The Road to the Super Bowl Goes through Chicago

I've been saying it to friends for at least three weeks now.  The Bears are the best team in the NFL.  It's not Matty Ice and the Dirty Birds, or Tom Brady leading the young Pats; it's Jay Cutler, Devin Hester, Julius Peppers and Da Bears.

 

The first piece of evidence in the other direction most people will point to is the drubbing that New England put on Chicago last week.  The answer is this: clearly, New England knows how to play in the snow (they've won their last 11 games played in the white stuff).  What did Chicago do after the game?  Lovie Smith rallied the troops, turned around, went outdoors on the road on Monday Night Football, and laid a 40-14 beat down on their division rivals, and possibly ended Brett Favre's career in the process.

 

This Bears team is built for the playoffs.  Matt Forte can run over opposing defenses while the Bears shut down the run and dare an NFC team to throw it in Chicago.  Jay Cutler has taken big strides this year and cannot only manage the game, but produce key plays when necessary.  And then there's Devin Hester, the NFL's all-time leader in return touchdowns, who can change the game and swing the momentum at any moment.

 

Since the challenging disaster game against Washington, Chicago has been building steam moving toward the playoffs winning six of their last seven games.  The Bears have put themselves in position to host at least one playoff game, if not two, and have claimed their first division title since 2006, a season they went to the Super Bowl.

 

The game against the Patriots can be thrown out the window.  New England isn't nearly as good as they looked that day, and the Bears clearly aren't as bad as they looked that day.  On a neutral, enclosed field in February, the Bears are the team that can manage the game and knock a team like New England off.  The Bears are the team to beat in the NFL right now, and there may not be any teams up to the task.

Down and Out

There will be no Tony Romo miracles this season.  There will be no team scared to come in to Dallas, even in the primetime, and take on the oh-so-talented Cowboys.  No, this year, it will be nothing but misery for the Dallas faithful.

As if there was any glimmer of hope for Dallas after their 1-4 start to the year, the door was shut on that glimmer as Tony Romo was slammed to the turf last night and the 2010 season was, in effect, officially over for the Cowboys.  Even as Dez Bryant took one back to the house, anyone watching could see that Giants were completely man handling Dallas.

For a team that appears to be one of the most talented in the league it is dumbfounding how they are one of, if not the worst team in the NFC on the field.  One has to look obviously at Wade Phillips and Jason Garrett.  These are two men not fit to lead any team, and it has become very apparent lately that Garrett is not someone to be entrusted with offensive play calling.  Now the question is: Where do the 'Boys go from here?

Enter Jon Kitna.  Before last night, the man had not taken a regular season snap in over two seasons.  Now he is in charge of leading the Dallas offense on a comeback, a task that not even Tony Romo was up to par for.  With Romo, Dallas was competitive.  With Kitna, Dallas may become the whipping boy in the NFC.

At the end of the night, fans of all NFC East teams rejoiced.  No one (no one with half a brain anyway) was concerned about the Giants being one game up on the Eagles and Redskins.  The only real, half-worry, was that a talented Dallas team could potentially begin to revive its season on Monday night.  Now the Cowboys are left for dead, and the Giants, Eagles and Redskins are left to battle it out for the NFC East title. 

No Surprise: Ovechkin Delivers the Dagger

As I watched the Caps game last night, I had a real sense of calm.  At no point did I get mad or upset, at no point did I scream for the Caps to do more.  Last night just had that feeling that there was no way Washington would be denied.

Last night I knew we had the best offense in the league.  And I knew we had the greatest player in the league.  The Caps were not going to let Ottawa come into D.C. and leave with a victory.  And even as the final minutes ticked down, I knew they would find a way to win.

When the first score was pumped in I was excited.  But as we sat at the bar watching the game, my friend turned around to see the score was now 1-1.  "When did it get tied up?  I never saw you freak out," he said.  "No need to," I replied, "we're going to win this game."

The Caps continued to stymie the Senators on power plays and ended regulation with a tied game.  Even though the game was going to overtime, I was confident.  The clock ticked to 90 seconds left in OT, and my roommate commented that it looked like the game was going to shoot out.  I said that there was still plenty of time for this offense.

And then with under a minute to play, who else but Alex Ovechkin blasts one through the five-hole from the right side of the ice.  The game was over, the Caps won, and I had never worried about it for a second.

When you have the best player in the league who happens to be a part of one of the best offenses, it relaxes you as a fan (at least until the playoffs).  Monday night is Ovie to the rescue, and I am sure before the season is over, he will have many more daggers to deliver to then entire league.

Well Coached Teams Find a Way to Win

Anthony Armstrong.  Brandon Banks.  Ryan Torain

Many people may not know who these players are, and for good reason.  They are either brand new to the NFL or have never done anything worth mentioning.  But yesterday, these three men lead the way at FedExField to an upset over the Green Bay Packers.

It was Ryan Torain who paved the open holes with his bruising runs.  It was Brandon Banks establishing himself as a legitimate threat on punt returns, continuously giving the Redskins great field position.  And it was Anthony Armstrong's spectacular grabs that put Washington in a position to win the game.

Shanahan has proven through five games that you do not need an all-star cast in the NFL to win games.  The 'Skins were the more disciplined team, committing only four penalties to the Packers nine.  Washington won the turnover battle.  The defense's 'bend but don't break' mentality is a testament to defensive coordinator Jim Haslett.

When Brandon Jackson took off on a long run, defenders didn't give up on the play, and it saved a touchdown.  With a third and goal from inches away, the 'Skins defense stuffed a quarterback sneak, and were not fooled when the Packers tried a pass on fourth down.  They didn't give up the big scoring plays, and when they needed a turnover, that's exactly what they got.

The results speak for themselves.  In five weeks the Redskins have beaten Dallas, Philadelphia and Green Bay.  They have held those teams to seven, twelve, and thirteen points respectively.  That is the sign of a well coached team.

The Redskins will be tested again this week by Peyton Manning and the Colts.  But the game is at home and on Sunday night, so you have to feel good about the chances to win.  A win here could allow us to legitimately start thinking playoffs.  And I'll take this Shanahan coached team against anyone right now.

As for Dallas fans: I hope your necks aren't too strained looking up the standings at the first place Washington Redskins.

Locks and Shocks - October 9th and 10th

Last week I was listening to sports radio and on one of my favorite shows, the guys were discussing what the easy wins of that weekend were going to be, and what team's were going to shock the nation. I ended up talking with one of my roommates about this, which led to our own discussion of that weekend's slate of games. Turns out I got a couple of them right, which led me to the decision to have a weekly post on my own "locks and shocks" of the weekend. So without further ado...

College Football:
This weekend has some great rivalry match-ups on the slate. Michigan-Michigan State is always intense, and the rivalry between Florida State and Miami should reach a fever pitch tonight. Usually when you are only making a few picks, it's good to stay away from a rivalry, but I won't shy away here.

LOCK: #18 Michigan over #17 Michigan State...Forget the fact that the game is in The Big House. All you need to know are two words: Denard Robinson. The Spartans won't contain Robinson, heck, they may not even touch him.

SHOCK: Oregon State over #9 Arizona...They are traveling to the Wildcats house, but it won't matter. I like Arizona, they're a very likable team. But their ranking is inflated by wins over not-so-good schools, and Oregon State has been the victim of a tough opening schedule. Oregon State is better than you think, and they'll show it with a big upset in Arizona tonight.

NFL:
Talk about tough match-ups. Show me where there are any locks this week. There is such parity in the NFL this year that it's hard to know if anyone will definitely win each week.

LOCK: Cincinnati over Tampa Bay...The Bengals had a tough loss last week at lowly Cleveland. But T.O. had a huge day, and the team will be hungry for a quick rebound this week. This one may get ugly quick.

SHOCK: Washington over Green Bay...It's tough to pick, because it's been a mystery which Redskins defense will show up each week. That's really what it comes down to. The offense will do just enough, and the crowd at FedExField will be enough of a factor this week to complicate Aaron Rodgers life. The defense shows up big, and the Redskins put this one away in the fourth quarter.

HORN, HORN, HORN!

It's official.  The pre-season is over, the red is out, and the horn is back.  The path to Lord Stanley's cup begins tonight for the Caps in Atlanta.

It may still feel early in the fall for hockey season to be starting, but for many Caps fans the opportunity to put last year's playoff debacle behind them cannot come soon enough.  With a new season comes new hope.  Every year there is cause for excitement in D.C. while Ovechkin is here.  Washington is sure to make the playoffs, but how far can they make it this time?  As we saw last year, being the best team in the regular season means nothing.

For Coach Boudreau, he has to know that he is on the hot seat this year.  Washington fans cannot take another year of playoff disappointment, and with the tools he has if Boudreau can't get them over the hump this year, it will be time to find someone who can.

The team did not have a massive overhaul in the off-season after last year's first round disappointment; and for good reason.  While glaring mistakes may have shown against Montreal, what the boys did for the seven months prior to that should not be discredited.  The offense was unreal last season.  A lot of us (myself including) were quick to hop on Alexander Semin for a terrible playoff series, but the man had the hot stick in the regular season, and getting rid of him would have been just plain silly.

It's still football season, and on Saturday's and Sunday's I'll still live and die with the Terps and Redskins.  But I sure as heck cannot wait to see Ovie and Semin pumping pucks into the net.  I'm ready to watch Greenie and Poti wreak havoc on opposing forwards.  I'm excited to see faces of depression as Semyon Varlamov stone walls opposing teams.  And when the team comes back for their home opener on Saturday, I can't wait for the first Ovie goal and for him to go flying into the boards in celebration.

Hockey season is officially back.  C-A-P-S Caps, Caps, Caps!

For the 'Skins, It's a 7-10 Split

The Washington Redskins are 2-2 and sitting atop the NFC East.  After a great opening win and two disappointing losses, the 'Skins got an emotional victory in Philly to pull in to first place for at least a week.

For Washington, the next two weeks will go a long way in shaping the rest of the season.  In two straight weeks the Redskins must now face Green Bay and Indianapolis; two high powered offenses.  It may not be as bad as it seems though.

The defense was shredded in back-to-back weeks by the Texans and rookie QB Sam Bradford of the Rams.  But these are sandwiched between performances where the Redskins allowed less than 14 points, including completely taking Desean Jackson and Jeremy Macklin out of the game against the Eagles.

More than likely, this bipolar defense will have a letdown at least one game against these offenses.  But if they can step up one game they can pick up a difficult, much needed split.  3-3 after six weeks including games against Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, Green Bay and Indianapolis wouldn't be terrible with this much parity in the NFL.  It is also critical (and good for the 'Skins) that both games are at home, including a Sunday Night Football game against the Colts.

Completing the sweep would be difficult, and being swept would be devastating.  But picking up a split here may be the extra push the Redskins need if 2010 is to be a playoff year in D.C.

In Shanahan We Trust

The Washington Redskins are 1-2 and if you listened to fans in the D.C. area you might think that the apocalypse is coming.

When the Redskins beat Dallas fans went into a frenzy.  Shanahan had righted the ship in one off-season and it was time to stick it to the rest of the NFC East.  Then the Redskins blew a huge lead against Texans in a game where McNabb had a banner day, and then looked hungover and lethargic against the Rams in St. Louis.  The one good thing is that at least the rest of the division is still looking pretty down at the moment.

If any of us thought this was a Super Bowl team this year we were foolish to begin with.  Mike Shanahan was handed the keys to and old, beat-up, broken down car.  This is a team that went just 4-12 a season ago.  While he was able to plug some holes, it was unrealistic to think he could address every team need in one off-season.  The fact that they were able to beat Dallas shows that Shanahan can get anyone to play for him, but to win consistently; he will need to upgrade the talent on both sides of the ball again next off-season.

At 1-2 the season is not over.  No one is predicting a Super Bowl, but with the way the division is shaping up right now, a playoff appearance is not out of the realm of possibility.  McNabb will be fired up to play at Philadelphia which will be an emotional, hard fought game.  Afterwards the 'Skins are faced with Green Bay and Indianapolis, two tough opponents, but both opponents they get at home; Indy being on Sunday Night Football.

The season isn't over, the franchise isn't in disarray, and the world is not coming to an end.  If anything, Shanahan is getting to evaluate everyone in meaningful games so that he can make the key changes to move forward in 2011.  We just have to trust that Shanahan knows what he is doing.

Stern Tells Arenas to Keep Quiet

NBA Commissioner David Stern views Gilbert Arenas' gun incident in the Washington Wizard's locker room last year as a black eye for the NBA. Stern is so upset about the occurrence apparently that he has issued a gag order for Arenas and the Wizards organization. Neither party is to talk about the incident in public anymore.

When Arenas was originally charged with his crime, everyone wanted to jump down his throat right away. We were all quick to crucify him and wish that he wouldn't be allowed to play in the NBA, hope for jail time, and some us even hoped the NBA would allow the Wizards to void his contract.

I'm not saying what Arenas did was okay, but we have allowed superstars to come back from much worse. If a star athlete was coming back from a drug addiction or a battle with alcohol abuse we would allow him to talk about his comeback in the public eye. He would be able to describe the difficulty of the battle, how he'd learned the error of his ways, and how he was going to show us he was a changed man.

Why is it any different with Arenas? The man knows now that what he did was wrong. He served his time, even if it was entirely too short. We all attacked him in the public spotlight; why shouldn't Arenas have the same opportunity to redeem himself in that same light?

Commissioners make some awful decisions sometimes, but issuing a gag order on a player coming back from something that was extremely difficult for him and allowed him to be made an example of in the spotlight has to be near the top. All it has done is make the issue seem even bigger than it was and force Arenas to not defend himself while he continues to be vilified by the public and press.

Putting It All in Perspective

It's not time to jump off the ship just yet.  Over Saturday and Sunday night there was a lot of talk about drastic changes that needed to be made to both the Terps and Redskins after their losses this weekend.  Everyone that was so high a week ago now seems to think the apocalypse is coming.  We all just need to take a step back and look at the situation.

Both the Terps and Redskins had some defensive lapses this weekend.  Both teams gave up big yards, but both defenses also had takeaways that put their team in great position to score.  In the second half of the Terps game, and for most of the Redskins game, the offenses were clicking.  They had moments (for the Redskins more than the Terps) where they looked like they knew what they were doing going straight down the field.

All is not lost in the first couple of weeks of the season.  For the Terps, I was so jazzed about beating Navy because they were a good team in my mind.  And when we laid 62 on Morgan State, I thought 'this is what a good team does to bad teams'.  The Terps lost on the road to a Top 25 team in a hostile environment and still made a game of it in the second half after going down big.  They still come home for FIU and Duke, and when you look at it all, the Terps can very well be 4-1 and 1-0 heading into the bye week.

The Redskins win over Dallas had me giddy all week.  It was such an emotional win that you had to feel as if a letdown was inevitable.  That kind of emotion and fire is hard to match for 16 games.  But the Redskins surprised everyone and came out firing on all cylinders en route to a 27-10 lead over the Texans.  Yes, the defense faltered in the end, and a few plays didn't bounce our way, but we now know the 'Skins offense can put points on the board.  Washington won't see anything as good as the Houston offense every week, and this week they can get back on track against St. Louis.  Besides, there's a three team log jam at the top of the NFC East right now.

At the end of the day, both teams are only two or three weeks into the season.  Both teams have looked very good at times.  The Terps and Redskins have opponents they should bounce back against this week and everyone can remember why we had such optimism and faith early on in the first place.  September 20^th is a little early to start hitting the panic button.

Country Roads, Take Me Home...

Finally, road trip season is back.  All week the anticipation for today's road trip to Morgantown has been building.  Today it's overflowing the pot.  I am at work and literally cannot wait for 2:05 to come so I can run to my car and begin the trek to West Virginia.

Any fan who has ever gone on a legitimate road trip knows just how fun they can be.  Today is a short trip; maybe four hours.  Driving in the car with friends listening to music and getting pumped up for the next day's game as we drive through the western interstate lined with trees overflowing with color changing leaves.  Getting into enemy territory, grabbing a bite and then invading their favorite bars.  This is all part of the fun of the road trip.

Tomorrow we will wake up early from a presumably rough night, and hit the parking lots at 6:30 a.m. to let the real fun begin.  There is not much more fun to be had than tailgating with fellow Terps' fans in the opponent's area and talking trash to each other about the impending doom.  We will get to walk to the stadium, have insults hurled at us and maybe even a few full beers thrown our way.  But we'll be in a sea of red walking up together, chanting the Maryland Victory Song and waving our flags proudly.

Every road trip along the way gets filled with certain memories to carry forever; even if it's not dealing with the game itself.  There was the time we drove 12 hours each way to Georgia Tech in a span of about two days in a two-door Saturn with four guys piled in.  The time we heard "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon at least ten times during a Wake Forest road trip.  There's the first Clemson trip where we slept in a house with no heat and no furniture, and a second Clemson trip where we invaded the bars on Friday….at 2 p.m.  (It helped we've ripped their hearts out both times)

Anytime someone questions whether or not to go on a road trip, I always try to push them in the 'yes' direction.  Even if the game doesn't go the way of your team, there are sure to be memorable moments that will stay with you forever.

I'm literally pacing in my classroom, waiting for the final class to come and go.  I'm excited to hit the road, and excited to watch the Terps take down our hated rivals en route to a 3-0 record.  Thank goodness road trip season is back.

Why I HATE Dallas

Hate is a strong word. A very strong word. The use of it is usually inappropriate in almost any context. There are very few things in this world that when it boils right down to it anybody really hates. To hate something is to detest it. If you hate something you cannot stand the look of it, the thought of it, and especially seeing or being around it. With all that being said...

...I HATE DALLAS.

There is nothing more in this world that I feel a pure, absolute hatred toward than the Dallas Cowboys. Just thinking of that team makes my blood boil. The sight of their colors sends me into a rage that is borderline unacceptable of a sports fan. Their players are disgusting primadonna's and their fans are ignorant of anything to do with football.

Besides the rivalry on the field, which I still claim is the best in any professional sport, fans of Dallas that live in the DMV are something that really gets my hatred accelerated into fifth gear. How someone can live in this area their entire life and root for Dallas is beyond comprehensible. They have lived here forever, yet the proclaim their love for a city they know nothing about. They have no link to the city or anything to do with the team, and most likely have never visited that area. But damn if they won't claim their undying love for the team and let you know how beneath them you really are.

My favorite claim by Dallas' organization: America's Team. Says who? When was there a decision that Dallas, Texas would represent the United States as our best and favorite team? Hell no. Where is Dallas on the grand stage of America? Does anyone ever talk about Dallas except for when Tony Romo is dating a new singer? No. Last I checked, the NATION'S CAPITAL has a team. I would not expect Dallas fans to necessarily understand that logically though. The team that represents the capital of the free world should definitely never be "America's Team"...

...Finally, the Dallas Cowboy colors. VOMIT. I'm not sure what made Dallas think that the white on a hideous shade of a silverish color looked awesome, but news flash: it doesn't. It looks terrible. And for the couple of games where the ugly blue jersey is on; it still looks horrendous. There is nothing appealing about the Dallas uniform. It's disgusting, it's ugly, and there's nothing about it that makes me ever want to look something that hideous again...

There are two weeks out of the year that I have trouble keeping my emotions for football in check. They are the week Dallas comes to Washington, and the week Washington goes to Dallas. I'm sure many Redskins fans will echo it, but for me, I mean it in the most literal way possible: I HATE DALLAS.

Undefeated And It Feels So Good

The Terps are 1-0.  It sure does feel good to say that.  Undefeated.  For one week at least we can say that Maryland Football is undefeated for the 2010 season.

And with saying that, with that reality comes at least one more week of dreaming of what could be.  Surely the Terps should handle Morgan State this Saturday.  Teams from the FCS sub-division may have given them fits in the past, but the Terps do not usually lose those games.  And with a team that just beat Navy there's no reason to think they will start now.

 

Now the dreams really take shape.  One begins to believe in what could become a magical season.  Seemingly all that stands in the way of being 5-0 heading to a road game at Clemson is a game against West Virginia.  Morgan State, Florida International, and Duke are all cream puffs and should be easy home victories for the Terps.  West Virginia isn't really that scary this year, they just have home field advantage.  It's a toss-up game that now has cautiously optimistic fans thinking 'hey, we CAN do this.'

 

The passing game was non-existent on Monday.  The defense did a lot of bending and gave up a ton of rushing yards.  But the offense also screamed out to a 14-0 lead early.  The special teams units looked good.  When Navy was in the red zone, time after time they failed to put any points on the board.  And when it really mattered, on fourth and goal at the one yard line with the game on the line, it was the Terps that came up with the big play.

 

So give me my positive aspects, give me the win over a solid Navy squad, and give me my dreams of an ACC Championship season.  Because Maryland football is undefeated; and it really does feel good to say that.

That Sinking Feeling...Again

Nothing can come close in reality to the dagger Korie Lucious threw in to Terrapin's fans hearts last March. But last night felt pretty darn bad, and it was Michigan State delivering the blow to Maryland again, this time in soccer.

Maryland played terribly all game and trailed 2-0 for most of it deservedly. The Terps could not finish chances, they could not play any defense on the back line, and All-World goalkeeper Zac MacMath had what may have been his worst game in goal as a Terp.

And then with under fifteen minutes left, all hell broke loose at Ludwig Field.

The Terps somehow came up with goal off of an awarded penalty kick and a scissor-kick goal within minutes of each other. Suddenly, after trailing by two for the entire game, the Terps had salvaged a draw at least, and one had to feel good about the chances to score a goal in extra time for a win.

Maryland didn't wait for extra time when they added one more with under a minute to play in regulation. Cue pandemonium in the stands. People falling over, everyone screaming, objects flying, and men embracing more than some should. Life was good.

Goal, Michigan State. Nine seconds later.

The rest is history as the Terps missed a golden opportunity in extra time which was immediately turned around down the field with a floating, golden goal for the Spartans.

At the end of the day, it's not the end of the season. It's one game. But as my buddy Stro pointed out, the Terps seem to have a way of going in the post-season as their opening game of the year goes. Everyone is to blame. All of the players were pretty poor in performance, and though Sasho has brought two national championships to Maryland, he has to get some of the blame for not being able to have a team focused and composed enough to close out a game with under a minute left, much less a direct goal in nine seconds.

As that final goal floated through the air, I could not help but have that same disgusting, sinking feeling as I did when Lucious daggered Maryland back in March, even if it didn't mean nearly as much. There's nothing to do now but put the trust in Sasho to right the ship and refocus the team, which he will. Sunday will be a completely different story.

U.S. Soccer Accepts Mediocrity

Let it not be said that the United States Soccer Federation strives for greatness. Let it not be said any longer that the goal of the U.S. Men's National Team is to become World Champions. The USSF sent a statement loud and clear this week when they decided to retain Bob Bradley as the head coach through the 2014 World Cup: U.S. soccer is okay with being mediocre.

Bradley coached a team that virtually played from behind the entire World Cup this summer. The team was gassed by the end of the Round of 16 match with Ghana from having to press so hard for so long each game. Even reaching the Round of 16 this year was incredible, considering it took a miracle goal from Dempsey versus England (can anyone still believe 'Calamity James' let that in?) and another heart-stopping final second goal from Donovan in the final group stage game to advance.

Bradley was unwise with his selections for the national team, and deserves all of the criticism in the world for his use of Robbie Findley in the World Cup.

Bradley gets credit for the U.S.'s appearance in the 2009 Confederations Cup Final (another ridiculous miracle in and of itself considering what it took in the final group stage games to reach the semifinals). You know what else he needs to get credit for? Getting absolutely EMBARRASSED by Mexico in the last Gold Cup Final. It doesn't matter if it wasn't the starting squad, getting smashed into pieces like that by any country, much less Mexico should be grounds for being fired on the spot.

What has Bradley done to earn his keep another four years? How has he shown himself to be the man to take the U.S. over the top and really, truly compete for a World Championship in 2014? He hasn't. And that's the problem: the USSF is just fine accepting mediocrity.

Tuesday Grab Bag

Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren finalized their divorce on Monday. The two will split custody of their children, and Elin will get a substantial amount of money from Woods. It's a good thing Tiger went through that embarrassing sexual therapy. Considering there was never a point where it seemed like he and Elin would work things out, it makes you wonder why he would put himself through the public embarrassment. Hopefully this all means the 'real' Tiger will be back contending for titles in the grand slams next year...

...Albert Haynesworth is still complaining about playing time in D.C. The defensive lineman did not participate in any of the Redskin's practices last week and played with the second string defense in Saturday night's pre-season tilt against Baltimore. Haynesworth only participated in five of the team's practices during the duration of training camp. It's funny, Albert can find the time and energy to complain about his playing time, but can't get himself into shape or hydrate himself enough during the summer heat to compete in the same practices all of his teammates having been practicing hard in for the past month...

...Kwame Brown has been reunited with Michael Jordan. The former first overall draft pick signed a one-year contract for the veteran minimum with Charlotte on Monday. Brown is now back with the man who he was originally teamed with in Washington. Remember? The same MJ that made Kwame cry in the locker room one season when he was telling him how worthless he was. Well, besides that, apparently teams have finally wised up. No longer is Kwame Brown fetching ridiculous trades (thanks for Caron Butler in that trade L.A.!) because of his "potential upside". Now he's just a veteran who never panned out but someone hopes for a decent price he can be some kind of contributor off of the bench. And so Mr. Brown lands in Charlotte, North Carolina for the minimum salary...

Watching Baseball in August Is Fun Again

When was the last time an Orioles fan uttered these words?  1997?  That's the last time I can remember being excited to turn on an O's game on an August night and be enthusiastic watching the game.

 

This Orioles team has no chance at making the playoffs, yet last night I was yelling at my television.  I had some kind of comment to make after every pitch.  I winced with every Orioles swing of the bat. 

 

In the eighth inning Koji Uehara was pitching with runners on the corners and no outs.  After an eleven pitch battle, he struck out the first batter and I screamed at the top of my lungs.  He got the second batter with another strikeout and I literally jumped out of my seat and threw a fist pump in the air.  A team something like 25 games under .500 and I'm going nuts.  Apparently I wasn't the only one as Buck Showalter came sprinting out of the dugout to Uehara, clearly jacked up.  When did you ever see Trembley run to the mound?  Showalter brought on Gonzalez who struckout another batter.  Runners on the corners.  No outs.  No runs scored.

 

After giving up a homerun in the top of the tenth, the O's battled their way back to get the bases loaded and forced the pitcher to walk a run in, which of course brought me from the couch to my knees in joy.  Brian Roberts nearly beat out an infield hit to win it then, but if we're all being honest, we know the ump robbed Felix Pie of a bunt basehit earlier in the inning that would have ended the game even if Roberts was out.

 

The rest is history.  Markakis leads off the eleventh with a double, advances to third, and with a 1-0 count, Mr. Adam Jones fools everyone in the stadium and lays down a bunt that gets Markakis home and yet another Orioles walk-off win under Showalter is complete. And I'm running around my apartment like a twelve year old. 

 

I'm not sure what Showalter has said to these guys, or what he's put in the water at Oriole Park.  These are the same players that couldn't do anything right under Trembley and Samuel this same season.  The Orioles are playing as a team and doing the little things right, which is going to make them a pain to team's making a playoff run in September that have to face this squad.  One thing is certain though: watching baseball in August is fun again.

 

...If you missed it earlier this morning or are getting in to work a little late, today's Breakfast Buddy is the post just below this one...

Breakfast Buddy -- 8/17

Monday through Friday, each day I will post twice, the first being some interesting articles or videos -- anything to keep your mind off of what we all should be doing -- to look through as you begin your work day at your desk.

Sending it home:

Monday, Manchester United beat Newcastle United 3-0 to open up the EPL season...the Orioles signed first-round draft pick Manny Machado...and the Nationals signed first round draft pick Bryce Harper.

Cool Links:

1. The O's rally past the Mariners 5-4 in 11 innings [Baltimore Sun]

2. The O's placed Jason Berken on the 15 day DL [CSN Baltimore]

3. Terps Torrey Smith was named to the best WR watch list [CSN Baltimore]

4. Brian Westbrook signed a one-year deal with the 49ers [ESPN]

5. Matt McFarland ponders if it's time to forgive Haynesworth [Redskins Tailgate Zone]

6. Nats agree to terms with Robbie Ray [CSN Washington]

7. Malcolm Kelly will continue to miss practice [CSN Washington]

8. John Eisenberg focuses on Ray Rice in the Ravens' offense [CSN Baltimore]

Your voice:

"Breakfast Buddy is ***, Coffee Comrade sounds like something from the Cold War. Cool idea for morning posts though. I vote CC" --mpatrik on twitter, certain that Comrade was the right choice, but all other responses proved otherwise.

Quotable:

"As he's putting I'm thinking, 'I could be going up to the PGA champion to tell him he's not really the champion.' He missed the putt, which didn't make it any better, but I immediately went up to talk to him." --David Price, head golf professional at Bent Tree Country Club on how he felt approaching Dustin Johnson to tell him he was not going to have a chance to win the PGA Championship based on a club grounding rule on the final hole.

Question of the day (I will re-publish favorite responses in a blog post):

What are your thoughts on this Saturday's Redskins-Ravens pre-season game?

Video of the day:

ESPN Fantasy Football Commercial -- Chris Johnson

Send me any cool stories, links, photos, videos, you tubes, links, e-mails, tweets, or even random thoughts. Anything cool will be published in the blog and I will credit you with giving it to me. All ways to reach me are: cschoenbauer@gmail.com, twitter.com/mrschoenbauer and One Game at a Time on Facebook.

A Reason for Cautious Optimism

There is almost never a time when any stock should be put into a pre-season game. No reason for excitement; no reason to think your team is suddenly going to make a run at the Super Bowl; no reason to watch more than a half of the worst product any of the major sports leagues in the world puts out. Anyone who does watch entire pre-season games, well, less just say they may be a little sports "quirky".

However, occasionally, once in a great while, there may be one aspect of your team that was so horrific the season before that for just a blip in the game, suddenly there is a reason for hope - all be it slim hope.

In 2009 the Redskins offensive line was terrible. Injuries decimated the trenches. Men stepped in who had no business being on a starting NFL team's offensive line. Jason Campbell was murdered, and Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts struggled to find running room.

Saturday night for two series, the offensive line allowed Donovan McNabb to be touched once...on a roughing the passer call. Portis and Torrain found room to run with the first string. A unit that allows the quarterback time to go through his progression and provides lanes for the back to run through? Say it ain't so!

On Saturday at Fed Ex Field, there was one more small aspect that stood out as a "Thank God" moment. If you are not a Redskins fan you may not have noticed it. If you are a Redskins fan, then it sure as heck was not just a small aspect. Towards the end of the first string defense's time on the field, Deangelo Hall did something Redskins fans long to see. He caught a pass. A Redskin's defensive back actually intercepted a pass. Redskins fans know that the DB's usually can find the right spot, it's the catching the ball part that always seems to elude them.

If the offensive line and defensive backs can make these improvements count in real games and do it for more than just one quarter, maybe there is a reason for cautious optimism in D.C. this fall...

...Starting tomorrow I will be making two blog posts per day, Monday through Friday. The early morning post these days will just feature links to some reading material on either local teams or something important or funny in sports. It's a way for you to kick start your work day at your desk with your coffee or breakfast. Hey, everyone struggles those first couple minutes...or hours at work. This post will even get its own special name (cue the "wow's" and "omg's"). I've narrowed it to either Coffee Comrade or Breakfast Buddy, but I want reader's input. E-mail or Gchat me your thoughts at cschoenbauer@gmail.com. Or tweet me your opinion @mrschoenbauer. You could even leave it at the One Game at a Time Facebook page! Or, as always feel free to comment and start discussion right here. Don't worry, my own post will follow very shortly after, and maybe you'll have double posts and reading material to start your day!...

EPL 2010-11 Season Preview

A new season in the Barclay's English Premier League gets underway this coming weekend as teams will begin to find out if they did enough this off-season to crack the top four and ultimately win the league title.

Fresh off of their first Premier League title in four seasons, Chelsea looks to regain it's footing atop of the league and capture another title. While it's a game that does not count toward the final standings, Chelsea did not look good in their Community Shield match against Manchester United on Sunday as they took a 3-1 thrashing from the Red Devils.

While Chelsea will almost certainly be in the race for the title all season long, what other clubs will push them for the league along with the FA Cup and the coveted top four spots for Champions League?

Every year we hear 'This is Arsenal's year!' It seems the always youthful side constantly wants us to believe that one of these years they will finally rise up and compete for the league title all the way to the end of the season. For Arsenal, they must manage now the effects of the Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona courtings. It is clear that Barcelona wants Fabregas and Fabregas likewise. However, Cesc has made it clear that he is focused at Arsenal. Will that remain the same throughout the 2010-11 campaign?

Unfortunately for Arsenal fans, it's another season where the club just has not done enough to fill in the gaps. Gallas and Silvestre have both departed leaving question marks in the back line, evidenced in their recent friendly. This team will need to have a killer offense. Wenger continues to refuse to sign big names over his youth, and once again Arsenal will not be playing for the title this season...

...After failing to win last season's league title on the final day of the season, Manchester United will look to get back to their winning ways that captured the three previous championships. United did not make a big splash in the summer market, but the addition of Javier Hernandez looked good in their pre-season campaign and he should be able to step in when needed. United also had one of the best defenses in the league last season despite being riddled with injuries. With the backs returning to the field, if the team can stay relatively healthy it will go a long way to their race back to the top of the table...

...After being knocked out of the top four Liverpool are determined to get back into their spot near the top. One step in the right direction for Liverpool was hanging on to Fernando Torres who seemed certain to leave. Torres decided to stay with the club. Unfortunately for Liverpool Torres had an awful World Cup which ended with a terrible injury.

Roy Hodgson has stepped in as the new manager for the club and he can't do any worse than Benitez did last season. Hodgson will count on Torres and Gerrard to continue to produce while Ryan Babel and newly acquired Joe Cole will be asked to step up and help propel the team forward...

...After all these years, Tottenham finally gave some reason to be taken seriously at the end of last season. The Spurs went on an unreal tear through league play toward the end of last season to eject Liverpool from the top four and hold Manchester City off to finally earn a chance to play in Champions League this year.

Tottenham still have not made any big signings in the transfer window and are looking to continue to rely on their youth this season. Last season was impressive for the Spurs, but the lack of adding any players to bolster the squad thus far shows the club is not thinking long term. If they don't add something now or possibly during the winter window, Tottenham could be looking at one and done in the top four...

...If you only listened to Manchester City fans you may actually believe that City has a legitimate shot to win the title this year. City has gone berserk in the off-season, sparing no expense in improving their club to reach the top four and stay in the race for a title. The additions have been impressive to say the least. The question of whether Mancini can actually manage that talent and deliver is yet to be seen. While finishing in a Champions League spot at the end of this season would be nice, after all of these moves and the improvement last season, there would be no good excuses in Manchester for City not to be competing for the league title at the end of the month...

2010-11 Campaign Predictions

EPL Champion: Manchester United
Runner-Up: Chelsea
3rd: Liverpool
4th: Arsenal
FA Cup: Manchester United
Carling Cup: Manchester City
Player of the Year: Wayne Rooney

Ready for The Comeback

Freshmen football players reported for the first time last night to University of Maryland to prepare for the upcoming season. Fall camp opens tomorrow for the Terps, the last team in the ACC to begin practice.

Maryland is coming off of a putrid 2-10 season; a season where everything that could go wrong seemed to. A combination of youth and injuries lead to a long season. A season of awful losses, terrible excuses and even worse execution on the field.

While there isn't much to look back on last season to build off of, one of Maryland's two wins came against Clemson, the ACC's Atlantic Division Champions. An offense that answered when Clemson scored, an explosive special teams performance and a defense that showed up when it mattered most all lead to the third upset of Clemson in four seasons. In a bad year, beating a team of that caliber gives a reason for hope.

Coach Friedgen has had no qualms in his belief that this season will be one of his better teams during his tenure at Maryland. While admitting the team is still young, Fridge says they are an experienced youth. This is a good statement and a reason this team will be dangerous for the next two seasons. This Terps team features many young players who were forced to step in and play in 2009 and will be much better for it on the field this fall.

With Jamarr Robinson stepping in full time at quarterback after an invaluable learning experience last season, the quarterback position may be one of the most dangerous spots on the field. Robinson cannot only throw the ball down field but can also tuck and run and provides a legitimate threat in the option attack. Torrey Smith and a slew of speedy receivers return and will change games in league play. The Terps have a stable of running backs and an offensive line that, while still youthful, won't be surprised by anyone this year.

Alex Wuijack will lead a strong team of linebackers on a defense that promises to wreak havoc on offenses around the ACC. While the defensive backs don't have as much experience as is usual for a Terps squad, Cameron Chism, Antwine Perez and Kenny Tate should lead the way.

The Terps have a September schedule that really favors them. After a match-up with Navy in Baltimore to kick off the season on Labor Day, the Terps will return home to take on Morgan State before traveling to West Virginia against a WVU squad that will not be nearly as good as they have been in the recent past. The Terps finish the non-conference slate at home against Florida International. There is a legitimate shot the Terps could turn some heads and exit September with a 3-1 record as they head in to league play.

After Maryland opens with Duke in ACC play, they head to Clemson where they have owned the Tigers the last two times they have met in Death Valley, and have controlled the series over the past four seasons. If the Terps get it done down south and start 2-0 in the ACC, the Atlantic Division title is not out of the question.

There's reason to be cautiously optimistic in College Park this season. One thing is certain: these Terps won't go down against any team this season without a fight.

NCAA Should Have Loosened Rules for Boise State

Back in July a terrible tragedy struck a family out in Hemet, California. 18-year old Emil Smith and one of his friends were hit head on and killed in a two car collision. Smith played linebacker and was going into his senior year of high school. He had already verbally committed to play at Boise State next fall but could not sign a letter of intent until signing day in February.

I was not aware of the outrageous part of this story until it was brought to my attention yesterday courtesy of the Scott Van Pelt Show on ESPN Radio. The next bit of information was heard directly from Van Pelt's program.

Because of NCAA bylaws, Boise State could do nothing to reach out to Smith's family. They could not call. They could not send flowers. They could not attend the funeral. They could not even mention the recruit by his name because of NCAA rules. These rules point to illegal contact and such, rules that obviously are not meant for a recruit that dies.

I would not fault Boise State for not doing performing any of these gestures. The great coaching staff in Boise surely wanted to call, or attend the funeral, or send flowers. The organization to fault for this, which we should not be surprised by, is the NCAA.

The NCAA should have called Boise's coaching staff or Athletic Director and told them that in this instance, the rule could be bent. In this instance, go ahead and call the grieving parents. In this instance, send flowers to the family. And in this one instance, go ahead, take your staff, take your team if you want to, and attend the young man's funeral out in California. It doesn't seem like that difficult of a concept to put into action.

What did the NCAA do? Well, nothing, of course. The NCAA simply sat there and let the rules stay the same. Don't worry about the family of the son who had just committed four years of his life to the men in Boise. Don't worry about the mother who had given her trust to the men in Boise to take care of her son and look out for what's best for him, football or otherwise, for the next four years. They don't matter. The NCAA has laws to stick to, and by God, they are going to stick to them whether we like it or not.

There is not much that the NCAA does nowadays that doesn't anger many collegiate athletic fans. This was a chance for the NCAA to finally do something right. A chance to even look good in the public for doing something so simple it would be callous not to do so. But this is the NCAA we are talking about. And as in most cases, the NCAA got it wrong...again.

New Coach Is Not the Solution for United

Head Coach Curt Onalfo was fired by D.C. United this morning, being relieved of his duties during what has become an awful season for the black and red. Onalfo has been replaced for the remainder of the season by the former United megastar, Ben Olsen.

When a team is 3-12-3 on a season in the beginning of August something has to change. Usually by that point the easiest thing for a team to do, and the "right" answer, is to swap out the coach for someone new. Usually the hope is that a new energy or a new vibe will spark things around the locker room and the team will be rejuvenated and ready to turn things around.

That will not be the case for this D.C. United team.

United have scored twelve goals this season. Twelve. In eighteen games a professional soccer team has only managed twelve goals while opponents have throttled them with 31 goals. That is not coaching. The simple answer, and the correct answer, is that DC does not have the players to compete at this level.

United's leading scorer in league play has three goals. But United is not losing solely because of offense (although it sure seems like it). The defense has been putrid. The back line for the black and red usually looks lost and can't keep up with even mediocre players. And while the defense has been shaky at best, Troy Perkins has to be better in goal. No team is going to compete for a playoff spot when the keeper has a save percentage of 66. Since coming in Perkins has only won one game. Not exactly what the team is looking for.

While a coaching change is a move that may look good on the surface, showing that management are trying to change something to win, in reality, it is a shallow move. The real answer will come this off-season. If the black and red want to compete in 2011 they will need to add or bring up players ready to make an impact.

The John Beck Files

Yesterday the Redskins and Ravens completed a trade that brought quarterback John Beck to DC and shipped cornerback Doug Dutch to Baltimore.

Almost immediately after the trade was announced Redskin's head coach Mike Shanahan released quarterback Colt Brennan. The move clearly shows that Shanahan is not happy with the backup situation behind Donovan McNabb and should serve notice that no one's job besides McNabb's is secure.

Many fans were probably saddened by the departure of Colt Brennan on Monday. Brennan had to have the most jerseys sold for a quarterback who never started an NFL game. Brennan, who has had multiple surgeries since entering the league without even playing a game, was having a bad camp this year. While Brennan was an exceptional college QB, he wasn't cutting it at this level. Even if it's third string, the third string QB is only two snaps away from playing meaningful snaps for the team and there has to be someone behind center that can at least manage the game.

So what does John Beck bring to the Redskins that interested Shanahan in making this trade? Beck hasn't played meaningful minutes since he was with the Dolphins in 2007. It may not be worth looking at stats from that far back, especially considering that Beck was a rookie that year and started only four games. But in those four games Beck completed 56% of his passes and threw for a touchdown. Unfortunately his longest completion was only 22 yards and he threw three interceptions.

Still, Beck wasn't a second round pick for nothing. He had a stellar career at BYU, and while his numbers weren't great in his short stint in Miami, he was still a rookie who wasn't supposed to be starting at all. He's had three years since to learn from other great QB's and will now get to learn from Donovan McNabb. At 28 he's not the youngest QB out there to bring up, but if he can fill in off the bench then that's all the Redskins are looking for at this point.

The oddity of this trade though is that Shanahan typically only carries two quarterbacks. One has to wonder if he will now carry three with this trade or if Rex Grossman is performing that badly in camp that there are questions of whether he could fill in if McNabb goes down. Either way Grossman should be looking over his shoulder at John Beck coming up from the rear.

Querrey Tries to Show He Is Ready to Step Up

American Sam Querrey defeated Andy Murray on Sunday to win the Farmer's Classic in Los Angeles, his fourth title of the year. Only Rafael Nadal has more with five.

Murray, ranked fourth in the world, is the highest ranked player Querrey has ever beaten. After playing some consistent tennis and winning four titles this season so far, Querrey is beginning to step it up as the U.S. Open looms. The problem for Querrey has always been the same: he isn't even a second thought in the grand slam tournaments.

Querrey did defeat Murray on Sunday which should not be ignored. Murray is a great competitor and has established himself as one of the best players in the game right now. However, Murray also said he was tired from the recent tennis gearing up for the U.S. Open. Murray also had a match point in the second set.

While winning the Farmer's Classic is great for the young American, perspective cannot be lost on how the tournament played out. The tournament is played in Los Angeles, Querrey's hometown. Other than Murray the tournament lacked any real star power. Every one of Querrey's matches went three sets. He also not only fended off a match point in the second set against Murray, but also had to fend off a match point in the semifinals as well against Janko Tipsarevic.

Every grand slam the same story plays out. Querrey will have a win or two, but by the third round he will flame out and head back home to LA. It won't necessarily be against a better player than him either.

When the U.S. Open begins in late August, the Americans will trot out Roddick, Blake, Fish, Isner and Querrey as their main hopes to keep the title on American soil for the first time since Roddick won in 2003. If Querrey wants to be considered as a real threat along with Roddick, he'll need to finally produce when it counts.

And on the Third Day, Haynesworth Rested

As day three of Redskins training camp opened this morning most fans probably woke up hoping to find out that Albert Haynesworth finally passed his conditioning test. Well, he didn't fail it for a third consecutive day. Instead, after two days of testing, Haynesworth rested on Saturday and chose to watch practice and do a few drills with Ray Wright.

Redskin's fans may have been annoyed before, but I would assume that most of us believed he would pass it in a few days and begin practicing with the team and learning the new schemes. But not even taking the test on the third day? Unless there is some kind of injury that hasn't come out yet it is a disgrace that Haynesworth is taking a day off. I would hope a professional athlete could handle running for 140 seconds with a three and a half minute break halfway through.

This is just another day that Haynesworth won't be practicing with the team. He won't be with his teammates and he won't be learning the new defense. Instead Haynesworth can watch the practices from a distance and do some light conditioning work on the side. The worst part of all of this is not that Haynesworth failed the test the first two times (which is bad enough), but that on the third day he is simply opting out of the test and choosing not to be a part of the team today.

I haven't exactly been high on Shanahan, but I have to have trust that he will do what is best for the team today, whatever that may be. Apparently Haynesworth needs another message sent because having to pass a conditioning test and starting with the second-team defense, whenever he actually does get on the practice field, is not enough.

Showalter in, Miggy Out

The Orioles finally announced the hiring of Buck Showalter as the team's new manager on Thursday, nearly two months after the club fired Dave Trembley. Showalter had been on the team's radar for some time and had multiple interviews. It was only a matter of time before his hiring was made official.

So what does Showalter bring that all of his predecessors since 1997 have not? What about Showalter makes him the man to finally turn this once proud franchise around?

Everyone knows about Showalter's track record. He has a winning record in his managing career and helped turn around both the Yankees and the Rangers in previous stints. We hear that he focuses on little details, fundamentals and is prepared for every situation. Well so was Mike Hargrove supposedly.

Since the Orioles last playoff appearance in 1997 the team's managers have included: Ray Miller, Mike Hargrove, Lee Mazzilli, Sam Perlozzo, Dave Trembley and Juan Samuel on his recent interim stint during the managerial search. Only one name in that list isn't a joke, right? Believe it or not, Hargrove had the second worst winning percentage of the managers on that list, only ahead of the biggest joke of them all: Dave Trembley. Mazzilli of all managers was the last head of the team to have the club in the AL East race at the All-Star break (two games back of Boston in 2005).

Showalter is the first proven manager the Orioles have hired in seven years. Although Hargrove didn't work out as planned, maybe things are different now that the O's have MacPhail at GM, a "new" Angelos up top and now a first-rate manager in Showalter. However, Orioles fans should still be cautious. The pitching is still lacking, the bats are still cold and the fielding recently has been suspect at best. You can have a great manager, but at some point the players have to produce on the field...

...Thursday also saw third basemen Miguel Tejada's second departure from Baltimore in four seasons. The Orioles traded Tejada and his one year, six million dollar contract to the Padres for Double A righty Wynn Pelzer.

Here's the real breakdown on the trade: Miguel Tejada is heading to NL West contending San Diego. Miggy was only on a one year contract so if the O's could get something for that contract now, then that's pretty good. Tejada is also 36 and his batting average dropped to .269 this year, not to mention he only has 39 RBI's. In comes Pelzer, a right-handed pitching prospect. Obviously pitching is something Baltimore is in desperate need of if they are to contend in the future. So far this season Pelzer has produced a 6-9 record and a 4.20 ERA in AA ball. The stats aren't impressive but he is still young and has time to grow in the Orioles farm system. He probably won't become an ace for the Orioles staff but if he can one day contribute solidly to the pitching staff then getting that for a half-season of an aging Miggy in another losing year has to be seen as a win.

Mice Droppings: It's What's for Dinner

This week ESPN's "Outside the Lines" released its in depth report on health code standards at professional stadiums. This study investigated every stadium, arena or ballpark in the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL. One of the local findings in the D.C./Baltimore area was quite disturbing.

Verizon Center in Washington D.C., home to the Capitals and Wizards, had a 100% fail rate at its concession stands. 100%. Think about that for a minute. For every time you ate at a Caps or Wiz game last season you had an extremely good chance that you were eating contaminated food. What was the biggest shock of the report? Ten...TEN concession stands inside the Verizon Center had mice droppings. Not even one stand having a problem like that is possible, but ten? How can that many areas serving food in one building be that disgusting?

How can any professional stadium have this kind of problem? Before shrugging it off and thinking 'oh well, it will be fixed by next season', think about if it isn't. You are taking your wife and kids to go see John Wall. Or you're going with your college buds to see Ovie dismantle his next opponent. Instead of grabbing some food at the jam-packed Turtle, you figure you'll just grab some grub inside. You get a hot dog, pretzel, nachos and a couple of sodas. The next morning you wake up violently ill. You are re-tracing what you did the day before that could have caused this. Then you suddenly remember that ESPN report from earlier in the summer...oh yeah, you just had a big, hearty serving of mice droppings for dinner.

What's equally disturbing is that Verizon Center, the Capitals and the Wizards haven't released a statement on this (at least I haven't been able to find one). And the local media isn't covering this catastrophe at all. When the report came out and the Dallas Cowboys had a 72% fail rate and Tropicana Field had a 100% fail rate both clubs immediately said they were taking steps to improve their concessions. Where is Leonsis or anyone else high up that deals with the concessions at Verizon?

Ted Leonsis is a good man and a great businessman. He will surely work hard at fixing this problem even if he hasn't said anything publicly. But one thing is for sure: when I'm at Verizon Center this fall to catch some Wizards and Caps games, I certainly won't be partaking in the food at the big phone booth.

The 2010 Redskins - Change We Can Believe In?

It is the eve of Redskins training camp which only means one thing: it's time for all Redskins fans to unite in our delusional perception that "this is our year".

Well, except for here. It's time to take a true look at what Washington has done since last season to somehow make 2010 "the year".

Word is that Albert Haynesworth is actually in D.C. right now. Amazing. If the man can keep his mouth shut and play football he will be a huge positive for the defense. If he returns to his dramatic ways, well, any guess is as good as the next.

After Snyder dispatched Vinny Cerrato in December last season he brought on Bruce Allen to take over the GM role. Allen has been involved with some good franchises for football, but one couldn't help but feel that maybe The Danny got caught up in the nostalgia of Allen being the son of a former great head coach for the Redskins. Allen's first major act as Redskins GM: sign Mike Shanahan as the new head coach after firing Jim Zorn.

Mike Shanahan has a great track record. He won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos and is known especially for his ability to have a potent ground attack with any running back. Offense was not usually a problem when Shanahan was in Denver. However, Shanahan also had John Elway, one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. Elway was the quarterback for both of Shanahan's Super Bowl's...a game he never reached again once Elway retired. Just some food for thought...

The biggest off-season addition comes from just up I-95 in Philadelphia. The Eagles traded quarterback Donovan McNabb to DC. The move made absolutely no sense in any way for the Eagles. And even though McNabb is old and past his prime, he is a quick step up from what Jason Campbell had been bringing to the table the past few seasons. Having Clinton Portis out of the backfield and tight ends Fred Davis and Chris Cooley should allow McNabb to have a short passing game which will open up the rest of the field.

The biggest problem for the 'Skins in recent years has been offensive line and in this off-season the team tried to address that issue. Washington drafted Trent Williams in the first round and also added Jamaal Brown to the mix. While the first string of linemen may be a bit more respectable there is still no depth. And anyone who is a Redskins fan knows that it is almost a foregone conclusion that they will have to dip into that depth during the season.

It can be said that the team made some key additions this spring without breaking the bank. The biggest questions will be: do the signed players still have what it takes? Can the team gel in time for the start of the season? And can those key players stay healthy? Everyone wants to believe that Shanahan and McNabb are the people that will finally take the Redskins further than it was thought possible in recent years.

Just remember a couple of things: Mike Shanahan has two Super Bowl rings with John Elway as his quarterback. He hasn't reached the Super Bowl without him. Donovan McNabb has played for five NFC Championships. He has only won one of them and followed that up with a loss in the Super Bowl.

Tuesday Grab Bag

Occasionally the middle of summer has days which don't have big topics for the day in sports. When that happens there is still an array of shorter topics to cover over a few paragraphs...

...The trade deadline is looming and it may be time for the Orioles to make a move. No, they won't be making a move to get back in the AL Wild Card race, but maybe there is a veteran or two that another team will be willing to deal a prospect for. Unloading Scott, Millwood, Guthrie, etc... all at the same time isn't the answer, but if the O's can deal one of them for at least a halfway decent prospect, why not?...

...Terrence Cody and Walt Harris both failed to pass the conditioning test at Ravens training camp this week. It's understandable (sort of) that Cody was unable to pass the test. He's a lineman who takes up space and blockers. But when a defensive back fails a conditioning test, well there may be some cause for concern there...

...ACC Media Day took place this week as college football teams get ready to open camp. One of the more interesting quotes had to come from Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen when he stated that he's not worried about his job security. Simply, the big man says, if he does well, he'll be here, if he doesn't, he won't. Just the kind of determination all fans like to see from their team's head coach. "Maybe we'll be good! But if not, I won't be here! Hip, hip, hooray!"...

...The Tennessee Titans are suing USC and Lane Kiffin after Kiffin essentially "stole" the Titans' running backs coach over night without contacting Titans coach Jeff Fischer first. The Titans maintain that Kiffin and USC ignored the NFL's hiring requirements, even though USC is not an NFL team. So let's get this straight: Kiffin, the man who immediately faced criticism for his recruiting tactics when he arrived at University of Tennessee, called out Florida during the pre-season, then after assembling something in Knoxville bolted overnight for the more prestigious USC job, just hired a Titans coach without talking to or asking anybody about it first? And people are actually surprised by this?...

...Lastly, the Jets and Bengals are both publically courting Terrell Owens now. The once star-studded receiver has caught both teams eyes now that each needs to bolster their receiving corps heading into the season. Owens wasn't terribly productive last season (albeit he was in Buffalo) and the consensus seems to be that he's lost a step to go with his still problematic attitude. No team in the NFL would bite on Owens all off-season, and now suddenly two teams are trying to bring him in at once. One thing is for certain: wherever Owens ends up, he won't be the reason that a team makes a run in the playoffs...

Does MLS Need Landon Donovan?

In the wake of Landon Donovan's success for the U.S. team at this year's World Cup has been speculation that the 28 year-old may be ready to take his game overseas permanently. Major League Soccer has stated in no uncertain terms that they have no plans to sell Donovan.

Clearly Donovan has the skills to play in a big-time league in Europe. Donovan showed his knack for finding the net in the World Cup and was also successful during his short loan to Everton in the English Premier League last season. He has been the face of the MLS and the LA Galaxy for some time now as he has carried the torch for American soccer.

MLS goes back to the fact that Landon signed a new four year deal with the league in December of last year. The league has control of where Donovan eventually ends up playing on a permanent basis. However, last week Manchester City who has been very active on the market this off-season, was clear that they are interested in obtaining the rights to Donovan. Landon didn't exactly dismiss the remarks and hasn't come out and said he absolutely wants to continue playing in and representing MLS.

Does MLS really need Landon Donovan? Recently MLS has been able to expand the league to include more teams and will do so again next season. While the league is still clearly not a top four league in the world, they are becoming able to attract a few big names to the league. Landon Donovan has been with LA Galaxy for some time along with David Beckham (when he is actually healthy enough to play). NY Red Bulls recently acquired international superstar Thierry Henry to complement Juan Pablo Angel. When it's not international players athletes from the collegiate level in the U.S. have been able to convert into contributing players in the U.S. and more of them are receiving call-ups to the national team.

Landon Donovan is clearly the face of MLS right now. But MLS has been expanding and growing. More than a few teams now have their own soccer dedicated stadiums and some teams are finally turning a profit. Donovan does not play for every team in the MLS that is making these vast improvements. While it's nice to have such a great player in the league MLS will not struggle to attract other great players. The tides are turning and they are turning in MLS' favor. Landon Donovan is a great player but MLS does not need him to be a successful league.

Tour de France Gets It Wrong

On the final day of the 2010 Tour de France there was once again controversy surrounding Lance Armstrong and his team. This controversy, however, had nothing to do with performance-enhancing drugs or blood doping.

Sunday morning the RadioShack team lined up to begin the final stage of the race. There was one difference today: the team had switched into new jerseys. The team's new jerseys were all-black and simply had the number 28 on them. The number 28 was used to represent the 28 million people in the world living with cancer today. Lance said that today, his last day ever racing in the Tour de France, the team was racing for everyone in the world who has been affected by cancer.

The International Cycling Union had other ideas though as they forced the RadioShack team to return to their regular jerseys. The team had to wear their regular race jerseys as the rule states, no exceptions.

Obviously rules are rules and once you allow one person to bend them you begin your way down a slippery slope. But today should have been a rare exception.

Lance has already announced that this is absolutely the last time he will race in the Tour de France. He battled cancer, won and came back to win every Tour de France from 1999 through 2005. He has raised awareness as well as tons of money for cancer research. Unlike some in cycling he has never tested positive for any use of performance-enhancing drugs or blood doping after his tour wins. Today's decision to switch jerseys was one last simple way to give recognition to those battling cancer before he calls it quits. There was nothing flashy; no showing off. Just a simple black jersey with the number 28 worn by an entire team to give tribute one last time to all those in the battle against cancer. Every rule has at least one exception.

Cancer awareness should have been the ICU and Tour de France's one exception to the jersey rule.

Agents or Players: Who is to blame?

All week the only thing that seems to have been talked about on sports radio and television is the controversy of NCAA football players and agents having improper contact. Everyday a new school is under investigation. Heck, University of Florida is even under multiple investigations. But who is the real culprit here: the players or the agents?

Earlier in the week Nick Saban compared agents to pimps. He offered that the actions of agents are no better than those of a pimp and went further to say that he is disgusted by their actions. He clearly put the blame squarely on the shoulders of the agents, essentially offering that a student-athlete is still young and impressionable.

When Urban Meyer was asked about agents being allowed on Florida's campus he was quick to say that no agents have ever been, nor will ever be allowed on campus. This same statement has been made similarly by most of the other schools under investigation as well.

All week coaches were deflecting the criticism back to the agents. It appeared as though the agents were villains and by the accusations being made by these coaches, why shouldn't we believe that they are?

However, that changed during SEC Media Day when Tennessee coach Derek Dooley and Auburn coach Gene Chizik both insisted that players must be held to the same accountability as the agents. Both coaches insist that this clearly is not the first time that there have been interactions between players and agents and also made it clear that the players are happy to participate in these meetings as well.

When it gets down to it, who is to blame? The NCAA is not going to change their rules for football players to talk to agents early or to leave for the NFL earlier. Should agents be penalized by the NFL and NFLPA if they are caught interacting with student-athletes who have yet to declare for the draft? Or should players lose their eligibility and their teams be stripped of wins because of their improper contact? At the end of the day the only people who get hurt when an investigation proves there was early contact are the players and the teams. Shouldn't the agents have some kind of penalty as well?