Author Archive

09Jul

long live the ladies’ man

In hockey by b murf / July 9, 2008 / No Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

When you want it done right, you gotta go north of the border.

While that may not be the case in most instances, it definitely applies to all things hockey. And that is why, I would like to turn your attention to a few articles currently featured on the TSN Canada website (think ESPN, without the suck). For starters, the Washington Capitals have re-signed Brooks “Ladies’ Man” Laich to a three-year deal worth a little over $6 million. On top of that, TSN is also reporting that the Caps have re-signed Sergei Federov to a one-year deal worth $4 million. This, my friends, is what we in the business call “great news.”

Laich, whom some of you may remember the Caps acquired in the Peter Bondra deal, posted career highs in goals (21), assists (16) and points (37) last year. And while the ladies may love him for different reasons, Caps fans embraced the 25-year-old for being one of the few players in our nation’s capitals who showed a consistent willingness to post up in front of the net, even if it meant taking a beating from opposing defensemen. On a team largely comprised of finesse players, Laich isn’t afraid of doing the dirty work.

Speaking of finesse players, how great is it to have Federov back in town? The 17-year-veteran may have only been a Capital since the trade deadline, but I’ve yet to find a Caps fan who didn’t want him back for another season. The guy will forget more about hockey than most players will ever know, and the fact that he’ll head into next season as the third center (behind Nicklas Backstrom and Michael Nylander) is a wonderful luxury that most teams simply cannot afford.

And finally, I would like to direct your attention to this feature story on the Capitals’ next star, Karl Alzner. If you’re looking for a young stud defenseman to complement Alex Ovechkin and friends, this is your man. As a member of the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League, Alzner earned defenseman of the year and player of the year honors. Oh, and he captained Canada’s gold-winning squad at the world junior tournament too. Needless to say, this guy is the real deal.

Unlike the Nationals, the Caps are quickly becoming must-see TV.

08Jul

way down in the hole

In murf by b murf / July 8, 2008 / No Comments

Thom Loverro of The Washington Times has an interesting interview on his blog with David Simon, the brilliant mind who created “The Wire.” Apparently the two gentlemen worked together nearly 20 years ago at The Sun. That doesn’t really matter to me, but anyone who does know me knows I’m a huge fan of Simon’s work, especially “The Wire.” In fact, my brother and I have interviewed seemingly half the cast of the show over the course of it’s five seasons – “Cutty” Wise, Sgt. Jay Landsman, Chris Partlow, “Wee-Bey” Brice, Senator Clay Davis, Maury Levy, Cedric Daniels (twice), Omar Little (twice) and “Bunny” Colvin.

While we’re sad that “The Wire” is gone, we still are very much fans of Simon’s work, and are looking forward to his upcoming HBO miniseries, called “Generation Kill.” This interview with Loverro is interesting because it focuses on sports, which you don’t get to see Simon talk much about. Some of the highlights include:

– Simon grew up a Washington Senators fan, but grew to like the Baltimore Orioles.
– He’s won his fantasy baseball league five out of the last eight years, and would like to make a baseball movie one day.
– Oh, and he’s not a fan of Bud Selig and the “powers that be” in Major League Baseball after turning down a request to film a scene from season five at Camden Yards. I’ll let Simon take over from here:

“But let me say this about the official side of Major League Baseball: They can kiss my pale, white ass. Seriously. Although that sequence reflected in no negative way on baseball itself — a reporter was making up a story about a handicapped fan for his own benefit — MLB considered our request to film on stadium property and use MLB logos and then denied the request. Unless our drama pretty much exalts baseball as the greatest game ever played by the greatest bunch of people ever to play a game, MLB will not allow the use of its logos or facilities in any act of storytelling. I find this cowardly and venal and offensive. A game that claims to be the national pastime should be confident enough and respectful enough of independent storytelling to allow itself to be seen within the context of ordinary American life. The script that we showed to MLB said nothing at all negative about the game itself; it showed a reporter being dishonest. But even that dynamic was too scary for the gutless, lawyerly humps who surround the commissioner’s office. Apparently, baseball can only be depicted as a part of American life when it is glorified or marketed in the most wholesome manner.“

Simon even admits to adding a couple of potshots directed at Bud Selig later on because of baseball’s unwillingness to cooperate with the Scott Templeton storyline. Considering the whole point was that this journalist was making up stories and quotes and they were just using opening day in the local market to show how unethical Templeton was, it really does make you wonder why MLB would shoot it down. Either way, I’ve always been a fan of David Simon, and never cared for Bud Selig, so it’s all-too predictable that I’d run something here.

07Jul

(the other) alexander the great

In football by b murf / July 7, 2008 / No Comments

How many players make such a lasting impression on a fan that they can remember exactly where they were and what they were doing the moment this guy arrived on the scene? Not very many.

But there’s no doubt, when it comes to Lorenzo Alexander, the chubby-faced University of California alum, the exact moment when he etched his name into the memories of Redskins fans.

It was Saturday, August 11, and the ‘Skins were in Nashville to take on the Titans in an otherwise irrelevant preseason game. I, on the other hand, was at my buddy Dave’s house, enjoying an ice-cold Stone Mill Pale Ale while catching up with my old roommate. The rookie defensive tackle showed what he’s made of when he lost his helmet, but was still able to chase down Titans quarterback Tim Rattay. He collided with a teammate and ended up needing six stitches, but that one play may have been enough proof to the ‘Skins coaching staff that the former practice squad player was worthy of a roster spot while simultaneously earning him cult status among the rabid Redskins fanbase.

His response? “My mom’s just happy I have all my teeth,” Alexander said.

But that was only the beginning. Once he secured a place on the 53-man roster, Alexander continued his unlikely climb from former undrafted free agent to vital member of a playoff team. While he earned his place as a defensive tackle, the coaching staff saw something in the 6’1″ and 300 lb. defensive lineman. Next thing you know, Alexander is taking snaps in practice as the sixth offensive lineman in the team’s jumbo package.

For the season, Alexander was officially credited with four tackles in the 13 games he played in. But simple stats don’t do the man justice. By the time the season ended, Alexander played defensive tackle, offensive guard, tight end, fullback and special teams for the Redskins, making him a rare triple threat in the modern NFL. A Joe Gibbs team always needs players that are super smart who are willing to fight their guts out. Clearly, Alexander was meant to play for the Hall of Fame coach.

I was able to chat with Alexander after the heart-breaking loss to the Bills, and again after the ‘Skins season ended with a playoff loss to the Seahawks. I asked this guy for an interview less than a week after losing a friend and teammate to senseless violence and again minutes after his team’s season ended, and yet, both times I walked away thinking to myself that he’s a likable, stand-up guy. While others may be willing to make excuses or disappear from the locker room before the media is allowed in, Alexander was always available during both the good and the bad.

During this offseason, when I’ve seen Alexander around Redskins Park, I’ve often joked with him that I need to be his agent because he’s the hardest working man in the NFL, willing and able to play iron man football. He’s always laughs and says he enjoys playing both offense and defense, and that he hopes the team continues to let him go both ways.

And when he’s not at the Park, Lorenzo is still keeping busy. In June, he headed back home to California to host the Lorenzo Alexander ACES Foundation “Hold the Line” Football Camp, a free camp for 200 or so youngsters. It’s fitting Alexander would make time for the next generation of football players, because if we were making a list of players who these young men should model their games after, he’d definitely make the list.

(photo by Brian Murphy)

02Jul

never a dull moment

In hockey by b murf / July 2, 2008 / No Comments

A day after the Wizards brought back Antawn Jamison, the Capitals stepped up and re-signed a vital piece of their roster, by inking offensive defenseman Mike Green to a four-year, $21 million contract. The budding superstar led the NHL in scoring by a defenseman, and although he was a restricted free agent, other teams were still very much interested in the youngster. That’s probably because at 22 years old, Green was the youngest player to lead defensemen in goals since Paul Coffey back in 1981-82.

With lesser names earning bigger bucks on day one of free agency, the longer this dragged out, the more costly it would have been for the home team. There’s always going to be a need for a blueliner who can play defense and light the lamp, and the Caps should be commended for getting this done quickly.

Then, came the big swerve of the day – the Caps signed Colorado Avs goalie Jose Theodore to a two-year, $9 million deal. This happened because Christobal Huet, the guy the team traded for Feb. 26th last season, spurned the team in order to grab a few extra bucks elsewhere. Turns out that Caps general manager George McPhee called Huet’s people and said, “We want Huet back in town, so what’s it going to take to get this done?” Huet’s agent said they were looking for a three-year, $15 million deal, and so that’s what McPhee offered them. Instead of taking the offer they asked for, they shopped it around for more money, ultimately netted a four-year, $22 million deal courtesy of the Chicago Blackhawks. Feeling used, Capitals owner Ted Leonsis blogged to let folks know that the only reason Huet left town is greed, and not because of a lack of effort on the team’s part.

Rounding out the day, former face of the franchise Olaf Kolzig signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning worth $1.5 million plus incentives. I love Olie, but I can’t help but think he and former Caps captain Jeff Halpern can room together on the road next season and enjoy another year of playing on a rebuilding hockey team. At least new coach/old talking head Barry Melrose will be able to break down their post-game highlights after losing another 6-2 game to teams actually capable of playing defense.

All in all, things worked out well for the Caps. They got one of the two guys they targeted, but more impressively, the moved quickly to lock in Theodore as soon as they figured out Huet was playing games. There were only two game-changing goalies available this offseason, so when one guy tried to screw them over, McPhee acted swiftly and brought in a former Vezina Trophy and NHL most valuable player. As far as backup plans go, that’s about as good as it gets. And for a team that promised to be quiet this offseason, that’s an awfully exciting day one.

All that’s left to do before next season is:

1. Re-sign Brooks Laich for me.
2. Re-sign Sergei Fedorov for my main man, Steve.
3. Take Brian Pothier out back, shoot him and put him out of his misery (and more importantly, get his $2.5-million deal off of the books).

01Jul

burning the midnight oil

In basketball by b murf / July 1, 2008 / No Comments

Ivan Carter of The Washington Post is getting it done.

On the first night of free agency, Carter earned every penny they pay him when he cranked out a blog post at roughly 3 a.m. shedding some light on the initial craziness. I highly suggest you click the link to read the posting, but here are a few highlights:

– Baron Davis opted out of the final year of his contract with the Golden State Warriors, which would have paid him nearly $18 million. Five hours later, Carter reported that word on the street is that Davis will join my man, Elton Brand, on the Clippers next season.

– Within 30 minutes of the start of free agency, the Warriors, who now have money to spend, put in a call to Gilbert Arenas and offered him a maximum-level contract of five years and more than $100 million. Guess it’s safe to say the Warriors regret ever letting Gil leave in the first place.

– After locking up Antawn Jamison, Wizards general manager Ernie Grunfeld offered Arenas a maximum six year, $124 million deal. Grunfeld apparently also laid it all on the line, telling Gilbert that if he takes the max deal, then the Wiz offseason is essentially over. There will be no money to retain Roger Mason Jr., or to pick up any other pieces to round out the roster.

– The final nugget from Carter is that the Sacramento Kings, who haven’t been noteworthy since Chris Webber was still good, apparently want Agent Zero so badly that they’re allegedly willing to trade away their entire team if need be to make room for him.

That’s a lot of good stuff, especially considering that this is a weak free agent class and the only other news of the day is that Tiger Woods won’t be coming to town.

30Jun

step one: collect underpants

In basketball by b murf / June 30, 2008 / 1 Comment

Do you remember the Underpants Gnomes from South Park? They’re memorable because the had a three-phase business plan that they were convinced would make them lots of cash. Here’s pretty much how it broke down:

1. Collect underpants
2. ?
3. Profit

I bring this up because it reminds me of the situation the Washington Wizards currently find themselves in. I’m not making any bold statements by saying their current roster revolves around three players — Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler. And this hasn’t been a bad business plan, seeing as this team has made the NBA playoffs in each of the last four seasons, something previous incarnations of the Bullets/Wiz Kids couldn’t always say. But this offseason, general manager Ernie Grunfeld has to make a decision. Should he re-sign Arenas and Jamison, both of which are free agents, or should he take the team in a different direction. Compounding matters, Agent Zero has no agent, and has said that if the Wiz would like to keep him in town, they must first bring back Jamison.

So essentially, Ernie’s looking at this business plan:

1. Re-sign Antawn Jamison.
2. ?
3. Re-sign Gilbert Arenas.

We put the question mark there because nothing is certain with Gilbert. He could wake up tomorrow, decide to flip another coin and take a mid-level exemption to play in Toronto. Seriously, nothing should surprise folks about this guy anymore. And more importantly, what is Big Ern trying to accomplish with this team? If he wants an entertaining team that can make the playoffs, but get bounced in the first round annually, then it makes sense to bring both Arenas and Jamison back. If he plans on actually trying to win a championship … well … this ain’t the team to bet on.

Scanning the pages of the Worldwide Leader in Sports, they’re reporting that the Wiz have basically wrapped up Jamison to a new four-year, $50 million deal. I have no problem with that. On a team of hotdogs and showboats, he’s the voice of reason. He’s the guy who would rather his team do less talking and more winning. A knucklehead like Andray Blatche needs a role model like Jamison in his ear (as opposed to a hooker in his ear). I’m just not sure Arenas is the answer. Call me crazy, but when an entire team plays one way, and the superstar plays another … well, that’s not a good thing. I’d work the phone and pull off a sign and trade with the Clippers for Elton Brand. Both players are in the same salary ballpark and both are coming off of injuries. The difference, Brand gets guaranteed points in the paint – something this team of jump shooters sorely needs.

Arenas is talented, charming and fun to watch, but he’s also a coach’s nightmare. The Clippers aren’t going to win any championships, so he’d be perfect back in California, where he could battle Kobe Bryant and the Lakers for most entertaining act in town. Meanwhile, the Wizards could use Brand and the Wizards players who actually buy into a team concept to try and advance to the second round of the playoffs. It’s so crazy, it just may work.

27Jun

draft recap: the wiz

In basketball by b murf / June 27, 2008 / No Comments

The Washington Wizards used their first round draft pick, 18th overall, to select JaVale McGee, out of Nevada. He’s a seven footer, who weighs in at around 240 lbs., and apparently has the wingspan of a Buick. Doing a little homework, I’ve seen him compared to Portland Trail Blazers forward Channing Frye and Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum, although Bynum outweighs him by roughly 35 lbs.

“Very talented,” said Jay Bilas, when describing McGee during ESPN’s NBA draft coverage. “He’s got good shot mechanics, he can step away and hit the little soft turnaround jumper and he uses the glass really well. He needs to move his feet a little bit better, but he’s got a lot of potential.”

And even though the panel of experts covering the draft considered McGee to the Wiz a little bit of a reach (Chad Ford had him ranked the 26th-best prospect), basketball apologist Michael Wilbon loved the pick. Not surprisingly, I don’t agree with him.

Wilbon wrote that getting a legit big man was priority number one because “anybody who spent any time watching the Washington Wizards over the last four years could see the Wizards weren’t big enough, strong enough or physically tough enough to be a serious playoff contender.”

While McGee excels as a shot blocker, (he told one beat writer, “If I were in a video game right now, shotblocking would be a 90”) one of his biggest weaknesses is his one-on-one defense. On top of that, the words “project” and “raw” are word commonly used to describe McGee.

The Wiz don’t need a guy who can help them three or four years from now. They have a stack of big bodies, including Brendan Haywood, Etan Thomas, Andray Blatche, Darius Songalia and Oleksiy Pecherov. What they need is either a back-up point guard or someone who is an above-average defender (or best-case scenario, a back-up point guard who plays above-average defense). D.C. is full of projects (in more ways than one). They could have done without McGee, who is described by his hometown newspaper as not ready for prime time. Sure, he’s got potential, but as a wise man once told me — “Potential is just another way of sayin’, ain’t done shit yet.”

That nifty photo at the top of this entry is a shot I took earlier this year of Georgetown center Roy Hibbert, who was drafted one spot before the Wizards were on the clock. If the hometown team was going to have to coach up a youngster with potential, it would have been much more enjoyable if it were Hibbert.

(photo by Brian Murphy)