(courtesy photo)

Unless you’re a Georgetown fan, this is one of the most exciting times of the year. March Madness is already in full swing, professional basketball and hockey are gearing up for their respective postseasons and it’s almost time for the NFL draft. We’d throw in baseball with spring training and all, but since D.C. doesn’t have a team it’s tough to get too fired up.

With that as your backdrop, here’s your moment of zen to get the weekend started off right. It’s a photo of Washington Redskins safety Chris “The Predator” Horton doing his best Lil’ Jon impersonation and it’s phenomenal. We’re sure there’s a great backstory, but honestly, it’s not needed.

Our caption would simply be — “Who needs a Smoot Smack Bar when you can get Crunk instead?”

(courtesy photo)

While we made it perfectly clear earlier this week that we aren’t exactly thrilled that running back Larry Johnson is now a member of the Washington Redskins, there is one aspect of the signing we have no issue with.

The three-year deal that Johnson inked was worth just $3.5 million, although he could make as much as $12 million total with incentives.

In the past, the Redskins front office basically handed out five-year, $25-million contracts like candy. Seriously, free agents didn’t even have to visit Ashburn for a chance at a big pay day. They could simply have a connecting flight through Dulles and Vinny Cerrato would happily stand by at baggage claim ready and willing to double their paychecks.

If nothing else, we are thankful that those days appear to be long gone. Redskins general manager Bruce Allen has been aggressive in setting up visits with free agents, but for the first time in recent memory these get-togethers don’t guarantee anything.

In the past, Redskins One would be gassed up and ready to go at the stroke of midnight when free agency kicked off. A big-name player would be wined and dined at Morton’s with the head coach and The Danny (also known as Redskins owner Daniel Snyder) and would finish the night with courtside seats at a Wizards game (clearly this would be considered punishment now, instead of a selling point as it was back when the Wiz were relevant).

Now, a player like offensive lineman Tony Pashos visits town, chats with the new powers that be and ends up signing in Cleveland for peanuts. Talk about culture shock; ‘Skins fans never fathomed a day when the Browns outbid the Redskins for a free agent. But that’s where we are these days. And honestly, we couldn’t be happier.

Since free agency started, the Redskins have added offensive lineman Artis Hicks, nose tackle Maake Kemoeatu, tight end Sean Ryan, Johnson and quarterback Rex Grossman.

None of the players that have been added this offseason – with the exception of Johnson – are considered household names. Sure, football fans have heard of Grossman, but he’s only started nine or more games in a season once, meaning he’s got little to no expectations surrounding him.

For his career, Grossman has played in 37 NFL games (31 starts). He has completed 524 of 971 passes (54 percent) for 6,197 yards, with 33 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. He’s average in every sense of the word. But he’s not here to be a savior; he’s simply a player that Mike and Kyle Shanahan felt they could bring in who is familiar enough with their offense to help the rest of the roster catch on.

It’s no different than when former Redskins offensive coordinator Al Saunders brought quarterback Todd Collins with him. No one expects Grossman to play in actual games; he’s just an extension of the coaching staff. It’s a one-year deal, which gives him enough time to come in, show Jason Campbell and/or whoever else is playing quarterback how to run the new offense and then Grossman can move on to another city.

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(photo by Brian Murphy)

Is there a less likeable backfield in the NFL today than Clinton Portis and Larry Johnson?

Both running backs head into next season with huge question marks hanging over their head (namely, does either guy have anything left in the tank?), each player is fully capable of making headlines for all the wrong reasons and neither will ever be in the running for “most popular teammate.” But other than that, things are great in Ashburn these days.

So yeah, that’s where we’re at. The last time Portis was brought up, it was because his teammates had finally grown tired of his selfish ways and spoke out against him. It seems that after years of thinking he was above the law or that he wasn’t held to the same standard as the rest of the Redskins players, Portis’ act had finally set off his teammates.

“With Clinton, it’s not a big secret. Everybody knows he doesn’t practice,” said a teammate who asked that his name be withheld. “And then he fires off on someone. You’ve heard people say, ‘Well that’s just C.P. being C.P.’ So what? Does that excuse him for his actions? It shouldn’t. It shouldn’t because there are 53 guys on the squad. Why should one man be different?”

For those keeping score at home, the breaking point in this situation seemed to be if you’re out of the lineup and rarely even bother to show up at your place of work, then you probably shouldn’t badmouth the guys who are there every day putting in the time and effort. Sounds reasonable, right?

But that didn’t stop Portis from running his mouth about Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell on the radio and, honestly, it’s not like this was an isolated instance. Even on his way out the door, backup running back Rock Cartwright couldn’t help but question Portis.

“They never really took care of the guys that put all the hard work in, worked every day, practiced every day,” Cartwright said. “I remember there were times when there wasn’t nobody practicing but Ladell Betts and I, because C.P. didn’t want to practice. So it was just Ladell Betts and I practicing day in and day out. And then they expect you to go out and perform on Sunday, and when you do go out and perform on Sunday, they never reward you.”

Okay, let’s see if we’ve got this straight. Portis has lost a step and is no longer the player he used to be, has questionable practice habits, regularly says something dumb and/or throws his teammates under the bus on a weekly radio show. Did we leave anything out?

Now, you’re adding Johnson to the equation, and you’re not going to believe this, but drama apparently follows this guy wherever he goes as well.

Things started back in 2004 when Kansas City Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil told Johnson to “take the diapers off” in response to what the coach perceived was a casual approach toward preparation. Instead of taking the hint that maybe he should work harder if he wanted to see the playing field more often, Johnson got pissy.

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(photo by Brian Murphy)

Normally, this is the time of year when the Washington Redskins reign supreme. Wins might be hard to come by once actual games are played, but the offseason is when the Redskins take center stage.

But a funny thing happened this year. Since the dynamic duo of coach Mike Shanahan and general manager Bruce Allen took over, Redskins Park has become a ghost town. Big name free agents have become an afterthought and the people who follow this team are left to adjust to a new way of life.

Since things have been so quiet, we decided to reach out to our old friend Andre Carter, the defensive end who tied for the team lead with 11 sacks last season, to see how the offseason is treating him and to get his reaction on the sudden inactivity in Ashburn.

Okay, so where are you and how are you?

“I’m back in California,” Carter said. “I was in Virginia for a hot second because my wife and I bought a home in SoCal, so we were there to pack some stuff up. Now we’re out here trying to get situated, so we’re staying pretty busy.”

So basically, you’re saying you want out of D.C. and you no longer want to be a member of the Washington Redskins …

(Laughs.) “Nah, nah, nah, man. I’m still a Redskin,” he said. “Well, I think so.”

That’s one of the reasons we wanted to contact you. It seems like every time we come across an article mentioning your name, the writer is asking if you have a place in the new defense. Are you paying attention to all of this?

“My agent mentioned the article to me earlier,” Carter said. “I don’t think Jason Reid was trying to cause any controversy or anything of that nature. I think, based upon my history of transitioning from a defensive end to a linebacker back in 2005, he knows my work ethic, but at the same time, he knows what I do best. I’m just taking everything in stride. If that’s something the team wants me to do, then I’m going to do it.

I’ll go out and give it my best,” he continued. “Now, will I be the best linebacker? I’ll say this – I’ll be the best linebacker I can be. I know this is a business, but I’m also optimistic. I’ll take on whatever they ask of me and I’m going to be a professional about it. I’m not going to mope around and feel sorry for myself.”

Everyone keeps going back to your time with the San Francisco 49ers when they transitioned to a 3-4 defense and then you ended up leaving in free agency. Can you explain what happened and what that experience was like?

“Sure. They switched to a 3-4 defense and everything, as far as assignments and techniques, was like nothing I had ever been through before playing defensive end,” Carter said. “The scheme they were going for was a lot like the Baltimore Ravens style of defense. When it came to blitzing and things like that, I was lined up on the number-two slot. We would have two people lined up on the outside – myself and a cornerback. So, as I was coming towards the quarterback, the running back would scan out to protect. As a defensive end, I would naturally go in and then cut out or go out and then cut back in. I usually had the option. But now, as a linebacker, I always had to go inside, which was an adjustment.

“Now, I’ve talked with Coach [Jim] Haslett and I understand that this 3-4 scheme is nothing like that Baltimore Ravens scheme and what I experienced in 2005,” he continued. “For me, the most difficult part of that experience was coverage. Back then I had to cover the tight end man to man, and that was an experience. I learned how to do it as the season went on, but man, talk about getting your butt whooped. And there were times when I had to line up on the number-two receivers when they were lined up in the slot. That was different.

“We played a cover-2, so I had to jam him at the line of scrimmage,” Carter said. “You learn little stuff like how to work your hips a certain way, because if I don’t flip them, he’s going to beat me deep. Yeah, there were times I learned that the hard way. (Laughs.) But I never complained and I always put in the work. Towards the end of the year, they switched the scheme up a little and I worked more with the defensive linemen. But that experience was kind of tough because I had been a defensive end my whole life.”

You mentioned you’ve talked with Haslett. How did that conversation go and what did he say as far as his plans for you?

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(photo by Brian Murphy)

Since the day he took over the Washington Redskins back in 1999 there are two absolute truths that we can say about owner Daniel Snyder.

First, he really wants to win. Like, really, really badly. We don’t think anyone can question that. Simply put, Snyder has never been afraid to outspend the competition in pursuit of this franchise’s fourth Lombardi Trophy.

The other thing we can say about him is that Snyder is absolutely addicted to star appeal. During his decade plus in charge, Snyder has never met a big name he couldn’t envision wearing the burgundy and gold.

We bring this up because Friday is the start of NFL free agency. And this year, like every other year, the biggest names available on the open market will once again be linked to the Redskins.

Free agents looking for a payday love hearing that Snyder’s plane is fueled up and ready to go. Agents dream of receiving a call from Redskins Park at 12:01 a.m. and hearing the following sentence, “Mr. Snyder would like to speak with you about one of your clients.” It’s the worst-kept secret in the NFL today. The Redskins owner has a wad of cash burning a hole in his pocket and, if you play your cards right, he’ll happily make it rain for you.

If you’ve ever been to the Pro Bowl or had a good game against the Redskins (cough*Antwan Randle El*cough) and are no longer wanted by your team, just bat your eyelashes in the general direction of Ashburn, Va., and you could be in line for a minimum deal of five years, $25 million. We would list a dozen or so examples of this, but honestly, we don’t want to crack open the liquor cabinet this early on a Tuesday morning.

So naturally there are reports that the Redskins have their sights set on top free agent prize, defensive end Julius Peppers. It’s no different than a year ago when the big-name player was Albert Haynesworth. If you’re a writer, just put out your Redskins-free agency template and fill in the blanks.

But here’s the thing – it’s not supposed to be this way anymore. The Redskins finally took steps to become a professionally-run organization when they let go of Vinny Cerrato and Jim Zorn in favor of Bruce Allen and Mike Shanahan.

Everyone knows that the Redskins have been nothing more than a fantasy football team for a decade or so. But the Allen-Shanahan combo was supposed to kill that trend. No longer would Redskins fans have to settle for “Offseason championships,” followed by a sub-.500 season.

No, we were led to believe that we were now in good hands with folks who know how to win Super Bowls. Long-term vision was supposed to replace the “we’re just one player away” quick-fix mentality. These aren’t supposed to be men who fall for marquee names looking to cash in on what they’ve done, not what they’ll do next.

We hate to say it, but if there’s any truth to the rumors that the ‘Skins are hoping to land Peppers, then it’s safe to say that nothing has changed at Redskins Park. The names calling the shots might be different, but we’re ultimately in for more of the same once football season rolls around again.

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(photo by Brian Murphy)

Years ago, Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis was fortunate enough to have lunch with Red Auerbach, the legendary architect and mastermind behind the Boston Celtics.

During this occasion, Leonsis took the opportunity to ask Auerbach for his advice on how to handle star players. This seemed like a wise decision, considering his lunch buddy earned a combined 16 NBA championships as a coach, general manager and team president of the Celtics.

Leonsis must have figured he was in the presence of one of the most successful men in professional sports history, so why not pry for some insider’s knowledge. Fortunately for all of us, Auerbach shared some of his insight.

“He said your best player has to be your best person,” Leonsis said in a Hockey News interview back in October 2008. “He has to be your most respectful person because that will set the tone for the team.

“We’re lucky that Alex is a world-class player, but he’s even a better person – and the fan base knows that,” Leonsis said.

With that quote in mind, we recently had the chance to chat with Capitals general manager George McPhee on how much character and similar attributes come into play when debating whether or not to sign a player to a mega contract.

“Absolutely,” McPhee said. “You want talented players, certainly. But they have to be good people too. People think it’s the talent that puts you over the top, but it’s really the character of your players that puts you over the top.”

Since he was drafted first overall in 2004, Ovechkin has known no boundaries. He’s become the face of the franchise, one of the game’s most gifted players and, most recently, the captain of the Capitals.

“He’s actually better than we could ever have hoped for going into the draft,” McPhee said. “We’re lucky to have him. He’s been a leader since he’s been here. It was time to put the captaincy on him.”

Like McPhee said, the Caps are lucky to have Ovechkin. That’s’ why the team had no problem signing their star player to a 13-year contract extension worth $124 million in 2008. They knew he was a player they could build a team around and jumped at the chance to do so.

That same year, another local franchise made a long-term commitment to a star player. After he opted out of his contract, the Washington Wizards signed guard Gilbert Arenas to a max deal, which came out to six years for $111 million.

At the time, we couldn’t understand why the team would dedicate such an investment into a guy who we often refer to as a “one-legged, me-first point guard.”

For starters, Arenas has played just 47 games during the last three seasons. Thanks to a knee injury that required multiple surgeries and his most recent antics involving hand guns and gambling debts, Arenas is off the court much more often than on it. Excuse the pun, but that’s not getting a lot of bang for your bucks.

And when he’s on the court, you honestly never know which Gilbert is going to show up – whether it be Agent Zero, Hibachi or the guy who can’t hit free throws with the game on the line.

We don’t blame the team’s late owner Abe Pollin or general manager Ernie Grunfeld for being seduced by the game-winning shots and quirky shenanigans. But, at the same time, it seems they turned a blind eye to the moody diva who often times put himself in and removed himself from games without regard for his coach.

He’s also the same player who, if someone hurt his feelings, decided to stage a protest by refusing to shoot the ball or similar “look at me” sideshows. Or spent halftime of NBA games playing online poker. Or decided to ditch the team and rehabilitate his injuries on his own.

Without even going into his latest incident involving illegal firearms and teammate Javaris Crittenton, there’s enough of a history here that the Wizards should have known better. Let’s go back to the conversation between Auerbach and Leonsis.

“Your best player has to be your best person.”

We defy anyone to present an argument in which Arenas comes across as the team’s best person. We’re not suggesting that he’s not a bad person or in the words of John Riggins, that he has a black heart, but the truth is – with Gilbert, it’s all about Gilbert. If you’re looking for a locker room leader who is unselfish and always willing to put the team first, he’s not your man.

Honestly, that would be Wizards forward Antawn Jamison. But at 33 and with his complete inability to play defense, he can’t be considered a long-term solution in D.C. either. So, this may come as a surprise, but what we’re saying is no one currently on the Wizards should be signed to a $100-million deal.

Things are so bad for the Wiz that the one building block they could use as a cornerstone for the franchise – forward Caron Butler – is actually the guy having the hardest time adapting to the Flip Saunders offense. Go figure.

Dark days are ahead for the Wizards, but honestly, most of what comes next is because the team chose to commit to a player like Arenas. People are hoping that somehow the franchise is able to get a “do-over” by voiding his contract, but it’s foolish to get your hopes up. The actions of Ron Artest (fighting fans) and Latrell Sprewell (choking his coach) weren’t enough to get their respective contracts voided. Why would a downtrodden team like the Wizards be any luckier?

One other local team joined the $100-million club last year, when the Washington Redskins signed defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth to a seven-year, $100-million deal.

Coming from Tennessee, where he anchored one of the nastiest defenses in football, Haynesworth came to Washington with the highest of hopes. If the Redskins had a top five defense without him, the sky was the limit with Fat Albert, right?

Not so fast, sweetheart.

Haynesworth’s first year in Washington didn’t exactly go as planned. While the defensive line play and sack totals improved with the big guy in the lineup, people mostly wanted to focus on when he wasn’t on the playing field.

Haynesworth missed four games due to injury last season. In the 12 games he was in the lineup though, critics loved to point out how often Haynesworth was either standing on the sidelines or lying on the ground. Whether Fat Albert was hurt or simply faking injury to catch his breath is up to personal interpretation. Either way, it brings us back to basics:

“Your best player has to be your best person.”

Ovechkin is the best goal scorer in hockey, and yet, anyone familiar with the superstar knows he’s just as happy celebrating when a teammate puts the puck in the net. He truly is a team player in every sense of the word.

Haynesworth, on the other hand, prefers to be a loner, with many of his teammates admitting they know very little about him and have almost no communication with him on or off the field.

The only time it was suggested that Haynesworth attempted to bring the team together was when Haynesworth reportedly attempted to get his teammates to stage a protest by showing up late to practice Christmas day when he was unhappy with Greg Blache’s defensive system. This, of course, was reported after Haynesworth went public questioning why the team would even bother to sign him if they weren’t going to use him the way he thought they should.

Basically, the few times he’s bothered to open his mouth, Haynesworth has primarily been concerned with Haynesworth. Yes, he has said positive things about his teammates, but did so during the same conversation he called out his team’s defensive coordinator. Not exactly what you’d want to hear from your “best person,” huh?

We don’t want to speak on behalf of Leonsis or anyone else, but Haynesworth’s action don’t really seem to go with Auerbach’s guidelines. You get the feeling that these leaders would probably sacrifice having a supreme talent like Haynesworth or Arenas around for the good of the team.

No one knows for sure how Leonsis would handle Haynesworth unless Daniel Snyder improbably decides to sell the Redskins and Leonsis swoops in to take over the burgundy and gold. Things get interesting though with the Wizards, a team Uncle Teddy can and will acquire if he wants to. We’ve seen what he’s been able to do with the Capitals, it’ll be even more interesting to see what he can do in his second act should he ultimately decide to take on Arenas and the Wizards.

We have no doubt that if he decides to acquire this town’s beleaguered basketball franchise, he’ll continue to follow the guidance of the great Red Auerbach as he tries to turn the Wizards into something more than a national punchline. Those words of wisdom have helped turn the Capitals into a model franchise in every way. Wizards fans can only hope Leonsis brings their favorite squad more of the same.

And for the love of God, if this article does nothing else, please let it serve as a warning to owners debating whether to sign a player to a $100-million deal. Say it with us:

“Your best player has to be your best person.”

(photo by Brian Murphy)

After a grueling regular season that ended with a disappointing 4-12 record and resulted in a major organizational overhaul, things have (thankfully) quieted down for the Washington Redskins.

Other than players doing exit interviews and, in the case of guys like defensive end Andre Carter, getting surgery after another season worth of bumps and bruises, the only other real news these days involves new head coach Mike Shanahan rounding out the rest of his coaching staff.

Names like Jim Haslett, Kyle Shanahan and Bobby Turner have been added, while coaches like Sherman Smith, Stump Mitchell and Greg Blache will move on to the next chapter in their respective lives.

While Shanahan (the elder) still has a few more decisions to make while finishing his coaching staff here in Washington, one name who appears to be on the outside looking in is Jerry Gray, who has served as the team’s secondary coach since 2006.

After interviewing for the head coaching position and the defensive coordinator gig, Gray landed neither. Now, it is being reported that Gray’s time in D.C. may be coming to an end – with Gray being given permission to interview for a possible job with Pete Carroll, who just took over the Seattle Seahawks.

Let us be perfectly clear – this isn’t a bad thing.

We don’t have anything personal against Gray, but over the last few months he’s become a bit of a lightning rod for controversy. And in all honestly, that’s something the Redskins can do without.

As previously noted, Gray interviewed for the head coaching job of the Redskins. Criticism, from inside and outside of football, mounted when it was learned that he did so while Jim Zorn was still holding the job. Some wondered how a coach could be so disrespectful and, in their words, stab Zorn in the back by not even having the professional courtesy to wait for the job to officially become vacant. Conspiracy theorists concocted a scenario in which Gray knew he wasn’t a viable candidate for the job, but he interviewed as a personal favor to management to help them satisfy the Rooney Rule, which mandates that at least one minority candidate be interviewed.

“You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.”

Of course, that was never the case. As we’ve previously written, Gray interviewed for the job for one simple reason – he wants to continue to climb up the coaching ladder. Having already interviewed for the head coaching job at the University of Memphis earlier in the year, Gray jumped at the chance at a possible promotion within his own organization.

Once Blache walked away from his media obligations during the season due to medical reasons, Gray stepped up and assumed those responsibilities. When the Redskins needed him to step up, he did so without a second thought. In his eyes, that showed what kind of team player he is. He had to be thinking: what’s the big deal if I jumped the gun by a couple days and interviewed for a position that everyone knew was going to eventually be available? Does it honestly change anything whether I interview for the job now or three weeks later?

We’re not going to crucify Gray for the timing of the interview. We can completely understand someone who doesn’t plan on working in the same job for the rest of their life, so why hold it against Gray if he was simply trying to advance his career?

Now, that being said, there are two reasons we’d be okay if Gray moved on to another organization.

First of all, one of the top priorities of Shanahan and general manager Bruce Allen should be to remove any and all controversy surrounding this franchise. This new regime represents the perfect opportunity for a fresh start. And let’s be honest – when it gets to a point where young players are openly mocking the situation by referring to the area as Drama City, you know you’ve got problems. If turning the franchise around means moving on without Gray, running back Clinton Portis or anyone else, then we’re all for it. The Redskins have had more than enough dysfunction recently.

Our second reason is simple – Gray failed at his job. Think about it; was there a more disappointing unit on the Redskins last season than the secondary? Sure, the offensive line was a joke, but that’s because the front office neglected it. Joe Bugel still did a masterful job of coaching up the substandard group he was handed.

Meanwhile, Gray was given a stack of former first rounders – LaRon Landry, Carlos Rogers, DeAngelo Hall – along with established names like Fred Smoot, Chris Horton and Reed Doughty, and yet, the team was incapable of stopping anyone.

Out of those six names, maybe only Doughty has seen he’s stock rise from a year ago to now. Landry apparently gave up on trying to play safety. Instead he runs around attempting to “hit stick” anybody nearby. Landry and Rogers were so pitiful against any receiver who did a double move, that we openly joked if they trapped us in a dark alley, we know how to get out of there untouched.

Prior to his season-ending toe injury, Horton played well, but he was also benched in the first month of the season for reasons that are unclear. Hall is one of the only players in that secondary who is capable of creating turnovers, but he also gets burnt from time to time and isn’t exactly the best tackler in the league. Both Smoot and Rogers also dealt with limited playing time at various points in the season as the coaching staff attempted to deliver a wakeup call to them for their uneven performances.

When the team added defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth and rookie linebacker Brian Orakpo, they made it clear the plan was to disrupt offenses in hopes of getting more sacks and turnovers. Even with Haynesworth in and out of the lineup, the defensive line did a masterful job of creating pressure, as the ‘Skins finished with 40 sacks a year (up from 28 the season prior).

In 2008, the Redskins were tied for 17th in the NFL with 13 interceptions. This season, even with a vastly improved defensive front, the Redskins secondary actually regressed – tying for 27th with 11 picks.

To recap: they got torched for big plays all year long, couldn’t make a stop when the game was on the line, half of the secondary was benched at some point during the season due to ineffectiveness and statistically speaking, they’re moving in the wrong direction. Which part of that comes across as a ringing endorsement for Gray?

So yeah, forgive us for being okay if the team and Gray part ways. We don’t think he’s a bad person and don’t buy into the notion that he acted shady and underhanded. We just don’t think he did a good enough job to warrant any sort of promotion here. If some other team wants to make him their defensive coordinator, it really might be best for everyone involved.