Allen said getting a new stadium built can still be done by the time the team's lease at FedExField expiresGETTY IMAGES
Redskins President Bruce Allen "held his first news conference" since the summer of '17 at the Senior Bowl yesterday, and he "offered smiles ... but often stared coldly as he responded to questions," according to Copeland & Kilgore of the WASHINGTON POST. Allen said of the Redskins' '18 season, "We were 7-9. It wasn't the players' 7-9. It wasn't the coaches' 7-9. It was everybody was 7-9. ... We're in the middle of the pack, and we've been in the middle of the pack the last three seasons. It means you're close. It means you're close to being better. We have to find the right ingredients and right chemistry to do that." Allen described the passion of Redskins fans as "fantastic." He said, "They want us to win. We hear from them. I know exactly what they want. They want to win football games, and that is our job, trying to find a way to win football games." Copeland & Kilgore note Allen feels he is the "right person" to improve the team's on-field prospects despite growing criticism from fans. He said he shares the fans' "passion for this franchise." Meanwhile, Allen said that getting a new stadium built is "still 'feasible' to get done by the time the team's lease" at FedExField expires in '27. Allen: "We haven't come to a final conclusion yet" (WASHINGTON POST, 1/23). In Richmond, Michael Phillips notes Redskins President of Business Operations & COO Brian Lafemina and his staff late last year were let go less than a year after they were hired. Allen said, "I'm not going to get into the personnel things in the front office and all that. But I believe the (new) people we've hired have brought an enthusiasm for our market that our fans are really going to appreciate" (RICHMOND.com, 1/22).
NOT SAYING MUCH: In DC, JP Finlay writes Allen was asked about the "low attendance figures" at FedExField, and he "maneuvered his explanation into the injured Redskins squad that took the field Week 17." Allen was also "asked about the #FireBruceAllen movement and deftly turned the conversation into a discussion on the passionate Redskins fan base." Allen "did not provide much of an update" on a possible new stadium, and there was not "much information about additions or changes to the front office." Finlay: "Give Allen credit. He's quite good at talking without providing real insight into what he's thinking. That's not on accident, and it is a skill" (NBCSPORTSWASHINGTON.com, 1/23).
