Hey people, I'm pretty new to baseball. I've always "rooted" for the Nats, but never really watched them until last year. Truthfully, I could never really get into baseball. Now I'm hooked.

I'll admit right up front - the intrigue of Strasburg and Harper really drew me in. But thats not what kept me. Very quickly, Adam Laroche has become one of my favorite professional athletes. I've never seen a guy more laid back at work without a chair to lean back and some sort of Hostess-product crumbs running down his shirt. Laroche scoops up those throws from third like he's grabbing a beer from the bar. Personally, I'd like to ask his wife (or girlfriend?) if he ever, EVER gets excited.

I was surprised to find out that Rick Ankiel failed as a pitcher. That guy, to me, just exudes confidence. Was shocked he missed that ball in CF last night. Not that I FAULT him, I had just come to expect him to pull off whatever's asked of him.

Which leads me to my questions. I'm still trying to understand this shuffling of players thing. Bare with me here. Like I said, still new to this. But I don't understand why a guy like Ankiel isn't considered an everyday player, but Espinosa is? Is it an outfielder v. infielder thing? Espinosa is a young guy, and has promise, so I get that. But what about Bernadina? He seems to give the team some real speed around the bases. Basically, what I'm asking, is why wouldn't Harper, Ankiel, and Bernadina be your "everyday" outfielders? I understand Werth taking Bernadina's spot when he returns but, in the meantime? I just don't get why Nady gets any real PT, outside of being a late game sub.

My next question is about Morse. Last year he was on first, but I'm guessing there's no chance he unseats Laroche, so where does he go? Another outfielder? I'm fine pushing Nady further down the chart, but I'm guessing it significantly shrinks Ankiel and Bernadina's PT as well, right?

Ok, last question. Ryan Zimmerman. I KNOW I'm gonna get killed for this, but should HE be an "everyday player"? There's no doubt he's a tremendous player. And I know he can't be replaced. But he seems to get dinged up quite a bit. I know it's because of his style of play, but is that just the nature of the beast for 3rd basers? At least the good ones?

Alright, that's it. Hopefully enough of you are still reading to this point to drop a few helpful nuggets into the comments section. If not, I'm gonna hafta get my baseball questions answered by Chad Douche and Lurch.

I want RG3. I want him so bad I am willing to trade up for him, which I LOATHE. I want him so bad I am willing to give up multiple high picks for him. I was hesitant at first, but I came around. It was tough, but I decided our first three picks this year , and maybe a 3rd next year was worth it. Then the price rose. I fought it, but finally came around to the fact that losing our first pick next year was for the greater good. (I gotta be honest, I'm pretty sure a little bit of my soul died with that concession. )

Frankly, I would rather pull a Ditka, give up our entire draft (maybe save one of the 4th's if possible) this year then put a line in some water, and leave our top pick next year out of it. But I digress.

Well, today I jumped over to Bleacher Report and, lo and behold, they got us taking Griffin. I was pretty giddy at first, until I saw the bounty. Our first three picks this year, plus our first two next year. I know, I know, it's not surprising. But this was the first time I'd seen it actually played out, and I'm pretty sure I had a bit of a panic attack. I didn't like it. I didn't like the feeling, and I didn't like the deal. Now I know what it must feel like to buy a BMW when a Hyundai is more in your price range. It made me think of a guy I used to play basketball with growing up. He lived in the dilapidated apartment complex near me (back off, nothing to see here. I'm not judging, because our place was no better), and had a brand new Beamer. I don't know the model, but it was the Shark; the same one Hawk drove in Spenser For Hire.

Anyway, the bottom line is, that's too much. We can't afford it. For all that, I'd rather trade back, draft Dontari Poe, and maybe land Weeden in the second. I hate that I'm saying that, because Weeden doesn't excite me at all. And I really think that, if Shanny doesn't solve the QB conundrum this year, he's out the door. But ya know what? I think I'm even OK with THAT, if the alternative is giving up FIVE high picks. Hell, those players would be here longer than him either way. Maybe next year Big Russ could have Tyler Wilson to work with?

Well, that's it. Have at it. I know I'm gonna get the business from folks on BOTH sides of this argument, but screw all y'all. I am what I am.

     Sorry, I need to vent some, and didn't know where else to go. 

   I'm not much into college football. I don't have a specific allegiance, although I'd like Maryland to do well. Every once in awhile though, I have a free Saturday, and don't feel like getting outta bed, so I'll scroll through the guide and find a game to watch. 

   Well, today that game was Arkansas-A&M my uncle is a Razorback, and he keeps raving about this Tyler Wilson. So I figured I'd check him out. Obviously I wasn't disappointed. When I turned the game on, it was (I believe) 35-21. Wilson pretty much brought Arkansas back himself. He tied the game up, then A&M marches down for a field goal. Time for Wilson. Like a knife thru hot butter, Wilson moves right through the A&M defense. He gets to about the 30 yard line, and then......WTF???

    I get a message on my screen that says the GEORGIA TECH/ N.C. state game is blacked out. Again - WHAT THE F&$K???? I don't give a hot turd about Georgia Tech OR N.C. State. I wanna watch the game I WAS ALREADY WATCHING. Which, by the way, is on ESPFRICKIN-N. So, one more time...WHAT THE F@CK?? How the he'll does a game in North Carolina get blacked out in Maryland, how does ESPFRICKIN-N get blacked out period, and why the hell would they go AWAY from a damn good, down to the wire game between two top 20 teams. WTF??

This is just one more reason to keep me away from college football. Don't get me wrong, I understand the notion of it's "purity". But c'mon. That's pretty much relegated to teams like Delaware or New Hampshire. Any not small name in college sports these days, if not already embroiled in some sort of controversy, is just a phone camera away from being so. But that's not me biggest problem with it. Nor is the ridiculous "postseason" setup they have. And don't get me started on NCAA INC. 

     No, what bothers me most is that most of the games just aren't very exciting. Sure, you have your top match ups here and there, but a lot of times it's gonna be Big Name U. vs. Nobody State. Sorry, no interest. It's also evident that, while there is no doubt a lot of these guys are highly talented, the  talent disparity on EVERY team is extremely evident. Which, to me, doesn't make for very good entertainment. 

  Now, I know there are plenty of people out there who will read this and think heresy. My spectacularness will probably go down a notch or two in some peoples' books after adding this. That's fine. I just wanna spark the discussion, and put my gripes out there. 

  Also, anyone else have a take on Wilson? He really impressed me. And not just cuz he put up 500+ yards. It's the fact that he did it while getting hit (not just pressured- HIT), on pretty much every throw. His offensive line was beyond porous. They made ours look like the Hogs on steroids. 

First of all, lemme apologize beforehand for any grammar errors and/or run on sentences. As the title up top says, I am a bit inebriated and, I'm typing on an iPad, which is not Blog-friendly.  

Ok, now that the disclaimer is outta the way, here goes...  Don't get too ecstatic about some of the names that "made it". I'm sure most of realize this, but this ain't the final draft. This is a rough copy of the final roster, with some more cuts to come, maybe some trades, and maybe some guys who thought they made it still going to the practice squad. Yes, I'm talking about Niles Paul.

 It is still hard for me to believe that we will keep 8 receivers, especially with our O-line problems these last few year. There are two ways to go with this. Either Shanny is trying his best to win this year, or we are going all in on youth development. Let me be clear, i do realize that the second point does not necessarily negate the firsr, if that makes sense(?) if we're trying to rack up the wins this year, then Stallworth remains. I love Anthony Armstrong but, truthfully, Stallworth is probably the 3rd best rceiver on this team right now. Part of me thinks they're keeping him because they know they can't count on Hank or Paul right now. At least not right away. Also, to a lesser extent, Terrence Austin. So, in that regard, I can still see Paul heading to the PS if/when they find a worthwhile guard and/or DE on the waiver wire. Perhaps they want to wait until the rest of the league are (somewhat) set at receiver, to lessen the chance someone wants to take a chance on Paul.  On the other hand, they could be thinking that some contender out there wants to add a solid vet receiver, and therefor swings a trade for Stallworth. Whether it's a guard, D lineman, CB, or even a draft pick, Stallworth could help us more going down the road by going somewhere else in a trade.  

Next up is the LB position. I know a lot of people were surprised at the number of LB's we kept, but it actually makes sense. 3-4 teams always stockpile LB's. And we have a pretty solid bunch. OK, I'm not a fan of McIntosh, but he has started for years. We have two young studs at OLB in Jackson and White (who I'm ECSTATIC we kept) backingmup, yep, two young studs at OLB. Fletcher is, well, Fletcher. No way to say that better. He's irreplaceable at this point. But if Mcaintosh is hurt, or benched, I am fine with either Riley or a Fox stepping in there. And LoRax is our very own Jack Bauer - adapt on the fly, good at whatever he does, and you always know it when he hits you. He's the ultimate hybrid, a Swiss army knife of OLB, ILB, DE, DT, OG, fullback, and I wouldn't be surprise to see him run a kickoff back that some team tries to keep away from Brandon Banks.   While I wasn't a big fan of Lichtenhoozle last year, I am more excited about our O line than I've been in years. The depth scares me a bit though. As it stands now, Locklear, who got worked in the Bucs game, is our only backup with any real experience. Smith is raw, and Cook isn't exactly well done either. (you see what I did there? Yeah, I planned that)

 Probably the biggest surprise to me was on the D Line. I was a fan of the Neild pick, but I really didnt expect him to make the 53. Hopefully the coaches saw more there than we did. He definitely looks the part. You see that guy on the street, you think either Nose Tackle or you're trying to hook a firehose up to him to put out that 5 alarmer.  

Cornerback depth is iffy too. Kevin Barnes was mentioned as a starter over the summer, but is probably better as a number three. Thompson is far from a finished product, and he will g plenty of PT while Buchanon sits. I wouldn't be surprised to see a moce made here, especially with the depth at receiver of the teams in our division.  

Safety is where i would like to see a move made. I would LOVE to see us pick up Merriweather, jettisoning Kareem Moore. Whether we want to admit it or not, we all know that Fat Albert is gonna play well in New Englaand. Wouldn't it be nice to get one of their castoffs, and have him be productive for us? Im sure there will be competition for him, but if you can get him for a reasonable price, i would definitely pull that trigger. Especially with Landry's health in question.  

The RB position is good to go. Hightower should be the starter, but we know that, whe healthy, Torrain is perfectly competent in the starting role. And Helu will be the change of pace back we've been lacking for for years. Young is a stud at FB, and Sellers, uh, can jump over people? OK, he's one of our 2 or 3 best special teamers, so there.  

Gano looks to have taken the next step this preseason, going undefeated on field goals.Rocca is a hell of a punter, and I am dying to see him lay a lick on some unsuspecting returner.

  Ok, I'm tired, the wife fell asleep on me, and i really don't feel like getting into the QB situation right now. (But I will say that Landry Jones looked pretty damned good today).  So that's it, have at it. If you agree with me, you're not as dumb as you look. If not, well write whatever worthless comments you think the rest of us want to hear.

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     OK, people, I'm gonna piss some of you off here. And to those of you I make happy, just know that it is not my intention. We do not share the same views. But I have slowly come to the realization that it is time for this franchise to draft a "FRANCHISE" quarterback.

      I know, I know. Believe me, you don't have to explain to me all the reasons this would be a stupid move. I've been belting them out for three years now. But I have effectively "switched sides." Now, before you McNabb haters start raising your glasses to me, let me explain that I am NOT one of those people who think that McNabb all of a sudden stinks. Is he a perfect QB? Nope. But the flaws he has are the same ones he's carried with him through the MANY victories against this team over the years. None of that matters though, cuz I'm not here to talk about McNabb.

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      While I hate to clog up multiple posts with the same subject, I just can't let go of this thing. This benching has the potential to be as damaging as anything Snyder ever did to this organization. (All you Rosey-outlook-all-the-timers keep in mind I said POTENTIAL).
       Aside from the benching being a total panic move, as Lavar said, the bigger problem is what it's hiding. It's the evil monster lurking in the closet we've all been afraid to think about. Nepotism. Since lil' Shanny joined Daddy in DC, we've wondered if proud papa would be able to tell his kid that his stuff ain't workin'. Which it ain't. You wanna go for the "give it time" argument? Nope, that went out the window with Donovan's first ass splinter. If you can't give the 6 time Pro bowl, multiple championship game, HOF caliber QB more time, then how do you argue that your flash in the pan, non playoff offense deserves more time?

      What worries me most about this is the complete illogic of DaddyShanny's explanation.

You thought "Rex gave you a better chance in the TWO MINUTE" Really?? Then why wasn't he in before that, so we wouldn't have to WORRY about the Two minute?? Seriously though, HOW LONG has this guy been coaching? Does anyone who's ever been around football think there's a chance in hell that a guy who hasn't played a SINGLE DOWN can come in and drive the team 80 yards behind such a porous O-line?

"Rex is familiar with this offense". Really? Cuz I seem to remember MATT SCHAUB running that offense in Houston, with Rex holding the clipboard.  Did HE ever get benched for Rex? Or, more importantly, was he ever under the barrage of pressure McNabb saw ALL DAY Sunday? I doubt it. Because he wouldn't been benched, he would've been BROKEN. Anybody with any grasp of what was going on yesterday could see that D Mac escaped as many sacks as he took, if not more. Rex doesn't give you that. Know what Rex does give you? Turnovers. SO was anyone surprised at the outcome of Rex's first snap real snap as a Redskin? I wasn't. OK, I'll admit I was 50/50 on it. I figured it'd either be a pick 6 or a fumble. No, I'm not exaggerating. I yelled that exact sentiment at my wife when they showed him warming up.

    So here we are at the bye week, with 2 weeks to mull over this horrific decision. And who's up next on the plate? Philly. The team WE ALL wanted to sweep a little bit more the moment McNabb signed. And the the team McNabb needs to beat to kick dirt in their face for spitting him out like stale bubble gum. Now not only does he have to deal with the neverending questions of the benching, but he also has to deal with the ridicule he's sure to hear from the fans in Philly about the whole mess. Sure, he'll SAY he doesn't pay attention to that stuff. But does anyone believe that? Not me.

  Unfortunately, this Philly game is the least of our worries. As poor as the NFC is right now, we're still in "the race" even if we lose to Philly. The larger issue is what's gonna happen at the end of the season. You know, when Shanny DOES "get involved in contract negotiations." What does McNabb think of his "fearless leader" now, after hearing him preach to "stick with it" all this time, knowing the guy doesn't practice what he preaches.

  So, what's more questionable, the coach who continues to bench the players who give him the best chance of winning (despite what he may say), or the QB who tows the company line after being told by the COACH's SON to change what's worked for him through all those Pro Bowl/Playoff/championship games? I pick the coach, ten times out of ten. That ego needs WAY more adjusting than any of McNabb's "footwork."

Editor's note: Sorry, I know this post is kind of all over the place, but I'm working on 2 hours sleep since Saturday, and have a million thoughts to download from my still-in shock brain, all the while chasing 2 toddlers away from the Halloween booty.

OK, I've been thinking about this for awhile, so I'm prepared for all the flak I'm going to catch from you guys. I'm just amazed that I haven't even heard a WHISPER of this yet. So here goes - the NBA version of "Who Am I?"

"I'm a big (6'4) point guard. I'm lightning fast with the ball, and am usually the fastest guy on the court end to end. I can get by anyone guarding me, and am explosive athletically. I also have a flair for the dramatic. Oh yeah, I also tend to turn the ball over sometimes. All of which adds up to comparisons with the top point guards in the league."

OK, I'm sure you guys know where I'm going with this by now, so I'll leave it open ended, then sit back and read up as most of you tear me apart.

Sorry, I haven't been around in awhile, and I'm sure this topic has come up on one or two posts around here. But I have been having this conversation with some buddies at work the last few days, and figured I'd get the pulse of the best Wizards fans out there.

What I want to know is, IF somehow Mebron, sorry, LEBRON James decided to sign here in the offseason, how would you take the news? I realize this is about as close to impossible as you can get, which is why this is totally hypothetical. Personally, I don't think his ego would allow him to sign here, what with all the hate he's received from this town in the past. But, just for the sake of alternate realities, lets say we end up with a top 2 draft pick which, along with Arenas, could serve as an enticement for the guy.  So, if they somehow created the space to sign him, would you be happy with it?

Me personally, I'm all over the place on it. I have grown to dislike the guy immensely. I think he whines too much when he doesn't get his way, and I think he expects things to be handed to him. I also think he's more interested in building the "Lebron brand" than actually winning a championship, though obviously those two don't have to be mutually exclusive.

So anyway, without further adieu, here's the poll:

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 I know this conversation is getting tiring, but I'm gonna play the devil's lawyer here. Yes, I would prefer he came. But I don't think it's the end of the world. Plenty of players skip these voluntary sessions. Again, I'm not advocating him skipping it, I just don't think it's an Armageddon-worthy event.

I dunno if any of you waste your time reading Tracee Hamilton in the Post, but I am sometime forced to at work, with the only other option being the stupid fluff magazines. Anyway, she had an article the other day about Haynesworth saying how the Skins should CUT him if they can't/don't trade him. She also basically said that he has an obligation to report to the voluntary camp because he has a "new boss."  (Again, I'm not advocating him NOT going, I'm just saying we'll survive if he doesn't.) Her argument for this was that if "one of us" was in the same situation, with a new boss at work who asked us to come to a "voluntary meeting" we would all go. Oh yeah, I also found it funy when she said that London Fletcher would never do this. Didn't he miss the voluntary last year with Landry? Frankly, I think this woman's parents should be punished for child abuse - I don't think it's a question of IF she was dropped on her head, but how many times.

Now, before you all jump down my throat, YES, I know that he's getting paid millions and millions of dollars, so he SHOULD go. I can't stress enough that I think it would be a good idea for him to go. But, as I've said before, IF he's off working out like he says, then reports to the real training camp, I believe he will be much better than last year, and last year he was pretty damned good.

Of course, this is just my opinion. And, of course, this could all be moot since there's apparently a good chance the Skins will dump him for peanuts. But CUT HIM? C'mon.

               OK, my curiosity here has gotten the best of me, so I've decided to get everyone's take on what they think we should do IF Shanahan decides Campbell is not "his" quarterback. (I'm not even gonna mention Grossman here) Now, keep in mind (this is for LJP and his fellow Jasonites) I said IF, which means this post SHOULD NOT turn into another Campbell debate. I just want to see which way you people would want to go on draft day should Shanny and Bruce decide to take a QB.

OK, here's where I'm at. While Suh is my favorite player in this draft, and I think Okung would be the single player to benefit us the most, I think trading down is our best option. So I used my enormous brain to add up the numbers of a draft day trade that seems to make sense - to me at least. I say we trade with Seattle, giving them our 1st rounder for their SECOND first rounder, plus their 2nd, 4th and 5th. That would be the *4th overall pick* for pick #'s *14, 40, 101, and 136.* I know it seems like a lot, but the numbers actually work out more in Seattle's favor on the value chart. (Though as small as the margin is, it pretty much makes it a wash) Taking into account the reality of pushing trades through, maybe we have to either throw in our 7th, or our 5th in an essential swap.

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.....Or something like that

            C'mon guys. I've heard too much whining and moaning about what's been going on here lately. Now with this stuff on Carter, it's time to step back and look at the big picture.

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I'm getting a little sick of hearing about "Gungate". True, that is mostly do to the fact that it is sheds even more bad light on my favorite NBA team. But mostly it is because these things tend to snowball out of control, whether it be because of false information, or from the guilty party digging themselves a deeper hole in an attempt to escape the situation. Either way, like I said, it turns into something much worse than it actually is.

Anyway, before this goes too far down the wrong path, I figured I would offer a perspective I haven't heard yet.

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While reading the Wizards blog, I came across a blurb about how Gilbert Arenas used to be a "closer." No, this isn't Bullets Forever. I'm just bringing it up because that's what helped me come to the amazing revelation. For all of you out there who think that the Skins should stay away from the high profile free agent market this year - I'm right there with you. I am tired of spending big money on other people's players , whether they pan out or not, instead of developing our own players. But, there is ONE player I think Snyder should throw the bank at. Hell, I'm not even sure how the salary cap would work in this instance. It may not even be an issue, considering that player is

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Just when this team gives you a reason to be excited and a turnaround looks evident, they take 2 steps back.  I just can't get a handle on this team. Does ANYONE doubt that we have the TALENT of a much better team? I don't. I just don't know what the hell is holding us back. I know SOME reasons we aren't performing up to expectations, but what are the other reasons?

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I hate to say it, but we may have just overshot in our expectations with this team. I was as guilty as anyone in thinking that our depth and overall talent would push us into the upper crust this year. But I also, like most everyone else, knew that our lack of frontcourt  talent would be what held us back. I just didn't think it would hold us back this much.

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