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10Dec

nothing but love

In blog, football, hockey by b murf / December 10, 2008 / No Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

More than 18,000 fans were on hand last week to see the Washington Capitals exciting 5-2 win over the New York Islanders, and now at least two individuals consider themselves Caps fans because of it.

Redskins cornerback Fred Smoot and kick returner Rock Cartwright took in their first hockey game that night and both came away loving what they saw. Much like tight end Chris Cooley and quarterback Jason Campbell before them, they stopped by the Phone Booth to see what the fuss was about and came away with a new appreciation for a sport they knew nothing about.

This week we had a chance to catch up with Cartwright and Smoot to find out exactly how they ended up attending their first professional hockey game and their thoughts on a sport neither had ever given much thought about before last week.

Freddie, what the hell do you know about hockey?

“It’s very fast, very physical and people really need to check out these athletes. They’re serious,” he said.

Be honest, you thought Beyonce was in town, right?

(Laughs). “Nah, [Capitals star Alex] Ovechkin came to a Redskins game, I told him I’m coming to a hockey game,” Smoot said. “I showed up, he winked his eye at me and they won.”

How much did you know about the game and the rules coming in?

“I didn’t know anything and it’s always hard to follow a sport that you don’t know the rules of, but they kind of gave me the breakdown and taught me some of the rules and things. Man, it’s a great sport. I’m going to another game this week.”

And you just so happened to go to the game where the brother got the game winner …

“Brashear got the game winner,” Smoot said excitedly. “The only black guy. You know what, when I came out there I was like ‘What’s he doing out there?’ Hey, they say he’s been a great player for like 12 or 13 years. That just goes to show you how little people actually know about the sport. I like it, man. I’m taking it on head first.”

So are you making an announcement here? Are you becoming a two-sport athlete?

“I don’t want to say that,” Smoot said. “I did realize something though. We’re physical, but they’re very physical too. Very physical.”

Still cracking up from the thought of Smoot trying to lace ‘em up, we headed over to chat with Cartwright. Hey Rock, what do you know about hockey?

“I just had a chance to go out and experience something I hadn’t experienced before and it was pretty nice. I think I have to go back to another game,” he said.

Seriously, did you think the Wizards were in town?

“Nah, I knew the hockey game was going to be played and I wanted to check it out,” Cartwright said. “I had some guys explaining to me what was going on because I didn’t know what was happening at first, but some guys sitting behind me helped out.”

What appeals to you about the sport of hockey?

“Everything,” he said. “It’s pretty amazing. From watching it on TV to watching it live, it’s interesting. The guys are real physical out there. That’s what I liked the most. I didn’t see much of that growing up in Texas, but it was nice. I’ll definitely be going back.”

So if you’re attending the Caps game tonight against the Boston Bruins or Friday night against the Ottawa Senators and you happen to be sitting next to a loquacious cornerback from Mississippi, feel free to lean over and teach Smoot some of the intricacies of professional hockey. The guy loves the sport but still has a lot to learn. Maybe in exchange for your help, Smoot will give you an energy bar, or better yet, invite you out to the Love Boat.

09Dec

family matters

In blog, football by b murf / December 9, 2008 / No Comments

(photos by Brian Murphy)

The story of the night Sunday in Baltimore was clearly safety Ed Reed, who finished with two interceptions and a fumble recovery for a touchdown leading the Ravens to victory over the Washington Redskins, 24-10. But another safety had himself a strong showing too.

LaRon Landry might have been overshadowed by Reed’s highlight reel, but the 24-year-old finished with an interception and a forced fumble on an otherwise forgettable night for the ‘Skins. The first came on a bad throw by Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, while the later was a due to a devastating hit on the artist formerly known as Willis McGahee.

It took Landry 27 career games to get his first regular-season interception (he had two picks in the postseason last year), but he’s now got two interceptions in the last three games.

We know you’re not interested in moral victories, but congratulations on the interception. Can you walk us through the play?

“On the pick I just read the quarterback and yup, just went and got it,” Landry said. “I stayed in the middle and did my assignment like I was supposed to. I read my keys and just broke on the ball – made it happen.”

How familiar with this Ravens team are you? Did you get a scouting report on them from your brother?

(Laughs). “Nah, not at all,” he said. “That never happens. You just go out there and play ball. Guys who have brothers in the league, like [Philadelphia running back Brian] Westbrook … I mean, when we play the Eagles, it’s no secret. There’s nothing his brother [Redskins practice squad member Byron Westbrook] can tell us that can help us win the game or anything. Any competitor is not going to do that. I don’t care if he’s your brother or not, you still got to study like everybody else on the team.”

How frustrating was it for you personally when the defense needed a stop but couldn’t get the job done in the fourth quarter?

“It’s very frustrating and heartbreaking,” Landry said. “You’ve got to go back to the drawing board, have a great week of preparation and get ready for the next game.”

How close is this team to turning the corner? It just seems like right now, for whatever reason, things just aren’t clicking.

“It’s a team effort,” he said. “Once we come together and put it into our mind that we can’t be stopped and we can do anything we want to do, then we’ll start winning ball games. I don’t know what the problem is … I mean … each guy needs to give his own individual effort to help the team. Until then, we’re just not going to come out on top.”

From one safety to another, how good is Ed Reed?

“I mean, he’s a great player,” Landry said. “I’ve watched him ever since I was in high school. We’re basically from the same neighborhood. Growing up, he lived like 10 minutes from me. I’m on the west bank, he’s on the east bank. I grew up watching him in high school, at Miami and then with the Ravens. He’s a great player and I’ve always kept up with him. He’s a great player and an elite safety.”

As far as role models go, Landry could do a whole lot worse than taking notes from Ed Reed’s game – especially since the talented safety scores about as often as the Redskins offense these days.

08Dec

ravens playlist

In blog, football, playlist by b murf / December 8, 2008 / 2 Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

1. “Broken TV” by Bush

Just 45 seconds into the game, Washington Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell was intercepted by Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed. Five plays later, Baltimore took the lead on a LeRon McClain touchdown run.

The ‘Skins second drive was more successful, if only because it didn’t end with a turnover. Instead the team went three and out and punted (which was a dandy 21-yarder by the pitiful Ryan Plackemeier).

The Redskins third drive? It ended after just one play – a fumble by running back Clinton Portis that ended with Reed scooping up the lose ball and taking it 22 yards for a touchdown that effectively ended the competitive portion of the evening. Five minutes into the game it was 14-0 and we wouldn’t have blamed anyone at home for throwing the remote control through the television set or, at a minimum, flipping the channel to something less depressing.

2. “Gone Til November” by Wyclef Jean

Cornerback DeAngelo Hall compared the team to Oscar De La Hoya, who suffered a humbling loss 24 hours earlier. Guard Randy Thomas talked about having his pride hurt. Tackle Chris Samuels wondered if his season was over after suffering a sprained bicep. There were no moral victories or room for sugar coating the situation after the Redskins loss to the Ravens, 24-10.

Any shot this team had at the playoffs ended Sunday night. Sure, the Redskins are still mathematically alive, but realistically this team – the same one that jumped out the gate with an impressive 6-2 start the first half of the season – is done, dropping to 7-6 after losing four out of their last five games.

3. “Everybody Hurts” by REM

Clinton Portis. London Fletcher. Andre Carter. Shawn Springs. Marcus Washington. Cornelius Griffin. Jon Jansen. Chris Samuels. Chris “The Predator” Horton.

Its common knowledge that every player on every team is banged up to some degree 12 games into the season, but this is past the point of absurdity. You simply can’t have this many important players either sidelined or hobbled by injuries and expect to remain competitive. The guys are professionals and are going to give it their all each and every week, but it’s almost like the ‘Skins start each game with no room for error.

It’s so bad that even the opposition feels obligated to weigh in. After blowing past offensive lineman Justin Geisinger, who was in the game after Samuels’ injury, Ravens defensive end Terrell Suggs crushed Campbell for a 12-yard loss and then turned to the Redskins sideline with some words for the coaching staff.

“I actually pointed at Jim Zorn and said, ‘You can’t do this, you’re going to get your quarterback hurt,’” Suggs told Jason la Canfora of the Washington Post after the game. “I was like, ‘I don’t think this guy is supposed to be here. You’ve got a mistake.’”

The worst part is Suggs is right. Nothing against Geisinger, but if he’s in the game, it’s not good for the burgundy and gold.

4. “Tell It Like It Is” by Ludacris

The offense is officially inept. This team has had trouble scoring points all season long, but at least they used to be able to drive up and down the field and rack up yardage. Now, staying on the field for more than a three and out is a choir. Take, for example, the sequence of events in the second quarter, when the team was backed in their own end and facing a third and one. Three penalties later (two false starts and a holding call) it’s suddenly third and 15 with the ‘Skins standing on their own five-yard line. And yet, Campbell completed a 27-yard pass to wide out Santana Moss to keep the drive alive. Apparently they didn’t have a one-yard play for that situation, so they backed up until they had room to run the 15-yard play. At this point it’s just maddening for ‘Skins fans.

The defense played well for much of the night but they couldn’t make the big stop when they needed to. The Ravens went for it on fourth down and easily converted, keeping the drive alive that gave them the 17-0 lead. And even after the ‘Skins battled back to make it 17-10 in the fourth quarter, the defense got humbled by a statement drive – a 12-play, seven-minute game clincher that ensured the Redskins went home empty handed once again. It’s great to see the defense finally getting turnovers, but when they needed to get the opposing team off the field – much like against the Dallas Cowboys a few weeks ago – they simply can’t seal the deal.

And don’t even get us started on the “special” teams. Shaun Suisham used to be a solid kicker, but now he’s a liability. He’s got more misses (nine in 31 attempts) than any other kicker in the league and no one can say with any confidence that he’s capable of making a field goal any time he steps on the field (as evident by his 71 percent accuracy on the season). But at least he’s better than punter Ryan Plackemeier. Seriously, this guy makes us long for rookie punter. Can someone tell the front office Derrick Frost is available? He wasn’t much, but he was better than this.

5. “Numb” by Link Park

Here’s the thing – this team might not win another game this year. We’re not suggesting anyone has quit on head coach Jim Zorn, but it wouldn’t surprise us if between the injuries and everything else this team continues to spiral out of control the final three games of the season. Our advice? Stock the beer fridge. It’s going to be a long and unpleasant ride. Alcohol is great for numbing the pain and is cheaper than therapy.

06Dec

gone but not forgotten

In blog, football by b murf / December 6, 2008 / No Comments

The talented folks over at 93.9 WKYS have put together a tribute for Sean Taylor that would make any Washington Redskins fan proud. EZ Street, Raheem Devaugh, Anwan Glover – aka Slim Charles on The Wire (the best show of all time), Miss Kim, Wale and Jamil “Face” Johnson collaborated to bring you this track titled “Every Given Sunday.” We’d say more, but honestly – they’re the lyrical masters. So we’ll step aside and let the pros handle the rest.

(Via Mister Irrelevant)

05Dec

no place like home

In blog, football, hockey by b murf / December 5, 2008 / 2 Comments

(courtesy photos)

First there was the embarrassing loss to the previously winless St. Louis Rams. Then, the back-to-back beatdowns at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys on primetime television. Most recently, there was the uninspired effort against the New York Giants on a day meant to honor a fallen teammate.

Any way you spin it, one thing is certain when discussing the Washington Redskins – they have absolutely no home-field advantage. How else can you explain a 4-1 record on the road this season and a 3-4 record at home?

“You know, I don’t know,” said fullback Mike Sellers, who was clearly stumped. “I didn’t even think about that until you brought it up to be honest with you. Hmmm … I don’t know.”

Do you guys stay in better hotels on the road? Are you happy to get away from your family for a couple days? Seriously, what’s going on?

“Mr. Snyder takes great care of us period, so being on the road doesn’t really matter,” Seller said. “I really don’t know what it is. I really, honestly couldn’t answer that.”

We let Big Mike off the hook and headed elsewhere in search of answers.

“We just seem to play a little bit better on the road,” said running back Rock Cartwright. “I don’t know why. That’s just the way it is. You’re supposed to be better at home and worse on the road, but it’s vice versa for us. Hopefully we can continue to win games on the road and get one back at home at the end of the season.”

Does anyone in this locker room have any idea why the Redskins do better away from home?

“I don’t know. It just kind of seems to be working out like that,” said linebacker Marcus Washington. “Some people seem to think that at home you have more of an advantage, but I guess we’re trying to prove that theory wrong.”

Sadly, Marcus is on to something there. With one home game left to play this season, here’s the Redskins record at FedEx Field over the last five years:

2008: 3-4
2007: 5-3
2006: 3-5
2005: 6-2
2004: 3-5

Total: 20-19

That’s right, the ‘Skins have gone just 20-19 at home over the last half decade. Basically, if you score tickets to a game at FedEx Field, it’s a coin toss whether the home team wins or not.

Are the fans to blame? We know far too many of them sold their tickets to Steelers fans, but has it affected the players on the field?

“I think the fans play off of us,” Washington said. “If we’re out there rocking and socking, then they can’t help but get into it.”

Okay, so it’s not on us. As players, do you have to have a different mentality for road games, as opposed to when you’re at home?

“Pretty much, it’s all odds against you and it’s a challenge because you know everyone is rooting against you,” said wide receiver Devin Thomas of playing on the road. “It’s kind of fun. You’re kind of like the bad guy. In that adverse environment, you’ve really got to step up and it feels really good when you do something to quiet their crowd.”

So what you’re basically saying is you need the home crowd to turn on you guys …

(Laughs). “No, not at all,” Thomas said. “You know, we get so much support at home and it’s disappointing that we haven’t been winning at home.”

Meanwhile, on the other side of the spectrum, we’ve got the Washington Capitals, who are 10-1-1 at home this season. If that’s not impressive enough, check this out. Since Bruce Boudreau became the coach last November, the Capitals have gone an impressive 31-9-4 at the Verizon Center. The man took over an underachieving Caps team that started the season winning just two out of nine home games and almost over night transformed the Phone Booth into a place opposing teams hate to visit.

“We want teams to come in and almost feel like they’re down a goal,” said Capitals forward Brooks Laich of playing at the Verizon Center.

“It’s been fantastic here,” Laich said. “If you go back to last season, what the fans started doing, we started winning consistently and we’ve got this thing around here called ‘Rock the Red.’ We just live off the fans. They’ve come out and have supported us. They’re very passionate and enthusiastic fans. Everyone talks about the Canadian cities and those are the real hockey towns, well Washington is turning into one of them.”

So here’s the million-dollar question – how can we get the Redskins to where the Capitals are? What do we have to do to see the ‘Skins become as dominant at home as the Caps?

Best as we can tell, there are three choices. One, hire Bruce Boudreau. That’s probably not an option right now. We’re fairly certain his current employer wouldn’t approve. Second, learn to play on ice. While quarterback Jason Campbell is clearly willing to give it a try (and for comedic purposes it would be wildly entertaining), that’s probably not doable either. Which leaves us with door number three – move the team back to D.C.

The Caps have won 31 of their last 44 home games while playing in D.C. The ‘Skins have won just 20 of their last 39 games in Maryland. The numbers speak for themselves – move the Redskins back to Washington and all will be well again.

Besides, the team won three Super Bowls playing in D.C. How many have they won since they left?

04Dec

note: sloppy seconds

In blog, note to self by b murf / December 4, 2008 / 3 Comments

(courtesy photo)

National coverage is currently fixated on all things Plaxico Burress – did he really use the Ron Mexico-style alias “Harris Smith” after accidentally shooting himself while at a nightclub? Did teammate Antonio Pierce try to help cover the whole thing up? Did Burress rob his New York Giants teammate Steve Smith at gunpoint? (Okay, maybe I got that headline confused, but you get the point).

At any rate, there’s not much chance any of the major sports networks or outlets have had time for anything other than all-Burress all the time, which is really too bad, because the rest of the nation is missing a really juicy story coming out of the National Hockey League.

Dallas Stars forward Sean Avery created a nice little controversy this week thanks to his not-so-subtle comments made during a morning practice session before the team’s game against the Calgary Flames.

“I’m just going to say one thing,” Avery started. “I’m really happy to be back in Calgary, I love Canada. I just wanted to comment on how, it’s become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds. I don’t know what that’s about, but enjoy the game tonight.”

For those not familiar, Avery was referring to Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf, who is dating Avery’s ex-girlfriend Elisha Cuthbert, of 24 and The Girl Next Door fame. In response to his comments, the NHL suspended Avery indefinitely for “conduct detrimental to the league or game of hockey.”

A 2007 poll of 283 NHL players found out that Sean Avery was easily the most hated player in the league, earning more than 66 percent of the votes. He’s been accused of making racial slurs against opponents, accused of making fun of a hockey player diagnosed with leukemia and is generally viewed as an asshole in and around league circles.

He’s also the guy who last season was standing in front of New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur waving his hands and stick around like a jackass – prompting the league to create the “Sean Avery Rule” the very next day, a rule that cracks down harder on unsportsmanlike conduct (specifically, waving your hands and stick in a goalie’s face like a jackass). So needless to say, he’s not going to ever be considered the teacher’s pet with the league office.

But here’s the thing – the NHL completely dropped the ball on this one.

Click here for the full article.

Note to self is a weekly sports column written for HoboTrashcan.

03Dec

baptism by fire

In blog, hockey by b murf / December 3, 2008 / 2 Comments

(AP photo)

You would have thought the Wizards were the home team at the Verizon Center Tuesday night, with the lack of defense played by the Washington Capitals.

The team was painfully thin on defense to start the season, but last night’s game – a 5-3 loss to the Florida Panthers – featured Shaone Morrisonn, Milan Jurcina and four minor leaguers on the blueline.

Karl Alzner and Sami Lepisto are going to be regulars in D.C. some day (probably in the near future), but against Florida they both looked overmatched and out of place for chunks of the night. Sure, goalie Jose Theodore hasn’t been the most reliable netminder in the NHL this season, but he never had a chance Tuesday night.

“I don’t have the timing down yet,” Alzner said after the game. “I’m definitely going to go and practice that tomorrow.”

In the locker room after the Caps’ first regulation home loss of the season, we asked Alzner just how tough it is to learn the NHL game on the fly.

“It’s very tough,” Alzner said. “I felt awesome after training camp. I thought I had the timing down. I was feeling confident with the puck. You go out and play at this new level and then adjust yourself to that. I got away with it the first few games, but then tonight I was tested by a guy who’s been around a while and knows what to do. I just need to calm down a little bit and not worry about making mistakes.”

Alzner, to his credit, said he would seek out the coaching staff following the Panthers loss and get their feedback.

“I want to know what they want me to do exactly so I can settle in for as long as I’m up here and know I’m doing what they want,” he said.

But this loss doesn’t fall solely on Alzner, no matter how hard he was taking it. Tyler Sloan and Bryan Helmer might be enjoyable “feel good stories,” but neither player looked particularly up to the challenge against a very ordinary Panthers team. Sloan should consider donating his game check to charity after falling asleep at the wheel and leaving Panthers wing Radek Dvorak all alone on the doorstep for the hockey equivalent of a layup, putting Florida up 4-1 in the third period.

The truth is, ideally teams want to slowly phase in one, maybe two, rookie defenders at a time. Give them a chance to pick up some minutes and gain a certain comfort level out on the ice without asking them to do too much too quickly. Unfortunately for the Caps, that’s just simply not an option. And while blaming injuries or rookies might be convenient in times like these, the veteran players wouldn’t touch it.

“It’s not just the rookies,” said forward Donald Brashear. “We all need to do a better job and take some of the pressure off of them. If we play better the first two periods, we’re not in that situation in the third period.”

And while Brashear is intimidating enough to convince us to go along with whatever he’s saying, his teammates all agreed that the current injury/rookie situation wasn’t the only reason the Panthers were victorious.

“We’re not going to use that as an excuse,” said forward Brooks Laich. “You look at their lineup and they had four of their top guys out too. Prior to the game we talked about how hard they were going to work. We watched their game the other night when they played the Rangers and knew what kind of effort they were going to bring.”

That means guys who have been around a while need to step up and make plays, if for no other reason than to lessen the burden on so many of these young guys. And maybe that’s some of the problem.

If we’re being honest, Jurcina isn’t much of a pro caliber player. He possesses the prototypical big body general manager George McPhee desires, but that’s about it. He’s slow, both on his feet and to react to the play around him. If the Caps are killing a penalty and need Jurcina to clear the puck out of the zone, there’s a better chance of George W. Bush getting a third term in the White House than Jurcina actually getting the job done. Not only are the Caps asking four rookies to play an increased roll, but the same goes for some of the regulars too.

And yet, the Caps were still in the game until an empty-net goal with one minute left sealed their fate. That’s the maddening part of it all. This team, even without injured defenders like Mike Green, Tom Poti and Jeff Schultz, is still capable of beating most teams on most nights. They dug themselves into a hole against Florida, allowing the Panthers’ 27th-ranked powerplay unit to score on each of their first three chances and battled back to make things interesting after a lackluster second period.

“There’s just a lot of resiliency in here,” Laich said. “Look at our head coach, it comes right from him. Our lineup, even with the injuries – with [Alexander] Semin out, with [Sergei] Federov out, with Mike Green out – we still have some very explosive players in the lineup. Alex Ovechkin obviously speaks for himself. Same with [Nicklas] Backstrom. The goal Victor Kozlov scored tonight was a fabulous goal. We are a hockey team that sometimes scores goals in bunches.

“It’s a staple in the locker room that we’re never going to give up, no matter what the score,” said Laich. “We’re not going to roll over and die. I’m proud of our guys that we keep coming back. Unfortunately tonight it just didn’t come back all the way.”

Nights like tonight just go to show – the sooner some of the regular defenders return to action, the better. But in the meantime, these four minor leaguers are gaining valuable experience that could eventually help stabilize the Caps’ defensive rotation for the foreseeable future. It might not have been pretty, but we’re willing to sacrifice some in the interim for a chance at long-term success.