Tragedy struck the popular CBS reality show “Undercover Boss” Sunday afternoon when Redskins owner Daniel Snyder, posing as a backup quarterback for the team, was killed in the final seconds of the first half of Washington’s 28-14 win over the Giants. Analysts and sportswriters blamed the mishap on the overpriced and unmotivated offensive linemen who were previously signed or drafted by Snyder.
In each episode of “Undercover Boss,” a high-ranking executive poses as an anonymous employee to discover faults within his or her company. In one scene, Snyder posed as an overpriced first-round pick who shows up just a week before the start of the regular season. Overweight, arrogant and incompetent, Snyder blended perfectly in with the team, best-known for a series of overpriced free agents and draft picks since Snyder bought it for $800 million in 1999.
Like half of the players on the roster, Snyder failed coach Mike Shanahan’s fitness program that most high school athletes can pass. Throughout weightlifting sessions and passing drills, Snyder complained to assistant coaches that he is more suited to a “3-4 scheme” despite being repeatedly reminded by the TV crews that he was posing as a backup QB.
On game day, Snyder used his Twitter account to inform Shanahan that starting QB Rex Grossman should be benched in a key second-quarter drive. Shanahan then relayed a play-action play to Snyder, who was then posing as the backup QB. Unfortunately, the company’s poor hiring and recruitment practice caught up to them as none of the players knew how to block the imposing Giants defense. Snyder was tackled on a cornerback blitz by Aaron Ross. Just seconds later, 260-pound linebacker Mathais Kiwanuka piled on Snyder’s lifeless corpse.
The play ended with an added 15-yard penalty for “excessive celebration” against the hometown Redskins fans when they discovered it was in fact their much-maligned team owner who had been killed on the play.
