The Washington Times is now in on the fun, recounting a conversation Mitchell had here in Baltimore with Jerry Coleman. Among the choicest of the sour-grapes:

* On having to change his style to remain on 980: “If I can’t be me, I don’t want to be there anyway.”

* On the behind-the-scenes decision making: “I know a lot of things that went down prior to [his firing] that proves it had nothing to do with the economy.”

* On the Redskins under Dan Snyder: “What have they really done in the playoffs to make people believe they’ve gotten better? Nothing.”

* On Redskins fans: “Fans believed more what I said than they believed the message of the people they put in place to give the message out.”

* On who’s the better GM – Ozzie Newsome or Vinny Cerrato: “Ozzie Newsome, hands down. He knows football. He doesn’t look at football as being fantasy football.”

Here are a few critical things to remember about this situation; primarily, that Brian Mitchell is a hostile guy with bitterness against a team that cut him years ago. Interestingly, it’s the same team with an ownership that owns 980, which has the right to eject an ignorant former player with anger issues should it see fit.

The most important thing? Can you imagine another station employing the service of Brian Mitchell?It certainly wasn’t perspective that made him a draw on 980; it was his status as a former player, and his tough guy persona. I revile Washington football, and even I thought he was often too tough on his former squad.

Locally, who would take a chance on a guy with a history of bickering with current players on air, and bashing his former employer? Maybe JFK, as they are siphoning off local media types left and right these days.

B-Mitch’s bad attitude is growing old, rather quickly. Even though it has been a pleasure to listen to criticism of the Daniel Snyder subsidiary, the bitter tangents that made him appealing as an analyst now make him worthless as a bitter outsider.

Technorati Tags: Brian Mitchell, ESPN 980

I even commented as much beneath the post.

But thinking about it, I realize that Gary Williams isn’t the moral knight that he, or Terrapin faithful would make him out to be. Were he that kind of guy, he wouldn’t have such an idiotic stance on graduation rates at College Park, a stance that likely contributed to the dubious conclusion of Chris McCray’s career at Maryland.

The real reason Gary Williams decries cheating so much, and dry snitches without dropping names on other coaches? It’s because it is impossible for him to do so. Bob Wade sullied the program to a point of permanent residence on the NCAA’s watch list. Were the attention of the Association not so transfixed on Maryland, if Williams could tap into the hotbed of Metro-area talent with more than promises of playing on national television against the best the ACC has to offer, then he too would cheat.

And he too would be annually competitive for national championships.

So it’s a bunch of crap when you hear Williams speaking out against the ills of basketball. It may sound good when you first hear it, but when you think about it, you realize it’s more a vent of frustration than a commitment to playing a game outside of its new rules of engagement.

Technorati Tags: Gary Williams, Maryland Terrapins

Then, inexplicably, the Orioles woke up and staged the biggest comeback in team history. No need for the particulars of the comeback, just know that they came back and stunned a Red Sox bullpen that is the best in baseball.

So what happens now? Is there renewed hope in Baltimore for this Orioles team, or was this just a star-aligned moment that will work well for MASN campaigns, but not so much in turning the tide on another lost season?

I tend to go with the former. It would take a 30-game hitting streak by Matt Wieters and eight in a row to convince me that the Orioles are legit, and even then, I might have reservations about the pitching and baserunning. But as it stands, I’ll enjoy this win and this commemorative photo courtesy of Camden Chat.

Technorati Tags: Baltimore Orioles

Back then, it was Ben Wallace. Today, it’s Leon Powe.

The Boston Celtics have foolishly cast off Powe and the toughness he brings in a reserve role to Kevin Garnett. Maybe they are that sold on Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis, and that’s all good for them. But as it stands, the Wiz should be sold on Brendan Haywood and JaVale McGee and little else.

Which makes a push for Powe all the more reasonable.

This is the big man committee in the Southeast Division; Dwight Howard in Orlando, Al Horford in Atlanta, Emeka Okafor in Charlotte, Michael Beasley in Miami. That’s no mention of Kevin Garnett in Boston, Shaq in Cleveland, Chris Bosh in Toronto,Elton Brand in Philadelphia or Joakim Noah in Chicago.

As a Wizards fan, are you comfortable throwing Andray Blatche at any of that? Night after night without spelling him with a tough guy off the bench? Me neither.

Ever since the Ben Wallace fiasco, the Wizards have futily tried to duplicate what his presence in the lineup would have wrought. The franchise has swung and missed on players like with the likes of Etan Thomas, Michael Ruffin, Jahidi White, Popeye Jones, and Isaac Austin.

A player with no demand for shots and no need for development is exactly what the Wizards need to compete with the emerging interior game of teams in the Eastern Conference. And as a bonus, I imagine that he would take great pride in beating the hell out of Brendan Haywood in practice everyday.

We’ve been down this road before. If the Wizards want to make that turn for sustainable success, picking up Leon Powe for the ride wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

Technorati Tags: Andray Blatche, Brendan Haywood, Leon Powe, Washington Wizards

But oh, if this list is indeed true, check out some of the famous local names on deck for performance enhancing drugs. Names like Jay Gibbons and Rafael Palmeiro are published on this unconfirmed list, but the others are a little surprising.

1.Nomar Garciaparra
2.Manny Ramirez
3.Johnny Damon
4.Trot Nixon
5.David Ortiz
6.Shea Hillenbrand
7.Derek Lowe
8.Pedro Martinez
9.Brian Roberts
10.Jay Gibbons
11.Melvin Mora
12.Jerry Hairston
13.Jason Giambi
14.Alfonso Soriano
15.Raul Mondesi
16. Aaron Boone
17.Andy Pettitte
18.Jose Contreras
19.Roger Clemens
20.Carlos Delgado
21.Vernon Wells
22.Frank Catalanotto
23.Kenny Rogers
24.Magglio Ordonez
25.Sandy Alomar
26.Bartolo Colon
27.Brent Abernathy
28.Jose Lima
29.Milton Bradley
30.Casey Blake
31.Danys Baez
32.Craig Monroe
33.Dmitri Young
34.Alex Sanchez
35.Eric Chavez
36.Miguel Tejada
37.Eric Byrnes
38.Jose Guillen
39.Keith Foulke
40.Ricardo Rincon
41.Bret Boone
42.Mike Cameron
43.Randy Winn
44.Ryan Franklin
45.Freddy Garcia
46.Rafael Soriano
47.Scott Spiezio
48.Troy Glaus
49.Francisco Rodriguez
50.Ben Weber
51.Alex Rodriguez
52.Juan Gonzalez
53.Rafael Palmeiro
54.Carl Everett
55.Javy Lopez
56.Gary Sheffield
57.Mike Hampton
58.Ivan Rodriguez
59.Derrek Lee
60.Bobby Abreu
61.Terry Adams
62.Fernando Tatis
63.Livan Hernandez
64.Hector Almonte
65.Tony Armas
66.Dan Smith
67.Roberto Alomar
68.Cliff Floyd
69.Roger Cedeno
70.Jeromy Burnitz
71.Moises Alou
72.Sammy Sosa
73.Corey Patterson
74.Carlos Zambrano
75.Mark Prior
76.Kerry Wood
77.Matt Clement
78.Antonio Alfonseca
79.Juan Cruz
80.Aramis Ramirez
81.Craig Wilson
82.Kris Benson
83.Richie Sexson
84.Geoff Jenkins
85.Valerio de los Santos
86.Benito Santiago
87.Rich Aurilia
88.Barry Bonds
89.Andres Galarraga
90.Jason Schmidt
91.Felix Rodriguez
92.Jason Christiansen
93.Matt Herges
94.Paul Lo Duca
95.Shawn Green
96.Oliver Perez
97.Adrian Beltre
98.Eric Gagne
99.Guillermo Mota
100.Luis Gonzalez
101.Todd Helton
102.Ryan Klesko
103.Gary Matthews

Technorati Tags: Baltimore Orioles, Steroids in Baseball, Washington Nationals

Technorati Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Ray Lewis, Sports Science

My hope for this circumstance is two fold; one, that by promoting this particular post, I’m not dry snitching when PETA comes calling.

And they WILL come calling.

Two, the cow was already dead, and it being Cooley’s land, he had the prerogative to dispose of the carcass in any way he deemed appropriate. Thus, I hope PETA doesn’t play the lame angle that dead animals deserve as proper a burial as they do a lifestyle.

That being said, this is probably the least mature thing Chris Cooley could do. Not so much setting the cow on fire, but for promoting it via a widely-read website. With photos. Of all his nationally-know hijinks, this act is the one that elevates him from delinquent jock to oblivious buffoon, at least in a new world of animal rights sensitivities.

There has to be a level of understanding that right or wrong, within your rights or not, certain comments and actions will prick certain consequences. Nothing about this action will make Chris Cooley more of a redeemable or likeable person. Nothing about this will bring him good press, and nothing about this will render him wealthier than he already is.

And he knows this. It’s why he solicited additional insight from the Twitter community.

Here’s hoping that PETA doesn’t rock his world.

Technorati Tags: Chris Cooley, PETA

Let me not say ruined, because it would be a far stretch to say that one of the best franchises in MLS could be ruined by an international choke job pulled off by the U.S. Soccer team in the Confederations Cup final. But, for as much as the surprising run to the world’s stage did for soccer popularity in the United States, it could likely have a significant impact on the appeal of our own D.C. United.

As the domestic appeal of soccer grows, D.C. United’s distance from international play won’t help it’s cause to become more popular in our area. Even with multiple championships, the only thing that can help soccer in the Metro area grow is for casual soccer fans to have consistent exposure to local players that can grab and hold national attention.

Attention that can only be rightly earned in international play.

D.C. United had a long history of players competing for the men’s national team; not so for this year’s Confederations Cup Roster. And of the few players that do compete stateside in MLS, Landon Donovan is the only one that brings back some national credibility and recognition from South Africa.

Our homeboy Freddy Adu, who plays professional in France after a much-hyped-yet-non-descript tenure with D.C. United? He didn’t even get on the pitch.

People who truly enjoy soccer in this area have stronger ties to international competition than the domestic professional leagues. As diverse as the Baltimore-Washington area is, young fans of soccer are going to grow up following the names that they heard most often during the United States’ stampede onto the world stage; Donovan, who plays for the Los Angeles Galaxy, Jozy Altidore who plays in Spain, and Tim Howard who plays in England.

There are D.C. United fans who root for the team because it is a professional team in the area. There are those who grew to love the team because of their championship-winning ways. Perhaps that is enough to sustain and grow a loyal following in the Baltimore-Washington region, but if the United States maintains this level of growth on the international stage, while the country’s best players continue to play professionally out of the country, it can’t be good news for any domestic pro soccer franchise.

Technorati Tags: D.C. United, Jozy Altidore, Landon Donovan, Tim Howard

The summer has been relatively quiet for the Washington pro football franchise. Their annual big free agent splash? While overpaid, he isn’t three years past his prime, so its a push.

Their annual mediocrity in drafting? They got Brian Orakpo and  few other dudes. Not so good, but not so bad, either.

Those are the things we’ve come to expect in Washington, and that’s okay. It makes the failure that much sweeter for detractors, and that much more painful for supporters. What hasn’t been discussed though, is how much better the position is for the Detroit Lions than Washington’s team. Their certainties are legit, their bar is low, and their spirits are high.

Here’s five reasons why Washington fans should look away from the beacon of light that is the Motor City.

5. The threshold of expectations. – If the Lions come close to five or six wins in the NFC, they’ve come along way. Washington has to do better than eight wins, and likely have to get 10 or 11 for a decent playoff berth.

Eight wins is a dog of a threshold for this team. They can’t match it, because there are no excuses for a team that started 6-2 last season and couldn’t finish the deal. The best Washington can do without rumblings of firing Jim Zorn is 10-6, and in the talent-laden NFC East, five divisional wins will be a tough go.

4. Happy People. – Matthew Stafford is happy to be in Detroit. Daunte Culpepper will be more than happy to hand over the huddle to him at any point. New execs, new coaches, everybody is happy to be in Detroit, which in itself, is a victory.

Here in Washington, it’s all about hate, hate, hate. Jason Campbell hates Daniel Snyder. Clinton Portis hates Jim Zorn. Fans hate Daniel Snyder. There isn’t enough incense in the world to soothe the ill spirits surrounding FedEx, and those spirits are going to work some wicked voodoo this season.

3. The Hunger for More. – Detroit is going to be crazy hungry to let the world know that they are better than an NCAA Division I football team. Washington, on the other hand, is a city ready-made for athletes and fans to forget. Quickly. Should the franchise be well under expectations in late October, one too many bars, too much political news, and Gilbert Arenas chatter in early November will be enough to take fans out of accountability mode.

2. The Washington Post Lives. - While many newspapers are dying around the country, the Washington Post is surviving, and in some cases, thriving. To that end, the Washington pro football franchise will get no breaks from the biased and jaded WaPo media. Do we enjoy their slanted views on the team? Absolutely, but it’s wrong just the same.

*Miss you, LaCanfora.*

1. Tailgating is welcomed at Ford Field. – Detroit fans have a website dedicated to tailgating fun and excitement. Washington fans have an online petition.

Technorati Tags: Detroit Lions