News & Politics

First We’ll Pile On, Then We’ll Sue

Professional football now is played in the courtroom almost as often as on the field, with labor problems, drug testing, and a never-ending stream of arrests.

Some DC lawyers have suggested that Dan Snyder hire one of them to be head coach of the Redskins. Among our top selections:

Billy Martin: The attorney for Michael Vick already knows the territory. Problem is the prominent Washington lawyer is a Steelers fan.

Paul Tagliabue: Now that he’s back at Covington & Burling, the former NFL commissioner isn’t that busy on Sunday. Who knows the game better?

Brendan Sullivan: His legal mentor, Edward Bennett Williams, once owned a big chunk of the team, so who better than this former high-school linebacker, who has lost in court just once in 34 years, to reimbue the team with Williams’s win-at-all-cost ethic?

Harvey Pitt: The former SEC chair rarely misses a game and has so many seats that he practically fills a section. Has good football instincts, but that would be a lot of tickets to resell.

Antonin Scalia: Just on looks, conjures up memories of the Vince Lombardi era. Current players may not want to get into a blocking drill with him.

Thomas Hale Boggs Jr.: He hates it when people call him Tommy; Snyder hates it when people call him Danny. A good match.

This article can be found in the February 2008 issue of The Washingtonian.