NFL

10 Reasons Why the Redskins Will Have the NFL’s Best Receivers in 2008

Some people like to root for the Redskins to fail. Maybe it’s their horribly racist team nickname, maybe it’s their douchebag owner, or maybe you just don’t like Chief Zee.

But you can’t root against the job the organization has done to build the team for success. When healthy, their offensive line is boss. They’ve had a stout defense for the past few seasons, and are solid at quarterback.

But their most powerful offensive weapon won’t be the running game, as Skins’ fans are used to seeing every year. In 2008, the Washington Redskins will have the most versatile and explosive receiving corp in the NFL.

Here’s ten reasons why.

10. Youth - The oldest receiver on the Redskins’ roster is James Thrash at 35. He’s no slouch, and neither are the likes of veterans Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle-El, and rookies Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly.

9. Experience - Each of the four previously named receivers has appeared in big games through their careers. The vets have been in playoffs, Super Bowls and tight divisional contests, while the rookies have seen their fare share of big rivalry games and bowls.

8 . Speed - Led by Satana Moss, you probably won’t find a collective receiving unit as fast as what the Redskins hope to field on Sundays.

7. System - Head coach Jim Zorn is bringing the West Coast offense, which means short routes turning into big gains mixed in with deep passes.

6. Timing - With the exception of the Dallas Cowboys, no other defensive secondary in the NFC East will be able to hang with the Skins in three or four-wide receiver sets.

5. Patience - Washington fans have long awaited the renaissance of an explosive offense. By Week 9, they shall have it.

4. Risk - If the defense maintains as well as it did through the 2007 regular season, the offense will be looking for big plays to stay ahead in ball games.

3. Insurance - A healthy Clinton Portis means defenses keying in on stopping the run.

2. Cohesion - From all accounts, the Randle-El and Moss are good teammates who will welcome the new guys in and bring them along.

1. Cooley - With a talented receiving tight end like Chris Cooley, you have to pay attention to interior routes. And that means sideline specials for the rest of the crew.

NBA

Is It Time To Worry About JaVale McGee Yet?

Two games into the Las Vegas summer league, and JaVale McGee still hasn’t become more than what we knew about him previously, which is nothing.

He and Andray Blatche have been dominated through two games, with the worst of the beatings coming last night against the Philadelphia 76ers and their first rounder, Marreese Speights. Speights finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds, while McGee looked turned in nine points, eight rebounds and a couple of blocks.

You figure that a rookie is going to struggle in his first NBA-level games, but Washington needs this guy. Badly. They are a legitimate post presence away from challenging the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic for the Eastern conference title. He’s not needed to be solid in summer league, because that will translate to unused in the regular season.

He’s needed to be dominant now to be surprising in the regular season and possibly the playoffs. No, he hasn’t completely sucked, but JaVale McGee and Andray Blatche need to be much more than basket supports in the next few games if they hope to be Washington’s chances for league-wide relevance.

NCAA

Will Any Sports Recruits Stay in College Park?

Seriously, it was mildly humorous when the Maryland Terrapins basketball program was faced with multiple defections from recruits, but now with a prized quarterback recruit backing out of his commitment, this reeks of something much larger.

Basketball more than football has been plagued by indecisive teens and failures of communication in the recruiting process, but Ralph Friedgen, like Gary Williams, hasn’t landed that kind of recruits that will put him over the hump in the ACC standings.

For both sports, that means another year of lowered expectations and probably less support for the program.

As for the recruits themselves, the changing of addresses before their arrival can be indications of a couple of things. The most obvious is that current players are telling recruits that they should not come to College Park, either in protest of current coaching staff or for selfishly-motivated reasons. More than coaches, boosters and family, current players yield the most sway over impressionable and talented high school athletes.

It could be possible that Maryland just doesn’t have the facilities that widen the pupils of well-traveled athletes. Maryland is not in the poor house by any means, but its rare to hear commentators and experts glowing about the weight rooms, dorms and eating facilities on campus at Maryland.

Finally, and most likely, Maryland just does not have the kind of booster pull that other schools have. As unquiet as it is kept, players need their families and themselves to feel pampered in the recruiting process. The coaches and athletes can talk about the career and sex options, respectively, but only boosters have the money and the leeway to show money to these kids and their loved ones through undetectable channels.

I know. We don’t like to hear that Maryland or any other school should have to resort to the money game to get good players, but the bottom line is that the players are getting everything they need from somewhere else.

After originally thinking that everything they needed was in College Park.

MLB

The Orioles Are Having a Decent Season…So Who Can They Trade?

That’s the questioned posed by an article in today’s Baltimore Sun. Seems like no one is safe from being trade bait, including Aubrey Huff, Kevin Millar and usual suspect Brian Roberts.

The logic is that these veterans can net some pretty good young talent. It’s illogical because these same veterans have finally gelled to give the Orioles a respectable offense to combine with a growing pitching staff.

I say give the nucleus one more year, but if a slide takes affect after the All-Star break, I wouldn’t be surprised if the trigger was pulled on what of the O’s big hitters.

NHL

Laich, Fedorov Re-Sign With Washington Capitals

Brooks Laich originally wanted to go the salary arbitration route, but the Washington Capitals countered with a three-year deal good for more than $6 million.

Needless to say, the deal got done.

The Caps are taking great care to sustain the unit that pushed towards the playoffs and gave this town a Red-Out for the ages. With the exception of Olie Kolzig, there have been no significant threats for defection from the team. Sergei Fedorov, who might still have two good years left in him, also signed a $4 million one-year contract with the team.

MLS

D.C. United’s Odd Fan Sweepstakes

D.C. United wants you to see them take on the New York Red Bulls in August.

And Amtrak is going to get you there.

In the strangest team promotion since Big Tigger linked up with the Washington Wizards, D.C. United is collaborating with Amtrak to send you and a friend up to New York for this riveting MLS match-up. Riveting loosely meaning “I’d rather watch fly fishing.”

If you’re going to send your fans somewhere, and it has to be a divisional opponent, try Chicago or Toronto. That promotion would involve a flight, and heightened expectations of traveling.

Don’t put your fans on a train. Chances are, your biggest fans ride the freakin’ Metro everyday and dying to escape sickly middle managers, ghetto-ass secretaries and copies of the Washington Post left behind with the sports section taken out.

WNBA

Let’s Treat New York Like Cleveland

I don’t know if the Washington Mystics have a big time rival, but if they don’t, the New York Liberty can fill that slot ASAP.

It seems like the Mystics and the Liberty are always the last two teams fighting for playoff position. And for the last two years, that position has been the final spot. To that end, I suggest we white out, rap battle, and lose feeling in our faces for Alana Beard and Co. much in the way we did for the Washington Wizards.

After all, the Mystics have actually beat out the Liberty for the final playoff spot. The Wiz kids have yet to vanquish Cleveland, and they may have ruined chances of ever doing it by riling the King Kong of the NBA with last year’s trash talk.

It’s not like we’re far off. The Mystics have always been among the league leaders in attendance, and they’ll be playing four games in the next week to make this happen.

We got hype for Caron Butler. Let’s do it for Coco Miller.