Radio Free Ashburn

     I debated whether I should post this on my blog...or here. I can guarantee you this: it will show up here...in a far more profane manner.
     Because, what I witnessed this afternoon has convinced me that the Redskins franchise...is beyond any repair from anyone. But I am convinced Mike Shanahan just signed his death warrant as far as being a NFL head coach in the future.
     By now you know the story. In what has become (to me, anyway) the saddest day in Redskins history in the last 20 years, Donovan McNabb was informed his time in Washington is now numbered. Not only has he been benched for this Sunday...but Shanahan told him in no uncertain terms he'll be holding the clipboard the final 2 games of the season.
     Not to drag Michael Vick into this, but I wouldn't do this to a dog. Now I see why Pat Bowlen fired Shanahan in Denver.
     Nothing Shanahan said this afternoon will change my mind on this fact: from the day Dan Snyder seized the Redskins franchise, it has been his overwhelming obsession to destroy this franchise. Today, we Redskins fans became roadkill for the "Prima Danna" and that obsession.
     If I didn't understand what L.A. Clipper fans have suffered under Donald Sterling, Marlins fans (and Dolphins fans) did when Wayne Huizenga owned the Marlins back in the late '90s--and the Dolphins today--or what Knicks fans feel toward James Dolan...today, I get it.
     And now, for the first time since I began following the Redskins in the late '60s, I'm ASHAMED to admit I'm a Redskins fan. What's more, I'm sorely tempted to give up pro football for the rest of my life.
     All because Donovan McNabb had his dignity stripped today.
     I'm sorry, but I can't write any more. I'm ready to throw up now. Can you blame me?

     I wrote last night (on the Redskins Fanatic group page) on the Donovan McNabb trade to the Redskins. So here we are, some 18 hours (or so) after the fact...and I still can't wrap my head around this "gift" Eagles fans have given us.
     Does the phrase "Be careful what you wish for" mean anything to fans (regardless of sport) in Philly? Because if anything says "bite in a*s*s", this certainly qualifies, don't it? Just imagine what Lincoln Financial Field will be like when Donnie Mac makes his (hopefully) triumphic return to Philly come fall.
     This is the 21st century version of the Sonny Jurgensen trade (in '64). Yeah, how'd Norm Snead work out for you, Eagles fans? BWAA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!! Don't it seem history is about to repeat itself here? In spades??
     Christ, let me enjoy this while I can...lol

     Some observations, after watching the Mike Shanahan press conference today:
     1) I have more faith in Mike Shanahan making football-related decisions for the Redskins, than I do in Bruce Allen. Let's just say I have a gut feeling on this.
     2) Remember, Clinton Portis spent his first 2 years in Denver. What we Redskins fans have seen out of "Jerome From Southeast"...is the result of letting the inmate(s) run the asylum. Two words sum up the relationship he had with Shanahan: "personality conflict". DO NOT be surprised if the first one run out of D.C. is Clinton Portis. I'm just saying...
     3) It took the gang at CSN Washington to point this out...but did anyone else notice it was Bruce Allen and not the "Prima Danna" who introduced Shanahan? Gee, ya think Dan Snyder gets it now? "Shut the (bleep) up, and sign the paychecks!!!" I wonder...
     4) But, more importantly, is Mike Shanahan truly prepared for "Dallas Week"? And secondly, I'm waiting for draft day to see if he means what he says about making all the football decisions?

     After reading about how the Redskins continue to go through the motions (and not play with any passion whatsoever), perhaps this whole debacle was summed up Sunday night during the "un-official" postgame show on 106.7 "the Fan" in D.C. by a caller.
     And I can honestly say, he has a point.
     Ever since Jack Kent Cooke Stadium--or FedEx Field, no thanks to Dan Snyder--opened in 1997, it would probably be safe to say the Redskins have a losing record in the joint. I'm not sure. But one thing can't be debated: whatever vibe there was @ RFK Stadium, has never transferred to FedEx. Unless it was a division game, you saw absolutely no passion whatsoever.
     But, back to the caller.
     He suggested that perhaps what's needed is for the Redskins to move back to D.C. Now, whether it's a new stadium on the site of RFK (or elsewhere in the city), makes no difference. If you beg to differ with me, I have news for you...and I witnessed it first hand last week. The Capitals are the hottest (sports) ticket in Washington right now.
     And why? Because Abe Pollin figured it out in the mid-'90s. People won't commit to a 2-hour schlep in traffic, to see hockey (or basketball) in Landover, MD...period! He realized the city needed to be revitalized, and building an arena (with, I should point out, his own money) was the answer.
     As much as Dan Snyder has whored out the Redskins name, he still hasn't figured out raising ticket prices every year only continues to alienate the fan base. Treating free agency like a drunken sailor treats shore leave, only alienates the fan base. NOT bringing football people in to run the franchise...is the ultimate cardinal sin to the fan base. (But, hiring Bruce Allen would appear to be a step in the right direction. Who knows, with the "Prima Danna"?)
     So maybe moving the Redskins back to D.C. proper may be the last act of a desperate fan base tired of the ineptitude, the negligence, the utter stupidity that is Dan Snyder's ownership of the Washington Redskins these last 10 years (or so). I know it's making sense to me...and I've been following this team since 1967 (when I was 9...yes kiddies, that long!!)...and it should make sense to normal-thinking Redskins fans as well.
     Follow this on Twitter...if you dare.

     Let's say at the start, I'm not talking about the singer. No, this George Michael was known to generations of viewers in the D.C. area for being the numero uno sportscaster around these parts.
     Today, he's dead from cancer. And all day, whether it be radio or TV (or across the sports blogosphere) in Washington, people are remembering "the MAN" and how he changed the sports landscape...not just in D.C., but on a national scale.
     Think I'm kidding? Flip on ESPN in the evenings, and you'll see my point.
     "The Sports Reporters"? Simply ESPN's version of "Redskins Report", which George Michael hosted on WRC-TV in Washington for over 25 years. (In the winter, it became "Full Court Press".) "Pardon the Interruption"? Ripping off "Full Court Press" and their segment called "Beat the Buzzer"...which, BTW, showcased Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon. (See where I'm going with this?) Oh, and let's not forget "Around the Horn", shall we? 1 topic; 4 sports "journalists"--and I use that term loosely--taking up 2 minutes of airtime. Yes, kids, it's "Beat the Buzzer" again.
     Why ESPN never bothered to send George Michael residuals for ripping him off, remains a mystery to me.
     The fact remains, the way local stations handle Sunday highlights now...George Michael pioneered it in 1985. Ever heard of the "George Michael Sports Machine". people? We here in the D.C. area saw it before the rest of America latched on to it. (Don't worry, folks. I'll link this to Twitter, so the rest of America can read this.) Anyway...
     As the title of this little piece says, it's as though sports fans here in Washington feel a death in the family. And that's what it is, really. Working the same job for 28 years...in the same market, to boot...made George Michael feel like one of the family.
     You're missed, George. Take it from me, you are going to be missed.