As we inch closer and closer to an NFL lockout, we also inch closer and closer to a reality that the 2011 NFL season could be strike-shortened, if it isn't eliminated entirely. That's somewhat significant because, as it turns out, the Washington Redskins have historically dominated in those situations. They won the Super Bowl in 1982 and 1987, both years that were shortened by labor issues.
↵In that light, maybe teams today should look for lessons from those Redskins teams. Former Redskins executive Charley Casserly relayed what the Redskins did to combat the strike. Via Pro Football Talk:
↵↵↵↵↵In the strike-shortened seasons of 1982 and 1987, the Redskins (for whom Casserly worked at the time) won the Super Bowl. Casserly explained that coach Joe Gibbs reminded the players that they needed to stay together as a team, and he had them engage in organized practices on their own.
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Casserly reports that "one prominent quarterback" has already been seeking out facilities, and one coach already gave his players "very organized practice plans" for offseason workouts. Mike Florio of PFT says this is "cheating effectively," which is a very Mike Florio way of putting it because as long as it's all done before the March 4 lockout deadline, it's legal. You can bet teams will follow the Redskins' lead and begin planning for "voluntary" workouts, if they haven't already.
↵I'm also guessing Mike Shanahan has thought about this too. Anyone else want to guess which player will take a conditioning test for skipping the workouts?