So Sunday's game wasn't the blowout we wanted to see to prove we are among the league's elite. The Skins are not a great team, but they are a winning team, and that is all that counts. As long as they keep eeking them out, I'm content to watch nail-biters all year long. This team is a fired-up, high-octane team. Seeing Zorny yell at his star player on the sideline was a little worrisome, after all, at the midway point of the season, this guy would finish top 3 in MVP voting and I don't want the coach to lose him. But Portis and Zorny said it was just a misunderstanding and its behind them so I will take them at their word. But Zorn is so intense that Jason Campbell relayed the story he was told that the first time Zorn the player threw a pass to a cheerleader she ended up with a bloody nose. I like that kind of intensity in my coach.
I will be the first to admit that when Snyder bungled and hired Zorn as QB coach and then said "actually lets just make him head coach" I was worried and wrote off the season. I was wrong. He has managed to make Campbell look like Montana with no INTs, while also having Portis lead the league in rushing, and having a defense as stout as any in the league. Most importantly at the halfway point they are 6-2 in the toughest division in the league. When he was promoted to head coach despite the fact that he had never even been an offensive coordinator we all thought he was out of his league. The fact is, he stands above half of them.
By my calculations, half of the league's coaches should or will be fired. Lets start in the East, where Reid's tenure in Philly may be up if they finish last and Phillips has taken a page out of Snyder's book and bungled every step of the way this year. Garret will be wearing the head coach head set next year if not by next week depending on how badly the Giants stomp them. New Orleans was supposed to be one of the front-runners in the NFC and Peyton is on the hotseat, same goes for Childress in Minnesota. Whoever is in Detroit should be fired, and Singletary in SF is not guarenteed any job next year. Holmgren already said he is leaving, and Dungy in Indy has been wavering ever since he lofted the Lombardi.
The Jets went all-out to get Favre and big things were expected, so the Mangenius should be worried if his team falls apart. Del Rio has showed signs of promise but done nothing, and Houston doesn't look so hot either. Crennel in Cleveland has disappointed again, and Marvin Lewis is the one guy I can guarentee will be ousted. That leaves Oakland and their crazy owner, KC and Edwards who has done nothing with that franchise, and Norv Turner in SD who is once again proving that he is a great O coordinator and horrible head coach. That is half the league. Some of these teams will have a upswing and the coaches will save their jobs. The Redskins can always have a downswing, but right now Zorn looks good. At least ten coaches will lose their jobs this year, two already have. Its nice to have our guy with a little job security under the ever volataile Snyder.
So Philly finally won one. Your city is still a town full of losers for losers. Congratulations, you finally won a championship the same year a black man is about to be elected President. African-Americans were oppressed for over 400 years, what was your exscuse? This does bring a point to the forefront. DC is now tied with Minneapolis as having the longest period of time without a championship while having four major sports franchises. No pressure Zorn or Ovie. And the Nattos,.......... never mind.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Smashing
Another good game yesterday. Actually, that is a lie, it was a yawnfest for the entire first half. 4 first downs through the entire first quarter is not the recipe for entertaining football. I don't mind watching a low scoring game, but for a while there it was getting ridiculous. But our defense looks good, and watching them stuff the Browns on the goal-line stand was exciting. Losing to the Rams was deppressing, but after they beat down the Cowgirls, maybe Haslett has them going in the right direction. If that guy somehow finds a way to have those guys make a run he deserves to win coach of the year even if they don't make the playoffs. In the meantime he gets my coach of the week for not only beating but smashing the Girls.
What the last two weeks have proven is that the Skins are good, but not great. Lets not get carried away, but the Giants were good but not great last year and look what they ended up with. They have to play hard, practice hard, study hard, and focus every moment for the next three and a half months if we are going to do anything big. For example, if Randle El was as good at returning punts as he was stopping drunken idiots from running onto the field, we would have great field position all of the time. I don't understand risking an NFL career tackling a guy that is not in an opposing team's uniform, but maybe it gets you out of your next ticket as the cops chasing these stupid idiots did not look like they were going to catch them until they ran out of room. But maybe we should think about putting Devin Thomas back there for a few punt returns I'd say Moss, but I don't want to risk that guy getting injured with the season he is having.
Sidenote to aforementioned drunken idiots, and not just the guys that ran onto the field, but every stupid drunken idiot that comes to Fedex every Sunday; stop. If you are falling down aisles, spitting on opposing fans, running into people at halftime because you can barely walk, talking incoherently, swearing in front of kids, fighting guys in an opposing jersey just because, or just generally acting like a jackass, this does not make you a man. I enjoy a few libations at any sporting event, but chugging a fifth of Crown Royal in Fedex's parking lot at 9 in the morning is only impressive if you can conduct yourself like a human being throughout the football game. I take a lot of pride in being a Skins fan, and the guys acting like this bring shame on the whole Redskin community and ruin the experience for everyone else that wants to watch what is shaping up to be a good season in a town that hasn't seen one in a while. If you can't handle your alchohol have a few less or watch it on TV.
In a season that looks like it will be close all year, the defense is the glue that is holding this thing together. Portis looks like the obvious MVP of the team thus far while leading the league in rushing yards and carries. I think the MVP has to come from the defense that has kept us in every game, even the Giants game. Ironically, the Giants game was his worst game. Carlos Rogers could not shut down Plax, but he has been lights out since. Since then he has shut down Desean Jackson, TO, Holt, and Edwards. He shut down Edwards by draping him, so much so that he got in his head and Braylon might as well have been the Land o Lakes girl with the hands he had. London Fletcher says he is the best corner in the NFL this year, which is great, we drafted him high so he is supposed to be able to cover the top guys. But he is not just pussyfooting around and sticking to his guy like glue. The hit he put on Cribbs yesterday must have left him wondering if Sean Taylor was still hanging around in the secondary somewhere. That guy couldn't get up for a couple of minutes, and it came from a guy who isn't all that large but is showing a lot of heart.
A win is a win, wether its all finesse or smash-mouth West Coast "ground Zorn." Zorn has these guys playing well and with heart, and the possibilities for this season are limitless. Congrats to the Rays last night as well. As always, smash the hearts of every man, woman and child in Philly.
What the last two weeks have proven is that the Skins are good, but not great. Lets not get carried away, but the Giants were good but not great last year and look what they ended up with. They have to play hard, practice hard, study hard, and focus every moment for the next three and a half months if we are going to do anything big. For example, if Randle El was as good at returning punts as he was stopping drunken idiots from running onto the field, we would have great field position all of the time. I don't understand risking an NFL career tackling a guy that is not in an opposing team's uniform, but maybe it gets you out of your next ticket as the cops chasing these stupid idiots did not look like they were going to catch them until they ran out of room. But maybe we should think about putting Devin Thomas back there for a few punt returns I'd say Moss, but I don't want to risk that guy getting injured with the season he is having.
Sidenote to aforementioned drunken idiots, and not just the guys that ran onto the field, but every stupid drunken idiot that comes to Fedex every Sunday; stop. If you are falling down aisles, spitting on opposing fans, running into people at halftime because you can barely walk, talking incoherently, swearing in front of kids, fighting guys in an opposing jersey just because, or just generally acting like a jackass, this does not make you a man. I enjoy a few libations at any sporting event, but chugging a fifth of Crown Royal in Fedex's parking lot at 9 in the morning is only impressive if you can conduct yourself like a human being throughout the football game. I take a lot of pride in being a Skins fan, and the guys acting like this bring shame on the whole Redskin community and ruin the experience for everyone else that wants to watch what is shaping up to be a good season in a town that hasn't seen one in a while. If you can't handle your alchohol have a few less or watch it on TV.
In a season that looks like it will be close all year, the defense is the glue that is holding this thing together. Portis looks like the obvious MVP of the team thus far while leading the league in rushing yards and carries. I think the MVP has to come from the defense that has kept us in every game, even the Giants game. Ironically, the Giants game was his worst game. Carlos Rogers could not shut down Plax, but he has been lights out since. Since then he has shut down Desean Jackson, TO, Holt, and Edwards. He shut down Edwards by draping him, so much so that he got in his head and Braylon might as well have been the Land o Lakes girl with the hands he had. London Fletcher says he is the best corner in the NFL this year, which is great, we drafted him high so he is supposed to be able to cover the top guys. But he is not just pussyfooting around and sticking to his guy like glue. The hit he put on Cribbs yesterday must have left him wondering if Sean Taylor was still hanging around in the secondary somewhere. That guy couldn't get up for a couple of minutes, and it came from a guy who isn't all that large but is showing a lot of heart.
A win is a win, wether its all finesse or smash-mouth West Coast "ground Zorn." Zorn has these guys playing well and with heart, and the possibilities for this season are limitless. Congrats to the Rays last night as well. As always, smash the hearts of every man, woman and child in Philly.
Friday, October 17, 2008
The good, the bad and the should bes
How great was that comeback last night? Not the Red Sox, although that was one of the most entertaining baseball games since ZimZams walkoff in the opener, but it may have been better than that one; I am a little biased. Fortunately that comeback started after the hockey game. The Caps scoring four unanswered was great to beat the Pens in the Igloo, because the division rivalries still don't seem quite as important after the league restructuring as beating those teams from PA. Theodore seemed shaky early but settled down, but we will see how he works out over the season. Johnson is always there to take over. Pitt is becoming like the Cowgirls though. You cannot get an unbiased official crew in any game that you play there. I understand protecting your stars, namely Crosby and Malkin, but the bias towards the Pens is getting ridiculous. The boarding call against Semin was without a doubt a five minute major under the new rules, not a two minute "sorry Caps you are in Pitt" that was called. The Igloo is the only place in North America where the puck can hit the back of the net and it isn't called a goal until a few minutes later. Video replay showed what the refs get paid good money to see, and then the Pens were losing so they put the time back on the clock.
The turning point in the game was Matt Bradley's fight. He got beat. Badly. But it fired the Caps up and hopefully is a metaphor for the whole year; you can knock us down, pour our blood down our faces and onto the ice but you can't beat us when we want it. And hopefully our boys want it every game. You saw what happened in Chicago last year when we took the night off with our one loss during the streak to the playoffs. The Caps are good, but not enough to take games off. They took the first 30 minutes of last night off, but showed how good they can be the last 30 minutes against a team they might contend with for the East in what would be the NHL's wet dream.
The worst thing that happened last night was Crosby's actions at the end of the game. He took a cheap shot at Ovechkin after the final horn had blown for the Caps victory. The Great 8 tried to square up with him and the Princess retreated behind the goons that are hired to protect him. Crosby forayed into the actual NHL when he sparred with Andrew Ferrence, who is all of '5 "10, and was soudly beaten by him. He was scared of physical confrontation before this, and has been ever since. Crosby didn't get his way against Alexander the Great again and threw another temper tantrum, much like five year olds do. Then, as a grown man, he was afraid to face the consequences. The NHL needs to get off this guy's bandwagon and treat him like just another player, because he isn't even a man. Peca, another guy of questionable character, just got suspended for five games for assaulting a ref. He is supposed to be a star. Suspend Croby for trying to injure OV after the game was over because he was beaten. Then suspend him again for not being man enough to face up to the Great 8, who is the cornerstone of the league and is the guy who should be protected but does not even need it. Crosby as the face of the league takes away the tough guy image the NHL has. The Great 8 makes plays, the princess whines for them.
The Skins did not make very many plays last Sunday. They came back and I thought they were going to win, epsecially after their O-lineman got the personal foul, but it was not to be. I think it is a good thing. The Giants and the Cowgirls (who are in disarray) lost so we only lost ground to the Eagles. But we are up on them. Losing to the Rams is hopefully a wakeup call that once again, a pro team in any sport can't take a day off. If we lose either of the next two weeks then maybe we start to panick a little bit. Its fun being a Skins fan right now because you can believe in them. I thought we had it won, and did not doubt it. Granted, I was wrong, but it is different from the Gibbs era where maybe we would take a 10-0 lead in the first half and then try to run out the clock for three quarters. I love Gibbs like any other Skins fan but Zorny (who I'm still horny for) seems to go for the jugular. It did not work last game where the defense seemed to fall apart inexplicably on the last drive, but if they are as good as they have shown the last few weeks this loss could be a positive. "Any given team, any given Sunday" is one of the most over-used cliches in sports. Hopefully the Skins do not take any more teams for granted, and take it to heart in a year they could potentially be great.
Getting Jake Peavy would be great as well. It just so happens he is on the trading block. He is an ace on the Padres who were in the playoffs just a few years ago. The Nats need to sign two guys who can draw people to the park. This is one of the guys. You can make a big free agent signing with CC, but Pevey is just as good. He is 27, so he fits into the whole young theme that the Nattos are going for. When the Nats start to contend he will still be under 30 (I pray God please!) The Lerners are selling the team on the notion that the prospects on the farm system are good, so trade a couple of prospects to get Jake Pevy. At least there will be 1 out of 5 games at home that you can go see a star wearing a W on his cap but not an 11 on his jersey. I think the Skins and especially the Caps might start taking away ticket sales from the Nats when we can go see the Great 8 and assortment of players Gibbs organized for Zorn. Bowden; sign baby sign!
The turning point in the game was Matt Bradley's fight. He got beat. Badly. But it fired the Caps up and hopefully is a metaphor for the whole year; you can knock us down, pour our blood down our faces and onto the ice but you can't beat us when we want it. And hopefully our boys want it every game. You saw what happened in Chicago last year when we took the night off with our one loss during the streak to the playoffs. The Caps are good, but not enough to take games off. They took the first 30 minutes of last night off, but showed how good they can be the last 30 minutes against a team they might contend with for the East in what would be the NHL's wet dream.
The worst thing that happened last night was Crosby's actions at the end of the game. He took a cheap shot at Ovechkin after the final horn had blown for the Caps victory. The Great 8 tried to square up with him and the Princess retreated behind the goons that are hired to protect him. Crosby forayed into the actual NHL when he sparred with Andrew Ferrence, who is all of '5 "10, and was soudly beaten by him. He was scared of physical confrontation before this, and has been ever since. Crosby didn't get his way against Alexander the Great again and threw another temper tantrum, much like five year olds do. Then, as a grown man, he was afraid to face the consequences. The NHL needs to get off this guy's bandwagon and treat him like just another player, because he isn't even a man. Peca, another guy of questionable character, just got suspended for five games for assaulting a ref. He is supposed to be a star. Suspend Croby for trying to injure OV after the game was over because he was beaten. Then suspend him again for not being man enough to face up to the Great 8, who is the cornerstone of the league and is the guy who should be protected but does not even need it. Crosby as the face of the league takes away the tough guy image the NHL has. The Great 8 makes plays, the princess whines for them.
The Skins did not make very many plays last Sunday. They came back and I thought they were going to win, epsecially after their O-lineman got the personal foul, but it was not to be. I think it is a good thing. The Giants and the Cowgirls (who are in disarray) lost so we only lost ground to the Eagles. But we are up on them. Losing to the Rams is hopefully a wakeup call that once again, a pro team in any sport can't take a day off. If we lose either of the next two weeks then maybe we start to panick a little bit. Its fun being a Skins fan right now because you can believe in them. I thought we had it won, and did not doubt it. Granted, I was wrong, but it is different from the Gibbs era where maybe we would take a 10-0 lead in the first half and then try to run out the clock for three quarters. I love Gibbs like any other Skins fan but Zorny (who I'm still horny for) seems to go for the jugular. It did not work last game where the defense seemed to fall apart inexplicably on the last drive, but if they are as good as they have shown the last few weeks this loss could be a positive. "Any given team, any given Sunday" is one of the most over-used cliches in sports. Hopefully the Skins do not take any more teams for granted, and take it to heart in a year they could potentially be great.
Getting Jake Peavy would be great as well. It just so happens he is on the trading block. He is an ace on the Padres who were in the playoffs just a few years ago. The Nats need to sign two guys who can draw people to the park. This is one of the guys. You can make a big free agent signing with CC, but Pevey is just as good. He is 27, so he fits into the whole young theme that the Nattos are going for. When the Nats start to contend he will still be under 30 (I pray God please!) The Lerners are selling the team on the notion that the prospects on the farm system are good, so trade a couple of prospects to get Jake Pevy. At least there will be 1 out of 5 games at home that you can go see a star wearing a W on his cap but not an 11 on his jersey. I think the Skins and especially the Caps might start taking away ticket sales from the Nats when we can go see the Great 8 and assortment of players Gibbs organized for Zorn. Bowden; sign baby sign!
Friday, October 10, 2008
The most wonderful time of the year
There is sports everywhere and it is awesome. As a Nattos fan and DC resident you have to be disappointed that the Phillies won last night. Don't despair, they are supposed to win with Hamels on the mound, and Torre always has some tricks up his sleeve. But as a Nattos fan you have to be pulling for the Rays. Before this year they had never been above .500 in the history of the franchise. Sound familiar? They have a compilation of young players and castaways that no one else wanted and no one in the league has ever heard of before. Sound familiar? And they were the worst team in the entire league last year. The Nats took that dubious honor this year. If these guys can somehow push past the Sox as they have done all year and then win the Fall Classic (which they have home field advantage for) it would be great. It wouldn't offer that much hope for Nattos but maybe just an over-optimistic glimmer after a season that offered none. Best wishes to Tampa.
Except for hockey (and football) as the puck drops tonight against division opponent Atlanta for the Caps. Barry Melrose is behind the bench for division rival Tampa and fortunately for us he was a great analyst but bad coach on his first stint. And he has a mullet. Florida and Carolina round out the division, and neither are as loaded talent-wise as the Caps. The Caps are the DC team that you can be most optimistic about going into the season. I don't think Ovechkin's numbers will be as inflated as last year because it is hard to keep that pace up, he is already a little banged up, and for the first time I disagree with Boudreau and how he is using the Great 8. He was tinkering with him in the preseason on the power play kill unit which is a mistake. If we had drafted Princess Crosby I might put him there. I understand they both have great skate speed and can close on the puck quicker. But while Crosby would duck away from a slapshot quicker than T.O. used to duck when he heard Sean Taylor's footsteps because he has never shown any toughness or grit since he joined the league. Ovechkin has too much competitive spirit to show that type of cowardice; he doesn't need the spotlight, he just needs to win. I just don't want the cornerstone of my franchise jumping in front of 100 mph plus pucks. I'd rather see him show up Crosby yet again. Fortunately we only have to wait until Thursday to see them head to head, and maybe Crosby won't be scared to drop his gloves when the reigning MVP challenges him again.
On challenges, the Skins don't have one this week. This is not neccesarily a must-win, but it is a statement game. It states wether we are a legitimate team or if Zorny has these guys overacheiving. We should blow the Rams out, they are horrible. Fedex will be rocking after two big rivalry wins; after the Giants game I literally could not give away a ticket, now I have people fighting over the same seat. If we win close, a win is a win and once again the Skins show some grit. But if we win big, then Gibbs put together a dominant squad and Zorn is utilizing them about as well as he can in such a tough division. If we lose, or get that big injury that we haven't gotten since the first day of training camp and can always happen in the NFL, this town will be dstraught again. Thats why they play the game and there a a whole slew of great games in several different sports all week. Its a good time to love sports.
Except for hockey (and football) as the puck drops tonight against division opponent Atlanta for the Caps. Barry Melrose is behind the bench for division rival Tampa and fortunately for us he was a great analyst but bad coach on his first stint. And he has a mullet. Florida and Carolina round out the division, and neither are as loaded talent-wise as the Caps. The Caps are the DC team that you can be most optimistic about going into the season. I don't think Ovechkin's numbers will be as inflated as last year because it is hard to keep that pace up, he is already a little banged up, and for the first time I disagree with Boudreau and how he is using the Great 8. He was tinkering with him in the preseason on the power play kill unit which is a mistake. If we had drafted Princess Crosby I might put him there. I understand they both have great skate speed and can close on the puck quicker. But while Crosby would duck away from a slapshot quicker than T.O. used to duck when he heard Sean Taylor's footsteps because he has never shown any toughness or grit since he joined the league. Ovechkin has too much competitive spirit to show that type of cowardice; he doesn't need the spotlight, he just needs to win. I just don't want the cornerstone of my franchise jumping in front of 100 mph plus pucks. I'd rather see him show up Crosby yet again. Fortunately we only have to wait until Thursday to see them head to head, and maybe Crosby won't be scared to drop his gloves when the reigning MVP challenges him again.
On challenges, the Skins don't have one this week. This is not neccesarily a must-win, but it is a statement game. It states wether we are a legitimate team or if Zorny has these guys overacheiving. We should blow the Rams out, they are horrible. Fedex will be rocking after two big rivalry wins; after the Giants game I literally could not give away a ticket, now I have people fighting over the same seat. If we win close, a win is a win and once again the Skins show some grit. But if we win big, then Gibbs put together a dominant squad and Zorn is utilizing them about as well as he can in such a tough division. If we lose, or get that big injury that we haven't gotten since the first day of training camp and can always happen in the NFL, this town will be dstraught again. Thats why they play the game and there a a whole slew of great games in several different sports all week. Its a good time to love sports.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Letter to Donavan McNabb
Dear Mr. NoRing,
You suck. You choke left and right through every phase of your career. People in Philly can barely stand you, and you are the biggest star that has ever dimly lit that cold, soulless crap town. They booed you when you were drafted, and they booed you last week. Yes they boo Santa Claus, but he is about as real as a Super Bowl ring will ever be on your finger. After the game against the Skins you said "I'm embarrassed the way we played the last two weeks. I believe we lost to teams we should have beaten." Go have your mommy make you some Campbell's Chunky and keep your mouth closed, because you have a million dollar arm and a ten cent head.
You were lucky to even have a chance in that game; the refs practically handed it to you. This started with the block in the back on Jackson's punt return where the flag got thrown and then picked up, because the refs got confused when talking about the flagrant foul because it involved two players wearing number 50. This put you up 14-0 against a division opponent at home. Only you could lose this game, because you lose at every important point of your career. The score should have been shifted by 14 points in total after no one touched Randle El as he sprinted to the endzone, and once again the refs seemed confused and blew the whistle when he was 20 yards past the nearest Eagle defender. For some reason every NFL game we have watched this year seems to have a major botch by the refs in it, and your game Sunday was no exception. But you got two and still could not beat the Skins. Who is the lesser team again?
As a Redskins fan, our only goal is to get in the playoffs and see what happens from there. People down here are getting mighty excited. You are 2-3 while we are 4-1. Who is the better team again? All we have to do is not finish in last place because it looks like all of the wildcards will come from the East in the NFC. Fortunately, the Skins are two games up on you with a game in hand. And then you have to come to our house. Come to think of it that might not make that big of a difference as we have won 3 of the last four in Philly, and Lincoln has basically become Fedex north. Oh yes, and your little comment about losing to a lesser team might motivate the guys that kicked you around last Sunday just a little bit more. At least if you miss the playoffs it saves you of the embarassment of maybe making a run in the playoffs and choking when it counts again.
Other than giving up a 14 point lead at home in a crucial game and then never having the ability to produce a touchdown after the first quarter I hope everything is good. Tell you Mom I said hi and thanks for the soup. I really can't wait to see you again.
Sincerely,
RJ
You suck. You choke left and right through every phase of your career. People in Philly can barely stand you, and you are the biggest star that has ever dimly lit that cold, soulless crap town. They booed you when you were drafted, and they booed you last week. Yes they boo Santa Claus, but he is about as real as a Super Bowl ring will ever be on your finger. After the game against the Skins you said "I'm embarrassed the way we played the last two weeks. I believe we lost to teams we should have beaten." Go have your mommy make you some Campbell's Chunky and keep your mouth closed, because you have a million dollar arm and a ten cent head.
You were lucky to even have a chance in that game; the refs practically handed it to you. This started with the block in the back on Jackson's punt return where the flag got thrown and then picked up, because the refs got confused when talking about the flagrant foul because it involved two players wearing number 50. This put you up 14-0 against a division opponent at home. Only you could lose this game, because you lose at every important point of your career. The score should have been shifted by 14 points in total after no one touched Randle El as he sprinted to the endzone, and once again the refs seemed confused and blew the whistle when he was 20 yards past the nearest Eagle defender. For some reason every NFL game we have watched this year seems to have a major botch by the refs in it, and your game Sunday was no exception. But you got two and still could not beat the Skins. Who is the lesser team again?
As a Redskins fan, our only goal is to get in the playoffs and see what happens from there. People down here are getting mighty excited. You are 2-3 while we are 4-1. Who is the better team again? All we have to do is not finish in last place because it looks like all of the wildcards will come from the East in the NFC. Fortunately, the Skins are two games up on you with a game in hand. And then you have to come to our house. Come to think of it that might not make that big of a difference as we have won 3 of the last four in Philly, and Lincoln has basically become Fedex north. Oh yes, and your little comment about losing to a lesser team might motivate the guys that kicked you around last Sunday just a little bit more. At least if you miss the playoffs it saves you of the embarassment of maybe making a run in the playoffs and choking when it counts again.
Other than giving up a 14 point lead at home in a crucial game and then never having the ability to produce a touchdown after the first quarter I hope everything is good. Tell you Mom I said hi and thanks for the soup. I really can't wait to see you again.
Sincerely,
RJ
Friday, October 3, 2008
Cautiously optimistic, but kind of?
OK so the "maroon and black" comment is forgiven. So is opening week against the Giants that threw us into despair. We are all now officially horny for Zorny. He coached a hell of a game against the best team in the country during the regular season, and beat them up good. He even showed flexibility from his version of the West Coast offense, running Thrash in motion (which almost bit them in the butt when he slipped on the crap Texas Stadium turf while doing so) and making him the only receiving option as Campbell tossed it to him in the corner of the endzone. Zorn's offense counts on multiple receiving options (which Campbell doesn't always see) and it was nice to see him veer away from his own philosophy to win a game. But not just any game, but Dallas, in Dallas, for (maybe) the last time in Texas Stadium.
I say maybe because Dallas is still the best team in the league unfortunately. If we can sneak into the playoffs, Dallas is still more likely, due to the talent on the team, to win the East and have homefield advantage. (I'd love for the Skins to close down that stadium in January.)Fortunately for us, a lot of Dallas' players are as crazy as Jerry Jones, Snyder, and Al Davis. TO complaining about not getting the ball enough even though a third of their plays went to him and a run game with two of the most talented backs in the league got nothing going is great for the self-destruction of Dallas. Tank Johnson having to be physically restrained from going after Rock Cartwright as he danced on that stupid star after the game, narrowly avoiding another suspension in a third strike you are out league, is great for the self-destruction of Dallas. Wade Phillips looking lost the entire game, sending 12 guys onto the field after a timeout for a field goal, completely getting out-coached against their biggest rival who happens to have a rookie coach, and not being able to control your biggest stars from getting so angry that they take out their angst in front of the media is great for the self-destruction of Dallas.
Unfortunately for us, the Bengals are one of the best teams to play against while trying to get out of a (1 game) funk. Dallas might self-destruct, but its not likely at this junction. The Skins might beat Philly in what should be an easier game than last week but we will see. I'm excited about being 3-1, I'm excited Wilbon thinks we are the second best team in the pros next to the Giants, and I'm even more excited about the potential that Zorn and Campbell have. However, the last time we were 3-1 we had just beaten the Pats for the last time that season before they ran the table en route to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. Under Spurrier we finished 5-11 that year. The consensus is if we beat Philly in Philly we should mow down the Rams, Browns, and Lions to end up 7-1. I remember heading up to Rich Stadium in Buffalo to play what was supposed to be an inferior Bills team that beat us while Norv Turner was the coach to go 7-1. We didn't make the playoffs that year either.
The point is last week was awesome and everyone should enjoy it. There is still 3/4s of the season left to go, not counting the ultimate goal, in which case we are only 4/5s of the way through. A lot can happen. Hopefully our boys, mostly veterans, can keep focus every week whether they are playing the Cowgirls our the Lions. Hopefully the cracks are starting to show in the nutcases that Jerry Jones has brought on board down south. They should get a win this week but at some point it has to burst. There is no point in getting to excited, I can sympathize with Cubs fans; somehow the Skins always seem to screw things up. But if you have lost your job, the wife is sleeping with the neighbor, you wrecked our car, lost your wallet and your dog died it is ok as long as it takes place the week after beating Dallas. Dammit it feels so good.
What did not feel good after waking up to read the Post Monday morning and reveling in the Skins victory was the article on the Nats hierarchy. Apprarently Kasten is mad at the Lerners for not spending enough money. This is crap because they have made a fair share and have an (almost) free stadium. As crazy as Snyder is at least he will spend money after he has lifted the fans wallet. ( If anyone gives any credit to Snyder or Cerrato for this recent but brief success they are crazy. This is the team Gibbs built and took to the playoffs last year. The concern was if a rookie coach would be a dropoff in the toughest division in the league. So far Zorn has done well with Gibbs' players while Cerrato did nothing. Case in point is the "go up and grab it" pass to Moss in the corner of the endzone despite just having drafted Thomas at 6'2" and Kelly at 6'4". The Skins settled for a fieldgoal. Moss had a great game, but at 5'9", maybe one of the big receivers would have been better to go to on that play. Or maybe Fred Davis, who got nothing as the backup to Cooley, but Todd Yoder did, to the tune of six points. Cerrato and Danny have still done nothing, maybe Gibbs set up a chance for Zorny.)
But at least Snyder will spend money after raiding his team's fans wallets. The Lerners have to spend money or else risking losing a fan base that is last in the bigs in TV and radio ratings and has the worst attendance for a inaugural year at a ballpark since the early 90s. But how are they not getting along with Kasten? And how is Kasten not getting along with Bowden? And how is Bowden not getting along with Acta? And are the players not getting along with Acta but not saying anything about Acta because there is the "super-secret ballplayer code" that they all adhere to about the skip? Guess what this kind of disconnect gets you. A 102 loss season and it is hard to watch. Cubs fans are abandoning their team in droves because they are down 0-2 in the series. Do you know what diehard Nattos fans would do to be in that position? Watch every game of a 102 loss season for one. Some of us are buying optimism for the future, but with a disconnect from the top to the bottom it makes things tougher. The Nats finished as the worst team in the league so we get the first pick in the draft. We got the ninth pick overall last year but could not sign him because of a $500,000 dispute in contract negotiations. If we can't even sign the top picks there isn't even a point to being this bad because the few advantages that league rules provide us do nothing for us unless we pay some cash. Even if the Lerners decide to pay the top pick in the draft this year we won't see the guy for a couple of years. Sign 2 stars in the meantime and make some memories in the brand new park. They might not be there when we go to the classic but just ask the Cubs, it doesn't happen that frequently. Give us something to watch! Its a future that can be huge for the Nattos. In the meantime as a Skins fan don't forget the past. No one was happier than I last Sunday. Lets hope Zorny, despite the fact that he did not know the team colors when he was hired, can make a brighter future for DC sports. This town has been waiting 17 years for something like that.
I say maybe because Dallas is still the best team in the league unfortunately. If we can sneak into the playoffs, Dallas is still more likely, due to the talent on the team, to win the East and have homefield advantage. (I'd love for the Skins to close down that stadium in January.)Fortunately for us, a lot of Dallas' players are as crazy as Jerry Jones, Snyder, and Al Davis. TO complaining about not getting the ball enough even though a third of their plays went to him and a run game with two of the most talented backs in the league got nothing going is great for the self-destruction of Dallas. Tank Johnson having to be physically restrained from going after Rock Cartwright as he danced on that stupid star after the game, narrowly avoiding another suspension in a third strike you are out league, is great for the self-destruction of Dallas. Wade Phillips looking lost the entire game, sending 12 guys onto the field after a timeout for a field goal, completely getting out-coached against their biggest rival who happens to have a rookie coach, and not being able to control your biggest stars from getting so angry that they take out their angst in front of the media is great for the self-destruction of Dallas.
Unfortunately for us, the Bengals are one of the best teams to play against while trying to get out of a (1 game) funk. Dallas might self-destruct, but its not likely at this junction. The Skins might beat Philly in what should be an easier game than last week but we will see. I'm excited about being 3-1, I'm excited Wilbon thinks we are the second best team in the pros next to the Giants, and I'm even more excited about the potential that Zorn and Campbell have. However, the last time we were 3-1 we had just beaten the Pats for the last time that season before they ran the table en route to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. Under Spurrier we finished 5-11 that year. The consensus is if we beat Philly in Philly we should mow down the Rams, Browns, and Lions to end up 7-1. I remember heading up to Rich Stadium in Buffalo to play what was supposed to be an inferior Bills team that beat us while Norv Turner was the coach to go 7-1. We didn't make the playoffs that year either.
The point is last week was awesome and everyone should enjoy it. There is still 3/4s of the season left to go, not counting the ultimate goal, in which case we are only 4/5s of the way through. A lot can happen. Hopefully our boys, mostly veterans, can keep focus every week whether they are playing the Cowgirls our the Lions. Hopefully the cracks are starting to show in the nutcases that Jerry Jones has brought on board down south. They should get a win this week but at some point it has to burst. There is no point in getting to excited, I can sympathize with Cubs fans; somehow the Skins always seem to screw things up. But if you have lost your job, the wife is sleeping with the neighbor, you wrecked our car, lost your wallet and your dog died it is ok as long as it takes place the week after beating Dallas. Dammit it feels so good.
What did not feel good after waking up to read the Post Monday morning and reveling in the Skins victory was the article on the Nats hierarchy. Apprarently Kasten is mad at the Lerners for not spending enough money. This is crap because they have made a fair share and have an (almost) free stadium. As crazy as Snyder is at least he will spend money after he has lifted the fans wallet. ( If anyone gives any credit to Snyder or Cerrato for this recent but brief success they are crazy. This is the team Gibbs built and took to the playoffs last year. The concern was if a rookie coach would be a dropoff in the toughest division in the league. So far Zorn has done well with Gibbs' players while Cerrato did nothing. Case in point is the "go up and grab it" pass to Moss in the corner of the endzone despite just having drafted Thomas at 6'2" and Kelly at 6'4". The Skins settled for a fieldgoal. Moss had a great game, but at 5'9", maybe one of the big receivers would have been better to go to on that play. Or maybe Fred Davis, who got nothing as the backup to Cooley, but Todd Yoder did, to the tune of six points. Cerrato and Danny have still done nothing, maybe Gibbs set up a chance for Zorny.)
But at least Snyder will spend money after raiding his team's fans wallets. The Lerners have to spend money or else risking losing a fan base that is last in the bigs in TV and radio ratings and has the worst attendance for a inaugural year at a ballpark since the early 90s. But how are they not getting along with Kasten? And how is Kasten not getting along with Bowden? And how is Bowden not getting along with Acta? And are the players not getting along with Acta but not saying anything about Acta because there is the "super-secret ballplayer code" that they all adhere to about the skip? Guess what this kind of disconnect gets you. A 102 loss season and it is hard to watch. Cubs fans are abandoning their team in droves because they are down 0-2 in the series. Do you know what diehard Nattos fans would do to be in that position? Watch every game of a 102 loss season for one. Some of us are buying optimism for the future, but with a disconnect from the top to the bottom it makes things tougher. The Nats finished as the worst team in the league so we get the first pick in the draft. We got the ninth pick overall last year but could not sign him because of a $500,000 dispute in contract negotiations. If we can't even sign the top picks there isn't even a point to being this bad because the few advantages that league rules provide us do nothing for us unless we pay some cash. Even if the Lerners decide to pay the top pick in the draft this year we won't see the guy for a couple of years. Sign 2 stars in the meantime and make some memories in the brand new park. They might not be there when we go to the classic but just ask the Cubs, it doesn't happen that frequently. Give us something to watch! Its a future that can be huge for the Nattos. In the meantime as a Skins fan don't forget the past. No one was happier than I last Sunday. Lets hope Zorny, despite the fact that he did not know the team colors when he was hired, can make a brighter future for DC sports. This town has been waiting 17 years for something like that.
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