The Wizards defeated the Heat at home 96-74 in a laugher Saturday night at the Verizon Center. The Wizards took advantage of the injury plagued Heat playing without Shaq and Jason Williams. Rightfully so the Wizards rolled up the score on Miami to run the record to 15-14. The team oriented offense and concept was run to perfection. It became sloppy towards the end when the game became nothing but jump shots, but the W in the record books was the important thing. To be able to pile up the wins despite the injuries across the roster is a tribute to management and its decisions. This shows just how far the Wizards have come under Ernie and Eddie.

Butler Dunk in 1st half - Photo by TSF

Posted by The Sports Freak at 10:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Brian Billick fired today. The "Offensive Genius" never had that great offense. But that wasn't totally his fault. GM Ozzie Newsome never got him a good quarterback. However, that's purely luck as well.

In the end a change needed to be made. I would have much preferred a more experienced defensive coordinator, although Rex Ryan has coaching in his blood as son of Buddy Ryan.

I wonder if the decision came down to owner Steve Bisciotti? And if so, hasn't he learned by watching Dan Snyder that football decisions should be left to football people?

Update
There are now reports that Ravens players went to Bisciotti to tell him Billick had lost the team and would not be able to get them back.

Posted by Big Money Tony at 03:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As you have heard, the Redskins made the playoffs by defeating the Cowboys. Did you also know that they made the playoffs because Mark Mosley said so?

Photo by BMT

Mosley predicted it before the game, but also said that he said it at the Touchdown Tailgate Party before the first game of the season. And that this game would take them there. Impressive.

More impressive? That the defense held the Dallas running tandem to 1 net yard for the entire game. That's right, 7 yards on 8 carries by Julius Jones and -6 yards on 6 carries for Marion Barber. Wow. You'd think that on a fluke one of them would break out for a long one, but it didn't happen.

Despite being rained on, the freezing cold, the awful tailgate food (that was only mediocre today), Q and I had a great time. It felt strong. Even the 13-3 halftime score felt "safe" after the December the team has played, in comparison to the games played earlier in the season, when I thought a 20 point lead with a quarter to go wouldn't be safe. And Q said they needed to go play-action just one play before the Collins to Moss touchdown. Apparently his mic was on a 45 second delay.

Mosley, Q, and apparently Sean Taylor (who the entire team claims was in the stadium with them) all predicted the outcome. Those silly Seahawks don't have a chance.

Unedited Flickr pics for those who are interested.

Posted by Big Money Tony at 11:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Redskins won a must win game against Dallas at home today 27-6 in dominating fashion. They did something few teams appear capable of doing and that's take control of their own destiny by winning. The Cowboys defense put up a good fight for a while, but the Redskins were just too much for them and did something that I don't think too many people thought they could do and run the football down their throat.

The pre-game show on Fox was very interesting. Both Jimmy and Terry agreed that the Cowboys should try to beat the Skins because they may face them in the divisional round in the playoffs because they both believe the Skins will beat Seattle and face Dallas for the third time.

The Redskins have rattled off four wins in a row to make the playoffs. Regardless of what people think of Coach of Joe Gibbs, one thing is constant and that's a strong record winning record in the month of December. Another rematch with Dallas may be looking a little far in advance, but it would sure be nice to provide a payback to Seattle for the 2005 loss in the playoffs.

Posted by The Sports Freak at 09:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Now that the New England Patriots have gone 16-0, why do we even need to have a playoff this season in the NFL? The Pats have already proven beyond any doubt that they are the best team in the NFL this season, and they have even proven it to people such as myself who don’t even like them as a team. During the regular season the Pats have beaten the best team in the NFC (Cowboys) and all three of the other division winners in the AFC (Colts, Steelers, and Chargers). So what purpose does even playing the playoff games serve?

Clearly not to determine which team in the NFL is the best, because that has already been proven without a shadow of a doubt over the last 16 games. The purpose of the playoffs is two-fold: one is to make more money for the teams and the league, and two is to create an artificial sense of parity within the league. Having a playoff gives fans of 12 teams hope that maybe this year their team can win the Super Bowl even if their team isn’t the best in the league. But which is more difficult to do: win 16 games during the regular season or win 3 in the playoffs? Winning 16 games during the regular season proves way more to me that winning three games in January. Were the Pittsburgh Steelers the best team in the league two years ago when they won the Super Bowl? No, they simply got hot at the end of the season and by no means proved themselves to be the best team over the course of the entire season. So why even bother giving 11 other teams a chance to win the Super Bowl this year when only one team deserves it.

Posted by Bob at 03:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

I really never thought I'd see an NFL team go undefeated. Even when the Broncos and more recently the Colts went deep into the regular season without losing I just didn't think it would happen. It only takes a few key plays to blow a game. A tipped ball, a key penalty, a fumble, or just an uncharacteristic performance by one of the team's stars. The Patriots have been able to minimize those types of mistakes this year, and have fought back in the 4th quarter of the games where they've been down. Yeah, they've had a few close calls (the Ravens in particular really could have knocked them off), but this is a great team, and an undefeated season is a remarkable accomplishment.

Now fellow Pats fans, let's all heed the advice of Bill Belichick and savor the 16-0 mark just for a few days, and then get our focus back onto the next opponent, whoever that might be. It won't truly be a perfect season until the Pats win the Superbowl, and the playoff run is going to be just as tough as the close regular season games they've played this year. The Colts in particular are playing good football, and nobody is even talking about them even though they're on the verge of going 14-2. Hopefully the Pats and Colts square off again in the AFC Championship Game in a few weeks. They've clearly been the two best teams all season and it should make for another memorable game. Go Pats!

Posted by Stu Humboldt at 08:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Mixed night for the Terps. The men's basketball team broke a three game skid to roll over the Blue Hens of Delaware 76-46. Later in the evening, the football team lost to the Oregon State Beavers 21-14 in the Emerald Bowl.

Photo by BMT

The Sports Freak and I attended half of the BB game, literally, as traffic delayed our arrival to about 30 seconds left in the first half.

The game was nothing spectacular. The Terps moved the ball pretty well, even with the bench players in, but they were playing the Blue Hens, not the Blue Devils. This kind of play won't cut it in ACC play. They have a couple more tune up games before the ACC season starts up again. Hopefully they'll figure it out.

Over in San Francisco, the Terps started the game great, with 2 touchdowns in the first quarter. But with ugly play by both teams, contributing a total of 5 turnovers in just the 2nd quarter, the Terps never regained their momentum. It ends the Terps football season at 6-7.

While it was a mixed night, the BB win wasn't exactly satisfying. The were expected to beat Delaware, and they did. But while they kept the Blue Hens at bay, it did not feel dominating. That's concern for the upcoming months.

Posted by Big Money Tony at 06:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The NFL, in service to all NFL fans, will allow simulcast broadcasting of the Pats-Giants game for the potential historic 16-0 game.

I think of it as both a service and a disservice, as all of America, and not just us NFL Network worthy subscribers, will be treated to the play by play and color duo of Bryant Gumbel and Chris Collinsworth. Ask your friends with the NFL Network. They'll tell you. Not the best combo. Even when Collinsworth is not available, Neon Deion Sanders can't save the sinking ship.

Posted by Big Money Tony at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

According to a Chris Mortensen Report on ESPN, Joe Gibbs has been offered a 2 Year Extension ESPN - Joe Gibbs.

This is fantastic news for a team and organization rebuilding and trying to recapture its glory from the '80s.

Posted by The Sports Freak at 03:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

The Terps fell today 67-59 in consecutive non-conference losses at Comcast Center for the first time during Gary's tenure at MD. AU showed great determination and energy as Vasquez and Hayes showed up for MD scoring 28 and 16 points respectively.

The Terps bench was outscored 20-4 by AU's bench. Gist was in foul trouble and eventually fouled out of the game, but the Terps are still looking to find themselves and more concerning is their half court defense which couldn't seem to slow down the offense of Eagles.

The Terps lack the scoring necessary to establish their trapping defense. As a result, the Terps are finding few easy scoring chances. Milbourne has potential down the road, but the most immediate boost and need Md has is another scoring threat which could be filled by Tucker. He has the ability to slash to the basket and shoot or dish combined with a nice jump shot. He also plays solid defense.

Just as Hayes has taken more of the ball handling duties away from Vasquez to free him up for more scoring, Tucker would free both of them up and provide another scoring threat. Bringing Milbourne off of the bench for defense and some slight scoring could only help the sagging scoring for the starters.

A starting unit of Gist, Osby, Vasquez (at the #3), Tucker, and Hayes with Dupree and Milbourne coming off the bench would be a good short bench. This would allow Vasquez and Hayes to start the game together, but have at least one of them on the court at all times and have Dupree in the rotation for the front court.

What was puzzling was Neal shooting three pointers during the game. I know that he's recovering from the shoulder injury and is playing his way back into shape, but at what point is a long jumper by Neal with plenty of time on the clock the best scoring option? Neal should only be shooting under the basket or with time set to expire and the ball in his hand. Seeing Neal shoot threes would be like seeing Ekezie shoot threes. Much like J. Peterman said when seeing the Golden Sombrero on the cover of his magazine while he was lost in the mountains and discovered by Elaine, "the horror!"

Hopefully the Terps rebound after the break, shorten their bench, and re-define some responsibilities to improve their scoring woes. If AU can dampen their offense with a zone defense then the Terps are plenty sure to see more of it in ACC play.

Posted by The Sports Freak at 10:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Happy Holidays to all! Looking forward to a great new year. Just to let you know, we will be posting new entries when appropriate, and reading comments through the holidays. Special upcoming reports will include...

- On a date yet unknown, but prior to New Years: My analysis of the BCS System. I'll give you a hint...it ain't pretty.

- Late 12/28 to Earlier 12/29: Analysis of Terrapins vs. Delaware in Men's BB. The Sports Freak and I will be at the game and will take some pictures we'll post on Flickr. Also an analysis of the Terps Bowl play at the Emerald Bowl.

- 12/30, 12/31. The end of the NFL regular season, hopefully leading to a Redskins playoff berth.

Of course, interesting sports stories will be discussed when they show up.

Posted by Big Money Tony at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

I usually take Curt Schilling's messages with a grain of salt. He seems to spit out something every few weeks because he feels no one is paying attention to him. He makes a statement that I actually agree with.

I've been a borderline Roger Clemens fan since he first showed up in Boston so many years ago. He never played for my Orioles, when I actually paid attention to them. I then met him sometime in the late 90's or January 2000. I was working with an organization at the time that had him cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony of the convention we were running. I think we booked him for 2 hours, but he stayed an extra hour to sign the 100 or so extra baseballs the organization had purchased to give to prominent attendees and staff. I was the beneficiary of receiving one of those and I still have it in my home office. Nice guy for the 10 seconds I got to say "Hi".

Now I'm at an impasse. I agree with Schilling. If the Rocket had extra rocket fuel, I'd be inclined to say take away his Cy Young's. But that will only happen if Clemens admits usage, and I don't think that will happen.

Really, in the end, MLB should just leave the past be. They can't prove exactly when these players took their drugs and in some cases, other than the word of a trainer or Jose Canseco, they can't even prove that they took them at all.

Posted by Big Money Tony at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In the holiday season, there's much of "It's the thought that counts" thrown around. Sometimes warranted, other times, it's just the right thing to say. However, today's Pro Bowl results shows how much fans did care.

Photo by BMT
Sure, most "all star" games are popularity contests. And none more than the NFL's Pro Bowl, as starters bow out unless they really, really can't afford a Hawaiian vacation on their million dollar contracts, unlike the PGA's Rory Sabbatini.

But for once in a very long time, I will try to watch the game. I hope the NFC starts the defensive game with 10 men on the field, just like the Redskins did back on December 2nd against the Bills. This is an appropriate way to honor a great player. It appears that he did try to avoid the bad paths that could befall a young NFL player. From what we now know, that night, he was only guilty of being rich and at home.

I'm sure the first NFC defensive back who just missed the Pro Bowl roster won't be too upset given the circumstances.

Posted by Big Money Tony at 08:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Redskins won again yesterday, 22-10. Impressive? Amazingly the only impressive thing was that Suisham could kick FG's of 28, 31, and 49 yards. 49 yards? In that wind? This from a guy who missed some chip shots in recent weeks.

The important part of course, is that the win keeps them in the hunt for the playoffs. Here's hoping the Bears beat the Vikings tonight. Then if the Redskins beat them next week, they'll have an edge over them in the playoff hunt.

What still concerns me is the conservative play in the second half. They scored last with 12:08 left in the third, making the score 22-3. Too much time to allow 3 TD's. Luckily the Giants offense seemed inept yesterday.

Posted by Big Money Tony at 05:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

These players that Oakland got from the Diamondback in exchange for Dan Haren had better be some good prospects. Otherwise, why trade away the AL All-Star game starter when he still has three years left on his contract for an average of less than $5.5 million a year? If this was Haren’s last year under contract and would be a free agent in 2008, then I could understand the trade. But Haren won’t be a free agent until 2010 so why wouldn’t Billy Beane keep him for two more years?

Posted by Bob at 09:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

To the fans: just because the mainstream media chose to ignore the allegations against Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte does not mean it is surprising that they were named in the Mitchell Report. Clemens and Pettitte were named by Jason Grimsley in a federal investigation according to an article that appeared in the Los Angeles Times on September 30, 2006. I’d cite the article, but the LA Times has archived it to their paid/subscription section.

To the media: the more we learn about steroid allegations the more they seem to be true. At first everyone dismissed Jose Canseco but much of what he alleged has been proven true. Have any allegations made regarding specific players been proven false? None that I can recall. As time goes by, more and more allegations seem to be proven true. It doesn’t look good when members of the media try to downplay the allegations in the report by claiming there is a lack of hard evidence for some of the players named.

To Roger Clemens and other players named: if you’ve been named, don’t defend yourself by saying you have never tested positive for steroids. Much of the steroid use in baseball happened before testing was implemented. There still is no test for HGH. And BALCO’s claim to fame was that it cooked up undetectable steroids. Marion Jones never failed a test thanks to BALCO but has now been stripped of her medals.

To George Mitchell: don’t try to pass the blame around. There were attempts by the owners to implement steroid testing in the past. It was the players union that struck it down. The owners broke no laws, the players broke the law.

Posted by Bob at 08:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

So unless you have been sequestered all day, the Mitchell Report was released. While some names, like Bonds were no surprise, Clemens and Petitte were big surprises.

But let's come down to the real debate. There has been no evidence that Bonds knowingly took steroids until now. Roger Clemens was never mentioned in the investigation until today. Some Hall of Fame Voters have publicly stated that they would never vote for Bonds. So do we leave out one of the greatest pitchers of all time?

I'm a big believer in innocent until proven guilty. So until very recently, I always believed in Bonds. Even now, you can argue that he didn't need enhancements to attain a fairly close career. So because he is the official home run record holder, I think he should be in the Hall when he is eligible. Same for Clemens. I'll be interested to know if voters will treat Bonds and Clemens the same way.

Posted by Big Money Tony at 04:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

That might be an appropriate comparison had the Orioles won something recently, i.e. not 1983, and there was a good team to break apart. But trading Tejada, arguably the O's star player, is a strange move.

Since even before the Nationals moved into DC, the Orioles were bleeding fans. I was a witness to that, as I went to every Sunday home game for about 5 seasons through the Nationals first season. Trading Tejada away certainly does not help. I'll admit, I'm not familiar with the Astros the Orioles got in return. But from what I've read, they don't have a whole lot of experience. For O's fans, let's hope they become good players.

Back to Tejada leaving, how will Camden Yards be filled? Bedard is on the block. I even heard rumors that the Cubs are interested in Brian Roberts. So we're left with who?

Posted by Big Money Tony at 10:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I rather disagree with the media and the Falcons reaction to Bobby Petrino resigning as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons yesterday. We live in a free country. One of our rights is the ability to make a decision about our employment.

If a job opens up in Arkansas that someone wants to work at instead of Atlanta, let him work in Arkansas. What was Petrino supposed to do: decline an opportunity he saw as better than what he was doing previously? At least he didn’t lie about staying the way Nick Saban did at Miami last year.

I myself have changed jobs this year when an opportunity arose that I felt better suited me. I was part of a team, albeit a team of consultants, that was working to accomplish a goal. But when a better opportunity came along, I couldn’t worry about letting anyone else down and knew it was the right decision to accept the new opportunity.

Posted by Bob at 09:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

As stated in a prior posting (of mine), Gary (NCAA Champion Coach) made the adjustments that were necessary giving Hayes more control running the offense to free up his back court partner Washington Post .

Although the Terps fell to BC 81-78 on Monday, it made for one spectacular game. It bodes well for the Terps as their play improves and as the freshman mature. Hayes leading the half court offense should steady the team and Vasquez fire and intensity should spirit their scoring runs from the transition game.

I have to admit, if MD had won that game in a fabulous come back maybe we wouldn't have to watch the final 90 seconds over and over again of the MD collapse against Duke on ESPN Classics. This game could have been one to eclipse it. It was oh so close, just like the game.

Posted by The Sports Freak at 10:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Peter King had an interesting item in this week's Monday Morning Quarterback showing each NFL team's status relative to the 2008 salary cap. Take a guess at who the only team was that is already over the cap. Yep, the Redskins. Not only are they over the cap, but they are over by a whopping $20 million. Think about that for a minute. That means the 'Skins will have to trim $20M in payroll just to be in compliance next year, to make no mention of signing draft picks or free agents. They will be able to cut that number down a little bit by getting creative and converting some of their players' salaries into prorated signing bonuses and the like, but that alone is not going to get it done, and that's really just delaying the inevitable cap crisis to a later year anyway. Some high-price veteran players will have to be cut. With the emergence of Jason Campbell, and in light of Mark Brunell's large cap number next year he is a goner for sure. Who else will be let go?

I blame Dan Snyder and his reckless spending during the early years of his ownership for the cap problems the Redskins are facing now. It seemed like every year the Redskins signed several of the highest-profile and most expensive free agent players, and pushed the massive cap hits further and further into the future. Most of those players ended up underperforming and disappointing on the field, and the Danny's "win now" mentality unfortunately didn't result in a championship. Now the team is cleaning up the mess years later. I do like the fact that Snyder has been less meddlesome since Joe Gibbs took over as head coach, but unfortunately the damage has already been done.

Posted by Stu Humboldt at 09:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

The Nationals acquired the catcher they were looking for to mentor Flores by signing LoDuca to a one year contract ESPN

Washington makes a good signing for the right amount of time. It’s interesting that the Mets essentially traded catchers with Nats after trading for Schneider and giving the Nationals Milledge. Also interesting to note is that the Mets could have protected Flores in last year’s rule #5 draft and the move to acquire Schneider may not have been necessary.

Posted by The Sports Freak at 08:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Well, finally Vick gets his due. Nice how he ruined the Atlanta Falcons. Yes, I am aware that he brutalized dogs, but his sports impact was unimaginable. Chris Redman now becomes the third starting QB for the Falcons this season, following the footsteps (or piano keys) of Joey Harrington and Byron Leftwich.

Picture by BMT in Las Vegas, circa July 2006

Without his actions, maybe Byron Leftwich ends up in St. Louis, San Francisco, or Carolina, where they absolutely need a QB. Instead he gets protected by a dejected and limp offensive line and gets hurt...again.

Without Ron Mexico's actions, Nike wouldn't have to stop hocking his name and make less money.

Without Marcus' actions, it would be safe to go to McDonald's. Oh wait, wrong Vick.

Finally, without Michael Vick's actions, my fantasy football team would probably toil in the league as I would have kept him over Ben Roethlisberger and maybe would have had another subpar performance with something like a QB rating of 40, but 500 yards "rushing" and 3 rushing TD's. Instead, I finished overall first. Oh wait, that's a good thing.

Posted by Big Money Tony at 03:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Is there anything that the sports media makes a bigger fuss over nothing about than a guarantee of victory from a player? Is it really so bold for a player to say that he thinks his team will win a game? If the players don't have the confidence and belief in their mind that they can win a game then they have already lost. So why does the media make such a big deal about it when a player expresses this confidence publicly? Does the other team really believe that it is disrespectful to think that their opponents believe they will win, or does the media simply want them to believe that in order to drum up a story for the pre-game coverage?

This all goes back to Joe Namath in Super Bowl III when the Jets were a double-digit underdog yet Namath still guaranteed a Jets victory before the game. The Jets won, and Namath became a legend. Since then the media wants to put every athlete who guarantees a victory on a pedestal the way Namath was. But it has now been nearly 40 years since Namath made his guarantee and countless other athletes have made guarantees of victory for games big and small and been right and wrong. I as a sports fan take no meaning from any guarantee, whether it is for or against my team, and merely glaze over any attempts by the media to make these statements into more than they really are: just talk.

If I were a baseball player, I would announce to the media that I personally guarantee that my team would win every single game I ever played in: all 162 regular season games, plus a sweep of the post-season. This would serve two purposes: one, to announce to the world that I have the confidence to succeed at the highest level, and two, to make a mockery of the media hype about guarantees. If before every game you asked every player if they thought they would win, the honest answer would be yes. Will it take every player on every team to guarantee a victory before every game before the media realizes that a guarantee is meaningless?

This week brought yet another guarantee from some Pittsburgh Steeler whom I'd never even heard of before. Bob Ryan on Friday's episode of PTI stated, “we should be ashamed in the media to even give this remotely the airplay we did.” I couldn't agree more.

Posted by Bob at 11:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

A year that marks some exceptional performances has two standouts among the field of candidates. Tebow & McFadden separated themselves from their peers. In a two man race, Tebow's tools, stats, and on field presence during the game give him a slight edge. Tebow has all the attributes that NFL scouts salivate over and he's not even eligible for the draft yet. McFadden will certainly be an impact player in the NFL.

This year marks a year in which the recipient could actually be a mainstay in the NFL. How many times has the running back or quarterback petered out of the league after only a few years? A player that was good at the colligate level, but fell short at the pro level. There's something special about these two student athletes.

An honorable mention should include Matt Ryan, who also should make one lucky NFL team searching for a quarterback very happy. He stayed all four years and improved his skills. Ryan called his own plays and stayed despite a change at the coaching position. He's even had the ability to bring his team back for a late charging victory at the end of a game.

We'll know the outcome tonight at 8 PM.

Posted by The Sports Freak at 05:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This past Thursday, on a brisk night, the Redskins beat the Bears. Finally, a win. And it felt rather satisfying. Q and yours truly attended this game with much anticipation of the corporate sponsored Tailgate Club meal. Well, maybe it was the cheerleaders or the ambassadors (as pictured here). BTW - What makes them only ambassadors? Are they waiting for a cabinet position from Snyder?

Picture by BMT

Two points of bad news.

1. Because of the night game, and my 7.2mp Sony Cyber-Shot, most of the pictures came out lousy. So you only get this on picture. We have set up a Flickr account to post pictures. These pics were terrible, so we have only posted the ones from the Redskins Bills game.

2. Obviously the loss of Jason Campbell is going to hurt our already slim chances of making the playoffs.

Now the good stuff...

Todd Collins - we were always told he "knew" the offense. But we never saw him run it here. Until Thursday. Other than a few shaky moments (apparently all Redskins QBs go through fumbling drills), we seemed to see him handle the offense effectively.

Santana Moss - after missing games for injuries, he's back! He caught balls, made plays and was an integral part of the offense.

The D - constantly, all season the offense has had mediocre games. While the D slipped in one or two games, they have kept the team within reaching distance. This time, it's our Cowboy reject kicker who missed two field goals early in the game, sending the defense out to clean up his mess. And they did it. Again.

Savor the win. We got the Vikings, the Giants, and the 'Boys. While Redskins-Cowboys games are always good, the place could be rocking if we win the next two games on the road.

Posted by Big Money Tony at 07:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

What's this...the Yankees no longer the front runner for the Santana sweepstakes? It seems like the mighty Yankees have decided upon placing value on free agency and decided that the dollars and cents along with providing prospects for other teams just isn't worth the price.

It will be interesting to see where Santana lands and if the Yankees shift their attention to Bedard or Haren at a lower cost.

Posted by The Sports Freak at 10:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Winter Meetings for MLB concluded on Thursday. The Nationals made three trades, a free agent signing, and extended Willy Mo Pena's contract. It was a spectacular start to a new season and new ball park.

The Nationals acquired a front line OF with some mild behavioral issues. Hopefully Milledge will head Dimitri Young's advice. The Nats essentially dumped payroll and age for a young prospect with huge potential.

Elijah Dukes: B-

The Dukes trade brings another prospect with huge potential, but much more volatile than Milledge. Dukes could pose a great risk in the development of Milledge and the clubhouse. A high risk high reward trade that could be cut short should any future issues arise.

Tyler Clippard: B+

The Nats acquired a young starting pitcher prospect for a reliever. The Nationals have an abundance of relievers and seem adept at finding more. This trade fills a need at the cost of a surplus of relief pitching.

Aaron Boone: B+

The Nats acquire another role player that's been in the big game and provides much needed leadership in the club house. He also provides insurance in the event that Zimmerman requires more time to heal from surgery.

The trade for outfielders and extension of Pena plus adding Guzman in the Rule #5 Draft makes for a crowded OF. With Pena, Milledge, Dukes, Kearns, Guzman, Logan, Langerhans, and possibly Nick Johnson or Dimitri Young leads one to speculate that more changes could be coming. At the very least, Logan's time could be seriously diminished.

Overall: B+

Posted by The Sports Freak at 07:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The Nationals completed two trades that appear to have been in the works for a while. Milledge has some mild baggage from New York and Dukes has some serious baggage from Tampa Bay. Both could potentially be the middle of the line-up bats that the Nationals are looking to add to the team. The question is at what price.

No one knows if these two once prized prospects are the basis for a much larger trade or not, but hopefully the Nationals are not becoming the weigh station for other teams tarnished prospects and undesirable club house players.

Milledge may just need a fresh start and some guidance from a experienced veteran to turn things around, but Burkes past seems entirely different. It's encouraging to hear that Dimitri Young would like to give back to the organization ESPN AP Article.

Frank Robinson was known for telling players that hustling to first base and doing what he says will be rewarded and not doing what's expected of them will have repercussions. This came into focus early in Soriano's one year stint as he learned the OF. He didn't run out an out to first base and was benched. He was upset and Guillen informed him that Frank told everyone to leg out the outs. Soriano was no exception and understood immediately that there are consequences for everyone. The same policy should be implemented for the entire team to show the new players that their not singled out, but that any type of incidents will have a larger impact and course of action for them.

In another winter meeting trade, the Nationals exchanged pitching prospects with the Yankees. Jonathan Albaladejo if he passes a physical will be sent to the New York Yankees for right-hander Tyler Clippard.

Rumors also are fluttering about that the Nationals could be in the market for a catcher after losing Schneider via trade or free agency. It would seem much more sound logic to acquire a free agent mediocre catcher then trade for a mediocre catcher that won't be here for the long haul AND give up a prospect.

Posted by The Sports Freak at 11:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Much like the doubt and discontent fans are heaping on Joe Gibbs, Gary Williams will hear the boo birds again from fickle fans due to the slow start and it's unwarranted. This could be one of the best years of Gary's coaching career.

It's easier when you have the best players or all seniors, but with a team of young players it's different. Most of the players are tasting their first real action this year. The backcourt is learning how to play off of and with each other and Gist is waiting for the ball to be delivered. Roles still have yet to be filled by some of the players on the squad.

Gary's been through this before. He'll simplify the set plays and work on simple execution of passes and positioning in the flex offense until players show they understand and additional passes are made without thought or hesitation. By the back half of the ACC schedule the Terps will look much better than the first half.

The greatest loss of players from last year wasn't the frontcourt, but from one player - DJ Strawberry. His defense and explosiveness in the transition game for easy baskets is sorely missed.

The Terps need to find a way to make the right pass and make some easy baskets to set up the trap for more easy lay ins. The only puzzling piece of the puzzle is not allowing Hayes to run more plays in the half court sets.

The key to remember is that Gary didn't win in 2002 for not being a good coach and his best year of coaching was getting the underachieving group of players to play well for the ACC Tournament and earn their ticket to the big dance that year. This year's young team could be just as demanding on Gary, but he knows how to handle the pressure. Don't be surprised to see a much different looking team come end of the season.

Posted by The Sports Freak at 09:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Many are starting to lose the faith and patience with Joe Gibbs. The Redskins have only made the playoffs once during Joe Gibbs Version 2.0. Joe has so many coaches and many of whom were with him during the first tour of duty. But some things have changed since his first stint with the skins.

It's not as much the salary cap that's changed, but the players and culture. During Joe's first tour of duty Joe would take it on the chin, but it was the players that strapped it on their chin and won games for him. The OL looked for DL to pancake and create lanes for the backs and allow the quarterbacks to connect with the wide outs.

Joe and the team worked hard together and would make half time adjustments. How we can all recall hearing Joe was the king of the half-time adjustments. Yet when Joe looked human and called consecutive time outs at the end of the game which allowed the Bills to kick a game winning field goal from closer in, the fans seemed to doubt Joe. Joe showed in one of his weakest and most humble moments just how strong he was as he took yet one more hit on his chin and any ego he had.

Yet when Joe came out following the game and blamed the loss on himself after such a trying week, where were the very leaders and players coming out and defending Coach Joe Gibbs? Was it Joe Gibbs that didn't block for Portis to run or Joe that turned the ball over or Joe that dropped passes or even Joe that couldn't take the ball away from the Bills or sack a young quarterback down the stretch to get the ball back and deny Buffalo from winning the game?

Coach Joe Gibbs has always put the Redskins, the organization, and the players first. Would any of the past players allowed to let Joe take the fall for the loss? Hopefully now everyone has learned just how much he has their back and bleeds burgundy and gold? This is the difference between yester years and today. Once today's players learn how much Joe cares about them, then maybe the execution on the field will improve and so will the swagger of a winning team.

Posted by The Sports Freak at 07:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

OK, so physically I know where Baltimore is...about 40 miles north of Washington DC. However, where are they in the Hot Stove League? My baseball team of my youth seems to be nowhere in talks. Except that they are shopping Erik Bedard and Miguel Tejada lightly. Like a sad yard sale deep in a neighborhood nobody goes to.

I simply don't understand it. Bedard is their bona fide Ace, and I can't name the other 4 even though I had Sunday only tickets just a couple of years ago. BTW - after some research, the other four are Daniel The D stands for "D other Cabrera" Cabrera, Adam Loewen, Jeremy Guthrie, and Garrett Olson.

Despite my strong dislike of Peter Angelos, I can't give up 2 decades of intense watching through the Ripkens (both brothers and the father), Albert Joey Bell, and even Jeffrey Maier. I think if I go this coming season, I'll need to print out a roster/depth chart before I go to games because Who's at First?

Tejada, I more understand. He's probably in his down years and if you are going to get anything for him, might as well do it now.

So this is how they are improving the 69-93 team of 2007? Boy, they'll be eating Devil Ray dust by June if something does not come up.

Posted by Big Money Tony at 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A coaching revolving door occurs at the end of every season, but there are some coaches that always seem to be recycled or maintain their ridiculously long tenure with one team. As the NFL regular season draws closer to an end, let's take a closer look at some of these coaches. Let's take a look at another overrated head coach.

Brian Billick:

Brian Billick another offensive genius similar in stature to Norv Turner. Let's not forget that one great year Billick had in Minnesota with Daunte, Moss, and Carter. Carter had phenomenal hands and ran perfect routes. Moss could run a fly pattern and take the ball away from a defender better than anyone else. The offense was throwing it to where Carter should be and he'll catch it and throw it deep in a straight line and Moss should come down with it. Sounds great, but what happens if you don't have Carter, Moss, or quarterback with an accurate arm? I guess you call it a Ravens offense.

Just what type of offensive scheme do the Ravens employ? It's not a run 'n shoot offense or the greatest show on turf a la Mike Martz or a play action offense or a west coast offense (this actually scores td's) or a vertical offense (a la the old Oakland Raiders) or a zone stretch running offense or even a no huddle offense.

As Big Money Tony and I have discussed and he mentioned in a prior message, Billick has paraded a multitude of quarterbacks in and out of a Ravens uniform. He won a Super Bowl with his defense and Trent Dilfer at QB and then proceeded to cut him. He had Tony Banks and even an Elvis at QB. Remember that if he had Elvis running his offense things would look great. That didn't seem to work out too well.

In short, Billick's offense in Baltimore can be summed up in four short words - Extend Matt Stover's Contract.

Posted by The Sports Freak at 10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

A coaching revolving door occurs at the end of every season, but there are some coaches that always seem to be recycled or maintain their ridiculously long tenure with one team. As the NFL regular season draws closer to an end, let's take a closer look at some of these coaches.

Norv Turner:

One of the greatest modern day active and overrated coaches in the NFL has to be Norv Turner. He's often referred to as an offensive genius. Let's dig a little deeper into Norv's offenses and coaching positions over time.

Norv's offensive legacy began in Dallas where he had, if I'm not mistaken, a Hall of Fame quarterback in Aikman, a Hall of Fame wide receiver in Irvin, and a soon to be Hall of Fame running back in Smith. Norv also had an all-star offensive line, tight end, and full back. He had a defense to back him up, as well as, superb special teams. All put together thanks to J. Johnson.

Norv was no architect nor was he responsible for the immense talent these players possessed. What made him so great? Was it the art of not screwing a good thing up? How difficult is it calling a run for Smith or asking Aikman to pass to Irvin, Harper, or Novecek?

When Norv came to DC he brought his offensive scheme without his golden players. He couldn't draft the caliber of players he had in Dallas and was indecisive in choosing between Shuler and Frerotte. Nothing looked similar to Dallas in Washington except some of the discarded ex-Cowboys he brought to the roster.

Later Norv moved to Miami as a coordinator. It was thought that Norv's genius could be counted on again to bring more out of Jay Fiedler and the Dolphins offense. I can only imagine some silly scenario where the Dolphins would push a playbook across the table to Norv as he reviews it and pushes a salary demand on a slip of paper back and after review the paper he's approved and says the old playbook had Ricky Williams rushing 30 times a game and the new playbook has him rushing it near 40 times a game. Sounds like someone was drinking a Guinness - Brilliant!

Norv later bounced around S