Booger McFarland praises Bruce Allen and FedEx Field

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By 106.7 The Fan

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In envelope number one: FedEx Field and Bruce Allen.

Name two things that you don't normally hear people praise?

Yes, ESPN analyst Booger McFarland had good things to say about both of these much-maligned and oft-criticized Washington Redskins institutions.
During a teleconference with a small group of reporters, the "Monday Night Football" broadcaster and former NFL defensive lineman had good things to say about the venue of Monday night's showdown between the Chicago Bears and Redskins and the main architect of the home side's roster.
“It’s a great venue, just how the entire stadium doesn’t really have an open end, it’s all enclosed,” McFarland said, as reported by The Washington Post.

“The crowd noise, the fans, it’s really turned into one of the iconic venues, just from a historic standpoint, even though it may not be the most flashy," he added. "I enjoyed playing there. I didn’t have a lot of success, but overall, I just think there’s still something about coming and playing there, just because of how it’s shaped. You get a lot of stadiums now, like in Tampa and Seattle, that are kind of open on one end, and Washington isn’t that way.”

The Redskins, however, haven't benefited much from that home-field advantage lately. Fans from visiting teams have made it a habit to take over the stadium, much to the chagrin of the Redskins players. They have been even worse at home on Monday Night Football: They haven't won at MNF game at FedEx for 2,485 days. 
And for Allen, who was hired by Redskins owner Dan Snyder at the end of the 2009 season, McFarland said he's done a "solid job."

“He’s tried to build the team up on the offensive and the defensive lines,” McFarland said of Allen. “You draft Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Brandon Scherff. You try to build a football team just the way that most GMs do around the league. Quarterback, offensive line, defensive line. 

"I think the one signing that has been in question would be the Josh Norman piece. I think the jury’s still out on that piece, but overall, I think Bruce has done a solid job."
McFarland's take is quite different from former NFL executive Michael Lombardi, who told The Sports Junkies earlier this week, "Bruce has gotta go."

"The real issue is (Allen) is running the program. A GM can't control the team," Lombardi told 106.7 The Fan. "I would tell Dan, look we need to rebuild this organization from top to bottom."

In the nine years since Allen has joined the Washington front office, the team has amassed a 59-86-1 record and made two playoff appearances without a win. 

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