Blache ends silence to defend Snyder

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By David Elfin

Greg Blache had heard enough of the criticism of Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder, and on Thursday he broke four weeks of public silence to go to the defense of his boss.

The defensive coordinator's words of support came in response to the latest attack on Snyder from John Riggins, the former Redskins running back who has been relentlessly critical of the organization this season and on Wednesday called the owner a "bad guy" whose "heart is dark."

"It really bothered me," Blache said. "The problem is the fans don't get to know Mr. Snyder like we do. They get an impression of things that are written and things that people say. [I've] gone to him for things that I needed in my family. There's times that he's come to me when he's heard about issues in my family and offered his assistance. ... He's one of the most generous, kind individuals you'll ever meet. My wife and I are involved in hospice, and there's been countless times he's come and helped us with issues."

Many former players have publicly criticized the club's management during a tumultuous start to the season for the 2-5 Redskins.

But Riggins perhaps has been the team's strongest and most frequent critic, and in an appearance on Showtime's "Inside the NFL" on Wednesday he unleashed a harsh, personal attack on Snyder.

"[T]his is a bad guy that owns this team," Riggins said. "Because his business practices - I don't want to say they are unethical, but I don't think [Redskin Park] is a place where people can be successful. It's driven all by his ego. ... I just don't think you can be successful in those situations, and when you are dealing with someone with the mindset of a child and yet owns a franchise in the NFL."

Snyder, Riggins said, "knows nothing about football."

When asked by analyst Cris Collinsworth whether he thought Snyder was a bad person or just a bad owner, Riggins replied, "Let me put it to you this way, Cris: This person's heart is dark."

Those words angered Blache enough for him to break a silence he'd maintained since early October, when the club said he no longer would speak to the media for personal reasons.

After reading Riggins' comments, Blache said, he decided that "enough was enough" and that he would set the record straight on behalf of Snyder, for whom he has worked for six seasons.

"Do I agree with everything Dan Snyder does? No," Blache said. "I'm not going to tell you this is a utopia. There's no utopias in football. There's no utopias in life. But at the same time, enough's enough. In every story, there's one person's side, another person's side and behind it all it's the truth. ...

"All he wants to do is win. He'll spend his money. He'll spend his time. He wants to win. He's here for the people, for the fans, for the Washington Redskins. There's nobody that cares more about the fans than Dan Snyder. There's no one that wants to win more than Dan Snyder. Everything that's wrong with this organization is not Dan Snyder. ... I'm in a lot of those meetings when decisions are made."

Blache also criticized Riggins, saying the former player has never been to Redskin Park and therefore has no idea how the franchise operates.

Second-year coach Jim Zorn, whom Snyder and executive vice president Vinny Cerrato relieved of the playcalling duties last month, agreed with Blache.

"Dan Snyder is a guy that absolutely cares about other people," Zorn said. "I have seen it time and time again - Dan reach out... and help in any way he can when there's a need. And I would concur with what Greg had to say about winning."