J.D. Gibbs, the president of Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), has had his hands full this season. From the outside looking in, Joe Gibbs Racing has appeared to suffer from a significant lack of leadership.
The
issues came crashing into the headlines in July when Tony Stewart
wrecked team mate and then race leader Denny Hamlin from behind in the
Pepsi 400 then promptly started trashing Hamlin from his car radio.
As soon as he pulled into the garage, he proceeded to rip Hamlin and blame the wreck on him.
Drama
ensued. J.D. Gibbs wasn't able to get the problem resolved in house. He
had to pull in one of the greatest team builders in history to fix it.
Washington Redskins Coach Joe Gibbs. Gibbs
took a detour from his pre-training camp vacation to straighten up the
mess J.D. Gibbs couldn't (not an insignificant sacrifice).
Hamlin later said he'd never seen the Coach that angry.
You have to wonder, angry at who? Stewart? Hamlin? Both? Or was he
really just upset that the guy he left in charge couldn't get the job
done?
Now, JGR is adding Kyle Busch to the team for 2008.
If
you thought you had drama with Stewart and Hamlin (someone who had
never publicly said anything short of glowing about Stewart prior to
the Pepsi 400), what do you think is going to happen when you pair
Stewart with someone he has been feuding with since he came into NEXTEL
Cup racing?
What are they thinking at JGR? Look, Busch couldn't
play nice with Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. Stewart couldn't play
nice with Hamlin. Do the math. JGR has smart people on board. You know
somebody over there knows what is coming. Do they really think they have what they need to handle team chemistry in place under those circumstances?
There is only one way they do. If they don't, the Gibbs family business is about to experience some serious upheaval in 2008. Joe Gibbs has to retire from the Redskins at the end of this season and return to NASCAR.
If Gibbs leaving the Skins wasn't in the plans already, it is hard to see how JGR makes the effort to sign Busch. JGR
is also in transition in other areas as well. There are reports the
team is leaving Chevy for Toyota. The team also needs to grow from
three cars to four in order to stay competitive.
From the
perspective of the Redskins, they are already stocked internally with
prospective new head coaches. It isn't a devastating loss to Washington
from a football perspective.
When Gibbs came back to the NFL, it was with a five year contract. This season will put him just one year short of that.
If
the Redskins miss the playoffs this year, change may be coming
regardless at the "suggestion" of team owner Daniel Snyder. If they do
make the playoffs, it might be Gibbs opportunity to go out on a high
note. Either way, Joe Gibbs does have a family business to think about.
Although joe Gibbs has his son at the helm in NASCAR, I don't see how he cannot have some of his intrest diverted from the Redskins.
I would think his place now is with JGR. He had a spin with Football and it seems he may be let out of his contract with the Redskins so lets get back to the family business and run it like it should be..
CCR-
Joe Gibbs has the psych degree...he is the master of motivating, controlling and managing the sports star. JD, while not shabby, can't hold a candle to the coach and it really isn't fair to ask him too. I agree, Coach Gibbs must return to the NASCAR fold or I fear his team will implode!
Well CCR I have to say that I agree in the sense that this very well may be Joe's last year at the helm of the Redskins. But as a DIE Hard SKINS I have to say that it truly upsets me to think of Joe gone for good. When he left the first time, it was devastating to me and every person that has ever loved the Redskins. But, there was always the small glimmer of hope he would come home, and he did.
Actually though the only way I see him truly leaving is with a SB or a very poor season, and God I pray it is the first. If we have a season where we make into the playoff's, then Joe will stay for another season.
I will say this...Anyone who has been lucky enough to have seen the professionalism and grace that is Joe Gibbs, is a very lucky person! He is what Legends are made of!
VBC and Lisa, I did not say "I WANT Gibbs to retire". What I've written is to say I think he will. Riggo, D. Green and Coach Gibbs are my football heroes (yes, that order).
Klv, my guess is that J.D. is good as a business manager. But there have been signs for a while that show a lack of leadership.
They've very recently lost two talented young drivers (Yeley and Amirola). They had investment in those two. That doesn't feel to me like the Joe Gibbs approach. That isn't good business and it is poor leadership.
The history of Coach Gibbs is to take people problems head on. He intervenes, corrects, improves -- he cuts ties as a last resort.
By contrast, a culture and structure of enabling has been built around one of the teams. Now they are going to have to do some big changes with Busch adding to the witches brew.
The Black Flag is NASCAR NEXTEL Cup news, information, commentary and humor. CCR1d3r provides his irreverent, out of the box thought provoking perspective on stock car racing at the highest level.
