"Et tu, Brute?"

Betrayal is one of the most difficult things for human beings to deal with. It comes in all forms and levels of intensity. Those who feel betrayed tend to react in a variety of ways. Logic doesn't always play a part in those reactions.

Take the NBC mess involving late-night television hosts Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno. It appears from his comments that O'Brien feels betrayed by the network wanting to move his show to midnight in order to accommodate Leno going back to the 11:35 p.m. slot. Yet, some people might wonder why O'Brien is so upset. He stands to earn millions of dollars in this programming debacle. If O'Brien leaves the network, he's much more likely to land on his feet than the average employee who is shown the door at the factory he or she worked at for two or three decades. Shouldn't the financial safety net and the fact NBC still wants O'Brien to do a show cancel out any sense of pain and betrayal that O'Brien is feeling?

Apparently not. Emotions are boiling over.

When someone is rejected, deceived or betrayed by a person or entity they trusted, the pain can be profound. We think we know people, then suddenly something happens where perceptions are severely altered. Money doesn't seem to take the edge off of the perceived negative actions taken against someone. I am fairly certain wealth didn't ease the anger in the wife of Tiger Woods recently.

Classic movies such as The Godfather II center on the act of betrayal. And in the movies, as in real life at times, betrayal can have devastating consequences. Poor Fredo. Didn't even see it coming.

Not all betrayals start or end with a Michael Corleone-ordered bullet from behind. We are all betrayed in small ways each and every day by friends, employers and the government. The level of malice and intent vary, but the result is disorientating at best. Our sense of the folks we previously thought we knew is shaken to the core by a disturbing revelation. We wonder how we could have been so wrong in our prior assessments of something or someone, or how that person could be so mean or lack empathy. It's not uncommon to then reflect upon ourselves. What red flags didn't we see in a person or situation we got involved with?

Trust in others becomes a bit more difficult as we move along through life, particularly for those who have been betrayed more than a few times. In highly competitive businesses, I am sure betrayal is as common as pink slips. Just the simple act of office gossip can destroy trust, particularly when reputations are ruined. If it goes unchecked, entire office environments can become toxic. The same path to personal and institutional destruction can been found on sports teams, rock 'n' roll bands and families, where inevitably someone has been outed or done wrong.

Knowing who your enemies are can help you navigate away around conflicts and avoid feeling betrayed. Unfortunately, we don't always see the snake in the grass. It appears O'Brien, like millions of other people, got bit and wasn't going to be given the time he thought he should have to succeed. NBC is a major company. Empathy and patience aren't usually traits associated with large corporations. In fact, the lack of empathy, even in individuals, seems to be on the rise.

When the truth surfaces about a person who we previously thought to be in our corner, the pain can feel like a knife in the back, particularly when livelihoods and relationships are involved. Yet, I think as much as we all are the victims of betrayal at times, we also have been the cause of others feeling slighted. We might not have known we were betraying a trust. Maybe we didn't do it in a direct or malicious way, but the damage is often the same regardless of approach or who exactly was holding the knife. Sometimes we sense regret and can make up for our indiscretions, while other times it's simply too late.

I understand O'Brien's feelings. Just as I think Jim Zorn probably felt betrayed by what was going on in the front office and with his own coaches in his final days as coach of the Washington Redskins, O'Brien probably feels abandoned by his employer and perhaps even some people he considered friends. Sometimes we can't address our disappointments for various reasons, but it doesn't mean the act of betrayal did not occur. O'Brien has a public stage to voice his displeasure but needs to tread carefully as he tries to restore his pride. One of the best ways to confront betrayal is to rise above it.

Even casual sports fans can see through this

Note: This post was updated (below) on Oct. 23.

If you listen to sports talk radio in the D.C. area, the soap opera that is the Washington Redskins is fairly entertaining, particularly on FM 106.7, which is the non-Redskins-affiliated station. No pulling punches on that station. But even more than being a show, the team's misery is quite an example of what happens when fairly direct, honest people collide with masters of spin in the world of business. Doesn't seem to matter what the business or issues are. Frankness does not mix well with deception.

Coach Jim Zorn was, in a sense, demoted this week when the team's quasi general manager, Vinny Cerrato, "suggested" Zorn not call plays anymore. According to Zorn's old teammate and former congressman, Steve Largent, Zorn was given an ultimatum. Stop calling plays or else. However, Cerrato denies that claim by Zorn's old pal from the Seattle Seahawks. Zorn himself stopped short of calling the suggestion an ultimatum.

It is clear to most people what is going on in D.C. It's the oldest game in the book and it's not played on the field. It's most likely management/ownership wanting to force someone out without having to pay them. In Zorn's case, he has about $4 million owed to him if his contract is terminated now by Cerrato or team owner, Daniel Snyder. If he quits, however, the team wouldn't have to pay Zorn. Even for a rich guy like Snyder, this is not the time to be throwing away millions. In addition, I think Snyder and Cerrato want to save face and not fire another coach, which is in essence would be an admission that they keep hiring the wrong people.

You have to wonder how Snyder and Cerrato have gotten as far as they have in life. Their antics have become so transparent that any casual fan in D.C. can see right through them. One doesn't even have to be a sports fan to understand this game.

To make matters worse, the new play-caller for the team is a 67-year-old retired coordinator who hasn't coached in five years. In fact, Cerrato in a recent interview didn't seem to know what the coach was doing when summoned by "the Dan" a couple weeks ago. The coach, Sherman Lewis, was calling bingo games when the offer was made to act as a consultant for the Skins. Now, out of retirement, he's going to be calling plays for the Redskins. This was Cerrato's decision and a ploy, some allege, to humiliate Zorn into quitting. After all, Zorn was originally hired specifically to run the offense as a coordinator, not a head coach. Then when Cerrato and Snyder couldn't find anyone to coach their team, they offered the head position to Zorn.

There are times when sports businesses practices mirror other industries. This is truly embarrassing because it's so public, but not that unusual if you consider what has gone on in corporate America recently with sketchy leadership. It's as dysfunctional in some ways as anything that has occurred at GM. But the results for the 'Skins are easier to judge. It's seen in the win-loss column, which currently stands at 2-4 against five of the worst teams in the NFL.

The majority of fans calling talk radio want an end to this nonsense and for Cerrato to be canned and for proven football people to run the front office, hire the coaches and pick the players. It's a mystery to many why Snyder retains Cerrato, but one theory is that Cerrato is weak and won't challenge "the Dan," who is the man really calling all of the shots, according to local commentators. Boy, talk about another typical trait of poorly run businesses. When ownership surrounds itself with yes men, nothing good can result in any business. Things will eventually deteriorate.

Hall of Famer, John Riggins, blasted ownership this week in a YouTube video. The ex-Redskin echoed many of the same charges heard from fans about incompetency at the top. Riggins is never at a loss for fightin' words, so some took big John's remarks with a grain of salt. But when former Indianapolis Colts head coach, Tony Dungy, took issue with what is going on in Washington, specifically with the manipulation of Zorn, people took notice. Dungy, now a television broadcaster, is far from a controversial figure. He's one of the more mild-mannered people to have ever coached in the league. He was also a winner.

The Redskins are part of the fabric of the D.C. area. I live a few miles from their headquarters and training facility in Ashburn, Va. While not a fan, I do root for them on occasion because Redskin wins do seem to lift the spirits of many people in these parts. But I also have been around the block a few times and realize no business can be successfully run by micromanaging bosses who play smoke and mirror games with personnel and the public.

Zorn is known to be an honest guy. He's not the most charismatic coach, but he won't spin things the way Cerrato does. And he won't hide in the shadows like Snyder, who essentially doesn't talk to the media during the season. Some say Zorn is too positive and should get angrier when things go south. But I get the sense his optimism is honest and real - not contrived. If he's a little naive, so be it. Better than being sneaky and insecure.

There have been a lot of not-so-great stories told about Snyder on the radio this week. Stories about him as a human being, not just an owner. Even a relative of the team's previous owner said some unflattering things about "the Dan." At least one story I know is true because it made the news a few years ago. Bucking area regulations, Snyder cut down trees on his property so he could have a better view of the Potomac River from his home. I guess, among other things, he's not a big environmentalist. That's not to say he doesn't do good work in other areas of his life. I just never hear about any potentially positive things from the media when it comes to the team's owner.

Where there is smoke there usually is fire. And the fire is burning bright at Redskins Park. Snyder has taken quite a publicity hit this week. Fans are literally screaming for him to sell the team. Even fans who aren't thrilled with Zorn are beginning to feel sorry for the guy. It seems people are not only thirsting for wins, but they also want some integrity restored to operations. They want a more fan-friendly owner who provides a better game-day experience and who rewards their longtime loyalty.

The worst fear is that Redskin fans will go from angry to apathetic. While the games are sold out years in advance, many fans aren't showing up on Sundays anymore, and some are selling their tickets, often to fans of opposing teams. Makes for an embarrassing home-game atmosphere when the opposition receives louder cheers than the Skins.

You can bet that next Monday night, when Washington hosts the Philadelphia Eagles on national TV, there will be even more talk about this latest fiasco. Philly fans will make the trek down I-95 to try to buy tickets from fed-up Washington fans. Plays will be called by a man who was calling out bingo numbers two weeks ago. And the Skins are finally playing a decent team that could destroy them. It could get very ugly. Many believe Zorn will be fired next week.

UPDATE. Team executive Vinny Cerrato announced on Oct. 23 that Jim Zorn would remain the head coach of the Washington Redskins for the remainder of the season. Stay tuned!

When things go bad for so long, look to the top

I don't think Jim Zorn is the main problem with the Washington Redskins. I rarely think that lower or mid-management is the root cause of dysfunction in any organization. While Zorn might not be Vince Lombardi, he's not a terrible coach in my opinion. As a quarterback, he was a pretty innovative and creative player. I doubt those characteristics disappeared when he went into coaching, and many other respected coaches around the NFL speak well of him.

The constants with the Redskins, through all the losing and mediocre seasons, are the owner and the guy bringing in sub-par talent. These are the people with the power calling most of the shots. The blame goes to Dan Snyder and Vinny Cerrato, respectively. They are the people hiring and firing head coaches. They are the ones evaluating players and signing them to long-term contracts, which then pressures Zorn (and coaches prior to him) to play these below-average athletes. If he doesn't play them, then he appears like he isn't being a good company man. But it's impossible to make chicken salad out of chicken ... Well, you get my drift.

It won't matter who comes in next to coach this team. Snyder is wrong to think he can win a Super Bowl by running his sports franchise the way he runs his other businesses. That's one of the things I enjoy about sports. It tends to expose character flaws in a way big business doesn't. You can't bully your way to a championship. You can't create a monopoly. You have to do the work and be smart within the rules of the game. You have to build the business, build trust and retain good people. These are things Snyder struggles with.

As for Cerrato, c'mon ... look at his drafts. Unfortunately, Cerrato and Snyder are pals, so Vinny is probably safe.

When ownership or top management fails to hire and retain the right people, sports teams like businesses, tend to spiral downward. It is clear that in terms of judging character and skill the Redskins' front office is about as bad as any failed company. Luckily, taxpayers won't have to bail out this team, as the Redskins remain one of the most profitable sports franchises. Maybe when fans start staying home and don't buy merchandise, Snyder will revise his way of running the team.

Coaches are like mid-level managers in business. They can only work with what they are given. They are also vulnerable to being fired because upper management has to fire someone in order to deflect blame from themselves.

I am afraid Zorn will fall victim to Snyder if the 'Skins (2-3) lose to the Kansas City Chiefs next week, perhaps sooner if Cerrato sees he can save his own butt by firing the coach. But what really needs to change is the front-office structure of the Redskins. People of integrity and institutional knowledge must be hired to run the show. And Snyder needs to let them do their jobs. He's not a football guy. He's a rich dude who could afford to buy a team. He should be happy to be that and give the Redskin fans something to cheer about.