The Redskins
Yes, I am a native of Washington DC, and yes, I am a Washington Redskins fan. Through the ups and the downs, the highs and the lows, I have been loyal. Recently its been mostly downs and lows, however. My loyalty has been stretched recently since my second favorite team keeps winning Superbowls -- I refer of course to the Patriots.
As the football season nears, I feel compelled to begin posting about that most American of sports. Nobody else in the world plays anything like it, and even I admit that the whole concept is rather bizarre. It's like rugby, but with a lot more gear and rules. Plus, the game has gotten more complicated in recent years, what with the new illegal contact rules and the challenges for instant replay. Nevertheless it is fun, fun, fun.
Last year I was able to watch this purely macho enjoyment on a fairly large plasma television in HD. It was beautiful. Now however my roomate is leaving, and his television has gone as well. Being the cheap bastard that I am, I would rather just mooch off a friend. Thus, I will probably be making the trek to a friend's place every weekend, and on the occasional monday, to watch grown men beat the crap out of each other in High Definition. Oh yeah.
The problem with being a Skins fan on the west coast is that a) there aren't a lot of us AND b) they never show our games, except when we play west coast teams. Instead I rely on ESPN's live gamecast, which it looks like they might be making a pay service this year. Maybe I can persuade my friend to get the super-sports package that some cable companies offer....
The Skins are in trouble this year, but I have high hopes. I grew up in the glory days of Joe Gibbs and his three superbowls. He never let me down then, and I'm hoping he won't let me down this year. Of course he showed a pretty dismal performance last year, but there has to be some sort of a learning curve, after all he's been out of the game for over a decade. He's got Portis healthy and Betts as a great backup, which should help him with his running game focus. I think Patten and Moss were both great acquisitions, and with LaVar and Jansen both back in the line, our team stands a fighting chance.
Our weaknesses of course are significant. We've got no real pass coverage -- having lost our great corners. Our hopes now lie with Carlos and Sean. Sean of course kicks ass, and I have high hopes for him, but Carlos is a rookie and there's bound to be a learning curve there. Let's hope the defense can show a repeat performance from last year. Having Lavar should help, as he'll increase the pash rush pressure.
Our other weakness of concern to me is at quarterback. Patrick Ramsey is our starter, but he needs a lot of work. He's got a lot of heart, and I can see him really pulling through some great games, but he really has to work on his technique. He botches too many plays, particularly passes, due to small shit, like a misstep or a slightly wrong grip. He really needs to step it up. Brunell has been doing a great job in the preseason, and there's no telling what may happen come gametime.
Yes, I am a native of Washington DC, and yes, I am a Washington Redskins fan. Through the ups and the downs, the highs and the lows, I have been loyal. Recently its been mostly downs and lows, however. My loyalty has been stretched recently since my second favorite team keeps winning Superbowls -- I refer of course to the Patriots.
As the football season nears, I feel compelled to begin posting about that most American of sports. Nobody else in the world plays anything like it, and even I admit that the whole concept is rather bizarre. It's like rugby, but with a lot more gear and rules. Plus, the game has gotten more complicated in recent years, what with the new illegal contact rules and the challenges for instant replay. Nevertheless it is fun, fun, fun.
Last year I was able to watch this purely macho enjoyment on a fairly large plasma television in HD. It was beautiful. Now however my roomate is leaving, and his television has gone as well. Being the cheap bastard that I am, I would rather just mooch off a friend. Thus, I will probably be making the trek to a friend's place every weekend, and on the occasional monday, to watch grown men beat the crap out of each other in High Definition. Oh yeah.
The problem with being a Skins fan on the west coast is that a) there aren't a lot of us AND b) they never show our games, except when we play west coast teams. Instead I rely on ESPN's live gamecast, which it looks like they might be making a pay service this year. Maybe I can persuade my friend to get the super-sports package that some cable companies offer....
The Skins are in trouble this year, but I have high hopes. I grew up in the glory days of Joe Gibbs and his three superbowls. He never let me down then, and I'm hoping he won't let me down this year. Of course he showed a pretty dismal performance last year, but there has to be some sort of a learning curve, after all he's been out of the game for over a decade. He's got Portis healthy and Betts as a great backup, which should help him with his running game focus. I think Patten and Moss were both great acquisitions, and with LaVar and Jansen both back in the line, our team stands a fighting chance.
Our weaknesses of course are significant. We've got no real pass coverage -- having lost our great corners. Our hopes now lie with Carlos and Sean. Sean of course kicks ass, and I have high hopes for him, but Carlos is a rookie and there's bound to be a learning curve there. Let's hope the defense can show a repeat performance from last year. Having Lavar should help, as he'll increase the pash rush pressure.
Our other weakness of concern to me is at quarterback. Patrick Ramsey is our starter, but he needs a lot of work. He's got a lot of heart, and I can see him really pulling through some great games, but he really has to work on his technique. He botches too many plays, particularly passes, due to small shit, like a misstep or a slightly wrong grip. He really needs to step it up. Brunell has been doing a great job in the preseason, and there's no telling what may happen come gametime.
posted by slithytoves at 8:36 PM
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