Only two men in Washington Football history, have ever had their number retired – Sammy Baugh and Bobby Mitchell. On Sunday, Sean Taylor will enter that rarified air, and have his number ’21’ retired. The franchise is announcing it just three days before the actual event.
That seems inappropriate doesn’t it?
Doesn’t it feel like such a monumental thing should be celebrated and marketed for weeks ahead of time?
You know, like how they told fans in June that Mitchell’s number was going to be retired in September. Remember that? Like that.
Wouldn’t it seem prudent in the time of omnipresent technology, to have flooded all forms of social media with marketing to accompany this special occasion?
Perhaps the organization could even release a new Sean Taylor jersey of some type. Not just to generate clicks and revenue, but to make sure that on Sunday, everyone at Fed Ex is wearing a “21” jersey as would befit the occasion.
Nope, nope, and nope.
How does such a marketing faux pas happen?
Everybody knows how it happens. It doesn’t.
Unless you need it to.
Why The Rush?
Are the walls closing in? Is the Jon Gruden story putting some toes a little close to the fire?
There’s also the ‘minor matter’ of the team’s head athletic trainer being under criminal investigation, and being placed on administrative leave.
The dots aren’t very hard to connect. The team obviously feels the need to manipulate the public and their fan base again.
There is mounting public interest and subsequently pressure on the NFL, to release the results of the inquiry into the Washington workplace misconduct. After all, the guy Jon Gruden was emailing was Bruce Allen. The emails in question were allegedly leaked from the misconduct inquiry.
Wright Apologizes On Twitter
The team even apologized for the short notice through team President Jason Wright on Twitter, “Seeing the reaction, I’m very sorry that the short notice does not properly reflect the impact Sean had.”
Lip service.
That actually concedes guilt too, doesn’t it?
The Kansas City Shuffle
It’s fitting that Washington are playing Kansas City this weekend.
Ever seen the movie Lucky Number Slevin? It’s a Bruce Willis movie about a conman, and in it, he pulls off a con called the Kansas City Shuffle.
It’s a type of con where the mark knows they’re being conned.
A lot like Washington fans and the Sean Taylor retirement announcement.
Is Nothing Sacred?
Fans hopefully understand that the snap retirement party, dubbed “Homecoming Weekend” is just a ruse.
The organization is clearly hoping that they can push all of the other news – the bad news – to the back pages.
Obviously nothing is sacred.
Sean’s death was a tragic event. Anyone who was part of the Washington community at that time, knows how deeply it affected the brothers and sisters of the burgundy and gold. It touched many people. It was difficult for many people. Sean’s name causes a visceral reaction in the community.
And the organization is trying to capitalize on that.
That’s offensive.
The fact that the timing of the announcement can even be called into question, is insensitive to Sean and his family.
Tainting something as special as becoming just the third retired number in franchise history, is a disservice to Sean and the fans.
Good golly, what a mess.
As usual.
