My initial thought was that Jason Campbell drastically matured in Sunday’s win against the New Orleans Saints…..not from just a couple big plays, but factoring in his entire body of work on the day. But then I said, ‘wait, this is his fourth season, isn’t it about time?’ However, I realized that it’s the growing up he did in Jim Zorn’s offense which counts the most, not the chances he had during game experience in the past.
The stereotype about Redskins fans goes that even after the most minuscule of battle victories (such as a media-hyped free agent signing or a preseason win), they assume that the war’s end result will ultimately culminate with a February victory cigar. I actually take this typecast purposely overboard to annoy my local Cowboys, Giants, or Eagles fan.
But let’s be honest, despite a great day across the board (my sarcastic in-game pessimism before Campbell led the team to a triumphant comeback didn’t sit too well with my friends), this team still has a long way to go before they are able to comfortably weather the unpredictable NFL storm.
The win versus the Saints does provide reasonable hope for increased Monday morning cheer among the Skins faithful in the future. How much Jason Campbell grew up on Sunday doesn’t really matter, rather it’s about how much he is able to build upon this accomplishment in the coming weeks.
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Yes, this is my inevitable Tom Brady post….all the kids are doing it.
First of all, shame on Tom Brady. After NFL opening weekend, I was all prepared to discuss Brett Favre and how he used that Brett Favre arm of his to throw that tight Brett Favre spiral to lead his Brett Favre team to a Brett Favre victory.
But no, Tommy Brady had to go get injured for the rest of the year and took all the Brett Favre attention away from Brett Favre. Pretty selfish if you ask me, Tom.
[Sidebar: I've heard people call the second TD Favre threw against the 'Phins a duck, ridiculous, etc.....same ol' gunslinger, right? Wrong. It was a smart play. With kicker Mike Nugent unable to perform and pressure coming on 4th and 13 from the Miami 22, the risk of throwing the ball up for grabs towards the end zone was more than worth it. Favre's receivers were taller than the Miami DBs and if the ball was intercepted, and not downed in the end zone, and assuming the risk of a big return was minimal, it would've been the equivalent of a helluva punt. So, not your prototypical Brett Favre gunslinger move. - Game Highlights Video]
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Redskins Nation will be killing the radio shows, blogs, and message boards over this one. I was defeatist at first, calling for a 31-3 loss after the hurtin’ Brandon Jacobs put on LaRon Landry. But then, as the defense got into rhythm, hope was built, albeit pessimistic hope….because after all, I am Redskins fan.
I’ve never been so silently frustrated at the offensive play calling…..even after witnessing years of persistent Joe Gibbs running it up the middle over and over again. I understand it was Zorn’s first outing, but couldn’t help wondering if he’d been on the sidelines of many live football games before. The first half would have been absolutely disastrous had the Redskins not scored. Not electing to call a timeout with all of them left and seconds ticking away in the Red Zone? Incomprehensible.
The Washington offense looked to be testing scenarios in the waning moments of an inconsequential preseason game when the fire was in the hole, down 16-7 as time was running out. The term “sense of urgency” will be thrown around in the coming days. So where was it? Do we chalk this up to Campbell’s insecurity with the offense? No, he’s not a rookie and Zorn wasn’t born yesterday. Shifting up a gear when the situation calls for it should have been refined, adequately at a minimum, before game one.
This season is going to be a learning process, we knew that after the last two preseason games. If things start to click, NFL history has dictated that momentum can turn at the blink of an eye. Maybe the players, led by Campbell and the ‘C’ on his jersey, need to focus on learning the offense, but it’s Jim Zorn’s job to get everyone on the same page. Zorn will learn quick that in DC, if you’re throwing others under the bus every week, eventually that bus is going to go in reverse and run over you.
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With the late July legal win for the Washington football franchise, it’s safe to say that the Redskins will be the nickname of the team for the foreseen future of countless generations. Essentially, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ruled that a 16-year old Native American lawsuit attempting to invalidate a trademark on the Redskins name was not filed within a timely manner of when the trademark was issued in 1967, and to do so now would cause the franchise too great of an economic hardship. The court did not comment on the racially offensive nature of the legal battle and the case now heads back to the U.S. Court of Appeals.
Recently, the pot of questionable racism was stirred when The Big Lead compared the use of “Redskins” to the “eye slant” photo of the Spanish men’s basketball team, and then when Mr. Irrelevant refuted the comparison. Debates such as these will unquestionably continue as long as Redskins is the team nickname.
What is a Redskin? The reasoning behind the meaning seems to split into three areas of thought: the skin color of Native Americans, the warpaint Native Americans used before battle, or the bloody scalp remnant resulting from a Native American crossing the path of a bounty hunter.
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Leave it to a Dallas Cowboys fan to point out an article about Redskins safety Reed Doughty in this past Sunday’s Washington Post. He happily cited the piece as a prime example of the ineptness of the Washington Redskins organization. After reading it, I was obliged to agree.
Doughty, selected by the Redskins in the 6th round of the 2006 NFL Draft, filled in after the untimely death of Sean Taylor last season. He grew up and attended college in Colorado, suiting up four seasons for the Northern Colorado Bears.
Reed Doughty, like most of those who have attained professional ranks in their sport, has faced many obstacles in his football career, but none greater than being severely hearing impaired. Being diagnosed with problems as a child, Doughty dealt with his handicap by learning to read lips and memorize hand signals in college. Only recently, after the 2007 season, did Doughty’s wife encourage him to use hearing aids during the course of play.
Inspiring story right? So how did Danny Snyder’s play toy screw this one up?
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If New York Yankees catcher, Jorge Posada, ends up needing surgery on this shoulder, and thus required to miss the rest of 2008, could Paul Lo Duca be an option for Hank Steinbrenner?
Posada is scheduled to have an MRI on his left shoulder today, the results of which will chart the path of the Yankees future. For one, the Yanks have some options in the event that Posada can’t make it back behind the plate. Jose Molina, who A-Rod called an “angel,” filled in the other day, and Chad Moeller is available for spot duty as well. Moeller was actually with the Nats during spring training, but was later cut and signed to a minor league contract by the Yankees.
Second, I doubt the Yankees would want to make some drastic move, giving up prospects in return for a playoff rental. Making the post season this year is far from guaranteed, and this tactic has failed the Yankees in the past as their farm system has been pilfered by ill-advised moves.
Which brings me back to Lo Duca. The Nationals should have never signed the guy. In my opinion, Jesus Flores showed enough last season to earn more time in the pros this season, others feel the same way. And if Kasten, Bowden & Co. are in full rebuilding mode, why throw $5 million to PLD for a year in the first place? Quite the waste of money for a bunch of penny-pinchers.
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Little Danny Snyder, champion of the off-season paper title. He’s puffed up his little Danny Snyder chest for photo ops with the likes of Deion Sanders, Adam Archuleta and Steve Spurrier while spending more money and living in the now. His antics have kept Washingtonians interested while nickel and diming their pockets in the interest of boosting franchise value. Snyder doesn’t meddle as much as he used to, maybe it’s gained maturity, but that doesn’t mean that a majority of the Skins fan base has love for the guy.
Plain and simple, the Redskins are Danny Snyder’s toy. He’s spawned a beloved franchise into reflections of a faceless corporation. Being the self-made owner of the team, he certainly has the right to do so. No one is denying that professional sports is a business, but does it have to be rubbed in our grill so much? Acts such as making moves to control DC Sports Radio just don’t feel right.
About a year ago, Sports Illustrated gave Snyder a pat on the back for trying hard and ranked him the fifth best owner in the NFL. The message boarders at ExtremeSkins, an officially official Redskins message board, gave Snyder an 84% approval rating back in June. Of course, that was only judging Danny’s actions in the previous two months. Snyder certainly gained credibility in bringing Joe Gibbs back to DC (and the accompanying laissez-faire policy with the coaching staff, something Danny hadn’t been able to keep his mitts off before), as well as his patriarchal handling of the SeanTaylor incident. But not all Skins fans enjoy having the lil’ guy at the helm as his June ’08 DC Sports Bog approval rating stands at 41%, perhaps a more effective gauge of Snyder’s popularity.
So what’s to appreciate about Danny Snyder? Maintenance of relevancy. He’s a local-bred fan who seems willing to spend whatever it takes to keep the Washington NFL franchise always in contention…..for what, I’m not sure. But how many other teams possess the capable moxie to trade for a former NFL defensive MVP within mere hours of losing both the starting DE, Phillip Daniels, and a reserve, Alex Buzbee, for the entire season on the first freaking day of practice?
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Ok, so when Dan Uggla is involved (in a tragic manner), I can’t resist punning his name in a headline.
What a huge goat he almost was (and to an extent, still is), in hitting into a double play in the top of the 10th and then booting two balls on the first two batters in the bottom of the inning. I bet his mouth was as dry as a bone under a heat lamp in the desert when Grady Sizemore grounded to him in a bases loaded FC out at home-plate after Carlos Guillen was intentionally walked. I know this, Aaron Cook pitched a helluva 10th inning keeping all hit balls on the ground and in the infield. If the American League had prevailed in the bottom of the 10th, the headline would’ve read: National League Hits Every Stick On The Uggla Tree.
Getting struck out by Joakim Soria on a “knee buckler” with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the 12th didn’t aid Uggla’s redemption efforts. In fact, yet another boot to the chest, the 3rd error of Uggla’s night, in the bottom of the 13th pushed him lower. Joe Buck had plenty of sympathy for the kid giving Dan the benefit of the doubt with a bad hop call.
In the end, the National League could not survive the marathon. Hopefully, next time, Dan Uggla will have a much better looking effort than going 0-4, striking out three times and leaving six on base.
Defensive MVP?
In the bottom of the 11th, Nate McLouth made a great throw to put out Dioner Navarro at home. If the National League would’ve went on to win in the 12th, I was ready to give Russell Martin the All-Star MVP for blocking the plate and making an unbelievable tag….the 3rd of the last five outs which came at home plate.
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The good folks at Epic Carnival got their hands on a $50 gift card from MLB……so the obvious choice was to hold a Photoshop contest (despite a call for boobies and zingers) to see who would get their hands on the prize.
Naturally, I wanted to put my Photoshop skills to the test and attempted to get creative in the 11th hour of the deadline….and here is that attempt:
Hank Steinbrenner is at the wheel. Roger Clemens, Sidney Ponson, and Jose Canseco are all aboard. Milton Bradley is ordering Barry Bonds to get back on while Elijah Dukes is trying his best to escape the fray.
Check out all the other entries here. If you’re around…..you can, like, go and vote for me and stuff. Read more »
Congratulations to the Kansas Jayhawks for persevering to win the NCAA championship last night. Today, everyone has been concentrating on the missed Memphis Tiger free-throws, and well, they should. No, the game wasn’t exactly lost or won on a single play…..they rarely are. But it seems like we are conditioned to pick out the most egregious mistake and focus on it like it’s our one and only. But aside from this season, Memphis has had a tumultuous relationship with the free-throw line in the past.
Let me take you back to March 12, 2005. Memphis, with a record of 16-14 entering the Conference USA tournament, won three straight games (against Saint Louis, Charlotte and USF) to set up a championship match against 28-4 Louisville. Before the CUSA tournament began, Memphis had no chance of making the Big Dance and was probably going to come up short of the NIT as well.
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