



***



“You’re serious?” She nearly dropped her coffee, but managed to set it down on her disheveled desk (on a corner that, miraculously, was empty). “He’s gone?”



Joe Beck, her league source, just sighed on the other end of the phone line. “I wouldn’t be calling otherwise, Kesha. Snyder is selling the team to some self-made billionaire from — get this — Japan. At least he was born there, anyway, the guy’s a certifiable investing prodigy. Took a lot of big risks after college, made a ton of dough, and now he’s a *ucking NFL owner and a minority at that.”



Kesha quickly scribbled down everything he said and, without even looking up from her notebook, bumped her desk so her computer monitor would wake up. “What’s the price?”



“Snyder’s stake only, 2.4 billion.”



She looked up at the monitor wide-eyed, the phone nearly slipping from her shoulder. “*hit, that much?”



“Should set the bar for the Panthers, though no one saw this coming. Snyder’s selling because he need the cash and badly — the markets took a terrible turn on him.” Joe chuckled. “Serves him right.”



I ain’t crying, that’s for sure.“Okay, anything else?”



“That’s the gist of it — it won’t be officially till the morning, but you can break it now. You owe me a dinner and drinks, minimum.”



She smirked. “Next time I see you it, consider it done. Got to go, keep in touch.” She hung up with her free hand and tossed the phone on her desk. Snyder was gone.



Snyder. Was. Gone.



She couldn’t wait to tell her father, who would invariably crack a beer in celebration — even if it was nine at night, this was an occasion. Growing up in the DMV, the Redskins were the team … and now they were just a team. Years of *ucking around had rendered the organization known for overpaying for veterans, making poor splash moves, and constantly under attack because of their meddling owner. Snyder was the main source of the problem.



A problem that was no more.



She cracked her fingers and went to work, a grin on her face as she attacked the keyboard.

[trekfan]

New Year, New Owner: Daniel Snyder sells Redskins

By Kesha Yates 1/2/18

May 25th, 1999 was a day the fortunes of the Redskins changed — for many fans, they changed for the worse. Daniel Snyder bought the team and bought it for a then-record $800 million. Snyder, for all his mismanagement, did have one redeeming trait as an owner: he wasn’t afraid to spend. Unfortunately for the Redskins, Snyder often spent money on the wrong things.



New coaches. New GMs. New veterans. Old results.



The Redskins, during Snyder’s ownership, have largely been losers. They’ve had six winning seasons (never winning more than ten games), have made the playoffs five times (each as a wildcard after 1999), only advancing to the divisional round twice — and never advancing past that. The Redskins, under Daniel Snyder, have been outright failures.



They have failed as an organization in more ways than should be even possible — they consistently failed to hire the right coaches or front office personnel. They consistently failed to nurture young talent or take care of their veterans. FedEx Field is one of the most loathed places in the NFL for both players (due to injury concerns) and fans (due to the monetization of just about everything). They’ve even failed to adequately defend their own name — the team continues to fight an image problem with the Native American communities.



For a team that was established in 1932, the Redskins have been relegated to also-ran status since the first retirement of Joe Gibbs. They have become, at different times, an embarrassment to its fans, the NFL, its players, and the local media. Though there are many who find the term “Redskin” to be offensive, the modern-day meaning of the term is clear: it means debilitating failure.



This year, all that may change. The Redskins, as of yesterday afternoon, were sold to a new owner for a stunning $2.4 billion dollars. Daniel Snyder made out like a bandit, as he ceded his 65 percent ownership stake and controlling majority to one man: Takuma Otis Payne.



A self-made entrepreneur, Payne was born in Japan at Okinawa Naval Base to his father, George Payne (serving at that time in the Navy) and his mother, Asumi Kato. Payne and his family were there for ten years before his father was transferred to Naval Station Norfolk. Takuma Payne would graduate from high school at 16, finish college at 19, and become a software engineer in 2000. There, thanks to some smart investments, Payne would grow his portfolio in each year.



It took him the better part of two decades, but he amassed enough of a fortune — worth somewhere around $4 billion dollars — to buy the Redskins at a premium price.



The NFL’s league office officially declined to comment on the matter, but sources within the office say that the approval of Payne joining the ranks of the NFL owners is “a formality” at this point. The deal with Snyder had been worked out over the last month, according to those same sources, and was finalized yesterday afternoon.

For Redskins fans, this deal represents a new start for the franchise and — perhaps — a return to glory.

[trekfan]

Ch. 2

The press were already assembled — it was to be expected. Takuma peered out the door a second longer before turning his attention back to his guest. “What do you think, Dad?”

His father — proudly wearing his Navy veteran hat, dressed in jeans and a well-worn Redskins jacket — let out a grunt. “Don’t like you having to parade in front of the damn media. They’re vultures, son … will eat anyone alive once they peck them to death.”

Takuma cracked a grin. “I don’t plan on dying anytime soon.”

“No one does,” his father countered. He looked around and shook his head. “It’s surreal to be standing here. I promised myself that if I ever met the owner of the Redskins, I’d deck him for being a dumb*ss.” He winked at Takuma. “Gonna have to break that promise.”

“I can arrange a meeting with Snyder, feel free to deck him all you want,” Takuma said with a laugh. It was surreal. He’d dreamed of being involved with the team since he got to the USA … it was lonely when he arrived. All his friends were in Japan and, as a 10-year-old kid, he had trouble making new ones. But football season — and the Redskins — was how he figured out how to fit in. Nothing was more inclusive than being a Redskins fan — if you knew the players, knew the game, anyone would talk to you. So, like the nerd he was, he studied up on the Redskins and became an encyclopedia of knowledge. It helped him make friends, impressed adults, and was the key to finding his place.

That was football to him — violent, yes, but something that could help a scared kid fit in.

“What are you gonna do about the stadium?” his father asked.

Takuma took a breath. “The lease is till 2027 … frankly, the stadium needs renovations and it’s going to get them. Lots of memories in it, even if there are some I wish I could forget.”

“It’s a bit of a *hithole, but it’s not terrible … sometimes.” His father scratched his mustache. “The fans love it — our section is the *ucking best one in the stadium.”

“Trust me, I’m going to be making things better for the fans, the players, everyone.” His father gave him a skeptical look. “Seriously, Dad, I am — this is it, the start of something new, something better.”

“It’ll be better because I’ll have a direct line to the owner,” his father half-joked. “But to really make this new, you’re gonna have to overcome a lot of bad karma. Snyder really screwed this pooch.”

A PR aide came up — Roxy, as he recalled — and the lithe blond handed him the media list as he requested. “That’s everything,Mr. Payne. The conference will be starting in just a few minutes,” she said quietly.

Takuma nodded. “Thank you, Roxy. I think I’ll go out and introduce myself.”

She nodded and opened the door, calling the reporters to attention.

His father smirked. “She’s nice.”

Takuma blew out a sigh. “I’m not going there.”

“Your mother has been bugging me about it, better not let her catch wind you have a pretty little aide, otherwise she’ll start bugging you.”

Straightening his tie — God, he hated suits — he took a deep breath. “Thanks for the warning. Any other advice?”

“Be honest, shoot straight, and don’t *uck up.”

Takuma smiled, gave his father a happy pat on the shoulder, and walked into the media room.

***

Here’s Johnny, she thought as Takuma Payne strode out onto the stage, a huge smile on his face. He genuinely look happy to be there — a stark contrast from how Snyder looked. The various members of the press with her, from outlets such as ESPN, NBC, and more, all immediately began snapping pictures. Payne cut a rather dignified figure — he looked to be about 5’9”, in good shape, and was quite tan (the half-Japanese part of him provided that, she guessed).

The PR aide approached the mic. “Mr. Payne will now take questions. Please be mindful, this is just an introductory press conference.”

Not even on the job a day and he’s already got someone telling us to stop asking questions, she mused.

Hands shot up and Payne began pointing.

“Mark Hadley, ESPN: What was your motivation for buying the Redskins at the price you did?”

Payne flashed a smile. “Well, I’ve been a fan of the team since I was a child. When my family moved here from Japan, it was quite a culture shock … even growing up on an American naval base, it was tough to reconcile some things. I was just ten and I had trouble making friends at first … until I became a fan of the Redskins. I was lucky enough to move here in early 1991, so I caught the last Super Bowl year for us. My father was a longtime fan, but watching it on TV, half-a-world away, isn’t the same as being there in person. The first game he took me to hooked me for life and I became the biggest Redskins nerd I could. It helped me make friends and, ultimately, became a part of my life I couldn’t live without.

“I’ve spent the better part of the last two decades working towards this and, when I approached the former owner with this proposal, I wanted to make sure he couldn’t say no. My ten-year-old self would have paid any amount of money to own this team; I really had no choice but to buy it.”

Kesha scribbled down some notes as her recorder went and raised her hand. Payne called on her. “Kesha Yates, The Washington Post: Clearly, you have a great love for this team … what will be your first order of business now that you control it?”

Payne didn’t hesitate. “The first order of business is to redefine this organization. Under the previous ownership, multiple opportunities were missed. Personnel and players were treated poorly … the reputation of the Redskins was sullied. My first act as controlling owner of this team will be to lower ticket prices for the upcoming season, lower merchandise prices, remove tailgating restrictions, and renovate FedEx Field. The fans have been mistreated too long and it’s time to correct that.”

More hands shot up in the air and Payne pointed to another one.

“Jacklyn Bryant, NBC: What moves are you considering as far as the coaches and front office staff are concerned?”

Payne took a breath. “I have, in recent days, discussed the matter extensively with all parties — and we’re parting ways with Bruce Allen and Jay Gruden. We appreciate the work they’ve done for this organization, but we’re going in a different direction.”

Kesha nodded along. Good riddance. It was brave of Payne to announce the firings now — he could have easily dodged the question, but the man wasn’t being slippery like most owners would be.

Maybe this time the Redskins have actually gotten lucky.

[trekfan]

League Update:

2017 Final Standings and Wild Card Recap

AFC





NFC





Firings

Indy has parted ways with Chuck Pagano (Chuck PaGONEOH?), the Raiders fired Jack Del Rio, and the Redskins parted ways with Jay Gruden.

Marvin Lewis and Hue Jackson still have jobs ... somehow.


The Wild Card


The Wild Card weekend was half-wild, half-chalk -- both the Patriots and Falcons easily bested their matchups, but things got screwy on Sunday as both the Chargers and Cardinals beat their opponents -- Arizona shocked the NFL by putting up 50 (that's FIFTY) points on the stout Vikings D.

That sets up an interesting divisional round. Here's the schedule:

LAC @ JAX

ARI @ DAL

NE @ KC

ATL @ SEA


As a great man once said, get your popcorn ready.

[trekfan]

Ch. 3

It was an early Monday morning and the sun was slowly peeking its way above the horizon. Staring out across the practice field at Redskins Park, he was waiting for the man he wanted to be the coach of his team.

My team … there’s a phrase. For years he had dreamed of being an owner, of righting the ship for the team he loved — the team that had helped him as a kid. He owed the Redskins a debt that he could never quite put into words, but he knew that without them he would have been miserable in America.

Herb entered into the conference room, two mugs of steaming black coffee in his hands. “Here you go, just like you like it.”

Takuma took his mug and smirked at his former blindside protector. “Thanks, you shouldn’t have gone to all this trouble.”

“I’m looking for a raise, that’s all. I really don’t like you,” Herb joked. The two took sips of their coffee before Herb snapped his fingers. “Almost forgot, our guy is near — ten minutes out. You ready to make the pitch?”

Takuma offered a nod. “He’s either going to consider it or reject it. He’s my first choice, especially after the beatdown he put on this weekend.”

“The question there is was it him, or his head coach who was responsible for it?”

Takuma took another sip of his coffee. “You want McDaniels.”

Herb’s big shoulders relaxed some. The big man was never particularly good at hiding his thoughts from his former QB. “Look, Tak, I like the guy you’re bring in — how could I not? He’s a former lineman, he knows what it’s like in those trenches. But I don’t know if how he plays, how you want to play, is the way we get this team back as contenders. The league ain’t about the ground and pound life anymore … you either air it out or get aired out.”

Takuma nodded along — all these points he’d considered at one time or another. “You’re right, the league —as it stands right now — is about passing. The rules are designed to encourage it, OCs across the league are happy with calling it. But you know what else passing does?”

“Score points?”

“When it works, yes,” Takuma conceded. “But it also stops the clock on incomplete passes. It leads to turnovers. It puts a defense back on the field less than five minutes after it just got off it. A team that overly relies on the pass wears out their defense and their special teams. The more guys get tired, the more likely injury occurs … you have to have balance and that’s what we’re aiming for. I’m not proposing we pass the ball five times a game, but I am proposing we focus on the run — stick to our gameplan. There aren’t enough good quarterbacks in this league to run an offense that lives and dies on the pass. Tom Brady doesn’t grow on trees.”

Herb frowned as he considered Takuma’s words. “Tak, we got Cousins … right?”

“He’s walking, Herb.” Takuma let out a breath. “I’m letting him walk.” He took one last sip of his coffee and set it down.

“We can tag him —”

“And what? Trap him here for another year? No.” Takuma shook his head vehemently. “The NFL has to change the way it does business with players, especially if we’re going to avoid a strike when the CBA runs out. Too long the league has treated players like property. It’s a business, but it’s one that involves human beings and we’re going to treat them as such. If a player decides they don’t want to sign long-term with us, then we let them walk or find a place to a team they will sign with — no tag.”

Herb groaned. “That’s damned naive. Agents are going to turn the screws on us!”

“It’s not going to be a public policy … but I have confidence the players will respond positively. So will our coach; we want people who want to be here. Not property.”

Herb’s phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket, checking it with a glance. “Well, he’s here. You ready?”

Takuma took a steadying breath. “Let’s go hire a head coach.”

[trekfan]

Redskins offer Harold Goodwin

By Kesha Yates 1/9/18

It didn’t take long for new Redskins owner Takuma Payne to find his next head coach. After firing Jay Gruden, Payne arranged only one interview and that was with Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin. Goodwin has been with Cardinals' head coach Bruce Arians since 2013 and has interviewed for a few teams. But he was never offered the head job.



Until yesterday. After the Cardinals upset of the Vikings in Minnesota, Goodwin boarded an early morning flight from the cold of Minnesota to the slightly-warmer weather of Washington, DC. Sources within the Redskins organization indicate that Goodwin, owner Takuma Payne, and Payne’s chief legal counsel, Herb Roe, met at Redskins Park early Monday morning to discuss the position.



Goodwin was there till noon and, reportedly, left with an offer in hand. When asked for official comment, the Redskins only said that “the coaching search continues” and declined further comment.



If — and it’s a big if — Goodwin accepts the position, it will represent the Redskins first black, non-interim head coach in their history. Take a minute to think about that — the Redskins have existed, in one form or another, since the 1930s. Only one man — Terry Robiskie in 2000 — has come close to being the first non-interim black head coach for the team. Robiskie was not retained in the role and the Redskins haven’t had serious conversations with a black candidate since.

In a league where head coaching, front office positions, and ownership are dominated by older, white males, the Redskins seem to be heading in a different direction — a direction that looks downright progressive in comparison to their peers. If this is Payne’s attempt at “redefining the organization”, he seems willing to break convention … and he might just be on to something.

[trekfan]

League Update:

2017 Divisional Round Recap



There was only one team to win their divisional home game and it was the one that you would have never guess -- the Chiefs. Facing the Patriots, KC obliterating New England like it was the start of the season.

Across the bracket, the Jaguars were beaten by the veteran Chargers as Phillip Rivers continues his revenge tour -- he got past his fellow 2004 draft class QB in Big Ben and Pittsburgh, and has now bested the Jaguars, a team that's haunted him despite how poor they've been over the last ten years.

In the NFC, the road teams won -- the Cardinals continued to set the scoreboards on fire, scoring 42 on the Cowboys (while holding them to only 21). Immediately, fans began calling for Jason Garrett's job as the Cowboys, once again, have failed in the playoffs despite a great regular season.

In Seattle, the Seahawks got into a defensive battle with the Falcons but came out on the losing end. The Falcons did just enough to get by as the Legion of Boom just couldn't hang on in the end -- once more, Seattle's offense struggled to score without a solid running game.

The title games are as follows:

LAC @ KC

ARI @ ATL