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02Dec

better late than never

In blog, football by b murf / December 2, 2008 / No Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

September 21, 2008 was the happiest day of Devin Thomas’ short professional football career. He had just finished high stepping to the endzone to cap a 68-yard touchdown play only to find out that it didn’t count because of an ill-timed penalty by teammate Stephon Heyer half a football field away. Although the rookie wide receiver’s highlight-worthy play was taken away from him, the Washington Redskins were still able to defeat the Arizona Cardinals 24-17.

Fast forward to November 30, 2008. Although Thomas was held without a catch for the sixth time this season, the 23-7 loss to the New York Giants will be a game the Michigan State product won’t soon forget.

On first and 10 from the Giants 29-yard-line, Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell took the snap and tossed the ball to running back Ladell Betts, who was racing to the left. Simultaneously, Thomas reversed back from the left towards Betts, who handed him the ball. After key blocks by Campbell and wide out Santana Moss, Thomas was able to outrun the rest of the Giants defense who had over pursued Betts and lunged into the endzone for the first touchdown of his NFL career. Everything about the play was perfect … except for one small detail. In all the excitement Thomas somehow misplaced the ball. Luckily, a Redskins staff member found the ball and tucked it into the rookie’s locker.

“It feels great, man,” Thomas said with a smile after the game. “I just realized someone put the ball in [my locker] for me. I thought I had lost it and its back, so I’m happy with that.”

Now that you’ve got the ball again, where is it going to end up?

“In my trophy case,” he said. “My first touchdown, it’ll go right on the mantle over the fire place.”

What other souvenirs or memorabilia do you have there?

“Everything else, my dad’s got,” Thomas said. “I’m still trying to build my resume in the NFL.”

Walk us through the play. It looked like you really had to fight those last five yards to make it in the endzone.

“Right,” he said. “It was so wide open, the only guy that was left was that DB and I’m seeing ‘Tana blocking him and I had two ways to go. I’m thinking, ‘Do I want to go up the middle or move it outside? Okay, ‘Tana is doing a good job. I gotta make a decision. Okay, I’ll take it outside.’

Although this was the first time Thomas had had the chance to recount the story of his first touchdown, he already sounded like a veteran story teller.

“Santana looked like he tried to chop him and the guy was going down and went for my legs,” he continued. “All I’m thinking is, ‘Man, if I get tripped up on the five or four or something,’ so I put the stiff arm out there and started stumbling. I just decided to dive for it and made it into the endzone. I would have done anything – barrel rolled or anything – to get in there. So it felt good.”

What do you say to the people who continue to voice their displeasure with the lack of production from the Redskins’ three rookie pass catchers?

“People gotta understand, we’ve got a lot of explosive players on this offense,” he said. “You’ve got [tight end Chris] Cooley. You’ve got Santana. You’ve got a lot of veterans. Coach is steady trying to put me, Malcolm [Kelly] and Fred [Davis] in there somehow. It’s tough, especially when you’re calling plays and things ain’t going the way they’re supposed to. We’ve got to be patient and the fans do too.”

If this offense has all those weapons, then where are all the points?

“Exactly,” he said. “That’s the hard thing about it. We’ve got so much firepower, so it’s like ‘Why aren’t we putting points on the scoreboard?’ We’re still working on that and everybody is wondering what’s going on, but it’s going to come together some way or somehow. It’s got to. We’ve got everyone motivated. We’ve got enough talent. We’ve just got to find a way to make it happen.”

It might have taken two months longer than he wanted, but Thomas is finally contributing to this offense. As he continues to grow in this offense and gain the coaching staff’s trust, Thomas can only expect to become more and more involved. Hopefully he can develop into a reliable option to compliment Cooley and Moss. Then maybe he can add a couple more collectables to that mantle above the fire place.

01Dec

giants playlist

In blog, football, playlist by b murf / December 1, 2008 / 1 Comment

(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “Welcome to the Cruel World” by Ben Harper

In high school or college the home team always has the benefit of scheduling some cream puff for homecoming. Unfortunately, teams don’t have the same abilities when it comes to scheduling in the NFL, so the Washington Redskins had to face the best team in the league, the New York Giants when it came time to honor the one-year anniversary of the death of Sean Taylor.

Even though the weather was less than ideal, everything leading up to the game was perfect. Injured players such as running back Clinton Portis, middle linebacker London Fletcher and defensive end Andre Carter were all deemed healthy enough to play. Hall of Fame head coach Joe Gibbs was back in town for the first time since he retired, and so was the entire Taylor family. Not only did the team honor Taylor by adding his name to the Ring of Fame, but they also had a video tribute and presented his parents with a commemorative plaque.

By the time they announced Taylor in the starting lineup and Portis came out with a flag honoring his fallen teammate, we were pumped up enough to strap on the pads and take on the Giants. But as you know by now, things went downhill fast once the game began.

Giants head coach Tom Coughlin’s gameplan was to come out aggressive and try to knock the wind out of an emotional Redskins team early, and his team executed perfectly. A couple of clutch third down conversions by the formerly unreliable Eli Manning and suddenly the ‘Skins talented defense was on its heels. By the time Manning connected with wide out Armani Toomer for a perfectly-executed 40-yard strike, the game was pretty much over. The only way the Redskins could win was to keep it a low scoring affair. The Giants driving down the field with ease on their first drive was exactly what couldn’t happen and meant an unfitting ending to what should have been a day of celebration.

2. “Give It Away” by Red Hot Chili Peppers

While few reasonable people expected the team to win today, there are still several reasons for concern following this 23-7 loss. This offense is officially in a drought. Not since the Arizona and New Orleans games has this team had much success driving up and down the field and finishing drives. This offense, for whatever reason, is only good in spurts. They’ll put together half a drive, only to shoot themselves (sorry Plaxico) in the foot. It’s difficult to fathom an offense jumping out the gate with a rookie head coach early and then falling apart as the team has more time to get the subtle nuances down, but for whatever reason, that’s where we are.

Portis had just 22 yards on 11 carries. Campbell threw for 232 yards with no touchdowns and one pick. He was also sacked four times (twice by Renaldo Wynn, who the ‘Skins discarded ages ago). Tight end Chris Cooley had six catches for 71 yards, but he was the only player involved in the passing game to earn his paycheck on this day.

3. “Gimme Some More” by Busta Rhymes

The only highlights on this day were cornerback DeAngelo Hall picking off his second pass in three games and rookie wide out Devin Thomas scoring his first NFL touchdown. That’s it.

Hall should have had his third interception for the Redskins, but teammate Shawn Springs (whose normal gameday routine includes civilian clothes and a seat on the bench) collided into him when he was about to reel the ball in. The Giants ended up punting anyways and the ‘Skins offense had given no sign that they would have been able to do anything with the shorter field, but it would have been nice to have at least three plays to feel good about.

4. “Long Road” by Pearl Jam

So here we are, praying this team catches fire in December for the third time in four years. This locker room has shown they play their best when their backs are absolutely against the proverbial wall, which is where they currently stand. Realistically, there is only one spot left to claim in the NFC playoff race. If they can’t grab the sixth seed, they’ll be home come January. That means they absolutely need to win at least three out of their final four games. Can they do it? History says yes. Us? Well, we’re not so sure this time around.

5. “One Shot 2 Shot” by Eminem (featuring D12)

You didn’t think we were going to do a recap and not mention Plaxico Burress, did you? Seriously, what the hell was he thinking? (Other than possibly, “Oh shit, I just shot myself in the thigh!”) The Giants have been more than gracious to the troubled receiver this year, opting to try and sweep countless fines and incidents under the rug in attempts to deal with the diva internally. Of course, blowing off team meetings is one thing. Firing a weapon off in a crowded nightclub is another. This is clearly a cry for help (or he could simply be crying because there’s a bullet in his thigh. It’s hard to say).

All we know is, Burress will likely be charged with felony possession of a firearm and felony reckless endangerment to go along with his self-inflicted wounds. Once the season is over, assuming Burress somehow avoids jail time, he’ll most likely have to seek a new place of employment because the Giants organization is clearly moving in a different direction than Plaxico.

01Dec

lasting impression

In blog, football by b murf / December 1, 2008 / No Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

Prior to kickoff of the Washington Redskins game against the New York Giants yesterday, former safety Sean Taylor was inducted as the 43rd member in the Redskins’ Ring of Fame.

The ceremony featured a video tribute and messages from former teammates, as well as comments from Taylor’s family and the presentation of commemorative plaques to his family members. Sean’s father, Pedro Taylor, and mother, Donna Junor, were there, as well as countless other family members. But the lasting impression from yesterday’s ceremony was seeing the face of Taylor’s two-year-old daughter Jackie light up while in the arms of her mother, Jackie Garcia, as she recognized her father during the video tribute.

28Nov

predator gives thanks

In blog, football, predator by b murf / November 28, 2008 / No Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

It’s common knowledge at this point that we here at Homer McFanboy have officially adopted Washington Redskins rookie safety Chris “The Predator” Horton.

So when we were wandering around the ‘Skins locker room searching for opinions on the sheer thought of quarterback Jason Campbell attempting to play hockey, we inevitably ended up checking in with Horton.

First things first, Ashford, Virginia? What’s going on here, Chris?

“I might have said Ashburn and my guy just wrote it wrong,” he said.

Do we need to get you a proof reader or something? We like the idea of you having a blog and think it could be a good way for folks to get to know you better …

“It really is,” Horton said. “I’m really sorry about that. I should have caught that.”

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way – what kind of hockey player would Jason Campbell be?

“I don’t know,” he said laughing. “He is from Mississippi, and they don’t do too much hockey down there. They probably don’t even have a team that far down south. It’ll probably turn out pretty bad for him. Just make sure there are some trainers there.”

Let’s turn the tables, what other sports can you hold your own in?

“I like to say I’m alright in volleyball,” he said. “Beach volleyball.”

Would you wear the short shorts?

“I could come out there in Speedos, if you wanted me to,” said Horton. “That’s just my personality. I could do a little bit of slow-pitch softball. None of that fast stuff. I like to say I’m a pretty good swimmer. I had a lot of good friends on the swim team when I was in college. I can compete in the backstroke, freestyle, anything.”

We’re hearing a lot of fringe sports. Guess you’re not trying to score an invite out to try hockey with Jason, huh?

“I’m not a big hockey fan,” Horton admitted. “Although I did learn what a hat trick was recently, after the Saints game. Its three goals in a row. I just found out what that was from coach [Greg] Blache. He dropped that on me in the middle of the game. He came up to me and said ‘You’ve got two [turnovers], you need a hat trick.’”

Any other sports you wanna let folks know you’re good at?

“I’m not a big fan of basketball,” he said.

UCLA is a pretty big basketball school, right?

“Yeah, but I’m too aggressive,” Horton said. “I’m too physical for basketball. It’s a soft sport. You get touched and it’s a foul. I like to play sports where there’s no penalties or where you can just blow people up. Oh, and I ran track.”

Did you know that both Santana Moss and Clinton Portis are accomplished track stars? Moss could have qualified for the Olympics, but opted to stick with football at the University of Miami and Portis was on a record-setting relay team in high school. Can you take either one of them?

“Probably not in the 100 or 200, but I think I could take these guys in the 400 [meter relay],” Horton said.

And as we were getting ready to take off, Horton stopped us. He wanted to give us a message to pass on to our neighbor kid.

“Hey Kurt, I’d just like to say that I’ve been giving you props where they’re due for that nickname,” Horton said of “The Predator” label. “It’s become a big hit and I really appreciate it. I’m taking it and running with it.”

28Nov

campbell and the caps

In blog, football, hockey by b murf / November 28, 2008 / No Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

Last week we chatted with Washington Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell about his unlikely hockey fandom. A few days later, Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis followed our post up by inviting Campbell to come out and skate with the team. So we figured we should be the ones to let Campbell know about the owner’s gracious offer and see if he’d actually be willing to do it after his football season concluded.

“I might take that offer up,” he said. “They’d have to teach me how to skate though. I’ve never skated.”

They’ll take it easy on you your first time out there, right?

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Campbell said. “They can’t hit me. That’s a violation.”

Can you hit them?

“If it’s the offseason, then I’m not supposed to be getting hit. I’m supposed to be recovering,” he said. “If I can’t stop and we just accidentally hit each other, then I’ll have to deal with it.”

From there, we figured we should ask a few of Campbell’s teammates what visions come to mind when picturing their franchise quarterback attempting to skate/play hockey for the first time in his life. Predictably, each player we talked to cracked up before actually attempting to answer the question.

“He’d be a goalie – because he probably can’t skate,” said tackle Jon Jansen, who knows a thing or two about cold weather sports having attended college at the University of Michigan. “I hope he does well. I hope he doesn’t hurt himself out there.”

Is he at least athletic enough to go out there and not embarrass himself?

“Oh, I’m sure he’d do fine,” Jansen said. “It’s not that hard. As long as his ankles are strong enough, he’ll be fine.”

We were greeted with more of the same confused looks and laughter as we headed to the other side of the locker room.

“Jason skating,” asked defensive tackle Anthony Montgomery with a laugh. “I can envision him falling a lot, man. If I had my way, I wouldn’t let him do it. That’s our starting quarterback and I don’t want to risk him getting injured.”

Let’s say we could get him out there and be guaranteed he’d get through it injury free. What kind of hockey player would Campbell be?

“Jason’s a real calm guy,” said Montgomery, who like Jansen, is familiar with cold weather sports thanks to his time at the University of Minnesota. “If he’s doing good or doing bad he’s got the same look on his face. I just don’t think he’d be aggressive enough [to play hockey]. Somebody smack him up against the glass or try to fight or something like that, I don’t think Jason would take part in that. I’m not saying he’s a coward or anything like that. Hockey’s just a real aggressive sport.”

Rounding out our informal poll of Redskins players, we figured we had to stop by the residential Canadian, kicker Shaun Suisham. On a hunch, we figured if anyone in the locker room knew hockey, it’d be Shazam. Turns out, we guessed right.

“I was at every home playoff game but one last season,” Suisham said. “I’ve really become a Capitals fan. I’ve only had the opportunity to get out to one game this year, but it’s a great game.”

What is it about the sport of hockey that appeals to you?

“I grew up playing hockey,” said Suisham, who manned the blueline as a defender back in the day. “I started skating at three. Football was kind of my ticket to school and all of that, but I played hockey all the way up until I left for football.”

Hypothetically speaking, what kind of hockey player would Jason Campbell be?

“Oh, I don’t think he’d be very good,” Suisham said. “He’s pretty good at what he does, but I wouldn’t think he’d be very good at skating if he’s never skated before.”

What advice would you give to Campbell if/when he gets out there?

“Hold onto the boards,” Suisham said.

27Nov

21

In blog, football by b murf / November 27, 2008 / No Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

In addition to Thanksgiving, today sadly marks the one-year anniversary of the death of Sean Taylor, the Washington Redskins all-world safety. At only 24 and a lifetime ahead of him, Taylor’s life was taken away by some kids who broke into his house looking to score a quick buck. The death of the enigmatic Pro Bowler sent waves throughout the NFL and sent the nation’s capital and Miami, where Taylor grew up and starred at the University of Miami, into a deep depression. How could this happen to Sean?

While everyone affected waits for the intruders to receive their judgment day, the Redskins have had no choice but to move on. A lot has changed over the past year, with names like Joe Gibbs and Gregg Williams no longer a part of the organization, but many of the players say Taylor is still very much in their minds and in their hearts. This Sunday, before the Redskins take on the New York Giants, Taylor will be honored when his name is added to the Ring of Fame at FedEx Field. The ceremony figures to be a touching moment for players and fans alike.

“It’s going to be emotional,” said tackle Jon Jansen. “It’ll be an emotional time and I think it’ll be a time that everyone will remember for a long time. You can never really believe something like that happened. It’s such an unbelievable story, an unbelievable situation and a tragedy.”

Pretty much everyone in the ‘Skins locker room echoed Jansen’s comments.

“It’s definitely going to be an emotional moment,” said defensive tackle Anthony Montgomery. “He was a great football player and a great teammate. We still miss him a lot. I’m happy that they’re honoring him like that because I believe if he’d have had a full career, he’d have definitely been up there anyway. I think he’d have been a Hall of Fame player. It’s just good to honor him in that way, with his family and everything. It’s going to be special.”

Even the players who never had a chance to play on the Redskins with Taylor know this will be a special moment.

“He was just a menace,” said cornerback DeAngelo Hall. “He was a menace on the field and a great guy off the field. Me and Sean go back since college with the battles at Virginia Tech and Miami and we played together in Pro Bowls. He was just a balls-to-the wall kind of guy on every play. That was his mindset. That’s what made him so dominant.”

The Redskins will also put together a video tribute for Taylor. If it’s anything like last year’s Emmy award-winning tribute, it’s sure to be a fitting tribute to a beloved member of the Washington Redskins family.

26Nov

temporary remedy

In basketball, blog by b murf / November 26, 2008 / 3 Comments

(AP photo)

Yes, the Washington Wizards were able to snap a five-game losing streak and earn their second win of the season last night by beating the Golden State Warriors 124-100. But if you think that things are automatically “all good” in Wiz land simply because the team fired coach Eddie Jordan and replaced him with Ed Tapscott for the remainder of the season, then you’re setting yourself up for failure.

The first game after a coach is fired is usually good for a win – if for no other reason than because the players are still in that “oh crap, management noticed we’re all getting free paychecks” mindset. It’s true, you can’t fire your players in the NBA – not with their guaranteed contracts. So if you need to really shake things up, then you hope to send the proper message by firing the coach. If that doesn’t work, then you’re probably cheering for the New York Knicks.

And it’s understandable to fire “the other” Jordan, who had guided the team to an NBA-worst 1-10 record to start the season. But the problems run much deeper than a coach who seemed to have been tuned out by some of his players. Whether by design from “Big” Ernie Grunfeld or directive from owner Abe Pollin, this is a severely flawed team that is typically suited to qualify for the playoffs, and then get sent home almost immediately.

The Wizards, for as long as they’re led by forward Antawn Jamison, forward Caron Butler and oft-injured guard Gilbert Arenas, are a shoot first, defense is optional squad. They are a team content to jack up 20 footers and (who thought you’d ever hear this) without Brendan Haywood, they’re not even remotely interested in doing the dirty work in the paint on either side of the court.

Shooters go cold. Defense doesn’t.

So when teams tighten up and go into lockdown mode when the playoffs roll around, the Wiz look great one night and then struggle to score 80 points the next. But because the Wes Unseld Era Bullets/Wiz were so pitiful for so long, no one cared. As long as this team made the playoffs, there would be confetti falling from above and banners celebrating simply qualifying. Gold stars for everyone!

And even if management suddenly realized that this team has problems, there’s no easy answer in sight. The truth is, the Arenas signing this past offseason is ultimately going to take folks back to the Chris Webber days. Giving $100 million to a supposed franchise player who simply can’t stay healthy, is a sure-fire way to ensure your team goes nowhere fast. While every other team is clearing cap room to take a run at LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh when they become free agents, the Wiz are helping Gilbert pick out his suit to wear on the bench each night and hoping that a 32-year-old Jamison suddenly learns how to play defense. Not good times for the home team.

So feel free to let optimism run through your mind that maybe, just maybe Tapscott is the next Bruce Boudreau and will be able to instantly right the ship the way Bruce did last season with the Capitals. But chances are, regardless of what Tapscott brings to the table, the Wizards will be cellar dwellars for the forseeable future not because of the coach, but because of the team management sends out on the floor each night.