That was a line I put up on Facebook earlier in response to some folks telling me I “called” the Caps choke vs. Montreal tonight (after the Mike Green penalty lead to the first goal, I said it was over). I would have loved for Washington to have come back but I knew it wasn’t in the cards. After you sit through all of the depressing, pathetic chokes over the years, where you think it’s going to be different, but it never is, you start to get real cynical. I’m so bad, I stopped watching after the 2nd period. I couldn’t watch another heartbreak. In all the year’s I’ve jumped on the Caps playoff bandwagon (and that nonsense is into its third decade) they have given me one great moment in the face of failure; the Dale Hunter goal against the Flyers in 1988. Any other time they’ve gone up against any adversity they’ve folded totally and completely.
Now, I’m not going to lay blame for this loss, because frankly I don’t have enough hockey knowledge to do that. But, I will say this; it’s the worst loss in franchise history for a number of reasons…not just becoming the first top seed to lose to an 8 after being up 3-1, not just because this loss probably paves the way for another Penguins Stanley Cup win, and not just because their style of play was completely stymied when it mattered most. There are a few other reasons this one is going to sting…
1) Leonsis is going to buy the Wizards – it’s a done deal now and that was what Ted wanted all along (and the arena to make money off the luxury boxes and concerts and other events). He’s a basketball guy and Abe Pollin selling the Caps to him (with the intent to sell the Wizards after his passing) was just the way to get rid of the money loser. With their owner’s attention (and possibly money) diverted, will the Capitals run of success continue?
2) The Skins may be coming back – I’ve been telling everyone I know, “The Skins are going 8-8 this year”. It may be desperate optimism, but with the new leadership in place (and a guy that actually knows how to coach a modern NFL team – probably for the first time since Schottenheimer was here) things are going to get better in DC. Part of the Caps charm is that they are the anti-Skins, namely they are fan friendly and they win. If the Redskins start to win again, they will reassume their 800 pound gorilla status in this town
3) The Capitals are burning people out – this franchise had their original die-hard fan base that would guarantee the building would be about half full for home games (and progressively more full the bigger the game or the closer the city the other team hailed from). I still believe the folks who have been filling Verizon every night were jumping on the bandwagon with the hopes they’d be around for the eventual championship. The new Caps still look like the old Caps (the ones who would choke every year) despite their superior talent.
It’s really sad to see this team squander another chance (one that may never come again). With DC really a captive market until Skins training camp in July, the Capitals had it all to themselves…but they fell on their face, again.
Showing posts with label Redskins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Redskins. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Live from the Press Room at Redskins Park
Skins draft observations from tonight
1) Glad Washington took a tackle…he may have more miss potential than the others but his ceiling seems to be higher and the last time Shanny got a first round OT (Ryan Clady) he turned out pretty good
2) Would have like to have seen them trade down, but Shanahan said in his presser there weren’t any partners
3) Would love to see them dump Fat Albert for a 2nd round pick but some are saying they overplayed their hand…I’m hoping that’s not the case.
As for the rest of the draft…
I kinda think that Belichick throwing out the Tebow love tricked McDaniels and the Broncos into taking Timmy at 25 (i.e. “Oh crap, my mentor wants him, I HAVE TO HAVE HIM!”)…The Raiders and the Bills reached for McClain and Spiller, but unlike past years (Heyward-Bey and Whitner anyone) they actually got good football players…again the Steelers stay patient and get the guy they want, and again the Lions panic and give up picks to move up, when their target probably falls to them anyway.
Also, I'm glad Goodell didn't try to rub Drew Brees' birthmark off his face
/Oprah'd
1) Glad Washington took a tackle…he may have more miss potential than the others but his ceiling seems to be higher and the last time Shanny got a first round OT (Ryan Clady) he turned out pretty good
2) Would have like to have seen them trade down, but Shanahan said in his presser there weren’t any partners
3) Would love to see them dump Fat Albert for a 2nd round pick but some are saying they overplayed their hand…I’m hoping that’s not the case.
As for the rest of the draft…
I kinda think that Belichick throwing out the Tebow love tricked McDaniels and the Broncos into taking Timmy at 25 (i.e. “Oh crap, my mentor wants him, I HAVE TO HAVE HIM!”)…The Raiders and the Bills reached for McClain and Spiller, but unlike past years (Heyward-Bey and Whitner anyone) they actually got good football players…again the Steelers stay patient and get the guy they want, and again the Lions panic and give up picks to move up, when their target probably falls to them anyway.
Also, I'm glad Goodell didn't try to rub Drew Brees' birthmark off his face
/Oprah'd
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
I'm feeling a draft
As a rule I usually don’t analyze the draft; even when I hosted a radio show, the most we ever got into the realm was my “mocking mock draft” where I would crib someone’s best guess and make bad jokes about each of the picks. But, I’ll be helping out with WTOP’s coverage Thursday night (likely making an appearance or two on air) so I guess this qualifies me as some type of expert. So without further adieu, here goes…
As with most teams, the Skins will be looking at 3 different scenarios in round one, trade up, stand pat at 4 or trade down. Let’s start with number one
- Skins trade up to take Quarterback Sam Bradford: since they traded away their 2nd round pick in the McNabb deal, and gave up their 3rd to pick Defensive End Jeremy Jarmon in last year’s supplemental draft they don’t really have a lot of ammunition. Washington could package their pick and Albert Haynesworth (and possibly Jason Campbell) to move up to number one. If I’m St. Louis I do that in a heartbeat as I’d be turning my #1 overall pick into three starters (Haynesworth at DT, Campbell at QB and the Offensive Tackle I take at #4). But I think Shanahan’s too smart (or Allen will keep him grounded enough) to not go after a quarterback after trading for one weeks ago
So if trading up is out of the way standing pat seems to be the course of action…or does it
- Skins stay at number 4: likely this would mean the Redskins would have their choice of the two Okie Offensive Tackles, State’s Russell Okung or OU’s Trent Williams. Either one is a solid pick and they would immediately solidify the offensive line. The wild card here is if the Rams for some reason decide not to pick Bradford and no one trades up to get him. I think Washington would then have to think hard about getting a possible franchise QB, that they wouldn’t have to give up anything extra for.
But even if Bradford did slip, the Redskins wouldn’t want to anger McNabb by already bringing in his understudy. That leads us to scenario 3…
- Skins trade down: I know you’re asking “Don’t they have to have a partner to trade down”? Yes, but that could happen. Flashback to last year’s draft; when Oakland passed on the lock pick of Michael Crabtree at number 7, and reached for Darius Hayward-Bey instead, a Rube Goldberg mechanism was set in motion that let Brian Orakpo slip all the way to number 13 (which in hindsight he had no business falling to). If one of the top three (Bradford, Suh or McCoy) isn’t picked by the top three teams (best bets, Rams take one of the tackles instead of Bradford at #1 or the Lions grab an offensive tackle at #2) then the Skins should have a nice bargaining chip to grab some picks in rounds 2 and 3.
So remember, root for the first 3 names called to not be Bradford, Suh and McCoy; if that’s the case, things might get awful interesting for Skins fans.
As with most teams, the Skins will be looking at 3 different scenarios in round one, trade up, stand pat at 4 or trade down. Let’s start with number one
- Skins trade up to take Quarterback Sam Bradford: since they traded away their 2nd round pick in the McNabb deal, and gave up their 3rd to pick Defensive End Jeremy Jarmon in last year’s supplemental draft they don’t really have a lot of ammunition. Washington could package their pick and Albert Haynesworth (and possibly Jason Campbell) to move up to number one. If I’m St. Louis I do that in a heartbeat as I’d be turning my #1 overall pick into three starters (Haynesworth at DT, Campbell at QB and the Offensive Tackle I take at #4). But I think Shanahan’s too smart (or Allen will keep him grounded enough) to not go after a quarterback after trading for one weeks ago
So if trading up is out of the way standing pat seems to be the course of action…or does it
- Skins stay at number 4: likely this would mean the Redskins would have their choice of the two Okie Offensive Tackles, State’s Russell Okung or OU’s Trent Williams. Either one is a solid pick and they would immediately solidify the offensive line. The wild card here is if the Rams for some reason decide not to pick Bradford and no one trades up to get him. I think Washington would then have to think hard about getting a possible franchise QB, that they wouldn’t have to give up anything extra for.
But even if Bradford did slip, the Redskins wouldn’t want to anger McNabb by already bringing in his understudy. That leads us to scenario 3…
- Skins trade down: I know you’re asking “Don’t they have to have a partner to trade down”? Yes, but that could happen. Flashback to last year’s draft; when Oakland passed on the lock pick of Michael Crabtree at number 7, and reached for Darius Hayward-Bey instead, a Rube Goldberg mechanism was set in motion that let Brian Orakpo slip all the way to number 13 (which in hindsight he had no business falling to). If one of the top three (Bradford, Suh or McCoy) isn’t picked by the top three teams (best bets, Rams take one of the tackles instead of Bradford at #1 or the Lions grab an offensive tackle at #2) then the Skins should have a nice bargaining chip to grab some picks in rounds 2 and 3.
So remember, root for the first 3 names called to not be Bradford, Suh and McCoy; if that’s the case, things might get awful interesting for Skins fans.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
The stakes just got a whole lot higher...
January 9th, 1988. It's a date that Washington sports fans should never forget; but it’s one almost no one remembers. On that winter Saturday, one of the bigger NFL playoff upsets took place as the Wild Card Minnesota Vikings (who barely made the playoffs that year at 8-7 in the strike shortened season) knocked off the 13-2 San Francisco 49ers, the odds on favorite to win the Super Bowl that year. And it really wasn't that close as Minnesota put up huge yardage totals on the way to the 12 point win. Now the reason this one had significance in DC was that it switched homefield advantage from the Niners to the winner of the next day's game between the Redskins and the homestanding Chicago Bears. Of course you probably know what happened, Doug Williams throws a few TD's, Darrell Green returns a punt and Joe Gibbs squad went from looking at playing 2 playoff games on the road to hosting the NFC Championship game - and winning it to go to the Super Bowl where they beat Denver. Suffice to say, the Skins caught a huge break that year and the turned it into a Lombardi Trophy.
Fast forward to this year's NCAA Tournament. Kansas, pretty much the slight favorite over Kentucky to win it all, goes out in a Saturday 2nd round game, to "traditional power" (sarcasm intended) Northern Iowa. You know who the Panthers face next? The winner of Sunday's Maryland - Michigan State game. Now while Northern Iowa can play some ball, facing them isn't the daunting task of playing Kansas. So it’s very possible, that if the Terps can navigate their way through the Spartans (no gimmie considering MSU's propensity to dominate in rebounding) they could be looking at a relative breather to the regional final...or at least not having to play Kansas.
Fast forward to this year's NCAA Tournament. Kansas, pretty much the slight favorite over Kentucky to win it all, goes out in a Saturday 2nd round game, to "traditional power" (sarcasm intended) Northern Iowa. You know who the Panthers face next? The winner of Sunday's Maryland - Michigan State game. Now while Northern Iowa can play some ball, facing them isn't the daunting task of playing Kansas. So it’s very possible, that if the Terps can navigate their way through the Spartans (no gimmie considering MSU's propensity to dominate in rebounding) they could be looking at a relative breather to the regional final...or at least not having to play Kansas.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Why the Skins were right to sign Larry Johnson
To start this off, if you;re anti-Johnson because of his comments on twitter (not going to defend them) I’m not going to change your mind, so stop reading.
All week long I’ve listened to the outrage on sports talk radio and read the anger in print about the Redskins signing free agent running back Larry Johnson last weekend. And while the argument that he’s a bad person (the gay slurs used on twitter, being violent towards women, generally a dick) is a valid one, it’s not the only one I’ve heard. Johnson is done! He’s the same running back Portis is! It just amazes me that people – in a football sense – could be so dumb.
I see three main reasons for bringing this guy in…
1 - Cheap and available – The old Spurrier argument when he picked up every Florida Gator that was in the NFL at the time. While all of those guys had proven (repeatedly) that they sucked, LJ isn’t to that point, yet. On the surface his 3 year, 12 million dollar deal looks expensive, but its supposedly pretty backloaded and if he doesn’t produce, Washington should be able to get out of it pretty easily without being hamstrung.
2 – Johnson is no shrinking violet – Because he was arguably the best running back in college and the NFL at one point, he’s got an ego. Probably bigger than it should be, but its there. Unlike Ladell Betts and Rock Cartwright who silently grumbled while they carried the load in practice while Clinton Portis “rested up” for games I can’t see Johnson being a caddy for CP this year. Johnson is going to make sure he plays and if he doesn’t, it will be because Portis had a resurgence unseen before in running backs his age (he turns 29 in September). Betts and Cartwright likely didn’t say anything because they knew it wouldn’t be good for their careers, considering Clinton’s chummy relationship with Daniel Snyder. You get the feeling Johnson’s the type of guy who will just be a general nuisance to Mike Shanahan if he feels like he’s being shortchanged…or he’ll go up to CP, bitch about him not practicing, and then punch him in the face. Either way, I get the feeling Portis will be challenged in camp for the first time in ages.
3 – a Portis/Johnson backfield is a perfect fit – LJ a 230 pound bruiser and CP the one cut, home run threat. But Jeremy, you’ve told anyone who would listen for the last 3 years that Portis is done! True, but I watched this a few weeks ago…
http://www.hulu.com/watch/124239/team-highlights-2005-washington-redskins
In essence I’d forgotten about the 2005 Clinton Portis; the guy who made the runs against the Giants and Eagles late in the season where he had defenders chasing him to the edge, and then kicked it up 2 gears. Don’t forget, CP came into the league at 204 pounds. He’s currently listed at 221. Of course, he added the muscle to avoid getting beat to smithereens after he came to DC and Joe Gibbs decided to run him like John Riggins. I’d like to see if Portis slimmed down and worked on his speed (and practiced regulary) what he could accomplish in the Shanahan offense. He was great in Denver. If he slims down and still can’t run away from anyone, we have our answer folks.
All week long I’ve listened to the outrage on sports talk radio and read the anger in print about the Redskins signing free agent running back Larry Johnson last weekend. And while the argument that he’s a bad person (the gay slurs used on twitter, being violent towards women, generally a dick) is a valid one, it’s not the only one I’ve heard. Johnson is done! He’s the same running back Portis is! It just amazes me that people – in a football sense – could be so dumb.
I see three main reasons for bringing this guy in…
1 - Cheap and available – The old Spurrier argument when he picked up every Florida Gator that was in the NFL at the time. While all of those guys had proven (repeatedly) that they sucked, LJ isn’t to that point, yet. On the surface his 3 year, 12 million dollar deal looks expensive, but its supposedly pretty backloaded and if he doesn’t produce, Washington should be able to get out of it pretty easily without being hamstrung.
2 – Johnson is no shrinking violet – Because he was arguably the best running back in college and the NFL at one point, he’s got an ego. Probably bigger than it should be, but its there. Unlike Ladell Betts and Rock Cartwright who silently grumbled while they carried the load in practice while Clinton Portis “rested up” for games I can’t see Johnson being a caddy for CP this year. Johnson is going to make sure he plays and if he doesn’t, it will be because Portis had a resurgence unseen before in running backs his age (he turns 29 in September). Betts and Cartwright likely didn’t say anything because they knew it wouldn’t be good for their careers, considering Clinton’s chummy relationship with Daniel Snyder. You get the feeling Johnson’s the type of guy who will just be a general nuisance to Mike Shanahan if he feels like he’s being shortchanged…or he’ll go up to CP, bitch about him not practicing, and then punch him in the face. Either way, I get the feeling Portis will be challenged in camp for the first time in ages.
3 – a Portis/Johnson backfield is a perfect fit – LJ a 230 pound bruiser and CP the one cut, home run threat. But Jeremy, you’ve told anyone who would listen for the last 3 years that Portis is done! True, but I watched this a few weeks ago…
http://www.hulu.com/watch/124239/team-highlights-2005-washington-redskins
In essence I’d forgotten about the 2005 Clinton Portis; the guy who made the runs against the Giants and Eagles late in the season where he had defenders chasing him to the edge, and then kicked it up 2 gears. Don’t forget, CP came into the league at 204 pounds. He’s currently listed at 221. Of course, he added the muscle to avoid getting beat to smithereens after he came to DC and Joe Gibbs decided to run him like John Riggins. I’d like to see if Portis slimmed down and worked on his speed (and practiced regulary) what he could accomplish in the Shanahan offense. He was great in Denver. If he slims down and still can’t run away from anyone, we have our answer folks.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
The latest story illustrating why the Skins will never win big again...
From Deadspin.com by Drew Magary http://deadspin.com/5401513/if-dan-snyder-sees-bugs-you-better-well-see-them-too
I heard this story on LaVar Arrington's 106.7 FM radio show here in DC last week. A fan called in to tell Arrington and co-host Chad Dukes about an exterminator he knew. The exterminator was called to Snyder's house to spray for pests. When the exterminator arrived, the housekeeper instructed him where to go spray. But the exterminator found no signs of pests in the space. He came down to tell the housekeeper there was no need to spray, and he didn't want to take Snyder's money for a service the Redskins owner didn't need performed (clearly, this man was honest to a fault).
The housekeeper insisted the exterminator spray the area anyway, telling the man that Snyder hated to be told he was wrong, and that it would be better for everyone if he simply sprayed the area, took his money, and went about his business. But, he explained, there's nothing there. There's no need to spray. She insisted. Apparently, you REALLY do not want to tell Dan Snyder there are no pests in his house if he believes otherwise. So the man sprayed the area for no reason, took Snyder's money, and left.
And now you know why the Redskins are considering signing Larry Johnson.
God help us here in DC.
I heard this story on LaVar Arrington's 106.7 FM radio show here in DC last week. A fan called in to tell Arrington and co-host Chad Dukes about an exterminator he knew. The exterminator was called to Snyder's house to spray for pests. When the exterminator arrived, the housekeeper instructed him where to go spray. But the exterminator found no signs of pests in the space. He came down to tell the housekeeper there was no need to spray, and he didn't want to take Snyder's money for a service the Redskins owner didn't need performed (clearly, this man was honest to a fault).
The housekeeper insisted the exterminator spray the area anyway, telling the man that Snyder hated to be told he was wrong, and that it would be better for everyone if he simply sprayed the area, took his money, and went about his business. But, he explained, there's nothing there. There's no need to spray. She insisted. Apparently, you REALLY do not want to tell Dan Snyder there are no pests in his house if he believes otherwise. So the man sprayed the area for no reason, took Snyder's money, and left.
And now you know why the Redskins are considering signing Larry Johnson.
God help us here in DC.
Monday, October 26, 2009
OK, so I lied...
So I said that I'd have a post-game wrap-up after the Skins played the Eagles; yes, I could break down what happened at FEDEX on Monday night, but I don't have to. You have eyes! The defense played pretty good but gave up too many big plays, Campbell is regressing behind a subpar offensive line, and the whole team just makes too many mistakes to win. Watch ESPN, NFL Network or Comcast Sports Net and you'll get some form of the former in the next few days.
But an interesting idea struck me as I was watching all the postgame shows on the above channels; what would I say to Snyder right now if I had the chance? What would my plan be if I was one of his trusted advisors? Of course in the real world (because it wouldn't happen) I'd say, "Sell the Team" or "Fire Cerrato and get a real General Manager". But, if I had to come up with a course of action for "Mr. Snyder" for the rest of the season, with those two plans not an option, it would be the following (though it would take some guts and some humility - which reportedly the Skins owner is in short supply of)
Step one - Fire Jim Zorn Tuesday Morning. I know this would contradict Vinny's proclamation about the Z-Man's job security on his radio show Friday, but I would present it with the following words; "After listening to Jim after last night's tough loss to the Eagles, I decided that he just didn't have what it takes to lead us out of our current situation. I do not know if this team is talented enough to compete with the best the NFL has to offer. But I do know this; our team's execution is not up to par and that falls on the head coach. I have decided that we would like to move forward in a new direction" That’s it, that's all you have to say.
Step two - immediately hire Defensive Secondary Coach Jerry Gray as the interim head coach. You can tell the press this; "Jerry Gray has played and coached in the NFL and has learned from some of the best in the business. We believe he will bring some toughness, and attention to detail that our team has lacked over the past few years" Gray makes the most sense, as he's been a defensive coordinator (under Gregg Williams in Buffalo) so he's used to running the show, he's sought head coaching jobs before (which means he'll be interested in doing it to show future employers what he can do), and there's no one else that’s a realistic choice (Greg Blache doesn't want the headaches, special teams coach Danny Smith is a bit too loose of a cannon, and Sherm Lewis has been out of football too long and just got here 3 weeks ago).
Step three - hold an internal meeting on Wednesday morning in the Auditorium at Redskins Park with players, staff and coaches and give the following speech. "Fellas, this is your new coach, Jerry Gray. You've known him for a while; came to us when Coach Joe took over in 2004. The reason I picked him to be the new head man is simple; he's tough. He played at Texas, played in the NFL, coached in the NFL. HE DOES NOT TAKE CRAP! And that's a good thing, because all I've seen over the last few weeks is CRAP (I'm trying to keep this PG so replace crap with the expletive and jazz it up - feel free)! Your execution sucks, the effort has sucked at times. It's not good enough! Don't know if you guys know this, but it looks like we may be headed for an uncapped year next year. I can cut you all at the drop of a hat, and while I'll still have to pay you your money, none of it will stay on our salary cap. So I'm going to let Jerry do what he has to do to whip you all into shape. And if I hear you're not "interested" in following his lead, rest assured you won't be here next year." While I still think the talent (especially on offense) needs to be upgraded significantly, I also think this is the best way to evaluate what we really have in Ashburn.
Step four - stick to your guns. Let the staff work their magic and let the scouting department see who should be kept and who should be sent packing in 2010. With the murderer's row of a schedule coming up, we know Zorn might ride that baby to 3 and 13. At least give yourself a chance to win.
Step five - Then fire Vinny.
But an interesting idea struck me as I was watching all the postgame shows on the above channels; what would I say to Snyder right now if I had the chance? What would my plan be if I was one of his trusted advisors? Of course in the real world (because it wouldn't happen) I'd say, "Sell the Team" or "Fire Cerrato and get a real General Manager". But, if I had to come up with a course of action for "Mr. Snyder" for the rest of the season, with those two plans not an option, it would be the following (though it would take some guts and some humility - which reportedly the Skins owner is in short supply of)
Step one - Fire Jim Zorn Tuesday Morning. I know this would contradict Vinny's proclamation about the Z-Man's job security on his radio show Friday, but I would present it with the following words; "After listening to Jim after last night's tough loss to the Eagles, I decided that he just didn't have what it takes to lead us out of our current situation. I do not know if this team is talented enough to compete with the best the NFL has to offer. But I do know this; our team's execution is not up to par and that falls on the head coach. I have decided that we would like to move forward in a new direction" That’s it, that's all you have to say.
Step two - immediately hire Defensive Secondary Coach Jerry Gray as the interim head coach. You can tell the press this; "Jerry Gray has played and coached in the NFL and has learned from some of the best in the business. We believe he will bring some toughness, and attention to detail that our team has lacked over the past few years" Gray makes the most sense, as he's been a defensive coordinator (under Gregg Williams in Buffalo) so he's used to running the show, he's sought head coaching jobs before (which means he'll be interested in doing it to show future employers what he can do), and there's no one else that’s a realistic choice (Greg Blache doesn't want the headaches, special teams coach Danny Smith is a bit too loose of a cannon, and Sherm Lewis has been out of football too long and just got here 3 weeks ago).
Step three - hold an internal meeting on Wednesday morning in the Auditorium at Redskins Park with players, staff and coaches and give the following speech. "Fellas, this is your new coach, Jerry Gray. You've known him for a while; came to us when Coach Joe took over in 2004. The reason I picked him to be the new head man is simple; he's tough. He played at Texas, played in the NFL, coached in the NFL. HE DOES NOT TAKE CRAP! And that's a good thing, because all I've seen over the last few weeks is CRAP (I'm trying to keep this PG so replace crap with the expletive and jazz it up - feel free)! Your execution sucks, the effort has sucked at times. It's not good enough! Don't know if you guys know this, but it looks like we may be headed for an uncapped year next year. I can cut you all at the drop of a hat, and while I'll still have to pay you your money, none of it will stay on our salary cap. So I'm going to let Jerry do what he has to do to whip you all into shape. And if I hear you're not "interested" in following his lead, rest assured you won't be here next year." While I still think the talent (especially on offense) needs to be upgraded significantly, I also think this is the best way to evaluate what we really have in Ashburn.
Step four - stick to your guns. Let the staff work their magic and let the scouting department see who should be kept and who should be sent packing in 2010. With the murderer's row of a schedule coming up, we know Zorn might ride that baby to 3 and 13. At least give yourself a chance to win.
Step five - Then fire Vinny.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
A Sweet Dee Moment
So I'm back. Got busy with Geaneas Wedding stuff, and just got plain lazy. I'll have an update on that in my next post.
I've been quite lax on my updates as this Redskins mess continues, but something struck me after the announcement that champion Bingo caller Sherm Lewis would take over play-calling duties against the Eagles on Monday Night. Skins fans were finally having their Sweet Dee Moment. Bear with me while I explain...
I'm sure many of you are familiar with the show "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia". It's quite hilarious and you haven't seen it you need to check it out. Anyway, in one of the best scenes of the show's 4 1/2 season run is called Middle Man http://www.hulu.com/watch/18050/its-always-sunny-in-philadelphia-middle-man . In it, the put upon female of the crew Sweet Dee, goes to the reading of her mother's will along with her brother and father and the three of them get more and more incensed as the see the wealth that they expected to come to them being given to someone else. After Dee gets insulted from beyond the grave by her mother (the lawyer reads the following "you were a disappointment and a mistake" - keep in mind Dee and her brother Dennis, who the mother likes so much she gave him her house, are twins) she tries to salvage the situation (for herself) by asking what is being done with Mom's jewelry. They lawyer tells her that the mother's wish was to be buried in it, to which Dee replies "G*dd**n it, Oh G*dd**n it!" and kicks the air in a most pissed off manner.
I thought about this scene when I heard the Skins were turning over their offensive play calling duties to a guy who hasn't been in the NFL for 5 years and has been working in a senior center. You see much like Sweet Dee getting beaten down by her mother's insults over the years, Redskins fans have been beaten down by a poorly run, clown show of a football team that can't seem to get out of its own way. And while the fans have been completely embarrassed by this season's team (including Sunday's pathetic performance against the putrid Chiefs) folks were seeing a silver lining; Zorn was going to get fired, Snyder would admit his mistakes (both in picking his coaches and players) and things would actually change in the offseason.
But instead of that, we get the following; Zorn is kept on, but has most of his responsibilities taken from him in an effort to get him to quit (foremost, taking play calling and giving it to the bingo caller). Of course there’s two schools of thought on this; number one, Snyder doesn't want to pay the rest of Zorn's contract (only 4 million bucks - I say only in comparison to Fat Albert Haynesworth getting 41 mill guaranteed), or number two (this is the more likely scenario) Snyder is still clinging to the idea that what plagues the team isn't the ill fitting scheme, or the terrible offensive line, or the broken down running back, or the receivers that can't play or the quarterback who probably isn't that great, or the General Manager (Cerrato) who has presided over this mess (as Snyder’s lackey) but instead it’s the plays being called. Oh G*dd**n it, indeed.
I've been quite lax on my updates as this Redskins mess continues, but something struck me after the announcement that champion Bingo caller Sherm Lewis would take over play-calling duties against the Eagles on Monday Night. Skins fans were finally having their Sweet Dee Moment. Bear with me while I explain...
I'm sure many of you are familiar with the show "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia". It's quite hilarious and you haven't seen it you need to check it out. Anyway, in one of the best scenes of the show's 4 1/2 season run is called Middle Man http://www.hulu.com/watch/18050/its-always-sunny-in-philadelphia-middle-man . In it, the put upon female of the crew Sweet Dee, goes to the reading of her mother's will along with her brother and father and the three of them get more and more incensed as the see the wealth that they expected to come to them being given to someone else. After Dee gets insulted from beyond the grave by her mother (the lawyer reads the following "you were a disappointment and a mistake" - keep in mind Dee and her brother Dennis, who the mother likes so much she gave him her house, are twins) she tries to salvage the situation (for herself) by asking what is being done with Mom's jewelry. They lawyer tells her that the mother's wish was to be buried in it, to which Dee replies "G*dd**n it, Oh G*dd**n it!" and kicks the air in a most pissed off manner.
I thought about this scene when I heard the Skins were turning over their offensive play calling duties to a guy who hasn't been in the NFL for 5 years and has been working in a senior center. You see much like Sweet Dee getting beaten down by her mother's insults over the years, Redskins fans have been beaten down by a poorly run, clown show of a football team that can't seem to get out of its own way. And while the fans have been completely embarrassed by this season's team (including Sunday's pathetic performance against the putrid Chiefs) folks were seeing a silver lining; Zorn was going to get fired, Snyder would admit his mistakes (both in picking his coaches and players) and things would actually change in the offseason.
But instead of that, we get the following; Zorn is kept on, but has most of his responsibilities taken from him in an effort to get him to quit (foremost, taking play calling and giving it to the bingo caller). Of course there’s two schools of thought on this; number one, Snyder doesn't want to pay the rest of Zorn's contract (only 4 million bucks - I say only in comparison to Fat Albert Haynesworth getting 41 mill guaranteed), or number two (this is the more likely scenario) Snyder is still clinging to the idea that what plagues the team isn't the ill fitting scheme, or the terrible offensive line, or the broken down running back, or the receivers that can't play or the quarterback who probably isn't that great, or the General Manager (Cerrato) who has presided over this mess (as Snyder’s lackey) but instead it’s the plays being called. Oh G*dd**n it, indeed.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Oh no, we suck again!
Video of the day
I might try and sneak this into the rotation at Geaneas' wedding this weekend...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exOxUAntx8I
So now to the Redskins...
Boy was that bad on Sunday. Just f-ing pathetic. A gift wrapped 14 points to take 17 to 2 (TWO! - Casey Kasem tribute) lead and they still can't hang on. An ultra-pathetic offensive line (now with the injuries) and a defense that hasn't stopped anybody in a key situation for years now, brought another loss to D.C. And while I'm hoping for them to keep losing so folks wise up and come to their senses about Snyder, part of me was rooting for them on Sunday. So that meant I was extremely pissed about DeAngelo Hall's "attempt" (and I use the term loosely) at a tackle at the end of the game.
You all know the play I'm talking about...3 and 8 with 2 minutes left. Skins stop the Panthers, Campbell gets a chance to lead them down for a tying field goal; Panthers get a first down, game is over. Carolina runs a naked bootleg with no receiver in the pattern. THIS, is a give up call. John Fox and company were saying, we'll let our slow assed quarterback fake a handoff, roll out, and if half the Skins defense has had their feet amputated, MAYBE, we'll get the first down.
So what happens, our newly Brinks truck paid corner (the same one the Raiders - THE RAIDERS FOR GOD SAKES - cut halfway through the season last year) executed the triple crown of defensive ineptitude. First off, Hall was the contain man on the play. He's supposed to let no one get outside of him, and he certainly isn't supposed to try to make a tackle on a run to the other side of the line. Then, after Jake Delhomme fakes, and starts to bootleg back to the right (slowly plodding by the way) Hall recovers just in time to try and arm tackle him, instead of making a solid form tackle (shoulder in the ribs, wrap up, the whole nine yards) or at least diving at his knees to at least take out his legs. In the final insult, Hall gets dragged 5 yards (yes, I just watched the video) before Jeremy Jarmon got over there to actually get Delhomme on the ground, a yard past the marker. Three strikes and you're out buddy...at least that's what should be said this week; but it's not. No, folks will continue to point to another tipped ball interception and proclaim Hall a playmaker, this is spite of the fact that an 11 year old could make that play (in fact one of my 11 year olds made a better play on an interception this year and took it back 60 yards for a touchdown). I was told a fan actually said the following somewhere; “Hall isn’t paid to tackle, or cover, He’s here to make plays”. I’m sure that moron’s I.Q. compares closely to Forrest Gump, but anyway, I think a tackle to get the ball back with under two minutes counts as “a play”.
But while I bash DeAngelo, I know he's a symptom, and not the disease. That's Snyderitis. A player who's already "been paid" and doesn't need to follow the scheme or play his hardest has become all too common for the Redskins over the last few years...or should I say since 1999.
I might try and sneak this into the rotation at Geaneas' wedding this weekend...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exOxUAntx8I
So now to the Redskins...
Boy was that bad on Sunday. Just f-ing pathetic. A gift wrapped 14 points to take 17 to 2 (TWO! - Casey Kasem tribute) lead and they still can't hang on. An ultra-pathetic offensive line (now with the injuries) and a defense that hasn't stopped anybody in a key situation for years now, brought another loss to D.C. And while I'm hoping for them to keep losing so folks wise up and come to their senses about Snyder, part of me was rooting for them on Sunday. So that meant I was extremely pissed about DeAngelo Hall's "attempt" (and I use the term loosely) at a tackle at the end of the game.
You all know the play I'm talking about...3 and 8 with 2 minutes left. Skins stop the Panthers, Campbell gets a chance to lead them down for a tying field goal; Panthers get a first down, game is over. Carolina runs a naked bootleg with no receiver in the pattern. THIS, is a give up call. John Fox and company were saying, we'll let our slow assed quarterback fake a handoff, roll out, and if half the Skins defense has had their feet amputated, MAYBE, we'll get the first down.
So what happens, our newly Brinks truck paid corner (the same one the Raiders - THE RAIDERS FOR GOD SAKES - cut halfway through the season last year) executed the triple crown of defensive ineptitude. First off, Hall was the contain man on the play. He's supposed to let no one get outside of him, and he certainly isn't supposed to try to make a tackle on a run to the other side of the line. Then, after Jake Delhomme fakes, and starts to bootleg back to the right (slowly plodding by the way) Hall recovers just in time to try and arm tackle him, instead of making a solid form tackle (shoulder in the ribs, wrap up, the whole nine yards) or at least diving at his knees to at least take out his legs. In the final insult, Hall gets dragged 5 yards (yes, I just watched the video) before Jeremy Jarmon got over there to actually get Delhomme on the ground, a yard past the marker. Three strikes and you're out buddy...at least that's what should be said this week; but it's not. No, folks will continue to point to another tipped ball interception and proclaim Hall a playmaker, this is spite of the fact that an 11 year old could make that play (in fact one of my 11 year olds made a better play on an interception this year and took it back 60 yards for a touchdown). I was told a fan actually said the following somewhere; “Hall isn’t paid to tackle, or cover, He’s here to make plays”. I’m sure that moron’s I.Q. compares closely to Forrest Gump, but anyway, I think a tackle to get the ball back with under two minutes counts as “a play”.
But while I bash DeAngelo, I know he's a symptom, and not the disease. That's Snyderitis. A player who's already "been paid" and doesn't need to follow the scheme or play his hardest has become all too common for the Redskins over the last few years...or should I say since 1999.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Ruby Slippers and Redskins
So I'm getting ready for my first update on Sunday (quick plug - PGA TOUR Network, Sirius 209 and XM 146) and I turn on the monitors and TNT happens to be on. And interestingly they're showing "The Wizard of Oz". Didn't really log any time with it as I was busy working and football was on. Well at about 4pm I realized there was connection between Dorothy and her crew and the Burgundy and Gold.
I've been unable to blog over the last few days but I'll give a few quick thoughts...uninspired effort, poor coaching (motivation and schemes) and just a team not nearly as talented as they like to tell people they are. I could go on, but if you check out some of the work in the Washington Post or Times, you'll get my ideas, but much better written (check out Mike Wise and Thomas Boswell in the Post and Dan Daly in the Times).
But with all of the fan angst and vitriol over the last few days, a scene from "Oz" seemed apropos. Late in the movie, when Dorothy and the crew finally meet "the Wizard" and it’s the huge green image, Toto runs over and pulls the curtain back and they see it’s just the old man. That's kinda what happened in Detroit yesterday. The loss to the Lions made Skins fans realize what this team is; an untalented bunch that man for man (and coach for coach) might not be much better than the folks from Detroit that just broke their 19 game losing streak. And of course who created said team...the Great and powerful Snyder-rato (Dan Synder and Vinny Cerrato), who come to think it, works just about as secretly.
Anyway, don’t blame the Quarterback, don’t blame the Coach, don’t even blame the General Manager; this thing goes all the way to the top.
I've been unable to blog over the last few days but I'll give a few quick thoughts...uninspired effort, poor coaching (motivation and schemes) and just a team not nearly as talented as they like to tell people they are. I could go on, but if you check out some of the work in the Washington Post or Times, you'll get my ideas, but much better written (check out Mike Wise and Thomas Boswell in the Post and Dan Daly in the Times).
But with all of the fan angst and vitriol over the last few days, a scene from "Oz" seemed apropos. Late in the movie, when Dorothy and the crew finally meet "the Wizard" and it’s the huge green image, Toto runs over and pulls the curtain back and they see it’s just the old man. That's kinda what happened in Detroit yesterday. The loss to the Lions made Skins fans realize what this team is; an untalented bunch that man for man (and coach for coach) might not be much better than the folks from Detroit that just broke their 19 game losing streak. And of course who created said team...the Great and powerful Snyder-rato (Dan Synder and Vinny Cerrato), who come to think it, works just about as secretly.
Anyway, don’t blame the Quarterback, don’t blame the Coach, don’t even blame the General Manager; this thing goes all the way to the top.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Customer service isn't dead, but it ain't where you expect it to be either
Random Thought of the Day
After MacKenzie Phillips' incest allegations against her late father, I can't wait to hear somebody come up with a "One Day at a Time" parody song. BTW...here is the theme from that show; late 70's - early 80's-ness at its finest. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M82CUd6isyY
So I go to the store to get fitted for a tux today. It’s the second time I've had to go through the process this year, as another friend got married back in August. That day was painless; today was not. To start off I had a trainee measure me, while his "trainer" sat behind her desk, plunking away on her computer, and snidely correcting him when he missed a step. THAT got me mad. As long as I've been in radio, I've had to train people. I always try to go slow and type out the steps so they can follow. In other words, treat 'em like an idiot until they prove otherwise. Today, I got, “hope you learned something, time to sink or swim, customer be damned”. Now being the patient guy I am I was able to control my anger through most of the session, but by the end, the lady in charge was getting short, terse answers with a raised tone. Lesson...take care of the customer, and train workers when you have time.
To steal a line...I told you that story so I could tell you this one. So within all of that, I’m listening to the local sports talk station "The Fan" discussing comments by Clinton Portis about the booing at Fedex Field on Saturday. Now admittedly I've never been a fan of Portis; I think he's overrated, overpaid, closed to washed up and his lax “I don't practice but I play hard” attitude rubs off on the team and we get sloppy, undisciplined football. BUT, I give CP loads of credit for the following statement.
"We're getting booed coming off the field," Portis said. "So I think everybody in this organization (is) on the hot seat. You know, I think you look at the owner, he (is) on the verge of losing fans. You know, how long before people just give up and stop coming? You look at the players, and people want you out of here. You look at the coach, people want you out of here. So who's not on the hot seat? Until we come out and play to our potential, I think everybody (is) on the hot seat. It's just people growing tired," Portis said. "You come out, you bring a family of four or five to come to a game, that's $500, and then you've got to eat and park. You're spending $700 a week to come there to see some entertainment, and you get there and there's really not a lot of entertainment."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/wire/chi-ap-fbn-redskinsdrama,0,4010803.story
Unlike the Cooley's and the Sellers' of the world that chastized the fans for booing a 1 and 1 football team, Portis actually gets it. Clinton realizes that the "rabid" Redskins rooters are fed up with 18 years of mediocre football...especially at a premium rate. He is trying to take care of the customer – a.k.a US! It takes guts to do what CP did (i.e. stand up to an owner who likes to send folks packing if they don't tow the company line; see Arrington, LaVar and Coles, Laveranues). Of course with a possible uncapped year looming in 2010, it’s possible that the free speaking Portis might just be watching his Snyder bought flat screen in Cincinnati next year.
(if you don't get the flat screen reference, read this http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/jeffri_chadiha/03/08/coles/index.html - 3rd paragraph)
After MacKenzie Phillips' incest allegations against her late father, I can't wait to hear somebody come up with a "One Day at a Time" parody song. BTW...here is the theme from that show; late 70's - early 80's-ness at its finest. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M82CUd6isyY
So I go to the store to get fitted for a tux today. It’s the second time I've had to go through the process this year, as another friend got married back in August. That day was painless; today was not. To start off I had a trainee measure me, while his "trainer" sat behind her desk, plunking away on her computer, and snidely correcting him when he missed a step. THAT got me mad. As long as I've been in radio, I've had to train people. I always try to go slow and type out the steps so they can follow. In other words, treat 'em like an idiot until they prove otherwise. Today, I got, “hope you learned something, time to sink or swim, customer be damned”. Now being the patient guy I am I was able to control my anger through most of the session, but by the end, the lady in charge was getting short, terse answers with a raised tone. Lesson...take care of the customer, and train workers when you have time.
To steal a line...I told you that story so I could tell you this one. So within all of that, I’m listening to the local sports talk station "The Fan" discussing comments by Clinton Portis about the booing at Fedex Field on Saturday. Now admittedly I've never been a fan of Portis; I think he's overrated, overpaid, closed to washed up and his lax “I don't practice but I play hard” attitude rubs off on the team and we get sloppy, undisciplined football. BUT, I give CP loads of credit for the following statement.
"We're getting booed coming off the field," Portis said. "So I think everybody in this organization (is) on the hot seat. You know, I think you look at the owner, he (is) on the verge of losing fans. You know, how long before people just give up and stop coming? You look at the players, and people want you out of here. You look at the coach, people want you out of here. So who's not on the hot seat? Until we come out and play to our potential, I think everybody (is) on the hot seat. It's just people growing tired," Portis said. "You come out, you bring a family of four or five to come to a game, that's $500, and then you've got to eat and park. You're spending $700 a week to come there to see some entertainment, and you get there and there's really not a lot of entertainment."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/wire/chi-ap-fbn-redskinsdrama,0,4010803.story
Unlike the Cooley's and the Sellers' of the world that chastized the fans for booing a 1 and 1 football team, Portis actually gets it. Clinton realizes that the "rabid" Redskins rooters are fed up with 18 years of mediocre football...especially at a premium rate. He is trying to take care of the customer – a.k.a US! It takes guts to do what CP did (i.e. stand up to an owner who likes to send folks packing if they don't tow the company line; see Arrington, LaVar and Coles, Laveranues). Of course with a possible uncapped year looming in 2010, it’s possible that the free speaking Portis might just be watching his Snyder bought flat screen in Cincinnati next year.
(if you don't get the flat screen reference, read this http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/jeffri_chadiha/03/08/coles/index.html - 3rd paragraph)
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Let's kick this baby off...
So I decided to do a blog. No big whoop. Just thought, I got a lot of random stuff bouncing around in the brain and a blog seems to be a good place to dump it.
Random Story of the Day (actually happened yesterday, but who cares)
As I was walking into Giant, I heard the Spice Girls "Wannabe" blasting over the store speakers. This wasn't a good song when I was in high school; it's not like wine where it gets better with age. It's a bad, annoying song and I'm at a loss for why Giant Food thinks people would like to shop to it.
Sports Thoughts
After the Skins "brilliant" performance this past weekend, we've had two main Redskins discussions in DC; the fans booing the team after a win and the Zorn/Sonny fight. Just in case you have no idea what I'm talking about...the fans at Fed Ex booed the home team throughout the game, and after it was over (and then the players got upset about it) and in the locker room after the game was over, Zorn responded to Sonny Jurgensen saying he would have changed the halfback pass call (Portis throwing it on the goal line) by saying he would have benched Sonny.
Even though it has all the signs of a team in turmoil, I do like all of this. The fans (and the Skins legends that we have loved over the years) are starting to stand up for themselves. THAT IS A GOOD THING. For years there has been a perception that we need to root for Washington win, lose or draw...B freaking S. If you accept mediocrity nothing will ever change; the fans booing on Sunday were folks finally saying enough is enough! "You can't beat the sorry, no account Rams by more than 2 points...NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" Sonny telling Zorn point blank "your play calling stinks and you don't know what you're doing"; GOLD! I laugh every time I hear it. The only way for this team to become great is for the folks who root for it to not accept a mediocre football team...especially one led by a puppet coach and an inept front office.
I fully expect the turmoil to be good for the Skins this week...they'll band together and stomp on the pitiful Lions. But if they don't…(to paraphrase T.O) Zorn had better get his suitcases ready.
Random Story of the Day (actually happened yesterday, but who cares)
As I was walking into Giant, I heard the Spice Girls "Wannabe" blasting over the store speakers. This wasn't a good song when I was in high school; it's not like wine where it gets better with age. It's a bad, annoying song and I'm at a loss for why Giant Food thinks people would like to shop to it.
Sports Thoughts
After the Skins "brilliant" performance this past weekend, we've had two main Redskins discussions in DC; the fans booing the team after a win and the Zorn/Sonny fight. Just in case you have no idea what I'm talking about...the fans at Fed Ex booed the home team throughout the game, and after it was over (and then the players got upset about it) and in the locker room after the game was over, Zorn responded to Sonny Jurgensen saying he would have changed the halfback pass call (Portis throwing it on the goal line) by saying he would have benched Sonny.
Even though it has all the signs of a team in turmoil, I do like all of this. The fans (and the Skins legends that we have loved over the years) are starting to stand up for themselves. THAT IS A GOOD THING. For years there has been a perception that we need to root for Washington win, lose or draw...B freaking S. If you accept mediocrity nothing will ever change; the fans booing on Sunday were folks finally saying enough is enough! "You can't beat the sorry, no account Rams by more than 2 points...NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" Sonny telling Zorn point blank "your play calling stinks and you don't know what you're doing"; GOLD! I laugh every time I hear it. The only way for this team to become great is for the folks who root for it to not accept a mediocre football team...especially one led by a puppet coach and an inept front office.
I fully expect the turmoil to be good for the Skins this week...they'll band together and stomp on the pitiful Lions. But if they don't…(to paraphrase T.O) Zorn had better get his suitcases ready.
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