Taking the Good With the Bad

So that is that. The Redskins season is over and the year is almost done. It is time to stop and wonder where we have been and where in the world we are going as a sports town.

The Redskins season had a familiar end to it. We knew it was over before the loss to the 49ers, but the game a microcosm of the season. Early promise was replaced by anguish at the end, as Joe Nedney kicked the game-winning field goal for the 49ers as time expired.

Jim Zorn just missed on becoming the first Redskins rookie coach to have a winning record since George Allen in 1971. Still, there is hope for the future with Zorn despite the late season collapse.

Zorn is a charismatic coach who had success as a player and learned as an assistant under Mike Holmgren. He is clearly comfortable in his own skin. Issues will need to be addressed - including an aging banged up offensive line - but I believe Zorn will find a way.

The Capitals have clearly found a way. On Sunday, the team took time to celebrate some of its past success when it retired Mike Gartner's number 11. Gartner was part of group of players that included Rod Langway and Dale Hunter that literally saved the franchise.

Gartner and company delivered wins and playoff appearances as crowds packed the old Capital Centre in the 80s, ending speculation that Capitals would have to leave town. Now that they are actually playing in town, the best is yet to come.

Alexander Ovechkin has done what other great players could not do. He has turned Washington into a hockey town. Ovechkin flicked the switch, and the atmosphere at Verizon Center is absolutely electric.

Simply put, Ovechkin one day will help deliver a Stanley Cup to a place that was not supposed to get a team when it was awarded one back in 1974, and then almost lost one before Gartner and his mates saved it. Without Gartner, Ovechkin's run isn't possible.

This year reminded us how quickly things can change. It was not that long ago that the Capitals had to change coaches on Thanksgiving Day while their roommates at Verizon Center, the Wizards, were on top of the NBA's Eastern Conference.

Remember when the Wizards were the best in the Eastern Conference in February of 2007? They still made the playoffs this past spring - and pushed the Cleveland Cavaliers to six games - even though Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler were not fully healthy.

Arenas is still on the sideline, and with only 5 wins in the 2008-09 season, it is easy to get down about the future. Still, if Arenas can come back and play at a level close to what he was before he was injured, then the Wizards could close out the decade with a bang.

The Nationals opened their new ball park with a bang by defeating the Atlanta Braves on a walk-off home run by Ryan Zimmerman. The rest of the season did not go as well, but the ballpark is first class, and we will watch a neighborhood grow around it, much like we did at Verizon Center.

With the Nationals ball park opening, it's hard to believe there is still no tangible progress to report on a new stadium for D.C. United. The team could end up in Maryland, which would mirror the fate of the Redskins.

Like the Redskins, United has had ownership groups willing to develop the stadium with their own money, but the city has not been able to make it happen. The Redskins should have never been forced the leave the city, and United deserves better.

Just last week, there was an article on the renaissance of downtown Los Angeles, and it mentioned the sports component in that renaissance, including projects done by a company called AEG.

AEG was one of the groups trying to get a stadium done with D.C. United in the early part of this decade. It was an opportunity lost. Maybe something will change, but D.C., unlike other cities, does not have a track record of having great vision and the ability to get things done.

There was success on the soccer field with Maryland capturing the NCAA men's soccer championship. Head coach Sasho Cirovski has built one of the best programs in the country and made his games a cool thing to do on campus.

On the Maryland campus, Brenda Freese has done the same with the Maryland women's basketball team. On the men's side, Gary Williams remained determined as ever to get the Terrapins back on top.

Let's face it, this is now a good area for college hoops. John Thompson III has rebuilt the program his dad made famous. At George Mason, Jim Larranaga has made the Patriots a perennial contender for the NCAA tournament, and at American, Jeff Jones has fans talking hoops again in Northwest D.C.

As we say goodbye to a year, we think about losses off the field. It is hard to believe Tim Russert is not longer with us. I keep expecting him to show up at a Wizards game. His genuine passion and enthusiasm for sports - and life in general - are missed.

This was also the year I lost my biggest fan. My father passed a way in May. He loved sports. He taught me to take the good with the bad, and to always look forward to the next game.

With that in mind, here's to 2009! Happy New Year!

(Copyright 2008 by WTOP. All rights reserved.)

Posted by:  | 12/28/08   3  Comments | PermaLink

Season to believe -- in the Ravens

'Tis the season. The Redskins helmets were hung in the lockers with great care in hopes that a playoff bonus would soon be there. Instead it will be a lump of coal. Visions of playoffs can no longer dance in our heads.

The Redskins are officially done. Stand up and applaud the effort and determination in the win over the Eagles, but Sunday's victory by the Falcons over the Vikings sadly was enough to push the Redskins to the side.

In Baltimore, it is different. With a defense from their past and a quarterback of the future playing in the present, the Ravens have come a long way in a short period of time.

In fact, the Ravens are on the verge of the playoffs after beating the Cowboys 33-24 Saturday night at Texas Stadium. And not just any game at Texas Stadium but the final regular season game at the stadium that Clint Longley made famous. (Redskins fans 40 and older will get that last line)

It was not how NFL films would have scripted it. The final game at Texas Stadium with Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett, Emmett Smith and all the other Cowboy greats looking on was supposed to be a Texas sized celebration of Cowboy football.

Instead the Ravens, a team that was not even around when Texas Stadium opened in 1971, closed the place with a jaw-dropping victory punctuated by two late touchdown runs by Willis McGahee (77yards) and LeRon McClain (83 yards) that were as big as the hole in the stadium's roof.

Redskins' fans can not help but be a little jealous. Like the Redskins, the Ravens have a rookie head coach, but unlike the Redskins the Ravens were coming off a bad year and were not expected to be real threat for the post season.

Not only have the Ravens turned into a real threat for the post season but they were making a claim on the AFC North title until the Steelers broke the plane of the goal and broke the Ravens hearts in last week's cliff hanger in Baltimore.

This is not to say John Harbaugh is a better coach than Jim Zorn, but the Ravens right now are a better team and a dangerous one. If the Ravens do get into the playoffs, it is a team capable of winning it all.

The Ravens are playing the kind of defense like they did when they won the Super Bowl after the 2000 regular season. Now like then Ray Lewis is the super charged super hero of that defense and he is well supported.

Safety Ed Reed could end up the NFL's most valuable player. He showed why again on Saturday with two interceptions to bring his total to seven for the season. Reed has returned two interceptions for touchdowns.

To go with their elite defense, the Ravens have an unspectacular offense. Yet they have a rookie quarterback in Joe Flacco who makes more big plays than he does mistakes. Either way his emotions do not seem to be affected by either.

Flacco was not even in the mix to be a starter this season but was thrust into the position when Kyle Boller was hurt in pre season and Troy Smith was sidelined by illness. Suddenly Flacco the clipboard holder became Flacco the signal caller.

Saturday was classic Flacco, if it is possible for a rookie to have classic games. Flacco was sacked six times and lost a fumble but he was efficient and finished 17 of 25 for 149 yards and one touchdown.

It should be noted that Flacco's one touchdown was thrown to Derrick Mason, who because of bad shoulder, caught the ball with one arm. The touchdown was set up after punter-holder Sam Koch ran for a first down on a fake field goal.

Saturday night, just days removed from their most stinging loss of the season, the Ravens showed they clearly believe this season could be something special.

It is time we start believing as well.

(Copyright 2008 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Posted by:  | 12/22/08   3  Comments | PermaLink

Can't Step Up, Can't Stand Out

Santana Moss should not have whipped out a towel and shined his shoes in celebration of a touchdown in the second quarter of Sunday's game against the Bengals, because the Redskins are not going anywhere.

Sadly, we have had this feeling for some time. Even when the Redskins were winning, Jim Zorn said he felt like the team was treading water. In short, the 20-13 loss to the Bengals was another example of this team's inability to step up and stand out in the NFL.

That's what made Moss's shoeshine celebration, for which he was penalized for, so disturbing. Scoring a touchdown against the Bengals should not be considered a reason to let loose. It wasn't even the game-winning touchdown. All the touchdown did was show that the Redskins had at least a pulse on offense.

Moss is a fine player, and he had a fine game Sunday, but there was no need for the extra touch after he scored. As color commentator Daryl Johnston said, Moss should have acted like he had been there before.

It hurt to watch the Redskins lose to a team that only had one win before yesterday. Okay, fair enough, the Redskins offensive line was hurting in a big way, but if the Redskins wanted to show they were still in the playoff mix, they needed to put a hurting on a Bengals team that had not scored a touchdown in its previous 12 quarters.

Raise your hand if you have Bengals quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick on your fantasy football team. Didn't think so. Yet there was Fitzpatrick, helping the Bengals to 17 first-half points and amazingly, that's all the Bengals really needed.

It's clear now that back-to-back road wins over the Cowboys and Eagles early in the season were false dawns. The Redskins were 4-1 at that point, and have only managed three victories since. They were struggles against the Browns, Lions, and Seahawks.

So the Redskins did not lose to the Bengals because they were distracted by comments made by Clinton Portis on the John Thompson show. The Redskins have struggled to score all year, no matter who was talking.

The Redskins have the pieces. Portis is even better on the field than on the radio. Campbell deserves to have a little more time to settle into a new offense. And - drum roll please - the coach deserves to have more time.

Frankly, a loss like yesterday is the kind of loss that can - and often does - get a coach fired. Zorn's job future however, should not be in doubt as he tries to finish his first season with the Redskins.

Let's hope the Redskins quick answer to their downward spiral is not to change coaches again, because it would not provide a quick fix. The Redskins should know that by now.

On a brighter note, Maryland is celebrating another NCAA men's soccer title after yesterday's 1-0 win over North Carolina in yesterday's College Cup Final. It is a credit to the quality of the players and the quality of the coach who attracted them to College Park.

Sasho Cirovksi took over a Maryland program in 1993 that was going nowhere. Other ACC schools like Virginia, with Bruce Arena as head coach at the time, were miles ahead of Maryland. Still Cirovski could see the destination.

Back then, he predicted a national title for Maryland, and it came true in 2005. Now, the trophy chest will need to be rearranged after Saturday's accomplishment. Where outsiders saw obstacles at Maryland, Cirovksi saw opportunities.

Cirovksi has made Maryland not only a success on the field, but off the field as well. Fans regularly pack 6,000-seat Ludwig Field and create a European atmosphere. In short, he is concerned with growing the sport, as well as his program.

With a genuine passion for the game and the kids he coaches, Cirovksi has found success, and he is not letting go. The future for him and Maryland is limitless.

(Copyright 2008 by WTOP. All rights reserved.)

Posted by:  | 12/14/08   1  Comments | PermaLink

Bleary-Eyed Loss

The frozen fingers and bleary eyes could have been saved. The Redskins trip to Baltimore turned out to be not worth the trip. It was a 24-10 loss to the Ravens.

The game was the feature on "Football Night in America" or at least that's what the folks at NBC told us. That meant that NBC used an entire football team of sportscasters including Al Michaels, John Madden, Bob Costas, Cris Collingsworth, Dan Patrick, Keith Olbermann and Jerry Mathers as the Beaver.

Those guys do a great job, but what happened to the days when football night in America was Monday night and we waited for Howard Cosell to come to our town? Please accept my apologies for feeling old on this Monday morning and getting stuck on memory lane.

If I am stuck, it is because the Redskins are stuck. This team is not progressing and has gone from treading water, as head coach Jim Zorn once described, to taking on water as the reality of a 7-6 record season now indicates.

It doesn't hurt more that it came at the expense of the Ravens. There really is not a rivalry between the teams and hasn't been. Truth is told there was not much of one between the Redskins and Colts because they never played each other enough.

It hurts from a Redskins perspective because the team has not been able to progress to the next level. It is looking more and more like this season is not one to build on from last year but a transition time with a first year head coach.

You see we could have saved staying up late or freezing our tailgate off because the game was actually played out in our heads all last week. Sure, dreamers had the Redskins winning, but our conscience told us that the Ravens defense would be too much and it was.

The Redskins offense has not been able to clear the hurdle when it has been faced with a really good defense and has barely passed against lesser teams. Recent results against the Cowboys, Steelers and Giants along with Sunday night are evidence of the Redskins position in neutral on offense.

The Redskins defense was up for the challenge, but the Ravens defense made plays that turned the game. Ed Reed's interception set up a touchdown and then he stripped Clinton Portis of the ball and ran for a touchdown. Reed could end up the league's MVP if the Ravens run ends in the post season.

The Redskins run to the post season has been linked to Clinton Portis and his ability to run the ball. Portis only had 32 yards against the Ravens and only carried the ball once in the second half even though he said he felt fine.

With three games left we don't need a running back controversy and I doubt one will develop. On offense the Redskins appear to be in their own way as it is. Some of the offensive penalties last night would have led you to believe it was the Redskins first pre season game and not their 13th game of the season.

The Redskins have the same defense and the same running game but a new coach and a new passing game. The Redskins passing game is so new it is not ready and as a result the Redskins aren't either.

(Copyright 2008 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Posted by:  | 12/08/08   7  Comments | PermaLink

From One Ed to Another

It's the feel good story that really doesn't get to be.

Washington's own Ed Tapscott is beginning his second full week in charge of the Wizards, but the joy for his opportunity is muted by the reality that it came at the expense of another D.C. native.

The end with the Wizards for Eddie Jordan just didn't seem fair. After all, he helped guide the franchise out of the NBA wilderness and into a playoff contender. It is something Jordan was even able to do the last couple of seasons while missing a couple of All-Stars.

When the Wizards beat the Utah Jazz for their first win of the season, I could not help but think of Jazz coach Jerry Sloan. NBA coaches come and go, but why couldn't Jordan have a run in D.C. like Sloan in Utah? In his 21st season with the Jazz, Sloan has won more than 1,000 games.

It would have been nice, but that's fantasy. Team President Ernie Grunfeld had to deal with reality. The loss to a 7-man New York Knicks team a week ago Saturday was the kind of loss that gets a coach fired. In the end, it did.

It must be something about Thanksgiving week and coaches at Verizon Center. Last year, the Capitals fired their coach on Thanksgiving Day, after a bad loss at home the night before. The Capitals ended up in first place, but a similar run by the Wizards at this point looks unlikely.

It had to be a tough decision for Grunfeld, because Jordan had proven before that he could deal with adversity. In many ways the Wizards ability to win 43 games last season with Gilbert Arenas injured for 69 games and Caron Butler for 24 games was nothing short of incredible.

Again this season, Jordan was faced with adversity with Arenas still out and Brendan Haywood also injured on the sideline. Unlike last year, the slow start was not limited to five games, and in fact, is not over as the Wizards prepare for their 15th game of the season Tuesday in New Jersey.

Tapscott is now 1-2 as Wizards head coach. In his first game in charge, the Wizards offered a glimpse of their potential in a 124-100 win over Golden State. Then it was a reality check in a loss to a very good Orlando team, followed by Saturday's competitive but ultimately frustrating loss to Atlanta.

The head could burst trying to figure out the answers. At 2-12 now, the Wizards know they have All-Stars in Butler and Antawn Jamison to build around, but who plays where and when is an open question.

For all the Xs and Os, it comes down to good people in a bad situation. Jordan is not a bad coach because of a bad start after four straight playoff years. Grunfeld is not a bad executive after assembling the team that made that run of post season appearances.

Grunfeld is ultra-competitive, and it is what has made him a success at every stop of the executive level in the NBA and this start has to gnawing at him. Jordan is the coach who wanted to be a coach even before he wanted to be a player and now he is on the outside looking in.

At his introductory news conference in 2003, Jordan was moved to tears when he talked about the impact his coach at the District's Douglass Junior High, John Paul Davis Jr., had on him. Jordan watched how a coach could change kid's lives, and it inspired him to want to be one.

Jordan made it all the way at the top of the profession as a coach in the NBA. Still his perspective stayed grounded. Just about ten days ago, with the pressure on, he took time to take a call in his office from his young son who was excited that he finally saw a highlight of his dad playing with the Lakers on NBA TV.

Yes, Jordan has his priorities straight, but at the NBA level it is about wins and losses. There just weren't enough of them to start the season, so a good man was replaced by another good man.

Tapscott also has his priorities straight. Like Jordan, Tapscott is a devoted family man. His last coaching job before last week was of his daughter's basketball team.

In his praise of Tapscott's work with the Wizards as Director of Player Development, it was Jordan who once said, "Whatever Ed Tapscott is doing, he is over-qualified for it."

Indeed, Tapscott is smart and can hold a conversation on just about anything. He played basketball at Tufts University, and not only coached at American University, but earned a law degree there.

Without Arenas and Haywood, it was never going to be easy for the Wizards, but few expected it to be this hard. It's now up to Tapscott to make the best of a bad situation, and really create a feel-good story.

It was fitting the Redskins played in the pouring rain yesterday, because it is clear after the 23-7 loss to the Giants they are still treading water.

Yes, Eli Manning passed for over 300 yards, but the Redskins defense made some big stops when they held Giants to field goals and opened the door for the offense. It was a door that stayed shut.

Clinton Portis was knocked around and held to 22 yards. With Portis held to under 100 yards, the Redskins offense continued to under achieve.

Granted, the Redskins had to deal with a very good Giants team, but Jason Campbell said it best when he noted that the offense's inability to make a big play is what is separating this team from becoming a really good team.

(Copyright 2008 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Posted by:  | 11/30/08   0  Comments | PermaLink