October 2010

Williams vs. Okung: Did The Redskins Draft The Right Tackle?

Submitted by Brandon on Fri, 10/29/2010 - 4:51pm
From the moment that Mike Shanahan arrived in D.C. and began putting together a staff, draft aficionados were speculating about which player the Redskins’ new brass would select with the fourth overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. It was generally predicted that the ‘Skins would take an offensive lineman to replace the recently-retired Chris Samuels as their franchise left tackle. The team followed through on that prediction, though they raise a few eyebrows by drafting tackle Trent Williams from the University of Oklahoma instead of Oklahoma State’s more-widely regarded Russell Okung (who was eventually selected a few picks later by Seattle). And with eight weeks of football in the record books, did the ‘Skins make the right choice?

Questionable Call of the Week: Why Didn’t Kolb Just Take A Knee?

Submitted by Brandon on Thu, 10/28/2010 - 4:04pm

I think I’m going to start picking out a particularly awful moment from either a D.C. or a Philly sports game and labelling it the “Questionable Call of the Week”. This week’s comes from the Philadelphia Eagles’ 37-19 loss to the NFC East-rampaging Tennessee Titans.

 

Did The Phillies Miss Their Last Chance At Another World Series?

Submitted by Brandon on Mon, 10/25/2010 - 6:41pm
There couldn’t have been a worse way for the Philadelphia Phillies’ season to end. After losing only 7 games in the last month of the regular season, after seeing their brand new ace Roy Halladay stump the Cincinatti Reds in his playoff debut, and after winning a crucial NLCS game 5 to bring the series back to Philadelphia, it all came down to a called third strike—a call that was questionable at best. But a far worse scenario might now be gestating in the minds of the Phillies and their fans: Did the team just miss its last best chance at winning another World Series title?
 

Redskins vs. Bears: Positives & Negatives

Submitted by Brandon on Mon, 10/25/2010 - 2:21pm
In an afternoon game that mercifully was not nationally televised, the Redskins defeated the Bears 17-14 after an eyesore of a football game. At times, it seemed as if neither team felt like winning, which always makes for the best football games. I guess Sunday’s win might best be described as the NFL’s version of a “pyrrhic victory”—a game during which the bad outweighed the good and after which ‘Skins fans at large probably didn’t feel very enthusiastic. Here’s a breakdown of the positives and negatives from this weekend’s contest.

 

A Quick Note On Concussions & Hard Hits

Submitted by Brandon on Wed, 10/20/2010 - 6:05pm

I didn’t want to get into an argument today. But after reading the news that James Harrison is mulling retirement after the NFL threatened to hand out fines and possibly suspensions for especially grueling helmet-to-helmet hits—and after hearing former Hog Mark Schlereth rant about the NFL being run by “men in ivory towers” on NFL Live—I just couldn’t contain myself. So here are some thoughts on the head injury controversy.

Victory Over Falcons Showcases Eagles At Their Best

Submitted by Brandon on Tue, 10/19/2010 - 7:20pm

Remember about six weeks ago when the Eagles’ new franchise quarterback Kevin Kolb took the field and was promptly concussed after throwing only five short completions? Needless to say that’s not what Eagles fans were expecting from the fourth year player. But now, those fans can sit back a bit, because the Kevin Kolb they thought they were getting has finally shown up, albeit six weeks late. And fortunately, he brought the team that Philadelphia has gotten used to seeing over the past decade with him.

Redskins vs. Colts: The Good & The Not-So-Good

Submitted by Brandon on Tue, 10/19/2010 - 3:51pm
If you had told me back in August that the Redskins would only lose to the Indianapolis Colts by a mere three points, I would simply have laughed at you. But if you’d told me that the ‘Skins would actually have a legitimate chance to win the game, I would have recommended that you get your head examined. Yet that’s where Redskins Nation finds itself: two days removed from watching the “Burgundy & Gold” lose a 27-24 duel against the team that plays Peyton Manning at quarterback—and one in which the Redskins left plenty of bullets in their chamber. So to recap all of the good shots and the misfires, here’s a breakdown of the good & the not-so-good from Sunday night’s shootout.

Fantasy Notes: Good Plays & Bad Plays For Week 6

Submitted by Brandon on Fri, 10/15/2010 - 8:05pm

If you’re like me, you’re obsessed with researching fantasy predictions because you’re afraid of committing to a starter without doing the proper research. So here’s some of my own fantasy advice to add to the mix.

Have the Capitals Recovered?

Submitted by Brandon on Fri, 10/15/2010 - 3:22pm

Hard to believe that the ill-fated Capitals-Canadiens playoff series only ended a few months ago. But for Washington hockey fans, the sting of watching their beloved Capitals (who some would say are the District’s only championship-caliber franchise right now) fall apart at the seams on the way to an untimely quarterfinals elimination from the Stanley Cup playoffs might take a little longer to fade. It’s a memory that’s at best frustrating to recall, and at worst….what do you call it when the world comes crashing down around you? Oh, yeah: a crushing, demoralizing feeling of emptiness. So with nearly a full week of the new hockey season in the books, have the Capitals been able to put the summer’s embarrassing exit behind them?

‘Skins Still Find Improbable Ways To Win Against the Packers

Submitted by Brandon on Mon, 10/11/2010 - 4:54pm

There are certain phrases that Redskins fans have eliminated from their vocabulary over the years. These phrases—things like: “They’re only down by 10 points,” or “No way he misses a 30-yard field goal,”—might bring a peaceful blanket of comfort to the followers of other teams, but Redskins Nation has seen too many insurmountable deficits and blown plays to take anything for granted. That’s what makes Sunday’s “hit ‘em in the mouth” win over the Packers so incredible (and improbable).