Low Blow

Washington Redskins SS Brandon Meriweather was fined $42,000 for a hit against Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy in week two. While most of us would quickly learn from a $42 thousand dollar mistake, Meriweather continued to play with his head. And by ‘head’ I mean ‘helmet’.

The NFL suspended Meriweather for two games for repeated violations of the leagues helmet-to-helmet policy for hits on Chicago Bears receivers Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery during the October 20^th game in FedEx. Meriweather appealed and the league reduced the suspension to one game.

Brandon Marshall was vocal after the 41-45 loss to the Redskins.

“Guys like that really don’t understand that there is life after football. I respect the league trying to better our game and guys like that, maybe he needs to get suspended or taken out of the game completely."

Brandon Meriweather responded to Marshall by telling the Washington Post:

"Listen, everybody’s got their opinion of things, you know. Everybody’s got their opinion. He feels like, you know, I need to be kicked out of the league. I feel like, people who beat their girlfriends should be kicked out of the league too.”

"You tell me who you’d rather have: Somebody who plays aggressive on the field, or somebody who beats up their girlfriend. Everybody’s got their opinion. That’s mine. He’s got his."

Talk about a low blow bringing up Marshall’s past of alleged repeated domestic violence incidents. Marshall defines the term ‘bad-news Bears’! Look at his rap sheet from the Chicago Tribune.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-03-14/sports/chi-brandon-marshalls-rap-sheet-20120314_1_brandon-marshall-rasheedah-watley-press-charges

And just when you thought that was the final blow in the Brandon fude, Meriweather continued with how he would change his future game plan for the NFL.

“To be honest, you’ve just got to go low now. You gotta end people’s careers. You gotta tear peoples ACLs. Mess up people's knees. You can't hit them high anymore. You've just got to go low."

Easy! Knees are a sensitive subject in Washington. But Meriweather does have a point here. Yes, it sounds horrible, but he was being honest. In the first eight weeks, 54 players have gone on injured reserve with lower leg injuries and that number will only increase as the season goes on. Thirty of those injuries were torn ACL’s. In 2011 only 25 players were placed on IR for ACL injuries. (ESPN stats & info.) If defensive players are being forced to only go low to make plays, franchise players will be at a higher risk for season and career ending injuries until the NFL’s competition committee can evaluate the increase in ACL and lower leg injuries in the off season and develop new rules to protect the lower half.

Either way, knocking someone out on purpose or taking out a player’s knee on purpose is still a low blow!

Some Things Will Never Change...

Dan Snyder has taken a lot of heat during his ownership of the franchise. But the one issue where all of Redskin Nation stands behind Mr. Snyder is in his support of not changing the name of the Washington Redskins. Mr. Snyder sent an email to all season ticket holders addressing the issue and then the Washington Post published the letter. (Somehow I also got his email, so I’m confident that Mr. Snyder wanted me to address this issue as well.)

The Redskins continue to make National headlines as a select few interrupt our team name Redskin as an insult or a slur. According to Bob Costas, names like “Braves”, “Chiefs”, and “Warriors” strike as political correctness. Mr. Costas also said that Blackhawks”, “Seminoles”, and “Chippewa’s”, are potentially more problematic, but they can still be used if their logo/symbols are appropriately respectful. Someone PLEASE explain to me how the Washington Redskins logo is different from the Chicago Blackhawks?

I mean if we’re talking about feelings from left field; how to do you think our national bird feels about being the mascot of the football team in Philadelphia? And we wonder why they were on the endangered species list for so many years… (See how ridiculous that just sounded? That’s exactly what the name change argument sounds like to Redskins Nation.) In my entire life, I have NEVER heard the word “Redskins” used to refer to anything but the Washington Redskins of the National Football League.

Here are parts of Mr. Snyder’s letter:

As some of you may know, our team began 81 years ago – in 1932 – with the name “Boston Braves.”  The following year, the franchise name was changed to the “Boston Redskins.”  On that inaugural Redskins team, four players and our Head Coach were Native Americans.  The name was never a label.  It was, and continues to be, a badge of honor.

In 1971, our legendary coach, the late George Allen, consulted with the Red Cloud Athletic Fund located on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota and designed our emblem on the Redskins helmets. Several years later, Coach Allen was honored by the Red Cloud Athletic Fund.  On the wall at our Ashburn, Virginia, offices is the plaque given to Coach Allen – a source of pride for all of us. “Washington Redskins” is more than a name we have called our football team for over eight decades.  It is a symbol of everything we stand for: strength, courage, pride, and respect – the same values we know guide Native Americans and which are embedded throughout their rich history as the original Americans.   

I’ve listened carefully to the commentary and perspectives on all sides, and I respect the feelings of those who are offended by the team name.  But I hope such individuals also try to respect what the name means, not only for all of us in the extended Washington Redskins family, but among Native Americans too. 

Consider the following facts concerning the “Washington Redskins” name:

1) The highly respected Annenberg Public Policy Center polled nearly 1,000 self-identified Native Americans from across the continental U.S. and found that 90% of Native Americans did not find the team name “Washington Redskins” to be “offensive.”  

2) In an April 2013 Associated Press survey, 79% of the respondents stated the Washington Redskins should not change their name, while only 11% believed the team’s name should change. 

Paul Woody, a columnist for the Richmond Times Dispatch, interviewed three leaders of Virginia Native American tribes this May.  They were all quoted by Mr. Woody as stating that the team name doesn't offend them – and their comments strongly supported the name “Washington Redskins.” Also in May, SiriusXM NFL Radio hosted Robert Green, the longtime and recently retired Chief of the Fredericksburg-area Patawomeck Tribe, who said, among other things:

            “Frankly, the members of my tribe - the vast majority - don’t find it offensive.  I’ve been a Redskins fan for years. And to be honest with you, I would be offended if they did change [the name, Redskins….This is] an attempt by somebody…to completely remove the Indian identity from anything and pretty soon… you have a wipeout in society of any reference to Indian people….You can’t rewrite history – yes there were some awful bad things done to our people over time, but naming the Washington football team the Redskins, we don’t consider to be one of those bad things.”

Our franchise has a great history, tradition and legacy representing our proud alumni and literally tens of millions of loyal fans worldwide.  We have participated in some of the greatest games in NFL history, and have won five World Championships.  We are proud of our team and the passion of our loyal fans.  Our fans sing “Hail to the Redskins” in celebration at every Redskins game.  They speak proudly of “Redskins Nation” in honor of a sports team they love.

President Obama was quoted for saying that if he were the owner of the Washington Redskins, he would change the name. Well, thank the sports gods that Obama is NOT the owner of the Redskins. Doesn’t he have enough issues to worry about in the Nations Capital right now? Or is he on the government shut down too? If I say that I’m offended that I’m still being taxed and paying for his employees who are NOT working will he change the tax law to only collect tax when the entire government is working?

Redskin fans have lost a lot over the years; actually, it feels like we’ve lost most of my 29 years of being a fan. Even if we never win another game this season or a Super Bowl in my lifetime, we the fans of Redskins Nation will NOT lose our team name. Some things will never change; we will forever be the Washington Redskins and we honor all Native American’s every time we sing Hail to the Redskins. 

Sep-TIMBER

My Texas Rangers started September by losing 15 of the first 20 games. It was a nightmare. Each loss left like a swing-and-miss for American League wild-card race. Post-season play was slipping away and away for a team that made a post-season appearance the last three years. You play baseball to play in October.

The Rangers played 162 games and yes, they all counted! To stay alive in the AL wild-card race they had to win the last seven games of the regular season.

They played Tampa Bay in game 163 for the AL wild-card tiebreaker. The last wild-card tiebreaker was in 2009. The good news was that Nelson Cruz is back from his 50-day vacation; the bad news was that the post season all comes down to ONE game. It felt just like a “Game 7” only the knots in my stomach were much bigger.

The Rangers have fun when they play, they fight for wins and when they lose they break hearts and shatter World Series dreams. We just got Nellie back; baseball season can’t be over before October in Texas. But after losing the tiebreaker 5-2, baseball is officially over.

The Redskins started 0-3 and finally beat the Raiders in Oakland 24-14 for the first win of the season. The Redskins offense still hasn’t scored in the first quarter this season and it’s obvious that RG3 still isn’t the same magical QB we saw last year. The defense has taken a huge beating in the media and on the field. When the offense leads the league in 3 and outs (I just made that up, but other than Jacksonville, we have to be really close to owning that stat) the defense cannot play the entire game.

Robert threw 5 interceptions in 15 games last year. This season he has thrown 4 interceptions in 4 games. Maybe someone should just delete RG3’s snapchat app so he can focus on the football game plan not his personal ‘game plan’. Yep, taking a personal shot because I’m still pissed he doesn’t know how to slide or the simple rules of sliding. The team as a whole still needs a lot of work after a 1-3 start. And by a lot, I mean we need a miracle to help this team win this season.

The Skins start October with a bye week, then at Dallas, host the Bears, and then at Denver where Peyton Manning has been putting on a QB clinic all of September. At least we can’t lose the first week in October. #Hail has quickly become #Fail.  

The University of Tennessee may have started 3-2, but when the win are over Austin Peay, Western Kentucky, and South Alabama it doesn’t feel like a season to cheer about. The Oregon game was awful and we lost to Florida, AGAIN!!!!

Justin Worley is just a QB mess. He’s proven that making great decisions are not his strength. Worley’s stats against South Alabama: 20-35, 202 yards, 2TD’s and 3 interceptions, not the stats you want as an SEC team. And just when September looked ugly for Worley and the big orange, it’s only going to get worse in October with Georgia, bye week, South Carolina, and at Alabama.

I’ll be at the Georgia game this Saturday. I really hope I get to see one of the true freshmen QB’s Dobbs or Ferguson. Surely, they can’t be any worse than Worley.

And add to the crash of September, somehow I was talked into being the pilot of my company’s National Red Bull Flugtag team. The National Harbor was one of five locations where this crazy flying event took place. Each site only allowed 30 teams to compete after hundreds of entries. I was one of 150 people in the USA that was brave (or stupid) enough to literally ‘take one for the team’. While sitting on a makeshift piano, I was pushed off of a 30-foot platform and then crashed into the dirty Potomac River. What was I thinking? Clearly, I wasn’t. A baby grand can’t fly! It’s been over a week and the bruises still look like someone beat me. 

Where’s Peyton… I need an audible

What a depressing weekend in sports. I know my teams have tough schedules, but when my college and NFL football are not even in the game, it’s embarrassing. Losing is nothing new for the fan bases of the University of Tennessee and for the Washington Redskins, but losing this season stings more than past seasons.

The University of Tennessee was crushed in a 59-14 loss at Oregon. So much for duck hunting the #2 team in the country and for shocking the world of college football. What was more shocking is how terrible QB Justin Worley is. Sorry kid, you may be the worst in Tennessee history. Yes, he can protect the ball, but it’s clear that he can’t make big plays. I’ve never wanted a freshman QB to step up more in my life. Start warming up Riley Ferguson and Josh Dobbs, we need one of you to figure this out.

The Washington Redskins were embarrassing, again against the Packers. How bad does the first half have to be for Coach Mike Shanahan to pull RG3 and put in Cousins? Why does Kyle Shanahan still have a job? What does the offence do all week? Practice was not on their to-do list.

There are so many issues with our game/team/play calling right now, but what really makes me mad is what happened after the game! We know that RG3 missed all of the preseason games and was rehabbing his ACL instead of practicing with the team and we know he was cleared by Dr. Andrews to play in game one of the season. I appreciate Coach Shanahan supporting Robert, however to say “I think he’s really doing a good job, for not having team practices and then coming back in the tick of things, you know it’s going to take time for everybody to get on the same page and timing to get where we want to get”. I’m sorry, all I heard was HE’S NOT READY TO PLAY AND IT’S COSTING US GAMES!

Even if you are an amazing athlete, that’s not enough to play in the National Football League. You have to be NFL ready and RG3 clearly isn’t NFL ready.

Robert said he will be hard on teammates if they want him to be, but he’s not an a- - hole and believes in positive reinforcement. The difference between Robert and I is that I’m okay with being called an a- - hole.

Here’s my positive reinforcement; figure this out now or soon you will be another disappointing QB in the history of the Washington Redskins. When you step on to that field you are telling everyone that you are 100% ready to play. The first two games have proven that you are not 100% or that you are not the same player you were a year ago. We the fans want you to be that player you were last year and we want that player for years and years to come. But the player that we’ve seen the past two weeks is like reliving the past QB nightmare in Washington. If you have to sit out to get better, we will support you through that. But if you continue to play like this and say you are ‘ready’ then you should change your name to Owen, because your record next week will be Owen – 3  (0-3). 

The only good part of the game was when the camera crew zoomed in on Aaron Rodgers and his dreamy eyes looked right at me. We had a moment.

And to add to the weekend of sports sadness, my Texas Rangers were swept by the Oakland A’s in a must win series for a chance at post-season play.

But the biggest audible for the weekend was seeing Justin Beiber walk in with Floyd Mayweather and The Money Team before “The One” on Saturday. Beiber is in Mayweather’s entourage? Stop it! This isn’t real life!