By Joel Achenbach
Washington Post Staff Writer
The Norv & Al Show
As expected, Norv Turner was fired this morning as coach of the Washington Redskins, and immediately took a job as special advisor to the Vice President.
Insiders at the White House and at FedEx Field had speculated for weeks that Turner would join Al Gore's team as it tries to salvage its season in Florida. Observers say Gore has developed an aggressive Florida strategy and could use Turner's offensive savvy, particularly in supplementing the jurisprudential long ball with a solid ground game and short passes.
Critics quickly assailed the metaphor as "overreaching."
Rumors of a Turner-Gore alliance were fueled last week when the Turner family was seen playing touch football with the Gores at the vice president's residence. The two families later joined together to pile sandbags around the perimeter.
The two men are considered a perfect match. Both are in the prime of their adult lives, ambitious, confident and facing unemployment. Both have taken high-priced teams, loaded with talent and blessed with tremendous competitive advantages, and proceeded to steer them toward an improbable defeat. Both were perfect examples of the saying, "He can't win for losing."
Gore's doom was sealed when he lost his home state of Tennessee; Turner's was ensured by losses at home against the Eagles and the Giants. Gore apparently will be denied the presidency because some Florida voters couldn't negotiate a ballot; Turner is on the street because he couldn't find anyone to kick a field goal.
They are stubborn, proud men, even in rough times. Gore refused to concede; Turner refused to resign. Both were slow to call in reinforcements. Gore wouldn't let President Clinton campaign for him, other than a few token appearances just before election day. Turner didn't put in Jeff George on Sunday until well into the fourth quarter.
Both know the pain of coming up short in narrowly decided contests. Gore lost, officially, by less than a thousand votes in Florida. Turner has eight victories, 21 defeats and a tie in games decided by a field goal or less, though attorneys are still disputing the almost impossible defeat earlier this year to Arizona.
For years, Gore labored in the shadow of a tarnished, overbearing president. Turner could only go to the men's room if he first asked Dan Snyder for the key.
Washington Post Staff Writer
The Norv & Al Show
As expected, Norv Turner was fired this morning as coach of the Washington Redskins, and immediately took a job as special advisor to the Vice President.
Insiders at the White House and at FedEx Field had speculated for weeks that Turner would join Al Gore's team as it tries to salvage its season in Florida. Observers say Gore has developed an aggressive Florida strategy and could use Turner's offensive savvy, particularly in supplementing the jurisprudential long ball with a solid ground game and short passes.
Critics quickly assailed the metaphor as "overreaching."
Rumors of a Turner-Gore alliance were fueled last week when the Turner family was seen playing touch football with the Gores at the vice president's residence. The two families later joined together to pile sandbags around the perimeter.
The two men are considered a perfect match. Both are in the prime of their adult lives, ambitious, confident and facing unemployment. Both have taken high-priced teams, loaded with talent and blessed with tremendous competitive advantages, and proceeded to steer them toward an improbable defeat. Both were perfect examples of the saying, "He can't win for losing."
Gore's doom was sealed when he lost his home state of Tennessee; Turner's was ensured by losses at home against the Eagles and the Giants. Gore apparently will be denied the presidency because some Florida voters couldn't negotiate a ballot; Turner is on the street because he couldn't find anyone to kick a field goal.
They are stubborn, proud men, even in rough times. Gore refused to concede; Turner refused to resign. Both were slow to call in reinforcements. Gore wouldn't let President Clinton campaign for him, other than a few token appearances just before election day. Turner didn't put in Jeff George on Sunday until well into the fourth quarter.
Both know the pain of coming up short in narrowly decided contests. Gore lost, officially, by less than a thousand votes in Florida. Turner has eight victories, 21 defeats and a tie in games decided by a field goal or less, though attorneys are still disputing the almost impossible defeat earlier this year to Arizona.
For years, Gore labored in the shadow of a tarnished, overbearing president. Turner could only go to the men's room if he first asked Dan Snyder for the key.
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