Is Haynesworth For Real?

How often does the average American citizen wish they had $100 million dollars in their bank account?

To rephrase that question, how often does the average American citizen wish they were paid $100 million dollars to play the game they love?

Well, for those of you who have ever dreamt about being THAT rich, then this following post should have you as fired up as I am after hearing about the most recent Albert Haynesworth debacle.

The Washington Redskins of 2008 needed a face-lift. They needed to play harder, faster, and more tenacious. Most of all, they needed a big man in the middle to give their defense some character, and they believed that character would arrive with the signing of one of the most talented defensive tackles in the league.

Luring him to Washington wasn't going to be tough, it's a place with a great football past and as die-hard fans as you'll find on the east coast. Signing him to the contract that his conceited personality desired, well that would be very tricky. Yet, through day-long negotiations and meetings galore, the Washington Redskins' owner Dan Snyder graciously offered Haynesworth a contract worth $100 million dollars. Of that $100 million dollars, $41 million of it was guaranteed to the former Tennessee Volunteer. Plenty of personalities around the league scratched their head at this signing, but the Redskins were hoping his talent would mask the distractions he's notorious for.

Fast forward a year, and the Washington Redskins are kicking themselves. Hard.

A player who had been notched as 'dirty,' and 'selfish,' is right back to his typical antics. The Washington Redskins of 2009 needed an even more drastic overhaul, after a disastrous 4-12 season that led to the firing of then head coach Jim Zorn. The season for Haynesworth was just as catastrophic, where he finished a sub-par season with just 37 tackles and four sacks. More importantly, teams weren't afraid to run right at him, which was the biggest reason for the giant signing.

Now, Haynesworth has surprised and frustrated his coaches and teammates by deciding to be a no-show for mandatory mini-camp. He's claimed that the coaches and management have altered their defensive strategy, and that this new particular style doesn't fit Haynesworth's abilities.

Imagine, paying a talented and monstrous football player $100 million dollars to change the face of your franchise, and then hearing him (not even him, it's his agent) say that the system doesn't fit him best, and now he wants a trade. The fact that he wants a trade is mind-boggling enough, but now the management needs to try and find a team that is bonkers enough to shell out THAT type of money to a personality like that?

It seems that in this situation, money has truly gotten to Mr. Haynesworth's head. Now he has left his organization, teammates, and fans out to dry, all because of his me-first personality. It's a lesson to be learned for not only the Washington Redskins, but for all of football's higher-ups. Before you break the bank on someone strictly based on talent, examine their personality with the finest of microscopes to ensure that a situation like this won't occur. All in all, if things continue like this for Washington, the Redskins of 2010 will also need a face-lift.