I liked Gregg Williams. I liked him a lot. And I could see why his players wanted to kill someone to make him proud. Gregg was as demanding a coach as I witnessed during my 8 year tenure covering the Washington Redskins, but what separated him from the others who prodded, chided and pushed was the fact that his players sincerely wanted to make HIM look good. And it had nothing to do with any kind of monetary inducements.
Wherever Gregg Williams went, a fierce style of defense followed. His teams regularly ranked in the top ten if not the top five in total defense. The best example may be the 2000 season when the Ravens beat the Giants in the Super Bowl. That Baltimore team was likened to the '85 Bears among the great units in the game's history. Gregg's Titans actually gave up fewer yards that season. When Gregg became the Bills head coach, their defense was transformed into a top five unit. When Gregg came to Washington, the Redskins defense was the only reason they were competitive in Joe Gibbs first season when the Hall of Fame coach was on the wrong end of the offensive learning curve. And then of course in New Orleans, the Saints led the NFL in takeaways and defensive scores the season they won the franchise's lone Super Bowl. That game is remembered not for anything MVP Drew Brees did, but Sean Payton's risky onside kick call to start the second half and Tracy Porter's pick six that sealed the comeback.
The difference between Gregg's defense in Washington and the one he inherited was so glaring, we dubbed him a genius as in "the extra 'g' stands for genius." He talked a good game too, anti-Gibbsean. While Joe was famous for being a "milquetoast," (his word), Williams was anything but. I won't break my confidentiality with him regarding off the record conversations that we had during his time there but I will reveal that his tone was that of a warlord. It was clear that Gregg believed in intimidation, violence was at the core. And it was clear that Gregg's players liked this. It was animalistic. He struck a chord at the soul of the defensive player with his famous often repeated message, "If you cut the head off a snake, the body will die." This was a coach who not only embraced the violence of the game, he enthusiastically demanded his players kill or be cut. Of course, "kill" is a word not to be taken literally, or so we thought.
Here's the conundrum with the allegations against Gregg Williams, where does the legislation against violence in the game of football get to the point that the integrity of the game is threatened? What's most interesting in the continuing discourse regarding the revelations of bounty systems used is that while players are reluctantly and not so reluctantly admitting to their existence, few are backing away from defending the ringmaster. In their world, they don't necessarily see anything wrong with this. This feels very war crime-ish. Do the members of a battalion use hindsight to cast blame on their actions against a beloved leader? In this case and in many of those cases, the answer always seems to favor NO. This is a testament to the leadership ability of Gregg Williams. If motivation to want to inflict pain is an integral part of football, Gregg Williams deserved the NFL medal of honor. If he went too far, that's for the outsiders who'll never know what Monday after a Redskins-Cowboys game feels like to decide.
Gregg fined his guys for everything. Nothing went unpunished. He'd happily disclose how many up-downs his overweight linemen had to do for failing to return to work in football shape. Up-downs are a stationary exercise where players are jogging in place only to have to immediately thrust themselves onto the ground then pop back up and repeat the process until Gregg was satisfied. Try to last 60 seconds doing this. It was just one of his many punishments for not being prepared for battle. Yes, this is battle. It's not a game.
Show up a minute late for a meeting? Fine. Fall asleep in a meeting? Fine. Screw up a coverage in practice? Fine. Miss a tackle? Fine. Drop an interception? Fine.
Now I always wondered where all this money went. And considering that the career span of players is short, the idea of them parting with any of it curiously went without complaint. So now we know and I assume the vast majority of the redistribution went for game changing plays-the kind that aren't borderline criminal. Cause or recover a fumble, great block on an interception return, sack on 3rd and 3, stuff that no one would argue was worth rewarding. The rest is what we are struggling to grip with now. Did the Redskins purposely try to hurt Peyton Manning that day in Indy when his neck got wrenched so hard he nearly came out of a game? Was that hit that day fueled by pure desire to make a football play or was there a cash reward waiting if Manning did indeed seek the aid of his trainers? It's even called into question the motivation behind Sean Taylor tearing a Bills punter in half during a fake at the pro bowl.
Gregg's admission and subsequent apology for administering a bounty system that included cash rewards for injuries is reprehensible. Yet to castigate him as an Idi Amin of football also goes too far. The players themselves didn't seem to complain about this, in fact they eagerly took part. Where this is troublesome is the ongoing struggle with how much violence is too much violence.
Players safety became the moral cause of the NFLPA during the lockout. And the public backed them. We'd all seen enough of the former stars killing themselves in their 40's because of brain trauma that caused a severe and irreversible state of depression. The stories of players with horribly arthritic joints failing to qualify for the league's long term care policies were outrageous. While some form of personal responsibility for choosing to do this as a profession had to be duly noted, the league was cast as not taking good enough care of it's fallen heroes. So what happened? The players got what they needed, better insurance coverage that kicks in at kick off of game one. Fewer padded practices, fewer practices in general for that matter. New rules concerning head injuries, like if you get one, no one will describe it as being "dinged" anymore and just send that player back into the game. Separate non team affiliated doctors roaming the sidelines charged with watching out for the personal safety of the players. And yet here is Gregg and his group of mercenaries becoming the poster children of hypocrisy.
How can the players demand that safety become issue one when they were collectively in a room giving each other cash rewards if they injured another player? "Knock Outs" and "Cart Offs" were paid handsomely. So breaking someones leg was revered in Gregg's locker room? So was "knocking someone out." What was ending a career worth? And yet it wasn't that long ago that "Jacked Up" was among the most popular segments of ESPN's Monday Night Countdown Show. The best hits rewarded with screen time.
Just like "Jacked Up," Gregg Williams time has come and gone. Not because he isn't a good coach. It's just that his players aren't allowed to play the way he wants them to. If this was 1968, Gregg Williams would be heralded as the best defensive mind in football and one of the most intimidating men not in pads. But in this day and age, well, he's just a good coach who took things too far. Watch old clips of games from another era. There was no such thing as a horse collar tackle. Quarterbacks didn't have a strike zone. For crying out loud if a defensive lineman is blocked to the ground and the quarterback happens to get his feet near that player, twisting the quarterback's ankle wouldn't have resulted in a penalty. Accidental helmet to helmet hits are now deemed just as egregious as missile shots (at least by the penalty yardage assessed). God forbid you even lay a hand on a wide receiver-that's illegal contact.
Ray Nitschke used to clothes line people. A player might get suspended for two games for doing that now.
This is why I'm torn about this issue. I like the violence. Sure I don't want to see anyone actually carted off a field or concussed to the point that their normal brain function is permanently altered but there is a reason why Sean Taylor and James Harrison and Ray Lewis resonate with the fans. This game is for tough men who hit hard. We want them to hit hard. I don't want to see anyone die in a Nascar race, but the crashes are spectacular. I'm concerned over the growing issue of loneliness and fear that the traditional hockey goon is living with but I don't think hockey fights are going anywhere. The brush back pitch is an important part of baseball even if every so often one catches a player in the ear hole. We can't legislate all of the violence out of sports and in the case of football, I'm not even sure what we are watching fits within the criteria of what the game was initially designed to be. Everyone throws the ball now because everyone knows the defense can't touch the quarterbacks or receivers. We had two quarterbacks throw for over 5000 yards in the history of the league until 2011. Last year there were 3.
Gregg Williams is going to be punished severely if for no other reason that the league has to send a message that bounties for injuries are not OK. They border on assault. And morally, it's disgusting. But Gregg Williams isn't the biggest problem in the NFL. The league itself has to redefine the line of right and wrong in a game where the little details have never been and should never be family friendly. The extra "g" can't stand for G-Rated.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Saturday, March 3, 2012
A Thanks to Coach John Thompson
You think you know. But you don't know. Not until you know. John Thompson taught me about myself, about perceptions of people and how they are just that, perceptions. Who was John Thompson to me before I started interacting with him as a junior colleague at Sportstalk 980 in Washington DC? It's hard to remember now that he's re framed my idea of who he was and what he defined. But if memory serves I'd guess I thought this: 1) He disliked white people to the point of racism. 2) I figured he was a bully. And his teams were nothing short of frightening. 3) Ooh yeah, he hated the media and considering at the time we first began interacting that I was a complete nonentity who had a credential, I'd assumed he'd treat me like a waste of time.
To think that now is to think John Thompson is devoid of depth and character. It's embarrassing merely recalling those feelings. It proved I embodied all those negative qualities that I projected on a man who I didn't understand.
Since leaving Sportstalk 980 my contact with John Thompson has been minimal and I'm sorry that this is the case. It's my fault and my loss. Because the years I spent tangentially getting to know a legendary coach with even more legendary characteristics afforded me the opportunity to get to interact with people from all walks of life better.
I saw Thompson reduce co-workers of mine to tears. Grown men with tears streaming down their faces because he cursed them out over a mistake they made on his radio program. In their defense, had Thompson ever laid into me, I'm certain I would have ended up in the fetal position myself. He had that kind of booming presence. An enormous man, Thompson moved slowly but was incapable of whispering. His voice was so deep, James Earl Jones would be jealous of him. He's as unique a man you'll ever lay eyes on, the features of a Bulldog with large jowls and a mean streak that could scar you deeply. It quickly became apparent why Thompson got the most out of his teams, they were scared to death of him too. Do you think Allen Iverson had a problem motivating for practice under Thompson? I don't. We're talking about Thompson.
I also know that Thompson knew right from wrong, maybe better then most. And because he wielded an influence few have, he used it benevolently and never asked for anything in return. John Thompson is the reason I am doing what I am doing today, working for ESPN as an anchor on the one true iconic American sports program. He saved my career when it was only getting started.
In my first season covering the Washington Redskins, I knew nothing. Literally nothing. Now sure I knew the history of the team, the roster back and forth. I'd seen every play this team had run since I could remember and I cared deeply for this franchise at the expense of courtships with female companions. But I knew nothing about being a beat reporter. I didn't really know how to interview, how to create and maintain sources and contacts, knowing where to get the answers I needed quickly and how to turn that information into useful reports for the listening public. I knew nothing. The only way to learn is on the job.
I begged to be the Redskins beat reporter when my predecessor Rich Cook left Sportstalk 980. The job was open, and since I believed I had proven my work ethic accepting every open update position the station had offered, I felt ready. Fortunately, there was no one else at the station who either hadn't already done that job or was ready to take it. So my boss Tod Castleberry was left with few options and knew he was taking a chance on me. The likelihood was I'd try hard and break no news. This also coincided with the year that Dan Snyder acquired Jeff George, Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders, Mark Carrier etc. The Redskins were a Super Bowl or bust team, the original Dream Team and the sports world was watching. Here I am, a rube in the industry trying to get news despite intense local and national coverage.
This was also the first camp that the Skins held at their home facility in Ashburn Virginia and you'll recall this was the one and only camp that the team charged fans for entry. So began the criticism of Dan Snyder. He was doing something no single other NFL owner dared to do, charge for something everyone else deemed as a perk of being a fan. Hey-if you wanted to stand in 90+ degree weather and watch the team do 7 on 7 drills, why would you be subjected to a fee for that? Add in the revelation that paying for admittance meant scouts from other teams were now invited to watch from the stands, (a rule violation if the practices are free) and Snyder's decision making began to get ridiculed. So the media was starting to come under scrutiny from within the organization as the bad press mounted. What people were saying about the team was being analyzed and over analyzed.
980 had a deal with the team to broadcast live from training camp all day. Steve Czaban was hosting an evening show at the time-it may have been before he and Andy Pollin teamed up as the Sports Reporters or it may have been special extra programming due to the access circumstances-I honestly don't remember. What I do remember was that on a daily basis, I was invited to join Czabe for a segment discussing the news of the day from the Park. I was maybe 2 weeks into my first season when Czabe asked me a question about Sonny Jurgensen, the Redskins hall of Fame quarterback and broadcast booth member. It was an innocent query about where he hangs out during practice. Here's some quick context as to why Czabe went in this direction: At the time Jurgensen and Snyder were very close. Some suggested Jurgensen was so close that his opinion was as important as a general manager's and that if Sonny didn't like a player or thought the Redskins should acquire a player, Snyder might very well listen to it and act on it. The two were inseparable at the time so when Czabe asked about where Sonny was at practice, I answered honestly: "Where he always is, in the center of the two adjoining fields (where the media was prohibited-we were allowed the perimeters) and sitting next to one another." And I added one more thing: "That's his dawg." And for emphasis I exaggerated the word daaaawwwggggg.
For some quick context on that, Dawg was part of the pop culture lexicon (not pretending to be the pulse of the masses, but in this case, I wasn't behind the curve) and it's definition was that of best friends. If you were my dawg, that means we are very close. There was no misunderstanding about the context when Czabe and I discussed this on the air and there was no backlash via listeners at the time.
2 hours later though, I received a phone call from my station and not from the studio. This came from an office line. On the other end was our program director, the man who had taken a chance on me with this job in the first place. He said he had to ask me a very important question: "Did you call Sonny Jurgensen Dan Snyder's dog on the radio tonight?" I said Yes. He asked why I would do such a thing. Now, it took me a second to understand what he was getting at. And then I felt like I was going to die on the spot. My heart started racing. He thinks I called one of the greatest living legends of the Redskins organization the owner's pet.
I stammered something about context and what I meant was, uh, god who knows what came out of my mouth but I was quickly able to get the message across. That's when they dropped the bomb on me, 3 weeks into the job I dreamed about doing as a child, the Redskins had told the station I was no longer welcome at the Park and needed to be removed from the beat. SHELL SHOCK. breathe. Death. Fainting. breathe.
Two incredibly fortunate things happened over the next 24 hours. 1) My bosses backed me 100%. When they confronted the Redskins-and I'll never forget this quote-they said told the team "I have good news and bad news for you. The good news is Bram didn't call Sonny Dan Snyder's dog. The bad news is you guys are tragically un-hip."
The result was the Redskins agreed to let me continue to do my job but it was clear that I was on double secret probation. Bark up the wrong tree, ruffle the wrong feathers and I'd be out. And considering how much money the station was paying just to have the partnership with the team, any more trouble would force their hand. An unknown reporter is not worth ruining a necessary business relationship over.
Then came the following day. To say I was nervous walking from my car into the practice facility is a severe understatement. I hadn't had enough experience to know that fights with the team over what was said on the radio would become commonplace. I was scared and was going to try my best to lay as low as possible for a couple of days. But that's when I saw John Thompson being driven on a golf cart from his vehicle to the broadcast site which was maybe 50 yards from the practice field. Now understand I had done some updates on John's show, many of which were ignored by the coach while I was doing them. I'd say our relationship at this point was almost nonexistent. I was just a kid who showed up and performed a necessary function on his show. When the golf cart came to a stop next to me, I was surprised. Thompson bellowed out, "Bram, get in."
The next 30 seconds changed my life. Just as Thompson was saying "Bram, don't worry about what they said. Don't let no mother fuckers tell you how to do your job," out came the very member of the Redskins front office who had called my station asking for me to be fired or reassigned. Thompson, apparently apprised of this-how or why he was I still don't know. Why he even cared, I don't know. Still, Thompson had the golf cart pull up to this person and come to a stop. He looked him in the eye and told him, "Leave Bram alone. He's doing a great job for us and he didn't mean shit by what he said. I don't want to hear about any more problems between you and him anymore." I don't know what the Redskins guy said. I don't even remember what happened over the next ten minutes other then mumbling a thank you to Coach and going back to my spot on the field to watch practice.
I never did have another problem that season. And every other problem I subsequently had was dealt with professionally. John Thompson allowed me to earn my stripes before I earned them myself. His gravitas allowed me the access I needed to learn how to cover the team. My ability to perform it well and gain notoriety are not his to claim, but my ability to even have a chance at doing those things are squarely in part to what he did in those 30 seconds for someone he barely knew. John Thompson is the reason why I got to stay the Redskins beat reporter which ultimately grew into my own show (which he was a guest on numerous times, actually more rare then you might think) which led to multiple local and national television appearances, which led to 980's competition wanting me to join them which led to ESPN asking me to come to Bristol and be part of the legacy of Sportscenter.
In the subsequent years at Sportstalk 980 I eagerly took every opportunity to engage Thompson in conversation. It turns out he wasn't racist nor a hater of the media. In fact, some of his closest confidants in the profession were white. You just had to earn his trust. And it turns out his teams were disciplined and tough not because of some thuggish image that some wanted to present them to be but because Thompson knew that to help his players-some of which were coming from tough backgrounds-that strict order was the path to life development. It turns out Thompson was just man who called out wrong and praised right. I cherished the times I got to hear his thoughts on race relations in the past and present. And of course, as a sports nerd, inside tales of the games he was part of was nothing short of magical.
I liked John so much I invited him to my wedding. He politely declined but sent a gift. He nicknamed me "the wild child" because I gravitated toward some of the most absurd stories in sports during my updates, partly because I knew if I had his attention this would engage him and at times leave him speechless-which I and my co-workers really found amusing.
There was one thing I never did though in those times that I got to know John Thompson, I never thanked him for that day. For saving my career. For taking a chance on someone he only knew by the snippets of work he'd seen produced. He didn't judge me the way others had judged him. He gave me a chance.
I want to wish John a very happy retirement from the airwaves. His Rolodex and commentary on the sports of our time were priceless. But like anything else in life, it's the personal relationships that matter most. John Thompson and I aren't close friends. I'm not even sure he'd describe me as a friend. But I'll always think of him that way. And I'll always owe him a debt of gratitude. Thank you John.
To think that now is to think John Thompson is devoid of depth and character. It's embarrassing merely recalling those feelings. It proved I embodied all those negative qualities that I projected on a man who I didn't understand.
Since leaving Sportstalk 980 my contact with John Thompson has been minimal and I'm sorry that this is the case. It's my fault and my loss. Because the years I spent tangentially getting to know a legendary coach with even more legendary characteristics afforded me the opportunity to get to interact with people from all walks of life better.
I saw Thompson reduce co-workers of mine to tears. Grown men with tears streaming down their faces because he cursed them out over a mistake they made on his radio program. In their defense, had Thompson ever laid into me, I'm certain I would have ended up in the fetal position myself. He had that kind of booming presence. An enormous man, Thompson moved slowly but was incapable of whispering. His voice was so deep, James Earl Jones would be jealous of him. He's as unique a man you'll ever lay eyes on, the features of a Bulldog with large jowls and a mean streak that could scar you deeply. It quickly became apparent why Thompson got the most out of his teams, they were scared to death of him too. Do you think Allen Iverson had a problem motivating for practice under Thompson? I don't. We're talking about Thompson.
I also know that Thompson knew right from wrong, maybe better then most. And because he wielded an influence few have, he used it benevolently and never asked for anything in return. John Thompson is the reason I am doing what I am doing today, working for ESPN as an anchor on the one true iconic American sports program. He saved my career when it was only getting started.
In my first season covering the Washington Redskins, I knew nothing. Literally nothing. Now sure I knew the history of the team, the roster back and forth. I'd seen every play this team had run since I could remember and I cared deeply for this franchise at the expense of courtships with female companions. But I knew nothing about being a beat reporter. I didn't really know how to interview, how to create and maintain sources and contacts, knowing where to get the answers I needed quickly and how to turn that information into useful reports for the listening public. I knew nothing. The only way to learn is on the job.
I begged to be the Redskins beat reporter when my predecessor Rich Cook left Sportstalk 980. The job was open, and since I believed I had proven my work ethic accepting every open update position the station had offered, I felt ready. Fortunately, there was no one else at the station who either hadn't already done that job or was ready to take it. So my boss Tod Castleberry was left with few options and knew he was taking a chance on me. The likelihood was I'd try hard and break no news. This also coincided with the year that Dan Snyder acquired Jeff George, Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders, Mark Carrier etc. The Redskins were a Super Bowl or bust team, the original Dream Team and the sports world was watching. Here I am, a rube in the industry trying to get news despite intense local and national coverage.
This was also the first camp that the Skins held at their home facility in Ashburn Virginia and you'll recall this was the one and only camp that the team charged fans for entry. So began the criticism of Dan Snyder. He was doing something no single other NFL owner dared to do, charge for something everyone else deemed as a perk of being a fan. Hey-if you wanted to stand in 90+ degree weather and watch the team do 7 on 7 drills, why would you be subjected to a fee for that? Add in the revelation that paying for admittance meant scouts from other teams were now invited to watch from the stands, (a rule violation if the practices are free) and Snyder's decision making began to get ridiculed. So the media was starting to come under scrutiny from within the organization as the bad press mounted. What people were saying about the team was being analyzed and over analyzed.
980 had a deal with the team to broadcast live from training camp all day. Steve Czaban was hosting an evening show at the time-it may have been before he and Andy Pollin teamed up as the Sports Reporters or it may have been special extra programming due to the access circumstances-I honestly don't remember. What I do remember was that on a daily basis, I was invited to join Czabe for a segment discussing the news of the day from the Park. I was maybe 2 weeks into my first season when Czabe asked me a question about Sonny Jurgensen, the Redskins hall of Fame quarterback and broadcast booth member. It was an innocent query about where he hangs out during practice. Here's some quick context as to why Czabe went in this direction: At the time Jurgensen and Snyder were very close. Some suggested Jurgensen was so close that his opinion was as important as a general manager's and that if Sonny didn't like a player or thought the Redskins should acquire a player, Snyder might very well listen to it and act on it. The two were inseparable at the time so when Czabe asked about where Sonny was at practice, I answered honestly: "Where he always is, in the center of the two adjoining fields (where the media was prohibited-we were allowed the perimeters) and sitting next to one another." And I added one more thing: "That's his dawg." And for emphasis I exaggerated the word daaaawwwggggg.
For some quick context on that, Dawg was part of the pop culture lexicon (not pretending to be the pulse of the masses, but in this case, I wasn't behind the curve) and it's definition was that of best friends. If you were my dawg, that means we are very close. There was no misunderstanding about the context when Czabe and I discussed this on the air and there was no backlash via listeners at the time.
2 hours later though, I received a phone call from my station and not from the studio. This came from an office line. On the other end was our program director, the man who had taken a chance on me with this job in the first place. He said he had to ask me a very important question: "Did you call Sonny Jurgensen Dan Snyder's dog on the radio tonight?" I said Yes. He asked why I would do such a thing. Now, it took me a second to understand what he was getting at. And then I felt like I was going to die on the spot. My heart started racing. He thinks I called one of the greatest living legends of the Redskins organization the owner's pet.
I stammered something about context and what I meant was, uh, god who knows what came out of my mouth but I was quickly able to get the message across. That's when they dropped the bomb on me, 3 weeks into the job I dreamed about doing as a child, the Redskins had told the station I was no longer welcome at the Park and needed to be removed from the beat. SHELL SHOCK. breathe. Death. Fainting. breathe.
Two incredibly fortunate things happened over the next 24 hours. 1) My bosses backed me 100%. When they confronted the Redskins-and I'll never forget this quote-they said told the team "I have good news and bad news for you. The good news is Bram didn't call Sonny Dan Snyder's dog. The bad news is you guys are tragically un-hip."
The result was the Redskins agreed to let me continue to do my job but it was clear that I was on double secret probation. Bark up the wrong tree, ruffle the wrong feathers and I'd be out. And considering how much money the station was paying just to have the partnership with the team, any more trouble would force their hand. An unknown reporter is not worth ruining a necessary business relationship over.
Then came the following day. To say I was nervous walking from my car into the practice facility is a severe understatement. I hadn't had enough experience to know that fights with the team over what was said on the radio would become commonplace. I was scared and was going to try my best to lay as low as possible for a couple of days. But that's when I saw John Thompson being driven on a golf cart from his vehicle to the broadcast site which was maybe 50 yards from the practice field. Now understand I had done some updates on John's show, many of which were ignored by the coach while I was doing them. I'd say our relationship at this point was almost nonexistent. I was just a kid who showed up and performed a necessary function on his show. When the golf cart came to a stop next to me, I was surprised. Thompson bellowed out, "Bram, get in."
The next 30 seconds changed my life. Just as Thompson was saying "Bram, don't worry about what they said. Don't let no mother fuckers tell you how to do your job," out came the very member of the Redskins front office who had called my station asking for me to be fired or reassigned. Thompson, apparently apprised of this-how or why he was I still don't know. Why he even cared, I don't know. Still, Thompson had the golf cart pull up to this person and come to a stop. He looked him in the eye and told him, "Leave Bram alone. He's doing a great job for us and he didn't mean shit by what he said. I don't want to hear about any more problems between you and him anymore." I don't know what the Redskins guy said. I don't even remember what happened over the next ten minutes other then mumbling a thank you to Coach and going back to my spot on the field to watch practice.
I never did have another problem that season. And every other problem I subsequently had was dealt with professionally. John Thompson allowed me to earn my stripes before I earned them myself. His gravitas allowed me the access I needed to learn how to cover the team. My ability to perform it well and gain notoriety are not his to claim, but my ability to even have a chance at doing those things are squarely in part to what he did in those 30 seconds for someone he barely knew. John Thompson is the reason why I got to stay the Redskins beat reporter which ultimately grew into my own show (which he was a guest on numerous times, actually more rare then you might think) which led to multiple local and national television appearances, which led to 980's competition wanting me to join them which led to ESPN asking me to come to Bristol and be part of the legacy of Sportscenter.
In the subsequent years at Sportstalk 980 I eagerly took every opportunity to engage Thompson in conversation. It turns out he wasn't racist nor a hater of the media. In fact, some of his closest confidants in the profession were white. You just had to earn his trust. And it turns out his teams were disciplined and tough not because of some thuggish image that some wanted to present them to be but because Thompson knew that to help his players-some of which were coming from tough backgrounds-that strict order was the path to life development. It turns out Thompson was just man who called out wrong and praised right. I cherished the times I got to hear his thoughts on race relations in the past and present. And of course, as a sports nerd, inside tales of the games he was part of was nothing short of magical.
I liked John so much I invited him to my wedding. He politely declined but sent a gift. He nicknamed me "the wild child" because I gravitated toward some of the most absurd stories in sports during my updates, partly because I knew if I had his attention this would engage him and at times leave him speechless-which I and my co-workers really found amusing.
There was one thing I never did though in those times that I got to know John Thompson, I never thanked him for that day. For saving my career. For taking a chance on someone he only knew by the snippets of work he'd seen produced. He didn't judge me the way others had judged him. He gave me a chance.
I want to wish John a very happy retirement from the airwaves. His Rolodex and commentary on the sports of our time were priceless. But like anything else in life, it's the personal relationships that matter most. John Thompson and I aren't close friends. I'm not even sure he'd describe me as a friend. But I'll always think of him that way. And I'll always owe him a debt of gratitude. Thank you John.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Now what?
Can the Redskins afford to be patient? Welcome to the latest crossroads off-season where the organization will be tested. Can this franchise continue to stick to it's current plan of going young with the hope of building a contender from within or will they fall back on their former persona of dumping cash for the short term influx of attention?
These are scary times for a franchise who is drifting toward a newfound reality, small market relevance. The Dream Team resides in Philadelphia. America's Team resides in Dallas and the Super Bowl champs play in the biggest media market in the country. That reality equates to a frightening thought: What does Dan do about this? Can he afford to let the Redskins continue to be an also ran?
The organization has a big problem. How do you fight becoming a franchise of irrelevance nationally? What exactly is the Skins brand? This is not to suggest that the Redskins can't become a fixture of the national conscious once again, but there is a growing gap in terms of the marketability of this team. The importance of this idea cannot be understated.
Locally, my eyebrows were raised when the team decided to remove some of the seating at Fed Ex Field. How challenged is the franchise to sell tickets? In my lifetime, I never even thought to ask that question. The Redskins never advertised when I was growing up, partially because they played in one of the smallest and most revered venues in the NFL, RFK, but also because win or lose-they mattered. They were part of the national conversation. It appears now that the waiting list is part myth and the viability of acquiring Redskins tickets is at an all time high.
Losing of course hinders the perception nationally of a franchise. Years of losing can alter value, as exemplified for a lowered demand for tickets. But consider this for a moment, are the Cowboys struggling for attention despite the fact that their playoff success rate over the last 20 years practically mirrors that of Washington? This is problematic on many levels. The Cowboys still rank high among the teams in merchandising. That suggests that the America's Team moniker has stuck despite their franchise's fall from grace.
What this points to is the Redskins potential willingness to go back to a free spending way to garner some of the attention back. So does that mean that the Redskins are forced to overpay for Peyton Manning, or mortgage away a significant part of their future to ensure that they draft Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin the 3rd? Mike Shanihan heads into year three after 2 losing seasons failing in both years to find his answer at quarterback. Now in certain survivalist mode, will he fall for the promise of the quick fix?
Winning is often the cure all. But is winning enough for the Redskins (although it would be a good start)? The youth movement hasn't panned out yet. The free spending days failed miserably. And now Washington has clearly become the 4th most important franchise in their own division. What does Dan do? I don't envy his position here. Patience in this case is a risk. So is taking a chance on Peyton, a move that could set the team back even farther.
These are scary times for a franchise who is drifting toward a newfound reality, small market relevance. The Dream Team resides in Philadelphia. America's Team resides in Dallas and the Super Bowl champs play in the biggest media market in the country. That reality equates to a frightening thought: What does Dan do about this? Can he afford to let the Redskins continue to be an also ran?
The organization has a big problem. How do you fight becoming a franchise of irrelevance nationally? What exactly is the Skins brand? This is not to suggest that the Redskins can't become a fixture of the national conscious once again, but there is a growing gap in terms of the marketability of this team. The importance of this idea cannot be understated.
Locally, my eyebrows were raised when the team decided to remove some of the seating at Fed Ex Field. How challenged is the franchise to sell tickets? In my lifetime, I never even thought to ask that question. The Redskins never advertised when I was growing up, partially because they played in one of the smallest and most revered venues in the NFL, RFK, but also because win or lose-they mattered. They were part of the national conversation. It appears now that the waiting list is part myth and the viability of acquiring Redskins tickets is at an all time high.
Losing of course hinders the perception nationally of a franchise. Years of losing can alter value, as exemplified for a lowered demand for tickets. But consider this for a moment, are the Cowboys struggling for attention despite the fact that their playoff success rate over the last 20 years practically mirrors that of Washington? This is problematic on many levels. The Cowboys still rank high among the teams in merchandising. That suggests that the America's Team moniker has stuck despite their franchise's fall from grace.
What this points to is the Redskins potential willingness to go back to a free spending way to garner some of the attention back. So does that mean that the Redskins are forced to overpay for Peyton Manning, or mortgage away a significant part of their future to ensure that they draft Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin the 3rd? Mike Shanihan heads into year three after 2 losing seasons failing in both years to find his answer at quarterback. Now in certain survivalist mode, will he fall for the promise of the quick fix?
Winning is often the cure all. But is winning enough for the Redskins (although it would be a good start)? The youth movement hasn't panned out yet. The free spending days failed miserably. And now Washington has clearly become the 4th most important franchise in their own division. What does Dan do? I don't envy his position here. Patience in this case is a risk. So is taking a chance on Peyton, a move that could set the team back even farther.
Monday, January 23, 2012
QB Me Please
There is a future in Washington because Blaine Gabbert is not part of it. Thankfully the collective brain of the Shannys did not stake their reputation on the rookie quarterback. If the the Redskins got one thing and one thing only really right this past season it was the trade down when Gabbert was staring at them in the face. Had the Redskins selected Gabbert it is reasonable to think this is what would have happened: Rex signs elsewhere because he knows he can't be the starter-is likely more portly wherever that is. Beck stays because Gosh darn it, he keeps telling himself in the mirror that one day people will like him. Skins bring in Jake Delhomme or Jeff Garcia or someone with an AARP card just in case Gabbert can only remember the first word of every play in the huddle and just says-"You go long, you do something cool."
Gabbert starts opening day because the fans never had to watch Beck "lead" the player run lockout practices and not unlike the Marty straw hat trend, blonde mullets become all the rage in DC.
And the rest would be predictable. The record might be the same but the offense is woeful, incapable of hitting a deep pass, not like that was happening anyway. But then the reality would set in. It's Heath Shuler all over again. He can't play. We are committed and the young pieces we have will want to flee ASAP.
Which leads us to an off-season of possibility and Gabbert free. So, with that as a backdrop, it's time to take a look at the men who could very well be, the next person Team Shanny stakes their reputation on..
1) Andrew Luck. Huge long shot considering the Colts should take him at number one. But did you see the Hannah Storm-JIm Irsay interview? They appeared to have just left an Applebees Happy Hour. So maybe, Irsay gets convinced that he should trade out and that means we are in. No one and I mean no one makes more trades involving overcompensation then the Redskins. So we'll mortgage our future and our grandchildren's future but we'll have Luck.
Probability: 2%
2) RG3. This guy might fall in the Redskins lap at 6 which would be nothing short miraculous. But all the league miracles appear to have gone to Denver and San Francisco, so I'll assume it won't be that easy. So these are the choices, pay the premium to hop Cleveland to ensure he doesn't get selected by the Browns at 4. That means going as high as 2 with the Rams or 3 with the Niners, neither of which figure to be interested in the Heisman winner. What's the price tag on that move? You know the Rams and Vikings are sleeping well knowing the drool worthy call from Washington is coming.
Probability: 23%
3) Draft another quarterback. Ryan Tannehill or 29 year old Brandon Weeden or that sleestack Osweiller or maybe Nick Foles. Will Mike Shanihan be the coach when he's in year 2? You already know the answer to that.
Probability: 24% as one may be drafted and not expected to start immediately.
4) John Beck and Rex Grossman: One is coming back if for no other reason that you can't clean house at the quarterback position. They both know the Shanny system-although some could debate that and are mildly effective in it-see aging wide receiver core showing glimpses of effectiveness. Plus, and this is what ole Rex is banking on- they don't get the guy they want in the draft (Damn you Matt Barkley), they don't land a Peyton Manning or Drew Brees (more on them below) and they think better of paying out the wazoo for a potential one hit wonder (see Matt Flynn). What choice do they have? Are they both back? No. We the people of Redskins nation demand in this election year at least one new quarterback. Yes We Can. Might we stomach one of them coming back? We have no choice so yeah, I guess we can. If we have to.
Probability : 83% that one returns
5) Drew Brees. In our dreams. He doesn't have a deal in New Orleans and of course worst case scenario would be franchised if it gets that far. He wants to stay. They want to keep him and there haven't been any natural calamities that would make him yearn to bring our community together.
Probability: 0.1%
6) Peyton Manning. At risk of causing another mini firestorm by discussing this again (behold the power of Bram's twitter), this is still in play. Rob Lowe can go screw himself. Manning will not be a Colt as of March. Being that he has yet to retire, we should assume that he is going to play if his body lets him. So lets get the minutiae out of the way, who is the most likely team to overpay for his services? Redskins. Who would succumb to any and all demands Peyton might make? Ding Ding Ding. Redskins. If Peyton said Cooper Manning is the new assistant GM, guess who'd be the new assistant GM? There are a million reasons why the Redskins shouldn't do this, but that's never stopped them before although I do think in general the Shanny/Allen brain trust isn't as trigger happy. Speaking of trigger happy, I liken the Redskins mindset in February to that of Plaxico Burress at nightclubs. They never mean to shoot themselves in the leg and are completely unaware of what the ramifications are of doing so.
Still, you and I both know if Peyton is in play and the NERVE DAMAGE in his neck doesn't deter them from doing so, the Redskins will be all in. Will Peyton want to be in a division where he has to face his brother twice a year? I'd think not. But what if the Redskins are the only ones offering him some stupid contract and no one else is flinching?
Probability: 65% assuming Peyton can throw a football with his right arm. We might even take him with one good appendage.
7) Matt Flynn. Be Afraid. Be very afraid. He was a long shot to even make the Packers roster in 2007 being the second quarterback they selected that year (Brian Brohm was a second round pick-which tells you how confident they were in A Rodg at the time). He was the MVP of the BCS title game for LSU, the lone season that he was the Tigers starter. Consider that for a moment as well, this isn't USC. Sure Tom Brady was overlooked at Michigan. Sure Kurt Warner was bagging groceries. But lets not turn him into the little engine that could be great just yet. In the Packers finale, he broke single game franchise records which is nothing short of insane considering the season Rodgers had and the legacy that is Brett Favre. So Flynn picked the right time to make himself a butt load of money. And the Packers are helping his cause even more by hinting they might franchise him. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Ooh ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Whooooo that is a good one. Lets not forget that the week after Flynn domination, the Saints tore the Lions another new a-hole but that's not important right now. Because of the void of experienced quarterbacks (if you deem him that) available on the market, Flynn is the embodiment of the Trojan Horse. My sources say he's not the Skins guy. Others say he is.
Probability: 40%
8) Alex Smith. I don't know how the 49ers got to the NFC title game by largely ignoring their wide receivers. Honestly Flynn would fit in perfectly with them. Maybe Les Miles should join as an assistant to Jim Harbaugh. Smith did do a few things really well, few turnovers, showed toughness and exemplified resiliency. Joe Flacco hears some cat calls and he grows out a Taxi Driver mustache. Smith put on a gasoline shirt and told everyone he doesn't care what they've thought about him for 6 years. 6. So he is mentally tough. I'd guess the Niners are inclined to keep him. I'd also guess they won't break the bank for him considering in an offensive league, they didn't exactly go west coast on everyone. They cannot think they will be +28 in turnovers again and the playoffs showed just how fragile they were. Divisional week they needed 5 Saints turnovers to barely beat New Orleans at home. Against the Giants, two bad bounces on punt return did them in. There finally was a market correction on their ability to get the ball to bounce their way and because of it, they got bounced. So if someone gets their eye on Alex, he might leave. I don't sense the Skins perceive him as a splashy move.
Probability: 5.6%
9) Colt McCoy. If the Browns select RG3, McCoy is as good as gone from Cleveland. Maybe because his name is Daniel and they called him Colt or maybe because he got engaged at the movies or something stupid like that or maybe because he looks like a eagle scout, I just never thought he'd make a good NFL QB. This position ignores what he did in college which is unfair. Until Kellen Moore came along and played for a dominant program who plays nobody-McCoy was the winningest QB in the history of division one. Doesn't that have to mean something when you are talking about handing over a mint to Matt Flynn? And while he didn't make everyone in Cleveland remember, um, best I can come up with is Bernie Kozar, he wasn't bad. If it is me, I'm kicking those tires and seeing if he can be molded into the Shanny system. Here's what I know, he'll listen, he's respectful, he'll try to lead and he is mobile enough for all the waggles etc. I vote for Colt to get a look and maybe be part of a summer competition. I've voiced this before and had cyber tomatoes thrown at me. Whatever. That's my position and I'm sticking with it.
Probability: 12%
10) Vince Young. I only want this to happen so the fake Vince Young can cause more mischief in DC.
Probability: 0%
11) Matt Moore. The Dolphins were 0-3 by the time he started his first game this year. The next four games were all losses too, at the Jets, Giants and Chargers-none of which they'd have been favored in and a home loss to Denver- you'll recall that was the first Tebow miracle. The Dolphins went 6-3 from there. Moore had a passer rating over 122 three times, 99 against Dallas on Thanksgiving and 98 against New England where he staked his team to a 17 point lead on the road. In 2009 when he started 7 games for Carolina-he threw 2 interceptions and had a quarterback rating just under 100. I'm not seeing stars here but (and maybe this is because I just watched Moneyball the other day) I am seeing value. Matt Moore might be better then we think. He won't inspire confidence in the fan base. He won't morph into Aaron Rodgers. But he might be a quarterback who gets it and handles an offense that say drafts a Justin Blackmon. I like Matt Moore enough to say, he's an upgrade from Rex and under Shanihan, might be pretty good.
Probability: 36%
12) Mark Sanchez. If Peyton goes to play for the Jets as the New Yorkers ASSUME will happen then Sanchez will get moved. Here's what we know. Santonio Holmes is going nowhere (so said Woody Johnson). The Jets aren't sure that Sanchez is the right guy for them (so said Woody Johnson) and thanks to the lack of drafting and money spent on free agents in previous years, the Jets know the window for their team to vie for a title is small. They might be willing to move Sanchez for a song and if that is the case, I'd jump on that immediately. Plus, Dan Snyder loved Sanchez coming out and was hoping to move up to get him. I would do this in a second.
Probability 50%
The way to go: Get Mark Sanchez for the right trade, say swapping positions in the first round or giving up a second. If the Jets come to their senses, sign Matt Moore. If RG3 falls into your lap at the draft, then it sucks to be Matt Moore. But this means you don't have to take your pants off to trade up for Griffin. If Moore stays in Miami (which assume won't be the case since I'd think Joe Philbin's first move os to bring Flynn to Miami) then lets talk with Cleveland about their plan for Colt McCoy before and after the draft.
And as usual, pray the football Gods smile on this franchise. They did in Denver. They did in San Francisco so since they've taken a shine to the oldies but goodies from the 80's and 90's, maybe it's the Redskins turn.
Gabbert starts opening day because the fans never had to watch Beck "lead" the player run lockout practices and not unlike the Marty straw hat trend, blonde mullets become all the rage in DC.
And the rest would be predictable. The record might be the same but the offense is woeful, incapable of hitting a deep pass, not like that was happening anyway. But then the reality would set in. It's Heath Shuler all over again. He can't play. We are committed and the young pieces we have will want to flee ASAP.
Which leads us to an off-season of possibility and Gabbert free. So, with that as a backdrop, it's time to take a look at the men who could very well be, the next person Team Shanny stakes their reputation on..
1) Andrew Luck. Huge long shot considering the Colts should take him at number one. But did you see the Hannah Storm-JIm Irsay interview? They appeared to have just left an Applebees Happy Hour. So maybe, Irsay gets convinced that he should trade out and that means we are in. No one and I mean no one makes more trades involving overcompensation then the Redskins. So we'll mortgage our future and our grandchildren's future but we'll have Luck.
Probability: 2%
2) RG3. This guy might fall in the Redskins lap at 6 which would be nothing short miraculous. But all the league miracles appear to have gone to Denver and San Francisco, so I'll assume it won't be that easy. So these are the choices, pay the premium to hop Cleveland to ensure he doesn't get selected by the Browns at 4. That means going as high as 2 with the Rams or 3 with the Niners, neither of which figure to be interested in the Heisman winner. What's the price tag on that move? You know the Rams and Vikings are sleeping well knowing the drool worthy call from Washington is coming.
Probability: 23%
3) Draft another quarterback. Ryan Tannehill or 29 year old Brandon Weeden or that sleestack Osweiller or maybe Nick Foles. Will Mike Shanihan be the coach when he's in year 2? You already know the answer to that.
Probability: 24% as one may be drafted and not expected to start immediately.
4) John Beck and Rex Grossman: One is coming back if for no other reason that you can't clean house at the quarterback position. They both know the Shanny system-although some could debate that and are mildly effective in it-see aging wide receiver core showing glimpses of effectiveness. Plus, and this is what ole Rex is banking on- they don't get the guy they want in the draft (Damn you Matt Barkley), they don't land a Peyton Manning or Drew Brees (more on them below) and they think better of paying out the wazoo for a potential one hit wonder (see Matt Flynn). What choice do they have? Are they both back? No. We the people of Redskins nation demand in this election year at least one new quarterback. Yes We Can. Might we stomach one of them coming back? We have no choice so yeah, I guess we can. If we have to.
Probability : 83% that one returns
5) Drew Brees. In our dreams. He doesn't have a deal in New Orleans and of course worst case scenario would be franchised if it gets that far. He wants to stay. They want to keep him and there haven't been any natural calamities that would make him yearn to bring our community together.
Probability: 0.1%
6) Peyton Manning. At risk of causing another mini firestorm by discussing this again (behold the power of Bram's twitter), this is still in play. Rob Lowe can go screw himself. Manning will not be a Colt as of March. Being that he has yet to retire, we should assume that he is going to play if his body lets him. So lets get the minutiae out of the way, who is the most likely team to overpay for his services? Redskins. Who would succumb to any and all demands Peyton might make? Ding Ding Ding. Redskins. If Peyton said Cooper Manning is the new assistant GM, guess who'd be the new assistant GM? There are a million reasons why the Redskins shouldn't do this, but that's never stopped them before although I do think in general the Shanny/Allen brain trust isn't as trigger happy. Speaking of trigger happy, I liken the Redskins mindset in February to that of Plaxico Burress at nightclubs. They never mean to shoot themselves in the leg and are completely unaware of what the ramifications are of doing so.
Still, you and I both know if Peyton is in play and the NERVE DAMAGE in his neck doesn't deter them from doing so, the Redskins will be all in. Will Peyton want to be in a division where he has to face his brother twice a year? I'd think not. But what if the Redskins are the only ones offering him some stupid contract and no one else is flinching?
Probability: 65% assuming Peyton can throw a football with his right arm. We might even take him with one good appendage.
7) Matt Flynn. Be Afraid. Be very afraid. He was a long shot to even make the Packers roster in 2007 being the second quarterback they selected that year (Brian Brohm was a second round pick-which tells you how confident they were in A Rodg at the time). He was the MVP of the BCS title game for LSU, the lone season that he was the Tigers starter. Consider that for a moment as well, this isn't USC. Sure Tom Brady was overlooked at Michigan. Sure Kurt Warner was bagging groceries. But lets not turn him into the little engine that could be great just yet. In the Packers finale, he broke single game franchise records which is nothing short of insane considering the season Rodgers had and the legacy that is Brett Favre. So Flynn picked the right time to make himself a butt load of money. And the Packers are helping his cause even more by hinting they might franchise him. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Ooh ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Whooooo that is a good one. Lets not forget that the week after Flynn domination, the Saints tore the Lions another new a-hole but that's not important right now. Because of the void of experienced quarterbacks (if you deem him that) available on the market, Flynn is the embodiment of the Trojan Horse. My sources say he's not the Skins guy. Others say he is.
Probability: 40%
8) Alex Smith. I don't know how the 49ers got to the NFC title game by largely ignoring their wide receivers. Honestly Flynn would fit in perfectly with them. Maybe Les Miles should join as an assistant to Jim Harbaugh. Smith did do a few things really well, few turnovers, showed toughness and exemplified resiliency. Joe Flacco hears some cat calls and he grows out a Taxi Driver mustache. Smith put on a gasoline shirt and told everyone he doesn't care what they've thought about him for 6 years. 6. So he is mentally tough. I'd guess the Niners are inclined to keep him. I'd also guess they won't break the bank for him considering in an offensive league, they didn't exactly go west coast on everyone. They cannot think they will be +28 in turnovers again and the playoffs showed just how fragile they were. Divisional week they needed 5 Saints turnovers to barely beat New Orleans at home. Against the Giants, two bad bounces on punt return did them in. There finally was a market correction on their ability to get the ball to bounce their way and because of it, they got bounced. So if someone gets their eye on Alex, he might leave. I don't sense the Skins perceive him as a splashy move.
Probability: 5.6%
9) Colt McCoy. If the Browns select RG3, McCoy is as good as gone from Cleveland. Maybe because his name is Daniel and they called him Colt or maybe because he got engaged at the movies or something stupid like that or maybe because he looks like a eagle scout, I just never thought he'd make a good NFL QB. This position ignores what he did in college which is unfair. Until Kellen Moore came along and played for a dominant program who plays nobody-McCoy was the winningest QB in the history of division one. Doesn't that have to mean something when you are talking about handing over a mint to Matt Flynn? And while he didn't make everyone in Cleveland remember, um, best I can come up with is Bernie Kozar, he wasn't bad. If it is me, I'm kicking those tires and seeing if he can be molded into the Shanny system. Here's what I know, he'll listen, he's respectful, he'll try to lead and he is mobile enough for all the waggles etc. I vote for Colt to get a look and maybe be part of a summer competition. I've voiced this before and had cyber tomatoes thrown at me. Whatever. That's my position and I'm sticking with it.
Probability: 12%
10) Vince Young. I only want this to happen so the fake Vince Young can cause more mischief in DC.
Probability: 0%
11) Matt Moore. The Dolphins were 0-3 by the time he started his first game this year. The next four games were all losses too, at the Jets, Giants and Chargers-none of which they'd have been favored in and a home loss to Denver- you'll recall that was the first Tebow miracle. The Dolphins went 6-3 from there. Moore had a passer rating over 122 three times, 99 against Dallas on Thanksgiving and 98 against New England where he staked his team to a 17 point lead on the road. In 2009 when he started 7 games for Carolina-he threw 2 interceptions and had a quarterback rating just under 100. I'm not seeing stars here but (and maybe this is because I just watched Moneyball the other day) I am seeing value. Matt Moore might be better then we think. He won't inspire confidence in the fan base. He won't morph into Aaron Rodgers. But he might be a quarterback who gets it and handles an offense that say drafts a Justin Blackmon. I like Matt Moore enough to say, he's an upgrade from Rex and under Shanihan, might be pretty good.
Probability: 36%
12) Mark Sanchez. If Peyton goes to play for the Jets as the New Yorkers ASSUME will happen then Sanchez will get moved. Here's what we know. Santonio Holmes is going nowhere (so said Woody Johnson). The Jets aren't sure that Sanchez is the right guy for them (so said Woody Johnson) and thanks to the lack of drafting and money spent on free agents in previous years, the Jets know the window for their team to vie for a title is small. They might be willing to move Sanchez for a song and if that is the case, I'd jump on that immediately. Plus, Dan Snyder loved Sanchez coming out and was hoping to move up to get him. I would do this in a second.
Probability 50%
The way to go: Get Mark Sanchez for the right trade, say swapping positions in the first round or giving up a second. If the Jets come to their senses, sign Matt Moore. If RG3 falls into your lap at the draft, then it sucks to be Matt Moore. But this means you don't have to take your pants off to trade up for Griffin. If Moore stays in Miami (which assume won't be the case since I'd think Joe Philbin's first move os to bring Flynn to Miami) then lets talk with Cleveland about their plan for Colt McCoy before and after the draft.
And as usual, pray the football Gods smile on this franchise. They did in Denver. They did in San Francisco so since they've taken a shine to the oldies but goodies from the 80's and 90's, maybe it's the Redskins turn.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Glass Joe Flacco
Have you ever seen the documentary "Scared Straight?" In 1978, Director Arnold Shapiro took a group of tennage criminals into one of the most feared prisons on Earth to speak with some of the "lifers." A drug dealer, a counterfeiter, a mafia informant, an arsonist and a gang member met the teens in a room inside Rahway and wasted no time berating them explaining in graphic detail what will happen to them when they end up inside.
Needless to say, when a gang member decsribes in detail what he and his friends are going to do to your ass, you listen, and cry, a lot. On camera, the teens saw their future and were "scared straight." Now I'm not going to bother telling you what happened in their lives following the making of this film-it doesn't matter. The point of this is the Ravens have done the opposite to their quarterback Joe Flacco-he's scared stiff and that's why the Patriots are going to be playing for another championship.
The Ravens defense has owned the locker room for 15 years, ever since Ray Lewis starting scaring his teammates staright about how his game will be played. No quarterback was ever good enough for Ray and his "lifers." Chris Redman, Tony Banks, Kyle Boller, even Brian Billick for that matter never really measured up to Ray's standard. Honestly, none of them really deserved it anyway. Even the one quarterback who played on a title team in Baltimore was part of a regular season streak that included 6 straight games without an offensive touchdown. But because the Ravens defense saved Trent Dilfer's hide and won anyway, the perception that defense and defense only wins championships was birthed.
Along comes Joe Flacco who has a mild demeanor-perfect in that he's not going to take any of the limelight away from Ray or T-Sizzle or Rex Ryan or Ed Reed (more on him later) or Bart Scott or Rex Ryan who whoever was part of this clan. And in Flacco, the defense got exactly what they needed, a guy who was less a liability and, gasp, might actually win you a game if the defense had an off day.
All Flacco has done in his 4 year career is go 5-3 in the playoffs, 4 of those wins on the road. He's also been part of 44 regular season wins which is the most of any quarterback in the first four years of his career ever. EVER. Which is what has made the criticism that Flacco has faced so alarming. Because Ray and his co-horts haven't scared the media straight, they've in turn left Flacco in the prison yard by himself and his sphincter has been shrinking by the week.
The Steelers spent the lockout ridiculing Flacco. Baltimore kind of defended him. But if you read between the lines, the word out of Ravens camp was the Steelers (who'd knocked Baltimore out of the playoffs the year before) would be defeated without mentioning the aid of Flacco. The suggestion was clear, eh-he's good enough.
By mid-season, Flacco was publicly grousing about the fact that Baltimore's winsssss-aah over Pittsburgh took second fiddle to the growing media fascination with Tim Tebow. Now in fairness, Flacco wasn't the only one complaining about the inordinate amount of coverage to a player who literaly needed miracles to win games. But he was the only quarterback who seemed to have taken it personally. So lets start to add up the defects that would lead to his playoff and quite possibly permanent mental breakdown. Steelers roast Flacco in pre-season. Flacco beats Steelers-few think he has little to do with it including the media who make little to no deal out of it only to start fawning over the the Denver messiah who lets be honest doesn't even compare in the same stratosphere as the original Denver messiah.
This all came to a head last week when Flacco openly admitted he knew how the media, the world, even the guy in the mirror felt about him. He "joked" that if the Ravens won the Super Bowl that he believes no one would give him any credit for it. True, but only if he played like a liability which is EXACTLY WHAT HE DID against Houston and exascerbated it by growing out some facial hair reminiscent of Police Academy's Blue Oyster Bar. Flacco turned out to be prophetic. Barely beating a team with a rookie third string quarterback who turned the ball over numerous times and spotted you a 17-3 lead will do the trick.
So then Ed Reed played the role of the Rahway arsonist. He goes on radio and says not only did Flacco look shaky (no shit) but he also appeared to not have a grasp of the Ravens offense. Nevermind the fact that Flacco hasn't missed the playoffs in his four years in Baltimore and lest we remind Ed that Flacco has won more games in his young career then ANY other quarterback at this point in his career, no, he just looks lost. What a teammate.
So when Joe Flacco thinks about who he is playing this weekend, don't you think his inferiority complex will be so large that he might take a snap and immediately fall into the fetal position?
Does anyone think Alex Smith would have pulled off what he did a week ago if his team had spent the season claiming he was a mental midget? Eli Manning lives the New York beast year in and year out. Winning a Super Bowl didn't stop that drumbeat after the Giants missed two straight postseasons. But when one of his "guys" Tiki Barber attacked him-prior to the Super Bowl season, his teammates jumped to his defense. Who's defending Flacco? Not Ray. Not Ed. Terrell Suggs was at least smart enough to throw some water on the fire. Suggs offered the strongest comments in support of Flacco-and most noticeably the only ones. Apparently the offensive players on this team are so scared to speak their comments didn't register a blip on the radar. Where's the O-line on this? Where's Anquan Boldin or Ray Rice or John Harbaugh?
The Ravens have allowed their defense to run the prison and to their credit they have won a lot. But if the goal is to win championships, PLURAL, it's time they stopped scaring their quarterback straight and screaming down the doubters. That is of course if it's not too late. If there is one thing I know about Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, it's that if they sense the other guy is injured, they'll jump him like a lame zebra. The Ravens have two days to get Flacco to believe that he can be a champion, to erase the season of doubt that obviously persists in his head. Otherwise, they can blame Flacco all they want for falling short again but it's their prison mentality that ultimately should be where the fault is placed. Getting Flacco a razor might help too. Looking like a champion helps.
Needless to say, when a gang member decsribes in detail what he and his friends are going to do to your ass, you listen, and cry, a lot. On camera, the teens saw their future and were "scared straight." Now I'm not going to bother telling you what happened in their lives following the making of this film-it doesn't matter. The point of this is the Ravens have done the opposite to their quarterback Joe Flacco-he's scared stiff and that's why the Patriots are going to be playing for another championship.
The Ravens defense has owned the locker room for 15 years, ever since Ray Lewis starting scaring his teammates staright about how his game will be played. No quarterback was ever good enough for Ray and his "lifers." Chris Redman, Tony Banks, Kyle Boller, even Brian Billick for that matter never really measured up to Ray's standard. Honestly, none of them really deserved it anyway. Even the one quarterback who played on a title team in Baltimore was part of a regular season streak that included 6 straight games without an offensive touchdown. But because the Ravens defense saved Trent Dilfer's hide and won anyway, the perception that defense and defense only wins championships was birthed.
Along comes Joe Flacco who has a mild demeanor-perfect in that he's not going to take any of the limelight away from Ray or T-Sizzle or Rex Ryan or Ed Reed (more on him later) or Bart Scott or Rex Ryan who whoever was part of this clan. And in Flacco, the defense got exactly what they needed, a guy who was less a liability and, gasp, might actually win you a game if the defense had an off day.
All Flacco has done in his 4 year career is go 5-3 in the playoffs, 4 of those wins on the road. He's also been part of 44 regular season wins which is the most of any quarterback in the first four years of his career ever. EVER. Which is what has made the criticism that Flacco has faced so alarming. Because Ray and his co-horts haven't scared the media straight, they've in turn left Flacco in the prison yard by himself and his sphincter has been shrinking by the week.
The Steelers spent the lockout ridiculing Flacco. Baltimore kind of defended him. But if you read between the lines, the word out of Ravens camp was the Steelers (who'd knocked Baltimore out of the playoffs the year before) would be defeated without mentioning the aid of Flacco. The suggestion was clear, eh-he's good enough.
By mid-season, Flacco was publicly grousing about the fact that Baltimore's winsssss-aah over Pittsburgh took second fiddle to the growing media fascination with Tim Tebow. Now in fairness, Flacco wasn't the only one complaining about the inordinate amount of coverage to a player who literaly needed miracles to win games. But he was the only quarterback who seemed to have taken it personally. So lets start to add up the defects that would lead to his playoff and quite possibly permanent mental breakdown. Steelers roast Flacco in pre-season. Flacco beats Steelers-few think he has little to do with it including the media who make little to no deal out of it only to start fawning over the the Denver messiah who lets be honest doesn't even compare in the same stratosphere as the original Denver messiah.
This all came to a head last week when Flacco openly admitted he knew how the media, the world, even the guy in the mirror felt about him. He "joked" that if the Ravens won the Super Bowl that he believes no one would give him any credit for it. True, but only if he played like a liability which is EXACTLY WHAT HE DID against Houston and exascerbated it by growing out some facial hair reminiscent of Police Academy's Blue Oyster Bar. Flacco turned out to be prophetic. Barely beating a team with a rookie third string quarterback who turned the ball over numerous times and spotted you a 17-3 lead will do the trick.
So then Ed Reed played the role of the Rahway arsonist. He goes on radio and says not only did Flacco look shaky (no shit) but he also appeared to not have a grasp of the Ravens offense. Nevermind the fact that Flacco hasn't missed the playoffs in his four years in Baltimore and lest we remind Ed that Flacco has won more games in his young career then ANY other quarterback at this point in his career, no, he just looks lost. What a teammate.
So when Joe Flacco thinks about who he is playing this weekend, don't you think his inferiority complex will be so large that he might take a snap and immediately fall into the fetal position?
Does anyone think Alex Smith would have pulled off what he did a week ago if his team had spent the season claiming he was a mental midget? Eli Manning lives the New York beast year in and year out. Winning a Super Bowl didn't stop that drumbeat after the Giants missed two straight postseasons. But when one of his "guys" Tiki Barber attacked him-prior to the Super Bowl season, his teammates jumped to his defense. Who's defending Flacco? Not Ray. Not Ed. Terrell Suggs was at least smart enough to throw some water on the fire. Suggs offered the strongest comments in support of Flacco-and most noticeably the only ones. Apparently the offensive players on this team are so scared to speak their comments didn't register a blip on the radar. Where's the O-line on this? Where's Anquan Boldin or Ray Rice or John Harbaugh?
The Ravens have allowed their defense to run the prison and to their credit they have won a lot. But if the goal is to win championships, PLURAL, it's time they stopped scaring their quarterback straight and screaming down the doubters. That is of course if it's not too late. If there is one thing I know about Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, it's that if they sense the other guy is injured, they'll jump him like a lame zebra. The Ravens have two days to get Flacco to believe that he can be a champion, to erase the season of doubt that obviously persists in his head. Otherwise, they can blame Flacco all they want for falling short again but it's their prison mentality that ultimately should be where the fault is placed. Getting Flacco a razor might help too. Looking like a champion helps.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Was it ever Ok to refer to anyone as "Gaybirds?"
Gaybirds. There's a putdown you never hear anymore, especially from an elected official. Does Charles Mainor call his colleagues "Fairymen?" Just for fun, lets let Charles do the roll call for the day just to see what he comes up with the entire Assembly.
http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2012/01/jersey_city_assemblyman_apolog.html
http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2012/01/jersey_city_assemblyman_apolog.html
Friday, January 13, 2012
Does Peyton Make Sense in Washington?
Yes. No. Maybe. All of the above..
Lets get the minutiae out of the way and assume Peyton Manning is released by the Colts before they have to make the balloon payment in early March. And lets assume the Redskins will pay the price to acquire him. I'm sure you need no proof of past decision making to suggest the Redskins will become frugal on this one.
And with all of that taken as givens, we can do a pro-con list of why he would or would not make sense for the Redskins.
Pro--
1) When he last played he was still Peyton Manning-4000+ yard season, winning a division-again.
2) It turns out that the team he was playing with the LeBron-less Cavaliers so arguments that he couldn't transform the Redskins inept offense are illogical.
3) He's Peyton freaking Manning. He'll make everyone better. He'll take the pressure off the coach, the owner, everyone. He competes.
4) We'll bring his center Jeff Saturday with him. Considering we need a center,it's 2 for 1..
5) Rex Grossman can eat as much as he wants this summer, not our problem.
6) Mike Shanahan. Professional coach who has won before with an iconic quarterback.
7) Crowds come back to Fed Ex Field. Seriously, what marketing campaign can the team possibly come up with if Rex is still the quarterback?
Cons--
1) I'm not sure he can lift his right arm over his head.
2) Nerve damage in his neck. NERVE DAMAGE.
3) He'd have to play his brother twice a season. We all know Archie likes to manufacture the scenarios by which his boys play. This doesn't smell like one that he'd be interested in being a part of, especially when it is proven the organization Eli plays for has a MUCH better track record then Peytons.
4) Mike Shanahan. Wouldn't this merely be viewed as a survivalist move to attempt to retain his job? Why grow and develop a quarterback when we can just bring in Peyton? So much for the rebuilding project.
5) How many 36 year old quarterbacks go to a new team and actually win the Super Bowl?
6) JPP, DeMarcus Ware and Babin. Life in the NFC East sucks for immobile quarterbacks with NERVE DAMAGE.
My opinion: This is not the right move in the short or long term, only will stunt the development of the young pieces they are supposed to be building with. By the time Orakpo and Kerrigan and some of the young O pieces are ready to contend, Peyton will either be retired or maimed. But knowing the Redskins and knowing my sources, if they can make it happen, they are going to make it happen. So, lets warm up to it and hope for the best even though that position has been beyond fruitless.
Lets get the minutiae out of the way and assume Peyton Manning is released by the Colts before they have to make the balloon payment in early March. And lets assume the Redskins will pay the price to acquire him. I'm sure you need no proof of past decision making to suggest the Redskins will become frugal on this one.
And with all of that taken as givens, we can do a pro-con list of why he would or would not make sense for the Redskins.
Pro--
1) When he last played he was still Peyton Manning-4000+ yard season, winning a division-again.
2) It turns out that the team he was playing with the LeBron-less Cavaliers so arguments that he couldn't transform the Redskins inept offense are illogical.
3) He's Peyton freaking Manning. He'll make everyone better. He'll take the pressure off the coach, the owner, everyone. He competes.
4) We'll bring his center Jeff Saturday with him. Considering we need a center,it's 2 for 1..
5) Rex Grossman can eat as much as he wants this summer, not our problem.
6) Mike Shanahan. Professional coach who has won before with an iconic quarterback.
7) Crowds come back to Fed Ex Field. Seriously, what marketing campaign can the team possibly come up with if Rex is still the quarterback?
Cons--
1) I'm not sure he can lift his right arm over his head.
2) Nerve damage in his neck. NERVE DAMAGE.
3) He'd have to play his brother twice a season. We all know Archie likes to manufacture the scenarios by which his boys play. This doesn't smell like one that he'd be interested in being a part of, especially when it is proven the organization Eli plays for has a MUCH better track record then Peytons.
4) Mike Shanahan. Wouldn't this merely be viewed as a survivalist move to attempt to retain his job? Why grow and develop a quarterback when we can just bring in Peyton? So much for the rebuilding project.
5) How many 36 year old quarterbacks go to a new team and actually win the Super Bowl?
6) JPP, DeMarcus Ware and Babin. Life in the NFC East sucks for immobile quarterbacks with NERVE DAMAGE.
My opinion: This is not the right move in the short or long term, only will stunt the development of the young pieces they are supposed to be building with. By the time Orakpo and Kerrigan and some of the young O pieces are ready to contend, Peyton will either be retired or maimed. But knowing the Redskins and knowing my sources, if they can make it happen, they are going to make it happen. So, lets warm up to it and hope for the best even though that position has been beyond fruitless.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
