July 21: Oriole 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 Mike Bordick. Mike had 2 stints with the Orioles covering parts of 6 seasons and 739 games. Originally signed as a free agent by the O’s in December of 96’, he had the worlds toughest job at that time…replacing Cal Ripken as the starting shortstop. He did it with the grace and professionalism that made him a fan favorite over time. In 2000 he set the major league records for consecutive error-less games (110) and chances (543) by a shortstop. He still has a link to the Orioles, as he was traded by the Orioles to the Mets for Melvin Mora in 2000. Mora is still playing for the O’s nearly 10 years later. After the 2000 trade with the Mets, Bordick resigned with the Orioles that off season via free agency. He retired after 14 seasons in 2003 with an even 1,500 hits. In retirement Mike coached his son’s high school baseball team to the MD state final game in 2007. He also worked with a former college baseball player who was trying to make a comeback at Ripken Fantasy Camp…ME! Mike is a super nice guy and I appreciated the way he played the game. He’s now a roving minor league instructor for the Toronto Blue Jays. Happy 44th Mr. Bordick!


Happy birthday Mark Williamson. Mark spent all 8 years of his career as a middle reliever for the Orioles from 1987-1994. He was a steady right hander who appeared in 365 games. The Orioles acquired Mark from the San Diego Padres along with Terry Kennedy in a 1986 trade that sent Storm Davis to the Padres. Mark was especially effective in the 89-90 seasons, going 18-7 with a 2.61ERA. Overall he finished 46-35 with a 3.86ERA. He was also a part of the Orioles last no –hitter in 1991. The no hitter was unusual in the fact that 4 pitchers (Williamson, Bob Milacki, Mike Flanagan and Gregg Olsen) combined to toss it. Happy 50th birthday Mr. Williamson!

Cheers and Hail

Wilbur Marshall: HOF Bad Ass

Wilbur Marshall was inducted this past weekend into the College Football Hall of Fame, along with 19 others including Troy Aikman, Lou Holtz and Thurman Thomas. This seems like a good time to look back at Wilbur's NFL career and his post NFL days.

Wilbur Marshall was an incredible football player. He was fast and he was strong. He could seamlessly move from fighting off big offensive tackles for sacks to covering speedy running backs in pass coverage. He could hit...hit you hard. If you are a younger person and are trying to picture Wilbur, picture LaVar Arrington...but a LaVar that actually made all the plays. He was a hybrid of Derrick Brooks and Lawrence Taylor. HE WAS A BAD ASS! Wilbur's 84 sacks/turnovers during his career are more than Hall of Famer's Jack Ham and Ted Hendricks.

After playing for the Bears from 1984-87, Wilbur signed with the Redskins as a free agent. No big deal in today's game but in 1988 there was no free agency. Wilbur was to the NFL what Curt Flood was to baseball. He took on the system and was the first free agent in 11 years to switch teams. The Skins gladly gave up 2 1st round picks for the right to give him a 5 year 5 million dollar deal.

Wilbur played those 5 seasons in DC, played in all 80 games over that span. He played hurt, he played well. He roughly averaged 5 sacks, 3 int's, and 125 tackles a year during that period. WOW! He was a big time player in big time games, he made big plays when they counted.

Wilbur retired in 1995 after 12 seasons and 179 games. 2 Super Bowl titles, 3 Pro Bowl appearances and a broken body. Retirement has been a struggle for Wilbur. He fought with the NFL for years over disability benefits. Marshall has had or needed the following procedures: both knees and both shoulders replaced, 4 knee surgeries that left the knee bone on bone, fractured both ankles, nerve damage in both hands and wrist, and a compressed spine with bulging discs. He now walks with the aid of a cane, he's only 47 years old.

I am personally a huge proponent of the players that helped make the NFL what it is today. The guys that played before the billion dollar TV deals and the $100 million dollar player contracts. Players that had to take on 2ND jobs in the NFL off season, players that had to start working a regular 9-5 job the day they retired from the NFL. Players that made the NFL what it is today, a corporation that prints money. The players of yesterday deserve their share. I hope that the players of yesterday continue to fight until they get what they feel is a fair deal for them. I hope that people like Mike Ditka and Gridiron Greats continue to support the players in need.

I am thankful that I got to watch Wilbur Marshall play for the Washington Redskins and help them win a Super Bowl title in 1991. So thank you Wilbur and congrats on your HOF induction. You're one of the reasons I'm proud to be a Redskins fan.

Cheers and Hail

July 16: Happy Birthday Chip Lohmiller

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 Chip Lohmiller. Chip played 7 seasons with the Washington Redskins from 1988-1994 appearing in 112 games. From 1989 to 1992, he scored more points than any player in the NFL. In 1991, he scored more points than the Indianapolis Colts! He has a Super Bowl ring from that 91 season.

Lohmiller was drafted in the 2nd round of the 88 Draft. Although the Skins won the Super Bowl in 1987, the kicking position was a disaster. 6 different players attempted field goals that season, making only 18 of 29 attempts. Chip came in and solidified the position for the next 7 seasons. He retired after the 1996 season and remains the Redskins 2nd All-time leading scorer.

Chip had some incredible individual games is which he almost single handedly won the games himself. In 1991 he kicked 4 field goals against Dallas, each of them longer than 45 yards. The following year in 1992, he accounted for all 15 points in the Skins win vs. his hometown team, the Minnesota Vikings. All told, his trusty right foot provided 11 game winners for the Skins during his tenure.

Chip also appeared in a McDonald’s commercial spoofing the Larry Bird/Michael Jordan game of H-O-R-S-E. It’s quite comical; make sure you give the YouTube below a watch. Chip currently is the Head Football Coach at Pequot Lakes High School in Minnesota. Happy 43rd Mr. Lohmiller.

Cheers and Hail

Hello Fatpickled!

Fatpickle's note: Please welcome JT as a regular contributor to Fatpickled.

Hello, my name is Jason Anton and I am an Orioles fan, Redskins fan, Terps fan....and Miami Heat fan...and I am the newest contributor to the Fatpickled blog! Now before you notice my Miami Heat comment and ostracize me, cast me aside, and mail me the severed head of a random animal please hear me out and understand where I'm coming from.

I grew up in Ocean City, Maryland. A place familiar to many mid-Atlantic regionals as an easy vacation spot and middle ground for 'Skins, Steelers, Eagles, 76er's, Wizards, Phillies, and Orioles fans considering it's pretty close to Philly, DC, and Baltimore (and for some reason there are Steelers fans in EVERY city on the planet...and they always come complete with their own bar of some kind. In OC it's the Salty Dog Saloon). This alone gives me the right to be an Orioles fan and Redskins fan (the Heat justification will come) but that's not all that ties me to these teams and vindicates my fandom! See I was born in 1983. Not only did the Redskins win the Super Bowl in '83 (for the '82 season) with a heroic performance from Riggins, but the Orioles won the World Series AND Cal Ripken Jr. won the AL MVP award that year.

Speaking of the 'Skins '82 season Super Bowl victory, I was there! Now I didn't have great seats, and I couldn't actually see the game because my eye sockets hadn't fully developed yet, but I did eat the nachos...if you follow me. I was born in June. My parents got me a pin to commemorate my attendance that I still have.

Now, my geographic justification and my chronological justification should be enough to qualify me as a blogger on the subject of 'Skins and O's. I have been a fan, since birth, of both teams. One of my earliest memories is meeting Boog Powell and it inspired me to be a sub-par 1st baseman throughout my little league career until it was discovered that I threw a wicked side-armed fastball (and then I became a sub-par pitcher). Thanksgiving for my family has always consisted of 2 traditions outside of the food: 1-We watch the original Star Wars trilogy 2-We root for whomever isn't the Cowboys in the Thanksgiving Day game no matter who it is. I am a diehard lifelong fan and that's all I bring to the table.

I plan on delivering to you, the loyal Fatpickled RSS subscribers, my insights into all things O's and 'Skins. Everything from the great potential of the Orioles outfielders, to how comfortable my wife finds the sweatpants she bought off of Chris Cooley's website. I don't do "investigative reporting" because I'm not a fan of "facts." It's a lot easier to just make everything up and I think everyone will have a lot more fun that way...just kidding.

Alright this post is getting long so I'll wrap up. I lived in Florida for a couple of years and that's where I became a Heat fan. They won the Championship while I was down there and I got swept up in the fever of it all. Also, all anyone ever talks about in Florida is the Gators and 'Nols. To which I could ever say is: FEAR THE TURTLE! and HAIL!

Here is a picture of my daughter in a LaRon Landry jersey:

July 11: Happy Birthday Chris Cooley & Len Hauss

This is chance to combine a happy birthday post with my favorite things post. Happy birthday to my favorite current NFL player, Chris Cooley. There were several events that transpired that led to Chris becoming my favorite. I have long been a fan of the tight end position (that definitely sounds gay.) Over the course of the years I’ve watched and rooted for Don Warren, Clint Didier, Jamie Asher, and Stephen Alexander. Then, in 2004 Joe Gibbs returned as coach. The rumor from that year’s draft was that the Skins were going to take Kellen Winslow Jr. out of Miami with their first round pick. This was something that I DID NOT WANT. I wanted the once in a lifetime safety, Sean Taylor. Well what do you know, the Skins actually did something I wanted and picked Taylor, upsetting Winslow Jr. and Sr. (whom Gibbs had coached in San Diego.) Then, in the third round the Skins traded to pick Chris Cooley out of Utah State. I had never heard of the guy but upon a little research I found out he led all college tight ends in receptions and was a finalist for the Mackey award…I was intrigued.

During the pre-season games that year I was able to see Cooley in action for the first time. He was playing the H-back position in Gibb’s offense. I was hooked the moment I saw this big and somewhat awkward white guy rambling down the field wearing #47. He looked like a modern day John Riggins. He earned the starting position that year and has never looked back. He now has consecutive Pro Bowl appearances to go along with 314 receptions for 3,457 yards and 28Td’s. He also has the Riggins type of personality to go with his on field performance. Marrying a cheerleader, drinking 21 shots, short shorts and a fro.

Thanks to the power of technology, I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of Chris’s website…The Cooley Zone. Whether I’ve been commenting on others posts or writing my own, it’s been great fun. In fact, I’m pretty sure that Fatpickled would have never existed if not for Chris’s blog. Funny how things work out sometimes, happy 27th CC.

Happy birthday Len Hauss. Len played 14 seasons with the Skins, playing in 196 games, starting 192 of them! He is one of the 70 Greatest Redskins and was selected to 6 Pro Bowls. That’s some pretty impressive stuff…happy 67th birthday Mr. Hauss.


Cheers and Hail

July 10: 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 Marty Cordova. Marty signed a 3 year 9 million dollar deal with the Orioles in 2002. His history of injuries should have scared the O’s away, but it didn’t. He basically played just one season, missing the final two after blowing out his elbow. He won the 1995 Rookie of the year award while with the Twins, but will forever be known as the player who missed a game due to burning himself in a tanning bed. Cordova now works in various capacities UFC, he’s long time friends with Dana White. Happy 40th Marty.

Happy birthday Buddy Groom. Buddy pitched 5 years for the Orioles appearing in 330 games. For a time he was a very effective lefty middle reliever. He was 15-13 with 18 saves and a 3.59 ERA with the O’s. Overall Buddy pitched 16 season in the majors and finally retired when all southpaw relievers do…when they stop getting lefties out. Happy 44th Budman.

Happy birthday Alvoid Mays. Alvoid was a backup cornerback for the Redskins from 1990-1994, appearing in 61 games. Alvoid has a Super Bowl ring from the 91 season. Alvoid later played in the Arena league and also was sentenced to prison for robbing a grocery store. Happy 43rd wherever you may be Mr. Mays.
Happy birthday Chris Wilson. Chris currently plays for the Redskins as a defensive end. He showed great promise in 2007 with 4 sacks, but seemed to go backwards last season. During this year’s OTA’s, Wilson has been practicing in more of a outside linebacker/DE hybrid position. I hope to see great things from Chris this season. Happy 27th.

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