The R*dsk*ns: Holding Firm to the Past and Learning Nothing From It

lastangryfan.com

As you all know ( or should know...read some earlier posts, would ya?) I am an avid Washington R*dsk*ns fan. I've written articles on why Peyton Manning should have come to DC and why RG3 is my guy (good thing we never got Peyton!). I've also written an article based around a possible name change for my beloved team. This topic seems to come up fairly often. It peaks during the off-season and then by the time September rolls around, the sports media is too busy with the game to worry about such silly matters as a team name. This off-season, however, the criticism seems to have stuck to the wall a little more than usual.

Pundits are talking about the racist team name in the mainstream media. ESPN has conducted full conversations and polls about the feelings on this name. Even the US Federal Government has gotten in on the issue. Ten members of congress have written letters to every NFL team, commissioner Roger Goodell, FedEx (the stadium sponsor) and Dan Snyder, the owner himself. In these letters they show disgust for the use of the word (only referring to it as the R-word) and compare it to the N-word.

Dan Snyder seems to have disregarded these letters and has vowed to never change the team's name.


This whole process seems eerily familiar to me.

Bracket Busted? I feel your pain

Well Pros and Bros, the First big wave of the NCAA Tournament has come to a close. It was upset city in the early rounds and my bracket felt it...hard.

How did you do? Did you ace the upsets and survive with minimal damage? Is your Final Four still flawless and read for the battles this weekend?

Or does your Western Region look like it went sunbathing too long due to all the red? Was Georgetown in your final four? Was Gonzaga your national champion?

Yes.
Yes.
AND ...Yes. I mean who steps out of bounds the second the ball is in bounded in THAT situation!?!? SERIOULSY!?

Deep breaths. I will get through this. And that's what this is all about. I will get you through this.

The Selfish Truth: Injuries in the NFL

4,493

That's the number of injuries that afflicted NFL players over the 2011 season. This is kind of a scary statistic when you consider the NFL only has 1,696 active players at any given point. This is mostly minor injuries that only hold a player out of practice for around a week, but even those injuries can lead to missed games. 

There is no greater shame in sports than when an athlete can't compete because of injury. It's like if you had the job of your dreams and you couldn't go because of something out of your control. It hurts the athlete most of all, of course. But other people are affected by it as well.

What can you do? Fandom v. Fantasy

Picture this!

You're at your annual fantasy football draft. You and the guys are sharing some brews and some stories of last years season about how Kenny Britt didn't pan out just the way you expected (again). You get to your pick (number 10...of course) and you look to your needs and who's available. You're okay at Running Back and QB for now but what you could really use is a solid Receiver. You've also heard a lot about how Tight Ends are the big thing this year. And Matthew Berry said it?! That guy's info is gold! Sign me up! AND You have the wrap around pick and can scoop up that WR and that TE in one fell swoop! Look's like this blind squirrel just found a nut!

Let's see who's the next best players available! It's Jason Witten and Dez Bryant. The guys behind them  are a ways off. Great right?!

What if you're an Eagle's Fan? You want to win your fantasy league, but the thought of cheering for two Cowboys players every week makes your stomach turn. If they both have big games for you, odds are this could lead to a Dallas victory. And Tony Romo will jump around with his smug smile and think he's an elite quarter back and Chris Collinsworth will confirm this. And you wanted it that way. So it's all your fault.

It's all about the Story Lines

So who's up for a game of guess who!?

1. This Quarterback was drafted late his year. He was the last string QB on a team that decided to carry four players in that position. Scouts said he lacked great physical stature and strength. They said he could't throw a tight spiral. They said he lacked mobility and the ability to avoid the rush. Most scouts thought he would be nothing more than a backup in the NFL.

2. This QB was drafted more towards the middle of the event. He was known to have a good arm but one scout noted that he only went to one receiver and would force it to him even if he was in a crowd. He was called cocky and a gambler. It was assumed he could eventually start despite he fact that he didn't have great tools. He sat the bench his whole first season in the league and split time his second year.

3. This QB was taken in the first round but behind several others at his position. He was thought to have good tools but was very raw. He was said to have no throwing motion and wasn't expected to be a top prospect. During the two seasons before he entered the league, no other undergraduate athlete threw more interceptions. Beyond all of this, he had a bad attitude and was immatue. He touted himself as the best QB in the draft even after he was picked so late.

Do you know who's who?

RG3 is Alright by Me!

There is a subject that is very near and dear to my heart. It is probably one of the most important things in terms of my sports life. It brings me great joy and, more often, great disappointment. And they have recently been in the news with one of their risky, splashy off-season moves.
Washington has sold the farm in order to acquire the second round pick in this years NFL Draft. A pick that will almost surely bring them one Robert Griffin III.

I haven't spoken on this subject. Not in a blog post or a tweet or anything. I'm not upset about it. I've just been marinating on it. And I feel I'm ready to discuss my feelings.

First let me take you through how I found out about the RG3 news. I was convinced, despite everyone else's opinion, that Peyton Manning would be coming to DC. I mean why not! It's not like they've had a terrible history of QB's there since Lawrence Taylor created the reason for the movie the Blind Side (Theisman was one thing LT, but did you have to give us that film too?).