The Sports Rumors

Gibbs Resigns; Replacement Candidates?

The Legend Retires

Some may say that Joe Gibbs tarnished his legacy by coming back for the past four years with the Washington Redskins after already being inducted into the hall of fame. Some may say that he lost his touch, wasn’t current or up to date with today’s game or today’s players. In my eyes, he didn’t tarnish his legacy; it would take a couple of Miami Dolphins-esque seasons for him to do that. There is no question that he made some mental errors with clock management over his four years. But there is no coach in the entire NFL, including Belichick and Dungy, that I would rather have coaching my team post Sean Taylor tragedy. Gibbs’ star player, his best player, was murdered in the middle of the season. The team was two games below .500 and managed to make the playoffs; and for a brief moment, looked like they’d win a playoff game. To me, the final 5 games of the season and playoffs summed up exactly why Joe Gibbs is a hall of fame coach. Ask anyone in that locker room if Joe Gibbs couldn’t “connect” with them. If he couldn’t, they wouldn’t have played their hearts out. If he couldn’t, Portis and Landry wouldn’t have looked so dejected after their season came to an end. Last I checked, Portis and Landry are young players.

I figured that Joe Gibbs wouldn’t be back if we lost in the first round because this season was just too fatiguing. It was fatiguing for me as a fan. Throw in the fact that Gibbs has some personal stresses of his own (Grandson fighting leukemia), and you can understand why the 67 year old found it necessary to take off from pro football for once and for all. I’m glad he came back. I got to watch an icon in Washington and for the NFL coach for four years, two of which he made the playoffs. I can now say that I watched the best coach in Washington Redskins football history coach his final game.

The Early Candidates

Obviously, this news of Gibbs resigning is very new but time doesn’t wait and football fans have already begun talking about possible replacements. So will I. I’m separating the coaches into two categories; in house and out of house. Simple enough to understand.

In-House

Gregg Williams: If the Redskins want to keep everything in place from this season heading into next, which isn’t a bad idea considering they were moving in the right direction, then Gregg Williams is the obvious choice. He’s been Gibbs’ second hand man throughout the tenure and has some head coaching experience of his own. He knows the players, the staff, and his defense is a good one. If the Redskins want the least disruption in this transition period, Williams is the clear cut choice.

Al Saunders: Though he was also part of Gibbs’ staff, he has little chance of becoming head coach. His offensive system has not done well and players were very against him at one point last season. I don’t think Snyder would have any confidence in Saunders being the head coach.

Out of House

Bill Cowher: The first choice for every team that needs a head coach. Cowher has made it clear that he doesn’t plan to coach for another year, but he has been listening to every team that has called so far. Dan Snyder is right there with Jerry Jones in being able to talk people into doing things. Everything Cowher would want, Snyder has. He would be granted power to bring in players that he wants, make the decisions that he wants, get paid handsomely, and throw in the fact that there is already a solid nucleus of young talent. The only job I can see Cowher considering more (if any at this point), would be Baltimore.

Pete Carroll: You ever play a video game that you keep beating, even when you’re not trying as hard? You know the feeling when things become just too damn easy? Well that’s Pete Carroll and USC. USC is so established and gets such great recruits that winning has become almost TOO easy for Carroll. You show me any other team in history that can be upset as big as Stanford upsetting USC was, and then still be in talks for a national title. That’s when you know that you need a new challenge. Pete Carroll has the itch to try and conquer the NFL; he has to. He’s a competitor and competitors want to be the very best at the highest of levels. He has made it clear that if he were to give the NFL another shot, it’d be with a good team, he’d have the power and he’d get paid. How often do you get a chance to take over a team with young talent, an owner who’s willing to make you the highest paid in the league while giving you GM powers, and take over a squad that just made the playoffs. This isn’t Atlanta, this isn’t Miami.

Brian Billick: I am surprised that I haven’t heard his name come up in any talks so far this morning about replacing Gibbs. Billick has a Super Bowl win on his resume and has quite a way of wowing people that he meets. He’s not the offensive “mastermind” that he was perceived to be, but he’s one of the best available coaches out there. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind making a transition to a team just across he beltway either.

Jason Garrett: I’m only including his name because people I’ve talked to seem to think that Washington would go after him.  I think there is ZERO percent chance Jerry Jones would let his coach-in-training go to Washington, of all places.

The Magic Was Bound to Run Out

As much as I would have love to see my Washington Redskins make it all the way to the Super Bowl and pull off the upset of ages by taking down the evil New England Patriots, I knew that the streak was bound to end at some point. Winning the final four games to finish at 9-7 was hard in itself; winning 3 more games and a Super Bowl would have been impossible.

I watched the game from a hotel in Manhattan rather than the comforts of my family room couch, which I partially blame as the reason for the Skins losing (my superstitions getting the better of me). As bad as the final score looked, there is no doubt that there was still a little magic left in the Skins season. Down 13-0 going into the fourth quarter and unable to muster any offense, it looked like Washington had no chance at coming back. However, the fourth quarter summed up the tumultuous season that the burgundy and gold faced all year. They scored a touchdown to cut the lead to 13-7, followed by an interception and an aggressive play action pass to Santana Moss for their second touchdown in less than three minutes. The Skins were up 14-13 and I was in utter disbelief of what just happened, as was the entire city of Seattle. What happened on the ensuing kickoff gave me even more reason to believe that this ride wasn’t over just yet. Shaun Suisham kicked off and the ball hung in the air longer than it was supposed to, completely throwing off returnman Nate Burleson. The ball bounced right into the hands of a Redskins special teamer as he waltzed into the end zone for another touchdown. Unfortunately, the rules state that wherever the ball is recovered, it becomes a dead ball. Still, the Skins had the ball inside the 20 and were in position to put the nail in the coffin. However, three plays later, Shaun Shuisham came on to attempt a 30 yard field goal. He missed. His shortest miss in two seasons. After that, the Seahawks marched down the field to score a touchdown, followed by two touchdowns run back by their defense giving them a 35-14 win.

Though it was a tough loss to swallow, as most are, I was proud of the Redskins. I was proud that they gave everything they had considering everything they had to deal with. I am glad that they gave the Seahawks a run for their money and I’m happy at how we made progress this season. It will be another long offseason, but I feel confident that we are only a healthy offensive line and a healthy cornerback (Carlos Rogers) away from being a NFC Championship contender. All that aside, I am glad that this season of more lows than highs has finally come to an end. If it as mentally fatiguing for me, I can’t even begin to imagine what it must have been like for the guys rockin the warpath colors. Go Skins.

Perfect Pats, Red Hot Redskins, and Slumping Cowboys

What many believed could never happen in a 16 game season…happened. The New England Patriots went undefeated by holding off the pesky Giants in a 38-35 win, giving them their 19^th straight victory (one of their many NFL records) dating back to last season. Tom Brady broke Peyton Manning’s single season touchdown record with a touchdown pass to Randy Moss, who also broke an NFL record held by Jerry Rice for most touchdown catches in a season. The Patriots also broke the NFL record for most points scored in a season.

All the stats and records aside, it’s time for everyone to stop and recognize what the Patriots accomplished. For the next week at the very least, we shouldn’t talk about the “formula” for beating the Patriots. I heard week after week, people talking about how you can beat the Patriots and what works against them and so forth. Yes, Einstein, we know that if you sack Tom Brady and make him throw interceptions, you’re going to win the game. Yes, we understand that if you shut down Randy Moss, run and pass on the Pats effectively, and play well on special teams, you are going to win the game. It’s not a matter of “how” you can beat the Patriots. It’s a matter of IF. The Patriots have had the red bulls eye on their back since game one and nobody has brought them down. Give them their props. Stop with your scheming (unless you’re a playoff team). If you are a Baltimore fan, stop talking about how you almost beat the Pats. Almost doesn’t matter. If you are an Eagles fan, yes you had a great effort but great efforts don’t always translate to victories. Final scores do. So congratulations to New England and their fans. You accomplished a great feat and should be commended for it. I still hate you though and will continue to pray for your demise. Happy New Year.

I don’t want to brag… who am I kidding. I love to brag. Ask anyone that knows me. Back on a wintry December 18^th, I wrote an article. The article was titled “Overrated Vikings and NFC Playoff Predictions”. This was the week before the Redskins had to travel into Minnesota and play the red hot Vikings, who EVERYONE was penciling in for the sixth and final seed in the playoffs. “You definitely do not want to play Minnesota if you’re Seattle or Tampa Bay because this team is playing great right now and Tavaris Jackson is getting it done” said Mike Golic, repeating the sentiments of many others. I scoffed at the notion of Tavaris Jackson being anything better than a third string quarterback. He sucks, is basically what I believed.

Why is everyone suddenly hopping on Minnesota’s bandwagon? Because they’ve won 5 straight games, 4 of which are against teams with losing records? Tavaris Jackson is playing good? Really? 5 touchdown and 5 interceptions is good? Wow. I guess NFL quarterbacks really are that bad if Tavaris Jackson is suddenly considered “good”.

I’m sure there were many people who felt I was just being a Redskins fan and putting down the other team. I wasn’t. Tavaris Jackson really does suck. I also said the Vikings and Saints were overrated, overhyped, and on their way to missing the playoffs. I said the Skins would make it and even my closest friends laughed at my foolish predictions. In case you forgot, here’s what I said:

Here’s what’s going to happen. Minnesota is going to get beat at home by Washington, then go on the road and lose to Denver, putting them at 8-8. The Giants will go into Buffalo and win, then lose to New England, putting them at 10-6 and secure 5^th place in the playoffs. New Orleans is going to lose to Philadelphia, and then win at Chicago, putting them at 8-8. Washington will beat Minnesota and then beat Dallas in Washington, putting them at 9-7 and the final spot of the playoffs.

Okay so I thought New Orleans would beat Chicago. I was wrong on one of my seven predictions. Needless to say, I told you so. I went on to talk about how I thought the Skins would lose to the Seahawks in round one of the playoffs. Well, I definitely don’t feel that way anymore and will go into more detail about that later this week. I’ll leave you with one stat that you need to know. Seattle has beaten only one team all season with a record above .500. One team. And that was in week 1. We’ll talk Washington-Seattle, as well as the other matchups later this week though.

Dallas is in trouble. I’m telling you right now, Dallas is in trouble. You cannot go into the playoffs playing as badly as they are playing. They were supposed to play their starters a quarter against the Skins, with the hope that they’d score a touchdown and maybe a field goal, feel good about themselves and rest up for the playoffs. Well guess what. They got spanked. Their starters played well into the third quarter and got SPANKED. They came away with 1 rushing yard…for the entire game. They converted zero third downs. They had 27 points scored on them. Tony Romo had his third bad game in a row.

“Okay take it easy Shaun. You’re overplaying the Dallas Cowboys struggles a bit. They won 13 games for a reason. They’ll be fine in the playoffs.”

That might be so, but you can’t be feeling very confident if you have lost 2 out of your last 3 games after losing only one out of the first thirteen. You can’t be feeling very good if you’ve averaged 8 points a game for the past three weeks. You can’t be feeling very good if your superstar quarterback has thrown one touchdown and five interceptions in his last three outings. I’m not saying that the Cowboys are toast; I’m just saying that if the Redskins beat Seattle and come into Dallas riding a 5 game winning streak and the most confidence of anyone in the NFC, watch out. Watch out.

Washington Politics…The Football Kind

It’s fascinating how the human mind works when it faces disappointment, or the need to place blame. No, this isn’t a science report you’re about to read. You’ll see where I’m going with this as you continue. When Bill Clinton was President and everyone’s pockets were filling up with more and more cash, national security budgets weren’t an issue. I didn’t hear anyone say loudly, “Hey, I don’t want to keep making money off of the economy and the stock market. Instead, I want you to take this money and invest it in the defense of the country in case of a worst case scenario!” Fast forward ten years, and the same people who loved Clinton are now saying, “9/11 is all Clinton’s fault. That administration didn’t have its priorities right. What idiots.”

Monday afternoon. My phone beeps consecutively which means I have someone texting me feverishly. I see it’s a friend of mine.

“8-8”.

8-8? At this point, I have no idea what he’s talking about as I’m getting out of my car with more grocery bags in each hand than anyone should attempt to carry.

“I told you. Skins are so overrated. They suck. Joe Gibbs sucks. He’s washed up.”

Now I am starting to understand what the text messages are about. Over time, I have come to realize that there are certain people who like to place blame on someone or something else when they face disappointment or are let down. This friend of mine who is texting me is a Redskins fan. He was upset that the Skins blew another NFC east game in the fourth quarter so to make himself feel better, he felt the need to trash the Redskins and their hall of fame coach in a text message to me. Saying things like, “I knew they were terrible. I said it all along” only makes the person feel less disappointed. It’s similar to when you tell a nine year old girl that she can’t have a $150 Barbie. She responds with “I didn’t want it anyway”. Yeah, sure you didn’t. Just like my friend; I’m sure you thought Gibbs was washed up all along. Funny how I didn’t hear about them being washed up in the third quarter when the Skins were on their way to being 6-3.

It’s not a bad thing and I’m not knocking people who have this reaction to disappointment. I did it with Virginia Tech. I immediately went on a rant about how Frank Beamer is the worst coach on earth and how Virginia Tech will never win anything of significance after their loss to Boston College. It made me feel better. Psychologically, I felt like it lessened my disappointment in a team because I already “expected it” or “knew this was going to happen”. It’s how the mind works. Now that I’m done with my psychoanalysis, let me get to the nitty gritty and talk football, as well as respond to my friend’s ludicrous conclusions about the Washington Redskins.

“The Redskins are so overrated. They were overrated to begin with.”

Really? That’s interesting. See I was under the impression that you had to be rated, before you could be overrated. Last I checked, there wasn’t a credible magazine or sports website that had the Redskins as preseason favorites to make the playoffs, let alone win the division. There wasn’t any publication that I read that said the Redskins would win 5 out of their first 9 games. In order for a team to be overrated, it has to have a lot of hype and enthusiasm going into the season. The San Diego Chargers? They were overrated. The Oakland Raiders? They were not overrated. Do you get it?

It is clear that the Redskins were surpassing expectations and had they not had a collapse of epic proportions against Philadelphia this past weekend, they would have been sitting pretty at 6-3. Maybe it’s just me, but when a team surpasses expectations and is in a playoff race that they really had no business being in to begin with, they are considered “underrated”. However, the Skins are not 6-3. They are 5-4. They are an average, mediocre team and their record reflects it. They are not over or underrated. They are what they are; a nice team with a chance for making the wild card round in the playoffs. Nothing more, nothing less.

“Joe Gibbs is washed up. He lost it. We need a crunk coach.”

First thing I had to do was find out what “crunk coach” means. I’m not some old geezer who’s not up to date with the current slang but I had never before heard the words crunk and coach go together. Apparently, it means a coach that is “tight”. My friend was actually referring to coaches like, as he mentioned, Bill Cowher. He went on to say how we need someone who’ll be tough on the players and keep them in their place.

First thing I’ll address is this. Joe Gibbs may not be what he was in 1991, but he has by no means “lost it”. What was the turning point in the Philly-Washington game? Sean Taylor going out with a knee sprain. While he was in the game, the Skins gave up 13 points through 3 quarters. He goes out, they give up 20 points. That’s no coincidence. The first touchdown was a prayer thrown up by Donovan McNabb into double coverage. The safety replacing Taylor, Pierson Prioleau, was step for step with Reggie Brown. Had the ball gone where it was intended to, it would have been batted down or intercepted. Lucky for the Eagles, the ball was underthrown and was to the backside of the receiver. Reggie Brown made an exceptional adjustment and caught it for a touchdown. A short while later, Brian Westbrook broke a big play on a screen and took it to the house; again, something he did not do when Taylor was in the game.

Last I checked, Joe Gibbs doesn’t run the defense. Furthermore, if the players are in the position to make the plays and they don’t, that’s on them as professional athletes. That’s not on the coach. The coach’s job is to put the players in the best possible position to make plays. If they don’t execute, that’s their own responsibility. The Redskins offense put up 25 points. If your offense scores more than 20 points and you lose, it’s the defense’s fault. That’s what Hall of Famer George Allen lived and died by.

I will grant you that the Skins have blown two huge divisional games at home in the second half, and that the coaches should have done a better job of keeping the focus and intensity of the team. However, that’s not enough to say that a coach has “lost it”.

To say that the Skins need a coach who will be a disciplinarian doesn’t make that much sense. They are not getting into trouble or committing foolish penalties. And do we really want to talk about “tough guy” coaches? How’d Marty Schottenheimer work out in DC? What about Bill Parcells in Dallas? My friend actually used Parcells as an example of a “crunk coach”. Yeah, he won 0 playoff games in his stay in Dallas and lost the team quicker than a rookie coach would. How’s the tough guy approach worked out for Jon Gruden the past few years. And please, don’t bring up the Super Bowl he won. That was with Tony Dungy’s players just like Kentucky’s Tubby Smith won the men’s college basketball championship with Rick Pitino’s players. Another tough guy coach? How’s Eric Mangini working out in New York. What about Tom Coughlin? Coughlin’s job has been in jeopardy every year he’s been in New York! Walking around with a stick isn’t always the answer.

And this whole Bill Cowher thing. Let me address this once and for all. Yes, I think that in time, he would be a good fit for Washington. However, let’s not start to pretend that he’s the greatest coach to ever step onto a field. Let me remind you that he has won 1 Superbowl in 15 seasons. Joe Gibbs, the “washed up” coach, has won 3 titles in 16 seasons. So ease up on the, “We need Cowher now!” talks.

“The Redskins don’t know how to build a team. Let’s go out and get all the high priced-over the hill- free agents that we can find.”

That was true a few years ago when Dan Snyder first took over the Redskins. He famously made a mistake in signing the likes of Deion Sanders, Mark Carrier, and many others. However, don’t sit here and tell me that the Redskins have not made major strides in the personnel department. Look at the roster that they have assembled through the draft.

1. Jason Campbell
2. Laron Landry
3. Sean Taylor
4. Jon Jansen
5. Chris Samuels
6. Rocky McIntosh

That’s 3 pro bowlers, an up and coming quarterback, and two solid young defensive starters. It’s clear as day that Laron Landry is a stud safety and don’t forget that the reason the Lance Briggs-to-Washington deal fell through was because they wanted Rocky McIntosh and we weren’t willing to part with him. There is a REASON the Bears wanted McIntosh. The recent free agents that we’ve signed?

1. Shawn Springs
2. Andre Carter
3. Randy Thomas
4. London Fletcher
5. Cornilius Griffin
6. Santana Moss

Springs has been a mainstay at corner, Carter is having a solid season, Randy Thomas has been great since he’s been here (except this year due to injury), Fletcher is in the top 3 in tackles, and Griffin has been the consistent factor on the defensive line. Santana Moss has not had a good season, but injury is to blame for that. Don’t forget that he caught 84 balls and almost 10 touchdowns a couple of seasons ago when healthy.

So I don’t want to hear about how the Redskins sign every big name without thinking because that’s just being uninformed. That’s a weak and lame argument.

Basically what I’m getting at is this. Yes, the Redskins have had some very disappointing losses so far this season and it stings. It bothers me for days when we blow big leads in the fourth quarter, as it does thousands of others. But it’s not intelligent to go on a rant about how a team is overrated, lacks good management, and has a washed up coach when in reality, they were two bad quarters away from being 7-2. It’s an easy thing to jump on the bandwagon of a team when they’re playing great, but it’s even easier to jump on the bandwagon full of naysayers when the team falters slightly. Winning 5 out of the first 9 and being in a position to make a wild card push is what I had hoped from the Redskins, and that’s what we’ve got. Don’t be greedy. Be a good, well informed fan and resist being a jackass.

NFL Power Rankings Week 9

I wanted to write about a number of things that I noticed over the NFL weekend but working 12 hour days at the office kind of takes away time to do so. Now we’re at the midpoint of the week and it’s somewhat irrelevant to go back into what happened over the weekend, especially when we have an enormous matchup approaching with the Pats visiting Indianapolis to settle who’s the real #1 team in the NFL. But before I dive into that matchup with tomorrow’s article, I want to bring up something that really rubbed me the wrong way.

Bill Belichick and the Patriots Have No Class

I’m a diehard Washington Redskins fan; have been, always will be. When I am watching the games, I am like any other fan and am fairly biased. However, there are certain things that I can look back on, with my Redskins jersey and hat off, and view from a neutral standpoint. One of those things being the manner in which Bill Belichick stuck it to the Redskins at the end of the game.

If you have not heard by now, the Patriots were up 38-0 with less than ten minutes to go in the ballgame. They were once again driving down the field, much as they had done all game. The ball was somewhere inside the 10 yard line and they were facing a 4^th down and 1. Again, the score was 38-0. They opted to go for it rather than take the 3 points and kick the field goal. I can understand this. Somewhat of a mercy rule, an unsaid thing in sports. I was anticipating a rushing attempt, and if they pick up the first down, they would continue to just run the ball. The Redskins would know that they are going to continue to run the ball and hopefully stop them, causing a turnover on downs. That’s how things usually work. Rewind a couple of weeks back when the Patriots were at Dallas and the week was highlighted by Wade Phillips popping off about how Belichick’s titles are now tainted and how TO was talking about being the “original 81” and so forth. In THAT particular situation, though unclassy, I can understand the Pats running up the score to send a message to Phillips and other coaches around the league; “If you’re going to verbally take shots at us, be ready to get beat up mercilessly come Sunday.”

I understand that. I don’t mind that.

Back to the Redskins-Pats game. 4^th down and 1 yard to go. On the other sideline is one of the most respected, well-liked, hall of fame coaches in Joe Gibbs. Bill Belichick picks up the first down. That’s fine. 1^st and goal, Bill Belichick goes shotgun. Not fine. Second down, they pass again and get a touchdown. Gibbs looks stunned. Troy Aikman points out, “I don’t know how Joe is going to take this.” Now it should be pointed out that later in the game, with the substitutes in, the Pats again went for fourth down and scored another touchdown making the score 52-0, but I don’t care as much about the second touchdown as I do the first, because the first one was with the starters in and the game without a doubt over.

I don’t understand the reasoning or the mindset that Belichick has to unnecessarily rub Joe Gibbs’ nose in the dirt. People have been saying, “Oh, well if you don’t want them to score more, stop them.” That’s not the point. The point is the game was over and they could have shown some class and respect towards a legendary coach who has done nothing controversial in all his years in the business.

Furthermore, I really wish that Sean Taylor had gone after Tom Brady in retaliation for Belichick’s games and driven the pretty boy quarterback into the dirt and banged him up. I don’t care if he gets the 15 yard penalty or even a 1 game suspension. This is how things were settled in the old days; not through the media. I would have LOVED to see Belichick’s reaction as Brady rolled around in pain because of his coach’s decision to be a hotshot badass. And why did I choose Brady and not Moss or someone else? Because Brady is to blame in this situation as well. He HAS the power to say “No” to Belichick and switch to a run play if he deems appropriate. He has the authority because he is just as valuable to the team’s success and reputation as Belichick is.

The Redskins aren’t going to see the Patriots again and Belichick will continue his classless style in the future. I really hope that it comes back to haunt him later, just like his legacy is already tarnished courtesy of Spygate. I will never write a respectful column or piece about the coach of the Patriots and won’t even refer to him by his name from this point forward. He is below the game of football and he is a disrespectful, arrogant cheater. Go Colts.

Today’s Rundown 9/18

 **NFL Week 3 Power Rankings are up but first…”

*I don’t know if many of you stayed up last night to watch the entire Redskins-Eagles game, or if you even tuned in at all. I have to admit, if you weren’t a fan of one of the two teams, you probably wouldn’t want to watch more than the first quarter because it was a complete defensive battle. However, here’s what you missed. You missed the Redskins defense keep the Eagles from scoring a touchdown. You missed Eagles fans boo’ing McNabb after every missed throw in the second quarter. You missed Brian Westbrook have a Barry Sanders like run that resulted in only a field goal. You missed the Redskins get to the Eagles 1 yard line with 14 seconds left, only to commit penalty after penalty and move back to around the 20. You missed Campbell throw a beautiful touchdown pass to Cooley right after that. You missed the Redskins offensive line, shorthanded, dominate the Eagles linemen and linebackers. You missed the Redskins take a 20-9 lead, cut to 20-12. You missed the Eagles get down inside the Redskins 10 with less than two minutes to go. You missed the Eagles 4^th and 6 pass right at the first down marker to Kevin Curtis. You missed Laron Landry jack Curtis up and end the game. You missed my hometeam improve to 2-0 and put an arch rival into a 0-2 debacle. You’ve waited all spring and summer for NFL games… now man up and stay awake so you don’t miss football.

*Donovan McNabb has done an interview on HBO and the highlight of it being where he says that black quarterbacks are not treated fairly. He went on to mention that he’s criticized more than Peyton Manning and Carson Palmer.

I’m not going to spend a lot of time and go into what’s fair and what’s not because this is a really sticky subject. I will go over a few quick points though. ESPN radio host Colin Cowherd made the argument that Ryan Leaf and Drew Bledsoe got booed often also. With all due respect, neither one of them led their team to four conference title games and one Super Bowl last I checked. McNabb has to realize that the reason he gets booed or criticized as much as he does is because he is not as good as Peyton Manning or Carson Palmer AND because he lives in one of the harshest cities in the world. I criticize Philly fans all the time for being fair weather fans and too tough on their players (maybe that’s why they haven’t won jack in over 20 years as a city). But McNabb also has to understand that unless you’re setting NFL records, throwing six touchdowns in a game, or winning a Super Bowl, you can’t expect to get that same love; especially in Philadelphia.

I do think it’s petty to use the race card because McNabb has seen plenty of love with his Pro Bowl appearances and endorsement deals. It’s no secret that his leadership qualities have been questioned, even before the T.O. drama. Just last night, Ron Jaworski pointed out that many players have said McNabb is a “management guy” not a “players’ guy”.

I think McNabb is a great quarterback and he will continue to be great, whether it’s with Philly or not. However, I don’t like that he used the race card; the same race card that Rush Limbaugh used so recklessly a few years back. Donovan should know better.

Monday Night Football Pick vs Spread

Washington @ Philadelphia (-6.5)

I have been waiting all offseason for this game and I cannot wait till kickoff. I have goosebumps from excitement because my Skins have a chance. Here’s how I see it.

Offense

Philadelphia didn’t show much, if anything, last week in Green Bay. To give them a little credit, it was McNabb’s first game back from major surgery and he was bound to be rusty. In addition, the Packers defense is a baby beast. Those boys can play. The Skins offense wasn’t exactly the most beautiful thing to watch either but they moved the ball consistently on a good Miami defense. The tandem of Betts and Portis in the backfield is by far their greatest strength and riding those two horses is what the Skins will have to do as Campbell matures. Randle El was Campbell’s go to guy last week so it is exciting for me to think how good this offense CAN be once Santana Moss is involved too. Losing Jon Jansen for the season with a broken ankle is a big loss on the right side but the Skins still have a solid offensive line and if they pound the rock with Betts-Portis again (34 times last week), they should be able to control the clock and have a chance against Philly.

Defense

Philly has been a blitz happy terror for years now and have been successful, especially against the Redskins. However, this year, they have weaker linebackers and Lito Sheppard will be out. That doesn’t serve well considering Randle El and Santana Moss will be going against a secondary lacking their best cover corner. Still, look for Jimmy Johnson to mix plenty of zone coverages and unexpected blitzes to throw the young Campbell off balance. The Redskins defense played great for almost the entire game against Miami, except in the final minutes, which is a bad thing. The defensive front generated some decent pressure on Trent Green and the linebackers looked great. It is clear that London Fletcher-Baker is the stable middle linebacker that the Skins needed. The depth that the Skins have at corner is among the best in the league with Shawn Springs, Carlos Rogers, and Fred Smoot and Sean Taylor and Laron Landry bringing the punishing hits from the safety positions. Gregg Williams will bring a lot of blitzes to intimidate McNabb early and Philly receivers will HAVE to do better than they did and get some separation if Philly is going to win this game.

Prediction: I see a close, tough NFC East battle with the home team Eagles, unfortunately, winning something like 23-17 or 24-21.

Spread: This is a REALLY tough one to call but I say the Eagles don’t cover. Maybe thats my hometown gut speaking but I’m sticking to it. Take the Skins.

Preseason: A Blessing or a Curse?

I don’t think there is anything sports related out there that I am more on the fence about than preseason. There is nothing more that I want in the hot summer days of July than to turn on TV and watch some football. The preseason brings this relief, even if it’s only a few quarters of quality ball in an entire month. August seems better knowing that football is back, even if it’s just in preseason form. I get excited watching players I’ve never even heard of make big plays in the fourth quarter of game number one. Truth be told, half of them won’t even make the team and will be a distant memory. But I don’t care; its football on TV.

For the second straight preseason however, I felt my heart sink and my chest tighten. I felt the hairs on my neck stand up. I felt dizzy and needed water. Well, maybe I wasn’t that bad but I was pretty damn close. My beloved Washington Redskins, (hold your laughter please) almost had their season of high hopes snapped just as quickly as quarterback Jason Campbell’s knee did in an awkward sideways motion. Some lineman from the Steelers launched himself at Campbell’s legs after he had thrown the ball, and it drew a fifteen yard roughing the quarterback penalty. I could feel Campbell’s pain in my knee as I saw him squirm around on the ground as Redskins’ trainers ran onto the field. I saw Joe Gibbs’ face and I knew exactly what he was thinking:

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

All I would have had if Campbell was done for the season was a fifteen yard penalty… in preseason.

For those of you who don’t remember, let me refresh your memory about what happened to the Redskins last preseason. Clinton Portis was chasing down a defender who had either scooped up a fumble or intercepted a pass (don’t remember which it was) and was racing down the sideline for a touchdown. Portis caught up to him and made a great tackle. In the process, he separated his shoulder. He wouldn’t be 100% again for the rest of the season and was eventually placed on IR. Joe Gibbs uses a run-run-run-maybe a pass style of offense. No Portis, no running. No running, no winning. We finished 5-11.

While Campbell was rolling on the ground in pain, the cameras went to a shot of our two backup quarterbacks warming up. Todd Collins and Mark Brunell. Todd Collins’ warm up consisted of watching a video teaching how to throw a football, since he’s played what, two games in his life. Mark Brunell’s warm up consisted of rubbing arthritis cream on his shoulders and parking his wheelchair. I wanted to vomit.

Luckily, Campbell only has a bruised knee and it looked a lot worse than it was. I highly doubt he’ll play another snap in the preseason and I couldn’t be happier. I definitely don’t want Portis, Santana Moss, Sean Taylor, or any of the key linemen out there either. I’m very divided on whether preseason is good or bad. The positives are that young guys can get out there and work for starting jobs. Rocky McIntosh, second year linebacker out of Miami, played superb. The defense as a whole played great. We had no injuries. I felt really confident watching them and it boosted my hopes for a solid regular season. So in that sense, the preseason is good. You get the kinks out and young guys get to shine.

But what happens when you lose your franchise left tackle, or quarterback, or linebacker to injury? Then, is it worth it? I’ve heard people say that you don’t need to play any of your key players during the preseason, but that doesn’t really work either unless you’re Peyton Manning. Say the Redskins didn’t play Campbell all preseason, and come week five of the regular season, he’s starting to pick up after a slow first four games. Everyone will say, “Well, if he had played those four preseason games, he would have been ready to go Game 1,” and there may be some truth to that. The young guys have to get out there and play but the preseason is so risky.

I often hear people suggest that the preseason should be shorter. What does that really do though? If the preseason was two games instead of four, Saturday’s potential injury to Campbell still would have been in game two. Yes I know that less preseason games means less chance of injury but if you want to look at it that way, less practices mean the same thing.

I guess what it really comes down to is what so much of sports is based on; luck. You could sit out all preseason but get a season ending injury game one of the regular season. Or you could get hurt on the first snap in the first preseason game. Luck of the draw controls players’ careers, coaches’ careers, franchises as a whole; and last Saturday night, luck almost led a remote control to go flying through my TV, carrying my hopes of a winning season with it.

(You don’t want to see your starting QB like this, ever)