Scot McCloughan: Looks like he gets the last laugh after all
By Donny Starr
Former Washington Redskins General Manager Scot McCloughan is probably somewhere laughing. The search for a new GM ? Tricky, it will be. Search hard, they must.
Scot McCloughan’s firing will haunt the Redskins front office for a long time. It’s not about him anymore, it’s about the process of his exit. First, the allegations of a drinking problem arise as the scapegoat to fire him. Then there were allegations of a power struggle between McCloughan and Redskins President Bruce Allen. Wait, it gets better: Players who didn’t get re-signed are now laughing. I don’t think they’re laughing because of how bad this looks. They’re laughing because they were happy to leave the team’s drama behind them.
The Redskins front office needs to answer a few questions:
- Will the next GM be allowed to the job as advertised?
- Was the handling of Scot McCloughan ‘s exit an isolated incident?
- Can firings be more professional for the sake of the brand?
- Are personal issues free game when it comes to in-house operations going crazy?
If there is anyone out there thinking about pursuing the job of Redskins GM, these questions need to asked. Public firings result in what they’re experiencing now – the sound of crickets in response to a replacement. According to CSN Mid-Atlantic they’re casting what Jason La Canfora called a “wide net“:
"“According to numerous league sources, Redskins representatives are reaching out to some of the more successful organizations in the NFL seeking to find a highly qualified executive to fill their GM job that was created after the club fired Scot McCloughan, a move the team made for cause due for allegations about his drinking impacting his ability to do the job.”"
Sct McCloughan knew people, players, families. Redskins players have gone on record supporting him, thanking him. The Redskins will have to re-package the organization if they plan on getting any takers for the GM position. That means quality draft picks, fewer players on the inactive list, and clarity on what they are looking for in a GM. Someone over there needs to hold a press conference.