Devin Thomas Signs
July 18, 2008
Devin Thomas signed a 4 year contract worth a total of $4.8 million today leaving Fred Davis the only unsigned Skins draft pick.
The incomparable Jason La Canfora also reports that a Fred Davis signing seems easy to do by the time camp opens on Monday.
Not much to say other than woohoo!
-DW
Redskins Rides Coming Up
July 18, 2008
Derek Devine
July 13, 2008
Kevin Linkins asked someone to make the case for Derek Devine being kept before former Maryland QB Sam Hollenbach. For those who didn’t read the comment, he essentially pointed out that this was favoritism and that Devine couldn’t even make the Seahawks last year and there is no way he’s any good.
Well, I’ll make the case, Kevin. Devine knows Zorn’s system. He can help the other guys with nomenclature, reads, routes, and even tell him whether Zorn likes his coffee black or with cream. Much like todd Collins was brought in when Al Saunders took over the offense, Devine was brought in to be essentially an interpreter.
The thing is, neither Hollenbach nor Devine will make the final roster. Unless Colt Brennan gets caught with ten pounds of cocaine and a male prostitute, he’s the 3rd QB. Collins is #2 and Campbell is the starter. The most Hollenbach or Devine could be is a practice squad member. It makes perfect sense to keep Devine around until Campbell and Collins are up to speed. Then, they will either replace him with Brennan, or if Brennan is slow to pick up the pro game, they’ll use Devine as emerency QB until Colt is ready.
My read is that this is pretty standard, pretty sensible stuff. Would it have worked better with Seneca Wallace? Sure, but he’d have been too expensive to bring in, and who knows whether the ‘Hawks would have let him go.
Hope this makes sense to you, though I suppose JZ doesn’t really care whether either of us likes it. thanks for the comment and the story idea.
-DW
More on the Redskins Name
July 13, 2008
Since this struck such a chord on a weekend no less, I thought I would talk about it some more. I could be wrong, but this is why I think it is inevitable that we will eventually have to change the Redskins name.
1) It is difficult to argue that it is not racial offensive. Even the logo isn’t particularly flattering with its depiction. The only more racially insensitive logo in America is the laughing indian used in Cleveland.
2) The NCAA has taken the lead and is removing all native american names from its teams. Lawsuits are pending in Kansas City, Atlanta, Cleveland, etc. Because we have a precedent-centric legal system, there really only needs to be one court that breaks ranks to set off a possible chain reaction.
3) Once a critical mass of people find the name offensive, not only is it good PR to change the Redskins name, it is good business. As I mostly jokingly referred to yesterday, a new name means new jerseys, hats, car flags, tail-gating tents, etc. And admit it, as much as you want to hold out and dream of the Redskins name never dying, you aren’t going to stop being a fan of this team if they change their name. You will protest. You will whine. You will wear your old Redskins jerseys to Fed Ex for awhile. But eventually you’ll want to wear the new colors or your jersey will wear out or you will just get over it or a new star will come to the team and you will buy a new jersey. And soon, you’ll have the new tent, the new steak brands you use to tailgate, etc.
Like the confederate flag in the south, the Redskins logo is a tradition, but it is also a symbol of opression. it will eventually go away. Hop on board the train now, and it will feel better when it happens.
Anyway, my wife and I were batting around some silly ideas for new team names last night and I thought I’d share:
The Washington Federals- Many of you are probably too young to remember the USFL first hand. But I was actually at the very first Federals game. How about an homage to the USFL? Well, for one, the Federals lost their first 8 games, won only one of their first 11, and finished with a franchise record of 7-29. But hey, at least they owner once referred to them as a “bunch of trained gerbils.” How could you argue with that?
The Washington Generals- Again, those of you to young to remember the heyday of the Harlem Globetrotters may not remember the Generals. But the Generals are the team that loses to the Globetrotters on a regular basis. Their record from 1953 to 1995 was 6-13,000 (estimated by Wikipedia).
The Washington Bullets- Hey, its not taken anymore. And with the recent Supreme Court ruling overturning the DC handgun ban, it seems sort of appropriate.
The Washington Red Tapes- What is more associated with Washington than red tape? And the best part is that we don’t lose our song:
Hail to the Red Tapes! Hail bureaucracy! This tape’s on the war path. It covers old DC!
I’ll give some special prize to anyone who can clean that up a bit and maybe keep going into the “beat ‘em, swamp ‘em” section.
By the way, for those who are concerned about the lost tradition of the Redskins because of offensive issues, our very fight song has been altered once before because it was offensive. For those who don’t know, these were the old lyrics:
Hail to the Redskins!
Hail Victory!
Braves on the Warpath!
Fight for old Dixie!
Run or pass and score — we want a lot more!
Scalp ‘em, swamp ‘em — We will take ‘em big score
Read ‘em, weep ‘em, touchdown - we want heap more
Fight on, Fight on — ‘Till you have won
Sons of Wash-ing-ton. Rah!, Rah!, Rah!
Talk about offensive!
Anyway, just some food for thought and hopefully some stuff that made you laugh and take it a tad less seriously. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m a fan of the Washington football franchise, not the Redskins. New name or not, I’m a fan for life.
-DW
Redskins Win Lawsuit
July 12, 2008
A US Court of Appeals found in favor of the Redskins in the ongoing lawsuit over whether the name Redskins is offensive. This was based mostly on a technicality that the native americans that sued waited too long to be file the suit. Essentially, they waited too long to be offended which frankly seems a bit silly to me.
I know this is controversial in the Redskins fan community, but seriously, we need to prepare for the inevitable reality that one day the Redskins will have a new name. The name is genuinely offensive to some people, and you don’t need to be a lawyer to realize that one day the Skins are going to run out of loop holes.
Personally, I think Dan ought to take a lesson from the page of fellow Washington sports team owner, Abe Polin, and change the team’s name on his own terms before someone forces him to change it. It is going to hurt. I have no doubt the last time I sing Hail to the Redskins is going to be a sad moment. And let’s face it, half the fun of the Cowboys-Redskins rivalry is the cowboys and indians aspect. But since it is going to happen, let’s get it over with. And besides, if you are Dan Snyder, doesn’t this sound like a great chance to sell a whole new batch of jerseys, t-shirts, hats, etc? In a strange way, he’s sitting on a gold mine.
Anyway, like I said, I don’t want to change the team name. Or more precisely, I want to have grown up loving a team that has had a less offensive name for the last 75 years so I don’t have to go through this. But it WILL happen. It is a matter of time. Anyone feel like tossing out some suggestions? Anyone feel like yelling at me for suggesting it? Go for it below.
-DW
Redskins Sign Kelly
July 12, 2008
The Redskins signed 2nd round pick and future slot receiving stud, Malcolm Kelly to 4 year deal today as well as 6th rounder pick and punter Durant Brooks. To my knowledge, this leaves only fellow second round picks Fred Davis and Devin Thomas left to sign. Kelly’s signing likely will be the model for the other two contracts with both unsigned players probably getting a smidge more since they were selected higher.
As the ESPN article points out, there was some concern that 1st and 2nd rounders would be hard to get into camp because of concerns over the impending CBA debacle in ‘11. Rookies are smart to do what Kelly did and get a one time guaranteed payment (rather than some of the escalator clauses so popular before) in case the CBA allows them to cash in big.
Given the relatively early signing for Kelly, expect Thomas and Davis to be in camp, and also expect them to be secretly pissed since all three of them holding out has more effect.
-DW
Back from Hiatus
July 10, 2008
This is what happens when you don’t read your own blog for a month. You miss that your friend and fellow writer’s dad passed. My condolences to Guy and his family.
In minor Redskins news, Tony Zendejas was charged with rape today. You might remember Tony as one of the three kicking Zendejas brothers (Luis, Max, and Tony). Tony was drafted by the Skins in the supplemental round of the 1984 draft, but to my knowledge never played for us. His brother Max played for the Skins for part of the 1986 season and only made 9 of 14 FG’s attempted.
Was this the news that shook me out of my slumber? No. I’ve been working on big things. Riggo’s Rag big fantasy preview posts that will be starting next week and go through to the start of training camp (and maybe beyond).
We’ve also got news of a big contest coming up soon. So stay tuned and start coming back now that we can smell the beginning of the season.
-DW
So Nature deals with us
July 6, 2008
As I mentioned in my bio, I grew up in the wake of the Colts’ exodus from Baltimore and turned to the loving arms of the Washington Redskins. I was guided there by my father, and together we cheered the Washington Redskins through three superbowl wins. Football was a bond we shared and I always treasured watching games with him.
On July 5th, Redskins Dad –my beloved father– passed away early in the morning. He taught me how to be a proper football fan. He taught me to appreciate sportsmanship and loyalty. He taught me to hate those stankin Cowboys and Eagles and Giants, but to also have respect for your enemy. He taught me to never give up and he taught me to have faith in my team. He also taught me many new swear words when Marcus Allen ran for that touchdown in the Superbowl against the Raiders. Many of my best memories of him revolve around football, and I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that football brought us closer together.
So I hope you will all indulge me and take a moment to pay some respect and appreciation to those that got you interested in this wonderful game. We may have different teams and different loyalties, but we share the same love of the game. Let’s remember that.
Thank you
Redskins Guy
Gratuitous Redskins Cheerleaders!
July 2, 2008
This little number is courtesy of Kissing Suzy Kolber. I had to share. Enjoy!
Malcolm Kelly Saves Lives and Clinton Portis Action Figures are Only a Matter of Time
June 27, 2008
some voluntary workouts. He signed a fat new contract with the Redskins. Now he’s getting ready for another facet of his game…the press conference.
That’s right, now you can vote to determine which zany character Clinton Portis will dress up as for a press conference next season. Each character has their own little bio and personality. Personally, I like the dentist (he did Strahan’s teeth!) with the Ultimate Fighter coming in as a close second. Fortunately, confidential sources have revealed that the additional characters will NOT require separate contracts and will have no effect on the salary cap. Whew!
The question remains, is this a distraction for the team? Is it harmless fun? Is it a boost for morale? The Washington Post has hinted that some teammates resent the special attention he receives; does this rub it in even more? Only the other players can say for certain, but I’d tend to think that it’s more on the harmless fun side. Clinton has always shown care to only pull out the characters when the team is performing well which is an important factor.
All too often these days we see players on the losing end of a 43-7 drubbing and dancing little celebratory happy dances when they get a first down. Clinton Portis isn’t like that. He truly does want to win. So I say let him have his goofy characters. They’re cute and silly and they give him a little personality. As long as he doesn’t go too overboard, what’s the real harm?
In other more serious news, Redskins Draft Pick Malcolm Kelly will be leading a group of private citizens to Liberia to help the medical relief effort out there. At a time when his peers are out buying mansions and sports cars and drinking and partying and – yes — oversleeping and showing up late to a new job, this young man is leading a delegation to Africa to try to save lives. You can read more about it here. I was originally going to post a picture of one of Portis’s characters to headline this article, but I think Mister Kelly has earned a little face time. He’s shown above, catching what I hope will be the first of many passes as a Washington Redskin.
Finally, as I mentioned earlier, the Redskins have now signed rookie defensive end Rob Jackson, seventh round pick out of Kansas State. Let’s hope he pans out since we could certainly use the help to our d-line. Four of our ten draft picks have signed and with luck the other six will fall into place soon enough.
