Sam Calvert

While I might not be the avid Washington Redskins fan like several others here on staff, I am a football fan, and thus my attentions have turned to defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth this off season. The tackle decided he no longer wanted to play for the Redskins when the team switched to a 3-4-style defense, instead of the 4-3 style it played the previous year when Haynesworth signed his monstrous contract (i.e., seven years and $100 million, with a $21 million bonus April 1).

The decision brought upon this response from veteran lineback London Fletcher, one of Haynesworth's teammates:

Albert made a very selfish decision. When you decide to play a team sport, you have to look at it and think about everybody involved in the situation. This is not golf, tennis, things like that, where it's an all-about-you sport. What he's decided to do is make a decision based on all-about-him.
You have to love someone who's not afraid to say what everyone else is thinking. But I'm not here to comment on Haynesworth's desire to be traded, nor am I here to discuss his decision to skip minicamp (which, by the way, I think is absolutely ridiculous).

No, I want to talk about what happened this morning, and why Mike Shanahan should gain our respect (even more than he already has).

Haynesworth met with the coach today to end his feud with the team -- the day before training camp is set to begin. While the tackle might have thought he would be welcomed back with open arms, a la the prodigal son, he was soon set straight by Shanahan, who told him not only would he have to pass a conditioning test to even practice, but that when he did, he would begin as a back-up.

Shanahan was reported as saying the conversation went well and that Haynesworth has had a change of heart about the team, but he had to have been at least a little disappointed by the way things turned out. No one wants to go into training camp not on the starting unit, especially if that is where you are used to playing.

But I say, "Good for Shanahan." He could've welcomed Haynesworth back, given him everything back, just as it was, and moved on from this fiasco. He could've had the attitude that said, "Thank goodness we got Haynesworth back! He's such a great guy, compromising for us!" and allowed him to walk back onto the team, no questions asked.

But that's not quite how Shanahan works.

He wanted Haynesworth to prove himself. Nothing comes free, and certainly not after the stunt he pulled in the off-season. And what I love most is that Shanahan is just fine without him.

"Hopefully he'll fit into our system and do the things we want him to do. Because, if he does, he can be an excellent football player for us," he was reported as saying. "If not, we're going to be very good anyhow"