Alex Ovechkin Has Russia On His Back
July 31, 2008
So our boy Alex Ovechkin has been taking it easy in Russia since the end of the NHL season. Russia Today caught up with their native son, and asked him about what its like to be a Russian whom American hockey fans adore. Since, you know, we tend to be exclusive towards American players with our man-crushes.
“I feel good when people recognise me on the street, and when fans say we love you - I’m proud of myself, my country and for my family that I’m from Russia and the Americans are supporting a Russian so strongly,” he said.
Damn. Are we that arrogant of a country? Does AO’s feelings about American fanhood really ring true? Is it that surprising to the rest of the world that we can cheer for a player that’s not American-born?
Curse you, Sylvester Stallone. Thanks to you, we’ll never live down Ivan Drago.
Curse you, 1972 Olympic Games. Thanks to you, USA Basketball will always have a chip on its shoulder.
And curse you, James Bond. If you weren’t so damned cunning against the forces of SMERSH, the world would have a greater respect for Russian villains.
Why Won’t The Orioles Go After Manny Ramirez?
July 31, 2008
Is there an echo in here regarding the Orioles and trading or pursuing free agents? Oh that’s right, the Orioles don’t pursue superstar caliber players.
With all of the trade bait the Orioles have been dangling around the league all season, this could be a good move for them. In Ramirez, you would get a rated ‘G’ version of Barry Bonds, a bonafide hitting legend that can’t field a lick. And with that, you would pique the interest of your fan base and the attention of teams around the league with a seriousness about contention in Charm City.
It’s nice that the O’s went and got Kevin Millar and Aubrey Huff in the last few seasons, but those guys haven’t put you into real contention in the AL East, which is what the Orioles should be looking for. With Tampa Bay having surpassed the Orioles for third fiddle behind the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, not making this move puts even more steam behind the moves those three clubs are going to make every single July from here on out.
No, Manny Ramirez won’t bring you a World Series. Probably won’t even get you to the playoffs this year. And he’d likely be an luxury Rent-A-Bat for the next two seasons. Those are the reasons why you shouldn’t sign him. But standing pat each and every trade deadline gives no excitement to the club or city, and basically amplifies the slow nature of your player development system. Nick Markakis and other young players have been coming along nicely in the last two seasons, but the Orioles surely aren’t the Florida Marlins or Detroit Tigers in that respect.
And since they aren’t, the Manny Being Manny show would be best shot in Baltimore. At least for a season.
They Can Beat the Best, But the Rest…
July 30, 2008
The thing you have to know about Baltimore and Washington sports is that they are, despite what their records may indicate, really good teams. Across the sports spectrum, you can find clubs that can beat the best their leagues have to offer.
It’s the rest of the league you have to watch for.
Take the 07-08 Washington Wizards. They were the only team to beat the Boston Celtics three times last year. The Orioles have put a hurting on the New York Yankees for two games in a row, and the Washington Redskins dispatched the eventual Super Bowl Champions, the first seed in the NFC and the league’s best defense in a late-season three game stretch in 2007.
So what is up with the rest of the world? My sense is that when you win games you are supposed to lose, and lose games you are supposed to win, from top to bottom there is a lack of concentration. Most people blame it on players, but that’s on coaches, scouts, everybody. It may be argued that up and down the roster, players and coaches tend to buy into media-manufactured hype, and they show it in practice and game situations.
But when you’re up against the best, there’s nothing to lose but the element of surprise.
The Baltimore-Washington area is a virtual desert for sports relevancy. It would take a Super Bowl appearance, Eastern Conference appearance or ALDS party crashing for the rest of the sports world to know what exactly in going on here. But as long as the teams and fans are content with being occasional giant killers, there will never be any giant steps taken towards championship glory.
Colt Brennan’s Blog of Humility
July 29, 2008
Colt Brennan has been blogging for Redskins.com for a little more than a week now. We can’t comment on it, but if we could, subjects such as his dreamboat status, playing dodgeball with Jason Campbell, and being the most popular third-string quarterback in the league would make it the Hot Topic of the blogosphere.
But Brennan won’t talk about that, because he’s just an all around smooth dude. He’d rather talk about things like his subconscious fear of the team veterans:
It’s cool to see the celebrity status of someone like Jason Taylor and what he brings to the team. It’s really neat when you get out to the practice field and you have Jason Taylor at defensive end, Clinton Portis as your running back and Santana Moss as your wide receiver. You kind of pinch yourself a couple times.
When I’m around those guys, I’m actually pretty quiet. I understand where I am on the pedestal.
I’ve never actually met Jason Taylor formally, but he has walked by me a couple times and said, ‘What’s up, Colt?’ It just shows you that he’s a really good guy.
Or maybe Colt is just so damn cool he doesn’t need to say what’s up. To anybody.
You be the judge. I’m going with the latter guess.
Why the Washington Redskins Will Miss Joe Gibbs
July 28, 2008
The Washington Redskins are going to miss Joe Gibbs. Jim Zorn is turning out to be one of the funniest head coaches in the league, what with his incoherent way of speaking and love of Washington rivers, but Gibbs had something few other coaches could claim.
Old school clout.
Bill Parcells and Joe Gibbs were and always will be NFC East football. They were the last of the the coaches tied to the football of the 60’s and 70’s, where missing an open field tackle on Sundays left you looking for a new team on Monday. Gibbs brought discipline and a low-tolerence for mistakes throughout his two tours in Washington, but last year’s coaching job might have been the most masterful.
The death of their best player, countless injuries, and the media circling FedEx Field waiting for a drastic move from Daniel Snyder could’ve decimated the franchise. Not just the season, but the scope of the franchise. Were it not for Joe Gibbs, players could’ve not only tanked their season in an emotional undertow, but they could have changed their focus and desire on football.
But Joe Gibbs’ faith and presence over the team held steady, and resulted in an emotional push throughout the final quarter of the regular season. While the end result was an emotionally and physically-spent Redskins club falling in the latter stages of its playoff game, the theme of perseverance was never as strong in any other sport.
All of that is what Joe Gibbs brought last year. And now, its gone.
The Redskins will be a decent offensive club this year, and if they come out with at least three wins in the first quarter of the season, they will be a favorite in the NFC. But the mental tenacity and grace under pressure that got them here has retired, and that may mean a lot in the latter stages of the season, and beyond.
Andray Blatche Is Slighted By Wizards Fans
July 25, 2008
Prior to the 2008 NBA Draft, the Washington Wizards sent forward Andray Blatche out into the streets of D.C. to find out what kind of player Wizards fans wanted with the 18th pick.
Needless to say, the cry for a big man was loud and clear. The interesting part? A couple of years ago, Blatche was supposed TO BE that big man.
The Wizards did eventually go with big man JaVale McGee, but not before Blatche put his “Bulletproof” nickname to work on the streets of Chocolate City.
Jim Zorn on a Mountain Bike
July 24, 2008
There’s a joke here somewhere for Redskins’ head coach Jim Zorn conducting an interview while atop a mountain bike, but my day job won’t allow me the time to properly address it. That will be left you.
In the meantime, enjoy the fact that Zorn says that Washington, like the mighty Mississippi, is ripe with rivers for people to float down.
Who is the Washington Redskins’ Best Defensive Player?
July 24, 2008
Two years ago, Skins’ fans would’ve viewed this as a ridiculous question. Two days ago, I bet a lot of Skins’ fans thought they had the answer.
But is it that cut and dry for a Redskins’ defensive unit that has been among the best in the league for the past three seasons?
A new defensive coordinator and new personnel might have changed the perspective on which individual player will have the most impact on the 2008 season. Sure, Greg Blache is familiar with the system, but as the defensive line coach in 2007, his front looked like shopping carts at times, ranking 16th in the league in total sacks. Defensive end Andre Carter had 10.5 last season, making him the first Redskins player with double-digit sacks since 2002.
Linebacker would be a logical place to look to find the team’s best defender. Marcus Washington was second on the team in sacks with five. London Fletcher was third on the team in interceptions with three, and first in total tackles with 128.
Or could the Redskins’ best defender be in the defensive secondary, where LaRon Landry was third overall in tackles and number one overall in scaring the crap out of opposing receivers?
As you can see, the Redskins are balanced throughout their starting defensive unit. But the tilt will have to start up front on the defensive line, and while it may not work in the long term for the Skins’, this year, Jason Taylor will prove to be the Skins’ best defender.
His speed on the outside and ability to drop into coverage will allow other members of the line free movement in the interior. It will position linebackers for more blitz schemes, and create bad throws for the secondary to capitalize on.
A lot of stuff for a guy that may not want to play more than a year or two.
Why Nick Young is the Key to the Washington Wizards’ Playoff Hopes
July 24, 2008
My stance on the Washington Wizards future is primarily staked on their lack of a scoring or defensive post presence. Not that every team in the league but the Wizards has a big man, but their need for a banger is just more apparent than with other squads.
But when analyzing what has taken the Wizards from cellar-dweller to playoff sureshot, the truth is that the team’s success has been built on perimeter play. Their guards for the last several years have been dribble drive threats, that will occasionally kill you from the three-point line.
It’s for that reason that the Wizards playoff success or failure in 2008-09 will rest on Nick Young, the second-year shooting guard who must become the instant offense that will wear teams down in third and fourth quarters late in the season and beyond.
Young was drafted for shooting prowess and athletic versatility that made him a standout guard at USC. There was no expectation for him to become more than an understudy to Gilbert Arenas last season, but injuries thrust him into several games of prominent ball-handling and decision making.
This season will have to be different for Young, as he will likely be called upon to be a shooter to spell DeShawn Stevenson, a scorer to spell Arenas, and a defender to spell Caron Butler. His gifts demand that level of responsibility, and even in his inexperience, a year under the belt is quickly closing the window on any excuses.
There’s a lot of James Posey love around the league right now, because of his ability to fill whatever gap a team is missing on the floor at any given time. That’s what New Orleans got via free agency, and that’s what the Wizards have to get out of Nick Young this season.
How Many Weeks Before Injuries Drive Joe Bugel Mad?
July 23, 2008
Look, injuries are a part of any team’s season. But the Washington Redskins seem to have the most troublesome time with the most gruesome of injuries.
Last year’s offensive line struggle yielded nine lineman suiting up for Washington, and amazingly, they held together for a solid push at the end of the regular season that resulted in a playoff berth.
What’s the over/under on the number of weeks before at least two Redskins’ lineman succumb to sprained ankles, wrenched knees, smashed elbows, or thumbs to the eyes?
*This Stet Sports Blog NFL post is sponsored by VividSeats.com. VividSeats.com is your hook up for all premium and sold out Washington Redskins tickets.
