Redskins Playoff Bound!

Unbelievable game. Frankly, an unbelievable month for the Redskins. The last four games have been must win games for the 'Skins and they have won all four with two of them coming on the road. Yesterday, they pounded the Cowboys. I know the Cowboys rested a couple of their injured starters but other than that, they played their starters for at least the entire first half and we still dominated them. We held their rushing attack to 1 yard of rushing for the entire game. CP rushed for more than 100 yards against the Cowboys. It's the first time in 17 games the Cowboys have allowed a RB to rush for more than 100 yards on them. Todd Collins again had a great game. In three of the four games he has played his passer rating has been over 100.0. The defense as a whole was fantastic. Again, their play against the run was huge but even the pressure on the QBs and the pass defense were big. What's also been very key is the play of our playmakers. All of a sudden Moss and Portis are coming up big. When we have needed them most, they have stepped up.

I have been so impressed and proud of this team for this stretch and for what they have endured this season. Over the course of this 4 game win streak, they just seem like a different team/organization. It seems like they have all come together and are all playing with extreme confidence and desire. Gibbs seems to be coaching with absolute certainty and confidence. It also looks like everyone believes in each other and in their coaching staff. As a fan, it's really fun to watch.

I know the Vikings and Saints both ended up losing yesterday so it didn't really matter whether we won or lost as far as us getting in the playoffs but you don't want to back in to the playoffs that way. We came out and spanked the Cowboys. Again, we have played tremendous ball over the last month and are looking pretty dangerous. We have to be considered one of the hottest teams going into the playoffs. Frankly, many of the teams that are playoff bound have not played that well in recent weeks so it could get interesting. It's a new season now and everyone is 0-0 so lets see what happens.

Of interest was that we beat Dallas by 21 points (Sean Taylor's number). I know it is a little corny but many of the players felt like that was not by coincidence and that Sean Taylor has been with them during this run. Heard Shawn Springs and Gregg Williams talk last night in a post game interview how on Saturday night at the end of their defensive meetings, Williams put up a picture given to him by Phillip Daniels. It was a picture of Sean Taylor that he had autographed in training camp. He signed it and after his signature wrote, "We want Dallas!" Springs actually got a little emotional talking about it but apparently it served as a huge motivator for the team.

Again, there is something special about this team right now and hopefully we can keep it going. We have a tough game against Seattle this weekend. It will be particularly tough as we have to travel across the country and prepare in a short week (the game is on Saturday) and Seattle is a very difficult place to play. Also, Seattle is very much a pass oriented offense and presents different problems for our defense than the other teams we have played recently. You can probably expect Hasselbeck to throw 50 times so our secondary will have to really step up.

Again, I am very proud of this team and hopefully we can keep this thing going.

HAIL TO THE REDSKINS!!!

Where in the world is RobsObs and Deepie?

Here are some possibilities:

1. I scared them off.

2. They have run off together and are currently making sweet love to each other.

3. They stuck each of their heads in the other's respective arse in above mentioned love making attempt and have asphyxiated each other.

4. They are arguing over which of the two will go in for gender reassignment surgery so they can have a "normal man/woman" relationship.

5. RobsObs is training Deepie to become the next Muay Thai fighting champion of the world. Given that RobsObs knows nothing on Muay Thai fighting this could present a challenge.

6. RobsObs collapsed and Deepie has been feverishly performing mouth to butt resuscitation...RobsObs collapsed 3 days ago and Deepie has been going at it ever since.

7. They have engaged in a jerkoff war. Given that neither has a dong large enough to be seen by the naked eye, it is hard to tell who is winning.

Knowing what I know of the two of them, all of these are viable possibilities. I will continue to wait to hear from either one of them for their dropoff.

American Gladiators is BACK!

Unbelievable! This is gonna be awesome! The only thing better would be to bring back Nitro as a gladiator.

What I loved about the original one is that you had these huge gladiator dudes with their stupid names (Nitro, Malibu, Tornado, etc.) and then they would bring in these guys much smaller and weaker than them. It's like sending RobsObs or Deepie into the competition. Essentially, it's like sending a woman into the competition. If you want true competition, why bother sending a woman when you should be sending in a gladiator? I guess if you like to see the little guy get pummelled than this is the show for you.

I'd just like to see guys the same size as the gladiators get a crack at them. I'm sure I'll watch just out of curiosity. Nitro used to bug me because he wasn't that big but because he never faced anyone that big, he thought he was some kind of super hero. I would have loved to train for 3 months and taken on Nitro head to head in every competition. In fact, I would have loved to beaten him so badly that I would take over his gladiator job and become SUPER NITRO!!!

Huge game. HUGE WIN!!!

What can you say? The Redskins came in to the Metrodome facing a Viking team that had won five games in a row with both teams fighting for their playoff lives. The Redskins played in my mind, their best game of the season. They stuffed the vaunted Viking running game and they dominated the first half and put together an impressive 32-21 victory. In my mind, it was a great gameplan put together by the coaches and great execution by the players.

I also have to say that, maybe it is just me, but it appears that there is a determination and resolve on this team after all they have been through to come together and fight. I am really proud of this team for what they have done.

Still, we have one more game to win to ensure that we get into the playoffs. As great a victory as the Viking game was and as happy as everyone is and knowing the Cowboys have already locked up home field advantage throughout the playoffs, we have not won anything yet. We have to prepare as if the Cowboys are fighting for their playoff lives as well. I'm sure T.O. will be out but other than him, the Cowboys may very well play many of their starters. The Cowboys will be off the following week and I'm not sure if they will want their players basically taking 3 weeks off before playing again. We'll see what they do. The good thing is that we now control our own fate. A win and we are in. Also, we are playing at home and I'm sure there will be 90,000 fans cheering loudly.

Another good thing is that Todd Collins has been playing very well. I was saying that he would have a good game against the Vikings because he has such good knowledge of the offense and I think he can command and control the offense when he doesn't have to deal with external factors that could impact his game (e.g., bad weather, poor field conditions, etc.). He does not have the best physical skills but to put him in a more controlled setting like a dome, I think he could do very well. Hopefully we have decent weather on Sunday as I think it will be key for Collins to play well. I also like that the 'Skins seem to be more aggressive with their play calling in general but in particular with Collins in there. I'm certain Saunders is more confident with Collins driving the car and is giving him more latitude. Heard something on sports talk this morning that resonated with me. With Collins in there it's not like we are just having him try to hold down the fort. Rather we are attacking with him. It's also good to see guys like Moss and Portis step up and make some much needed plays that they have not been making all year.

Anyways, we got one game to go. It's been pretty exciting the last few weeks with these must wiin games. We got another one at home against the Cowboys. Should be a good one. Again, I like the way this team has come together. Hopefully there is no let down after the Viking victory and knowing the Cowboys are not playing for anything.

HAIL TO THE REDSKINS!

Lord of the Dance WINS!

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A woman who accused dancer Michael Flatley of sexual assault has been ordered to pay him more than $11 million for making false allegations to extort money from him, according to documents obtained Monday.

Michael Flatley is best known for his work in "Riverdance," "Lord of the Dance" and "Celtic Tiger."

Superior Court Judge Michael L. Stern found that real estate agent Tyna Marie Robertson had defamed and intentionally inflicted emotional distress upon Flatley, 49, who appeared in "Riverdance," "Lord of the Dance," "Feet of Flames" and "Celtic Tiger."

Robertson had alleged Flatley raped her in a Las Vegas hotel in 2002 and threatened to sue unless he agreed to pay a "seven figures" settlement, according to court papers.

Police declined to press criminal charges, and Flatley said the sex was consensual.

Robertson then filed a $33 million lawsuit in Illinois alleging sexual assault, but it was dismissed.

Flatley countered with a lawsuit against Robertson and her lawyer D. Dean Mauro claiming extortion, intentional infliction of emotional distress and defamation.

What I find most interesting is that Robertson is the former girlfriend of Brian Urlacher. Just find it interesting that Urlacher and the Lord of the Dance have the same taste in women.

Vikings win.

Not sure if this helps or hurts the Redskins. I know it doesn't matter in that when we face off next week, it's a must win for both teams. However, if the Vikings lost, they may have come out with more desperation next week. A win might have them feeling overconfident. Whatever. We have to strap it up next week and it's winner take all. Should be a good one.

Again, the defensive game plan should be pretty simple...stop A. Peterson. Let Tavaris beat us. If we stop the running game and Tavaris beats us, I can accept that. However, if we let Peterson run for 150+ yards and let him score a couple of TDs, that will be tough. Stopping that running game is only going to be tougher now that we lost Rocky McIntosh for the year with torn knee ligaments. He will be replaced by either Godfrey, Blades, or Campbell.

As for the Bears, again it is surprising how far they have fallen. No one would have expected such a collapse. Many had them returning to the Super Bowl. Now they are just fighting to stay out of the cellar of their division. They have a host of problems and I don't think they will be able to correct all of them in the off season. Again, their running game is pathetic. This is a result of poor O-line play, poor RB play, and poor QB play.

Enough about the Bears, I am really looking forward to the Redskin/Viking game. It's essentially playoff football.

'Skins playoff hopes alive!

It wasn't pretty. The wind wreaked havoc but the 'Skins came out victorious. The big story was that wind. It was pretty amazing what it was doing to some of the passes and especially the field goal attempts. A couple of Suisham's kicks didn't look like they would even be close when he first made contact but he played the wind well and got them to curve in.

Have to give alot of credit to the O-line for keeping Collins pretty well protected against NY's two DEs. Also Portis had a solid game. It was good to see the ground game back on track. We really needed it when there is that kind of wind and you know the passing game is going to be interesting. Collins only completed 8 passes but they were all pretty key plays. He had a tremendous week with the birth of his son and then a victory last night. Have to give Danny boy some credit for arranging Collins to have use of his personal plane and then had a limo waiting at the airport to give Collins a ride to the hospital to be there for the birth of his child.

Defensively, it was a good performance. They came up big when we needed them and despite losing McIntosh, they were able to overcome.

Bottom line, it was a must win game in a hostile environment and we came out on top. Playoff hopes are still very much alive. All I wanted was to win this game so that we can set up the game against Minnesota this coming Sunday. It is pretty much a playoff game as both teams need that victory. It will be in prime time again and should be a good one. The Giants have to be a little concerned as they need to win one of their remaining two to clinch a Wild Card berth. They face Buffalo next week which won't be easy and then they will play NE who most likely will not be resting their players as they most likely will be 15-0 at that point and will be pushing for an undefeated season. The G-men better hope they beat Buffalo. They will have to try and win without Shockey who is lost for the season with a broken leg.

For me, I am proud of what this team has done given the issues this team has faced this season. There has been alot of adversity with injuries but more with the death of a teammate and leader in Sean Taylor. It's nice to be this late in the season and be playing for something. There seems to be alot of pride and camraderie in the locker room and, as a fan, you like to see/hear that. Key for this week's game is pretty simple...stop Adrian Peterson. We'll see what we come up with.

HAIL TO THE REDSKINS!!!!

Had a physical!

So yesterday I had a physical for the first time in like 15 years. At 35 years of age and now having a family, I figured I was due to get checked out and see how bad a condition I was in. Fortunately everything checked out. I haven't gotten the blood test results back yet but otherwise I am healthy as a horse as they say.

I did get a little nervous as I was lying on my back and the doctor was checking out my junk. After doing that, he asked that I turn on my side. I reluctantly complied. However, there was a brief moment when I felt VERY vulnerable and had this terrible fear that he was going to jam something hard'n'deep right up into my no no place. Fortunately, nothing of the sort took place and my deepest fears were never realized. Thank goodness for that and thank goodness all appears to be in check. MERRY XMAS!

Cubbies land FUKUDOME!!!!

Kosuke Fukudome is coming to the Cubbies. He is a power hitting, left handed batting, right fielder which is just what the Cubs need. He has 192 homers and a .305 batting average and .397 on-base percentage over nine seasons with the Chunichi Dragons. He is also supposed to be a decent fielder. If he pans out, the Cubs have a solid roster. I imagine the lineup to look something like this:

1. Soriano, LF
2. Theriot, SS
3. D. Lee, 1B
4. Rami, 3B
5. Fukudome, RF
6. DeRosa, 2B
7. Soto, C
8. Pie, CF
9. Pitcher

Pretty good lineup. If the pitching can play like they did last year, they should be fine.

Seriously, how can you lose when you have a guy on your team named FUKUDOME!!!! It's a marketing manager's dream!!!!

On a side note, the Cubs released Mark Prior. Hopefully he can bounce back somewhere but too bad that such a phenom that looked like he had such potential has had the injuries he has had. Kind of ironic too as alot of people said his delivery was perfect much like Tom Seaver; however, he has still had are problems.

Well, at least we have FUKUDOME!!!!!!

Bobby Petrino is a loser.

I have no affiliation with the Falcons but I think what Petrino did is just bad business. If you want to quit, why not just wait until after the season? There are only three games left. He quit on his team.

I understand this was his first year there and he thought he would have the opportunity to work with Michael Vick but I just don't like leaving your team high and dry like that. Clearly, he realized that he was not suited for the pro game. It appeared that he could not control his locker room and certain players. Sure, it has been a tumultuous season but that is why you are the coach and that is why you are paid the big bucks...to LEAD! He couldn't do it and I think it is just poor character to abandon your team and the owner that gave you an opportunity with only three games left.

Orton to get the start.

Probably a smart move. Rexy is out. Griese is not the long term answer. The season is over. You might as well see what you have in Orton. The Bears will have a decision to make at QB next year. Will they commit to Rexy and give him a contract? Does Rexy even want to stay with the Bears? Griese is fine as a backup. What do you have in Orton? If a top QB is available in the draft, will they draft that person?

It will be interesting to see which way they go.

Vick sentenced and is ruined.

Michael Vick was sentenced this morning and was ordered to serve 23 months in prison. Tough for him as he is already 27 years old and he will be scheduled for release in October 2009. He will be 29 and in the middle of a football season. He won't be able to catch on a team until the following year when he will be 30. Who is going to want a 30 year old QB that has pretty much relied on his speed and athleticism as opposed to an accurate arm that has been out of the league for 3 years.

He deserved the punishment. I don't really feel sad for him but I do feel sad that the situation took place in the first place. He was an athlete at the top of his game and this would have been the prime of his career and he has thrown it all away. Not to mention his financial woes. According to court documents, the Atlanta Falcons are attempting to recoup bonus money from his 10-year, $130 million football contract, Vick is in default on a $1.3 million bank loan for a wine store, and two other banks have filed suits seeking repayment of a $4.5 million in loans and lines of credit.

He threw it all away.

Redskins control their own destiny.

Good week in football. Obviously, the 'Skins beat the Bears which was great on so many levels but even better the Lions lost and the Cardinals lost putting the 'Skins just one game behind the Vikings for the final playoff spot.

There are 3 games left and essentially every game is a playoff game at this point. The bad part is that the Vikings are one of the hottest teams in the NFC right now and they have an easier schedule. The Vikings play the Bears, Redskins, and Broncos. We play the Giants, Vikings, and Cowboys. Anything can happen but I would love to see the Redskins win next week setting up a huge game against the Vikings the following week. That game could quite possibly be the decider for who gets into the playoffs.

I know you can't count out the Cards and Lions and a couple other teams but I am just looking at the 'Skins and how they control their own destiny which is what you want.

One interesting thing is that Todd Collins will be starting this week. I know everyone is all high on him right now because of his performance last week and also during the preseason. However, we have to remember that Collins is a 36 year old perennial backup for a reason. Yes, he understands the Al Saunders offense very well however, he has some physical limitations. This could be a concern against the Giants defense as they have a pretty good pass rush. It will also be tough playing in the Meadowlands. Still, I like our team and Eli has not been playing particularly well which is typical in the second half of the season. We'll see what happens.

I will be rooting hard for the Bears this weekend.

Redskins WIN!

In what was essentially a playoff game for both teams, the 'Skins came out victorious! It was a pretty strange game with the number of injuries and the number of penalties but as I always say, there is only one stat that counts at the end of the game and the 'Skins got the win. Here are a few thoughts:

The Good: 'Skins defense came up big against a pathetic Bear running game. Todd Collins had a great game coming in for the injured Jason Campbell. The coaching was pretty good on all fronts. I liked that Williams had the defense blitzing 95% of the game and putting pressure on both Grossman and Griese. We got a couple of sacks and a couple of INTs. Springs came up big in his play especially considering it was even certain he was going to play in the game because of his back. I also liked the play of Landry at free safety taking over for Taylor. He had the late hit personal foul on Muhammad which was a bad play on his part but he was pretty aggressive out there. He made good hits and had a couple of opportunities at INTs and just in general seemed to be flying around out there.

The offense was very aggressive in the play calling (almost to a fault). We did a lot of passing even at the end when we typically seem content with trying to run the ball and wind down the clock. I was a little surprised when we got the ball with like 6 and a half minutes remaining and the score was 17-13 and we came out passing. First, we hit a 13 yarder to Moss and the next play was a 12 yarder to Randle El. Even our first TD was a bit of a surprise. Springs ran back the INT deep into Bear territory and there was only like 30 seconds left and I thought we would be content with just running the ball and getting a FG so that we could get some points going into half time. However, we let Collins pass to Todd Yoder of all people for the score. Great call.

Special teams was decent in that they kept the ball away from Hester. The one thing I did not want to have happen was to give Hester the opportunity to run the ball back for a TD. He is the Bears best player and I did not want to have him beat us. Still, Suisham missed a couple of FGs which was disappointing but we still got the victory.

The Bad: Our running game was bad. Our O line did not create any holes for Portis. This was a bad Bear run D and we couldn't muster much. I understand they were crowding the box but still we have to do better. I suppose it opened up the passing game but again, we need better production. It's tough that JC went down. At least it doesn't appear to be any ligament damage so hopefully it won't be too long a rehab but we probably can't expect him to come back this year. John Eubanks sucks. I know we are already shorthanded at CB. With Rogers out, and Macklin out as well, we were forced to play Torrence (who wasn't bad) and Eubanks who was getting beat time and time again. If I were the Bears, I would have just kept going to Hester against Eubanks on every play.

The Ugly: Pretty simple...the Bears. They suck! It is hard to believe that they were the NFC Champions last year. They don't look anything like they did last year. The number of false starts and delay of games was ridiculous. I liked Collinsworth statement after the Bears just had two false starts and a delay of game penalty. He said something to the effect that there is professional football and there is unprofessional football and the Bears are downright embarrassing. Also, Urlacher looks like a shell of what he used to be. I remember watching a couple of games last year where he changed the whole complexity of the game. It was almost as though he won the games himself. I know he has an arthritic back but yesterday he was pretty much a non factor. He just looked like he was a step slow.

Anyway, all in all a great game as it keeps us alive in the playoff picture (although we have a tough road ahead). We basically ended the Bears season. We got a nice home win on national tv. Finally, I win the wager with RobsObs so that's a bonus.

Redskins vs. Bears Tonight!

We marked this date at the beginning of the football season. The day has finally arrived. It has been an emotional week for the 'Skins with the loss of Sean Taylor, then having to play on Sunday, then fly down for his funeral, and then hurry to get back to get ready for the Bears in the short week. They didn't get the win against the Bills on Sunday but hopefully we can get the win against the Bears tonight. Interesting note that Sean Taylor is the featured Redskin on the game ticket. Hopefully they can pull the game out for Sean.

As both teams are 5-7, this is essentially our Super Bowl. RobsObs and I have a wager every time these teams meet so there is even more at stake. Since we started the wager a few years back, I believe we are 2-2 in the games they have played. I hope for a good game. I wish RobsObs and the Bears the best of luck but I hope the Redskins win. The one thing I hope doesn't happen is that Devin Hester beats us.

HAIL TO THE REDSKINS!

Redskins Tribute to Sean Taylor

Here is the link that shows the tribute video the Redskins showed before the game yesterday. There are some other really good videos on the site.

http://video.redskins.com/Multimedia/MultimediaCenter.aspx?id=206

Sean Taylor's funeral.

Pretty touching celebration of Sean Taylor's life. Roger Goodell, Jesse Jackson, Joe Gibbs, Clinton Portis, LaVar Arrington were just some of the speakers. I think it does help to bring some closure to this tragedy.

I have to also give credit to the entire Redskins organization, coaches, and teammates for the way they have handled this tragedy. From the mini tributes they set up for fans at the park and the stadium, to the fund Dan Snyder set up for Jackie Taylor, to the tribute at the stadium prior to the game yesterday, to the 10 men on defense on the first defensive play, to the way the teammates spoke of Sean, to the entire team going down for the funeral...it truly makes me proud to be a Redskin fan.

Tough day, tough loss.

It was a very emotional week and a very emotional day yesterday. Apparently, the team was pretty quiet in the locker room. There were some tears in the locker room, during the tribute, and even during the game by some players for Sean Taylor. Sounded like it was a pretty poignant tribute prior to kickoff and the way we started our defense with 10 men on the field was another nice tribute for Sean. I actually liked London Fletcher explaining after the game that there wasn't 10 guys out there, there was 11. The 'Skins went through a lot this week and it would have been nice if they could have won yesterday. Especially knowing they have to go to the funeral today. I'm sure they would have liked to have been at the funeral knowing they could have at least won the game for Sean.

I am disappointed in the loss. Mostly because I would have liked for them to pull it out for Sean. However, for as bad as I feel, I am sure the team feels much worse. No one really knew what to expect from the game. No one really knew how the guys would have come out. I am proud of the way they were able to come out. Still, just disappointing we couldn't get the win. I don't really care about being in the playoff hunt. I wanted to win yesterday to honor Sean. Tough way to lose too. We are winning for 59+ minutes and we lose on a last second field goal. It's also interesting that the play that set up the field goal was a pass over the middle right in Sean Taylor territory. Kind of reminds you how much we will miss him playing safety back there. I know Gibbs will take a lot of heat for his mistake in the end but honestly it should have never gotten to that point.

There were flaws in the game yesterday. I don't really feel like analyzing too much since it was a very atypical week. Emotions were running high and again, it was not your normal week. It was not your normal game. Hopefully the funeral today brings some peace to the team and to everyone else.

Some thoughts on Sean Taylor...

Now that the four individuals have been arrested and more details are coming out on the murder of Sean Taylor it looks to be truly a perfect accident. It looks as though Sean Taylor's house was targeted for burglary but there was no intent to ever kill him. When you think about it, Sean Taylor was not supposed to be there. He was probably going to leave very early Monday morning to get back for treatment at Redskin Park. The burglars did not think the house was occupied. That is probably why they were as noisy as they were when they broke into the place. The individual(s) who bust into Sean's bedroom were probably startled by seeing anyone there much less Sean holding a machete. He probably panicked and shot two rounds one catching Sean in a perfect spot that severed his femoral artery. It was all a perfect accident. It truly is unfortunate. If Sean isn't there, if he left Sunday night, if he isn't holding the machete, if he just announces that he is there and lets the burglars take what they want, if the bullet hits a quarter of an inch some where else on the leg, if so many different things, Sean is probably alive today. Still, it all happened perfectly.

What I think is it is truly a tragedy but it's almost so perfect that I can't help but think that it was God's will that this was supposed to happen. God works in mysterious ways and this is just another example of His work and how we have to accept His order.

I am saddened by this tragedy but it was supposed to be. Now one life is gone and for these other kids they have ruined their own lives. Again, I will miss watching Sean play and seeing what type of player he could have become but we have to accept it and move on. I wish Sean's family peace and I hope these individuals get punished to the fullest extent of the law and hopefully this story can serve as an example of how lives can be thrown away for nothing.