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17Mar

return of the predator

(photo by Brian Murphy)

It’s no secret that players love their downtime. Some choose to spend their offseason spoiling themselves with exotic vacations to remote locations. Others find any excuse to hang with teammates. Washington Redskins safety Chris “The Predator” Horton opted to spend his first offseason in a more low-key fashion – catching up with loved ones.

We tracked down everyone’s favorite safety Monday afternoon after Horton completed his first day of the Redskins’ offseason conditioning program.

How tough was it to head back to Redskins Park after having a nice, long break?

“It was different, but exciting,” Horton said. “It’s just another chance to hang out with your buddies. It’s a good thing to do, as far as working out, so you’re all on the same schedule rather than being at home while your friends are at work all the time.”

Okay, be honest, how much did you worry about keeping in shape and eating right during your offseason?

“It was somewhat important, but I didn’t go to the extreme with it,” he said. “I know I’ve got some time to continue to get into shape and be ready to go when camp and the season roll around.”

How did you spend your summer vacation?

“I didn’t really do too much exciting stuff,” Horton said. “I just hung out with the family for a couple weeks and then went out to L.A. and hung out with my girl. You know, I didn’t really do too much. I just kept it easy.”

You’re family is in New Orleans, right?

“Yes,” he said.

So was it was nice head back and get some home-cooked meals?

“Yeah, definitely,” Horton said. “You can’t beat that. Going home and every night, there’s some food that’s going to be on the stove that I haven’t had in I don’t know how long. Just getting the chance to go home and, you know, see everyone is always good.”

Are you trying to tell us your mom’s home cooking is better than anything you eat with your bachelor lifestyle in Ashburn?

(Laughs). “Oh, definitely,” he said.

Okay, you’ve had some time to think about it – what the hell happened during the final eight games of last season? How did this team go from 6-2 to 2-6 seemingly overnight?

“Oh, man, I wish I could tell you,” Horton said. “I guess it was more of a case of not being able to finish it, everyone not being on the same page and those kind of things because I really don’t know what went wrong. You know, I still want to know what happened.”

This is your first offseason with the team and you’re learning that things are rarely quiet at Redskins Park this time of year. What was your reaction when you found out Albert Haynesworth is now your teammate?

“I was excited to get there and see him,” he said. “Everyone said he’s a big guy, so when I finally saw him and looked at him, I realized they’re right – he’s a really big dude. I’m excited to have him be a part of the Washington Redskins because I know what type of player he is.”

What can he do to help a player like you out on that defense?

“Any time you get a guy like that, you know for a fact that he’s going to get some pressure on the quarterback,” Horton said. “Now most teams are going to have to switch it up and run to the outside just because he’s there in the middle.”

What did you think of the team bringing back DeAngelo Hall?

“It’s the exact same thing – I’m excited,” he said. “He was a guy who came in for half a season and the things he did, the way he performed and the way he helped the team, I think it’s definitely a good thing to have him back because hopefully he’s going to be able to build on that and go into next season knowing how good he can be here.”

Your rookie season has come and gone. What can ‘Skins fans expect from you this season?

“I still feel like I’ve got a lot to prove and I still feel like there’s a lot more that I can do,” Horton said. “I’m not going to dwell on what I did last year because that’s in the past. Every time you step on that field it’s like a new interview. I’ve still got to go out and show people that I can play football.”

Some folks around town say you’re solid against the run, but you need to step up your game in pass coverage. What say you?

“I gave up, maybe one touchdown the whole year when I was actually covering somebody man-to-man,” he said. “All we do is play man-to-man. There’s always going to be something everyone thinks you need to work on, but I know what I can do against the run. I know what I can do against the pass. I’m just going to continue to get better.”

16Mar

a strong showing

(photo by Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Washington Capitals wing Alexander Semin continued his superb play over the weekend by extending his personal-best scoring streak to nine games with one goal and three assists in the Caps’ 5-4 shootout victory over the Carolina Hurricanes Saturday night.

Not only did Semin have a hand in all four of the team’s goals during regulation, but he also beat Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward in the shootout to help secure the win.

Semin has recorded seven goals and nine assists for 16 points during his nine-game scoring streak. Over the same period, left wing Alex Ovechkin has recorded five goals and five assists, center Nicklas Backstrom has three goals and six assists and defenseman Mike Green has two goals and six assists.

Just as important though as Semin’s recent offensive contributions is the fact that the talented forward has, for the most part, stayed out of the penalty box. Even though the Capitals get whistled for far too many minor infractions, Semin has served just six minutes in the penalty box over the last nine games.

For the year, Semin now has 29 goals and 40 assists for 69 points. While he’s got 67 penalty minutes on the year, Semin does rank in the NHL’s top 10 for plus/minus with an impressive plus 26. And we don’t think many people realize this, but Semin has recorded at least one point in 43 out of the 51 games he’s played in this season. That shows a level of consistency in his play that Caps fans might otherwise miss.

Semin is an aggressive player with a lethal wristshot and even though he’s been around a while, he’s still only 25. And when it comes to young players, it’s best to never get too high or too low. It’s why Washington Redskins defensive coordinator Greg Blache suggests fans fall in love with strippers rather than rookies. Less heartbreak involved, or so he says.

Remember, all of this “consistency” is coming from a guy who earlier this season was doing his best to get in management’s permanent doghouse for what was termed “lazy penalties.” So what changed? Honestly, no one knows for sure.

Although he understands more English than he lets on, Semin prefers to keep a distance from the media and gladly uses the language barrier to do so. But seriously, why should anyone care if the guy likes talking to the press or not? As long as he stays out of the penalty box and keeps producing at his current more-than-a-point-per-game pace, Semin can do whatever the hell he wants.

13Mar

unlike in high school, chemistry matters

(courtesy photo)

As a follow-up to yesterday’s HoboTrashcan column on professional malcontent Terrell Owens, we wanted to post some quotes from a few Washington Capitals players we had the chance to catch up with earlier this week.

In football there’s Terrell Owens. In hockey, it’s a guy like Sean Avery who provides regular distractions to seemingly whatever team he’s playing for. Do actions from selfish players like that really affect their team on the field or on the ice?

“Yeah, I mean, you really want to have your team stick together,” said Caps forward Eric Fehr. “Through thick and thin, you’ve really got to stick together. I know our team will do that when push comes to shove. We’ve got a great group of guys and we’re excited with what we’ve got together for the playoff run.”

You bring up an interesting point – how important is team chemistry?

“Team chemistry is really important,” Fehr said. “We managed to keep our same team together after the trade deadline here so we feel like we have the chemistry, we’ve just been struggling to score some goals. But we do have great chemistry in this room. We enjoy being around each other, so that’s huge going into the playoffs.”

What say you Mike Green? Does a “me-first” player like that really bring down a locker room?

“Well, you don’t want it to, but it does,” said the Capitals top defenseman. “You obviously don’t want someone like that causing problems, but a lot of times with guys like that it takes a lot of attention off of a lot of other guys. So I guess for everything that’s negative, there are some positives. That being said, you don’t want a guy like that in your locker room.”

So would you be for or against adding a guy like Avery – maybe not him specifically, but a controversial guy like him – to this team?

“If that’s the way he is – I don’t know him personally and I only know what I hear in the media – but as long as he does what he needs to do on the ice, that’s all that matters,” Green said.

Putting it in non-sports terms, we know if you have to share an office with an asshole, it’s going to wear on you …

(Laughs). “Absolutely,” Green said. “You never want something like that.”

So we guess that rules out bringing Don Cherry into a front office role with the Capitals, huh?

12Mar

note: boys will be boys

(photo by Brian Murphy)

I have officially seen it all.

After years of going out of his way to thumb his nose at conventional wisdom, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones actually turned out to be the NFL’s voice of reason when he cut the cord on controversial wide receiver Terrell Owens last week.

The man who built a career out of ignoring his players’ off-the-field issues, Jones finally grew tired of Owens’ antics and opted to take his team in a different direction. Words like “chemistry” and “team players” were often overlooked at Valley Ranch, while Jones always tended to gravitate towards star players with big-name appeal. Who cares if Michael Irvin stabbed a teammate in the neck with a pair of scissors? He was a Hall of Fame player whenever he stepped onto the field and helped Jones’ Cowboys win multiple Super Bowls. That basically gave guys like Irvin a free pass to do whatever they wanted whenever they wanted.

Jeff Pearlman did a masterful job with his book Boys Will Be Boys, in which he gave a behind-the-scenes look at those 90’s Cowboys plastered with guys like Irvin (who loved his women and nose candy), Deion Sanders (who could have coined the phrase “I love me some me” long before T.O.) and Charles Haley (a certifiable lunatic who loved to be naked around dudes way too much). But as previously stated, those guys won games for Jones, so everything else was overlooked.

That’s why, when Owens ran himself out of San Francisco, Baltimore (before he even got there) and Philly, you just knew Owens was headed to Dallas. Jones’ ego was such that he just knew he could be the one to break through to the diva receiver. And even when Owens was splitting the locker room in half, forcing players to choose sides in a war between him and Jason Witten, no one truly believed Jones would ever cut the cord on Owens.

But he did, and Owens is now a Buffalo Bill. To put this in proper perspective, Jones finally admitting he’s wrong and cutting ties with Owens would be roughly equivalent to Michael Richards, of Seinfield fame, being honored with a NAACP life-time achievement award. I just never thought I’d see it in my lifetime.

But here’s the thing – it really was the best move for the Cowboys. Anyone who looks at their roster should easily see that their biggest strength is depth at running back. With Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice, the Cowboys are as stacked in the backfield as any team in the NFL. They don’t need to throw the ball 40 times a game with that kind of talent. They need to let that talented trio do the heavy lifting and limit the amount of times Tony Romo can kill the offense with boneheaded decisions. Roy Williams won’t replicate the production that Owens produced over the last three seasons in Dallas, but he won’t need to.

Meanwhile, the formerly irrelevant Bills now suddenly become buzz worthy. A team that hasn’t qualified for the playoffs in a decade and that went 0-6 in their own division a year ago suddenly becomes intriguing. Think about it this way – over the last 15 years or so, the four biggest names out of Buffalo are Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Scott Norwood (wide right!) and O.J. Simpson. Who knew that consistently losing Super Bowls would be their brightest days?

Click here for the full article.

Note to self is a weekly sports column written for HoboTrashcan.

10Mar

getting defensive

(photo by Manuel Balce Ceneta)

In today’s Washington Post, beat writer Tarik El-Bashir does a nice job of laying out the problems with the Washington Capitals offense during the team’s current four-game losing streak. While we agree that players not named Alex need to step up their offensive output, the more troubling aspect for us is on the defensive end.

We understand when Capitals general manager George McPhee says he’s not interested in mortgaging the team’s future to acquire a top-line defenseman like Chris Pronger from Anaheim. A price tag of Karl Alzner, Simeon Varlamov and John Carlson is definitely too steep for a rental player who, although still an impact player, would have to admit his best days are behind him. But in our humble opinion, the Capitals defensive rotation as currently constructed is simply too flawed to make Washington a legitimate Stanley Cup contender this year.

Mike Green might very well be the best offensive-minded defenseman in the NHL, but even he would have to admit his play in his own zone is still a work in progress. Tom Poti is easily the team’s best defensive defenseman, but he’s been saddled with injuries of late. If not for Alexander Semin, defenseman Shaone Morrisonn would be the object of Caps’ fans ire because he’s just as likely to make a bone-headed decision or take a ill-advised penalty with the game on the line.

The biggest problem though, is that the other three regular defensemen – Milan Jurcina, John Erskine and Jeff Schultz – all essentially play the same role. They’re all big bodies who should throw their body around and keep opponents out of the goalie’s crease. Ideally, one of the three would excel at this and free up other spots in the rotation for other styles of defensemen. But in Washington, we’re treated to one for the price of three.

Jurcina is easily the best of the bunch. He’s really improved his play and seems to have grown into the role and become more comfortable with who he is and what he brings to the game. We’ve heard for a while stories of his booming slapshot shattering glass panels at Kettler, but it’s only recently that he’s begun to assert himself more during actual game situations.

Erskine, who is nicknamed Dumb & Dumber by some Caps fans for his slight resemblance to Jeff Daniels’ character in the movie, plays a physical game as well and like teammate Donald Brashear, doesn’t mind throwing down to keep opponents honest. But at his very best, he’s nothing more than a sixth or seventh defenseman on an NHL roster.

Out of the three, Schultz is easily the most maddening. The former first rounder is only 23 years old, but we’re convinced he’s allergic to contact. When you’re 6’6” and 224 lbs., you shouldn’t be afraid to throw your body around or at least be willing to clear the crease when forwards are taking multiple swipes at a loose puck in front of your net. He’s averaging just under 20 minutes of ice time and has a plus/minus rating of plus 14, but it’s not because of anything he does.

He’s logging so much ice time on a consistent winner that the law of averages says he’s bound to be out there when Alex Ovechkin and friends do all the heavy lifting. His play is so suspect that friends in the press box automatically lean over and ask, “Was Schultz on the ice?” whenever the opposing team scores a goal. Like we said, he’s just 23, so there’s hope that he will follow Jurcina and grow into a competent defenseman. The issue is, this is a team built to win now. Had they been able to bring in one additional defenseman, preferably someone solid in the defensive zone, this team truly could have made a run at the Cup this year. As it stands now, the team has no choice but to roll the dice and wish for the best.

And a quick note to those media types who continue to question if goalie Jose Theodore is dependable enough to backstop a legitimate playoff run – if the Caps gave him six full-fledged, reliable defensemen, there’s no reason to believe Theo couldn’t get it done. But when half of the blueliners are solid and half aren’t, you get games like Sunday’s 4-3 loss to Pittsburgh, which featured breakaways, odd-man rushes and disappointment while the Capitals continue to search for answers. It’s easy to blame the goalie, but more times than not, he’s not the only player at fault when the opposition lights the lamp.

09Mar

caps blow chance for clean sweep

(photo by Brian Murphy)

As everyone knows by now, the Washington Capitals lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 in a shootout Sunday afternoon.

Sidney Crosby was the hero, scoring the game winner in the shootout for the Penguins, which was fitting since he was honored before the game when 500 Crosby-inspired pacifiers were handed out in front of the Verizon Center before the puck dropped. Channel 4’s Lindsay Czarniak was kind enough to model the pacifier after the game for those fans who weren’t lucky enough to score one of the giveaways.

After three wins and a shootout loss, the Capitals finish the season taking seven out of a possible eight points from the Penguins, not that they were patting themselves on the back after the loss.

“I thought we played well, we just waited too long – we waited until the third period to finally play our game,” said defenseman Mike Green, who had two assists. “It was a little bit too late, but we showed a lot of character coming back. We’re happy with one point, but we needed two tonight.”

You guys have been a little off your game these last couple games, but like you said, when you played your game in the third period, it looked like the Caps team that we’ve come to know and love. What do you chalk this rough homestand up to?

“I think when we play within our system, guys play short shifts and we do positive things that we’re pretty hard to beat,” Green said. “If we could play that way every night for 60 minutes, we’d win every night. At times we stray away, have breakdowns and shoot ourselves in the foot and other teams take advantage of us. We’re coming out of this slump and we’re starting to play our game again and it’ll be good if we can play our game.”

Would you say nerves or this team’s youthfulness has played a part in this slump?

“Maybe a little bit,” he said. “We’re young guys that are playing a lot of minutes, but we’re all smart guys. We’ll figure it out. If we’re going to play bad hockey, this is a good time – rather than in the playoffs.”

Typically, Caps fans would worry when they look at the schedule and see the team is away for seven out of the next eight games, but honestly this might not be a bad thing. The Capitals just found a way to lose four-consecutive games (all at home) for the first time since Bruce Boudreau took over as coach, so maybe a road trip is needed to help these guys regain their focus and get back to the solid hockey they played the first four months of the season. You never want to see your favorite team hit a slump, but like Green said, if they’re going to stumble, let it happen now instead of the playoffs.

06Mar

evans to ‘skins fans: thank you

(photo by Brian Murphy)

Let us be perfectly clear about this – Demetric Evans wanted to remain a member of the Washington Redskins.

In fact, when we talked to the defensive lineman Thursday night he informed us that he’ll keep his house in Virginia and continue to live there during the offseason.

Had the Redskins shown any interest in the seven-year veteran, he’d still be a member of the burgundy and gold. But for whatever reason after five years of service, the team opted to move in a different direction and Evans is now a member of the San Francisco 49ers.

“You know, it’s going to be very hard to leave Washington,” said Evans, who signed a two-year, $3.8 million deal with San Francisco earlier this week. “I’ve been here five years and developed some great relationships with the players and coaches. I’m going to have to leave behind my wife, who has one more year left on her residency (with a local hospital). It’s going to be very hard, but at the same time, it’s only temporary. Times flies by and I wanted to be in a place where they wanted me.”

On a team with a lot of marquee names, you’ve always been one of the unsung heroes. You quietly showed up for work, lined up wherever they asked you to and played your heart out. We find it hard to believe the ‘Skins will be better off without a guy like you around.

“Exactly,” Evans said. “But you’re going to see me explode out there in San Fran, that’s what’s going to happen. So don’t wonder why, you know what I mean? I just want to set the record straight with the fans that supported me here in Washington and wanted to see me sign back. It wasn’t a deal where it was between Washington and San Fran. They wanted me and I took the best deal that was on the table. I just want to thank everybody for their support, for cheering and showing up at FedEx excited every Sunday. I appreciate that. I have great memories, but once again, I must move on.”

So wait … to clarify what you just said, the Redskins never even made an offer to you? Even after they released Jason Taylor?

“The Redskins told my agent before free agency even started, ‘We are not interested in Demetric. We’re going to go in a different direction,’” he said. “All the fans, all the beat writers, all the news anchors – once you saw [defensive tackle Albert] Haynesworth holding up the number 92 jersey, that should have been the writing on the wall. When Jason Taylor came to Washington, he didn’t hold up a number 99 jersey. Haynesworth could have easily held up a 09 jersey or a number 1 jersey or anything. Basically, that indicated Haynesworth is here. Demetric is not.”

That brings up an interesting point. How did it feel seeing another player holding up your number?

“It didn’t bother me and honestly, I didn’t even watch the press conference,” Evans said. “I already knew what they were going to do and I didn’t take it personally. It just shows that this is a business and ultimately, they can put whoever they want in that jersey.”

What can the fans expect to see from Demetric Evans now that you’re off to San Francisco?

“You’re going to see me burst into the NFC West,” he said. “It’s not like the NFC East. I’m not taking anything away from them, but it’s not the NFC East. You’re going to see a guy go out and be a dominant force in that division because when you think about it, they’ve got a lot of pass-happy, West Coast-type of teams. I’ll be in good weather, running around enjoying myself and having fun on the field. You know, Seattle wants to throw the ball. St. Louis wants to throw the ball. Arizona wants to throw the ball. And being in a 3-4 defense, three of the top five defenses last year were 3-4.

“All that being said, I’m going to get an opportunity to go out and compete for a starting job and do what I do best – play hard-nosed football,” Evans said. “I’m excited about going out there. I’m excited about getting a fresh start. I’m excited about being a 49er. I wish the Redskins well next season. I want to wish the best for my teammates, especially the defensive line there, because they’ve got a great group of guys. They’re great men, husbands and friends, so I just want to leave on a good note.”

With that we said goodbye to Evans and promised to check back in with him during the season. We can’t help but think that much like Antonio Pierce, Ryan Clark and others, Redskins fans will miss Evans now that he’s gone.

Contrary to popular belief in this town, you can’t build an entire team of big-name stars. To be successful in the NFL, teams need well-rounded utility players like Evans who happily fill in at any of the four defense line positions whenever called upon. The Redskins are now seriously lacking depth on the defensive line and it will be interesting to see how they address the issue and what kind of money they end up spending to fill the hole in the lineup.

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