Fat Albert is on board

The Washington Post is reporting that Haynesworth has assured the team he won't be a distraction when camp starts.

The newspaper, citing an unnamed team source, reported that Haynesworth is now optimistic about his situation in Washington and understands that he sometimes will have to play nose tackle in the Redskins' new defense.

Haynesworth has been informed by the team that nose tackle Maake Kemoeatu is healthy, which will allow Haynesworth to play defensive end when both are playing on Washington's defensive line, the Post reported.

The disgruntled defensive tackle met with coach Mike Shanahan on Wednesday, the day before the Redskins open training camp. Shanahan says Haynesworth looks in good shape and is ready to go.

It's a good sign if it is all true. A healthy and in shape Haynesworth can certainly be big contributor to the team.

HAIL SKINS!!!

NFL Power Rankings

ESPN has posted their training camp edition of their power rankings.

The Skins are ranked at 20 followed by the Bears at 21.

The descriptions of the two are as follows.

Skins: New QB Donovan McNabb should add a TD per game to the Redskins' offense. (Clayton)

Bears: Do people realize QB Jeff Cutler is just 24-29 as a starter? (Walker).

Hockey night USA

Either my skills are fading or the competition is getting stiffer. I mentioned last week that I almost suffered my first two game losing streak but made a historic comeback. In the next game I was up 4-2 but fell short 5-4. It was a tough loss against the number 43 ranked player.

I bounced back against a couple of scrubs in easy victories. Still trying to crack the top 100. Will keep you updated.

Training Camp 3 days away

It's almost here. Strange because the season will be upon us before we know it. First, training camp and then the preseason games and then the regular season where the Skins will be playing on national tv on Sunday night against the Cowgirls. I get moist just thinking about it.

Obviously the big story going into training camp is how Haynesworth will fit in. He has an opportunity to make amends so we'll see what he does. The side stories are McNabb and Shanny. The team/organization seems to have rallied behind both and there does seem like there is an aura of order and professionalism now. Frankly, last year was an embarrassment. I was embarrassed to be a fan so we can only go up after suffering through last year. It's going to be fun.

NHL on Wii

Last night, I played the NHL game on Wii and I was throttled. I played the 29th ranked player and the guy just took me out of my game. After going down early, I bounced back to make it a 3-2 game but then the guy just took over and I got frustrated and was taken out of my game. It was like 8-2 and I quit with a few minutes left. I have only quit 1 or 2 games previously and don't like quitting but I was at the height of frustration and could not take anymore.

Knowing that I couldn't end the night on that note, I had to play again. I jumped out to an early lead but the guy I was playing against would return a goal of his own on every goal that I scored. I held a 3-2 lead after just a couple of minutes. Then the guy went on a tear and took a 8-3 lead midway through the second period. Again, I was frustrated as I don't know if I have ever suffered two consecutive defeats. I was even more angry as every time this dude scored he would listen to the horn celebrating the goal and then watch the replays of the goal. For those not familiar with the game, after a goal, you can bypass all of the celebration and get back to the game or you can watch multiple angle replays of the goal and listen to the crowd. It's similar to a guy hitting a home run and watching it clear the fences before trotting around the bases.

I was able to get a couple of goals to end the second period to make it 8-5. In between periods, Boudreau had a stern "talk" with the players (this basically constituted me yelling at myself and my kids with maybe a couple of slaps). Anyways, we came out in the third period on fire. Scored an early goal to make it 8-6. Scored another one with 13+ minutes left to make it 8-7. Defense and Varly tightened up and made some good stops. Got the equalizer with about 5 minutes left. We each had good opportunities in the final couple of minutes but it ended up going to OT tied at 8-8. Not more than a minute into OT, Ovie brought it down the right side and swung towards the middle taking a wicked wrist shot that Lundqvist (I was playing the Rangers) dove and stopped but he left a juicy rebound and was well out of position. The puck went right to Backstrom who had an open net and he easily dumped it into the ocean getting the game winner. Caps win 9-8 in OT. Dude proceeded to disconnect immediately after the goal. I'm sure it was a bitter pill for him to swallow. For me, the celebrations began and I was able to get a great sleep.

I still haven't cracked the top 100 ranking but that is just a matter of time.

Sweet Lou calling it quits

Cubs manager, Lou Piniella, made it official and said he will retire at the end of the season. Good move as he was probably going to be let go anyways. The Cubs season has been a disaster. They have one of the higher payrolls in the league and expectations were high this year but they have struggled. Their stars have not performed including D. Lee, Rami, and Soriano. These guys are aging. Not to mention the issues with Big Z. The team is in disarray and it is time for a new voice.

The question is who will be the next manager. It is a premier MLB job so it will attract big names. Some of the names being thrown around all ready include, Girardi, Torre, Valentine, Bobby Cox, LaRussa. However, the name that probably makes the most sense is Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg. He is managing the Cubs triple A team and has been groomed to take the job. To not give it to him could be a PR nightmare for a team that needs to bounce back. Still, the opportunity to land a Torre or LaRussa may be too much to pass up. Will be interesting to see what the Cubs do with not only their manager but also their players in the next several months.

Jimmy Johnson to be on Survivor?!!!

Are you kidding me? He's 67 years old. How is this dude supposed to compete? The guy is a fiery guy and has been his whole life. I'm sure he likes competition but at his age this will be a mistake. And what will he do without his hair gel? He seems to enjoy the life he has created so it will be interesting to see him roughing it. I suppose it will be fun to see a Cowboy making a mockery of himself. Good luck, JJ.

NHL Hockey for Wii

I don't play a lot of video games but I do enjoy NHL Hockey for Wii when I have a little bit of time. The online play is pretty fun and there is a ranking system. I started out ranked around 350 but have climbed through the rankings fairly quickly. I still haven't cracked the top 100 but I have played and beaten guys ranked in the top 50 and even top 20. I just haven't played nearly as much as the guys ranked that high. I certainly believe I am a top 50 player and probably even better. I will continue to pursue my dreams of being the greatest NHL Hockey player on Wii!!!!

Haynesworth ready to play?

Reports are that the guy has lost 32 lbs. Maybe the guy actually got in better shape. Was listening to Redskin LB Chris Hart who is a 12 year vet and understands the 3-4 defense and he seemed to be indicating that Albert shouldn't really knock the defense until he sees it.

Haynesworth has work to do when he arrives at training camp - both on and off the field. He needs to make amends with his teammates and coaches and then also needs to start to learn the defense. If he comes back and plays with some commitment, it will all work out but if he comes back and just slacks off and complains, he will have issues.

Stay tuned.

Movie du jour

So I have mentioned how I will wake up in the middle of the night and turn on the tv and get caught up watching stuff. Last night there was a potpourri of entertainment on that I was able to watch.

First, I was able to catch the end of Predator 2. Somehow I always thought Danny Glover didn't really fit the action hero type. Watching again only confirmed those thoughts. He moves so slowly and always looks like he is hobbling around with bad knees. Are we really to believe he could take down the Predator? I think not. I think I actually saw that movie in the theater. Waste.

I couldn't end on that note so I flipped around and was able to alternate between Jeff Goldblum in The Fly and Youngblood. I have to say The Fly is a great film. Story is good and acting is solid. I like the music that accompanies the film. I could do without some of David Cronenberg's gore and stuff but I suppose it is kind of necessary given that the dude was a human and becoming a fly. Since Brundle and the fly were fused together at the genetic level, I always found it interesting that Brundle came out a human and turned into a fly. Can you imagine if he came out a fly and turned into a human? Wonder what the fly thought. Again, a great movie especially given that it was made nearly 25 years ago (can you believe that?!). Would be interesting to see what that film would look if it was made today with all of the effects movie makers have available now.

Youngblood is a Rob Lowe hockey film. I remember enjoying it more when it came out. Kind of stupid now. Rob Lowe stars as Dean Youngblood who is a hot shot hockey player but really soft. Through the help of his teammate (Patrick Swayze), coach, brother, and father he toughens up and becomes a complete player. It's interesting how movies made in the 80s look like tv movies now. The production quality was not nearly as great as they are today. I suppose it is a fun movie but again didn't get nearly as much out of it as I did when I saw it 20+ years ago.

Mel Gibson is crazy

So most everyone knows this guy's crazy rant the other day on his ex-girlfriend. Mel has come a long way from his Mad Max days. I guess he is Mad Mel. Seriously, some of the things this dude said are outrageous. It's fine to argue and get mad and raise your voice but to say you are going to put someone in the rose garden or that they deserve to be gang raped by a minority group. You got some real problems.

For a guy that claims to be all about religion, the things he said seem a little un-Christian like. But that's just my opinion.

Mike Williams out for 2010

Turns out the guy has blood clots around his heart. According reports, Williams was recently hospitalized for the problem and the Redskins are concerned the issue could threaten his career.

First, the guy was like 500 lbs. a couple of years ago so it shouldn't come as a huge surprise he has some health issues.

Second, I don't really care. He was supposed to compete for the starting RG spot but I think it was going to go to Hicks. Williams deserves a lot of credit for losing 120+ lbs. and get back into playing shape but when I saw him play last year, I never thought he was that great. He would be good for some depth but I'm not too disappointed in the loss.

Hopefully, for his sake, he gets this problem resolved. I'm sure he must be disappointed to have fought back so hard and then have this type of set back. Again, hopefully he can get this resolved and come back and pick up where he left off.

Lucas

So the movie du jour last night was Lucas. I woke up around 3 am and made the poor decision of turning on the tv. I was lucky enough to have found the 80s film Lucas was playing. I think I have seen this movie like 20 times but it has been a number of years since I had seen it. It stars Corey Haim as Lucas. It also stars Charlie Sheen, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Kerri Green, and Jeremy Piven.

It's the classic tale of the underdog who rises up through many challenges to finally be accepted by his peers in the end. It's funny though because I remember watching this movie way back when and being annoyed how the Charlie Sheen character who was dating Courtney Thorne-Smith (cheerleader captain) started flirting with Kerri Green (new girl in town and Lucas' love interest) and how Thorne-Smith and Lucas were both jealous of the relationship developing between Sheen and Green but it didn't matter and then Sheen and Green ended up going out. Kind of funny because as I was watching again this morning, I had the same sentiments. Sheen was dating his girlfriend for several years and apparently it was serious. Still, he seemed immediately enamoured with Green and on the day he broke up with Smith, he started dating Green. What an ass! I probably have gone on too long about that which is a side story to the movie but still it bothers me.

Anyways, great film and it is the way I want to remember the late Corey Haim. The previous sentence was said somewhat in jest.

GO LUCAS!!!!

The Heat win the LeBron sweepstakes

I personally think it is a mistake. He is entitled to do what he wants. Strange because with a few words and in a couple of seconds, he changed the entire NBA landscape and the general sentiments of people towards him.

Whatever. At least it will make for an entertaining season.

LeBron sweepstakes at 9 pm tonight

Have not ever experienced anything like this where a superstar decides to have a one hour special where he will announce which team he will play for next year. There is great anticipation and this morning sources say he is leaning towards the Heat.

Earlier this week, Miami signed D. Wade and Bosh so signing LeBron would make them the front runners to win the championship next year. I think he should sign with the Cavs only because that is his hometown, that is where he started his career, and if he stayed there, he could become a legend. Moving to the Heat makes him more of a hired gun and many in Cleveland and around the country will feel like he is a traitor. Also, playing on a team with Wade and Bosh, LeBron isn't the only superstar on the team. Frankly, the Heat has been Wade's team and it will continue to be Wade's team.

The thing about LeBron is that he is not a killer. As great as he is, he is not the guy that can shoulder the entire team, get selfish when he needs to and truly take over the game. MJ could do that. Kobe can do it. They have this mentality that even if they were playing one on one against their mothers, they wouldn't think twice of stomping on them if it meant victory. LeBron doesn't have that killer instinct. He wants to get everyone involved and will pass up shots that he should take for others to get involved. I suppose in that sense, he may be able to fit in better on a team with other superstars.

Still, should he sign with the Heat, it will be interesting to see the fans and league reaction to him next year.

We'll find out at 9 pm tonight.

Guru of Go

By now, it should be clear that I have a problem staying up at night watching nonsense. Last night at least I picked something that was of decent interest. I was watching ESPN's 30 for 30 film Guru of Go. It's the story of Paul Westhead and his coaching stint at LMU where he took Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble on a tremendous run in the NCAA basketball tournament.

It's a pretty interesting look at Westhead's high flying up tempo system that led to his team averaging a record 120+ points a game. Typically, upper 70s in a college game is pretty high scoring but these guys were nuts. Westhead would put them in tremendous condition where they would just outrun the other team and keep pounding in the points. Some of the players were saying in their interviews that practices were hard but the games were easy. There was less running and fatigue in games compared to their practices. That team started 3-3 but went on to win 25 straight and really had something special.

The other side of the film was the story of Gathers and Kimble and how they grew up in the projects of Philadelphia and their respective personalities. It was tragic in watching the high flying Gathers collapse on the court and die an hour after collapsing. It was interesting to understand how that story unfolded. How Gathers had fainted previously on the floor in a game a few weeks prior to his death. How he had gone through a battery of tests and was given medication to treat his heart condition but that the medication was effecting his play so he got off of it and that when he collapsed the second time, he sat back up and was trying to get up but ended up dying.

Gathers' family ended up suing LMU and Westhead for negligence for $22+M. The family ended up taking Westhead off of the lawsuit and was awarded about $1.5M from LMU which was settled out of court. It was tough for Westhead who cared deeply for Gathers to watch his star player die but then be blamed for the death by the family.

All in all a good film as it chronicled a magical season for LMU. They had the right coach, the right players, the right system all at the right time. Westhead would try his run'n'gun system with other teams (Nuggets, Bulls, George Mason) but it never worked until again, recently, for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury who ended up winning the championship in 2007.

For Gathers, we will never know what he would have done had he made the pros. He was supremely talented but he also benefited from running in Westhead's system and who knows how good he would have been in a traditional offense. Kimble was drafted but was never nearly as good in the pros as he was at LMU.

I was a high school senior when all this went down and I remember Gathers death and the run of LMU and the story of them being an offensive juggernaut. However, I didn't really know it that well so it was interesting to watch it now as I was familiar with the story and can remember it but didn't know/follow many of the details back in 1990. Pretty good film if you can catch. Certainly better than Joy Ride.