Tag: Culture

When did Quinn realize the Commanders’ culture was changing?

Dan Quinn recalls a specific time when he saw the Commanders come together.

When Dan Quinn was named Commanders coach last offseason, those who knew him predicted he would change the culture.

The Commanders’ fan base was not overly impressed with the hire and the discussion of the team’s culture, as Quinn’s predecessor had often referenced the team’s culture as well.

The head coach was asked Wednesday when he first noticed the team culture was changing.

After a win over the Bengals on Monday Night Football, the team did not return to Ashburn but flew directly to Arizona, where they worked all week for the Cardinals game.

“We were still really new as a group together, and so I thought spending a whole week to stay there, that was, I’d say, a step in the right direction,” Quinn said Wednesday.”

The Commanders bought into Quinn’s business trip and played perhaps their most focused and clean game of the season, drilling the Cardinals 42-14, raising their surprising record to 3-1.

“If you have standards about how you do things together, then you have to live those on the best of days and the hardest of days. And so, creating a standard together was an important part of creating a culture because it’s how we do our business together.”

After surprising the NFL by going 7-2 in the first half of the season, the Commanders suddenly lost to the Steelers, Eagles, and Cowboys, falling to 7-5. How would they respond?

“It’s how you practice, how you meet, how you do things together,” Quinn stated. “And so, that doesn’t happen overnight, but it does take time with people doing it together.”

“So, after our third loss to come back, knowing that many others would’ve said, ‘Hey, why don’t you just see what happens and where it goes.’ And we did the opposite of that, and we stepped right into improvement and getting better, and that’s what our culture is about. Handling the difficult times, knowing there’s more work to do, and going for it.”

Quinn shared that Doug Williams had told him that while in Arizona, he observed that after team meetings concluded, “there were a lot of guys hanging out together.”

Quinn had observed, “The quarterbacks were just in an office, away from me, going through things together. And so, coaches, players enjoying spending time together I think is a big deal.”

It is a big deal because you go to battle for your friends more eagerly than you do for your fellow employees.

Best Christmas music: The 10 best songs of all time, ranked

Does your favorite Christmas song make the cut?

EDITOR’S NOTE: We wrote this back in 2021, but with the holiday season back once again we felt like it was the perfect time to update it.

There’s nothing that brings the world together more than sharing opinions about Christmas music.

And why not? Christmas is a very special time of year for many — myself included! — and music is one of the most fundamental joys of life. So it only makes sense that people hold holiday music in such high regard, as it often formulates a major part of our lives growing up and sticks with us throughout adulthood.

Previously, I touched on the worst Christmas songs ever written, so why not try my hand at the best? The earworms, the nostalgia bringers, the tear jerkers, this list has them all, and then some! So sit back and relax as I list off the top 10 best Christmas songs of all time.

Happy Festivus! The best moments from Seinfeld episode, ranked

A look back at the best holiday moments from “The Strike.”

Editor’s note: We published this in 2021, but figured you’d enjoy it on this Dec. 23!

Happy Festivus to all who celebrate!

That’s right: Every year on December 23, ever since the Season 9 episode of Seinfeld known as The Strike aired in 1997, we’ve celebrated the Festivus for the rest of us — a holiday made up by George Costanza’s father Frank (played by the late, amazing and hilarious Jerry Stiller) in response to the commercialism of Christmas, complete with an aluminum pole, airing of grievances and feats of strength.

So on this, the latest Festivus, I’ve decided to comb through the episode and come up with a ranking of the best moments related to the holiday from the ep:

The 10 worst Christmas songs of all time

Simply having a terrible Christmas time.

EDITOR’S NOTE: We wrote this back in 2021, but with the holiday season back once again we felt like it was the perfect time to update it.

It’s the holiday season and you know what that means? It’s time to break out the Christmas songs!

From the classics and the songs we grew up listening to throughout our childhood to more modern songs that have been accepted into the Christmas music lexicon, listening to holiday tunes always feels like putting on a cozy sweater with a hot cup of tea and watching a snowstorm. Well… mostly.

For all the great Christmas songs there are out there, there are some really, truly awful ones. Whether they’re bad from a pure musical standpoint or they just really get on your nerves for some reason or another, I get it completely.

And that’s why I’ve put together this list of the top 10 worst Christmas songs ever created, so you too can feel validated in your music taste! Or you can be upset that one of your favorite songs of all time, that you’ve cherished since childhood, is actually bad. Let’s dive in!

Be sure to check out our other lists: 

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce discusses his fumble vs. Buccaneers: ‘I almost handed it away’

Kansas City #Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce discusses his fumble vs. the Tampa Bay #Buccaneers: ‘I almost handed it away’ | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs pulled out a thrilling overtime victory in the pouring rain on Monday Night Football. The Arrowhead Stadium crowd supported their stars, including tight end Travis Kelce, who had a career night.

After the 30-24 victory, Kelce sat down with ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt, recapping his fourteen-catch, 100-yard night in front of the fans of Chiefs Kingdom. He immediately addressed his fumble in the first half, stalling a promising drive.

“I almost handed it away today a few times, and I’m lucky that my guys were right there for me,” said Kelce. “It’s a culture, man. It’s a culture set from the big man (Andy Reid) down, and everybody just believes at all times that we’re gonna get it done because we’ve done it in the past. We keep doing it on nights like tonight. I’ll tell you what when Arrowhead (Stadium) is rocking like it was tonight. Man, it’s hard to lose in this place.”

The Chiefs have now won a record fourteen consecutive games, counting back to last season, and Kelce and his teammates credit the winning culture.

Maverick Hansen shares powerful quote about new regime

Veteran leader Maverick Hansen had a powerful quote about the new regime after practice

Michigan State got a huge boost when Maverick Hansen made the decision to return for an additional season in 2024. While Hansen most likely won’t be an all-conference guy, his leadership is the most valuable thing he could provide to the program.

Hansen spoke about the program after the first practice of MSU’s fall camp, giving a powerful quote about feeling like he is at a new program, but still getting to don the green and white. A veteran’s quote like this shows the drastic difference from the previous regime to this regime.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on Twitter @Cory_Linsner

Jason Wright out as Commanders’ team president

The 2024 season will be Wright’s last with the Commanders and he will serve as an adviser until the team lands a replacement.

The Washington Commanders and team president Jason Wright are parting ways, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post. Wright will move out of his role as team president and assume the role of senior adviser as the team begins an immediate search for a new team president. He will depart the organization by the end of the upcoming 2024 season.

Wright was hired in August 2020 as the organization had just changed its name from the “Redskins” to the “Football Team” after pressure from sponsors. He replaced Bruce Allen in the role, and he was in charge of leading the franchise’s business operations, financing, and marketing.

Washington first came under investigation for its workplace culture under former owner Dan Snyder in 2020. It wouldn’t be the first investigation into Snyder, who sold the team in July 2023 to a group led by Philadelphia 76ers owner Josh Harris.

Two of Wright’s primary goals were to help the team find a new stadium and rebrand the organization. The team still doesn’t have a location for the new stadium, which had more to do with Snyder, not Wright, but the team’s rebranding in 2022 was met with anger from most of the remaining fan base.

There would be other issues, too, from the misspelling of the team’s legends’ names on graphics to the Sean Taylor memorial outside of FedEx Field. These types of gaffes didn’t go unnoticed, and Wright took much of the blame in the eyes of fans. Many of the hires Wright made have since left the organization.

Jhabvala notes that Wright informed the team last week of his pending exit.

Wright released the following statement:

This feels like the right moment for me to explore my next leadership opportunity. I’m extremely grateful to my Commanders colleagues, our fans and this community for all that we have accomplished these past four years, and am looking forward to the start of a very successful season for the Burgundy and Gold.

Josh Harris also released a statement thanking Wright:

Jason has made a remarkable impact on the Commanders organization since he joined four years ago. He stepped in at a time of immense challenge and has led this organization through an incredible transformation that set that stage for everything that is to come. I am extremely grateful to Jason for his partnership to me and the rest of the ownership group over the past year. His guidance has been invaluable and his leadership has helped reshape our culture.

Harris and Tad Brown, the CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, will lead the search for the next team president.

 

What are Commanders QB Jayden Daniels’ primary goals in 2024?

Daniels discusses his goals for 2024: It’s all about the team.

What type of season will Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels have in 2024? The rookie quarterback is coming off a record-breaking 2023 season at LSU, where he passed for almost 4,000 yards, rushed for over 1,110 yards and accounted for 50 touchdowns.

No one expects that type of production from Daniels in his inaugural NFL season. Could Daniels replicate the success of last season’s No. 2 overall pick — C.J. Stroud — in 2024?

There are several parallels that you can make between Stroud and Daniels, but assuming any rookie quarterback can make that type of impact again is almost impossible to predict.

Daniels has already impressed the Commanders, from his coaches to his teammates. His work ethic, including arriving before 6:00 a.m. daily throughout the offseason program and getting work in before practice even started, has impressed them.

But what are Daniels’ goals for his rookie season?

“Win as many games as possible and have fun while doing it. Try to shift the culture. Go out there and have fun and compete,” Daniels told Tyler Dragon of USA TODAY. “Try to help my team win the division; that’s the main goal.”

Those are the right answers. It’s interesting that Daniels mentions culture. As much as the former coaching staff talked about culture, the new regime, led by coach Dan Quinn, is changing it.

Daniels is excited about training camp and discussed lessons he’s learned from veteran leaders, like quarterback Marcus Mariota and future Hall of Fame linebacker Bobby Wagner.

“Really, just learning everything. The ins and outs of the NFL,” Daniels said. “You’re guaranteed 17 games, so being able to experience how to take care of your body mentally, physically and spiritually stuff like that.”

Washington fans eagerly anticipate training camp. While there is always excitement around this time of the year for NFL fans, it’s different in Washington in 2024. Daniels is a major factor in that excitement.

What is Paczki Day? The Fat Tuesday tradition, explained

It’s Paczki Day!

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2020.

Welcome to FTW Explains: A guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. You may have heard it’s Paczki Day and are wondering what that’s all about. We’re here to help.

It’s Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday, and you may have heard some people talking about paczki or Paczki Day as well and have no idea what they’re talking about. That’s OK because we’re here to explain.

There are countless ways people celebrate Fat Tuesday, the day before the Christian holy day of Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. And this is just one more.

Although Paczki Day is a particularly big deal in the Midwest, it’s certainly not exclusive to that area of the U.S. So let’s break down the basics.

What is are paczki?

RICHARD LEE/Detroit Free Press/USA TODAY Network

A paczek is a Polish-style fried pastry bun made with butter, eggs and sugar and filled with fruit or jelly. The plural of paczek is paczki — although it’s common for people to throw an S on the end of that.

As the Detroit Free Press noted a few years ago, traditional paczki are prune-filled, but nowadays, there are a wide variety of fruit or custard fillings. They can also have a powder, glaze or sometimes chocolate finish.

How do you pronounce paczki or paczek?

One Polish-style pastry, paczek, is pronounced poon-check, while the plural, paczki, is pronounced poonch-key.

What do paczki taste like?

They’re a delightfully sublime slice of heaven that melt in your mouth with each exceptionally high-caloric bite. It’s richer, and far better, than a typical doughnut and only comes in a spherical shape. And despite being fairly heavy — although the really good ones don’t often taste like it — they’re not greasy, thanks to a small amount of grain alcohol added to the dough, which, when it evaporates, prevents the dough from absorbing oil.

So what exactly is Paczki Day then?

It’s along the same lines of Fat Tuesday, or the last day to splurge on sweets or rich food before fasting during the Lenten, the six weeks that precede Easter on the Christian calendar. Leading up to Lent, indulging with paczki has been a tradition in Europe dating back at least to the Middle Ages, the Detroit Free Press noted. But, of course, traditions and recipes have evolved in the U.S.

However, Paczki Day wasn’t always celebrated on the same day as Mardi Gras. As the Polish American Journal explains:

While the practice of Pączki Day is traditionally observed the day before Ash Wednesday in the United States, in Poland, pączki sales are the highest on Tlusty Czwartek, or “Fat Thursday.” (The Thursday before Ash Wednesday). This day marks the start of the final week of the pre-Lenten celebrations.

Are they healthy?

Not even a little bit. One paczek can have more than 400 calories and 25 grams of fat. But that’s sticks to the theme of Fat Tuesday or Fat Thursday.

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