Results tagged “football”

The U.S. Supreme Court today declined to hear an appeal in the case of whether the Washington Redskins' name is offensive, the Associated Press is reporting.

On offense, the Redskins have -- or had -- a small handful of players that other teams might be interested in, at least before this debacle of a season unfolded. They are -- or were -- as follows: Chris Samuels, Chris Cooley, Randy Thomas, Santana Moss, and perhaps Clinton Portis. Of those five, only Moss will play today, cementing an already depleted and inept d'oh!-ffense as a complete non-threat. And, oh yeah, the league's third-best scoring defense in the Denver Broncos comes to town today, feeling a little desperate as they try to break a two-game slide. Denver 26, Washington 10.

Noted graphic designer Ken Carbone used his space at Fast Company earlier this week to address the National Football League's ugliest helmets, of which there are plenty. (Helloooooo, Tampa Bay!) As someone with an amateur hobby of monitoring professional and major collegiate sports uniforms -- for instance: have you seen these new Nike college football unis, apparently left to us from a race of super-intelligent hypergalactic beings? -- this editor believes Carbone hit a lot of the right notes. The best helmets in the NFL do belong to teams which have a natural symmetry in the logo (Eagles, Rams, Vikings), or teams who stick with classic, clean insignias and color schemes (Cowboys, Bengals, Browns -- and although Carbone forgot them, the Packers).

This time last year, the Washington Redskins were fresh off an election-eve home beatdown by the Super Bowl champs–elect, the Pittsburgh Steelers, in a game noted for the stunning prevalence of Steelers fans at FedEx Field. A little past the halfway mark of the season, that game officially kicked off the team's late-season demise, where they'd go 2-6 and labor to put up points in virtually every game. The offensive line looked slow, tired, and hurting, and so did Clinton Portis -- whom we all hoped only looked like that because he was behind that slow, tired, and hurting o-line. The defense, for the most part, manfully willed the team into games before the offensive ineptitude just became too great a burden to bear.

I don't know about you, but I enjoyed a Sunday devoid of heartbreak, frustration, incomprehension, incompetence, and the ungodly combination of the four. It was a restful day, one which got my week off to a nice start. Of course, that will all change tonight -- when the Redskins new play-calling system proves to be the glorious failure we all knew it would be in a 24-9 loss to the visiting Eagles -- but at least we're one day closer to the following weekend after it does.

Over the past few weeks, many a Redskins fan could surely be spotted muttering that this, this! would never have happened with Joe Gibbs at the helm. But if circulating rumors hold any sort of accuracy, he might not be far from the team soon enough. Pro Football Talk is reporting that the legendary head coach might be returning to the team in a football director role. The whispers are that Gibbs would fill a role similar to that of Bill Parcells in Miami. Gibbs would be responsible for hiring a new coach and general manager, and generally getting the train back on track. It's not so crazy, really: Dan Snyder already consults with Gibbs regularly, most recently having dinner together before the 'Skins loss at Carolina, and Gibbs is probably one of the few people on Earth to whom Snyder would probably cede some control.

It may be dark, dark days for those loyal to the Washington Redskins, but those with glass half-full attitudes will recognize this as an opening for a golden age of 'Skins-related self-deprecating humor. The product on the field might be downright unwatchable, but at least we've stumbled upon: a) the subsequent parade of funny homemade T-shirts, b) the quintessential Zorn-face, and of course c) one of the most ridiculously hilarious stories in NFL history: the "consultant" who hadn't coached a down in the league for four-plus years and whose previous job was volunteering as a bingo number caller, who this week was given a promotion to the role of offensive playcaller after only two weeks on the job.

In a week when virtually every major writer in the area has taken their crack at the 'Skins (for me, the best was Tracee Hamilton's), the frustration and boos seemed to have reached a tipping point with the fans, too. A raft of, shall we say, revolutionary organizations are calling for a) a "blackout" at Sunday's game, b) true fans to not buy beer in the stadium, and, the biggie, c) owner Dan Snyder to relinquish complete control and to quit worrying about who his employees are and how they perform and go back to simply worrying about turning a profit. Call it the least Marxist revolution imaginable, but it would still constitute some kind of shocking upheaval for this team. At any rate, everyone's heard the gripes about management and coaching and Sherman Lewis' "fresh set of eyes", but there's still football to be played. Played badly, perhaps, but played nonetheless.

No one knows what to make of this team. If I sound more confounded, week to week, it’s because I am, and I imagine I’m not alone. I think we all know that if they’re going to win, they’re going to win ugly. The Redskins will labor over every win they get this year, because the chance for potentially easy ones just passed with successive games against the Rams, Lions, and Bucs. The great stat of the year so far is that the Skins have yet to face a team with a win in 2009 (counting the Giants who came into Week 1 at 0-0, natch). The Carolina Panthers are similarly winless, but ultimately more talented than any of our last three opponents, and certainly more talented than our boys. I have to take Carolina over the ‘Skins, 24-13.

The NFL's second most reviled quarterback is in D.C. today, the Associated Press is reporting, in order to speak to local youngsters about how dogfighting is bad. Michael Vick has been making appearances like this in cities around the country since he was released from prison after being convicted of running a dogfighting ring in Smithfield, Va., as part of a Humane Society campaign against the sport. His talk will take place at Covenant Baptist Church in Southwest this afternoon, where a group of area students have been invited to listen. Hopefully any hardcore Redskins fans in the audience have already had their spirits crushed to the point that Vick, now a member of the rival Philadelphia Eagles, won't get booed.

The Detroit Lions have lost 19 straight games. Rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford, the first overall pick in last year's NFL draft, is on pace to throw 40 interceptions this season. They are the worst overall defense in the league after two games, allowing an average of 36 points per contest and nearly 400 yards. Yet, I believe they will very nearly end these dismal streaks before succumbing to a last second field goal: Washington Redskins 23, Detroit Lions 21.

Breaking news, football fans: Albert Haynesworth had a big lunch yesterday and then took a nap. He was both hungry and, then, tired.

• Giants 23, Redskins 17: So did anyone happen to read the Post's ombudsman's thoughts on the paper's overwhelming amount of Redskins coverage? Don't get me wrong, it was a decent read; but perhaps the people weren't complaining about the amount of coverage, so much as having early visions of having to read a whole lot of reporting about the stinker that the Skins laid in the swamps of Jersey yesterday. Don't let the score fool you -- the Giants owned this game from start to finish. If it wasn't for a late Chris Cooley touchdown after Washington went hurry-up late on and the Giants' utterly shocking inability to finish inside the red zone, the scoreline would have been much more lopsided. On a bright note, the defense -- led by London Fletcher's 18 tackles -- played fairly well. But on a day when Jason Campbell (the fact that he had a 93.6 rating in this game just proves that the rating equation is nearly beyond fixing) couldn't manage the clock, couldn't locate receivers downfield, and turned over the ball twice, including a fumble returned for a touchdown, anything other than a perfect game from the D was going to lead to a loss.
  
  You know, when the best offensive play until quasi-garbage time comes from your punter on a fake field goal, well, it's probably time to revisit a few things on the practice field.
  
  It's hardly anything to jump off a cliff about -- after all, winning on the road in the NFC East is always a struggle and Washington gets the just terrible Rams at home next week -- but based on the reactions that the team's having (DeAngelo Hall's post-game reaction, which one can probably apply to the whole team: "I feel like the guy that just couldn't make a play to save my life....I just didn't execute and play to my ability at all"), you can tell that they know that plenty of improvement is needed. And hey, on the plus side, we now know what Jim Zorn's face looks like before he vomits.
  
• Nationals 7, Marlins 2: What's that? They're still playing baseball? Oh, yes, right. Well, the Nationals won, so that's good. John Lannan (9-11) got off a bit of a slide and tossed five good innings for the win, and the bats were in gear. Christian Guzman had three hits after Ryan Zimmerman was given the day off, and callup Pete Orr capped a memorable series for young Nationals with a double and a homer. With 19 games left, the real question is for how long the Nats can stave off 100 losses -- or if you're being optimistic, how quickly they can get to 62 wins.
• Liberty 86, Mystics 65: So, a completely meaningless game against the last-place team in the conference, with the playoffs right around the corner? Enough said.

We may have all warmed up Thursday night with an overtime win by Danny Boy's favorite cash cow, The Pittsburgh Steelers, but our local professional football club kicks off today against the hated New York Giants. Jim Zorn's bunch travels to the Meadowlands today -- not just a place, but a state of mind -- for the late 4:15 kickoff against the reigning division champs.

Mike Tunison made a minor blogosphere -- and mainstream media -- storm last year when the Washington Post fired him after he posted a photo which revealed his real identity on his infamous NFL blog, Kissing Suzy Kolber. (His posts there, and on other sites, had been written under a pseudonym.) Seemingly unfazed -- maybe even liberated -- Tunison's since taken KSK to new, often hilarious, occasionally offensive, and surprisingly insightful heights. He's also just published his first book, The Football Fan's Manifesto, which is part rallying cry, part vicious skewering of the real America's game, professional football. In the Manifesto, no one is safe: not the slimeball owners (cough cough), not baseball fans, not even your beloved star running back. From birth to death, it's a detailed guide to becoming an insane, unbalanced, possibly even sociopathic football fan.

Jaguars 24, Redskins 17: Now, we can move on to the important stuff. The Redskins finished out their preseason schedule with a loss to the Jags, who decided to play their first-team for most of the first half, while Washington didn't bother risking anyone important -- Clinton Portis, Santana Moss, Albert Haynesworth -- so close to the season opener. Jacksonville hopped out to a 21-0 lead, but since the Redskins were basically just holding auditions for the final few roster spots, the score really doesn't matter.

It's day two of the Washington Post raking the Redskins and their ticket office over the coals. When the paper ran a front page feature on “The Toughest Ticket in Town” yesterday, there was no indication that readers were being treated to an investigative series. We got the story, we got the Redskins' lawyer responding by saying that the Post needs "to sell newspapers, and God love 'em, circulation is down," and we were ready to move on, still loving—or loathing—the burgundy and gold as we see fit.

Those of you most interested in the Post's Redskins ticketing exposé have no doubt already read the article and vented your bile, but it's probably worth taking a moment to explain to everyone else just why this is so irritating. The short version: the team's much-vaunted waiting list for season tickets may be recognized as a sham, but to preserve the illusion, *someone* in the 'Skins sales office entered into quiet arrangements to unload hard-to-sell premium tickets in bundles with more sought-after lower bowl seats, bypassing the long line of fans who'd be happy to buy those seats. The counterparties to these deals? Your friends and mine: the men and women of the secondary ticket market, aka scalpers-with-websites, aka the goddamn scum of the earth.

• Ravens 23, Redskins 0: It's a good thing that the NFL preseason doesn't mean a damn thing. Here's how the 'Skins ended their offensive possessions last night: punt, punt, punt, punt, fumble, halftime, punt, interception, punt, punt, punt, punt. Yuck. Unfortunately, the individual numbers weren't any less horrendous. Colt Brennan, who wants to challenge Todd Collins for the back-up quarterback role? 4/12, 43 yards, one pick. Clinton Portis took last night off -- apparently, so did the rest of the tailbacks. The trio of Rock Cartwright, Ladell Betts, and Marcus Mason failed to impress, managing only 49 yards and a subpar 3 yards per carry. On the bright side, new punter Hunter Smith got a lot of practice -- he hit nine punts last night, which was nearly six more than he averaged per game -- 3.3 -- last season with the Colts. Of course, this all means very little; frankly, tomorrow's release of the newest edition of Madden will do much more to build anticipation for the season ahead. But still, real, actual football is on the horizon: get excited, Washington.
• Reds 7, Nationals 0: Sometimes you've just got to tip your cap and say "well played, good sir." The Reds got a complete game two-hit shutout from Bronson Arroyo (11-11) and three home runs off the bat of right fielder Jonny Gomes in a rout of the Nationals. Washington starter Collin Balester (1-2) allowed five runs for the second consecutive start. But there was obviously little that the Nationals could do, as Arroyo was brilliant -- he wasn't overpowering (only three strikeouts), but exhibited a complete mastery of the strike zone and only walked one batter.

Written by DCist contributor Brett Gellman

Get the recliner ready, start clearing off the Sunday schedule, and make sure that your refrigerator is prepared to hold an appropriate amount of beer: football is officially on the horizon, with today's opening of Redskins training camp. Hot topics from the first morning of camp include head coach Jim Zorn's new dress policy, what color the practice uniforms are, how many pounds offensive lineman Mike Williams lost over the summer (best guess: around 100), and Clinton Portis' new hair color. Fascinating! If you're in desperate need of blanket, up-to-the-minute coverage of the circus -- hey, Williams may have just lost another pound during a workout! -- we recommend checking out local sports blogging mecca Mr. Irrelevant, where they're embracing technology which enables the entirety of Redskins nation to immediately prognosticate how many more seasons Portis can run the ball 325 or more times without his legs falling off.

Are you a Redskins suite holder? (Hah, OK, you're more than likely not, but bear with us here.) Then you might have been surprised when you got a letter in the mail from the team letting you know that tailgating will only be allowed in the last few rows of each parking lot at FedEx Field this upcoming season. Dan Steinberg reports that the team, in an effort to ostensibly suck as much fun out of the game-day experience as possible, would really prefer it if you could keep the tailgating riff-raff as far away from the stadium as possible, please. Why? Who knows, although we'd imagine that Snyder would like it if you purchased food and drink inside of the stadium instead of bringing your own. Tailgating is one of the few things that keep 'Skins games entertaining anymore, and is a vital reason why many people put up with the exorbitant parking charges at the Field -- there's also a strong sense of community in the lots: folks who know exactly where their friends are and can tell stories about tailgates of years gone by. Steinberg thinks that "we should withhold judgment until we hear exactly why this is happening," but it's hard to imagine that hardcore tailgaters will see it so diplomatically.

Or so Tony Kornheiser of PTI fame described his replacement, Jon Gruden, on ESPN’s Monday Night Fooball. Gruden perfected his tan as head coach of the Tampa Bay Bucanneers for seven years and won one Super Bowl with the franchise before being fired this offseason.

On paper, the Redskins’ 2009 schedule looks a lot like their record last season: average. The ‘Skins get three primetime games in 2009, all at home: Week 7 and Week 15 against the Eagles and Giants on Monday Night Football, and Week 16 against Dallas on Sunday Night Football (after playing Philadelphia in Week 15).

It wasn’t a football field, but freshly minted Buffalo Bills wide receiver Terrell Owens was comfortable and confident in the spotlight at the Sixth Annual National Alzheimer’s Gala, hosted by the Alzheimer's Association Wednesday at the National Building Museum.

The Redskins may have been eliminated from the playoffs with a Falcons win yesterday afternoon, but a 10-3 win against division-rival Philadelphia Eagles gave fans who are still paying attention an excuse to smile.

Few (read: none) of us 'Skins fans here at DCist remember the days of "Slingin'" Sammy Baugh, but his name will forever be tied to the early, championship-winning years of the franchise in Washington. Baugh passed away last night in Rotan, Texas at the age of 94.

The Redskins’ Success Formula: The last time these two teams met, the ‘Skins seemed to have it all figured out. Washington won 23-17, and they did it by beating Philadelphia on the ground. The Redskins ran the ball 44 times, while the Eagles had only 18 carries. The 'Skins finished with 203 rushing yards to the Eagles’ 58. Neither team had turnovers, and the Eagles actually posted a slightly better passing game –- Donovan McNabb and Jason Campbell’s numbers were almost identical, with McNabb completing 17 of 29 passes for 20 more yards than Campbell had on 16 of 29 passes. And, of course, there was that Antwaan Randle El-Chris Cooley touchdown.

Remember six and two? Nearly two months ago, the Redskins were on fire: winning big games on the road, commanding the line of scrimmage and finishing games. With big wins in both Dallas and Philadelphia, this team was a force to be reckoned with, and the league had taken notice. Fast forward six weeks. Losers of four of five and bickering among themselves, the crumbling Redskins arrived in Cincinnati looking for a bit of salvation against one of the worst teams in the NFL—the 1-11-1 Bengals.

Desperate teams are supposed to be dangerous. So who’s more desperate, the 1-11-1 Bengals or the 7-6 Redskins clawing for a Wild Card spot? We think the 'Skins.