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06Oct

backstrom loves the redskins

In blog, football, hockey by b murf / October 6, 2009 / 1 Comment

(photo by Brian Murphy)

After stomping the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-4 in their home opener, several key members of the Washington Capitals celebrated by attending the Redskins game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the following day.

And since they’re the biggest team in town, Coach Bruce Boudreau, defenseman Mike Green, wing Alex Ovechkin and center Nicklas Backstrom basically took over FedEx Field. Ovechkin, rocking a Chris Cooley jersey, kicked a few fieldgoals during warm-ups. Green and Backstrom (in Jason Campbell and Sean Taylor jerseys, respectively) interviewed ‘Skins players in the post-game locker room. Boudreau? Okay … well, he behaved. But what else would you expect?

Once the Caps players were done with their shenanigans, we (along with the wonderfully talented Dan Steinberg) caught up with Backstrom to get his take on the second most popular Washington sports franchise.

For starters, how did he decide to rock the Taylor jersey?

“Actually, I got Ovie’s,” Backstrom said. “I was sleeping over at Ovie’s house [Saturday] night, so I just got his jersey. I usually wear Santana Moss. He’s a catcher, right?”

Ignoring the obvious follow-up about how often these young superstars have sleepovers, we simply moved on. Does the Swedish forward get into American football?

“Yeah, I do,” he said. “I like football. I like the Redskins. I love the Redskins. I’m a Redskins fan. It’s good for the team and it’s good for the city. We should all cheer for each other.”

Were you familiar with football before you got to D.C.?

“I didn’t know a lot,” Backstrom admitted. “The rules was kind of difficult, but I picked it up and now I know everything. I really like the Redskins and what they do for the city. Hopefully they’ll be good [this year].”

You said you like Moss, what other players are you a fan of?

“I like everyone,” he said, in the most politically correct answer possible. “It’s a team sport, like hockey, so I like everyone. Campbell, Portis, Cooley … I like them all.”

Fans love seeing guys from each of the local sports teams hanging out and supporting each other. It gives a sense that the players are here for more than just a paycheck, right?

“Yeah, I think it’s good too,” he said. “I like living in D.C., and it’s great to be here. This was a great win for the Redskins, and today was perfect. To be here with the players, it’s unbelievable.”

We would have asked Backstrom which team – the Caps or ‘Skins – has a better offense, but we didn’t want to dampen the spirits in the locker room after the win. As Steinberg wrote on his blog, the day ended with Clinton Portis promising Backstrom that he would be in attendance Thursday night when the Capitals host the New York Rangers.

If this actually happens, it will be an absolute joy to hear what the always-eccentric running back has to say afterwards. Who knows? He may once again dream of being on a high-powered offense … even if it means he has to learn to ice skate.

05Oct

offense still missing in action

In blog, football by b murf / October 5, 2009 / 1 Comment

(photo by Brian Murphy)

The Washington Redskins held on to narrowly defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16-13 Sunday. And while the offense was so dreadful for much of the day that the hometown fans booed early and often, sadly, this game actually represented an offensive explosion for the offensively challenged Redskins.

Take a look at the results from the last six games played at FedEx Field, dating back to last season:

Redskins defeat Buccaneers 16-13
Redskins defeat Rams 9-7
Redskins defeat Eagles 10-3
Giants defeat Redskins 23-7
Cowboys defeat Redskins 14-10
Steelers defeat Redskins 23-6

First, the positive – the Redskins defense has allowed just 23 total points in their last three games at FedEx Field. Meanwhile, the Redskins offense has scored just 35 total points over the same span. That’s an average score of 11-7, which is fine if you’re a baseball team. Not so much if you make a living playing football.

The Redskins have a total of five touchdowns in their last six home games. Diving deeper into the numbers, here’s a breakdown of the offensive output during this stretch of futility:

Campbell has just three touchdown passes – connecting with wide out Santana Moss, tight end Chris Cooley and fullback Mike Sellers. Considering two of those came this past weekend, that’s pretty pitiful.
Running back Clinton Portis has one rushing touchdown. So does receiver Devin Thomas.
The rest of the team’s production came courtesy of kicker Shaun Suisham, who has eight fieldgoals. Add in four extra points and Suisham’s 28 points make him the top scorer on the ‘Skins during this timeframe, even if he’s one of the lowest-ranked kickers in the NFL.

We then took things one step further, breaking down the production of Campbell, Portis, Cooley and Moss during this six-game span. The numbers were as ugly as you might expect.

Campbell has completed 122 of 205 pass attempts for 1,156 yards with three touchdowns and seven interceptions. That’s 192 yards per game, with a 59.5 completion percentage and a 65.8 quarterback rating.
Portis has 105 carries for 388 yards and one rushing touchdown. That’s an average of 17.5 carries for 64.6 yards per game (which translates to just under 3.7 yards per carry).
Cooley has 37 catches for 372 yards and a touchdown, which equals six catches for 62 yards per outing. Out of everyone, Cooley is the one guy who comes out of this study looking respectable.
Moss has 21 catches for 235 yards and a touchdown, which equals 3.5 catches for 39 yards per game. Sadly, his 59-yard touchdown catch against Tampa Bay surpasses his total receiving yards for any of the other five games during this span. Without it, Moss would have just 20 catches for 176 yards (which equals less than 30 yards per game).

This is the point where we remind folks that Jim Zorn was first hired as an up-and-coming offensive coordinator. Just 15 days later, the Redskins front office then promoted him to head coach. He was specifically brought in because management felt he would be the guy who could help Campbell develop into a solid NFL quarterback.

And yet, 20 games into his coaching career, the Redskins offense has arguably regressed.

The party line in the locker room Sunday was “a win is a win.” But it’s foolish not to notice just how easily this team could be 0-6 at home during this span, if not for above average play from the defense. Fact: the Redskins have scored 17 points or less in 13 of the 20 games Zorn has been here for. The bottom line is simple – something needs to change if Zorn and Campbell are going to remain in Washington.

The day he was hired, we were told Zorn was an offensive innovator. It’d be nice to actually see that translate into more than 10 points a game.

05Oct

buccaneers playlist

In blog, football, playlist by b murf / October 5, 2009 / No Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “No Sign of Life” by OK Go

A week after losing to the pitiful Detroit Lions, the Washington Redskins returned to FedEx Field for a matchup with the rebuilding Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While the Lions had history on their side – namely the second-longest losing streak in NFL history – the Bucs might actually be the worse team this season.

One week ago, Tampa Bay got beat down by the New York Giants 24-0 in a game so ugly that they didn’t even get a first down until the third quarter. We’ll say it again – no first downs for an entire half of football.

Most teams would absolutely relish the chance to beat up on a bad Buccaneers squad, but this game was viewed entirely different in D.C.

A win was absolutely mandatory, because a loss meant that the wheels had officially come off the 2009 season. Had the ‘Skins lost, things would have reached a low usually reserved for Steve Spurrier or Richie Petitbon. Conversations wouldn’t focus on “if” head coach Jim Zorn and quarterback Jason Campbell were going to be run out of town, but “when.”

So what happened? Campbell fumbled on the opening drive and Tampa Bay immediately capitalized – with some nobody rookie quarterback named Josh Johnson connecting on an eight-yard pass to a formerly relevant wide out named Antonio Bryant to give the Bucs a 7-0 lead just two minutes into the game. Once again the Redskins went out of their way to ensure an inferior opponent was in the game from the outset.

No sense doing anything the easy way. The rest of the first half was even worse. The Redskins had a total of six possessions in the first half and they resulted in three punts and three Campbell turnovers. The Redskins had just 99 yards of total offense at the half and for the first time, we seriously thought that Zorn should consider bringing in backup Todd Collins to try and get something going. Thankfully, it didn’t have to come to that.

2. “Adrenaline!” by The Roots

With the Redskins offense missing in action, the team needed someone – anyone – to step up and make a play. That’s when cornerback DeAngelo Hall made the biggest play of the season for the ‘Skins. Johnson dropped back on third down and floated a pass down the right sideline. As soon the ball left Johnson’s hand, Hall broke away from his man and dropped back into coverage to intercept the pass and set up Campbell and the offense with good field position.

Washington had the ball three times in the third quarter and put points on the board each possession. Campbell, the same guy who warranted being benched in the first half, completed seven of nine passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns in the third quarter. But the numbers don’t even do Campbell justice, because both of his touchdown passes were big-time completions.

The first, a rare redzone score, was threaded perfectly to tight end Chris Cooley in traffic. The second, was a 59-yard bomb that hit wide out Santana Moss in stride as he raced down the right sideline for the winning touchdown. A 10-0 dud was suddenly 16-10, with all momentum securely in favor of the burgundy and gold.

3. “We Made You” by Eminem

If the Redskins are smart, Vinny Cerrato will be on the phone first thing Monday morning attempting to trade for Tampa Bay cornerback Aqib Talib. That’s because the Kansas product intercepted three Campbell passes on the day. To put that in perspective, the only person who caught more passes from Campbell Sunday was Cooley, who had five catches for 65 yards.

Sure, the Redskins had a chance to draft Talib during the 2008 NFL Draft before the Bucs ultimately chose him with the 20th pick. But they don’t like using the draft anyways, so why not offer a handful of draft picks and convert the guy to receiver? He’s already caught three passes from Campbell this year, which is one less than the production of tight end Fred Davis and receiver Devin Thomas combined. We’d say more on the subject, but honestly, we just threw up a little.

4. “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion

As if the Redskins weren’t facing enough adversity, the team was dealt a sucker punch when 2009 MVP Hunter “The Punter” Smith was forced to leave the game with strained groin after his first punt of the day. Which meant kicker Shaun “Shazam” Suisham was called into duty on his behalf, and while his numbers were anything but spectacular – three punts for an average of 26.7 yards and a long of just 32 – his performance was huge. Especially when you find out Suisham last punted in a game situation back in high school.

So yeah, while we despise Celine Dion, we hear Canadians love her. And since the Canadian kicker got the job done when the team needed someone from the bullpen, we’ll turn the volume down a little and let him enjoy his national anthem.

5. “Bouncin’ Back” by Mystikal

This was not a great week for safety Chris “The Predator” Horton. First, he becomes the fallguy for the team’s disappointing start and gets pulled from the starting lineup in favor of Reed Doughty. Then, some jackass fan who writes a blog on Horton’s website thought it was appropriate to call out defensive coordinator Greg Blache, defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth and Hall. Nevermind the fact that we’re completely convinced Haynesworth is unstable. An athlete (not named Terrell Owens) never calls out a teammate. And sure, the guy who wrote this is a nobody … but he wrote it on Horton’s site. Which makes Horton look bad.

So yeah, this was not the best week ever for “The Predator.”

And even though he played less snaps than usual, Horton made his time on the field count. And for the second-straight home game, when the Redskins needed one play to preserve the victory, Horton stepped up. Defensive lineman Jeremy Jarmon stripped the ball loose from Tampa Bay running back Clifton Smith and Horton dove on the ball. Game. Set. Match.

At this point, the Redskins have two legitimate playmakers in the secondary – Horton and Hall. When either is near the ball, good things happen. And the more plays Horton makes, the harder it’ll be for coaches to keep him off the field.

02Oct

steckel ready to break out

In blog, hockey by b murf / October 2, 2009 / No Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

Washington Capitals center David Steckel ranked in the top five in the NHL last season in faceoff percentage – winning 57.9 of the draws he took. He’s made a living on coach Bruce Boudreau’s checking line and as one of the team’s most trusted penalty killers.

But hockey fans saw a new side of the 6-foot-5 center during the team’s postseason run, scoring several key goals – including the overtime winner in Game 6 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

It’s no secret we love the way Steckel plays the game. In fact, we singled him out as a potential breakout player in our season preview earlier this week. With that in mind, we caught up with the 27-year-old on the eve of the season opener to make sure he makes us look good.

Be honest, how excited are you to get back out on the ice and make a run at the Stanley Cup?

“I’m really excited,” he said. “It’s been a really long summer and all of our guys worked hard in the offseason because we’ve got something to prove this year. I think we’re all really looking forward to Thursday night.”

You had a very strong postseason – winning seemingly every faceoff you took and adding a scoring touch to your arsenal. What are you going to do for an encore?

“I’m just trying to keep the momentum going and build off of it,” Steckel said. “We had great chemistry with our line [of Steckel, Brooks Laich and Matt Bradley] and individually, I had some success scoring goals. I’m going to get a shot with the third line this year, so I want to make sure I keep it and be an asset to this team.”

We’ve been talking you up for a while, so it was nice of you to make us look good.

(Laughs). “Yeah, and I want to build off that and prove to people that I am that kind of player,” he said. “I’m not just defensive minded.”

Could you talk to us about the new guys – Mike Knuble and Brendan Morrison – and what you’ve seen from them so far?

“They fit right in,” Steckel said. “I wouldn’t classify them as new anymore. It feels like they’ve already been here for a while, so in that sense, they’ve been awesome. They bring to the table a lot of the things we were missing last year and they’re proven NHL players. They’re going to be great for us. They bring great leadership, and it’s always good to have a veteran presence in the locker room.”

What does this team have to do to make it to the next level?

“I think we’re there,” he said. “The first year, the first series against Philly, we were just happy to be there. We had a great run at the end of the year just to make the playoffs. Last year, I thought we had the team and character to do it – I think we all did. This year we’re going in with the mentality that anything less is going to be disappointing. As long as we keep that mindset, I think you’ll see a lot of the same things as last year. And hopefully, with some improvements.”

And on a personal level, what can we expect from you this year?

“Same old stuff,” Steckel said. “Being strong on the penalty kill, great on faceoffs and hopefully chipping in a few more goals this year.”

02Oct

knuble a welcome addition

In blog, hockey by b murf / October 2, 2009 / No Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

Opposing defensemen hate playing against a guy like Mike Knuble.

He’s not brash. He’s not cocky. He’s not flashy. He simply stands in front of the crease and fights for any loose puck that comes his way, kind of like a garbage man on skates.

That’s how the 37-year-old forward has made a living in the NHL. By planting his 6-foot-3, 230-pound frame near the goal and playing power forward. Last season, Knuble scored 27 goals and 20 assists for the Philadelphia Flyers. His goals rarely end up in the highlight reel, but they’re the kind of tallies that win playoff games.

Conveniently for Washington, he’s exactly the kind of player the Capitals lacked one year ago. Led by Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin and Mike Green, the Caps can outskate and outscore most teams in the league. Unfortunately, none of those players really cares to crash the net, which explains why the Capitals’ front office moved quickly to sign the blue-collar free agent.

And judging by the comments from Caps defensemen, they couldn’t be happier to be playing with Knuble instead of against him.

“He’s one of those tough players who always plays in front of the net,” said defenseman Mike Green. “He’s a big guy who plays very solid, so it’s hard to move him. And he’s good with his stick – I think he had 30 goals last year, and I’m sure not very many of them were because he dangled out of the corner and scored. He just battles in front of the net. That’s something we need on this hockey team, and he’s going to bring that element.”

Judging by his preseason production (four goals and one assist), Knuble seems to be fitting in quite nicely, huh?

“He’s going to fit in great,” said defenseman Tom Poti. “He’s a guy I’ve been playing against for a number of years. He’s a hard worker in the corners. He sticks that big body in front of the net and gets a lot of dirty goals. He’s fitting in great with the guys. He’s a veteran in this league, and he’s jelled with the guys in the room. We’re very excited to have him here.”

Green quickly agreed with Poti’s assessment.

“He’s done a good job and you have to give kudos to him,” he said. “It’s always tough coming to a new team because you don’t know what to expect, but he seems to fit right in.”

What’s it like to play against someone like Knuble?

“He makes it tough on the defense,” said Poti. “He’s such a big body and he just plants himself there. He’s a heavy guy and he’s pretty strong, so he’s tough to move in there – especially with the new rules and regulations in the league. You’ve got to let him stand there. He’s a tough guy to play against, but a great guy to have on your team.”

A selfless player like Knuble could potentially flourish alongside guys like Ovechkin and Backstrom, right?

“Oh definitely,” Poti said. “He’s going to park himself in front of the net and teams are going to have to pay attention to him. With the other skill guys moving around making fancy plays and passes and him in front of the net, the goalie isn’t going to see too many shots on net. I’m looking forward to seeing a lot of goals from him and his linemates.”

Knuble has had at least 20 goals and 45 assists in each of his last six seasons. He rarely misses games and logs a ton of minutes every night. Fans anxious to see him in action with the Caps should look no further than the other team’s net. He’ll be there, whether opposing defensemen like it or not.

01Oct

from homer to you (with love)

In blog, murf by b murf / October 1, 2009 / 6 Comments

(courtesy photo)

We wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for the continued support. Our traffic numbers over the last two months have easily eclipsed anything we’d done previously. Additionally, our t-shirt sales continue to far exceed any reasonable expectations and we’re even getting regular comments and feedback on our content. Anyway you look at it, things are going well these days.

In an effort to say thanks to our awesome readers, we’re asking for photos of folks wearing our merchandise. The hope is to add some more photos to the rotation for the Homer store and, if we get enough, to possibly even create a fan page. So if you’ve purchased anything from the store, please email us a photo here.

One final note: we’re now on Twitter. If you’re into that sort of thing, then feel free to add us. If not … nevermind. If we’re out and about in the local sports scene and come across something news worthy – like, say, former NFL linebacker Junior Seau hitting the ice at Caps practice yesterday – we’ll post photos, etc. there.

Thanks again for the support. In a perfect world, we’d buy each of you the beverage of your choice to show our appreciation. Let’s be honest – that’s not going to happen. Instead, enjoy this photo of one of our best-selling shirts.

01Oct

meet brendan morrison

In blog, hockey by b murf / October 1, 2009 / 1 Comment

(AP photo)

The Washington Capitals begin their quest for the franchise’s first-ever Stanley Cup tonight in Boston against the Bruins. While last year’s roster remains largely intact, there are a few new faces in the lineup. With that in mind, we sat down with center Brendan Morrison to help Caps fans get to one of the new guys.

First of all, welcome to Washington. If you could, tell us a little bit about yourself and your game.

“Thanks. I’m excited about being here,” Morrison said. “This is a really good team with a good, young core of guys. I believe this team has a chance to win. Myself? I think I bring a little bit of a veteran presence. On offense, I’m more of a passer than a shooter, but I’m a guy who can finish as well. I like to think I’m solid defensively.

“Throughout my career I’ve been on the powerplay, I’ve killed penalties and I just want to go out and play solid hockey,” he said. “The last few years I’ve had to deal with a lot of injuries. I just want to get back on track, have a good year and help this team win any way I can and have some fun while I’m doing it.”

What, if anything, has coach Bruce Boudreau said to you about your role on the team?

“We’ve had a couple of good talks,” Morrison said. “The key is just being healthy. I told him I do feel healthy. Last season I wasn’t, but I feel good now. He said they expect me to get back to being a guy who is an offensive producer and a guy who is a threat on a nightly basis. I’m all for that and I feel that can definitely happen. I played on some pretty good teams in Vancouver, but this team has the most skill I’ve ever been a part of. I’m going to try and be a leader, as much as I can, and contribute.”

You really think this team is one of the most talented you’ve been a part of?

“Yeah, for sure,” he said. “If you’re talking purely skill-wise, it’s easily at the top – and I haven’t even played a game yet. I’m just watching in practice what these guys can do with the puck and yeah, there’s a lot of skill in this room.”

What you’re saying is it wasn’t a tough choice to come to the Caps in free agency, huh?

“It really wasn’t that difficult of a decision,” Morrison said. “I talked to a few teams on July 1st, but once I heard that Washington was interested, I told my agent, ‘Let’s get something done.’ I like this group. They’re a tough team to play against and for me personally, it’s a great chance for me to come in and play with some really talented wingers. I think their talent level is unparalleled in this league, so it should be fun.”

As a guy who likes to pass, you’ve got no shortage of options in guys like Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Mike Green and others. It’s got to be a good feeling to know you basically just have to look up, see someone in a red sweater and once you make the pass, it’s probably going to earn you an assist, right?

(Laughs). “Yeah. They score a lot of goals, so it should be fun,” Morrison said. “With the addition of Mike Knuble as well, and Brooks Laich has back-to-back 20 goal years, Tomas Fleischmann is another young guy who can score. We’ve definitely got a good mix of guys.”

So what does this team have to do to get to the promise land?

“Well, I think we need to play a few regular season games to see exactly, but offense is no issue,” he said. “We can score goals. I think one thing we can get better at is learning how to win tight games – especially late in games. Instead of always being on the offensive, there’s times when you have to be a little cautious and make the smart play. That’s something you have to learn as a team, and that’s the kind of stuff that could put us over the top.”