It's been a big weekend

To start off, bravo to the Washington Caps for a stellar weekend. 11 goals in two games is great. 5 for Ovechkin is amazing. Mike Green had a great weekend as well, and Nicklas Backstrom was playing more physically than I can remember. I could almost sense a big of swagger in his step, especially on that second line. We are still taking too many dumb penalties (Semin, that's you), but we survived. It felt good to put 2 power play goals on Ottawa in 7 total PP time after the 3 they scored last game. All around, awesome weekend for the Caps. Can't wait for tomorrow night at he Rock.

In other sports news, I guess I should congratulate the Steelers and fans. I was rooting for the Cards last night and even though they couldn't seal the deal, it sure was an exciting game. Possibly better than last year, even though David brought down Goliath and took the big guy's daughter with him.
Michael Phelps, I forgive you. No one is perfect. This changes nothing in my mind about you.
I noticed during the Tennessee/Florida basketball game on Saturday night that Pat Summitt's name was on the court there at Tennessee, thus naming the place "The Summitt." I thought that was pretty cool. She's the most successful coach in NCAA basketball history (men's or women's) and with an ever-rotating crop she shows that she knows what it's all about. However, I would like to know how she would fare with a men's team. It is clear that the men's and women's games are very different, especially in terms of athletic ability and what kind of players are needed. What is most successful in her system? Is it her plays? Her players? Her passion? Her recruiting? Or is everyone just that far behind her? I know I'd hire her if I was the AD for a below-average men's team to see what happened. Hell, the Wizards should hire her.
Also, I guess our 7 goals yesterday were the straw that broke the camel's back. Craig Hartburg, coach of the Ottawa Senators, is out of a job. Best of luck, big guy. This team of perennial underachievers needs some kind of spark. I don't forsee the playoffs for them, but maybe this can be a building block.
On a closing note, to spite the members of Steeler nation, I hope the Penguins don't make the playoffs for a decade. Zing!

Joey Haynos: First NFL Catch=Touchdown!

Although exams have been my top priority for the last couple weeks, I can spare a few moments to share this with the world:

Joey Haynos, a Gonzaga College High School and University of Maryland alum, caught a touchdown today for the Miami Dolphins, a score that proved to be the game-winner for a team that is surprisingly tied for 1st in the AFC East and in hunt for a playoff spot.
Haynos, a rookie this year, was drafted in the Spring by the Dolphins. His touchdown catch today was his only catch, and his first since Week 4 of the pre-season. I know what you're thinking... that means his first regular season NFL catch was for a touchdown! How awesome is that?! Chad Pennington praised his work ethic after the game. Hopefully we see a couple more come Joey's way in the new few weeks. I know it was nothing like his game-winning touchdown in the 2002 WCAC Championship game on the fake field goal, but I'm sure it was stellar in its own right.
For the full story (and video!), check here: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=281214015

Hopefully I'll be back to more frequent posting in the next few weeks. I'm sure I'll have a lot on the Caps after their 3 huge games last week, and their two coming up this week. And don't ask me about the Redskins now. I'm still recovering. Knowing Danny Boy, any bets on how long Zorn sticks around?

Caps down the Devils, 3-1

First thoughts on the Caps' win tonight:
- I'm glad that Viktor Kozlov got his 500th point tonight. That's pretty cool.
- Flash is fast. And very good in cramped quarters. A very good goal on his part.
- I hope that whatever kept Semin out for a good majority of the game was only preventative. With the pace he's been at these first 16 games, it would be terrible to lose him. A serious injury wouldn't just affect his groove, but would probably throw the team out of sync as well.
- We were one mental breakdown from seeing 100 minutes of straight-up Jose Theodore shutout hockey. Even though the shutout only lasted 91:55 (two periods from Wednesday in Raleigh and tonight's game), I think he has really started getting back into form. I say give him the start again tomorrow night in Newark. Give Brent some more time to rest that hip. JT has the hot hand for the moment; let's take advantage of it while we can.
- I was bummed to hear that they switched Ovie's first goal to Brooks Laich, until Ovechkin got the empty netter in the last minute to keep the 3-game goal streak alive. Brooks has been playing very well the past few days, and congrats to him on the hard hat tonight. It's starting to look really good with all the numbers on there.
- Speaking of Ovechkin's goal streak... I think this is just what he's needed to get back on track. As much as I'd like to see a repeat performance and a run for the MVP, I'd much rather see both him and Semin get, oh how about 55 goals each? Sound good?
- I really wish I had the money and time to go on a roadtrip out West next week. California in November would be stellar.

Welcome back to ESPN, Barry

This just in: Barry Melrose is canned just 16 games into the season as head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning. I definitely did not see this coming. As much of a rebuilding project that might be down in Tampa, I did not think that management would give up on someone like Barry so quickly. But hey, at least he lasted longer than Denis Savard in Chicago with that talent-laden squad, eh?
Now, I know Barry didn't have the best relationship with the players, often ripping into them about their sub-par performance and underachieving. I don't know if there's a link, but he did not attend practice yesterday. Could this have been the deal breaker, or was he just getting his stuff packed? It might not be exactly the same, but I do see some parallels to the move made by the Caps last Thanksgiving, firing Glen Hanlon and bringing in Bruce Boudreau. They have a good team, a little rough around the edges, a possible rookie of the year candidate, and some very solid forwards in St. Louis and Lecavalier. And they have Olie in goal as well, so he knows exactly what it's like. Maybe it's a move to try to shake things up in the organization hoping to turn a sour start into a playoff push. Since many people are looking to the Caps as the model for rebuilding, I don't blame them from mimicking our style. In any event, best luck to Barry Melrose. I have a feeling we'll all be seeing plenty of him soon enough.

Yes America, I am still in the NFL

Another week in the NFL brings us another formerly great QB taking charge of a crappy team. (Ok, the Vikings aren't actually crappy, but they were 0-2 at the time. That is not good.) Apparently Trent Green is getting the starting job back in St. Louis, many years since he left town. Now in his second stint with the Rams, Green is taking over with the ineffective Marc Bulger. Ah, how the mighty have fallen. But what I find more interesting is the fact that this week brings us a former Redskins starting QB getting the job in another city. Last week we saw Gus Frerotte get the nod in Minnesota in his second stint there. Now that I think of it, I've love to do a "Where are they now?" piece about the DC signal callers from the past. Let's start with 1993, after Mark Rypien led the Skins to their 3rd Super Bowl title.
1993: Cary Conklin. Who?
Rich Gannon: After leaving town, Gannon went on to appear in a Super Bowl with the Raiders and was actually pretty good for a while out there. Then we wasn't retired, and now is in the broadcast booth for the NFL on CBS.
1994: Gus Frerotte: Hit his head on the wall at Giants Stadium in that tie game, ended his career as a real top-level NFL quarterback. Bounced around on a couple teams and got good time there, taking a few (Detroit, Denver) to the playoffs actually. Pretty cool. He is now the starting QB in Minnesota. What a guy.
John Friesz: Just drifted off into oblivion.
Heath Shuler: Was supposed to be the quarterback of the future and honestly, he was nothing of the sort. Today he shouts out to North Carolina in the House of Representatives. Yup, Congress.
1997: Jeff Hostetler: Hahaha, I have such fond memories of Hoss. We had such high hopes for him. He didn't really do so much here, then retired. He now lives back home in Morgantown, West Virginny and owns a bagel company and a construction company. Busy guy. And his kids and nephews are hella athletic.
1998: Trent Green: floated around the league a lot, got concussions. Now starting for the St. Louis Rams!
1999: Brad Johnson: Went on to win a Super Bowl with the Bucs in 2003. How funny, not only was it a matchup of two pirate mascots, but of former Redskins quarterbacks! How does that taste Daniel Snyder?!?! After that, he went back to Minnesota (where he started his career) and is now backing up Tony Homo in Dallas. Here's hoping that we get to see #14 on the field this weekend...
2000: Jeff George: Yeah, there was pretty much a quarterback carousel in Washington for a couple years, with a new starting QB every couple games. It was pretty ridiculous. This was when Danny Boy started throwing wads of money around to top tier veterans in the hopes of bringing another Super Bowl back to the nation's capital. This was the year that Deion Sanders, and Bruce Smith came to town via free agency, and we drafted the mega-studs Lavar Arrington and Chris Samuels. Sadly, this team with loads of potential went 8-8 after making the playoffs the year before, and Norv was fired before the season was over. Sad times. Also, Jeff was bad. He stuck around for a few games the next season before Marty Schottenheimer sent him on his way. He apparently made a laughable claim that he would be coming back with the Vikings, but that never happened. Since his pro days he has appeared in the booth on NFL Total Access.
2001: Tony Banks: Missed out on taking the Ravens to the Super Bowl in 2000 as he watched Trent Dilfer from the bench. Came in, played decently for a bit. He now appears as a regular guest on "The Wake Up Zone," an AM radio show in Louisville, Kentucky. Usually on Tuesday mornings.
2002: The year of Steve Spurrier and the never-ending former Florida Gator quarterback show, also featuring rookie Patrick Ramsey. Let's start with...
Shane Matthews: Gator #1. He did his part in DC (which really wasn't much), then floated around the league for a few years as a backup. No idea where he went to.
Danny Wuerffel: Gator #2. Now, "Danny Woeful" might not be the player you'd think won the Heisman in college. But he did. And he certainly was woeful under center for the Skins. After amounting to pretty much nothing in the league, he went on to work with non-profits to really make the world a better place Kudos to him. And he will always have his Heisman and World Bowl trophies. The what? Oh yeah, NFL Europe. Forgot about that one. And lastly...
Patrick Ramsey: The rookie out of Tulane. Really only brought in early in the season when they needed someone to launch the football. He got some time over the next few years, but nothing really to brag about. He spent some time with the Jets and is currently on the Broncos' roster.
2003: Tim Hasselbeck: brother of Super Bowl-appearing Matt, husband of total hottie Elisabeth. What else is there to know about this guy?
2004: Mark Brunell: Another great veteran, a bit past his prime. Played well in the Jaguars' system, and had a really great year in 2005, taking the team to the playoffs and beating the Bucs in the first round. After that, it was all downhill. Currently with the Saints.
2007: Todd Collins: Longtime journeyman, he came to DC behind Brunell and Jason Campbell on the depth chart. He played remarkably well down the stretch and led the Skins to a playoff berth. Sadly, they lost. Currently backing up...
2008: Jason Campbell. Well, JC has been around for a couple years, but since he's the current starter I'm saving him for last. He has played remarkably well in the past two games in the new system imported by new head coach Jim Zorn. The first real test of the season will be coming this week against a strong Dallas team that is coming off a huge win against Green Bay. This Cowboys team is looking almost as dominant as they did in the 90's. Scary.
So that's about it. We've had many QB's in DC over the last 15 years. Really, does any other team have turnover like we do?





ps: Colt Brennan = quarterback of the future.

Thursday Night Football

This one is pretty self-explanatory: I want to watch NFL football on Thursday nights. I feel like that is a pretty reasonable thing to ask. It would be a teaser of sorts for the upcoming Sunday games. Last week (Week 1), there were two games on Thursday night: Washington vs. NYG (what a waste) and Indy vs. Chicago (what a shocker!). And it was a great night, especially at this time of year before the other TV shows start up again. It would be a much easier way for people to see even more of the NFL. As it is, the average person would be able to watch 4 games in their entirely, if they only watch one game at a time: 1pm, 4:15pm, and 8:30pm on Sunday, then the Monday night game (also, the 2 Monday night games last week were pretty awesome... I wouldn't mind that becoming a regularity). However, between the networks covering the games, you could probably catch two more on Sunday (Fox and CBS often air games in both time slots, depending on the market), giving you a total of 6. Of the 14-16 games per week (depending on bye weeks), 6 of that total is a good amount. But 7 is even more. That's half the games played per week during Weeks 3-10. I don't know about you, but I'd love to see some football on Thursday night. It would be a great way to get ready for the weekend.
But The Office and Lost would have to move to another night. Damn.

Think about it...

Now this might not exactly be breaking news, but Tom Brady is now injured and out for the season, removing an essential cog in the New England Patriots juggernaut. To replace him: Matt Cassel, rookie Kevin O'Connell, and now Matt Gutierrez, whom they just signed to the practice squad. Among them, they have very little NFL experience, period. None of them has started an NFL game, and in the case of Cassel, he has not started an important game since high school after backing up Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC. Now I totally understand Billy Boy when he says that Cassel is their quarterback, and when he then signs Gutierrez (who is not proven at all) I know he's not messing around. In a system such as that in place in New England, it would be very difficult to move on and hope to be anything close to a contender by bringing in an unfamiliar (though talented) veteran. If you think about it, Tom Brady was in the same position as Cassel a few years ago when Drew Bledsoe went down. Once he was given the reins, he never backed down, leading the Pats to a few Super Bowls and bringing back a couple rings while heading the highest-scoring offense in NFL history and the only team to ever go 16-0 in the regular season. And he dated Giselle Bundchen. So there's hope for the kid. At this point, he's their best bet if they want to compete and dominate. If Cassel takes them back to the playoffs, I will be amazed. If they get to another Super Bowl, I think that qualifies them as the most powerful dynasty we have seen in decades, even if they do not win. To be able to have such success, even with relatively unknown and unproven elements attests to the strength of the system and the team overall. Too bad Charlie Weis can't have success like this in South Bend.
I do see a very scary prospect, one that I find quite exciting, although incredibly unlikely: Daunte Culpepper quarterbacking the Patriot offense. Think about it. He would be reunited with Randy Moss, who is much happier than he was back in Minnesota, and it looks like he is back to his prime form. Additionally, Belichick has seemingly cured his wild tendencies and forced him to focus on football and football only. Culpepper would be behind a great line and would have many weapons at his disposal, as well as a stout (though aging) defense. To be able to get into an offense that is coming off an unreal year would be great for him, especially this early in the season. Although everyone has had questions about him since his injury, I think he can return to form, just like Randy did. This place seems to rejuvenate the players. Think of all the old-timers who have had such an impact on the team the last few years: Seau, Bruschi, Vrabel... the list goes on. Not only can Daunte sling it, but he's mobile too, something Brady certainly wasn't known for (though in his defense he rarely had to move). Daunte has been in crappy systems the last few years, with no ability and so little potential (see: Oakland, Miami, two of the least productive teams in the league over the past 4 years). If he could be the Patriots' quarterback, I think they would be a serious threat to the championship, with the AFC seemingly wide open (both Indy and San Diego getting beat, at home, against lackluster teams). Culpepper is certainly a better option that the other guys on the market: Chris Simms (just signed by the Titans), Tim Rattay, etc. He, in my opinion, is one of the most viable options the Patriots could have in their offense.
On a final note, what happens to Brady is Cassel is able to fill his monstrous shoes? What if Brady gets a taste of his own medicine and becomes expendable? Just like Drew Bledsoe before him, who spent the next few seasons in Buffalo and Dallas, where he saw some success, but not like Brady's. Not even close. Tom Brady could be looking for a new job this offseason. I know this is a big conclusion to jump to, but I like thinking hypothetically. Much like in my piece about Brett Favre, many clubs could really use a quality quarterback. Within the division, Miami would be great, but not so much for Chad Pennington, that poor guy. He could really be the centerpiece of the rebuilding Dolphins team- I'm sure Tuna would love him there. He wouldn't have quite the receiving corps he's used to, but it would really be a test. Again, Chicago and San Francisco really need to address the issues they have at quarterback. I really cannot figure out why this is still a problem in this league. Alex Smith is hurt again, so the Niners are looking to throw someone equally as inexperienced into the fray. Just sign Daunte Culpepper. I'm still amazed that he wants to retire. He could get some serious minutes. Chicago... is just an awful mess. St. Louis could be an interesting prospect, with Torry Holt and Stephen Jackson complementing him and Chris Long ripping up the opposing offenses to get the ball back to Brady. Man, that kid is a beast. Tampa Bay could be looking for a seasoned QB by season's end, with Jeff Garcia drawing ever-close to his expiration date. The current "quarterback by committee" idea in Kansas City could be out the window if Brady is on the board. Additionally, he could play in snow in KC, which seems to be his secret weapon come playoff time. Now that I think about it, don't send him to Chicago. They are about to implode and take the whole city with them. I hope the Blackhawks can get out while they still can. With the talent on that team we could see some interesting things this year. But I digress.
Without a doubt, I want to stay tuned to the unfolding story that is the NFL. See ya later.