10/11-13 Happy Bday Nolan Reimold & Gregg Olson

Happy birthday Nolan Reimold. Nolan just finished his rookie season for the Orioles. It was an impressive campaign that saw him win AL Rookie of the Month honors in June and garner some media attention for AL ROY. Alas, his season was cut short by an achilles injury. Overall Nolan batted .279 with 15 HR’s and 45 RBI’s. He also showed some surprising speed on his way to stealing 8 out of 10 bases. Nolan also spurred Fatpickle to create these T-shirts that are soon to be classic collector’s items. I look forward to watching Nolan excel for the Orioles in the years to come. Happy 26th Mr. Reimold.



Happy birthday Gregg Olson. Gregg played 6 seasons for the Orioles from 88-93’. He won the 89’ ROY award (beating out Ken Griffey Jr.,) when he went 5-2 with a 1.69 ERA and saved 27 games for the “Why Not” Orioles. Blessed with a devastating, knee-buckling curveball, Gregg saved 160 games and had a 2.26 ERA during his Oriole tenure. His 160 saves are #1 all-time in Orioles history. Gregg was inducted into the Orioles HOF in 2008. Happy 43rd Mr. Olson.



Happy birthday Skip Hicks. Skip played 3 seasons for the Redskins from 98-00’. His best season was 98’ when he started 5 games and rushed for 433 yards and 8 TD’s. Skip was drafted in the 3rd round out of UCLA where he still holds the record for TD’s in a season (26) and a career (56.) Happy 35th Mr. Hicks.

Cheers and Hail

Fatpickled: Ten Post From Year 1

Here's the final celebration of Fatpickled turning 1 last week...a list of 10 posts I think you should read. I can't really call them a best of, or a top 10 list, because they would need to be award winning pieces or something for that. Nope, not winning any awards here at Fatpickled, just trying to entertain some of the people, some of the time. If you've been with me since the beginning, here's a chance to relieve some old memories. If your new to the site, here's a chance to catch up on some older posts. Whatever category you fit in, thanks for following Fatpickled.

Guys Night Out

This was a post about all the athletes I want to hang out with and have a beer. It was the most visited post I’ve ever done.

The Caddyshack Remake…Starring???

Over 3500 unique votes were cast to decide who should star in the Caddyshack remake.

Just Another Sunday Night

The his and hers diary of a Redskins fan coping with a loss.

Hot Chicks

Coverage of the Sweet 16 Hot Chicks tournament won by Julianne Hough.

I Don’t Like The Yankees So Much

Probably the true winner of the most visited post ever, but we’ll never know as all the Yankees fans crashed the site for 8 days.

Dallas Week

Guest bloggers and I discussed why we love the Redskins/Cowboys.

Billy Bob Thornton Game

I match up athletes with their celebrity look alikes.

Athlete Interviews

Exactly what it says, interviews I’ve done over the past year with various athletes.

Sail Away With Me

Before the blog became sports only, I sometimes wrote about family stuff. This is a long, but funny read.

The Last Word In Big D

The first post ever, without this one there would be no others.

Cheers and Hail

10/5 Happy Bday Rex Chapman & Chris Whitney

(photo courtesy of D.C. Sports Bog)

Happy birthday Rex Chapman. Rex played 3 seasons with the Bullets from 92-94’. Rex is one of my favorite basketball players of all-time. He could take you to the hole and dunk on you, or hit fall away 3’s from 30 feet. I especially liked his jump shots that seem to arch all the way up to the rafters before swishing thru the net. Rex won many a game with last second 3’s (search on YouTube,) including the season opener in 94’ against Shaquille O’Neal and the Orlando Magic. Rex’s amazing hops also earned him a spot in the NBA’s dunk contest where he dunked 2 balls (one with each hand.) During his tenure Rex averaged 15.6 points per game. Rex retired after 12seasons in the NBA and now serves as VP of player personnel for the Denver Nuggets. Happy 42nd Mr. Chapman.



Happy birthday Chris Whitney. Chris played 8 seasons for the Bullets/Wizards from 95-04’. Chris appeared in all 82 games 4 times during that span. Chris ranks 1st all time in FT % for Washington at .879, and 3rd all time in 3 pointers with 489. His best season came in the 01-02 when he averaged 10.2 points and 3.8 assists. In retirement Chris started a company with former teammate Jahidi White. Happy 38th Mr. Whitney.

Cheers and Hail

10/4 Happy Bday Sam Huff

Happy birthday Sam Huff. Sam played 5 seasons for the Redskins from 1964-69’. He is one of the greatest linebackers in the history of the NFL and a member of the HOF. Sam is a true southern gentleman from a small coal-mining town in West Virginia, but on the football field he’d knock the snot out of you. Here are a few details about Sam’s career:

Tom Landry (the Giant’s D-coordinator in 1956) changed the Giants defense to a new innovative scheme called the 4-3, in order to play to Sam’s strengths. This defense is still used by most teams today.

In 1959 Sam became the first NFL player to appear on the cover of Time magazine.

The late Walter Cronkite aired a CBS news special entitled “The Violent World of Sam Huff.” Sam was wired for sound in games long before NFL films came along.

Vince Lombardi talked Sam out of retirement in order to return to the Skins in 69’ as a player-coach.

What I’m trying to say is if the biggest magazine in the U.S., the greatest newscaster ever and the greatest coach in the history of football all want a piece of you…you were one bas ass football player.

Sam is well known too today’s Redskins fans for his broadcasting role on Redskin’s radio…a post he has held since 1973. He’s entertained Skins fans for over 45 years and will be remembered forever…and he’s still entertaining us today! Happy 75th Mr. Huff.div>




Happy birthday Brian Kozlowski. Brian appeared in 32 games for the Redskins over 4 seasons from 2004-2007. Mostly a blocking H-back and TE in Gibbs offense he also served as a mentor to a young rookie named Chris Cooley. Brian is partly responsible for the “Captain Chaos” nickname given to Chris…he bet him $100 he wouldn’t introduce himself to the Rams as “Captain Chaos’ before a game in 2005, this was after a bacon eating contest. Despite being undrafted, Brian went on to play 14 seasons in the NFL. Happy 39th Mr. Kozlowski.



Happy birthday Mark Mclemore. Mark played 3 seasons for the Orioles from 1992-94. He revived what was a stalling career in Baltimore by becoming an everyday player who could play multiple positions. During his tenure for the Orioles Mark played 6 different positions. His best season came in 93’ when he drove in 72 and had 21 stolen bases. Overall Mark played 19 seasons in the bigs, he retired after the 2004 season…as the oldest player in the majors that season. Happy 45th Mr. Mclemore.

Cheers and Hail

Oct 1-2 Happy Bday Mark Rypien & Alvin Garrett

Happy birthday Mark Rypien. Mark played 8 seasons with the Redskins from 1986-1993. After sitting out the 86-87 seasons on the injured list, Mark finally got his chance to play in 88’ and played well…throwing 18 TD’s in 9 games (only 6 starts.) Mark had a Pro Bowl season in 89’ when he threw for 3,768 yards and 22 TD’s as well, but things really came together for Mark and the Redskins during the 91’ season. The 91’ Skins were one of the greatest teams in the history of the NFL and Mark was the MVP of the team. He passed for 28 TD’s and 3,564 yards on the way to his Super Bowl MVP performance. Mark’s 91’ stats would have been even more impressive had the Redskins not won 12 games by more than 13 points. Mark ranks among the top 5 all time in most of the Redskins passing records. Mark also had an impressive 45-27 record as a starter in DC.

Mark went thru something I could never imagine as a parent of a young child, he lost his son Andrew to cancer at the age of three. Since retiring from the NFL in 2001 (when Mark spent the season backing up Peyton Manning) Mark has devoted his life to the Rypien foundation. His foundation is devoted to help families who have children fighting cancer. I recall watching a game later in Mark’s career when he played for the Rams. He happened to be playing the Redskins that day, and he played the game with a shaved head…as a sign of support for his son Andrew. Mark played well, throwing for 347 yards in a losing cause. I remember feeling inspired by him that day…even more so than that wonderful 91’ season.

My 4-year-old son was sick with a flu like virus last week and it broke my heart as he vomited and felt terrible for 48 hours. He’d ask if the ginger ale would make his tummy all better…like immediately better, and I felt helpless to try and help him. He’s all better now, but many children are not. My son has a little friend in his class named Stevie who has attended pre-school with my son for the past 2 years. Stevie went to the hospital a couple weeks ago with pain in his shoulder. The doctors originally thought he had an infection, but the test came back that Stevie has cancer. Stevie is now in the hospital receiving chemo and fighting this horrible disease. We need to find a cure for this disease, please donate your time or hard earned money to get us closer.

As a fan of the Redskins, Mark will always have a place in my heart. I appreciate his effort on the field and will never forget playing catch with him one beautiful day long ago at old Redskin’s Park. Happy 47th Mr. Rypien.

Happy birthday Alvin Garrett. Alvin played 4 season from 1981-84’. Alvin’s stats from that time are not too impressive; he only caught 27 balls for 343 yards and 1 TD in 31 games. But, Alvin had an amazing run in the 82’ playoffs filling in for an injured Art Monk. In 4 playoff games that year Alvin had 15 catches for 242 yards and 5 TD’s plus 3 carries for another 46 yards. Alvin was also well known for Howard Cosell’s famous call on Monday night football. Happy 53rd Mr. Garrett.

Cheers and Hail

Happy Birthday Fatpickled

One year ago today I sat down and started a little project…I had no idea what I was getting into! A Redskin’s win over Dallas inspired me to sit down and create a blog. Despite the fact that I’m not the most computer savvy guy in the world, I somehow navigated my way to blogger where budlightthoughts.blogspot was born. A week or so later I changed the name of the site to Fatpickled, a play on a username that I’ve used for many years. My first header is pictured above, it was kinda cool…it changed to my current header shortly before http://www.fatpickled.com/ was launched in January.

It’s gone a lot further than I could have ever imagined, to date I’ve had nearly 200K hits for the year (minus my 100k, that’s still a solid #.) In the next few days I plan on posting a Top Ten collection of my favorite and most visited posts, but today I’d like to thank a few people that have helped support the site in the past year.

I’ve been very fortunate to have some VIP’s in the sports and blogging world help me along the way:

Tanner and Chris Cooley have been so awesome and instrumental to this site. I’m convinced the site wouldn’t exist without The Cooley Zone. When my comments on their site started turning into blog posts I knew it was time to start my own. My site wouldn’t be called Fatpickled either…had certain Cooley family members not thought my comments and handle were funny. Tanner has been a huge supporter since day 1 and I consider him a friend. Chris has granted me interviews, posted comments and worn a Fatpickled tee shirt to show his support. Additionally I’m also honored they allow me to be a contributor to the Cooley Zone, thanks for everything Cooley bros!

I respect Matt Terl as much as any blogger in the business…he also happens to have the coolest job as the official blogger of the Redskins. Matt linked Fatpickled to the Redskins site early on and has supported the site with links and tweets ever since. He works extremely hard and produces awesome inside info on the Redskins several times a day. If you don’t have his site under your favorites and don’t check it on a daily basis, well…your cheating yourself. Thanks Matt for your support, keep up the great work.

Hot Clicks is the Holy Grail for sports bloggers…it’s located in the Extra Mustard section of SI’s website and is run by Jimmy Traina. There is no better feeling as a blogger than to click on Hot Clicks around 11am (approx time it’s updated M-F) and see your site linked to it, because you know your going to get major traffic that day. In fact, this site probably had closer to 250K hits in the past year, but Jimmy’s loyal Yankee followers crashed my site for 8 days…and I’m ok with that. Hot Clicks is an awesome blend of sports and pop culture and is a must read on a daily basis. Thank you Jimmy for including Fatpickled…it’s your world, I’m just passing thru it.

I’d also like to thank the Fat White Guy; we are partners in crime who tag team posts from time to time. He’s a gifted writer who covers sports and pop culture at his site. Thanks Rob, I look forward to working with you moving forward.

I have some awesome writers who contribute to this blog, although none of them will be accused of working too much, haha. Porkboy, Lazy JC, E4three and RevJT…thanks for your humor and talent.

I need to thank Oliver Morris, who is responsible for setting up my site, my header, photo shopping and t-shirt designs…thanks Ollie.

Thanks to all the current and former athletes who granted me interviews. I know you didn’t have to grant an interview to a small blog run by a guy named Fatpickle…I thank you for doing so.

Most importantly, I have to thank Mrs. Pickle. I’m blessed to have a super hot and cool wife. I work long hours in my real job, then come home with an idea that I must blog about. She puts up with my hobby and supports me…even if she doesn’t read my blog. Thanks for being the most awesome wife and mommy, you are the MVP of my life.

Finally, thanks to all of you reading this right now. I hope you have found some entertainment and humor here in the past year. I appreciate your comments and tell your friends to visit…year 2 is going to be so much better.

Cheers and Hail

Happy Bday Charley Taylor And Terry Orr

Happy birthday Charley Taylor. Charley played 13 seasons for the Redskins from 1964-77 and is one of the greatest Redskins to ever wear the uniform. At the time he ended his hall of fame career, he was the NFL’s all time leading receiver. He was an 8 time pro bowler who scored 90 career TD’s, which still ranks 28th all time. He is a member of the Redskins Ring of Honor, the 70 Greatest Redskins roster and the NFL 1960’s All Decade Team. He coached the WR’s for the Redskins from 1981-94’, when Norv Turner let him go. I met Charley several times and my dad sold him a truck, but this is the best Charley story I have. My cousin was at the Reno (a bar on the water where you can play Keno and off track betting) in Colonial Beach, VA. Charley pulled up on his boat and came to the bar to drink; he was wearing a Redskins hat. My cousin talked with some and mentioned to Charley how he wished he was still coaching and was angry Norv let him go. To this Charley responded…I wear this hat for me, not for those assholes. He then got one for the road…I heart Charley Taylor. Charley lives in Reston with his wife of 44 years. Happy 68th Mr. Taylor.

Happy birthday Terry Orr. Terry played the HB/TE role for 7 seasons for the Redskins from 1986-1993. He always seemed to come up with a big TD in those old NFC East battles. In fact 10 of his 52 career receptions went for touchdowns. Terry appeared in 105 games and won 2 Super Bowl titles during his tenure. Unfortunately in retirement Terry ran into trouble with the law and did some time in jail a few years back. He was convicted of defrauding a group of investors out of $200,000. The group of investors included 3 former teammates…Art Monk was one of them. So I also have an awesome Terry Orr story. I’m at a bar watching the 99 Redskins/Bucs playoff game when Terry Orr arrives with 3 other large black men. Terry sat at a booth and I immediately recognized him, so after a few beers I sauntered over. The conversation went like this. (Obviously, it’s been 10 years, so the quotes are not word for word nut close)

Fatpickle “hey Terry, how you been.”

Terry “good, thanks.”

Fatpickle “I was a big fan, you made some big plays, didn’t you go to Texas A&M”

At this point one of the other guys at the table decides to give me a little shit, see Terry went to Texas.

Random 3rd guy “Texas A&M, shoot you don’t know about my boy, he went to Texas, you don’t know my boy, like I do.”

Fatpickle “I know quite a bit, I was close with the Texas A&M.”

Random 3rd guy “you don’t know my boy, you don’t know where he lives or how many kids he has.”

At this point I say something that could turn this thing from friendly banter to a table of 4 large angry black men getting ready to inflict pain on the little 25 yr old white kid. But, I had a few beers in me…so I let the following rip.

Fatpickle “I bet Terry doesn’t know how many kids he has.”

An awkward second or two of silence (spent by me plotting my exit strategy) turned into raucous laughter and the random 3rd guy telling me that I got him there. We laughed a little more and enjoyed a little further banter until the game ended on the bad snap FG attempt to end the game. Good times. Happy 48th Mr. Orr.

Cheers and Hail

9/17-18 Happy Bday Mark Brunell & Jeff Bostic

Happy birthday Mark Brunell. Mark played 4 season with the Redskins from 2004-2007. During that time he appeared in 35 games starting 33, he was 15W-18L as the starting QB. His career in Washington was definitely up and down. The Skins traded a 3rd round pick to Jacksonville for him and then signed Mark to a $43 million dollar deal. Brought in by Gibbs (who had a diabetic episode while courting him) to be the man, he was benched for Patrick Ramsey just 9 games into his first season. But, Mark came back to have a great year in 2005. Starting with the comeback win against the Cowboys (the two long bombs to Santana,) Mark played at a Pro Bowl level (3,050 yards & 23TD’s) and led the Skins to the playoffs. He looked shaky in those playoffs however, and after another 3-6 start in 2006 he was sent back to the bench for good. Mark’s been Drew Brees backup in New Orleans the past two seasons…so he’s seen about as much game action as I have. Happy 39th Mr. Brunell.



Happy birthday Jeff Bostic. Jeff played 14 seasons for the Redskins from 1980-1993 and is a 3 time Super Bowl Champion. Undrafted out of Clemson, he’s an original member of the Hogs and one of the 70 Greatest Redskins. Overall he played in 202 games (including playoffs) with the Redskins. He made the Pro Bowl in 83’ and a case can be made that he deserves to be in the Hall…along with fellow Hogs Grimm and Jacoby. I must say this about Joe, each time I met him or asked him for an autograph when I was a kid he was a complete D-Bag! All-time biggest jerk of any of the former Redskin that I met growing up. In retirement Jeff has done some media work and started a construction business that filed for bankruptcy in 2005, citing $100 million in debts. D.C. Sports Bog caught up with Jeff earlier this year, check it out, it’s a great read. Happy 51st Mr. Bostic.

Cheers and Hail

9/15-16 Happy Bday Earnest Byner & Mickey Tettleton

Happy birthday Earnest Byner. Earnest played 5 seasons for the Redskins from 1989-1993 and served as running backs coach from 2004-2007. Earnest came to the Redskins in one of the most lopsided trades in NFL history…straight up for Mike Oliphant, a going away present from the retiring Bobby Beathard. Earnest never missed a game in his 5 seasons in DC and accumulated 5,527 yards and 29 TD’s during his tenure. He had back to back 1,000+ yards rushing in 90-91 and rushed for 998 yards in 92’ (he had 1,000 then lost 2 yards on his final carry.) Earnest is well known for “the fumble” from his playing days in Cleveland but should be known for so much more. He's one of the 70 greatest Redskins, played 14 seasons in the NFL and totaled 12,866 yards and 71 TD’s. Earnest now coaches the running backs for the Titans. Happy 47th Mr. Byner!



Happy birthday Mickey Tettleton. Mickey played 3 seasons in Baltimore from 1988-1990. Mickey had O’s fans in a frenzy during his 1989 All-Star season, causing sales of Froot Loops cereal to soar in the beltway area. Mickey attributed Froot Loops as the source of power for his 26 home runs. That was the year of the “Why Not” Orioles, who were eliminated on the final weekend of the season, 1 year after losing 107 games. Mickey retired after the 97’ season (his 14th) and finished his career with 245 HR’s and 732 RBI’s. The Toy Dept recently caught up with Mickey and to see what he’s up to now check it out. Happy 49th Mr. Tettleton!

Cheers and Hail

Happy Birthday Rick Dempsey & Kurt Gouveia

Happy birthday Rick Dempsey. Rick played 24 seasons in the bigs, including 12 seasons with the Orioles. He was well known as a notorious jokester who entertained crowds with his “rain delay improv.” Dempsey would hit an imaginary inside the park homerun and run the bases on the rain –soaked tarp…the highlight of which was his headfirst slide across home plate. It was even funnier when he had the “tighty whitey” jockey underwear on the outside of his jersey, making fun of Jim Palmer’s old underwear ads. To further show Rick's comedy chops...he recenlty had a movie script that he wrote purchased by Adam Sandler's Happy Madison Productions! Rick was a great defensive catcher and handler of pitchers. He ranks 15th all-time on the Orioles list of games played with 1,245. Rick’s career spanned 4 decades and he had the distinction of being the youngest player in 1969 (19 yrs old) and the oldest in 1992 (42 yrs old.) Rick came to the Orioles in a 10 player trade with the Yankees in 1976, a trade that also brought Tippy Martinez and Scott McGregor to Baltimore. Rick’s Oriole career was highlighted by being chosen as the 83’ World Series MVP. The Orioles made a mistake in 2003 when Rick was passed over and Lee Mazzilli was chosen as the new skipper. Rick has worked for the O’s in several capacities (1st/3rd base coach, bullpen coach) and now works as an analyst for MASN. Happy 60th Mr. Dempsey.



Happy birthday Kurt Gouveia. Kurt played 10 seasons for the Redskins and earned 2 Super Bowl rings during his tenure. He also was a member of the 84’ BYU National Champions and was elected to the Hawaii Sports HOF. As a Redskin Kurt appeared in 130games and collected 573 tackles. His best season came in 92’ when he made 169 tackles, 3 interceptions and a sack. Kurt had an interception in all 3 games of the playoffs during the Skins 91’ Super Bowl run. Charley Casserly was quoted as saying that Kurt was the “greatest college linebacker I ever scouted.” I used to play softball with Kurt in Sterling Park, VA. Kurt’s son now plays football at Virginia Tech (so do Russ Grimm’s and Don Warren’s.) Happy 45th Mr. Gouveia.

Cheers and Hail

9/9 Happy Bday Joe Theismann & Ron Mcdole

Happy birthday Joe Theismann. Joe played all 12 of his NFL seasons with the Redskins from 1974-1985. The best way I can describe the way Joe played QB is that he was a cross between Doug Flutie and Brett Favre. He could hurt you with arm and his legs (but not his foot, i.e. 1 yrd punt.) He was a fiery leader who played all-out and with as much heart as anyone who ever played the game. He was TOUGH, he was old school...the last of the single bar facemask QB's! We’re all well aware of the horrific injury that cut short his career and forced him to walk away early from the game that he loved (please watch the Sports Machine YouTube at the bottom of the post about his drive to get back on the field after the injury.)

After a record breaking All-American career at Notre Dame (he was elected to the College HOF in 2003) Joe opted to play in the CFL rather than play for the Miami Dolphins or Minnesota Twins (he was drafted in baseball as well!) He joined the Redskins in 74’ because his thinking was the Skins had ageing QB’s (both Kilmer and Jurgensen were 10+ years older) and he'd have the opportunity to become a full time starter soon. That opportunity did not come until 1978, in the meantime Joe volunteered to return punts…how’s that for a team player?

Once Joe became the starter he held onto it for the rest of his career…8 years and 113 consecutive games. He became a 2 time Pro Bowler, NFC Offensive POY and the 1983 NFL MVP. Despite being retired for nearly 25 years, Joe still holds many all-time passing records for the Redskins including yards, completions and wins. We all know where Joe has been in retirement, talking a lot on your local and national football broadcasts…how can he not be on Twitter? He’s my favorite QB (I wish I could fill RFK for a serenade of Happy Bday for him ...make up for the Dallas game) and it’s a landmark birthday, Happy 60th Mr. Theismann!



Happy birthday Ron Mcdole. Ron played 8 seasons for the Redskins from 1971-78. “The Dancing Bear” holds the NFL record for interceptions by a defensive lineman with 12! George Allen traded 2 draft picks to the Bills to bring Ron to DC and become both a defensive anchor and member of the “Over the Hill Gang.” Ron was selected to be one of the 70 Greatest Redskins. For his career he appeared in 240 games over 18 seasons! Ron is retired and lives in Front Royal, this is a great article about him. Happy 70th Mr. Mcdole!

2 things about the Theismann video.
1. It's a little slow to download but completely worth it.
2. Is it me, or does the young Joe T. remind you of a young Joe Pesci, circa Easy Money? His NJ accent was more prevelant back in the day.



Cheers and Hail

9/5 Happy Birthday Billy Kilmer & Tom Carter

Happy birthday Billy Kilmer. Billy played 8 seasons for the Redskins from 1971-78’ and he’s one of the 70 Greatest Redskins. He was a fixture of the “Over-The-Hill-Gang” in the 70’s and is well known for his QB controversies with Sonny Jurgensen. You either had an “I Love Billy” or “I Love Sonny” bumper sticker on your car (can you imagine how insane the media coverage would have been today?) He didn’t have a big arm and many of his passes were referred to as “wounded ducks,” but all Billy did was win. Billy played in 82 games with the Redskins and had an amazing 50W-23L-1T record as the starting QB. Billy still ranks among the Skins top five all time in nearly every passing category. He may have been slightly overweight and not fleet of foot in his Redskin’s days, but Billy actually spent his first few years in the league as a running back. He was involved in a bad car accident early in his career that threatened his playing career and was so bad that amputation was a possibility. After the accident he switched to QB. He was also an All-American basketball player in high school. Billy retired after the 1978 season, his 16th, and 170 games. Billy retired to Coral Gables, Florida and a lifetime of sun and golf. He remains one of the all-time favorite Redskins. Happy 70th Mr. Kilmer.



Happy birthday Tom Carter. Tom appeared in 62 games for the Redskins over 4 years from 1993-1996. He was a 1st round draft pick out of Notre Dame and be became a starter in his rookie season. He picked off 6 passes in his rookie year, despite only playing 14 games (11 starts.) Overall, Tom intercepted 18 passes and had 230 tackles in his very solid Redskins career. Tom left the Skins for Chicago before the 97’ season and finished his career in Cincinnati after his 10th season. Happy 37th Mr. Carter.

Cheers and Hail

9/1 Happy Bday Clinton Portis

Happy birthday Clinton Portis. How can you not love Clinton Portis? Have you watched the way the guy plays the game? He put on 20 lbs to run between the tackles for Gibbs. He blows up any and all blitzing defenders…linebackers and d-linemen included. He plays hurt. Clinton is the key to the Redskins offense, as noted by the Skins 21-4 record when he rushes for 100+ yards. He was obtained from the Broncos on March 4, 2004 (my 30th birthday.) The first time he touched the ball in a Redskins uniform he took it 64 yards to the house. It was Gibbs first game back in DC and I jumped up and down and just knew we were going to the Super Bowl. 5 years later…Clinton is entering the age where the naysayers claim that a running back’s best days are behind them. I’m not buying it with C.P. Last year he rushed for 1,487 yards and had 5 straight games of 120+ rushing yards. Entering the 2009 season, he’s about 800 yards away from breaking 10,000 for his career and 1,300 from becoming the Redskins all-time leading rusher. Clinton has 7,331 total yards and 45 TD’s in his 5 seasons with the Redskins (really 4.5 due to injury in 2006.) The bottom line is Clinton is a few more productive years away from being a Hall of Famer and the Redskins greatest running back ever. Happy 28th (a young 28) Mr. Portis.


You can't stop the little man...you can only hope to contain him!


Cheers and Hail

8/31 Happy Birthday Frank Robinson

Happy birthday Frank Robinson. Frank was traded to the Orioles prior to the 1966 season in exchange for Milt Pappas, a trade recognized as the most lopsided in baseball history (queue opening credits to Bull Durham.) Frank paid immediate dividends as he hit for the Triple Crown (.316-49-122) and won the MVP as the Orioles swept the Dodgers in the World Series. Frank’s Hall of Fame career included 2 MVP’s, one in both the AL and NL; he is the only player to win it in each league. Frank still ranks in top 10 all-time in many offensive categories and there is no question that he did it without the aid performance enhancers. He became the first black manager in MLB history in 1975 with the Indians. He later won AL Manager of the year with the Orioles in 1989…the year the “why not” Orioles played for the AL East title into the seasons final weekend. Frank has won over 1,000 games as a manager league manager. Frank now works in MLB’s front office. Happy 74th Mr. Robinson!

Happy birthday Brian Davis. Brian played for the Redskins from 1987-1990, appearing in 38 games. Brian was a 2nd round pick out of Nebraska and played mostly on special teams and nickel situations. His best year came in 1989 when he intercepted 4 passes and had 59 tackles. Brian has a Super Bowl ring from the 87’ season. Happy 46th Mr. Davis.

Cheers and Hail

Aug 29/30: Happy Birthday Tre' Johnson & Doug Decinces

Happy birthday Tre’ Johnson. Tre’ played 8 seasons for the Skins from 1994-2002. A 2nd round pick out of Temple, Tre’ appeared in 90 games for DC. Tre’ was not only the Redskins most reliable O-lineman in the 90’s…but also the largest at 6’2” 330 lbs. Despite his size Tre’ was very quick and agile and excelled on pulling plays. Tre’ also was the master of the “pancake” block, in which his opponent ended up on his backside. Tre’ made the Pro Bowl in 99’ as the Redskins won the NFC East and made the playoffs. In retirement Tre’ became a teacher at the Landon School in Maryland. Happy 38th Mr. Johnson.



Happy birthday Doug Decinces. Doug played 9 seasons with the Orioles from 1973-1981. He took over 3rd base for Brooks Robinson in 1976 and manned the position until a young kid named Cal Ripken Jr. relieved him in 1982. Doug was one of Cal’s idols growing up. A walk off homerun Doug hit in 1979 led to the slogan “orioles magic.” During his tenure as a starting 3rd baseman for the O’s, Doug averaged 17 HR’s and 66RBI’s. Doug was traded to the Angels before the 1982 season for “Disco” Dan Ford. Doug was inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame in 2006. Doug retired after the 1987 season (his 15th) with 1,505 hits, 237 HR’s and 879 RBI’s. In retirement Doug started Decinces Properties, a real estate property firm in his native California. Happy 59th Mr. Decinces!

Cheers and Hail

8/27 Happy Birthday Ladell Betts

Happy birthday Ladell Betts. Hard to believe but Ladell is entering his 8th season in the NFL and his 8th season with the Skins. He was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2002 draft and has appeared in 93 games in DC. His best season came in 2006 when he rushed for 1,154 yards and added another 445 receiving while subbing for an injured Clinton Portis. For his career Ladell has 6,325 yards from scrimmage and 15 TD’s. His role will be expanding this year as he takes the 3rd down role from a healthy Portis. He’s an integral part of our team year in and year out and always steps up and plays whatever role he is called upon. Happy 30th Mr. Betts.

Aug 24/25 Happy Bday Cal Ripken And Albert Belle

Happy birthday Cal Ripken. What more can I say about Cal? He’s my all-time favorite athlete in any sport. What more can you say about his stats? He’s a 19 time, yes… 19 time All-Star selection. One of only 8 players to have 300+ HR’s and 3000+ hits. 82 ROY, 2 time MVP and Hall of famer. Simply the greatest shortstop of all-time. In retirement Cal has been very busy. He (along with brother Bill) has started many business ventures under the Ripken Baseball umbrella. Minor league teams, books, memorabilia, public speaker, commercial endorser and more. His vision of growing baseball at the grass roots level has blossomed into hundreds of thousands of children learning to baseball “The Ripken Way.” Happy 49th Mr. Ripken.



Happy birthday Albert (Joey) Belle. Albert signed a 5yr-$65 million contract with the Orioles prior to the 1999 season. I remember him hitting an opposite field home run at Camden Yards in the opening game that season…I turned to Porkboy and said “he’s gonna hit 162 this year!” Ooops. Albert was on the Orioles payroll from 1999-2003, although he only was active in the 99-00 seasons. During his 2 seasons with the O’s Albert hit 60 dongs and drove in 220, so that was a little over $1 million per homerun. Albert developed an arthritic hip that cut his career with the Orioles short. He is one of only 5 MLB players (Ruth, Foxx, Gehrig & Pujols) to hit 30+ HR’s and drive in 100+ in 8 consecutive seasons. In retirement Albert got big as a house and started stalking escorts. Happy 43rd Mr. Belle.

Cheers and Hail

8/23 Happy Bday Sonny Jurgensen & Mike Boddicker

Happy birthday Sonny Jurgensen. Sonny is a Hall of Famer and an icon for all Skins fans. His legendary arm (which could launch a football 80 yards) won 3 NFL passing titles and threw for over 32,000 yards in his career. Vince Lombardi has been quoted as saying Sonny was the best QB he ever saw…what more is there to say than that? An all-around athlete, he played basketball, baseball and football in high school and played both ways (defensive back) in college. Starting in 1981, Sonny began calling games with Sam Huff and Frank Herzog (later Larry Michael.) How many of you would/do turn down your TV’s to listen to the radio show? Their voices take us back to the good old days…and Sonny just turned 75 years young. Happy birthday Mr. Jurgensen, I just may light up a stogie for you!




Happy birthday Mike Boddicker. Mike played 9 seasons for the Orioles from 1980-88. Mike went 16-8 with a 2.77 ERA in the 83’ season. He then went 2-0 with 2 complete games and 0.00 ERA in the postseason as the O’s went on to win the 83’ World Series. Mike followed that up with 20 wins and an ERA title (2.79) in 84’. In the 88’ season Mike was traded to the Red Sox for Brady Anderson and Curt Schilling. Mike retired after the 93’ season and now lives in his native Iowa. Happy 52nd Mr. Boddicker.

Cheers and Hail

Happy Bday Boog Powell & Brian Mitchell

Happy birthday Boog Powell. Boog played 16 seasons with the Orioles from 1961-1974. While playing for the O’s he accumulated 1,574 hits, 303 HR’s and 1,063 RBI’s. He ranks in the top 7 all-time in nearly every Orioles offensive category. He was a 4 time All-Star, 2 time World Series champion and the 1970 AL MVP. A hulking 6’4” and 240 (plus) lbs, Boog was a big lovable teddy bear. As great a player as Boog was, he may be a better cook. He’s written several cookbooks and you can’t go to Camden Yards without chowing down on some of his world famous BBQ. Boog was also one of the key players in the “less filling, taste great,” commercials from the 80’s. Happy 68th Mr. Powell.



Happy birthday Brian Mitchell. Brian is one of the greatest kick returners in the history of the NFL and one of the 70 greatest Redskins. He played 10 years in DC from 1990-1999. His 23,330 total yards ranks 2nd all time (behind Jerry Rice) in the history of the NFL. Brian holds 13 NFL records including most career punt return yards (4,999), kickoff return yards (14,014), and special teams TD’s (13.) He led the NFL in total yards 4 times…the only other player to do that was Jim Brown. Brian missed only 1 game in his entire 14 year career! The first time Brian touched the ball as a member of the Redskins he took it to the house and in his last game as a Skin (99 Playoffs vs. Tampa) he took it 100 yards to the house again. He was a great player who should get serious consideration for the Hall of Fame. You can now see and hear him on the radio in the DC area…Happy 41st Mr. Mitchell.

Cheers and Hail

Happy Bday Randle EL

Happy birthday Antwaan Randle El. ARE is entering his 4th season with the Redskins, returning punts and playing WR, with a little QB mixed in. During his 3 seasons in DC ARE has accounted for 2,767 all purpose yards and 11TD’s. ARE boasts an amazing 153.1 QB passer rating for his career…158.0 is perfect. His WR option passes have resulted in 20 completions out of 25 attempts with 4 TD’s and 0 INT’s. An incredibly gifted athlete ARE played football, baseball (he was drafted by the Cubs) and basketball (under Bobby Knight) at Indiana University. Playing QB for Indiana ARE accumulated 7,469 passing yards, 3,895 rushing yards and 92 TD’s. He was the first player in the history of Division I college football to both pass and rush for 40 TD’s. Happy 30th Mr. Randle El.

Cheers and Hail