RG3 has been willing to speak his mind and be an individual from the moment he first appeared in the big-time sporting universe during his time as the starting quarterback at Baylor. He always had a big smile on his face and was very affable towards fans, teammates, and media alike. He wore his ridiculous superhero socks at the Heisman Trophy presentation. He single-handedly made Baylor football relevant again in the Big XII and across the country. He has staunchly defended his style of play through head and knee injuries during both his college and NFL tenure. His Redskins teammates are in his corner publicly and clearly are taken with RG3's warrior ethos. No one within the organization has questioned the decision to leave RG3 in the game when he was clearly hurt. I respect RG3's commitment to his teammates and his belief that he is Washington's best option to win no matter what his condition may be. He is the quarterback.
While I do respect it, this is where he loses me a little bit. I understand you believe in yourself and I understand that you are in tune with all you're capable of. I also believe this is born out of loyalty to the team. I wouldn't accuse RGIII of being a selfish guy. I do believe that everything he does on the field is done with the number one priority being winning football games for the Washington Redskins. However, there has to be a point where he sees that what he is doing is detrimental to the team. Backup quarterback Kirk Cousins is no slouch but there's also no doubt that RG3 is the quarterback for the foreseeable future in D.C. This isn't like Drew Bledsoe and Tom Brady back in 2001. RG3's career is just beginning. Washington was still in the game when the tide turned and RG3 was clearly not effective. At some point, the organization needs to step in.
This is where things turn a bit for me. While I wish RG3 would just shut up and play football (My feelings about mouthy athletes are already well-documented.), I have far more ire for the Redskins organization. I understand the win-at-all-costs mentality of the NFL but where is the line? When does the organization and its medical team have to put the best interests of the football team aside and look out for the best interests of the injured player? It was clear to anyone watching that RG3 was not himself. This also brings to mind head coach Mike Shanahan. Why in the world would Shanahan and his son (the offensive coordinator) continue to run the zone read stuff when the threat of RG3 running the football was non-existent by that point in the game. Not only was it damaging to their quarterback but it was also damaging to the team, stalling the offense at a point when they were still clearly in the football game. This stubborn refusal to adapt was a bit shocking to me. You would think a coach with the experience of Shanahan would know when to make an in-game adjustment. Plus, Cousins had led the 'Skins to victory in a must-win game a few weeks prior. There was also a lot of "he said," "he said" nonsense involving Shanahan and team orthopedist Dr. James Andrews. It's still a bit unclear as to who allowed RG3 to stay in the game. The only thing that is clear is that the quarterback would not come out of the game under any circumstances of his own doing.
At this point in both reading my own writing and reading various other materials I've grown absolutely sick and tired of RG3. I liked him a lot during his time at Baylor and I didn't mind him with the Redskins last year despite being a Giants fan. But all this constant babbling has shut me down. I'm tired of hearing about all of it. I just want RG3 to continue to rehab and he will play when he's ready. End of story. It seems like things were dying down a bit. Yes, there was still a lot made of his practice progress and the fact that he did participate in a full 11-on-11 drill at practice but at least it was still just an injury update, not a rehash of all that had gone wrong previously. It seemed like everything was good until Donovan McNabb spoke up.
My feelings on this part of the story are a bit complicated. I have always been a tremendous fan of McNabb. He is a Syracuse alum (as am I) and his contributions to the university both on and off the football field have been well-documented. McNabb then went on to become the most accomplished quarterback in Philadelphia Eagles history despite his rocky (at best) relationship with the fan base and the city. When McNabb was traded to Washington, things unraveled in a hurry. Shanahan questioned his conditioning; he was benched; then, despite signing an extension, he was released. After a so-so season with the Minnesota Vikings, that was the end of McNabb's NFL career. McNabb was not a guy who spoke out often on controversial issues during his NFL career but he has certainly not had a problem speaking out since becoming a TV analyst and former NFL quarterback. Now, on top of everything else, McNabb comes out and says that Washington has RG3 brainwashed. He then goes further and says how upset he is that RG3 doesn't seem receptive to his advice. McNabb has even gone as far as to paint himself as the old guard and an outdated commodity. I truly believe that McNabb simply wants to help RG3. It's no secret that are some outside of Washington who feel that RG3 has been far too open with the media. McNabb, perhaps better than anyone (think Rush Limbaugh incident), can understand some of the racial implications and stereotypes the media may be painting the confident RG3 with. What really comes to light with his comments is just how poor the relationship between Shanahan and McNabb is. It's clear the media will not give McNabb any leniency in this department but I get the feeling Shanahan is at fault just as much. Not all player/coach relationships and wine and roses. I have always defended McNabb but I fear that he is coming off like a whiner rather than a critical analyst. I have no problem with McNabb speaking his mind. That's his job and it's always refreshing to see former athletes turned commentators that can actually be critical of their former peers when necessary. But I don't understand what seems to be his need for acceptance from RG3. If the youngster doesn't want to heed McNabb's advice then so be it. Everyone has to learn in their own way. McNabb just seems to be trying to protect him. But sadly, most NFL stars tend to learn the hard way. As for McNabb and Shanahan, let's just say that won't be sitting across the table from each other at Thanksgiving dinner anytime soon. We'll see what the future holds for RG3. Can he stay healthy? Can he and Shanahan continue to work together? Can RG3 keep winning football games in D.C.?
Last post I wrote about my feelings about the exodus of former Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson to the Detroit Red Wings. After venting, I noted that it all seemed too easy and there had to be more to the situation than meets the eye. Lo and behold, almost two weeks later, Alfredsson says goodbye to Ottawa and speaks openly about his departure. Alfredsson made his love for the city clear but he was also very clear that a contract impasse was something he couldn't get past. When Alfredsson worked out his last contract, it was done with the understanding that he would not play the 2012-2013 season. The extra year on his deal was solely a salary cap move to help the Sens. Then he played out the season (as he said he would) and decided he could play another season (2013-2014). But once again contract negotiations stalled. This is where Alfredsson's version of events gets vague. He didn't really get into the rest of the contract negotiations and even Ottawa GM Bryan Murray presented a vague statement that implied J.P. Barry (Alfredsson's agent) did not present his client with all the facts. Murray went further and mentioned that he and Sens owner Eugene Melnyk had discussed scenarios in which Ottawa both resigned Alfredsson and traded for Anaheim winger Bobby Ryan. As much as both Murray and Alfredsson said they were moving on, their words really said otherwise. It's clear that Alfredsson loves the city of Ottawa and its fans. It's also clear that Murray really did not want to lose his captain this way. I have no doubt that the first time Detroit visits Ottawa this season, all of those feelings will come back to the surface. I, for one, am still salty about Alfredsson's exit and hope that he does return to the organization in some capacity after his retirement. I also hope that the Bobby Ryan trade works out for the Sens. On top of that, I really hope that Alfredsson is productive and that his one-year term with Detroit doesn't mirror that of Mike Modano, another one-franchise icon who left under adverse circumstances.
The New Jersey Devils may have finally found the answer to their financial problems (Thank goodness!!) after their $320 million sale to Philadelphia 76ers owner Joshua Harris and his partner David Blitzer. Just like that, Jersey's Team has seen the never-ending stream of bankruptcy rumors and financial troubles disappear. The new ownership group then made a phenomenal move in declaring that GM Lou Lamoriello will continue to be "the man," completely in charge of the hockey side of the team's operations. However, that didn't stop the new ownership team from making some changes on the business side of the operation as they begin to implement their vision. I am beyond relieved as a die-hard fan and season-ticket holder that the Devils will now have legitimacy and stability in the owners' box. Anyone can deny it as much as they want but there's no doubt that the Devils' financial situation has impacted the hockey side of things for the last several seasons. As passionate as former majority owner Jeff Vanderbeek was, his financial limitations hindered the club, particularly in the free agent category. The Ilya Kovalchuk fiasco from his initial contract to his shocking retirement to the KHL underscores all of that. Lamoriello seems very enthusiastic about the move and all of a sudden it seems like the sun is smiling on Jersey's Team. Columnist Tara Sullivan of The Record did a great job highlighting Lamoriello's excitement for the future, including many great quotes from the man himself. You can read it here: http://www.northjersey.com/columnists/Sullivan_Cloud_finally_has_lifted_off_Devils_excited_GM_Lou_Lamoriello.html?c=y&page=2
WWE Summerslam is Sunday and the stench surrounding the WWE Championship match between John Cena & Daniel Bryan grows more foul by the day. Now, Triple H will serve as the special guest referee for the contest. I smell a double-cross here. Perhaps an Evolution reunion/assist? Ric Flair made an appearance at the WWE2K14 video game roster reveal event. Orton is the reigning Money in the Bank winner and is not on the card right now. Could be quite the ending. Also, how is Cody Rhodes vs. Damien Sandow on the pay-per-view card while United States Champion Dean Ambrose vs. Rob Van Dam is stuck on the free kickoff show? Poor booking by the powers-that-be on that one. At least we can still look forward to "Best vs. Beast" as CM Punk and Brock Lesnar lock horns.
The New York Mets have finally accepted rebuilding and are starting to push the organization's top prospects through the system. Highly-regarded catcher Travis d'Arnaud made his long-awaited big league debut this weekend against the San Diego Padres. d'Arnaud joins a youth infusion that includes Zach Wheeler, Wilmer Flores, Jennry Mejia, Juan Lagares, Gonzalez Germen, and (of course) Matt Harvey. I'm glad that the Mets realize it's time to change their approach and give the kids a chance. They really have nothing to lose at this point. And they shed some big contracts this off-season. With a core of David Wright, Daniel Murphy, d'Arnaud, Wheeler, Harvey, & Jon Niese moving forward, things could actually be looking up at Citi Field. Oh, and highly regarded pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard has already pushed his way up to Double-A Binghamton. His last start: 5 IP, 10 K, 3 H, 0 R on 66 pitches.
And with that I will leave you with a photo of me and a banner outside Ottawa's Scotiabank Place featuring former captain Daniel Alfredsson.
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