We pointed out earlier today the following observation from a league source with knowledge of Redskins coach Mike Shanahan’s tenure in Denver: “What’s happening to [defensive tackle Albert] Haynesworth is exactly how he’s handled a hundred other situations like that.”
We also mentioned that we had a feeling specific examples of Shanahan’s tactics with the Broncos will surface soon, now that he’s out of Denver and back in the league.
Les Carpenter of Yahoo! Sports has shared some of those examples in an article that explains why Haynesworth messed with the wrong man in Shanahan.
This paragraph from Carpenter sums up the situation perfectly, and chillingly: “Few men in the NFL can carry a grudge like Shanahan, who harbors resentment behind a forced smile. Valued assistants and longtime colleagues tell of their relationships with the coach in hushed whispers. Some have begged not to be interviewed. They value the coach’s knowledge, admire his obsession for detail. But they also fear him. Even long after they have stopped working with him their words quiver when his name is raised. Some say they fear they might say the wrong thing. They don’t want to cross him.”
We’ll let you read the rest. After that paragraph, however, do you really need to?