Russ Grimm - the first Hog to be a Hall of Fame Inductee

It's about damn time they get a player from the Hogs into the HOF. The Hogs are one of the best if not the best offensive lines in history and it's a shame they took this long to recognize Grimm. Hopefully Joe Jacoby will be next in line.

My Take on Albert Haynesworth and the Jamaal Brown trade

To put it in simple terms, Haynesworth is a piece of shit. I normally don't have a problem with people getting paid whatever they are due. People who come to the games watch the players play. They don't watch the owners sit and eat caviar in the owner's box. That's why players are deserving of the money they get. However when players don't play that's when things bother me. Especially when Haynesworth accepts a $21 mil check in April and still demands a trade. The team themselves let Haynesworth seek a trade but if he couldn't then he would be given the option of taking the check and playing with the Redskins. He took the check but hasn't been practicing at all. Even if this is all smoke and mirrors this is complete and utter bullshit tactics by Haynesworth.

The Skins has given Haynesworth the option of playing as an end on the 3-4 which operates like a DT in a 4-3, a position he seems to want to play. The Skins have given him all the room in the world but he hasn't given an inch. To think he took $21 mil just like that from the organization almost makes me not want to go to another game in FedEx Field for the next 10 years knowing that this man has taken some of that ticket revenue in his pocket and presumably will show us nothing this upcoming season.

In other Skins news, they have reportedly traded either their third or fourth round pick for Jammal Brown. Either way we won't have a third or fourth rounder because the trade is somehow linked to McNabb. You can read the details of it here because it's a little complicated.

Ensuring that we give up at least our 3rd round pick next year is pretty foolish but we don't have much choice when it comes to tackle. The nice thing is that Brown did go to the Pro Bowl however he is coming off an injury laden season. To be honest it seems like the same old, same old and it never changes. Another veteran with a history of injuries. And because we haven't been smart about our draft picks we have to continue our never ending cycle of giving up our future in cheap young talent for more expensive high priced, unmotivated free agents because the cupboard is empty except for the two or three marquee signings we get. The cycle never ends and what's worse is that Shanahan is forced to do this trade or else the offense will continue to be a joke with that swiss cheese offensive line we have now.

Clearly hoping for the best but anticipating for the worst. In fact this is the least hyped I've been for the start of a Redskins season in a long time and that's saying a lot. Maybe it's because I've seen the same sweeping changes happen again every 3 to 4 years and now I'm just immune to it.

John Wall on ESPN the Mag

Just wanted to put it out there that both of our young stars John Wall and Stephen Strasburg landed the covers of ESPN the Magazine and Sports Illustrated on the same week. I didn't bother to put up Strasburg's cover because they're using the same Getty image I used in the blog post 2 weeks ago. However you can see Strasburg's cover here.

The Phenom Makes His Long Awaited Debut

For one day baseball's eyes laid on the Nation's capital. In the most hyped debut in my recollection Strasburg shattered expectations completely. 14 k's in his debut a franchise record and the most strikeouts in an MLB debut since 1971. His fastball can be seen topping 101 mph. His curve has a hook that is just as deadly. Underlying all of this is his almost flawless command allowing 0 walks in the 7 innings he's played.

We all know the cautionary tale of Kerry Wood and Mark Prior. Jim Riggleman knows all too well of how Wood was overused in the '98 season as the manager of the Cubs. Everyone has the worst case scenario in the back of their minds which is why people are treating Strasburg with care and rightfully so.

Will Strasburg continue to pitch the way he did against the Pirates? Let's be honest he is still a rookie and is not a finished product. But clearly he has the stuff to back it up and his composure is of a very even demeanor. He has the tools that most 32 year old vets never had in their lifetime. Barring any freak injury Strasburg is on track to greatness. Hopefully the Nats can also keep pace with Strasburg's progress as well.

Start of a New Era: Say Hello to John Wall

I was really not expecting the Wizards on winning the draft lottery. I was thinking they get a 5th pick and get a Wesley Johnson and see the Wizards go back to where they were prior to getting the big 3. Nothingness. Now all of a sudden they get the next best thing in John Wall. I cannot believe it and with Ted Leonsis coming in as new owner there seems to be 2 good reasons to have faith in the Wizards in the future and to watch the team this upcoming season.

Our team was horrendous last year but we did get to see the blossoming of Andray Blatche who put up double-double numbers when he started. Although he was a prima donna last season he should be given another chance this season. Al Thornton is also another young player that can round out the young nucleus. Gilbert Arenas is nowhere near his almost MVP form when he was once the great Hibachi but maybe it is a blessing they did keep him. I'm not expecting much from him but we do need some sort of veteran in the team. After all we only have 6 players under contract.

Also I love this video. The John Wall dance craze in UK and the state of Kentucky.

Just a great 2 days of sports: Cavs lose, Pens lose, Nats win

Let's keep this short and sweet. Up is down and down is up. Four self explanatory events that lead to DC sports enlightenment. Almost as good as winning a championship, actually that's blasphemy but these 4 things will do for now:

1. Penguins lose in spectacular fashion to the 8th seed Canadiens 5-2. I hear that Halak guy is pretty fucking good eh?

2. Lebron gets owned by an over the hill Celtics team. Not as good as the Pens loss since the Caps wound is still fresh as day but satisfying nonetheless.

3. Nationals playing winning ball. Always a nice surprise.

4. Strasburg no hit performance in AAA clearly showing he's more than MLB ready. *Is super excited to see this guy pitch and will be praying he's in perfect health this season*

All in all a good DC sports day.

Redskins Take Fleet-Footed 315 lb Lineman

It was fitting seeing Chris Samuels there in NY being the Washington Redskins' representative to hand the envelope for the 4th overall selection. It's been a long time roughly 10 years since we drafted a lineman. Chris Samuels turned out to be a rock solid starter for a decade and if we had won more games, he and Jansen might have made more pro bowls and would have been a guaranteed HOFer.

The wait is now over and with a sensible front office finally in place, the Washington Redskins selected Trent Williams out of Oklahoma. Initially I wasn't so enthralled with this pick expecting us to take Okung the Ox rather than Trent the Silverback. But as I was texting a fellow Skins' fan of mine he reassured me the reason why we picked him. He simply fit the system better.

The zone blocking scheme requires linemen more than just parking their butt in a 2 yard area. Linemen are expected to keep up with the RB and FB moving up, down, left, right, diagonal, and every which way else. Trent Williams' unique skill of moving his hefty 315 lb frame in 4.8 seconds over 40 yards and perhaps quicker in a lesser distance makes this pick even more valuable than getting an Okung.

In other NFL offenses Williams would not be used adequately but with Shanahan's unique zone blocking run scheme, he is the one of a kind talent that the team would more than love to have.

The Caps Love to Live Dangerously

First off I just want to say that after the debacle with the Wizards and the horrendous seasons by the Redskins, Nationals and DC United, it's nice to see a local team actually performing well and kicking some ass in the regular season. But as you know, the regular season champions are only good in European soccer. If you want to be the man, you've got to win in the playoffs.

In Game 1 Montreal stunned the Capitals by shutting down Ovechkin and effectively outplaying their opponents. The Habs take away one game from Chinatown. The usually raucous Red Army was in a somber mood pretty much towards the second half of the game and even at the end in overtime.

Game 2 marked a little bit of a hike in urgency. People around the region realize this shouldn't be something to panic about but the Caps definitely should start picking up the pace or else. Eventually the game got out of hand...4-1 Montreal lead. Or at least out of hand for other teams, because unlike other teams the Capitals THRIVE on having their backs against the wall.

Granted I was at work and wasn't able to watch the game, just following the action via Yahoo updates I can't comment too much on this. What I can say was that by the time the 3 goal deficit came about, Boudreau rightfully pulled Jose out of the net and put in Varly who I've always been a big fan of since his debut in last year's awesome playoff run. Eventually we overcame two more 1 goal deficits in what culminated to be a fantastic OT playoff finish.

After seeing tremendous come from behind victories in games and during a handful of playoff series with the Caps time and time again would you ever count out the Caps again? I think not. 4-1? Pshaw.

NFL: No Big FA Signings for the Redskins Speak Volumes

This first two days of free agency marked some new hope of this ailing Redskins franchise. For the first time in years they signed zero big free agents. What's more surprising is that year is uncapped. This was supposed to be the year Snyder really lets loose but it didn't happen.

Rumors of Julius Peppers, Karlos Dansby and Darren Sproles seem to be untrue which was a God-send. Peppers is great now and possibly for the next two years but has proven to not have great motivation. Sproles is like Randle El all over again except as a 3rd down RB instead of slot WR.

Looks like Shanahan is trying to sign some veteran guys to fill holes in FA for the short term while using the draft and perhaps other means to rebuild the team.

The O-Line needs a complete revamp but with the signing of G Artis Hicks, it seems the direction of the team is to sign short stop gap players veteran players who know how to prepare and play the game as professionals and not completely ignore the main weakness of the team. Same goes for other needs such as RB with Willie Parker rumors starting up, as well as linebacker and nose tackle with the much rumored change to the 3-4 formation.

Hopefully we will draft Jimmy Clausen, build for the future and be good again in the long run. It's starting to show some promise after all but we'll need more than 3 days to be the judge of that.

NFL: Searching For the Next Redskins Quarterback

The current question Washington Redskins fans have been wondering is what the future will hold for the quarterback position. The NFL as we know it has turned into an Arena League brand of football that rewards pass heavy offenses like the Super Bowl champion Saints and the AFC champion Colts. This is all due to the new league rules that protect a quarterback. These new league rules and the success of pass happy NFL teams have made the premium on having an elite quarterback much more important. The Redskins meanwhile have not had a quarterback featured in the Pro Bowl since Brad Johnson did it in 1999. Coincidentally that was the last year the Redskins also won the division.

Having known the importance of quarterback play in the NFL, we take a look at the most likely candidates to fill the Redskins’ starting quarterback position for the present and the future:

Top NFL Draft Prospects

Jimmy Clausen – Clausen seems to be the ideal candidate to be the next franchise quarterback. He has worked in a pro style West Coast offense similar to the one Tom Brady runs. Clausen has had vast experience starting all 3 of his years with Notre Dame. At Notre Dame he was quite the prolific passer even with a horrid offensive line. With that all said Clausen does have some questions about him.

There are some murmurings that he was quite the brash and brazen personality around the locker room being too cocky. This could bode not too well in the NFL but it remains to be seen if this will affect his playing style. Most successful quarterbacks have a calm and even demeanor such as Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Drew Brees. If Clausen does bust, he might be labeled of having the same temperament and egotistical attitude of Ryan Leaf. If Clausen is successful then you can chalk it up to swagger. Time will be the judge.

Of course there are also minor concerns that Clausen benefited from an easy Notre Dame schedule and a ridiculously good WR corps. I would chalk those up as minor things to look at.In the end I believe he has the most potential and is also the most NFL ready quarterback out of this draft right now. The Skins don’t have a chance of getting a better young NFL prospect unless they tank next season and go after Jake Locker.

Sam Bradford – This is a big rumor that Shanahan likes this kid and wants to draft him with the 4th pick. But we all know that the rumor that has the most exposure is least likely to happen. At least that’s my gut instinct on it.

Bradford is an accurate thrower but in the spread offense everyone is. He blew out his right throwing shoulder twice. As a DC sports fan we should be weary of damaged goods as we rightfully had been when Gilbert Arenas was re-signed to a max deal after having major constructive surgery to his knee.

Bradford doesn’t look like he’ll last long and looks like he has the early makings of a bust if he goes to the Redskins. The only way I see him thrive with this team is if he sits out a season or stays in the same type of offense for at least 5 years. I don’t think Dan Snyder is that patient.

There have been rumors that the Rams might be seriously considering picking Bradford with the 1st overall pick so this considering Bradford could be moot.

Colt McCoy – Not too much buzz has been around this quarterback though he could be an option if the Redskins decide to go another route with the 4th overall pick. He doesn’t have the arm to sling the ball deep but he is known for his accuracy having completed 70% of his passes in his career.

I personally don’t think he’s good enough to be a good quarterback with the Skins but maybe elsewhere he will.

On the Current Roster

Jason Campbell – He is the incumbent starter. JC was selected by Joe Gibbs to be a Doug Williams type of pocket passer. Known to have a strong arm, he was to use that arm to stretch the field in Gibbs’ system which also employed principles of the Air Coryell offense. His makeup however does not translate to the west coast offense which rely more on short passes, accuracy, fast release and ease of making reads. All of which he does not exhibit. Then again he has had very little protection at QB.

It’s rumored that he will be tendered an offer as a restricted free agent. Campbell is among the top 3 free agent quarterbacks this off-season and desperate teams may want to trade for him depending on how high the tender offer is.

He should be offered a one or two year deal to solidify the quarterback position. If anything he can withstand the punishment and violence the porous Redskin offensive line will allow from opposing defenses.

Campbell could and will likely be used as a stop gap measure for quarterback.

Todd Collins & Colt Brennan – They will never be starters as much as I deeply want them to be. Collins showed flashes of being a capable starter in the four games he took over for Campbell under Joe Gibbs but he hasn’t shown the same resurgence when he took over the reigns for awhile under Jim Zorn. Colt Brennan meanwhile still has a lot of improving to do. His season ending injury last season didn’t help matters either.

The Rest of the Bunch

Sean Canfield/Max Hall and other rookie quarterbacks – If Shanahan wants to draft outside of the big 3 the QBs will surely be a project down the line. It would also be a head scratcher since most quarterbacks coming out this year have the same abilities and intangibles of current 3rd string QB Colt Brennan

Jeff Garcia/Chad Pennington and other free agent quarterbacks – I love seeing these guys play because they aren’t flashy but they are efficient west coast style QBs. The downside is they also have a short expiration date. They will probably last 4 weeks combined since there has been a lot of tread around those veteran bodies.

Donovan McNabb via trade– This is by far a long shot. I have only included McNabb because I know some stupid Philly fans have been clamoring for McNabb and Andy Reid to leave. Another reason I’ve included this is because it would be the ideal situation for the Redskins to acquire McNabb. Despite his age he would have the utmost desire to play well against his former team. Of course the Eagles management is too smart for this trade to occur unless they demand a ransom. Furthermore no one in Philly would propose trading McNabb to a division rival. If he does land somewhere else like in San Francisco or Arizona, which would make a deadly team.

.....

The choices for quarterback this season is quite lackluster. Having examined all available avenues for obtaining a quarterback I can see why they are paid so highly, because it’s so hard to find even a solid starter.

My gut instinct is that the Redskins will do something stupid like mortgaging the future somehow, someway or overreaching for a player in free agency or the draft in another position. That would be the Dan Snyder thing to do. With all the talk about Bradford and Clausen going to the Skins I wouldn’t be surprised to see them do a 180 and trade down perhaps keeping Jason Campbell and drafting a quarterback later in the draft or acquiring another veteran QB.

The smart thing to do would be to shore up the offensive line through the draft by taking Russell Okung or trading down to acquire more picks and just loading up the trenches in all OL spots. Another thing I would approve of is drafting Jimmy Clausen as I believe he is the most NFL ready QB.

Now it’s up to the Redskins brass to see if they can follow suit and do the right thing.

NBA: Andray Blatche is Giving Wizards Fans a Reason to Watch

After seeing the Wizards being absolutely gutted by a much needed firesale there seemed to be no reason to watch this decrepit team. Wrong. Meet Andray Blatche the de facto face of the Washington Wizards. A Wizards second round pick out of high school a few years ago, Blatche showed flashes of being a solid starter coming off the bench. It wasn't until Jamison's trade that Blatche had minutes to show what he can really do.

Blatche posted a career high 33 points against Minnesota just 1 game after Jamison's trade and his first time seeing any real action. In the game I went to against the Nuggets, he was responsible for the Wizards' first 10 points in the game. His last game against the Raptors he scored a game high 24 points. Since the Jamison trade in a span of 3 games he has posted 25 points per game and 10 rebounds per game.

As much as I loved seeing his potential a couple years ago I never thought he was capable of this run. Somebody had to step up from the ashes. Blatche has now stepped in as the #1 option in this team's offense.

What makes Blatche so special is his versatility as a power forward. He can use his reach to gain much needed rebounds and tip ins. Blatche can also rely on his relatively decent 7 to 10 ft jumper that he can use when he needs to if he is being well guarded inside the paint.

It should be noted that Kwame Brown was also capable of little runs of greatness. Not to mention he has the same build and plays the same position as Brown. But what separates these two players is tenacity. Kwame Brown often seemed lackadaisical in his play whereas Andray Blatche would always try his hardest to get the rebounds and second chance opportunities. Blatche seems more focused and has more drive than Brown ever did.

The future for the Wizards may look ambiguous but Andray Blatche's future seems brighter than ever.

NBA: An End of an Era for the Wizards

The last trade marked mixed feelings for Wizards fans. Long time favorite Caron Butler is traded to the Mavericks today as well as other key pieces such as Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson. The coming month will also signal the departure of Antawn Jamison.
It’s sad to see these fan favorites go but their current record of only 17-33 is a harsh reminder that this dismantling had to happen. The worst thing about this is that only after the Gilbert Arenas incident with Javaris Crittenton did management feel compelled to do anything. Gilbert was never going to be the same way he was back in his heyday scoring close to 30 points per game. His knee is banged up and will never be a threat driving to the basket as he was before. He can only rely on mid range jumpers and his 3 point marksmanship is feeling a little rust after the 2 year layoff.

In the 7 player swap with the Mavericks, the Wizards were able to get expiring contracts. With this firesale we can assume that they will try and get one of the big free agents available this season. We can also assume that they will be gearing up for a run at the #1 pick in the NBA Lottery. Such is the fate of a team willing to roll the dice to be truly competitive. It’s ironic to see competitiveness and tanking the season in the same mindset but that’s what you have to do to win a championship sometimes. All it takes are 2 or 3 great stars and suddenly the basketball gods might be smiling at you again.

Now that last decade’s Wizards have come in gone, it’s only proper to reflect on what they have accomplished. The Wizards were able to string playoff appearances that seemed to rejuvenate the once ailing Wizards team. This included a couple great moments such as the dagger Gilbert Arenas launched against the Bulls in their first playoff series win in a very long time. It also marked an entertaining albeit brief rivalry with the Cavaliers and a hatred of Lebron James’ whiny, crab dribbling ways amongst the Wizards fanatics. It culminated in one of the greatest Wizards seasons of all time, since the great Wes Unseld led the Bullets to their only NBA title. Gilbert was receiving chants of MVP in DC, he also was able to put up an entertaining performance of 60 pts against his hometown Lakers. Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison were playing lights out basketball that propelled them to All Star appearances. The Wizards were an offensive juggernaut that was entertaining to watch and it produced a great series with the Cavaliers. This trio (and before Butler it was Larry Hughes) showed the last Wizards trio (Howard, Webber, Strickland) what basketball should really be played like. It was spectacular, wonderful and to that I and all of the Wizards fanbase would like to say “Thank You”.

NFL: Redskins Sign Mike Shanahan and History is Repeated

There is a saying that crazy is doing the same thing and expecting different results. Yesterday it was announced that Mike Shanahan was signed to a 5 year contract worth $35 mil. Most fans would have some sense of optimism for the future of their franchise but not me. I see this as another decade, another fickle move by Dan Snyder.

We have all seen this before. Here comes a promising coach with some great pedigree and high expectations. On a local sports station Bill Romanowski prepared D.C. natives for a Super Bowl. Don’t hold your breath. It took Joe Gibbs 4 years to bring the Redskins back to respectability from the $100 million mess Dan Snyder brought the franchise. And he was the greatest Redskin coach of all time.

For years the Skins have done it Snyder’s way and the culmination of his being the GM resulted in the worst, most torturous season the franchise has faced in 3 decades. At least the 1994 Washington Redskins could still reminisce about their Super Bowl victory two years ago. So maybe this torturous season was something the franchise really needed. To wash away the dumb mentality Snyder has, thinking he can just run a football franchise and make it happen.

The last true General Manager we had was Charley Casserly in 2000. By the word “true” I mean that the GM had actual control over who the team’s players were. Fast forward 10 years later and we hire our current GM Bruce Allen. Meanwhile the current head coach, Mike Shanahan has the final say of who the players are, not the owner. This is clearly a stark change from the past.

Ultimately those changes will be in vain if Snyder doesn’t change the biggest virtue missing in his soul…patience. To build a Super Bowl team takes years of laying brick by brick and piece by piece together. Yes there are spectacular turn arounds that can happen like the St Louis Rams in the turn of the century. But that is more of a rarity than a commonality. Looking at the most successful franchise in NFL history, the Pittsburgh Steelers who has won the most Super Bowls of any team, they also have one of the fewest coaching counts in league history. They’ve employed about 4-5 head coaches in a span of 40-45 years, an incredible number. Their long term commitment to seeing the head coach’s vision of a team paid off. Even through mediocre years, Dan Rooney still stuck with Bill Cowher and even through a long Super Bowl drought that took 15 years till he won his first Super Bowl. Although they missed the playoffs this year, they have won 2 Super Bowls in the last decade and the main foundation is in place for another run at the Super Bowl. All that’s left is a few missing pieces.

With coaching turnover, you have to rebuild and get new players who aren’t acclimated to the system yet. That can take an x amount of time to transition and it seemed that the Redskins were always in transition the past decade.

If Snyder can get the patience for Shanahan to see out his 5 year contract, then I do believe his tenure will be a success with multiple playoff appearances. His contract extension years might even yield a Super Bowl. But if Snyder’s patience runs short…then it’s the crazy house for him and a bunch of other Redskins fans.