An NFL locker room is something like a laboratory - full of accelerants and egos which, if mixed in the incorrect manner, could prove deadly.
It sure sounds like the Washington Redskins may have put together a potentially combustible set of personalities this offseason, according to a report from Jason Reid of The Washington Post, with no leader strong enough to keep the whole thing from blowing itself apart.
Friday, a group of unnamed players were apparently shouting and causing a ruckus while quarterback Robert Griffin III attempted to speak to reporters. A team official asked them to quiet down numerous times.
They ignored him.
After Griffin and the reporters moved out into the hallway, the shouting continued and the official was forced to re-enter the locker room to confront the players.
This was, according to Reid, not an isolated incident.
"For weeks, players have been openly hostile toward reporters, largely in response to the team's decision to open the locker room for interviews after practice," Reid writes. "A day prior to the Griffin interview fiasco, a team official had a contentious exchange with a player who refused to turn down loud music while reporters attempted to work."
Griffin appeared embarrassed by an episode that possibly highlights the lack of respect he garners in the locker room, as well as the boorish immaturity of many of the players currently on the Redskins' roster.
The Redskins, currently at 3-6, are staring their sixth last-place division finish in seven seasons in the face. The bigger problem, though, is that many players don't seem all that concerned about it.
"About a month ago, the Redskins were way too upbeat just minutes after losing for the 12th time in 13 games. Privately, some players have expressed concerns over the lack of focus demonstrated by some top-of-the-depth-chart veterans in practice and meetings. For a 3-6 team in last place in the NFC East at its bye week, the Redskins don't appear to be serious about trying to turn around their season, at least not in the presence of outsiders."
The team seems to lack a leader capable of stepping up and demanding that players act in a professional manner and treat the team and the game with the respect it deserves.
Griffin, as the quarterback, could potentially be that leader. But time missed due to injuries coupled with poor play when he's been healthy and a personality that doesn't exactly command respect make him a poor bet.
Other veteran players, like Ryan Clark and Jason Hatcher, have the potential as well, but neither holds the metaphorical weight necessary to make demands of their fellow players.
All in all, the Redskins are floundering, and it seems like the team may need to purge more than a few negative personalities in the offseason.
