Forget the upcoming congressional elections. Forget the prospect of an attack on Iraq. Washington took a break on Sunday from the world of banal, boring bureaucracy to watch the exciting debut of new Redskins' coach Steve Spurrier. In a fast and furious contest, the Redskins prevailed over the Arizona Cardinals 31-23 and in doing so, they raised hopes for a winning season to new highs.
In a city where nothing is a given, Spurrier's first win has led fans, players and fellow coaches to sing his praises as if he is already a Super Bowl Champion.
No doubt, Washington is an idiosyncratic place, but this kind of elation borders on irrational exuberance. It seems that suddenly the most serious city in the world has been turned on its axis by a charming, southern football coach.
Washington, a place where a spoken misstep has been known to end the career of many a wide-eyed politician, has taken an abrupt change of course, welcoming and even taking a liking to the colloquial southerner named Steve Spurrier.
And it is striking that in a town that demands so much of its public figures and politicians, it has taken very little for Spurrier to already win over the hearts of win-starved fans.
Even still, it's hard to deny that his debut was anything less than impressive. In Washington's 31-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, the Redskins accumulated 442 total offensive yards. That was the club's highest total in nearly a year, since their Oct. 21, 2001 win over the Carolina Panthers. At the helm of the offense, quarterback Shane Matthews threw for 326 yards and completed 28 of his 40 pass attempts.
Spurrier also silenced critics who claimed his offense would be too reliant on the passing game to be effective. Matthews handed the ball off to running back Stephen Davis a total of 26 times during Sunday's contest, giving him two times the number of carries many had predicted he would get.
But more important than the win itself is the feeling that Steve Spurrier has brought to the Washington Redskins franchise. After seven long years under tepid coach Norv Turner and then one hapless year under the reign of stubborn Marty Schottenheimer, Redskins fans are starved for a coach who is willing to take chances.
Spurrier fits that mold perfectly because at Florida, he made his name doing just that.
But Spurrier's cozy relationship with fickle Washington extends far beyond just the football field.
In a city where people all too often say one thing and then do something else, Spurrier fits right in.
Unsophisticated and simple in his external mannerisms, Spurrier has been described by those who know him as a complex and intricate figure.
The man who is referred to as the "ball coach" and who, when asked by a reporter what his team's strategy would be, said to "pitch and catch" is described by many as far more complex.
His offense is much the same way. On the surface, Spurrier says the goal is to throw the ball to a part of the field where the defensive player is not standing.
But the system is obviously much more complicated than that. Wide receivers and quarterbacks both have to read the defense the same way and in essence they have to be thinking the same thing at the same time for the offense to function effectively. Then, while standing on the line of scrimmage, they make the necessary changes and adjust their routes accordingly.
When all goes as planned, quarterbacks and wide receivers pick apart defenses relentlessly, leaving defensive backs to question how their scheme changes always seem in vain.
But Spurrier would lead you to believe his offense, and nothing in his life for that matter, is so complicated. Earlier this year, he balked at the idea of fellow coaches who work grueling hours.
And yet, he's the one described by friends as a relentless worker. With parallels like these, it becomes increasingly apparent that Spurrier's down-home, country-style, lack of sophistication might be a bit spurious. With that in mind, maybe he is a little more Hollywood than Washington. But as long as he keeps winning, Redskins fans won't complain.
