NFL: Week 4 In Review

Fatpickle's NFL Week in review posts are 1 sentence thoughts on each NFL team. Sometimes a guest joins me, this week I'm solo, last week I skipped it all together. I suck.

NFC EAST

NYG A couple weeks ago I said they may not make the playoffs; wrong…they win at least 11 games, F me to tears.

PHI Mcribb better get healthy fast…or risk losing his job, especially since he’s the 3rd best QB on the roster.

DAL The Cowboys should never ever throw the football when all their RB’s are healthy, period.

WAS Zorn’s been around the West Coast offense for nearly 20 years, same amount of time I’ve been with my wife. I don’t need an “extra set of eyes,” to know what offensive plays to run on her.

NFC NORTH

MIN My hatred of this team is growing like the ugly beard on Brad Childress’s face.

GB This team would be so much better if they could just protect Rodgers.

CHI Jay Cutler and Nuke Laloosh may be the same person.

DET Stafford can have a great career throwing the high ball to those Johnsons.

NFC SOUTH

NO At least Reggie Bush can score with Kim Kardashian.

ATL This team just seems blah this year.

TB Why not look to the future with your #1 pick (Freeman?)

CAR There’s a Cajun word down on the bayou that describes Delhomme…sucks.

NFC WEST

SF Is Vernon Davis blossoming?

SEA This team goes nowhere without a healthy Hasselback, I mean beck.

ARI I wonder if Boldin’s brother tweets. I’d like to hear what Boldin thinks about his looks.

STL The greatest turd on turf.

AFC EAST

NYJ Good defense, hardnosed coach, good running game…that’s how you win in the NFL.

NE Stealing other teams information…that’s how you win Super Bowls in the NFL.

BUF I think T.O. is keeping himself together pretty well, considering…

MIA The feel good story of last season seems long ago and far away.

AFC NORTH

BAL Still the team to beat in the AFC.

CIN Playoffs…uh no!

PIT Wow…does Polamalu make a difference on that D!

CLE Mangini’s autobiography should be titled “How To Not Win Games While Alienating Your Players.”

AFC SOUTH

IND It’s a given that they start each year by winning 8 or 10 in a row.

JAC Wow, they could end up being 6-2…then finish 7-9.

HOU I don’t think this team will ever be able to take the next step.

TEN After 4 weeks of picking them to win, they now could start 0-8. Ramsey or Young?

AFC WEST

DEN Ugliest 4-0 team ever? Can the Royal Baller get some touches?

SD Norv and Zorn have the same postgame speech. “We’re getting better; we just need to make a couple plays.” Uh, Norv…the Chargers were 14-2 before you got there.

OAK The QB is completing 39% of his passes and the Coach might be going to jail. Al Davis is unaware about any of this.

KC Look at it this way KC, you’re not as bad as the Rams.

Cheers and Hail

Week 3: Pickin On The NFL

I’m not going to tell everyone out there reading this to call your bookie up and use my picks…but I will tell you that I am hot! Last week I was 11-5 straight up (ok) but an amazing 10-6 ATS (cha-ching.) Here are may overall stats thru week2.

Straight Up 24-8 75%
ATS 18-13-1 56%
Survivor lock of the week 2-0 (BAL, MIN)
Underdog of the week 2-0

Here are my week 3 picks:

CLE @ BAL-13 Ravens (really good) + Cleveland (sucks) = BAL 27 CLE 10

NYG-6.5 @ TB Bet against the Bucs until further notice. NYG 28 TB 17

KC @ PHI –8.5 The Eagles win, the wild card is who is the QB…for either team? PHI 23 KC 13

SF @ MIN –6.5 I could almost pick the 49er’s for an outright upset here…but I’m not. Min 17 SF 16

WAS-6 @ DET Since my prediction failed last week, I’ll use it again this week, the Skins finally win a game by double digits. WAS 24 DET 13

CHI-1.5 @ SEA So why is everyone picking up Johnny Knoxville in fantasy this week? Jackasses. CHI 21 SEA 17

DEN-1.5 @ OAK Russell has a 120.3 QB rating against the Broncos in 3 career games…I don’t care. DEN 19 OAK 16

TEN @ NYJ-2.5 I can’t see the Titans losing 3 in a row, can’t see a rookie QB winning 3 in a row. TEN 24 NYJ 20

GB-6.5 @ STL The Pack gets back on track here, your survivor lock of the week. GB 28 STL 13

ATL @ NE-4 Toughest game on the board, I’ll take NE but I can see them getting upset. NE 24 ATL 21

JAC @ HOU-3.5 The Jags have been horrible against the pass, look for Johnson and Schaub to go off. HOU 30 JAC 17

NO-6 @ BUF Forecast calls for rain and the Saints running game will suffer with Bell out. BUF 28 NO 24

PIT-4 @ CIN Last minute TD by Big Ben upends the Bungles again. PIT 23 CIN 17

MIA @ SD-6 The 4th down play call by Norv last week is all you need to know. MIA 21 SD 20

IND @ ARI-2.5 The last of my 3 upsets, I’ll call this one the upset of the week. IND 31 ARI 20

CAR @ DAL-8.5 This week’s episode of Jerry Jone’s crib is brought to you by ESPN. DAL 26 CAR 20

Cheers and Hail

2 Boo Or Not 2 Boo...That Is The ?

Things got a little ugly in the Redskins game Sunday…and I’m not referring to the play on the field. The Redskins were booed off the field at halftime, and to my amazement booed off the field at the end of the game. The internet message boards, blogs and Twitter pages are on fire with everyone’s two cents on the issue…it’s like that old saying “opinions are like assholes, everybody’s got one…and they all stink.” So here’s my stinky ass opinion.

First off, do you have the right as a fan to boo the Redskins at FedEx? Your damn straight you do. It’s your right as an American. And I don’t care if you’re in the 500 level and you work at McDonalds, or you have club seats and you make 6 figures. You paid for your ticket, if you want to boo the team go right ahead and do it.

Do I think it’s right to boo the Redskins at FedEx…hell no! I think you’re a complete ass to do so. If you’re a fan then you should be there to support your team, not to drag them down. I think it’s a disgrace that our fans did that to the Skins…they won the freakin game (I know it was an ugly and painful win.) Does anyone remember that the Ravens won a Super Bowl not too long ago winning ugly every week? A win is a win. The Redskins already have an opponent on the field, they don’t need another in the stands.

It’s my personal opinion that the Redskin’s fan support has been in a steady decline for years now. Who’s to blame? I’m not sure, but I don’t want to hear it’s the owner or ticket brokers, that’s a crock of shit. We have empty seats at FedEx and fans are routinely late to their seats at the start of the games and after halftime. We let fans from New York, Philly and Pittsburgh take over our house! We are now (allegedly) throwing and spitting on our players…are you f’ing kidding me? If you are that disgruntled and have season tickets sell them to a true fan.

I know frustration plays a part in this and I’m as frustrated as anybody. The play calling is suspect and we haven’t beaten anyone handily since I can remember. But, the players are playing hard and I see good things happening on the field…like the Skins winning! I would ask you this question, would you want someone coming into your office tomorrow and constantly telling you how much you suck at your job? Do you want Haynesworth hovering over your desk and giving you a ration of shit because you were late delivering a report? No…we have bosses to do that, and so do the players, they have coaches. And the coaches have someone that tells them they aren’t doing their job; it’s the GM and the owner.

So if your sitting in FedEx field in 2 weeks when the Redskins are playing the Bucs and you feel compelled to boo, just look down at the shirt your wearing. It’s probably burgundy and gold and has a number 47, 28, 81, 21 or 92 on it. You bought it because you’re a fan! I close each and every blog I write with the words “Cheers and Hail.” Redskins fans…spread the word.

Cheers and Hail

Week 1: Pickin On The NFL

Week 1 of the NFL season is here...thank you baby Jesus. I don't officially gamble anymore, except on fantasy football leagues and office pools. My office pool is worth $250 bucks this week...I hope this is the golden ticket. For the record, I filled this out Tuesday, so my PIT pick was not from cheating.

TEN @ PIT -6 I was kind of thinking about a possible upset here, and then I realized Kerry Collins is still the QB of the Titans. PIT 20 TEN 17

MIA @ ATL –4 I like this Atlanta team and I don’t like Parcells…ATL 27 MIA 20

PHI @ CAR +2 The Panthers will be pissed being a home dog in their opening game, I hope they take it out on Mcnabb’s ass. CAR 23 PHI 21

DAL @ TB +6 This Bucs team is in rebuilding mode and they are in for a llooonnnggg season. DAL 31 TB 10

NYJ @ HOU-5.5 The Jets may surprise some folks this year, but I can’t pick a team starting a rookie QB in his first game. HOU 24 NYJ 20

DEN @ CIN-4 I think Denver/Orton/Marshall will end up being fine…just not this week. CIN 21 DEN 16

WAS @ NYG-6.5 Vinny made his best move ever picking up Andre Woodson to spill the beans on the G-Men, just not sure it’s enough. NYG 23 WAS 20

CHI @ GB-3.5 This will be a great Sunday night game that could go either way but I’m so enamored with Aaron Rogers I will probably pick GB to win every week. GB 27 CHI 19

KC @ BAL-13 This game or the Dallas game is the pick you should use if you’re in one of those survivor office pools. BAL 24 KC 12

JAC @ IND-7 Jack Del Rio…this is your last rodeo. But when you hitched your wagon to David Garrard…it was your destiny. IND 28 JAC 14

DET @ NO-13 Another survivor option and anyone who owns Drew Brees has a fantasy hard on for this game. NO 38 DET 13

MIN @ CLE+4 Who’s going to QB this game for the Browns? Quinn, Anderson, Mangini? MIN 23 CLE 13

SF @ ARI-6.5 My upset special of the week, former Terp Shaun Hill leads the 49er’s to V-I-C-T-O-R-Y. SF 27 ARI 21

STL @ SEA-8.5 I couldn’t care less about this game or this division. SEA 20 STL 13

BUF @ NE -10.5 Turk Shonert says Jauron was on his back to “simplify” the offense. Simplify = Suctify. NE 30 BUF 10

SD @ OAK+9.5 I think Al Davis might just crumble into a heap of dust in the owner’s box this season. SD 28 OAK 14

Cheers and Hail

Hokie30sgirl: Michael Vick...It's Not All Bad Newz

Fatpickle's Note: Please welcome Hokie30sgirl to the website. She is an avid Redskins and Virginia Tech fan who is rumored to look like me...so you get the picture, she's hot! And I speak to her on behalf of everyone who reads this...we're gonna need more details on the not signing the SI thing. Welcome Hokie30sgirl:


Go SKINS, War Eagle...

Oh, wait, is that the wrong cheer? GO EAGLES! Who says a SAHM (stay at home mommy for those of you that don't know) can't have an opinion about football? Let me first say that I’ve always been a lifelong Redskins fan. I remember being in the 3rd grade and giving an "I have a dream" speech about how I wanted to be the first female wide receiver in the NFL~ just like my idol, Art Monk. I would spend my afternoons at Redskins Park chasing down autographs with my brother...Gary Clark, Ricky Sanders, Monte Coleman, Dave Butz, Joe Jacoby, Russ Grimm and Dexter Manley! Oh stop me… I'll get carried away- I was in love! And I’ll never forget when sportscaster Frank Herzog looked at my younger brother and said he didn't have enough time to sign his shirt- WTF… the nerve! So, long story short, I lived and breathed Hog football. I still love the skins- even if I am married to a Cowboys fan... And, yes, I admit to teaching my four-year-old son to cheer, "Boo Tony Homo."



With that being said, this season, I will also proudly cheer for another team... the Philadelphia Eagles. Being a Virginia Tech alumnus, I’ve always been a fan of Michael Vick. I remember watching him at Tech and he truly brought magic to the field with all his talent. I will be the first to admit that the man has made mistakes- BIG mistakes. My best friend just chewed me out when I said I was writing this post- something about how could I dare support a dog killer whose brother is a rapist and how the NFL should be called Thugville since they glamorize men that get away with murder... yada, yada, yada. I'm so sick of the media bashing Vick. I've heard it all, but I, for one, am so glad that the NFL is giving Vick a second chance. Whether or not he is going to take it seriously is yet to be determined, but I really feel he couldn't have found a better place. I'm hoping that McNabb can be a role model for him and that Tony Dungy and Coach Reid can help guide Vick into not only being a great football player, but a positive influence off the field as well.

I watched the Eagles press conference and there isn't a coach out there with more class than Dungy. He sincerely spoke about his work with inmates and helping them re-enter society. He also spoke about Christian forgiveness. If this came from anyone else, I'd say it was scripted and a bunch of crap, but it was truly sincere from him. I know that Vick has made some huge mistakes in his life. Hellooooo- when you hook up with a girl and then afterwards refuse to sign her Sports Illustrated and just jet (no, mom, it wasn't me), I wouldn't say you have the best of intentions!



But let's be real, he's going to be in the news regardless if he’s able to play in the NFL or not. Would I rather see articles about how Vick is in foreclosure and in more trouble with the law, or would I rather see him turn into a success and overcome his past? As a mother, I would choose the later, and if he uses his talent from here on out wisely, I would even call him as a role model for kids. Everyone makes mistakes, and if second chances aren't given, then this is a shallow world. What's done is done; so I hope he makes the best of this chance... so please Mike, make me, and the rest of the Hokie Nation proud. And while I'm begging... Please Skins have a good season. We bought season tickets this year... and right now we're losing our a$$~ and this sahm's budget can't take that!!!

Football Makes Everything Better

This post originally appeared at The Cooley Zone

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…well, maybe not for the 2,500 NFL players that are reporting to training camp this week. For the next 3 weeks they’re going to be sweating their sacks off in two a day practices. Knocking the shit out of each other, sitting in endless meetings and soaking achy muscles in ice tubs. How do they do that anyway? Just the thought of lowering my boys into ice…not worried about shrinkage…worried about disappearance! Anyway, I’m happier than a puppy with 2 peters because the beginning of training camp means that the 2009 NFL season is upon us and football just makes everything better! Yes, it actually improves quality of life. Sound silly? It’s not; I’ll prove it to you.

10 things football makes better.

#10 – Food – I’m trying to figure out how to lose 10 lbs before the start of the season because I know I’m going to put on 15 during the season! Wings, chips, pizza and dips all taste better during football season. I think Velveeta was invented specifically for the NFL season. It gives us all a reason to eat bad foods because that’s what you do during football games. It just is.

#9 – Sports Blogs – Let’s face it, without football, blogs kind of suck. How much baseball can we talk about? How many top 10 lists can we make up? Bloggers need coaches like Dennis Green and Jim Mora going berserk, that’s good material. Bloggers need bad play calling and underachieving draft picks. And let’s face it; you want to come here to see Cooley talking about the Cowboys, not Fatpickle talking about cheese.

#8 – Sundays – Sunday, the day for rest and relaxation. NOT! There should be nothing relaxing about Sunday. Sundays are for getting nervous, excited and pissed at the Redskins…sometimes all at the same time! So forget about reading the Sunday paper in the lazy boy and watching Tom Watson play golf. It’s so much more fun figuring out how you’re going to pay your bookie because Eli Manning threw a pick 6 in the last minute. It was a sure thing the Giants were going to beat the Bengals.

#7 – Sports Talk Radio- Similar to the bloggers, the radio personalities need some material. How long can they talk about the Orioles and Nats losing? What they need is someone to shoot themselves in the leg, they need an owner having dinner with Shanahan, they can run with that. They need the guy calling in who just lost $500 on the Eli Manning play, that’s good radio.

#6 – Beer – Beer is better during the NFL season …oh who am I kidding? Beer is good all year long; the NFL season does nothing to make it better. But, when the Redskins lose, beer helps…temporarily.

#5 – Tailgating- Unless you’ve been to a Kenny Chesney or Jimmy Buffet concert this summer, you probably haven’t tailgated in awhile. Football gives us a reason to do so. Football gives us a reason for more food, Jell-O shooters, tossing the football around and cornhole. Good times with family, friends and strangers. And if you are tailgating, it sounds like Mama Cooley has the right game plan to follow.

#4 – Personal Relationships – From February to July I talk once or twice a month with some of the people that mean the most to me, but come football season, we may talk once or twice a day. We are always emailing, texting or phoning each other to talk about the games and events of the week. Football brings us closer for 6 months a year and I’m thankful for that.

#3- TV Viewing – summertime is the worst for TV, but that will end soon. We now have the NFL channel, the Sunday Ticket and TIVO working for us. We can watch an entire replay of the game in 60 minutes, anytime we want! No more reruns of the New Adventures Of Old Christine, we got choices!

#2 – Hope and Optimism – There is nothing I want to see more than a parade in Washington D.C for the Super Bowl Champion Washington Redskins. As the season starts I feel like that can happen. I see Cooley on the left and Portis on the right, Obama in the middle. I see it. I’m happy. When I finish this post I’m checking flights to Miami. I’m drinking the Kool Aid; I’ve got my Nikes on.


#1 – Fantasy Football – Is there anything better than Fantasy Football? Most of you are probably working on your cheat sheets and sleeper picks already. The drafts (more fun, food and booze) are so much fun. In late August I will travel back to VA for my league’s 12th annual fantasy draft. 12 years ago we were single college aged guys with no wives or kids. We return this year, most of us married, and we now have 12 kids among us. We’re still kids, just with more chins. We come from Florida, we come from Ohio, it doesn’t matter…football keeps us together. And I (the 22 Swinging Dicks) am going to kick some ass this year.

Now after all that, I have 1 question for you…ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?

Cheers and Hail

My Take On Michael Vick

Michael Vick is out of jail and ready to play football again, and play it in the NFL. Should he be allowed to play? In my opinion 100% absolutely yes. There is no condoning what he did, it was terrible, but he spent over 18 months behind bars. He lost everything he had, the houses, the endorsement deals, over $30 million in salary. His debt to society has been paid…and then some. Donte Stallworth drives drunk and kills a man with his car and he spent less than 30 days in jail.

I’m sure that the NFL, namely Roger Goodell still wants to punish him in some way. As I said before, I think he’s already paid his debt. But, I understand that Goodell wants to run a tight ship and punish the players whose conduct is detrimental to the league. If he suspends Vick, it should be no longer than 2 games. 4 would be too long and 6 would be totally excessive. So what teams should consider signing Vick…?

My simple answer is every team has to consider signing him. He’s going to get the league minimum salary and he’s not going to cost your team a draft pick. Use him as a backup QB and slash type of WR. He could play 5-10 snaps in the “wildcat” formation. He could play a handful of snaps under center. He can play 5-10 snaps at WR. Think about your favorite team. Is there a 3rd QB or 3rd WR you wouldn’t want to replace with Vick? Think of your team’s punt returner and now replace him with Vick, doesn’t that look better? He can make a difference for a team playing 15-20 plays per game.

Now I have to go against everything I’ve said, the Redskins should not consider signing Vick. The Skins are set with their backup QB’s in Collins and Brennan and don’t need the Campbell/Vick controversy. I believe that Devin Thomas is going to have a breakout year and catch at least 50 balls…I’ll take him over Vick as a 3rd WR. There’s no room for Vick here in DC, but in New England or San Francisco…plenty of room.

Whoever signs Vick will have to deal with the backlash and repercussions. There will be organizations like PETA who will come out to the stadiums and stage rallies. The team that signs him may lose a handful of season ticket holders that revolt because they can’t give the man a second chance. I believe in second chances and think the man deserves one, I hope he makes the most of it.

Cheers and Hail

July 9: Happy Birthdays

On a daily basis, Fatpickled recognizes the birthdays of the men who have played, and currently play for, my favorite teams. The Redskins, Orioles, Wizards, and Terps.



Happy birthday Leonard Stephens. The man Steve Spurrier and Dan Snyder felt was deserving of Bobby Mitchell’s sacred number played one season in DC, catching one freakin pass. Thanks a lot Leonard, your catch was surely worth alienating a great man who’s a hall of famer who devoted over 40 years of his life to the organization. Happy f*&kin 31st, I hope you kept the ball.





Happy birthday Trent Green. Green spent the 97-98 seasons with the Skins before leaving via free agency. He actually had a pretty stellar season in 98, passing for 3,441 yards with 23 Td’s and only 11 Int’s. Both the yards and Td’s rank in the top ten all time for a Redskins single season. Unfortunately, the stats didn’t add up to wins, and The Skins decided to go with Brad Johnson in 99. Green blew out his knee in 99, allowing us the Cinderella story that is Kurt Warner. Trent went on to have a very productive 5 year run for the Chiefs before injuries and concussions took their toll. Green retired last month to pursue broadcasting opportunities. Happy 39th Mr. Green.

Happy birthday Pete Kendall. Pete has spent the past 2 seasons with the Redskins starting all 32 games and doing a very good job. He is currently a free agent after the Redskins chose not to resign him. However, I think there is some gas left in that tank and if injuries open a spot, we may not have seen the last of Mr. Kendall. In the meantime, happy 36th Pete.

Happy birthday Omar Stoutmire. The backup safety spent parts of the 2005 and 2007 seasons with the Skins. Happy 35th.

Cheers and Hail

Gridiron Gala: Party Like It's 1991!

"Some men are born with greatness, some men achieve greatness, and some men have greatness thrust upon them. A combination of the 3 makes you immortal."

I'm not sure who said that quote first, but I use to hear it on the Greaseman show back in the day...spoken by the one and only Don King. Ha Ha. But speaking about back in the day, and speaking of greatness, a special event is coming to RFK featuring the dynasty that was the 80's-90's Washington Redskins.

It's called the Gridiron Gala, and judging from what I've seen about this event, I'd give half my c&%k to be there. First of all it starts with a tailgate party outside of legendary RFK stadium. That's cool enough, because you haven't tailgated at RFK in a long time unless your a soccer fan...or the last time you did there was no cornhole!

Later, the party moves inside RFK, where the honoring of those great Skins players fully begins. Break bread and rub elbows with Gibbs, Clark, Theismann, and Rypien to name a few. It's a fantasy camp of your all-time favorite Skins for the cost of an NFL game ticket...in 1983!

There's also a Madden Gaming Challenge in which you could win the chance to play Chris Cooley in Madden 10. I personally would beat Chris using the Redskins and only using pass plays to Chris Cooley, and talk shit the whole time. Talk shit like "hey Chris, how's Madden Chris Cooley's ass taste?" But...that's just me. Maybe you'll beat him using only Clinton Portis's running plays.

Here's a preview of the Gala, and you can also get updates moving forward on Facebook and Twitter.

Cheers and Hail

Famous Redskin Fans

Here is a list of the top 5 famous Washington Redskins fans, and a few that were thought to be but are not. Do you know any more? Post in the comment section or email me.

Rumored Fan - Matthew Mccognahay- Actor
Confirmation...YES - HUGE FAN. Interviewed on MTV wearing a #24 Redskins Champ Bailey uni. Interviewed on Barbara Walters special where they filmed his bedroom, which had a Skins helmet on the dresser. Seen at Redskin's games including first game @ Fedex. Seen spitting dip directly onto stadium during first game.

Rumored Fan - Dale Earnhardt Jr - NASCAR Driver
Confirmation...YES - HUGE FAN. In the movie Dale, about his father, JR does his entire interview dressed from head to toe in Skins gear. Seen on the sidelines at games and training camp. Often checks on the score of the Skins game during races. Said he would give up everything he's done in racing to be Chris Cooley for a year.

Rumored Fan - Sandra Bullock - Actress
Confirmation...YES Grew up in Arlington, Va and has been spotted at Redskin's games (including the first game at Raljon with MM.)

Rumored Fan - Greg Garcia - Creator "Yes, Dear" "My Name Is Earl"
Confirmation...YES Grew up in Arlington, VA and attended Frostburg State. Frequently has characters in his TV shows wear Redskins paraphernalia. Attends at least 1 game a year and has been a guest in Dan Snyder's private box.

Rumored Fan - Wanda Sykes - Actress/Comedian
Confirmation...YES Grew up in Gambrills, MD rooting for the Skins. And I thank Wanda for giving us this.

Rumored Fan - Gene Hackman - Actor
Confirmation...NO! I love Gene Hackman, in my opinion one of the greatest actors ever. He wore a Redskins jacket the entire movie Loose Cannons. He also portrayed the Joe Gibbs role in The Replacements, so I thought the rumors maybe true. Alas, after further review I found out Gene is a Cowboys fan!

Rumored Fan - Ron Jeremy - Legendary Porn Star

Confirmation...NO! I wanted this one to be true, but I could not find any proof to back it up. So, I got in touch with Ron's people (yes, Ron has people.) The exact quote I received "He doesn't care much about sports or follow them."

WELL THAT MAKES SENSE, HE'S GOT HIS HANDS FULL WITH OTHER THINGS :)

Cheers and Hail

The Redskins...What's In A Name?

This post originally appeared at The Cooley Zone

Thanks to a court ruling last week, I'm still a fan of the Washington Redskins. Not the Washington Presidents, or the Washington Johnny Rockets, or some other name that I could never imagine.

I (like most of you) have spent a lifetime bleeding burgundy and gold, singing the words "braves on the warpath" and rooting for my Skins. I've never once in my 30 years as a fan thought of the name "Redskins" as being offensive or racist. I've never heard nor said an off color or racist remark about the name. I've never heard one of the 90,000 drunken fans at Fedex field say anything derogatory about the name...even when the Redskins have a sucky day or a bad loss. In fact, I am proud of the name, proud of the team, and proud of the history and heritage of Native Americans. But who am I too voice my opinion? I'm just an ordinary white guy who can't jump and can't dance (especially when I think I can dance, usually around beer 8 or 9).

Well, I happen to be a part of a large group of people that believe that the Washington Redskins are a tribute to Native Americans. That group of people happens to include the Native Americans themselves. Yes that's right, 90% of American Indians do not find the term "Redskins" offensive in any way. Lets stop and think about this for a minute. Do you think 80 years ago the Redskins chose their team name to personally offend an entire race? Is that really how team names are chosen? No, they are chosen as a tribute to something. And without those teams that honor the American Indian, how often would we be reminded of our Native American history? I think that the people that bring on these lawsuits are only interested in what the root of all lawsuits boil down to...$money$ and notoriety.

I've been a fan of many of the names that have graced the backs of the jersey's. Monk, Riggins, Green, and Cooley to name a few. But, the names on the back of the jersey's change quite often. However, the Redskins name and the burgundy and gold is a lifetime relationship for me (and for you). Rooting for another team, or even the same team with a different name just wouldn't be right. I have to give Dan Snyder props for fighting in court and spending loads of cash to keep the tradition and history of the Redskins in tact.

So hip,hip, hooray to Chief Zee, that guy on the side of the helmets, and the Indians getting to mix it up twice a year with those Cowboys. And if you find that offensive, spend the day surfing the Internet...I think there's a lot worse things you could focus on.

Cheers and Hail

1999 Redskins: Where Are They Now?

1999 was a strange year for the Washington Redskins, on and off the field. The team was sold by the trust of Jack Kent Cooke to Dan Snyder in May. The team started the season playing at Jack Kent Cooke Stdium in Raljon, MD. During the course of the season, the stadium changed names twice. Temporarily Redskins Park, and later Fedex Field. Raljon even changed to Landover. The 1999 Washington Redskins went 10-6 and won the NFC East, the last Skins team to do so. This Redskins team played in, and won, the only playoff game hosted at Fedex field.

Coached by Norv Turner, they were 2nd in the NFL in scoring at 27.7PPG. The season started with a crazy overtime loss to the Cowboys, a game the Skins were winning by 3TD's late. They lost 41-35. The season ended in another crazy game, a loss to Tampa Bay. The Skins had a chance to win the game with a last second field goal, but a botched snap ruined it. The offensive stars were Brad Johnson (4000+ yds passing,) Stephen Davis (1405yds 17td,) Michael Westbrook and Albert Connell (both over 1100yds receiving.) Defensively they were led by "Big Daddy" Dan Wilkinson, Hall of Famer Darrell Green and a rookie named Champ Bailey.
That was 10 long years ago...so the question is, where are they now?

QB - Brad Johnson - Free Agent, played last season for the Dallas Cowboys

RB - Stephen Davis - Signed a 1 day contract with Carolina last year, so he could retire as a Panther? Played 99 games with Skins(signed first $100 million NFL contract) versus 29 with Panthers.

FB - Larry Centers - Owner of LV Associates, a real estate firm in Dallas, TX.

WR - Michael Westbrook - Fighting midgets in MMA matches.

WR - Albert Connell - According to his Twitter account, he is "getting back to being me." Whether that involves stealing from Deuce Mcallister, I'm not sure.

TE - Stephen Alexander - Recently retired from Broncos after 10 year career.

LT - Andy Heck - O-Line Coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

RT - Jon Jansen - RT for the 2009 Washington Redskins.

LG - Keith Sims - Owner of several Dunkin Donuts.

RG - Tre Johnson - History teacher and coach at the Landon School in Bethesda, MD.

C - Cory Raymer - ??, probably drinking beers at The Ashburn Pub.

K - Brett Conway - Real estate consultant and owner of a fitness studio.

P - Matt Turk - Punter for the Houston Texans.

DE - Kenard Lang - Head football coach for Jones High School in Orlando, FL.

DE - Marco Coleman - Educational speaker for the National Collegiate Scouting Association.

DT - Dan Wilkinson - Reportedly living in Northern VA, failed to report to Broncos after Dolphins traded him there in 2007.

DT - Dana Stubblefield - D-Line coach at Valley Christian High School in California. Recently plead guilty to perjury in the Balco case.

LB - Greg Jones - ????? It's tough to search for a Greg Jones, especially since several played in the NFL.

MLB - Derek Smith - LB for Miami Dolphins

LB - Shawn Barber - Free Agent, on IR with the Texans last year.

CB - Darrell Green - Owns several business ventures, still donating time and money to DC area charities. www.darrellgreen.com

CB - Champ Bailey - CB Denver Broncos, future Hall of Famer.

SS - Sam Shade - Assistant coach for Samford University

FS - Matt Stevens - Sad story, he was paralyzed from the chest down after a motorcycle accident in 2004.

KR - Brian Mitchell - TV and radio personality in the DC area.

Cheers and Hail

NFL Draft Wrap Up

Matthew Stafford got $42 million guaranteed! Tim Couch was #1 10 years ago, he got $12 million guaranteed. Recession?

Tom Condon is officially the best agent in the NFL, Mark Sanchez's brother thanks you for making his job easier.

I don't know about Day 1 only having 2 rounds. It would really suck if your team had no 1st or 2nd round pick...what's to be excited about? And now if your a 3rd rounder your a "2nd day" pick? Being in the top 100 picks is an honor.

I thought the Bengals had a great draft. Smith was the top O-lineman in the draft. Maualuga was a steal in the 2nd, and Johnson and Coffman were steals in the 3rd.

Mangini will trade Braylon Edwards before the season starts.

The Cowboys had 12 picks, I'm jealous of none.

Packers had a great first round.

Congrats Heyward-Bey!

Note to Jeremy Maclin, no matter how good you are...Donovan Mcnabb will make you suck. Get some catcher's gear and learn how to block balls in the turf.

I thought Jon Gruden was out in Tampa Bay? How else can you explain drafting a QB in round 1 when you already have 5 on your roster (2 being paid starter-type $$.)
Oh, I know why...Freeman and Morris listen to the same type of music and Morris was Freeman's RA in college.

Finally, some Redskins thoughts...I couldn't be happier with the Orakpo pick. I like the Williams free agent veteran minimum signing. Happy with Barnes choice. And after writing 4 weeks about not wanting Sanchez, I was mildly disappointed the Jets got him.

Draft weekend wouldn't have been the same without the great coverage by Matt Terl, official blogger of the Skins, and Hogs Haven...who brought this behind the scenes coverage of the Skins 2nd round pick.


Cheers and Hail

Skins Going For The Hat Trick?

When the Redskins drafted Jason Campbell in the 1st round of the 2005 draft, they became the first team in the history of the NFL to draft 2 QB's in the first round within 4 years of each other. Now all signs are pointing to a 3rd 1st rounder spent on a QB within 8 years. I don't have the power to research such information, but I'm going to assume no NFL team has ever done this, or even come close.

When you draft a Quarterback in the 1st round, you are making the assumption that this is your "franchise quarterback." The guy that you're going to hitch your wagon to for the next 10-12 years. It appears as though Dan and Vinny are giving up on Jason Campbell. That in itself is a bad decision. He has only improved every season even though he's had a different system each year. How good can he be this year, actually having a year of experience under his belt? Playing QB in the nations capital is one of the toughest jobs in sports and the fans are the toughest critics. Yet, 81% of the fans don't want Sanchez. Are the people making the decisions at Redskins Park really this blind to the fact that we have gaping holes at other positions. Gaping holes brought on by the fact that the Skins have not drafted a defensive end within the first 5 rounds of the draft during Snyder's tenure? Gaping holes brought on by the fact that they've drafted only 2 offensive lineman in the first 5 rounds of the draft during the same time? Our 1st and 4th rounders for Jason Peters would have been a great move...but why would you want to take care of your weakest position with a Pro Bowl player who is one of the best in the NFL. I mean, it's Jason Peters, he's not "sexy."

After taking all the shit the front office piled on him, JC has finally spoken out, declaring he wants to be traded if the Skins draft Sanchez. My fear is the Skins have tipped their hand too much and the value they would receive for Campbell would be too little (remember giving away Patrick Ramsey for a 6th rounder, 2 years after using a 1st on him?) And if they draft Sanchez and trade Campbell, who's your starting QB for the 2009 season? My other fear is the Skins trade up for Sanchez, throwing away more picks.

Maybe it's all a smokescreen, maybe I just wasted an hour on this post for no reason? Maybe Dan and Vinny are smarter than I think they are? Oh F me, welcome to DC Mr. Sanchez.

Cheers and Hail

Redskins Greatest Draft Picks Round By Round

" Draft me, I'll take care of this little problem for the next 20 years!"

The NFL draft is upon us and the question is whom will the Redskins take in the first round? There is plenty of speculation about that going around. I decided to take a look back and choose my choices for the Redskins best picks, based upon the round they were drafted in. My picks are based from the 1980 draft on, since I've only been following football since that time. Also, my picks are based off how the players performed during their time with the Skins. So if they drafted a player that became a star somewhere else, they do not qualify. The Skins have also signed some UFA's that made a significant contribution during that time and I'll touch on them at a later date.

Rd 1 1983 Darrell Green CB Texas A&M
Played 20 seasons and 295 games with the Skins. 7 time Pro Bowler was first ballot HOF and one of the best ever at his position. 2 Super Bowl rings.
Honorable mention – Art Monk

Rd2 1999 Jon Jansen RT Michigan
Reliable lineman entering 9th season, started 120+ games

Rd3 1981 Russ Grimm G Pitt
4 Time Pro Bowler, 3 Super Bowl titles, Head Hog for 11 season
Honorable mention – Chris Cooley (could overtake Grimm with a couple more solid seasons,) Charles Mann

Rd4 1996 Steven Davis RB Auburn
Shook off the Michael Westbrook fight to become one of the NFL’s best backs for a brief period. Over 7 seasons he totaled nearly 7,000 yd’s and 48 Td’s.

Rd5 1981 Dexter Manley DE Oklahoma St
9 seasons and 2 Super Bowl wins. 91.5 sacks during that period and he was one of the most dominating defensive players of his era.
Honorable Mention – Brian Mitchell

Rd6 1986 Mark Rypien QB Washington St
1991 NFL & Super Bowl MVP played 6 seasons with the Skins. Threw for 15,000+ yds and totaled 109 TD’s. 2 Time Pro Bowler.
Honorable Mention – Ed Simmons

Rd7 1994 Gus Frerotte QB Tulsa
“In Gus we trust.” Underdog overtook Heath Schuler for starting QB and played 5 seasons for DC. Did make the Pro Bowl in 1996 and threw for nearly 10,000 yds and 51 Td’s.
Honorable Mention – Rock Cartwright (still playing could overtake Frerotte)

Rd8 1986 Kurt Gouveia LB BYU
Amassed 573 tackles with 7 Int’s during his 9 seasons with the Skins. 2 Super Bowl Rings.
Honorable Mention – Barry Wilburn

Rd9 1981 Darryl Grant G Rice
Played in over 140 games spanning 10 seasons. Started 3 Super Bowls, and scored INT return for TD in 1982 NFC Championship vs. Cowboys. Several 100+ tackle seasons.

Rd10 1989 Mark Schlereth G Idaho
“Stinky” played 75 games over 6 seasons winning a title in 1991.

Rd11 1985 Raleigh Mckenzie G Tennessee
Reliable lineman played in 144 games over 10 seasons with Skins, winning 2 titles.

Rd12 1981 Clint Dider WR Portland St
Played 6 seasons and won 2 Super Bowls with the Skins. 129 receptions and 19 Td’s.
Honorable Mention – Keenan Mccardle

Cheers and Hail

Dan and Vinny Are Giving JC The Dirty Sanchez

I'd like to squash that half a motherf&%ker!

It's true...and it's like Ron Jeremy delivered the dirty sanchez. It's ridiculous the way the brain trust of the Skins are treating Jason Campbell. Dan and Vinny have gotten around more the past couple of weeks than Paris Hilton does on a Vegas trip.

A quick recap of the "relationship" that JC is in:

With only one year left on his original contract, the Skins let him know that they will not be offering him a new deal before the season. This is the equivalent of your girlfriend telling you to not buy those airline tickets for both of you to fly to your hometown for Christmas...let's wait and see what happens.

After denying that they have any interest at all in Jay Cutler, they tried to trade JC plus a couple #1's for him. This is the equivalent of your girlfriend denying she's seeing anyone else. Meanwhile, she's texting some "party dude" for a late night booty call. After random dude bangs her out, she comes back apologizing to you.

Dan and Vinny then meet with JC to clear the air, said meeting provides the "we're cool" media responses. Meanwhile, Byron Leftwich is at Redskins Park for a workout. This is the equivalent of your girlfriend saying everything is fine, and you say "no, somethings wrong?" And it goes back and forth with her saying nothings wrong and you just want the bitch to say YES, THIS WHOLE RELATIONSHIP IS FUCKED. But she doesn't, even though she's getting ready to bang out some old bastard.

Now word is that the front office is "smitten" with Mark Sanchez, but of course they deny everything. This is the equivalent of your girlfriend running away with the pool boy who looks like A-Rod. Your thinking WTF? I give up.

JC keeps giving all the right answers and saying all the right things. He's got that same calm, cool look that he has in games. At some point he's got to crack. I hope it's behind closed doors and he gives Dan and Vinny a verbal ass whooping. JC deserves another season in Zorns offense. He's improved every year, there's no reason to believe that he won't this year. My fear is that they are going to trade him on draft day for a 3rd or 4th round pick. I hope I'm wrong.

Cheers and Hail

2009 Redskins Schedule...by Jerry Jones

"Yes Dan, you'll love your seats at the new stadium, you did sign your PSL..right?"


For the 2nd consecutive season the Redskins schedule appears to have been written by Jerry Jones. While I'll admit it's not quite as bad as last season, the Skins start again @NY, and face back to back weeks of @Dallas, @Philly(I feel like I'm replying on twitter.)The beginning of the schedule does have some weaker opponents that could set the stage for another 6-2 high hopes for playoffs deal. But the last 3 games are brutal, NYG, DAL, @SD. Since the schedule is out, I might as well give my first W-L prediction of the year.

Week 1 @NYG Loss
Week 2 STL Win
Week 3 @DET Win
Week 4 TAM Win
Week 5 @CAR Loss
Week 6 KCC Win
Week 7 PHI Win
Week 8 BYE
Week 9 @ATL Win
Week 10 DEN Win
Week 11 @DAL Loss
Week 12 @PHI Win
Week 13 NO Win
Week 14 @OAK Win
Week 15 NYG Loss
Week 16 DAL Win
Week 17 SDC Loss

There you have it 10-6 and in the Playoffs. We'll see if they are Miami bound from there.

Cheers and Hail

Disaster Averted

Redskins fans owe the Bears front office a big thank you for winning the Jay Cutler sweepstakes.

Do I want Cutler on my team...yes, my fantasy team. While it's debatable if Jay Cutler would be a better QB for the Skins than Jason Campbell is, the steep price it would have taken to get Cutler would have hindered the Redskins for years.

The Skins have serious problems on their offensive and defensive lines. The issues lie from ignoring these 2 units for years in the draft. Giving away a couple more 1st round picks and a 3rd rounder for Cutler would have been assinine.

Whether it's trading away high draft picks for aging veterans (Brunnel, Jason Taylor) or simply drafting the "best player on the board" (Thomas, Davis, Kelly,) the Skins have totally ignored the O and D lines in the draft. How much so? In the past 8 years the Redskins have drafted ZERO D-lineman in the first 4 rounds of the draft. ZERO. During the same period of time they drafted 2 O-lineman (Dockery in Rd 3 of 2003, Rinehart in Rd 3 of 2008.)

The Skins need to draft an offensive tackle or defensive end/OLB who can get to the QB with this years 1st round pick. Someone like a Jansen or Samuels who can step in and man the position for the next 10 years. They cannot ignore these 2 areas for another year.

I hope that Campbell is able to put all this BS aside and have a huge year. Make the Danny pay for this little dance, and pay for holding out to give him a new contract. The Skins have done the exact same thing the Broncos did with Cutler. They shopped their franchise QB around for what they felt was a better player. The difference is Cutler acted like a bitch, and Campbell has acted like the consummate professional.

I'm behind you JC!

Cheers and Hail

Porkboy: Pork Knows Best

I know, I know, you've all been waiting to hear my opinion on the Jay Cutler dust up. Well I decided to wait until this became a proper boil. It's now a proper boil. I love a young punk who won't even return the owners calls... but the young punk is right. All Josh McDaniels had to do was say " sorry I made a play for my guy, but now it's me and you for the next decade." LIE A LITTLE !!! As a coach you are a people manager, do and say what it takes to get the most out of your people. That's your job young Josh.... all Cutler needed to hear was "you're my man, this trade stuff is over."

Young Josh just couldn't do that, his ego was take it or leave it. I expect Cutler to be a spoiled brat, he's a young NFL QB, it's is all he knows. As a coach you have to rise above it, spank those that need spanked and stroke those that need stroked.
All Cutler said he wanted was a commitment, that is all any of us want.
Whats even funnier was that after Mcdaniels told Cutler that "I can't promise you it wont happen again," he then made the statement that Jay needs to be fully committed to the Broncos!

I'm not saying Cutler is the greatest QB around, but in a league where half the teams don't have a quality starter you can't just throw one away. People love to talk about his record as a starter, but he's 16 -1 in games where he starts and the defense allows 22 points or less. It's the defense that has let the Broncos down the last couple of years.... and take a look at the RB situation he had last year.
Sometimes things just need the smell test... do you think Matt Cassel is better than Cutler? Or worth more money? If you answered like I think, you are all ready smarter than young Josh.

As a Belichick disciple young Josh definitely has got the part down about being a pompous ass. I will never forget Bill running Bernie Kosar out of town in Cleveland. Cutting him mid season while Vinny Testraverde was hurt, Bill had to start a third string QB...just to show who was boss. All the Belichick coaching tree has given us is a lot of duds and losses (Sabian, Weiss, Crennel.) I guess when you don't have Tom Brady and you can't cheat any more... it gets a little tough!

Another smell test, will the Broncos be better this year without Jay Cutler ?

One last rant!! The Tampa Bay Bucs hire a guy because he listens to the same music as the players? WTF?! The Bucs folded last year because the defense gave up when they heard their beloved coach was going to join his son in Tennessee. So you promote one of the defensive coaches who couldn't talk his guys into tackling anyone wearing a Raiders F&*ing uniform!!Gruden was sunk when he went to a team that gave up 2 #1 picks and 2nd Rd picks to get him, and don't forget the 2 #1's to get Keyshawn. That's 6 very important picks and the future of your team. He actually should get credit for being competitive with Jeff Garcia, Chris Simms, and for making Antonio Bryant million$$.
THIS GUY WON A SUPER BOWL WITH BRAD JOHNSON AND KEENAN MCCARDELL.

And for the best news I've heard in weeks.....bacon flavored chap stick !!!!

Bay Area Blues

Marquis Cooper Derrick Brooks

The past week to 10 days have been a difficult one for residents of the Tampa Bay area. Bucs fans that were already reeling from Derrick Brooks getting cut were also hit with ex-Buc Marquis Cooper being lost at sea. Although it is impossible to compare a person being cut with a person's death, the way the 2 things went down were both senseless.

Cooper's ordeal became a nationwide story, but it really hit home here. There was round the clock updates on the local news, and you just kept hoping that a miracle was going to happen. And then a miracle happened, if only there were 3 more miracles to come. Cooper lived not too far from us, and the waters he was fishing are waters we have explored. I would have never gone 50 miles offshore in the boat he was in, nor gone offshore at all with the front that was moving into the area. Cooper was a very experienced fisherman and boater, I'm sure he felt confident. Another NFL player, Corey Smith and friend William Beakley were also never found. It's a sad story and I feel for their families.

Derrick Brooks was told his services were no longer needed after 14 seasons with the Bucs last week. It's got every loyal Bucs fan up in arms, asking why? All Brooks did was never miss a game in those 14 seasons and made 11 Pro Bowls. All Pro 9 times, Defensive player of the year, and first ballot Hall of Famer. Oh yeah, he's a pretty good guy off the field as well. He was the 2000 Walter Payton Man of the Year, which honors a player's volunteer and charity work, as well as his excellence on the field. Brooks also founded the Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School in Tampa, a school founded on the belief that, given the necessary resources and opportunities, every child has the potential to realize his/her dreams.



Fans are livid, it reminds me of when the Skins cut Art Monk. My uncle Mo a lifelong Skins fan, swore he would never root for the Skins again. 15 years later, he's a Cowboy's fan sticking to his word. I've seen countless fans interviewed stating the same thing, wherever Brooks lands is whom they will root for. Now, even the most loyal Brooks fan knows that he has lost a step (or two.) So it's not necessarily the cutting of Brooks, it's how it went down. They told him in the AM they were cutting him, and released it to the media in the afternoon. Why the big rush? They were $40 million dollars under the salary cap at the time. So there was no immediate need to cut salary to sign a free agent. They could have allowed Brooks to quietly talk with other teams to see what his market value may be. If there wasn't a market, they could have scheduled a press conference for him to announce his retirement with dignity as a member of the Bucs. Instead, Brooks was forced to conduct an interview at the Bucs headquarters wearing a powder blue jumpsuit and requested that no Bucs logos be present. In true Derrick Brook's style, he said all the right things.

To date the biggest player the Bucs have brought in the offseason is Kellen Winslow. A player that is the exact opposite of Derrick Brooks on and off the field. At this point I have to seriously question the new regime in Tampa Bay.

Cheers and Hail