Nobody Beats the Wiz ... (OK, everyone does)

So after watching the Wiz/Rockets game last night, it's pretty clear we're a mess. Now, we are coming off 4 games in 5 days...so I guess we can't take this performance as a true test. What disheartended me was the total lack of quality shots. Look at the picture above, that is not exactly a play Eddie would draw up and there has to be a better shot than this. Not only that, we made Dikembe look as if he was 25 years old and his prime. I wanted to throw the TV out the window everytime he waved that 4-foot finger. The only highlight of the night was when Dikembe got T'd up for doing it in Blatche's face.

The most notable stat of the night was that the Wiz continued their streak of being the top of every else's franchise record stats. We only scored 23 points in the first half. This tied the franchise record for the Rockets for the lowest by an opponent (and Yao didn't even play).

Watching the game, it reminded me a lot of when a 7 year-old plays against their 16 year-old brother. Lots of awkward shots, blocks, and just being out-hussled with ease. On one fast break, AD and Jamison ran into each other and AD missed the layup. I guess it's better to forget this night and move on. After all, it's Phil and Steve Bobblehead night in a month. The question is, will we still be in the playoff hunt by then? With the East, yes, anything is possible. Not without Caron though.

Jesus PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday 2/22/08 7:20AM - OK, so it is raining and there are accidents ALL OVER D.C. There is a 30 car pileup on 370. Can anyone drive in this city? Freakin schools are closed/delayed and it is raining!! People...PLEASE READ this....it is your guide in how to drive in snow, ice, and rain!!

1.) When there's inclement weather, it's going to take longer for you to get where you are going. Just accept it. Either leave earlier or call ahead. Everyone has the same problem as you so if you have a meeting or some rule you have to be at your desk at 9...just give it up. It's a valid excuse. The "don't be a hero" theory applies here.


2.) You're not going to be able to drive normal speeds even if traffic is moderate. Keep to a speed where you can feel the car on the road. Let the people that don't understand this rule pass you on the left and throw your coffee at the person on the right going 5 mph with their hazard lights on.



3.) Don't expect to hit the gas and brake like you normally do. That's what causes you to spin out. Ease into ALL acceleration and braking. Even if you have to make a sudden stop (which you shouldn't because of #2), ease the brake first before slamming it.


4.) If you do lose control where the car starts veering, turn your steering wheel into the direction the car is veering...this will get you control again. DON'T SLAM THE BRAKE.


5.) If you do have great traction and see a bridge or ramp above, ASSUME that it is icy. There is always that bump where the pavement meets the bridge and that is enough to spin you out. Do not EVER accelerate when driving over this part. Take your foot off the gas then slowly re-accelerate once you're through it. This goes for ANY part of the road you suspect icy patches.

If any of the above fails, you're an idiot. Move to Florida.

99 Problems but a Coach Ain't One

Welcome to the JZ era.

As ebaggg posted previously his concerns with Dan Snyder's selection, I feel quite different. It's JZ baby.

OK, so Mariucci didn't make the grade. Fassel was left at the altar AGAIN by Snyder. Ron Meeks...sorry man, you were starting to really gain some support from fans who were beginning to consider you the least of all the evils being pursued by Snyder. Instead, we went the more conventional route...we promoted from within. Sort of. (See next post for ebagg's less rosy outlook for Jim Zorn)

Look, this process has been tough to endure. Dan Snyder fielded calls from folks representing Britney Spears, Amy Winehouse, and Lindsay Lohan. He took some serious heat off of them in the last 3-4 weeks. Yes, this whole process has been EXACTLY like Dan Snyder getting photographed with his junk hanging out. Or wandering the streets in his underwear with a little Vinny doll under his arm. The one thing we had going -- that no other team was looking for a coach so we had no competition -- turned into the worst thing since we were the only team to scrutinize. And when the NFL world turns its attention to Dan Snyder, Redskins' fans' email boxes fill up fast. Lightning fast.

The spotlight cast on this organization in the past month has illuminated all of the things that we Redskins' fans have had the luxury of ignoring since Joe Gibbs came back. None of us wants to be an apologist for Dan Snyder. None of us wants to defend him. He's the kind of guy you'd want to flick on the ear in the dead of winter, with a wind chill of 25 below. What a testament to a man: when you show that you are willing to embark on an actual process to interview multiple candidates, even waiting 2 weeks to interview a guy who had a little bit of promise, you still get killed in the media because you have managed only to make it look like you have no idea what you want or what you are doing.

The only explanation I can muster is this:

1) What was the rush? We were the only team looking for a head coach.

2) At least Snyder didn't bid against himself trying to get Cowher, or Schottenheimer, or Ditka, or some other big name.

3) If Gibbs, Cerrato, and Snyder really did think Zorn was a head coaching candidate all along, they at least put him on staff to groom him for the future, and if they then re-visited him as a candidate for the present, the process was successful.

Too much back and forth with Fassel for my tastes though. Too many clandestine conversations, secretive meetings, and cloak-and-dagger tactics. We're talking about hiring a head coach of a football team, not the planning of a war. They took themselves so seriously, we were all left to believe they thought they knew exactly what they were doing. And since in the past, they have proven to not know what they were doing, the lunacy of the situation took on its own life. So let's not apologize for Snyder...he's on his own, just him and Vinny against the world.

Jim Zorn could very well be the next guy who makes the successful jump from QB coach to head coach, a la Andy Reid. Did you know that Zorn was the coach that Mike Holmgren put in charge of handling 3rd and 7+? He is an idea guy, a high-energy guy, and a guy who has experience getting young quarterbacks to the next level. Here's hoping Jim Zorn is as crafty at dealing with the Syder/Cerrato tag-team as he was when he was running for his life trying to evade the pass-rush in Seattle and find Steve Largent downfield. It says here we got ourselves a good coach.

**we're going to try and include a Top 5 ranking (on everything and anything) in every post from here on out. Include yours with your comments.

Top 5 Discs-Sugar

Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band -- The Beatles

Bringing It All Back Home -- Bob Dylan

Wildflowers -- Tom Petty

Low End Theory -- A Tribe Called Quest

MTV Unplugged -- Jay-Z featuring The Roots

And the New Coach for the Skins is...Dan Snyder! (I told you so)

OK, so Jim Zorn Dan Snyder is our new head coach. The Ahern Inquirer called it! I think everyone at this point is confused because we don't really know anything about Zorn besides his Seattle career. In short, he has ZERO experience as an offensive coordinator and ZERO experience as a head coach. That is quite a jump to go from a QB coach to head coach (and your team is not Arizona, St. Louis, or Maplewood). But it all makes sense if we take a look at Dan Snyder. He has always been someone who wants control. That was always the case pre-Gibbs era. And when he was able to bring in Gibbs, well, even Vince Lombardi would have given over full control to Gibbs in DC...so Snyder made the right (and only) move he could have then. Gibbs was probably wise enough to say keep out or I walk. Now that the Gibbs era is over, it's clear Dan $nyder wants a coach where he can have a large say. However, ANY veteran coach always has their own way of doing things. So clearly, Gregg Willians would not fit. Jim Fassel would not fit. So what's the next logic step? ... bring in someone that doesn't have a hard-lined stance on procedures and work with him through the process. It all stinks...although Brian Billick or Fassel would have been a disaster, I don't think we're any better off now. New coaches seem to have less control over the players which means the Freddy Smoot sex boat is making a stop at the Georgetown Waterfront in a few months. As I see it, after all these years of the Skins playing under old-fashioned hard-lined coaches, and now they have all-new young ones, it's no different than when as kids we got the substitute teacher and started throwing food all over the room. Sure, Blache was here under Gregg, but that doesn't mean a thing when it comes to disciplining. There's always the WNBA. Snyder doesn't own that (yet). Go Mystics!!!

What do you think and why?
1.) Over/Under - Skins wins this year: 6.5 games
2.) Over/Under - Zorn as head coach: 2.5 years (he has a 5 year contract)
3.) Over/Under - Redskins players brush-ins with the law: 1.5
4.) Over/Under - # of High priced free agents brought in by Snyder/Zorn: 1
5.) Do you think it's true that in Zorn contract he has to pick up Dan $nyder's dry-cleaning twice a week?

Your Turn

According to our most recent stats, we have literally TENS of hundreds of readers. and to celebrate our 2000th reader, we want to hear from you, and we have posed a variety of questions for you to consider. We want to know your opinions, and we are willing to pay up to hear them (not actual money mind you). We will offer two prizes: 1) for the best overall response (entertaining, logical, etc.); and 2) for the best reasoned response.
The overall winner gets to post a guest blog on the subject of their choice. The 2nd place winner will be assigned the rebuttal. In the future, prizes will be better, but will always include a chance to post a guest blog. Winners will be determined in the next 2 weeks.

To post your answers and opinions, simply click on the "comments" link at the bottom of this post. You can use a variety of sign-ins, or you can click on "Nickname" and just type in the name you wish to post under.
Don't feel like you have to answer them all. You can pick one and go off on it.

Redskins Draft
What position(s) should the Redskins use their top 2-3 picks on in April's draft?

Will the Redskins receive any compensatory picks for the loss of Sean Taylor? Relief from the salary cap? Should they?

Would you trade the Redskins' #1 pick (#21 overall) for Chad Johnson?

Wiz
Would you trade Gilbert Arenas before the end of this season, and who would you want in return?

Redskins Head Coach
Would you rather have Steve Mariucci come in and add his expertise in molding Jason Campbell, or would you rather have Russ Grimm come in and assume the risk of him either getting fired after one year under the impatient Snyder or turning into a 10+ yr head coach in this town?

Do you believe that Dan Snyder will ever win a Super Bowl?

What one free agent should the Redskins pursue over all others if they had a chance to get just one?

Which town has hotter girls: Baltimore or D.C.?

Will Norv Turner ever win a Super Bowl?

Which is the best NCAA college sports conference and why?

What team (in any sport) has the worst fans?