A couple weeks ago I attended a Redskins-Houston Texans game way out in Landover, Maryland. If you were following Twitter that day, you might have noticed a mini-meltdown on my part in reaction to the loss, and the subsequent remoteness of FedEx field. (Why is that place so terrible? Because it’s not in the District, that’s why.)

While there, I captured an Eagles fan in attendance, for some reason (he had two friends who were Skins fans), and a Redskins fan of another party… interacting and ultimately being cool with each other. Although it’s safe to say they aren’t near each other this week.

Oh, and the Donovan McNabb post-game speech to his 17-12 winning team … pretty good, I’d say. Maybe Wizards fans will see something similar from Gilbert Arenas in the future. But in the sports world, you should never hold your breath.

Other reads from Truth About It:

• January 27, 2012 -- BOO! An Andray Blatche Confessional
• September 18, 2010 -- Wizards Fans: The Charlotte Bobcats Are Worth Checking Out Too
• September 13, 2010 -- This Is A Redskins Town

Sometimes you’ll hear people call D.C. a basketball hotbed. Or you’ll hear claims that Washington has deep basketball roots that are just waiting to blossom, especially after the takeover of the Ted Leonsis regime and the arrival of John Wall.

All good things to hear. But let’s be honest, Washington will be a Redskins town for as long as I live (unless somehow, at some point, the Wizards win four championships in 10 years, while the Skins flounder with a few insignificant playoff appearances, making the top team choice for next generation a little more difficult — a scenario that’s more of a long-distance daydream than reality, and even then …).

Nothing wrong with D.C. being a Redskins town. Football, after all, is America’s sport, even if baseball is America’s way to pass time, and basketball is more global. I’m of the opinion that all D.C. pro sports teams should be embraced together (I’m a hometown guy if you can’t tell).

Of course, in a transient city like Washington, that’s tough to accomplish. But one thing is clear, many Washingtonians take pride in their Redskins … and where better to observe that pride than at the Adams Morgan Day Festival held on Sunday afternoon? (BTW, for those outside of D.C., Adams Morgan is a popular area of the city with bars, restaurants, shops, etc.)

So, that’s exactly what I did, in lieu of watching the 1 pm NFL games or even the FIBA World Basketball Championship between the United States and Turkey live, and if favor of getting out and enjoying the outside world (and off the blogger’s couch/futon/actually, I have a standing desk now). Below I’ve captured some of the Redskins gear seen at Adams Morgan Day … and a smattering of Dallas Cowboys gear (after all, a recent poll of registered Democrats in D.C. shows that 48-percent are Redskins fans and six-percent are Dallas fans — disgusting, I know).

Enjoy.

And now, the one piece of Wizards-related memorabilia I saw (actually, I think I spotted a Bullets hat too, but didn’t get a pic) — I suspect there was a surplus of these Wall shirts and they were given out around the city.

Other reads from Truth About It:

• May 13, 2011 -- The Washington Wizards New Look & Feel Unveiled
• August 15, 2010 -- ShareBullets: JaVale McGee Cut From Team USA, John Wall Dancin’ Redskins & Mike James With A Megaphone
• January 27, 2012 -- BOO! An Andray Blatche Confessional

File 1998 / Racine Journal Times

Back on January 16th, the Wizards beat the visiting Sacramento Kings and propelled their record to 13-26. The next day, a Sunday, the team would get a much needed day off before their match-up against the Portland Trailblazers on Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday.

Caron Butler in particular said he would enjoy having Sunday off because that meant he would be able to watch his “childhood hero,” Brett Favre, play one of his “good friends,” Tony Romo, in the NFL Playoffs.

Butler had trouble choosing who he would root for … although, his “shot out” to Romo (video below) seemed to indicate, in my opinion, that he was pulling for old man Favre. In any case, the Vikings won …  surely Caron would have been happy regardless, and Redskins fans were definitely happy.

But why is Butler boys with Romo in the first place? Well, as the picture above indicates, they were both on the 1998 All-Racine County (Wisconsin) basketball team. Romo is that fella wearing #35 on the far left. Butler is who you think he is. Who knew?

Todd Archer of the Dallas Morning News has more on the history between Butler and Romo, including how Tony gave Caron a signed Cowboys jersey a couple years ago after beating the Redskins. Blasphemy! (At least while Caron was still a Wizard, hollering “D.C., Stand Up!” and openly rooting for the Skins.)

Caron Butler talks about Favre vs. Romo (Jan. 16, 2010)

Other reads from Truth About It:

• January 27, 2012 -- BOO! An Andray Blatche Confessional
• October 19, 2009 -- Where Jim Zorn Wants To Be and Wizards Links
• July 11, 2009 -- Your Washington Wizards: Clubbing In Miami and Building Playgrounds

Now that his play-calling duties have been taken away, I bet Jim Zorn feels just as bad as baby Falcon Heene. It’s probably only a matter of time until Zorny throws up on TV from all the nervousness caused by his pappy, Tiny Dan Snyder.

I bet if he could, Zorn would hop on a balloon and fly far into the sky, away from all his troubles.

{Jim Zorn, Balloon Boy}

And now, Wizards links …

When Gilbert Arenas was asked how he reacted to Antawn Jamison getting injured against Cleveland, he said he thought Jamison had a “cramp.” Yea, riiiiight.

Brendan Haywood had a slightly different reaction:

Shortly after Antawn Jamison scurried to the training room with a right shoulder injury in Cleveland on Wednesday night, Brendan Haywood hopped up out his chair and ran through the tunnel to see him.

“Dag on right I went to go check on him,” Haywood said. “Antawn is a big part of what we do. You look at our team, there’s probably two guys on this team that can’t afford to go down. That’s myself and Antawn because there is not a lot of depth behind us.”

[Michael Lee - Wizards Insider, Washington Post]

Who Erected Gilbert Arenas’ Platform?

Hold up. “We” erected the platform? No, actually, Gilbert Arenas erected his own platform by being so open, crazy, dramatic and whatnot. We might have dubbed him “Agent Zero,” but he was the one who dubbed his swag to be phenomenal, who nicknamed himself “hibachi,” who mocked Kobe Bryant by declaring he would shout “quality shot” after he shot. “We” may have asked him to blog for NBA.com, but it was him who decided to use it to make guarantees and talk about all-around weird stuff. I mean, other NBA players manage to blog on NBA.com without being so eccentric, surely it was possible to be funny and personable while not ruffling feathers.

[Mike Prada - Bullets Forever]

The Math Behind Caron Butler

If you have LeBron, but you take away some of his volume, you get Butler. But by removing volume, the character of the player you’re left with is completely changed. So while Butler may be something like “LeBron x 85 percent,” just by decreasing the volume you’re almost removing LeBron from the equation. It’s a null result. So let’s think of it another way: instead of Butler as 85 percent of LeBron, let’s make LeBron a “Butler x 115 percent + !!!.”

And so here, Butler becomes the archetype for the modern small forward, the mascot for the lineage through the late Aughts. Gerald Wallace’s recipe is “Butler – 10 percent + suicide bomber style.” John Salmons is “Butler – 10 percent – style + beard + indecisiveness.” Hedo Turkoglu is “Butler – 20 percent + size + the benefit of New Eastern European Romanticism.” Even Ron Artest becomes a Caron Butler mutation (“Butler + crazy pills”).

[Tom Ziller - NBA FanHouse]

Wizards Getting Serious?

It’s the middle of the preseason, and the Washington Wizards are crammed inside the tiny visitor’s locker room at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. Tip-off is an hour away.

Forward Caron Butler is pacing the room and cracking jokes. Guard Mike Miller is laughing and eating a pregame meal in front of his locker. Guard DeShawn Stevenson is in the middle of the floor, dribbling a basketball between his legs and talking loudly to no one in particular.

The ball gets away from Stevenson and bounces toward a television monitor that‘s showing highlights of the Cavaliers‘ most recent game. I step in to save the day, snagging the ball with my left hand while sending a text with my right.

[Sam Amico - HoopsHype.com]

Nick Young Wants To Be Mike Miller

Nick Young started out pretty hot this preseason, scoring 20 points on 8-for-17 shooting (47 percent) the first two games. But in the past three preseason games, Young has missed 19 of his past 24 shots and scored just 15 points. Young hasn’t started since the preseason opener against Memphis and said he has struggled to find his rhythm coming off the bench. “It’s kind of hard,” Young said. “I’m trying to get it going like Mike [Miller] did. Every player goes through that. [Miller] got it going. I hope it’s my turn.”

[Michael Lee - Wizards Insider, Washington Post]

Other Links:

• LeBron James serves as the NBA’s example of a traveling violation in the league’s video rulebook [NBA.com]
• “Arenas Plans to Shut Up and Play” [Mike Wise, Washington Post]
• A great analysis and tracking of statistics for the Wizards-Cavs game [Bullets Forever]
• “For Jordan, the past is present: As 76ers coach gets set to face former team, he opens up about his time with the Wizards” [Michael Lee, Washington Post]
• “Hawks eager for first peak at new-look Wizards” [Sekou Smith, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]
• Brendan Haywood tied for D.C.’s 4th longest tenured athlete, Gilbert Arenas tied at 11th [Dan Steinberg, DC Sports Bog]
• “14 players in a new system: Randy Foye” [Mike Prada - Bullets Forever]

NBA Blogger Central Division Previews

Chicago Bulls
BlogABull.com | Give Me The Rock

Cleveland Cavaliers
Fear The Sword | WaitingForNextYear | Cavalier Attitude

Detroit Pistons
Motown String Music | Empty the Bench | Pistons Nation | Need4Sheed.com

Indiana Pacers
Indy Cornrows

Milwaukee Bucks
BrewHoop

See full schedule here

And if you made it this far, you get some Kid Cudi …

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qiy-yAoX0HI

Other reads from Truth About It:

• October 23, 2009 -- Wizards Practice Video, Must-Read Links and An Appearance By Sleepy Floyd
• October 3, 2009 -- Unheard and Unseen Cuts from Wizards Media Day
• April 4, 2009 -- The Wiz vs. The Griz in Pictures

Recently, ESPN’s Rick Reilly offered a chance to both Presidential candidates to be his fantasy league running mate for a week….only Obama accepted.

So, the two sat down to nominate their fantasy cabinet going off a salary cap system. And who did B.O. choose at the running back position over the likes of Adrian Peterson?

Obama’s choice was obvious….he was going dancing with Choo Choo, he was going to hand out food stamps to Southeast Jerome, get gully with Dolemite Jenkins, get Dr. Do Itch Big to plan the health care system, and Dollah Bill to fix the economy.

Yes ladies and gentlemen, Barack Obama was going with none other than Washington Redskins running back, Clinton Portis…..I mean Sheriff Gonna Getcha.

photo from flickr/culhanen

Random Posts

• September 29, 2008 -- Washington Wizards Training Camp Spawns Questions
• October 21, 2010 -- So Long Adam Morrison, So Long Sean Marks
• October 22, 2010 -- John Wall Not Intimidated by STAT

The equation is easy: turn the ball over, and the probability of losing increases. The Washington Redskins did just that on Sunday, and the fruits of a laborious inability to hold on to the ball meant win number one for the St. Louis Rams.

The reality is that this is the NFL and ‘any given Sunday’ is not just the title of a movie…..which is exactly why I expressed apprehension about the Rams game on Saturday night. Redskins fans are an odd bunch, curiously exuberant about their team, and can be easy for outsiders to hate. After the 4-1 start, I got unreasonably optimistic emails easily calling for a 7-1 record halfway through the season. Nothing pisses me off more (ok, I’m exaggerating) than assuming future success in bunches. I’m betting that many of those same ‘caught looking ahead’ optimists are the first to be pessimistic, but I doubt fans are abandoning a ship that really isn’t sinking.

Perhaps many thought the Redskins to be better than they were/are. I wouldn’t include myself in this group as my mantra has been: ‘it’s a long season.’ I won’t solely blame the loss on three fumbles. The defense looked good, the offense is still coming together. There were some winners and losers (go ahead and add a Cowboys loss to the Cardinals under ‘winners’). Maybe the focus today was too loose, or the perhaps the pony should’ve been a stallion. In any case, I do believe this team is built to be resilient.

The thing about taking a step backwards is that you are still looking forward. The Redskins are the same team that can beat anyone in the NFL, and as they proved today, the same team that can lose to anyone. Regroup, stay medium, and be ready for Cleveland next week.

Random Posts

• September 11, 2010 -- Clark Kellogg On The College Basketball Landscape, John Wall and The Capital One Cup
• April 9, 2009 -- Wizards vs. Cavs: The Final Showdown in Screen Shots
• April 1, 2011 -- From The Other Side: Backhanded Wizards Compliments, Courtesy of Dwyane Wade

In the past, the Washington Redskins were ‘messing me up, my whole head….teasing me, just like Tisha, did Martin,’ but now those days are over, and the quest for something bigger seems attainable for the tribe called Redskins Nation.

How did this team go from finding a way to lose to finding a way to win? Could the simple difference be a rookie head coach who wasn’t hired to captain the ship in the first place? A Cowboys fan, having lost that smirking smile at the losing ways of the Skins, seemed to find solace in telling me that Joe Gibbs should have been let go three years ago. Not so fast my friend. Joe Gibbs laid the foundation, allowing the current players to become men. Jim Zorn came along and has let those men loose.

Zorn has left ‘job on the line’ decision making out of his coaching strategy. In doing so, he’s brought “guts” to his team, and gained the respect of the players, all while providing a calming presence which allows for the disregard of an early 14 point deficit in the hostile territory of a division rival.

Under Jim Zorn, ‘panic’ is not part of the job description of the Washington Redskins. He’ll leave the ‘finger on the red button’ mentality to the obsessive-compulsive fans of the DC area.

Now, I must admit, upon going down by two TDs, I sent the following text message to my friends, “Boy, we look greeeeeeat. Yep, we’ll lose to the Rams next week.” Of course, my text was pessimism with intent, in mocking reference to the negativity I displayed during the Saints win. Was I genuinely concerned? As an endorser of Clinton Portis would say, “You betcha.” But did I believe my sarcastic fatalism would somehow reverse the fortunes of the day? That’s the story I’m sticking with.

What The World Wide Web Is Saying:

• “Just who the hell is this team? For the fourth game in a row, the final seconds ticked off the clock and Jason Campbell was taking a knee. ‘Skins fans haven’t seen anything like this in years.”
  [Addicted to Zorn: Redskins Handle Eagles After Slow Start - DCist]

• “After the week one loss to the Giants, if someone said the Redskins wouldn’t turn the ball over for the next four games, and they’d be 4-1, we might have said, ‘yeah, right. And Dexter Manley opened a book at Oklahoma State.’”
  [Your Biggest NFL Surprise: Washington Redskins - The Big Lead]
• The DC Optimist continues to take issue with Sports Illustrated’s Peter King….and rightly so. But when it comes to sports, and the teams I follow, I’d rather play it Rodney Dangerfield style….because winning after getting no respect is that much sweeter.
• Mr. Irrelevant has Lil’ Danny Snyder being Michael Scott Part Deux. For some reason, I think the lil’ fella has a some Brick Tamland in him too…….or the comparison Stet Sports makes, Steve Lattimer.
• Philly fans like their classy in the form of eggs and flipping the bird….via the DC Sports Bog. Clearly, the Redskins did not get the headline regarding mass awareness of a certain avian variety. [If you didn't see that classic Family Guy episode from Sunday night, here's the Wiki.]
• Santana Moss is NOT Terrell Owens:
  “He had to make a decision weeks ago of how he was gonna react to a game like this, and he never came off the sidelines saying, you know, ‘How come you’re not getting me the ball? I mean, don’t you know who I am? I’m Santana Moss.’ He didn’t say anything like that. He just kept after it.” -Jim Zorn via the DC Sports Bog

Previous Game Observations: Giants | Saints | Cardinals | Cowboys

Random Posts

• October 12, 2009 -- Brief Thoughts on Wizards vs. Raptors
• December 17, 2008 -- Quarter Season: How NBA Bloggers Rank The MVP and ROY Candidates
• April 15, 2011 -- A Wizards Grand Send-Off or A Forward Look to the Future?

The two biggest cry-babies of NFL week four. It’s an ironic circle:

1. Tank Johnson had to be restrained because Rock Cartwright celebrated on the Dallas star at the 50 yard line after the game. Tank, being a classy man himself, brought up the issue of class.

2. Mr. Irrelevant reminded us all of a Star logo controversy of the past between Tank’s current teammate, Terrell Owens, and former Cowboy, Emmitt Smith.
3. Now Owens, who I’ve tried to stress to nervously defensive Cowboys fans time and time again that you NEVER want that guy on your team when the chips are down, is doing exactly what is to be expected of him…..T.O. is saying that he didn’t get the ball enough. Evidently, the offense does not exist without T.O., yet Dallas was able to somehow beat Green Bay last week with Owens only catching two balls for 17 yards.

4. Now, Emmitt Smith is saying that Owens is “not a true Cowboy,” but never fear, because Emmitt is still getting his groove on.

Around the Internets:

• Jason Campbell was a bigger hero for making a single phone call than for anything he did on the field. [Raw Fisher]

• Somebody may have been wrong about the Redskins (although it’s still a long season, that’s what I’m going to keep telling myself). [Stet Sports]

• Lil’ Danny Snyder = Michael Scott…..that’s what she said. [Mr. Irrelevant]

• Fred Smoot still looked dazed in the locker room after the game…..he thought he was Batman. [DC Sports Bog]

• Talk about ‘Hard Core Players’ and Clinton Portis’ name should be coming out your mouth. [DC Optimist]
  

My game ball goes to the defense. No, they didn’t sack Tony Romo, and they only forced one turnover, but they brought consistency and disrupted what most thought to be an unstoppable Cowboy offense. But the key was that the play of the defense, in holding Dallas to only 44 yards on the ground, helped the Redskins control the ball, and have a significant advantage in time of possession, 38:09 to 21:51.

Hopefully Darrell Armstrong was somewhere near a microphone on Sunday.

“How ‘Bout Those Redskins!?!”

Nuff’ said.

Random Posts

• September 16, 2011 -- ShareBullets: John Wall & All Star Appearance(s)?
• June 18, 2009 -- A Night With Flip Saunders: Part 1
• December 30, 2010 -- Scenes From The Baseline: Wizards 104 – Pacers 90

In the artistic sense of the word, sellout, according to UrbanDictionary.com, means:

• When an artist changes their play style to make more money

Let’s equate artist to sports fan, play style to hometown pride, and make more money to wanting more wins.

Sure, everybody likes rooting for a winner. But you don’t ostracize your hometown team from your sports loyalties to wagon-jump and chase championships, especially to run into the arms of rivals. This will be a rule for my unborn son.

Washington, DC is a transient city, everyone knows this, but the number of Dallas Cowboys fans from DC is baffling, embarrassing, and a disgrace. They are all going to sports hell where men’s tandem figure skating and that Olympic horse dancing sport are the only options.

I Caught Hell For Picking Arizona To Win
Immediately after the game, I got several text messages reminding me how I said the Skins were going to lose to the Cardinals (I actually said this when hope looked lost during a stretch of the Saints game). In my office pool, I picked the Skins to beat the Giants and then to lose to the Saints in week 2 (the only NFL game I missed that week). I picked the Redskins to lose to the Cardinals in week 3 too (but didn’t fare so well in the pool). I’m not much of a superstitious person, but if it works, it works…..now that I’ve negated any opposite luck that was going….

Did Stephon Heyer Warrant A Penalty, Costing Devin Thomas His First Career TD?
As the debate goes on at Mr. Irrelevant, my thoughts: At first, it didn’t look deserving of a penalty. For all Stephon Heyer knew, Jason Campbell was still scrambling and was making a legal block. Fox’s booth team of Kenny and Moose cited Heyer hitting the side of an unaware Darnell Dockett. It’s still a tough call, but upon reviewing the video a couple times, I don’t blame the refs from throwing the flag. Heyer seemed more concerned with hitting Dockett than even knowing the result of Campbell’s bootleg. His back was to the play for longer than it seemed necessary, making it appear as if Heyer was simply going after Dockett (perhaps in retaliation, but still…don’t get caught).

Other Notes
As evidenced by a certain someone among the day’s losers, it’s my desire to see more of what Chris Horton has to offer than the other guy.

Durant Brooks Can’t Win, and it’s looking more and more like Derrick Frost was right about Cerrato.

“He scared me. He matured me, how about that.”
- Durant Brooks

Random Posts

• October 20, 2010 -- Poll: Who will score the season’s first points?
• June 24, 2010 -- Talking with Fran Fraschilla about the Wizards and pick 17
• February 6, 2009 -- Andray Blatche: Not Too Hurt To Party

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.

Best of the Web:

• Redskins-Saints Winners & Losers – Mister Irrelevant
  [extra credit to Chris Horton...sure he was in the right place at the right time a couple instances, but the rookie came ready and showed he was prepared to step-up big]
• Skins Bonus Quotes: Nervous Nellies and Freak Outs – DC Sports Bog
• Chris Cooley Shows His Dick: Accident or Not? – Playing the Field
  [I guess with a win like this, someone deserves to go all out with their balls out]
• Skins Win, Z Shades Are Triumphant – DC Sports Bog
• [should I take the opportunity to call the Z-Shade attendants Montgomery Burns-esque on the part of Danny Snyder?]
• What They Are Saying About the Redskins’ Win Over the Saints – Stet Sports
• Jim Zorn is no longer a losing coach – Hogs Haven
• A Black Guy Who Plays Like a White Guy [does this apply to Jason Campbell?] – Players Voice

Random Posts

• November 24, 2009 -- The Dagger Report, Washington Wizards Podcast – Episode 4: What’s The Deal With Gilbert?
• July 17, 2010 -- It’s Just Summer League: John Wall’s 18 Point Third Quarter
• March 26, 2009 -- Wizards v. Bobcats: The Game Blog In Screen Shots Pt. 2

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.

———-
And now, knee-jerk quotes from the peanut gallery:

“Zorn’s got a lot of growing up to do. I blame Snyder for Zorn. (minutes later) Wait, did I say Zorn needed to grow up? Can you change that to ‘looked awful’?” -Chris

“Campbell is not the quarterback of the future, he’s not looking down field when he needs to.” -Rob (a Steelers first, Redskins second, fan)

“Zorn lookin’ like he was just born, the D looked alright to me.” -Billy

“OMG, your coach is killing me!” -Nawaz (text message from a Dolphins fan)

“My advice is for Zorn to not read the papers tomorrow.” -Claire

“That ‘West Coast Offense’ looked very similar to what we had last year: two 1-yard runs and a 3-yard pass on 3rd down.” -Adam (a Skins fan who stood up his friends, who assumed that the same ‘ol crew watching the season opener together was of a prerequisite nature, to watch the game with a co-worker, who happens to be a Giants fan, because he gave him his “word” — not good early season karma if you ask me….Call Out!)

And for the record, Carrie had no comment.

For the Winners & Losers, head to Mr. Irrelevant.

Random Posts

• June 16, 2009 -- Interview with Mike James, Washington Wizard (for now)
• October 29, 2010 -- Cartier Martin Gets His Own Post, As Should Anyone Who Blocks Dwight Howard Like That
• June 3, 2010 -- Flip Saunders Gets Buckets

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.

Most accounts can agree that team owner George Preston Marshall changed the franchise name from the Boston Braves to the Boston Redskins in 1933 to recognize then coach, William “Lone Star” Dietz. Dietz, who claimed half-German, half-Sioux background, embraced what he perceived to be a Native American heritage.

Marshall was no doubt a fan of his coach, Dietz, who was by most accounts a star in his day, hanging out with the likes of Knute Rockne and Walt Disney, and having played alongside Jim Thorpe along with once being under the tutelage of Pop Warner. However, one could surely debate if Marshall naming the team ‘Redskins’ in recognition of Dietz’s claimed heritage was truly an honor or not. Marshall himself had issues with race as the Redskins were the last NFL team to integrate in 1962.

So, the age-old defense of the use of Redskins, regardless of the meaning behind it, goes that since the team was named in honor of “Lone Star” Dietz, and if he, being part Indian, didn’t mind, then everything is a-okay. But there’s the catch, Lone Star was raised as a “white man” who didn’t even become aware with his purported heritage until the latter part of his teenage years, upon hearing an argument between his adopted parents.

In 2004, Linda Waggoner, a professor in American Multicultural Studies and Philosophy, wrote a 5-part series, “Reclaiming James One Star,” for Indian Country Today which investigated the validity of Dietz’s claimed Native American ancestry, bringing into light multiple false accounts from his early youth. The ultimate conclusion is that one can neither concretely confirm nor disprove that Dietz was any part Indian.

But for some reason, Dietz embraced the Native American culture to the extent of dressing in full Indian regalia, including on the sidelines of some games, enrolling in Indian schools, taking a Native American wife, and becoming a well-known artist depicting life on the plains. Regardless, it seems silly that the use of Redskins hinges on whether one man may or may not have been a Native American in any way, shape, or form.

To me, the Redskins name is not so bad. I won’t give you the “I wouldn’t care if they were named the DC Honkeys” argument (a racial epithet made popular by this guy), or the “It’s honoring those brave Indians…..Native Americans” spiel (the Atlanta Braves honor those brave Native Americans, but that mascot of theirs was a symbol of racism like a mug). Rather, I’ll give you a “the symbolism, as bad as it may be, will always remind us avoiding past issues with the inability to treat each other as human beings” reasoning. Doesn’t make Redskins any less offensive to some, but we all should at least be thinking along those lines. (I wonder how logo feelings would be if the white man and Redman got along in the first place.)

Might there be a compromise that can satisfy everyone? Here’s my suggestion: Keep the colors, get rid of the iconic Indian and feathers, and change the name to just the Skins. And there you have it, most of the team’s marketing efforts can be solved with some white out and/or paint. Ehhh….on second thought, it might not be a good gesture to rid the franchise of it’s Native American associations with white out. In any case, this name change scenario would seemingly be the most cost effective.

To me, the economic argument in quite ironic. In the very same city, the Washington NBA franchise was renamed to the Wizards after 34 years of being named Bullets, which was inspired from a Baltimore WWII ammunition casting factory when the team played in Charm City. Franchise owner, Abe Pollin, claimed that violent connotations provided the need to change the team name. However, most would admit that becoming the Wizards, in conjunction with moving from Landover, Maryland to a fresh new arena in downtown Chinatown DC, would provide Pollin with a nice financial boon as the result of rebranding and jersey sales.

Big corporations do it all the time, I’d be willing to bet that the Washington Redskins, being one of the most valuable franchises in sports, could economically withstand a name change with team faithful lining up at their local Sports Authority to purchase new gear.

In the end, I could care less that only 9% of Native Americans find the Redskins name offensive. I could also care less if the name is eventually changed or not. What I do know is that time spent arguing in each direction could be more productive focused in other areas, but then again, this is the case with most everything we do in life….including *cough* blogging.

Maybe changing the name to “Skins” is just a silly little idea that would, in no way, help race relations in the United States. At least one could say that skin is something that all humans have in common, no matter what the color may be. As Jamie Mottram essentially outlined in the comment section on the Mr. Irrelevant post, most all fans of the Washington NFL franchise would continue to root for their team regardless of the nickname…..as long as the colors remained the same.

Maybe it’s time to bid adieu to Chief Zee and his tribe. It may not be a popular decision, but would it really be that much skin off anyone’s ass, or Danny Snyder’s pocket book, to do so?

flickr/JAGalicious

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Doughty, selected by the Redskins in the 6^th 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?

[from Doughty Confronts Loss of Hearing on the WashingtonPost.com]

The Redskins were unaware of Doughty’s hearing loss when they drafted him. [Steve] Jackson (safeties coach) initially sensed a problem because “Reed was all over the place,” Jackson said. “You could see he had the ability, but he would have to ask the same things over and over again. Ever since we got him checked out, everybody makes a concerted effort to make sure that when they talk to him he can see your lips moving.”
—————
When Doughty arrived at Redskins Park, he had to start all over again. “It kind of became a running joke for a little while,” said safety Vernon Fox, who also joined the Redskins in 2006. “We knew that if you were not sitting right next to him, he wasn’t going to hear exactly what you said to him. We all kind of knew, it became obvious, he had a hearing deficiency.”

Baffling. I understand that a 6^th rounder is well, a 6^th rounder….but it’s still a 6^th rounder. Point being, the Redskins should be doing their due diligence no matter where the draft pick lies. There is a chance that Doughty might not have disclosed his impairment, but I highly doubt it. Such information could have easily been sought by a phone call to his college coaches…..at a minimum.

It’s unquestionably absurd that the Skins brain-trust was not aware of Doughty’s condition and an injustice to the guy himself. Injury on top of insult was that it’d become a running joke for others on the team. I’ve pledged my unwavering allegiance to the Washington Redskins, but incidents such as this leave me wondering if the franchise is the actual joke.

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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?

Jason Taylor to the Redskins has the sports world buzzing. Whether you think Taylor dancing his way to the DMV area is a good thing, or not such a good thing, it is…..something. To me, a 2nd and a 6th rounder is worth acquiring an impact player rather than chancing it with turning over stones to find a defensive version of Michael ‘Beer Man’ Lewis, even if Taylor is just a one or two year rental.

And this is why I have a small appreciation of Little Danny Snyder and his ability to dip into a purse full of funds (filled from all of the ridiculous extra curricular fees a fan pays to simply attend a game at FedExField) so he can tend to the business of making fans happy, and thus, garnering more loot. Mike Wise had a great column citing the move for Taylor as a necessity over thrill, and comically compared Jason Taylor to Kevin Bacon and Bill Parcells to John Lithgow from the movie, “Footloose.” The move for Taylor is a risk. If it pays off, Lil’ Danny will be sporting his ‘Man of the Year’ sash in the next Napoleon Complex Parade. If not, look for Dan and Jason dancing their anger away at a local abandoned factory warehouse.

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Rick says that big-time college athletics is a business, but seems skeptical at the inherent culture.

He’s exactly right about the business part. But why do people go into business? To make money. Yes, it can be hard to digest for academia, but the money educational institutions make from their participation in this “business” allows for the betterment of the school as a whole.

Also see, The Business of College Sports, a True Hoop blog entry.

And I’m sorry, but starting the first defensive play of the game with only 10 men on the field was NOT the way for the Redskins to honor Sean Taylor. If they wanted to feel his presence on the actual field, they should have put his number 21 on the grass, and not allow Freddie Jackson to bust a 22 yard run down the left side. Doing this also put the Buffalo Bills in the awkward situation of receiving comments from announcers to the effect of, ‘The classy thing for the Bills to do would be to take a knee.’ Uhhh….no! Sean Taylor played to win. Both teams should be out there doing the same.

So, after the Joe Gibbs timeout gaffe in Sunday’s Redskins game, do you think the cost of securing the domain name for this Joe Gibbs “themed” website goes up?

Photograph from Encyclopedia Britannica Online.

Just as Mitch Kupchak’s faith in Kwame Brown set up Caron Butler’s rise in DC, Isiah Thomas’ faith in Stephon Marbury set up Steve Nash’s rise with the Suns.

Picture from BustedPlay.com

Crucifictorious from the We Rite Good blog makes a great argument for why the Washington Wizards should not sign anyone in a reaction to the injuries of Gilbert Arenas, Etan Thomas, and Oleksiy Pecherov. Hey, I’m convinced.

Doin’ a great job Ern…..you stay classy.
Picture from www.jewishsports.org

Capitol Punishment is hating on ESPN. I like it.

The NBA is going to mic refs and coaches? Awesome, I love it. Call up Harry Kalas, get Steve Sabol to consult, and let’s put together some NBA films.

To follow up with the story about the basketball player who drained his weasel while on the court in front of thousands…..the video of Kansas State’s Billy “PP” Walker giving a towel a golden shower.

Life lesson: Love what you are good at doing.

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“…instead of coming at us with actual details, they write an article about Sean Taylor’s several previous run-ins with law enforcement, as well as his incidents with the team. I guess getting shot and taken to the hospital by a policeman counts as a ‘run-in’ with the law in the same way that being suspected of having a DUI does. I’m not saying Taylor is a saint…but this article is absolutely ridiculous. It’s as if they are saying, Taylor was shot but he is a thug and he probably did something to bring it on…in other words: despite knowing only that he was shot in his own home, he is not an innocent victim. Shame on the Post.”

• 2004: Corey Fuller, then of the Baltimore Ravens, was confronted outside his Tallahassee, Florida home by two armed robbers. He was actually able to take the gun from one attacker and fire at them as they fled.
• 2001: Will Allen, then with the New York Giants, was doused with gasoline and robbed at his home.
• 1996-2004: Yancey Thigpen, who played with the Chargers, Steelers, and Oilers/Titans, was involved in three armed robberies, one of which was a car-jacking, and one which left him and his fiancée tied up while their 2-month old daughter was locked in a closet.

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Now the facts: The Wizards are not playing any defense and they have shown glimpses of quitting on their coach, Eddie Jordan. The solace taken is that the players, the team, know this. Do they have the desire to change the course? We will see today at Phillips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Like no dancing for Chad Johnson ’till .500, no keys to the game until a Wizards win.

Just win baby. Hey, at least the Skins seem to be gaining steam after a slow start. They’ve got a 12-7 lead with just under 2 minutes left in the half as the Wizards and Hawks tip it off.

1st Quarter

The Hawks have promising youth on the inside in Horford and Josh Smith, but the Wiz do well in trying to establish a Haywood inside offensive presence early. Reliable, easy, points need to start coming from somewhere. In fact, I’d be curious to give a detailed look at all NBA rosters. I’m willing to bet that the Wizards are the only team in the entire league without a consistent post scorer. If you’re looking for some answers, you could start there.

A lot of run ‘n’ gun to start the 1st. A fast pace is something the Wizards need to get used to doing again. They show a little rust, with a hint of sloppiness….Caron Butler also needs to be getting himself better looks at the basket. But a 16-11 lead with 5:40 left is not bad.

Why did everyone say that Al Horford was the most “NBA Ready” coming out the draft? Strength. He displays a solid core and veteran-like balance in the post. However, his offensive game is so raw that you have to question his “readiness.”

2:13 – Wiz timeout as the Hawks cut what was an 8 point lead to 3 at 24-21. Brendan Haywood has 11 points and 4 rebounds at this junction.

Tyronn Lue doesn’t look right without the braids. When Stevenson cut them, it was an improvement. 26-21 lead for the Wiz to end the 1st.

2nd Quarter

Josh Childress is another player with a peculiar shooting style.

5:06 – Even though it’s a low scoring game, Wiz up 36-32, the team is moving the ball at a fair pace. I just wonder about the level of communication on D. Some boxing out would help too. Shouldn’t these things be easy to accomplish? They just need the will to do so.

3:04 – Timeout, Wiz up 40-36. Very even game so far in terms of shooting %, rebounds, turnovers…..balanced scoring spread out among the players of each team.

Between, the Skins game, the Wizards game, my boy Adam’s custom seasoned and fried buffalo wings….and a conversation among friends, it’s pretty hard to concentrate. A perfect Sunday contingent on the outcome of these two games.

No compression sock for Gil this game, just a knee brace. He’s an experimenter. Gil ends the quarter with a drive to the basket, earning him a trip to the FT line for two makes. Not exactly Agent Zero-like, but encouraging nonetheless. Wiz up 11, 51-40 at the half.

Uh oh, somebody’s hot buds just got challenged over the potency of these wings. Hot sauce challenges are being thrown around and manhood is being questioned. Where can you get the best hot sauce in DC? I say Uncle Brutha’s. They have a store near Eastern Market.

Touchdown Redskins! Obscure receiver touchdown day. James Thrash and Keenan McCardell are getting it done.

3rd Quarter

9:05 – Strong start to the first 3 minutes of the 3rd allows the Wizards to push their lead to 60-43. This team doesn’t need Gilbert Arenas, they need each other. Now that “every team in the NBA makes a run” thing? The Wizards need to put the kibosh on that…..along with the Skins and Eagle scores. Critical time for the DC sports scene here, 9:55 left and the Redskins are only up two points, 22-20.

Brendan Haywood is back! After two mediocre games against the Nets and Nuggets, B-H-Wood has 13 points and 10 rebounds with 6:30 left in the 3rd. Wiz up 18, 65-47. So goes Gilbert Arenas, so go the Wizards? Nope..so goes Haywood, so go the Wiz. Uhh….not really.

What about awkward high-fives? I know you’ve participated in one of these before. Not like the premise is off, but more the timing, movement, and the end result of a misaligned connection. The resolution, one party needs to hold their hand still, allowing the other to perform the hitting action. Is this too many words about a high-five? Definitely.

1:40 – The Wizards continue to move the ball well. They really seem to be working from the inside-out more than they have in any other game this year. Like I said, go for the easy ones, the higher percentage chances. The Hawks are staying around though, their fast-break lets them keep the deficit in the 16 point range.

Very nice team effort so far today. Wiz lead is 78-65 going to the 4th.

4 minutes left in a game where the Skins are up 5. D. McNabb is due for an interception.

4th Quarter

Damn, Eagles touchdown on a screen…but there’s a lot of time left. 3:16 left. Stopping the Philly 2 pt. conversion attempt makes the task at hand a little easier. Down 26-25, this is your time Jason Campbell.

Eagles right tackle, Jon Runyan, is playing with a broken tailbone today. The Fox report is that he can’t sit down much and he has a hard time sleeping…evidently does it in 2o minute intervals throughout the day. My boy Chris calls BS on that. I really doubt that the Cosmo Kramer sleep schedule theory works in real life.

Crap. Hawks have cut the Wizard lead to 8 (8:10 left) and the Skins don’t look like they’re going to get it done. DC sports fans should be used to this scenario.

I would say that Gilbert Arenas is doing a decent job at managing the game, a la Brett Favre….but he’s shooting so poorly. 4-14 from the field, 0-4 from 3 point land, and 7-11 from the stripe.

Stick a fork in the Skins by the way. Aaand the Hawks are down 5 with 3:40 left in the game. It’s really starting to pile on now. One of my football fantasy teams is even close to getting doubled-up….thanks to 4 TDs from D. McNabb. Really Skins? Really?

Looks like the Wizards are going to close out the game. Jamison came up with some cagey buckets to seal the deal…..par for the course for him. There needs to be a combined YouTube clip off all Antawn’s trick shots, I tried searching to no avail. Not all is lost on this Sunday. Congrats on the first win Wizards.

You really have the be proud of this win. For one, it was on the road. Two, it was a solid win pretty much from start to finish. The last thing the Wizards needed was one of those wins that still leaves a bad taste in your mouth. No, beating the Hawks today is something to build on.

picture from www.dp-studios.net

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