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08May

a different side of hall

In blog, football by b murf / May 8, 2009 / 6 Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

Cornerback DeAngelo Hall was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise forgettable season for the Washington Redskins last year. After being run out of Oakland, Hall joined the ‘Skins for the final half of the ’08 season and had an immediate impact – making plays and shutting down opposing receivers. He was a playmaker for a defense that consistently ranks in the top 10, but simply cannot create turnovers.

This February, the 25-year-old was rewarded with a six-year $54 million deal that included $22.5 million in guarantees, guaranteeing he’ll remain in Washington for the foreseeable future.

We decided to catch up with Hall this week to see how he’s feeling knowing he’ll be around a while longer.

Before we get started, we wanted to ask – how was your offseason?

“It was good,” he said. “It was good. I didn’t have too much of an offseason, I’ve been up here all throughout the week working out with the team doing offseason workouts. I try to go home on the weekends to visit my kids and my family, but it’s been good though. So far it’s been all football.”

You told us before last season ended that you wanted to stay here and that’s exactly how things played out. You got a big, new deal so now you’re just going to sit back fat, dumb and happy, right?

(Laughs). “Nah, nah nah … I’m still working,” Hall said. “I think the whole $70 million thing in Oakland and all the success I had so early kind of made me a little bit too cocky, so I think being cut in the middle of the season definitely brings a person down to reality, whether it’s myself or Deion Sanders if he’d have got cut, I think it’d bring him down to reality and make him be a better player. You know, as odd as the whole Oakland situation was, I’m blessed to have gone through it because I’ve learned so much from it. This time around I’m so much more focused and in tune with what I need to do as a player to help my team win and to separate myself as one of the best.”

The other conspiracy theory making the rounds is that you and Carlos Rogers can’t be cool because you got paid and he hasn’t yet. You wanna go ahead and address that one too?

“Nah, we’re best of friends,” he said. “We’re best of friends. Me, him and [Fred] Smoot and I even still talk to Shawn Springs all the time. You know, we all understand the business side of it. Carlos understood what the situation was when I first got here and I understand he’s still, you know, waiting to get paid. I feel like he will get paid. That’s a big part of the reason I came and signed the contract I signed. I felt like we could definitely get him done in a year or so whenever it’s time to get him done, I felt like we could do that and keep this secondary around.”

How comfortable are you here at Redskins Park these days?

“I’m very comfortable,” Hall said. “This is home. It feels like the only jersey I’ve ever worn is this one, so I definitely feel confident and comfortable. I can’t wait to get going and win some games.”

Well if that’s the case, then it’s got to hurt to see a former Virginia Tech teammates like Macho Harris get picked up by a division rival like the Eagles, right?

(Laughs). “A little bit,” he said. “You know I had to make a call to some of those guys up there just to make sure they take care of him, but he’s going to be alright. But to go against him as a divisional foe, I definitely feel a little bit happy about it because I do get to see him twice a year as opposed to being somewhere out west, where I’d never get to see him. I’m definitely happy about that. But trust me, we won’t take it easy on each other.”

How stacked is this defense now that they’ve taken an already talented lineup and added Albert Haynesworth, Brian Orakpo and brought you back into the fold?

“We’ve got a bunch of studs, man,” Hall said. “But we’ve still got to prove it. No matter how good it looks on paper, we’ve still got to go out there and Orakpo has to be able to drop back like a linebacker and then on third down be able to rush the quarterback. Albert still has to get pressure on the quarterback and I have to play like I played in the second half of the season or it doesn’t work. Carlos has to go back to the Pro Bowl level he was playing. With Fred, LaRon [Landry], it’s the same thing. We all still have to go out and do the same things we did. Just because we have different pieces in place doesn’t mean it’s automatically going to work. We still have to go out and give it our all and try to be the best we can.”

If our memory serves us correctly, you got an interception the first quarter of your first game with the Redskins. So we can just pencil you in for another one the first quarter of this season, right?

“Hopefully,” he said. “Especially up in New York. It’s going to be fun, especially against a divisional foe. We’re definitely going to go out there and try to beat them up.”

07May

meet kevin barnes

In blog, football by b murf / May 7, 2009 / 1 Comment

(photo by Brian Murphy)

Yesterday, we brought you our one-on-one interview with the Washington Redskins newest addition to the defensive line, Brian Orakpo. Today, we move on to the next guy selected by the ‘Skins in the 2009 NFL draft, Maryland cornerback Kevin Barnes, who the team used their third round pick on. Much like Fred Smoot, we had a few words in store for the rookie.

How you feeling as you go through your first NFL minicamp?

“I feel okay,” he said. “It’s a little different than college. I’m just going to have to come out and have better practices. I don’t think I did too bad, I just know I can do better.”

What in particular is different?

“Coach [Ralph] Friedgen always held a high tempo practice, so I was pretty prepared for it,” Barnes said. “As far as the route running, the coaches told me to slow down because I was pressing too much. Actually, I just need to slow down myself.”

What are you hoping to get out of minicamp?

“Just learn to defense as much as possible, build a relationship with some of the older guys who can help me out,” he said. “That’s pretty much it.”

Obviously you’re a local guy, so what’s it like knowing you’re going to stay in the area?

“Yeah, I mean I get to stay next to my family, my mom gets to come to every game and I can go back and visit my college teammates too,” Barnes said. “I don’t have to worry about going to a new city and making new friends. All my friends are here, so it’s very pleasant.”

Okay, we heard a nasty rumor. What team did you grow up rooting for?

“Aww man … it depends,” Barnes said, clearly knowing where this conversation was heading. “It’s a tricky question. When I lived in North Carolina, I liked the Cowboys. When I moved up here, I didn’t really follow the Cowboys as much. I was up here watching the Redskins and the NFC East period.”

So what you’re saying is you were a Cowboy fan until someone taught you better than that?

“I mean, kids make mistakes,” he said.

Alright, we can respect that. For those who may not be familiar, what do you bring to the table?

“I’m a ball hawk,” Barnes said. “You know, I play the ball very well. Today, I had to work on some stuff because it’s a different style of play, but I’m a ball hawk, a physical corner who will come up, tackle and give it my all.”

Some folks suggest you might be a little light to be running around throwing your body around like that. What do you say to that?

“It’s all about ‘want to,’” he said. “I feel like if I do that regardless, my teammates will see how small I am and show that much more respect because I am willing to throw my body around in there and I don’t really care.”

Does it get old having everyone call you a YouTube sensation?

“Pretty much, but the draft’s over so it don’t matter too much anymore,” Barnes said. “If people don’t think I’m big enough to hit, that shows it right there.”

06May

alzner talks 12-hour flu

In blog, hockey by b murf / May 6, 2009 / 2 Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

While the rest of the country is stressing over swine flu (something 99.9 percent of the general public won’t actually come anywhere near), two Washington Capitals players were hit hard by another virus.

Defenseman Karl Alzner and Tyler Sloan missed game two of the Hershey Bears series against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins with what is being termed as a “12-hour flu.” They were both pulled from the Bears lineup with this mysterious illness and yet, seemed much healthier a day later when they were both called up to the Capitals.

Since this virus isn’t very common, we decided to track down Alzner and learn more.

Hey Karl, can you tell us about this 12-hour flu?

(Laughs). “Yeah, it’s just … um … it just came out of nowhere, hit us pretty hard and then just disappeared,” Alzner said.

All things considered, you’re looking pretty good …

“Yeah, I hide it well,” he said, still laughing. “I just pretend like I don’t have the flu and just keep on going and it seems to work out.”

Because of an injury to John Erskine, Tyler Sloan got into the lineup today and handled himself pretty well, right?

“Definitely,” he said. “I’m happy for him because I want him to play well and do well for the team. Talking to him after the game it’s just like everyone says, as soon as you get your first couple shifts in it becomes easy. He played great and got his first point in his first game. I’m really happy for him and can’t wait to talk to him about it more.”

What did coach Bruce Boudreau say to you before the game about his decision to go with Tyler in the lineup over you?

“He didn’t really say the reasoning or anything like that,” Alzner said. “I don’t really want to ask him about it.”

Did you take the warm-up skate knowing you weren’t going to play?

“Yeah, I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to play,” he said. “They write the lines on the board and my number was in brackets, so I kind of put it together that I wasn’t going to play. I knew pretty early.”

So where did you watch the game at?

“I watched from the gym, the training room and the zamboni gates,” Alzner said. “I wanted to work out first. Then I watched a little with the training staff while I was getting my suit on. Then I watched in the family lounge with my girlfriend who’s here right now and then I watched from the zamboni just to see how loud it really was out there.”

How loud was it?

“Very, very loud,” he said. “With the ‘unleash the fury,” I timed it perfectly so I could come out and see that and it was good. It hurts the ears. I’d never been to an NHL playoff games until tonight, this was my first one, but it was incredibly loud.”

Well, rest up and get healthy so you’ll be ready to go if the Caps need you. You never know when this 12-hour flu might strike again.

06May

meet brian orakpo

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

(photo by Brian Murphy)

When the Washington Redskins used their first-round selection in the NFL draft on someone other than USC quarterback Mark Sanchez, ‘Skins fans rejoiced. The fact that the team ended up with one of the most dominant defensive players in college football, Brian Orakpo out of the University of Texas, was almost too good to be true. Instead of bringing in a name player at a position which shouldn’t be a priority, the Redskins walked away with a multi-talented playmaker who can get sacks and also drop back into coverage.

We tracked down Orakpo at last weekend’s minicamp to see how he’s adjusting to his first week as an NFL player.

So, it’s finally here and you’re taking part in your first minicamp. How you feeling?

“I’m feeling good,” Orakpo said. “I missed on a couple of my assignments, but that’s just the nature of the game. I know I can get better, but so far it’s been pretty good.”

When the Redskins released the roster sheet for this weekend one of the sides lists you at defensive end while the other calls you a linebacker. Is it safe to say they’re expecting a lot from you?

“Yeah, it’s like getting it all in one,” he said. “We’re just seeing where I fit right now and I’m just going with it.”

What’s the biggest change from your typical college practice to an NFL minicamp?

“Everything is much faster paced,” Orakpo said. “Even though you’re in shorts and jerseys it’s still faster paced. You have to get to your marks and go. It ain’t tippy toeing or nothing like that. Everything is full go.”

So is your head swimming while you adjust to everything?

“I’m kind of grasping it, you know,” he said. “I’m getting used to it and as the days go on, I’ll continue to get used to the speed and everything. I’m pretty good right now and I’m getting used to the learning curve.”

What do you hope to accomplish during this minicamp?

“Just to get better, man,” Orakpo said. “I’m just trying to be a complete football player and do whatever I can to get better and stay on the football field and win ball games.”

And the fact that you were already a Redskin back in high school. That just makes this that much cooler for you, right?

“Oh yeah,” he said. “It’s ironic, like I said. Once a Redskin, always a Redskin.”

Keep talking like that and you won’t have any problems surviving in this town, kid.

05May

keep your fingers crossed

In blog, hockey by b murf / May 5, 2009 / 2 Comments

(photo by Nick Wass)

If you’re a Washington Capitals fan, there’s a lot to like so far about this second-round matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins. For starters, Simeon Varlamov continues to give every indication that he’s the team’s goalie for the next decade – even if he’s played in less than 20 career NHL games.

With Varlamov playing at a level Caps fans haven’t seen since Olaf Kolzig led Washington to it’s one and only Stanley Cup finals back in ’98, it’s also made the rest of the team more confident. The defensemen, even when a minor league call up like Tyler Sloan is thrust into the mix, are no longer seen as a liability. Everyone knows Mike Green, but even on a night like last night when Green was off, the rest of the guys were able to pick up the slack. Milan Jurcina hits anything and everything near the net these days while Sloan and Brian Pothier, two unheralded defensemen if ever they existed, both picked up assists last night.

The line of Brooks Laich, Matt Bradley and David Steckel continues to make things happen. On a night when Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, two of the league’s biggest stars, registered their first career playoff hat tricks, Steckel was the only other player to find the back of the net. Not Alexander Semin. Not Evgeni Malkin. David Steckel. The guy who had all of eight goals during the regular season now has goals in both games against the Penguins.

And with all that being said, here’s the kicker – the Capitals still haven’t played a complete game yet this series. In the first game they started slow, gave up a goal to Crosby in the first five minutes and then slowly woke up and realized a playoff game was going on. Thanks to some unreal goaltending by Varlamov they were able to scrape together enough to steal a victory. After game one, Steckel even said that this team needs to stop “getting behind the eight ball” early in games and have a stronger showing early on in games. So what happens in game two?

The Caps stumble out the gate yet again and go down 1-0 in the first and then 2-1 in the second period. Not exactly what the guys had in mind. But as the game went on, the Capitals again were able to pick up their level of intensity and made plays when they needed them. The Caps have now won a franchise-record five-straight games, taking a two-games-to-none lead on Pittsburgh in the process.

In the early stages of round one against the New York Rangers, the Capitals couldn’t put together a complete game and lost the first two games of the series. This time around, less than their best is still somehow good enough to get the job done. It’s scary to think what will happen if/when the team shows up from the very first drop of the puck and skates for a complete 60 minutes. They’ve got enough talent and seemingly enough playoff experience now to know how to win playoff hockey.

“We’ve got the guys who never quit,” said coach Bruce Boudreau in his post-game press conference. “Not only the Alexes and Nick [Backstrom] and that, but the other guys that I’ve coached in the minors, never quit when we were down. They’ve been down numerous times in championship games and they’ve come back. I’m pretty sure of their character and I know they would never quit.

“They’ve never failed to come back yet, so far, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed,” Boudreau said.

Meanwhile, leave it to the biggest star on the hottest team in hockey to put it all in perspective for us.

“It’s unbelievable when we play against great players and you win the game like this,” Ovechkin said. “If I was a Capitals fan, I’d be really happy right now.”

04May

no sophomore slump

In blog, football by b murf / May 4, 2009 / 2 Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

It could be argued that the two biggest focal points on the Washington Redskins roster this season are quarterback Jason Campbell and wide receiver Devin Thomas. After an offseason where management repeatedly tried to replace him, it goes without saying folks around town will be watching to see how Campbell responds.

As far as Thomas goes, well … after the ‘Skins traded out of the first round a season ago, Thomas became Washington’s de facto first rounder, and fair or not, fans expected more than 15 catches for 120 yards in his inaugural campaign.

We caught up with Thomas on day one of minicamp to see how he’s handling the criticism and to see what he’s got in store for ‘Skins fans for his sophomore season.

It’s only the first day of camp and some fans are already whispering that you look like you’ve bulked up since last season. What’s really going on?

“I’m just doing NFL workouts, man,” he said. “Instead of training for 40 times and stuff like that, I’m dedicating myself to just focusing on the field and building my strength in my arms, legs and everything. So far I feel like it’s paying off.”

What’s the biggest difference between last year’s minicamp and this year’s?

“I’m just really comfortable,” Thomas said. “I’m laid back and trying to enjoy everything. I know what’s expected, I’ve just got to perform. I’ve got to be precise in my technique and things I’m doing on the field. I’m trying to be more ‘on point’ with my routes. I slipped a couple times today and it was upsetting, you know, when you make mistakes, because you’re trying to be perfect in practice.”

Yeah, about that … we need to talk. You’re not even in pads yet and you and DeAngelo Hall got tangled up out there on a play and you were slow to get up. You’re making us nervous. This is day one of minicamp. How about you tone it done a little bit for now, big guy?

(Laughs). “I hear you, man,” he said. “I got D-Hall earlier on a deep ball in the first practice and we threw another one at him in the second practice and he contested it. I had a second chance to catch it and he basically dove through me to block it like we were in a game. We both hit the ground and I took the rougher end of it, but I’m alright.”

[Editor’s note: Maybe not. Thomas ended up missing the last two days of minicamp with a tweaked hamstring.]

We know you’ve heard the criticisms about you and Malcolm Kelly after your rookie season. How do you take it when you hear folks already rushing to judge you so quickly into your career?

“You know, I actually like it,” Thomas said. “It’s funny to me because I’m used to the criticism and people doubting what I can do or projecting me to not be able to emerge from this. I’ve been called a ‘one-year wonder’ and all that after college, but I just have to come out my second year and do what I’ve got to do. I’ve been dealing with this since I was little, so it’s nothing new to me. It takes a little bit for me to get going and to bust out, but that’s what people can expect from me this year.”

From where we’re sitting, this offense has a quarterback in Jason Campbell and a receiver named Devin Thomas who all eyes are focused on …

“Trust me, when we were both going through our offseason, we got together and talked about everything we were both going through,” he said. “Through our workouts and even one-on-one we built that same mindset together. I’m sure it’s going to carry over onto the field this season. He’s doing really good and he’s so focused that I know he’s just ready to burst out get the season started.”

04May

the save

In blog, hockey by b murf / May 4, 2009 / No Comments

(photo by Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Until now, recent Washington Capitals history had provided fans with just one epic highlight.

Simply known as “the goal,” Alex Ovechkin’s effort against the Phoenix Coyotes his rookie season will always have a place in the hearts and minds of Caps fans because of the sheer degree of difficulty.

After being knocked down by defenseman Paul Mara and while sliding on his back and facing away from the net, Ovechkin was able to hook the puck with one hand on his stick and somehow slide it into the net past goalie Brian Boucher for one of the most unique goals ever scored in hockey history.

Well, after game one of the Capitals series against the Pittsburgh Penguins has added a second highlight. You can simply call this one “the save.”

With the game tied at 2-2 in the second period, Capitals goalie Simeon Varlamov made a desperate diving stick save that robbed Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby of a layup in a game the Caps ultimately held on to win 3-2. Varlamov made 34 saves on the day, but none were bigger and more memorable than this one.

“There was no other option left to me,” Varlamov said through an interpreter. “I had to just play it with my stick. There was nothing else I could do and frankly, if he put the puck anywhere else, it would have been in the net. I guess it was lucky.”

Was this the best save of your career?

“I’d say yes, it’s one of the best,” Varlamov said. “Especially considering the kind of game it was, in the NHL playoffs. I haven’t made any saves like this before. The way the game went, it was a very important save. The score was 2-2 and if they scored a third goal, then you know how it would go on.”

Giving up a goal to Crosby in the first couple minutes of the game could have rattled a 21-year-old goalie, right?

“Yeah, the first goal could have rattled a 21-year-old goalie and the second goal could have killed a 21-year-old goalie,” Varlamov said. “But this is the playoffs. You can’t dwell on your mistakes. You’ve got to forget them quickly.”

Strong words from a guy who has now played in more career NHL postseason games than regular season games (seven to six). But what did everyone else think of “the save?”

“It was a great save,” said Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau. “There’s no doubt. Goalies are taught never give up. You look at all the great goalies that are in hockey nowadays. No matter where the play is, they never give up. They keep fighting. And that’s the only way the [Martin] Brodeurs, the Tim Thomases and the [Roberto] Luongos look like they make great saves, it’s because they never quit on the puck. It was obviously a turning point because they would have had the lead and we would have had to play catch up.”

Penguins Head Coach Dan Bylsma was also asked for comment on the play of the game.

“From our perspective at the bench there was a lot of bodies in front of us,” Bylsma said. “You could kind of see that there was probably an open net. Then we saw the replay on the jumbotron. He made a spectacular save. There was an open cage and I think Sidney [Crosby] was on his backhand and he [Varlamov] put his stick back there and got it right on the goal line.”

But enough about Pittsburgh. No one really cares what they have to say. Let’s hear from some of Varlamov’s teammates.

“Yeah, that was awesome,” said forward David Steckel. That was the turnaround save for us. Because I thought up to that point they were really working us down low and we had no answer. He bounced back from, probably what he would say was a soft goal, so he did great tonight.”

Seriously, guys, how the hell did Varlamov keep that puck out of the net?

“I don’t know how he can get the puck, it’s hard to say,” said center Nicklas Backstrom. “It’s amazing and that reaction he has all the time, that’s pretty amazing of him. Hopefully he can keep doing it and we can win some games.”

Nicky, it’s okay to get a little fired up about it. Anyone wanna show Backstrom how it’s done?

“I was stunned,” said forward Brooks Laich. “I was like ‘Oh my God.’ I was amazed. I saw Crosby shoot and I was like ‘Aw that’s in,’ then he just reaches back and grabs it and the whole bench was like ‘Wow, that’s our break, let’s get going, we got to smarten up and play better.’ Incredible.”

Much better. We’ve saved one last perspective on “the save.”

“Yeah but I try to forget them though,” Crosby said when asked about Varlamov absolutely stoning him. “I don’t need to discuss them (the big stops). You don’t want to waste those opportunities. You want to take advantage of it. You end up losing the game 3-2 and you don’t want to look back and say, ‘What if?’ The fact is, that happens in the game. As a player you have to forget that quickly.”

Crosby might try to forget Varlamov’s heroic effort from game one, but trust us when we say that it’s a play Caps fans will remember for a long, long time.