"Mike Shanahan faced two culturally symbolic challenges when he took the coaching job in Washington: Albert Haynesworth and Clinton Portis.

Both players represented everything that was dysfunctional about the Redskins organization -- excess and lack of discipline. Too much money wrapped up in a player. Different rules for the biggest wallets in the locker room. Self absorption glorified.

For all the attention paid to Haynesworth -- finally suspended for the final four games of the season by Shanahan on Tuesday after months of turmoil -- he really should mean little in the big scheme of things for Redskins fans.

Haynesworth had been here only since last year and was the source of ridicule pretty much since he arrived, no matter how much talent his supporters say he has. He should mean nothing.

Portis, though, is an important Redskins player, the most polarizing figure of his time here in Washington. His passionate supporters celebrated him as he rushed for 6,284 yards over seven years here. His disgusted detractors shook their heads when he would criticize teammates or coaches.

Portis means something. If you are looking for a measure of how Shanahan handles football players, Clinton Portis is the archetype.

If there was any one player who felt empowered to call his own shots here, it was Portis. He bragged about his relationship with Redskins owner Daniel Snyder. Last year Redskins vice president Vinny Cerrato declared he got a text from Portis saying he was pleased the Redskins drafted Brian Orakpo. When Portis clashed with coach Jim Zorn over playing time following a game in Baltimore in 2008, Portis came out the winner.

Yet Portis has done nothing but embrace Shanahan and the structure and discipline he has brought to Redskins Park. You can say they had a prior relationship from the two years Portis played for Shanahan in Denver, but that was a different Portis -- not the Portis who got paid more than $50 million and emerged as an NFL star."