It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Are you ready for some football? I am, and it all starts today here in DC with the opening of Redskins training camp. My grandfather saw the very first Skins game in DC back in 1937 and was a season ticket holder up until they left RFK, my Dad has been an usher at RFK and FedEx Field for over 30 years, and I have been a die-hard fan for over 25 years myself. In other words, on Sundays in the Fall, I bleed burgundy and gold.

Coming off of a successful playoff year, the Redskins have another promising year ahead. They made several key free agent acquisitions (as they seem to do every year), but one of their most important acquisitions was bringing on Al Saunders to be the new Offensive Coordinator, taking over play-calling duties from Joe Gibbs. The story of how Al took this role was chronicled in a very interesting article in yesterday's Washington Post.

What is most interesting about the story to me is how hiring coaches in professsional sports parallels hiring in corporate America in many ways. There is no question that Al Saunders is highly qualified to be a head coach in the NFL, but it didn't happen this past off season primarily due to "...old-school networking, a reminder that in the tightly interconnected world of the NFL, acumen alone is rarely the final determinant." Hiring in the corporate world often operates in the same way, where candidates with qualifying skills and abilities are sometimes passed by due to politics, as well as real or perceived shortcomings in the intangibles that so often make or break an employment relationship.

Al was a great hire though, should make this offense sing this year with the talent he has (assuming they stay healthy). Along with Greg Williams and Joe Bugel, Joe Gibbs now has three former head coaches to rely upon to help run this team. Should be a great year. Hail to the Redskins!