All posts in football

31Jul

catch a beat running like …

In football, ufc by b murf / July 31, 2008 / 5 Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

Santana Moss will forever be remembered for his late-game heroics during a Monday Night Football game in Dallas back in 2005. His 39 and 70 yard touchdowns propelled the ‘Skins to an improbable 14-13 victory over the rival Cowboys in a game they had no business winning. The following season, Moss struck again, hauling in a 68-yard game winner in overtime to shock the Jacksonville Jaguars 36-30 (in what I consider the most exciting game I’ve covered). These are the moments that define the diminutive receiver.

Unfortunately, these moments were few and far between last season. After a solid start, a strained groin slowed Moss for much of the rest of the 2007 season. We had a chance to catch up with Santana recently and chatted about everything from marriage to mixed martial arts. Oh, and we even found time to discuss a little football too.

How frustrating was last year, with all of the nagging injuries and everything?

“It was, but at the same time, when you overcome it, it builds you to be a stronger person,” Moss said. “One thing I take from every year, I look at what I go through and I say to myself ‘How did I finish?’ Or ‘What did I accomplish?’ If you can get something out of — because no one in the NFL is going to play with everything alright — but when I go through stuff like that it just builds me stronger and makes me understand that I’m doing things when I’m not at full speed. I’m just looking forward to having one of those years where, if nothing’s bothering me, I’ll just be able to dominate the whole time.”

So are you tired of training camp, or are you actually getting something out of this?

“I like to put in the work and really look forward to what we gonna be able to show after the whole thing is done,” he said. “Training camp is one of those experiences where there’s gonna be dog days and it’s gonna be hard, but as long as you put the work in you have something to look forward to when it comes to the season.”

Congrats on getting married this offseason. Has that changed anything between the two of you?

“Nah. I’ve been with her like 13 years already, so it just made an honest woman out of her. That’s all,” Moss said.

Naturally, the topic of marriage made me think of mixed martial arts, so I asked Santana about MMA and was surprised by his answer.

“I like that. I actually enjoy watching that. I actually trained — I did a little of that training-wise this year, and it’s some tough shit, man,” he said.

What did you do?

“All kinds of stuff,” he said. “The conditioning is crazy — the fighting, the punching and the kicking. You think you can do that for hours, and those guys can do it. But it’s not easy at all. So my first couple of months when I was home, instead of doing football stuff, just to keep my wind right. There wasn’t a day that I did it that I was in shape. I felt like it broke me down every day. There was something new that I experienced every day.”

What are you seeing from these rookie receivers?

“I see a lot of potential,” Moss said. “When you come into this league young, with so much going on, you’re trying to settle in and trying to do this and do that. What I see with these guys, they’re confident. They already know that they’ve got guys in front of them that’s gonna help them. There’s no envy. We all here together. We’ve all been in this situation, so I’m gonna let them know everything that I know, and the stuff that I don’t know we’ll learn together.”

What can Redskins fans expect from you guys this year?

“You know, it’s early,” he said. “All we can do is be the best that we can be. I don’t like to talk the talk. I like to go out there and show it. All they can know is that we’re gonna line up every week and be the best team.”

A healthy and motivated Santana Moss is just what this team, and especially Jason Campbell need for the 2008 season. With things looking up both on and off the field for Moss, Redskins fans can reasonably expect a return to the Pro Bowl level they’re used to seeing. And with some mixed martial arts under his belt, we can only hope that the first time Adam “Pacman” Jones or Asante Samuel attempt to jam him at the line of scrimmage, he breaks out a rear-naked choke and makes them tap.

And heaven help Roy Williams if he tries to horse collar anyone when the ‘Skins and Cowboys meet again.

25Jul

hit the road jack

In football, murf by b murf / July 25, 2008 / No Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

Pictured above is the aforementioned Jon Jansen training camp RV. When they’re not on the field or in meetings, it’s a safe bet Jansen, Rabach and friends are hiding away in here. Figured since it was mentioned in an entry earlier this week, the least I could do was provide a shot of it. This picture is also symbolic because I’m hitting the road. Instead of camping out at Redskins Park, I’m headed down to the Outer Banks for a weekend getaway. I’d like to tell you I’m sorry, but honestly … I’m not.

See you next week.

25Jul

rookie hazing

In football by b murf / July 25, 2008 / No Comments

(photo by Brian Murphy)

“Momma never told me there’d be days like this.

If you could guess what is on the mind of rookie wide receiver Devin Thomas, who suffered a hamstring injury Thursday and will be out for at least the next 10-14 days. If that’s not enough, this is also the week we were finally able to track him down and give him that long-awaited father-son type talk. Some of you may remember that Thomas won the 2008 Rookie Madden Bowl back in May, but that win was clearly tainted because of questionable tactics used by the Michigan State Spartan — namely using the Dallas Cowboys to win the video game tournament. On Wednesday, just 24 hours before he suffered the first setback of his professional career, we tracked him down and set him straight on the one simple rule to survive in this town.

Tell me about this Madden tournament we heard about, I said.

“Oh yeah, it’s a little competition they have for the rookies and I won,” said Thomas, full of confidence. “I handled it pretty well. I took out some guys that were pretty good, and I’ll tell you, it’s fun, man. If anybody wants to challenge me in that Madden they can come get it.”

He had no clue, but someone was in fact about to challenge him. I paused for a second and then asked, “What team did you use?”

“I was using the Redskins at first,” said Thomas, realizing where this interview was heading.

That’s not the rumor, was my reply.

“At first. I said at first,” he said. “Then I had to go ahead and sneak in the Dallas Cowboys.”

He was already using words like “sneak.” Clearly the kid knew he did wrong.

Did no one pull you aside and tell you there’s one team you’re not allowed to use? You know, the arch rival of the team that gives you a paycheck now.

“Uh … I mean … it was just a situation where I had to use the guys I used to play with, so I had to bring out someone I was comfortable with,” Thomas said, backpeddling as fast as he could.

We continued to chat while he signed autographs for fans after practice. Once the interview was over and the recorder was off, Thomas promised me that he knows better now and will refrain from sullying the Redskins good name by using a team that would have sent George Allen over the top (well, if he knew what video games were).

All in all, he’s a good kid and he seems to have a decent head on his shoulders. Let’s chalk this up to a momentary lapse in judgment and never speak of it again.

24Jul

introducing "mcdreamy" taylor

In football by b murf / July 24, 2008 / 1 Comment

(photo by Brian Murphy)

I guess I should mention the newest addition to the Washington Redskins. You guys may not know this, but #55 is not Dallas Sartz. It’s actually a defensive lineman named Jason Taylor, who men know from his distinguished football career and women drool over because he tap danced his way into their collective hearts on a reality TV show. Seriously, ask any woman nearby what she thinks of Jason Taylor and watch her melt in front of you. It’s absurd.

So yesterday at practice a group of ‘Skins fans were calling Taylor “J.T.” every time they saw him. That, my friends, is a no go at this station. Those initials — much like L.T. is reserved for Lawrence Taylor and LaDainian Tomlinson has to settle for LDT — are taken. As everyone knows, J.T. is Justin Timberlake. And it’s okay to admit you know it, fellas. He was awesome in Black Snake Moan and even this past week at the ESPY awards. The guy is bringing sexy back, so show him some respect and don’t name new guy after him.

Instead, from this point on, we’ll be referring to Jason Taylor as “McDreamy.” Girls gets that retarded look in their eye when you mention his name, just like when they’re talking about Grey’s Anatomy, so it kind of works out. Plus, that means we can call Jason Fabini “McMuffin” and Chris Cooley “McLovin.” Seriously, it’s a win-win.

Oh, and before I forget, whoever first suggested that Taylor looks like King Xerxes from the movie 300 … well … let’s just say that I got a good chuckle out of that one. Thanks for making my day.

23Jul

down with the dirtbags

In football by b murf / July 23, 2008 / 1 Comment

(AP photo)

As we’ve previously established, I’ve officially given up on trying to bring any type of breaking news or in-depth training camp breakdowns. Smart Redskins fans have plenty of places to go for that kind of stuff. Instead, I’ll continue to focus on some of the important issues that may otherwise go unreported, like how many days into training camp does offensive tackle Jon Jansen anticipate it will take before he and defensive lineman Kedric Golston start throwing punches at each other yet again, or exactly what does it take to be able to enter the training camp mobile home?

So without further adieu, here’s a quick one-on-one chat between a Homer and a Dirtbag.

First things first, are the milkshakes here?

“They will be. They’re not here yet, but it’s once a week and they’ll be here later this week.”

And the RV?

“The RV is out there and ready to go.”

Is the access list full update with who is allowed in?

“I’ve got a committee and if somebody wants in I take down their name to the committee and we go from there.”

When can we expect Jansen-Golston III, since it’s become a training camp ritual?

“Ahhh … we’ve got to get the pads on and it’s gotta get just a little bit warmer. Maybe a couple more days into camp we’ll all start gettig grumpy and things will start getting good.”

What do you say to the folks who say that the offensive line is an area of concern because of the injuries to you and Randy Thomas?

“I can’t really say it on print or on the radio, but it shouldn’t be a concern. I had a fluke injury last year because somebody fell on me. It wasn’t a wear and tear issue. I’ll be fine this year and moving forward.”

What do you see from the rookie Chad Rinehart?

“I’ll have to wait until we see video from today, and then I’ll let you know once we strap on the pads. This is I call it our helmets and skirts, so once we put our pants on we’ll see what happens.”

Right about then, I thanked Mr. Jansen for his time and let him head off into the building for meetings. But I did stop his partner in crime, center Casey Rabach, long enough to follow up on the RV question.

I see an RV out there. What can you tell me about it?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I love that about you, that you’ll deny everything until the end. Jansen said that there’s a rigorious process that reviews individual applicants. Can you shed any light on that?

“Yeah. You definitely need to be a card-carrying member to enter, and there are very few cards that have been handed out so far. I’m willing to bet there are even fewer given out this year, so we’ll see what happens.”

So if you’re a kicker who happens to currently be in a feud with Rabach and Jansen, it’s probably pretty safe to say you’re not getting in the RV or getting any Michigan milkshakes. And if you’re Kedric Golston, I’d try to get the panel to approve your RV visitation rights now, because in a week or so you very well may find yourself on the business end of a left cross from the feisty veteran lineman. Consider yourself warned.

21Jul

fantasy football

In football, murf by b murf / July 21, 2008 / 1 Comment

(photo by Brian Murphy)

Did Pro Bowl tight end Chris Cooley really just post a link to my interview audio, post my photos and give me a shout out (“Photo credits go to Brian Murphy and Extremeskins.com as always they have the best stuff”)? Clearly, this world no longer makes sense.

And don’t even mention that he talks about sporting an “elephant thong” before he gets around to me. I know where I rank in the grand scheme of things, and have no problem with where I sit on the depth chart.

This is the point where I state the obvious — Cooley is the most popular player on the Redskins roster. So much so, that Dale Earnhardt Jr. is on the record saying he’d “give everything he’s got” to be Chris Cooley for a year. I, on the other hand, am a nobody. Dale Earnhardt Jr. wouldn’t want to be me for 10 minutes — even if I was playing a NASCAR video game as him.

This proves two things. The first, I won’t be going back to cover any more days of training camp. Why bother? I can’t do any better than this. And two, I will most certainly draft Cooley on my fantasy football team. If he’s willing to show some love to a nobody keeping him from the nice, air conditioned building to ask stupid questions about the ‘Skins’ Ultimate Fighter, then the least I can do is use my first-round pick on him.

21Jul

the redskins’ ultimate fighter

In football, ufc by b murf / July 21, 2008 / 3 Comments

This past Saturday night, Anderson “The Spider” Silva showed why he is the best mixed martial arts fighter in the world, putting James “The Sandman” Irvin to sleep without breaking a sweat during a UFC event on Spike TV.

Just one minute into the bout, Irvin attempted to sweep kick Silva. Unfortunately for him, the Brazilian caught Irvin’s foot with a left hand and with the challenger now completely defenseless, drove a crushing blow into “The Sandman’s” face. Game over. Thank you and good night.

That got me thinking, with Redskins training camp less than 24 hours away, I wondered which ‘Skins player would be crowned the Ultimate Fighting Champion if they had a tournament at Redskins Park.

Would it be a fan favorite like “Iron” Mike Sellers? Or maybe a chiseled monster like Andre Carter? Or possibly even Clinton Portis, who famously sported a WCW championship belt on the sidelines while playing for the Denver Broncos? The possibilities seemed endless.

So while the rest of the beat reporters and talking heads were asking the generic stuff, I was busy conducting an informal poll among the players as to who they think would be the last man standing. Here’s the funny thing, none of the six guys I interviewed Sunday afternoon were even remotely thrown off by my “Who would be the Redskins’ Ultimate Fighter Champion” question. Either they’ve gotten used to me over the last four seasons or this is something the guys have talked about in the locker room at some point.

The first guy I talked to was Casey Rabach, who is consistently one of the most enjoyable interviews on the team. First I asked him who would win, and then followed up by asking if it’d be a big guy like Mike Sellers or maybe a smaller, quicker guy.

“Sellers is a big [rhymes with wussy],” Rabach said.

I actually looked around to see if I was in the line of fire, just in case Sellers heard him.

“You know what, it’d probably be some crazy-ass [sounds like mother-father],” Rabach continued. “I’d probably put my money on someone who ain’t got a lot between the ears, that’s got some stamina … yeah, LaRon Landry might pull that one out.”

Chalk one vote for Landry.

“Honestly, I don’t know. Marcus seems like the UFC type, so maybe Marcus,” said Ladell Betts, of linebacker Marcus Washington. “I think Marcus is one of the tough guys on the team.”

One vote for Landry, and one vote for Washington.

“Weight class?” asked Antwaan Randel El.

No weight classes, I replied.

After throwing around a couple different names, Randel El eventually settled on Marcus Washington.

“He’d be like a crazy man in there,” he said.

Two votes for Washington. One for Landry.

With the players giving him support, I decided to seek out Washington to see who he thought would come out on top.

“I like to think I might get this belt,” Marcus said. “I think I might get in there and represent for the ‘Skins.”

I asked what kind of fighter Washington would be, and without hesitation he replied “I’d be a Kimbo Slice, just a street brawler, you know.”

That’s three votes for Washington. One for Landry.

“Probably Mike Sellers,” said Jason Campbell.

When I informed him that he was the first person to vote for “Iron” Mike, he said “I wonder whose getting the love? You gotta have a wild guy to win the Ultimate Fighter.”

“Someone told me you gotta have a guy who is pretty wild, but doesn’t have much between the ears,” I said.

“Then I’d probably say LaRon Landry,” Campbell said with a laugh.

That’s three votes for Washington. Two votes for (and two shots at) Landry.

Finally, I track down Captain Chaos himself, Chris Cooley. After all, if we’re going to ask a bizarre question, we’ve got to ask the most unpredictable guy on the roster.

“Honestly, that’s a great question and I don’t want to give myself props, but I was an All-American wrestler in high school and I think I’d have a pretty good chance.”

And unlike Rabach, Cooley had kind things to say about his tough-guy teammate.

“Mike Sellers would be tough, and I wouldn’t want to get punched in the face by Mike,” he said.

I tried to track down Sellers, but he had already headed inside to lift weights. So we’ll have to wait another day or two for his official opinions in regards to the Redskins Ultimate Fighter title, and possibly even a comment about a certain starting center who, for his safety, may have to hide in an RV the rest of training camp. But for today, we crown Marcus Washington the team’s Ultimate Fighter.

(photo by Brian Murphy)