Giving The Redskins Some Tough Love

The sites been quiet the past several days, quite honestly I’ve been pretty numb about the Redskins. For the first time in forever, I don’t have a positive spin to put on the situation. I’ve been an eternal optimist in regards to the Skins, but I no longer see a light at the end of the tunnel. After some hard thinking and long analysis (otherwise known as drinking heavily) I have come to one conclusion…it’s the front office’s fault. I hate to write negatively about the Redskins, but sometimes you have to sit down and have a talk to those that you love, give them a little "tough love."

A couple weeks ago on ESPN Countdown, Tom Jackson said it best (I’m quoting from memory, may not be word for word) “Dan Snyder wants to win, he just doesn’t know how to win.” “He’s like a guy who’s got a leaky roof…but he ignores it and keeps on fixing up his basement.”

Of course everybody has an opinion on whose fault it is (i.e. Riggo YouTube,) it’s Zorn, It’s Campbell, it’s Snyder or it’s Cerrato. It’s clear to me that it’s the front office. The decisions being made out of Ashburn are clearly made by the tandem of Dan & Vinny…and quite frankly, it’s not working. These 2 peas in a pod can continue family movie night and their racquetball dates, but Vinny has to go for this organization to succeed. And when Vinny does go, Snyder must give full control to a great football mind and let them re-build this once proud franchise. A franchise that now gets booed at home at home regularly, and whose 2 wins have come against teams that lost last week by nearly 50 points.

This is the environment that Dan and Vinny have built. A team that struggles against the worst teams in the NFL, which means the Redskins, must be one of the worst teams? A team that cant’s score 20 points a game and hasn’t beaten a team by double digits since Gibbs left town nearly 2 years ago. As fans, we know the players on the field are playing hard and to the best of their abilities…unfortunately the front office is not putting those players in a position to succeed.

My next post will focus on the decisions that Dan & Vinny have made that have gotten the Redskins to where they are today.

Cheers and Hail

August 4: Happy Bday Riggo And BJ

Happy birthday John Riggins. What more can I say about my favorite football player of all time? He’s a hall of famer, leads the Redskins in every all-time rushing category and raised hell with the best of them. I can’t believe he’s 60 years old today. I know he could jump on a field right now and get a TD from the 1 yard line or get 3 yards on a 3rd and 2. I will have a beer for you tonight Riggo. Happy 60th Mr. Riggins!

Happy birthday BJ Surhoff. BJ played 8 seasons over 2 separate stints with the Orioles, 1996-2000 and 03-05. He ranks in the top 25 all-time in almost every offensive statistic in the history of the Orioles and was inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame in 2007. For his career BJ batted .282 with 2,326 hits and 1,153 RBI’s. I love the way BJ played the game. He was a hardnosed ballplayer who could play any position. He was the #1 overall draft pick in the 1985 draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. He was also the 1985 ACC Male Athlete of the Year, sandwiched between 1984 winner Michael Jordan, and 1985 winner Len Bias. BJ has been busy in his retirement. He was a spring training instructor for the O’s in 2008 and traveled to China with Cal in to 2007 to instruct children how to play baseball. He’s also the Vice President of Pathfinders for Autism and has spent many years trying to help in the fight against the disorder that his son Mason was diagnosed with. I had the opportunity to meet BJ and have him as one of my coaches at the Ripken Fantasy Camp. He’s a great guy and I think he’d make an awesome hitting coach or manager one day (if he wants to.) Happy 45th Mr. Surhoff… (I won’t drop any more fly balls!)


Happy birthday Ravin Caldwell. Ravin spent 6 of his 7 NFL seasons with the Redskins from 1987-1993. He was a linebacker and special teams standout. Ravin appeared in 79 games, starting 14 and won 2 Super Bowl rings during his tenure. One of the highlights of my many trips to Redskins Park as a youth was watching highlights of the 87’ Super Bowl in the locker room area with Ravin and Reggie Branch. Ravin’s daughter was one of the top ranked women’s high school basketball players last year and will play for Cal this fall. Happy 46th Mr. Caldwell.

Happy birthday Jon Knott. There’s not much to say about Jon, he played a total of 7 games with the O’s in 2007. But, Jon was born in my hometown of Manassas, VA…and that earns him a happy birthday. Jon is still plugging along in the Independent League, making a living playing ball. Happy 31st Mr. Knott.

Cheers and Hail

Guys Night Out

You ever watch TV and say, "I'd like to have a beer with that guy." Well I do too, and here's my list for an ultimate night out with the boys. Yes...some of these guys are dead, so I guess its an "all-time" team. Which athlete would you want to hang out with for a night? I'd like to know, so leave your comments in the comment section, or email me.



Designated Driver - Gilbert Arenas
Donte Stallworth was begging for the keys, I'm out on that. Kurt Warner was an option here, but we're going out to PAARTY. Not going to want to hear about God and all the sins we're committing. Agent Zero loves to party and go clubbing, but doesn't drink...perfect.

Bodyguard/Enforcer Guy - Andre The Giant
Several reason why Andre is the man here. Billed @ 7'4" and 550 lbs, I don't think anyone will fuck with us. Andre also reportedly could drink 100 beers at 1 sitting! An added bonus, Andre could also carry 5 girls in his arms at a time.

Pretty Faced Wingmen - Derek Jeter (East Coast) Matt Leinart (West Coast)
Jeter has pulled more ass than a donkey farmer moving from Virgina to California. And his list is impressive, so he'll be along to rake in the ladies. Leinart will have drunken sorority chicks lined up for us, as well as the Paris Hiltons and Lindsay Lohans of the world.

The Gamblers - Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley
A guys night out is not complete without placing a bet, and nobody gambles like these 2. As an added bonus, Barkley knows where to find the worlds best "booty call" BJ's.

The Fun and Games Guy - Dale Earnhardt Jr.
If the club and party scene sucks, you can always resort to the grown ups getting drunk and acting like kids games. Little E has it all at his house. Nightclub, go kart track, saloon, and even a jail.

The Drinkers - John Daly, Mickey Mantle, John Riggins
Bringing along Daly means an obligatory stop at Hooters. Daly also is the most likely to end up in Earnhardts jail winner. Mantle's drinking is legendary. In fact, anyone in sports whose ever had to get a liver transplant is invited out. Riggins is the guy most likely to run his mouth too much and require Andre to defuse a fight.

The Coach - Jimmy Johnson
With this many athletes on board, we got to have a leader. Pack some Heinekens and nachos, because the lip-smacker himself is our leader.

Cheers and Hail

Fatpickle: I Heart The Redskins

I am 34 years old and I have spent all my life building a relationship with the Redskins. To say we have had our ups and downs would be an understatement. But in the end, they are my oldest and dearest friend. Here is a little history of our relationship.

My oldest memories of the Skins date back to the late seventies. I’m not sure how I remember the games from that era, as I was only 5 years old. My Grandmother owned a bar in Herndon, VA around this time. Pictures of the Skins hung throughout the walls, and lots of Skins were customers. My Grandmother moved to another bar in the early 80’s. I would hang around the bar, as guys such as Riggins, Jacoby, Grimm, and others hung out curling 12 ounces. Another fond memory of this era was the open tryout my uncle “Mo Joe” attended while George Allen was coach. Mo is about 5’9” 260. He decided to try out for the Over the Hill Gang as a punter. The legend is that uncle Mo really got his foot into one, so much so that he lost the flight of the football. The tryout came to an end after the football landed a couple yards behind him. No “Invincible” moment there.

The glory years of the Skins, and my full blown love affair took place in the 82-92 seasons. 4 Super Bowls, 3 Titles, life was good. You got the feeling that it would be this good forever. This was along the time that I switched from hanging out in the bars (until later in life) and moved directly to Redskin's Park. My mom would drop me off at Redskins Park and pick me up later in the day after she got off work. I met and got autographs from all the players, media, and even retired players like Charley Taylor and Sonny Jurgenson.

I also got to do cool things like toss the Football with Mark Rypein, Ricky Sanders, and Gary Clark. I can still remember like it was yesterday hitting Ricky on a post pattern. Many of the players were awesome, I do remember some that were not. It’s amazing that I spent many days at Redskins Park, but I never saw Joe Gibbs. I guess he was always hard at work. My favorite memory by far was the day that I snuck onto the field and filmed practice. It was Super Bowl week before the Denver game in 87. Gibbs was always worried about spies, so I’m unsure how I was able to film 10 minutes of practice before getting kicked out. I later got the chance to ask Dexter Manley what he was going to do to John Elway in the Super Bowl. “I’m gonna kill him” Dexter replied. Sorry Cooley Bros.

I am lucky enough to be married to the greatest Wife and Mom in the world. Rebecca and I were high school sweethearts and we have been together for the better part of 18 years. We have a 4 year old son, 3 cats, and we lead the perfect life. All except for one thing, Rebecca is a Cowboy fan. So for a couple times each year things can get pretty tense. I’m happy that the Redskins have gotten the better part of the Cowboys the past couple years. My wife and son have taught me a few things. I don’t need to yell and scream obscenities while watching the game. The silent tirade I have in my head works just fine. Betting on the Skins and an over is probably not a good idea, the little man needs new shoes and to eat. A 24 hour period to be in a bad mood and get over a loss is enough, no need to be angry the whole week.

The opportunity came a few years back to convert Rebecca to be a Redskins fan. Rebecca was chosen from several hundred applicants to work for the Skins. My dreams were coming true. I was back in Redskins Park, getting tours of the locker rooms, the meeting rooms, and the field. We had season tickets, I was meeting players, and man life was good. Rebecca started on a Monday, which coincided with my annual canoe trip on the Shenandoah River. I bragged the entire weekend to all my buddies about my new found fortune. When Rebecca came home from work that Monday, the dream started crashing. The moment I saw her I could tell. She hated the job, hated the people she was working for. She wanted to quit. Dan Snyder had walked by her desk said “who are you” then walked away without waiting for a reply. Nice introduction Dan. I talked her into returning for her second day, but she resigned that day. The dream was over, and now her love for the Cowboys, and hatred of the Skins had intensified. “How can you root for that team when they made me cry?” is a question I get a lot.
The answer is I love the Redskins. Sure I feel like I have put a whole lot more into them than I have received back, but things are looking up. The team is looking great, and I am forever optimistic about our chances. The Super Bowl is in Tampa this year, which happens to be where I live. It would be wonderful to end 17 years of frustration here in my backyard. But, that's still a couple months away. For now, there is only one thing on my mind.

WE WANT DALLAS!!

Porkboy46: Crazy About Them Cowboys

Looks like Romo hit the buffet on the bye week!

How does a kid from Erie, PA. end up a Cowboys fan? I guess just good luck and a little help from my brother Jimmy. We had NFL helmets and we would wear them to play in the yard. I got the silver one with the star, and it's been a great fit ever since. You see I am one of those wackos that would be buried in a Cowboy's casket or have his ashes spread over Valley Ranch. Most people see that stuff and say what a nut case, to me it sounds pretty reasonable!

When it comes to the rivalry, just seeing the colors gets me all fired up! Blue and silver, burgundy and gold! I love to watch to watch old VHS tapes of them (I have every game between the two on tape since 91). Some are great, some very bad, but all are classic! Just watching the uniforms against each other on Madden gets me psyched up, nothing I love more!

My first memory of the rivalry was Tony Dorsett throwing the football at Dave Butz! There are so many great moments and here are a few of my favorites:

NOVEMBER 1991, SKINS ARE UNDEFEATED and the Cowboys come to RFK and throw everything they have at one of the best teams in NFL history. Hail Mary's, onside kicks, back up QB's and get a win!!! That started a winning streak that put them in the playoffs!

LAST SKINS GAME FOR ROGER STAUBACH, he leads them to 14 points in the last 2 minutes to win the game and knock the skins out of the playoffs. That was the last game of the season, the winning team won the division and the loser went home!THANKSGIVING 1996, the boys are supposed to be out of gas and Emmitt Smith is on the downside. But, Emmitt goes wild for 3 touchdowns!

DANNY BELT BUCKLE'S FIRST GAME, September 12, 1999. The Skins are up 35-14 and the Cowboys rally to win in overtime, with a great play action bomb to Rocket Ismail!

I could go on and on forever. Many people have called this the greatest rivalry in sports, and it is better than ever! You can even go to a wikipedia page all about the history.

Listen, if you don't have respect for your greatest rival then its not much of a rivalry. There were times when I was young and my brother Mike would tape pages from the Washington Post up on my ceiling after a big Skins win! During the 87 strike game the Cowboys lost, and I lost a bet. That meant that I had to burn my favorite Dallas t-shirt right after the game! There have been great days on both sides of the ball. Like Chris Cooley scoring 3 TD's as he ran over the entire Dallas secondary to blow out the Boy's on their way to the playoffs. That game brought the rivalry back from the dead! Santana Moss's 2 TD's in the closing minutes on Monday night in Texas Stadium to win 14 - 13!How about " THE RIGGO DRILL?" THE SKINS RUNNING THE SAME PLAY OVER RANDY WHITE TEN TIMES TO RUN OUT THE CLOCK IN THE NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME!! Many Skins said that the Super Bowl was a letdown after the Dallas game the week before!

There are many more. The legendary shoot-out in 1966 that Dallas won 31 - 30 when MEREDITH AND JURGENSEN WERE OUT DRINKING TOGETHER TILL 4 AM THE NIGHT BEFORE!

Ken Houston tackling Walt Garrison on the one yard line to win on Monday Night! This brings me to one more note, this rivalry should have one Monday night game every year! But Sunday night will do, this is going to be a classic! I think the winner goes to the playoffs and the loser will be the team left out. But I sure as hell would love to see a best two out of three this year!

I have a lot of friends that are big Skins fans, but I have a best friend who is a Skin's nut! We usually feel a little strange when these games roll around. Trying not to sound too cocky or rub it in (because we are sure that our team is definitely going to win!) Nothing needs to be said. We both know how deep these games cut and how bad it feels to be on the wrong end. And, we are both way superstitious ! I would just like to thank him for being such a great friend and for letting me spill my guts about these teams.
I just hope the players on both sides care half as much as some of us fans do!!!
Good luck Skins fans, you guys are going to need it.

Did I mention Clint Longley, Thanksgiving of 1974 ?

Porkboy46