10 NFL offseason headlines no fan wants to see

Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Dante Fowler Jr. (Florida) poses for a photo with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected as the number third overall pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /

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Nov 30, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder on the sidelines during pre-game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Dan Snyder buys the Washington Redskins

When Dan Snyder bought the Washington Redskins in 1999 after the death of Jack Kent Cooke, there is no way fans could have known that it would be the end of the golden age of football in Washington, D.C.

Since Snyder bought the team, the record of Washington’s football team has been 117-155. They have also been one of the most unstable teams in the league, going through eight head coaches in sixteen seasons.

Even before the Robert Griffin III debacle, there were questions about the competence of the teams ownership. The Wall Street Journal cited a Harris Interactive Poll that noted the Redskins were sixth in popularity in 2003 and had plummeted to 17th in 2009.

The problem with a weak owner is that it taints the entire organization. Even with strong coaching, top on-field talent, and excellent front-office staff, the team is destined to fail. While headlines about changes in ownership generally do not rattle fans, such news can be even more devastating for a team than any arrest, injury, or league sanction.

Fans of the Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers, San Diego Chargers, and Cleveland Browns probably all rue the day their respective owners acquired their teams.

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