To follow up on my previous post about the Redskin, I think that this week was just another example of this team doing what they have to.
Against a Dallas team that had nothing to play for besides a few team records, the Redskins came out fired up and dominated the game.
They held Dallas to a record-low total in rushing yards and never allowed anything to get flowing for the Cowboys. They even kept most of the Cowboys from getting their records and they almost knocked Tony Romo out of the playoffs with a sack on the last play of the first half.
Once again Portis and Moss worked their magic in honor of their fallen brother, Sean Taylor. Portis ran the ball in twice and accumulated over 100 yards and Moss had over 100 yards receiving and scored the backbreaking touchdown.
Enough of this ra-ra-ra crap, I'm sorry that I'm being such a happy/loyal fan right now. Talk to you all soon.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Hail to the Redskins
Growing up in the D.C./Baltimore area I have always found myself rooting for the home teams (the Redskins, Orioles, Bullets/Wizards and Capitals). With the Redskins, there is a certain amount of hope for each new season to be the season where the team returns to its glorious former self.
Most years there is no limit on the amount of frustration that the Redskins can cause for a loyal fan. Before this season even started it seemed like another typical year for the ‘Skins; with signings of big-name additions who were doomed to disappoint when compared to their expectations. Expectations were high like every year but even the most loyal fans still retained their doubts because let’s face it, the Redskins can always find a way to lose.
But this season was different from any other because despite all the losses that the ‘Skins endured, both on the field and off, they have fought and fought and fought until it seems like it’s impossible for them to keep trying. They inspire when it seems like the time to throw in the cards. This team flares up the tiniest spark of hope into bandwagon bedlam by constantly keeping up their spirits when it seems like a lost cause.
And that has led them to remain in the NFC Wildcard Race despite their incredible misfortunes.
Despite barely winning their first two games against the lowly Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles, the Skins looked good. However they lost the entire right-side of their offensive line to a broken leg and a torn triceps (right tackle Jon Jansen and right guard Randy Thomas, both of who are at times Pro-Bowl-caliber players). The line and the running game have never been the same since the team lost Jansen.
Soon after that the team also lost top cornerback Carlos Rogers to a season-ending knee injury during the team’s loss to the invincible New England Patriots. But at the midway point of the season the team was 5-3 and looking like an actual playoff contender.
Then came the inevitable downfall as the team lost four straight games against Philadelphia, Dallas, Tampa Bay and Buffalo (to add to that they lost 3 of those games after leading at halftime but we’ll talk more about that in a little bit).
The team also suffered the biggest loss imaginable when star-player and defensive leader Sean Taylor was shot down in his Miami home for a stupid and senseless reason. The media chastised Taylor for his rough past but also overlooked the fact that, bottom line, Taylor died like a hero in the defense of his family and home. A “reborn” man according to teammates and friends, Taylor was just becoming the player and even more so the man that everyone knew he could be.
Mourning and injuries weighed heavier than the world upon Atlas’ back for the Redskins. By my count all but 7 of the opening day starters have missed at least one game due to various injuries (tackle Chris Samuels, guard Pete Kendall, tight end Chris Cooley, defensive tackle Anthony Montgomery, defensive end Andre Carter, middle-linebacker London Fletcher and Landry. All except Landry and Fletcher have also missed some game-time or practices due to injury). It seemed like after the loss to Buffalo that it was time to roll over and die with concern to this season.
But then came the spark of hope when quarterback Jason Campbell dislocated his knee. It seemed like the backbreaker for the Skins, but then career-backup Todd Collins rescued the Skins in their win against Chicago. And just like some over-the-top Disney movie, the tide turned for the team.
They leaned on Taylor’s former teammates and team leaders during the outstanding throttling of the New York Giants last weekend. Wide receiver Santana Moss and running back Clinton Portis put the team on their shoulders and carried the team to another unpredictable win.
Yesterday the Redskins had a huge test at Minnesota in a must-win game and completely
dominated 50 minutes of a game. The defense held the best rushing team to under 100 yards and no touchdowns from the running backs and forced a slew of turnovers. And the offense let Portis be a one-man show as he ran for a touchdown and threw one to receiver Antwaan Randle El. In a dire situation they outfought the Vikings, even at a time when it doesn’t seem like they have anything left in the tanks.
There are people who complain that other teams have had more emotional seasons.
The Miami Dolphins are having a horrific season starting from Week 1, but they have only lost pride with their 14 losses to this point. They haven’t lost the number of players to injury that the Skins have and they also haven’t continued to have any hope of success since about Week 6.
The Atlanta Falcons were deprived of their franchise player for the next three years since Michael Vick did finally get caught up in his past sins. That family has some serious difficulties staying out of trouble with the law. But losing the franchise player to the jailhouse does not even come close to losing the face of your defense because his life was stolen from him by hoodlums.
Through the good and the bad, the joyous overtime wins and the blown halftime leads, the injuries and the comebacks, the fourth-down stands and the turnovers, this team has never given up on themselves or on their fans. It is a remarkable, Hallmark-worthy story of endurance through difficult times and witnessing it (even in light of this year's atrocities and beautiful moments) will stay in my memory forever.
Most years there is no limit on the amount of frustration that the Redskins can cause for a loyal fan. Before this season even started it seemed like another typical year for the ‘Skins; with signings of big-name additions who were doomed to disappoint when compared to their expectations. Expectations were high like every year but even the most loyal fans still retained their doubts because let’s face it, the Redskins can always find a way to lose.
But this season was different from any other because despite all the losses that the ‘Skins endured, both on the field and off, they have fought and fought and fought until it seems like it’s impossible for them to keep trying. They inspire when it seems like the time to throw in the cards. This team flares up the tiniest spark of hope into bandwagon bedlam by constantly keeping up their spirits when it seems like a lost cause.
And that has led them to remain in the NFC Wildcard Race despite their incredible misfortunes.
Despite barely winning their first two games against the lowly Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles, the Skins looked good. However they lost the entire right-side of their offensive line to a broken leg and a torn triceps (right tackle Jon Jansen and right guard Randy Thomas, both of who are at times Pro-Bowl-caliber players). The line and the running game have never been the same since the team lost Jansen.
Soon after that the team also lost top cornerback Carlos Rogers to a season-ending knee injury during the team’s loss to the invincible New England Patriots. But at the midway point of the season the team was 5-3 and looking like an actual playoff contender.
Then came the inevitable downfall as the team lost four straight games against Philadelphia, Dallas, Tampa Bay and Buffalo (to add to that they lost 3 of those games after leading at halftime but we’ll talk more about that in a little bit).
The team also suffered the biggest loss imaginable when star-player and defensive leader Sean Taylor was shot down in his Miami home for a stupid and senseless reason. The media chastised Taylor for his rough past but also overlooked the fact that, bottom line, Taylor died like a hero in the defense of his family and home. A “reborn” man according to teammates and friends, Taylor was just becoming the player and even more so the man that everyone knew he could be.
Mourning and injuries weighed heavier than the world upon Atlas’ back for the Redskins. By my count all but 7 of the opening day starters have missed at least one game due to various injuries (tackle Chris Samuels, guard Pete Kendall, tight end Chris Cooley, defensive tackle Anthony Montgomery, defensive end Andre Carter, middle-linebacker London Fletcher and Landry. All except Landry and Fletcher have also missed some game-time or practices due to injury). It seemed like after the loss to Buffalo that it was time to roll over and die with concern to this season.
But then came the spark of hope when quarterback Jason Campbell dislocated his knee. It seemed like the backbreaker for the Skins, but then career-backup Todd Collins rescued the Skins in their win against Chicago. And just like some over-the-top Disney movie, the tide turned for the team.
They leaned on Taylor’s former teammates and team leaders during the outstanding throttling of the New York Giants last weekend. Wide receiver Santana Moss and running back Clinton Portis put the team on their shoulders and carried the team to another unpredictable win.
Yesterday the Redskins had a huge test at Minnesota in a must-win game and completely
dominated 50 minutes of a game. The defense held the best rushing team to under 100 yards and no touchdowns from the running backs and forced a slew of turnovers. And the offense let Portis be a one-man show as he ran for a touchdown and threw one to receiver Antwaan Randle El. In a dire situation they outfought the Vikings, even at a time when it doesn’t seem like they have anything left in the tanks.
There are people who complain that other teams have had more emotional seasons.
The Miami Dolphins are having a horrific season starting from Week 1, but they have only lost pride with their 14 losses to this point. They haven’t lost the number of players to injury that the Skins have and they also haven’t continued to have any hope of success since about Week 6.
The Atlanta Falcons were deprived of their franchise player for the next three years since Michael Vick did finally get caught up in his past sins. That family has some serious difficulties staying out of trouble with the law. But losing the franchise player to the jailhouse does not even come close to losing the face of your defense because his life was stolen from him by hoodlums.
Through the good and the bad, the joyous overtime wins and the blown halftime leads, the injuries and the comebacks, the fourth-down stands and the turnovers, this team has never given up on themselves or on their fans. It is a remarkable, Hallmark-worthy story of endurance through difficult times and witnessing it (even in light of this year's atrocities and beautiful moments) will stay in my memory forever.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
The Mitchell Report
Earlier this week, the Mitchell report was released and I believe that this is one of the biggest lies in American History since Nixon and his metaphorical clown-car of accomplices lied about their involvement in Watergate.
Here is a copy and a list of the players who were named http://assets.espn.go.com/media/pdf/071213/mitchell_report.pdf
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3153509
It is true that baseball has been declining steadily in popularity throughout the past 20-30 years but it still remains the "national pasttime" (although in my opinion that will switch over to football within the next 10-20 years).
What I find amazing about the Mitchell report is the lack of overwhelming evidence about the players and steroids that were named. There are cancelled checks and phone records but once again, like McGwire and Palmeiro's testimonies and Jose Canseco's Pulitzer Prize award-winning novel, it's mostly about the naming of people who Mitchell heard used steroids.
When discussing the Mitchell Report with my father, he found the report reminded him of "Tituba in Arthur Miller's 'The Crucible'" (Tituba was found "cavorting" in the woods but blamed an innocent woman of witchcraft instead).
I mean for most of the report we continue to hear the same names over and over again. With Barry Bonds was there any doubt in people's minds that he took perfomance-enhancing drugs at some point in his career? Here is a photo of when he played in Pittsburgh (http://www.bustedplay.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/bonds.jpg) and here is a photo of him last season in San Fran (http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41668000/jpg/_41668568_bonds416.jpg).
Either he really got into Hostess Snack Cakes with every meal or he went the opposite way of all the low-carb diets that exist today.
Jason Giambi: You're kidding right? George could you explain to me how you got an admitted steroid user on this list because the chances of him telling you that he used illegal substances is only a 100%.
Gary Sheffield? Was there any doubt that his roid-raged self accounted for all the terrible slandering he did against the evil Yankee dynasty and his bouts with beer-throwing fans?
The Rocket, Andy Pettite, Ken Caminiti, Rafael Palmeiro, Jason Grimsley, Mo Vaughn, Miguel Tejada and my least favorite player of all-time David Justice (who I will never forget for impeding with Orioles' catcher Chris Hoiles during a second play at the plate), these guys were always suspected and even caught using steroids so what new information is this?
What does surprise me is the naming of some tiny players who I could not imagine taking steroids. At one point three Baltimore Orioles in a row on the second page of ESPN's names: Brian Roberts, Larry Bigbie and Jack Cust. Roberts still looks like he could compete with my three younger sisters in a female beauty contest and yet not beat them in a three-round boxing match. Bigbie, despite being taller than me was a worse hitter and a weaker thrower than I was in high school. Cust, besides being a big lard who couldn't play the field was not a good enough hitter to find a spot in the Orioles power-deprived lineup.
Add in skinny players like Jerry Hairston Jr. and National's outfielder Nook Logan and you have to question whether these accusations are true or just rumors from the trainers and players who Mitchell received his information from.
Another interesting tidbit of information is that 7 MVPs and 31 All-Stars were named in the report which again brings up the discussion of tainting statistics. Should Bonds be the all-time Homerun leader? Should Clemens or Palmeiro make it into the Hall of Fame with tainted records? What happened to the Gehrigs and the Ripkens? Where is the good that once dominated baseball and made it the ideal sport for young boys in America?
A name not found on the list was Alex Rodriguez, who, despite being a Yankee and therefore a despicable human being in my mind, just signed another mammoth-sized contract. Did the Yankees know some of their big names were being outed? Did they want A-Rod to be another untainted face of the Yankees alongside Derek Jeter?
Is this also why players like Paul Lo Duca and Eric Gagne took less-than-stellar deals to play for sub-par teams? I mean who would actually try to be a Washington National these days (except for the prospect of playing on that brand-new field)?
When I was around 6-7 years old I remember playing organized baseball for the first time and getting hit in the nose after a ball rolled up my glove and arm and into my face. I will never forget that while sitting there, nose bleeding onto my shirt, that this was a fantastic game. With all of these problems facing baseball, there are no longer any similarities to the game that I fell in love with.
Here is a copy and a list of the players who were named http://assets.espn.go.com/media/pdf/071213/mitchell_report.pdf
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3153509
It is true that baseball has been declining steadily in popularity throughout the past 20-30 years but it still remains the "national pasttime" (although in my opinion that will switch over to football within the next 10-20 years).
What I find amazing about the Mitchell report is the lack of overwhelming evidence about the players and steroids that were named. There are cancelled checks and phone records but once again, like McGwire and Palmeiro's testimonies and Jose Canseco's Pulitzer Prize award-winning novel, it's mostly about the naming of people who Mitchell heard used steroids.
When discussing the Mitchell Report with my father, he found the report reminded him of "Tituba in Arthur Miller's 'The Crucible'" (Tituba was found "cavorting" in the woods but blamed an innocent woman of witchcraft instead).
I mean for most of the report we continue to hear the same names over and over again. With Barry Bonds was there any doubt in people's minds that he took perfomance-enhancing drugs at some point in his career? Here is a photo of when he played in Pittsburgh (http://www.bustedplay.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/bonds.jpg) and here is a photo of him last season in San Fran (http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41668000/jpg/_41668568_bonds416.jpg).
Either he really got into Hostess Snack Cakes with every meal or he went the opposite way of all the low-carb diets that exist today.
Jason Giambi: You're kidding right? George could you explain to me how you got an admitted steroid user on this list because the chances of him telling you that he used illegal substances is only a 100%.
Gary Sheffield? Was there any doubt that his roid-raged self accounted for all the terrible slandering he did against the evil Yankee dynasty and his bouts with beer-throwing fans?
The Rocket, Andy Pettite, Ken Caminiti, Rafael Palmeiro, Jason Grimsley, Mo Vaughn, Miguel Tejada and my least favorite player of all-time David Justice (who I will never forget for impeding with Orioles' catcher Chris Hoiles during a second play at the plate), these guys were always suspected and even caught using steroids so what new information is this?
What does surprise me is the naming of some tiny players who I could not imagine taking steroids. At one point three Baltimore Orioles in a row on the second page of ESPN's names: Brian Roberts, Larry Bigbie and Jack Cust. Roberts still looks like he could compete with my three younger sisters in a female beauty contest and yet not beat them in a three-round boxing match. Bigbie, despite being taller than me was a worse hitter and a weaker thrower than I was in high school. Cust, besides being a big lard who couldn't play the field was not a good enough hitter to find a spot in the Orioles power-deprived lineup.
Add in skinny players like Jerry Hairston Jr. and National's outfielder Nook Logan and you have to question whether these accusations are true or just rumors from the trainers and players who Mitchell received his information from.
Another interesting tidbit of information is that 7 MVPs and 31 All-Stars were named in the report which again brings up the discussion of tainting statistics. Should Bonds be the all-time Homerun leader? Should Clemens or Palmeiro make it into the Hall of Fame with tainted records? What happened to the Gehrigs and the Ripkens? Where is the good that once dominated baseball and made it the ideal sport for young boys in America?
A name not found on the list was Alex Rodriguez, who, despite being a Yankee and therefore a despicable human being in my mind, just signed another mammoth-sized contract. Did the Yankees know some of their big names were being outed? Did they want A-Rod to be another untainted face of the Yankees alongside Derek Jeter?
Is this also why players like Paul Lo Duca and Eric Gagne took less-than-stellar deals to play for sub-par teams? I mean who would actually try to be a Washington National these days (except for the prospect of playing on that brand-new field)?
When I was around 6-7 years old I remember playing organized baseball for the first time and getting hit in the nose after a ball rolled up my glove and arm and into my face. I will never forget that while sitting there, nose bleeding onto my shirt, that this was a fantastic game. With all of these problems facing baseball, there are no longer any similarities to the game that I fell in love with.
The beginning
Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages.
The worst nightmare of all young womens' mothers has come true.
Kyle Joseph Wannen now has a place to voice his opinions........
And while the horror may take a while to set in for most of you, let me assure you that I will try my best to make this a humorous and yet intelligent place to speak about sports (seeing as that is what my career is heading towards).
Please check in regularly as I plan to post at least 2-3 times a week, likely Mon. through Fri.
The worst nightmare of all young womens' mothers has come true.
Kyle Joseph Wannen now has a place to voice his opinions........
And while the horror may take a while to set in for most of you, let me assure you that I will try my best to make this a humorous and yet intelligent place to speak about sports (seeing as that is what my career is heading towards).
Please check in regularly as I plan to post at least 2-3 times a week, likely Mon. through Fri.
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